The Nobel Peace Prize-winning war @POTUS: Daily Bullshit, October 6, 2016

Hurricane Matthew

As of 11:15 pm, Pacific Daylight time:


Barack Obama

There’s always an excuse for responding militarily and, assuming he was ever so inclined, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning war president never found an alternative.

Ryan Devereaux and Alex Emmons, “Obama Worries Future Presidents Will Wage Perpetual, Covert Drone War,” Intercept, October 3, 2016, https://theintercept.com/2016/10/03/obama-worries-future-presidents-will-wage-perpetual-covert-drone-war/

Kathleen Hennessey, “Once Lauded as a Peacemaker, Obama’s Tenure Fraught with War,” Military.com, October 6, 2016, http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/06/once-lauded-peacemaker-obama-tenure-fraught-war.html


Polarization

Jonathan Chait, “Five Days That Shaped a Presidency,” New York, October 2, 2016, http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/10/barack-obama-on-5-days-that-shaped-his-presidency.html


Drought

Tom Toles being too hopeful, October 6, 2016, via GoComics.
Tom Toles being too hopeful, October 6, 2016, via GoComics.
Yesterday, in response to Barack Obama, I pointed out sarcastically that “We are supposed to celebrate[1] a non-binding[2] agreement that James Hansen dismisses as empty words[3] and that no one is doing anything to implement.[4][5] Megadroughts in the U.S. southwest are only one way we’ll pay the price.[6]

Maria Gallucci, “U.S. Southwest faces 99% risk of ‘megadroughts’ due to climate change,” Mashable, October 5, 2016, http://mashable.com/2016/10/05/megadrought-risk-study/


Israel

“Indeed, when it comes to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, no U.S. president has promised more and accomplished less than [Barack] Obama.” And, for all the often-reported friction between Barack Obama and his administration on one hand and Binyamin Netanyahu on the other, “the Obama administration . . . is the only U.S. administration in nearly half a century to consistently shield Israel from any type of censure by the Security Council.”[7]

On the other hand, given Obama’s penchant for minimalist action, there is a very real possibility that he will do nothing at all. By choosing not to make any declaration on Israeli-Palestinian issues before the end of his term, the president would also be sending a strong message, which is effectively that the United States has given up on a two-state solution. Whatever he chooses to do—or not do—before the end of his term, Obama has significantly lowered the bar for the next administration and could well be the last U.S. president to oversee the possibility of a two-state solution.[8]

Khaled Elgindy, “Obama’s Record on Israeli-Palestinian Peace: The President’s Disquieting Silence,” Foreign Affairs, October 5, 2016, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2016-10-05/obamas-record-israeli-palestinian-peace


  1. [1]Eric Wolff, “Obama hails global climate deal going into force,” Politico, October 5, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/barack-obama-climate-deal-eu-un-229208
  2. [2]Marty Lederman, “The constitutionally critical, last-minute correction to the Paris climate change accord,” Balkinization, December 13, 2015, http://balkin.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-last-minute-correction-to-paris.html
  3. [3]Kasia Anderson, “Pre-eminent Climate Scientist James Hansen Calls Paris Deal a ‘Fraud’; John Kerry Begs to Differ,” Truthdig, December 13, 2015, http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/preeminent_climate_scientist_calls_paris_deal_a_fraud_-_kerry_20151213
  4. [4]David Roberts, “No country on Earth is taking the 2 degree climate target seriously,” Vox, October 4, 2016, http://www.vox.com/2016/10/4/13118594/2-degrees-no-more-fossil-fuels
  5. [5]David Benfell, “Business as usual on #ClimateChange as governments refuse to #LeaveItInTheGround,” (Almost) Daily Bullshit, October 5, 2016, https://parts-unknown.org/reading/2016/10/05/business-as-usual-on-climatechange-as-governments-refuse-to-leaveitintheground-daily-bullshit-october-4-2016/
  6. [6]Maria Gallucci, “U.S. Southwest faces 99% risk of ‘megadroughts’ due to climate change,” Mashable, October 5, 2016, http://mashable.com/2016/10/05/megadrought-risk-study/
  7. [7]Khaled Elgindy, “Obama’s Record on Israeli-Palestinian Peace: The President’s Disquieting Silence,” Foreign Affairs, October 5, 2016, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2016-10-05/obamas-record-israeli-palestinian-peace
  8. [8]Khaled Elgindy, “Obama’s Record on Israeli-Palestinian Peace: The President’s Disquieting Silence,” Foreign Affairs, October 5, 2016, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2016-10-05/obamas-record-israeli-palestinian-peace

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