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Obama’s ‘Platitudes’ for ISIS
I read the transcript of President Obama’s statement today on the murder of journalist James Foley and a few phrases really jumped out: “Their ideology is bankrupt.” “…a group like ISIL has no place in the 21st century.” “…we share a common security and a common set of values.”
How about just calling the terrorists what they are — evil incarnate — and then pledging to obliterate them? (Because as far as I can tell, the most we’re doing is “containing” the caliphate today.)
I talked today with Foundation for Defense of Democracies Senior Fellow Tom Joscelyn on the subject. Here’s his take:
Published in General
Nah. Too Reagan for Obama, and not nearly enough nuance. Must have nuance.
Seawriter
Platitude is the right word. If ISIL really has no place in the 21st century, Obama would be planning to remove them from it. Otherwise their place in the 21st century lies in the indifference of the civilized world.
Exactly.
It is worse than platitude, it is a complete denial of reality:
More British citizens signed up to fight in Iraq and Syria than joined the Army Reserve last year, it can be revealed.
Just 170 extra reservists enlisted over the past year – despite a Government target to boost the stand-by force by 11,000 by 2018.
But at the same time the brutal al-Qaeda inspired ISIS forces tearing through Iraq have been boosted by ‘several hundred’ Brits, ministers told MailOnline.
The President is living in a fantasy land while this increasingly formidable threat metastasizes
.
That’s like the Russians living in the 19th Century, right?
Mr Obama needs to to take his own advice – “The future does not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam”.
Last time I checked, the future is the 21st Century.
The bit about how we don’t do this in the 21st century seems to be a common platitude for the Obama administration. The same rhetorical construction was used to dismiss Russia’s excursions into the Ukraine.
He also made a comment about how ISIS represents a collapse of “civilized behavior.” He keeps making these appeals to civilized behavior, the 21st century and “how we do things” today. But he’s appealing to people for whom such things hold no appeal.
I just picture Obama as the dissipated aristocrat who sighs languidly as the barbarians come over the hill, and tut-tuts that they’re treading on the roses.
“no place in the 21st century” Wow. Progressives really believe that people are going to be nicer just because calender pages have turned. I’m in the academic world, so I’ve met a lot of people who believe this craziness, but I never imagined us actually electing (and re-electing) one of them President.
Mel Gibson’s video speech in Ransom comes to mind.
I want them to know that with this beheading, they’ve gotten our attention. And that while up til now, we’ve limited our concern to blocking the siege on the Yazidis, we will now commit ourselves to war against ISIS until they are destroyed.
I am so sick of these barbarians.
Check out British PM David Cameron’s reaction (worth reading in full): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11038121/David-Cameron-Isil-poses-a-direct-and-deadly-threat-to-Britain.html
Not exactly “…the inevitable triumph, so help us God!” , is it?
I’m sure once the President realizes the inadequacy of his response he will come up with a really crushing hashtag to put ISIS in its place.
Seawriter
Makes my ears hurt every time I hear the “no place in the 21st century”. It’s as if evil is can be cured by evolution or Obama’s superior brain power.
Frank, I just hope we don’t have to wait until 2017 to begin eliminating these barbarian savages.
Was this any better:
In a sane world, these activities should earn a blindfold and a bullet; some of them not even the blindfold.
I hope not too, but I expect that is what will happen. I think we will effectively have no commander in chief for the next two and a half years.
The Whitehouse just released the following transcript from the speechwriting meetings-
Valerie Jarrett:
*#$@ing ISIS. Nothing changes. *#$@ing Nazis!
Josh Earnest:
They were Nazis, Barry?
Valerie Jarrett:
Oh, come on Earnie, they were threatening beheadings! Are we gonna split hairs here? Am I wrong?
Pres. Obama:
They weren’t Nazis, Earnie, they were nihilists!!
Valerie Jarrett:
Nihilists!
*#$@ me… I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Barry, at least it’s an ethos.
(apologies to The Big Lebowski)
Mary,
Obama would not accept the Bust of Churchill in the Whitehouse.
“What kind of people do they think we are?!”
..walk together in Majesty, in Justice, and Peace.
Regards,
Jim
When Obama stated that European countries just don’t invade other European countries in the 21st Century, I was bothered because obviously, they do now. It seemed delusional, and a pathetic attempt to shame Putin. He obviously has no conception of what motivates Putin, I thought. As the ISIS threat grew geometrically over the last few months, I was relieved that Obama had not used that ridiculous line, he was at least aware that his vision of the 21st Century held no motivational power for ISIS, for they are shame proof. Now I think his 21st Century reference means he is disappointed in ISIS (along with D.C., America, Iraq . . . the whole world). Well, disappointment is not an appropriate response to this development! He is just phoning it in, hasn’t really thought about it too much, and anybody clever enough to rise to a leadership position in any country or jihadist organization can see that. This is not good. It is very bad.
And it reminds me of Bill Clinton’s nitwit slogan, that he and Al Gore would build a bridge to the 21st Century. Great. So here we are.
Be careful what you ask for. If Obama were to start “removing” groups he thinks have no place in the 21st century, gun-owning, Republican, Christians would be at the top of his list.
Are Muslims condemning ISIL, as Cameron says? Do you have evidence to share, Mary?
I think these democratic socialists (Cameron and Obama) suffer god-delusions. They believe they can create reality by speaking words. I know that’s the case with Obama: “I will not tolerate it.” Therefore, it is not so?
It’d be an interesting psycho-social tic if these guys weren’t running “the free world.” Instead, it’s terrifying.
We cannot begin to consider defeating our enemies if we cannot even bring ourselves to properly recognize them as willfully evil men who have no interest in talk or reason.
Sissified college “professors” who believe that simply by dint of them speaking, things will magically fix themselves, evil will cease to exist, and that zipping off to the golf course as frequently possible is a demonstration of leadership and work ethic have no place in the 21st century.
Or any century, if we don’t want our way of life to get stomped flat by people whose fanaticism is completely misinterpreted by our current “leadership”.
I really thought it was telling when Big Boy Pants Barry sent Churchill’s bust home. Apparently the man who foresaw evil for what it was before most people did does not have a place in the 21st century.
O’s blah, blah, blah, has provoked the WSJ Ed, Bd, blah, blah blah and comments from a Sr. Fellow of the blah, blah, blah institute. I am impressed.
From a Jr. Fellow at The Get Your Head Out of Your Rear Inst. Problem One: The last four liberal presidents have been abysmal failures. Being clear that is 2 Bushes, a Clinton and O. The last one has made the other 3 look almost competent, when you think about it that is quite an accomplishment. Failure to recognize this is problem one. Problem Two: Viewing ISIS in its current posture as a problem. Having 15-20k terrorist in a relatively limited, flat open space is a golden opportunity not a problem. The major Problem: The US has never had a clear workable antiterrorist strategy. Unless you begin with a clear workable strategy you will most likely never developed a successful strategy. The following are not strategies: Have the military do stuff, nation building, talking them to death, ignoring them while you chase an intern or two around the office, ignoring them and not chasing, declaring victory. There’s more, but I am running out of words.