Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[froot loops]

[Ghengis Jon]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/opinion/trump-mcraven-syria-military.html

Admiral McRaven

[Jeff Buchanan]

I read Admiral McRaven's NYT OpEd. A bit too heavy on the flag waving for my taste. Still, moving.

What I'm going to say is not a ringing endorsement of Trump's decision to withdraw from it's positions in Syria. I think the viability of that move is debatable. The RealPolitik in me tends to see wrapping the critics of it in the American flag unnecessary.

The hard nosed reality of the US mission in Syria post prevention of the ISIS goal of establishing a Caliphate centered in Syria IMO is highly questionable. Goals? End Game? Exit Strategy? I don't know if these were clearly articulated within the DOD. So, you have these 1000 or so US troops that it is pretty clear to me that Erdogan told Trump, "we're coming, it's up to you to get your people out of the way," and he did so. Options? Give Erdogan the finger and tell him US troops would engage the Turks side by side with the Kurds if they came? Bad idea, IMO.

As usual, Trump has completely fucked up the messaging here trying to make it look like he is in some sort of control of the situation involving Turkey the Kurds and Syria. All three of those groups blew off any concept that the US could do something about the Turkish incursion into NE Syria - an operation that I have said that I believe was not unresonable.

While it is unfortunate that innocents and both Kurdish and Turkish fighters were killed or wounded in Turkey's operation and losses will continue until Turkey's objectives are reached, these kinds of operations carried out by military force, suck when it comes to the loss of life. Condemnation from other nations of Turkey's military operation is fruitless and just grandstanding in the name of often silly moral and ethical standards that just flat out don't exist in this part of the world. Besides, What were the US military options here? None that I can see would be wisely undertaken.

[Dr. Strangelove]

So another investigation into Hillary's emails concludes with...nothing really happening to anybody

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...-emails-051380

[Dr. Strangelove]

Some Congressional Republicans have had enough and are serving notice on the White House that they shouldn't take them for granted to defend literally anything the President does. The combination of Ukraine stuff, the Syria decision, and choosing Doral to host the G7, all in the span of the last week or so, has pushed them too far.

*************************








https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...732_story.html

[Dr. Strangelove]

This quote cracks me up. You could say the same thing about a bank robber who doesn't wear a mask, "well he was certainly bold and transparent and there's integrity in that!"

BTW, have seen reporting that no local officials around Doral were contacted or notified by anyone in the Administration about this. If there was an actual selection process, wouldn't you, y'know, get in touch with local officials to go over security/can they handle it/what do they need?

[AlabamAlum]

[millenwasmyfavorite]

I read Admiral McRaven's NYT OpEd. A bit too heavy on the flag waving for my taste. Still, moving.

What I'm going to say is not a ringing endorsement of Trump's decision to withdraw from it's positions in Syria. I think the viability of that move is debatable. The RealPolitik in me tends to see wrapping the critics of it in the American flag unnecessary.

The hard nosed reality of the US mission in Syria post prevention of the ISIS goal of establishing a Caliphate centered in Syria IMO is highly questionable. Goals? End Game? Exit Strategy? I don't know if these were clearly articulated within the DOD. So, you have these 1000 or so US troops that it is pretty clear to me that Erdogan told Trump, "we're coming, it's up to you to get your people out of the way," and he did so. Options? Give Erdogan the finger and tell him US troops would engage the Turks side by side with the Kurds if they came? Bad idea, IMO.

As usual, Trump has completely fucked up the messaging here trying to make it look like he is in some sort of control of the situation involving Turkey the Kurds and Syria. All three of those groups blew off any concept that the US could do something about the Turkish incursion into NE Syria - an operation that I have said that I believe was not unresonable.

While it is unfortunate that innocents and both Kurdish and Turkish fighters were killed or wounded in Turkey's operation and losses will continue until Turkey's objectives are reached, these kinds of operations carried out by military force, suck when it comes to the loss of life. Condemnation from other nations of Turkey's military operation is fruitless and just grandstanding in the name of often silly moral and ethical standards that just flat out don't exist in this part of the world. Besides, What were the US military options here? None that I can see would be wisely undertaken.

Hard to see a clean bypass on McRaven's rhetorical route. Esp. from a General. I agree with you. Just unsure what it would look like while indicting Trump.

I think it is pretty clear the Admin wants to distill the issue down to essentially saving 1000 SM. K. I doubt the 1000 and their affiliated leadership were there without solid purpose/intents/end states -- even if their op timeline indicates a significant level of op ambiguity. That's likely why the political backlash from the SM side is much greater with this specific chain of events.

If our theater/timeline is being dictated by force, or threat of force, from a country like Turkey -- ya, it was fucked any way.

US military options dried up once the border was gift wrapped under pretenses of diplomacy.

Probably a red flag to everyone but the Admin. and it just allows them to spew typical reactive drivel:
-Had no choice (Cause Erdogan probably has 8 carrots to dupe Trump with)
-We saved our 1000 SM
-Kurds kind of shit any way (classic convenient and sudden revelation)

Tough.

[millenwasmyfavorite]

Also,

Has Kapture gone to basic training yet?

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Ghengis Jon]

Vladimir Putin could not have scripted this any better.

[Jeff Buchanan]

...... and Erdogan likely will.

Look, the West has failed to understand the ME, probably starting shortly after WWI with the Treaty of Versailles. It was that treaty that divided the conquered Ottoman Empire into the states that exist today. Those superficial and wholly manufactured out of thin air boarders and boundaries without the slightest consideration for the power and influence of the various cultures (tribes) is what has created the volatility there now.

emir.jpg

Having said that, you could look at the current situation as a kind-of ethnic cleansing of the Kurds. Ethically and morally a bad thing right? What's being cleansed though is the Kurdish capability to conduct military operations directed against Turkey. I get that. Armed Kurds are going to "have their heads crushed." Sounds brutal but this is life in the ME. Time to start understanding it and staying the fuck out of the way.

Incidentally, my view is that Trump has stumbled into a path of ME policy that I can see as appropriate.

[froot loops]

Yeah you can give us a history lesson but the Kurds were not getting slaughtered until Trump got rolled two weeks ago. Bullied by Turkey.

[froot loops]

That would defeat the purpose.

[Ghengis Jon]

Brightening Sunday morning with a little positive news: The Yankees have been eliminated from the playoffs. This marks the first calendar decade (since the 1910s) that the Yankees have not at least made an appearance in the WS in a given decade.