“In a second term, Obama is going to show us who he really is”, Krauthammer began ominously. “Remember when he said to the Soviet president, after the election, I’ll be more flexible?”

Yes, we do, in fact.

Number one on his agenda is cutting defense, said Krauthammer. Panetta gave very strong indications that if the cuts that are now on the table went into effect, he would resign because he believes they would destroy the military. Hagel on the other hand, is on record saying that the defense department is “bloated”. Not known for being particularly bright, or original, he’ll be Obama’s “yes man” or a “toady” as O’Reilly put it.

Obama, Krauthammer maintained, wants to “cut the US military down to size.”

SEE ALSO:

Barry Rubin, PJ Media: After the Fall: What Do You Do When You Conclude America Is (Temporarily or Permanently) Kaput?

If we reach the following highly unpleasant conclusion, what are the implications? The United States has taken a political turn which, at least for the next four years, will guarantee that it does not play the role of a great power mindful of and willing to protect its own true interests, to support its allies, and to combat its real foes. On the contrary, through inaction or active effort the leadership of America will take counterproductive actions that achieve the opposite result. And there are certain factors — radical ideological hegemony, a weak economy and growing debt, structural social changes, the weakness and disorganization of the opposition — that may make this situation regarding America’s international behavior and policies a long-term, partly irreversible condition. In other words, we don’t know if America is finished as the world’s leading power, but we do know that it will not have leadership and certainly not leadership in a good direction for a while and perhaps will never fully recover. So what do those outside the United States do to face this situation? (Please note that I am speaking here only of U.S. foreign policy and just remarking on the domestic situation.) There are those readers who would contest the accuracy of this statement. They will say that Barack Obama is a great president, or at least a decent one, and there is no big problem regarding U.S. foreign policy at all. In fact, he and his team, which now includes Secretary of State-designate John Kerry, will be just fine, or at least okay. They will make the point — valid, but irrelevant — that the United States doesn’t control everything in the world. Of course, but what about the things it can affect? Unfortunately, American allies and clients cannot afford the luxury of clueless optimism or wishful thinking. Some will grumble publicly and scramble to limit the damage. Others will smile, praise the president, and scramble to limit the damage. To put it another way: it doesn’t matter whether you agree with me. I’m telling you what’s actually happening.

Barry Rubin Noxious Nominations: The Four Horsemen of the American Foreign Policy Apocalypse

I did a lot of soul-searching before writing my latest article, “After the Fall: What Do You Do When You Conclude America is (Temporarily or Permanently) Kaput?” Of course, I believed every word of it and have done so for a while. But would it depress readers too much? Would it just be too grim? Maybe U.S. policy will just muddle through the next four years and beyond without any disasters. Perhaps the world will be spared big crises. Possibly the fact that there isn’t some single big superpower enemy seeking world domination will keep things contained.Perhaps that is true. Yet within hours after its publication I concluded that I hadn’t been too pessimistic. The cause of that reaction is the breaking story that not only will Senator John Kerry be the new secretary of state; that not only will the equally reprehensible former Senator Chuck Hagel be secretary of defense, but that John Brennan, the president’s counterterrorism advisor, will become CIA chief. About two years ago I joked that if Kerry would become secretary of state it was time to think about heading for that fallout shelter in New Zealand. This trio in power—which along with Obama himself could be called the four horseman of the Apocalypse for U.S. foreign policy—might require an inter-stellar journey.

Read both pieces in full. There’s no reason to be optimistic that this country the entire world is doing anything but entering a dark and dreary age.

Andrew Klavan, however did his best to offer a bit of cheer: Why So Serious? Is Conservative Despair Justified?

He lists three positive trends that have not yet been dismantled by the Regime.

1. Fracking.

2. Federalism.

3. Reality is on our side.

And that’s it. Reality? When has that ever mattered to leftists and low info voters?

Look, I’m not exactly sanguine. Our republic has gone past the 200-year limit for republics. Islamist fundamentalists are on the march — and history shows religious fundamentalism is never a good thing for anyone. The free market is unfairly in disrepute and the family disastrously in decline. Non-fundamentalist religion is corrupt where there’s any religion at all and atheism is massively destructive whenever it takes over the majority. Things, in other words, are almost as bad as they always are. But while there are cycles and phases in history — and while everything made by mortals surely dies — modernity has shown itself full of unique moments and last minute rescues. I think of New York City before Giuliani; America before Reagan. Things can look pretty damn dark before the sun comes over the hill. So really the only question is: you want to grumble and despair or start pushing the sun up the hill? That’s what I figured. Start pushing.

I get that there are cycles and phases in history – but sometimes it can take a few hundred years for the pendulum to swing back… Decent, God fearing, and patriotic Americans are demonized and/or ridiculed by the Regime and its allies in the media on a daily basis in order to push us further to the left. What the 2012 election showed us is that we as a nation finally reached a tipping point – demographically, intellectually, and morally. The country is heading for a major fall – not a swing. And I don’t think we’ll be climbing back up anytime soon.

Linked by Doug Ross, thanks!