Obama's Response to Russian Agression: Consult the UN

In Barack Obama’s initial statement regarding Russia’s invasion of sovereign Georgia, he boldly stated "All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis,". Every citizen should feel safer now that Barrack Obama has called upon that august body. The United Nations Security Council is composed of the following countries: China, France, The United States, the UK, and the Russian Federation (permanent members) – joined by ten other nations that include Belgium, Viet Nam, South Africa, Costa Rica, Croatia, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and Panama. “Yes We Can” - stick our heads in the sand.

From the Boston Globe, to the San Francisco Chronicle praise for the “wise” Obama is noted. Yet, not everyone is enamored of the wisdom of young Obama. An opinion piece from the LA Times by Jonah Goldberg entitled “Obama without his script”, opens with the observation “Judging by his reaction to the Georgia-Russia crisis, Obama's make-believe presidency isn't ready for prime time.” Point taken.

McCain, to his credit, immediately issued a harsh statement, going so far as to beat George Bush to the punch (so to speak). A recent post on ageism from the blog A Boomer Speaks is worth a read. Although not endorsing either candidate, the author does question age as criteria to lead.

In a world that is based on aggression, from old regimes to new, the leader of the United States must be ready and able to deal with each international crisis based upon a unique American perspective, which is often at odds with the perspective of the UN Security Council.

Perhaps a refresher is in order. It’s 3 AM – who do you want to answer the phone in the White House? Now that the candidate who raised that all important question has been pushed out of the race – it is still valid. Should that candidate be someone who must consult 300 advisors and call the United Nations prior to making a decision?