Besides trying to fix the banks, boost the economy and deal with two war's that nobody really likes, President Obama broke old W.'s rule by taking off his jacket in the Oval Office. And we all thought John McCain was the maverick...
But what really impressed me about Obama's first day was that he, by executive order, started the process of closing Gitmo.
Gitmo is our detention facility for not-so-nice people we pick up on the battle-field (say, in Afghanistan). It is a place that the Bush Administration has argued is out of the reach of habeas corpus and in a permanent/awkward eclipse of the law. It is a place that no congressional member has constituents. And a place that yields little intelligence on its prisoners, yet continues to remind the world of the Bush Administrations disregard for international law.
If Obama decision to close this so-called resort in Cuba was for the mere reason that it tarnishes the American image, then I think it was worth it. We can't broadcast ethical and social justice to the world when we have our own “enhanced interrogation” center open for business.
Furthermore, the U.S is going to need allies to fix the Banks, Cars and Kabul. This is why closing Gitmo is so important: an easy gesture that costs America little, yet sends Obama's message that "we are the change that we've been waiting for."
Smart move Mr. President.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment