Obama's and Cheney's Dueling Realities on National Security

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HejRQR

Wukrskcw of NE 6:50AM July 15, 2009

The answers to your biased questions:
1. No.
2. Nothing.
3. Yes, since 9/11 was the pretext to invade sovereign countries, no more attacks on US soil were needed as long as the plan is proceeding.
4. More.
5. I would set to achieve the most results in the shorter time.
6. The fact that high-tech explosive/incendiary mixture has been found in the rubble of WTC collapses, and that the collapses of the 3 WTC towers (WTC 1,2,7) have 10 elements in common with controlled demolitions while having none of the elements of gravitational collapses.
7. No one.
8. None. But take notice that Guantonomo is not a detention facility based on the concept of "prisoners of war", but rather a concentration camp for "enemy combatants" where torture is the rule.
9. No.
10. No.
11. Spend all the time I can afford to expose the government lies on 9/11 terrorist attack which points us on the wrong enemy to fight.
12. No.
13. No.
14. No, if it would stop to that rather than invading countries to steal their resources and promoting the use of torture worldwide.
15. Yes, they think so, just like you do.
16. ...
17. No, I am fond of the rule of law on "conflict of interests" and into investigating all the contracts Halliburton got for Iraq reconstruction, from its former CEO Dick Cheney.

Riccardo Pizzirani 5:35AM June 01, 2009

If you wish to evaluate the two points of view and the two statements I suggest the following: Listen to both speeches twice, the first time either Mr Obama or Mr. Cheeney first and then in reverse order. Then answer the following questions honestly.
1. On Sept. 15 2001 were you afraid the US would be attacked again soon?
2. On Sept. 15 2001 how much would you have bet that there would not have been another attack on the US by May 2009?
3. Did the policies and actions of the US after 9/11 effect the absence of attacks on the country to date. If they didn't what did?
4. Is the experience and leadership of an organization more or less critical to its success than the sheer number of members?
5. What would it be like for you to know that there were competent and qualified people actively hunting you? How would that effect how you spent your time and set your priorities?
6. What factual evidence is there to support the assertion that policies and actions of the US government have increased the numbers of terrorists?
7. What would have been a better place than Guantonomo to establish a "prisoner of war" type facility?
8. What alternative is there to a detention facility based on the concept of "prisoners of war?
9. Do you believe that the "terrorists" will refrain from attacking the US if we just leave them alone?
10. Do you believe that we should treat terrorist acts as crimes to be responded too after they have been committed?
11. What would you be willing to do to prevent a biological, chemical, or nuclear attack on your city and your family?
12. Do you believe that you have the right to demand that others die to support your belief system?
13. Do you believe that islamist extremists think that they have the right to demand that others die to support their belief system?
14. Do you believe that anyone in the world is offended by the US attempting to assert it's moral superiority by asserting that it has some form of moral authority?
15. Do you think that Islamist extremists believe that they are morally correct and superior to "non-believers".
16. Which of the two statements reflected wishful thinking about the world you live in and which reflected factual reality of the world you live in?
17. Do you believe that the safety and security of the country should be compromised for political advantage by any national elected official or government officials?
There is only one legitimate special interest group in the United States. United States Citizens.

Arthur P. Rochlin of FL 11:34AM May 28, 2009

loserist - is that even a word?? Why should Cheney "shut up". You don't believe in freedom of speech? Obama "is so cool, he is really swave" - that's the characterists I'm looking for in a President - NOT! You are so naive - "If we just be nice to theIslams they won;t hurt us." You're a fool! By the way, learn how to spell.

Kay of IL 3:32PM May 27, 2009

One on side, we are the United States. The biggest and strongest country on the face of this planet.
One the other side, we are lost as to whom it is to follow, believe or even trust !
We have to decide one or the other, period ! Staying in between will only keep (us) where we are right now. America, damn - it get behind one or the other and stop being (another name for cats) -zzies !
You really have become a bunch of lazy hypocrit(s). You will bitch from the couch
Get strong and get real, stop watching that damn TV !
Be an American, or live somewhere else, really, please !

An American supporter of McCain of AZ 10:58AM May 27, 2009

Only a fightened cowardly bully would advocate the binding down, shackling, abuse, and torture by a gang of 1 helpless person, guilty or not. But those are the only conditions a fat watery coward like Cheney would ever dare facing down even a 6th grade schoolgirl, let alone a man.
Cheney is a proven liar and a coward.
Petraius, Powell, and the Joint Chiefs nailed the lid on this pantywaists coffin, bury him.
J Russell
Illinois

J Russell of IL 8:02AM May 27, 2009

Bush is a big dummy and so is Cheney. They are the loserist people I have ever seen. Why can't Cheney just shut up already. Obama is so cool, he is really swave. Cheney/Bush are just jealus. Bush was in on 9/11, that was his fault too, it is so obvius. If we just be nice to the Islams they won;t hurt us. Obama is right. Cheney is very very very stupid. Shut up already!

Fred Jackson of CA 4:04AM May 27, 2009

Fear, Hatred and Division. That's all they've got. The pro-torture party is in for a shock. Everyone but the kool-aid drinkers has seen that it was all a sham. They were taken for a trillion dollar ride. Now Americans are left to pick up the peaces and they won't forgey who got them into this mess. Fear, hatred and division!

thebob.bob of AZ 12:47AM May 27, 2009

Janice, contrary to your statement, Bush lied. Bush lied, Rumsfeld lied, Wolfowitz lied and Cheney is still lying. Every bit of information provided to Congress was provided by people appointed by Bush or their direct reports. The consensus that existed was based on the fact that Bush and Cheney went into all of the intelligence reports looking for stuff that supported WHAT THEY HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO DO. Any information, regardless of how shaky, that supported their course of action, was emphasized, anything that contradicted it was trashed, and anything else that was relevant was IGNORED.
Wake up, lady. There were people in the U.S. government on September 12th, 2001, that knew that invading Iraq wouldn't make America any safer and would serve as a recruiting magnet for al Qaeda. Stop watching Fox News and do your homework. You could start with the following:
Through Our Enemies' Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam and the Future of America,
Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror, and
Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam after Iraq, all by Michael Scheuer, a 22 year CIA veteran.
Against All Enemies, by Richard Clarke
Plan of Attack and State of Denial, by Bob Woodward
Fiasco, by Thomas E. Ricks
Then, if you still believe what you believe now, I'll listen...But right now, you're doing a good imitation of an ostrich with her head stuck in a the sand with Fox News glued to your eyeball.

Tom of CO 9:38PM May 26, 2009

George Bush was elected President. Twice. Even if you say he "stole" the first election, close to 50% of the voters did choose him. When Saddam Hussein was torturing his people (real torture, normally leading to death, not "discomfort") and refusing to let UN weapons inspectors in, 80% of the American public and 60% of Congress supported going to war in Iraq. No, not because "Bush lied." Members of Congress saw the same intelligence he did. Other countries were also convinced he had weapons of mass destruction. His own generals were convinced that he did--you simply can't get any better intelligence than what your opponent's generals believe. Thousands of innocent Americans had been killed by a major terrorist attack on our soil.
From what we see in the media, you'd think everything I wrote above never happened. But it did. And it is not "fear mongering" to want to make sure it doesn't happen again. We don't need terrorists to tear this country apart: we are doing it ourselves by demonizing political opponents and demanding that terrorists be given cupcakes and teddy bears and never inconvenienced or asked any hard questions.
But there are real Americans out here--far away from talking heads of the media. We heard Obama's speech and we heard Cheney's. And Cheney's simple made more sense.

Janice of CA 7:03PM May 26, 2009