Obama vs. Osama

[August1991]

How best to confront medieval foolishness? Prove that we're not racial?

Barack Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday, telling him the U.S. will fight terrorism "with vigor" if elected, according to an Afghan official.

...

U.S. embassy spokesperson Mark Stroh told reporters talks included the economy, corruption, and Afghanistan's security situation. An official with Karzai's office said Obama offered a positive message.

"Sen. Obama conveyed ... that he is committed to supporting Afghanistan and to continue the war against terrorism with vigor," said Humayun Hamidzada, Karzai's spokesman.

CTV?

With vigor? Isn't that how the first Roman Catholic described his presidency?

In America, a Roosevelt chose an Eisenhower to defeat a Hitler. Such is an English-speaking America.

I think that it would be a mistake to choose an Obama to defeat an Osama - but the idealism of America may mean this. What a country!

One has to admire it.

Edited July 25, 2008 by August1991

[Oleg Bach]

Bush and the boys gave comfort to the adventuring son of the Saudis...so I would say that you don't need an Obama to defeat an Osama...seeing that the current adminstration did not go after the finacial backers of 911 which were the nasty Saudis...they avoided reality and dashed off to Afghanistan and Iraq leaving the real evil doers in safety and making sure their friends were no prosecuted for killing American citizens in New York..the whole thing stinks thus far and the betrayal of the west has already taken place under the cowardly Cheney administration - Osama may just finish the job....this could get worse.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Charles Anthony
re-quote of entire Opening Post deleted

[Argus]

I think the world, particularly the West, which despised Bush's interventionist policies are going to find Obama's isolationism to be a problem. I can already read some consternation in the UK media about his lack of knowledge, vague policy statements and his soft-headedness with regard to the forces at play in the world who are hostile to the West. One hopes his admission that he was wrong on the surge working - although he has also said if he had it to do again he would still vote against it - might be a small epiphany that there are times when sending in the troops is the best thing to do, but I don't have a lot of confidence in that. Sometimes we might find the police to be clods, but do we want to have no police? Maybe cut adrift the Europeans will grow up and learn to take care of problems on their own? Unlikely I admit, but possible.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Charles Anthony
re-quote of entire Opening Post deleted

[August1991]

I think the world, particularly the West, which despised Bush's interventionist policies are going to find Obama's isolationism to be a problem.

On the contrary, Obama will surprise the outside (non-American) world, obsessed as it is with image not substance. (In case you don't know, America is very practical (and rich) compared to Europe, Asia and Africa. America is a continent where status matters less.)

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My point Argus was that in 1941, by chance, the US chose to have a Roosevelt (Dutch name) appoint an Eisenhower (reformed German name) to defeat a Hitler. Why? America is a country that doesn't care who your grandfather was, what his name was or how you changed it. Americans want to know about what you can do and the future.

Americans may possibly choose an American named Obama to defeat an Osama just as they chose an American named Eisenhower to defeat a Hiter. I'm impressed that Americans only care about what they think is right, without prejudice.

This characteristic of Americans is not lost on the rest of world, if it is too often ignored by Americans themselves.

America is an exceptional society. Americans should be proud.

Edited July 24, 2008 by August1991

[myata]

How best to confront medieval foolishness? Prove that we're not racial?

By not meddling in their affairs maybe? By using open, clean and clear (and "moral") policies?

And, if Osama is our "Hitler", how have we managed to diminish to such a degree, in only a few short decades?

[August1991]

By not meddling in their affairs maybe? By using open, clean and clear (and "moral") policies?

And, if Osama is our "Hitler", how have we managed to diminish to such a degree, in only a few short decades?

Myata, in such a multicutural, globalized world, how can we avoid meddling in their affairs? Christians and atheists are bound to go to Mecca, if not this year, next year.

In this world, a Christian girl is bound to fall in love with a Saudi boy, or even a Saudi girl. (We'll all see the Youtube video.)

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Osama is our Savonarola. We now live in a world where such people matter even more. We must object to closed-minded thinking.