Is Obama a weak president? | INFJ Forum

Is Obama a weak president?

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So, I have been told in person and have seen on television/internet commentaries that Obama is a weak president. Dick Cheney, the vampire, said so. Do you think that he actually is weak? And if he is, what does that mean exactly? Does it matter that the domestic or world population see him as not weak in the first place?

Some current issues that he has been called weak on are Russia's military action in Ukraine and ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). He has authorized bombing ISIS in both Iraq and Syria though. He also has worked to decrease our nuclear weapons stockpile and invited Russia to do the same, which contributed to him winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Does that make him weak, or is he weak for some other reason? Thoughts?
 
Understatement.
 
Firstly, Dick Cheney is the biggest piece of human garbage still “alive” if you consider his array of robotic Darth Vader parts “living”.
He’s got no integrity to back up anything he’s said. He’s lied to the American people time and time again…even when he’s called out on his lies, he tell more…he’s made millions in war profits while thousands and thousands have died…and in no way has even come close to what would be considered and apology.
The Republicans don’t like Obama…that is clear…it is also clear that they have done everything possible to be obstructionists.
If Obama set out to make Abortion illegal, give every white person a handgun, made all the schools Christian, and dug a moat filled with Crocodiles and piranha along the border to keep out the illegals, the Republicans would vote against it.
They think the word “compromise” is a dirty thing…sorry, but that is how our Congress and government functions.
I’m not saying that the Liberal Democrats are much better…there are plenty of good and bad people on both sides of the isle.
The problem is big money thinking that it has a place within our government…ummm, no you absolutely don’t.
You and your lobbyists aren’t voted in…and you have a disproportionate voice over the common man or woman…that isn’t a democracy.
The constituents represent the people who voted them in…they should not be beholden to the big money donors who paid for their trip to the Caribbean.

The last person who should open his big fat mouth of lies is Dick Cheney.

The Last Letter

IMG_7389-tomas-young-dig-804-cropped_704_375.jpg


A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran

To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
From: Tomas Young

"I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care.
I write this letter on behalf of husbands and wives who have lost spouses, on behalf of children who have lost a parent, on behalf of the fathers and mothers who have lost sons and daughters and on behalf of those who care for the many thousands of my fellow veterans who have brain injuries. I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all—the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.

I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.
Your positions of authority, your millions of dollars of personal wealth, your public relations consultants, your privilege and your power cannot mask the hollowness of your character. You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage.
I joined the Army two days after the 9/11 attacks. I joined the Army because our country had been attacked. I wanted to strike back at those who had killed some 3,000 of my fellow citizens. I did not join the Army to go to Iraq, a country that had no part in the September 2001 attacks and did not pose a threat to its neighbors, much less to the United States. I did not join the Army to “liberate” Iraqis or to shut down mythical weapons-of-mass-destruction facilities or to implant what you cynically called “democracy” in Baghdad and the Middle East. I did not join the Army to rebuild Iraq, which at the time you told us could be paid for by Iraq’s oil revenues. Instead, this war has cost the United States over $3 trillion. I especially did not join the Army to carry out pre-emptive war. Pre-emptive war is illegal under international law. And as a soldier in Iraq I was, I now know, abetting your idiocy and your crimes. The Iraq War is the largest strategic blunder in U.S. history. It obliterated the balance of power in the Middle East. It installed a corrupt and brutal pro-Iranian government in Baghdad, one cemented in power through the use of torture, death squads and terror. And it has left Iran as the dominant force in the region. On every level—moral, strategic, military and economic—Iraq was a failure. And it was you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, who started this war. It is you who should pay the consequences.

I would not be writing this letter if I had been wounded fighting in Afghanistan against those forces that carried out the attacks of 9/11. Had I been wounded there I would still be miserable because of my physical deterioration and imminent death, but I would at least have the comfort of knowing that my injuries were a consequence of my own decision to defend the country I love. I would not have to lie in my bed, my body filled with painkillers, my life ebbing away, and deal with the fact that hundreds of thousands of human beings, including children, including myself, were sacrificed by you for little more than the greed of oil companies, for your alliance with the oil sheiks in Saudi Arabia, and your insane visions of empire.
I have, like many other disabled veterans, suffered from the inadequate and often inept care provided by the Veterans Administration. I have, like many other disabled veterans, come to realize that our mental and physical wounds are of no interest to you, perhaps of no interest to any politician. We were used. We were betrayed. And we have been abandoned. You, Mr. Bush, make much pretense of being a Christian. But isn’t lying a sin? Isn’t murder a sin? Aren’t theft and selfish ambition sins? I am not a Christian. But I believe in the Christian ideal. I believe that what you do to the least of your brothers you finally do to yourself, to your own soul.
My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who deserved to live. I hope that before your time on earth ends, as mine is now ending, you will find the strength of character to stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness. "


 
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Funny how we can live on the same planet and see things completely differently. All I will say is we are lucky Republicans are doing what small part they can to block Obamas catering policies. Unfortunately its not nearly enough and Obama is pretty much getting everything he wants through breaking the law and executive actions.
 
Is ISIS or Russia scared?

I think the President on the movie 24 acts more strong. Of course he wants to get rid of our nukes.
 
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So, I have been told in person and have seen on television/internet commentaries that Obama is a weak president. Dick Cheney, the vampire, said so. Do you think that he actually is weak? And if he is, what does that mean exactly? Does it matter that the domestic or world population see him as not weak in the first place?

Some current issues that he has been called weak on are Russia's military action in Ukraine and ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). He has authorized bombing ISIS in both Iraq and Syria though. He also has worked to decrease our nuclear weapons stockpile and invited Russia to do the same, which contributed to him winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Does that make him weak, or is he weak for some other reason? Thoughts?

I dont think he can do right for doing wrong according to the conservative opinion formers in the US, I actually feel bad for the guy and America the extent to which partisan sentiments have over taken not just patriotism but any sort of civics in the US.
 
Is ISIS or Russia scared?

I think the President on the movie 24 acts more strong. Of course he wants to get rid of our nukes.

Fictional presidents are comparable to actual presidents?

I dont know if ISIS or Russia should be afraid of the US, the US shouldnt be the ultimate arbitrator of international affairs, they should be afraid of their war crimes catching up with them rather than the US being in a position to treat them as a strategic threat.
 
I think I have the right to compare to anything I wish.

You have the right to condemn the US?
 
So, I have been told in person and have seen on television/internet commentaries that Obama is a weak president. Dick Cheney, the vampire, said so. Do you think that he actually is weak? And if he is, what does that mean exactly? Does it matter that the domestic or world population see him as not weak in the first place?

Some current issues that he has been called weak on are Russia's military action in Ukraine and ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). He has authorized bombing ISIS in both Iraq and Syria though. He also has worked to decrease our nuclear weapons stockpile and invited Russia to do the same, which contributed to him winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Does that make him weak, or is he weak for some other reason? Thoughts?

He's no Theodore Roosevelt, that's for sure.
 
Well, I trust mister "get drunk and shoot your friend in the face" Cheney, implicitly. All the snark I have for now. Oh, why don't they ever talk about that?

Anyway, frankly, America is going to have to face the fact that they can't always be the richest... I think it's a matter of dealing with that reality, especially since a large portion of that wealth is basically from using exploitative practices...

And yet, to live as a king in the renaissance, you'd be crapping in buckets or down some latrine, probably have all sorts of nastiness... the point being, how important is it to be "the guy" at the expense of the future? Frankly, he and future presidents will get a lot of flak for all of the things that the American political-bureaucratic system has swept under the rug in the past.

I have never seen the American political scene close-up (i.e. been around politicians doing their thing day in day out). So, whether or not he is weak is something that I can't pass judgement on... I know that some people seem to be quite good at picking presidential winners, and there is a deeply entrenched portion within the bureaucratic structure who could rain all sorts of havok if they wanted to... so, just how much adversity is he facing, and what are his real goals instead of talking points?
 
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The way I see it, Obama is more of a mediator than a leader. He is perceived (by both the United States and the international community) as often electing to take the middle road. He doesn't have any strong stance on anything and his addresses to the American public sound like he's addressing a bunch of middle schoolers; he doesn't condescend but he comes across as that well-meaning teacher that people like but wouldn't depend on in a crisis. In the face of adversity, people turn to leaders who show a bit more teeth because they want someone decisive, committed, who won't dilly-dally in the face of a conflict by looking at two sides. The my-way-or-the-highway approach is preferred. Why do so many people admire Putin despite him being such the politically ruthless beast he is? People usually start of by saying, 'we'll, Putin is a real bitch, but I can't help but respect him ...'

It's really kind of terrifying when you think about it.

Obama would be an excellent president in time of peace. Sadly, America has pretty much been in a constant state of war since day one.

I feel bad for him. He's little more than a figure-head... A monument in Central Park getting shit on and blamed for things that he has no direct control over anyway.
 
As if the president is ruler over his country...
 
President is a figure head for ideals. Unfortunately this one is a figure head for ideals that are completely unattainable in our current world. Im sorry for anyone that offends but its simply the truth. The other side is that given time as we move into the future these things will come to pass anyway. So in short, Obama is an enigma of something that is both not possible and will never be needed. All of the action he has ramroded through in both the short and long term is more destructive than constructive. Beyond that [MENTION=1360]TheDaringHatTrick[/MENTION] pretty much nailed it.
 
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We haven’t had a decent President since Carter…not that he was that great…he was always looked at as kind of a weakling…I’m talking about the destruction done to this nation by our “Leaders”.
When Reagan took over several major changes took place in this country that some people don’t even really realize took place.
He busted the Unions.
He deregulated the banks and allowed investment house banks and your checkings and savings type bank to be one in the same - allowing the banks to gamble with your savings and retirement…which is exactly what they did.
He took a progressive tax rate that was working for the country (as far as paying for infrastructure etc.) and flipped it upside down for the super rich.
Everything was privatized…this was done under the guise of “competition” and saving money…but the only money it saved was in the pockets of the CEOs who ran said companies…and we all know how much they get paid currently.
Then we had a number of Presidents to follow…Bush senior (warmonger), Clinton…both helped to further deregulate the rules on Wall Street…and passed laws like NAFTA that shipped all the jobs overseas and south.
Don’t even get me started on Bush Jr. - There is NO comparison between him and Obama…I know some of you hate Obama…I don’t disagree with you, he certainly did NOT deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.
Bush Jr. started these two wars that are carrying on now in both Afghanistan and Iraq (ISIL is GWB’s creation).
We went on to not pay for war with two countries under him destroying the existing surplus…he further deregulated the banks and commerce…appointed Supreme Court Justices that have sold out our nation for $$$$$…and sat idly by as the banks gouged and defrauded people with fraudulent toxic home loans…Hell, he even wanted to hand Social Security over to be privatized by the banks….fucking dumbass Paul Ryan STILL TO THIS VERY DAY…wants to hand S.S. over to Wall Street. If Bush Jr. had done that SS would be nonexistent now…it would be gone…it may still end up that way, but at least we don’t have a bunch of homeless seniors living under bridges right now.
The worst thing he did was destroy the image of this country around the world.
You wanna know who really ruined our image? Ha…he tried to make torture okay…he and Cheney and those scummy lawyers that wrote their unlawful legalese orders to do so…should be tried and sentenced to death.
Bush and Cheney both for torture and war profiteering.
Do you have any idea how much money Cheney has made off of conflicts in the middle east?
Halliburton made something like $40 Billion in profit alone.
Bush pulled the US out of the Kyoto protocol for greenhouse emission control.
He withdrew from the 1972 antiballistic missile treaty.
He thumbed his nose at world sympathy and goodwill after 9/11 declaring “you are either with us, or against us.”.
There were NO WMDs…and we have proof they knew this and still perpetuated the lie to gain support.
They verbally attacked the UN weapons inspectors who told them time and time again they had no nuclear weapons capability.
Bush didn’t wait for UN approval to attack Iraq…nor did he wait for any CONGRESSIONAL approval either.
He abandoned and withdrew from the International Criminal Court before the war to protect his plans to attack without UN approval.
Bush and Cheney even attacked those who blew the whistle on their falsities…remember Valerie Plume the CIA op who’s husband wrote a negative op ed?
He then pardoned Scooter Libby for the leak that destroyed her career.
The second Iraq war has lead to hundreds of thousand of civilian casualties and millions of refugees.
Nearly 6,700 soldiers have died so far.
When it stared…people looted Baghdad…the most guarded spot..both before we occupied it and after was the “Oil Ministry” but this was all to fight terrorism right?
In 2006 the National Intelligence Estimate asserted that the war in Iraq INCREASED Islamic radicalism and global terrorism…the opposite of what we were supposedly doing.
Our troops were given unsafe, unarmored gear.
We created “black” prisons and tortured people around the world…never allowing the prisoners the normal rights a POW should receive.
NOT ONCE HAS BUSH ATTENDED A FUNERAL OF A SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ.
Bush started the domestic spying programs we have in place today. (constitutional violation btw)
The total cost for Iraq and Afghanistan will reach between $4 - $6 TRILLION.
At the height of the Iraq war Bush cut spending for veterans by several billion dollars.
Between 2001 and 2003 Bush cut taxes disproportionally for the wealthy with roughly one quarter going to the top 1% of incomes, compared with 8.9% going to the middle 20%.
For years the Bush admin froze Pell Grants for the 1.5 million low-income students. (he also eliminated job training programs for the poor)
He went back on his campaign promise to tax greenhouse emissions and turned the corporations loose on the environment.
“No child left behind” is a joke.
Average incomes dropped under Bush…and millions fell below the poverty line, including children.
Along with being impoverished means you cannot afford healthcare…this figure grew by almost 10 million from over the Clinton years.
He ignored Katrina.
Holds the record for the fewest press conferences. (transparency?)
Bush took the most vacation time…1,020 days…more than any modern president. Also among modern presidents - 5 weeks…the record as well.
So far…he’s escaped prosecution for his crimes…maybe not forever.

So, I’m sorry that I don’t see Obama in the same light as some previous presidents…but there isn’t a comparison.
The conservatives and republican led groups here in the US are continuing their mission of busting the Unions, busting any social safety net programs, cutting money to seniors, children, the poor…trying to deregulate the banks ever further (amazingly)…they continue to write tax laws that allow the rich and the corporations to hoard their money offshore and overseas, while the working men and women try to make up the slack but are failing.

So look at us now?

We have been sold out…our Congress is worthless….our Supreme Court is in the pocket of the uber-rich…our “democratic” electoral process is bullshit.
Corporate welfare is destroying this country…it must be ended along with our ridiculous tax code.
Have I mentioned that working-class income has stagnated since 1980?
 
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if you see a car driving down the road you don't think the car is doing the steering do you?

The car is not steering, the driver is sterring, but you only see the car

The president and his post is like the car...he is steered by the people who handle him

The president will change but the people doing the steering will remain the same

Don't be distracted by the car! Find out who the driver is

Otherwise you dissempower yourself as a politically active force...because you direct your energies to the wrong place

Trust me that soon Obama will be old news and the drivers will be driving a new car...and some people will still be talking about the car!
 
if you see a car driving down the road you don't think the car is doing the steering do you?

The car is not steering, the driver is sterring, but you only see the car

The president and his post is like the car...he is steered by the people who handle him

The president will change but the people doing the steering will remain the same

Don't be distracted by the car! Find out who the driver is

Otherwise you dissempower yourself as a politically active force...because you direct your energies to the wrong place

Trust me that soon Obama will be old news and the drivers will be driving a new car...and some people will still be talking about the car!

Im sorry so you are saying Obama is like that pos lemon that needs to be taken to the junk yard and turned into scrap?
 
Im sorry so you are saying Obama is like that pos lemon that needs to be taken to the junk yard and turned into scrap?

I'm sayin the driver WILL throw him on the scrap heap (but a comfortable corporate one) and replace him with a new puppet to razzle dazzle those members of the public who still watch and believe the mainstream news
 
I don't consider President Obama weak. I think he is often perceived weak because of his willingness to compromise and to listen to reason. It's all in the definition of weak anyways. Every president has their weak spots, but so does every human being. The previous president was weak on prudence and strong on haste. People want our president to be strong, so we can bask in the power of a strong leader and feel prideful. But that doesn't change the fact that his power is in relation to other powers and no matter what he wills, he cannot do it without Congress, for better or for worse. If he were to press his stance against the people, then he would be more fit for a country like Russia that envies a strong leader, but ignores the rights of its people. That is what happens if the power of the presidency doesn't have a check on itself. As our presidents become more and more power, it comes at the expense of the people, and a strong president modifies laws that only make them stronger and draw it more near to authoritarianism in the end.

If given a choice though, I would much rather have a weak presidency and a strong democracy.
 
Willingness to compromise and listen to reason!? No not at all. Of all the things this president is guilty of none of those apply at all.
 
Not even partially. Not even close.