Grade Obama on national defense

[XemaSab]

Including not only terrorism, but TSA and border security.

:shrug:

[TBF]

1. Seriously, I have no idea how many wars we've declared at this point ...

Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yeman, North Korea ... the list goes on and on. "F"

[MilesColtrane]

3. A couple of technical points...

There hasn't been a declared war since WWII.

Also, the engagement between the UN and North Korea has been ongoing since 1950, although under a cease fire treaty for most of that time.

[TBF]

8. So "techically' all those soldiers and innocent bystanders hit by drones aren't "dead"?

nt

[TBF]

9. And as far as "technicalities" go - I'd like you to read about the soldier who lost both legs

in Afghanistan in your "non-war": http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/12/2/924957/-Dad,-Ive-been-hit.-Ive-lost-both-my-legs.

"A father answering his phone, with caller ID showing US Government-Honolulu, hears his son's voice,

"Dad, I've been hit. I've lost both my legs."

"Where are you? Where are you?" the father asks.

"I'm in Afghanistan," his son said. "I can't talk.
They're taking me to Germany. I can contact you in 24 hours."

Then the line went dead.

The father screamed his son's name, and started to cry."

[MilesColtrane]

15. Words mean things.

(BTW I want us out of Iraq and Afghanistan yesterday.)

[TBF]

18. Yes they do, and that's why it's important not to minimize or trivialize military action. nt

[obxhead]

4. Fighting in those places does not bring us any safety either.

In fact, pissing off the rest of the world is only making us a target.

If your family and friends were killed in a conflict and you felt you had little if anything to live for, wouldn't you think of nothing but striking back against the people that had done that to you?

[RKP5637]

7. Exactly, they strike back and we say WTF. Like WTF do we expect them to

do. War is a money maker for some, they get rich and others suffer. And then we scream when some talk about American Imperialism. It's a viscous cycle and the US doesn't seem to want to break it ... it's habitual now.

[XemaSab]

10. I'm finding it interesting

that I started two polls, one about foreign policy and one about national defense, and our military has grown into such a hydra that people are interpreting national defense as war. :(

[TBF]

14. They ought to rename it "national offense". nt

[polichick]

2. Well, he has continued America's endless war economy and culture...

...and played right into the hands of the military industrial congressional complex, which now includes hundreds of thousands of private contractor war profiteers in addition to the usual corporate war profiteers. And since they don't really "hate us for our freedoms" I'll choose F, for we're more FUCKED than ever.

[mmonk]

5. Depends if one thinks a police and war state is doing a good job

for Defense.

[TexasObserver]

6. I can't think of anything he's done correctly on national defense.

He's stuck with two wars. He's used the same hacks in the Pentagon and military as Bush. He's not done anything to end the horrors of the Bush administration. We are less free today than the day he took office. He's even been incredibly weak on ending DADT. He talks about the deficit, but doesn't have the courage to cut the military and war budgets.

I'm open to information suggesting he has done something useful on national defense, but haven't seen it thus far.

[unkachuck]

13. sadly, I must agree with you....n/t

[NightWatcher]

11. Defense is fine (no attacks here), but the Offense sux

[bluetrain]

12. WHY?

[taught_me_patience]

16. There should be an F-

Continuous war making us less safe
Not even a discussion about cutting the budget
Drones
Gates
DADT

The list goes on

[Greyhound]

17. Please define your terms. Seriously, the culture of doublespeak has grown

to the point that 10 people talking about national defense are probably talking about 10 different things.

[XemaSab]

19. I realize that after posting this poll

I wanted to start two polls, one about external relations and one about internal security, but I didn't really clarify what I meant by either. :(