Nearly every time Hamas steps up its rocket barrage of Israel I hear a defender of Israel, usually someone from the Right, explain Israel’s response with an analogy similar to this:
Listen, if Mexico were lobbing rockets into Tucson, don’t you think the United States would retaliate?
I think most right minded folks, even a majority on the Left would say, “Yeah, we would and should protect ourselves.” Yeah, that’s what I used to think but, not any more.
Last Wednesday, the US Fish and Wildlife Service closed off access to over 3,000 acres of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. It wasn’t because of wildfires. It wasn’t because of floods. It wasn’t even because some rare insect, rodent or bird had been spotted and they were trying to protect it. No, 3,000 acres of U.S. soil have been closed because violence from Mexican drug and human smugglers has become so severe that it is no longer safe for U.S. residents.
Without one shot being fired by the world’s last remaining superpower, the US has effectively ceeded 3,000 acres to Mexico.
While it’s obvious that President Obama has little knowledge or even interest in effective international relations, I would think that at the very least, his Chicago instincts would kick in in this situation. Under rules of the Chicago Way, any ceding of territory or turf is considered a sure sign of weakness. And, we all know that President Obama is not weak. Apparently in this case, he just hasn’t figured out whose ass to kick!
