Zelensky and Netanyahu have Biden by the balls

Remember the jubilation around “America is back?” That was a mere three years ago. The Biden administration kicked things off with diplomatic debacles as Blinken and Sullivan advised their Chinese and Russian counterparts there was a new sheriff in town, and they’d best mind their Ps and Qs if they know what’s good for them. America’s adversaries were not impressed. There followed the shambolic retreat from Kabul and the immediate collapse of our puppet regime there. America’s adversaries were underwhelmed. Next up, Ukraine. Oh, the amazing pain we would inflict on Putin. The ruble would be rubble and Bad Vlad would be pleading for mercy. As the weeks and months and years passed by, the refrain of “whatever it takes for as long as it takes” grew ever more strident and ever more hollow. Half a million dead Ukrainians later, America’s allies are getting nervous and our adversaries are laughing up their sleeves. And now the only democracy in the Middle East is laying a good old fashioned genocide on Gaza. Netanyahu waves off American protestations. Joe has an election to win and the wholesale slaughter of Palestinian civilians isn’t a good look. Be that as it may, that’s the look Biden is going into the campaign with; genocide enabler. Biden’s chances in the election and America’s reputation on the world stage both depend on the Biden admin being able to spin the current disasters as victories. That will require escalating support for both Israel and Ukraine. But how do you escalate support when the cupboard is bare? Looks to me like both Bibi and Zelly are driving America’s ship of state onto the rocky shoals of abject humiliation. On the bright side, the Peoples Liberation Army can breathe easy. It’ll be awhile before we’re ready to save freedom and democracy in Taiwan.