Sunday, May 17, 2009

Crusades 2003

It's depressing that I wasn't that shocked to see this was going on.

Although, as someone on the chatbox complained about our lack of criticism for Obama, foreign policy I suppose is certainly something worth criticism. There are no solid plans to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and no hope in sight to finally stand up to Israel. Granted there are probably no biblical quotes on daily briefings in the Obama White House, but the fact is that healing wounds with the Middle East has been all talk and no action.

Slideshow

GQ Article

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look closely and you'll see that Obama is slowly but surely going back on many of his campaign promises. Foreign policy is just another example. The guy is a complete pushover.

I only called on the lack of Obama criticisms because I find it ironic that a site so anti-status quo -- which is probably why many of the readers, including myself, tune in -- is now representing the status quo!

Still, funny site.

Hookwinked (North Carolina)

JambonFromage!!! said...

Well, I don't necessarily think being 'unspoken' during a new Presidents first 100 days in office is necessarily being "status quo."

He has taken some steps in the right direction, and some steps in the wrong direction, and it would be premature to critique him the way we critiqued bush after 8 years in office.

Take his recent decision to uphold the acquittal of the gay arab interpreter serving in the military. A complete idiotic move, and was not only is it something I ideologically disagree with, but it was a complete reversal of his rhetoric during the campaign. However, I can see how Obama is still trying to gain political capital, and is maybe waiting to tackle issues like this at the right moment.

Foreign policy wise, he is implementing contradictory policies to the current rhetoric in his speeches (Prague speech). And as far as the economy...it's kind of a mindfuck, so I don't know where to start and who to pass the blame to or what the right decision would be. Not even the experts seem to know...

Anonymous said...

The last presidency, for all practical purposes, was a disaster on many levels. But it's time to stop clinging to Bush and Cheney; you'd think with many of the blogs posted here that both are still in the White House.

To say that NOTHING from Obama's first 100 days was worth a post or two is ridiculous. New World Order? Attempts to regulate free speech? Millions -- if not billions of dollars -- completely unaccounted for? Opportunistic politicians using this economic crisis to promote social experimentation (at the expense of democracy)? Not one peep of anything on here.

In short, I made a comment in the box and I'm just giving my explanation for it. It's your site, by all means, do whatever you want with it.

HW

hacksaw jim chuggins said...

new world order? you gotta slow down buddy...obama is just one guy with a handful of appointments..the rest of washington didn't really change much..overall i am pessimistic about the governments actions on a whole but still..with the kind of comments you're posting i'm going to assume you voted for bush twice..obama is a better spokesperson for the united states and he's a hell of a lot smarter than bush. that's why i prefer to discuss the near daily "fuck ups" being exposed about the bush admin...

Anonymous said...

Chuggins -- laughing at that name -- how can you overlook that Obama is a puppet to the larger, global -- New World Order -- agenda? I'm not one for conspiracies, but this is so obvious it's ridiculous.

What makes you think I'm criticizing Obama in favor of Bush?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, didn't get to finish my post --

So Chuggins, your logic is: Obama is a better spokesman for America and "smarter" than Bush, so we should just continue to harp on the mistakes made by the past administration and not question the current one (because smart people, throughout history, haven't shown to make mistakes)? I don't get it. Sounds status quo to me.

Raw intelligence might mean something to the sciences (i.e., IQ), but it means nothing when it comes to politics, society, and culture: with these you come to valuations and objects of meaning. So entrusting Obama because he's "smart" is, to me, really just a shallow proposition.

HW

JambonFromage!!! said...

I'm just saying he's young enough into his presidency where his rhetoric (universal health care, diplomacy, environmental reform) still cannot be completely discredited. we'll critique when he slip up (and i believe there have been some posts showing obama in a negative light on this site) but i'm also tentative to jump the gun...

Anonymous said...

You're right that Obama needs more time to be evaluated on his campaign promises. But there are still things he has done in his first 100+ days that warrant serious criticism.

Take, for example, the Chrysler deal (which I hinted at in the comment box): when Chrysler executives started to oppose Obama's deal, they were threatened to be publicly "humiliated" by the W.H. press corps. That doesn't alarm anyone (specifically how easily this government feels they can mold public opinion)?

HW

JambonFromage!!! said...

i don't have much sympathy for the american auto industry. with all the money the government has given it, the government has every right to tell the companies what to do. i wish the government was doing the same with banks...

and that move by obama was hardly an example of how easy it is for gov't to mold public opinion...

Anonymous said...

I'm not sympathetic towards the auto industry, either. But when an administration says -- I'm paraphrasing -- either accept this deal or be humiliated, it shows how easily they believe they can shape peoples' minds. It's simple logic.

If the government is giving out large sums of money to different industries (that seek funding), then yes, they have the right to tell them what to do. But you're forgetting that some, if not many, of these companies DIDN'T WANT THE MONEY; and they were coerced into taking it (in a scheme for government seizure of different industries). Tell me how the mob doesn't operate differently?

I agree with Chuggins, though, I'm skeptical/pessimistic about the nature of government (especially in 21st century America); so why would we EVER want to consent to it controlling so many facets of our daily lives? Imagine if, say, a Dick Cheney figure (from either the right, or left) were to become president/vice president in the 4 years (with the socialist groundwork Obama is laying down)? Forget it -- it'll be over.

HW