It was thought  that the 21st century ushered in a new era in which mankind had evolved beyond war and conflict. Indeed, Obama ran for president on the contention that terrorism was now a law enforcement problem, a fact his simian predecessor did not grasp, but which he would put  to rights by making the military an enforcer of international legal norms.

There was nothing odd in this. It was consistent with the view that mankind had entered a kind of post-historical phase, where no one, not even Vladimir Putin, could possibly revert to the 19th century mode any more. In this brave new world, the only problems left to fix were Global Warming and establishing Universal Health Care. In line with that enlightened view Europe not only neglected its defense, it acted as if none was necessary.  With the old demons dead, instead of a conquering Army the EU sent the Eastern Partnership towards the borders of the old USSR with a mandate to bring all of the former Soviet satellites into its fold by offering them trade agreements and aid.

Yes Mr. Obama, we are not in Kansas anymore.

President Obama openly campaigned for “a world without nuclear weapons”. Revealing his vision he promised to cancel “unproven defense systems” and stop spending on all “future combat systems”.   “You know where I stand,” he declared. He stood before the threshold of a shimmering new prospect. Indeed his re-election slogan for 2012 was that Detroit was alive and Osama bin Laden was dead.

It was a wonderful vision marred only by the sad fact that it didn’t pan out. Detroit is dead and Osama bin Laden’s ghost was probably at the controls of MH370. Other misfortunes have raised further doubts. Obama’s partner for peace, the object of his reset, the linchpin of his “world without nuclear weapons”, Vladimir Putin — is about to invade,  nay has actually invaded — Ukraine.  And the International Community is in shock.

The fact that Russia is still a geo-political enemy was lost on Obama, and the media skewered Romney for saying so.

But is this the real world?

What if Obama’s core assumptions are wrong in themselves; not just slightly wrong but completely, utterly and comprehensively wrong?  That is the unthinkable possibility which ordinary voters would never believe their leaders to be capable of.  We may think of our leaders fallible; as capable of occasional error, but it is hard to accept them as completely and ridiculously fatuous. more here

A little late in the ballgame for that realization Sunshine.