To me the most despairing moment of the whole debate was the discussion of when it is appropriate to use military force, and Joe Biden laid out two points, the first of which was is it feasible, which sounds reasonable after the last eight years until you pause and consider just how monstrous it is. It is, in fact, one of the most explicit rejections I've heard of the quaint and never-practiced doctrine of war as an instrument of the utmost last resort, a point at which feasibility becomes a meaningless rubric because the only other choices are death and subjugation. It affirms violence as a basic tool of statecraft--of course, we all know this to be historically and almost universally the case, but it still rankles to hear it spoken without even the Cold-War-current nods to "the peace-loving American people." In the question just prior, asked if Americans had "the stomach" for Biden's expansive view of acceptable foreign military intervention, Biden was even plainer: "The American people have a stomach for success." This too is a basic truth--that people love peace only until promised triumph--rarely publicly expressed. In a sense, I suppose we owe Senator Joe thanks for his honesty.
Because I'm above it all, this is funny instead of sad.
3 comments:
I agree with IOZ---this was for me too the most disheartening part of the debate. For those of us who still find value in "voting for the lesser evil" as adspar would put it this was an especially painful statement. The blatant lack of empathy with which Biden described his rules for allowing a US invasion of another country was shocking and unacceptable. It hurts America to have a candidate running for "change" and "hope" endorse war so readily.
BO isn't running for change and hope. He's running under the false banner of change and hope. Look at the people he surrounds himself with. Look at the actual policies he advocates. There's no change there. There's no hope. It's the same bullshit. His primary claim, that he's the candidate of change, is a lie. Yet still you'll support him.
I completely agree---Obama's fundamental change that he keeps talking about is nothing more than a catchy slogan. It's obviously what pollsters think the American people want to hear because now even McCain is offering "the change that we can believe in" or something like that. I agree that there is no fundamental change in foreign policy to vote for this year---the latest we're hearing from Biden is downright scary. But you're right, I will still "support" Obama by voting for him. And by voting for him, I'm really supporting the few differences that there are between democrats and republicans---I think it's safe to say that Obama won't appoint any judges liable to try to overturn Roe v. Wade. The utterly illogical christian right will have less influence over the country if Obama is president. Homosexuals and minority groups should see less discrimination under a democratic president than a republican---if for no other reason that they make up a larger voting bloc for a democratic candidate than a republican one. I've thought a lot about voting or not, and I feel like not voting is turning my back on these groups which I have a legitimate chance to help.
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