Post here your thoughts on the speech as it unfolds. - - - Updated - - - Obama keeps sayning "Americans keep asking me...". We are not asking him anything. We are telling him; no war actions in Syria.
He just said he will post-pone the congressional vote to see how the Russia disarmament plan plays out. BRILLIANT! Like the idea to have the vote in the first place, Obama got a second thing right!
He just said that he is keeping the ships there to attack if diplomacy breaks down. He will make sure it breaks down.
Oh shut up about the (*)(*)(*)(*)ing youtube videos already!!! What is it with Obama and youtube videos?
I think he is making a good case for war against Syria, as they committed crimes against humanity. He used an example of world war 2, with deadly gas used by Hitler. The difference between chemical weapons and traditional weapons, is that according to the President poison gas does not discriminate against women and children, whereas conventional weapons have an easier time doing that. Also the fact that Chemical weapons may affect our good friend Israel, which we cannot tolerate. If we don't act now, we will be forced to act later in Syria under future administrations.
Obama has already made a military strike a precondition to the inspection via the UN. Russia and China of course will not agree to this and he knows it. - - - Updated - - - You will see I am right in a couple of days.
So we cannot attack "in the absence of a direct or imminent threat to our security." Hold on to that sound bite. That's the one that will prove illegality in the event of a military strike outside of UNSC consensus.
Interesting that he didn't mention the USA chemical attacks against the Vietnamese, the biggest and most elaborate chemical weapons attack ever. Not to mention the tacit approval of Israeli use of white phosphorous.
He said nothing new that has not been said over and over in the past few weeks. The American people are speaking out in droves against this war action. He gave absolutely no evidence what so ever of Assad being responsible for the attack. If he wanted to convince people he would offer up something concrete. The American people will not be convinced suddenly that a war action is a good idea from this speech.
Using FDR as a reason to go to war. FDR only went to war because of Pearl Harbor not the Japanese actions in China. Even John King doubts Obama should have given this speech a press conference would have been better. Of course a reporter might have asked him a question that changed our strategy.
President Obama using the American Exceptional Approach. Be cognizant that the goal of this intervention isn't to eliminate chemical weapons, but provide a 'Game Change' for the opposition on the Ground, in particular the Free Syrian Army. But the appeal to American Exceptionalism will sit well with the Right, & he knew that. The Democrats will eventually come to his side. It's the Republicans in House he had to encourage to action.
But is OK for Obama to kill children...American children I might add with his drones....OMG the hypocrisy!!!
The American people are dramatically against this strike. This point finally sunk in to Obama. Is he giving up on it? No. What he is doing is giving lip service to the negotiations so that makes those against this military action, feel better. The Russians and the Chinese who have veto power in the UN will not agree to the terms of a military action if the deal breaks down. Obama is just buying time to continue to try to sell this war action to the American people.
Cite where the President assassinated American children with drones, or rest assured the NSA is watching this ?
You are dreaming here. The Democrats by large majority are very against this action. This was a very weak speech. It will sway no one. What will sway people is actual positive movement towards a negotiated settlement. This however will not form because Obama will not do it. We will see a few days of lip service while he continues to try to sell bombing.
Assad killed all those children! We can't let him kill all those children without us killing a bunch more children in response! USA child-killing one-upsmanship in action!
He's going to do what he wants, he could care less what the American people want just like many things he's done, including Obamacare. The majority of the American people didn't want that either...did he care??? No he did not. He will STRIKE SYRIA!!!
if that is so then he is a fool because he has awakened the sleeping tiger that is the average American. Average Americans by and large do not get very involved in an overt way with politics. But when they do look out.
I been meaning to apologize to you. You have been going on for some time about Obama's loyalty to Sunni causes, including the Muslim Brotherhood... and I have sort of scoffed you off as a "birther type" prattling on about how that Hussein Obammy is a damned mooslem. I should have payed a little more attention. I kept looking for common threads behind Obama's ME policy... and the Shia-Sunni split is really the only common axiom. So I am sorry for assuming you were... a loon. I am not on board saying that he is a secret muslim... but there is without question a bias... hell bias is too weak a word... there is a motivation behind this... and it involves Muslim sects. So I figured I owed you that. Sorry for the off topic rant.
