Comments on: Obama’s doublethink http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:36:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Mitsu http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-70019 Mitsu Wed, 28 May 2008 21:10:15 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-70019 That is, I don't see any way in which Kerry is a "mentor" for Obama. He's not closely associated with the Obama campaign and as far as I know not closely associated with Obama himself. His views were always poorly expressed and somewhat muddled, especially on foreign policy. While I don't entirely agree with Obama and I do agree with some of your criticisms of him --- I don't agree with your general conclusion about him. Obama seems to me to have the right attitude in considering dialogue with our enemies, he needs to be prepared and cautious, of course, but I think his evolving positions are indicative of his thoughtfulness and willingness to learn. Kerry, on the other hand, always seemed to be simply triangulating based on his perception of political expediency. Changing opinions in itself is not a bad thing, it's whether you're changing them because you're learning and re-thinking a problem deeply, or changing them just because you think people will like you better if you do. I think Obama does much more of the former, Kerry more of the latter, and they are worlds apart in terms of their intelligence and I think ability to govern. That is, I don’t see any way in which Kerry is a “mentor” for Obama. He’s not closely associated with the Obama campaign and as far as I know not closely associated with Obama himself. His views were always poorly expressed and somewhat muddled, especially on foreign policy. While I don’t entirely agree with Obama and I do agree with some of your criticisms of him — I don’t agree with your general conclusion about him. Obama seems to me to have the right attitude in considering dialogue with our enemies, he needs to be prepared and cautious, of course, but I think his evolving positions are indicative of his thoughtfulness and willingness to learn. Kerry, on the other hand, always seemed to be simply triangulating based on his perception of political expediency. Changing opinions in itself is not a bad thing, it’s whether you’re changing them because you’re learning and re-thinking a problem deeply, or changing them just because you think people will like you better if you do. I think Obama does much more of the former, Kerry more of the latter, and they are worlds apart in terms of their intelligence and I think ability to govern.

]]> By: Mitsu http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-70017 Mitsu Wed, 28 May 2008 21:05:19 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-70017 It seems a tad unfair to implicitly criticize Obama for a view expressed by John Kerry. It seems a tad unfair to implicitly criticize Obama for a view expressed by John Kerry.

]]> By: Truth http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69975 Truth Wed, 28 May 2008 18:23:18 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69975 how bad, hysteria comes from some one can't control him nerve for his dishonesty. how bad, hysteria comes from some one can’t control him nerve for his dishonesty.

]]> By: Vince P http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69970 Vince P Wed, 28 May 2008 18:09:37 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69970 Truth: Honor-killed your sister? Truth: Honor-killed your sister?

]]> By: Truth http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69967 Truth Wed, 28 May 2008 17:56:43 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69967 Vince P... honest Muslim/Islam hater? Vince P… honest Muslim/Islam hater?

]]> By: Truth http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69963 Truth Wed, 28 May 2008 17:39:05 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69963 <b>Drew Gilpin Faust: Why We Love War</b> <i>Jon Wiener</i> <blockquote><b><i><a HREF="http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/civil_war_history/v050/50.4faust.html" rel="nofollow">Drew Faust</a></i></b>, the historian who has been named Harvard's first female president, has been praised for her "people skills," but she's also done brilliant intellectual work on a crucial question for our time: why we love war. A Civil War historian who has published five books, Faust wrote recently about why war is "history's most popular subject."</blockquote><blockquote><i>In an article published in 2004 in the journal Civil War History, Faust explores the place of war in American politics and culture today. War, she writes, "offers an authenticity and intensity of experience" missing elsewhere in modern society. It provides "a moment of truth," when soldiers and civilians alike "have to define their deeply held priorities and act on them."</i></blockquote> Drew Gilpin Faust: Why We Love War
Jon Wiener

Drew Faust, the historian who has been named Harvard’s first female president, has been praised for her “people skills,” but she’s also done brilliant intellectual work on a crucial question for our time: why we love war. A Civil War historian who has published five books, Faust wrote recently about why war is “history’s most popular subject.”

In an article published in 2004 in the journal Civil War History, Faust explores the place of war in American politics and culture today. War, she writes, “offers an authenticity and intensity of experience” missing elsewhere in modern society. It provides “a moment of truth,” when soldiers and civilians alike “have to define their deeply held priorities and act on them.”

]]> By: Vince P http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69961 Vince P Wed, 28 May 2008 17:24:57 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69961 Crusade has no religious meaning to anythign being done in modern times It means launching a motivated and high-energy campaign to solve a problem Crusade has no religious meaning to anythign being done in modern times

It means launching a motivated and high-energy campaign to solve a problem

]]> By: Truth http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69958 Truth Wed, 28 May 2008 17:05:15 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69958 <i>it was the best place to start this crusade </i> Please list those reasons that made you think Iraq best place to start this crusade. what about North Korea? Btw, "crusade" do you mean a religious war ? it was the best place to start this crusade

Please list those reasons that made you think Iraq best place to start this crusade.

what about North Korea?

Btw, “crusade” do you mean a religious war ?

]]> By: Truth http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69936 Truth Wed, 28 May 2008 15:29:40 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69936 <i>two to go, one way or another…</i> There is doubt with one for some hidden reasons. two to go, one way or another…

There is doubt with one for some hidden reasons.

]]> By: Perfected democrat http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69890 Perfected democrat Wed, 28 May 2008 10:51:27 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/27/obamas-doublethink/#comment-69890 Doublethink, doubletalk, duplicity... blah, blah, blah... As Mao said, I believe, "Power grows out of the barrel of a gun". That's the bottom line in dealing with gangsters. During Bush's seven years in office the equation has changed from an unhindered Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya... to American-coalition occupied Afghanistan, Iraq, and a defanged Libya. Three down, two to go, one way or another... Doublethink, doubletalk, duplicity… blah, blah, blah… As Mao said, I believe, “Power grows out of the barrel of a gun”. That’s the bottom line in dealing with gangsters. During Bush’s seven years in office the equation has changed from an unhindered Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya… to American-coalition occupied Afghanistan, Iraq, and a defanged Libya. Three down, two to go, one way or another…

]]>