Day: November 21, 2018

Closing Thought–21Nov18

OMG!  What will happen to us?

Just weeks ago Our Dear Supreme Leader sent US troops to the border to protect the country from a “caravan” of dangerous human beings that were on their way to the US Southern border.

Of course there was blow back but it mattered not…the troops were sent and they prepared for the onslaught of dangerous 4 year olds and bare foot women……

Has the situation become less of a problem?

Why do I ask?

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, the commander of the US military operation at the southern border, has announced that the Pentagon is planning to begin the drawdown from the border very soon, potentially sometime later this week.

This is happening even though the migrant convoy that was meant to have precipitated this whole scramble to the border still hasn’t arrived. This adds to he belief that the whole deployment was little more than a pre-election political stunt.

It appears to whole thing might be over before the caravan really gets here in earnest, with Buchanan saying that the end date for the operation was already set for December 15, and he’s seen no indication of it continuing past that.

The operation was controversial from the start, with officials not clear what they would do, or indeed what they could legally do to the migrants. Suggestions that the troops might shoot at migrants were quickly brushed off,and while President Trump praised them for their “beautiful” barbed wire, the reality is that the deployment really did very little but make an appearance

(antiwar.com)

After I wrote this draft the Pentagon has backed off this report somewhat…….so I feel I must be fair to all concerned about this situation…….

With some 5,800 US troops having made their show of deploying to the Mexican border, and seemingly having little else to do, on Monday Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan reported that he was expecting to start drawing down troop levels as soon as this week. He added that the operation was only scheduled to last until December 15.

By Tuesday, however, the Pentagon was furiously backpedaling away from that, insisting that there is no actual timeline for ending the US deployment, nor indeed any plans for a drawdown, despite what the general in charge of the operation said the day before.

Officials did, however, confirm that what Lt. Gen. Buchanan said the day before about transferring some of the troops to California might still happen. The White House may have come up with something for them to do as well.

(antiwar.com)

Not to worry there will be another generated “crisis” by next election.

Time for me to go and prepare stuff for our meal tomorrow…..hope everyone has a great day…..and a better tomorrow.  chuq

“Making America Great Again”–Part 21

The United States has come out of the Industrialization phase and into the period of expanding their influence on the world stage….even to the point of imperialism….think…Guam, Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Hawaii……not sure what I am speaking of?

This series is an excellent look at American history written by Maj. Danny Sjursen……plus if you have not been reading this series from the beginning…..I give you a reference to the series……

See: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20.

Part 21 of “American History for Truthdiggers.”

Empire. It is a word that most Americans loathe. After all, the United States was born through its rebellion against the great (British) empire of the day. American politicians, policymakers and the public alike have long preferred to imagine the U.S. as, rather, a beacon of freedom in the world, bringing light to those in the darkness of despotism. Europeans, not Americans, it is thought, had empires. Some version of this myth has pervaded the republic from its earliest colonial origins, and nothing could be further from the truth.

According to the old historical narrative, the U.S. has always been a democratic republic and only briefly dabbled (from 1898 to 1904) with outright imperialism. And, indeed, even in that era—in which the U.S. seized Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii and the Philippines—the U.S. saw itself as “liberating” the locals from Spanish despotism. This wasn’t real imperialism but rather, to use a term from the day, “benevolent assimilation.” Oh, what a gloriously American euphemism!

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/american-history-for-truthdiggers-tragic-dawn-of-overseas-imperialism/

I regret that this is the last part of the series written by Maj. Sjursen….not to worry I will post the newest ones as they become available…..I am glad that it has gotten the attention it has….

If you like this series and would like to read more such history then I recommend “The People’s History Of The United States” by Howard Zinn….

Thanx for reading and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday….chuq

Always Go With The Good Customer

I see that nothing matters to this president…he will always go with the customer….and I am not necessarily talking about our booming weapons industry……

Trump refuses to state the facts that the intel agencies have handed him about the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi……..

President Trump made clear in a statement Tuesday that he has no intention of cutting ties with Saudi Arabia over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event—maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said, referring to Mohammed bin Salman. Trump, however, pointed out that King Salman and the prince “vigorously deny any knowledge” of the murder, per the Washington Post. “We may never know all the facts,” he added, but “in any case, our relationship is with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Trump rejected the idea of “foolishly” canceling military contracts, saying that would only benefit Russia and China, reports Reuters. The US, he said, “intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia.” As for critics in Congress who want to punish the Saudis: “I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America.” (The CIA is reportedly pretty sure that the crown prince is behind the murder.)

Our Dear Supreme Leader has stated that he has talked with MbS on at least 5 occasions and he has said he was not involved…..and Trump even dispatched SecState Pompeo to Saudi to “get some answers”…..

Really?  Or did he go to Saudi to help the prince with his lies?

During his trip to the kingdom last month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly provided Saudi Arabia with a detailed plan on how to make sure Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was protected from the fallout over writer Jamal Khashoggi’s murder—and possibly pin the killing on an innocent person. Middle East Eye reports Pompeo delivered the plan during a meeting with Saudi King Salman and and the crown prince last month in Riyadh. The U.S. State Department strongly denied the existence of the plan. The “roadmap” allegedly includes an option to pin the murder on an innocent member of the ruling family to avoid blame falling on those at the top. That fall guy has not been chosen, according to the report, and Saudi leaders are said to be reserving that plan in case the criticism of the crown prince intensifies. “We would not be surprised if that happens,” a source told the Middle East Eye. The U.S. State Department called the allegations “a complete misrepresentation of the secretary’s diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia.”

(thedailybeast.com)

I wish I could say something nice but all I can do is think of what did MbS promise Trump to get him lying in support of the prince?  What is the price of a human life?

Besides….just what do we get from Saudi Arabia?  They have been a supporter of terrorism, they have done nothing to help with the Palestinians, they work on total self-interests not caring one way or the other about the US……again just what does the US get from the Saudis?  I think the Trump family gets more than the country does.

The Saudis owe us not we owe them!  And yet this president spends time on his knees before these barbaric murderers…….why?

Is Pence On The Chopping Block?

The same block that Sessions was sacrificed on…..is there a spot for Pence on the trash heap of rotting corpses of Trump acolytes?

Why do I ask?

Well next year, 2019, there will be a push for the 2020 elections…..personally I feel that if Trump’s numbers show he cannot win he will bow out for he would not want to bruise his ego by losing to a Democrat.

But let’s say he decides to run in 2020 will he keep Pence as VP?  The NYTimes calls his loyalty into question…..

President Trump’s post-midterm election news conference at the White House last week took a surprising turn when a reporter asked about locking down his 2020 ticket.

“Mike, will you be my running mate?” Mr. Trump asked Vice President Pence, who stood up, raised his hand, and nodded.

“Will you? Thank you. O.K., good,” the president said. “That was unexpected, but I feel very fine.”

If you have been watching the news of the country especially since we elected Trump then you will remember all the graveling his cabinet did especially the VP, Pence……

Mike Pence groveling before Donald Trump is painful to watch.

In 2016, Trump supporter Omarosa Manigault-Newman, who would go on to become a short-lived White House adviser, divulged why Trump gets so much satisfaction from displays of bootlicking. “Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to President Trump,” Manigault-Newman said in an interview with Frontline. “It’s everyone who’s ever doubted Donald, who ever disagreed, who ever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe.”

https://newrepublic.com/minutes/146384/mike-pence-groveling-donald-trump-painful-watch

There is that…..and again let’s say he decides to run but not with Pence on the ticket….who could be next in line to massage the ego of Trump?

Here’s a thought….how about Nikki Haley?

Nikki Haley is on her way out at the United Nations, but she may not be gone from national politics for long.

The former S.C. governor and current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Republican President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, according to sources who spoke with the New York Times.

Haley would replace Vice President Mike Pence on the ticket, sources say, a move that could improve the ticket’s popularity among women voters.

That would be a huge surprise. While Haley is almost certainly not done with politics, she is widely thought to be angling for a high-paying job in the private sector.

(thestate.com)
Personally, if he decides to run in 2020 then I think Haley is a good choice and dump that theocrat in waiting Pence…..
Just something to think about for the coming election….it will be the BIG ONE…LOL

Afghanistan–Update

As always I remind my readers….17 years and counting….a war that will not end.

I also try to keep an eye on this conflict because the MSM has decided that it is not important enough to report on…..that is until they can get some ratings from the report…..they follow one simple rule…”If it bleeds then it leads”…..

On with the news…..

There is a debate….can we win this or is it impossible to win….I have found two different reports from the two sides…..

On the winning side……

Washington’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, met with the Taliban for the second time in Qatar to broker peace. Mr. Khalilzad’s trip to Qatar is part of his second regional tour from November 8–20 to garner regional support for peace in Afghanistan. His latest endeavor epitomizes Washington’s consistently inadequate policies on Afghanistan.

As Washington seeks to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan, it has sought various avenues to change the course of the war. Despite exhausting a variety of resources and billions of dollars, Washington’s policies have yet to address the root cause of the war: Pakistan’s pivotal role in the Taliban’s insurgency. Instead, Washington has acknowledged Pakistan’s role in the conflict but has wishfully urged Pakistan to change its pro-Taliban policy.

https://intpolicydigest.org/2018/11/17/winning-the-war-in-afghanistan-is-possible-with-one-tool/

Now for the losing side……

More than a year after President Trump announced his Afghanistan policy, the Taliban is closer to victory than we are. The Taliban contests or controls 61% of Afghan districts. More than 2,200 Americans have been killed in the long conflict. The United States has spent more than $840 billion. This month the Taliban has claimed credit for a major attack at a high level meeting in Kandahar that killed General Raziq, arguably the most powerful man in Southern Afghanistan.

On Nov. 15, Foundation for Defense of Democracies hosted a panel consisting of Jessica Donati, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and Thomas Joscelyn and Bill Roggio, FDD senior fellows and editors of FDD’s Long War Journal, to discuss Afghanistan. The panel was moderated by FDD founder and president Clifford D. May. You can watch the video below:

https://livestream.com/accounts/15228011/events/8455600/videos/183634260/player

The reports say that the capital of Kabul is the only place the government of Afghanistan is in charge….

A major suicide bombing targeted a religious gathering in Kabul on Tuesday. The gathering was celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The government confirmed 50 dead, though the NGO running the hospital nearby said over 60 were killed, and 70 more wounded.

Religious scholars and clerics were gathered by the hundreds at Uranus Wedding Hall for the event, and were reciting passages from the Quran when the bomber arrived and detonated explosives in the crowd of people.

The attack caused chaos and overwhelmed emergency services. Some 30 ambulances had to be sent to collect the critically wounded. The Afghan government has announced a day of mourning on Wednesday over the deaths.

(antiwar.com)

So much for being in charge, huh?

All the Afghan news that one cannot use……