All about Empathy: Barack Obama 2009-12-23 - Obama on War

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Obama Video Clips > 2009-12-23 - Obama on War - Jim Lehrer Newshour Interview - Empathy Documentary
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house/july-dec09/obama_12-23.html
text and video

JIM LEHRER: Is there anything you can do about this as president of the United States? Isn't it a Senate situation?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: It is a - it is a matter of Senate rules. Look, the fact of the matter is, is that if used prudently, then I don't think it's harmful for our democracy. It's not being used prudently right now. And my hope would be that whether a senator is in the majority or is in the minority, that they're starting to get a sense, after looking at this year, that this can't be the way that government runs.

And one of the things that I think Democrats and Republicans have to constantly do is try to put themselves in the other person's shoes. If we had a Republican president right now and a Republican-controlled Senate, and Democrats were doing some of these things, they'd be screaming bloody murder. And at some point, you know, I think the American people want to see government solve problems, not just engage in the gamesmanship that has become so customary in Washington.

JIM LEHRER: They didn't - they were just honed by this experience.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right. Absolutely. And if - I think if you look at my previous speeches and writings, they're fairly consistent. It is very important for I think those of us who desperately want peace, who see war as, at some level, a break-down, a manifestation of human weakness, to understand that sometimes it's also necessary - and you know, to be able to balance two ideas at the same time; that we are constantly striving for peace, we are doubling up on our diplomacy, we are going to actively engage, we are going to try to see the world through other people's eyes and not just our own; that we are going to invest in things like preventing climate change, so that you're not seeing more drought and famine that creates more conflict; that we're going to invest in development aid, not because it's charity, but because it's in our self-interest.

We're going to do all those things. And then, there are going to be times where there is a Hitler, there are going to be moments like 9/11 where, despite our best efforts, things have still - things have still emerged that are of such danger not only to us, but our ideals and those things that we care for, that we've got to apply force. And that is a tough set of decisions to make.

That doesn't negate our constant pursuit of peace and our constant preference for a non-violent resolution of problems.

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JIM LEHRER: Mr. President, on Afghanistan, how much of what you said in words and in theme in your Nobel Peace acceptance speech was driven by the experience of the last year, being president of the United States, particularly having to make rough decisions on Afghanistan?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: There's no doubt that the experience of this year, meeting with our troops, looking at intelligence, going to Dover to watch caskets coming in, had a profound impact on how I think about my responsibilities.

The general theme of the Nobel speech, which says that this is a dangerous world where real evil exists out there and that compels us to occasionally make very difficult decisions about using force; that we shouldn't glorify war, but we should accept that there are times where we have to defend our nation, protect our values: That theme is actually pretty consistent.

One of the interesting things that people forget, probably the first speech of mine that actually got noticed in my political career was back when I was a state Sen. and the run-up to the Iraq war was occurring, and I stood in the plaza, Daley Plaza, in - at a anti-war rally.

JIM LEHRER: It's in Chicago.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: In Chicago. And there were all these signs that says, "War is not an option." And I actually started my speech by saying, "I disagree with those signs." Sometimes war is an option. World War II had to be fought. The Civil War is part of the reason why I can stand here on this podium. The question is, are we fighting the right wars, in the right ways?

And so in that sense, even in my opposition to Iraq, for example, I was always very clear about the fact that us going after Osama bin Laden, us dismantling al-Qaida, us making sure that, you know, people who are willingly - willing to slaughter innocents have to be stopped; my position on something like Rwanda, where, as difficult as some of these decisions may be, it makes sense for us to intervene in genocide or humanitarian efforts: Those are views that are actually fairly consistent. Obviously, the experience of the last year being president deepens and enriches that general philosophy, but it's one that I've held for some time.

JIM LEHRER: You brought those into the presidency.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yeah.

JIM LEHRER: They didn't - they were just honed by this experience.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right. Absolutely. And if - I think if you look at my previous speeches and writings, they're fairly consistent. It is very important for I think those of us who desperately want peace, who see war as, at some level, a break-down, a manifestation of human weakness, to understand that sometimes it's also necessary - and you know, to be able to balance two ideas at the same time; that we are constantly striving for peace, we are doubling up on our diplomacy, we are going to actively engage, we are going to try to see the world through other people's eyes and not just our own; that we are going to invest in things like preventing climate change, so that you're not seeing more drought and famine that creates more conflict; that we're going to invest in development aid, not because it's charity, but because it's in our self-interest.

That doesn't negate our constant pursuit of peace and our constant preference for a non-violent resolution of problems.

JIM LEHRER: And Mr. President, finally, a year in - almost a year into your presidency, your - what's your comfort level in dealing with all of these things, all these things you've just been talk - we've just been talking about - you've been dealing with, for this last year?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, I have to tell you that, you know, I've spoken to some historians and I think they will agree - regardless of, you know, your political preferences - that we had as much on our plate this year as any president has ever had in their first year, maybe since FDR.

I think that we have managed an economic crisis of monumental proportions, two wars, a whole host of other challenges, very well.

I am entirely dissatisfied with where we are right now in terms of jobs, and the fact that families out there on the eve of Christmas are still really worried about being able to pay the bills or send their kids to college or have health care for themselves. And so I don't pat myself on the back at the end of this year.

But what I do have confidence in is that we've made good decisions, that we've applied sound judgment to some very difficult situations, and that if we stay on a path where we are working hard, maintaining a sense of possibility for the future - we're willing not to defer tough decisions around health care or energy or education, so that somebody else deals with them - that America will be strong again.

And I think that - I think I've shown this year that I can make hard decisions, even when they're not popular, and that I take a long view on these problems. And I frankly think that that's what America needs right now.

JIM LEHRER: Mr. President, merry Christmas. Happy New Year. And thank you, sir.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. To you as well.