When I listened to President Barack Obama’s speech, I actually did not give it much attention. I occupied myself with something else. I did not expect much from the speech, and I dreaded the possibility I would not be disappointed. Nonetheless, I felt obligated to read the speech (see here). Since corporate news media reports tend to be biased, that is the only reliable way to find out what the man said.
I regret to say I was not disappointed. At a superficial level, the speech sounded good, but I fear Obama’s strategy is fatally flawed. His error is simple and concrete. Obama gave no evidence of an iron-willed commitment to victory. Instead, Obama reassured us of his exit strategy.
Whenever our president makes a speech, particularly about a military conflict, we must remember we are not his only audience. We must remember our friends and enemies also listen, and their attention is first and foremost focused on our president’s resolve. From their perspective Obama failed the test. Instead of demonstrating commitment, Obama temporized. He spoke of his exit strategy; he set a deadline. In 18 months, we will begin our departure.
Typically, we think of war as unrestrained violence and destruction, but that perspective misrepresents the skilled warrior. Victory begins with empathy for and knowledge of one’s friends and enemies. To effect our enemy’s rapid defeat and to minimize havoc and carnage, we must determine what is required to break the enemy’s will to fight. How does that begin? We let our enemy know that our resources, our values, and our will are inestimably greater than his. With every step we take, we relieve our foe of every hope that he might achieve victory.
With his lovely speech full of trite platitudes, Obama spoke to us. Instead of victory, he offered us the reassurance we will not have to work too hard. Instead of speaking of our troops as skilled warriors, he endeavored to portray those brave men and women as victims, and he spoke of their suffering and of bringing them home. Instead of offering our Afghan allies a reliable protector, he promised them the day will come when they will be on their own. Instead of threatening our enemies with inevitable death and destruction, he told them to bide their time.
Do you need more help reading between our president’s lines? Would you appreciate the perspective of a former Marine? Then reading the following.
Last night, President Obama delivered an historic speech to the nation and to the world on his plans for Afghanistan. Here, in sum, is what the president said:
I really don’t want to be commander-in-chief, but I’ll do it if I have to — at least for a little while, and then we’ll see. Just so long as it doesn’t cost too much, or take too long, or interfere with my plans to nationalize healthcare and fundamentally change America. (continued here)
