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The Texas Blue
Advancing Progressive Ideas

The First Week

CNN.com has a summary of President Obama's first week in office. Along with the expected quick move to close Guantanamo and address the economic crisis, the article highlights some moves to counter the failings of the Bush 43 administration that didn't get as much media coverage.

AND NOW WEEK THREE of OBAMA -- NO CHANGE IN SIGHT

America and the world learns:

1. Obama is backing off a 16 month deadline -- a campaign promise -- to exit Iraq . . . reports are circulating of 19, 24, even 30 months . . . how about 48 months?
60 months?

The US had no "right" to attack and to occupy Iraq.

The authorization given by "W" to attack Iraq was clearly criminal, closely resembling Saddam's order given to the Iraqi military to attack and to occupy Kuwait in 1989.

2. Obama's handpicked guy recants on the termination of "rendition" -- the patently illegal practice of kidnapping and sending terrorist "suspects" (some rendered under the "W" watch were clearly innocent) to places where they can be tortured by non-US agents.

3. Obama is pouring soldiers and supplies into that well known death bed to empires: Afghanistan.

No clear goal exists; no objective is even remotely mentioned.

4. Obama has said nothing of the more than 800 US military bases, camps, ports, port facilities, forts, outposts, and various other and sundry military facilities dotting the entire world.

At the height of the Roman Empire, Rome garrisoned 10,000 or more Roman troops in 38 countries.

As of 1-20-09, the United States garrisoned 10,000 or more US troops in 38 countries.

America can no longer afford this global military empire.

America is dangerous into an area Paul Kennedy called "imperial over-reeach" in his 1988 best seller, the rise and fall of empires.

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I voted for Obama.

I voted for change -- get that: CHANGE.

I SEE NOTHING BUT MORE OF THE SAME.

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