Dithering
Fareed Zakaria asks the following question in today's Washington Post:
"Dick Cheney has accused Barack Obama of "dithering" over Afghanistan. If the president were to quickly invade a country on the basis of half-baked intelligence, would that demonstrate his courage and decisiveness to Cheney?"
Fareed, how could you even have to ask this question? When you hear the phrase. "quickly invade a country on the basis of half-baked intelligence," what person immediately springs into your mind? That is exactly the sum and total of Dick Cheney's foreign policy strategy: bullying is courage, and thinking is weakness.
And to think people tried to convince us that these guys were "the adults."
"Dick Cheney has accused Barack Obama of "dithering" over Afghanistan. If the president were to quickly invade a country on the basis of half-baked intelligence, would that demonstrate his courage and decisiveness to Cheney?"
Fareed, how could you even have to ask this question? When you hear the phrase. "quickly invade a country on the basis of half-baked intelligence," what person immediately springs into your mind? That is exactly the sum and total of Dick Cheney's foreign policy strategy: bullying is courage, and thinking is weakness.
And to think people tried to convince us that these guys were "the adults."
Comments
Bush and Cheney left Obama with no good choices, and you people have ginned up a howling mob ready to scream their heads off no matter what Obama does.
Sure they did. He could have upped the number of troops or found a way to revamp the strategy. Obama hasn't done anything other than go umm, err, ahh, psh. Do something, I want a decisive leader.
"no matter what Obama does."
If Obama scales back government, adheres to the Constitution, lowers taxes across the board, and reduces the deficit, I'll change my name to Barack Hussien Obama and tattoo his face across my chest. I'm not partisan, I just have an ideology that I adhere to. Coming from someone who is used to worship and hatred with no logical thought, I can see how you'd think I simply dislike Obama because he is Obama.
That's the truth, Derek. No way around it now.
Ok, so we leave. Then we are attacked again. Then what? We twiddle our thumbs?
"fall again into the hands of people like Bush and Cheney. And their fear is legitimate.
That's the truth, Derek. No way around it now."
Like Obama? Oh sorry, he kills them with drones, not troops.
The real danger is in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, two countries that the Bush administration coddled and supported for eight years, while everyone knew the problem they posed. Bush and Cheney were never serious about "fighting terrorism" and they left Obama a monumental mess to clean up. The kind of terrorist activity that Al Qaida favors can be launched from Indonesia, the Sudan, from anywhere, including right here (let's not forget Oklahoma City.) Turning the entire country of Afghanistan into Disneyland East will hardly slow them down.
I'd say Afghanistan and Pakistan, as that is where Al Qaeda is located. Saudi Arabia, while that is considered home to Osama Bin Laden, is by no means supportive of Al Qaeda or facilitating in their efforts. The main reason why we aren't there is because Al Qaeda isn't there.
And even if you think we should be in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, wouldn't you say Obama is dithering not entering these countries?