Charles Krauthammer apparently wants Obama to be more like Putin:

Imagine — Russia right now is preparing to send three warships to a port in Syria, which is its facility. Each of the ships is capable of carrying 300 marines. We are doing nothing except complaining and issuing statements. The Russians are asserting themselves on the ground, preventing any [arms] embargo, and asserting a strategic interest.

What is Obama doing in what was for 30 years an American preserve in the Middle East? Nothing.

Let’s remember that he’s referring to Syria here. Syria has not been an “American preserve” at any time, and certainly not in the last thirty years. Syria’s conflict is a significant problem for a few other governments, but the U.S. isn’t among them. The U.S. doesn’t need to be doing anything in Syria. The wisest course of action for the United States is to avoid entanglement in yet another conflict. There is no need for the U.S. to compete with Russia or anyone else for influence there, and the U.S. would very likely be harming its interests elsewhere by doing so. In fact, Obama is doing more than nothing in Syria, but fortunately it is still far short of the unnecessary entanglement that Krauthammer would prefer.