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OBAMA - Peace Through Strength

Obama reached out to them
We would like to be friends - Unclench your fists - Put down your weapons

But Obama added a warning
Make no mistake - If you attack us, we will defend ourselves


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Si vis pacem, para bellum

peace through strength

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Being a superpower is tough. Being the world's last remaining superpower is even tougher. There are dangers of using power in excess, or in the wrong situations, yet there is also the reverse problem of too much hesitation, too much restraint. Inaction now will often encourage petty tyrants to continue their regional atrocities and provocations. Occasionally, a near-genocide occurs in some corner of the world -- as we have seen in the Balkans of Milosevic, or in certain spots of Africa, where only world outcry brought belated (but necessary) American intervention. Barack Obama has referred to some of these moral challenges, in remarks he has made during his administration. His inaugural gave expression to the Obama resolve -- across many fronts, and in several theatres.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
He called on Americans across the political spectrum to work together for the good of our beloved country.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

As to using strength, and military muscle, Obama was clear:
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

As Kennedy had before him, Barack Obama appealed to the deep roots of patriotism and faith as guides.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

If You Attack America
There Will Be Consequences

Si vis pacem, para bellum
Si vis pacem, para bellum

He offered the hand-clasp of peace, and cooperation:

we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

Above all, Obama emphasized our debt to those whose sacrifice makes our freedom possible

we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
Reaching back into the days of the Revolutionary War, Obama cited an incident.
In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."


We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must
be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.

(Barack Obama, 2004 Democratic National Convention)

Strength in Unity
Overture of Peace to our Muslim Friends

But a warning to those intent on violence and hatred

Cairo Speech

Cairo Speech, June 4, 2009

Barack Obama reached out to the Islamic world, offering an olive branch of friendship, as well as a vindication of America''s role in the world. He told the Muslim world, "The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. ... We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: 'Out of many, one."

"the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart."

INTERCONNECTED

"For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations," he said. "When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. And when innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience. That is what it means to share this world in the 21st century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings."

RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS

"America does not presume to know what is best for everyone."

"I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere."

Obama appealed for Muslims to observe religious freedom.

While citing Islam's "proud tradition of tolerance," Obama criticized what he called a "disturbing tendency" among some Muslims "to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's."

"Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together," he said. "Indeed, faith should bring us together."

But Obama said Western countries must practice what they preach with regard to religious freedoms. He cited laws and regulations that "impede Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit," such as telling Muslim women what they can or can't wear.

"We cannot disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretense of liberalism," he said.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

"The struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world."

"I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality," he said. "And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous."

He said the United States will "partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams."

See: women warriors for a strong America

United We Stand
Payback is a Bitch

Peace Through Strength

Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

December 10, 2009. Oslo Norway (36 minutes)

George Washington said: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace."

While not exactly saber-rattling, President Barack Obama's Noble Peace Prize Acceptance Speech was one of the firmest-toned, most resolute-sounding "Peace" speeches you have ever heard. He gave due devotion to the great names, the Martin Luther King's the Gandhi's, as well as others. But the overall tone was a bit like the American Eagle emblem, olive branch in one claw, arrows in the other. The speech was not exactly bellicose by any means, nor was it specifically threatening at all. But there was a certain militant firmness to it. And none could deny it.

The American president began with an acknowledgment of gratitude and humility, and a pointed reference to the many quiet heroes and activists far more deserving of the award. He then launched into a blunt discourse on America's role, and his own role ... as a military force with the will to use that force responsibly.

I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by forty three other countries - including Norway - in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict - filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

President Obama delved into many of the issues and nuances which have perplexed mankind through history. But he made a blunt warning, that as the head of state and as a commander-in-chief, I ...

cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism - it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

Obama paid the highest honor to America's armed services, in helping create the blessings which the whole world now enjoys
Yet the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions - not just treaties and declarations - that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms. The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-interest - because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples' children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity.

So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another - that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy. The soldier's courage and sacrifice is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause and to comrades in arms. But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.

President Obama also paid tribute to the help America has gotten from Allies -- and friends -- from Around the world.

The world rallied around America after the 9/11 attacks, and continues to support our efforts in Afghanistan, because of the horror of those senseless attacks and the recognized principle of self-defense. Likewise, the world recognized the need to confront Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait - a consensus that sent a clear message to all about the cost of aggression.


Admiral William McRaven

"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." (Apparently Winston Churchill said this, not George Orwell)

In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected. (Sun Tzu)

Act for America

Peace Through Strength (quotationss)

Brigitte Gabriel - Dare to Take a Stand

Let's help our veterans, military families,
the heroes and their families and survivors

Never Forget Their Sacrifice - remember our vets

Romney and Republicans just MAY lose the veterans vote (Ben Krause)

Robt Gates - fulsome praise for Obama's leadership and command

McRaven calls Obama leadership (bin-Laden take down) entirely presidential

Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country

Vietnam Veterans for Obama - vets support his reelection

Military family support a 'national priority,' Obama says

Our military spouses and families serve, too

Joining Forces : to help our military families

Make the Connection :: shared experiences and support for Veterans

Support the 'American Widow Project'

Forgotten heroes : families of servicemen and women

PROJECT FOOT: homeless vets & military families

America must not become an ungrateful nation

Anti-vet philosophy: Punish the brave and reward the rich

Returning heroes :: the 'Wounded Warrior Project'

HIDDEN WOUNDS :: ministering to those hurts that can't be seen

Strong record of support for America's veterans

Obama calls on nation to honor military families, caregivers

Mothers against military sexual trauma (facebook cause)

nchv.org - how could this happen to those who already gave so much

Iraqi Turnaround in Anbar Province (Ramadi, etc)

Trust Building was the key - Petraeus and the Iraq 'miracle'

Joining Forces : reaching out to heroes and their families

Part of any "Peace Dividend" must go to America's Veterans

Veterans are an essential middle class entitlement too

proven.com, supporting Obama's Veterans Employment Initiative

Veterans (and Military Families) for Obama 2012


Hooah-4-Health
hooah4health

"they also serve who only stand and wait"
John Milton

toughest job
toughest job in the military
in the military


Blue Star Families for Obama is a "Pro Military, Pro Obama" organization.
This grassroots effort was started by Army and Marine Corps Spouses who believe
supporting Senator Obama reinforces their support of loved ones serving in the military.

more jobs for veterans
Obama ups pressure on GOP
to pass VETERANS jobs plan

welcome home Viet vets

get along?
can we all just get along?

We All Wish for a Peace Dividend
(But not at the price of forgetting those who served)


Robert Shepherd
friend me (facebook)

joiningforces.gov
Joining Forces



LET'S TELL THE REPUBLICANS TO STOP SLASHING VETERANS BENEFITS
speak out against slash-and-burn GOP

The Ryan plan dogmatists are NUTS

Vietnam Veterans for Obama