Ed from OC Posted July 4, 2004 Report Share Posted July 4, 2004 I'm sure several on this forum have looked into Kerry's views and record to see what kind of President he would be. Above all else in the upcoming election, the way he would prosedute the war on terrorism would determine for whom I would vote. So I'd like to get some reliable info on Kerry's views. I've heard a number of rumors, but haven't looked into them enough yet. Questions I have: Does he view the war on terrorism as an actual war, or as a criminal matter? Would he appease Europe, or be willing to act "unilaterally?" Would he reduce support (financial and political) for military and intelligence activities? Would he endorse constraints on war-fighting activities? (This might include hamstringing interrogations, for instance.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 I'd like to get some reliable info on Kerry's views. [...] Does he view the war on terrorism as an actual war, or as a criminal matter? Would he appease Europe, or be willing to act "unilaterally?" Definitely yes. Would he reduce support (financial and political) for military and intelligence activities? Would he endorse constraints on war-fighting activities? (This might include hamstringing interrogations, for instance.) Definitely probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from OC Posted July 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 QUOTE (Ed from OC @ Jul 4 2004, 04:38 PM) I'd like to get some reliable info on Kerry's views. [...]Does he view the war on terrorism as an actual war, or as a criminal matter? Would he appease Europe, or be willing to act "unilaterally?" Definitely yes. Yes, he'll appease Europe... or yes, he's willing to act withot their sanction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielshrugged Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Another important question is whether Bush differs from Kerry on these questions. These days, he has Mr. Powell negotiating with North Korea, trying to see if we can buy our national security. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearmint Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 The Bush administration has managed to lose America the popular support it would need to initate an invasion within the next 5 years, so I'm not sure why it really matters. Even if Kerry honestly believed that invading Iran or Syria unilaterally was a good thing, it seems fairly meaningless - I doubt that such an action would be feasible within the current climate that has been generated due to the hostility towards the handling of the Iraq invasion. America is unlikely to initiate another war regardless of who is elected; it would be political suicide. edit: Would he endorse constraints on war-fighting activities? (This might include hamstringing interrogations, for instance.) This line stands out. By 'hamstringing interrogations', would you happen to mean 'opposes torture', or did I misinterpret your meaning ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Yes, he'll appease Europe... or yes, he's willing to act withot their sanction? Both or either depending on who he is talking to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwakeAndFree Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 I guess the real difficulty is trying to guess what he will actually DO, when he can say all these contradicting things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from OC Posted July 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 By 'hamstringing interrogations', would you happen to mean 'opposes torture', or did I misinterpret your meaning ? I'm not for or against torture per se, but if it would be a viable method of interrogation, then there are contexts in which I support it. I phrased my question carefully to be more broad than just torture. Who knows what regulations properly motivated bureaucrats can dream up that would impede interrogation, especially if the issue is put in terms of 'humanitarian concerns.' I'm especially concerned about politicians imposing restraints on counterterrorism efforts in the wake of the Iraqi prison debacle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from OC Posted July 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Another important question is whether Bush differs from Kerry on these questions. Yes, but the first thing is to get an idea of what Kerry would do if elected, which is why I started this thread as a focus on Kerry, rather than a comparison of the two candidates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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