Friday, May 09, 2008

Wait...huh??

In his victory speech in North Carolina, Barack Obama said, "I trust the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies, like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman did."

So, he wants to pursue the diplomacy of the Presidents that got us into World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War and brought us the blockade of Berlin, the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis?

That's a hell of a promise, no?

(BTW, do any Democrats today realize that they are completely out of step with Kennedy's foreign policy views?)

7 comments:

Jackson said...

That's a hell of a simplification of history, no?

Dave Cavalier said...

By Obama? It certainly is.

stinkrock said...

No, by you.

Dave Cavalier said...

I get that. My point is that his view of of the history of Democratic Presidents and their diplomacy is not connected with any historical reality.

Jackson said...

Except that those Presidents participated in active dialog with potential or actual belligerent nations or entities, unlike the current 'can't talk, eating...' policy we have going on here.

Dave Cavalier said...

Jackson, I'm sorry, but that is simply not true. That's what Obama wants to believe, but it is not the case. Roosevelt was not talking personally to Hitler. Kennedy was certainly not talking to Kruschev when he got the country into the awful Bay of Pigs mess.

The idea that we don't "talk" to enemy nations is silly. We have diplomatic channels open with them at all times. What Barack is claiming is that he will PERSONALLY be talking with the enemy leaders and that is simply not what Roosevelt, Truman or Kennedy did. All three of them understood that direct talks with the President of the United States was something not handed out lightly.

Tony Alva said...

After all, look how well big teeth did with Hezbollah...

JC (to the world): I will engage in dialog with them and they will be rational.

(the following week in Lebanon)

JC: Okay guys, many good things will come your way if you stop firing rockets into other countries, acknowledge Lebanese sovereignty and disarm your militias, and what else...Oh yeah, you gotta stop killing Jews.

Hez: What?! We have to stop killing Jews?! Your hat sir. Good day.

At least he talked to them right? Just a waste of transatlantic plane fare.