abandonconflict
Well-Known Member
He's in the primary race for the DNC nomination to run for president in 2020. He got himself retired in the early 00's for suggesting (excuse me for oversimplifying) that the Navy needed better ships, not more ships. He's clearly a proponent of soft-power projection who believes that America was exceptional when leading a liberal world order.
“I think one of the worst things that is happening today is that America is retreating from the world; almost behind walls, leaving bruised allies behind,” explained Sestak. “When in fact the world’s greatest generation, World War II, came home from having fought in the second of two world wars in twenty-six years and said, ‘This isn’t gonna happen again to us a third time,’ and built the liberal, rules’ based world order. And by liberal I don’t mean Democratic liberal or anything, I mean a world order based upon human and individual rights, where we cared about the collective duty of the world because it was in our interest. And so, our walking away from that, when it won the third world war, the Cold War, without a shot, and further permitted us as the leader of the world to pursue our interest in conjunction with those who have similar values, is what really permitted our American dream to expand.”
However, Sestak seems incredibly grounded about the limits of military power, a side effect from his decades of service. “My background has been operating in that world, all around the globe. Understanding that our engagement with the world, backed by our military but led by our diplomacy, has actually given America the protection to have an enhancement of its economy, its healthcare, its education here at home,” he said, adding that he coordinated the national security strategy from the White House in the 1990s. “But the lessons that I’ve also brought from that experience are ones that understand that militaries can stop a problem, but they never can fix a problem. Our military stopped Germany, but we only fixed fascism two years later with the Marshall Plan.”
“I don’t think anybody thinks that that tragic misadventure in Iraq, where both Democrats and Republicans voted for that reckless war, was one where our military fixed Iraq. It stopped a problem: Saddam Hussein. But nobody of those Democrats or Republicans or the president, had an understanding of the world with the limitations of military power. They never knew how it would end before it began,” said the former admiral.
I kinda like the guy. I would like to see a Booker-Sestak ticket. I'm curious as to how he will fare against Biden in debate as the two have a history.
“I think one of the worst things that is happening today is that America is retreating from the world; almost behind walls, leaving bruised allies behind,” explained Sestak. “When in fact the world’s greatest generation, World War II, came home from having fought in the second of two world wars in twenty-six years and said, ‘This isn’t gonna happen again to us a third time,’ and built the liberal, rules’ based world order. And by liberal I don’t mean Democratic liberal or anything, I mean a world order based upon human and individual rights, where we cared about the collective duty of the world because it was in our interest. And so, our walking away from that, when it won the third world war, the Cold War, without a shot, and further permitted us as the leader of the world to pursue our interest in conjunction with those who have similar values, is what really permitted our American dream to expand.”
However, Sestak seems incredibly grounded about the limits of military power, a side effect from his decades of service. “My background has been operating in that world, all around the globe. Understanding that our engagement with the world, backed by our military but led by our diplomacy, has actually given America the protection to have an enhancement of its economy, its healthcare, its education here at home,” he said, adding that he coordinated the national security strategy from the White House in the 1990s. “But the lessons that I’ve also brought from that experience are ones that understand that militaries can stop a problem, but they never can fix a problem. Our military stopped Germany, but we only fixed fascism two years later with the Marshall Plan.”
“I don’t think anybody thinks that that tragic misadventure in Iraq, where both Democrats and Republicans voted for that reckless war, was one where our military fixed Iraq. It stopped a problem: Saddam Hussein. But nobody of those Democrats or Republicans or the president, had an understanding of the world with the limitations of military power. They never knew how it would end before it began,” said the former admiral.
I kinda like the guy. I would like to see a Booker-Sestak ticket. I'm curious as to how he will fare against Biden in debate as the two have a history.
