Lines in the sand

The problem with drawing a line in the sand is that sometimes, the other guy ignores your line.

So then what do you do?

This administration is increasingly tumbling in international standing and has become a toothless tiger with ample roar and limited punch.

As I recall, there was a line drawn -- the now-famous red line -- against Syria which amounted to bluster only.

Now there's some magical red line in the Ukraine, and we'll have to wait to see the outcome of that latest manifesto.

But while we're trying to flex our limited muscle, the defense department this week outlined a proposed massive reduction in military forces in the coming years that will surely give any opposition food for thought.

Once upon a time, the Kennedy administration drew a line against Russia bringing weapons to Cuba. It was a tense showdown that was the focus of worldwide attention.

We'll never know what would have happened if the Russians had crossed that line because they clearly feared the power and resolve of the American public.

But today's bully pulpit is universally ignored, and we become a punchline more and more each day.

I have no interest in putting Americans in harm's way on any foreign soil. But when the commander in chief draws a line and then slips quietly into the dark, the line no longer has meaning.

Granted, technology has changed so drastically that sheer numbers of troops have less meaning than they once did.

And the defense department budget always has been a target for Democrat reductions.

But the day may well come when we regret our obsessive push to pull back this country from the international stage.

When others sense weakness in any human endeavor, then the powerful succeed and the weak fall in line.

Each week seems to bring a new hot spot on the international stage, and, like it or not, many look to the United States to either come to their rescue or help resolve their dangerous issue.

We can't be the international police. And we shouldn't.

But words have meaning. Toothless threats are easily recognizable.

And the outcome has consequences.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.