--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is…" description: "\"Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another instance where the rhetoric of democratic and constitutional rights proved not useful for his intern..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg" --- # Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another… ![“Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another instance where the rhetoric of democratic and constitutional rights proved not useful for his international relations, relations which are always pursued in ways that continue to link and fortify securitarian power with the opening of new markets.” quote by Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg) > “Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another instance where the rhetoric of democratic and constitutional rights proved not useful for his international relations, relations which are always pursued in ways that continue to link and fortify securitarian power with the opening of new markets.” [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critique of using democratic rhetoric to justify foreign actions that reinforce security‑driven power and market expansion. **In simple terms:** Democratic language can mask security and economic motives. Key Takeaway Question rhetoric and outcomes. Themes politics human rights security economics Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic debate - media critique Key Concepts democratic theory securitization market liberalization Questions to Reflect On - How do democratic narratives affect foreign policy decisions? - What safeguards can prevent security agendas from exploiting rights language? A Different Perspective Democratic ideals may be co‑opted by strategic interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitutional rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Guantanamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guantanamo/) [International relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-relations/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Rhetoric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetoric/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [Remember when Obama was campaigning? Didn't he say he was going to close Guantanamo Bay? Didn't he say that? Apparently, he just meant for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/remember-when-obama-was-campaigning-didn-t-he-say-he-was-going-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that. I have said repeatedly that America doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-have-said-repeatedly-that-i-intend-to-close-guantanamo-and-i-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's true that I have not been able to completely close Guantanamo, but we've drastically reduced the population from 700 or so to around 60 now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-true-that-i-have-not-been-able-to-completely-close-guantanamo/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [President Obama has been very clear as he laid out the goal, and the objective is to close Guantanamo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-sloan/president-obama-has-been-very-clear-as-he-laid-out-the-goal-and-the/) [Cliff Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-sloan/) > [The core failure of Team Obama is not a failure to communicate, but a failure to comprehend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-malkin/the-core-failure-of-team-obama-is-not-a-failure-to-communicate-but-a/) [Michelle Malkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-malkin/) > [I think that Obama's failure to reestablish the rule of law in money matters is the most damaging thing that he's done - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-think-that-obama-s-failure-to-reestablish-the-rule-of-law-in-money/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/primarily-affecting-low-information-voters-and-members-of-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Because many people remembered a time when the Republican Party was not so extreme, and hadn't full grasped how much it had changed, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/because-many-people-remembered-a-time-when-the-republican-party-was/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [I voted for Obama. I was very happy when he won. But Obama hasn't really been able to effectively do anything that has made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-voted-for-obama-i-was-very-happy-when-he-won-but-obama-hasn-t/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I am not sure that I know enough about the pre-history of 9/11 to agree or disagree. But I did think at the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-am-not-sure-that-i-know-enough-about-the-pre-history-of-9-11-to/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Closing Guantanamo Bay is not a military solution. The closing of that prison, which I support, I supported it when I was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/closing-guantanamo-bay-is-not-a-military-solution-the-closing-of-that/) [Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/) > [One recent menu for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo consisted of orange glazed chicken, fresh fruit crepe, steamed peas and mushrooms, and rice pilaf. Sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/one-recent-menu-for-suspected-terrorists-at-guantanamo-consisted-of/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Torture is and must remain illegal. Warrantless wiretapping is also illegal, as was the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to Qatar without proper notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/torture-is-and-must-remain-illegal-warrantless-wiretapping-is-also/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [Obama and the Democrats were so critical of what Bush did, the interrogations, the secret prisons, Guantanamo and all of that, and even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/obama-and-the-democrats-were-so-critical-of-what-bush-did-the/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [American soldiers had to guard prisoners on the inside while receiving mortar and weapons fire from the outside. Guantanamo is distant from any battlefield,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/american-soldiers-had-to-guard-prisoners-on-the-inside-while/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) ## More by Judith Butler > [I don't think we have to have a personal relation to a life lost to understand that something terrible has taken place, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-don-t-think-we-have-to-have-a-personal-relation-to-a-life-lost-to/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [We need a legal and political understanding of the right of the refugee, whereby no solution for one group produces a new class of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/we-need-a-legal-and-political-understanding-of-the-right-of-the/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [When we say gender is performed, we usually mean that we've taken on a role or we're acting in some way and that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/when-we-say-gender-is-performed-we-usually-mean-that-we-ve-taken-on-a/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Cameras help to minimize collateral damage, and very often, without a camera a missile cannot fire. Certainly, without a camera a drone can't function,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/cameras-help-to-minimize-collateral-damage-and-very-often-without-a/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [I would say that I'm a feminist theorist before I'm a queer theorist or a gay and lesbian theorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-would-say-that-i-m-a-feminist-theorist-before-i-m-a-queer-theorist/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Very often, if you just get the question: "Well, are you a Zionist?" if you say no, it's assumed that you want the destruction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/very-often-if-you-just-get-the-question-well-are-you-a-zionist-if-you/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Sexual harassment law is very important. But I think it would be a mistake if the sexual harassment law movement is the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/sexual-harassment-law-is-very-important-but-i-think-it-would-be-a/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Genocide is not a legitimate option. It's not ok to decide that an entire population has no right to live in the world. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/genocide-is-not-a-legitimate-option-it-s-not-ok-to-decide-that-an/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“Let's face it. We're undone by each other. And if we're not, we're missing something. If this seems so clearly the case with grief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/let-s-face-it-we-re-undone-by-each-other-and-if-we-re-not-we-re/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [The pleasurable part of public mourning can also lead to a sense of self-sanctification that justifies in advance any war effort, whether or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-pleasurable-part-of-public-mourning-can-also-lead-to-a-sense-of/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“There is no life without the conditions of life that variably sustain life, and those conditions are pervasively social, establishing not the discrete ontology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/there-is-no-life-without-the-conditions-of-life-that-variably-sustain/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“That the power regimes of heterosexism and phallogocentrism seek to augment themselves through a constant repetition of their logic, their metaphysic, and their naturalized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/that-the-power-regimes-of-heterosexism-and-phallogocentrism-seek-to/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [I think that public grieving is a good thing. People need to be grieved; loss needs to be acknowledged publicly, because it helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-think-that-public-grieving-is-a-good-thing-people-need-to-be/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Maybe we need to start with the rethinking of what is "west" and what is "non-west." It seems to me that there are any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/maybe-we-need-to-start-with-the-rethinking-of-what-is-west-and-what/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [It will not do to say that international law is the enemy of the Jewish people, since the Jewish people surely did not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/it-will-not-do-to-say-that-international-law-is-the-enemy-of-the/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) [Explore all 248 Judith Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) ## More Constitutional rights quotes > [I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/i-think-that-as-americans-we-should-never-forget-that-when-we-tamper/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [I went to Ferguson and walked with the demonstrators and saw this heavily armed police force, tactical units pointing sniper rifles at my constituents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lacy-clay-jr/i-went-to-ferguson-and-walked-with-the-demonstrators-and-saw-this/) [William Lacy Clay, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lacy-clay-jr/) > [President Bush has asserted the right to wiretap and eavesdrop on any American without a warrant in the name of fighting terrorism. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/president-bush-has-asserted-the-right-to-wiretap-and-eavesdrop-on-any/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [Civil libertarians have raised concerns that some of the Patriot Act's provisions infringe on Constitutional rights. Those concerns are not supported by the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-wicker/civil-libertarians-have-raised-concerns-that-some-of-the-patriot-act/) [Roger Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-wicker/) > [To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-take-a-single-step-beyond-the-boundaries-specially-drawn-around/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [You hear about constitutional rights, free speech and the free press. Every time I hear these words I say to myself, 'That man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-hague/you-hear-about-constitutional-rights-free-speech-and-the-free-press/) Frank Hague > [ It didn't really change my opinion about \[Edward\] Snowden all that much, but I definitely feel like as a culture, it gave us information… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/it-didn-t-really-change-my-opinion-about-edward-snowden-all-that-much/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macgregor-burns/ambition-must-be-made-to-counteract-ambition-the-interest-of-the-man/) [James MacGregor Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macgregor-burns/) > [Censorship does not interfere with the constitutional rights of every American to sit alone in a dark room in the nude and cuss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/censorship-does-not-interfere-with-the-constitutional-rights-of-every/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [Voting rights are constitutional rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ossoff/voting-rights-are-constitutional-rights/) [Jon Ossoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ossoff/) > [When we use the term pig, for example, we are referring to the people who systematically violate the peoples' constitutional rights - whether they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-seale/when-we-use-the-term-pig-for-example-we-are-referring-to-the-people/) [Bobby Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-seale/) > [People who want to come to this country don't have constitutional rights. Once they get here, they do. But coming here is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/people-who-want-to-come-to-this-country-don-t-have-constitutional/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The Democrats have made no secret of wanting to unilaterally infringe upon the Constitutional rights of the American people to keep and bear arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/the-democrats-have-made-no-secret-of-wanting-to-unilaterally-infringe/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [“A constitution is not a thing in name only, but in fact. It has not an ideal, but a real existence; and wherever it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/a-constitution-is-not-a-thing-in-name-only-but-in-fact-it-has-not-an/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What makes America great is peaceful protests and exercising your constitutional rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-dowd/what-makes-america-great-is-peaceful-protests-and-exercising-your/) [Matthew Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-dowd/) [Browse all 139 Constitutional rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another instance where the rhetoric of democratic and constitutional rights proved not useful for his international relations, relations which are always pursued in ways that continue to link and fortify securitarian power with the opening of new markets.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-yet-another-instance-where-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constitutional rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-yet-another-instance-where-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/judith-butler-1374_constitutional-right_obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-y_1939126.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another instance where the rhetoric of democratic and…” — Judith Butler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Judith Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-yet-another-instance-where-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/obama-s-failure-to-close-guantanamo-is-yet-another-instance-where-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```