Obama-McCain #1

Granted I was hammered in a bar while watching the debate but I didn't see anything new or different out of these guys. It was just another campaign stop really, nothing terribly unpredictable or nuanced about their positions. (And was it all foreign policy? It seemed like all they talked about was Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan)

We never needed timetables in Iraq because timetables are already built in all over the place: the Special Forces Agreement routinely expires (12.31.8 is the next deadline), as do all the spending bills of Congress. So if timetables are so worthwhile then I would suggest you've got plenty to build around already. If timetables were anything more than empty politico-speak then some industrious Congressman would seize on this and wield some power. But its just talk for the cable news shows and not a real consideration anyway, so 'nuff said. The real question in Iraq is can these people create a real political structure whereby voices may be heard without resorting to car bombs. Cornwallis surrendered in 1781, it was another 6 years before George Washington became president--and its not like there were any other candidates! Political formation takes lots and lots of time and all we can do is bolster security so that political factions may replace violent factions. I think it can be done and I think it is a worthwhile goal (and always was).

Afghanistan is a worthless hunk of desert. Loading in to fight people that want to fight back is all well and good but the idea that we need Afghanistan within our sphere of influence is pretty ludicrous. The 'War on Terror' may be just standard American agitprop--and after the bang up job we did on Poverty and Drugs, who would ever want to stop fighting wars?--but it is worth recalling that we're not the only ones fighting it. I think Afghanistan is an excellent opportunity to configure a whole new NATO alliance: let a coalition force fight the good fight if it be so righteous. Otherwise I'd rather scale back Afghanistan and stay the course in Iraq, though conventional wisdom suggests the opposite is underway.

As for talking with Iran, I'm all for talking to everyone all the time. In fact, I can't imagine a scenario whereby the greatest nation on earth (re: USA) should ever suspend conversation with anyone. Our ability to trade and aid is precisely what makes us the greatest nation on earth and how could we ever maintain that position by cutting off markets and allies? Our embargo of Cuba has done nothing to help the people of Cuba or, in the long run, the state of Cuba. It was a foolish policy in 1961 and we've allowed ourselves to be stuck with it rather than letting our relationship evolve. So how do we benefit by freezing Iran out? We don't. I doubt Iran benefits from it too much either, except that they are free to lead a new non-aligned movement but that's a dubious opportunity.

The problem with Iran is we're constantly considering Ahmadenijad when he's not the one running the country! They call him 'president', he shows up at the press conferences and utters anti-zionist rhetoric but the Ayatollah is the boss and his cadre holds the real power within Iran. So why even acknowledge Ahmadenijad? The danger of Obama's position is that you're negotiating with a guy with no power; the danger of McCain's position is that Iran is as frozen out as we can possibly make them, so how does ignoring them change anything? Iran is a great nation and a great people, it wasn't that long ago that they were our main ally in the Middle East and, I think, we should strive to make them our ally again. I don't really trust either Obama or McCain to achieve that objective (especially since it appears that I'm the only one that has that objective).

Obama's position that 'we shouldn't have started the war to begin with' is a fine biscuit for the audience but it is nothing like a strategy for the future. McCain's position that everything is fine doesn't show any sense of what we've learned from the successes and failures so far. I'm not terribly excited by either of these guys and this debate didn't change anything for me.