Ron Mars
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2011
- Messages
- 1,194
- Reaction score
- 170
- Location
- Central Virginia
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
I didn’t watch the President’s speech last night I read a copy of the text today. IMO he adequately explained the reasons for intervention.
This is a link to the text of the President's speech. I don't vouch for the website.
Text Of President Obama's Speech On The Situation In Libya | TPM LiveWire
I have some comments to make about the substance of that speech. There was lip service given to his stated policy of removing Gaddafi and there was no mention of the jihadi presence amongst the rebels. The following statements by the President were notable:
For generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom.
That would be news to Candidate 0bama and his pastor of 20 years.
As one Libyan said, "For the first time we finally have hope that our nightmare of 40 years will soon be over."
Many Iraqis and Afghans said the same thing.
Our most effective alliance, NATO, has taken command of the enforcement of the arms embargo and No Fly Zone.
Why is NATO enforcing UN resolutions? Where the hell is the UN?
We will safeguard the more than $33 billion that was frozen from the Gaddafi regime so that it is available to rebuild Libya. After all, this money does not belong to Gaddafi or to us - it belongs to the Libyan people, and we will make sure they receive it.
Well done Mr. President.
To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader and - more profoundly - our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are.
That would be news to Candidate 0bama and his pastor of 20 years.
The democratic impulses that are dawning across the region would be eclipsed by the darkest form of dictatorship, as repressive leaders concluded that violence is the best strategy to cling to power. The writ of the UN Security Council would have been shown to be little more than empty words, crippling its future credibility to uphold global peace and security.
The UN has been irrelevant for some years now. It’s the reason they are now expecting NATO to enforce their own resolutions.
If we tried to overthrow Gaddafi by force, our coalition would splinter.
This explains his walking back the “Gaddafi must leave” rhetoric.
To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq.
And to be blunt Mr. President we tried diplomatic pressure and a NFZ in Iraq. It didn’t work. He never passes up an opportunity to slander his predecessor.
In such cases, we should not be afraid to act - but the burden of action should not be America's alone. As we have in Libya, our task is instead to mobilize the international community for collective action. Because contrary to the claims of some, American leadership is not simply a matter of going it alone and bearing all of the burden ourselves.
You inherited a coalition of nations in both Iraq and Afghanistan Mr. President.
This is a link to the text of the President's speech. I don't vouch for the website.
Text Of President Obama's Speech On The Situation In Libya | TPM LiveWire
I have some comments to make about the substance of that speech. There was lip service given to his stated policy of removing Gaddafi and there was no mention of the jihadi presence amongst the rebels. The following statements by the President were notable:
For generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom.
That would be news to Candidate 0bama and his pastor of 20 years.
As one Libyan said, "For the first time we finally have hope that our nightmare of 40 years will soon be over."
Many Iraqis and Afghans said the same thing.
Our most effective alliance, NATO, has taken command of the enforcement of the arms embargo and No Fly Zone.
Why is NATO enforcing UN resolutions? Where the hell is the UN?
We will safeguard the more than $33 billion that was frozen from the Gaddafi regime so that it is available to rebuild Libya. After all, this money does not belong to Gaddafi or to us - it belongs to the Libyan people, and we will make sure they receive it.
Well done Mr. President.
To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader and - more profoundly - our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are.
That would be news to Candidate 0bama and his pastor of 20 years.
The democratic impulses that are dawning across the region would be eclipsed by the darkest form of dictatorship, as repressive leaders concluded that violence is the best strategy to cling to power. The writ of the UN Security Council would have been shown to be little more than empty words, crippling its future credibility to uphold global peace and security.
The UN has been irrelevant for some years now. It’s the reason they are now expecting NATO to enforce their own resolutions.
If we tried to overthrow Gaddafi by force, our coalition would splinter.
This explains his walking back the “Gaddafi must leave” rhetoric.
To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq.
And to be blunt Mr. President we tried diplomatic pressure and a NFZ in Iraq. It didn’t work. He never passes up an opportunity to slander his predecessor.
In such cases, we should not be afraid to act - but the burden of action should not be America's alone. As we have in Libya, our task is instead to mobilize the international community for collective action. Because contrary to the claims of some, American leadership is not simply a matter of going it alone and bearing all of the burden ourselves.
You inherited a coalition of nations in both Iraq and Afghanistan Mr. President.