If other veteran politicians have better foreign policy judgment that Obama

[Kingstree]

then why haven't we made little or no progress in current foreign relations? Today the world is less safer now since the Cold war with Iran, North Korea and pretty soon, the entire Middle East as the key players. All these experienced foreign policy wonks (Biden, McCain, Richardson etc.) can tout their record of foreign policy experience and achievement but what have they done (along with our Presidents Clinton and Bush) to lessen or eliminate our exposure? North Korea has nuclear capability and Iran is getting closer everyday. I guess being a veteran politician, a member of some committee, signing legislation or standing in Congress or Senate rambling about what wrong in the world and what we need to do is a qualifier as foreign policy experience but nothing has changed, it has gotten worse. I remember an incident where a young manager told a seasoned veteran on the job what needs to be done. The veteran, obviously upset, told the manager, "I have been doing this job for 25 years" and the manager said, I have been here for two months and you have not done a damn thing around here!

That illustrates how foreign policy veterans who have the same old world "circle the wagons" mentality without change for decades continue to walk around in those circles and don't have the courage or political will to engage our enemies without feeling their actions will be fiercely admonished or that dreaded fear of not being re-elected. Remember, our enemies and other rogue nations have the upper hand in their overall opinions and dislike for us and unlike us they plan for action. Remember 9-11? Just because politicians say our enemies are evil does not stop their progress and dropping bombs does not deter them. We cannot afford to sit back and play Headmaster at a school of and think that all students are going to behave because you have authority. America does not control the world, we may be arrogant enough to think so, but we don't. We don't have total foreign policy control and withholding sanctions as a punishment will not stop the will of nations who want to do us harm. Barack Obama has it right, let's talk, find some understanding, establish goals, build a repore and commit to a successful, long term relationship.

It is going to take some time to heal wounds (this is not an overnight thing) and it may not work with all but we as americans cannot afford to allow our children and generations beyond that to live in constant fear. America once supported Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden in the past. No one poses the question but what really happened? Yes we haven't had a terrorist attack since 9-11 but now, every time we hear of a bomb scare, capture a sleeper cell or pass through airport security or have the newly created Homeland Security Commission create/change a standard is a win for Osama and his followers. We may have not caught Osama Bin Laden, but he has accomplished one of his objectives, our psyche.

[Kingstree]

1. Like ot or not, this IS our current reality.

[frogcycle]

2. this issue is a red herring

whether or not Obama's response under the klieg lights was perfectly nuanced is irrelevant

the question is do you believe he has the right perspective on whether to have dialog with world leaders he doesn't like, and whether he would surround himself with plenty of experienced advisors.

If you think that he would run a dictatorship, never listening to anyone, and that that answer was the sum total of his views on the topic, that he would immediately "invite them all to tea," as he later put it, THEN you need to worry about that answer

We need to move on. That was at worst a hiccup

[Imagevision]

3. It's 2007, some of the old timers have to lose some of the ole school BS. youngblood,

young talent old money will handle the new wars. All the experience Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld have collectively have produced failed results in Iraq, however, the defense contractors, oil companies etc. are recording record profits, so it matters only which club your in.

[Ethelk2044]

4. Obama is correct. We need to talk and have discussions with our

enemies.