Thoughts & Commentary on the Obama Administration

[Xiahou]

Not cranky at all, Lemur. I actually think it's rather amusing how you seem to think that I'm some composite caricature of everything you hate about conservatives. What I say doesn't matter, anything that burns you up about the right is automatically what I strongly believe.

I'm sure I've said I liked things about Palin before. I still do like some things about her- but her lack of media savvy and tendency towards petty squabbling are really becoming off-putting. I don't know that I ever idolized her the way you seem to think I do now- even when she first came to the national stage. And since, my opinion of her has only cooled.

As I've said before, if our president ever does anything that you approve, that would be noteworthy.

And if he ever did anything you don't approve of....

[Lemur]

What I say doesn't matter, anything that burns you up about the right is automatically what I strongly believe.

Oh, I don't need to put ideas or words in your mouth, you do a splendid job of toeing the National Review party line on your own. You're plenty intelligent enough to see multiple sides to an issue, and yet you inevitably come out with the standard "conservative" line. And when I call you "conservative," I mean in that radical, tradition-ignoring, un-conservative social re-engineering sense that we Americans mean when we call someone "conservative." It's what the rest of the world would call, I dunno, "reactionary" or "rightist" or something like that. Certainly nothing that the father of modern conservatism, Oakeshott, would recognize.

And if [Obama]ever did anything you don't approve of....

He has done plenty that I don't like. What, you want a list? Shall we start with the most recent, his siding with the RIAA and MPAA on a "three strikes" law in the US?

[Xiahou]

He has done plenty that I don't like. What, you want a list? Shall we start with the most recent, his siding with the RIAA and MPAA on a "three strikes" law in the US?

But had you posted any of it?

And when I call you "conservative," I mean in that radical, tradition-ignoring, un-conservative social re-engineering sense that we Americans mean when we call someone "conservative." It's what the rest of the world would call, I dunno, "reactionary" or "rightist" or something like that. Certainly nothing that the father of modern conservatism, Oakeshott, would recognize.

Thanks for proving my point.

[Lemur]

But had you posted any of it?

I just did, sunshine, which is rather more than you've ever done.

Meanwhile, another top Al Qaeda operative is killed, which means we will never be able to waterboard him. Cue "conservative" unhappiness.

Al-Qaida leader believed killed

An al-Qaida leader believed to have played a key role in the bombing of a CIA post in Afghanistan last December was apparently killed by an American missile strike last week, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.

The counterterrorism official said Hussein al-Yemeni was believed killed in a strike in Miram Shah, the main town in North Waziristan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

Drone strikes in Pakistan's border region, largely conducted by the CIA, have escalated in recent months, proving an effective way to target al-Qaida and Taliban leaders hiding in the rugged mountainous border. While Pakistani officials have criticized the strikes, it is widely believed that Islamabad privately supports the attacks and works with the U.S. to provide intelligence.

Al-Yemeni is considered an important al-Qaida planner and explosives expert who had established contact with groups ranging from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to Afghan and Pakistani Taliban militant groups. He is also known as Ghazwan al-Yemeni.

[Xiahou]

I just did, sunshine, which is rather more than you've ever done.

Hang in there, sweetcheeks, I think you're close to a breakthrough. See, when I suggested that you haven't posted anything negative about Obama, I was making a rhetorical point. I have sense enough to realize that even you have a few bones to pick with Obama. Even though you haven't posted anything but praise or defense of Obama, I knew that you can't approve of every single thing he does. You generally approve of Obama, and don't feel the need to chronicle every single thing he does that you don't think is perfect. Now think on that for a minute- do you think that someone might generally disapprove of Obama and not feel the need to chronicle every time they don't think he's screwing up?

Either way, it's fallacious to try and dismiss someone's criticisms or praise simply because they "always" criticize or praise. The arguments stand on their own, yes?

Oh, just in case your head hasn't already exploded- you named one thing Obama did that you didn't like. I'll do the opposite. I liked that he was willing to commit more troops to Afghanistan.

[Lemur]

Either way, it's fallacious to try and dismiss someone's criticisms or praise simply because they "always" criticize or praise. The arguments stand on their own, yes?

Point taken, but there's a certain hypnotic monotony to the way you're willing to attack the current president on any and every point that I find silly. Your insistence that he is killing too many terrorists is a particularly ironic example, especially given the attack you would obviously make on him if he were not killing so many terrorists.

[Xiahou]

Point taken, but there's a certain hypnotic monotony to the way you're willing to attack the current president on any and every point that I find silly. Your insistence that he is killing too many terrorists is a particularly ironic example, especially given the attack you would obviously make on him if he were not killing so many terrorists.

Well, IIRC, you posted some link about the GOP criticizing him for assassinating terrorists. I posted a link to a WaPo story, in an attempt to show that the concern isn't limited to far-right lala land. Some people are legitimately concerned that Obama may be authorizing assassination in favor of capture due to the fact that the administration has no coherent detention/interrogation system in place. The CIA's interrogation unit has been shut down, and as we learned during the underwear bomber saga, it's replacement is not yet operational. You also have to take Obama's unfullfilled promise to close the Gitmo detention center into consideration. The fear is that the assassinations are being carried out for political expediency.

Personally, I think it's great for Obama to order assassinations of known terrorists. However, I hope it's not being done at the expense of valuable intelligence assets because Obama wants to avoid having to figure out what to do with them once they're captured. If they can be captured instead of killed, it may sometimes be better to detain and interrogate them. I think it's a valid concern.