In this earlier thread I commented on the incredible ignorant statement by Obama that FDR and Truman talked to our enemies:
The other side can label and name-call all they want, but I trust the American people to recognize that it’s not surrender to end the war in Iraq so that we can rebuild our military and go after al Qaeda’s leaders. I trust the American people to understand that it’s not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but our enemies – like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman did.
Its a breathtaking quote and one that should not be glossed over. Not only is he completely wrong on his history (maybe the result of 20+ years of lessons from Rev. Wright), he is basically telling us what his policy will be once gaining the White House. To sit down and discuss our differences with our enemies. Let me see. With Iran we’ve talked to them, cajoled them, placed many carrots in front of them, and begged them….results left much to be desired.
Iran is one enemy, al-Qaeda is another. Talking to AQ is akin to madness and treason.
But there it is, in black and white, the evidence that this man would sit down with those who deserve no sit-downs.
As far as the history goes Jack Kelly slaps the messiah down a bit:
I assume the Roosevelt to whom Sen. Obama referred is Franklin D. Roosevelt. Our enemies in World War II were Nazi Germany, headed by Adolf Hitler; fascist Italy, headed by Benito Mussolini, and militarist Japan, headed by Hideki Tojo. FDR talked directly with none of them before the outbreak of hostilities, and his policy once war began was unconditional surrender.
FDR died before victory was achieved, and was succeeded by Harry Truman. Truman did not modify the policy of unconditional surrender. He ended that war not with negotiation, but with the atomic bomb.
Harry Truman also was president when North Korea invaded South Korea in June, 1950. President Truman’s response was not to call up North Korean dictator Kim Il Sung for a chat. It was to send troops.
Perhaps Sen. Obama is thinking of the meeting FDR and Churchill had with Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in Tehran in December, 1943, and the meetings Truman and Roosevelt had with Stalin at Yalta and Potsdam in February and July, 1945. But Stalin was then a U.S. ally, though one of whom we should have been more wary than FDR and Truman were. Few historians think the agreements reached at Yalta and Potsdam, which in effect consigned Eastern Europe to slavery, are diplomatic models we ought to follow. Even fewer Eastern Europeans think so.
When Stalin’s designs became unmistakably clear, President Truman’s response wasn’t to seek a summit meeting. He sent military aid to Greece, ordered the Berlin airlift and the Marshall Plan, and sent troops to South Korea.
So, in actuality, FDR and Truman did the complete opposite of what Obama is alleging. Instead of talking to our enemies, instead of running from a fight, they took the fight to the enemy and did not stop until a unconditional surrender was achieved.
I have a feeling we wouldn’t get the same resolve from a President Obama.
See author page
Truman didn’t meet with Stalin? Recheck your history.
Read the post first before leaving comments please:
It would be curious how Obama plans to talk with these people. They are going to want something such as taxpayer’s money or weapons before they even talk and then the talk would be about nothing. Maybe he even knows this and is trying to win the vote from those tired of the war in Iraq. Obama wouldn’t be the first person to lie to get elected. Remember, “Read my lips, no new taxes” from Bush Sr.? Even Ronald Reagan and George Bush Jr. preached a smaller government but both ended up increasing its size.
I haven’t seen anything were he has suggested talking with al-Qaeda ( in your blockquote he’s saying we need to “go after” them). He also criticised Carter for meeting with Hamas.
Iran is another story. I doubt meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would prove fruitful. But meeting with someone doesn’t take future military action off the table.
If Iran thumbs their nose at GW Bush, do you really think they’ll cower at the feet of OBAMA?
Truman was a different kind of Democrat than Obama for sure.
The Obamessiah doesn’t even know how many states there are in the US:
Incredible.
I wonder, did he “mis-speak” or was it due to his youth and inexperience?
Iran is another story. I doubt meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would prove fruitful. But meeting with someone doesn’t take future military action off the table.
How many meetings will it take before the US realizes there will be no compromise with these people. It is turning out just like negotiations and resolutions with Saddam. All the time in the world to either get nuclear weapons or hide them somewhere else. Delay. Delay. Delay.
Obama is a weak neellie. Thee people don’t understand appeasment. They only understand and admire force. As long as we hold our hands they think we are weak and will cave at the first instance of agression. They shrug off what happened to Saddam because they think we are too strung out to be effective. All we need to do is bomb the training camps, posible nuclear sites and infrastructure. We don.t even need to go in with ground forces. The Iranian people will rise up at that time and overthrow the mullahs at that time. And maybe if we bomb the ayatollahs we can get Mookie at the same time. That might put a stop to the Mahdi militia at an end.
The US delays and delays because the dems will probably open up impeachment trials if Bush bombs Iran. Dems are traitors in the name of politics. It will be left to Israel again to do the honors and the world media will again castigate Israel for saving their sorry butts.
I can’t believe Obama would even consider meeting with them, where would that get him? I love how he tries to rewright history, kinda like Hillary and the sniper fire. I just don’t see what the big fuss is all about with Obama, he talks alot and says almost nothing. He is a joke.
Ask Carter’s Mugabe how all the talking all worked out for him. Didn’t Carter “talk to the mullahs” before giving them the premier terror base in the world, right in the middle of the world’s oil supply? How clever was that?
The problem is most people under 50 don’t really know who Carter was and the greatness he achieved for America. Some records he set have never been broken since.
Get ready for the Carter-McGovern ‘hate and envy’ fuelled economic Marxism reruns.
“When You See a Rattlesnake Poised to Strike, You Do Not Wait Until He Has Struck Before You Crush Him”
-September 11, 1941, President Franklin D Roosevelt speech authorizing the use of force against Germany
Stalin was an ally until late 1945/early 46.
Barack’s just tired. That’s all. Tired, and having to pander to crowds of isolationists, socialists, defeatists, appeasers, and generally people who don’t want to face the reality that planet Earth is not a civilized place. FDR, Truman, JFK…they knew that. They recognized it, faced it, and dealt with it. Modern Democrats can’t, won’t, and are afraid to do so.
It isn’t surprising considering who his Foreign Policy Advisor is, Jimmy Carters former Secretary of State Zbignew Brezenski, failed king of talk and inaction.
An Obama foreign policy would be a rehash of Carter only worse.
I made virtually the exact same points as Mr. Kelly on May 8, 2008 at 2:38AM. (I then (4:39AM) posted a comment trackback on JustOneMinute’s original post here, I also pasted my post around the net, like at Say Anything Blog at 3:38AM )
Mr. Kelly had more time to research his column then I did in a blog post, but he hit every point.
It is nice to see great minds think alike and better yet to see the facts get out! I couldn’t get anyone to link mine, but Mr. Kelly’s got the word out that Obama is a lightweight. As Kennedy said of Kruschev, “He beat the hell out of me,” and Obama is levels below Kennedy.
DKK
Obama really does say some ridiculous things. He acts and people think that he is just so amazing and progressive, yet he doesn’t really care about people. That guy doesn’t care about anyone put himself. You can see how he has trampled through the Democratic party, apparently shifted away from his formerly racist views that he share with Jeremiah Wright.
Then he talks so big about foreign policy, as if he already knows everything; I wonder how quickly he’ll shift his stance on that when he realizes that other leaders are going to abuse him and eat him alive.