Day: March 5, 2015

Reaction Is Not A War Strategy

Since the first executions by ISIS the US and its Coalition have done nothing but react to the situation……..there is very few times that I will agree with columnist Kathleen Parker….but a rare occasions I do and this is one of those times…..

After the Islamic State beheaded American James Foley, the US struck back with military action. Jordan and Egypt did the same when their own hostages were killed. Unfortunately, we can expect the same scene to be replayed again and again, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post. ISIS is combining age-old atrocities with modern technology to spread its message of terror—and to lure the US and other nations to the battlefield. “These responses have a knee-jerk quality to them that speaks to concerns about a lack of strategy on our part, while enhancing the Islamic State’s recruitment and propaganda powers,” writes Parker.

Do these “fresh horrors” truly demand these predictable responses? she wonders. The US is now debating a new military authorization for the president, but the arguments about the parameters of this particular war are tantamount to “playing chess with polar bears,” writes Parker. Something has to change. “Our legislators and president will need more than noble intentions or good ol’ American values,” she writes. “They’ll need the wisdom of the ages—and a coalition of the civilized world.” Click for her full column.

Every thing we have done to day has been a reaction to counter ISIS……that is NOT a winning strategy….if we cannot get ahead of them and go on the offensive this will be a very long war……..it will have NO end…..because we are fighting ideology…….and if kill every ISIS member the thought is out there and can be resurrected at will…….and it will be!

What will signal the defeat of ISIS?  What sign should we be looking for as the sign we have won?  A body count is NOT a good indication.  If it were then we won Vietnam by a wide margin.

What will the signal be?

Keep in mind that a knee jerk reaction is what got us to this place in time……and it appears that we have learned nothing from 30+ years of situations……

If you know the answer….then by all means share with the rest of us mere mortals.

5 signs Scott Walker is employing GOP’s racist “Southern Strategy” – Salon.com

The 2016 elections are knocking on the door…..and the media is already picking your faves for you…….the closer the “silly season” gets the more candidate stories we will hear and see…….most of them are mere distractions……that is not saying there are no truly impressive people thinking of running…….

The fair hair boy that some analyst like for the 2016 GOP nomination is Scott Walker…..it seems that he is likeable because of his duties as governor….plus him taking on a recall and winning…..his win against unions……..and his gutting of the state’s funds….all these things make him just adorable to the Right wing media and even some in the MSM……

But there may be a “dark side” to his “force”………

 

5 signs Scott Walker is employing GOP’s racist “Southern Strategy” – Salon.com.

Afghanistan: Will US Ever Leave?

The stories have slipped from the headlines……and because of that Americans have moved on from Afghanistan……….but Americans are still fighting in Afghanistan…..yes Obama famously stated that the deploy of American troops was in essence at an end….he lied…..there ill be 10,000 troops left behind with more coming as needed…..but this time they will not be fighting they will be advisers and trainers……(shades of Vietnam?)……

Since the conflict has officially been made “non-existent” the MSM has turned a blind eye to almost everything happening in Afghanistan…..what they should be doing is keeping the American people informed on this war that is not……they need to point out stories like this one I read the other day……a piece written by Jason Ditz…….

Afghanistan’s National Army (ANA) has long struggled with making its recruitment numbers match its desertions. As their role in combat escalates, a newly declassified Pentagon report shows they’re losing ground.

The latest report showed troop totals fell from February of 2014 through November by about 8.5%, cutting over 15,000 troops from the bottom line figure over the 10 month span.

As casualties among Afghan forces rise, the urge to desert grows all the stronger, and with the Afghan military already recruiting as hard as they possibly can in a nation of about 30,000,000 people, they’re just not able to keep up anymore.

This should have been reported…….it is a further indication that the US will have to “fill in the blanks” in the Afghan army…….

Then there was this said by an American general……….

Gen. John F. Campbell told the House Armed Services Committee that he wants to see how new “Train Advise and Assist Commands” (TAACs) do while working with senior Afghan military officials. The commands were established as part of the military support mission established at the beginning of the year as NATO ended its formal combat mission in Afghanistan.

“What I really want to make sure we can do is get through what we call a full fighting season — April through the late-September time frame — focused on train, advise and assist, plus our [counter-terrorism] mission,” Campbell testified. If U.S. troop levels drop to 5,500 by the end of the year, as planned, “that could potentially take our eye off focusing on train, advise and assist when we really need it.”
Sounds like a permanent situation….huh?

To answer my original quest…….will the US ever leave Afghanistan?  The answer is obvious…..NO but not only no…but Hell NO!

The Bill And Brian Show

For a couple of weeks there has been a battle going on in the media…….the Right, especially the Tea Party folks, have been up in arms about Brian Williams lies and then when Bill O’Reilly has been shown to be a worse liar they jump to his defense…..why is that?  A lie is a lie…no matter who tells it..

I despise anyone who tells a lie about combat….makes No difference if he/she is an icon or not…….crap like that dishonors the combat vets that faced that adversity….

I want someone to explain to me what is the difference between the lies of Brian and the lies of Bill……the American Conservative has shown me that they are truly an independent …..they have an excellent piece about Bill and his lies…….

 

Bill O’Reilly Disgraces War Reporting | The American Conservative.

READ: DOJ Report on Civil Rights Violations in Ferguson, Criminal Probe of Officer Darren Wilson | Democracy Now!

Since last August and the protests in Ferguson…all eyes and ears have been on just what will happen in Ferguson……will the cop be charged…..will there be an investigation into the PD…..have there been civil rights violations?

Like I have said……….. questions.

DOJ has released their report on the situation….the report is here…..read it and make your own conclusions….do not let others form them for you!

 

READ: DOJ Report on Civil Rights Violations in Ferguson, Criminal Probe of Officer Darren Wilson | Democracy Now!.