I am thankful Obama is president.

[Avalux]

Chris Mathews said it last night "ISIS was created by Dick Cheney. Why would anyone be foolish enough to listen to his advice right now?"

Not only is Cheney crawling out of the woodwork, but various PNACers are showing up and frothing at the mouth, hoping that their long-standing dream to take over the ME will be realized. The religious freaks waiting for the rapture are getting all hot and bothered as well. McCain wants boots on the ground and called Obama a liar after the speech.

President Obama can be called a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them. He is caught in the middle of all this home grown extremism, and is wise to meet the ISIS problem with restraint. He has to do something, inaction isn't an option unfortunately. But whatever he does will not be acceptable to those who hate him and that's what is so horrible about this. They will not stop until he is destroyed, and if the country goes too, they don't care.

With an election not too far off, I have no faith in the American people to step up and vote these haters out of office. In fact, I fully expect GOPers to take over the Senate.

I am sending good vibes to our President. I know he will use his pragmatism (that he often gets criticized for) to do what is appropriate.

I just wish he didn't need to navigate such vicious waters - not only foreign but domestic.

[cali]

1. I don't see how arming and funding such groups as the FSA and sustained bombing

campaigns in Iraq and Syria are restraint.

I'm glad that President Obama is in office rather than Romney or McCain, but I fear that this is simply more fruitless, horrendously expensive war.

[Avalux]

2. I fear that too.

And I fear that no matter what Obama wants to do, he's up against too much. Bush wasn't really in charge; he carried water for Cheney and his ilk and enjoyed every minute of it.

Obama might be resisting but ultimately, he won't be able to stop the war machine, even if he is president. Too many moving parts and too much power that he can't stop.

[Kath1]

44. Sadly,

I think you're right. The Big Money Machine runs everything. It really is sickening.

[Man from Pickens]

5. Also

We would have been at war with the Syrian government last year if the American people didn't stand up and make clear that we wanted no part of it! And now we are intervening as de facto allies of that very same government... WTF

[global1]

7. But Conveniently ISIS/ISIL Came Out Of The Blue - Beheaded Two American Journalists Complete With...

videos and implanted the seed of fear in those same American People - the seed implanted with the help of a corporate MSM - that has helped changed the mindset of the American People at a time that is just less than 2 months away from a critical midterm election that looks like will change the face of Congress in its aftermath.

Coincidence - I think not. I'm sorry but my tin foil hat is just too constricting on my brain this a.m.

[Avalux]

9. I wish you didn't speak the truth but you do.

Is it too tin-foil hatty to think there are those in our government who have 'encouraged' ISIS? Nope.

[Man from Pickens]

25. I'm totally with you

I really do have to wonder if ISIS was created to be a better excuse to invade Syria than the lame chemical weapons fabrication from last year. And the stink of John McCain is all over everything here.

[TBF]

28. I'm glad a few folks here are paying attention -

I used to joke that Dick Cheney made the Bin Laden video tapes in his basement.

I am most angry when I think about friends who have sons in the military - kids who are there because opportunities in this country for our youth include (1) being born wealthy (2) being born smart - student loans follow and you are locked into "middle class" "professional" until you pay them off (3) "you want fries with that?" for $7/hr or (4) military

And how many of them will die this time?

I have to give them credit for theatrics - on the eve of 9/11 no less ...

How could anyone possibly disagree?

[brush]

32. Your listing of the 4 options for our youth is eye-opening . . .

and sadly, true.

The optimism of the 50s thru th early 70s is gone and replaced by your profound list.

I blame union-busting Ronnie and the repugs — sounds like a rock group — but their music that we as a country has had to face, has been disastrous

[TBF]

38. I agree with your assessment -

between the union-busting and take-over of the churches by the republican party we lost our chance to organize progressively in places many workers gather - with their workers and in church.

Demographics are changing however (at least here in TX). I think there's an opportunity to organize young Latino/latina workers if folks take advantage of it.

[BobbyBoring]

24. This arming the local opposition thing hasn't worked out to well in the past

We never fucking learn.

[NYC_SKP]

3. How soon they forget. People see what they want to see, no sense of history, context.

DU has, predictably, gone off the rails.

People are even agreeing with racist Michael Moore that Obama will only be remembered as being a black president.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025518956

It's embarrassing.

K/R

[cali]

4. I find the agreement with Moore, repugnant- and I find the support for more war

equally repugnant. History be damned, we'll just keep doing the same shit that created this nightmarish mess to begin with.

[NYC_SKP]

6. As if Obama could have said, "We'll do nothing" and expect success for Dems in November.

That's number one.

Number two, he hasn't started a new war and calling this more war is suspect, taking in the greater context.

And whatever it is, it's damn well less war than McCain or Hillary, had she won, would have us involved in.

I think the address was strategic, measured, and successful in the sense that the commitment is plastic but firm, and it's not limited to air strikes.

The general frothing on this board yesterday and today is worse than the media.

[Man from Pickens]

27. um...

are you saying that this war is explicitly for political purposes, to somehow get the knuckle-dragging bloodythirsty hoo-rahs to support Democrats in the fall?

Have we fallen that far?

[NYC_SKP]

31. Are you saying that the address and action can only serve one purpose?

It doesn't take a RWNJ to want to see the US exert a little influence against some bad dudes.

And Obama hasn't declared war, he's only outlined a series of possible strategies.

Meanwhile, heads are popping here on the DU.

It's amusing.

[Man from Pickens]

43. The planet is full of bad dudes

The arguments for the US getting involved with them are weak at best. The history of the US getting involved in the Middle East is abysmal.

It's time for the madness to stop. Long past time, really. ISIS is not our business. If it's a real threat the locals will take care of it - we've provided all the weapons to enable them to do so.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

26. ^^^

True. Tragic, really.

[Ryano42]

8. He had to do something...and sadly this is the final act of his presidency

Something needed to be done and he did it. Thoughtful, balanced, careful even, nothing like his predecessor and still he is being raked over the coals here. To do nothing would have the same effect politically except broader.

The angered, disaffected base will stay home this November to "show him", the senate is lost and the impeachment in house will surely follow, then get stalled in the senate. He remains with no power and no support casting vetoes as his only resort.

This is the no-win scenario for Obama and once again he is impaled on what President Cheney left him to attempt to deal with.

For all his detractors here, and you too Michael Moore, your adherence to ideology and purity has lead us down the drain.

[Avalux]

10. Think good thoughts for him please.

There really isn't anything else we can do at this point except support him in our thoughts and VOTE.

[flamingdem]

11. Good thoughts and successful strategies

Obama has the brains to direct surgical ops. Too bad he needs to focus on war though, he has much else he wats to do.

[Ryano42]

12. I do...and I WILL VOTE. As all of you should....hold your freaking nose and VOTE

And I mean this in another way than others:

THANKS OBAMA.

[riqster]

16. Well said.

[paleotn]

33. Agreed. (nt)

[woo me with science]

13. Oh my word. War is Peace!

2+2=5!

Now that's some intensely strained doublespeak there, to argue that a clear continuation of the PNAC plan equals holding ground against the PNAC.

Trashing thread. We need reality, not attempts to justify this wholly predictable and long-planned PNAC bombing in Syria.

[Avalux]

15. What would you do?

Seriously - it's easy to write a post as you have - tell me your solution. What is reality?

[JNelson6563]

14. Agreed.

[totodeinhere]

17. No, this new war is a big mistake. The bombing alone will not do the job and we

Last edited Thu Sep 11, 2014, 07:16 PM - Edit history (1)

will inevitably be drawn back into another ground war quagmire. Obama's successor, most likely Clinton, will then be saddled with this failed policy.

When is enough enough? When will we have a president with the balls to stand up to the military industrial complex? I had thought that that person was Obama, but I was tragically wrong.

[Ryano42]

21. I completely understand the risk and your point...but what is a real alternative?

This may be quagmire, or this may be like the Kosovo campaign under Clinton. Too soon to tell and I remember the uproar from all sides during that and we stopped a genocide.

If W or RMoney were president we would be invading or nuking Iran this morning.

Its not the perfect response...how could it be...but it could be so much worse.

[Iliyah]

18. Dems will keep the senate.

Fearmongering and warmongering is what GOP does best with no concrete basis of fact. GOP are further from reality than the norm. Many are doomsday experts and are praying to their GAWD that the world will explode and a new world will appear with them as the only survivors. Sucks huh.

Pres O, thank you.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

19. very sadly reccing. n/t

[freshwest]

22. +1

[Laelth]

20. As am I, particularly in regards to our foreign policy.

I think he has handled foreign policy very well. More on that, particularly in regards to his campaign against IS, HERE.

-Laelth

[Avalux]

37. Your post is good.

Agree with your points.

[secondwind]

23. sadly, I agree with you about the Senate

[L0oniX]

29. Sorry for the slow response ...due to the guy Obama put in charge of the FCC.

[get the red out]

30. I agree with you completely

No way to express that enough.

[kiranon]

36. Agree also. n/t

[paleotn]

34. I hate it, but I agree with you....

.....However, on your point about the balance of power in the Senate, luckily we still have a significant amount of time before the election and the political landscape could still change for the better. Time will tell.

[Avalux]

39. I hope you're correct and Dems retain the Senate.

Maybe a miracle will happen and they'll take the House too? A lot can happen in the next couple of months, that's for sure.

[madokie]

35. the pukies are scared to death of him

they know that Americans as a whole are ready and have voted into the Oval office someone who doesn't look like them and that is what scares them. The old white mans club has had a lock on the Presidency since George Washington up until Obama showed them that a black man can win. Not only has he shown them he can win but hes showing them how good of a job he can do while he is the President. All of which scares the pukies to death. A woman or an Hispanic get elected to the Presidency and it will put a lot of them over the fucking edge. I can't wait to vote for either a woman or an hispanic
This President has shown everyone that we don't just have to have a white man in the oval office to make it all work, again thats what scares the shit out of them. LOL

[Avalux]

40. They know he's the smartest man in the room.

Which, combined with his skin color, REALLY scares the shit out of them. So much that they'll throw every single one of us under the bus to take him down.

[madokie]

41. Yup, we're on the same page

[FSogol]

42. Agree, but think we'll keep the Senate.

Gotta get everyone to show up for the midterms. GOTV

[grahamhgreen]

45. Who will pay for the new war? (crickets)

[Triana]

46. Mathews is right. I was thinking the same things:

Glad Obama is President. He's thoughtful, considers all options, gathers information, doesn't rush into ground wars at the drop of a hat. People can gripe that the 'took too long' to decide what to do. I like that he took some time.

Then, his response was IMO the right one - this one: http://islamicommentary.org/2014/09/take-a-deep-breath-and-build-a-coalition-to-confront-isis-by-david-schanzer-and-tim-nichols/

As for Cheney, why anyone talks to that murderous turd, I can't understand. It was he and his little dog GWB that got us where we are today. It's absolute insanity to consult him on any of it. Isn't it interesting they always talk to him and not GWB? GWB has pretty much disappeared. The Tealiban know he was an incompetent asshole and they don't want him out there. Of course, Cheney shouldn't be either.