The Obama administration is making such a big deal about Obama ordering the killing of Osama bin Laden as part of their re-election campaign. Just between us, I am getting tired of it because Obama keeps acting like he led the raid and double tapped the target himself. Why don't we all agree that we are glad that Obama ordered the raid and that the SEALS were able to pull it off so effectively.
But let's also think about the "courage" of Obama to order the raid. Yes, things could have gone wrong and we could have had a replay of Desert One to finalize the comparison with Jimmy Carter. But if he hadn't ordered it, what do you think public opinion would have been when it was found out that he passed? That's right, Obama had no choice. He didn't fast rope into the compound, nor did he kick the door down or anything else. Instead, he was a voyeur as the real decision makers made their way.
Don't get me wrong, I am glad that the animal is dead. But what is the long term effect of the death of Osama? Outside of being used as campaign fodder, is Al Quaeda gone? Nope. Is the War on Terror really over as some administration idiot supposedly has pronounced? Nope. The fight will go on without the benefit of a figurehead. Kind of reminds me of the Democrat Party after November.
2 comments:
Steve, I suggest that you are slightly missing the point. The weak thing to do would have been to ignore the intel. You have a remarkable faith that the public would ever have discovered such. Hadn't we already been informed that Osama wasn't a problem and we shouldn't care (just as you kinda do here?) The cowardly thing to do would have been drone strikes on the compound. The right and braver thing to do would be to order men to carry out this mission, which is what the CiC did. That deserves more than the credit your partisan view is offering.
It's not real important what you "think" the President is acting like, politically. The commander of all US military forces acted in the best interests of the country, and was successful. I think it's actually the latter part that rankles you.
No, I would disagree that his being successful was what annoys me. Instead, I think that it's "Obama got Osama" instead of Seal Team Six got Osama.
Giving the order is the easy part. Sure you agonize over potential failures, the fact that you are asking men to do something that could result in their death and so on. But those are theoretical and philosophical problems. Having someone shoot at you on the other hand has a definite real impact on your decision making skills.
Overall, Obama continues to display my continuing gripe that the man has no class.
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