# Does the Presidency make pacifists become hawkish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 30, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008 "2015-11-30T03:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/41 "2015-12-06T11:58:09Z")
I’d guess that as soon as one becomes president they sit in that room with the joint chiefs and they give him all the good and bad news about national defense related issues, that alone would change any person. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/42 "2015-12-06T17:30:07Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > We were attacked on 9/11. Afghanistan was legitimate, Iraq was not. I hope you haven’t forgot that. Going into Afghanistan to retrieve Bin Laden was legitimate. Staying in Afghanistan after we realised he wasn’t there is a bit harder to justify. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/43 "2015-12-08T09:14:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Maybe the lesson is that strong leaders like Carter… Good laugh! ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/44 "2015-12-08T19:32:24Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > We were attacked on 9/11. Afghanistan was legitimate, Iraq was not. I hope you haven’t forgot that. The Taliban did not attack us on 9/11. They offered to cooperate in turning over those who did. Making war on Afganistan for 9/11 would be like making war on San Bernardino for the recent attack. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/45 "2015-12-08T20:23:03Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > The Taliban did not attack us on 9/11. They offered to cooperate in turning over those who did. > > Making war on Afganistan for 9/11 would be like making war on San Bernardino for the recent attack. Yes, the Taliban offered to cooperate, just like I’m offering to give you ten million dollars. You want ten million dollars, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/46 "2015-12-26T21:29:43Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I dunno, invading a country that poses no threat to you to take the heat off of your failure in the middle east sound a lot like warmongering to me. So, were you always a Republican?? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/47 "2015-12-26T21:36:18Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > - Barack Obama, upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. Uhhhh… ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/48 "2015-12-27T03:28:55Z")
The number one priority of the President of the United States is to protect the country from all enemies **foreign and domestic**. The military must be strong, so strong that no one would even think of challenging it. The next president must get that straight. The U.S. Navy is the weakest navy in over 50 years. We have a Middle Eastern crisis, (which started in 2001,), that will last through a generation, I fear. We need muscle. We need strength. I hope the 45th president understands that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/49 "2015-12-27T13:24:13Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Uhhhh… I have no idea what point you’re trying to gesture at. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008/50 "2015-12-27T14:38:22Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Yes, the Taliban offered to cooperate, just like I’m offering to give you ten million dollars. You want ten million dollars, don’t you? Seeing that you never back up any of the establishment tropes and outright war propaganda you regurgitate endlessly, I have no hope of ever being convinced of anything you say. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-presidency-make-pacifists-become-hawkish/739008.md?page=2)