Is the United States still a Moral Power?

We’ve all heard that the Palestinian bid for full United Nations membership has to go to the Security Council first. We also all know that the United States has threatened to veto this bid.

What is a disturbing footnote to this story is that the US is attempting to avoid using it’s veto power.

However, officials in both Israel and in Washington have affirmed that the U.S. was hard at work to prevent itself the possible embarrassment of being forced to use its veto power in order to thwart the Palestinian vote, by attempting to assemble enough council members to either vote against the proposal or abstain as to make the veto unnecessary.

Why is the United States trying to avoid using their veto? Perhaps they are trying to keep the Arab world happy with them by not throwing their wholehearted support behind Israel? But then again, wasn’t the “Arab Spring” all about replacing totalitarian dictatorships with “freedom” and “democracy”? Shouldn’t the Arab world show their appreciation to the United States for bringing those basic concepts to the world at large?

Rather, what we see is the United States’ public face turning away from the principles that have made us great. We see a fearful stance – trying to have it both ways – keeping the Arab world happy by attempting not to use their veto, and keeping the Israelis happy by stating their support for the Jewish state.

Where is the United States’ clear support for an ally of 60+ years? Words are cheap. Statements of support are easy to make. The US should be clear that they are vetoing this Palestinian bid without any attempt to find a way out of it.

Since when has the United States become a “follower” rather than a “leader” in the moral-relativity zone known as the United Nations? The US has been the moral compass of the world for years and now it seems that our needle is broken. We’re willing to relinquish that leadership role.

Is this where we’re headed? Is the US the same as every other two-bit nation that holds a seat at the United Nations? Are we no longer the power that we once were – too afraid of Arab and world “opinion” to do the right thing?

I certainly hope not.