Barack Obama: The ‘Use Your Words’ President

“Look, we support the troops, we just don’t want them to kill anyone.”  -Rosie Connell in response to Bill O’Reilly in An American Carol

As a screenwriter, I was able to put those words in the mouth of a loony Left character. They know politically that they have to say they support the troops. But they would feel more comfortable if American soldiers spent their time doing hurricane relief.

It was painful to watch President Obama give his speech on the end of the combat mission in Iraq.  It was a war he had opposed, refused to fund, and said the surge would not work.  All this war stuff seemed boring to him. Obama came across as cold and aloof. He said some of the right things but you had this gnawing feeling that he didn’t really mean them.

When he announced that “Operation Iraqi Freedom” was over, he made it sound like he had fulfilled a campaign promise to bring the troops home. In reality the agreement was signed under President Bush. Since Obama had never discussed Iraq as President, it was even off-putting to hear him name it. It reminded me of the time I spent volunteering for the Family Readiness Group of an Army unit near my home. I was at a table filling out forms for the soldier and his or her family. It informed them of the services available to their loved ones. I was instructed to fill the form out with the code OIF–Operation Iraqi Freedom. It really hit me as I talked to these soldiers that they were volunteers and proud to go even with the disruption in their lives. I was in awe of them.

President Bush was accused of not being eloquent but you could never accuse him of not being sincere with the troops. His voice broke many times and his face got red as he tried to hold back tears. Many thought that was corny. But it was real. He was real. Yes, we miss him now. In Ohio a poll shows that if the Presidential election were held today Bush would beat Obama 50-42!

To Obama, this whole war thing is a distraction from his domestic agenda. His heart was not in it. I am sure he would pull out of Afghanistan if he could. But I imagine some very smart, tough general or adviser explained the consequences and maybe threatened to quit.  Furthermore, there’s little recognition of the growing dangers in Pakistan, Yemen, or Somalia. It’s like when we’re done in Iraq and when we’re done in Afghanistan, we’re done!

At least Bill Clinton was honest when he wrote as a young man that he “loathed” the military. He was part of the generation of politicians who came of age in the Vietnam War. They all had deferments and spent the Vietnam War in Ivy League colleges. They probably didn’t even know anyone who was drafted. In their minds those kids that went were too stupid to get out of it. This arrogance is still part of the mindset of the Left.

President Obama is younger but no less politically disdainful of the military. In the speech he said he was “incredibly proud” of the job the troops did. He referred to the Iraq War as a “remarkable chapter in the history of the U.S.” What a fraud he is.  His praise of the military was hollow. But the military is not fooled.  A recent poll by the Military Times that only 31% of the troops approve of Obama while 53% disapprove.

The Left does not believe the world is a dangerous place except ecologically. If there are really bad people out there trying to kill us, then you need a military. Obama’s theme in dealing with the rest of the world is to let them know that we understand why they want to kill us. It’s our fault.  But he assures them he will be a different kind of American leader and never give them cause to be mad at us.  All the problems of the world can be solved with speeches and meetings. How can such a smart guy be so blind to human nature!

It reminded me of the year I taught four-years-olds at a politically correct pre-school (is there any other kind in LA?). They didn’t allow any toys that suggested combat. No toy guns or paper swords (not even for Capt. Hook and Peter Pan), and of course there were no toy soldiers. Soldiers were not role models. The mantra for aggressive behavior was the teacher saying, “use your words”.

But one day the natural aggression of four-year-old boys took over. We had a large wooden puzzle of numbers on the carpet. Each number was about a foot long. I started to laugh when I saw that two boys had grabbed the one and the seven and were battling it out as they ran behind tables and little chairs and charged each other with the make-shift weapons. Of course it had to be stopped.

Those little boys may have grown up to channel their testosterone into businesses, courtrooms, sports, or even college teaching. I hear the fight for tenure is fierce. Or they might have become soldiers. The little girls developed a group with a dominant female who the others followed. They fought too.

“Use your words” seems to be the dominant theme of his administration.  Words would have never removed a sadistic Saddam and will not remove the vicious Taliban. I am sure Obama thinks if he offers them enough financial aid including free healthcare they will give up Jihad!

In all my years as a Democrat I never heard a good word about the military. They were “the other.” Democrats always wanted to cut the Pentagon budget and channel it into domestic programs. Of course there is waste at the Pentagon as in every government agency, but there is a deeper part of the psyche of the Left that really hates the military.

A few years ago I was in a group of West L.A. liberals and mentioned my nephew was enlisting in the Navy. I heard one woman standing behind me say with utter disdain, “Ugh, who would ever want to go into the Navy?” I pretended I didn’t hear it and walked away.  When they are alone with like-minded people, they express their real feelings. In public they try to hide it.

Maybe sitting behind that big desk, Obama reminded me of a child.  It’s probably because I think his political views of the world are too immature for a President. Doesn’t he remind you of the kid that hates to visit his aunt and uncle? He is dreading the thought of playing with his cousins because they are more aggressive than he is and like to play war. It is too rough for him. But he dutifully plays with the toy soldiers and joins in the mock battles. If he didn’t or complained, they will tell on him. He pretends he is having a good time but can’t wait to leave the house and the toy soldiers behind and go home to his Kindle and quiet.