Just for a moment, I want to take a little trip back in time to the 2007 Iowa Republican Presidential Debate. It was there that Mitt Romney made the following statement about a certain democratic senator from Illinois. A statement which, in hindsight, could only be described as prescient.
Hell, downright clairvoyant:
I mean, in one week he went from saying he’s going to sit down, you know, for tea, with our enemies, but then he’s going to bomb our allies. He’s gone from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove in one week.
Boy, Mittens sure had his finger on the pulse of that one! Really. I mean who — except, Romney, obviously — would ever have imagined that candidate Obama would go on to:
- be America’s first black president
- win the Nobel Peace Prize, and then
- turn around and boost government spending on nuclear weapons?
Not me. And probably not those folks on the Nobel Peace Prize committee either. But that’s just a guess.
In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, the President was unequivocal about his stance on nukes:
In the middle of the last century, nations agreed to be bound by a treaty whose bargain is clear: all will have access to peaceful nuclear power; those without nuclear weapons will forsake them; and those with nuclear weapons will work toward disarmament. I am committed to upholding this treaty. It is a centerpiece of my foreign policy. And I am working with President Medvedev to reduce America and Russia’s nuclear stockpiles.
And during Wednesday’s State of the Union Address Obama reiterated these remarks:
Even as we prosecute two wars, we are also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the American people – the threat of nuclear weapons.
I have embraced the vision of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons, and seeks a world without them.
To reduce our stockpiles and launchers, while ensuring our deterrent, the United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades.
Yay! Fewer launchers! Fewer warheads! We are moving towards a more peaceful, verdant world!
And by “we,” of course, he means — well, all you other guys. Not the U.S. Nope. Obviously we need to make sure our nukes are in tip-top shape!
Not two days after the SOTU, in a Wall Street Journal editorial, Joe Biden outlined the details of the President’s nuclear-security agenda:
To achieve these goals, our budget devotes $7 billion for maintaining our nuclear-weapons stockpile and complex, and for related efforts. This commitment is $600 million more than Congress approved last year. And over the next five years we intend to boost funding for these important activities by more than $5 billion. Even in a time of tough budget decisions, these are investments we must make for our security. We are committed to working with Congress to ensure these budget increases are approved.
Yes, you read that correctly. That’s $600 million more than George Bush spent in his final year in office. President Bush had a worldwide reputation (er, at least on The Daily Show) as a warmonger. And President Obama just won the Nobel Peace Prize. (And yes, I am going to keep italicizing Peace. Until they come up with the typographical equivalent of air quotes, it’s all I’ve got, people.)
Oh yes, and all this in the midst of a “budget freeze” on non-defense related discretionary spending (can you say gimmick?) as our national debt spirals upwards of $12.3 trillion.
Ah, what the hell. I am sure he knows what he’s doing. When has Captain Peace Prize ever steered us wrong before?
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Yes, yes we do.
And as for the Peace Prize, there are worse people than Obama to get it. Such as Yassar Arafat and the IPCC, one a mass murderer and the other admitted liars.
Since Obama is only a liar and the destroyer of a large portion of the American dream.
He should give the prize back.
Nice post. There are so many contradictory statements there, it is hare to pick one out. I must admit, I would love to know how you maintain a deterrent by LOWERING your number of nukes. I’m not saying less nukes is necessarily a bad thing, but I really don’t think Russia, Iran or anyone else is going to say they are less likely to pick a fight because we got RID of some warheads.
Maybe he’ll claim the additional funding is to destroy our stockpiles. Which will make us REALLY safe.
First of all, I don’t care which way you lean politically, that picture is hilarious.
Secondly, the reason he’s pushing for nuclear power, nuclear weapons, everything but nuclear families? Well:
(See http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/01/obama-creates-panel-seeks-loan-guarantees-to-spur-nuclear-power-/1.)
I have to wonder how Mr. Greenjeans plans to handle the “clean” part of nuclear energy, because while nuclear power doesn’t produce carbon emissions, wasn’t a large part of the 70s and 80s spent worrying about nuclear waste, accidents at nuclear plants, three-eyed fish, and so forth? (Of course, you’d also have to ask people like Murkowski that same question.) If people think LANDFILLS are bad, how NIMBY are we gonna get about nuclear waste? Isn’t this an illustration of that TANSTAAFL principle?
HEY! this is the fault of the last 42, or 43 presidents! He inherited this whole nuclear problem! It is UNFAIR TO BLAME HIM! Don’t you clowns know anything? Do the research!
Love the comic book picture, but it is too bad it is a true representation of his presidency thus far.
I’m all for a beefy defense and high national security (after all, there are an awful lot of people in the world who would prefer it if we were a black, smoking crater), but I’m also for calling it like it is. But then again, saying that it’s important to defend your nation against aggressors isn’t going to win you any Peace Prizes, is it?
Also, holy crap, comic books used to cost a dime?? I just got the latest issue of Deadpool for $4!
This whole administrtion has been an exercise in cognitive dissonance.
Beige – every type of energy production will create waste, even fusion. Nuclear plants are extemely safe and produce far less harmful waste then coal and natural gas plus they use far less land than solar or wind.
Which is where TANSTAAFL (There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch, TM Scott F) comes in.
Great graphic.
Two possibilities:
1. Obama knew all along what was required and lied without restraint to convince voters otherwise, OR…
2. Obama was so naive and experienced he actually believed what he said on the campaign trail, which is even scarier.
Based on his back bending bowing to foreign potentates and his non stop apology tour for America’s past wrongs, and horrible missteps on national security it seems to be #2.
I think half of Obama’s problems are that he only surrounds himself with people who agree with him… a classic Ross Perot mistake.
On occasion you need those who will say “let’s take another look at”
a. Giving everyone $4,000 of hardearned taxpayer’s dollars to buy a Toyota
b. Giving terrorists another platform/civilian reverse-show trial at which to spread their hate in the city they hate the most
c. Creating jobs almost solely by hiring more government employees.
d. etc, etc, etc
pedantry powers, activate:
“And yes, I am going to keep italicizing Peace. Until they come up with the typographical equivalent of air quotes, it’s all I’ve got, people.”
the typographical equivalent of scare quotes is… scare quotes: The Nobel “Peace” Prize
and TANSTAAFL is more of a Heinlein TM =)
My work here is done.
Ah. That’s what I get for not reading enough Heinlein. Thanks, Ben.
What else would you expect from a man who won the Peace Prize after being in office for 2 weeks just because he is not Bush? And, froma a man who changes his thought process more than Biden changes his underwear? Past Obama and present Obama just keeps on bumping into each other and ruining everything. I wonder when the “blame Bush” card for this one comes out.
Pasta,
When exhorting someone to research the topic at hand it’s considered impolite not to provide youtube links so that we may conduct said research.
Well Stan… Smart guy… I had a link to a video featuring the actual Martin Van Buren, known to his friends as “Nuclear Marty”, or “Marty the Annihilator” to his enemies, but they were removed by “user”. My guess is *They* caught up with him. By him I mean the user. Not Murdering Marty. No one ever wanted to catch up to him.
Drudge apparently likes this concept:
HOW HE LEARNED TO LOVE THE BOMB: OBAMA SEEKS MONEY FOR NUKE WEAPONS WORK
Link goes to
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100202/ap_on_re_us/us_nuclear_lab_budgets_1
Good scoop, SJS!
@AAW: CURSE YOU for putting the words “Biden” and “underwear” in the same sentence. CURRRRRSSSE YOOOUUUUU.
@Stan: Yeah, Pasta ought to do more to get the rest of us edumacated. By YouTube.
Obama should take the prize back. Or the Nobel Peace Prize committee should take it by force. It was given to a person who has proven the world wrong.
I’m still in awe of that graphic. It’s so camp, you need canoes and bug repellent.
@All Women Stalker – given to him before he could prove anything. It must have been the “tingling” sensation everyone was feeling when they were around this clown. I hear everyday that more and more people, are questioning who they put in the White House.
The next time 54% of the electorate votes based on a “tingling feeling”, I hope they’re writing in “Hitachi Magic Wand” for President, because THAT thing would do us a lot more good than what’s in the Oval Office these days is doing.
WAR IS PEACE, PEOPLE. GEEZ.
…..buying a private island, anyone? Seasteading? C’mon, if we pool our money…