Weak or not

David Brooks a moderate conservative writer for the NY Times said in an interview that President Obama is viewed by some in the international community as weak. Other commentators have come to this conclusion and it is difficult to know what foreign leaders really think but you can see how they act. The Russian leader has made a move on Ukraine and China is threatening Japan and the Philippians. Sometimes how the President is perceived can influence the policy of countries around the world and I recall one situation with President Reagan that illustrates the point. Reagan fired the air traffic controllers because he felt they were breaking the law by threatening to strike. This was a very risky and bold move and many in hindsight think that it changed the way Gorbachev saw Reagan and put Reagan in a stronger negotiating position when he later sat down with a face to face with Gorbachev.