Bottom Left Politics

As I anxiously await President Obama’s address to the nation regarding his decision on an Afghanistan surge, I can’t help but ponder the inherent irony of this pending speech.

I obviously haven’t heard it yet, but I imagine that it will go something like this:  Obama makes clear that he inherited this war, says that we must finish the job, refers to terrorism quite a few times to provoke a 9/11-reminiscent fear, and maybe alludes to a vague exit plan (which will really be far from an exit strategy).  It will be some superb rhetoric, we can be guaranteed that much.  The announcement that 30,000 more troops will be shipped off to fight and die in a deadly, unwinnable quagmire will be dressed up in a brand-new suit, delivered by a brand-new face – a face of “change.”  We can expect many so-called “liberals” to defend the President’s decision as a necessary one, and even from some of the so-called anti-war types we’re sure to hear apologies for the President’s tough decision.  It’s different now, because it’s a Democrat calling the shots and sending people off to be killed.

While I doubt that he’ll get public opinion on his side (if he does, not for long), he’ll do a brilliant job justifying his decision to escalate the quagmire in Afghanistan.  And then, just nine days from now, he’ll travel to Oslo to claim his Nobel Peace Prize.  As more and more bodies, soldier and civilian alike, are added to the ever-rising death toll, he will accept an award for efforts to foster diplomacy and peace.

I guess President Obama really did take the Nobel Peace Prize as a “call to action.”  Call to action indeed.

The blogger, Kristofer Paul, can be reached at bottomleftpolitics@yahoo.com.