The Politics Blog: Seven Things to Remember When We Talk to the Taliban

 

Is your stomach churning yet? The occasionally salacious but usually accurate Guardian is reporting that Team Obama is signaling that it's ready to negotiate with the Taliban. Through "trusted" intermediaries like the Pakistanis and Saudis, naturally, and via plausibly denied channels, of course, but... really? Is this what a peace-in-your-first-term, Nobel Prize-winning president looks like? If we're going to reconcile ourselves to this kind of indecent proposal — the last one led to the bloody Swat Valley offensive — the U.S. had better not lose site of reality. Here's how. If it's not too late.

Read the entire post at Esquire's The Politics Blog.

Comments

[Robert M. Armstrong]

It is difficult to see how Obama can cut the budget deficit without putting the war on the table. His base won't let hm cut social security and medicare while continuing to fight this war. So it is wither unsustainable budget deficits or some kind of indecent deal such as the one you discuss.

[Patrick O'Connor]

His "not base" won't let him cut medicare or social security, either.