Adam ([info]afcool83) wrote,
@ 2007-02-12 09:47:00
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Entry tags:culture

A reason I’m impressed with Obama

Originally published at Adam Speaks Out Of Turn. You can comment here or there.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.

From Obama’s Iraq War Speech given on October 26th 2002, full text available here


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[info]pseudocsb
2007-02-12 05:33 pm UTC (link)
Being right then doesn't make him right now. I don't want to know what he'd have done differently. It's nice, but it's not helpful. We need to look at the situation we're in today and make policy decisions to make the best of the situation today. Pulling out by the year's end is not a good policy decision. Pulling out now is making today's decisions based on what you wish had happened 4 years ago. Whether or not you supported the war in 2002 (and I certainly did not), we own the problem now.

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[info]afcool83
2007-02-12 05:43 pm UTC (link)
agreed. we're in quite a mess right now (and weren't back then). I was impressed that he accurately predicted this quagmire well before we got ourselves into it.

Getting out is a whole 'nother matter.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
pretty impressive
[info]smirabi
2007-02-12 06:44 pm UTC (link)
yeah, obama is getting my vote. he doesnt bullshit us, i feel like. he's able to take the nuanced approach to issues (typical of democrats) but talk about it in plain english (typical of republicans).

i dont think he has any real answers to the the iraq problem (as it exists now), but then nobody does, so that shouldnt count against him.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: pretty impressive
[info]pseudocsb
2007-02-12 10:00 pm UTC (link)
I don't think that's a fair characterization at all. Every candidate has their answer - Obama's is to pull most of the troops out by the end of the year. Hillary's is to pressure the Iraqi government into some particular policies (such as distributing oil revenues directly to the people, rather than to provinces or tribes), do some diplomatic work with Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and bring in the international community (see Kosovo). McCain's plan is to send more than 20k troops and kick some ass. Bush's plan is to piss off Iran and send a few more troops (even after the surge, troops levels will be below what they were in Jan 2006) and buy the Iraqi government some more time.

Here's my beef with Brack Obama: he's a newbie. In 2000, we passed on the insanely-experienced, competent but kind of boring dork and instead elected a guy with literally zero foreign policy experience. Where we are right now is the direct result of that. Obama has a term in the Illinois state legislature and a couple years in the Senate under his belt. He's got less experience than W. Bush did. And the Illinois state legislature isn't the same as being governor or Texas. Compared to Obama in 2007, Bush in 2000 looks downright well-qualified.

Democrats are in love with Obama the same way Republican were in love with Bush... but when it comes down to it, being McDreamy doesn't make either a good choice for President. It's a job, a very serious, very hard, very important job, and hiring Obama for it is like hiring the hot chick to run Accounting because she'll make the meetings more enjoyable.

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Re: pretty impressive
[info]smirabi
2007-02-13 04:54 am UTC (link)
to imply that obama is somehow less qualified to understand and respond to international problems than bush is or was based on bush's time spent as texas gov. is quite a big stretch. bush didnt know any more than anyone else about foreign policy, which is why he appointed his daddy's men to lead his administration... and we see where that got us.

yes, everyone has a plan, but nobody has an answer (answer=solution). we're screwed, the region is screwed. the only way the region will change is from within, and you cant force that kind of change, not even with 22,000 more soldiers on the ground.

the difference between an inexperienced bush taking the helm in 2000 and an inexperienced obama taking the helm in 2008 lies in who he brings with him into the white house. and just from looking at who bush brought in, obama certainly can't do any worse than war-mongering/profiteering liars and incompetents. the republicans have had their turn to f-up the country, i say give the dems a try.

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