Wes Clark says it's time to stop living under threat of fear

[CarolNYC]

Wes Clark spoke last week at Stanford University. The editorial board at The Stanford Daily, although not necessarily that optimistic about his running in '08, seemed impressed. I like their editorial on the speech, titled "2008 Candidates should heed Clark".

In a revealing moment, Clark bitterly recalled how he was commissioned to write a plan for deploying troops into Rwanda while serving as a strategic planning official in the Pentagon, only to be told by his commander that it was politically impossible. “That’s haunted me,” he said, adding that the experienced helped fuel his commitment to taking action in Darfur. Clark currently serves on the board of the International Crisis Group, one of the main advocates for international intervention in the Sudanese genocide. When asked what he would do to resolve the situation, he nailed the response, declaring that he’d have already deployed NATO troops on the ground.

(snip)

Perhaps Clark’s most important message — and one worth taking to heart — is that “we’re going to solve the national security question.” In other words, Al Qaeda is not the existential threat to the U.S. that the Bush administration has portrayed. The United States was able not only to survive, he argued, but to prosper during the Cold War decades that saw thousands of nuclear missiles aimed at the country every day. “We weren’t petrified by it, we weren’t cowed by it, we weren’t intimidated by it,” he said. Acknowledging terrorism as a challenge, Clark argued that paranoia is unhelpful and unnecessary. “We’ve lived five years under the threat of fear, and the threat has been manipulated.”

Even if Clark is not ultimately a presidential hopeful this cycle, the other candidates would do well to integrate some of his points into their own campaign platforms.

http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/5/29/editorial2008CandidatesShouldHeedClark

I like Clark's comments on 'the national security question', paranoia and living in fear. Hopefully, there will be a complete transcript available sometime soon...or video or audio or something.

[WCGreen]

1. That is how a man perceives a challange...

A boy, well, he cowers in fear and brings everyone else to his level so that he can feel comfort and then superiority...

[Cameron27]

2. He's right, of course.

After the Cuban missle crisis, I think the mood of the country went from fear to, I don't know, a watchful curiosity maybe. The moon landing helped too.

The bushies can only survive in an atmosphere of paranoia and fear, and it's someone with Clark's credentials that can do them real harm.

Thanks for the post Carol :-)

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. When I saw Clark speak recently in upstate New York

I was impressed by how strongly he kept making the point that the only real way for America to lose a so called "War On Terror" is by abandoning our core humanistic ideals that still resonate quite strongly with so many of the world's people. I was startled when he not only gave voice to his long standing anger over The Bush Administration currently condoning the use of torture, but also by a direct comment he made condemning our support for Death Squads and the like intervening in other nations internal affairs.

These comments you point to though are new to me Carrol. I am very glad to see Clark directly attacking the Republican induced climate of fear that is being used as cover for the undermining of American Democracy. I can still remember the Cuban Missile Cris, talk about legitimate fear! General Clark is right. We can face our challanges in this world without burying all that is best about America to do so.

[doggyboy]

4. Now that's a good message

sure to be ignored by the media

[FrenchieCat]

6. Of course it will be ignored, as it is too credible coming from

Clark.

If the same words came from a Presidential DEM candidate who doesn't have the same profound credibility, it would be front page news, with the candidate being lambasted by someone like Ghouliani, ironically.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. BINGO n/t

[bonito]

5. K&R!

[Dinger]

8. Clark Or Bust!

He is the answer, pure and simple.:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[Ilsa]

9. Life takes courage, people, and Clark isn't afraid to tell everyone that.

Goddess, I wish he'd run again.

[Dinger]

10. Congrats Carol & Xkenx: You Made It On CCN's Front Page!

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/ Look under "Blog Buzz."

Congrats!!!!
:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[CarolNYC]

16. Thanks, Ding. :) n/t

[Donna Zen]

11. Living in fear?

There was a time, waaaaay back in 2003, when I would worry when Clark was interviewed. I'd think to myself, "well..I am supporting a general, his thoughts about certain issues maybe very different than mine." Ha! Wes Clark has never let me down. In fact it is just the opposite: he's said things that assure me I'm not crazy. Recently he's voiced his questioning of the CIA's involvement in other country's internal affairs. Yes!

BTW, it takes a general to go to the Pentagon. Without the credentials supported by political will, I don't see anything being done. Wes Clark is certainly unafraid, nor does he have to be.

[CarolNYC]

17. Donna,

This so mirrors my experience. Even after I felt I fully supported him, there would be times I'd step back and say, wait, I'm supporting a lifelong military man. How could this be? But he's taught me so much about my own prejudices over time. And, yes, he's never disappointed me either.

I, too, was heartened to hear him questioning the CIA's interventions.

He's a gem, no doubt about it.

[Clark2008]

22. I think a lot of military people question the CIA's interventions.

Men and women who serve in the military see the repercussions of what the CIA sows up close and personal - and not much of it has been good.

[calteacherguy]

12. I was there. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of the entire transcript.

He covered a very wide range of topics, and I thought it might have been his best speech and question/answer session ever.

I want to comment on a lot of what he said, but I want to get Clark's words completely accurate and in the proper context so I'm waiting for the transcript.

[CarolNYC]

18. It will be interesting to hear your take on the talk.

I understand wanting to wait for a transcript. There's usually so much to absorb when he appears at one of these things. I'm hoping for a transcript too....And I'm jealous you got to go and I didn't. :P

[blm]

13. Terrorism never should have been something we go to war for - military backup AS NEEDED

for serious law enforcement.

[CarolNYC]

19. Yep....

Kerry and Clark agree pretty closely on this one...a law enforcement problem, not a military one.

blm, you know, although my first choice was Clark, I worked so hard to get Kerry into the White House in 2004. Hard to think of how much better off we'd be right now if he was there and not Bush these last few years. What a mess Bush has made!

[jenmarie]

14. Wish I could recommend

Can't -- but I can kick it!

:kick:

Thank you CarolNYC!

[CarolNYC]

20. thanks for the kick. n/t

[dogman]

15. If any do integrate his points, don't expect them to give any credit.

He has provided the Democratic Party with a number of great talking points in the past, yet few acknowledge that fact.

[CarolNYC]

21. Yep...too true.

But he does say that getting credit isn't the important part...getting your ideas adopted is. So, although it frustrates us Clarkies, I imagine it makes him happy to hear others repeat what we've heard him saying for years.

[NCarolinawoman]

23. Yes, I see that over and over again. Joe Biden is the only one ever accused of plagiarism but

they all crib from Clark. Sometimes you see this a week after he has published an article; other times it comes a year or more later. Consultants are obviously going over Clark's speeches and written material with a fine tooth comb. Maybe the candidates themselves, don't even know the actual source of their talking points. Wes would be a multi-millionaire if all these candidates paid him consultant fees for ideas and phrases that they take from him.

Of course, the General has said he likes it when his ideas are used and "getting credit isn't important".

It burns me nevertheless.

[Cameron27]

25. It bothers me too,

especially when they lift some of his pet phrases and parrot them as their own talking points. I'm glad he doesn't mind though.

[Sparkly]

24. Yup -- often verbatim.

But it usually takes a couple of years. :hi:

[lyonn]

26. It is sad that the lack of millions keeps good candidates from running

for political office. Clark is not and has not been bought and paid for. Our candidates have pretty much been decided by the corporations which includes our mass media. Looks like all of us have been bought and paid for....

Clark should get a massive campaign on the internet to get a few bucks from millions of concerned and disgusted voters, and do it quickly. Like Dean did. Course Dean wasn't a "chosen" one either. Oh the frustration.

Here is a late kick for this post.