Obama Caves to 'Scaredy-Cat Nation'

[L. Coyote]

Obama Caves to 'Scaredy-Cat Nation'
Robert Parry - May 27, 2009 - http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/052709.html


A paradox of the modern United States is that it wields unprecedented military power in the world yet its people are constantly kept frightened about unlikely foreign dangers. Its politics, too, are dominated by fear.

The way this plays out most often is that Republicans (aided by the U.S. news media) exaggerate overseas threats and denounce the Democrats for being “soft” on whatever the current “threat” might be: the Reds, the yellow menace, Soviet “beachheads” in Central America, or now Islamic terrorism.

From the Vietnam War to today’s “war on terror,” Democrats have reacted out of fear of getting blamed for not doing enough to “protect” the nation, so they undertake misguided actions to look tough, as Lyndon Johnson did in escalating U.S. troop levels in Vietnam or as Democrats in Congress did in going along with George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq.

In the latest chapter, President Barack Obama is succumbing to the same dynamic as he retreats on his campaign promises to restore the rule of law ..............

[placton]

1. Obama Caves

has and will lead many posts here

[tom_paine]

2. The Land of TV and the Home of the (Virtual) Slave

What have we become?

A Bilderberger's wet dream.

[Birthmark]

3. Homelandia is a fearful nation.

The fright-wing Homelanders enjoy that. I think that they get a commission from AQ for selling their terror.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. "the land of the freea and home of the brave" is one of the more obvious myths of this country.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken

[MarjorieG]

5. Obama always mentions past fear-based policy, the speech's facts ixed around ideology, but MSM spoke

of only what said as related to Cheney's words. Obama's had a bigger scope and wiser words.

He can't stop the military complex, but he's trying to redirect and modernize. Sooooooooooo uphill.

[Echo In Light]

6. In my estimation, presidential admins aren't "elected" to change the primary power structures

...but rather, to serve them diligently as all pres admins do

[BolivarianHero]

7. Here's why Europe loves Obama...

The right found him conservative enough for their tastes.
The left didn't want to look bigoted.
Everyone found him charismatic.
He's obviously exponentially better than Dumbya.