Friedman On ISIS - It's Complicated

Tom Friedman explains that its OK for Obama to be engaged in Deep Reflection on What To Do About ISIS because the situation is complicated.

Right. Because the situation involving Syria, Iraq, Iran and the rest of the Middle Eastern bowl of spaghetti hasn't been tangled for years, and the sudden transformation of the Junior Varsity could never have been foreseen.

Well. Friedman doesn't even note in passing that it might not be such a great strategy for Obama to tell the world that we don't have a stratgey, but fellow columnist Frank Bruni tackled that minor point.

Comments

[Exasperated]

First. Yay!

[anonamom]

Who will be last to wake up--Friedman or Krugman?

And, once again, the perennial question---can anybody be this incompetent/clueless, or is it all going as planned?

[clarice]

Following on from the prior thread, if the icloud pics of Maybee and I turn up online and you've not met us--I'm the one posing with the fruit--she's with the veggies.

Carry on.

[James D.]

...and a thousand Photoshop jobs were born!

[James D.]

Back on topic, Friedman (and Krugman et am) should be skinned alive, doused in barbecue sauce and fed to a pack of starving, feral rabid dogs.

I'm just saying.

[James D.]

"Et al"

[narciso]

Friedman, clueless since 1982, continuously:

http://therightscoop.com/stunning-eli-lake-says-obama-administration-worried-about-who-will-replace-isis-if-they-liberate-raqqa/

[Appalled]

Even Friedman contemplates that, after a few more rounds of golf, that Obama will do something, while leading some mighty coalition. I wonder how many here share the faith that Obama will be roused to do anything?

Look, I've come to believe the Middle East is pretty hopeless, and they really are going to have to fight it out among themselves (and that may take centuries.) Isis, however, is uniquely vile, and it wants to take direct aim at us. So the US needs to be the one that rouses itself up to destroy them.

But, there is one thing with the Middle east. Mostly, it needs to sort itself out. If it does not want to do that -- then, sorry guys, fracking is making you irrelevant, and we'll work at making you more irrelevant.

[narciso]

someone said something, some years ago, about making our prosperity subject to events in places like Abquaiq or Venezuela

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2014/09/03/not-having-a-strategy-yet-makes-good-strategic-sense-against-isis/

[Cecil Turner]

Good grief. Here's Brainwave's summary sentence from his opening graf:

That sounded odd to my ear — like we should just bomb somebody, even if it is stupid. If Obama did that, what would he be ignoring?

Brilliant. Except he is bombing--he just doesn't have a plan to make the bombing coherent--so it's doing various enemies a small injury in hopes it'll work out well. The truly funny part is that Friedman gets around to something approaching an actual strategy at the end:

I’m all-in on destroying ISIS. It is a sick, destabilizing movement. I support using U.S. air power and special forces to root it out, but only as part of a coalition . . .

Apparently blissfully unaware he outperformed in a paragraph the President he's trying to defend.

Speaking of incoherence, I just wasted ~5 minutes listening to this feather merchant describe the Administration non-strategy on IS(IL/IS/?). See, we're going to destroy them or contain them, or both . . . Or maybe we'll destroy them by containing 'em. I feel much better now.

[Extraneus]

As if we needed an admission to know that there's no Obama strategy to defeat jihad. How un-serious is the USA that it took a gaffe to raise this point in the minds of the cognoscente.

I'm feeling like squaredance lately.

[Cecil Turner]

And since when did a PIO become the only face of the Pentagon? I distinctly remember actual operators explaining something they presumably knew something about.

Having this guy lecture about vapid nonsense--especially in league with Susan Rice and Ben Rhodes at the NSC, and Jen Psaki and Marie Harf at State--just underscores the unserious and substance-challenged nature of our foreign policy.

[narciso]

the Strain seems less allegorical every day, the beheader grew up on a 3 million pound estate, one of their top money men, is a sort of Mr. Chips, with quite an online following, like his Yemeni counterpart.

[narciso]

Well he's doing his best Terry Jones impression,
'splunge but I'm not being indecisive'

[Jack is Back (by the pool on his iPhone)]

My theory is that since the right are such vocal anti-Islamists and pro-National security the left is forced to take an opposing view. I know it sounds simplistic, naive even but I can't think of any other rationale for their reasoning.

[Cecil Turner]

Look, I've come to believe the Middle East is pretty hopeless, and they really are going to have to fight it out among themselves (and that may take centuries.)

If the goal were peace on earth, that'd be spot-on . . . but it isn't. The goal is (US national) security. And that means containment at the very least; how we do that is negotiable, how it affects lines on the Mideast map is their problem. I agree ISIS is slated for destruction. But not because they're a particularly pernicious organization, it's just not feasible to contain individual jihadists.

Moreover, our fecklessness in dealing with an obvious national security threat is causing other problems (and it's about to cause a lot more). Bad actors everywhere (and especially Russia, China, Syria, Iran, and DPRK) see our unwillingness to act and decide it's game on. It's worth remembering, "interesting times" is a curse.

Finally, for those who like playground analogies, when the toughest kid encounters several bullies, what does he do? He grabs the closest one and makes a quick example out of him. Putting it off (or hand-wringing in the hopes they'll get religion) doesn't make it easier.

[Miss Marple]

Jack, At the bottom of it, you are pretty close to the truth.

The other part of this is that they are so convinced that they are smarter and on the correct side, that they simply do not realize the consequences of what they are doing.

This goes all the way back to Vietnam (my earliest memory of foreign and military policy in which the left really changed the course of a war).

They managed to get us out of Vietnam and end the draft. To this day they are PROUD of that, even though it meant abandoning an ally and millions of deaths and refugees floating all over the China Sea.

I really thought the country would stay unified after 9/11. Once they figured out a way to sow doubt and mistrust about W, they got the bit in their teeth and off they went.

I am hard-pressed to believe any of them want the best for this country.

[clarice]

Thanks, Cecil. On a gray rainy morning you bring (as usual) some clarity.

[narciso]

the excuse back in the 00's was Iraq was 'distracting' us from Afghanistan, so we pulled out of Iraq, we're pulling out of Afghanistan, we didn't commit to Syria, when there are twice
as many 'Asians' is ISIL as in the British Army,
the problem is more systemic

[narciso]

that same outfit, the Muntada trust, has been involved in funding the second caliphate, with Boko Haram

[anonamom]

CT--"Apparently blissfully unaware he outperformed in a paragraph the President he's trying to defend."

As any one of those first 200 people in the Boston phonebook could.

[Jane]

"Is the president consoling us — or himself? It’s as if he’s taken his interior monologue and wired it to speakers in the town square. And it’s rattling."

From the link within the link.

How I hope the teleprompter will fail one day. I need some comic relief.

[clarice]

Jane, we could waylay a 12 year old and persuade him to hack the teleprompter of the US.

[narciso]

Come on, as if the 'social media' line wasn't the teleprompter acting up, the other day.

[NK]

Climate-- Dr Roy Spencer (UAH Sat.) releases the August lower trop #s from the satellites... and no heat. The NH moderated, the tropics dropped, and the 'anomoly' from the 30 year average is .2C. 6th warmest August out of 35 for the satellite. It is definitely warmer than the 70s and early 80s, but less warm than the 97-98 Super El Nino. natural variability? cosmic rays and cloud formation? reduction of NH aerosols? who knows, but the simple truth is that the CO2 models are now DISproven by the data: http://www.drroyspencer.com/2014/09/uah-global-temperature-update-for-august-2014-0-20-deg-c/

[clarice]

XOXO, narciso.

[anonamom]

And yes, you OBLITERATE these people, and it will be an amazing deterrent to whomever comes in to take their place. You don't have worry about who will fill the void.

Geez, this isn't any different than raising children--let them know who is in charge, clearly, and as often as needed until they get the message. You do it with the first, and those that follow get with the program much sooner.

[Appalled]

Cecil:

There are parts of the world we mostly ignore, because the national interest does not require we spend a lot of time there. The adventures of the Central African Republic, for example, do not stir us up much.

To the extent we are not dependent on resources from the Middle East, we can put this part of the world somewhat farther down the list. What's the other answer? Reform the Mideast? Really?

The funny thing is that we have tried two methods of dealing with abhorrent Middle Eastern regimes. Remove and reform (Saddam) or just remove (Qaddaffi). Libya and Iraq seem about in the same place right now.

Which tells me, ultimately, the US military should be used to advance US interests. Which is making the world safe for Americans (sorry Isis), but not necessarily making the world safe for Democracy.

[narciso]

It's all a Bialystok play, or if you wish a giant star goat, a fraud designed to make us give up the cornerstone of modern industrial society, of course they never will, this is why they go after Steyn, the Huntress, anybody who speaks truth to power,

of course, the other course is very easy when you have the modern counterpart to Bill Hayden(Le Carre's vision of a victorious Philby) at the top of the intelligence pyramid, and don't forget General McGoo (Clapper)

[jimmyk]

Wretchard's column that daddy linked in the previous thread is worth linking again:

http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2014/09/02/ring-of-fire/

He asks: "What happens when a fierce minimalist meets a fierce fire?"

Taranto, along similar lines, writes of Obama in BOTW: "The Ultimate Unilateralist: The world can't change Obama's worldview."

And 404's nonsense about ISIS not being Islam is (per Taranto again) the "No true Scotsman" fallacy.

What a leader we have.

[NK]

With apologies to GMAX, who's optimism has worried me (NO JINX!), but based on this Battleground August poll... BOOM!! The indies are strongly trending to a repub vote and repub/conservative enthusiasm is much higher than the squish progs. POTUS Le Counte de Merde is killing Dem candidates. I'd be satisfied with +8 House and +8 Senate for the Repubs, but I'm greedy:
http://hotair.com/archives/2014/09/03/breaking-battleground-poll-shows-gop-4-on-congressional-ballot-wide-intensity-gap/

[narciso]

turns out that twit McCain, no the other one, worked at the Minneapolis airport

[Rick B]

Appalled,

I believe Sisi's application of the Attaturk model of suppression is worth watching very closely. Attaturk brought Turkey out of the Mahometan dark age where its practitioners habitually reside by careful management and heavy culling of glory seeking imams. Sisi is employing similar tactics in Egypt wrt the MB.

I'd really like to see Egypt tasked with pacification of Libya, paid for in Libyan oil and completed without Western handwringing regarding methods. Eradicating savages is more a matter of will than a matter of means.

[Threadkiller]

Obama remains unable to admit the truth about the religion of Islam.

The problem, daddy, is that we are unable to admit the truth about Obama.

The dude is a Muslim.

[Threadkiller]

Oops. That was a meant for the previous thread.

[Threadkiller]

KT McFarland was on Fox complaining that Saudi Arabia needs to be more involved.

She said:"we need less US boots on the ground and more Arab sandals in the sand."

She will be getting a call from Holder's hate crime posse.

[Cecil Turner]

To the extent we are not dependent on resources from the Middle East, we can put this part of the world somewhat farther down the list.

We did not invade Iraq (or Afghanistan) because of oil, but because of terrorism. (However, I concur as part of a long-term energy strategy, fracking, XL pipeline, Atlantic drilling, and exporting LNG to Europe all make sense . . . and as a short-term tactic to put pressure on Russia . . . which means of course that the Administration will continue to obstruct.)

The funny thing is that we have tried two methods of dealing with abhorrent Middle Eastern regimes. Remove and reform (Saddam) or just remove (Qaddaffi). Libya and Iraq seem about in the same place right now.

I disagree that we actually tried two dissimilar methods. Unfortunately, the salient point of each (as in Somalia) was the last one: run away.


I do agree they had similar results.

[Threadkiller]

Full Video: Canadian TV Unleashed; Obama-Fraud Constitutional Crisis Unparalleled In History!?

http://www.birtherreport.com/2014/09/full-video-canadian-tv-unleashed-obama.html

[NK]

For the last time, Obummer is not a Muslim. He loves himself too much to submit to Allah or any other spiritual guide. That said, he is an active supporter of the MB political movement, so his most beloved groups in the world are Hamas, Erdogan's MB gangsters in Turkey and their Shite oppposite numbers the Mullahs and Hezbollah. Those groups work everyday to undermine USA wealth and influence, so along with Putin, the ChiComs and EUCrats, they are the groups Obummer relies on to reduce USA power.

[GMax]

OMG! Get a load of the new Politico/GWU survey:

Brand new numbers from a fresh Politico/GWU nationwide survey — all of which are among likely voters, with a partisan sample of 41/40/17 (D/R/I):

(1) Republicans hold a four-point lead (43/39) on the generic Congressional ballot, a measure that traditionally favors Democrats. Including leaners, the margin is unchanged (46/42). Republicans have a strong edge on this question among independent (+15) and middle class voters (+11).

BTW, this is nationwide. On states that have a competitive Senate race, the number is +16, but the caveat is that small individual state sample sizes make the MOE quite large.

BOOM!

[Threadkiller]

Muslims can't love themselves.

[Threadkiller]

Jeremiah Wright: I “Made It Comfortable” For Obama to Accept Christianity Without Having to Renounce Islam

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/05/jeremiah-wright-i-made-it-comfortable-for-obama-to-accept-christianity-without-having-to-renounce-islam/

[NK]

And Obummer loves himself, more than all the world, hence......

[jimmyk]

NK, I think TK was being sarcastic.

[Paula]

Shampoo strategy: president wants to make ISIS soft and manageable. -David [email protected]

[Threadkiller]

Obama is a Muslim.

[GMax]

More from the Politico poll, which was done by Battleground, so Tarrance Group collaborated with a Democrat group ( sometimes that is Celinda Lake ). They jointly decide on the poll methodology and partisan split, which to me means that it might just be even worse for Democrats than this shows. Here is the intensity findings:

The vote intensity of Republican voters is strong – a net twelve-points more than their Democratic counterparts. Overall, sixty-two percent (62%) of voters say they are extremely likely to vote in the November elections. However, Republicans (69% extremely likely) outpace Democrats (57% extremely likely). In fact, this intensity advantage exceeds where Republicans were in the September 2010 Battleground Poll.

[NK]

Wright is a dubious source, but if you accept his statements, then Obummer doesn't believe in Jesus Christ or Mohammed the Prophet, he only believes in himself as a messiah for all of those black and brown people worldwide to increase their political power. That's all he is. That's why white Americans, the Brits and Israelis get the back of the hand. He's very consistent about that.

[NK]

No idea, I have a defective sarcasm scanner.

[GMax]

More good news, from the Univ of Fla, the Tampa Bay Tribune and a Tampa Bay tv station we get this:

GOVERNOR – FLORIDA (UF/TBT/BN9)
Rick Scott (R-inc) 41%
Charlie Crist (D) 36%
Adrian Wyllie (L) 6%

[Jim Eagle]

Republicans have a strong edge on this question among independent (+15) and middle class voters (+11).

Steyn was in for Rush yesterday and he pointed out that in 2008 73% of polled Americans considered themselves "middle class". Today it is 58% down 15 pts. Where did the 15 go - to the "dependent class". Another Obama political strategy - shrink the middle class.

Maybe its about to backfire.

[Jane]

GREAT Howie Carr article:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/howie_carr/2014/09/carr_john_kerry_goes_kiteboarding_while_the_world_burns

[Danube on iPad]

Destruct and destroy.

--Motor City Hitman, 1985

[Extraneus]

NK, I think TK was being sarcastic.

Or picking apart NK's logic in four words.

[Appalled]

Cecil:

The salient fact is that US opinion will not sustain a long stationing of a significant number of troops, absent a preceding war that commences as a result of an attack on us, or a vital interest. The only exception to that I can think of is, maybe, Korea. We will run away from places where we run the risk of significant casualties if the electorate does not believe we should have been in in the first place. (Even Reagan -- see Beiruit)

[Rick B]

Maybe its about to backfire.

JiB,

It's as you noted the other morning, the actual state of the electorate has gone unreported due to noncompliance with model.

Here's the complete data from Tarrance:

Battleground Crosstabs

I'm most heartened by the lack of enthusiasm among the Lackwitz Sisters although the lack of enthusiasm among blacks is certainly impressive as well.

[NK]

or not,

[fdcol63]

We can debate ad nauseum whether Obama is a Muslim, or a godless Marxist-Socialist, or just a narcissist in love with himself.

What is very clear, though, is that he's very hostile to America, to our Constitution, to capitalism and our economy, to our allies, to Western Judeo-Christian culture, to American national security, and to our best interests.

His strategy is to do nothing while chaos flourishes and the world spirals out of control.

He undermined American credibility from the beginning with his apology tour, and has continued to do so by alienating our allies while trying to forge relationships with our enemies.

He and the Dems ridiculed and undermined the carefully constructed coalitions of European and Arab states that both Bushes created to fight in Iraq and Kuwait.

During the past 20 years, our so-called European allies have allowed their fetish for PC multicultural immigration policies to basically change their demographics to the point where they have such large Muslim populations that it's almost politically impossible for them to participate in such coalitions in the future, even to fight a barbaric militant Islamist threat like ISIS EVEN IF these governments wanted to do so.

Obama won't confront ISIS because he shares their hostility to America, and even if he were to half-heartedly try to do so, he won't be able to put together any meaningful coalition to fight ISIS because no one trusts the US anymore and they don't share our same desire to confront militant Islam.

After the examples of Iraq and Afghanistan, what "moderate" Muslims would stick their necks out to help the US or the West, knowing that we'd simply pull out when we wanted to and leave them to face the Islamist barbarians alone?

[Beasts of England]

Who cares about ISIS and global warming! Tom Warson is trying to sabotage our Ryder Cup team!

[jimmyk]

The salient fact is that US opinion will not sustain a long stationing of a significant number of troops, absent a preceding war that commences as a result of an attack on us, or a vital interest. leadership capable of inspiring public support, and not running for cover at the first sign of difficulty.

Fixed.

[Beasts of England]

Tom Watson is trying, too...

[Marlene]

Jane,Howie discussed Kerry yesterday,his column is great. I noticed the headline on the Boston Herald website saying the fake Indian is going to vote against casino gambling on the Mass. ballot. Ha,you can't make this stuff up!
The Maine morning update is just as I predicted,the Clinton event was a swoon fest. Yeah,someone passed out,due to the intense heat in the venue. If the polling looks as bad as GMax and Rick B report that explains sending Clinton out to campaign for Dems. In 2010 Clinton came to Maine to campaign for the Dem candidate for governor.She came in third(19%) in a field of five.

[Ignatz]

-- The goal is (US national) security.--

Are we sure that's Barry's goal?
His goal seems to be supporting the team most likely to bring about a fundamental transformation of other countries he doesn't like, just as he did here, but only in ways which he doesn't think reflect badly on him.

He had no problem with standing by while Iraq dissolved until ISIS came along and made doing so look bad.
And so it is largely Barry's security that motivates his foreign policy.
I suppose in his own sick way he thinks that makes us more secure.
Call it the What's Good for Barry General Motors FP.

[Bori]

Is Obama a Muslim or is he just one of those "intellectuals" that truly believed that if the Muslim Arab world were united under a Caliphate it would lead to peace and end the regional conflicts?

This is a total mis-interpretation of history because it ignores the conflicts that have been part of that region even before the rise of Islam.

Yet, there are many that feel that a Caliphate would be able to solve that. This is one of the reason for some to oppose Israel, as they see it as a deterrent in that goal.

[NK]

I agree with fdcol63, that is the important point. What Obummer is actually doing impoverishes America and reduces our ability to protect our interests in liberty, security and free markets, why he does it, is secondary.

BoE-- the USA Ryder Cup team will get schlaged at Glen Eagles, no matter who plays. The USA has been second best in the competition for going on 25 years now. Not good, but true.

[Extraneus]

or not,

:-)

[Danube on iPad]

Essential Noemie Emery, "Bonjour Malaise":

http://washingtonexaminer.com/bonjour-malaise/article/2552732

[GMax]

Actual link to full poll done by Battleground for Politico/GWU:

http://mediarelations.gwu.edu/battleground-poll

[Miss Marple]

Michael Ledeen was on local radio and said that everything Obama does is what Iran wants, and believes when you look at this ISIS thing it makes it more comprehensible if you look at it that way.

ISIS was okay with Iran while they were wreaking terror in Iraq. However, Ledeen said ISIS is like Iran's Frankenstein monster which is now out of their control. However, while they are ok with bombing them in iraq they are NOT ok with them bombing in Syria, because that would threaten Assad, who is one of their allies.

This explains, Ledeen said, the bomb -not bomb situation Obama finds himself promoting.

I am reporting this as a possible explanation. Not sure it is right, but I am disturbed to think it is a possibility.
Ledeed says Obama has had back-channel contacts with Iran for a long time.

[Cecil Turner]

The salient fact is that US opinion will not sustain a long stationing of a significant number of troops . . .

What jimmyk said. But the bottom line is, that's just silly. We had 100,000 troops in Asia since WWII. Keeping a tithe of that in Iraq was hardly onerous (and in fact was what everyone expected . . . right up to the point our fearless leader™ and his smart diplomacy™ team screwed the pooch).

[Ignatz]

Committed leftists believe the real world is infinitely and fairly easily malleable to the idiosyncratic, utopian dreamworlds they inhabit.

Barry no more believes in Islam or Christianity as they actually are than he believes in the free market. He and all of his wooly-headed fellow travelers believe in a romantic, soft focus and at-once nostalgic but not yet extent version of these things. Allah and Jehovah and the Christ have never quite lived up to his expectations and their followers certainly never have and so he and his ilk invent this Happy Days nostalgia for a future of the Islamic lion laying down with the Christian lamb and all of them worshiping at the feet of the Paris commune or Black Liberation theology or whatever crazy-ass gimcrackery these nuts have substituted for the real world this week; a world that they'll never get over being disappointed by and which will never live up to their rigorous standards.

Of course it never lives up to any of our standards but it's the Barrys among us who think they have to fight to the last (other) man to conform it to their views rather than conforming their views to the real world and immutable human nature.

[Beasts of England]

@NK: Momentum and available skill are not on our side. Losing Johnson, Dufner, and Kuchar was brutal. I would have picked Moore, Kirk, and Haas; but it's an uphill push regardless.

[Extraneus]

Spengler is on the same wavelength as Ledeen.

The Trouble Is that Obama DOES Have a Strategy

Obama’s “we-don’t-have-a-strategy” gaffe was so egregious as to distract attention from the fact that he does indeed have a strategy, which has blown up in his face. His strategy is accommodation with Iran at all costs. As I wrote earlier this month, our ISIS problem derives from our Iran problem: Bashar Assad’s ethnic cleansing, which has displaced 4 million Syrians internally and driven 3 million out of the country, was possible because of Iranian backing. The refugee flood in Iraq and Syria gives ISIS an unlimited pool of recruits. Iraqi Sunni support for ISIS, including the participation of some of Saddam Hussein’s best officers, is a response to Iran’s de facto takeover of Iraq.

[fdcol63]

"Not sure it is right, but I am disturbed to think it is a possibility."

Two words: Valerie Jarrett.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Well of course Flathead would defend mindless dithering; it's his entire MO.

[Appalled]

CT:

And America yawned when the troops were yanked out of Iraq. Except for the folks on the left who cheered. That's sorta my point, y'know...

The troops in Asia you refer to (I think) are ones we have in Japan and Korea. Relics of older wars.

And for the leadership you crave? Look, Reagan, the best leader the GOP has had for a century or so, left after the Beiruit bombing. If Reagan could not sustain a military presence, and I think you would agree that he was the most persuasive GOP leader since Teddy Roosevelt, then...well, good luck finding your guy.

[NK]

@BoE-- it's funny, 'momentum' is important. less than 1 year ago, on then form, the Euro golf commentators were defeatist on 2014 Ryder Cup chances because of USA form and several Euro golfers being down (like Rory). Here's the President Cup scoring from South Africa, check out the form of the USA players at that time, then won a comfy victory on very foreign soil: http://www.presidentscup.com/scoring/2013.html

[Threadkiller]

We can debate ad nauseum whether Obama is a Muslim, or a godless Marxist-Socialist, or just a narcissist in love with himself.

A three front war?

It is time for Rule 12:

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy.

Obama is Teflon because of a multiple choice that his opponents buy into.

Know your enemy.

[Captain Hate]

Depressing the base at every opportunity;

http://minx.cc:1080/?post=351549

[Appalled]

TK:

I agree that you should know your enemy. Which is why you should not make him the sum total of your fears.

[NK]

'Know your enemy' always true. But, as fdcol63 pointed out above, it is enough to know that what Obummer is doing engangers America, why he is doing is less important. 'Knowing' what he is doing, is enogh to make him a political enemy that should be confronted at every turn. Obsessing over 'why' he does what he does is far less important IMO.

[Extraneus]

Vladimir Putin talks nuclear power as he tells the West to back off over Ukraine

A WEEK ago the prospect of nuclear war was a dim memory. Now, Russian President Vladmir Putin has put the nightmare firmly back on the agenda in a thinly veiled threat to the west to “back off” over Ukraine.

This morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott labelled Russia’s escalating and “open” invasion into Ukraine as “war”.

But he was not only person using fighting words. At a youth forum on Friday, Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threat was simple.

“I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations. This is a reality, not just words.”

It’s the first time in more than 25 years that Moscow has raised the spectre of nuclear war. The difference this time is that its tanks are already pouring over its western borders.

[Miss Marple]

Some choice quotes from Obama's Estonia speech, via Charlie Sperling on Twitchy:

http://twitchy.com/2014/09/03/that-is-rich-obamas-estonia-speech-contains-his-least-self-aware-remarks-ever-photo/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter

[Beasts of England]

@NK: Interesting to see Watson's picks of Mahan, Bradley and Simpson on that President's Cup scoreboard. Maybe he's using his rear view mirror! ;)

[Ignatz]

By Wretchard in the comments to his column linked above;

Any return to the Middle East will be as a salvage party re-entering the smoking hulk of a ship looking for survivors. And whoever reboards that derelict in the future had better be alert. In the glare of their flashlights they'll glimpse strange, furtive forms.

"Was that a man I saw Captain?", one boarder will ask. "It looked funny but I only saw it for an instant."

"That's because he was carrying a head."

"Oh. What's through this door Captain?"

"It used to be Lebanon. Ok men, form a stack. On my count ..."

There is no way back to the status quo ante. The Iraq legacy, for good or ill, is gone. The Cold War victory of 1989 is gone. What Kissinger called "a brief moment in human history when one could speak of an incipient global world order" is gone. Maybe for the best.

Obama will be remembered as an extremely consequential president. He did "fundamentally change" the world but not in the way he can understand. I almost wish he did by design. But I have a feeling the verdict of history will be that he pushed the wrong buttons by accident, simply because they had bright colors and made beeping sounds.

[narciso]

this isn't disquieting:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/emperor-nero/draper-text

[GMax]

Going back and looking at the Battleground polling closest to today's date in history gives us this:

2014: R +4 46/42

2012: D +2 44/46
2010: Even 43/43
2008: D +8 40/48
2006: D +8 41/49
2004: D +4 41/45

[NK]

RickB-- I was wondering about your observation about the cross tabs and the lackwitz sisters. Then I drilled down some more and noted that while 'Female' likelihood of voting is not significantly below male, BUT the most likely female voters are older and Repub. Yes, the Lackwitz sisters are out of love with Dems right now, and married and older women will vote against Dems. Me likey.

[Ignatz]

From Twitchy;

"Oh hell, Obama just told NATO countries 'if u like ur freedom, u can keep ur freedom'..."

[Threadkiller]

Which is why you should not make him the sum total of your fears.

What?

[NK]

@BoE-- I would never second guess Tom Watson's golf or leadership acumen. he's got tons more than I can dream of. Maybe he hopes to catch 'team spirit' lightning in a bottle by largely reassembling the '13 PC team.

[narciso]

Flathead misses the point, the Sauds are actually worse than indecisive, their clansmen furnish the Azzam brigades, one of their most popular preacher Al Arifi works with Awadi, the Kuwaiti Mr, Chips, Qatar is worse, as they have really taken over the Syrian account,

[Jim Eagle]

Beasts,

What happened to Kuchar? He was an automatic and is still on the team.

The problem is not Tom's picks but having guys like Furyk (choker extraordinaire) on the team. You can already give the Euro's on singles match.

Mahan has been playing excellent golf all year and is 3rd in the FedEx standings. Hard to keep him off. I am with you regarding Chris Kirk.

[Beasts of England]

@NK: Ol' Tom probably knows a little more about golf and the current batch of player than me, as well. I just want that cup!! :)

[Old Lurker]

I've just finished Iguden's (sp) five book historical novel on Julius Caesar. One of the Roman Consuls became fed up with the pre-Islam pirates dominating the trade routes in the Med. The Senate gave him the Roman fleet and all the legions required to "fix it".

Took him forty days.

Just sayin...

[Threadkiller]

Obsessing over 'why' he does what he does is far less important IMO.

If Obama is ideologically driven, are you saying it is of no importance?

[Bori]

Ext,

I read the Spengler post, I usually agree with him but now I think he over simplifying and looking at the wrong boogie man.

First off, Assad and his Alawites have had friction with the Sunnis since the French put them in charge when they relinquished their Mandate.

Before Obama gave the Cairo speech that sparked the Arab Spring, Assad had been working and had adopted some reforms in Syria.

The civil war that has cause the mass devastation in the country was a reaction to the uprising by the Sunnis, which Assad, unlike Mubarak who simply capitulated, resisted.

Iranian and Hezbollah backing of Assad in Syria did not start because of the Civil War there but was pre-existing condition.

As for the Saudis they have their own issues with Islamists, joining the fray against fellow Sunnis in Iraq, baring a direct attack by them would make the local problem exacerbate.

[narciso]

Arendt did a lot of damage, that is beginning to be rectified:

http://www.historytoday.com/david-cesarani/eichmann-dock-again

Yes, Robert Harris, in his moonbat phase, focused on those laws, which he compared to the Patriot Act

[Cecil Turner]

And America yawned when the troops were yanked out of Iraq. Except for the folks on the left who cheered. That's sorta my point, y'know...

Not quite. There was plenty of attention paid to the process, from the early interference by the Obama campaign in the SOFA negotiations until the final breakdown three years later. No, the New York Times didn't take him to task (unsurprisingly), and lefty fact-checkers are still covering for him, blaming it all on the Iraqis' SOFA negotiations.

And you make my point rather better than yours: the American people would've accepted a stabilizing force; Obama pandered to his base, prioritizing politics above national security.

[jimmyk]

If Reagan could not sustain a military presence, and I think you would agree that he was the most persuasive GOP leader since Teddy Roosevelt, then...well, good luck finding your guy.

I don't disagree with the magnitude of the challenge. But I would disagree that it is hopeless. The fact that we have survived with imperfect leadership to varying degrees (say, from Carter to Reagan) does not imply that inadequate leadership is all we are capable of.

In fact, I'd go further and say that Reagan was on the whole (at least) adequate, even if he cut and ran in Beirut. Overall the US ended stronger than before. But this situation seems much more serious than what Reagan faced.