The government kidnaps kids from Afghanistan and tortures them on the flimsiest pretexts. Meanwhile, white supremacists bring guns to Obama’s appearances and walk away free.
Blend the Stimulus
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This one was inspired by a conversation with Matt Bors. We were wondering aloud why Obama was in such a rush to pass the bailout bills, only to drag his ass in actually distributing the money. It’s not like they can’t do things quickly.
The Asterisk President
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Fairly self-explanatory, but this is something I’ve been trying to convey about Obama for some time. He has perfect Bush’s art of getting the big headline and then amending it into nothingness later when nobody is paying attention. Remember Bush’s signing statements? Obama doesn’t need them–he does the same thing without them.
Why Obama Won’t Release the Torture Photos
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Barack Obama reneged on his promise to release 2000+ photos of prisoner abuse by US troops. Because, you know, the Afghans and Iraqis aren’t already pissed.
Kumbaya
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Barack Obama’s speech at Notre Dame about abortion continues his ongoing quest for oppressed people to make nice with their oppressors.
Liberal Projection
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In all the ways that matter to liberals, Barack Obama is the second coming of George W. Bush. But in the same way that Republicans project their values of small government and low taxes on a party that doesn’t adhere to them, liberal Democrats project values of being antiwar and pro-civil liberties that they don’t make the slightest pretense of following.
Obama Sells Out to Military Torturers
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Barack Obama is a liar.
Reneging on his earlier agreement to release some 2000+ photos of detainees being abused by American service personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq, he releases a stream of bullshit that doesn’t stand up to the most casual contemplation:
“The publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals,” Mr. Obama told reporters on the South Lawn. “In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger.”
To the contrary, additional information always provides additional understanding. If it’s more of the same, that tells us that the incidents at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere were more widespread than was previously known. If it’s less, then it tells us that maybe it wasn’t. As for inflaming anti-Americanism, well, Obama’s decision not to release the photos tells me one thing: they must be fucking insanely disgusting.
As, indeed, they are. An ACLU rep appeared on MSNBC yesterday to say that he had it on good (military) authority that the photos are, in fact, much worse than what we’ve seen from Abu Ghraib. Seymour Hersh and other reporters with first- or secondhand knowledge of the photos say they are essentially pornography—orgies between soldiers and with detainees. Whether the detainees are being forced to participate or not is unknowable.
Obama says the photos aren’t as ugly as those from Abu Ghraib. If that’s true, why not release them? The imagination runs wild, and only imagines the worst. Reality can’t possibly be as bad.
The real reason Obama is covering up for the military is that they’re scared shitless of facing prosecution for their crimes—and responsibility for them goes way up the chain of command.
Obama ought to resign in shame for being such a pussy.
The Immoral Majority
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The torture debate has come down to whether or not it’s effective. Why are opponents of torture playing this game? Whether or not torture works is irrelevant. Even if it would save millions of lives–and that’s a stretch, to say the least–it’s wrong. What happened to Americans? Why are we so morally bankrupt? Wrong is wrong. It doesn’t matter whether or not it pays.
Same Old, Feels Great
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Obama is amazing. First he gets credit for closing Gitmo—even though he leaves it open for a year and is moving the inmates to Bagram. Then he refuses to prosecute torturers. Now he’s retaining Bush’s kangaroo court system at Gitmo. When are “liberals” going to realize that our first black president is just another fascist?
