Sam Sabzehzar's Blog

Mr. Obama's First Four Weeks as a War President
- Posted on 02.23.09
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), Afghanistan Veterans Against the War (AVAW), Vets for Peace (VFP), Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), and Gold Star Families for Peace are re-contextualizing how to approach the new administration in the wake of Obama's first failed promise. Within his first four weeks, President Obama has already done more good than the previous President's 8 years combined - but that hasn't come without compromises.

One month has passed and zero brigades have been withdrawn, making this his first failed promise. He always stated he would be a war president, and like Bush, his rhetoric has been backed up by his actions - as the current escalation in troops to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of Africa are every-glaring reminders.

Will he continue to keep or troops in over 118 countries? Will he continue to bomb innocent civilians (he killed 13 civilians in his latest airstrike against an armyless civilian population that supposedly targeted "terrorists."

No one should be shocked by this though, as he always stated he would continue our wars, continue our renditions, continue our tribunals (off US soil of course), and move forward without debate or regard for human rights violations committed by his predecessor. He will be forced to make a stance against some of Bush's blunders as public concern has reached the media's rhetoric, but he has yet to make that stance clear in policy.

Only time will tell, and within that hourglass we must be the sand that he looks at and judges his time by. That will be his constant reminder and our voice must be the direction he's held accountable to follow, not lead. We are his leaders in this cause and our voices must be heard, not just by him and his administration, but by the public as a whole so they too will understand why those policies must be in place, and perhaps even lend their own voices in this, our greatest cause yet - making this democracy truly of the people, by the people and for the people.

Related causes: Community