What Crimea Really Exposes and Why It Matters

Published by Brian Hershey on

Here it is in quick free-write fashion:

The developing and escalating situation in Ukraine ought to be cause for concern for every one of us.

Here’s why:

Crimea exposes the very real geo-political power vacuum caused by President Obama’s lack of leadership and respect in the world scene.

The fundamental principle is this: nothing exists in a vacuum. What we are witnessing right now in the Ukraine is the decline of the United States as the world’s number power largely because Mr. Obama lives with the ridiculous notion that it is possible to lead from behind.

Mr. Putin sees in Obama weakness. Weakness to respond to Syria. Weakness to respond to Benghazi. Weakness on the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. While Bin Laden might be dead, terrorism is alive and well and Detroit is bankrupt.

Sorry, Joe “Gaff” Biden. You and your running mate were wrong to advance such a wrong-headed narrative. Perhaps that is why you colluded with the media to mislead the American public on the cause and nature of the terror attack on a US Embassy on the anniversary of 9/11.

Sadly, there is not a single influential world leader that takes Obama or the US seriously right now. Our talk has become cheap. “Red lines” mean nothing. Under Obama, we have become weaker.

Assad knows it.

Putin knows it.

And so do China and Iran.

As pathetic as the Affordable HealthCare Act is, it is nothing compared to the geo-political power vacuum this President has created by his weak leadership.

Thus, what we are seeing across the globe right now is a battle to reclaim world dominance. To Putin’s credit, he is seizing the opportunity afforded to him by a weak US President.

Russian special forces without identifying insignia seized key government buildings in Crimea in late February 2014. [PhotoCredit: https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-denounces-crimea-annexation-referendum-anniversary/28373961.html]

I am not naive to the fact that our nation has many “skeletons in the closet.” But I still believe that, by in large, our intentions in the world scene are good and noble as evidenced by World War I and II. Some of our good intentions have led to unintended consequences – no doubt!

But a strong America does have a deterrent effect on evil in the world.

Thoughts, opinion, suggestions, comments? All are welcome, but thoughtless stupidity will not be approved by yours truly.


Brian Hershey

Brian Hershey currently serves as the Campus Life Military Senior Advisor for the Greater Omaha Youth For Christ chapter in Omaha, NE. He holds an undergraduate degree in education, a Masters in Theology from Dallas Seminary, and 20 years of youth ministry experience. He and his wife, Bonnie, have been serving military teens and families since 2001 in Bad Aibiling, Wurzburg, Heidelberg, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and Kaiserslautern, Germany as well as Naples, Italy.

2 Comments

Denisha Cumpton · March 7, 2014 at 9:31 am

Thank you for posting this Brian! As an adult college student I see so many people who have no clue to what’s going on around the world and I try to bring a lot of my insight to my classes. I actually had a very liberal professor thank me recently for bringing a new perspective to the class. Keep up the good work!

    Brian · March 7, 2014 at 9:41 am

    Denisha! Thanks so much! You rock! The problem with conservatives is that we live in the land of reality. The problem with liberals is that they live in the land of Oz. Keep introducing the realist perspective in your college classes.

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