General Mattis out over disagreement w Trump (Syria)

[TSA]

wheeling and dealing with saudi arabia and turkey

[Winehole23]

... leaves Syria to Pootin and Iran

... allows Turkey to go after USA allies the Kurds

... Pootin wants USA "isolationist", disengaged internationally. Trash's ed up State Dept certainly weakens USA's soft power.

Syria isn't ours; Iran and Russia are in the neighborhood. Imagine Russia or Iran seeking to stabilize Mexico and you get the idea. It's their backyard.

Turkey is our ally too, historically and strategically much more important than the Kurds. Sucks for the Kurds. Reminds me a thing Kissinger once said how it is dangerous to be America's enemy but deadly to be its friend.

While it's certainly true that withdrawing troops from Syria and Afghanistan leaves the field to others, Russia already learned its lesson in Afghanistan and soon will in Syria if it doesn't leave. Iran has a legit regional interest, it's next door.

It may be true that our global adversaries want us disengaged from the world, but we're very far from that state of affairs, the evident disdain of DJT's administration for diplomacy and soft power totally notwithstanding. An empire that took 125 years to build can't be unwound in a few years.

I find it hilarious that Trump has turned the great Boutons into a defender of US imperialism and soft power. You ed about the oligarchy and the financialization of politics non-stop for ten years, now you cry about Trump undermining the military might that ensures its global influence.

[Winehole23]

Bonnerific straight trolling, nothing topical to add to the conversation.

[Winehole23]

I give Trump and forum Trumpistas a mile of daily, you're just sore I've got criticism left over for the woke resistencia.

It is really odd that you think you have insight into the intentions and actions of other posters based on fleeting interactions online.

It's none of your business, but I didn't vote for Trump.

[Winehole23]

also none of your business, but also true: I've been an unaffiliated voter throughout my adult life. far more apt in general to throw away my vote on principled losers I like than for Dems or Republicans

it is true that of late I'm more apt to vote for Democrats merely to keep Republican heads out of power.

[Winehole23]

Missed this, DOD changed its mission statement this year:

For at least two decades, the Department of Defense has explicitly defined its mission on its website as providing "the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country." But earlier this year, it quietly changed that statement, perhaps suggesting a more ominous approach to national security.

The Pentagon's official website now defines its mission this way: "The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our country and sustain American influence abroad."

The new mission statement — featured at the bottom of every page on the site — removes the words "to deter war" while adding that it is the Pentagon's job to "sustain American influence" overseas.

https://www.businessinsider.com/under-trump-the-pentagon-is-less-concerned-about-deterring-war-2018-6?IR=T

[benefactor]

I give Trump and forum Trumpistas a mile of daily, you're just sore I've got criticism left over for the woke resistencia.

It is really odd that you think you have insight into the intentions and actions of other posters based on fleeting interactions online.

It's none of your business, but I didn't vote for Trump.

Eh...I wouldn't dig too deep with Bonnerific. He's just working his angry man shtick and rmt is typically his favorite target. I've come to accept his rants as part of the furniture around here, much like ducks' mental re ation and Chris' bot like behavior.

[Spurs Homer]

What conversation is being had? The genetic embarrassment that is the citizenry filled with self loathing due to be being abject ing cowards, added the blatant corruption of the Republican Party, has put us in a position to put the final nail in the coffin of the near century of American “greatness.”

dumb s like Chris spurt sucker cowboy re mt and of course tsa sit and prove why this country has turned to . You sit here and try to pretend you’re some sort of thoughtful person, when all you’re really striving to do is rationalize and hold on to some imaginary construct that was the Republican Party. Well 30 years of propaganda, and electing a half black guy, has made you the party of trump. None of that will change.

Remember your vote for trump demonstrated you’re ok with racism, putting children in cages, and of course treason. By not speaking out at every turn against it, and what abouting all the false equivalencies you use to try to soften what is happening, shows you still really aren’t bothered by it

truth nukes

[Winehole23]

Eh...I wouldn't dig too deep with Bonnerific. He's just working his angry man shtick and rmt is typically his favorite target. I've come to accept his rants as part of the furniture around here, much like ducks' mental re ation and Chris' bot like behavior.

Thanks for the tip.

Fwiw, one of my major pastimes in this forum is talking to all the jackasses and trolls, trying to draw them into conversations. If you can manage to do that, sometimes they break character.

Some never do. You might be right about Bonnerific. Some people are here just to dump on other posters, but you never know for sure unless you try to talk to them.

I like to think of myself as a jackass whisperer.

[Winehole23]

first off, sure you didn’t vote for trump.

Second, I don’t care about the left. They don’t matter in any other construct than there needs to be another point on the fulcrum.

Third, there is nothing unique about you. There were all kinds of you that determined that they were embarrassed by the birthed tea party take over of the Republican Party that they decided to self identify as independent or, even better, libertarian. That doesn’t stop them from still aligning with the pubs, and of course pull those all important r levers in the voting booth

but yeah you’re unaffiliated

If you have any doubts about my political orientation, it's easily checkable on this site: I've been posting solid for a decade.

I make no claim to be special or unique.

[Winehole23]

But thanks for making it about me. So gratifying!

[Winehole23]

it is true that of late I'm more apt to vote for Democrats merely to keep Republican heads out of power.

[Winehole23]

Besides the presence of 4,000 to 5,000 U.S. troops and contractors in northeast Syria there also a contingent of 1,100 French troops and an unknown number of British forces. France for now says it wants to stay to finish the fight against the Islamic State enclave along the Euphrates.



But France does not have the capability to sustain those forces without U.S. support. Syria and Russia could ask Macron to put them under their command to finish the fight against ISIS, but it is doubtful that President Macron would agree to that. It is more likely that he will agree to a handover of their position to Russian, Syrian or even Iraqi or Iranian forces. Those forces can then finish the fight.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/1...rom-syria.html

[DarrinS]

For bonnerific

https://www.betterhelp.com

[Chris]

I like to think of myself as a jackass whisperer.

[Winehole23]

laugh it up, you're one of 'em

[DMC]

What conversation is being had? The genetic embarrassment that is the citizenry filled with self loathing due to be being abject ing cowards, added the blatant corruption of the Republican Party, has put us in a position to put the final nail in the coffin of the near century of American “greatness.”

dumb s like Chris spurt sucker cowboy re mt and of course tsa sit and prove why this country has turned to . You sit here and try to pretend you’re some sort of thoughtful person, when all you’re really striving to do is rationalize and hold on to some imaginary construct that was the Republican Party. Well 30 years of propaganda, and electing a half black guy, has made you the party of trump. None of that will change.

Remember your vote for trump demonstrated you’re ok with racism, putting children in cages, and of course treason. By not speaking out at every turn against it, and what abouting all the false equivalencies you use to try to soften what is happening, shows you still really aren’t bothered by it

I'll pray for you.

[pgardn]

I next look for Trump to quit projecting power in the South China Sea.
I mean why do we need to be there?

Economics is always a part of the stuff. Part of the US becoming the most powerful nation on earth is because I have the ability to trade wherever we want. And to stabilize places where trade is profitable. The military is not just for protection.

This needs to be admitted, but not on a Boutons scale of frenzied logic.

[Winehole23]

I next look for Trump to quit projecting power in the South China Sea.
I mean why do we need to be there?

I think the opposite. China looks to be the country Trump has identified as a strategic compe or.

[boutons_deux]

I think the opposite. China looks to be the country Trump has identified as a strategic compe or.

Pootin's strategy is America neutered, weakened, isolated and Trash is faithfully executing that strategy.

21st Century belongs to China,

[clambake]

Pootin's strategy is America neutered, weakened, isolated and Trash is faithfully executing that strategy.

21st Century belongs to China,

well said

[Winehole23]

Pootin's strategy is America neutered, weakened, isolated and Trash is faithfully executing that strategy.

21st Century belongs to China,

Trump can't possibly isolate the USA, wreck our geopolitical posture and make us weaklings in four years.

I know catastrophizing is supposed to make others look complacent and dull, but in practice it makes you look ridiculous.

[boutons_deux]

Trump can't possibly isolate the USA, wreck our geopolitical posture and make us weaklings in four years.

I know catastrophizing is supposed to make others look complacent and dull, but in practice it makes you look ridiculous.

everything Trash has done geopolitically, in 2 years, has degraded USA geopolitically. The inventory is in my Wapo "lost the cold war" post.

60M+ Americans voted, KNOWINGLY, for an authoritarian, fascist, ignorant, racist, pussy grabbing, lying, traitorous asshole.

We are "lucky" that Trash is too ing stupid, ignorant to be even more destructive, but his oligarchy's cabinet is doing the real damage, actually continuing the destruction of govt that the oligarchy/Repugs have been doing for 40 years.

Maybe those 60M+ Americans, proven ignorant idiots, will next elect a true Machiavellian, excellent charisma to sucker them, knows lots of stuff, how stuff works, doesn't tweet, works silently, secretly, deeply and broadly intelligent, and deeply evil.

[Winehole23]

Clearly that's what you're pining for, you do nothing but discourage any notion things might turn out otherwise.

[boutons_deux]

Clearly that's what you're pining for, you do nothing but discourage any notion things might turn out otherwise.

not pining for it at all, and that's a stupid ing statement

the AGW "water is boiling" as anthropogenic mass extinctions are well under way

Tell us how "things might turn out otherwise".

Who does what, how, when, just to stop, not reverse, the AGW catastrophe?

All projections for AGW are shockingly exceeding earlier projections "upper limits"

btw, Sky People are poised, next week, to start buying leases to up pristine, virgin, magnificently wild ANWR, to pump more CO2 into the atmosphere, for $100Bs in Capital. Let's hear your tactics for stopping them.