Baffling History

Despite a plausible premise Fred Kaplan loses my confidence early in this piece:

In the spring of 1977, Menachem Begin was elected prime minister of Israel and surprised everyone by choosing as his foreign minister not someone from his own Likud Party, but a star of the opposing Labor Party, Moshe Dayan. It proved a brilliant choice, as Dayan helped direct the peace process with Egypt that culminated with the Camp David accords.

In the fall of 1968, Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States, and rather than choose as his secretary of state someone from among his own supporters, he chose Henry Kissinger, a supporter of Nixon’s arch-rival, Nelson Rockefeller. Again, that proved a fortuitous choice, as Kissinger helped orchestrate a rapprochement with China, as well as accords in the Middle East and with the Soviet Union.

How soon they forget!  Without even looking it up I remember (as should Mr. Kaplan) that as a steroid-enhanced National Security Adviser Kissinger neutered some Secretary of State who is (evidently) forgotten to history before eventually assuming the spot himself in Nixon's second term.

Well, history is bunk.  Here is the interesting bit, which looks accurate:

But the real reason that Obama and Clinton might enjoy success is something that goes barely mentioned in the media. Obama and Clinton are buying into a bottomed-out market vis-à-vis America’s position in the world. It is as if they will be buying stock after the market has crashed, and just at the point when a number of factors are already set in motion for a recovery. For President George W. Bush did not just damage America’s position in the world, he has also, over the past two years, quietly repositioned himself as a realist in foreign policy, and that, coupled with a bold new strategy in Iraq, known as the “surge,” has poised America for a diplomatic rebound, which the next administration will get the credit for carrying out.

Comments

[clarice]

Something tells me the NYT will be giving Obama credit for everything including the rising and setting of the sun..at least until it's in Chap 11 and Murdoch changes editors.

[AdrianS]

SIGN THE PETITION TO FORCE BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA TO PRESENT HIS QUALIFICATIONS.

PETITION FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OF
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

To: Electoral College, Congress of the United States, Federal Elections Commission, U.S. Supreme Court, President of the United States, other controlling legal authorities

Whereas, by requirement of the United States Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, no one can be sworn into office as president of the United States without being a natural born citizen;

Whereas, there is sufficient controversy within the citizenry of the United States as to whether presidential election winner Barack Obama was actually born in Hawaii as he claims;

Whereas, Barack Obama has refused repeated calls to release publicly his entire Hawaiian birth certificate, which would include the actual hospital that performed the delivery;

Whereas, lawsuits filed in several states seeking only proof of the basic minimal standard of eligibility have been rebuffed;

Whereas, Hawaii at the time of Obama's birth allowed births that took place in foreign countries to be registered in Hawaii;

Whereas, concerns that our government is not taking this constitutional question seriously will result in diminished confidence in our system of free and fair elections;

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=81550

The above article appears on WorldNetDaily.

[Thomas Collins]

It is amusing to read People Magazine type articles (such as Kaplan's) that masquerade as serious articles about US foreign relations. The economy will eventually straighten itself out, Chavez and the Castros will somehow be dealt with, Al Qaeda will continue to plot (and may well succeed) in killing more Americans but will also continue to be hunted down by our special forces, Putin and Medvedev will continue to flex their muscles in the near abroad, Pirates will still hold their bounty for ransom, Persia will continue its push (as ever) to dominate, and Red (I guess only we clingers continue to refer to the great mainland land mass as "Red") China
will continue its great power push around the world (those who view China as primarily an insular Asian power need to get a grip on reality; China has often in the past and continues to be a World Power Player; as Jerry Seinfeld might say, nothing wrong with that, but we should recognize the reality of China's world aspirations). Zero's folks will do a decent job of dealing with this stuff. The crucial people-type issue is who has Zero's ear on missile defense development and sharing, and nuclear weapons modernization, and what are their thoughts and writings on the subject. It is nice that Billary will be received politely in the capitals of the world; it is essential that Zero gets hard-headed no-nonsense advice on missile defense and nuclear modernization. I eagerly await Mr. Kaplan's article focusing on these issues.

[matt]

don't you just love revisionism...what a bunch of whores.

[Amused bystander]

Enough of this America's "low position is the world" bunk -- this is just Democrat electioneering (and fond hopes). They need to be called on this garbage. With whom?

The Euros? they are a joke.

Slap a 100% tariff on imports and see who comes a knocking.

This nonsense is so at odds with the facts.
I cannot understand why the American people cannot see through this -- we have heard this out of the American left ever since Korea.

All of us, the GOP included ned to stop this rhetoric dead in its tracks.

And if kaplan thinks that we have "bottomed out" he has not seen anything yet.

IT is amazing that we are allowing ourselves to be pushed around by a much of media elites, academics and political hacks. What is wrong with us? These people have not done an honest days work in their lives.

[bgates]

Robert Kaplan, not Fred. That's like mistaking Peter Hitchens for Christopher, or Obama c. March for Obama c.today.

[Thomas Collins]

Raul Castro wins my 2008 award for Most Hilarious Remark That Lefties Will take Seriously. Apparently, Raul believes that even if Zero agreed to meet Raul, it would have to be in a neutral location, because it would be demeaning for Raul to have to come to DC. Of course, we all know that this is posturing and that Raul would jump at the chance to showboat in DC. But I thank Raul for providing me with a chuckle today (maybe Zero will send Sean Penn to Havana to negotiate the details of the meeting). See LUN.

[Amused bystander]

And Bush has not "repositioned himself". What nonsense. If we survive this next few years, Bush will come out smelling like roses.

But why the GOP never stands up to these rascals is beyond me.

If anything, it was Hillary, Obama and the whole unholy Democrat Party that "repositioned themselves with the surge". What total lying propaganda. For Pete's sake.

One feels like one is not dealing with sober adults these days. Kaplan, the Atlantic and all thry represent are a noxious burden on us all.

Kaplan was once bearable -- even enjoyable -- but he really went over to the dark side after 911. The Alantic has become even worse than the NYT.

Guess he knows which side his bread is buttered on.

Really, is getting worse than the Viet Nam era, and it is happening right in front of people's eyes. It leads one to despair, this gullibility of half of the population. I have never seen anything like this beforein this country, not even in the 60's and 70's when the declinists held sway.

What will happen when a major catastrophe strikes?

People should know better, particularly Boomers.

[Elliott]

Good one, bgates.

[narciso]

Yup, that's pretty bad, but it's not one of Bob Kaplan's better work. Did Bob forget that Moshe Dayan was the victor of the Six Day War; still very hardline for a Labor guy. Nixon neutered Rogers, who still kept
a grudge about; from the time on the Eisenhower Cabinet. Is General Jones, going to ace out Hillary. Or is he like General Goodpaster. Has everybody lost their "A Game" covering this administration. You betcha

[Rick Ballard]

Thomas Collins,

In re Hayek - wouldn't he describe the consumer strike as a tangible, measureable and correct reaction to the Zombie bailout? IOW - it doesn't really matter what marvelous recovery schemata is presented by the 'best and brightest' (Madame Tussaud certainly did a nice job on Volcker), the "real" market just won't buy a Zombiemobile or put their money on deposit in Zombiegroup, Inc.

I'm still not sure what solution Hayek might suggest. That main reason for not being sure is that the factor of protecting pension fund assets wasn't something that he ever addressed, AFAICT. The social costs imposed by a collapse of pension funds would be rather extraordinary.

[PeterUK]

"l Qaeda will continue to plot (and may well succeed) in killing more Americans but will also continue to be hunted down by our special forces, Putin and Medvedev will continue to flex their muscles in the near abroad, Pirates will still hold their bounty for ransom, Persia will continue its push (as ever) to dominate, and Red (I guess only we clingers continue to refer to the great mainland land mass as "Red") China"

These will be areas from whence no trouble comes for the new administration.Why? Because they will disappear from the MSM for the duration.
Castro and Chavez will give Obama a prize,so no problem there.

[Thomas Collins]

Rick Ballard, my reading of Hayek is that he would allow for a significant amount of governmental activity in setting the framework of rules (I have seen him referred to as a libertarian, but I don't think he is one). So, I think he would support your approach of taking steps (even letting some Zombiebanks carry on) to work out the toxic collateralized obligation and credit default swap "situation." My suspicion is that he wouldn't view "green technology stimulus" or socialized medicine as particularly helpful.

As far as the consumer strike goes, it would seem to me that Hayek would applaud a strike that retailers tried to turn into a slowdown with special "Black Friday" deals. So I suspect his spirits are hopeful in Heaven this day before Thanksgiving.

[truthynesslover]

Its nice ti know someone will be making money this year!

News: How former Iraq administrator Jay Garner is destabilizing the very country he was hired to fix.

By Anthony Fenton

November 24, 2008

In the history of the Iraq War, one name is perhaps synonymous with the collapse of the Bush administration's hopes for a post-Saddam world: Retired Lt. General Jay M. Garner. It was Garner who served as the first post-war administrator for Iraq, running the country during the fateful two months immediately following the invasion before being replaced by L. Paul Bremer III.

However, Garner's frustrating tenure in Iraq wasn't entirely wasted. This year, he and a small group of former US military leaders, officials, and lobbyists have quietly used their deep connections in Kurdistan to help Canadian companies access some of the region's richest oil fields.
must be nice,huh?

[ajacksonian]

And Kissinger backed supporting Pakistan over India, even while Pakistan was funding terrorism in India and the Hekmatyar organization... yeah, India was working with Russia, but we didn't bother to compete for public sympathy in a democracy? Then we decided to open up to China which would offend India even more? Good going!

And then there was the start of 'shuttle diplomacy' by Kissinger, which worked out ever so well and cleaned up the Middle East... oh, wait....

At least he has the honesty to admit his mistakes a few decades on. By general acclaim most people count Kissinger as way smarter than Hillary and far more able at foreign policy. Why am I not impressed at this concept? Where the two are alike is their puffed up self-importance... which was the sort of thing that led to the problems that Kissinger ends up saying that some of them really just weren't so hot. Hillary is way more self-important than Kissinger was or is, and for continental sized egos that is saying something.

What gets me is that China is way puffed up on bad debt (non-performing loans underwriting 30 to 60% of their economy), Iran's oil infrastructure is about to implode, Red Mafia oligarchs are extending their reach and power in central asia and europe, western europe makes the current problems in the US seem like a walk in the park on a sunny day, Japan will be heading into a serious gerontocracy in a decade, Mexico stopped drilling for new oil and natural gas some time back, and Africa remains Africa. Good old HK would have some minor problems with this, to say the least... HC? And she just might have her *own* agenda to work on...

Good luck on the hopeychangishness: the world is heading into a real mess and 'burnishing America's image' isn't going to help any of those things one tiny bit. Might make it worse by not seeming serious on the issues. And the real problem is that there are very few foreign policy 'experts' that know enough economics and diplomacy to be able to thread these needles in either party. Bobble just one in that mix and you do wind up with serious problems for the long term. Remember it took us decades to finally get a real outreach to India going after the 70's and that was a relatively stable Nation for all of our backing two enemies, one of which was funding terrorism in India.

[Rick Ballard]

Thomas Collins,

This is the type of root shaking news that Gaither and Bernanke will be trying to avoid. The CA market clearing is proceeding nicely but mortgage rates are going to have to drop to 5% in order to get building rolling again.

Otherwise we'll be seeing municipal bankruptcies all next year. Interesting times.

[truthynesslover]

Guns and butter baby!
In 1989, Kissinger founded a consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, and is a partner in affiliate Kissinger McLarty Associates with Mack McLarty, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.[40] He also serves on board of directors of Hollinger International, a Chicago-based newspaper group,[41] and as of March 1999, he also serves on board of directors of Gulfstream Aerospace.[42]

From 1995 to 2001, he served on the board of directors for Freeport-McMoRan, a multinational copper and gold producer with significant mining and milling operations in Papua, Indonesia.[43] In February 2000, then-president of Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid appointed Kissinger as a political advisor. He also serves as an honorary advisor to the United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce.

Kissinger served for many years as a director of Hollinger International, the chief executive officer of which was disgraced media tycoon Conrad Black. Hollinger's board is widely viewed to have not exercised sufficient oversight, enabling Black and other senior executives to defraud the company
Not to mention war crimes!

[truthynesslover]

OUCH!!

Georgia war hearing marred by angry exchanges

Margarita Antidze and Matt Robinson
Reuters North American News Service

Nov 25, 2008 13:37 EST

TBILISI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A Georgian parliament hearing into the country's war with Russia broke up in angry scenes on Tuesday when a commission member threw a pen at Tbilisi's ex-envoy to Moscow after he said Georgia had been the aggressor.

Russia says it intervened in ex-Soviet Georgia after Tbilisi began shelling the breakaway South Ossetia region. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili accused Russia of invading and thus starting the war.

Erosi Kitsmarishvili, Georgia's former ambassador to Russia, told the parliamentary commission he had received information "from high-ranking Georgian officials" that Tbilisi was preparing to "militarily storm" the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali.

"Russia was ready for this war, but the Georgian leadership started the military action first," he said.

Objecting to Kitsmarishvili's testimony, commission member Givi Targamadze -- a member of Saakashvili's party -- threw his pen at the former ambassador and had to be restrained when he charged towards him. Kistmarishvili walked out.

The chairman of the bi-partisan commission, opposition lawmaker Paata Davitaia, said the former ambassador's statements were "irresponsible".
Truth hurts.Who put them up to it i wonder?Follow the money??

[Thomas Collins]

We may be lucky if all we have are municipal bankruptcies, Rick Ballard. See LUN (via Instapundit).

[PeterUK]

"Guns and butter baby!"

Kindly keep your perversions to yourself.Anyone would think you are a professor of education.

[Extraneus]

Obama and Clinton are buying into a bottomed-out market vis-à-vis America’s position in the world.

[snip]

President George W. Bush did not just damage America’s position in the world

Just simply absurd.

Bush damaged America's position in the world, huh? No, Clinton and Reid and Pelosi and Obama and and Gore and Sultzberger and Soros and Moore and all of their allies gleefully damaged America's position in the world, purposely and in concert with each other. Many of them skirted right up to the brink of treason to do it.

Actually, I can't imagine what would be considered treason anymore if a Republican is in the White House. Successfully prosecuting a war the Congress voted to enter into, after begging for the vote?

But let's go further with this realpolitik business. Can anyone envision Obama strategizing about how to protect and improve America's military or economic or strategic position in the world? No, I didn't think so. In fact, he and his acolytes think America is too strong and needs to be taken down a few pegs in all of the above areas. Aside from maintaining power, that's their objective.

There can be no successful foreign policy in an anti-American administration. The concept of a "diplomatic rebound" is just stupid.

[bio mom]

Terrorists (unidentified as of now) attacking westerners and hotels in Mumbai (Bombay), India right now. Lots of deaths.

[JM Hanes]

"Obama and Clinton are buying into a bottomed-out market vis-à-vis America’s position in the world.... For President George W. Bush did not just damage America’s position in the world...."

You know, I've never seen this ubiquitous assertion supported with anything other than reference to some polling on how the man in the street feels about the U.S. Nor has anyone convincingly described where and how, outside of pulling allies into Iraq, all this putative damage to the U.S. reputation has affected us in unexpected ways.

Does anybody seriously think that the U.S. would not be carrying most of the weight in any NATO operation? Does anybody even remember that it was Bush who revitalized NATO in the first place and made it relevant again? Does anybody think that smiling Euro Unionists won't still be shafting the U.S. where they could, or that they're not looking to influence a more maleable U.S. leader to their own advantage -- or that Europeans would somehow have elected leaders more friendly to the U.S. than they already have?

Jack Goldsmith just pointed out in the WSJ that contra loudly professed allegiance, Europeans are not any more committed to international law than we are. Why do pundits across the board insist on taking such talking points at face value? The overwhelmingly Eurocentric perspective of U.S. pundits and press alike is an appallingly deficient basis for accurately sussing out global dynamics.

Bush's cred is pretty good in Africa -- it's the folks at home who tar him for not saving Darfur. Does anybody really think that Russia and China are actually pliable when it comes to their own self-interests, not to mention human rights? Bush has done great things vis a vis India and miraculous things like getting Japan to sign on to our defense of Taiwan. His recent bout of realism could have had as much to do with maintaining the status quos while he was trying to secure Iraq from a new administration -- not to mention exhaustion from having to fight uphill battles on the idealism front with everyone in his own diplomatic & intel communities 24/7 along with Democratic Washington.

The people who dislike us, may dislike us more at the moment, but politesse instead of pressure would hardly have made Putin and other dictators less ambitious. The odds of Bush settling the Israeli/Palestinian conflicts definitively were no better than they have been in countless former adminstrations.

It seems to me that "damage" to Bush's reputatation right here at home, undertaken with astonishing enthusiam, has been a far bigger stumbling block than the U.S. reputation elsewhere. It also seems to me that a whole lot of people have wildly unrealistic ideas about just what international problems an American president can and/or would solve if he were only willing and popular enough to do so.

The U.S. has been, and will continue to be, the scapegoat for a world of woes. The people who think this is a diplomatic problem have no business calling themselves realists.

I can understand why folks on the left feel compelled to preface every analysis with disclaimers about the "worst foreign policy EVAH" but I'm still astonished that it's apparently taken as a universal given, floating around unattached to anything remotely resembling any serious examination of particulars. It's like the global warming litmus test, without the warmth.

Where's the frakkin' substantive beef?

[nonetoday]

Didn't Geithner also work for Kissinger and Associates? I don't know if that means anything or not.

Now that Geithner has the job suddenly everyone is talking about how there is going to be a stock market rally - when bankers are celebrating, that is usually not a good sign, at least not if you're a taxpayer.

[Extraneus]

The people who dislike us, may dislike us more at the moment, but politesse instead of pressure would hardly have made Putin and other dictators less ambitious.

Yes, and I'd imagine they'll like us best right before we cease to exist as a power in the world. Then they'll segue into contempt.

The preoccupation with being liked, rather than respected, is indicative of our decay. People talking like this in the 40's or 50's would have been laughed at.

[narciso]

Well good for Garner, he has long standing ties to the Kurds going back 17 years; to Operation Provide Confort. Seeing as Nancy
and Harry blocked the oil concession that were opening up this year; and gave it to the Chinese (PetroChina) and the Russians
(GAZPROM) just because we shouldn't enjoy
what our money and manpower has made possible.Maybe Sarah can talk to some of her Trans Canada contacts, and we can get some deals together. Kissinger, is another thing altogether, kind of a Pirate/Warlord in my book; good thing Sarah didn't stand to close to him last September, From China to Iraq to the former Yugoslavia; he's peddled his wares. I put Scowcroft, Baker, & Powell in the same boat. Bremer was a slightly better type of broker but not by much.

Still trying to sell Georgia as an
inseparable part of Russia; as though 1799, and 1921 don't matter. Playing the champion of separatism has come a cropper in
Ingushetia and other regions. Neo-Czarism ends up costing a pretty penny. Want to come up with a reason, for the slaughter in Mumbai, too jackass. Bgates, I thoughtthese people were flagged by your patented program.

[qrstuv]

I just love (sarcasm) how the disapproval of the world's elites is something that I am supposed to care about.

I most emphatically do not care about the opinion of the EUrocrats who clock in early on Friday morning and then take off for the weekend.

I am entirely uninterested in the opinion of unelected bureaucrats who are "responsible" for taking care of the subjects of their countries.

I could give a rat's ass what the dictators and their many enablers think.

Why does the Left obsess so much over the opinion of all these a**holes?

[kim]

Speaking of unelected bureaucrats, how about Rahm Emanuel? Sure, the President is allowed to pick his own chief of staff, but why does the Constitution allow him to delegate all the authority to him. This here new guvmint is following a recipe for authoritarianism.
===================================

[PeterUK]

"Why does the Left obsess so much over the opinion of all these a**holes?"

Because they are out of the same mould. It is the new aristocracy.

[Elliott]

The following play on this classic occurred to me recently. In many respects, I have hewn closely to the narrative:

Many, many years ago when I was 23
I was working in Chicago to improve communities
Through my work I met a man whose sermons filled my head
With various ideas that are better left unsaid

But it was a summer internship that changed my very life
For I met a moody lawyer who soon became my wife
One of her ex-coworkers had led a commie ploy
Bombing U.S. installations back when I was just a boy

This commie and her spouse threw me a soiree at their pad
But it was just a coffee, one of many that I had
And I was never clear her hubby once had been bomb maker
For the vile Weather Underground during its campaign of terror

He and I served on the board of a group called the Woods Fund
But he never touched the manuscript I wrote all on my own
My pastor hurt my campaign more; I didn't know what to do
'til Axelrod said to disown him, with grandmother too

Now if Rev. Wright or my grandmother ever does arise
I'll call out the right wingers for their foul, egregious lies
'cause I have always said I'd fight injustice that I saw
Whether carried out by Rev. Wright, Tom Coburn, or grandma

I disowned grandma
I disowned grandma
It sounds callous I know
But it really is so
Oh, I disowned grandma

[nonetoday]

Kim: We just elected a President who refuses to show us his original birth certificate or tell the names of all his foreign donors - I don't think the constitution means much anymore.

I really believe some people in the Clinton administration planned this many years ago. They wanted to win but they knew they couldn't do it on their own - obviously Emanuel would never be elected. They needed a corrupt candidate and they found him. I don't think Obama is that smart and I don't even listen to him anymore.

We elected Emanuel - he is our President now.

[Extraneus]

Didn't you get the message from the press conference today, nonetoday? Those Clinton retreads are just functionaries. Obama himself is responsible for the change. "That's *my* job," were his words.

[Extraneus]

Here you go, nonetoday. Not to worry about Emanuel or the rest of them.

[PeterUK]

It would seem that Obama's slip is showing,even across the pond."Change we can believe in".

[PeterUK]

Obama was against the "Surge" in Iraq,but for the surge in Afghanistan. 20,000 troops,would Cecil Taylor of Soylent tell us what the tail on that will be?

[nonetoday]

I don't watch any press conferences with Obama anymore although I'm sure they're still using the "office of the President elect" signs. I don't believe anything about him is real - his "memoir" or his "brilliant legal career" at Havard or all the "brilliant civil rights" work he did as a lawyer. I don't like saying this but something is really missing in him - some component that makes people human. His grandmother dies Sunday night, he continues campaigning the next morning, smiling and talking to people, then hours before the election he announces she dies and cries in front of the cameras yet after he is elected he has time to go to the gym and out for a fancy dinner with his wife but not enough time to go to her funeral although maybe in his relilgion they don't have funerals right away.

But I won't listen to him anymore. I won't watch his press conferences.

[PeterUK]

"although maybe in his relilgion they don't have funerals right away."

On the contrary,it is "Get them in the ground as soon as possible".

[Pofarmer]

"would Cecil Taylor of Soylent tell us what the tail on that will be?"

If it's 20,000 COMBAT troops, figure about 7-1. If it's 20,000 total, then figure maybe 3000 actual point of the spear types, maybe. The logistics in Afghanistan are horrible.

[Pofarmer]

Yes, wind power sucks.

LUN

[PeterUK]

Pofarmer,
Thank you,what I figured.
Since Obama will not be going is it not time to resurrect the Chickenhawk meme?

[matt]

people have friends. Nations have interests. get used to it, O.

Kissinger won the Nobel Prize for simply agreeing to sell out the South Vietnamese because sly Richard wanted us out of there pronto. The ultimate political prostitute. But at least Nixon approved Linebacker and we got the chance to mine Haiphong Harbor and blow up some of the important stuff.

I'm now just wondering if my friends who are deploying to A Stan and were scheduled to do so months ago are part of the so called surge, or if it's just more political posturing.....

[matt]

actually, Po, wind power blows....

[bad]

"although maybe in his relilgion they don't have funerals right away."

On the contrary,it is "Get them in the ground as soon as possible".

Autopsies are a problem as well.

[Extraneus]

Since Obama will not be going is it not time to resurrect the Chickenhawk meme?

LOL. You have an excellent point there. (I hadn't imagined Obama in military gear before.)

[matt]

Ext:

think of Michael Dukakis, but goofier....

[PeterUK]

Pofarmer,
Europe is governed by a bunch of microcephalic third raters,Gordon is a Moron.

[PeterUK]

Extraneus,
He is young enough to serve.

[PeterUK]

Well,here's the first test for Obama There are British and American hostages being held. So come on Mr Peace and Light,get your shit together,eighty people have been killed.

[kim]

Barbara Bush is in the hospital.
====================

[Extraneus]

Well then you're probably right that he should. We haven't had a real field general in a pretty long time, and this could endear him to the entire country.

[Extraneus]

Perhaps the world.

[PeterUK]

Extraneus,
Yes as long as you don't put the white horse in danger.Perhaps he should ride in something more suitable,a DayGlo snatch land rover.

[nonetoday]

I don't understand why they're angry at us in Mumbai or is this Al Queda again? Have they made any statements about why they did this? Usually AQ makes a statement about how they're doing this because of the war in Iraq or our foreign policies.

Also I though electing Obama who claims he is a "citizen of the world" was going to repair our "tarnished" reputation in the world and they wouldn't be angry at us anymore.

[pagar]

"I don't think the constitution means much anymore."

What the Constitution means seems to have been going down hill since John Kerry was not challenged for his meetings with the North Vietnamese in Paris while other Americans were dying in Vietnam. Since John Kennedy was not challenged for asking for aid from the USSR to help defeat America. Since Sen Rockefeller was not challenged for his trip to Syria to insure that the word got to them that Pres Bush planned military action against Saddam. Now it's at the point where it seems no American is allowed to challenge whether Obama meets the very basic requirements to be President.

But I really think that the one who controls Obama is someone/some political thing much more sinister than Emanuel.

[JM Hanes]

The lions don't start lying down with the lambs till January 21, nonetoday. On the other hand, if the Democrats have fooled 'em into thinking Obama has already taken office, maybe they decided they should move up the big test.

[Rick Ballard]

Peter,

Ne'er fear - Bulldoggy and the Porcine Pantsuit Brigade (nicknamed 'The Cackling Cankles') will be dispatched as soon as Madeline finds a big enough broach and Hillary has a few seams let out. Surely Zero can take secure cover behind those three behinds.

[PeterUK]

Rick,
I think that is against the Geneva Conventions,probably a war crime.

[Extraneus]

...maybe they decided they should move up the big test.

I bet they don't have the (sex-neutral) stones to try that.

[Extraneus]

Case in point.

Intelligence chiefs were expecting Al-Qaeda spectacular

Who would think there's a better window of opportunity now than just waiting Bush out? Idiots.

[Ann]

MY EYES!!!

Come on you guys, I am trying to cook and the vision of Obama in military gear taking secure cover behind those three behinds is to much. I take it he is also wearing a gas mask because those three behinds should be considered "Weapons of MASS Destruction".

[kim]

Weapons of Ass Destruction.
=================

[Extraneus]

Would Obama get to design his own uniform?

[Extraneus]

Forget Clinton for the Senate. Iowahawk had the scoop Monday.

[kim]

Oh, God, I just figured out that John Kerry is going to chair the Senate Foreign Relations committee. There's a Weapon of Gas Destruction.
=====================

[kim]

Extraneous, I wonder how Rahm and Crew are going to fool Obama into thinking he's in charge.
============================

[nonetoday]

pager: I agree with you that someone or some group is supporting him that is much worse than Emanuel and it's really frightening mostly because we don't know who they are.

Maybe it's Soros who wants to have political influence - that would be bad but not that bad.

Maybe it's some person or group in the middle east who wants our foreign policy changed so it's more fair to them - that would be bad but it doesn't mean they're planning to attack us. They just don't want another Republican elected. This would probably be someone from Iran or Syria.

But there is so much we don't know about Obama - apparently he has been to Pakistan several times, some people even say his tuition at college was paid by some group from there and that is the real reason he doesn't want us to see his college transcripts. I don't really believe that.

I don't know what to believe anymore and that is the most frightening part. We just don't know.

[kim]

Barbara Bush had surgery for an ulcer. That must mean it perforated or obstructed. Surgery for ulcers has dropped dramatically since the discovery of H. Pylori and the successful medical treatment thereof. It may also mean a malignancy.
================

[kim]

Oh, yeah, H/t HillBuzz.
=============

[Rick Ballard]

They'll probably be infiltrated disguised as sacred cows - simple fake horns would do it. Then it will be The Charge of the Heavy Brigade. Nothing can stand before those lumbering behemoths. Indian war elephants would pale at the sight. If the plans are leaked ahead of time those hostages should be free in nothing flat.

Extraneous,

I know where he'll look for ideas on the uniform.

[sbw]

So what does "popular" signify. Galileo may not have been popular. That doesn't mean his science was wrong.

When a politician wants to increase American's popularity, it means he has no legitimate justification for the policy he would recommend.

[kim]

My Daddy went to one day of the Nuremburg trials and said that Goering was a commanding presence, even in the dock.
================================

[narciso]

Remember AQ's first big spectacular was going to the WTC; "Operation Jerusalem,
where they would topple the towers, which would lead to the US abandoning Israel. That
was the premise in Black Sunday. India has been hit hard consistently back in 1993, 2006, and now. It's Anglospheric character offends the Deobandi/Salafi. Of course, the
likes of Ron Paul advisor Michael Scheuer
would have abandon a billion people; because
it would make us more friendly to the
Moslems along with abandoning Israel, because Islam has't had any truck with the jews since Khaybar and Yathrib (Medina) in 610 AD! There's also the little matter of Surahs 5 & 9. Anne Coulter, even with her jaw wired shut (supposedly) still bats it out of the park, on a column on the nature of jihadism, focusing mostly on Abdullah Massoud, one of the poor 'innocents' at Gitmo, who received a prosthetic leg, while
in their tender care.

Kaplan, one of the few Atlantic columnists still worth reading, Mark Bowden isprobably the other; since they really cover the war on terror, from the grunt's perspective; really dissapoints in this last outing. The last column I felt that way about, involved him rationalizing the ISI's support of the Taliban, mostly because they had
'abandonment issues,' vis a vis, the United States and were more concerned about India, somewhat more rational. That early debate response about Obama being more concerned about 'first responders' still chills me to the bone. The left's sniping at the GOP debate, over too much endorsement of Jack Bauer's tactics, was another sign where seriousness had left the building, Any doubt
where Sarah would have fallen on that spectrum. I know, I'm becoming "Johnny One Note" on the subject; almost like "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha"; Romney sounded good, McCain came across well, even with hsi reservations about interrogation protocols.
Guiliani would have been great, that's why
Wayne Barrett, sought to destroy his reputation, and somewhat succeeded over three books. Of course, he's drawn his first swipe at Sarah: trying to rubbish her entire story. Napolitano, doesn't inspire confidence, that Youtube video with Sarah, that Patrick rousted up, is just a small part of the deal. Don't anybody dare bring up Ridge or Chertoff, after this very crass
maneuver. Brennan's fall, at the hands of the nut roots, was also not a good sign. The fact that Larry Johnson cheered it,
well we know about the character of Mssr. Johnson, don't we. General Jones, seem to be very Scowcroftian, which is not that good a thing. Dennis Blair's name is in so many Bill Geertz dispatches, well lets move on, from any further consideration as DNI.
By the way Matt, Outerbridge Horsey, the former charge d'affairs at the Rome embassy
back in the 50s, among otheraccomplishments?
.So Clarice, are you on any of Rick Moran's shows on file?

[Bill in AZ]

But I really think that the one who controls Obama is someone/some political thing much more sinister than Emanuel.

His name begins with George Soros.

[kim]

Oh, yes, Bill, and I think he precipitated this economic crisis and it has now gotten out of his hands. I haven't much but pure paranoia to defend this belief. That and the $10,000,000 worth of Lehman stock he bought and may have used for shorting.
=====================================

[Rick Ballard]

Bill,

I've been thinking about your theory that the economy goes belly up by plan due to crony capitalism recognizing the Democrats as being much more malleable, easier and cheaper to rent. I wonder if the Wall Street brothel known as Lehman was recognized as Soros' anticipated vehicle in reaping Air Tax rewards for his work in pushing the AGW/Peaker fraud. We know it was a Soros backed (or influenced) hedgehog arsonist that started the CDS fires because he wrote a nice letter telling us so.

I keep wondering if Paulson/Bernanke are just burning out deadwood in order to save the real financial backbone of the country. The Wall Street trash are just conduits - the big pumps belong to the pension funds and insurance companies. They are also the folks who legitimately held the majority of the CDS - and collected handsomely on their policies on Lehman.

Letting Zombiegroup and ZombieMotors stagger around dropping gobbets of flesh for a couple of years before they finally topple may wind up having a salutary effect on the remaining brothel keepers. A quick bullet behind the ear might provide some momentary satisfaction but a drawn out evisceration will tend to be more memorable.

[Extraneus]

I don't know, this one kinda looks like him, but I imagine he'd opt for something a little more dashing with the new position.

[Rick Ballard]

Extraneous,

Close. Closer.

[kim]

So, what about Penn Station? There are reports an attack there was foiled, today.
================================

[kim]

Well, now it seems that they are responding to credible reports that an attack over the holiday season was discussed in late September.
========================================

[nonetoday]

This financial crisis couldn't have been planned by any person or group - that simply isn't possible. It's going on in almost every country in the world.

It's possible people are taking advantage of the crisis but that isn't the same as planning it. Not unless the people responsible found a way to get millions of people to take home loans they couldn't afford and increase their debt when they couldn't pay it back.

I doubt Paulson is actually corrupt - Bernanke doesn't count because he looks as if he is ready to take a nap every time I see him. He obviously isn't making any important decisions. I don't think Geithner is honest or good at his job - he will be much worse than Paulson.

But I do like the way people on Obama's campaign told him to make sure he "frowns and looks concerned" when Obama is speaking about the economy. It must have taken him lots of time to get that facial expression just right - the brow furrowed, the serious look in his eyes, I'm very impressed.

[kim]

Yes, nonetoday, I don't really think it was planned, per se. I think the crisis might have been timed, though. It only happened when Obama fell behind. Perhaps the trigger would not have been pulled had he not fallen behind after the Palin nomination.

See, it's all Sarah's fault.
============================

[narciso]

That seems possible, not unlike the August 2004 plot against IMF and other targets; masterminded by Dhiren Birot, aka Esssam al Hindi, which back then, progressives said there wasn't enough evidence. This was in part because of an ISI leak,that compromised
the British/American Operation Crevice; among whose targets were the 7/7 plotters. The plots by the Lebanese Emir al Andalus, against the PATH network, also match the type of operation we've seen in Mumbai today. History's alarm clock has rung again, will we reset it once more?

[kim]

What I find interesting is that the response in New York came after the Bombay attacks. Do you suppose attacks in New York and Bombay were discussed in September, and we knew about them, but didn't take them seriously until the Bombay plans came true?
=======================================

[Ann]

Rick and Extraneus,

I think I am closer than both of you: President Elect Obama and wife Michelle

[PD]

I don't get why, if we think the opinion of us by know-it-all elites here are worth about as much as birdcage liner, should we care about the opinion of us by know-it-all elites elsewhere in the world?

It's not like it makes any sense to give others the power over you to determine your own view of yourself. Are libs such empty souls that they must determine their actions based on the likely effect on poll standings rather than on principle?

I know; rhetorical question.

[PeterUK]

"How are they going to make Obama think he is charge"?
That is what the UN is for,foreign travel,ceremonial duties, inspecting the troops, keep him busy for years.

[Pagar]

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Bill in AZ, Kim, and I share a common belief.
George Soros is responsible for much of the Democrat's LUCK during this campaign.

[Jane]

Good Morning! Happy Turkey Day. I have several turkeys coming to my house today, many of them related to me and a couple who are already here.

Not to get mushy or anything, I'm very grateful for all the JOMers far and wide. You guys make the big bad political world fun and I like waking up to you too!

[centralcal]

Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone! I, too, like Jane, am thankful for JOM, the wonderful regular commenters, and all that I learn here.

[centralcal]

Rick:

Ne'er fear - Bulldoggy and the Porcine Pantsuit Brigade (nicknamed 'The Cackling Cankles') will be dispatched as soon as Madeline finds a big enough broach and Hillary has a few seams let out.

The Bulldoggy Brigade

[kim]

Good Heavens, this Bombay attack was a marine invasion. They came by ship from Pakistan. Ooh, trouble, trouble, trouble.
====================================

[kim]

Whatcha gonna do Obombay Boy?
========================

[Jane]

OT: One of my Thanksgiving guests works at Treasury.

He says the current buzz for the big 3 auto makers is the Romney plan - a managed bankruptcy. No bailout.

We can only hope.

[centralcal]

I just got a Zogby poll email. About the following subjects: Holiday shopping/spending; the big 3 auto bailout; gun ownership.

Wonder who commissioned this poll?

[sbw]

I wasn't going to wake up at 6 AM to beat the rush of JOMers jostling on Fat Thursday before Black Friday to say, "Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving!"

But it is now 9 AM and I am thankful for this community that has wit, wisdom, a touch of the absurd, and, importantly, can tell the difference.

The Baker Street Regulars here sift through the noise that keeps the channels of communication going and then, when the time comes, pounce on the subjects worthy of attention.

Well, thank you all! Enjoy a morning of Macy's Parade, occasional laptops, before traveling over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house, ... unless you stay home 'cause Grandma's house is yours.

[sbw]

I take it back. Keep your remote handy while NBCing the Macy's Parade. It's overrun with identical teen heartthrob zombie clones shilling their rating-deflated NBC TV shows. Most everything else is sliced up with lounge lizard medleys and commercials.

[hit and run]

Oops I out my T-Day mushiness on the wrong thread, it would appear.

I won't repeat it for fear of getting all teary eyed all over again.

I love you guys. And especially you gals.

[Thomas Collins]

Happy Thanksgiving, TM and all JOMers. Three of the gifts for which I will be giving thanks in my prayers today are the gifts of information, knowledge and fun this blog brings to my soul.

[Joe Gloor]

Okay - I know I'm not as smart as most of the posters here, but to me, it seems like the Democratic Party run Congress has basically driven the economy bus off the road over the last few years in order to gain a 'for sure' win for the Presidency after Bush II.
The last time they won, "it was the economy, Stupid".
Does that make any sense?
Especially now that they're positioning themselves to resolve the problems (they caused) with the economy with 'big government' solutions?

[Jane]

I wasn't going to wake up at 6 AM

Clearly you aren't cooking!