The problem with voting the drone-crazed civilian killer out of the White House
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The problem with voting the drone-crazed civilian killer out of the White House
On a regular basis, Attytood has taken President Obama to task for his drone warfare policies in South Asia that have killed scores of innocent civilians and in all likelihood inspired a new generation of anti-Americanism abroad. Should that be grounds for denying the president a second term? Well, there'd have to be a better, viable alternative.
In one of his first acts, President Obama issued an executive order restricting interrogators to a list of nonabusive tactics approved in the Army Field Manual. Even as he embraced a hawkish approach to other counterterrorism issues — like drone strikes, military commissions, indefinite detention and the Patriot Act — Mr. Obama has stuck to that strict no-torture policy.
By contrast, Mr. Romney’s advisers have privately urged him to “rescind and replace President Obama’s executive order” and permit secret “enhanced interrogation techniques against high-value detainees that are safe, legal and effective in generating intelligence to save American lives,” according to an internal Romney campaign memorandum.
While the memo is a policy proposal drafted by Mr. Romney’s advisers in September 2011 — not a final decision by him — its detailed analysis dovetails with his rare and limited public comments about interrogation.
“We’ll use enhanced interrogation techniques which go beyond those that are in the military handbook right now,” he said at a news conference in Charleston, S.C., in December.
Seriously, what planet are these people living on? Is Romney that desperate to differentiate himself from Obama on any issue that he's willing to bring back the worst and most unlawful policies of the Cheney-Bush years, the ones that harmed America by damaging our reputation around the globe. Simply put, with Romney we'd keep the civil and human rights abuse that have continued under Obama and also bring back the ones that were even worse. No thank you.
Look, if this were 2000 and it looked like what we foolishly throught it looked like at this time 12 years ago -- that the candidates appeared to be Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, Gush amd Bore, when in reality the candidates were onlp pretending (for wildly different reasons) to be centrists, then I'd probably be saying some crazy (bleep) like vote for the Green Party. But it's 2012 and the world knows better. We know that as bad as the Democrats have been in some ways -- too often in bed with Wall Street, too prone to reckless military adventurism to prove they're not "soft" -- the Republican Party of the last dozen years has shown itself to be 100 times worse, as today's scoop by Charlie Savage in the New York Times shows yet again. The modern GOP has proved -- again and again and again and again -- that it cannot be trusted with the keys of government.
So what's the answer? It's obvious. President Obama said it the other day. Washington can only be changed from the outside. We know the Republican Party would destroy America -- they've even told us exactly how they would do it. The current Democratic Party in Washington is a sorry lot of wusses and cowards -- but at least we can pressure them to do the right thing.
Stop the drone strikes and end the war in Afghanistan as soon as safely possible. Close Gitmo. Guarantee the right to vote -- again. Bring back Glass-Steagall and put the Wall Street crooks in jail. Get the corporate money out of politics. Regulate fracking and focus on renewable energy. Obama and other top Democrats have supported most of these things at various times in their flip-flopping careers, but they won't actually happen without non-stop pressure from the too-silent majority -- without marches and letters and phone calls and protests and...well, getting up in their face every day.
Outside pressure.
And a government that's just barely sane enough to listern to the American people.
Because Obama will listen to you the second time around when he will never need your vote again.— RG- How to destroy America:
"Stop the drone strikes and end the war in Afghanistan as soon as safely possible. Close Gitmo. Guarantee the right to vote -- again. Bring back Glass-Steagall and put the Wall Street crooks in jail. Get the corporate money out of politics. Regulate fracking and focus on renewable energy"...you'd better explain why we'd continue Solandra, EN1, etc. or any "renewable energy"...so "Forward" is simply continuing failed policies??? Pathetic!!!
Yeah, let's have more "protests" where idiots block sidewalks, interfering with regular folks who simply need to be at work or class on time...so, we are supposed to step over them...NO THANKS...why can't they stand on the side of the sidewalk..LOL!!! Then they sue and get $30K each...Please explain how that helps America???— sarah89 - Oktoberfest!
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/09/oktoberfest-2012/100376/— RG - Chester girls beat mentally challenged woman. Where are the drones when you need them?
http://www.philly.com/philly/video/171580701.html— RG - I give Bunch a lot of credit. He is very consistent with his views, even when they differ from the actions of his own president, but this I don't get.
Earlier today he writes an article speaking about how it's important to protect the innocent by stopping the government's use of the death penalty. Then he writes another piece urging his president to:
"Stop the drone strikes and end the war in Afghanistan as soon as safely possible."
Where is his outrage and concern for innocent life now. As soon as safely possible is a far cry from his feelings on the death penalty.
And to top it off he explains that he would rather we vote for a president who kills innocent people using unmanned drones than vote for a president who has an adviser who urged him to allow terror suspects to be tortured.
Bunch really jumped the shark on this one. I have a lot of respect for the fact that he is an unapologetic liberal first and foremost and a democrat second. But this is one of the only times I have seen him put his politics before his beliefs, and put his president before the lives of innocent civilians.
I guess Romney should have said 47% will vote for the president no matter how many innocents he kills.— barlowjames1 - I love Will's current mind set. Obama's bad but it could be a lot worse. Am I missing anything here Will?— RufusG
I'll got out on a limb here and predict an Israeli provocation of Iran just before the debates. It just feels....historical.- Israeli provocation, MSL??? Iran's leader has indicated on numerous occasions his wish to terminate the state of Israel. I think what you meant was an Israeli end to the Iranian appeasement policy. The only thing that is missing is Chamberlain's umbrella.
— Origami - My goodnes,s, did you see Netanyahu's artwork at the UN?— RG
- ==]] And to top it off he explains that he would rather we vote for a president who kills innocent people using unmanned drones than vote for a president who has an adviser who urged him to allow terror suspects to be tortured. [[[==
Uh. Barlow. Take off the Republican thinking cap. Re-read Will's post, and see if you can see the huge gaping hole in the logic of that statement I excerpted from you.
— Talking point sleuth - Now I get it.
You feel that President Obama authorizing the actual killing of innocent civilians is better than the possibility of Candidate Romney continuing with the same policy while adding in the torture of terrorist suspects.
Your guy killing people beats the other guy possibly killing people and more.
That also explains the thinking cap comment. Perhaps you should be more concerned with your own moral compass that allows you to think that one murderer of innocent people is somehow better than another murderer and less concerned about baseless insults.— barlowjames - "I guess Romney should have said 47% will vote for the president no matter how many innocents he kills." . . . . . Now that I'd love to see. Romney doesn't have the balls to step out of his chickenhawk suit.
- " We know the Republican Party would destroy America" Do you really get paid to write this juvenile nonsense, you insufferable, no-talent hack?— Jack Klompus
- Its not a suit. Really, this election is pretty symbolic of where we're going as a nation. As I can do is drink and laugh.— RG
- Oh there's Will's fanboy TPS as always, knee pads on and mouth fully pursed! Do you even have a job or is gushing over your BFF Bunch a full time passion for you?— Jack Klompus
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