Discuss the first installment of the Dust-Up on Obama's national security priorities

i think that is not a good idea because he could get shout

dakota @ 11:34 AM PST, Dec 12, 2008

I really don't think the U.S. should invade any foreign country unless it first invades the U.S.

Don McAninch @ 4:57 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

Both writers are well informed of the dirty politics of war. Although hinted, they didn't come out straight and say the war of choice or necessitity are in the minds of the administration and the people supporting them. Whenever its reuired , USA will stage a war to feed its Militay compleax and to create some jobs at our cost. The 9/11 was engineered all along as an excuse for the US to eneter yet a bigger war in the middle east and to control the natural resources of the region while supporting the Zionist regime .

Nick @ 2:26 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

I love watching the true believers squirm now that Uncle Obama is the chosen one. All that's needed is a little magical amoral cost benefit analysis, ie, predict the future costs as reliably as we do the climate, and we know when we have a legitimate war of necessity. How? It's our war of choice, but someone else's war of necessity. No wonder democrats usually loose wars of choice.

don @ 2:09 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

insist saddam can't invade kuwait but now let our foreign fighters cross the border freely into iraq, claim russia be evicted from afganistan then do exactly the same country takeover, support foreign invaders from ethiopia destabilizing somolia, demand iran allow foreign war ships to pass in their national water boundaries... the picture that emerges is as so many in europe, asia and the middle east has recognized - a double standard bully that could never agree to the same rules they impose on others.

uy @ 12:17 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

A justice is supposed to be blind and at any point in the discussion one must be able to ask "if the roles are reversed would you still be for it". That fundamental tenet of all religions (do unto others as you would have done unto you) yields a profound insight into just what is so wrong with the western double standard they impose on others today. When we: don't have bremmer try to privatize iraq's oil, demand 50% of their oil in the psa contract, prevent them the same nuclear deterrent from the west enjoys,

uy @ 12:16 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

We should apply laws justly and equally and ask why we have 700 foreign military bases and impose the largest "emerald garden" in iraq and yet deny others from doing the same in the west, let alone bring in their own security forces to guard them. we must ask why nuclear arms are allowed in israel and they are allowed to perform ethnic cleansing and genocide even as a un signatory and somehow only impose punishment to other countries to which we would like to conquer or control their oil and gas.

uy @ 12:16 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

we must venture to war not only when all options have been expended and when planning (including 3 exit scenarios exist: win, draw, fail), but most importantly when the public has been full educated of the background of the conflict. Prior to invasion of iraq and afganistan, it is full appropriate and necessary to discuss why the u.s. supported dictators like saddam, pinochet, and others in el salvador, honduras etc. we must ask, how would we react if democracies were overthrown in iran, palestine, venezuela just to control their resources or geostragetic position.

uy @ 12:15 PM PST, Dec 11, 2008

I wonder if there will be a day in the future when we Americans will be the victims on the receiving end of the choice of war by others rather than the chooser of war. Having been at war, I hope that I will not see that day.

Mike @ 10:52 AM PST, Dec 11, 2008

Observing the unnecessary and costly ongoing "wars of choice" in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, all of which continue to breed further violence in the entire region, isn't it time to perfect the tactics of "peaces of choice." This means giving up our dependence on force and violence and "studying war no more." It means education, understanding, patience, restraint, wisdom, negotiation, more patience, sharing of resources, discussion -- all that good stuff implied by the Golden Rule. It also means disabusing ourselves of the poisonous idea that we are superior to others.

gezelda @ 9:44 AM PST, Dec 11, 2008

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