Winning War is Bad?

[ISASO]

In Obama's interview with Steve Kroft last night, his Holiness stated, "I think that one of the mistakes that was made over the last eight years is for us to have a triumphant sense about war."

Discuss.

:whistle:

[SB Shock]

probably see a proclamation soon rescinding V-E and V-J Day with apologies to both and Japan and Germany.

[Maggie]

Context would help because I didn’t watch the interview.

You see - once President Obama decided, almost fortnightly, to give an “important” speech for no other reason, it seems, but to regale the citizenry with his favorite cliches (in addition to turning up far too often during NFL games) I decided it would be better for my mental health to stick to reading the text later.

[ISASO]

Here's more, plus a link to the transcript:

KROFT: In your West Point speech, you seemed very analytical, detached, not emotional. The tone seemed to be, “I've studied this situation very hard. It's a real mess. The options aren't very good. But we need to go ahead and do this.” There were no exhortations or promises of victory. Why? Why tone?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, that was actually probably the most emotional speech that I've made, in terms of how I felt about it. Because I was looking out over a group of cadets, some of whom were gonna be deployed in Afghanistan. And potentially some might not come back.

There is not a speech that I've made that hit me in the gut as much as that speech. But I do think that it was important in that speech to recognize that there are costs to war. That this is a burden we don't welcome. It's one that was foisted on us as a consequence of 19 men deciding to kill thousands of Americans back in 2001. That there's unfinished business. And, you know, I think that one of the mistakes that was made over the last eight years is for us to have a triumphant sense about war. This is a tough business. And there are tough costs to it. And I think because it was detached from our day to day lives in so many ways -- unless you were a military family; unless you were one of those who were being deployed. Because we didn't even get asked to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there was a tendency to say, "We can go in. We can kick some tail. You know this is some glorious exercise."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/13/60minutes/main5975421.shtml

[RoyalShock]

While many of us are not "paying" for the war with loved ones, we are paying with our tax dollars.

I understand his sentiment behind "triumphant" and I agree with it in principle, if that sense still exists. I'm not sure it does anymore.

[WuDrWu]

Perhaps the President is not as patriotic as many other Americans are.


While, yes, I do have family members (not immediate) that are serving abroad, it doesn't change the fact that, as an American, every man and woman that pays the ultimate price for our freedom exacts a toll on our being.

I am not saying I have any clue what it is like to lose a son or daughter, God forbid, but when each one of those brave soldiers is laid to rest, a piece of me dies as well, and I am certain that it is like that for millions of Americans.

Ignoring the obvious tax payments that Royal alluded to, that is a stupid and, unfortunately, all too typically arrogant statement from the man charged to be the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces.

[Maggie]

The Obama administration came into office claiming that America’s foreign-policy problems were all of our own making — indeed, that they were the results of the Bush administration’s arrogance, and could only be corrected with Obama’s multilateralism. This sounds to me like an extension of that same tired old tune.