Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)
Wed Jun 25, 2014, 08:03 AM Jun 2014

'Peace President' Obama paradoxically made the world more dangerous

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/peace-president-obama-paradoxically-made-the-world-more-dangerous-20140620-zsgd4.html



'Peace President' Obama paradoxically made the world more dangerous
Charles Moore
June 20, 2014

People blame the new horrors in Iraq on the American-led invasion in 2003. But the exact reason the country is in civil war today is because the Americans are not there. If US troops were still present, the fanatical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) would not have swept through the north of the country and now be threatening Baghdad.

The US constitution forbids presidents from having more than two terms in office. This may be a valuable restraint on power, but it also means any two-term president stops governing soon after his re-election. Instead he tries to secure his ‘‘legacy’’. The more he thinks about this, the more it trickles away.

Barack Obama had a legacy earlier than any other US president. He was the first black President before he was even inaugurated. Soon after that, he was awarded the Nobel peace prize. From the start, he was supposed to go down in history as ‘‘the Peace President’’. This has all turned into a tremendous disadvantage.

Obama was right about the need to change tone after the presidency of George W. Bush. Some of the fierce antagonisms of the Bush era dissolved in his rhetoric. Europeans, in particular, felt what it said on the poster – ‘‘Hope’’. But in the Muslim world, the people who were bitterly anti-American for reasons way beyond the invasion of Iraq were not converted or even appeased. Nor did anti-Western wolves such as Vladimir Putin want to lie down with the new American lamb. They watched and waited to see what Obama would do.


--

If you are so dissatisfied Charlie, why don't you hold a bake sale for funds to send Australian troops back to Iraq? The US has already spent at least $2,000,000,000,000 on our Iraq adventure.

Go for it.

2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
'Peace President' Obama paradoxically made the world more dangerous (Original Post) unhappycamper Jun 2014 OP
this line alone told me the article was wrong DonCoquixote Jun 2014 #1
If troops were still there, they would be getting killed. Period. bradla Jun 2014 #2

DonCoquixote

(13,615 posts)
1. this line alone told me the article was wrong
Wed Jun 25, 2014, 08:05 AM
Jun 2014

"If US troops were still present, the fanatical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) would not have swept through the north of the country and now be threatening Baghdad. "

 

bradla

(89 posts)
2. If troops were still there, they would be getting killed. Period.
Wed Jun 25, 2014, 08:34 AM
Jun 2014

The fighting would just continue. Americans would not be okay with more deaths in Iraq. We are not going to make that place peaceful by just leaving troops there.

I remember saying to myself back when the lead up to Iraq was going on that as soon as we leave it will just collapse. You need a strong dictator to handle that area of the world.

We told you not to go there. What a bunch of idiots. Now these people think they can squirm out of what they caused.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Foreign Affairs»'Peace President' Obama p...