[Allan from Fallbrook]

gandalf: Quick question for you: How do you square Obama’s position on domestic surveillance and the Patriot Act with his background as a constitutional scholar and professor?

Follow on to that question: After answering that, do you not feel that it sheds light on how he would deal with Gitmo, rendition and torture?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

gandalf: Quick question for you: How do you square Obama’s position on domestic surveillance and the Patriot Act with his background as a constitutional scholar and professor?

Follow on to that question: After answering that, do you not feel that it sheds light on how he would deal with Gitmo, rendition and torture?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

gandalf: Quick question for you: How do you square Obama’s position on domestic surveillance and the Patriot Act with his background as a constitutional scholar and professor?

Follow on to that question: After answering that, do you not feel that it sheds light on how he would deal with Gitmo, rendition and torture?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

gandalf: Quick question for you: How do you square Obama’s position on domestic surveillance and the Patriot Act with his background as a constitutional scholar and professor?

Follow on to that question: After answering that, do you not feel that it sheds light on how he would deal with Gitmo, rendition and torture?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

urbanrealtor: Well, your post begs the question: What, exactly, do you disagree with me on? Yow, I just ended a sentence with a preposition! What would the nuns say?

I’m curious only because it will give me a better handle on how to reply.

For the record, I didn’t vote for the affable fratboy in either election, nor did I vote for the block of wood (Gore) in 2000 or the Ketchup King (Kerry) in 2004. I am not voting for Barack or McCain in this election. I bring this up so it doesn’t look like a straight ticket debate, Dems versus Repubs here.

I am more focused on the use of labels and the attempt to cast Obama as a foreign policy wonk of some repute when nothing, at least to me, appears further from the truth. Again, I’m not holding McCain up as a credible alternative either.

That should make things clear as mud, no?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

urbanrealtor: Well, your post begs the question: What, exactly, do you disagree with me on? Yow, I just ended a sentence with a preposition! What would the nuns say?

I’m curious only because it will give me a better handle on how to reply.

For the record, I didn’t vote for the affable fratboy in either election, nor did I vote for the block of wood (Gore) in 2000 or the Ketchup King (Kerry) in 2004. I am not voting for Barack or McCain in this election. I bring this up so it doesn’t look like a straight ticket debate, Dems versus Repubs here.

I am more focused on the use of labels and the attempt to cast Obama as a foreign policy wonk of some repute when nothing, at least to me, appears further from the truth. Again, I’m not holding McCain up as a credible alternative either.

That should make things clear as mud, no?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

urbanrealtor: Well, your post begs the question: What, exactly, do you disagree with me on? Yow, I just ended a sentence with a preposition! What would the nuns say?

I’m curious only because it will give me a better handle on how to reply.

For the record, I didn’t vote for the affable fratboy in either election, nor did I vote for the block of wood (Gore) in 2000 or the Ketchup King (Kerry) in 2004. I am not voting for Barack or McCain in this election. I bring this up so it doesn’t look like a straight ticket debate, Dems versus Repubs here.

I am more focused on the use of labels and the attempt to cast Obama as a foreign policy wonk of some repute when nothing, at least to me, appears further from the truth. Again, I’m not holding McCain up as a credible alternative either.

That should make things clear as mud, no?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

urbanrealtor: Well, your post begs the question: What, exactly, do you disagree with me on? Yow, I just ended a sentence with a preposition! What would the nuns say?

I’m curious only because it will give me a better handle on how to reply.

For the record, I didn’t vote for the affable fratboy in either election, nor did I vote for the block of wood (Gore) in 2000 or the Ketchup King (Kerry) in 2004. I am not voting for Barack or McCain in this election. I bring this up so it doesn’t look like a straight ticket debate, Dems versus Repubs here.

I am more focused on the use of labels and the attempt to cast Obama as a foreign policy wonk of some repute when nothing, at least to me, appears further from the truth. Again, I’m not holding McCain up as a credible alternative either.

That should make things clear as mud, no?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

urbanrealtor: Well, your post begs the question: What, exactly, do you disagree with me on? Yow, I just ended a sentence with a preposition! What would the nuns say?

I’m curious only because it will give me a better handle on how to reply.

For the record, I didn’t vote for the affable fratboy in either election, nor did I vote for the block of wood (Gore) in 2000 or the Ketchup King (Kerry) in 2004. I am not voting for Barack or McCain in this election. I bring this up so it doesn’t look like a straight ticket debate, Dems versus Repubs here.

I am more focused on the use of labels and the attempt to cast Obama as a foreign policy wonk of some repute when nothing, at least to me, appears further from the truth. Again, I’m not holding McCain up as a credible alternative either.

That should make things clear as mud, no?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Veritas: I agree with you. I have said before that Oslo ’93 was very telling in terms of how serious both the Palestinians (as spoken for by Yasir Arafat) and the rest of the Arab world were when it came to a Palestinian homeland. Given their response to nearly complete accession by the Israelis, it was very telling to see how little real interest there was in creating this homeland and allowing the Palestinians to make their own way.

Also, how is it that Arafat died a billionaire? Seriously. The Saudis and other Arab states pumped billions into his various bank accounts and yet nearly none of it was ever transformed into schools, hospitals or housing for the Palestinians. Instead, it was used to further the terrorist aims of the PLO and PFLP.

So, yes, I would agree with your comment that Palestine is far more useful as a rallying point against the US, Israelis and the West, then as a homeland for the Palestinians. The criminal ineptitude, corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority shows how, even after Arafat has left the scene, they are only interested in perpetuating “business as usual”, even when it comes to victimizing their own people.

Then again, self awareness was never a big part of the “Arab Street”.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Veritas: I agree with you. I have said before that Oslo ’93 was very telling in terms of how serious both the Palestinians (as spoken for by Yasir Arafat) and the rest of the Arab world were when it came to a Palestinian homeland. Given their response to nearly complete accession by the Israelis, it was very telling to see how little real interest there was in creating this homeland and allowing the Palestinians to make their own way.

Also, how is it that Arafat died a billionaire? Seriously. The Saudis and other Arab states pumped billions into his various bank accounts and yet nearly none of it was ever transformed into schools, hospitals or housing for the Palestinians. Instead, it was used to further the terrorist aims of the PLO and PFLP.

So, yes, I would agree with your comment that Palestine is far more useful as a rallying point against the US, Israelis and the West, then as a homeland for the Palestinians. The criminal ineptitude, corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority shows how, even after Arafat has left the scene, they are only interested in perpetuating “business as usual”, even when it comes to victimizing their own people.

Then again, self awareness was never a big part of the “Arab Street”.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Veritas: I agree with you. I have said before that Oslo ’93 was very telling in terms of how serious both the Palestinians (as spoken for by Yasir Arafat) and the rest of the Arab world were when it came to a Palestinian homeland. Given their response to nearly complete accession by the Israelis, it was very telling to see how little real interest there was in creating this homeland and allowing the Palestinians to make their own way.

Also, how is it that Arafat died a billionaire? Seriously. The Saudis and other Arab states pumped billions into his various bank accounts and yet nearly none of it was ever transformed into schools, hospitals or housing for the Palestinians. Instead, it was used to further the terrorist aims of the PLO and PFLP.

So, yes, I would agree with your comment that Palestine is far more useful as a rallying point against the US, Israelis and the West, then as a homeland for the Palestinians. The criminal ineptitude, corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority shows how, even after Arafat has left the scene, they are only interested in perpetuating “business as usual”, even when it comes to victimizing their own people.

Then again, self awareness was never a big part of the “Arab Street”.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Veritas: I agree with you. I have said before that Oslo ’93 was very telling in terms of how serious both the Palestinians (as spoken for by Yasir Arafat) and the rest of the Arab world were when it came to a Palestinian homeland. Given their response to nearly complete accession by the Israelis, it was very telling to see how little real interest there was in creating this homeland and allowing the Palestinians to make their own way.

Also, how is it that Arafat died a billionaire? Seriously. The Saudis and other Arab states pumped billions into his various bank accounts and yet nearly none of it was ever transformed into schools, hospitals or housing for the Palestinians. Instead, it was used to further the terrorist aims of the PLO and PFLP.

So, yes, I would agree with your comment that Palestine is far more useful as a rallying point against the US, Israelis and the West, then as a homeland for the Palestinians. The criminal ineptitude, corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority shows how, even after Arafat has left the scene, they are only interested in perpetuating “business as usual”, even when it comes to victimizing their own people.

Then again, self awareness was never a big part of the “Arab Street”.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Veritas: I agree with you. I have said before that Oslo ’93 was very telling in terms of how serious both the Palestinians (as spoken for by Yasir Arafat) and the rest of the Arab world were when it came to a Palestinian homeland. Given their response to nearly complete accession by the Israelis, it was very telling to see how little real interest there was in creating this homeland and allowing the Palestinians to make their own way.

Also, how is it that Arafat died a billionaire? Seriously. The Saudis and other Arab states pumped billions into his various bank accounts and yet nearly none of it was ever transformed into schools, hospitals or housing for the Palestinians. Instead, it was used to further the terrorist aims of the PLO and PFLP.

So, yes, I would agree with your comment that Palestine is far more useful as a rallying point against the US, Israelis and the West, then as a homeland for the Palestinians. The criminal ineptitude, corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority shows how, even after Arafat has left the scene, they are only interested in perpetuating “business as usual”, even when it comes to victimizing their own people.

Then again, self awareness was never a big part of the “Arab Street”.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

gandalf: Not trying to appear as though I am piling on, but I was curious as to your answers to my earlier questions.

This is starting to fall into something of a partisan rut, and I don’t want to see that happen.

I would also be interested in what you think “American Realism” is when it comes to foreign policy. I honestly will profess to not having a clue what the hell that phrase means. Is it a “balance of power” strategy, is it a return to Kissingerian “Realpolitik”? For all I can tell, it portends a return to Bismarck and his “Weltpolitik” strategy.

Zakaria is very coy in describing any of Obama’s position in any detail. My suspicion is that he would have a hard time doing so, because Obama doesn’t have a fully featured foreign policy program. So, when you speak of a return to “American Realism”, I would be curious as to what we are returning to and a description as to what it is.

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