Brazil – the other new Iranian ally that, along with Turkey, has rebounded aggressively against US global leadership since the ascension of smart diplomacy – might have a secret nuclear weapons program. I don’t know how secret it is given that Brazilian officials have been talking about building nukes for at least a year, but apparently State hadn’t gotten the memo or something. So it was a secret: Above all, there is reason for doubt because of numerous signs that Brazil is working on its own secret nuclear program. The evidence is discussed in a recent paper by German nuclear security expert Hans Rühle… One point in Rühle’s paper is of particular interest in connection with the policies of the current American administration. Rühle notes that in its December 2008 National Defense Strategy, Brazil confirmed its status as a member of the NPT, but also stated that “Brazil will not agree to any additional NPT restrictions until the nuclear weapons states make more progress toward nuclear disarmament.” Concretely, Rühle points out, this meant that Brazil would not sign on to the 1997 additional protocol to the NPT allowing for expanded IAEA inspections and, in particular, would refuse to be more forthcoming about its suspect nuclear submarine program. In other words, Obama’s symbolic “nuclear zero” campaign – a sentimental sop to 1970’s radicalism that makes no sense when aspiring nuclear powers are isolated rogues as opposed to global superpowers – is allowing these thugs to play a nudge-wink diplomatic game. They get to say that the United States is being hypocritical and, instead of getting the pushback they’ve always gotten, this administration agrees with them. Of course there’s a global double-standard, where nukes are permitted to some nations and denied to others. It’s codified into the NPT. But that ostensible hypocrisy had always been maintained as a way of dodging a much deeper open secret, which is that nations with robust political institutions are on a different plane than nations run by self-interested thugs or borderline lunatics. Obama bone headedly decided to drop the pretense about the nuclear status quo while actually emphasizing that we intend to treat all nations equally. If a good deal of diplomacy is leaving pretenses in place so everyone can keep on being not dead, our modern Bismark seems to lack something in the way of delicacy. But at least all this bumbling has boosted our global standing. You can tell by the way that Brazil is cooperating with us rather than moving into the orbit of our enemies: On Monday, Ahmadinejad met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, a vibrant democracy of 190 million that has the world’s eighth-largest economy and warm ties with the United States. The meeting raised concerns in Washington, which has advocated sanctions to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear program. “From Iran’s point of view, it’s wonderful,” said Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.)… “They have a willing dupe in Lula, who is apparently willing to extend official courtesy to make the Iranian regime seem like a legitimate regime.” Actually, treating the Iranian regime as a legitimate regime is probably the only place where Lula’s policies line up with Obama’s.

Instead of creating intelligent policy, Obama seeks to solve problems by giving speeches and then holding events in celebration of his words.