Several decades from now, what will Americans consider the legacy of President Barack Obama? Domestically, the passage of Obamacare, the passing of various economic stimulus packages and the legalization of same-sex marriage come to mind. What about his foreign policy? Among other things, he will be most remembered for cooling relations with Cuba and for being the presiding commander-in-chief during the rise of ISIS. While I consider myself both a moderate liberal and an avid supporter of Obama, I feel his foreign policy legacy will be tarnished due to the way in which he has prioritized his foreign policy goals. In order to best understand this, we must analyze some events that occurred this past month.
Two pivotal events transpired: the president made his much anticipated journey to the island of Cuba to symbolize a final thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations. And across the Atlantic in Belgium, a terrorist attack killed 35 innocent people at its airport and in a centrally-located metro station. The tragic attack occurred while Obama was already in Cuba, yet how he responded in the immediate aftermath underscores precisely the problem at hand.
On the day of the attacks, Obama, who had planned on attending an exhibition baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team, did not change his plans when the attacks in Belgium happened. While Republicans such as presidential candidate Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) railed Obama for not returning to the U.S., Obama justified his decision to attend the game with Cuban President Raul Castro, saying that upending his agenda would be a win for the terrorists.
Now I agree Obama has a point here. Had he aborted his trip the island altogether, it would indeed give ISIS the satisfaction of knowing that an attack on one side of the Atlantic could have a damaging effect on the other side. By staying in Cuba, Obama denied ISIS that fulfillment. And indeed, showing that ISIS cannot have power over U.S. politics is a way to defeat this enemy.
However even I, an Obama-loving Democrat, felt perturbed after seeing photographs of Obama at a sunny Cuban ballpark alongside President Castro while Belgium, the home of the European Union’s Parliament and without a doubt one of the United States’ closest allies, endured one of the most painful and heartbreaking days in its history. It is worth noting that Obama symbolically stated in a speech shortly after being briefed on the attack that “we will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium” and that the attack served as “another reason we must unite” against the evil that is terrorism.
Yet, I also believe actions speak louder than words. In the days following the attack, Obama has offered words of solidarity to our Belgian brethren but has failed to make a visit to the country. Obama did not offer tangible solidarity, the type that comes only as a result of one head of state meeting with another following an attack from a common enemy. Instead of doing this, he voyaged onward to Argentina where he was seen doing the tango. Yet at a time when international terrorism strikes the city that houses the European Parliament, which itself represents some of the countries responsible for Western civilization as we know it, there simply is no time for our head of state to tango or enjoy our nation’s pastime. And as president of the United States, a country that considers itself to be the indisputable leader of the free world, he has a duty to uphold that responsibility.
I admire what Obama is trying to do in Latin America. In Cuba, Argentina and numerous other Latin American countries, the United States has been historically responsible for the suffering of millions of innocent civilians as a result of our support for cruel authoritarian dictatorships, especially during the Cold War. In October, I wrote a column arguing that this part of American history ought to brought further to light in our public school systems. So at the very least, Obama has realized America’s role in a dark history in which we used our power and influence to the disadvantage of many others. He is remedying relations that must be remedied.
However, as noble as this might be, it is not the United States’ top international priority, and crucially, it is perhaps not even Latin America’s either. Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, whose once unparalleled influence over his country has waned as his age has grown, recently said himself that Cuba “does not need any gifts from the [American] empire” at this time. Yet one thing is for sure though: defeating ISIS is indisputably our nation’s top foreign policy objective, and in the painful fight against this barbaric, bloodthirsty organization, we need to stand with our allies in absolute solidarity, even when it may be inconvenient.
Jesse Berman is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.berman@cavalierdaily.com.
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