Jimmy, Barack, Hillary, Bernie, & foreign policy

[foolsguinea.livejournal.com]

Jimmy Carter was the first US President I remember. I still like & respect Jimmy Carter, even though in hindsight he didn't really continue the successful economic policies of previous Democrats, and he didn't stop the imperialist activities of the USA in Latin America.

I can like someone while recognizing that they have glaring flaws among their good points. I bring this up because it's relevant to how we look at Barack Obama. Obama is likeable, and he's cool, and his presidency is important to a lot of people--and his foreign policy team is crap. Total crap.

War in Libya with the opposition of Congress--are we playing at being Dick Nixon & Henry Kissinger now?
Trying to depose Assad via the ragtag Free Syrian Army, and probably contributing to the Syrian refugee crisis--instead of offering food aid when Syria was in a five-year drought and a killer famine, possibly thawing relations with Assad, and averting the refugee crisis.
And both of the above empowered "Islamic State." Lovely.
Assassinating Muslim preacher Anwar al-Awlaki. Then assassinating his teenage son. Obama flak-catcher then saying, "Should've had a better dad!" Class act. e_e
The "double tap" drone policy which attacks first responders after an assassination strike, not to mention that our foreign policy relies on assassination strikes at all.
America apparently completely blowing the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009? I don't know as much about this one.

All of this happened when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. I'm not giving John Kerry a free pass. I'm just saying, if she wants to run on this record, I'm not seeing enough positives to outweigh negatives. It's not really a great record on the merits.

Then she stood in front of a bunch of Democratic primary voters and invoked Henry Kissinger as someone who approved of her state department. Um, OK, you can take a compliment from a predecessor, but trumpeting that is odd. Do you even know where you are, lady? Republicans might accept that endorsement; I grew up Republican, and I think we sort of knew Kissinger was a supervillain, but he was our supervillain. In front of a bunch of liberal US Democrats? Uhhh, no.

Bernie isn't perfect. Drone attacks will probably continue under him in some form. But I think I'd rather take a chance on his foreign policy than on hers. Of course, that's easy to say, given that I tend to agree with him on other issues.

Tulsi Gabbard's endorsement of Bernie yesterday makes me think I'm onto something. Hillary Clinton was a bad Secretary of State who backed foolish policies that caused problems for other countries, including our European allies. And to no advantage to our country.

She has not earned the respect her resumé would imply. And at least Bernie isn't looking to Kissinger as a mentor and role model.

Just one of the reasons I am asking you to vote for Bernie Sanders in your state's Democratic primary.

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Gabbard's family has ties to the BJP, which is essentially Fascism in Hindu garb. That Sanders is getting endorsements from homophobes who represent two separate kinds of atavisms in one unholy merger is officially the kiss of death with that campaign. It's as bad as Trump and his David Duke endorsements. And to put it bluntly, a plague on both your houses. None of these candidates are worth a damn.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

Gabbard's family has ties to the BJP, which is essentially Fascism in Hindu garb.

And Gabbard is pretty much the farthest thing from a fascist... so what's the point? Gabbard is a fantastic person who any candidate should be proud to be endorsed by.


That Sanders is getting endorsements from homophobes who represent two separate kinds of atavisms in one unholy merger

What homophobes? To whom are you referring?

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Tulsi Gabbard's father is Mike Gabbard who waged a single minded campaign against same sex marriage in the 1990s in Hawai'i. He's a raging homophobe and an idiot to boot.

Tulsi has openly declared her support for gay rights but given her father, people have doubted her commitment.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

More than openly declared - her record in terms of votes and sponsorship of bills ought to put any doubts about her commitment to rest, regardless of who her father is. (Even if she at one point was against same-sex marriage, that record makes me more than willing to accept at face value her explanation of what changed her mind - and a politician willing to admit to having been wrong about something is a pretty rare bird.)

I'm also wondering what other homophobes he's referring to (since he used to plural) and what the hell "two separate kinds of atavisms" is supposed to mean.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Oh, no doubt in my mind to be sure. She is walking the walk. I suppose some people want her to openly denounce her father - not exactly getting how family oriented Samoans are. Might as well expect her to cut off her own hand.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Hinduvta is a 1930s-style fascist movement complete with paramilitary and dedicated to "Blood for the Blood God" level of sophistication of politics, and it's a hardline Hindu fanaticism of Shivaji proportions. Those are the two atavisms.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

That's nice, but I do not see any indication that Tulsi Gabbard is a member of BJP, endorses Hinduvta, or shares any of the views of that organization (and her actions speak loudly, in fact, to the contrary.) Why does her father's political affiliation hold more weight in your estimation than her own words and actual actions?

Your contention that Sanders has received endorsements from "homophobes who represent two separate kinds of atavisms in one unholy merger" is simply false.