Yesterday, I had a sarcastic post about Obama and his marching orders for NASA: The space agency must “engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science.” Those are the words of NASA chief Charles Bolden: the recipient, of course, of the president’s marching orders.

There are a million things to say about this matter, and I could write about it all day, from myriad angles. “Self-esteem education” — oh, a world unto itself. Black Athena. (Remember that?) “Race-norming.” The limitlessness of condescension and patronization. But let me make just one, quickie point. Obama says that our government must help Muslims feel good about themselves. How about making the Americans feel good about themselves? I am thinking of one matter in particular: the Iraq War.

The Americans — American soldiers, mainly — have done stunningly good things in Iraq. The Americans have essentially rescued that nation from a dictatorship too evil for most people to imagine, and given it a chance at a new, decent life. American generosity in that country, and in that war, has been astounding. And does Obama ever talk about it? Ever? Not to my knowledge. He is too committed to his longstanding hostility to that war to acknowledge, much less celebrate, the good accomplished.

Earlier this year, Vice President Biden was on Meet the Press. The host, David Gregory, asked him, “Was the war worth it?” Biden answered, “No, I don’t think the war was worth it, in the sense that we paid a horrible price.”

This administration wants to help Muslims “feel good about their historic contribution to science.” Frankly, I don’t know about the Muslims’ contribution to science. (Wouldn’t it make more sense to speak of individuals’ contributions to science, anyway? I mean, who am I to take credit for Isaac Newton?) (And I’m from a family of Newtons!) I do know about Americans’ contributions to Iraq, and freedom, and peace. The effort may still go bust. But what a supremely noble effort. I have seen it with my own eyes, my pathetic little boots on the ground. Maybe our president should see it with his own eyes?

I could talk about the CIA interrogations, too. You can be ashamed all you want. You shouldn’t.