Last week, Barack Obama and Dick Cheney both gave speeches on national security on the same day. The contrast between the two could not be greater. For a summary of Cheney's words, hit the links at the bottom of this post; for Obama's remarks, I'll reference Bobby Eberle's column at GOPUSA:
Barack Obama spoke out on Thursday about the need to close the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Facing increasing resistance from Congress, Obama continued his push to bring dangerous terrorists into the U.S. for incarceration and trial.
In trying to make his case, he continued his practice of blaming the previous administration, while at the same time, saying that America needs to look forward not back. As we have seen from previous speeches and comments, Obama is more concerned about making sure America is liked across the globe rather than keeping America safe.
Obama is bound and determined to bring captured terrorists to America. Why? Is it to keep a closer eye on them? No. It is simply because of his belief that closing the Guantanamo Bay facility will raise "America's standing" in the world. According to his logic, American standing was higher than it is now. Yet, it was eight years ago when terrorists killed thousands of innocent Americans. Since then, he says our "standing" has gone down, but at the same time, we have not had another terrorist attack. How does he resolve that fact?
There have certainly been plots and schemes. Some were easier to crack than others. Numerous terrorist cells were discovered, and the terrorists were captured. What about the more organized and secretive plans? What about the al Qaeda plot known as the Second Wave which would fly airplanes into buildings in Los Angeles and potentially kill thousands more Americans? Oh yes, a few top terrorists including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were waterboarded, and the plot was foiled.
First, in his speech, Obama did speak the truth:
We are less than eight years removed from the deadliest attack on American soil in our history. We know that al Qaeda is actively planning to attack us again. We know that this threat will be with us for a long time, and that we must use all elements of our power to defeat it.
All elements of our power to defeat it. Yes... except for those elements which Obama says "reduces our standing in the world." Except for detention facilities like Gitmo which keep terrorists away from the American public.
Obama then goes on to pay homage to the nation's founding documents:
But I believe with every fiber of my being that in the long run we also cannot keep this country safe unless we enlist the power of our most fundamental values. The documents that we hold in this very hall - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights -are not simply words written into aging parchment. They are the foundation of liberty and justice in this country, and a light that shines for all who seek freedom, fairness, equality and dignity in the world.
It's interesting that these documents are so important when talking about closing Gitmo, by they are completely irrelevant when Obama pushes for massive bailouts, budgets that run in the trillions of dollars, government control of banks, government control of the auto industry, government control of health care, etc. Don't our founding documents apply there too?
In addressing Gitmo, Obama said:
Rather than keep us safer, the prison at Guantanamo has weakened American national security. It is a rallying cry for our enemies. It sets back the willingness of our allies to work with us in fighting an enemy that operates in scores of countries. By any measure, the costs of keeping it open far exceed the complications involved in closing it.
Whether you call it Gitmo or Disneyland, there will always be a place where terrorists are detained. Does anyone think that terrorists will view us more favorably if we call it Disneyland?
I invite you to read the comments of the many legislators who went on the record following the speech. The comment by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) was the inspiration for this column: "The American people don't want to know how closing Guantanamo Bay will make us more popular, they want to know how closing Guantanamo Bay will make us safer."
In short, Obama wants America to "raise its standing in the world." What does that really mean? It means he wants to be more liked in Europe, and to do that, it means that America should be more like Europe. He's already doing that on the domestic side with increased government control and a "push toward socialism." (That's a shout out to my man, Michael Steele, from yesterday's column.)
On the foreign policy side, what does it mean to be more like Europe? European nations have a history of appeasement to dictators... a history of trying to play nice with people who adhere to no rules. What was the result? Invasion... destruction... the loss of millions of lives. I'll take the American way over that option any day of the week.
Obama may want us to be more like Europe, but I long for the days when America is more like America! A strong, determined, capitalist nation that puts the individual first, values freedom, and is the envy of the world.
And that's truly the nutshell of the difference between liberals like Obama and conservatives, as put forward by Cheney: style over substance, rhetoric over results, being liked over being safe.
It never works out for the better, and the tragedy is that American citizens will likely pay the price for Obama's foolishness. Thank God for Dick Cheney, though! My only gripe with him is to question where this level of fierce defense was over the past seven years? Who knows how different things would be if the Bush White House had been this forceful in defending itself against the Left's accusations and slander? We'll never know.
Regardless, we do know where Obama's policies will take us, and it's not going to be good.
There's my two cents.
Related Reading:
Cheney Outshines Obama
Obama's Crock
Dueling National Security Speeches
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