The Wingnut Template

[mudwhistle]

The punditry vs. the presidency
How the constant chorus of ‘do something’ Obama foreign policy critics gets it wrong


There is a fun foreign policy game making all the rounds in Washington D.C. this summer: Pin the tail on Barack Obama.

Its appeal is not hard to understand; it's so easy to play.

Step 1: Pick a foreign crisis that touches even slightly on U.S. national security interests. This shouldn't be hard, because the United States defines practically everything in the world as being an American interest.

Step 2: Make clear that this is no garden-variety problem but rather "the defining crisis of [OBAMA'S] presidency," or a threat to the "very foundations of global order" or the answer to the question, "is this how World War III begins."

Step 3: Bemoan the lack of "leadership," "strategy," "attention" or "fortitude" from the commander in chief. Note that the President is "weirdly detached" and "emotionally disengaged" (bonus points for a Churchill reference).

Make corny jokes about how Obama's focus on golf is "turning into 'a real handicap.'" Ask snarky questions like "what would it look like if America actually had a Middle East strategy" that wasn't defined by "inaction" and the lack of a "clear vision." Even suggest that if only a Russian strongman were running America, those terrorists would finally get their due.

Step 4: Insist that everything would be better if something had been done differently a few years ago (bonus points if you made that suggestion at the time).

Say things like:

"We should have ____ ("bombed Syria" or "supported the moderate rebels" or "bombed Syria and supported the rebels")…

"If only we had ____ ("pressured Maliki" or "kept troops in Iraq" or "pressured Maliki and kept the troops in Iraq")...

Step 5: Offer a set of proposals that are vague and contradictory, have little chance of being implemented, fail to take account domestic politics and would do absolutely nothing to impact the crisis that you've described in Step 1.

Step 6: Publish your condemnation in a major newspaper or news outlet. Wait for a phone call from a booker with a Sunday morning talk show.

There are no points for understanding how international relations work, how U.S. power is actually utilized or how other countries interpret their own interests. There's no space on the board for tracking the real-life impact of your recommendations.


*snip*

Managing America's role in the world isn't a game.

Expresses it perfectly.


And indeed we see examples of this inane punditry from the partisan right on this very forum.

Yup. Basically you're saying that his incompetency should be ignored by all.

Thanks for the clarification.

Obama has nothing to offer when it comes to a real world crisis. Our allies have written him off as a responsible partner when it comes to aggression by our common enemies.

What a change over the last 200 plus year of our country's existence.

Obama has ushered in a new age of American impotence.

And you libs are loving it.

Liberals are so proud of a president that is a laughingstock of the free world.

 

[EconChick]

The punditry vs. the presidency
How the constant chorus of ‘do something’ Obama foreign policy critics gets it wrong


There is a fun foreign policy game making all the rounds in Washington D.C. this summer: Pin the tail on Barack Obama.

Its appeal is not hard to understand; it's so easy to play.

Step 1: Pick a foreign crisis that touches even slightly on U.S. national security interests. This shouldn't be hard, because the United States defines practically everything in the world as being an American interest.

Step 2: Make clear that this is no garden-variety problem but rather "the defining crisis of [OBAMA'S] presidency," or a threat to the "very foundations of global order" or the answer to the question, "is this how World War III begins."

Step 3: Bemoan the lack of "leadership," "strategy," "attention" or "fortitude" from the commander in chief. Note that the President is "weirdly detached" and "emotionally disengaged" (bonus points for a Churchill reference).

Make corny jokes about how Obama's focus on golf is "turning into 'a real handicap.'" Ask snarky questions like "what would it look like if America actually had a Middle East strategy" that wasn't defined by "inaction" and the lack of a "clear vision." Even suggest that if only a Russian strongman were running America, those terrorists would finally get their due.

Step 4: Insist that everything would be better if something had been done differently a few years ago (bonus points if you made that suggestion at the time).

Say things like:

"We should have ____ ("bombed Syria" or "supported the moderate rebels" or "bombed Syria and supported the rebels")…

"If only we had ____ ("pressured Maliki" or "kept troops in Iraq" or "pressured Maliki and kept the troops in Iraq")...

Step 5: Offer a set of proposals that are vague and contradictory, have little chance of being implemented, fail to take account domestic politics and would do absolutely nothing to impact the crisis that you've described in Step 1.

Step 6: Publish your condemnation in a major newspaper or news outlet. Wait for a phone call from a booker with a Sunday morning talk show.

There are no points for understanding how international relations work, how U.S. power is actually utilized or how other countries interpret their own interests. There's no space on the board for tracking the real-life impact of your recommendations.


*snip*

Managing America's role in the world isn't a game.

Expresses it perfectly.


And indeed we see examples of this inane punditry from the partisan right on this very forum.

You really need to stick to your little slice of legal expertise that obviously has nothing to do with foreign policy.

I could run circles around your credentials. You're just as uninformed as some of the bottom dweller libs on this Board.

 

[EconChick]

[QUOTE=".

Liberals are so proud of a president that is a laughingstock of the free world.[/QUOTE]

Another one of those beautifully profound statements that needs to be re-emphasized.

 

[mudwhistle]

The left criticizes everything Republicans do or attempt to do. This POTUS doesn't do anything but fund-raise and golf and we're suppose to STFU???

Strange how you think Obama's bumbling foreign policy shouldn't be talked about, ever.

Obviously a double-standard here.

Where in his post did he say that?

From top to bottom that is what it says.

Nope...not once did he say that it shouldn't be talked about.

He didn't have to. He said everything else but those exact words.

Why must you always be so superficial?

 

[Synthaholic]

The biggest failure is to have No Strategy in the first place.

Just sayin'.

Why do they have to have a strategy to deal with ISIS in Syria?

 

[Synthaholic]

The tone of desperation in your thread is beyond hilarious. I'm almost past disgust with you incompetent, lying POS liberals and ready for the pity phase.

The entire world can see what a disaster OBUMBLER is.

You're not turning the tide in the least. Next month it will be worse when the Ukraine disaster will become front and center as well as the ME.

Fuck off. This thread is for the adults.

Bullshit. You're paid by Democrats to engage in disinformation campaigns and diversions now that Labor Day is here. That's how you dumb fucks do it.

And if you're not being paid to do such dishonest, lying POS bullshit, you're even dumber than I thought.

Fuck off, child. The adults are talking.

 

[alan1]

Strange that you think he's bumbling it.

Based on what?

My own experiences and the comments by everyone else. Even NBC said he's a fuck up yesterday.

Nothing specific? I'm shocked! Lol!

Playing dumb are we?

I'm not going to waste time answering stupid questions.

I'm not playing dumb - you just think he's bumbling because he's not doing what Bush/McCain/Cheney would be doing.

But what they did was bumbled - the jury is in.

Why should Obama follow a failed strategy?

So you aren't playing, you actually are dumb.

He has no strategy because he is utterly and completely lost. One of the main purposes of the President is to act on foreign affairs (Congress is supposed to handle most domestic affairs). Barack Obama is clueless when it comes to foreign affairs. I know it, you know it, and the media knew it years ago. The same media that touted him as "revolutionary", "amazing", "intelligent", etc. also failed to ask him about foreign policy, then they probably voted for him.

Here is Tom Brokaw and Charlie Rose admitting how they (as supposed journalists) failed to ask Mr Obama the important questions about a Presidents responsibility for foreign affairs. They actually admit that they don't know his thoughts or policies on foreign affairs.


The above is a perfect example of journalistic malpractice. They got so caught up in their own hype of "The First Black President" that they failed to actually question and learn his foreign policy during the first campaign. They did it again during the second campaign.
And the result is that we now have a President that has no idea of what to do concerning ISIS, the Ukraine/Russia situation, China or North Korea.. He is a buffoon when it comes to foreign affairs.

 

[Synthaholic]

If anyone hasn't told you yet, you have a potty mouth.

Most people used to doing things on the front lines have potty mouths. DUMBASS.

^^^ Thinks USMB is the front line.

 

[Synthaholic]

Just as Nero fiddled, Obama golfs....

^^^ Dumbass commits Step #3 in the OP, doesn't even realizes it.

 

[EconChick]

The tone of desperation in your thread is beyond hilarious. I'm almost past disgust with you incompetent, lying POS liberals and ready for the pity phase.

The entire world can see what a disaster OBUMBLER is.

You're not turning the tide in the least. Next month it will be worse when the Ukraine disaster will become front and center as well as the ME.

Fuck off. This thread is for the adults.

Bullshit. You're paid by Democrats to engage in disinformation campaigns and diversions now that Labor Day is here. That's how you dumb fucks do it.

And if you're not being paid to do such dishonest, lying POS bullshit, you're even dumber than I thought.

Fuck off, child. The adults are talking.

You're right, I'm talking, so shut the fuck up, bottom dweller. We all know you're an intellectually disabled indoctrinated unethical spaced out drama queen who doesn't know SHIT about foreign policy or economics, so go back to playing with your dick and let those of us adults with actual expertise or simply bigger brains than you handle the topic.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

And of course we're seeing the same hyperbole and stupidity from most on the right, with their unwarranted, unfounded whining about 'not being allowed' to criticize the president's foreign policy, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.


The issue has nothing to do with legitimate criticism of the president's foreign policy, the issue has to do with the fact that the right's 'criticism' is motivated by partisanism, having little to do with the facts concerning a specific foreign policy issue or overall foreign policy in general – where the partisan right would be critical of the president regardless what actions he takes.

 

[EconChick]

If anyone hasn't told you yet, you have a potty mouth.

Most people used to doing things on the front lines have potty mouths. DUMBASS.

^^^ Thinks USMB is the front line.

And here we go....as predicted.....the children on the Board lose the argument in the OP in just 10 seconds and rush to the gutter to say baseless stupid shit to save face.

 

[mudwhistle]

The biggest failure is to have No Strategy in the first place.

Just sayin'.

Why do they have to have a strategy to deal with ISIS in Syria?

Because lessons learned tells them that if you cut the head off of the snake you kill the rest of it.

 

[Synthaholic]

I think it's time to put that piece of shit sock EconChick on ignore. I'm not here to give the time of day to retards.

 

[Bush92]

If anyone hasn't told you yet, you have a potty mouth.

Most people used to doing things on the front lines have potty mouths. DUMBASS.

^^^ Thinks USMB is the front line.

And here we go....as predicted.....the children on the Board lose the argument in the OP in just 10 seconds and rush to the gutter to say baseless stupid shit to save face.

It's what they do. When their liberal narcissism is blown away they are stunned. How dare a conservative be smarter than them. Lol.

 

[mudwhistle]

And of course we're seeing the same hyperbole and stupidity from most on the right, with their unwarranted, unfounded whining about 'not being allowed' to criticize the president's foreign policy, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.


The issue has nothing to do with legitimate criticism of the president's foreign policy, the issue has to do with the fact that the right's 'criticism' is motivated by partisanism, having little to do with the facts concerning a specific foreign policy issue or overall foreign policy in general – where the partisan right would be critical of the president regardless what actions he takes.

You act like the right is the only ones doing it.

Everyone is on his case about his inaction.

You must love an indecisive president that has no answers to real crisis. After years of criticizing Bush you have the nerve to support a man that hasn't a clue what to do.

 

[EconChick]

And of course we're seeing the same hyperbole and stupidity from most on the right, with their unwarranted, unfounded whining about 'not being allowed' to criticize the president's foreign policy, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.


The issue has nothing to do with legitimate criticism of the president's foreign policy, the issue has to do with the fact that the right's 'criticism' is motivated by partisanism, having little to do with the facts concerning a specific foreign policy issue or overall foreign policy in general – where the partisan right would be critical of the president regardless what actions he takes.

REALLY, Counselor? Get your head out of the cloud. I started out as a dumb ass liberal in my youth. I was fully indoctrinated in liberal economics and foreign policy in the fancy liberal schools I attended until I actually joined the military, traveled, became an entrepreneur, continued my econ studies and saw how corrupt our liberal university system was....and have seen people die because of idiot liberal "theories." My standing on issues is completely motivated by firsthand experience out in real world arenas you libs only dream of working in.

 

[Bush92]

I think it's time to put that piece of shit sock EconChick on ignore. I'm not here to give the time of day to retards.

Econ kicked your ass!

 

[Bush92]

And of course we're seeing the same hyperbole and stupidity from most on the right, with their unwarranted, unfounded whining about 'not being allowed' to criticize the president's foreign policy, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.


The issue has nothing to do with legitimate criticism of the president's foreign policy, the issue has to do with the fact that the right's 'criticism' is motivated by partisanism, having little to do with the facts concerning a specific foreign policy issue or overall foreign policy in general – where the partisan right would be critical of the president regardless what actions he takes.

REALLY, Counselor? Get your head out of the cloud. I started out as a dumb ass liberal in my youth. I was fully indoctrinated in liberal economics and foreign policy in the fancy liberal schools I attended until I actually joined the military, traveled, became an entrepreneur, continued my econ studies and saw how corrupt out university system was....and have seen people die because of idiot liberal "theories." My standing on issues is completely motivated by firsthand experience out in real world arenas you libs only dream of working in.

I was a liberal once myself...then I grew up.

 

[Synthaholic]

The biggest failure is to have No Strategy in the first place.

Just sayin'.

Why do they have to have a strategy to deal with ISIS in Syria?

Because lessons learned tells them that if you cut the head off of the snake you kill the rest of it.

OK:

#1 - why do you believe the head of the snake is in Syria, when they have mostly left for Iraq?

#2 - why do you want to attack Assad's enemy?

#3 - wouldn't it be better to let Assad deplete his resources fighting ISIS in Syria, while we support Kurds and Iraqis fighting ISIS in Iraq?

Three simple questions, mud. How about answering each?