9:11 AM
Good morning everyone. (click here)
I also want her to stop apologizing and taking responsibility and here is why.
I actually don't believe her vote on the Iraq War is the complete reason for the win by then Senator Barack Obama. If I remember correctly, there was a turning point when now First Lady Michelle Obama stated, "He is not going to run for the office of President of the United States of America again. She was emphatic and it was at that point Democrats realized they had to put a little more backbone in their decision making.
I think the Iraq War vote was substantial in making decisions that election though.
If I may.
The former Senator Barack Obama was elected in 2004 and took the office January 2005. He was a freshman Senator when he decided to run for the Presidency. If Michelle hadn't stated he would not run again for the presidency he would probably had not been the nominee. That is simply my opinion. As a freshman Senator most Democrats thought he needed a little more time in the Senate.
Former Senator Hillary Clinton won the election in 2000 and took office on January 3, 2001 while she ended her term as First Lady on January 20, 2001. I don't believe there is a Senator in history that actually held two offices in the federal government at the same time. She was a freshman Senator in 2001.
September 11, 2001 is well known to everyone. The USA responded by building a campaign in Afghanistan to end al Qaeda one month later. We started by parachuting food supplies to the Afghan people. Included in those food supplies was an explanation stating the American soldiers were coming and why. Most Afghans had no idea where New York City was and in fact what the heck are the World Trade Towers. The average Afghan did not have television, had no idea what it was (probably a good thing) and lived simple and happy lives. Their quality of life was not terrible to them. Their longevity was built on simple food, their religious practices provided their culture and active lives practicing survival.
Today, Afghanistan is a somewhat different place. I would like to see it become a tourist area while touting their culture. They would bring insight to their people and wealth to their country. But. The Taliban and some remnants of al Qaeda prevent all that. At one time Afghanistan and Pakistan were beautiful countries (including some of Iran) that conservationists and ecotourists flocked to for experiencing the natural world in full bloom.
But as to the Iraq vote by Hillary Clinton.
In 2001 she was a freshman Senator. It was only eight months as a US Senator when the Twin Towers came down in New York, the Pentagon was hit and United Airlines Flight 93 impacted to form a crater in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. That sleepy little town heard the impact and the explosion only to realize in a short time it was a downed jet and passengers were completely lost.
Hillary Clinton had to have experienced the trauma of September 11, 2016 differently from Barack Obama. She was centered on protecting the people of New York as well as the country in which ever way she could. There was no doubt to her the USA would enter a war to stop terrorists that found a weakness in airport security a worthwhile way of killing Americans.
When Iraq came into view, the country was on edge and let's face it in hind sight Dick Cheney and "W" were out building their campaign of fear. When Hillary Clinton faced intelligence that said the USA would experience further danger from Saddam Hussein and the President made speeches to the same outcome, she reflected on the terror of her constituents and she decided she was not going to let anything else happen to them. She had some background to the fact her spouse did not have words of praise for Saddam either.
Hillary Clinton as a freshman Senator did what she stated she had to do. In reflection, of course it was the wrong decision, but, at the time it wasn't. She would be one of 79 US Senators that voted for the Iraq War. That means there were 21 other US Senators that voted no. One was a man I dearly admired, hailed from West Virginia and his name is the Late US Senator Robert Byrd. Senator was not a freshman, not by a long shot. He had been around the block a few times and not all the evidence seemed kosher. No insult intended. The Late US Senator Byrd made a compelling speech on the US Senate floor to drive a no vote. He spoke eloquently, with knowledge and finesse and with a copy of the USA Constitution in his jacket pocket. His speech, under normal circumstance would have stopped the invasion by the USA. But, with lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania still in shock, the country in fear with a campaign of fear by the US President and Vice President there was no doubt US Senator Robert Byrd's words did not impress many. But, it did impress 21 US Senators that voted no. That type of experience and conviction to peace does not come easily.
Hillary Clinton is constantly reminded of her vote and she needs to stop apologizing for it and move on. The American people know how she voted and they know as Secretary of State she used her private email server in her home. She acknowledges responsibility for that, but, that reality doesn't come close to Russian hackers.
I believe Hillary Clinton was a died in the wool hawk during more of her US Senate career. However, I also believe her four years of taking on the responsibility of Secretary of State has provided her a clear understanding of where and when diplomacy works and when it doesn't. I think being Secretary of State has honed the hawk. I think she will be a better President because of her experience confronting September 11th up close and personal, realizing how the Iraq War was primarily driven by propaganda and her personal knowledge of dealing with leaders around the world without having the direction of guns to point in a direction. She now knows when diplomacy works and when it does not. I do not believe she is the hawk she used to be, but, I also believe she will use it if and when necessary. She will still have the American people to deal with and they are not interested in repeating the Iraq War mistake that propagated Daesh out of the Saddam Ba'athists.
I also believe Russian President Vladimir Putin can be a very shrewd character. See, Donald Trump as a following in Russia. His strong man character is received well there. To the popular notion of Donald Trump in Russia, President Putin has stated Donald Trump will make a great President of the USA. I guess a reset button is not exactly a strong man persona.
I believe if Donald Trump is elected President there will be a friendship with Russia as never before and the USA will ultimately abandon any ideas of a free and democratic Ukraine and opt for Putin's insight and hope for a better quality of life for the people of the Ukraine. But, basically, the broken treaty that has lead Russia to impinge on the Crimea and push violence on Ukraine's eastern border and shrugs off the Minsk II will be sacrificed for Russia oil in the markets to improve the global economy. The Ukraine people will no longer have a strong alliance with the USA, but, may still be part of the ambitions of the country to join NATO. Whether a Trump presidency would destroy the Ukraine's hopes of aligning with NATO is probably a given. Ukraine would once again become a Russia possession regardless of a new constitution.
Now, if Hillary Clinton is elected, President Vladimir Putin will use that fact to CONTINUE a propaganda campaign to increase tensions between China and other countries in the Pacific to move toward convention/nuclear war.
See Donald Trump is a pawn to President Putin in a very dangerous game that will result in USA surrender to searching for a "Republican Wealth Economy" again or it will lead to increased tensions between the USA and Russia.
If there is increased tensions between the USA and Russia it would not server global security well. Every country on Earth is suppose to be partners to end Daesh. That priority is vital to global security. That should be the priority at the United Nations and Russia should be a part of that. I think Russia should springboard off the G20 meeting into a diplomatic directive to begin again relations with other countries that will increase the Russian economy as it moves out of self directed isolation. There is only one person that can do that and it is Former Secretary Hillary Clinton.
Basically, do Americans wants to pander to the rest of the world to allow Wall Street wealth or do Americans want their country to be strong in the resolve to dissolve human rights abuses around the world by growing economies with other countries to ELIMINATE poverty, the driving force of extremism?
I know I have made up my mind. I hope all Americans will do the same to the elections of 2016.
I also like the fact Hillary Clinton recognizes the FACT the climate crisis is here and the USA needs to lead to end the greenhouse gas pollution that is causing the Sixth Extinction and severe and fatal weather.
