I have long thought that Obama is more incompetent than malevolent. In light of the Obama administration trading five terrorists for U.S. Army Sgt. Berghdahl, who, according to the men who served with him, is at best a deserter and at worst a traitor, I think I might have to make a reappraisal:
according to former U.S. Army Sgt. Josh Korder, who served with Berghdahl in Afghanistan.
There is really almost no other conclusion one can draw from the facts that are coming out about Bergdahl’s departure from his unit five years ago.
Even the NY Times is reporting what would lead any thinking person to agree with Korder. For example, Bergdahl left a note in his tent saying “he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life…[taking] with him a soft backpack,water, knives, a notebook and writing materials” but leaving behind body army and weapons, something he would ordinarily need in that region.
Other curious facts about Bergdahl before his disappearance were that “he wouldn’t drink beer or eat barbecue” with the others, and he was teaching himself local languages such as Pashto and Dari, as well as Arabic. None of these things would be evidence of much of anything in and of themselves, but taken together with Bergdahl’s note and desertion they also could indicate a “going native” phenomenon that might involve a conversion to Islam, which forbids alcohol and pork.
As Korder said, at best a deserter and at worst a traitor.
Go here to read the rest at Neo-neocon. A bizarre thing about the event when Obama announced the swap was Bergdahl’s dad who apparently has gone full frontal Taliban. Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit gives us the details:
Yesterday, Jani Bergdahl and Bob Bergdahl, the parents of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, were invited to the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington DC. Bob Bergdahl spoke about the release of his son Bowe. Then he praised Allah and Obama hugged him.
Sgt. Bergdahl, 28, had been held prisoner by the Taliban since June 30, 2009. The Daily Caller reported:
At the end of brief event, the soldier’s father, Bob Bergdahl, recited the most frequent phrase in the Koran — “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim” —which means “In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Compassionate.”
After Bergdahl finished his statement and his praise for Allah, Obama hugged him.
Then Bob Bergdahl went and deleted this tweet where he wrote “God will repay for the death of every Afghan child, ameen!” 
UPDATE: On Sunday Bob Bergdahl said he was proud of how his son Bowe was willing to help the Afghan people.
“But most of all, I’m proud of how much you wanted to help the Afghan people, and what you were willing to do to go to that length,” Bob Bergdahl said, fighting back tears during a press conference in Boise. “I’ll say it again: I’m so proud of how far you were willing to go to help the Afghan people. And I think you have succeeded.”
Parents Bob and Jani Bergdahl didn’t elaborate on what that meant.
I do not think even Obama could be so clueless as not to understand that he traded five terrorists for a man who in more sane times would now be facing a firing squad. Malevolence as an explanation for this move certainly is the only reasonable explanation I can come up with.
I have since his third year in office believed Obama to be malevolent.
I think we need to win the next election not only to reverse this animus towards the US but also to break through the stonewalling of the government and find out the truth behind many actions of this Administration.
If not Obama, whomever negotiated this. Accounts have it that the president is supplied with memoranda with canned options at the end, and selects one. Not a whole lot of mind goes into it.
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Could be worse. Remember Michael Berg?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Berg
This train wreck began with someone much lower on the chain of command who decided to not classify Bergdahl as a deserter. Acknowledging this shows the same dynamic as seen in the Benghazi attack / Muhammed video meme: lies allow the creation and compounding of more lies. If truth is the first causality of war then we must be at war all the time now.
I’d like to think that this is Obama doing his best to get impeached.
Seen on the Web. Obama’s new FaceBook “status”: “In a relationship with the Taliban.”
In future, he will be called, “President Taliban.”
“I have long thought that Obama is more incompetent than malevolent.”
Why can’t he be both–squared?
President Taliban had him him sprung in order to remove from the “front burner” the VA scandal.
I’ve never completely understood until now that being “pragmatic” means doing what you want, when you want, the way you want with the (apparently justified) arrogance to believe that you are going to get away with it.
Hopefully this time he is wrong.
The argument for malevolence instead of mere incompetence has all along been suggested by the fact that were he merely incompetent he’d get something right on occassion, if only by accident. Moreover, he proved his competence when he got himself reelected.
In fairness, I suppose you could argue killing Bin Laden was his blind squirrel moment. But then, there’s photo of him sulking in the corner….
Barack Hussein Obama and his wife Michele, regardless of whether they are supremely incompetent or not, are both utterly godless, idolatrous, malevolent, diabolical, and evil to the highest degree. That both would promote infanticide of the unborn and sexual perversion of the worst sort is par for the course for this King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. We need an Elijah, an Elisha to stand in front of these two demonic creatures of wickedness and prophesy, “Thus saith the Lord!” They need to face their wickedness – have their ugly malevolent faces rubbed in it – and one day, barring repentance, they shall (as we all will – Lord have mercy!). Sorry, folks, every time I see a picture or view a video of either one of those two, I am filled with utter fury at what they are doing to this country.
Having read Paul Kengor’s book about Obama’s mentor, spiritual father, and perhaps more, Frank Marshall Davis, The Communist, and the remarkably cozy relationship, and perhaps more, between O. and FMD, I have no doubt about Obama’s fundamental motivations and his diabolical intentions.
Or, that Robert R. Taylor, grandfather of Valerie Jarrett, was an avowed card-carrying member of the CPUSA. Or that Chicago CPUSA members Harry and David Canter, who helped mentor, David Axelrod. gave Obama the talking points and teleprompter feeds that tell him exactly what to say.
Oh, we are in the deepest trouble, and no where near the end of the journey.
…and we have to pray and really dedicate ourselves to imploring God to assist us..Usquequo, Domine.
As remarked elsewhere, it looks for all the world that Obama believes he is rescuing terrorists from Gitmo.
The only credible explanation to this deal is that Obama wanted to free these Taliban prisoners, and the ‘prisoner swap’ was supposed to give him cover for it. He certainly did not expect the media to wake up and actually do some reporting.
Now that these five are out, any other Guantanamo prisoners will be much easier to spring.
“Oh, we are in the deepest trouble, and no where near the end of the journey.”
Steve Phoenix.
From where I am looking, you are dead right. I and many of my countrymen – and I’m sure many others in other countries – are watching with dismay as we witness the dismantling of all that the USA stands for, which in the past has led your country to be the greatest the world has seen – despite its flawst.
I often concur with what Paul Primavera says about Obama. He simply has to be got rid of – not in a murderous way – along with his rabidly socialist minions.
Your press has much accountability for what is happening.
As for Berghdahl, he should be court martialled, then handed back to the Taliban where his sympathy lies..
I don’t have the visceral dislike for the President that many others have but this whole thing is mind-boggling to me. What did he have to gain from this? Is he so politically tone-deaf that he thought this would go over well? I hope the Republican party learns from the UKIP in England and the National Front in France and starts to adopt more worker friendly policies because I don’t think Hillary will be nearly as stupid.
“Now that these five are out, any other Guantanamo prisoners will be much
easier to spring”
.
Absolutely, Mr. Tefft. There was a good reason for our decades-old government
policy against negotiating with terrorists. Thanks to this president’s decision,
our military is now a much juicier target for hostage-takers. The Taliban got
this administration to do this once– why shouldn’t they believe he’d do it for
them again?
.
One of the most disturbing things about this debacle is Obama’s undisguised
contempt for Congress and Congress’ seeming acceptance of its new ‘irrelevant
lapdog’ status. US law is very specific– the president is required to inform
Congress 30 days in advance before the transfer of any Gitmo prisoners. Yet
even Senator Feinstein (no enemy to this administration) was kept in the dark–
and she’s the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. National Security
Advisor Susan Rice complacently informed us on ‘Meet the Press’ that Obama
chose to ignore the law and punk Congress because he determined that following
the law would have jeopardized the deal. Oh. So this administration is
admitting that it is now policy for the president to ignore the law if it would
jeopardize him getting his way…
Beyond being a terrible deal for so many, many reasons, this affair is showing
us that our Congress stands to become just a rubber-stamp politburo if we
don’t wake up.
Obama lost my feeling that he was incompetent instead of malevolent when he decided to pick a war with the Little Sisters of the Poor over religious liberty. If that ain’t malevolence I don’t know what is. Amazing you could go this long.
Now Don… there’s a plot you haven’t considered… 😉
http://newrebeluniv.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/why-it-makes-sense-to-release-5-terrorist-leadsers-in-exchange-for-one-low-ranking-neer-do-well/
He lets survivor babies die on the abortion table.
http://time.com/2818827/taliban-bergdahl-pow-release-objections-white-house/
A report from Baghdad Jay Carney’s former employer. There are evidently officials in the military willing to tell this reporter that the White House short-circuited normal procedures to see to it that this crew were released.
I think he is competent and accomplishing what he wants, probably at a faster rate than even he thought possible. He is breaking America. I know the theories about the “roots” of his attitude and behavior but I sure don’t understand Levin for example– why would he be so destructive. And all those individual journalists. What does it take for them to break ranks? Other Democrats – when are they going to reach a saturation point and say “enough is enough.” ?
“I have long thought that Obama is more incompetent than malevolent.”
He is clearly both. Malevolent because he released five evil and deadly terrorists and wasted soldiers’ lives to “free” a deserter, and incompetent because he believed that there would be universal euphoria over Berghdahl’s release and everyone would overlook the release of the terrorists (better to let five guilty men go free than to allow one “innocent” man to remain in captivity, right?). Oops! It didn’t work out quite the way he planned.
Tomorrow’s TAC news today: Iowa Republican Joni Ernst won her primary, so Donald will have some good news to start the day off with.
Many people are indignant over the law requiring 30 day’s notice to Congress on the release of any Gitmo prisoner. However, it should be pointed out that the courts have held that there is no restriction on a president’s power to issue pardons. Obama hasn’t weaseled out by invoking that power, but he can if he so decides. Any president can throw darts against photos on a wall to decide pardons and it would be constitutional.
@Phillip on Tuesday, June 3, A.D. 2014 at 10:57: “I think we need to win the next election not only to reverse this animus towards the US […]”
I am afraid saving the country will require much more: that the Constitution and the laws of the US and their interpretation be subordinate to the Law of God, otherwise the US is destined to go the way that all other great nations went before it went after they attempted to build themselves apart from God.
“Tomorrow’s TAC news today: Iowa Republican Joni Ernst won her primary, so Donald will have some good news to start the day off with.”
Yep, Ernst. She got an astounding 56% of the vote in a five person field and avoids a run off. A new political star is on the rise I think.
Good comments in this thread. I would note for the record that I have never doubted that some of Obama’s actions were motivated by malevolence. I simply thought that these were outweighed by those motivated by sheer incompetence. With this trade, incompetence does not explain it, nor does any other rational motivation that I can think of. Malevolence may lie at its core and that is deeply troubling when we are discussing a foreign policy/war action and the man acting malevolently is commander in chief.
I don’t think he’s malevolent though (evil on purpose), this is his idea of what is good.
As his actions continue to prove,BO is a Muslim.An incompetent Muslim perhaps but his time in Indonesia shaped him.
I agree his sympathies and inclination are toward Islam. I don’t think though that he fears God. He is secular, I would say,evidenced by his evolution on same sex so-called marriage.
One or two of the “joint-chiefs-of-staff-level” terrorists released were responsible for the mass murders of about 6,000 Herat tribesmen and boys. The Taliban took their city and cut the men’s and boys’ throats in front of their women.
“God will repay for the death of every Afghan child!” twit from Bergdorf, Sr. who grew that asinine beard in solidarity with terrorists.
We are in the forenoon of the idiotocracy. There is a large number of evil people that need to be given the Gospels.
In my war, they had VC sympathizers running through campuses and the streets. In my sons’ war, we have terrorist sympathizers running the campuses and the White House.
TomD, I’m not a lawyer, so I will happily accept correction from anyone
with more expertise in these things. That said, I’m pretty sure that for the
president to issue a pardon, the person pardoned has to have been first
convicted of a crime. My understanding is that the Gitmo detainees haven’t
been tried, let alone found guilty and sentenced by any court. How then
does one pardon a man without a court first finding him guilty?
.
In the end, I think my point about the president’s naked contempt for
Congress (and the rule of law) remains. If Congress chooses to roll over
and let Obama do this without any blowback, then it is choosing to
become nothing more than the president’s rubber stamp.
.
Back to Mr. McClarey’s original question re: incompetence vs. malevolence.
I’m voting ‘malevolence’, for so many reasons.
“That said, I’m pretty sure that for the president to issue a pardon, the person pardoned has to have been first
convicted of a crime.”
Incorrect. Ford’s pardon of Nixon is the classic example where no conviction, or even indictment, existed. The pardon power is pretty absolute under the Constitution. However, if Obama were foolish enough to pardon the Gitmo detainees en masse, I think he would be impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate.
Mr. McClarey, of course you’re right– and Ford’s pardon of Nixon makes
that clear.
I agree his sympathies and inclination are toward Islam.
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Disagree. My wager is that he’s a very common bourgeois type, a faculty type, and trades in the garage sale cosmopolitanism common on in the faculty club. He came by these attitudes honestly, from the repellant woman who bore him. We live in a time and place where wide swaths of the professional-managerial bourgeoisie and wide swaths of the elite are post-American. They are not loyal to the country and the rest of us are just rubes to be kept at bay and pairs of hands to be called on when the furnace needs repair.
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Malevolent? How about this: he does not really disapprove of the Berghdahls or anything they’ve done. He does not disapprove of Michael Berg. He disapproves of Cindy Sheehan because her idiom is too plebian.
Art Deco
I find your reading very plausible.
As for Mr Obama’s apparent sympathy for Islam, Robert Redeker suggests that, post Cold War, the Left has replaced “Sovietophilia” with “Islamophilia,” and that “Palestinians and the contemporary Muslim masses replace the proletariat in the intellectuals’ imagination” as the pure, ideal alternative to Western capitalism. (Le Monde, 11/21/01)
Clinton you wrote “In the end, I think my point about the president’s naked contempt for Congress (and the rule of law) remains. If Congress chooses to roll over and let Obama do this without any blowback, then it is choosing to become nothing more than the president’s rubber stamp.”
Well, yes, there are plenty of such examples with this administration, but the 30-day Gitmo release notice is not one of them. Should any president challenge the constitutionality of that law in the face of the presidential power to pardon then he will prevail and Congress will lose. Under those circumstances it will be the law itself that will violate the rule of law, by being unconstitutional.
“However, if Obama were foolish enough to pardon the Gitmo detainees en masse, I think he would be impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate.”
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Not sure about that, since Congress views impeachment the way that a couch potato views a good run. But just to make sure, there surely will be no en masse releases, just a drip now and then on slow-news Friday afternoons.
I have believed since the beginning that Obama is a seriously troubled soul. His ideology is based on envy and a dehumanizing hatred of God’s gift of free will. His disdain for the gift of life has been long evident during his time in Illinois. His associates (Dunn, Cass Sustein, Jones, etal) are also hate filled ideologues.
The destruction of the American ideal is nearly complete and proceeds at an accelerated pace. Perhaps after years of brainwashing our children through the press and academia, this was bound to happen. The pace still shocks me. We try to analyze him according to rational and sensible norms, but those do not apply. Ascribe hate and envy, ie sin, to what you witness of this administration, and then it will all make sense. The ACA is a masterful seizure of our very personhood by the government. The idea of freeing mass murderers, the very command structure of the Taliban, to return to their power base, while at the same time leaving the field of battle is not malfeasance, it’s purposeful. I could go on, but the list would consume pages.
I have thought him to be malevolent ever since he voted against the infant born alive act, which put him even more pro-abortion than NARAL. There are not many things which amaze me, but the continued naivete of Americans is among them.