Those more cynical then myself (and if you know me, I am pretty damn cynical), might think that Obama's campaign rhetoric of hope and change was merely trifling, false promises. But after reading this, I remember now why I voted for the man.
Obama has been criticized by Republicans for taking too long on Afghanistan and for not being duly hawkish on Iraq. But they forget that only someone who knows that the only way to honor the dead is to minimize how many soldiers die should make the decision to send others to die. And soldiers should only be sacrificed while reaching lofty goals worthy of the sacrifice in the first. Obama understands this: he bears the burden of all those soldier's death, no matter how "noble" one may thing the death is.
I myself might add: death knows no nobility. Even when done as a sacrifice, someone is still gone from the living. I am reminded of a quote from Full Metal Jacket in one of the voice overs from Joker: "The dead only know one thing. It is better to be alive." I do not think this diminishes the sacrifice. I just wonder if, even given the sacrifice, we would be better off that the author's friend, and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, might have not died as they did at all...
Thanks to TPM.
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A moving link. I cannot fathom being in The President's shoes at a time like this, but am so glad that it is a thinking man we've elected, putting aside the "shoot from the hip" mentality. Nice post. Thanks for sharing the link.
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