In Obama’s wonderland, there’s no such thing as a person who is unwilling or unable to be reasonable. He proved that tonight with his speech. While cameramen panned across the huge audience of West Point cadets, I caught at least two sleeping. I caught several doing things that made quietly plain that they disagreed with some of Obama’s points. I saw very few who appeared to agree with the man about some of the things he said; most of the cadets were sitting absolutely stony-faced.
The statement that he intended to “open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens” completely undid me. Wow. Is he still that absolutely stupid? He made the “moderate Taliban” faux pas once earlier this year, now he’s talking about the Taliban abandoning violence? I have news for everyone out there who thinks that was a good thing to say: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO SUCH THING AS A MODERATE TALIBAN OR A MEMBER OF THE TALIBAN WHO IS WILLING TO ABANDON VIOLENCE. They are uber-fundementalist jihadist Muslims. Their goal is to create a pure Islamic state, one completely untouched by Western influence, where violence is the only way to solve anything and they can kill anyone who speaks against them. That is the Taliban’s entire reason for being. Continuing in this delusion that we can “reach out” to the Taliban is complete and utter folly.
Obama’s comments on nuclear proliferation got under my skin, too. He said, “…I’ve made it a central pillar of my foreign policy to secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists, to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and to pursue the goal of a world without them, because every nation must understand that true security will never come from an endless race for ever more destructive weapons. True security will come for those who reject them.”
That’s a hoot.
We’re not just talking about security, folks. We’re talking about the ability to defend ourselves. In smaller terms, a common thug preys on those they see as weak. He’ll watch for a person who appears weak in any way–injuries, small stature, lack of outward strength, and most of all, people who walk as though they have no confidence, staring at the ground and not keeping an eye on their surroundings. They’ll attack those people because they won’t pose any threat of a counterattack that will cause pain or death–or prison.
The bad guys in this world can all be tracked by the same mentality. Even jihadists operate under these mental rules. Security means, at least in part, having a bigger stick than everyone else. If you can fight back, nobody wants to piss you off. But if they all know you’re incapable of it, they will have no fear at all in attacking you, taking what they can, and running away, leaving you bleeding in the street and screaming at your back. That’s the way it works, and like it or not, there are a great many people in this world who cannot be reasoned with and will stop at nothing to have their way regardless of how many people they have to maim or kill to get it.
In Obama’s world, though, we don’t have to worry about that. We just need to hold hands and sing Kum-By-Yah.
Welcome to Wonderland, ya’ll.
steveflesher
Philip
Mel Maguire
proudgayconserv
Mark Ciavola
philip@redstategay.com
My brother was a cadet at The Citadel. He said that it was typical for cadets to fall asleep during graduation since they had to be up all the night before getting prepared, packing and what not. He fell asleep during his graduation. I admit that I walked out during Mayor Riley’s commencement speech because even I was nodding off. I have no doubt it’s the same at West Point.
This is just more dreaming from our president who believes that America is evil and the rest of the world is good given the chance to show it.
Yes, I also found it strange that he talked about Afghanistan being the “war of necessity” during the campaign and then tonight announced a proposed time-table.
Goes to show just how much this “war of necessity” means to him. Just as with the campaign, this speech was another boring way to campaign against the Bush administration’s the better strategy of Iraq while keeping people like Dennis Kucinich from strangling him (Kucinich was great on O’Reilly afterward but still refused to attack the Messiah). Iraq was the better strategy since the folks there ARE educated and were willing to accept democracy. We could have strengthened that ally even more, worked stronger with Pakistan (who HAS began to crack down on their own) and turned our focus to Iran — another modern country where the folks are educated and willing to embrace Democracy stifled by a crazy leader.
At least at the end of the day, the few crazies left would have been stuck in caves in one area of Afghanistan, which admittedly, they have been for quite some time — sending out only a few to Iraq when our boys creamed them with the tremendous air power that was better utilized over there than in a country with mountains and caves.
Afghanis are not as anxious to work with our troops as Iraqis were.
It really makes one wonder.
Afghanis are more easily bought by bribes than Iraqis. The additional problem in both countries is that in the Middle-Eastern culture, if you have authority over another person or group of people–such as an officer who leads enlisted ranks in the military–you can take whatever you want from them. That inspires little loyalty among the underlings. We’re not just fighting the Taliban, we’re fighting a culture that is difficult to understand.
However, Afghani tribes have a deeper understanding of honor than the Taliban. It was the honor of a small tribe that kept Marcus Luttrell alive after his comrades had been murdered by the Taliban.
A timetable for withdrawal is a timetable for surrender. If I were the Taliban I’d sit back and wait it out. I’d arm myself to the teeth. When the foreign armies are gone, then I’ll attack.
Does Obama really think we can prepare the Afghan army and police to stop this?
His administration is LBJ Part II with more Socialism and a winnable war being turned into a quagmire. He’ll be done in four years assuming he has the guts to run again. I predict he’ll be some beaten down and disgraced he’ll bow out.
John, his administration is also Carter#2.
We need a Reagan/Nixon ticket, apparently.
Good point Steve. This so called Change is re-cycled garbage that did not work the first time, won’t work now and will never work.
Nicholas Minacapelli posted a very old political cartoon on Facebook recently. It was from 1934, in the throes of the Great Depression. It’s amazing how we can look at issues from way back then and see those issues mirrored in today. The cartoon showed a homeless man writing down America’s problems on the side of the road while politicans rode by on a giant money-filled wagon, shoveling it into the mud.
If I had access to my own computer I’d post it here…Steve, maybe you can get it. Obama’s naivete so strongly echoes the liberal mindset back then it’s palpable.
I am at work now, where would I find it?
Sorry, Steve, I didn’t see this yesterday…You should find it on his wall posts. He may have posted it on his blog, too. I had seen that cartoon in a textbook when I was a kid (it is odd the amazing number of things I can remember), but back then I didn’t understand it. Now I do.