On the PBS News Hour last Friday, Mr. David Brooks of the New York Times was made it very clear that he believes President Obama's ISIS/Syria policy to be a "rank failure" because POTUS does not do enough "action":
Now, as for President Obama, I think his policy is just a rank failure. And, frankly, he has had several — this has been a slow-rolling genocide for a long time. And in several stops along the way, there have been people in this administration and the other parties who have counseled some sort of action that I think he could have taken which have — maybe ameliorate some of the death we’re seeing.And he has withdrawn and withdrawn and not taken those actions, even where red lines have closed — have been crossed. He had a training program which didn’t work. He has had token little efforts recently.
Now of course no one wants the kind of action we had 'round here in 2003 and the less said about what that "action" consisted of or who was beating the drum the loudest the better:
I would just say nobody is in favor of the sort of action we had in Iraq in 2003
And, of course, Mr. Brooks has no idea what correction action would actually look like:
And, therefore, you have to — I don’t know what the action is.
Or whether President Obama's actions have ultimately been right or wrong:
And so for him to talk self-righteously about other people and their response to the Syrian refugee — he bears some responsibility for the Syrian refugee crisis. And so he took some decisions to be inactive, which may have been right, wrong, but they were realpolitik decisions...
But Mr. Brooks damn well knows that, regarding action -- or at least thinking about action -- there should be, y'know, moar of it:
I have nothing to add but...But you have to think more about the action.
7 comments:
So Obama hasn't done enough to clear up the shitstorm that Bush and Cheney created. So what would Mr. Brooks suggest? What the hell does he want Obama to do?
So, let me get this straight: Whatever it is that President Obama has been doing, or not doing, or prevented from having done (and any further conjugations you might find), is wrong-headed and weak-willed, etc. ad infinitum. And what we need is some actiony actionable action which is leaderish and all coalitiony, but not necesarily another invasion of, say, Farawayistan or Overthereia - like last time. Probably, the most reasonable course is somewhere between the two extremes of Dr. Carson and The Vulgarian Horde.
Right.
We'll get right the hell on that, DFB.
Jeff, In Norway.
I may have posted this here before but on Friday's NPR spew he referred to Obama's actions as "amoral".
Perhaps this is a manifestation of DFB angst for not having an action to criticize. Except that of taking in opinions of the underlying circumstances and listening to advisors as to what "actions" could be taken and their consequent effects. So evidently, what we see right now. DFB doesn't define thinking and listening as actions. So he criticizes doing the right thing instead of 2003, McCain and all the other raving lunatics whose actions have created this intractable situation. He seems to be disappointed that Obama didn't act like any one of the aforementioned culprits and then deservedly earn DFB critical scorn for the rest of his term. DFB is a sputtering teapot with an annoying angry whine.
Perhaps this is a manifestation of DFB angst for not having an action to criticize. Except that of taking in opinions of the underlying circumstances and listening to advisors as to what "actions" could be taken and their consequent effects. So evidently, what we see right now. DFB doesn't define thinking and listening as actions. So he criticizes doing the right thing instead of 2003, McCain and all the other raving lunatics whose actions have created this intractable situation. He seems to be disappointed that Obama didn't act like any one of the aforementioned culprits and then deservedly earn DFB critical scorn for the rest of his term. DFB is a sputtering teapot with an annoying angry whine.
"...I don’t know what the action is."
Translation: Bobo knows the portion of the American public he interacts with still remembers Iraq in factually accurate terms and he (and the segment of American conservatives he represents) still can't beat the war drums in public without getting laughed at during the 2015 Holiday cocktail party circuit.
Driftglass,
This is a bit of a stretch on the topic but here goes:
I think Bobo is using the last stance attack that gets employed when trying to blame Obama for everything and anything that happens, and that is to imply he’s not the “Magic Negro” he should be, as in applying more “Magic Negro” “action” to ISIS/Syria. Frankly it would need to be some pretty freaking big “action” to unfuck the George W. Bush “action” from years gone by.
If only we had Bagger Vance as our “caddie in chief” these problems would be fixed before they even happen, and only for a $5 dolla’ guaranteed fee.
I’m just waiting for Bobo’s “I’ll see to it you never work in this town again” NYT opinion of the week.
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