San Bernardino: The battle of the narratives

THE American people feel a sense of vulnerability in the face of the threat of terrorism. Their president is criticised for not showing resolve in responding to violent radical Islamists. The pressure grows in Washington to deploy troops to the Middle East. And some Americans are even admitting that they miss the much-maligned former president George W Bush. He may not have been the smartest guy in the room but, hey, he had some guts.

This was not how President Barack Obama had imagined his last months in office would be. He had entered office in 2009 pledging to be the Not-W by reversing his predecessor's entire national sec…