Part Three Renegade
Chapter 13
繼組建新政府，實施一系列經濟改革之後，本章主要講述了歐巴馬如何與五角大樓打交道--即講述了軍事方面的一些事情。
首先他需要學習的是如何敬軍禮，其實歐巴馬在競選之初就已經接受這方面的培訓了。
「IT』S A TRUISM that a president’s single most important job is to keep the American people safe.」
毫無疑問總統唯一最重要的工作就是保證美國人民的安全。
truism : an undoubted or self-evident truth不言自明的真理Tuition increases are out of control, and the realities of the modern job market undercut the old truism that income rises with the accumulation of degrees.— Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Canceling student debt should be a slam dunk. Here’s why," 2 Dec. 2020
「After World War II, there were the Soviets and the Communist Chinese and their (real or perceived) proxies, ostensibly intent on world domination and threatening our way of life. And then came terrorist attacks emanating from the Middle East, at first on the periphery of our vision, scary but manageable, until just months into a brand-new century, the sight of the Twin Towers crumbling to dust made our worst fears manifest.」
他認為二戰後，美國的主要競爭對手是蘇聯和我們，但是911之後，中東的恐怖襲擊是更令美國人害怕的。
「Such moments taught me to see my country through the eyes of others. I was reminded of how lucky I was to be an American, to take none of those blessings for granted. I saw firsthand the power our example exerted on the hearts and minds of people around the world. But with that came a corollary lesson: an awareness of what we risked when our actions failed to live up to our image and our ideals, the anger and resentment this could breed, the damage that was done.」
他認為自己小時候在印尼度過的歲月使自己擁有了雙重視野：既為美國的強大感到驕傲自豪，同時也意識到一旦美國在別國的行動失敗必定會滋生憤怒和不滿，造成傷害與損失。
「That dual vision, as much as my skin color, distinguished me from previous presidents. For my supporters, it was a defining foreign policy strength, enabling me to amplify America’s influence around the world and anticipate problems that might arise from ill-considered policies. For my detractors, it was evidence of weakness, raising the possibility that I might hesitate to advance American interests because of a lack of conviction, or even divided loyalties.」
這種雙重視野加上他的膚色，使他有別於前幾任總統。當然，影響也是雙重的，對於他的支持者們來說這是決定性的外交政策力量，能讓他擴大美國在世界各地的影響並預估到欠考慮政策可能引起的問題。對於詆毀者來說，這是軟弱的證據，增加了我在推進美國利益時可能會猶豫的可能性，因為缺乏信念，甚至在忠誠方面存在分歧。
「AT THE START of each day of my presidency, I would find a leather binder waiting for me at the breakfast table. Michelle called it 「The Death, Destruction, and Horrible Things Book,」 though officially it was known as the President’s Daily Brief, or PDB.」
每天的早餐桌上，歐巴馬還有一道特殊的菜餚就是總統每日簡報，米歇爾戲稱其為「死亡、毀滅以及可怕事件之書」。
「Unlike the war in Iraq, the Afghan campaign had always seemed to me a war of necessity. Though the Taliban’s ambitions were confined to Afghanistan, their leadership remained loosely allied to al-Qaeda, and their return to power could result in the country once again serving as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies. 」
歐巴馬政府很容易達成了從伊拉克撤軍的協議，但是阿富汗問題卻不是這麼容易解決的，因為他一直認為阿富汗戰爭是必要的，因為一旦塔利班的領袖重新掌權，阿富汗很可能是對美國及其盟友發動恐怖襲擊的發射臺。
「Despite differences in temperament, both Mullen and Cartwright shared attributes I found common among the top brass: white men (the military had just one woman and one Black four-star general when I took office) in their late fifties or early sixties who had spent decades working their way up the ranks, amassing stellar service records and, in many cases, advanced academic degrees. Their views of the world were informed and sophisticated, and contrary to the stereotypes, they understood all too well the limits of military action, because of and not despite the fact that they had commanded troops under fire. 」
這裡他概括了美國軍隊最高負責人通常都是五六十歲的白種男人，他們用了幾十年的時間不斷晉升且積累了星級服務記錄，很多情況下都是高等學位獲得者。
「Still, no level of precision or care could erase the brutal, life-changing nature of the injuries these men had suffered.」
這一章濃墨重彩描述了他去馬裡蘭州的軍事醫院看望受傷戰士之行，也是最令人動容之處。
本章結尾大概講述了去倫敦參加G20峰會的事宜，下面這一段詳細描述了空軍一號--四千平方英尺的內部空間分三層，除了總統團隊以外可以運送一個14人的記者團和一些特勤局特工。
空軍一號擁有臥室、總統私人辦公室、淋浴房、會議室，座位很寬敞，還有很多電腦終端供總統團隊使用。
另外還有大概30名空乘人員的榜樣級別的服務。
當然少不了最高級別的安全保障：世界上最好的飛行員、防彈玻璃、可以空中加油，隨行的醫療隊，甚至還有一個摺疊手術臺。
「Still, everything on Air Force One projected solidity, competence, and a touch of grandeur—from the conveniences (a bedroom, private office, and shower for the president up front; spacious seating, a conference room, and a bay of computer terminals for my team), to the exemplary service of the air force staff (about thirty on board, willing to cheerfully accommodate the most random requests), to its high-level safety features (the world’s best pilots, armored windows, airborne refueling capacity, and an onboard medical unit that included a foldout operating table), to its four-thousand-square-foot interior spread out over three levels, capable of transporting a fourteen-person press pool as well as a number of Secret Service agents.」
美國總統出行的陣仗之大令人咋舌，他也承認這是heavy footprint。
「Unique among world leaders, the American president travels fully equipped so as not to rely on another government’s services or security forces. This meant that an armada of Beasts, security vehicles, ambulances, tactical teams, and, when necessary, Marine One helicopters were flown in on air force C-17 transport planes in advance and pre-positioned on the tarmac for my arrival. The heavy footprint—and its contrast with the more modest arrangements required by other heads of state—occasionally prompted consternation from a host country’s officials. But the U.S. military and Secret Service offered no room for negotiation, and eventually the host country would relent, partly because its own public and press corps expected the arrival of an American president on their soil to look like a big deal.」
非常喜歡下一章他對於該峰會的詳細描寫，尤其是對於其他國家領導人的白描非常有趣。