JVLV: EBOLA AND ISIS, WORLD POLITICS GAME-CHANGERS. By Jiri and Leni Friedman Valenta ,10-15-2014

 In the face of two world politics game-changers, Ebola and ISIS, our situation is growing increasingly serious – worse every day.  Yet, the Obama administration is still soft-peddling these threats,  prevaricating that failures are partial successes and doing everything not to alert the sleepy public.  America is awaking, but, as usual, not fast enough. Hospitals are screaming they are not prepared to deal with the isolation wards, the equipment, the protocols, and the still insufficient vaccine for Ebola. The disease is already spreading here, even as immigrants from Central America, where sewage runs in the streets, are still crossing our Southern border. 

Meanwhile, as in WWII, the ISIS Anschluss in the Middle East is happening but FDR is missing.  Meeting with twenty military chiefs worldwide, including his homegrown ones, has not yet shaken our Commander-in-Chief into sending in the boots to save Baghdad.  How long do we tolerate the assault against the brave, but outgunned Kurds? When will Obama add special forces to the air strikes?

The President must go beyond JVLV´s suggested firing of two Obama appointees (jvlv.net, 10-13-2014), NSA Ambassador Susan Rice and CDC Director Tom Frieden. Rice, having lied during Benghazi-gate, has now made an inexcusable gaffed commenting on  U.S.-Turkish military cooperation. Frieden, has not only downplayed our readiness, he failed to oversee appropriate equipment and protocols to protect Ebola-stricken, Dallas hospital workers.  

The immediate prohibition of commercial flights to and from West Africa must be undertaken, as other Western nations have already done. A new tsar to coordinate the fight against Ebola must be appointed.  Our best brains and resources must be immediately deployed in the medical defense of our vital national security.

There must also be close, cooperation with other international actors including our NATO allies, but also Great Powers, limited partners  Russia and China.  Russian President Vladimir Putin´s aggression against the Ukraine happened in large part because of Obama´s inexperience and weakness.  JVLV were among the few serious writers who publicly suggested arming Kiev back in April (Kyiv Post, April 21, 2014).  Unfortunately, the Russian studies nomenclature here refused to publish our suggestion in leading American journals.





Putin appears to have given up on his “New Russia” Project, but primarily over fears of NATO arming the Ukraine, along with the Kiev´s unexpected brave defense.  With Russia suffering from economic decline (primarily ow oil prices) we must make Putin aware that a limited partnership with us is needed to deal with the pernicious new, world threats; ISIS´s reach for a new Caliphate in the Caucasus and Ebola eventually affecting the Russian population.

Meanwhile, we do not blame Obama alone for U.S. follies.  All of the last three presidents and their principle aides have erred in dealing sufficiently with international terrorism and rogue states. Neither Democrat Bill Clinton nor Republican George W. Bush prepared us sufficiently for  911, the catastrophic new Pearl Harbor. 

Former CIA Director George Tenet has persuasively demonstrated former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice´s disregard of his agency´s warning about an impending 911-type attack.  Moreover, the 2002 decision of senior officials to invade Iraq, as reported by Richard Haas, was done without proper vetting of the decision-making process.  Brent Scowcroft´s fears of an invasion turning into a strategic catastrophe unfortunately came true.  The error was not WMD, but the folly of disregarding the deeply rooted, violent political culture with its Sunni-Shiite schism.  The military interventions into Iraq, Libya, and even Syria (limited) awoke the dragons of Islamic fascism; Al Qaeda and now ISIS.

The approaches of Both Secretary of States Albright and Rice, encouraged the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea.  Because of Condoleezza Rice´s objections, the Israelis, not Americans, destroyed a North Korean-built nuclear reactor in Syria.

As Secretary of State under Obama, Hillary Clinton cannot whitewash mistakes made by her that led to deaths in Benghazi. “What difference does it make?”  Plenty!  Unfortunately, in the present era of political correctness and affirmative action, policy-makers of this arrogant generation no longer apologize for their follies.  They white wash them and continue to strive for higher honors and undeserved rewards.

We need the cooperation of both parties as we approach the 2014 and 2016 elections.  We must have new ideas and fresh faces, leaders that see public service as a mission, not a selfie career.  Gender and ethnicity should not be the criteria for selection, but rather, as we argued at jvlv.net (10-13-2014) true executive experience, background in national security and a demonstrated knowledge of key issues.

Providence, as George Kennan argued decades ago, has thrust upon America a special role in protecting our vital national interests, but also protecting a stable world order and our democratic values.  The leaders we select in the future, men and women,  must demonstrate their knowledge, experience, dedication and resolve in pursuance of these objectives. They must be the future Jeanne Kirkpatricks, Henry Kissingers, Zbig Brzezinskis, FDRs, Harry Trumans, Teddy Roosevelts, JFKs and Ronald Reagans.  Putting Party loyalty aside, we must engage in finding and  supporting the right people.