Obama: 'Approximately 166 Detainees at Guantanamo Bay'

[jetriot]

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...ay_666628.html

More proof that Democrats and Republicans are no different than their rhetoric. I don't understand how people can so strongly support their canidates when they never do what they say they will do and simply carry forth the same policies as their predecessors. Why don't we hear about the Patriot Act anymore? 4 years ago Democrats were screaming about it from every rooftop. The powers of the Patriot Act have been increased under Obama and not a peep. Is it because this is all a game and sport to everyone and that very few people actually care about the ideology they espouse?

It has come to the point where I have very little political respect for those that vote Democrat or Republican and as a Libertarian I have more respect for my political opposite, the socialist. At least they stand by what they believe and don't let up just because the guy they rooted for is in power.

[Wells]

Obama tried to get it closed. The GOP stopped it. Obama moved on because the economy was melting down and you have to pick your battles.

[Catta]

Wait, socialists and Democrats are exclusive now? Someone call the President!

[Xargoth6634]

I'm confused as to how you can have an "approximate" number of inmates at one of our (if not our) most tightly controlled prison involving a relatively small number of inmates.

As far as the Patriot act goes, I'm not a fan. I really don't understand people who have the "well I'm not doing anything wrong, so I don't have anything to hide if the government snoops through my stuff." Sure, I'm no conspiracy theorist and I understand that most people aren't going to be targeted but the point is, anyone could. I guess I lean more towards the side of more liberty and less protection when it comes down to it.

[Garnier Fructis]

It has come to the point where I have very little political respect for those that vote Democrat or Republican and as a Libertarian I have more respect for my political opposite, the socialist. At least they stand by what they believe and don't let up just because the guy they rooted for is in power.

So you have little respect for people who are realists? A person running on the libertarian ticket will not win an election in this country. Voting for your favorite 3rd party is useless at best, and a detrimental vote to the D/R candidate you dislike the least at worst.

[jetriot]

So you have little respect for people who are realists? A person running on the libertarian ticket will not win an election in this country. Voting for your favorite 3rd party is useless at best, and a detrimental vote to the D/R candidate you dislike the least at worst.

If both parties are fundamentally the same then it is the myth that a third party can not win and those that believe it that stops real change from happening. If everyone thinks like you do as a 'realist' then we are locked into the same bullshit every election with a two monopoly that has no incentive to change or actually serve the people instead of its own interests. People can change their way of thinking and that change starts with you.

---------- Post added 2012-12-16 at 05:39 PM ----------

Obama tried to get it closed. The GOP stopped it. Obama moved on because the economy was melting down and you have to pick your battles.

Obama has 100% full control over whether Guantanamo exists or not. He is the commander in chief and it is a military installation, not something that can be stopped by Republicans in the house. Don't believe the rhetoric they give you to keep you on their side. The only hurdle they came across was where to give these inmates a trial and Obama simply didn't try because he doesn't care. As to your point that the economy was melting down when he gave up, at that point there was no Republican majority in the house or senate and he could have passed anything he wanted.

[Raidenx]

Step Aside Suess




I do not like Barack-O-Bam
I do not like his hopey scam
I do not like his shielding torture
I do not like not back, look forward
I do not like his marijuana raids
I do not like his foreign "aid"
I do not like his Romneycare
I do not like his Iran scares
I do not like how he's so hip and so cool,
that he condones the bombing of Gaza schools
I do not like his Rio changes
His hounding of Mannings, Assanges
Says republicans are who we should spurn,
yet follows their lead at every turn
I do not like his double speak
"loves" Arab Spring, hates Wikileaks
I do not like Bahrain support
I do not like his FOIA thwarts
I don't like trans-Pacific pacts
I don't like more Patriot Act
I do not like his Wall Street Schmoozing
I do not like his power abusing
I do not like NDAA
I do not like Ideals betrayed
I do not like his support for gays, only because it took him hundreds of days
I do not like his tar sand drilling
I do not like his secret killing
I don't like his drones that smote
But most of all,*
I dont like his drones that vote

[Deleted]

Step Aside Suess




I do not like Barack-O-Bam
I do not like his hopey scam
I do not like his shielding torture
I do not like not back, look forward
I do not like his marijuana raids
I do not like his foreign "aid"
I do not like his Romneycare
I do not like his Iran scares
I do not like how he's so hip and so cool,
that he condones the bombing of Gaza schools
I do not like his Rio changes
His hounding of Mannings, Assanges
Says republicans are who we should spurn,
yet follows their lead at every turn
I do not like his double speak
"loves" Arab Spring, hates Wikileaks
I do not like Bahrain support
I do not like his FOIA thwarts
I don't like trans-Pacific pacts
I don't like more Patriot Act
I do not like his Wall Street Schmoozing
I do not like his power abusing
I do not like NDAA
I do not like Ideals betrayed
I do not like his support for gays, only because it took him hundreds of days
I do not like his tar sand drilling
I do not like his secret killing
I don't like his drones that smote
But most of all,*
I dont like his drones that vote

What did I just read -_-


On topic: Unfortunately Guantanamo has become a practice that defines all Americans in my eyes.

[Garnier Fructis]

If both parties are fundamentally the same then it is the myth that a third party can not win and those that believe it that stops real change from happening.

You're right, both parties are fundamentally the same. That's why Democrats want taxes on the rich and Republicans don't. That's why Democrats push for more environmental regulations and Republicans don't. Democrats want to reduce military spending and Republicans want to increase it. You're right, there's so much similarity I can barely tell them apart anymore.

People can change their way of thinking and that change starts with you.

You give people so much credit it hurts. Go out and ask the average voter some political questions and you'll quickly realize that most people don't give a shit about facts and vote based on the pamphlets they receive and TV ads they watch. When you manage to convince average people ( >100 IQ, aka half the population and probably half the voting population) that they should vote for a third party, I'll listen.

[Wells]

Obama has 100% full control over whether Guantanamo exists or not. He is the commander in chief and it is a military installation, not something that can be stopped by Republicans in the house. Don't believe the rhetoric they give you to keep you on their side. The only hurdle they came across was where to give these inmates a trial and Obama simply didn't try because he doesn't care. As to your point that the economy was melting down when he gave up, at that point there was no Republican majority in the house or senate and he could have passed anything he wanted.

You need funding and a location to move them. Congress controls that. The Democrats never had a functional super majority in the senate.

[Spectral]

More proof that Democrats and Republicans are no different than their rhetoric.

Providing an example of something that can be construed as a similarity is not "proof that Democrats and Republicans are no different". I'm really sick of false equivalence.

[Adam Jensen]

Providing an example of something that can be construed as a similarity is not "proof that Democrats and Republicans are no different". I'm really sick of false equivalence.

I'm still trying to grasp how "both sides are the same" myself.

Look at their stances on gun rights, abortion, women's rights, voter ID laws, fiscal laws, unions, entitlements and welfare etc, etc.

But yeah, because the PATRIOT Act is no longer in the spotlight, both sides are the same, right?

[Claymore]

Obama tried to get it closed. The GOP stopped it. Obama moved on because the economy was melting down and you have to pick your battles.

That basically sums it up. I technically align with Republicans on many issues, but petty shit like this is pretty much commonplace. For both parties, I'm sure, but it's admittedly more of a "Red team" trait.

[Grummgug]

You need funding and a location to move them. Congress controls that. The Democrats never had a functional super majority in the senate.

Can someone explain to me how Ronald Reagan can get a tax cut done, get deregulation done, and turn the economy around when the democrats held both houses of congress for most of his Presidency, yet Obama has nothing but excuses?

I'll tell you the difference between the two men. Ronald Reagan was a master negotiator. He knew how to make alliances, cut deals, and get things important to him passed, even when the other party ran congress. He would personally telephone just about every democrat member of congress, work with them, get to know them, and see where the middle ground was.

Can anyone tell me when was the last time Obama worked the phones to reach across to republicans? The majority of Obama's time should be spent meeting with and getting to know the republicans in congress. He needs to reach the middle ground with them. Instead, all I hear is rhetoric that the republicans are bad.

This is how I know he's going to get nothing done in the next 4 years. He just doesn't have the skillset for the job. He needed a supermajority to ram through Obamacare, and barely got that done.

I don't want to hear the excuse that the republicans are too radical to work with. I don't even see him trying. He should be turning the Oval Office into an eternal meeting room. Make connections. Work with the other side. As president, he should take the lead here. Set a new tone. If there's rancor between the parties, begin the healing. Start talks. Treat people with respect.

I just don't see it in this president.

[Spectral]

Can someone explain to me how Ronald Reagan can get a tax cut done, get deregulation done, and turn the economy around when the democrats held both houses of congress for most of his Presidency, yet Obama has nothing but excuses?

The simple answer, although you won't like it, is that the 1980s Democrat Congress didn't act like the spoiled children that the 2010s Republican House does.

[Al Gorefiend]

What did I just read -_-


On topic: Unfortunately Guantanamo has become a practice that defines all Americans in my eyes.

So what you're saying is, all Americans are just drones of their president? I can't pursue my own interests because of the country I live in? All America is to me is a hunk of land I put my house on. I am 100% unpatriotic, and thats in no way a bad thing.

[Adam Jensen]

Obama has 100% full control over whether Guantanamo exists or not. He is the commander in chief and it is a military installation, not something that can be stopped by Republicans in the house. Don't believe the rhetoric they give you to keep you on their side. The only hurdle they came across was where to give these inmates a trial and Obama simply didn't try because he doesn't care. As to your point that the economy was melting down when he gave up, at that point there was no Republican majority in the house or senate and he could have passed anything he wanted.

IIRC, Gitmo was closed by executive order . . . but there's no where to put the inmates because Congress blocked the funding to actually make it happen.

There was no Repub majority . . . but they had the power to filibuster.

---------- Post added 2012-12-16 at 10:42 PM ----------

What did I just read -_-


On topic: Unfortunately Guantanamo has become a practice that defines all Americans in my eyes.

Of the 330 million people here, what happened at Gitmo is the responsibility of only a few more than 600 people: the President's administration and Congress. The rest of us, whether we support it or not, can't really do much about it but yell at our rep and hope they listen.

[Al Gorefiend]

---------- Post added 2012-12-16 at 10:42 PM ----------

Of the 330 million people here, what happened at Gitmo is the responsibility of only a few more than 600 people: the President's administration and Congress. The rest of us, whether we support it or not, can't really do much about it but yell at our rep and hope they listen.

Its sad really that other countries (or wherever the OP is from) demonize the United States and always have the latest "IT CAME FROM THE US" stories to laugh at and hiss at when need be. America, so what? What England and Canada always see in the news is the Texan redneck with the mullet, Bud Light and camouflage jacket driving his pick-up truck with his 500 lb. wife with 3 teeth and hillbilly accent. Its despicable, just how in the US when we see English people in the news its always the bad-teethed crooked-eyed cockney man talking like "Oi ale hook ya in da gabber m8"

Countries always insult other countries as if the people there are drastically different in comparison. Travel the world and you'll realize people behave the same way as anywhere else

[syn1k]

I'm still trying to grasp how "both sides are the same" myself.

Look at their stances on gun rights, abortion, women's rights, voter ID laws, fiscal laws, unions, entitlements and welfare etc, etc.

But yeah, because the PATRIOT Act is no longer in the spotlight, both sides are the same, right?

The only time these topic are brought up is during election time to get elected. for rest of the term after election these topics are never touched and its business as usual for both parties passing laws that fill their pockets. they are both the same as they do nothing to better the country and only corrupt the government further each election.

[Kalyyn]

Bit of a side note, but I've been noticing something recently. Whenever Obama does anything that the rest of the world likes, he gets full praise and credit to himself. But when he does something they hate, it's never his fault. No, Obama didn't order those assassinations. That was America. When it's good, it's Obama, but when it's bad, it's America.

I like Obama but jesus christ, people need to realize that he's not a love-and-peace kind of guy. He definitely falls in to the "fuck with me and you'll wake up in hell" category.