The title of this post is often used as a political perjorative, but it has an objective sense that can't be ignored--philosophy or action foreign to the American worldview, its culture, traditions and history--in effect, anything not recognizably part of the American experience.

Democrats are often characterized this way and for good reason. Their strange and pathetic love affair with a declining civilization (i.e. 'Old Europe') is something they had to consistently hide in national campaigns, donning duck-hunting clothes (with the tags still on...), eating hot dogs and wearing golf shirts to throw the bitter-clingers off the scent. While millions came and still come this country to embrace the idea of America, they are running away from it as fast as their well-shod feet can carry them.

Its ironic that there is so much suspicion about Barack Obama's origins, because his actions over the past year or so have betrayed a distinctly unAmerican provenance and I'm not talking about the ordinary 'unAmericanism' that characterizes your garden variety Progressive-slash-liberal-slash-whatever-they're-calling-themselves-now. We've had these big-government fascists long enough that they can be properly called part of the American experience. No. Barack Obama is different even when measured by the extremes of American left and right.

Years ago I read 'From Beirut to Jerusalem' by Tom Friedman, who, in spite of his fame, is in my view, one of the most clueless commentators of his generation. Friedman sees but does not comprehend, but as poor an observer as he has proven to be, he has been in places and seen things most of us have not and even a blind dog catches a frisbee now and again.

One he did catch was outlined in one of the book's chapters called "Hama Rules". I've already remembered it because it encapsulated quite well, the mentality of the Levant.

Fouad's father would tell him that this other man was so tough he would not only eat the egg, "He would eat the egg and its shell. He never left anything for anyone else--not even the shell." --From Beirut to Jerusalem, pg 105

This 'compliment', so strange from an American perspective, characterizes middle-eastern politics--the all or nothing approach--the egg AND the shell, leaving nothing behind. The chapter was named for a town in Syria which was a refuge for opponents of the Assad regime. Assad flattened the town--literally flattened it with bulldozers and then invited the media to witness what he had done, proud of what he had done.

We seen similar, uncharacteristic behavior by the Democrats--a willingness to fight an all-out war for the egg and the shell over healthcare. One event doesn't a pattern make, but then something happened yesterday--also unprecedented but totally in keeping with Obama's tribal world-view.

For a head of government to visit the White House and not pose for photographers is rare. For a key ally to be left to his own devices while the President withdraws to have dinner in private was, until this week, unheard of. Yet that is how Binyamin Netanyahu was treated by President Obama on Tuesday night, according to Israeli reports on a trip viewed in Jerusalem as a humiliation.

After failing to extract a written promise of concessions on settlements, Mr Obama walked out of his meeting with Mr Netanyahu but invited him to stay at the White House, consult with advisers and “let me know if there is anything new”, a US congressman, who spoke to the Prime Minister, said.

“It was awful,” the congressman said. One Israeli newspaper called the meeting “a hazing in stages”, poisoned by such mistrust that the Israeli delegation eventually left rather than risk being eavesdropped on a White House telephone line. Another said that the Prime Minister had received “the treatment reserved for the President of Equatorial Guinea”.

Let's be clear here--the administration isn't negotiating with the Israelis, they are simply presenting a list of demands. Obama's walking out isn't like you or me walking out of a room--this was a walk-out designed to be heard around the world--the U.S. has metaphorically abandoned Israel to the tender mercies of Iran, Hamas, etc... and its no surprise that this is how its being reported, everywhere where the media isn't under the direct control of the White House.

Its quite interesting to see, because it is in effect, a very unAmerican approach--bully your allies, run from any enemy that can actually do you some damage. Demand the egg AND the shell.

Where this way of doing things originates is academic, but it does give us a very good bead on the President. We have to deal with him as if he was Yasir Arafat, not a garden variety American politician. If politics is the art of compromise, then its eye-opening to consider that Barack Obama isn't a politician.

He's a revolutionary.