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Former Vice President Dick Cheney delivered his latest attack against President Obama last week -- Fox said he took "a flamethrower" to the president -- speaking on Thursday at the Hudson Institute, delivering fairly predictable rhetoric. This, however, struck me as interesting.
"That entire part of the world appears to be, or a good part of it certainly, to be moving in a direction that's fundamentally hostile to long-term U.S. interests. And yet we are -- seem to be unable to influence events in that part of the world, partly because we're headed for the exits, and everybody knows we're headed for the exits.
"We pulled out of Iraq -- we didn't even bother to negotiate the stay-behind agreement that was traditional in those kind of relationships. We're well on our way out of Afghanistan. And we have had a president who's been to Cairo; one of the first things he did, to apologize for the U.S. reaction to 9/11, alleged that we had, quote, 'overreacted' and fallen away from our basic traditional values."
For now, it's probably best to just put aside the obvious problems associated with Dick Cheney claiming credibility on matters related to foreign policy and national security. Instead, let's consider two unrelated angles.
First, the former V.P. believes he was quoting Obama when he said the president told Egyptians that the U.S. "overreacted" to the 9/11 attacks. In reality, Cheney has no idea what he's talking about -- Obama never said this; the "quote" is made up. It's not a matter of opinion, since one need only check the transcript.
Obama did say in his Cairo speech that after 9/11, the "fear and anger," in some cases, "led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals." Cheney's affinity for torture, for example, comes to mind. But if the former V.P. is going to say he's quoting the president, the least he can do is check to see if the quote is imaginary.
Second, and on a more substantive note, I continue to find Cheney's view of the Middle East fascinating.
As he sees it, there's turmoil in the region, in part because "everybody knows we're headed for the exits." I'd love for Cheney to flesh this out in more detail -- does he genuinely believe the Middle East would be more stable and friendly towards U.S. interests if the longest wars in American history simply continued indefinitely?
Or more to the point, why in the world would anyone think this would work?
For that matter, under Cheney's vision, it seems the ideal way for the United States to "influence events in that part of the world" is to deploy tens of thousands of American troops -- at a minimum -- into wars without end.
And before anyone dismisses this as ridiculous rhetoric from a failed politician no one takes seriously, it's worth reemphasizing that Dick Cheney remains a popular figure in Republican politics, and his foreign policy worldview is still embraced by GOP policymakers like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, and just about everyone involved in the 2012 Republican presidential campaign.
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When you look at Cheney you have to take him in context. The fact that he is a ruthless and pitiless man who is part of the group that believes in American Economic Exceptional-ism to the point of Jingoism and honestly believes we have a responsibility to rule the world (or at least our markets should) and those ends justify any means necessary.
He is like a character out of Doctor Strangelove (I wonder where he stands on fluoridation)
I think Cheney has listened to too many of his own interviews on Fox News and is accepting all of his previous diatribes as truth. He does need to FACT CHECK his statements, but since he is speaking to the converted, I am sure none of those within hearing range will do it for him. Thanks Steve for doing it for him.
It's a common right wing theme: find something negative or potentially negative and blame it on Obama. Hannity does this daily with Egypt, he puts forth the notion that we as Americans somehow have some control over other countries internal dynamics and politics. Cheney is the poster child for intervention, so it's no shock he is on board with this specious take. The fun part is to try to glean from these people the end game of this, and like Steve says it's war.
Hannity's repeated mangling of the Arab Spring ("1.5 billion in foreign aid to terrorists. TERRORISTS") almost motivated me to call his show so I could his demolish him on air.
His reptilian brain concluded that Obama's spoken support for the popular uprising somehow influenced things on the ground. That had Obama stood with Mubarak, everything would've been hunky dory.
By that logic, Obama has magical powers that allow him to speak whatever he wants into reality.
When is this worthless piece of @!$%# gonna die anyway?!??!
You can't kill "The Undead!"
Obi-Wan: He's more machine now than man. His mind is twisted and evil.
And all those medical bills for making him more machine than man were paid for by -- wait for it -- MEDICARE!!
Such a wonderful program for those in (financially) in need . . .
As soon as he runs out of human hearts to transplant. In other words, not soon.
Traditionally, the un-dead monster is not killed until a stake is driven through its heart and the body is left outside to ignite when the sun hits it.
Yesterday would be too soon
I think what he is referring to is a presence in those countries similar to what we did in Japan, Germany after WWII, hopefully not advocating for "unending war."
"Unending war" is Dick's default position.
Perhaps.
But at the very least Cheney would have us leave garrisons in countries that absolutely do not want us there, fomenting anger and resentment. Continued US presence in Afghanistan is one of the main drivers of the fighting.
I think what he is referring to is a presence in those countries similar to what we did in Japan, Germany after WWII, hopefully not advocating for "unending war."
No, that presence was defined by a Democratic administration.
And "hopefully not advocating for 'unending war'." is a pipe dream. C'mon, we are talking about Dick Cheney here . . .
I find this quote very humorous:
We pulled out of Iraq -- we didn't even bother to negotiate the stay-behind agreement that was traditional in those kind of relationships."
Uhm, Deadly Dick, yes we did negotiate a stay-behind agreement - under YOUR mis-administration!
Yes we missed a wonderful opportunity to leave even more money behind ....
BTW Dick where did that 12 Billion go?
Oops your bad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_misappropriations
The biggest problem with Cheney's logic is that it was purely neocon doctrine to aggressively "export democracy," to be interventionist with a childlike belief that if we just remade everyone's governing system in our own image (whether they had the cultural support or civil institutions for it or not) that they would all be fast allies with us and hate Commies like China and Russia and next you know they'd all be good Christian capitalists buying all of our stuff and gleefully working for subpar wages for Halliburton.
Then when those free and fair elections were won by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, when Libya isn't throwing us flowers in the street and greeting us a liberators (like Iraq, according to Cheney, would do), when the Syrian rebels don't like us much more than they do Assad, now all of sudden this whole idea of letting the Middle East choose its own way was Obama's fault.
Got it. Being Dick Cheney means never having to say you were wrong.
Wow... Fox News... "Fair and Balanced"... oh, let me laugh myself into oblivion.
The only "flamethrower" used was the one that came from the administration he "worked" in. Hmmm... how many wars? How many people died on 9/11/2001? Where did our net worth go? How much mis-information?
How is he relevant? Oh, that is because Rumphole Murdoch has him in his back pocket. Fox News... "Unfair and Mentally Disturbed" should be their tagline.
Yuck.
A stay behind agreement is callas a "Status of Forces Agreement" of SOFA. We wanted immunity for our troops, the Iraqis said no way. We said we will withdraw, the Iraqis said okay. This occurred under the Bush administration.
Dick, stop blaming yourself.
"DICK" must be worried about his friends at Halliburton not having enough government contracts since we pulled out of Iraq. He wanted some troops left behind to protect their intrests. Since that did'nt happen, he wants more war for us anywhere he can get it.
Two thoughts on this.
Whenever I hear John McCain or Dick Cheney get into their hand-wringing about the "message" we're sending by bringing our combat troops home, my thoughts return to the excellent novel The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman. Written shortly after the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict, it's an indictment of the military industrial complex that stokes the fires of a perpetual market for the goods and services of war to feed its voracious appetite. Did someone say "Haliburton"? 'Nuff said.
But my other thought is that events in the Middle East, especially during the past two years, are the result of long-standing discontent with heavy-handed regimes. Ready access to the Internet gave people, who have been frustrated by their government for a long time, the opportunity to organize. These uprisings were just waiting to happen, and the spark that led to the Arab Spring was inevitable. The idea that any of it was caused by the Obama administration "apologizing" or lacking some hawkish fierceness is just nuts. That was Romney's assertion following the Benghazi attack, and it was flat wrong.
Actually, "The Forever War" was my friend Joe's allegory for Vietnam, a war he had served in. But today it is indeed a good metaphor for current American policy.
Yes, understood regarding the basis of the novel being Vietnam. It's cleverly set as a futuristic sci-fi story to make it universal. And it is, indeed, universal.
If you're looking for a gift for a friend who likes to think, you'd be hard pressed to do better than pairing The Forever War with our dear Rachel Maddow's Drift. And while you're at it, find a copy of Daniel Ellsberg's memoir, Secrets. Reads like a spy novel and will remind you of why we need an independent (!!!) press to keep our bureaucrats honest.
God has a way of letting evil people live longer thereby giving them chance to repent their evil ways, but as it seem, Cheney refuses to use what little time he has to mend his evil ways. He is a sick man who has no God in his evil life, so it is understandable that he should be bitter. Unfortunately, people like him leave the punishment of their sin to fall on their children because they refuse to accept the chance given to them. Cheney is no longer relevant, he is just a bitter old man with little to show for his miserable evil life and just like all neo-con he can't accept that America accepted Obama for a second term.
To say that I'm shocked at your characterization of Dick Cheney is an understatement considering that you are worse than he is Sidney Oduah. What sane man abandons his family and never looks back and yet has the gut to call another man evil??? "It's unfortunate people like YOU leave the punishment of their sin to fall on their children because they refuse to accept the chance given to them"
I'm fine if this site never mentions Cheney again.
YES!!! I fanned you 100x.
Listening to Cheney about anything remotely relating to politics is like listening to Joseph Hazelwood. For those of you who don't remember, Hazelwood was the captain of the Exxon Valdez.
i feel the same curiosity about dick cheney's opinions as i do about today's weather in timbuctu.
The Rachel Maddow Show is Sesame Street for adults. Fun and informative.
I may be mistaken, but if I remember correctly, it was the Bush administration that negotiated with the Iraqi government and set the timetable for the U.S. exit from Iraq -- the status of forces agreement. If there is any problem with the arrangements, the responsibility lies with Bush and Cheney rather than Obama.
Steve, Cheney is a "cold warrior" and I suspect that means harkening back to a middle east that was responsive to "american interests" because we had installed and paid off vicious dictators to do our dirty work.
He, and many of our senior foreign policy people, continue to have a cold war, American Imperialism mind-set, that is out of step with the evolution of the global economy and world events.
How this man criticizes anyone else' foreign policy is beyond me. Obama's moves on the world stage are superior to his predecessor in every way measurable.
Dick should spend the rest of miserable existence thanking God he isn't in jail or awaiting execution.
"We pulled out of Iraq -- we didn't even bother to negotiate the stay-behind agreement that was traditional in those kind of relationships." - Cheney
What "traditional relationships" is he talking about?
.
Traditional Fill in the blank is a dog whistle.
.
Conservatives by their nature are for tradition. They are specifically for the traditional
rights and privileges of the aristocracy (read rich). That’s how they got started and that’s who they are today.
The neo-cons seem to be advocating a return to the Pax Romana, when Roman legions
kept the peace throughout the known world. Or maybe they would like to see
Queen Victoria back in charge, when the sun did not set on the British Empire.
The good old days for rich men, not so good for the rest of us, but we just
need to learn our place.
Dick Cheney = Benedict Arnold times 3,000