Barack Obama And The Iraq War .... Also ..... Trends And My Opinions

Barack Obama

From Slate:

The Washington Post leads with, and everyone fronts, Sen. Barack Obama suggesting that his plan for withdrawal from Iraq isn't set in stone and he reserves the right to "continue to refine" his policies after meeting with commanders on the ground. The comment led to an outcry that he was backtracking on his plans for withdrawal. A few hours later, he called a second news conference where he was visibly frustrated and emphasized that his "position has not changed" and he intends "to end this war" and remove combat troops within 16 months of becoming president.

Read more ....

More News On Barack Obama And Iraq:
As Obama moves to center both left and right pile on with criticism -- International Herald Tribune
Obama to 'refine' Iraq plan -- Politico
Obama Softens on Iraq Withdrawal Timeline -- Washington Post
Obama Might ‘Refine’ Iraq Timeline -- New York Times
Obama’s Iraq Quagmire -- Political Punch (ABC News)
Obama's Iraq problem -- MSNBC
Obama insists no shift on Iraq -- Chicago Tribune
Obama denies altering proposed Iraq withdrawal timeline -- Political Ticker (CNN)
In Fargo, Obama renews promise to get U.S. out of Iraq -- Star Tribune
Obama says McCain camp misstates his Iraq policy -- Breitbart
US election: Barack Obama wobbles on withdrawing Iraq troops -- The Telegraph
Obama says he could "refine" Iraq policy -- China View

My Comment: This Presidential election will pivot around Barack Obama .... this is his election to lose. People who make a living following political trends certainly believe that this is going to be the case. His pronouncements on changing tax policy on dividends and investments, coupled with Congressional Democrats determined to abolish the Bush Tax cuts with tax increases, has made the smart money men realize that it is now time to jump out .... and they are.

Assuming a Barack Obama Presidency with a Democrat Congress and a weak Republican Party, one can only expect a complete reversal of U.S. foreign and military policy. Unlike the U.S. press that tries to justify Barack Obama's recent comments and policy pronouncements as "politics", the foreign press clearly sees a big change happening in 2009.

This change in direction has enormous geopolitical implications for all of us, especially on the War on Terror. As readers of this blog know, I have trouble seeing how can one conduct a battle against Al Qaeda in a courtroom. Al Qaeda is not one man but a movement that involves tens of millions of supporters .... a religious belief that their philosophy of life is not only just, but also should be imposed.

There is some who say that America going back to a 9/10 mindset, that the citizens of the U.S. are tired of this long war and they want it to end. That they are in denial to what is happening in the world today, and they just want to go back home. I personally do not share this point of view.
America is now approaching a direction that has no precedent in its history. I believe that it is going to not only pursue an isolationist policy, but it will also start to demilitarize its military forces in order to free up funds for a new direction of government involvement and influence. This is what the American people want, and this is how they will vote this November.

So .... what exactly is this new direction?

Roosevelt had the New Deal. Truman had the Truman Doctrine. Lyndon Johnson had the Great Society. Nixon pursued detente with the Soviets and Chinese, and Reagan pursued a policy of less government, anti-communism, and an America first policy that also worked to insure more freedom for the individual.

I personally believe that a Barack Obama Presidency will pursue a policy that will be exactly opposite of the Reagan Presidency. Philosophically, culturally, and politically, Barack Obama is the exact opposite of Ronald Reagan. Like President Reagan, Barack Obama is a man of his convictions .... and he will do what he has been saying for his entire life he will do. What this will entail will be the exact opposite of what President Reagan did.

Will this be a good thing .... I personally do not think so. We live in a very different time, where the world is now racing to be like America, or what they perceive America is. The nations of the world that are booming economically, socially, and culturally are the same nations who have adopted certain specific policies of the United States, and are now assuming them as their own. Free markets, low taxation, pro-growth, regulation that makes sense, and a respect of the individual and his rights .... from property rights to his own opinion .... this is where the world is going .... this is the new global village.

The American trend is different. Fairness doctrine, the desire for socialized and regulated medicare, threats to regulate and constrict numerous industries .... from oil and energy companies to pharmaceuticals. Education by the state, open immigration, discrimination against certain ethnic groups because it is perceived that they have an advantage in society, an activist Supreme Court that ignores its own history of precedent ..... these are the trends in America today.

Will we be better off in 2012 ..... I guess we will be having that discussion then.