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 Obama’s New Security Strategy Looks Much Like the Old OnePosted on May 26, 2010
President Barack Obama’s speech to the West Point graduating class last Saturday was meant to convey a “new” American national security strategy, less evident in his words as in the manner in which the White House pitched the speech to the press, the press following official inspiration. The “new” strategy emphasizes cooperation with allies and the solicitation of help from other governments, replacing the Bush administration’s aggressive unilateralism and its demand that others declare themselves either for the United States or against it. However, the overall goals and framework of national policy, as expressed in the speech, were largely unchanged. The speech resounded with all of the things we have been hearing before—since back deep into the 20th century. The United States has been overarmed and overwrought since before the Vietnam War, with governments whose taste for military activism seemed without limit. By now—as the critic of modern American militarism, Andrew Bacevich, has pungently put it—military action has become the American standard response to international problems, “a normal condition, one to which no plausible alternatives seem to exist. All of this Americans have come to take for granted: it’s who we are and what we do.” Though the president reiterated his promise of success, the future he outlined at West Point is hard to distinguish from what we have already been through in Iraq, with less than reassuring results. Advertisement “Now we must break the momentum of the Taliban insurgency and train Afghan security forces. We have supported the election of a sovereign government ... brought hope to the Afghan people—now we must see that their country does not fall prey to our common enemies. ...” “Now even as we fight the wars in front of us, we also have to see the horizon beyond these wars—because unlike a terrorist whose goal is to destroy, our future will be defined by what we build. We have to see that horizon, and to get there we must pursue a strategy of national renewal and global leadership.” ” ... America has not succeeded by stepping out of the currents of cooperation—we have succeeded by steering those currents in the direction of liberty and justice, so nations thrive by meeting their responsibilities and face consequences when they don’t.” He ended with another tribute to the Long Gray Line, and the words “... our destiny is never written for us, it is written by us, and we are ready to lead once more.” Stormy applause followed. Why applause? These young cadets go off to a war that bears little resemblance to the president’s speech. This is not a crusade against evil but a futile intervention into a foreign society of which we know next to nothing, meant to impose upon it a form of government and a formulary of political values totally different from those traditionally held by its people, attempting to dissuade them from sectarian practices and beliefs which have been theirs since the Middle Ages, and which Americans mostly consider primitive, oppressive, false and an obscurantist threat to mainstream American beliefs. The source of the insurrection is a movement of religious radicalism within an Islamic system of belief of which most Americans are ignorant and which most dislike or fear. Why are we doing this? There is no evident practical reason, except as revenge for the 9/11 attacks in the United States, which have had no significant sequel. The attacks for which al-Qaida (whose connection with the Taliban is religious, not operational) has since claimed credit occurred in countries distant from the United States and in nearly every case were committed by nationals of those countries, usually for reasons having little to do with the United States. Those attacks attempted inside the United States—the shoe and pants bombers, and the man who parked his car in Times Square loaded with Chinese firecrackers and non-explosive fertilizer—have resembled terrorism by the Three Stooges. If this is the outcome of “terrorist training” in what the president referred to as “safe havens” in the wilds of the Hindu Kush, Americans would seem to have little to worry about. The president alluded to the NATO allies supporting the United States against the Taliban. Surely the White House is not so out of touch with political realities as to fail to know that the Dutch and Canadians are leaving, and that the British recognize the war as futile and are under powerful domestic political pressure to leave (and are now led by a government of Conservative aristocrats who, unlike Labour politicians, never have liked Yanks that much anyway). The Germans have to be in Afghanistan because of 1932-1945, but are getting awfully tired of that, and one of these days may go. The French are using their compact contingent of commandos, paras and Foreign Legionnaires for useful if sometimes lethal training and tactical experimentation—reportedly enjoying themselves. The tiny national NATO units are present as an insurance investment in the United States’ eventually going to war to protect them from Russia, or help them recapture lost territories. (The latter failed to pay off for Mikheil Saakashvili in 2008.) Then there are the Afghan army-in-training and the hopelessly underpaid police, neither of which seem eager to defend their country from their own countrymen. The Pakistanis are involved, who together with the Indians are the only actors in the affair with a serious idea of what they want, which concerns their separate geopolitical interests. President Obama came to office reputedly with little interest in or knowledge about foreign affairs, and seems thus far to have listened faithfully to what the Washington foreign policy establishment, particularly its members at the Pentagon, have told him. He may eventually discover that the only realistic mission statement is to negotiate with the national actors in the region, compromise and leave them all, as gracefully as possible, to their own affairs. Visit William Pfaff’s website at www.williampfaff.com. © 2010 Tribune Media Services Inc.  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By rollzone, May 29, 2010 at 5:11 pm Link to this comment
hello. mission statement: conference call all regional parties involved, negotiate a compromise, and bill everyone. that’s liyering at national strategy levels. weak on foreign policy…could not sell the Olympics even with Queen Oprah in tow, turns up his snotty nose at all our allies, and expands imperialism in the middle east. i agree with Tropicgirl that the oil barons are ruining the world, and under whatever pretext of divide and conquer, they will not allow hydrogen energy to replace them; without killing millions more people. BP lost $16 billion on the Deepwater project- one half of their Quarterly PROFITS (except that over $6 billion in fines is tax deductible). the ExMo giant controls our elections, industries, and government: as the other RoyalDutchShills do around the world. oil is the only big money inflow into the desolate sands of the middle east, and it is how life is controlled. there is no denying the gargantuan power of petrodollars, nor how easily overnight it could end. hydrogen is safe and abundant (unless you believe their propaganda). they only want a global government to increase their profits. megalomaniacs have been in control, and Oboymamma has to work so hard to get them more power, that he hardly has time to kick his shoes off and throw his feet up on the desk, and just enjoy being leader of the most powerful nation on Earth. we all see he is being poorly mislead. as an organized fire-starter working to create distractions, he will be burning out or will be heavily drugged to maintain this pace of destruction. Americans have to wait until 2012 to cut the legs out from beneath him, because he can not be impeached. BP, Sestak, possible fabrication in N.Korea, Arizona immigration, TARP spending, health care revelations, expanding the FED all in one week- we should change the locks while he is gone. he is a liyerer- no crimes have been committed. go back to your video screen, for subliminal messages to follow…that’s the national policy- watch more TV.
Report thisBy prosefights, May 28, 2010 at 6:45 am Link to this comment
Friday May 28, 1020 08:33
http://home.comcast.net/~bpayne37/whitman59/bushschool/bushschool.htm#layne
Thursday May 27, 2010 08:57
Professor Christopher Layne
Robert M. Gates Chair in Intelligence and National Security
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(979) 845-6589
Allen Rm. 1094
Hello professor Layne,
We believe we have potentially serious problems involving ambassador Ryan Crocker, national security and the liberal arts educated.
We read
He will commence as the Dean of Texas A&M University’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service in January 2010.
Crocker was likely involved in inciting Saddam Hussein to attack Iran in 1980.
If true, then this appears to be a felony violation of 18 USC § 1091(c).
There is no statute of limitations for such a crime.
Crocker apparently was in Baghdad at the time the Iraq/Iran war started.
He completed the 20-month program at the Foreign Service Institutes Arabic School in Tunis in June 1978. Crocker was then assigned as chief of the economic-commercial section at the U.S. Interests Section in Baghdad, Iraq. Crocker served in Beirut, Lebanon as chief of the political section from 1981 to 1984; while there, he survived the 1983 United States Embassy bombing.
Crocker’s bio.
We attempted to put pressure on Whitman College which graduated Crocker with an English major in 1971 to encourage Crocker to come clean about the Iraq/Iran war got started so that these unfortunate matters could be peacefully settled.
Final Whitman College attempt Wednesday May 19, 2010 10:32 email to Whitman college director of communications Ms Wardwell apparently failed.
Ms Wardwell did not respond to email by May 25, 2010.
We appear to be confronting a liberal arts educated ignore with non-response ploy.
This may not work because of the seriousness of these matters.
Mr Buehler told me in call from Zurich that ‘they’ have nukes. And from the Swiss Radio International broadcast of Mr Buehler’s case we speculate that ‘they’ aren’t too happy about what happened to them.
BTU availability for generation of electricity in both the US and Iran further compounds problems.
We leave these potentially very serious national security matters in your and the faculty of THE BUSH SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE hands for hopefully peaceful settlements.
$22,036.00 was stolen from our Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union retirement-protected savings account as a partial result of filing a criminal complaint affidavit in CIV 97-266 MCA/LFG.
Our task focus is now totally on recovery of our stolen money money through insurance industry procedures.
Please send me an ack if you get this email.
Sincerely,
bill
distribution
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Crocker’s copy was apparently received.
Let’s see what happens.
Report thisBy tedmurphy41, May 28, 2010 at 6:37 am Link to this comment
Apart from a change of personnel at the top, it’s really been business as usual; still, you really didn’t fall for the “‘Change’? yes we can” slogan, did you??
Report thisPeople here in the UK did as well, but that was in 1997 and look where we finished up: in Iraq and Afghanistan with you Americans.
By radson, May 27, 2010 at 6:47 pm Link to this comment
Now Bill that’s a reasonable overall assessment ,but I got this problem with a ‘fly ’ buzzing around in my pad ,It’s so damn elusive that not even my tried and true fly swatter can get it .Maybe because every time it
Report thislands on the Fence ,actually a wall for all you non Jewish Folks ,it always gets away -must be a veto thing or other .So I did the wise thing and ordered a frog from Louisiana ,but unfortunately the frog died ,due
of course to an overabundance of ‘dead ’ food ,which I am told is unrelated to PP “Planetary Polluters”.So somehow my attention was redirected to Obama’s speech and the highly receptive robots in the hall,which
kinda reminded me of a horror movie I had watched about Stalinist Russia ,where everybody acquiesced their approval with no questions asked -and the legacy continues-.Now somehow that fly keeps buzzing
around and every trick to lure the insect seems to fail ,maybe its due to a form of metamorphosis promoted by a magical act of punditry.Having changed tactics I changed the tv channel and came upon the
Cheonan ,which was apparently sunk by a North Korean sub ,which I admit induced me to have an other shot of ‘Whiskey’ in a large class ,correction glass and simultaneously wondering if the Sonar operator and
the sonar tapes are intact,they could be helpful .Now the fly flew off into the washroom and well what the hell ,while I was sitting on the throne ,paying my taxes and contemplating my next move ,I heard the
smiling kat on the radio -Hillary- rambling about more sanctions against Iran ,even though Iran is attempting to seek an accommodation ,which for whatever reason is non acceptable to the sanctions promoting
Barons because the nuclear fear is not as dear as the free money that is required in order to maintain the Status Quo .Now that darn fly just left the shitter and left me scrambling to wipe my donkey ,but I
managed ,as the fly approached the radio I took a swipe and just winged the pest ,and to my surprise the radio changed channels ,some German analyst was questioning the wisdom of the German government
with regard to the sale of ‘Dolphins’ to Israel and the obvious contradiction that the sale of the subs would have with the NPT that Obama was recently promoting ,somehow dolphins and nuclear armed cruise
missiles don’t mix,neither does US foreign policy.
By tropicgirl, May 27, 2010 at 11:46 am Link to this comment
BP has helped ruin entire countries. Don’t assume for a minute that they care
about anyone.
They are at the CENTER of the wars in the middle east. Its the Anglo-American
(Last Ditch Effort) for a New World Order, where they are the primary
beneficiaries.
“”“After centuries of Iran being a semi-colonized state under the British and
Russian empires, most Iranians lived in abject poverty. Even part of the oil
revenues stolen from the country could have resulted in a substantial gain in
the living standards of Iranians.
But, even in the face of an intense mass struggle for oil nationalization, Anglo-
Iranian refused to agree to any significant concessions. It insisted on pocketing
virtually all the revenues from Iran’s oil. In 1951, after the nationalization of oil
by nationalist leader, Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, Anglo-Iranian
still refused to agree to a 50/50 profit-sharing arrangement. In other words,
paying for half of the stolen oil was more than Anglo-Iranian was willing to
concede.
The 1953 coup in Iran was, in large part, in response to the nationalization of
oil, which had effectively deprived Anglo-Iranian of its profits from Iranian oil.
After the coup, carried out by the CIA, the Shah, a U.S. puppet, denationalized
the oil. Anglo-Iranian continued to make profits from Iran’s oil, albeit having to
relinquish its monopoly.
The fact that the United States had carried out the coup necessitated that
Anglo-Iranian share Iran’s oil wealth with U.S. oil giants.
BP also had its hands in Iraq, as one of the key concession holders of that
country’s oil. The nationalization of Iraq’s oil in 1972, which was the
continuation of a process of the 1958 revolution in Iraq, was a blow to BP and
other oil giants.
The genocidal sanctions on Iraq, which cost more than a million lives, and
eventually the invasion and occupation of Iraq, which continues to this day,
have been carried out by imperialist powers to restore the immense profit-
making opportunities of oil giants, including BP.
BP has just gained virtual control of the Rumaila oil field in Iraq, possibly the
second largest oil field in the world.”“
Knowing the way BP operates, they probably want to destroy the fishing
Report thisindustry most of all, so that we have to get fish from China and others,
processed by slaves. (The oil won’t do it, but the dispersant will…)
By tropicgirl, May 27, 2010 at 11:28 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
BP has helped ruin entire countries. Don’t assume for a minute that they care
about anyone. They are at the CENTER of the wars in the middle east. Its the
Anglo-American (Last Ditch Effort) for a New World Order, where they are the
primary beneficiaries.
“”“After centuries of Iran being a semi-colonized state under the British and
Russian empires, most Iranians lived in abject poverty. Even part of the oil
revenues stolen from the country could have resulted in a substantial gain in
the living standards of Iranians.
But, even in the face of an intense mass struggle for oil nationalization, Anglo-
Iranian refused to agree to any significant concessions. It insisted on pocketing
virtually all the revenues from Iran’s oil. In 1951, after the nationalization of oil
by nationalist leader, Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, Anglo-Iranian
still refused to agree to a 50/50 profit-sharing arrangement. In other words,
paying for half of the stolen oil was more than Anglo-Iranian was willing to
concede.
The 1953 coup in Iran was, in large part, in response to the nationalization of
oil, which had effectively deprived Anglo-Iranian of its profits from Iranian oil.
After the coup, carried out by the CIA, the Shah, a U.S. puppet, denationalized
the oil. Anglo-Iranian continued to make profits from Iran’s oil, albeit having to
relinquish its monopoly.
The fact that the United States had carried out the coup necessitated that
Anglo-Iranian share Iran’s oil wealth with U.S. oil giants.
BP also had its hands in Iraq, as one of the key concession holders of that
country’s oil. The nationalization of Iraq’s oil in 1972, which was the
continuation of a process of the 1958 revolution in Iraq, was a blow to BP and
other oil giants.
The genocidal sanctions on Iraq, which cost more than a million lives, and
eventually the invasion and occupation of Iraq, which continues to this day,
have been carried out by imperialist powers to restore the immense profit-
making opportunities of oil giants, including BP.
BP has just gained virtual control of the Rumaila oil field in Iraq, possibly the
second largest oil field in the world.”“
Knowing the way BP operates, they probably want to destroy the fishing
Report thisindustry most of all, so that we have to get fish from China and others,
processed by slaves. (The oil won’t do it, but the dispersant will…)
By balkas, May 27, 2010 at 6:35 am Link to this comment
I think that wars-occupations against freedom fighters in iraq, afpak,and palestine appear as continuation of the socalled indian wars;i.e., freedom fighters of the buffalo land.
While old for-freedom-and-naked life fighters were quite timocratic, the new fighters for freedom appear much fascist and democratic.
Just like americans. So, why are these brothers in-thought fighting one another?
Religions are just one cause. But the main cause for US warfare in muslim lands is the land!
It is well-known fact that all wars are waged in order to steal land, because that’s where the wealth is.
While i feel sad for buffalonians i do not feel all that much sympathy for aghas, beys, amirs of kurd’n, afgh’n and iraq or even palestine.
I do feel sad for the serfs in those lands! tnx
Report thisBy thecrow, May 27, 2010 at 5:04 am Link to this comment
“Why are we doing this? There is no evident practical reason, except as revenge for the 9/11 attacks in the United States”
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/payback/
Report thisBy thecrow, May 27, 2010 at 5:02 am Link to this comment
“our future will be defined by what we build”
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/the-gas-must-flow/
Report thisBy ofersince72, May 26, 2010 at 8:25 pm Link to this comment
Adali Stevenson and Henry Wallace
should have been our leaders after WWII
Report thisbut we ALWAYS get it wrong…
By Go Right Young Man, May 26, 2010 at 7:23 pm Link to this comment
President Barack Obama last night in San Francisco for Senator Barbara Boxer:
“Let’s face it this has been the toughest year and a half since any year and a half since the 1930s.”
This is the most revealing comment Obama has made publicly in a long while. It shows his self-absorption and utter lack of a sense of history.
Sure, FDR had a tough ‘30s with the economy and all, but by the time the ‘40s hit, it was smooth sailing. (What’s worse: the Nazis and the threat of world-dominating totalitarianism or the obstructionist Republicans?) And President Harry Truman really had an easy time ending World War II, and having to nuke the Japanese. President Dwight Eisenhower only had the Korean War to worry about – and who remembers that, anyway? JFK and LBJ had Vietnam – not to mention the worry that the Russians might nuke America from Cuba, or any other place in the world, etc., etc., etc.
I’m sorry to say Obama’s whining is puerile. One does hope it’s been the toughest year and a half he’s ever had. He is the president, and it’s a job that requires a great bit of work. But to treat the previous presidents with so little respect is unbecoming. Sure, he has two wars to fight – just as his predecessor did – and a global struggle against radical Islam. What seems to have him down is that he has a political opposition resisting his agenda.
The presidency is a job that you really have to want in order to get. The last thing people want to hear from a president is even an iota of self-pity.
Report thisBy dennis, May 26, 2010 at 5:50 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Obama is a coward. He’s been played by everyone- the military, the financial industry, the healthcare industry and, of course, the oil industry. He won’t have the guts to challenge the Joint Chiefs on any issue. Leave, sir, and let adults govern the country.
Report thisBy MarthaA, May 26, 2010 at 5:41 pm Link to this comment
We need to change out the Conservative/Moderates on the Left Side, then we will see change for the better. Liberals are not for war unless our nation is attacked. A terrorist attack is not a declaration of war on all countries, or even some. A terrorist attack is not a sovereign government attack, therefore can not be treated as such. Since no sovereign nation attacked the United States, all war for profit must end, and if we can change out the warring conservatives/moderates on the Left, the attacks on foreign nations will no longer be funded by Congress.
Report thisBy gerard, May 26, 2010 at 3:31 pm Link to this comment
I wonder how many of these young men are really interested in “the program?” Or are they looking forward to the traditional “honor” as graduates from this prestigious university with the promise of relatively safe lifetime positions as officers with permanent subsidies and guaranteed retirement, and—with luck—nothing too close to the front lines of our over-ambitious empire? But, but, but ...
What if just one of the next graduating class had the guts and the brains to take a look at the real world and stand before his parents and “superiors” as Valedictorian and tell it like it is—that a few more wars and the country will be in the hands of its receivers who don’t speak English and have a few different ideas about how things should be done.
Report thisAnd what if he spoke of a better, more humane future for the world and made a few suggestions about how to get there short of dropping missiles and cluster bombs on innocent peasants.
Wow! Just one person! That would be something, yes? Fat chance, maybe. But something like that better happen soon, or we are toast.
By cheyennebode, May 26, 2010 at 3:13 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
FOREIGN POLICY IS CRAFTED BY SPECIALISTS THAT SEE THE WORLD WITH
Report thisVIEWS THAT WERE RELEVANT IN THE 1950S USING NATO TO ENCIRCLE
RUSSIA HAS TO BE A FOOLS ERRAND….WHAT GENIUS CAME UP WITH THAT
SCHEME .....BUSH AND OBAMA LOOK TO THIS CREW FOR GUIDANCE…THE
GEORGIAN EPISODE SHOWED HOW BEING ALIGNED INTO A MUTUAL
COMPACT LIKE NATO CAN RESULT IN ITS MEMBERS BEING VULNERABLE
BECAUSE A PEA BRAIN THAT IS THE GEOGIAN PRESIDENT THOUGHT HE
COULD GET AGGRESSIVE WITH RUSSIA AND NATO WOULD BACK HIM
UP…NATO IS A DANGEROUS GAMBLE…WE SHOULD DROP OUT…BUT
OBAMA WILL STAY THE COURSE BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN SEDUCED BY
WASHINGTONS GREYBEARDS.
By PatrickHenry, May 26, 2010 at 3:05 pm Link to this comment
Al Qaeda under your bed.
Report thisBy ofersince72, May 26, 2010 at 1:01 pm Link to this comment
I don’t even need to read this article, do you?
already know whats going on,
Managers for the overlords, The Exec and Capitol Hill
Do you think this is going to change? How and when?
Report this