[New Info]CIA repeatedly warned Bush about Sept 11; Neocons put OBL on ignore list

lol we did invade Afghanistan. What planet do you live on?

 

One of my biggest worries about Romney is his complete and total incomprehension of foreign policy issues. There's a reason all the Republicans run away from Bush and Iraq: it was a disastrous decision that claimed far too many lives. The Cheney foreign policy model simply doesn't work. When you saber-rattle, when you are hot-headed, when you show a blatant lack of understanding, other people react negatively.

Regardless of Obama's domestic shortcomings, I think history will treat his Cairo speech as a massive turn in American foreign policy. It's no coincidence that democratic movements were emboldened in the Middle East. Intervention can be very good when it's multilateral and respectful of the population (Libya). When Romney calls out Russia and India and China in his speech, it worries me. It worries me, because I think that if there's one thing the executive has almost total control of, it's foreign policy. The president has only so much control over the economy, between Congress budgets and FRB monetary policy. Foreign policy is something that is set by the President, both in tone and in practice.

President Bush seems like a good guy and someone who had good intentions (maybe not so much for Cheney), but he had a severe lack of understanding of foreign relations. Similarly, Romney seems like his diplomatic skills are very similar. He's hotheaded and misinformed. That's a scary prospect.

I think our intervention in Iraq created an uncontrollable hotbed for terrorism in the middle East. When a population doesn't want you in their country, they will rebel. Every civilian casualty that was just collateral damage had an uncle, a father, a son, a mother, who may have been moved to violence in their anger and grief. It creates a propoganda tool for terrorist group THIS is what causes violence. Not this nebulous bull**** like "they hate freedom omg!" Obama seems to have a better grasp on this than Romney, and that's why he's getting my vote.

The scariest part is the saber-rattling we hear about Iran. If you all that the Iraq war was tough, that would be nothing compared to Iranian intervention. When you label a nation the "Axis of Evil", and alienate them from the rest of the international community, they have no incentive to cooperate, and no incentive to back down. In fact, if you are North Korea and Iran, your best rational choice is develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent. Hell, the other member of your "Axis" was invaded. This is what fuels the kind of belligerence we see from these nations. If you threaten a nation, they will respond in kind to protect themselves.

As a final note, the lead up to Iraq was nothing short of disgraceful. There's a nice Frontline documentary that I recommend you guys take a look at, even if it's a bit dated. It's called The Dark Side (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darkside/). It's a fascinating look at how Congress was duped into believing Iraq was an appropriate target. Also read up on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and an informant nicknamed "Curveball". Truly shameful.

Americans aren't concentrating on foreign policy as an election issue this year, but they ought to be.

And for everyone in this thread who's espousing a defense of the Bush years (in terms for foreign policy, and doing so quite obnoxiously I might add), please actually take a look at some of the arguments I presented. A higher level of discourse on these types of issues is possible, after all.

 

^ Obama had zero foreign policy experience prior to becoming president

and he's bent over and taken it up the butt from Putin in Syria

not impressed

and ps -- Bush and Cheney aren't running, so trying to use that analogy fails

 

Not all republicans are this bad. Basso, TJ, and Bigtexxx are the worst though and I am a fool for engaging such stupid people at all.

 

What exactly would you propose about Syria and Putin? What has Romney proposed?

Sometimes inaction is preferable to action.

My comments on Bush and Cheney was talking about the OP's subject area, but I also made the observation that Romney's tone is very similar to Bush, as well as his national security team, which features some holdovers from Bush.

 

Unfortunately the one where we invaded Afghanistan, who was complicit in 911, and then instead of finishing that war half-heatedly fought it while coming up with false intelligence used to direct our full might at Iraq (not complicit in 911).

Iraq war = started in 2003 and is over
Afghanistan = started in 2001 and still going

Mission Accomplished, eh texxxx?

 

I'm not impressed by your assumptions and amateurish analysis

 

It's because of Obama that we aren't in Iran right now. Thank God the American people elected him over McCain.

 

And thank God they will elect him over Romney.

 

Never Forget... that radical extremeist Muslims killed close to 3000 Americans, the fault is theirs.

 

too bad you can't prove McCain would have invaded Iran

you're just speculating

not impressed

 

You know it is possible to debate these things without coming off as a total partisan prick.

I ask again, what would you do about Iran, Putin and Syria? What is Romney proposing? How specifically is Romney's foreign policy different from the Bush doctrine?

 

D&D Tip #23: Always read bigflexx posts such as this as if it were an x-ray revealing the truth that lies beneath his thin skin.

Your post has struck a nerve with bigflexx and your assumptions and analysis were spot on.

 

he is a known troll here. Best to avoid any discussion with him, Basso or TJ. We all make the mistake once in a while for falling for their traps but really they are only here to torture the left.

 

Have you read the 9-11 commission? The only part that talks about the BS with Sudan and Bin Laden and lays the blame there was an addendum put in by Republican only, and not based on any type of serious investigation.

 

How's that working out for us so far? This new "turn in American foreign policy" has ushered in several regimes that are now hostile to America and represent the worst elements of Islam-maniacal extremism. Have you read the news today? Anti-American uprisings in both Egypt and Libya. Scary stuff. And once again, Obama's political aspirations and impacting his behavior. Instead of tackling tough issues, he's campaigning and fundraising. That shouldn't come as a surprise though -- it's literally all he has done for OVER A YEAR... totally abandoning and neglecting his job.

And Obama's naive strategy of engagement with Iran has been a complete and total disaster. Every day that he plays basketball and golf, they get closer to a nuclear weapon. The guy just doesn't know what he's doing.

 

Trader Jose is a gentleman of conversation, however inaccurate and falsified his posts may be.

Basso has his own sense of senile charm.

Bigtexxx is just fat, dull and an unoriginal plagiarist of pretentious blogs. A henchman at best, he's now struggling to deal with the culmination of a life of mediocrity at 40.


Quite a cute pyramid.

 

Do you think these anti-American protests will increase or decrease if Romney is elected? What exactly do you propose with Iran? I hear a lot of complaining from my neo-conservative friends, but no solutions.

 

Colleen Rowley