Obama Exercises Executive Actions

[Gheld]

Also missing the "I disapprove of killing civilians at funerals."

It saddens me that people will turn it into a "Bush vs. Obama" thing.

I'm sorry, America's foreign policy is broken, and has been for decades now.

Reagan didn't change it. Bush Sr. didn't change it. Clinton didn't change it, Bush Jr. Didn't change it, and Obama hasn't changed it. So they are all dicks.

[mvaliz]

He shouldn't have won the Peace Prize. He won it for being "not Bush". Now what kind of bullshit is that

...if you actually believe that you're in for a very rude awakening 10 years from now.

He didn't win because he was "not Bush"... he won because he restored faith in the rest of the world that the model of the free world isn't corrupt by overthrowing a budding religious military empire via integrity and common sense.

You see, there's this thing called "the rest of the world" out there beyond America - and they were starting to get VERY frightened (rightfully so) for what was happening in our country - particularly as our country has an influence across the entire globe. Nobody wants a Christian zealot Al'quieda-like fear-based profit-motivated group mentality being in control of the predominant superpower of the military/economic world. Seeing that mentality willingly get re-elected by its people caused the entire United Nations and the whole rest of the world looking at us going "What...the...F#&@"....

That's why Obama won.

[ptwonline]

It saddens me that people will turn it into a "Bush vs. Obama" thing.

I'm sorry, America's foreign policy is broken, and has been for decades now.

Reagan didn't change it. Bush Sr. didn't change it. Clinton didn't change it, Bush Jr. Didn't change it, and Obama hasn't changed it. So they are all dicks.

Actually, this is not true. Ther neoconservatives started taking over the Republican Party in the 1980s with Reagan (they were around before, but their influence was a bit more limited). Their foreign policy philosophy was to create change by taking an active part in overthrowing governments and re-making nations. Initially this was done by arming opponents to governments they didn't like (like arming and training Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden). The apex of this foreign policy philosophy was reached with the invasions of Afghanistan and then especially Iraq. They would have tried to do more but got too bogged down.

Clinton fired missiles at terrorist camps and launched airstrikes to stop genocide. Bush invaded nations and tried to set up new governments. Very, very different philosophies.

[mistuhbull]

...if you actually believe that you're in for a very rude awakening 10 years from now.

He didn't win because he was "not Bush"... he won because he restored faith in the rest of the world that the model of the free world isn't corrupt by overthrowing a budding religious military empire via integrity and common sense.

You see, there's this thing called "the rest of the world" out there beyond America - and they were starting to get VERY frightened (rightfully so) for what was happening in our country - particularly as our country has an influence across the entire globe. Nobody wants a Christian zealot Al'quieda-like fear-based profit-motivated group mentality being in control of the predominant superpower of the military/economic world. Seeing that mentality willingly get re-elected by its people caused the entire United Nations and the whole rest of the world looking at us going "What...the...F#&@"....

That's why Obama won.

SO he won because the world thought he wouldn't be like Bush. Sure as shit sounds like winning for being "Not Bush" to me. If he had actually done something before winning the Prize you may have a point, but all he had done was not be a dick to the rest of the world.

[Purlina]

SO he won because the world thought he wouldn't be like Bush. Sure as shit sounds like winning for being "Not Bush" to me. If he had actually done something before winning the Prize you may have a point, but all he had done was not be a dick to the rest of the world.

If everyone would "not be a dick", maybe the world could actually get somewhere?

[mvaliz]

SO he won because the world thought he wouldn't be like Bush. Sure as shit sounds like winning for being "Not Bush" to me. If he had actually done something before winning the Prize you may have a point, but all he had done was not be a dick to the rest of the world.

He restored faith in America and the model of the free world with the rest of the world. Chances are that's more than you'll ever do with your life...

That isn't "not Bush". That's "not idiotic American Conservatism destroying the model of the entire free world".

[Tinykong]

He restored faith in America with the rest of the world.

Then quickly destroyed it with his drone strikes that kill women and children, which he tries to cover up by changing the definition of "enemy combatant."

Your defense of Obama is borderline pathetic.

[ptwonline]

He restored faith in America and the model of the free world with the rest of the world. Chances are that's more than you'll ever do with your life...

That isn't "not Bush". That's "not idiotic American Conservatism destroying the model of the entire free world".

He's half right. He won for promising to take America back onto the path of international responsibility, and for his efforts to bring people together when they were all so divided. This is very different than Bush so technically he won for not being Bush, but only because he would "not be Bush" in a very positive way.

It's true though that Obama would not have won if Bush hadn't been so terrible. Obama's win reflects more the havoc wreaked by the Bush policies than anything Obama promised or did.

[mvaliz]

Then quickly destroyed it with his drone strikes that kill women and children, which he tries to cover up by changing the definition of "enemy combatant."

Your defense of Obama is borderline pathetic.

Last I checked he's still pretty damn popular with the rest of the world... they world was watching with baited breath the 2012 election, praying the Conservatives don't overthrow sanity.

See, the thing is your "drone" strike is so small compared to the atrocities committed by the Conservative Administration before him. When in war, casualties happen - and he acknowledges that wasn't meant to happen and wasn't intended. He didn't go on public television and tell the people "God told me to attack Iraq".

...and you damn well know the difference. You just can't accept it.

[Grizzly Willy]

Last I checked he's still pretty damn popular with the rest of the world... they world was watching with baited breath the 2012 election, praying the Conservatives don't overthrow sanity.

See, the thing is your "drone" strike is so small compared to the atrocities committed by the Conservative Administration before him. When in war, casualties happen - and he acknowledges that wasn't meant to happen and wasn't intended. He didn't go on public television and tell the people "God told me to attack Iraq".

...and you damn well know the difference. You just can't accept it.

I don't think you can use the "causalities happen" when you attack crowded funerals on purpose.

[Tinykong]

Last I checked he's still pretty damn popular with the rest of the world... they world was watching with baited breath the 2012 election, praying the Conservatives don't overthrow sanity.

See, the thing is your "drone" strike is so small compared to the atrocities committed by the Conservative Administration before him. When in war, casualties happen - and he acknowledges that wasn't meant to happen and wasn't intended. He didn't go on public television and tell the people "God told me to attack Iraq".

...and you damn well know the difference. You just can't accept it.

I didn't realize that in order to be critical of Obama, you had to be a Bush supporter. Thanks for clearing that up for us.

Casualities happen, but when you're Obama, you redefine the terms to lower your civilian casualty counts. Blew up some 15 year old boys? Eh, they could have picked up a gun, they must have been terrorists.

[Sky High]

Basically this. Any legislation brought forth that would hinder gun sales in any way is directly opposed by the NRA and is painted all over Fox News and the Daily Mail as "Obama coming for our guns!"

So many posters on this thread have followed that propaganda and swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

thankfully a good amount of people are starting to turn against the NRA with the stunts and statements they pulled after sandy hook. the sooner the NRA is shot into obscurity the better. they don't promote the freedom to have firearms. the promote the bottom line of gun manufacturers.

[Puck]

Whats that? you approve of 350,000+ abortions a year, but you get all weepy eyed over a handful of grade schoolers... you DO realize that those 350,000+ a year you approve of eliminating would have been the grade schoolers 6-7 years from now, right?

Seran, you should really be more understanding of the others side view and respect their opinion if you wan;t the to support you! Being so militant about this isn't the way!

[Adam Jensen]

On a more amusing note - Congressional Republicans issued a statement today, accusing the President of, and I quote, "cynically and systematically using his position as President to lead the country.”

This is not a joke... they actually "accused" him of this. It was not meant as complimentary...

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...d-country.html

How dare he be president like the people vote him for!

[oblivionx]

SO he won because the world thought he wouldn't be like Bush. Sure as shit sounds like winning for being "Not Bush" to me. If he had actually done something before winning the Prize you may have a point, but all he had done was not be a dick to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile he did exactly as Bush and expanded drone strikes on top of it...

[Adam Jensen]

SO he won because the world thought he wouldn't be like Bush. Sure as shit sounds like winning for being "Not Bush" to me. If he had actually done something before winning the Prize you may have a point, but all he had done was not be a dick to the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, "not be a dick" was a step up from his predecessor.

Though I do agree, even though I support Obama, the Nobel Prize thing was kinda dumb.

---------- Post added 2013-01-17 at 04:56 PM ----------

Meanwhile he did exactly as Bush and expanded drone strikes on top of it...

I love how suddenly the right wing cares about collateral damage, yet they didn't say a thing when we stormed into Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Garnier Fructis]

The peace prize is a massive joke compared to the science and literature prizes anyway.

[oblivionx]

LOL--that really is kind of rich.

What baffles me about this whole debate (as a Canadian outsider) is why pro-gun Americans lapse into doomsday thinking when gun control is discussed. For example, I'd be curious to hear their thoughts on other countries which have had gun control provisions in place for quite some time. Are these countries falling apart at the seams? Is the sky falling? How do crime statistics look like in the country before and after gun control legislation? There are tons of countries which have already gone through this. It's not like this is radical or novel.

The democrats in the USA have a hit list of things they will always try and force into law.

Healthcare (dusty old Kennedy health care repackaged mind you)
Massive spending (check)
Tax increases (check)
Increase in size of federal government and programs (check)
Gun control (attempting)

and don't forget

Demonization of Republicans (ongoing)

The gun control legislation of the 60's didn't create a drop in crime at all mind you. Neither did the Clinton era gun control.

---------- Post added 2013-01-17 at 09:59 PM ----------

I love how suddenly the right wing cares about collateral damage, yet they didn't say a thing when we stormed into Iraq and Afghanistan.

We don't, but we do care when your side becomes total hypocrites regarding it.

[Hiricine]

The peace prize is a massive joke compared to the science and literature prizes anyway.

I don't think you need to qualify that with "peace" or the "compared to" part.

[Garnier Fructis]

I don't think you need to qualify that with "peace" or the "compared to" part.

Are you saying all nobel prizes are jokes?