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2008-11-26 Home Front: Politix

Obama's Foreign Policy: Buying in at the Bottom

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Posted by ryuge 2008-11-26 05:48|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Please, no more Kool-Aid for Kaplan. He and The One are one.

Posted by Besoeker 2008-11-26 07:39|| 2008-11-26 07:39|| Front Page Top

#2 Can Kaplan explain why this is the bottom? Seems to me, it could go either way. Is Hillary really that much more qualified for Secretary of state than Martha Stewart? Her 'experience' centered around hosting and toasting, not negotations. Unlike Hillary, Martha has actual business experience and real jail time in her resume.

Posted by Richard of Oregon 2008-11-26 07:59|| 2008-11-26 07:59|| Front Page Top

#3 It proved a brilliant choice, as Dayan helped direct the peace process with Egypt that culminated with the Camp David accords.

That's like Czechs celebrating Munich accords.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2008-11-26 08:57|| 2008-11-26 08:57|| Front Page Top

#4 Richard, Martha Stewart at least could entertain foreign leaders with grace and tasty food.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-11-26 09:02|| 2008-11-26 09:02|| Front Page Top

#5 Would someone please tell this constitutional scholar (aka Obama) that Hillary cannot be SoS?

There's this little clause in the constitution, Article 1 section 6 paragraph 2, that makes her Thighness ILLEGAL!

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time;..."

The pay of the SoS and others was increased while Hillary has been a Senator, ergo she can't be SoS.

Posted by AlanC 2008-11-26 10:15|| 2008-11-26 10:15|| Front Page Top

#6 Martha Stewart at least could entertain foreign leaders with grace and tasty food.

And she would have the chutzpah to send them a bill for it afterwards.

Posted by Milton Fandango 2008-11-26 11:48|| 2008-11-26 11:48|| Front Page Top

#7 GWB did not "damage America's position in the world". The world adopted a pose of antagonism toward America because GWB was not a socialist/pacifist. It's the same old story every time a Republican is President, except that most people aren't old enough to remember how it was with Reagan and Nixon. Now that O is President, America is wonderful.

Posted by Cynicism Inc 2008-11-26 17:54|| 2008-11-26 17:54|| Front Page Top

#8 What BS. Dubya's failings have been only to achieve less than he might have, while still having achieved much. "Realism", like almost all words ending in "ism", is meaningless. Dubya has been utterly realistic, and has had the sense of responsibility (unlike almost all in the political class) to take short-term risks and abuse to enhance long-term prospects for security.

AQ has been severely battered and is under tremendous pressure, their primary failed state/sanctuary (Afghanistan) has been turned over, one of the most reckless likely facilitators/suppliers (Iraq) has been changed, their far-flung operations from the Philippines to the Horn to the tri-border region of South America have been attacked and pressured.

North Korea remains a dropped ball (after Dubya at first adopted a realistic policy), the Israel-Arab thing remains right where it was and will always be, and of course Iran clicks along towards fission. None of those things are new, and none of them are the fault of the current crew, though they coulda/should done more on all, esp. since they at some point took a realistic approach to them.

Kaplan's facts aren't (mostly) facts, his analysis is rubbish, and his metaphor is crappy, too. I see The Atlantic continues its decline.

Posted by Verlaine 2008-11-26 21:53|| 2008-11-26 21:53|| Front Page Top

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