05 November 2008

Obama World

Kuoby was disappointed. He was supporting McCain. He believed that Obama would be weak against rising threat of Islamic extremism. An exchange with Kuoby this morning after the US presidential elections:

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:11 PM):
Florida didn't matter after all?

Kuoby says (12:12 PM):
no it didn't

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:12 PM):
Hmmm

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:35 PM):
Whatever Obama's whims, his decisions will be moderated by his advisors.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:36 PM):
Obama took Florida too.

Kuoby says (12:44 PM):
the democrats have control of both houses and presidency

Kuoby says (12:45 PM):
maybe some good can come out of this disaster

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:45 PM):
They can pass reforms successfully.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:45 PM):
Hopefully.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:45 PM):
They need to pull out of Iraq.

Kuoby says (12:45 PM):
and kill bin laden

Kuoby says (12:45 PM):
and wipe out hamas and hizbullah

Kuoby says (12:45 PM):
the lands of israel must return to the jews

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:46 PM):
Yes, I support the Iraq War.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:46 PM):
but not a 500 billion dollar annual defence budget

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:46 PM):
and a 3-trillion dollar war.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (12:46 PM):
It doesn't make sense to fatally weaken the USA just to assist Iraq.

Kuoby says (1:25 PM):
what's the media saying

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:26 PM):
Not much.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:26 PM):
Just the concession speech from McCain.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:28 PM):
Will he be pro-globalisation?

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:28 PM):
Indications are that he will not.

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:29 PM):
He may adopt protectionist measures. Drop free-trade agreements.

Kuoby says (1:29 PM):
high risk

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:43 PM):
Do you think he can pull out of Iraq within a year?

Chuang Shyue Chou says (1:43 PM):
He will not pull out of Afghanistan though.

Kuoby says (1:43 PM):
probably can

Kuoby says (2:01 PM):
have a good day SC. welcome to Obama world.

Occupation does not make sense. Iraq and Afghanistan will not become the postwar miracles of Germany and Japan. So what if the surge has succeeded? In the grand scheme of things, it would do little. It would not reduce Islamic extremism.

4 comments:

Tim said...

As an Obama voter, I am hoping the the madness of the last several years will now come to an end.
I don't think he will be protectionist, but I hope he will advocate free FAIR trade.
It's actually more than just about Obama. The Democrats have routed the Republicans all the way down to dog catcher. A scathing indictment of the Bush years.

BTW- great pics of Spain. Why do all of their buildings look like artillery shells?

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

I do think that three trillion is an unacceptable cost to this war-making. I do accept that there was an initial need to invade, check for wmd and removal of Saddam Hussein but the occupation after is unjustified.

500 billion annual defence budget? Have they not read Paul Kennedy's 'The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers'? Imperial overreach?

What would you define as fair trade?


Oh, that is just one building. The other one is in London.

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

You are aware that free trade will devastate huge parts of the US economy that is just not competitive, right?

Tim said...

That's what I'm saying. We let a lot of goods come in from everywhere. A lot of these countries put barriers to our goods, so I am saying if there are barriers to US stuff coming in that we should do the same to that country.

The US auto industry is responsible for over three million jobs in just this country alone. I'm not even counting Canada and Mexico. If one of them goes down, it will cause a depression in the midwest, and Detroit (where I live), well just roll up the sidewalks and let the trees and wildlife reclaim it, cause it's over. I'd hate to see that. revisit that FDR memorial at my blog to see what it will be like.