They say that actions speak louder than words. In the world of politics, the only way to judge a politician is by his actions because we know that you can't listen to the words that are unloaded from their mouths.
During the campaign season, most of the President-elect Barack Obama's words were tightly scripted. His words were so precisely written that you could not tell what he had said five minutes after he had said it. On a rare occasion his true agenda would peak through all of the rhetoric and you would have an idea of what he had planned.
Now that he is the President-elect, his actions our speaking a lot louder those words he spoke during the campaign season. Tonight's headline on The Drudge Report should concern anyone who supports Israel.
According to the Guardian, the incoming administration is prepared to throw out the Bush Administration's policy of isolating terrorist groups. Sources close to the transition team say that the new administration will be opening up a new line for dialogue with Hamas.
The talks would most likely be started in the dark through the U.S. Intelligence agency. How exactly to do you start a conversation with a terrorist group? What exactly do you negotiate with them? What exactly will you give up for a supposed peace with Israel? How do you convince a terrorist group not to destroy the one country that it wants eliminated from existence?
PEBO, who has not yet taken office, has had a busy week deconstructing the safety zone that President Bush has created for the U.S. He has stated that he will close Gitmo acknowledging that some of those prisoners might actually be dangerous. He just now believes that some of those detained may be dangerous.
He nominated Leon Panetta as his CIA chief which will most likely take us back to a 9/11 mindset. Finally, he tops off the week by suggesting that the U.S. negotiate with a terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri is blaming the Israeli actions in Gaza on PEBO. Will he now send U.S. Intelligence agents over to Afghanistan to negotiate with him as well.
I have concern for those in Israel, but after the week we have currently seen from Barack Obama my concern is now for us.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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16 comments:
We are surprised? he talked about stupid acts like this during the election and only a few of us caught it. I've been concerned.
People were to blind to see or too indifferent to care about who we elected as the new President. Ugh
Or, there is a realization that there are more tools in our foreign policy toolbox than the one which has been used over the last eight years.
If your comments weren't so myopic, you would have realized that this is something Sec. Rice's and President Bush have been working on for years. This is simply a continuation of an ongoing efforts that need to be escalated based on a much changed environmnet on the ground.
And please note, most of our other assets (tools in the toolbox) are engaged elsewhere, and in those engagements, lives would probably be saved by "talking" to Hamas versus boldly stating our support of Israel (doesn't mean that we don't support them, but being subtle saves lives). Here is an example for you to ponder:(1)Publicly state: "Bad, bad Israel, how could you do such a thing." while (2)we watch American made tanks roll into the city of Gaza.
Innocents are dying at the hands of the Israel Armed force, and if you think the Israel people like that, you would be wrong. However, they have the right to defend themselves. If the Obama team can help broker an agreement that supports Israel's rights, and protects innocents, then why not try?
Welcome to the reintroduction of intelligence and the art of subtleties to our Foreign Policy process.
On a puzzling note, Bush's Administration based on the people they had running their Foreign Policy should have been something extraordinary. How they could have screwed it up so badly is just stunning.... I mean, have you people thought to ask yourselves how exactly did Hamas came to power? As one of the other team members like to say, there are few people who need to be punched in the head.
There is a reason that most experts think we are more vulnerable now than before 9/11. Obama has a HUGE mess to clean up, and Repubs still are in denial as this post so clearly shows.
Sorry for the rant, and if it comes off condescending, well it is a rant. Please don't take it personally it isn't you folks that have stoked my ire.
Warmest Regards,
An American Liberal
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An American Liberal, you are as dumb as a bag of rocks. The only thing that comes of talking to Hamas, is that while you are talking they are rearming. The goings on in Gaza have nothing to do with land or justice for the Palestinian people, and everything to do with the utter destruction of Israel and every Jew residing there.
Those innocents as you call them are dying because of Hamas, What happened to the peace that was promised when the Israelis forced their own out of Gaza and placated the Palestinian Authority? Why does Hamas place all of their military assets in positions that will kill the most non-combatants possible? Your pig ignorant and complete lack of understanding is as appalling as your bad manners. "Nothing personal"
Digital Publius,
I have not seen your posts before, so if you are new to the Blog, let me be the first to welcome you.
As to your comments, well I think your words speak tons for themselves. No need for me to add anything.
Warmest Regards,
An American Liberal
Cop out, thy name is An American Liberal. You have just demonstrated another trait of the liberal left, the ad hominem attack.
Focus, answer the questions I raised, don't try to hide behind snarky comments about what my comments imply about my character. Because, when you do, you reveal more about your own character, at least to those with discernment.
You were much more verbose when you spouted your opinions like they were the gospel, with statements like;
"If your comments weren't so myopic, you would have realized that this is something Sec. Rice's and President Bush have been working on for years. "
I called you out! I challenged you to defend your statements on the battleground of the war of ideas that this country is waging, and suddenly brevity is the soul of wit, with you stating;
"As to your comments, well I think your words speak tons for themselves. No need for me to add anything."
An American Liberal, that response, like the liberal mindset that spawned it, is as weak as sugar water.
Digital Publius,
I suspect that behind you prose is a very young man who's view of the world is as yet incomplete. So against my better judgment, let me respond to your rabid post with some information, and hope for the best.
First of all, just because a person is a liberal does not make them your enemy (the world doesn't work in absolutes like that). If you want to make a point, dial back the hate a notch, and be willing to listen.
There are a number of books concerning the current Hamas situation in that region and true to my colors I find the words of Jimmy Carter to be the most interesting. While there is much to be admired about the state of Israel, they are not above mistakes.
When discussing the Palestinians, and in an effort to find balance in what you know and what you still do not know - ask yourself how did the Hamas come to power? Hamas is a group of like minded hateful thugs bent on the destruction of Israel (and her allies). Why would any people vote such an ugly hate filled group into power?
To understand this a bit, we need to go back into history a bit. World War 1 was supposed to be the war that ended all wars, but a goodly mixture of arrogance, anger, and fear resulted in the Allies emasculation of Germany called the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty, and its harsh consequences on the people of Germany set in motion one of the most repugnant regimes in human history. The rise of the Brown Shirts is a lesson in what desperation does to a people, and how they select their leaders.
The United States and her allies learned their lessons well and at the conclusion of World War 2 our treatise with the vanquished were approached differently. While certainly not perfect, these agreements were markedly different than the Versailles Treaty and the mostly positive results are still with us today.
Admittedly, I am glossing over history a bit here, but believe it or not, I am trying to be succinct.
Now that we have danced around in History, it is time to revisit the Palestinians. If you don't avert your eyes, the Palestinians live in horrible conditions. Unfortunately, the people of Israel are to blame for much of the Palestine suffering. And in the garden of desperation that is the Gaza strip, we see the rise of Hamas, and other hate filled groups.
You asked about Hamas randomly firing missiles into civilian locations, and yes, I agree that this is a terrible thing. But I also think slowly starving a people out of their country is also a terrible thing. I think sending white phosphorous smoke to burn buildings and civilian populations is a terrible thing. The point being, that neither side is a pillar of white light and love.
So what do you do? The first thing we do is restore dignity to the Palestinian people. We give them their inalienable "rights" to succeed and prosper. Remember that contented people are much easier to control than desperate ones.
Secondly, we engage Hamas directly. We allow their arrogance and hate to appear in front of the cameras while we study their organization and their rhetoric. We then use all of the tools in our foreign policy tool box to strip them of their ability to wage a war of words/ideology (shadow war).
Let there be no doubt that we can neutralize Hamas, but honestly, until we improve the conditions of the average Palestinians, another group will just replace them.
Finally, Israel are our friends, but that does not mean that we should avert our eyes from their flaws. It does not mean that we should remain quiet to their misdeeds when they are displayed so blatantly on the nightly news.
But with that said, we should make it very clear to all, that we stand with Israel irregardless.
There you go, my two cents for what it is worth.
Warmest Regards.
An American Liberal
American Liberal: You lost all of those on the right as soon as you mentioned the name Jimmy Carter. Once anyone sees that you agree with anything that man says you lose your audience....lol
Just giving you some tips to talking to conservatives...ha ha ha.
SGP.
LOL! I must be growing on you, because most righties stop immediately after "An American Liberal said....". ;-)
Take care!
An American Liberal
A.A.L. I am 44 years old married 17 years with three children, Your history of the middle east does not go quite far enough back in the past. I recommend you read my article Blessings and Curses here's a link.
http://web.me.com/toddgroup/digital_publius/Blog/Entries/2009/1/2_Blessings_and_Curses..html
it may be a little too Christian for you but give it a read if you can.
As for your saying a need to dial back the hate, that is what Shakespeare used to call a jades trick, and also a trick employed by the left. I covered that one in an article called What's in a Name (Calling)
http://web.me.com/toddgroup/digital_publius/Blog/Entries/2008/12/22_What’s_In_A_Name_(Calling).html
I invite you to peruse them and leave your impressions. I am told that I am a rather effective communicator. We will make room for you.
I suspected that your comments were simply be a ploy to drum up traffic for your site.
Good luck with that.
An American Liberal
A.A.L.
That is the sort of reactionary response I expected from you, I am always amazed at just how truly intollerent many liberals are, and how closed minded most of you are to ideas that conflict with your views. It is much easier to simply dismiss me by accusing me of shameless self promotion.
Well A.A.L., It may surprise you, but, when one leaves a comment here, as with most blogs, you are given the option of posting in such a fashion that it highlights your name and links it to wherever you like. In my case, my blog. As those who visit and comment on blogs on a regular basis are aware of this fact, I assumed that anyone who found my comments interesting enough to click on my name would have already done so without further prompting from me.
And frankly, I do quite well in the traffic department. When you make statements like:
"I suspect that behind you prose is a very young man who's view of the world is as yet incomplete."
This is again another example of an ad hominem attack, My age should have no relevance at all when it comes to the validity of my views. Unless you are considerably older than my 44 years, and have intimate insight into my life's experience (which of course you do not) to those with discernment, such commentary makes you look foolish.
I visit liberal blogs daily in an attempt to understand the way liberals think, I honestly gave you the benefit of the doubt that you were equally interested in expanding your understanding of the way conservative minds work, beyond the snippets on display in a comments section, in this case my own. The invitation is still open, how about your mind?
intolerant that is. I hate typos.
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