Obama +1
I’m happy about this. Barack Obama, you complicated, inconsistent, unamerican, brilliant, interesting man. I voted for you the first time because you said you’d close gitmo and get the US out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I didn’t vote for you the second time because you expanded the drone killings, continued to erode the war powers resolution, and destroyed Libya. You were barely the lesser evil. Now, you’ll be missed and that’s a statement about how bad it’s going to get.
Oh thank fuck. I hope she heals as best as she can.
Really, though, it is the absolute positive minimum that a halfway decent person in Obama’s position could possibly do.
I disagree.
Torturers don’t get points for saying: “Actually, I’ve decided to torture you a little more instead of a lot more.” After all he’s put her through, even a full pardon would be completely and utterly insufficient.
Jessie Harban@#2:
I should have said, that puts Obama at -5, cumulative score, up from -6.
Yay for lesser evilism.
This has interesting consequences, too.
Oooo, and it’s signed. No way Assange will back out of that one…
Hm, so after eight years there are some commendable … gestures, most likely since Obama’s leaving anyway and can afford to upset his opposition? I may be a political naif and have to accept there has to be some pragmatism involved in the decision-making of any politician but if this is how it has to be for anything to happen, your country really needs a monthly election. Now more than ever.
In fairness, I’m sure Obama as done quite a few ‘good things’ but he doesn’t exactly radiate greatness. Then again the last US president I vaguely approve of was Kennedy* and I know better than to read up on him because there’ll be lots of skeletons for me to find – there always are.
*Yes, because Apollo. It’s a little bias of mine that may occasionally eclipse the sun.
komarov@#5:
Hm, so after eight years there are some commendable … gestures, most likely since Obama’s leaving anyway and can afford to upset his opposition?
Because nothing says “I don’t care” like letting someone rot in prison rather than take a political risk, then using them to troll your opposition on the way out the door.
I am not impressed by Obama. He’s a case of “see what lesser evilism gets you”
To fair, the CIA has gotten very very good at selling their favorite hobby horse of targeted assassinations. They’ve been pitching this horrible idea to every POTUS for as long as the CIA has been a thing. Their slide deck is sleek, the story is compelling.
It’s like the ‘unions are bad’ stories. It’s just so damn logical, how can it not be right?
Except that targeting killing always, in the real world, makes things worse. Every time. And unions are actually pretty good, in the real world.
On odd numbered days, though, I think the spooks just tell the president that they’ll kill his family of he doesn’t toe the line. There are days when that seems to be the only possible explanation.
Andrew Molitor@#7:
To fair, the CIA has gotten very very good at selling their favorite hobby horse of targeted assassinations. They’ve been pitching this horrible idea to every POTUS for as long as the CIA has been a thing. Their slide deck is sleek, the story is compelling.
Yup, and I wouldn’t object as long as the POTUS was willing to be a target, too. It’s only fair!! Open season on all politicians. Oh, what, don’t you guys like that idea so much?