Guest Post by Hardscrabble Farmer
My perspective- and I understand upfront that it is a flaw because it applies to so few people- is that a person’s character is defined not by what they say, but by what they do. If people were to say that I let my wife walk all over me my response wouldn’t be to give her a little slap at the next cocktail party to prove that I’m really in charge. That would undermine my character for the sole benefit of trying to alter the perception of people who mean little to me.
There may some advantage to that, but the cost far outweighs whatever that may be. Your actions are a reflection of your thoughts and beliefs. False demonstrations may be politically expedient, but as to the damage they inflict on a person? They are incalculable.
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The MSM/Establishment/DeepState/Whatever is never going to back anything that poses a challenge to their authority, period. He can respond to them 24 hours a day in whatever prescribed manner they dictate and if he fails in any other material way to promote their agenda they will go right back to tearing him down- in fact they already have. They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be bargained with, they can only be bowed down to in abject submission. I think that was what happened here.
So what was the purpose? Was it worth throwing away tens of millions of dollars in munitions? Was it worth putting the lives of the men involved in the operation at risk? Was it worth squandering the support of the part of his base that believes in being honesty and character? And what about the human beings who were killed for a show? It made him look weak, gullible, easily swayed, and worst of all he confirms the bully label.
America can complain all day long about how people ought to behave, but we have zero authority to go around bombing people in foreign countries who’ve neither threatened nor harmed us, just because. That confirms the literally Hitler view as well. Now any ground that may have been gained with Russia and Putin is likewise compromised. And people believe that this will give North Korea a reason to tone it down? Ha! If anything I expect the rhetoric and military demonstrations will escalate if to do nothing other than give pause to an American strike that they have every reason to believe will happen. Ditto Iran.
Or, in the words of Private Hudson, “Great, just great, man.”
I can’t see any upside to this action. It was immoral, illegal, dishonest, costly, violent and reckless and now he has undermined his credibility with the minority of people who actually believed in him and gained zero ground with his opponents, in fact it even got them off the Susan Rice hook. Unmask that.
Complete and total loss on every front. Zero upside.
Of course that’s why I make a better yeoman than a politician. I obviously don’t grok the world in the same way.
A lot of capital with a lot of people, from world leaders to the voters, spent.
Character is what you do ? OK Trump did something that sent a message to the whole world.He will not hesitate to use military force if he thinks it necessary.Trump is a fighter .What he did was in character.As a result the middle East will be safer now and that’s good for the world.He also went out of his way to avoid harming Russian soldiers.He does not want a war with Russia.That is good sense.
“As a result the middle East will be safer now…”
And how will you judge that claim?; what metric(s) will you use?
…especially since there was the Palm Sunday suicide bombing that just took place.
removing Saddam was proclaimed for the same reasons and while he wasnt a good guy (but muslim rule isnt the same as western rule as Europe is now seeing), he was removed not for the people but for a puppet govt. The same is occurring here and well everywhere else the CIA has “dabbled”… hell the spec ops have been in Syria for almost 10yrs already, this was planned long ago.
So now we bomb random sovereign countries at our whim to prove our schlong is bigger….WTF???
And it’s
1,2,3… what are we fighting for? Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn…
You are a stupid person. Not uninformed nor uneducated. Just plain stupid. I suppose that means that you cannot comprehend my meaning. Let me put it into words that may get through to you. You are, no doubt, a young man. I can tell because nobody that dumb can be over 20. You watch way too much television, you play too many video games and you never read a book unless it has lots of pictures for you to look at. You like war. Or at least the idea of war. You have never been in a war, though. But you like the idea because you can be “manly” in a war. Did you know that all good men hate war? They don’t have to go to war or have to have been there, they just use common sense. You think soldiers die in wars, don’t you? Yes. Yes they do. But the majority of the dead nowadays are old people, women and children. In Vietnam we lost 58,000 of our young American men. The Vietnamese lost about 3 million people. People means men, women and children. Some were bombed and some were starved while other were burned alive. I bet you didn’t know that because you like war. War is manly. You don’t start wars for stupid reasons. Ah, what am I doing. I cannot fix stupid.
BB, the person who refuses to pay the bill at the hospital that saved his life, comments about character. Now that is funny.
Character is doing the right thing even when it is painful.
Trump is not a man of character.
Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Hi BB
Now you know why the rest of the world labels Yanks as sepos
Isn’t that just an Australian slang?
This is why I don’t consider myself to a member of the alt-right . These so called Trump supporters went bat shit crazy .Just throwing the President under the bus without having any real information.We still don’t fully know what happened.Trump has been in office a little over two months and so far he has done an amazing job at rolling back many of Obama’s orders.We also just got a conservative supreme Court Justice.He just finished taking bids to build the wall between us and Mexico.I think he is a master at playing
Monopoly on the world stage.Give Trump another couple months .He is going to surprise many people.
Good joke BB: “Just throwing the President under the bus without having any real information.”
So, I’m crazy for using words that don’t support killing without evidence, but you support the President who kills people without evidence. You are a Hoot.
Note: A plane that takes off from a specific airfield and bombs a city which causes toxic gas deaths is not proof that any bomb from that plane actually contained a deadly gas.
Kokoda, Spot on..
However your note scared me when I began to read it…It began like a math problem. And we all know maff and evidently accurate intelligence information is HARD!!!
He has already surprised a lot of people, and not in a good way. He bombed a country without congressional authorization, which will be grounds for impeachment. He responded with force to an obvious false-flag, giving ammunition to those who call him impulsive and arrogant. He did not have the CIA and National Security heads backing him up, which is fodder to those saying he ignores intelligence advice. All in all, a lose-lose position. HSF called this one correctly.
At least Obama never bombed a country without Congressional authorization.
😉
That is not true. However, Congress did not dispute any of Obama’s lawless acts (IRS targeting political enemies, Fast & Furious, Benghazi gun-running & cover-up, arming terrorists in Syria & helping foment a civil war) abrogating their responsibilities to the citizens of the US. But this Congress is all about hindering, delaying, and obstructing this president, so they will seize on any and all reasons to depose him.
You understand.
Few do.
Big Injun Chief I paid for that bill with 35 years of paying taxes besides I got a break from the hospital because part of what they did was experimenting with a new product that cover the hole in my stomach.Which is probably the reason I am still having problems .I agree to let them do it so buck stops here with me.Right?
So because BB paid taxes, he gets to stop paying his medical bills. I had no idea that is how it works. Ius thirty five years the cut-off? Why not twenty? Or ten?
You are without honor and are of low character.
The medical industry’s immorality has been exhausted on TBP. It starts at the top.
I was lambasted (I don’t remember if you were on of them) on TBP because my daughter returned a pair of slippers to LL Bean that looked like they had been run over by a dirty truck 100 times. LL Bean’s return policy says you can do this. It is built into the price of the product. How is that dishonest or low character? So, we hold ourselves to a higher standard and let our betters have a low standard?
Hmm, talk about the downfall of society.
Wip – possibly. You see I am funny in that I believe just because you can do so mething, does not always make it right. You sound a bit like a free shit army soldier screaming it is law and I am entitled!
Re built into the price – so it is built into the price that all slippers can be worn to threadbare and then returned? Really? That is how you justify your action?
Character tells in the end.
I buy from people who honor what they say. LL Bean does what they say. I’m a happy customer and I recommend you shop there.
Care to comment on this…https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/robbmandelbaum/2016/12/05/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-small-business-patent-challenge-to-lexmark/amp/
The world is going to change big time. Even bigley.
Devo ,I have no idea . Please explain .
I’m of low honor and character.Fair enough.I have always said I got the heart of a whore and the mind of Serial Killer but at least I know what I am before God.You on the other hand seem convinced you’re a good decent human being .God says You are evil .In God’s eyes you are a wicked ,sinful ,evil person .In other words of low character but you go on believing your own bullshit.
Sorry Hard Farmer , didn’t mean to hog your post.
Hardscrabble talks about Character.
Francis wrote the other day about Integrity.
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Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean?
Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?
Character and Integrity are old fashioned notions and not in tune with a world made from plastic.
I knew from the get go that Trump occupied that rare place among humans where hubris, blind ambition, and great luck converged. The fact is I voted for him and for that I am sorry. I will wait and see where he goes from here, but it certainly looks bad.
I really appreciate your perspective HSF. As I make my own way from city boy to country man one thing is very clear out here, it matters not what you say, only what you do.
“Character and Integrity are old fashioned notions and not in tune with a world made from plastic.”
Quote of the day.
Maybe my kids are right. I am a dinosaur.
“Character is doing the right thing even when it is painful.” – LLPOH
In business, this often means it is expensive too.
Great article HSF. I knew Trump was of low character because he not only boned married women but seemed to relish in doing so. Sure, it takes two to tangle, but the term “home wrecker” is not without meaning. In 2016 the “character” candidates were obvious neocons whose character extended only to their marital fidelity but who would all have taken actions similar to those taken by Trump this week. I’d already concluded that all of our presidents have been murderers. If there are any exceptions maybe it was the guy who died from pneumonia a month after inauguration. So sad that Trump continues the pattern.
HSF,
I also posted this to your comment on my article, “Calling A Bluff?”
A foundation of our law is that the evaluation of an act requires not just evaluating the act, but the motive of the actor. Different legal consequences attach to one who kills in self-defense and one who wantonly kills without justification. I don’t know Donald Trump’s justifications for launching the Tomahawk missiles, especially when the Russian/Syrian version of the story is not at all implausible, or the “gas attack” could have been perpetrated by rebel groups as a false flag. There is no shortage of speculations about Trump’s motives–craven surrender to the Deep State, desire to inculcate favor with mainstream Washington and the media, political calculation and wanting to appear tough, and/or a perceived need to once and all demonstrate he’s not Putin’s puppet. None of these put Trump in a particularly good light, especially when one looks at the costs (lives lost, $60 million worth of missiles) and risks (further escalation of the war in Syria, war with Russia and Iran).
However, none of the above motives really square with what I’ve observed about Trump. I think his speech at the Al Smith dinner and his inaugural address reveal a deep antipathy to the powers that be, and I think that was a big part of why he ran for president. He has an ego, but he’s 70, he’s rich, loves his family, has a beautiful wife, and I find it hard to believe he’d put up with all the shit he’s received just so he’d have President of the United States on his tombstone. I think his motivations run much deeper, and I think the aforementioned animus is a significant component of it, mixed in perhaps with a nostalgic memory of America when he was younger and maybe even some patriotism. I’m skeptical that he’s now caving to the Deep State, and I posit tactical reasons for what he did, just as I did in my earlier article, Plot Holes.
Time will tell if this scenario is correct, and I recognize that I may be wrong. That’s the danger of speculation. However, I don’t think Trump’s action can be evaluated until we see what happens down the road, as I said in my article. I think my hypothesis in Plot Holes was essentially borne out, or I wouldn’t have launched this new hypothesis. Again, only time will tell if this new hypothesis is essentially correct. I hope so, not so much because it would put Trump’s actions in a better light, but because the prospect of expanded Middle Eastern war scares the hell out of me. If Trump’s tactics lead to the outcomes I specify in the last sentence of my article, the world will be a better place and his motives will have to be more charitably judged than much of the Internet is currently judging them.
The problem with that is that even if you warn the Russians and they warn the Syrians, you can’t fire off 59 cruise missiles and expect that no innocent person will be killed. It’s one thing for there to be “collateral damage” to a legal (I don’t think this was) military action in pursuit of some reasonable goal. It’s another entirely when, in undertaking an illegal action with no logical purpose, the probable death of civilians is blithely disregarded.
If Trump is acting out of the motives I posit, then he calculated that any innocents killed would be outweighed by the innocent lives saved by preventing a widening of the war in Syria. That’s the kind of calculation he has to make, the kind of calculation that presidents before him have had to make. Again, time will tell if he made the right calculation, if that in fact was his calculation.
Robert…
IMO or guess, Trump has increased the widening of war. You don’t employ bombs to negotiate, you employ Ambassadors or 3rd Party; bombs/etc. are used to capitulate the enemy and eliminates the need for negotiation.
Trump is not stupid – he had to know that just because a specific plane taking off from a specific airport that also happened to be the plane that dropped a bomb where the toxic gas erupted, does not prove that the bomb(s) on that plane contained lethal chemical gas.
In my life, I’ve always defended Jews. However, there is the strong possibility that Trump called the airstrike to support Israel, even knowing it was a False Flag, and lying to the American people why he did it.
This involves Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, weapons, including rockets, knowing that Syria is the pathway to deliver same to Lebanon for Hezbollah. This is the reason for the recent Israeli airstrike in Syria on the convoy carrying weapons.
Israel wants Iran and Syria neutered.
Remember Gen. Wesley Clark and the 7 nations to be destroyed. Note that Yemen was also on that list and you know what is happening there.
Robert,
Right now this thing smacks of very bad theatre to me. But you’re right – we’ll have to wait and see.
It occurred to me that one of the effects this action has had has been to fracture his support base. It may subdue much of the rhetoric coming from the right side of the political spectrum which in turn could calm some of the rhetoric coming from the left. It may be the beginning of a more united Washington (the neocons and Dems sure seem pleased) and a less divided populace. Social engineering of a sort. But that’s just another guess and something time will tell.
Sorry to disagree. For the Dems/Libs/Left this is just the pause that refreshes. Time to rearm, develop new strategies, sent out new messages, deploy the troops in their never ending quest to defeat Trump any way they can. They will not stop. And appearance of appreciation, cooperation, or conciliatory action is purely for show. Their hearts are sick and evil. It is that simple. Do not be fooled for one nano-second.
Robert Gore.
You know that I have a high regard for your integrity, guts and writing. In fact I will soon be the proud owner of an autographed copy of your book.
I have to agree with HSF on this. I know DJT had to have seen the dead girl open her eyes and the gloveless rescue workers and I might give him a pass there if He hadn’t continued the dronings and slaughter in Yemen just to name a couple.
If a piss ant nobody like me can be abused, audited, disowned and insulted for speaking out and offering solutions for 45 years then DJT if he really wants to change things at his current level of world leadership can risk his life and refuse to engage in these tactics.
Fleabaggs,
Point well taken and I too am apalled by what’s going on in Yemen. I posited that Trump may have made a tactical decision in order to further certain goals, but I don’t know if that’s the case. I think we’ll know in fairly short order if Trump “really wants to change things at his current level of world leadership,” or if we’re going to get the same old shit we’ve gotten since the Vietnam War from our “leaders.”
Robert, Killing to prevent killing. Worked great against Saddam in Iraq. Best way to unleash the dogs of war. HSF, well put.
There are no “innocents” on an enemy military base, it isn’t the same as firing on a city or town where non involved civilians live or a wedding party because one of the attendees may be an enemy leader even if most or all of the others are not involved at all.
Funny, what declaration of war or act of injuring Americans at home or abroad caused the soldiers and airmen at a base in Syria to be the “enemy” of the united States Federal Government?
As far as I am aware, they never even stole a taxi ride from anyone here, nor used a stolen debit card number to order a lamp from IKEA or call 1-900 numbers.
Can anybody explain what makes them the enemy of the US?
Serious question.
We haven’t declared war since the start of WWII.
Does that mean we have had no enemies since then?
We’ve been militarily involved in the region since the Gulf War, and that puts everyone in the region on either the friend or enemy side.
Whether you like it or not, that is the reality of it.
Hell, I’d hate to be on the ‘friend’ side of that equation… unless you have the ear of the Puppet-in-Chief…
I think HSF is correct, and I am hugely disappointed in Trump, who I did vote for. I also admit to voting for “Hope & Change” Barry in ’08, one of the more colossal fuck-ups in my six-and-a-half decades. (Ron Paul in ’12)
I also appreciate Mr. Gore’s view that we won’t really know the truth of this matter without a little more time to see how it all shakes out.
“Thou shalt not kill.” Pretty unambiguous. Trump killed. I myself was trained to kill nearly 50 years ago by the U.S. Army, but have never killed anyone.
Seeing the news this morning of the Coptic Christians murdered at their Palm Sunday services in Egypt, if I am ever exposed to any of the murdering bastards that pull this shit, I will kill as many of them as humanly possible, and beg the Good Lord at my judgement for forgiveness.
This has all the hallmarks of an epic Good vs. Evil shitstorm approaching, ala Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars.
And we’re helping Evil, it would appear. As fucking usual.
If you don’t know your Bible, you really shouldn’t go around quoting one scripture verse without having a deeper understanding of the meaning. In the “Ten Commandments” the word used is actually “murder” which has a very different meaning that “kill.” Read up my man and learn! As you said, the military training taught you how to “kill” not how to murder. There is a difference in circumstance and mindset. I think you would agree.
Let’s Play, you are correct.
And Trump’s missle launch was just that… Indiscriminate murder.
HSF calls this Spade a spade and rightly so, we are not at war with Syria, how can his actions be considered reasonable?
And yes, I bit my tongue and voted for him. Fool me once…
DaBirds: First, you cannot believe anything that comes out of any ME media source regarding “deaths”. Of course, history has always shown their schtick is to always show the children wrapped in bandages or to claim children were killed. I too was surprised and disappointed with this strike, but … but He was put in place to make these kinds of decisions, not to do what you or I like.
And as for voting for him, so did I. But I didn’t bite my tongue about it. I had to be won over about his sincerity and character and get through all the smoke screen of media BS. Bottom line … a much clearer choice for good of the country than the opposition offered in the name of shame Hillary.
The elder Bush, in-and-around the time, his son, Neil was robbing taxpayers through S&L scandals, Keating, LTCM… etc., allowed bear raids against Russian economy and currency. Bush was relegated to a one-term president because of his double-dealing, while his son paid paltry sums for robbing American Citizens.
Putin has become a student of the English-based, Criminal, European Central Bankers and he has learned they are not to be trusted. Goldman Sachs’ recent, financial rape of Greece, as possibly a best, current example, even as Putin and Russia were also targeted by this same bunch of Filth.
T Rump as NJ Mobster is imbued with entrepreneurial spirit, if not much else, with proven willingness to deny the European Banking Filth a choke-hold on his finance… he is, after all, fond of using their money and then bankrupting the debt.
I look forward to the day the current chickens regain their proper aspect, as birds of prey, “Bald Eagles”, in fact, as they begin returning to roost and feast among the assets of the English Pigs and European Central Banking Filth.
T Rump could go either way, I feel. The clock is ticking and most Americans have not yet awakened- while still immersed in “I’m a d”, or, “I’m an r”. T Rump was chosen because, should the pressure increase, as more Americans awaken to the alarm clock, he may opt to the narrative, “I can’t be controlled by either party”.
It comes down to forcing the DC Corruption Crowd and present, English-based, Central Banking MOB, out of our politics; DC Crowd= bent politicians = European Banking Cartel doing the bending.
Insofar as Syria, the recent “false flag” and Mein Drumpf’s soporific to the witless warmongers that haven’t pulled their head ot of their ass yet? T Rump pushed some product (Tomahawks) and moved the market… he likely also profited, beyond providing a soporific to his political enemies, as a shareholder in Raytheon (weapons manufacturer of Tomahawks, if I recall correctly).
The English-based, European Criminal Banking Mob is NO Friend to America or Russia- the trick is: will the proper analysis: this is True, develop, in time for investigations and prosecutions to go forward? The future of this country is at stake and it is a Palace Coup, from within our financial center, that threatens the US.
“Listen, here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.”
Character? Same as blue eyes, or any other characteristic. What’s dealt is what’s dealt.
We will never bring light to our world by perpetuating darkness.
There is no lesser evil, just evil.
And God doesn’t judge us BB, we do.
The good book mentions “do not judge, ” over 40 times.
Free will is the law of this universe, once you acknowledge and implement this truth life gets so much easier. And happier.
As evidenced by all the miserable Christians that spend their days judging everyone else and being miserable because of it.
Blessings all, I think our Eye of the Storm is, finally, moving offshore.
Beware that oncoming storm wall, it looks to be a bitch
What a fine little incestuous coffee klatsch we have going this morning. The echo camber is as bad as the one inhabited by the ladies on the View.
While Trump was not my personal favorite, I voted for him to keep Hilliary out and to avoid the inevitable war with Russia that she would have brought. There are many unsavory things about him but there are two things he is not; He is not a neocon warmonger and he is not stupid.
HSF, I generally really appreciate your posts, but this one is just plain wrong on all counts;
1. It is immoral. Does this mean that you believe Truman’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed at least 130,000 Japanese was immoral? I think not. It saved as many as one million American lives. So if this bombing saved just one American life and the countless lives of the Syrian people then the there was a moral imperative to bomb.
2. It was illegal. A president is required to report to Congress within 48 hours of taking any military action. Done.
3. It was dishonest. Dishonest with whom? The American people, the Russians, the Chinese. It might have been dishonest if he denied it but he told everybody and their brother.
4. It was costly. Eight minutes on the debt clock and insignificant compared to the Billions Obama wasted doing nothing but make matters worse.
5. It was violent. Not by any objective standards. Less than a dozen Syrian military were killed, no Russians and, more importantly, no Americans. See #1 above.
6. It was reckless. You might be able to claim that had he bombed all of their airports, or not warned them in advance. This was a very measured shot over the bow, a warning to all terrorists, dictators and corrupt governments,
7. It undermined his credibility. On the contrary, he has reestablished America’s credibility in the world of governance and clearly demonstrated that we no longer have a lead from behind, do nothing, nambypamby in the Whitehouse.
8. With the minority that supports him. Don’t know what planet your brain is on, but with a near landslide electoral college victory he didn’t just squeak into office. If you go to any country bar or restaurant in fly over America all you hear is “It’s about damn time”.
9. Gained zero ground with his opponents. When you have the likes of a libtard like Chuck Schumer saying “Good job”. this is clearly way off the mark. And,
10. Got them off Susan Rice. While true it is only temporary and, in my view, infinitely more important.
So much for all the things it is not.
Trump’s action was masterful, maybe even brilliant, only time will tell. In one fell swoop, he managed to put the Russians, the Chinese and the rest of the world on notice that the pussy in the White House is gone and to reassure our flagging allies in the middle east that we support their fight against terror, most notably those that are actually going to do the bulk of the on the ground fighting – Jordan, Egypt and the Saudis. He got the real neocons, McCain and Graham, off his back, put a definitive end to the Russia gate bullshit, and demonstrated that American will react in righteous Christian resolve to the atrocities of the ungodly.
If Trump was as competent as you say, planes would not have been taking off out of the bombed Syrian airport the next day.
He looks like a fool. It was all Kabuki theater pure and simple.
The Deep State got to Trump just like they did with Glenn Beck over the FEMA camps and Chief Justice John Roberts to pass the unconstitutional Obamacare.
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/26/us/1992-campaign-overview-perot-says-he-quit-july-thwart-gop-dirty-tricks.html?pagewanted=all
Also, Ross Perot, has talked about the Deep State’s leverage on 60 minutes and his comments were reported on in the above NYT link:
Ivanka gets an office in the West Wing. Little Lord Fauntleroy, Jared Kushner, flies to Iraq and gets to fly in a helicopter while Bannon is bounced from the National Security Council. Assad gases his own people with chemical weapons only the opposition forces were reported to have and Trump bombs the Syrian airport within 72 hours.
Quite a week.
Occam’s Razor, people.
EDIT: BTW – Trump will now lose in 2020 and a leftist dictator will be elected. Single payer healthcare will pass and they’ll be coming for your guns in approximately 4.5 years from now. Better to prepare for this than to harbor any residual, now dying, romatic dreams of Trump riding a white horse to save the day. He is just one man. Like Admin has said before, the demographics aren’t there. The people of Walmart and those “informed” folks who upvoted Trump’s Syria bombing on the Drudge report, will all be surprised together. Have a nice day.
I don’t know the specific Drudge article, but my experience the last couple days on articles about the US Airstrike was 95% against the Trump bombing.
Just figured it out that you were talking about the Poll Box – my take on that is it was hacked, as it is inconsistent with what I saw as comments to the articles..
I was referring to the Drudge poll regarding the bombing of Syria. It was like 75% supported it.
Greetings,
I’m going to go with your take on this as I find it difficult to believe that anyone believes that Assad did this to a bunch of children with chemical munitions that he no longer owns.
While being pretty ruthless, this “attack” 100% silenced the Left and their endless blather, investigations and threats of impeachment concerning Trump being a Russian puppet. This problem is gone. I suspect that this sabre rattling with Russia & Iran will make it that much easier to go after the Dems for their actual collusion and work for the Russians. After all, Hillary sold them 20% of our Uranium supplies – energy that could have powered the United States for decades. I can’t think of anything more treasonous.
Great post, Steve. Love to stay, and bitch, and knit some baby clothes, but not my scene, so, I’m out.
Deep thoughts, how a president thinks in times of crisis. I am divided on the outcome, one, on the downside, the attack should never have happened, as it was illegal and not proven who the culprit was. Two, it has sent a strong message to the world that we are no longer leading from behind; this may have set the tone to deal with all the global crises from this point forward. Of one point I am clear on, there is no current crisis I see that should lead to our sacrificing our troops for. This will be my filter and I will use for the rest of this administration. We must be careful as to not poke too strongly, or any foreign nation who directly attacks us will force us into a confrontation that we should have avoided at all costs. Who knows, maybe the die has already been cast. Seems I’m Anon now, I’m sure it’s a compliment! Originally from Not Sure.
TE ,God does not Judge ? The whole Bible from Old testament
To the final chapters of the Bible is about God judging mankind….God is just Judge ,and is Angry with the wicked everyday.. Psalm 7 :11. Where do you biblical illiterate Meatheads come from.Let me guess ..New Jersey.
Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: – KJV
Good read HSF, I agree with the narrative of theatrics. Parading the little children theme will shut up SJW draft age people. Spreading democracy, maybe he isn’t so bad, kinda theme. I voted for an ideal. I voted against everything “h” stands. A vote for demo side is a vote for blatant immorality, and she said executive order on gun control. After researching a republican vote gets me lots more police state. Both sides waffle back and forth on everything else. After Michigan recount, it looked to me like a popular vote landslide. Two days later it was Russians. Michigan proved it was hacked, but it wasn’t for Trump. MSM keeps showing same pics of white helmets handling gas victims with bare skin. They had two days to produce a better video. Seriously, how many people that know anything about sarin gas wouldn’t recognize this. Sounds like we were supposed to see this.
Characters who have none have usurped our nation a long time ago. New Deagle predictions for 2024 have about 250 mil. Less of us here. I myself, in my scriptural learning have the right to defend myself. I am supposed to judge everything around me, to the point I am not supposed to sit with some. If I don’t protect my own I am worse than an infidel. I am supposed to protect widows and orphans, and if Peter hadn’t been armed in the garden how did hewhack off that guys ear. I myself can hope the Donald can drain that swamp, but I have been skeptical from the get-go. Yes HSF your pessimism rhymes with mine.
HSF said: “I can’t see any upside to this action.”
Anyone who occupies the oval office is a puppet. The upside always goes to the puppet masters and the downside goes to the oval office occupant/country/sheople. The really slick (sick?) part is that any downside for the latter is also an upside for the former.
Heads they win, tails we lose.
Donald Trump Is An International Law Breaker
By Colonel W. Patrick Lang
April 08, 2017 “Information Clearing House” – Donald Trump’s decision to launch cruise missile strikes on a Syrian Air Force Base was based on a lie. In the coming days the American people will learn that the Intelligence Community knew that Syria did not drop a military chemical weapon on innocent civilians in Idlib. Here is what happened:
1. The Russians briefed the United States on the proposed target. This is a process that started more than two months ago. There is a dedicated phone line that is being used to coordinate and deconflict (i.e., prevent US and Russian air assets from shooting at each other) the upcoming operation.
2. The United States was fully briefed on the fact that there was a target in Idlib that the Russians believes was a weapons/explosives depot for Islamic rebels.
3. The Syrian Air Force hit the target with conventional weapons. All involved expected to see a massive secondary explosion. That did not happen. Instead, smoke, chemical smoke, began billowing from the site. It turns out that the Islamic rebels used that site to store chemicals, not sarin, that were deadly. The chemicals included organic phosphates and chlorine and they followed the wind and killed civilians.
4. There was a strong wind blowing that day and the cloud was driven to a nearby village and caused casualties.
5.We know it was not sarin. How? Very simple. The so-called “first responders” handled the victims without gloves. If this had been sarin they would have died. Sarin on the skin will kill you. How do I know? I went through “Live Agent” training at Fort McClellan in Alabama.
There are members of the U.S. military who were aware this strike would occur and it was recorded. There is a film record. At least the Defense Intelligence Agency knows that this was not a chemical weapon attack. In fact, Syrian military chemical weapons were destroyed with the help of Russia.
This is Gulf of Tonkin 2. How ironic. Donald Trump correctly castigated George W. Bush for launching an unprovoked, unjustified attack on Iraq in 2003. Now we have President Donald Trump doing the same damn thing. Worse in fact. Because the intelligence community had information showing that there was no chemical weapon launched by the Syrian Air Force.
Here’s the good news. The Russians and Syrians were informed, or at least were aware, that the attack was coming. They were able to remove a large number of their assets. The base the United States hit was something of a backwater. Donald Trump gets to pretend that he is a tough guy. He is not. He is a fool.
This attack was violation of international law. Donald Trump authorized an unjustified attack on a sovereign country. What is even more disturbing is that people like Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and NSA Director General McMaster went along with this charade. Front line troops know the truth. These facts will eventually come out. Donald Trump will most likely not finish his term as President. He will be impeached, I believe, once Congress is presented with irrefutable proof that he ignored and rejected intelligence that did not support the myth that Syria attacked with chemical weapons.
Hardscrabble, I almost never choose to battle with you, it’s pretty easy, I don’t have many strong disagreements with your positions. Your writing style reminds me of many people in my life that I am very comfortable around, and who’s thoughts and opinions I value and enjoy. But I’ve got news for you, bubba. You tend to lay out a position, which is fine, but then try to argue that that position represents something higher, in terms of morality or integrity. Uh, no. It’s just a position. My Dad did that horseshit, and once I caught on to it, I started lighting him up. Changed our relationship for a number of years, but ultimately it made him a better man, once he was no longer able to hide behind sanctimony. Above a certain station in life, certain decisions have to be made that carry downsides, but you still have to make them. Trump is in the position that this is most true. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Instead of comparing him to some imaginary heroic figure that only operates by the standard you set, compare him to any other option we have. He towers over all of them. Can you nitpick, and find flaws? Sure, you just did. Let’s see if he can turn this bitch around. You got a good look at the dreaded ‘deep state’ with this evelyn farkus woman. Not exactly the best and brightest. It’s going to take some time to identify, purge, defund, whatever has to be done with, all those entrenched and brainwashed worker bees. Have some patience. The path to success is seldom a straight line. Robert Gore seems to have this figured out the best. Let’s see if he is right. Peace
That pat lang is a real winner. Writes for mother jones and huffington post. Lefttalk was promoting him for deputy CIA chief. Obama Can Redeem Panetta with Pat Lang as Deputy CIA Director – TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2009/1/7/171936/9979/Diary/Obama-Can-Redeem-Panetta-with-Pat-Lang-as-Deputy-CIA-Director
I was once like BB. If I could get away with it, that was all that mattered. One day I realized I needed, for myself, to be better than that. And so every day since I have struggled to be better and of better character. And no doubt I am. But I am seriously flawed. And will so remain. But I am now of better character.
Generally, I now make decisions based on whether I think they are right or not, not whether they are painful. But the fact is, and it worries me, that I now have enough funds that many decisions I make, especially in business, though financially painful, are not significantly painful. I worry how I will react is something significantly painful comes along. I worry because once upon a time I was of very low character indeed, and I fear relapse.
I try not to lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do. I swore an oath to that effect long ago. You can see that position reflected in my comments.
I believe my reputation in business is sterling, and I believe there would not be a single person I do business with that would call me dishonest. Many would call me hard and difficult and even curse my name. But they would not think me dishonest. I have even heard say I would be their choice to run their businesses if they could arrange it, at the same time saying I was a son of a bitch.
I encourage all to take the path of becoming of better character. It is a lifelong trail. It is worth the trek.
Llpoh, you reach a stage in your business life where no one bullet will kill you. I counsel people all the time that when you reach that point, it’s your responsibility to elevate your game, and set an example. The survival skills of clawing your way up are far different from the skills to run a thriving enterprise with minimal drama. Most people think of, and talk of, themselves as people with no bullshit in their game. It takes a lot of self awareness to actually become what you think and say you are, and as you say, worth the risk. Great post
“I try not to lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do. I swore an oath to that effect long ago.”
—-Llpoh
That is almost the Honor Code (change the words “try not to” to “will not”) under which I lived from age 17 to 21. Still do. There was some internet chemistry years ago which connected you and me to the Josie Wales and Chief Ten Bears “Words of Iron” movie scene.
I smile brightly at your comment and know those are words of iron.
SSS – glad you saw that. That oath stuck with me. I substituted try for will, re the lie bit. I admit to some failings there – little white ones (“does my butt look big in this?” “Heck no!”) I try hard not to put myself in situations where I might be tempted to lie. No girls on the side. No disobeying laws as a rule.
But cheat and steal? Nope. Not gonna happen.
SSS – you the man.
” I admit to some failings there little white ones (“does my butt look big in this?” “Heck no!”)”
Well,
I very recently have come to see those things less as failings and more as simply wise choices and investments in the future. Divorce is expensive…
At that moment I lost the faint hope I had that the Fourth Turning had been nothing more than a dire warning. Now I a believe it is prophetic, borderline destiny.
i don’t usually comment about other comments because i can usually find something real and correct in every comment. today i failed. Steve W at 12:17 pm. i found it totally one sided. with not one point that i could even sympathize with. just my opinion
While it is true that a man’s ” CHARACTER IS DEFINED NOT BY WHAT WE SAY, BUT WHAT WE DO.” but BETTER, perhaps amended to include that a man of good character DOES WHAT HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO DO.
I have no argument with HSF’s proposition, but fail to see how any of his statements apply. Nor did I read any defense by him of his assertions or conclusions.
When I offer any argument I don’t seek sympathy, I seek concurrence or disagreement and in either case what and why.
To my eye, Trump is doing what he said he was going to do. That is a sign of good character, which is a sign of further good intentions. I see further evidence to support this in the comportment of his children. If you disagree, say so and why. I hear you feeling but don’t see you thinking.
I didn’t reply because we don’t agree on any of those points- much like Scott Adams proposition about two people watching the same movie but seeing two different ones.
We may as well be discussing two completely different topics. We don’t have a disagreement about the facts, we have complete disconnect in how we see the world.
“We may as well be discussing two completely different topics. We don’t have a disagreement about the facts, we have complete disconnect in how we see the world.”
You picked the topic – the character of the President of our United States. You made 10 factual statements all of which I found fault with. You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends but are not entitled to pick your facts. So, it is a disagreement about the facts.
Your response sounds suspiciously like the arguments I see from the left when they don’t like something. Lots of unfounded accusations and wanna be facts but I’ll give you credit that it didn’t devolve into stereotypifications and name calling.
I honestly don’t think, from all of your earlier posts, that we see the world all that differently and am fairly certain that we would fully agree on what our futures, and that of our families, should be.
what hardscrabble farmer said at 5:35 says it for me.
“You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends but are not entitled to pick your facts. So, it is a disagreement about the facts.”
I enjoy rhetoric as much as the next guy, but since you said we were talking about facts, let’s just use your first example-
You compared the bombing of a Syrian airfield- in the midst of a civil war- by the USA to the dropping of nuclear weapons on Imperial Japan during the midst of a declared war between the two.
Bombs were involved, even two different nations, but beyond that there is no factual comparison. We aren’t at war with Syria, Syria has never declared war on us, has never attacked us or bombed us, we have never lost a single American citizen or soldier to Syrian aggression. One was the result of a President pleading his case to the American people, having congress debate on and then vote to go to war and four long years of hostilities between the two at a cost of tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars, the other was a sneak attack against an undeclared enemy without congressional approval and absent the informed consent of the American citizenry because there was an alleged attack against other Syrians by Syrians.
When you make leaps in logic and reality along those lines it’s like trying to equate spanking your child to the Tate-LaBianca murders- two completely different things that haven’t got anything to do with each other.
That’s what I was talking about.
And we would almost certainly get along and have plenty of things to discuss, but this topic is not one of them. What Trump chose to do may have been the correct thing to do for a variety of reasons- he is certainly better informed and more intelligent than I- but it doesn’t change or alter any one of the points I made. There is a way that we ought to do things from a legal perspective and from a moral perspective (Congress may declare war and THEN the President may execute the strategic goals of that conflict, for example or when the President does something he tells the truth to the American people beforehand as a way of ascertaining the will of the people for whom he works).
I am as far from a leftist as you can get and I don’t argue like them. I am almost completely dispassionate about this topic, but I still must call a spade a spade when I see it even if it is someone I may be in agreement with otherwise. It doesn’t mean I’m right, but it does make me consistent and that part is for my well-being.
Now that is what I am talking about. Thank you.
Those are the important facts that you based your conclusion that Trump’s act was immoral. While I might quibble with some of them, the important fact, as I see it is far simpler. Both Truman and Trump acted in a manner designed and aim at preventing further loss of life, making it, in my estimation, perfectly moral.
Now that we have all the facts out, we can leave it to the jury to decide.