Obama does Lincoln: Why doesn’t he just grow a beard and buy a top hat?
What struck me most about the president’s speech is not that he plans to cut the American presence in Afghanistan but that he committed us to staying there for several more years. And again, the Lincolnesque rhetoric. Obama last night: “Now, let us finish the work at hand. Let us responsibly end these wars, and ...
What struck me most about the president's speech is not that he plans to cut the American presence in Afghanistan but that he committed us to staying there for several more years.
What struck me most about the president’s speech is not that he plans to cut the American presence in Afghanistan but that he committed us to staying there for several more years.
And again, the Lincolnesque rhetoric.
Obama last night:
“Now, let us finish the work at hand. Let us responsibly end these wars, and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story. With confidence in our cause; with faith in our fellow citizens; and with hope in our hearts, let us go about the work of extending the promise of America — for this generation, and the next.”
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
(HT to RF)
Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1
More from Foreign Policy
America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose
Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.
The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy
The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.
Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now
In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.
Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet
As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day, written by Alexandra Sharp. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.