Another boring lesson from Presdinet “Professor/Community Activist” Obama.  It did little for the Presidnet’s case to add in a history lesson on how the Afghanistan conflict began.  Even less helpful was his small but obligatory slam against his predessor.   However, last night President Obama said some surprising statements but in the end it is the same old rheoric that has come out of the White House since he took office.  His tidy little speech on the war can be summed up in one sentence: “It’s not my fault but Bush got us in here so I have to get us out.”   

As President Obama began his speech, he touched on the Attack on 9/11.  That was both shocking and hypicritical.  Shocking that he would utter the words that America acted with military strength after the attack on 9/11. According to him and his left-wing base,  America should not have done anything after the attack.  As a matter of fact, grieve for those who died and move on was their attitude.  Hypicritical because admitting that it was an attack with a military response from our government makes what the terrorists did an act of war.  Which calls to mind that the President and his Attorney General are now bringing these terrorists to New York for a Civil Trial.  Mr. President,  you just admitted that what these thugs did was an act of war, why are they being tried in civilian court? 

The “it’s not my fault momment” came when Obama stated from the beginning of his presidency he did what needed to be done in Afghanastan becasue the previous administration ignored the requests for more troops in the area.  He corrected that.  While it is true, that the former administration’s attention were focused on Iraq, the idea that  Obama’s sent in more troops becasue Bush wouldn’t is in a technical sense a lie.  If anything,  the previous administration’s attempt to root out the Taliban has been hampered by Pakistan, who is giving safe harbor to the Taliban.  Not to mention, a war weary public and Congress.  Obama continues on with the white lie by stating that he has carfully weighed his options in Afghanistan, not wanting to rush into a decision.  Shocking that he is willing to committ more troops when America is still war weary.  However, he has no choice in this matter.  Even a four year old with army men knows that to win the war, more is better.  Obama has tried to stay away from war issues because of his base.  Now, he can’t ignore them since the news of McCrystal asking for more troops became public debate.  While blaming he previous adminsitration for ignoring the problems in Afghanistan, did Obama not do the same thing?   He sent more troops and figured that was all he needed to do.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  Hypocrisy at its best!  Obama doesn’t want to be bothered with war issues.  He’s too busy reshaping America into a socialsit country.  When McCrystal began asking for more troops, Obama’s response was first to ignore the request, then it was to ponder on the request, while consulting with everyone else but the commander.  Which leads into the end of the conflict not the victory of the conflict.  Obama brought up the imagry of Vietnam, stating that Afghanistan is not like that war.  Once again Vietnam is brought up not as a weapon this time, but a shield.  Vietnam is always used as tool to discredit any Republican president when it comes to Foregin Policy and military decisions.  However,  Obama brings up the “v” word as a shield that should protect him from all criticism which point to him as being a poor, indecisive commander in chief.  In his eyes,  it wasn’t the victory that America should have sought out in Vietnam, it was a conclusion.  By invoking the mistakes of Vietnam,  Obama is essentially saying Afghanistan will be a better loss than Vietnam.  There will be a conclusion to the war this time, but just as in forty years ago, America is not seeking victory.  The date is circled in red on Obama’s calendar come hell or high water, America is out of there. While it is not shocking that Obama would use a time table to determine when to leave.  It is  hypocritical to say that Afghanastan will be different from the stand point that the strategy is to admit we seek a conclusion not necessarily a victory. 

In essence the plan for Afghanistan is to go after the Taliban and Al Qaida.  Obama has finally seen the light that these terrorist must be brought to justice.  The only concern here is what type of justice.  For  years,  the Bush Administrtion was hammered on the fact that Bin Laden was still free.   There was even a belief that Bush had Bin Laden but was waiting in some jail cell for an Octorber surpise  in order to win reelecton.  That didn’t happen.  Yet,  here is Obama essentially saying all the things that Bush said years ago.  Stopping the Taliban and  Al Qaida is a top priority.  However, it seems as though the charming world leader did a back step.  While acknowledging that the Taliban has done much to undermine the Afghanastan government,  he suggested their could be an opporunity for non violent members of Taliban to be a part of the Afghanistan government.  Shocking!  Why would the President of the United States tell another government who should be invited to participate in their government?  Secondly,  has anyone heard of a nonviolent Taliban movement?   That is similar to saying that there are nonviolent PLO  leaders who seek peace and love for everyone in Israel.  In one swift move,  Obama shows his hypocrisy again as he tries to side with the more “moderate” of the Taliban yet wants to be tough on terrorists

In the end, the most shocking element of Obama’s speech was not so much everything he said, but where he said it.  At West Point Accademy, not from the Oval Office.  This speech should have been Presidential yet Obama tried to appear as though he blends in with the military.  In the end, this action spells out hypocrisy.  Obama needs to look and behave like a president.  Instead he counting on the “image” to see him through Afghanistan.  It is no secret that Obama is not a fan of the military,   Staging this speech at West Point is beyound pandering, its hypocritical.  As a matter of fact,  his entire presdency is shocking and hypicricial.   It might have been better to watch  Charlie Brown figure out the true meaning of Christams  than to listen to the President try to figure out the meaning of ending the conflict in Afghanistan.