Obama Making Us Less Safe?
By Tara Overzat
It appears the security of Americans abroad has dropped since President Obama took office. Within his few months in office, Somali pirates attacked US ships for the first time (taking the captain hostage), an American journalist was thrown into an Iranian prison, and two journalists are being held against their will in North Korea (and who will soon stand trial in this closed off Communist country).
Do our enemies have a perception of Obama as a man unwilling to fight? Maybe. Our enemies tend to take liberties when liberal presidents are in office. While 9/11 did occur under President Bush’s watch, it is important to note that no terrorist activity has befallen an American institution since. Besides, some experts believe that it was President Clinton’s lack of action while in office that set the 9/11 events in motion. Under Clinton, we had embassy bombings and the attack on the USS Cole. Another liberal leader, President Jimmy Carter, was famously indecisive and fumbled the Iran hostage crisis. Republican presidents are not blameless, but glaring breaches of security where Americans are concerned seem to happen under more left of center leaders.
Pres. Obama & Bush
Why do these things happen under liberal presidents? Presidential approval ratings may be the answer. Studies have shown that people in the spotlight, like celebrities and politicians, are more likely than the general population to be narcissistic and have a strong desire to be admired by others. Low approval = less people “liking” you. War, tough talk about our enemies, and increasing national security tend to bring about lower approval ratings. It makes sense- no one actually wants to go to war, and no one actually wants to not get along with other world powers. But difficult decisions are made by the government and its security bodies everyday in order to keep our 300 million plus souls safe. To paraphrase a famous saying, what’s popular is not always right, and what’s right is not always popular.
President Obama, for the sake of all us Americans who travel abroad and enjoy our safety, please show some strength. Keep us citizens safe at home and abroad.
Tags: barack obama, communism, george w. bush, security
Crime & Justice, Current Events - Asia, Current Events - US, Opinion, Politics - US, Politics - World | admin, 28 May 09
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By woofdog, May 28, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
umm. u didn’t mention that Obama was the one who OK’d the shoot to kill orders of the pirates.
also, how can u link the wanderings of journalist to the Obama adminstration? there is no way the US Gov can guarantee the safety of journalist who wander about beyond our borders.
there were more high profile murders of Americans during the Bush admin: Daniel Pearl, various Americans kidnapped in Iraq who were later beheaded, etc.
By admin, May 28, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
“u didn’t mention that Obama was the one who OK’d the shoot to kill orders of the pirates.”
Yes, because the point is that the pirates thought it now okay (versus one, two or three years ago) to attack a US ship. It was most certainly the right move to send in the SEALs and to put the surviving leader on trial, and Obama deserves credit for that.
“also, how can u link the wanderings of journalist to the Obama adminstration? there is no way the US Gov can guarantee the safety of journalist who wander about beyond our borders.”
Again, my point is that adversarial nations now think it is okay to attack US property and its citizens. Why is that? Maybe because there has been a recent switch in the administration.
“there were more high profile murders of Americans during the Bush admin: Daniel Pearl, various Americans kidnapped in Iraq who were later beheaded, etc.”
Someone being abducted and murdered in Iraq, where we are at war, is different from American citizens going about their lives in foreign countries and foreign waters who are now in danger because maybe, just maybe, the US won’t retaliate now that Bush is out of office.