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May 21, 2009
Is Obama Starting to Live up to Expectations?
Have just heard Obama’s speech on closing Guantanamo and am now listening to Cheney’s rebuttal. Since I’ve also lived through the last ten years as a sentient human being, there’s no question in my mind who’s version of “truth” deserves more respect.As a nation, we’ve been here before; it’s known as the “ends justifying the means,” with each man laying out reasons why such is occasionally necessary: Lincoln did suspend habeas corpus during the Civil War and Roosevelt imprisoned Japanese-American citizens in California (but not in Hawaii) during World War II. However, historians have not defended either of those actions as consistent with our values in retrospect.
Both Obama and Cheney are asking that we trust them and their judgment. For me, Cheney was still using the unmistakable reasoning of Nixon, Limbaugh, Reagan, and Anslinger. I’m still not certain about Obama because his Presidency is mostly in the future; but I am sure about the past administration, because their repetition of so many classic errors of the past, together with their equally classic justifications, are still fresh in my mind.
I’m waiting to see if Obama will apply similar reasoning to our grievously mistaken war on drugs.
Finally; a comment about the fear expressed by a Republican Congressman from Colorado that the the federal supermax prison in his district might be ued to house Gitmo detainees: I can't think of a sillier argument- or a better example of Cheney's despicable "logic."
Doctor Tom
Posted by tjeffo at May 21, 2009 05:00 PM