Obama Needs a History Lesson

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Fri May 9, 2008 9:57 AM EDT

Article Source: RealClearPolitics

In his victory speech after the North Carolina primary, Sen. Barack Obama said something that is all the more remarkable for how little it has been remarked upon.

In defending his stated intent to meet with America's enemies without preconditions, Sen. Obama said: "I trust the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies, like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman did."

That he made this statement, and that it passed without comment by the journalists covering his speech indicates either breathtaking ignorance of history on the part of both, or deceit.

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Strath3303

I believe this article incorrectly reads into the meaning behind Senator Obama's words. Though, not officially our enemy, FDR engaged the Soviet Union that no president did prior to 1933. He extended diplomatic recognition and opened the beginnings of engagement with the Soviet Union. The US did not recognize the Soviet Union until then. As well, Truman chose a route of strong engagement with and containment of, the USSR. Kennedy, having learned from the Bay of Pigs, realized the necessity of direct and strong diplomacy. Our engagement in the Cold War was a war of ideas and in the long run it proved to be a very successful strategy. Would you call for Reagan to have never sat down with Gorbachev in Iceland?

His point was that you engage and you talk to others in the world, not just your friends, but your enemies and rivals. The thought of punishing countries like Iran, by not engaging them is childish and counterproductive to our foreign policy interests. If you want to see what not talking to someone yields, look back to Iran in late 2001. We (and the Northern Alliance) overthrew the Taliban and the Iranians were quite pleased with this, because it got rid of Sunni government that hated them. They offered to open up diplomatic channels, which would have done a great deal to help seal up the Afghani Western border.

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#1 - Fri May 9, 2008 10:34 AM EDT

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DONALD TURNBULL

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Obama Needs a History Lesson

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