SnowLeopard

He was in Texas yesterday. I took a look at his web sites, at the stand of the issues, to solidfy my opinion of him .......... and that came down to that I don't want him in office.

Essentially:

On Homeland Security: (from Barack Obama | Change We Can Believe In | Issues)
Keeping Track of Spent Nuclear Fuel

The nation has 103 operating nuclear power plants which annually produce over 2,000 metric tons of spent fuel that remains highly radioactive for many years. A report by the Government Accountability Office found inadequate tracking and security for spent nuclear fuel rods. Nuclear plants in Connecticut, Vermont and California have reported missing spent fuel in the last five years. Senator Obama introduced legislation to establish guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for spent fuel at nuclear power plants.

AND

On Foreign Policy:

Nuclear Weapons

* A Record of Results: The gravest danger to the American people is the threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon and the spread of nuclear weapons to dangerous regimes. Obama has taken bipartisan action to secure nuclear weapons and materials:
1. He joined Senator Dick Lugar in passing a law to help the United States and our allies detect and stop the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction throughout the world.
2. He joined Senator Chuck Hagel to introduce a bill that seeks to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, and stop the spread of nuclear weapons.
3. And while other candidates have insisted that we should threaten to drop nuclear bombs on terrorist training camps, Obama believes that we must talk openly about nuclear weapons – because the best way to keep America safe is not to threaten terrorists with nuclear weapons, it's to keep nuclear weapons away from terrorists.
* Secure Loose Nuclear Materials from Terrorists: Obama will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years. While we work to secure existing stockpiles of nuclear material, Obama will negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new nuclear weapons material. This will deny terrorists the ability to steal or buy loose nuclear materials.
* Strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Obama will crack down on nuclear proliferation by strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that countries like North Korea and Iran that break the rules will automatically face strong international sanctions.
* Toward a Nuclear Free World: Obama will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and pursue it. Obama will always maintain a strong deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist. But he will take several steps down the long road toward eliminating nuclear weapons. He will stop the development of new nuclear weapons; work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles off hair trigger alert; seek dramatic reductions in U.S. and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material; and set a goal to expand the U.S.-Russian ban on intermediate- range missiles so that the agreement is global.


Of course, Russia and the US aren't the only ones with nuclear weapons. What about the rest of the countries?

Further, we know or people should know that most of nuclear waste does not come from power or weapons but from medical. Think back of the cases of where a town was poisoned because some threw an "old x ray machine" into the junkyard where it was scrapped and the metal got passed into the community. Basic point I am trying to make it that he is focusing on what people usually think about in this issue ........ and missing a source that should also be considered.

The genie is out of the bottle; the only way there will be no nuclear weapons of any sort on this planet will be if there are no nuclear elements/compounds on the planet or we are all dead.

Expand our Diplomatic Presence (extracted) : To make diplomacy a priority, Obama will stop shuttering consulates and start opening them in the tough and hopeless corners of the world – particularly in Africa. He will expand our foreign service, and develop the capacity of our civilian aid workers to work alongside the military.

This is counter productive. The military's primary job is not humitarian missions. They do it in disaster, yes, but that's not the primary job. Somolia should have taught us that. Their job is to fight the enemies of the country, plan and simple.

On Service:
Show the World the Best Face of America: Obama will set up an America's Voice Initiative to send Americans who are fluent speakers of local languages to expand our public diplomacy. He also will extend opportunities for older individuals such as teachers, engineers, and doctors to serve overseas.

AND

Expand the Peace Corps: Obama will double the Peace Corps to 16,000 by 2011. He will work with the leaders of other countries to build an international network of overseas volunteers so that Americans work side-by-side with volunteers from other countries.

AND

Foreign Policy: Iran: Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior. Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation. Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress.

AND

Foreign Policy: Renewing American Diplomacy: # Talk to our Foes and Friends: Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe. He will do the careful preparation necessary, but will signal that America is ready to come to the table, and that he is willing to lead. And if America is willing to come to the table, the world will be more willing to rally behind American leadership to deal with challenges like terrorism, and Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs.
# Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Obama will make progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a key diplomatic priority. He will make a sustained push – working with Israelis and Palestinians – to achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security.

AND

On Israel

* Ensure a Strong U.S.-Israel Partnership: Barack Obama strongly supports the U.S.-Israel relationship, believes that our first and incontrovertible commitment in the Middle East must be to the security of Israel, America's strongest ally in the Middle East. Obama supports this closeness, stating that that the United States would never distance itself from Israel.
* Support Israel's Right to Self Defense: During the July 2006 Lebanon war, Barack Obama stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend itself from Hezbollah raids and rocket attacks, cosponsoring a Senate resolution against Iran and Syria's involvement in the war, and insisting that Israel should not be pressured into a ceasefire that did not deal with the threat of Hezbollah missiles. He believes strongly in Israel's right to protect its citizens.
* Support Foreign Assistance to Israel: Barack Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel. He defends and supports the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and has advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met. He has called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems.

While we certainly have given people around the world reason to hate us, such as thru wars and exploitation, that's not the only reason why they hate us. In the documentary, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West", after 9/11, there were articles in the press wondering why they would attack us, what have we (the US) done to anger them such, should we change our foreign policy?

It's an A,B, and C sitatution. A: "They" don't like us not only because of what we have done, but also because of what we are. We are not them, it is a difference of idealogies. B: They see the US as trying to USize the world, painting the American flag all over the world ....... and they aren't the only ones. Putin's government made a similar statement just the other day in that "Democracy here is not the same as it is in the US or Europe." (words to that effect). Whether the US invades or exploits or builds hospitals, it is still the US in their country. C: In looking at 70 years of history, I find it amazing that we still can't get the point that the guy from another country will do what is best for his country and not for the US, not for another country, at least not first.

From: (Homeland Security: 2008 contenders' views on Obama)
If attacked, first help victims then prevent further attacks.

That's ignoring a tactic that has been used for at least 40 years, if not more. That's ignoring what first responders are taught in a bomb attack. That's a way to get people killed.

The tactic? Set off a small bomb, injure people, draw others in to help them ..... and then set off a bigger bomb to take out the helpers. There are various versions of this, such as attack the place and have boobytraps along the escape route as people flee (ie, Viet Nam War and the Viet Cong); attack the bridge with an air strike and then as repair crews are on the bridge, set off demolation charges under them (ie, Viet Nam War and UDT); scram the jets over his air field, as his alert fighters are preparing to launch, come in with a second wave of heat seekers that can now pick up the jets against the cold field (believe the Israelis used it in the Six Day War).

Point is, it's a recognizable tactic of a lull attack to then ambush him in a bigger second attack ......... and either he doesn't know it or he's ignoring it.

On Iraq and bringing the troops home:
Bringing Our Troops Home

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

We see Iraq, we focus on Iraq, our troops are in Iraq .......... and we forget they are in Afghanistan, in the Phillipeans, in Indonesia, and other locations. We are in a terrorism war that is not only occurring in Iraq. We may had gone on the wrong course in Iraq (or not), but if our troops aren't in Iraq, then they will probably be other places because getting out of Iraq will not end this terrorism war.

What the politicians say (and Obama is probably not the only one who does this) is to get troops out of Iraq with the implication of bringing them home .......... but the sad truth is that it will probably be, soon, just a change of station. IMHO.

From a PDF document from his web site on protecting gun rights under sportsmanship: Respect the Second Amendment: Millions of hunters own and use guns each year. Millions more participate in a variety of shooting sports such as porting clays, skeet, target and trap shooting that may not necessarily involve huning. As a former constitutional law professor, Barack Obama understands and believes in the constitutional right of Americans to bear arms. He will protect the rights of hunters and law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting.

Basically, the second amendment is not about hunting or target shooting. It's not about him deciding what guns are (legally) used for. It's about having guns, PERIOD.

Finally, looking over his plans, I see a lot of things he wants to do. At best, I see a person with a lot of good intentions who really doesn't understand a lot of the problems. Another Jimmy Carter. And at worst? Well, Hitler made a lot of promises, too, of how he was going to make things for the better. History sees that, in part, of saying anything to get elected.

I don't want this man in the White House.
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("How can you change one side of a bargain?"--Baltar
"When there is no other side. Count Baltar, you have missed the entire point of the war (to rid the universe of humans)."--Imperious Leader, (wtte), Book: Battlestar: Galactica)

Bluesman

You really ARE an idiot.

DEAD MAN TYPIN'. 'Ignore' to you, you crank.

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"The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it, and if one finds the prospect of a long war intolerable, it is natural to disbelieve in the possibility of victory."
- George Orwell

gunnut

Here's a possible explanation of why Obama is so popular.

Attached Images

AllHailHypnobama.jpg (43.4 KB, 28 views)

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"Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

JAD_333

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To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education. (Plato)

JAD_333

[quote=SnowLeopard;464461]He was in Texas yesterday. I took a look at his web sites, at the stand of the issues, to solidfy my opinion of him .......... and that came down to that I don't want him in office.

Many good points in there, snow.

This piece from Obama's website that you included gave me a little nostalgia.

I participated in an inter-agency working group formed by the NSA to plan something very similar. Only it was the Reagan administration. Public diplomacy is code for going around foreign governments and influencing their publics directly.