Obama Military Experience

response to  Andrew Price's post Meet The Candidates

author hinesbrad

I find it hilarious that the right wing adores attacking Obama on his lack of a military record. Can someone please tell me when John McCain gained personal experience on Urbanized, Desert warfare? How is he better able handle an urban, desert conflict than Obama when his personal skill-sets and combat expertise are obsolete by over 30+ years, and geared towards Jungle, artillery based conflicts? Can someone also tell me how he can effectively manage a military force that has spent the largest amount of military funding in history – yet less than 10% of the overall combat force is battle ready? Finally, if many areas in the country of Iraq have been on nearly continuous lockdown for several months to stop the violence, how is John McCain taking leadership of the armed forces going to make us succeed in Iraq?

I keep thinking that World War 2 took less time to win than the time we have been in Iraq. That blows my mind: We beat Hitler in less time that has taken to “secure” Iraq. Wow.

American leadership always has, and always will, rely on a vast network of intelligence advisers, military specialists and other professionals that serve the commander in chief. Although the president may change office, the same professionals who advised George "Whoops" Bush will still be in place when Obama takes office. What I think is very important to have happen is a leader that is able to hold those networks and those professionals responsible for their actions and advice. The Bush administration has been staggeringly inefficient at coaxing results from these professionals, has been entirely too hesitant to admit its mistakes and faults, and has committed the blood of our most prized possession – our kids – into a war we simply cannot win because the “Iraqi” people do not want a government imposed upon them.
Iraq was a nation carved out in the 1940’s. It has several ethnic groups that simply don’t want anything to do with one another. I don’t understand why we need to have one country exist here instead of three – one for each faction. What’s really sad is we were once a nation under siege from a superpower that decided to declare independence from a government we didn’t want imposed on us. Now, we’re trying to do the same thing to Iraq.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more ashamed to be an American – our government is failing in so many ways at the moment that I think we’re on the verge of collapse as a nation. The west coast of the US has been in a chronic drought situation for 30 years, we haven’t bothered investing in a comprehensive energy policy while other nations leave us in the dust. (33% of Germanys electricity is now solar generated). We have millions of senior citizens ready to retire into a broke social security system. We have an enormous brain trust of 20-somethings who now have to compete for white-collar, high paying jobs with Indish and Chinese citizens able to work at 1/20th the cost our kids can. We have a higher incarceration rate than China and North Korea based on a drug “war” that also failed miserably. Our college graduates can’t afford basic housing and are being forced to move back in with their parents after school – they’re lucky if they earn $9 an hour at Wal-Mart – and are expected to buy $300K houses and pay for their parents social security checks too. Our middle class hasn’t had a raise in 30 years, the rich have been huge benefactors of all of the economic growth over the last 20 years. In short: Maybe our government should spend less time talking about and trying to regulate who I decide to have sex with and solve issues that actually matter.

I want accountability. I want to be proud of America again. I want a raise, I want my credit cards paid off, a good job, my neighbors and friends to not die in a senseless conflict with no resolution, a military held accountable for its spending. I want my gay husband to not wake up in the night screaming out of fear he’s going to be shot at. I want a country that recognizes the hypocrisy in asking someone to give their life for their nation but be ashamed of who they are and whom they choose to love. I want a leader that inspires me, shows me that the sun can rise again on America, and that we really can move forward as a nation – and get answers to the things we’ve been needing for decades.

I think the first step is to show we really have changed. Let’s put a black man from a single parent home in the white house….

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