Comments on: Obama’s hard words http://www.wordyard.com/2009/01/20/obamas-hard-words/ Technology, politics, culture Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:30:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: links for 2009-01-21 (Jarrett House North) http://www.wordyard.com/2009/01/20/obamas-hard-words/comment-page-1/#comment-9239 links for 2009-01-21 (Jarrett House North) Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:01:24 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1801#comment-9239 [...] Obama’s hard words (Scott Rosenberg) More calls to action. We all need to write the next four years ourselves. The plain speech of the inaugural address is a good place to start. (tags: obama inauguration) [...] [...] Obama’s hard words (Scott Rosenberg) More calls to action. We all need to write the next four years ourselves. The plain speech of the inaugural address is a good place to start. (tags: obama inauguration) [...]

]]> By: Scott Rosenberg http://www.wordyard.com/2009/01/20/obamas-hard-words/comment-page-1/#comment-9210 Scott Rosenberg Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:44:52 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1801#comment-9210 I tend to agree, Carlos. I just wondered how many directions Obama intended his "childish things" line to play. I think he's probably wrestling with how far his political capital is going to carry, and on how many fronts at once. I tend to agree, Carlos. I just wondered how many directions Obama intended his “childish things” line to play. I think he’s probably wrestling with how far his political capital is going to carry, and on how many fronts at once.

]]> By: Carlos http://www.wordyard.com/2009/01/20/obamas-hard-words/comment-page-1/#comment-9209 Carlos Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:36:20 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1801#comment-9209 Accountability and preserving the rule of law are the opposite of "childish". The criminal activities of the Bush administration need to be investigated and where appropriate prosecuted not as a "settling of accounts" but for the same reasons that the criminal activities of the general populace are investigated and prosecuted: deterrence, retribution, prevention, etc. Simply put, not addressing lawbreaking by high government officials places those officials above the law, and encourages them to ignore it when it's politically expedient. Our credibility around the world on issues of law and justice will be severely damaged if these violations are not followed up. Obama should ask himself: how much more moral authority can this nation afford to throw away? Accountability and preserving the rule of law are the opposite of “childish”. The criminal activities of the Bush administration need to be investigated and where appropriate prosecuted not as a “settling of accounts” but for the same reasons that the criminal activities of the general populace are investigated and prosecuted: deterrence, retribution, prevention, etc. Simply put, not addressing lawbreaking by high government officials places those officials above the law, and encourages them to ignore it when it’s politically expedient.

Our credibility around the world on issues of law and justice will be severely damaged if these violations are not followed up. Obama should ask himself: how much more moral authority can this nation afford to throw away?

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