Thoughts & Commentary on the Obama Administration

[Lemur]

Killing terrorists is well and fine, but we should also be squeezing them for intelligence wherever possible.

Given your side's take on unlimited executive power, I don't think squeeze was the best verb for that sentence.

For a less hysterical take on Obama and the GWOT, Lexington has a nice essay this week.

An anti-Obama bumper-sticker asked: “So you’re for abortion but against killing terrorists?”

Most of these barbs are bunk. Yes, Mr Obama favours trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of September 11th 2001, in a civilian court. But that is not a sign of weakness. Several terrorists were successfully prosecuted in civilian courts under George Bush. And though Mr Obama is willing to admit his country’s failings, he is quite ruthless about blowing its enemies to scraps. American drones fired missiles at suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan’s tribal areas 55 times last year, killing hundreds of jihadists and who knows how many civilians. This year, the killing has accelerated; so far more than a dozen strikes have been reported. Mr Obama orders assassinations at a far brisker pace than George Bush ever did. For some reason, his habit of blowing up alleged terrorists and bystanders from the air causes less global outrage than the smothering of a lone Hamas operative, allegedly by Israel, in a hotel room in Dubai. But whether you think it justified or not, it is hardly evidence that the president is “against killing terrorists”.

[Xiahou]

So your response to concerns being raised that Obama is too quick to kill terrorist leaders instead of capturing them is to post a story that talks about how Obama is blowing terrorists and civillians to scraps? And then you call it "less hysterical"? Ok....

[Lemur]

Didn't read the article, didja? And I can only imagine what you'd be saying if Obama were capturing more terrorists suspects than killing them. Your line of attack would be both obvious and well-occupied.

Face it, Xiahou, if the current President transformed water into wine you'd complain about underaged drinking. If he walked on water you'd declare that he was violating aquatic rights. There's nothing he can do that will satisfy you, short of magically transforming himself into Sarah Palin.

And if you'd actually read the piece I linked, you'd see that he's doing rather better than your boy Bush did on the GWOT front. Not that I'd expect you to admit or acknowledge that much. Ever.

[Xiahou]

It must be therapeutic for you to transfer all of your pent up blind seething rage onto me. I guess I should feel honored to be the target of so large a proportion of your ad hominems and straw men.

And if you'd actually read the piece I linked, you'd see that he's doing rather better than your boy Bush did on the GWOT front. Not that I'd expect you to admit or acknowledge that much. Ever.

Of course, because one editorial would prove beyond a doubt that Obama's been a massive foriegn policy success.

"My boy Bush"

[a completely inoffensive name]

I like Obama.

[Lemur]

Of course, because one editorial would prove beyond a doubt that Obama's been a massive foriegn policy success.

Oh, so your response to a respectable editorial from The Economist is a screed from RCP? Poke your head out of the rightwing echo chamber every now and then, it'll do your mind some good.

"My boy Bush"

I love how no rightwinger ever supported Bush. Sure, you love the torture policies, the Patriot Act, the unlimited executive power, the Christian marketing themes, the preemptive war, the chest-thumping ally-infuriating foreign policy ... but he wasn't really one of you. No no no. Real conservatism is a Platonic ideal of purity that only exists in pre-media Palin and the fevered dream of a Fred Thompson presidency. But a guy like Bush? No, he must be some sort of liberal, 'cause we all know that bad things are liberal.

[Xiahou]

That's right, just let it out. It's not good to keep all that pent up inside....

[KukriKhan]

Abbott and Costello
Martin and Lewis
Gawain and JAG

Lemur and Xiahou

All classics.

[PanzerJaeger]

And if you'd actually read the piece I linked, you'd see that he's doing rather better than your boy Bush did on the GWOT front. Not that I'd expect you to admit or acknowledge that much. Ever.

I'm a little late to the party but I'd just like to point out that that is not at all what they piece said.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Update: I'm still liking Obama.

Will continue to update as the situation develops.

[Xiahou]

From Der Speigel: Obama Unites Israelis and Arabs in Disappointment

Hopes were high in the Middle East when US President Barack Obama took office last year. But instead of progress toward peace, he has shown indecision and hesitancy. With many in the region united against Iran, he is in danger of letting a golden opportunity slip through his fingers.

Obama can hardly count on gaining the support of allies, partly because he doesn't pay much attention to them. The American president doesn't have a single strong ally among European heads of state. "The president is said to be reluctant to take time to build relationships with foreign leaders," writes the Washington Post.

Just be glad we don't have "my boy" Bush around to alienate our allies anymore, right?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Fragony]

Muahahaha YES WE CAN http://www.prisonplanet.com/ron-paul...l-to-bush.html

lol@Nobel peace price commission and allllllllllllllllllll the others who judge someone on the color of his skin.

[Lemur]

Just be glad we don't have "my boy" Bush around to alienate our allies anymore, right?

This from a man who openly admits that he admires Sarah Palin, the closest thing we have to a Bush sequel. Yikes. If Bush isn't your boy, whose is he?

[m52nickerson]

There's nothing he can do that will satisfy you, short of magically transforming himself into Sarah Palin.

Even then he might be angry with Obama changing gender.