Ship Of State

Way back in the last millennium, Great Powers often compared Statecraft to a nautical nom d'voyage' - the Ship of State.

Teutonic Imperator Otto v. once preferred NOT to hook up "...Prussia's neat, seaworthy frigate" with semi kindred Imperial Austro Hungaria's "...ancient, corrupt Galleon..."

Sir Winnie once id'd the nation with Royal Navy, pointing out that while Kriegsmarine was a dangerous hobby for Imperial Deutschland, Great Britain's national surivival depended on Royal Navy.

44's gig at the helm of the old Ship of State as seen through the CIC of foreign ships of state are a

"Process of observation, assessment, and adjustment obviously takes time, and only after foreigners make their new judgments will they substantially alter their policies in response.

"So, in the great game of international affairs, it is almost always ponderous for the battleship-size behemoth of U.S. national-security policy to change direction, followed by course corrections by the other national dreadnoughts.

"It is only as these complementary maneuvers unfold and policies shift that we can give more-accurate answers whether the United States is more or less secure.

"Seen in this light, the recent incidents with Israel and Russia are extremely disquieting. Whether Israel acted intentionally or accidentally, it put itself in a vulnerable position, and Obama exploited that difficulty.

"NATO and other U.S. treaty allies will take due note, as will Palestinian radicals and Islamic extremists, to America’s detriment. Russia, by contrast, thumbed its nose at Washington and got away with it. North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and others will likewise take due note, also to our detriment. Two more strikes, among many, for Team Obama

Pic "Ship Of State"