2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Michael Moore: I’ll support Hillary Clinton if she’s the nominee [View all]robbob
(3,554 posts)I respect and admire many things President Obama has done, especially the way he has conducted himself in the face of unrelenting obstructionism and overt racism from his Republican opposition. Social issues, DADT, same sex marriage, the opening of relations with Iran, there are many many policies and achievements that have transpired under this historic presidency, achievements that will not be easily undone even if the GOP manages to ever win back the office. And compared to what was in place before he got in...
But on many foreign policy issues, particularly the use of unmanned drones to carry out summary executions in middle east countries he does have blood on his hands.
https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2015/02/02/almost-2500-killed-covert-us-drone-strikes-obama-inauguration/
Sorry, I don't know much about thebureauinvestigates.com so I apologize in advance if someone jumps in and denounces it as a right wing front (cursory investigation on wikipedia seems to validate it), but it is an undeniable fact that the USA under Obama has killed thousands, many innocent of anything but being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I would suggest this is one of the most under-reported stories of the Obama presidency, not even worth much of a mention in the MSM, the unrelenting bomb strikes in countries that have vigorously protested these actions. Actions which I'm sure will continue or intensify under the next presidency, the new way America wages war in the world, totally illegal and unsanctioned, killing by proxy with the push of a button.
If you think I am exaggerating, just consider for one minute the reaction if a foreign power were to launch a drone strike against a target in the USA. Even if that target were someone that foreign power considered a terrorist whom it believed was formulating plots against them from the safety of the US borders. I think such an action would be considered justification for all out war against that country. Yet this is something that is tolerated and ignored in this society.
Noam Chomsky has written that, by the standards set at the Nuremberg trials, every president since then has been guilty of war crimes. Whether you agree with that statement or not, the fact is that the USA conducts itself on the global stage with impunity and disregard for the suffering and loss of lives that its policies cause.
Wouldn't it a nice change to see a government that tries to wage peace instead of war? That will not have its practices and policies viewed as "war crimes" by future generations? But who would get rich off of that?