Yo, Prez!Can a brotha from another mother undercover from a former lover still call you Prez"
Listen Prez: The Daddy knows you're from Chicago. He knows you probably remember it, when Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, two leaders of the militant Black Panther Party, were killed-- no, assassinated-- as they lay at home in their sleep.
On September 8, 2008, I wrote you (Did you get it? Let's call it letter number, yesterday's letter as letter about your decision on Afghanistan as letter #3, and this one as letter #3} about leadership and General Patton's thoughts on it. The similarity between General Patton and Fred Hampton is that both fought unapologetically for what they believed in.In case you didn't get letter #1, I'm posting it again. I believe it is more appropriate for you now than at any other time.
Dear Prez Obama: Remember the words of General Patton
"The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is high you bounce when you hit bottom."--General S. Patton Jr.
"Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men."
-- George S. Patton Jr.
Dear Prez Obama:
Can a brotha call you Prez?
Listen, Prez, a brotha knows you are busy; so he'll keep it short and sweet. Yes, he knows you have big challenges ahead: the worst economy since the depression; two wars, one of which is getting worse by the minute (Afghanistan); high unemployment; over 47 million without healthcare. But guess what else a brotha knows? He knows:
1. Big challenges create an opportunity to be a great president; and you don't want to be a good president but a great president, not for your ego but for the American people;
2. You will be a president of tremendous courage, intellect and leadership;
3. You will have the support of not only the American people but the world;
4. Given your humble upbringing and experience as a community organizer, you will continue to possess the right instincts and mindset in approaching all pressing issues: Thinking first and foremost, how will your decision affect the majority of Americans; and
Yo, Prez, you will lead us out of this economic crisis, get the economy on the right track, bring us closer to universal healthca re, return our brave daughters and sons home from Iraq and improve the care once they get here. And history will record that you were one of our more successful presidents. Just remember the immortal words of General Patton:
"In planning any operation, it is vital to remember and constantly repeat to oneself two things:
1. In war, nothing is impossible provided you use audacity.
2. Do not take counsel of your fears.’"
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Prez, did you make WHAT YOU BELIEVE is the right decision on Afghanistan? Did you make this decision calculating that it would give you the best chance of re-elected in 2012? Was it political decision made to appease some on in the Republican party or was it a decision based in your heart about what's best for the American people, the ones who are against this war? Are you truly listening to the generals in the armed forces today or learning wisdom from those in the past. The Daddy's suggestion? Read his most famous speech (Somewhere in Europe, June 5th, 1944) and a few books of General Patton.
With audacity,
The Daddy
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22 comments:
Excellent post, MacDaddy! The reflection is potent. I'm so disappointed with my President this last week ... last few months ... I'm worried that he has kicked the can up into the air and his chances for a second term are all but gone. Certainly this silly bi-partisanship has been seeping his credibility with me. And though I hold on watching for integrity to resurrect within the White House policy making process... I still look for future wisdom in what is happening now. Frankly, I'm confused about it all to certain extent. I am opposed to the war in Afghanistan. I've posted a STOP THE WAR poster in my front yard. Ya know? Doesn't me I don't support the troops nor President Obama as my President... gad! I'm so very much hoping for more from him! Good post.
Gwen: I hear you. A lot of people expressed those sentiments to me: they're sick of war and sick of the way Obama has handled it; and they're sick of his decision to rise up and say no to the military.
A crop of generals and Republicans hawks want this war. Americans don't
MacDaddy, I think there are two possibilities:
1. Obama convinced himself years ago that Afghanistan represented a "War of Necessity".
2. Obama asked the wrong question of his advisors, or accepted the wrong answer from them, which amounts to the same thing. He should have demanded from them answer to the question,
How is Afghanistan essential to American national security?
Instead the question they answered for him was,
How can Afghanistan be 'fixed'?
Did the Prez just get the wrong advice? Any thoughts?
Nir Rosen talks about these issues in his Something from Nothing.
I think he got the wrong advice from generals on the ground. They always ask for more troops. This is because they can't look at war in any other way than military strategy to succeed. Vigil, there's no succeeding there. Other generals who have been there say they doubt if we can succeed in significantly lessening the operation in Kabul, where people have no trust in the government. The US cannot succeed in getting a primarily rural population to accept an Afghanistan government, which has bee living in luxury at our expense. We are the money train that enables Karzai and cronies live in wealth at our expense. Meanwhile, many of our own, including veterans and veteran families, are living on the street.
I read Nir Rosen't piece. It's the kind of reading I'm finding these days: Good but sad analysis of our coming failure in Afghanistan.
A couple of other thoughts on Afghanistan (while I was in the shower): I have revised my thinking on Afghanistan. I always thought and always will think that the retaliative invasion of Afghanistan was a necessary response to 9-11. I was slow to recognize that our presence in Afghanistan after Bush's posse abandoned the pursuit of Osama in favor of Saddam, served no purpose. At some point the pursuit morphed into a hope of finding Osama 'dead or alive'.
Now, President Obama is a zillion times smarter than I. Normally, I would expect the man to rethink his fundamental vision. But the poor man has gazillions of issues on his plate. With his agenda overload, he doesn't have the luxury I have. I can't even find the time to post on all of the effing issues he has in his face every minute of his day.
I don't see how he does it. I love the man. I want the best for him. His advisors let him down.
That's all I got.
PS: A second copy of your GR8 book arrived yesterday. I got two for the price of one. We have to settle up. (I can't tell which autograph I like the best!) I owe you big time.
You know,
It was the policy to fight terror through intelligence... you remember the extremist and leftist groups of the sixties / seventies? Intelligence sought it out and took the lead, to the greatest degree. UK still takes this tact. The finest intelligence, Mossad, has even dropped the ball in the last 20 years. I think competent, techno savvy intelligence is where the real answer lies in the Afghanistan debacle. But, as Vigil says, the President is a very smart man. He has opted to use the troops simply because intelligence is failing the field. My gods! Look at the 'hired help' the CIA has depended on! I don't think this is a 'war of necessity' ... I think it should be streamlined ongoing intelligence working in unison with allied intelligence. And that includes all of the new security groups in US and allies. It just seems the most efficient way to affect change in the field.
That being said, I am ruefully aware of the mismanagement and abuse of intelligence / under many administrations. They have installed much harm abroad.
Sadly, I think failure in Afghanistan awaits. There is no real 'win' in how it's being handled... of course, that's just my opinion.
ta MacDaddy.
The president made a decision that I didn't like but then again I don't like war. However, unlike so many so called "supporters" of Barack Obama I will not desert him, nor will I criticize him for making a tough decision. Despite what some may think there are times when war is a necessary evil. If it were not for war we would all be speaking with British accents and drinking tea by the gallon.
Pascal wrote:
"Justice without force is powerless. Force without justice is tyrannical."
We have every reason to be there and our reasons are just. We need to get Osama bin Laden and destroy the threat of al Qaeda. We need to make certain that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal doesn't fall into the hands of the Islamic extremists and al Qaeda.
It is important to remember that we are not alone in this effort. We have allies, serious allies, who find this conflict important enough to put their brave young men and women in harm's way, just like us.
This decision was not made unilaterally. It was a bilateral decision made by a man we elected because we were confident he could walk the hard road. Now that he does the Left wants to throw him out the door. Why don't we have a little faith? This is the man who calls the families of those killed in action. He is the man who personally signs every single letter of condolence. Do we really think he doesn't care?
P.S. It is now time to put aside the debate. It is now time to pray for those who will fight this war. It is now time to pray for the families of those who are fighting this war and those who may soon be called upon to fight this war.
The whining, weeping and wailing [because we did not get our way] needs to end. The supporting and sincere caring needs to begin.
Why don't we begin here, on this day, at this wonderful blog? I cannot think of a more honorable place to revise our thinking....
I wish y'all would give the brotha a break. This aint the local PTA he's dealing with.
He hasn't let this white boy down. . . yet. I know he's got the biggest baddest meanest ugliest tiger in the world by the tail right now.
I'm with Sagacious!!
Hillbilly, I will always believe is this guy. At the moment, I believe he made the wrong call. But I still believe I made the right call last November!
Sagacious: Like you, I voted for Obama. I even drove people to the polls and made some phone calls. But that doesn't mean I cannot or should not question his policies.
Remember: This is not just any policy. This is the policy that will define his presidency in history, decide how many democrats will be elected, and, most of all, decide how many of our soldiers will die in a foreign land.
Madmike: Deal with this war and the debate around as you wish. Personally, I'm not cutting off debate. I'm amping it up. If we had more of these discussions, maybe Obama wouldn't have decided this course. I'm going to hook up with some organization and express my anger through protest.
What Vigil said...me too.
I've never stopped supporting my President, as my President! Hell, today I'm doing a phone bank to raise awareness and get folks to email, sit a vigil or call their reps and senators over HCR. For the White House. I still publish many of my 'myth' blogs to my change.gov blog! And they DO see me. I get positive reinforcing emails from White House staff of whomever is keeping the change.gov and the FL Democrats are up my but to 'be there' with them in just about everything they attempt. I support Barack Obama. Hell yes. I don't support every one of his policies. And that's the deal mcneal. Gentlemen; I don't think the fella himself would respect it if I were a 'yeswoman' to his policies... I don't think that's the kind of man he is...
Daddy I didn't mean to suggest we cut off debate. I appreciate all opinions. I understand where you are on this, but I understand that the decision is made and no amount of protesting or letter writing is going to change it, therefore I am going to support the troops by supporting the mission. I was a soldier once and young, in a war that was not supported by my country. I cannot tell you how that felt for those of us serving in a foreign land trying hard to believe that what we did was the right thing. I NEVER want that to happen again. If you truly support the troops you must support the mission, as bitter a pill as it may be to swallow. It is after all, not about us, but about them.
I am over you Vigilante. I am tired of your insults. I do not fault you for having an opinion that differs from mine. Now you have gone from talking about spilling precious blood to "how do we pay for it?" WTF? Your desperation is showing. Your lack of respect for me and my opinion is hurtful and unnecessary. You should be ashamed for bringing your hatred of me and our president to this wonderful place.
P.S. Vigilante never again ask me if I don't care about losing our children. Never ask me that again and you know why.....
I'm sorry, Mike. I wasn't aware of the implications of my earlier remarks, which were unintended. I'm taking the whole comment down.
Vigil: Thank you for according me that respect.
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