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>in many ways when it came to Foreign Policy. > >Obama's instincts on foreign policy were remarkable and >intuitive - and although his administration made its errors >and was laden with Establishment figures - he deserves more >credit for resisting the Foreign Policy Establishment and at >least starting to pave the way towards a new methodology of >foreign engagement. > >Consider this: > >*Obama distanced us from our unsavory alliance w/ Saudi Arabia >in search of a more neutral posture in the region >*Brokered one of the most historic diplomatic achievements in >U.S. history - the JCPOA (Iran Deal) >*Broke new ground in putting a real check on Netanyahu's >extremism in Israel >*Regarded his administration's interventionism in Libya >(pushed by Clinton when she was Sec. of State) to be the >biggest mistake of his presidency >*Resisted the bi-partisan war cry for offensive action in >Syria >*Normalized/de-escalated relations with Russia >*Correctly focused more on China's gross human rights >violations and growing threat > >This excerpt from the Atlantic typifies Obama's leadership in >foreign policy - and his conflict with the Clintonian foreign >policy Establishment: > >"Syria, for Obama, represented a slope potentially as slippery >as Iraq. In his first term, he came to believe that only a >handful of threats in the Middle East conceivably warranted >direct U.S. military intervention. > >Hillary Clinton, when she was Obama’s secretary of state, >argued for an early and assertive response to Assad’s >violence. In 2014, after she left office, Clinton told me that >“the failure to help build up a credible fighting force of >the people who were the originators of the protests against >Assad … left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now >filled.” When The Atlantic published this statement, and >also published Clinton’s assessment that “great nations >need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ >is not an organizing principle,” Obama became “rip-shit >angry,” according to one of his senior advisers. >The president did not understand how “Don’t do stupid >shit” could be considered a controversial slogan. Ben Rhodes >recalls that “the questions we were asking in the White >House were ‘Who exactly is in the stupid-shit caucus? Who is >pro–stupid shit?’ ” > >The Iraq invasion, Obama believed, should have taught >Democratic interventionists like Clinton, who had voted for >its authorization, the dangers of doing stupid shit. (Clinton >quickly apologized to Obama for her comments, and a Clinton >spokesman announced that the two would “hug it out” on >Martha’s Vineyard when they crossed paths there later.)" > >So yes - Obama (like all presidents) presided over an American >empire that has been shamefully complicit in international war >crimes and human rights violations - but to call out Obama - >and give others a pass (namely Trump & Bush) signals egregious >prejudice. > >That said - I also think it's shameful when analysts refuse to >criticize Obama - but will grill (only) Republicans on matters >of foreign policy - when both parties are responsible for the >bi-partisan consensus for war. >-->
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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415
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