Considering how we arrived at this point (Houthis threatening and attacking trade and communications), I would say the US government's obvious inability to rein in its ally (Israel) despite having a huge amount of leverage demonstrates a pretty weak administration.
Feeble is precisely the right word to describe US pressure on Israel. Saying "We've asked them" over and over again just doesn't cut it. It's weak and everyone can see that.
This latest middle east crisis has been hugely damaging to US moral and diplomatic credibility.
America has very little leverage over Israel. The money/etc that America gives to Israel is motivated by the religious convictions of Americans (evangelical protestants particularly, but not exclusively.). This support isn't conditional on Israel behaving itself and any politician who cuts Israel off will have a very difficult time getting reelected. This effectively makes America's financial and material support for Israel closer to tribute than leverage, since politically speaking it's not practical to turn off the spigot.
The silver lining is that unconditional support for Israel correlates with age; the Americans who support Israel no matter what are slowly but surely aging out of the political equation. In one or two more generations the situation may be very different, which if I had to guess, is why Israel wants complete the annexation of Gaza sooner rather than later.
This couldn't further from the truth. The U.S. has enormous leverage over Israel, via the massive foreign assistance it has provided since 1948.
Its politicians may be too spineless, too hoodwinked by decades of extremist propaganda over all these decades -- or in the cases of evangelicals, blinded by their own religious delusions; or (in the case of most) just too self-interested and apathetic -- to make use of this leverage. But there is no question that this leverage exists.
and by doing so, spread the resources that would've been devoted to ukraine thinner. And by proxy, take attention away from china's regional ambitions.
It's clear that these events aren't happening in isolation.
The USA hasn't had any of that for decades. The illegal invasion and destruction of Iraq in 2003 was the beginning of the end of the worlds' tolerance for American exceptionalism. The only ones who don't seem to understand this, are Americans.
Speaking of which, if they imposed a limit of 70, would anyone bat an eye other than the two guys nobody wants in office?
There’s a minimum age, why not a maximum? Seems like an opportunity to handle this right now as both deeply unpopular front runners would be made ineligible.
I personally don’t mind Joe Biden, he at least comes across as genuine. But I think an opportunity to guarantee both candidates ineligible could be a win for both parties. (But of course both sides think they can win with their guy so they probably aren’t interested.)
Americans under the age of 70 who are in politics are too crazy to get elected as POTUS (and this really says something with Trump being the bar for craziness), and non-crazy under-70 people are too smart to pursue a career in American politics.
As far as I can tell, Biden is only doing the job because he loves the country and doesn't want it going down in flames with another Trump presidency, and there's honestly no better and electable candidates available on the Dem side (which has long been a problem with Dems anyway; Obama was a big aberration here in that he actually had a lot of charisma and likability).
So yes, I agree the US seems to have a systemic inability to choose better candidates.
Biden is not really the U.S. President at the moment. He is a wooden puppet that signs and says anything that his handlers put in front of him - and that too with extreme difficulty. The U.S. presidency is currently held by a small, powerful governing cabal that consists of folks like Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan along with warmongers like Victoria Nuland. (and her husband - Robert Kagan acting behind the scenes)
This right here is why there is a divide the size of the Grand Canyon in America. Some will see it as obvious satire, some are 100% convinced this is the truth. When did we reach the point that the same text can be read as fact or satire with such strong conviction that the dress being blue and black (no, it's white and gold!) would seem like compromise?
I always thought this would make a good movie. Parody both sides so hard each thinks you are "representing their views" while the opposing side thinks it's a comedy.
Feeble is precisely the right word to describe US pressure on Israel. Saying "We've asked them" over and over again just doesn't cut it. It's weak and everyone can see that.
This latest middle east crisis has been hugely damaging to US moral and diplomatic credibility.