Nobody would be surprised if Republicans were the only ones yelling about Obama’s violation of U.S. law in the recent prisoner exchange. After all, Republicans would yell, and for the most part Democrats would say they are all racist because they don’t like Obama. However, not only are Republicans upset, top Democrat Congress members are stating that Obama broke the law. They are upset too. Europe is being fairly quiet about the whole matter. In fact, do a quick search on the Internet and you’ll only find a few diplomats openly expressing concern. Recent polls show that at least 84% of Americans feel this was a bad move that will encourage further hostage taking according to http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/poll-84-percent-say-bergdahl-deal-will.html .
84% concerned about the move, Democrats such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein who “claimed she’s been kept in the dark since 2012” according to
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/03/obama-shut-out-congress-for-2-years-about-bergdahl-deal-key-senator-says.html and Republicans are concerned. Everyone seems to be expressing concern, but nobody seems to be acting on those concerns. Ultimately whether Congress decides to do something or not, will set the standard for which future Presidents rule. Imagine a world where the President could simply decide because he has a pen and phone he doesn’t need Congress….oh yeah. Further imagine a world where the President decides WE don’t need Congress. What if, with the stroke of a pen and telephone call to the military, the President could simply disband Congress, declare himself ruler and take over the country. You think that sounds like a movie or a far away third world country? You had better look again- the President just exchanged five top Taliban leaders for a private. I am not belittling the private’s life in the least, but historically speaking most Americans do not want to be pawns in hostage trading games. After the Iran Hostage Crisis and long before an easy, searchable Internet, there was one of the hostages being interviewed on ABC. He stated, “We kept waiting to hear American bombers flying overhead.” In other words, he didn’t want to be a pawn, he wanted the U.S. to bomb Iran, a move that would have likely ended with the death of those hostages. It’s been a long-standing tradition. We don’t negotiate with terrorist. But, apparently we do now because President Obama decided by himself without Congress that we do. Simply put, he no longer needs Congress.
While we wait for Congress to act, which is often like waiting to watch a polar ice cap melt, we must consider the immediate ramifications of this President’s actions. Here is a break down of things Americans must consider:
1. U.S. military forces around the world are now the targets for any terrorist organization needing to invoke a prisoner exchange. If an organization has leaders, followers, or friends captured by the United States or allies, then terrorist will target U.S. military forces to take prisoner in the hope of having an exchange.
2. Enjoy that world trip you’re planning to take! That’s right, the minute you pull out your passport and show that you’re a United States Citizen, you’ve increased your chances that you’ll be used as a hostage exchange as well. That’s right, terrorist no longer have to videotape you having your head cut off and send it back to America. Now they can keep you, starve you, beat you, humiliate you all with the hope of being able to exchange you for one of their own. If by some reason you’re not important enough to the President to have a prisoner exchange conducted, they can still videotape your head being cut off and send it back to the country.
3. Our allies are now endangered. They will be collateral damage if a terrorist decides to take Americans. Say an organization decides to take Americans off a British Airline. Well, Great Britain does not negotiate with terrorist, so they won’t need those citizens to trade. They can simply kill British and other national citizens all because there is an American on board that could be traded. That will make you popular on the airline trips!
4. Finally, top-ranking Congressional members, top-ranking military persons, and business leaders will be the best targets of all for terrorist. The view will be if they can get five Taliban leaders for a private, what can they get for a Congress member, or an officer, or perhaps millionaire business owner? The terrorist will have stars in their eyes like they are shopping in a terrorist discount store.
The bottom line is easily seen in the celebrations by the Taliban. They are calling this a victory, and to be blunt they are right. They have managed to force the United States to give back five of their leaders, come to the table, and negotiate with a non-country-in fact a terrorist organization, and all they have had to give in return is one private who appears to have went AWOL and walked over to them. Unfortunately, the Taliban is 100% correct-they won this one. Finally, to leave the reader with one last thought, as if the thought of the Taliban beating the U.S. is not bad enough, how about Feinstein. Because she disagreed with the President, Republicans deserve to know….does this mean she’s a racist now?
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