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In reply to the discussion: President Obama has won [View all]Octafish
(55,745 posts)155. Troll This.
Is This Barack Obama's 2nd Term? Is it Bill Clinton's 3rd? Or Is It Ronald Reagan's 9th?
They say that elections do matter, and that there are real differences between Republican and Democratic presidents. But backing up the view to 30 years, that difference looks a lot more like continuity, both at home and in America's global empire.
By Bruce A. Dixon
Black Agenda Report managing editor
The answer is yes to all three. Ronald Reagan hasn't darkened the White House door in decades. But his policy objectives have been what every president, Democrat and Republican have pursued relentlessly ever since. Barack Obama is only the latest and most successful of Reagan's disciples.
SNIP...
In Barack Obama's case all he had to say was that he wasn't necessarily against wars, just against what he called stupid wars. Corporate media and liberal shills morphed that lone statement into a false narrative that Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq, making him an instantly viable presidential candidate at a time when the American people overwhelmingly opposed that war. Once in office, Barack Obama strove mightily to abrogate the Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq which would have allowed US forces to remain there indefinitely. But when the Iraqi puppet government, faced with a near revolt on the part of what remained of Iraqi civil society, dared not do his bidding, insisting that uniformed US troops (but not the American and multinational mercenaries we pay to remain there) stick to the withdrawal timetable agreed upon under Bush, liberal shills and corporate media hailed the withdrawal from Iraq as Obama's victory.
Barack Obama doubled down on the invasion and occupation of large areas of Afghanistan, and increased the size of the army and marines, which in fact he pledged to do during his presidential campaign. Presidential candidate Obama promised to end secret imprisonment and torture. The best one can say about President Obama on this score is that he seems to prefer murderous and indiscriminate drone attacks, in many cases, over the Bush policy of international kidnapping secret imprisonment and torture. The Obama administration's reliance on drones combined with US penetration of the African continent, means that a Democratic, ostensibly antiwar president has been able to openly deploy US troops to every part of that continent in support of its drive to control the oil, water, and other resources there.
The objectives President Obama's Africa policies fulfill today were put down on paper by the Bush administration, pursued by Bill Clinton before that, and still earlier pursued by Ronald Reagan, when it funded murderous contra armies of UNITA in Angola and RENAMO in Mozambque. It was UNITA and RENAMO's campaigns, assisted by the apartheid regimes of Israel and South Africa that pioneered the genocidal use of child soldiers. Today, cruise missile liberals hail the Obama administration's use of pit bull puppet regimes like Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, all of which shot their way into power with child soldiers, to invade Somalia and Congo, sometimes ostensibly to go after other bad actors on the grounds that they are using child soldiers.
CONTINUED...
http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/barack-obamas-2nd-term-it-bill-clintons-3rd-or-it-ronald-reagans-9th
I voted for Jimmy Carter. Twice. When did you first vote for a Democrat, brush?
They say that elections do matter, and that there are real differences between Republican and Democratic presidents. But backing up the view to 30 years, that difference looks a lot more like continuity, both at home and in America's global empire.
By Bruce A. Dixon
Black Agenda Report managing editor
The answer is yes to all three. Ronald Reagan hasn't darkened the White House door in decades. But his policy objectives have been what every president, Democrat and Republican have pursued relentlessly ever since. Barack Obama is only the latest and most successful of Reagan's disciples.
SNIP...
In Barack Obama's case all he had to say was that he wasn't necessarily against wars, just against what he called stupid wars. Corporate media and liberal shills morphed that lone statement into a false narrative that Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq, making him an instantly viable presidential candidate at a time when the American people overwhelmingly opposed that war. Once in office, Barack Obama strove mightily to abrogate the Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq which would have allowed US forces to remain there indefinitely. But when the Iraqi puppet government, faced with a near revolt on the part of what remained of Iraqi civil society, dared not do his bidding, insisting that uniformed US troops (but not the American and multinational mercenaries we pay to remain there) stick to the withdrawal timetable agreed upon under Bush, liberal shills and corporate media hailed the withdrawal from Iraq as Obama's victory.
Barack Obama doubled down on the invasion and occupation of large areas of Afghanistan, and increased the size of the army and marines, which in fact he pledged to do during his presidential campaign. Presidential candidate Obama promised to end secret imprisonment and torture. The best one can say about President Obama on this score is that he seems to prefer murderous and indiscriminate drone attacks, in many cases, over the Bush policy of international kidnapping secret imprisonment and torture. The Obama administration's reliance on drones combined with US penetration of the African continent, means that a Democratic, ostensibly antiwar president has been able to openly deploy US troops to every part of that continent in support of its drive to control the oil, water, and other resources there.
The objectives President Obama's Africa policies fulfill today were put down on paper by the Bush administration, pursued by Bill Clinton before that, and still earlier pursued by Ronald Reagan, when it funded murderous contra armies of UNITA in Angola and RENAMO in Mozambque. It was UNITA and RENAMO's campaigns, assisted by the apartheid regimes of Israel and South Africa that pioneered the genocidal use of child soldiers. Today, cruise missile liberals hail the Obama administration's use of pit bull puppet regimes like Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, all of which shot their way into power with child soldiers, to invade Somalia and Congo, sometimes ostensibly to go after other bad actors on the grounds that they are using child soldiers.
CONTINUED...
http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/barack-obamas-2nd-term-it-bill-clintons-3rd-or-it-ronald-reagans-9th
I voted for Jimmy Carter. Twice. When did you first vote for a Democrat, brush?
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My retirement has done extraordinarily well since President Obama took office. So have the
bluestate10
Sep 2013
#70
I'm happy for you and those others whose retirement funds are doing well. However
totodeinhere
Sep 2013
#159
Of course this has been said before. But we need to continue to say it until something
totodeinhere
Sep 2013
#178
Per your view. I think the President and SOS Kerry brilliantly cornered the Russians
bluestate10
Sep 2013
#71
But it was messy, plus he didn't take the all rich people's money away in the process
BeyondGeography
Sep 2013
#5
they always are. The is the problem with power struggles. It is the people who just want to
liberal_at_heart
Sep 2013
#15
The lesson learned is to unite the youth vote behind a single party and candidate.
Spitfire of ATJ
Sep 2013
#182
What has he won? Well for one making you and a number of other look rather foolish
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#92
Well Obama did lead the world in getting this ban on Assad's chemical weapons like the leader he is
Lifelong Dem
Sep 2013
#110
Our long stated goal in Syria is to depose Assad. Entering in to an international agreement...
cigsandcoffee
Sep 2013
#10
Wrong. With chemical weapons out of the equation toppling Assad becomes easier.
joshcryer
Sep 2013
#132
The right wing authoritarian idol worshipering democrats think that it should be...
Larry Ogg
Sep 2013
#65
Not when Conservatives are currently writing a history of his failures,...to get them to cooperate.
Spitfire of ATJ
Sep 2013
#46
...is a myopic statement. This is much bigger than scoring political talking points.
Comrade Grumpy
Sep 2013
#25
You want to agree that the President and John Kerry are Mentally Disabled like Forrest Gump?
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#97
The bigger winner are the 98% of the world who want the CWC followed. And in a small way, Syrians.
freshwest
Sep 2013
#34
shhhhh don't bring that up...they are too busy soft insulting Obama by calling him Forrest Gump!
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#98
Okay for media pundits to degrade the learning disabled? Another epic empathy fail.
freshwest
Sep 2013
#115
He just "sucks" until he has handled your problem as you see successfully I suppose
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#114
No need to put words in my mouth, VanillaRhapsody. That's a propaganda technique.
Octafish
Sep 2013
#118
I am sorry if Barack the Magic President hasn't waved his magic wand and wished them all away for
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#139
You are very kind to respond with such consideration to anyone that uses Black Agenda Report
Number23
Sep 2013
#186
I'm right there with you. The naysayers are pounding the OP and questioning
bluestate10
Sep 2013
#73
No, President Obama has not won. The international community has won assuming that this agreement
totodeinhere
Sep 2013
#56
Wouldn't want to give the man any credit...that would be just terrible...
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#102
But I didn't say don't give the man any credit. I said don't give him all the credit.
totodeinhere
Sep 2013
#116
funny how someone was here giving some credit...and you came along to make sure it wasn't "too much"
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#140
Saying that more than one person deserves some of the credit for this is not bashing anyone.
totodeinhere
Sep 2013
#143
NO I would say insisting that others recognize who you believe deserves credit...
VanillaRhapsody
Sep 2013
#180
Attn DU: A serial alerter has been removed from the game for 24 hours, adjust your plans accordingly
Warren DeMontague
Sep 2013
#75
You have pissed off the purists of DU. To them, President Obama is a disappointment
bluestate10
Sep 2013
#68
And now watch as all the republicans vote for the authorization of bombing strikes
thelordofhell
Sep 2013
#86
Just remembered he won by listening to progressives, and I'll give him a win, thus far.
grahamhgreen
Sep 2013
#109
not over untill it's over. Nerve wracking time now where *anything* could happen.
Sunlei
Sep 2013
#156