Winners and losers

The latest round of Iran sanctions has been passed by the UNSC, and it's time to chalk up some of the winners and losers:

Big Winners:
China - makes Iran more dependent on China.

Russia - makes Europe more dependent on Russia.

Winners:
Turkey - shows up big as a regional player. Loses only with Israel, whose friendship is of doubtful value anyway.

Brazil - stands up against US and will continue to gain in influence.

Losers:
Iran - sanction are pretty mild, but doubtless an additional irritant. Sanctions help the hardliners, weaken moderates and thus the nation, probably.

Israel - has to wait longer for additional sanctions, and puts back the threat of an attack on Iran. If there was a moderate alternative in Israel, it might strengthen them, and thus probably the nation, but there isn't one.

Big Losers:
U.S. - beside being made to look bad with the blunders of Clinton, it's lost the unanimity that used to accompany US diplomacy in the UN. That's more weakening than is apparent, and it's sure to multiply in the future.

Europe - With Merkle, Sarkozy, Berlusconi and whoever the current British lapdog is, the Europeans have no foreign policy apart from blindly following US blunders. Energy dependence on Russia is guaranteed for the foreseeable future.

Obama has proven himself, once again, unable to put together a credible foreign policy. He is unwilling or unable to stand up to anyone or anything that would make him pay a political price, so he waffles whenever decisions are to be made, and is unable to muster any consistency. I repeat, this is very dangerous for the nation and the world.