President Obama's Heroes: A Bunch of People Who Would Not Approve of War in Afghanistan

On September 8, 2009, a school girl named Lilly asked President Obama who he'd have lunch with if he could pick anyone alive or dead. The president chose Gandhi, explaining that Gandhi's nonviolence inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez in the United States.

All three of these men--Gandhi, MLK and Chavez--were committed to nonviolence and opposed war as a foreign policy tool. Similar to his invocations of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount during the campaign, the president continues to cite "inspiration" from luminaries of nonviolence, only to reject their philosophies when it comes time to govern.

Learn more about the war in Afghanistan at http://rethinkafghanistan.com.

Mr. President, your heroes are watching you.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Rethink Afghanistan
• Afghanistan
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Gandhi
• Cesar Chavez
• nonviolence
• war
• Obama

[jambolyajones]

Ghandi wasn't against all war, he was for using non-violent resistance to achieve political goals.

[DerrickCCrowe]

Source that, please.

[DerrickCCrowe]

Because you've got a problem. Gandhi: "If there ever could be a justifiable war in the name of and for humanity, a war against Germany, to prevent the wanton persecution of a whole race, would be completely justified. But I do not believe in any war."

[jambolyajones]

Ghandi:

"While war and non-violence do sound contradictory, they are both conflict resolution vehicles... Many people mistake non-violence as compromise or avoidance of conflict. It is not. On the other hand, it is standing up for what is right (truth) and justice. Fighting a violent war is better than accepting injustice. So, really there is no contradiction in fighting a just war, and believing in non-violence. Both are duties to be carried out to preserve justice and truth."

[DerrickCCrowe]

You're misunderstanding him if you think the above quote means he justified the use of violence. He said violent war is better than accepting injustice, but always asserted that you should fight that injustice with nonviolent means. See the quote above.

Gandhi believed he was fighting a war while using nonviolence.

[drholmes1954]

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Harold Koh, Robert Gates, Stanley McChrystal, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, Susan Rice and yes--Lawrence Summers and Tim Geithner need to listen to this!

They must practice what they preach.

Obama claims to be a Christian but after seeing Gandhi's interpretation of Christs' philosophy I wonder what Christ would say if he saw Obama's drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and his support for Israel and Colombia!

[Thorhamer007]

why are pepole so stupid to beleve these wars are about fighting terrorisum just talk to someone how been there the huge bases contractors bribes pipelines this is about empire building not terrorisum besides teroorisum is a form of combat so to declare war on it is nuts

[truebeliever786]

You think America can ever win? History shows that no one can defeat the Afghans:

- Alexander the Great tried - he lost

- British in early 1900s tried - they lost

- Soviet Union tried in the 1980s - they lost

America is trying now and its losing and it'll never win, cause Afghans are truly warriors.

[jsvjuggernaut]

I admire Gandhi and I think he was the most courageous man alive, but the problem here is if you apply nonviolence in case of "mentally disturbed" enemy (Nazis/Talibans). It aint gona work.

So what does gandhi say here, he says willingly receive blows and die for the oppressor wouldn't have your "obedience".

I am prepared for that as well as but then I think of our common humanity and then I say - no its not worth it. The enemy will never understand my pain unless I strike back.

.

[TomUsherRLCC]

"Talk is cheap."