U.S. warship firing one of 110 cruise missiles at Libyan forces (photo: DoD)
Time magazine’s Michael Crowley (9/9/13) offers an analysis of how the Syrian situation reflects on Barack Obama’s presidency:
Whatever comes of Obama’s confrontation with Assad, an even more dangerous confrontation lies in wait—the one with Iran. If another round of negotiations with Tehran should fail, Obama may soon be obliged to make good on his vow to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. “I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests,” Obama told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in March 2012.
But to his critics, Obama does hesitate, and trouble follows as a result. With more than three years left in his presidency, he has the opportunity to reverse that impression. Success in Syria and then Iran could vindicate him, and failure could be crushing. “The risk is that, if things in the Middle East continue to spiral, that will become his legacy,” says Brian Katulis, a former Obama campaign adviser now with the Center for American Progress.
Obama does “hesitate to use force”—is that his problem? Since 2009, US drone strikes have killed more than 2000 people in Pakistan, including 240 civilians, 62 of them children. Since Obama took office, they’ve killed more than 400 in Yemen; drone deaths in Somalia are harder to quantify.
Obama roughly tripled the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, from 33,000 to 98,000 (Think Progress, 6/22/11). In 2011, he sent naval and air forces into battle to overthrow the government of Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi. In Iraq, Obama tried and failed to keep tens of thousands of troops in the country beyond the withdrawal deadline negotiated by the Bush administration (New York Times, 10/22/11).
This is a record that would not seem to indicate a particular hesitancy to use force. Oddly, Crowley acknowledges much of this: “Obama …sent more troops to Afghanistan, escalated drone strikes against Al-Qaeda terrorists,” he writes. But his military actions are presented as a sign of his unwillingness to take military action: “In Libya, he at first stood by as rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi’s forces found themselves outgunned and on the run.”
No matter how many wars you engage in—Obama has had six so far—there are always wars you could have started but didn’t. Crowley seems to be suggesting that those unfought wars ought to take the blame for any problems Obama leaves behind.
Time magazine…that “people magazine” of politics for the ignorant American . That National Enquirer of policy and opinion for the lazy American “news consumer”.
I remember Obama saying he will bring the troops home and close Gitmo. Hey let’s face it they all lie. The question is if your own country is trillions in debt how the heck can you help others? Leave them alone in the middleeast they.’ve been fighting thousands of years and we won’t stop them. Let’s drill and refine our own oil and let our nation heal and then we can help others. Right now we just keep adding ballast to the Titanic!
Obama Has No Authority to Attack Syria over Chemical Weapons, It’s Illegal http://bit.ly/PleaseRetweet also, I tried to warn people about Obama’s warmongering mindset before he was elected the 1st time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSMpZZ1E2_s&list=PLfrlsC1yJ2dSlqGSra2UCtwznSnBDNDkn
It’s the same war chickens we always get; They want someone else to go beat up the boogyman to make them safe, and as soon as you resolve one issue, they find another boogyman to ‘scare you with’. In the meantime they themselves would swoon and Crap in their own pants if they were told they would have out on the lines doing the fighting.
If your not doing your own dirty work, you have no problems finding plenty of it for the people who are doing it for you. Time to start sending these war Chickens out with a gun and 10 bullets, and tell them to start shooting at will.
There’s certainly irony here in the article…which is generally well pointed. The irony is that the “state” is defined by its ability to use force in exercising the laws it creates and the policies it wants to manifest. Once it gets rolling…and ours has been rolling the entire 20th century for sure, it’s about impossible to stop without it losing its imperial status of just going away and being replaced. Their own populations never seemed able to change them from within politically. I can’t think of a historical example of an excessively violent nation-state being neutered. But that tendency toward violence by the US state (in action or in threat) has also increased substantially at home in a variety of forms. Which is probably not unique either.
Wow wrong read on this.Obama increased troops in Afghanistan but they are not pressing offensively in any way.The death toll under Bush and his three week victorious march, was about 600.Since Obama- 3000 more have died.If Bush were still in charge there would be 2 million men marches.Yet Obama gets a bi.As far as lobbing cruise missiles ….that is as far away as one can get from involvement.Nothing wrong with this but he is simply NOT a war time president.Syria is a perfect example.He has telegraphed his every move.So Assad has moved his assets.An attack now would be a complete waste of time.Just as he telegraphed our troop withdraws.He is a politician.That is how he runs HIS(did you see where he called it his military?) control of our armed forces.Just another mess in his name lets call it.When the tome of his presidency is written ,you will have a mountain on the debit side,and a few honorable mentions on the credit side.And guess what…….not one nitwit who voted for him would see his/her mistake.
We need the collective wisdom of Congress, however sparse, to find our way through the morass of the Middle East. Obama’s carefully maintained denials of his flaws only help make him an especially unreliable and dangerous leader.
Pace God bless you but Im afraid to many of Congress are just rubber stampers.Their constituents are screaming louder than T Rex but only one voice do they hear.That of der leader
So Henry Luce still runs TIME. But it’s TIME to recognize that the cold war, and its dangerous hardened attitudes, is over.
Most of our representatives are beholding to the international bankers that have bought this country hook,line ,and sinker.Now to finish,they finance this foolishness for both sides and set humanity back another 200 years killing other human beings that have but one desire,and that,s to survive and love fellow man.This deception is historic and time for humanity to move to the next level.The destroying of history and artifacts,along with us, no doubt has eliminated the mind,and substance that could have taken humanity to the next level of evolution.If this madness is not stopped we will, no doubt about it annihilate our species entirely……………
Charles that statement implicating “international bankers” was a favorite of Hitlers reich.Lets walk carefully.International bankers own us?Nope.The Chinese own us.Not through any sneaky moves.Hell we broke their doors down,begging them to buy us.To keep the wheels running,the lights on,and cheap sneakers flowing.And this was not a one and done.Now that Obama CANT sell us anymore(no body wants our debt)he simply buys back our OWN debt by buying bonds.You look to far for the culprits charles.His initials are BHO.He lives right in that big white house.