Two pieces today on the same topic, from two different people, in two different publications, with two very passionate and different conclusions.
The topic is talking to the many enemies of the United States around the world. Barack Obama wishes to meet “without preconditions but with all the necessary preparations” with leaders like Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il, or (gasp) Hugo Chavez. John McCain has said repeatedly that the U.S. must not meet with any of these despots because to do so would “lend them legitimacy” and possibly do more harm than good.
Charles Krauthammer agrees with John McCain that Obama is showing his inexperience and naivete with what Krauthammer has dubbed Obama’s “gaffe turned foreign policy turned doctrine.” The often outspoken Sen. Joe Biden is in Obama’s corner on this one and he’s not afraid to say it.
Krauthammer in the Washington Post here.
So, who’s right? Well, quite simply, neither one. Both articles have a healthy amount of spin to them which is to be expected when the opinions written come from a long term republican shill who regularly requires his readers to suspend disbelief in order to even make it through one of his columns, and a long term Democratic Senator who is known for popping off at the mouth and undercutting the enormous amount of respect he should have earned by now as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Without even reading either of the pieces, it is easy to predict where each commentator would stand on the issue, but what is the issue? Quite simply, it is about how we will choose to resolve conflicts in the next administration, and as things stand now there are monumental differences between the philosophies of McCain and Krauthammer and Obama and Biden. Chucky K. agrees with John McCain that we must not meet with our enemies to discuss our differences, instead we should posture on the world stage with lots of loud saber rattling, saying things like “obliterate” and “regime change” while sending secret envoys to do the real diplomacy. And if that doesn’t work? Obliterate. Regime change. Invade.
Obama’s plan, as illuminated by Biden, is to sit down and have a neighborly chat with human rights offenders, nuclear proliferators, and tyrants. No preconditions would need to be met before these meetings, Iran could continue its march towards nuclear weapons, Chavez could continue oppressing the media and consolidating power, but there would be preparation before these chats, and our enemies would know where we stand and what our beef with them is. And if that doesn’t work? One would assume, more conferences would follow.
So who’s right, Krauthammer or Biden? Well, call us crazy here at Rebel, but we’ll throw our collective hat in with the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate rather than some dweeb who can write good, but really we would all like to see Chucky K and Joey B on the baseball field right after school lets out, around 3:00pm, and they can settle this once and for all.
No talk, just fightin’.
This Charles Krauthammer, who was paralyzed from the waist down and does not seem to move his arms, reminds me a lot of Dr. Strangelove. This former Harvard- trained psychiatrist is absolutely brilliant in arguing from the RIGHT . My theory is that he compensates for his disabilty by rationalizing the USA acting like a bunch of Nazis in its exercise of power.
Krauthammer DOES impress me with his intellect unlike Fred Barnes who reminds me of a used car salesman and Bill O’Reilly who I think is a windbag.
Re: Krauhammer
My understanding is his paralysis was the result of a diving accident when Charles dove head first into a swimming pool without first ascertaining it contained water. Such a rash and reckless act undermines his credibility and judgment in my view.
And the self-loathing he suffers as a result of his own negligent act goes a long way toward explaining his Strangelovian belief system.
Wow! It’s hard to believe that someone would make such a judgmental rude comment in public.
Charles Krauthammer is a shill…that is the most ignorant statement I have read all week, especially as backed up by dust and nothing as you have done. Krauthammer is an award-winning columnist with a lifetime of commentary behind him. Agree or disagree, he clearly shills for nobody. You, on the other hand, think that calling someone a shill discredits a lifetime of work. If anyone is shilling, it is you.
Are you kidding me? Chucky K. is not a shill for the republican party and neo-cons?!?!? Seriously?
How would you explain what he does for a living then? What would you call it, objective and unbiased analysis? That, my friend, is a fucking joke. Krauthammer is a shill, he may be a smart guy and he definitely has some insight on foreign policy questions, but he is a card carrying member of the neo-con intelligentsia, and he shills for their agenda. Plain and simple.
That’s why I chose to focus on Chucky K. and Joe Biden. They are both shills for their sides of the debate. I happen to agree with Biden on this particular question, but truth probably lies somewhere in between the two.