Jasper Journal

Unilateral disarmament:  The President recently announced that he would begin accepting campaign contributions from super political action committees (PACs) because the Republicans are doing it.  His explanation (through his campaign manager) was that he would not engage in unilateral disarmament.  How very interesting.  This morning, there was a news story stating that President Obama is contemplating a reduction in the US strategic nuclear arsenal from 1,500 weapons (the new START limit) to perhaps as few as 300-400 weapons.  While the AP reported that the cuts would most likely be made after negotiations with the Russians, it did not rule out the possibility of unilateral reductions.   (Does the term “trial balloon” come to mind?)   If the administration goes down to 300-400 weapons, it would be the lowest number of weapons since 1950.  Meanwhile, North Korea continues to build nuclear weapons, Iran is pursuing them, Russia still has 3,200 strategic weapons, and China is developing additional weapons and delivery systems.   Despite the moves of our adversaries, it appears that unilateral disarmament may be anathema only in campaign contributions, not in national defense.

The Shadow War:  The press is reporting a “shadow war” being conducted by Iran and Israel as they strike each other’s personnel.  The fact that the war is being conducted on the streets of world capitals might give the press pause in using the term “shadow.”   Nevertheless, it does appear that wet work (to use a Cold War term) is underway between the two powers.  While Mossad is not infallible (witness the assassination in Dubai two years ago), the Iranians seem to be behind the power curve.  First, despite a closed society and a ubiquitous security apparatus, Tehran has not been able to protect its scientists at home.  Second, Iranian training appears to be somewhat deficient.  In Bangkok, an Iranian bomb maker detonated explosives in his house (oops!).  While fleeing, he was confronted by the police.  He tried to throw a grenade at them, but it detonated prematurely, blowing the bomb maker’s legs off (tsk tsk!).  I guess he was not paying attention in Explosives 101, when the students were told, “When the pin is pulled, Mister Grenade is no longer your friend.”  If indeed there is a fight akin to the Mossad-KGB wet war of the 1960s, my money is on Mossad.

The Latest Budget:  Whenever I think the Obama Administration has hit rock bottom in terms of crass political machinations, it always comes up with a new nadir.  The latest is the President’s budget.  It calls for hundreds of billions in new spending and continued high deficits.  Even the President’s cheerleaders cannot put lipstick on this pig.  One Washington Post columnist (who normally writes paeans to the President) called it “…Evading anything resembling a serious budget.”  The New York Times called the White House response to criticism of the budget “divorced from reality.”  The budget is such a sham that Senator Reid has stated he will not bring it up for a vote in the Democratically controlled Senate (he knows most Democrats would vote against it).  So once again, the President has done it: put his reelection bid above the good of the nation.  It amazes me that given such Machiavellian politics, about 50% of the American electorate approves of the President’s performance.  I guess when you pander to enough people (take your pick: Greens, Hispanics, college students, union members, Occupy Wall Street protestors) you can get enough people on your bandwagon.