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In reply to the discussion: Obama Dismisses Democratic Foes Of Sweeping Trade Pact, Says It Would Level Global Commerce [View all]merrily
(45,251 posts)has ended a war or prevented this nation from entering one. Not even when we were colonies.
Maybe, maybe, maybe Vietnam, but that was after 10 years of demonstration and the media and the entertainment industry either were on the side of the left or ended up there. Walter Cronkite. The Smothers Brothers. Bob Dylan. By the end, one number one hit song after another was anti that war. One TV discussion show after another.
And, even at that, maybe, at the end, the neocons pulled the plug. But, I'll even give you Vietnam. After all, that was before the Washington D.C. area filled up with lobbyists, before multi-billionaires abounded, before five corporations controlled radio, TV and print news. Before one newspaper after another folded, never to be replaced. Before political messaging got as prevalent as it is now.
I am not sure that Obama never intended to do "something" in Syria. Not even sure he hasn't been doing "something" in Syria all along. But I am very sure a couple of weeks of phone calls from us hoi polloi did not turn that tide 180 degrees.
Edited to add: At the time, I made a post. I am not saying it is the entire answer. Who knows what calls may have been made and discussions had about bombing Syria? But, I believe that my earlier post did contain some facts relevant to this post, so here is the older post:
41. He had a lot of encouragement to back off on Syria.
First, there had been a lawsuit from several members of Congress, Democrat and Republican over his getting us involved in Libya without consulting Congress, as required (maybe) by the Constitution. That lawsuit had been dismissed because those members had not shown that they were speaking for Congress. However, as to Syria, there ha been a letter signed by over 100 members of Congress saying that the President should consult Congress over Syria, followed by a letter from Boehner raising 14 legal questions about how the President was proceeding as to Syria. It was after those things that Obama "backed off."
However, Pelosi and Boehner recently amended the Constitution (maybe) by telling Obama there was no reason for him to consult Congress about re-committing us to Iraq.
My "maybes" are not sarcasm. As is so often the case, the law is not clear. However, the point is, he didn't back down on Syria out of a clear blue sky. There was a context, also as is so often the case.
http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5125522
But, let's not deflect this thread to war discussions. I'm sure others will try to deflect.