TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross
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The bottom line is this debate is about who do you trust, when he gives an order, to be right the first time.

Foreign policy star of tonight's debate

BY Dave Ross  on October 22, 2012 @ 7:23 am (Updated: 11:37 am - 10/22/12 )

I know you're asking: What affects my future more foreign policy or Windows 8?

But tonight's foreign policy debate is probably the most important because all those other issues, like taxes, and health care, deficits all have to go through Congress. The president does not control them even if his own party runs Congress, as Obama found out with his health care plan.

But foreign policy a president can control all by himself. As Commander in Chief, he can start a war whenever he thinks it's necessary.

The last time Congress declared war was World War II. Presidents can ask for a resolution, but in at least 125 cases, they've committed troops without even doing that.

So this is the one debate where they can actually carry out any promises they make. Of course, it's also the one debate where they rarely make specific promises because it can come back to haunt you, like when George W. Bush said in 2000, "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world and nation building missions, then we're going to have serious problem coming down the road and I'm going to prevent that."

Things changed. Barack Obama fared a little better with his big foreign policy promise in 2008.

"Here's what I said. If the United States has Al Qaida, Bin Laden, top level lieutenants in our sights and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take him out."

He got the Bin Laden part, but Al Qaida not quite. But the bottom line is this debate is about who do you trust, when he gives an order, to be right the first time.

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Comments (23)


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  • ron prevost wrote...
    If 'who do you trust' is the question, Dave, your guy is in big trouble.
    October 22, 2012 8:17 am
    One word: LIBYA.

    What Oz needs explain is just how and why, even if HE used the word 'terrorist' within 24 hours, did his 'team' continue to back peddle and equivocate for 2 weeks - and blaming a video. ... Well, we know he can't control Joe Biden, but ... if foreign policy is something a president CAN control, WHAT HAPPENED ?

    Foreign policy - and war - and drones for fun - are not games that allow mulligans, do overs or time outs. ... And it's not merely inconvenient if you make a mistake. .. It's life and death.

    True, all we have from Romney is promises and explanations of what he might do, IF..... An unknown quantity. ......... But Obama has a track record. And it's not a very good one. .. So, should he be given more chances?

    The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Right Ron, who do you trust? Do you trust someone who believes this?
    October 22, 2012 8:23 am
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6udew9axmdM
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Forrest, if you have something to say, say it.
    October 22, 2012 8:33 am
    few of us are going to go to youtube.

    Would be nice if MYNW allowed direct links to posted web sites, but...........

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Ron, I'm Elohim from the planet Kolob.
    October 22, 2012 8:41 am
    I command you to watch the video (and vote for Mitt).
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Hiss, boo, Forrest. Religious intolerance rests as poorly on the left
    October 22, 2012 8:38 am
    as it does on the right.

    I thought we were long past the point where we worried less about what name a man uses for God and concentrated more on a person's character, credentials, and intellect.

    Who do or don't I trust? I don't trust anybody who disses belief systems they don't understand, whether that's some right wing tea-partier spreading lies about Islam or an Obama supporter smearing Mormonisn.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Chuck,
    October 22, 2012 8:42 am
    That video is so unbelievable. I can't imagine giving someone control of the world's most powerful military that believes that BS.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Forrest... as opposed to somebody who (literally) believes
    October 22, 2012 9:01 am
    most of the stuff in the Christmas narratives (added much later to compete with the god Mithras)recorded in two of the four gospels in the New Testament?

    Give control of the world's strongest military to somebody who will use it decisively, but wisely and reluctantly. Use it as a last resort after all diplomacy has failed, not as the first hair-trigger option. Beyond that, I don't really care if he or she prays to Mr. Potato Head.

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  • maplefish wrote...
    Touche' Chuck
    October 22, 2012 12:04 pm
    Forrest proves his lack of intelligence by slamming and insulting that which he does not understand...
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  • Forrest wrote...
    @ fish
    October 22, 2012 2:34 pm
    You're right fish, I don't understand how any sane person could believe in Elohim from planet Kolob. You must be from planet Kolob as well.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Two can do that
    October 22, 2012 8:39 am
    Here is your Dear Leader in his OWN WORDS

    http://youtu.be/nWVL7TptQ24

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Back at you Rick. Here's one of Romney feeding at the public trough.
    October 22, 2012 9:13 am
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yR_Mn4Skt4
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    BTW, Dave. It must be 'foreign policy'.
    October 22, 2012 8:27 am
    Because without an effective foreign policy, ALL of those Windows 8s will be made in China -
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Republican foreign policy: Use military force to impose "American principles and leadership" on the rest of the world...
    October 22, 2012 8:53 am
    At least that was true when this position paper was written, and signed by a few names still very powerful in Republican circles. It will be interesting to see if Romney disavows this neo-colonialism during the debate, and even more interesting to note whether he abandons these principles should he be elected. The policy paper for the Project for the New American Century reads....

    We seem to have forgotten the essential elements of the Reagan Administration's success: a military that is strong and ready to meet both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national leadership that accepts the United States' global responsibilities.

    Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its power. But we cannot safely avoid the responsibilities of global leadership or the costs that are associated with its exercise. America has a vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. If we shirk our responsibilities, we invite challenges to our fundamental interests. The history of the 20th century should have taught us that it is important to shape circumstances before crises emerge, and to meet threats before they become dire. The history of this century should have taught us to embrace the cause of American leadership.

    Our aim is to remind Americans of these lessons and to draw their consequences for today. Here are four consequences:

    • we need to increase defense spending significantly if we are to carry out our global responsibilities today and modernize our armed forces for the future;

    • we need to strengthen our ties to democratic allies and to challenge regimes hostile to our interests and values;

    • we need to promote the cause of political and economic freedom abroad;

    • we need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles.

    Such a Reaganite policy of military strength and moral clarity may not be fashionable today. But it is necessary if the United States is to build on the successes of this past century and to ensure our security and our greatness in the next.

    Elliott Abrams, Gary Bauer, William J. Bennett, Jeb Bush, Dick Cheney, Eliot A. Cohen, Midge Decter, Paula Dobriansky, Steve Forbes, Aaron Friedberg, Francis Fukuyama, Frank Gaffney, Fred C. Ikle, Donald Kagan, Zalmay Khalilzad, I. Lewis Libby, Norman Podhoretz, Dan Quayle, Peter W. Rodman, Stephen P. Rosen, Henry S. Rowen, Donald Rumsfeld, Vin Weber, George Weigel, Paul Wolfowitz,

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Of course, the true Reagan policy was .......
    October 22, 2012 11:26 am
    ... to prevent others from imposing THEIR principles and leadership (ok, Granada excepted). ........ And, of course, bluff so well the Soviets actually believed Star Wars would work - and they couldn't afford to match it.

    Interesting, though, the signers. While I truly respect Bill Bennett, the rest of the signers are not exactly the Reagan inner circle. .. Notably Dick Cheney, who hated Ronald Reagan since 1976 - at least - for daring to run against Jerry Ford.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    "because it can come back to haunt you, like when George W. Bush said in 2000"
    October 22, 2012 9:38 am
    Or as Kennedy did in 1963 Dave, you memory does not serve you so well these days. Maybe take a week away from the Liberal talking points and really act like a Journalist for 5 days, give it a try, maybe you could visit a self help program for those that have been indoctrinated by political believes and report the news in a unbiased way.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    Rhetoric, more rhetoric, and even more rhetoric
    October 22, 2012 9:39 am
    Condeleezza Rice has gotten it right.

    If we have a weak economy we have a weak country.

    That in itself defines peace through strength.

    I suspect Romney will bring this up several times.

    Actually I'd like to hear Romney dimiss Libya as a tragic, failed Obama policy - and close the subject.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    cdbtx: and one of the ways we create a weak economy...
    October 22, 2012 10:35 am
    is to put the wars we choose to prosecute in the name of foreign policy on credit cards.

    One of the truly unforgivable lies of the angry right during the Obama years (whether those years end in a few months or four years from now)is that Obama sent spending through the roof.

    When we started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, long before Obama was president, we looked at the budget and couldn't find the money to pay for them. In fact, at that time we were prioritizing a move that would bring the majority of income earned in the US (corporate dividends and capital gains) down to a 15% tax bracket. It seemed awkward to ramp up expenses for military initiatives at the same time.

    The angry right's solution, "We'll just pretend we're not spending the money! It will never be included in the federal budget! We'll fund the wars through emergency appropriations! The public is so stupid, they'll never figure it out!"

    A huge portion of Obama's so-called spending increase is comprised of acknowledging the actual dollars spent prosecuting those wars. The money was being spent all along, only now it's official.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    Gould
    October 22, 2012 11:12 am
    The biggest way we create a weak economy is through Gov't Dependencey.

    Look at the poverty level, the increase in food stamps, the increase in welfare, and the decrease in education.

    I'll not defend the spending although it's pure liberal rhetoric in the manner that you cite the numbers.

    Of course, it's back to the pathetic "Blame Bush" mental disease.. very sad state and I personally think Americans are sick and tired of hearing it.

    How about a solution - a fix, instead of blame.

    Libya - case closed. If you've read the Congressional Testimony - it was obviously a series of failed policies. Rather than dwell on blame as President Obama has on virtually every issue of the last 4 years - let's learn from the mistakes and ensure that they never happened again. Cased closed.

    China - Foreign jobs, let China keep the low paying, low skilled jobs. America needs to take advantage of it's people and skills. I'd much rather see America pay high wages for skilled employees to design the computerized assembly machines and installing them verses paying minimum wage to sew on a button. Enforce the existing trade laws. We pass hundreds of new laws every year, but rarely enforce any of them.

    Make it attractive for businesses to operate in America. It's a liberal fantasy to think that we'll attrack business growth and development in America while having one of the most complicated tax systems in the world. When a company has to spend more money on attorneys than employees there's a serious sign that something is wrong.

    Make it attractive for businesses to operate in America. It's a liberal fantasy to think that we'll attrack business growth and development in America while having one of the most complicated tax systems in the world. When a company has to spend more money on attorneys than employees there's a serious sign that something is wrong.

    Make it attractive for businesses to operate in America. It's a liberal fantasy to think that we'll attrack business growth and development in America while having one of the most complicated tax systems in the world. When a company has to spend more money on attorneys than employees there's a serious sign that something is wrong.

    Gould - and your solution is.. Geeeeeezzz.. man... join reality.. "BLAME BUSH" and repeat political rhetoric.

    BTW - lastly, we should pull the $90bn from green energy and put it into fusion research. Yeah, the research that Obama pulled $470 Million from the year - The same research that China has now sent a very nice thank you letter to Obama for allowing them to use, as they now pour billions into.

    A source of energy that would change the life of every human on earth..

    But no... let's do the instant gratification thing, pay off friends.. and sing about how green America is..

    And where do you stand... "BLAME BUSH"...

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    cdbtx: huh? Where do I "blame Bush"?
    October 22, 2012 11:55 am
    But show me where the expenses for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were ever included in the official budgets during his administration, and I will print out my remarks and eat the paper.

    Glad to see that, per your standard, the incoming president is 100% responsible for wars that were started during a previous administration. That means of course that if Romney wins this year, he will then become responsible for all the spending done by Bush *and* Obama. Good luck to him with that.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    ObamaEconomy.
    October 22, 2012 10:19 am
    Left wing Parrots, how are your Dear Leaders re immaculation chances today? Two weeks from tomorrow?
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  • mpgunner wrote...
    Drudgereport
    October 22, 2012 10:26 am
    The photo's say it all. Why would any US President bow? Only a rank amateur would.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    As Dumb and Dumber(R&D) would say - DLO is going to take the flip flopper down town to China town . . . .
    October 22, 2012 12:03 pm
    and you can take that to the bank.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Left wing Parrots here, you no longer defend your Dear Leader and his polices.
    October 23, 2012 5:43 am
    You people have not done so in quite a while. All you have left is to attack Romney and us Americans on our ideas and your Dear Leaders upcoming landslide loss!
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