For professor Andrew Bacevich, the crisis in Ukraine is a teachable moment, an opportunity to remind America, as he does on a regular, grandfather-clock-like basis, that we're not really all that. Ho-hum. Bacevich may well be—and there's a lot of competition for this title—the most predictable writer in America. Saying he's criticizing the United States is like saying the sky is blue.
But this time, he may have gone too far. Note the second sentence below:
Should Obama’s advisers look for guidance to the opinion pages of the Washington Post or the Wall Street Journal, much less the Weekly Standard or Fox News, we’re in deep trouble. One might as well leaf through the latest Victoria’s Secret catalog for guidance on empowering women.
Dear sir: A Victoria's Secret catalog has wider circulation than BOTH the Post and the WSJ. And unlike the subscribers of those publications, the people who receive the VS catalog actually read it. Very, very closely.
What's more, the Angels could teach us all, and especially President Obama, a thing or four about international relations. To wit:
Erin Heatheron preaches peace through strength.
Your enemies would't dare say a bad word about you if maintain the ability to blitz them into submission.
Yoga, like Miranda Kerr and the U.S. of A., draws its strength through the core.
We could also learn a lot about nutrition from the angels.
It takes discipline and dedication to wake up every day and be prepared for threats, here and abroad, to your status as the world's supermodel.
Those morning workouts prepare Karlie Kloss for the worst, from Russian ICBMs to wardrobe malfunctions.
At the same time, it's important to remain flexible. Threats can come in all shapes and sizes. It's essential to be ready for all of them.
But, if things really fall apart, one must retain a vigorous martial spirit.
Sometimes a little cowboy diplomacy is exactly what's called for.