In His Final State of the Union, Obama Inadvertently Highlights One of His Greatest Failures

At several moments in his final State of the Union speech, President Obama highlighted the undeniable reality that America has both the world’s strongest economy and the the world’s strongest military. This is empirically true, and Americans should be grateful for our nation’s continued strength.

Yet if America is the world’s most powerful nation, why are so many of our worst enemies far stronger and more dangerous than when Obama took office?

In 2009, ISIS existed as the scattered fragments of al Qaeda in Iraq — a spent force numbering only in the hundreds after its comprehensive defeat in the Surge. Libya’s dictator was contained and compliant after voluntarily giving up his WMD program in the aftermath of the “shock and awe” of the Iraq invasion. Iran was still dangerous, of course, but with American forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s influence was limited, and sanctions hampered its economic growth. 

Now, ISIS rules a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Libya is a jihadist cesspool, and Iran is empowered and emboldened after a nuclear “deal” that will grant it a $150 billion stimulus and access to international arms markets. It’s so emboldened, in fact, that it can vow to continue its support for terror, expand its reach into Iraq, test ballistic missiles, launch rockets near an American carrier, and even seize and hold American sailors — and President Obama actually responds by bragging that he “avoided war.” No, America hasn’t “avoided war,” it’s just promised not to effectively fight as Iran continues the same war its’ been waging since 1979, a war that has claimed hundreds of American lives.

Even Obama’s strongest military move — his Surge in Afghanistan — has sputtered to a dismal halt, with the Taliban on the offensive and American-allied forces in confused retreat.

During his speech, President Obama noted that when the world needs help, it calls Washington. It doesn’t call Beijing or Moscow. True enough. But when those calls came, President Obama didn’t answer. He turned his back on friends, courted our enemies, and stood aside as victories turned into defeats and the jihadist armies grew larger than any time in modern history.

Yes, America has a strong economy and a strong military. It does not have a strong leader, and our enemies have seized the initiative.