March 11, 2010 – 12:14 am
And so today we witness the sad spectacle in which the American Left’s most influential cultural voice openly mocks a democratic election in a country brutalized by decades of Stalinist terror, has nothing to say to the vast majority of Iraqis who risked their lives to participate in that election and views the violence perpetrated by Islamic Fascists against them as a laughing matter. Last summer, Christopher Hitchens wrote a thoughtful essay on “the smug satire of liberal humorists,” his chief complaint being that they are mere water-carriers for the Democratic Party and the Left in general, reluctant to mock members of their own team. Whereas this biased posture was barely defensible when Republicans ruled the roost, it has become utterly tiresome now that liberals are in charge. It is a testament to the enduring quality of domestic political venom that this partisanship would extend as far away as Mesopotamia, where the brave people of Iraq have become pawns in a cable comedian’s shtick.
–Jamie Kirchick on how Jon Stewart has jumped the shark.
Of those Americans who will carp about Iraq’s elections being no better than a census (with the country cleaving along sectarian/ethnic lines), and who will underscore many other imperfections, I would simply ask that they look at their own history. It took the U.S. until 1787 to adopt the Constitution, until 1870 to (very imperfectly) enfranchise black adult males, until 1920 to enfranchise adult females, and until 1964-65 to guarantee voting rights to black citizens. Democracies go through a very long process of consolidation. It will not take the Iraqis anywhere near as long as it took us, because there are examples for them to emulate, or to beware of. It takes time—sometimes a very long time—to apportion power among different groups within a nascent political system. What Iraq has achieved in five years is a political wonder, and those who would deny that are being very, very dishonest.
–Tunku Varadarajan. Read it all.
February 11, 2010 – 2:56 pm
“Now, the Obama-Biden pair that opposed the Iraq war and its tactics and predicted their failure is prepared to accept credit for its success.”
By Pejman Yousefzadeh
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Posted in Blogs, Chequer-Board
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Also tagged Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Don't Know Much About History, George W. Bush, Joe Biden, Lying, National Security, Obama Administration, surge, Terrorism, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Joe Biden, War
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January 21, 2010 – 10:59 pm
Boy, those were the days.
By Pejman Yousefzadeh
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Posted in Blogs, Chequer-Board
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Also tagged Afghanistan, Cato Institute, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Drug Legalization, Economic Ignorance, economy, Foreign Affairs, foreign policy, free trade, National Security, protectionism, Same-Sex Marriage, Terrorism, War
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December 15, 2009 – 8:59 am
There is a fairly well-known phenomenon among alcoholics referred to as the “moment of clarity.” It is the momentary lifting of the haze of intoxication and denial, giving the drinker a sudden and often shattering insight into the stark reality of their situation. There is a strong possibility that President Obama’s December 9 Nobel Prize acceptance speech has given us a glimpse into a remarkable and somewhat unprecedented variation on this phenomenon: a political moment of clarity.
By Benjamin Kerstein
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Posted in Features, Politics
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Also tagged Afghanistan, Barack Obama, democratic peace, foreign policy, just war, messianic, neoconservatism, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, peace, War
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December 3, 2009 – 12:10 am
Those of us who wish to see American resolve prevail in the struggle against the Taliban got more than we feared we would get from the Obama Administration. But despite the many good parts of the President’s speech, his words planted seeds of concern among many of his listeners.
December 2, 2009 – 2:08 am
The theatrics surrounding the President’s Afghanistan decision have at times bordered on the comical, particularly given the fact that Barack Obama committed to this surge and the troop levels in July. The truth is, this was not a new decision, just a new admission. But it is, nonetheless, an important one.
By Bruce Henderson
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Posted in Features, Politics
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Also tagged Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, Diplomacy, DOD, foreign policy, military, Robert Gates, Speech, surge, Taliban, West Point
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November 24, 2009 – 1:46 am
The evidence suggests that Obama foreign policy is like Obama campaign promises: destined to be realized in some shadowy future likely – but not certain – to come, yet already awarded rich accolades merely for promise. It appears to be premised on the idea that the Carter Administration was not inherently wrong on anything – just well ahead of its time.
November 16, 2009 – 11:28 pm
Yes, I understand his concern that we are supposedly basing our military strategy “on two enormous blunders,” but irrespective of whether blunders were committed, counterinsurgency doctrine had to be learned by the United States military, and is now being put to good effect in Iraq.
October 14, 2009 – 1:11 am
Based on the time of year, and the nature of the units being deployed, this buildup represents the pre-positioning of support infrastructure, the sort put in place to support a larger number of combat brigades. While additional forces engaged in Afghanistan will be welcome news to most, the tactics they will use and their rules of engagement will ultimately support or inhibit their success.
I didn’t see the President’s press conference, so I cannot testify as to whether the critiques of the President’s emotional presentation, as offered by Ben Smith were accurate. However, we can look to the transcript to examine the President’s arguments.
By Pejman Yousefzadeh
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Posted in Blogs, Chequer-Board
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Also tagged Barack Obama, Ben Smith, Blue Dog Democrats, Bush Administration, CBO, Congress, Democrats, Economic Ignorance, economy, George W. Bush, health care, Health Care Policy, Health Care Reform, Higher Taxes, Massachusetts, Mayo Clinic, Medicare, Nancy Pelosi, Obama Administration, Rationing, Status Of Forces Agreement, tax policy, taxes
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Why the Vice President believes the content of his message to the Iraqi government was a good idea is anyone’s guess:
