So this happened.
On November 13 (Friday), the whole world witnessed the horrific attacks in Paris. The latest body count is 130 and while France is still reeling and Belgium is still in lockdown mode, we here, as a community, need to discuss the implications and the best way forward. Because, we face an entirely new context for the 2016 election.
There are at least three important issues here and I will address them one by one.
1. Considering that ISIS has claimed responsibility, it is important to look at how the various presidential candidates are handling ISIS as an issue. The GOP field is, I am happy to see, in total disarray. They are criticizing president Obama for not doing what he is already doing (bombing).
Here is this choice quote from Donald Trump
Trump, Nov. 16: Here’s what I would do. And I’ve been saying this for a long time, I have been saying it to you. I would have — and now they’re just starting — if you remember when I said, attack the oil, because that’s their primary source of wealth. Attack the oil. People smiled, and they laughed and they thought it was a joke, and they thought it was funny. Now as of two days ago, they’re attacking the oil.
On the other hand, Hillary Clinton has offered strong and consistent leadership on ISIS.
She has said that ISIS needs to be defeated, not contained. And she has the experience with foreign police and the knowledge about the Middle East to bring that about. Face it, no other candidate for president today has her experience and knowledge. Thankfully, we have her.
In a speech at the Council for Foreign Relations on Nov 19, Hillary Clinton laid out her position on ISIS. It is at the same time, more robust and more restrained than the current BS coming from GOP field.
Here is a small quote
Our strategy should have three main elements. One, defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq and across the Middle East; two, disrupt and dismantle the growing terrorist infrastructure that facilitates the flow of fighters, financing arms and propaganda around the world; three, harden our defenses and those of our allies against external and homegrown threats.
Hillary Clinton has demonstrated, time and again, that she understands the fight against terrorism. And, let me remind you. She is trusted on this issue by Americans. She simply CRUSHES all in the GOP field on the issue of handling terrorism. Let me quote a poll finding and a Washington Post title all in one,
Shock poll finds Hillary Clinton more trusted on terrorism than her GOP rivals www.washingtonpost.com/...
I don't know what the “shock” is… I would have expected it. But there it is.
2. One of the most important issues related to the post-Paris environment, is the question about Syrian refugees coming to America.
I will point out that the GOP field has disgraced America with its pronouncements since Nov 13. Trump was going to create a Muslim database,
Donald Trump on Thursday called for the creation of a national database to register all Muslims living in the U.S. to protect the country against terrorism.
"I would certainly implement that. Absolutely," Trump told NBC News during a campaign stop in Newton, Iowa.
He continued: "There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases. We should have a lot of systems."
Trump, who also said this week that he would consider shutting down mosques, told Yahoo News earlier Thursday that "we're going to have to look at a lot of things very closely" when asked about a national database for Muslims.
And then the selfsame Trump obliged us by revealing Muslims cheered in NJ at the time of the 9/11 attacks. This was said in an interview with George Stephanopolous on Sunday, Nov 22
There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down—as those buildings came down. And that tells you something. It was well covered at the time, George. Now, I know they don’t like to talk about it, but it was well covered at the time. There were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down. Not good.
Throughout her campaign, Hillary Clinton has defended Muslim Americans and continued to support America’s acceptance of refugees. Here is something she said in her CFR speech
The United States and our allies must demonstrate that free people and free markets are still the hope of humanity. This past week, as I watched the tragic scenes from France, I kept thinking back to a young man in the world met in January after the last attack in Paris. His name was Lassana, a Muslim immigrant from Mali who worked at a kosher market. He said the market had become a new home and his colleagues and customers a second family.
When the terrorist arrived and the gunfire began, Lassana risked his life to protect his Jewish customers. He moved quickly, hiding as many people as he could in the cold storage room, and then slipping out to help the police.
I applaud Hillary Clinton for not giving in to bigotry and convenience. America has always been a place of refuge for the persecuted people of the world. That cannot and will not change now. She is the voice and the pillar of strength that we need in this circumstance. While the entire GOP field scrambled to demonstrate its fear and bigotry, Hillary Clinton did not blink, did not succumb to convenience or, perhaps, popularity. She has held firm on this issue and I would be proud of her as my candidate and my president. Cool in the face of fear and bigotry and hatred. Steadfast in her beliefs.
3. Finally. As European countries have scrambled in the face of threat, there is a new fear that the need to ensure security represents a practical and philosophical challenge to liberal democracy. Here is, for example, Howard Fineman's tweet,
America has lived through so many wars and challenges. But, in the end, it endures as an open society, as a liberal democracy. We cannot and will not let that change. Here is another small excerpt from Clinton’s speech:
And we can get this right. America’s open, free, tolerant society is described by some as a vulnerability in the struggle against terrorism, but I actually believe it’s one of our strengths. It reduces the appeal of radicalism and enhances the richness and resilience of our communities. This is not a time for scoring political points
This diary has barely outlined some of the reasons why Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for president in 2016. I have focused on the foreign policy issues most, but it would seem that foreign policy and terrorism are fast becoming major issues for 2016. Hillary Clinton has been and will be a strong leader. We need her as our candidate. Both because her strength and experience is something America needs at this moment. And because she is our best candidate against the GOP.