President Barack Obama's decision to spurn German President Angela Merkel's invitation to attend ceremonies commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago is "the most telling nonevent of his presidency."
That's the view of National Review Editor Rich Lowry, who notes that Obama has visited more foreign countries than any other president during his first year in office, yet has begged off going to Berlin to celebrate the Nov. 9 anniversary because of a crowded schedule.
"It's hard to imagine any other American president eschewing the occasion," Lowry writes.
"Wouldn't Obama at least want to take the occasion to celebrate freedom and human rights — those most cherished liberal values? Not necessarily. He has mostly jettisoned them as foreign-policy goals in favor of a misbegotten realism that soft-pedals the crimes of nasty regimes around the world.
"During the Cold War, we undermined our enemies by shining a bright light on their repression," Lowry writes. "In Berlin, JFK called out the Communists on their 'offense against humanity.' Obama would utter such a phrase only with the greatest trepidation, lest it undermine a future opportunity for dialogue."
The Berlin Wall came down because the free world, led by America, stood resolute against communist tyranny. But for Obama, "we are less an exceptional power than one among many, seeking deals with our peers in Beijing and Moscow," Lowry observes.
"Why would Obama want to celebrate the refuseniks of the Eastern Bloc when he won't even meet with the Dalai Lama in advance of his trip to China?"
Sunday, November 8, 2009
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