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US President Obama has done a super job. A super job of alienating just about every nation on the planet, including his own. Since early in his first administration he has apologized to the enemies of the West for past administrations and pandered to those whose plan is, and nearly always has been, to dethrone western economic and military powers. Thinking himself to be the American Messiah, he has over promised and under delivered, especially to the BRICS.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa comprise the BRICS, recognized as the strongest of the emerging economies. Although he promised great support for the BRICS, his beer diplomacy is more about the foam than the substance. And the BRICS know it.
Bristling Brazil
Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff has given the Obama administration the cold shoulder since Mr. Obama would not promise foreign countries that the NSA would not eavesdrop on them. I wonder if Rouseff and Angela Merkle have had any conversations recently.
Riling Russia
So, how’s that working out for you, Mr. Obama? You’ve done a really swell job buttering up to President Putin, offering a handshake and a knee to the groin at the same time. “Vlad, let’s work together. Sorry about the sanctions.” Mr. Obama, did you not notice, by the way, that the other BRICS countries did not rally to support your threats to Putin over the Crimean issue or your suggestion that Russia be suspended from the G8?
Irritating India
India reduced its exposure to US treasury bonds by $1.1 billion in February, including $530 million by the Reserve Bank of India so that it could meet local currency demands.
Chafing China
Frankly, Mr. Obama, China is not all that interested in your occasional entreaties to help clean up the world and build a one-world economy. They have enough economic cleanup issues of their own. By the way, they aren’t too happy that you are about to take a trip to the Far East and they are not on your itinerary. Apparently you have forgotten the fallout of your first Middle East trip that snubbed both our “closest ally” and the then current leader of Egypt.
Smallifying South Africa
Who? Yes, Mr. Obama, there is an “S” in BRICS. The country is probably just as well aware of your disregard for them as you apparently feel that they are not strategic enough to your ulterior motives to deserve relatively the same level of regard as the others. Forgive me. That may be unfair. Perhaps you hold all of the BRICS in the same regard.
So What?
Every nation, the BRICS and all others, have their own survival as their primary interest. Mr. Obama has show complete disregard for the constitution of his own country, moving from democracy toward dictatorship through the issuance of an abundance of executive orders that were once used to preserve the presidency, but which he has used to preserve the power of the office. At the same time, he promises peace for the world, by promoting economic prosperity to the world, but on his terms. It’s a tactic that the US government has become skilled at using against its own states and municipalities. Now Mr. Obama wants to use it to control the BRICS. Today the BRICS. Tomorrow the world.
The BRICS are not toys to be played with. Mr. Obama, go back to your Legos.
