General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Obama Says ISIS was Caused by Our 2003 Invasion, "Which is why America should aim before it shoots." [View all]KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)unwillingness to bloody the noses (metaphorically speaking) of his opponents -- call it the professorial approach -- the historian in me feels compelled to acknowledge that Obama gave that speech at a time when it was very politically risky to do so, at a time when Dem leaders Gebhardt and Daschle -- remember them? -- were negotiating the Rose Garden konkordat with Bush that took Iraq "off the table" for the October 2002 mid-terms, the last chance the American people had of weighing in on the unchecked bellicosity and all-around stupidity that came to characterize America after 9-11 before the invasion became a fait accompli. That speech by Obama could well have ended Obama's career trajectory before it advanced much further. So President Obama deserves MAJOR PROPS for his prescience, even if his unwillingness to prosecute the war criminals responsible leaves me highly unsatisfied.