Saturday, October 22, 2011

The Definition of Spin and Media Bias - Reuters


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama delivered on another foreign policy promise on Friday with plans to pull the last U.S. troops from Iraq. But in a re-election campaign all about the weak U.S. economy, he may not get much credit..
That’s from a leading headline on Drudge, which means an internet firehose of loads has been pointed at this story.
The real story is this … the USA BOTCHED the talks over the bases and men we NEED TO LEAVE BEHIND to insure
  1. we have pre set equipment and bases to SECURELY fly drones from gather intelligence, and orverfly Iran at short range
  2. we have in place an infantry and special forces, deterrence blocking force with Iran in mind
Obama teleconferenced talks which were too late to begin with over the issue of US troops based there had diplomatic immunity so that no US forces would end being tried by some fruitcake mullah controlled by Qom and Teheran. He may have ALLOWED this to develop to carry out his ideological belief that the USA does wrong in most cases and every involvement increases that wrong ( a view he shares somewhat with Ron Paul). The fact that the US was, in effect KICKED OUT because Iraq insisted (unlike Japan, Korea, etc) that THEY try US troops is a VICTORY FOR TEHERAN.
US strategic interests in the middle east HAVE BEEN HARMED by not leaving behind troops which would have had NO COMBAT ROLE in Iraq. We DO have an interest in insuring Islamism DOES NOT INCREASE (although Obama’s policies and confusion have certainly achieved the opposite of what we want), and our interest means WATCHING Iran is important.
Next time you see the Reuters by-line on a story about Obama or the USA, REMEMBER THIS issue
More truly absurd, utterly pointed spin:
In any other year, Obama might be able to ride these accomplishments to re-election in November 2012. But with the economy teetering and Americans hungry for jobs, the national security successes may only inoculate him from Republican criticism of his foreign policy.
Democratic strategist Bob Shrum said Obama has shown a decisiveness and coolness of character that will help him in 2012, when Obama is seeking a second term. And he called it proof that Obama was able to do the job that his chief opponent for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, said he could not with a famous TV ad.
Bob Shrum? The Bob Shrum who has LOST every national campaign he has managed? The Bob Shrum who just said on MSNBC the object of the republicans is to ruin the economy so Obama will lose? This is the analyst they choose to INFLUENCE the PUBLIC so as to ACHIEVE their PRIVATE OBJECTIVE?
The left, even thought they WRITE THE STORIES, cannot even pick their stooges with competence.

3 comments:

Pastorius said...

Your analysis is cogent and worthy. However, while we have an interest in Iraq for the specific reasons you offer here, I believe the whole thing was a charade because we have made Iraq much, much worse than the day we entered.

We spent billions of dollars, and buckets of blood making it worse.

How did we make it worse?

Ask Iraq's Christians.

Iraq is more a Totalitarian Islamist playground now, than it is a state.

Epaminondas said...

No argument on that basis.
The entire Iraq venture for ANY of the reasons stated can now be said to be at this moment in time AN ERROR.

However, killing the Islamic Revolution in Iran would be, for the security of the people of the USA, a multi-generational size benefit.

Anything that pushes that goal forward is NOT a mistake.

IMHO, Iraq is on a 5 year slide to fractioning into 3 warring states. Right where they were in 2006.
Shia vs Salafi vs Kurds.

If Obama had a brain, THAT is the game we should play right now.

I guarantee you the Kurds WANT THE USA.

Pastorius said...

You write: However, killing the Islamic Revolution in Iran would be, for the security of the people of the USA, a multi-generational size benefit.
Anything that pushes that goal forward is NOT a mistake.


Yep.