Friday, December 11, 2009

 

Obama's Blatant Contradiction?

We've all read considered the irony of a guy getting the Nobel Peace Prize as he escalates the occupation of Afghanistan. OK fine, but someone could argue plausibly that sometimes you need to fight a small war now to avoid a bigger war down the road. I disagree, but fair enough.

Yet I don't think you can say, "And my view is consistent with Dr. Martin Luther King, who said violence cures no social ills but only causes greater ones" (paraphrasing). Really, is Obama literally contradicting himself in the below, are am I too jaded at this point to read political speeches with an ounce of charity?



To repeat: I'm not asking whether you think it's a smart move to send troops into Afghanistan, or even more generally whether it is ever the right move to use military force and call yourself a peacemaker. What I'm asking is, can you say this without necessarily implying, "And so Martin Luther King was wrong when he made his speech in this forum" ?



Comments:
Bob,

Sorry for the off-topic post. I know fame, riches and good looks keep you very busy, so I'm hoping you'll be more likely to read this than you would an email.

Have you seen Gary North's post calling Whole Life Insurance immoral? (http://www.garynorth.com/public/5800.cfm) I'd like to hear you respond. I know you think the Infinite Banking concept is a good idea. What does he not understand about it? What do you think of Gary in general? You are both high profile Austrian, Christian economists who I read regularily, so now I don't know who to believe! :)

Thanks!
 
"You are both high profile Austrian, Christian economists who I read regularily, so now I don't know who to believe! :)"

North... An economist? High profile?
 
He's contradicting himself.

I also liked the article I read a while back in my local paper concerning the fears over the lack of security around Obama. One lady said something to the effect of, "We've lost so many of our non-violent black leaders to assassinations. We in the black community don't want that to happen to Obama."


Non-violent??

How many drone attacks used to blow up children did Dr. King order?

Hmmmm
 
I assume that when MLK said "never" he meant "never". This is, of course, an absurd position.

Although non-violent resistance is not quite the dud weapon most people think, at least when they are unfamilar it's history, it cannot win all battles. MLK was influenced by Gandhi and many of Gandhi's recommendations during World War 2 seem completely crackpot.

(“Hitler killed five million Jews. It is the greatest crime of our time. But the Jews should have offered themselves to the butcher’s knife. They should have thrown themselves into the sea from cliffs.” ~ George Orwell’s “Reflections on Gandhi,” Partisan Review, Jan. 1949 )

Regardless of what advice Gandhi and presumably MLK were giving to other people, there is a right to self defense. The "just war" principles are still our best guide to the when, where and how to go to war. And Obama with his escalated occupation of Afghanistan, continued occupation of Iraq and threats of sanctions (themselves traditionally regarded as a war like act) against Iran for a nuclear weapons program the IAEA can't find any evidence for is clearly a war monger.

It was only a matter of time before MLK is used to bless predator drones.
 
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