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Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
John McCain is correct in articulating the growing threat from Putin's Russia and criticizing the belligerent nation for its autocratic ways and attacks on Georgia. However, he is in denial about what Americans can actually do about the disconcerting situation.
Thanks to his war in Iraq, the U.S. military has been stretched thin and no longer has the capabilities to pose a credible check to growing Russian (or Chinese) might. McCain and Bush's war games in Baghdad have left this nation weaker and have emboldened dictators, such as Putin. McCain can threaten Russia all he wants, but this is dangerous when America has few options.
The fact is, we cannot defend Georgia even if wanted to, despite its strategic importance. McCain's military adventurism in Iraq has serious consequences and has tied American hands in the face of tyranny. Thanks to the squandering of our resources, we are more bark than bite. Untangling our forces from Iraq is the first step in restoring our military readiness and would add muscle to our foreign policy.
If McCain wonders why Russia is not listening - he only has himself to blame for supporting policies that overextended our armed forces. McCain is now reduced to a ridiculous blowhard who is strutting and making empty threats that he can't back up. Such rhetoric will only inflame the situation, embolden Russia and make America appear to be a paper tiger.
On foreign policy, it is time McCain starts using his brain.
11 Comments:
Plus our moral authority is GONE! We started an illegal war based on a pack of lies, are responsible for the deaths of 100,000s of people in Iraq, our own and their's and we now 'ok' torture; habeus corpus is but a memory (a right the English speaking world has had since Magna Carta). Bush criticizing anyone for any criminal or immoral act is an absolute joke and I hope Putin told him that. McCain is still living in yesteryear when the threat of bombs was the answer to every foreign policy problem. Plus I think he still has a lot of internal unspent rage from his years as a POW. The last 8 years of one psychologically damaged maniac is more than enough, we dont need another one in McCain.
posted by Anonymous, at
8/13/2008 11:46 AM
Yes, just who is George W. Bush to advise any other country to restrain their military actions? Six months to go. While McCain would be a vast improvement over what we have now, I am excited at the prospect of electing Obama, an intellectual progressive.
posted by Anonymous, at
8/13/2008 12:29 PM
Forgive me Wayne but the U.S. has absolutely no moral, ethical or legitimate 'leg' to stand on in this matter. Like it or not, Russia invaded a nation because it committed hostile acts against two self declared and separating states. I make this point only as a matter of perspective given that the U.S., having not been attacked by another 'sovereign' nation, invaded anyway. Although Russian action was more than heavy handed, it is quite 'rich' to hear the U.S. screeching about how illegal, unfair, unethical......well you get the point. As for Mr. McCain, he's a dinosaur who grew up and fought a war during the cold war era. Like it or not, American Power is not what it used to be. People have, and I take no joy in saying this, given up on what America stands for. Too many years of saying one thing and doing another is like crying wolf, the truth is, we just don't believe America anymore. Sad but true. Perhaps, just maybe, if Mr. Obama truly means what he says, America can once again walk tall but until then I'm afraid most of us will just shrug and remain sceptical. As I said, sad but true.
posted by Unknown, at
8/13/2008 2:31 PM
I used to believe in the American way. Not anymore. We are a corrupt government, show no respect for other countries, pollute and contaminate everything we are involved with, and are plainly an embarrassment in front of the world. I really am ashamed. I am just ashamed. We have a right winged religious arm that is hypocritical, non christian in their politics and care for others, and obviously greedy and unsympathetic to the needs of the citizens. I actually heard a conservative christian criticise H. Clinto for being too much of a socialist - well isn't that what the church is???? Duh??? Obviuously he wants his money to go to him and not others. And the far left liberals want to do away with the real religious people (moderates) because they have been stained by the right wingers. There's no negotiation, no compromise, no working it through. All I hear mostly is from talking heads the same old blah, blah, blah.
And I have to wonder. Why do we even have representative voting for us anymore. The internet can now make everyone's voice heard within 24 hours. I want my vote to start counting.
Show cases like McCain and Obama need not speak for me.
Okay - done ranting for the moment.
posted by Anonymous, at
8/13/2008 2:52 PM
Looks like the DRAFT will have to be reinstated to keep our armed forces at full strength ... to keep up with the NEOCON world view.
The hypocrisy of the U.S. is mind blowing. We castigate Russia, trade with China, a country that has the worst human rights violations. In 2007 alone, it excecuted more than 5,000 of its citizens, woman can only have a certain number of children or face prosecution and it gets rid of dissidents by torture or execution, plus...it owns our economy, yet we ostracize Cuba. Am I missing something?
posted by Anonymous, at
8/14/2008 4:16 PM
