the danger of moral equivalence

"A deferential and apologetic President Obama may think he is making those abroad like us --and he may be right in some cases. But if history is any guide, aggressive powers are paying close attention to these seemingly insignificant signs. Soon, they may turn their wild ideas into concrete aggression -- once they convince themselves that America neither wants to nor is able to stop them."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/07/01/even_a_few_words_matter_106161.html