The Defeat Of The Coalition Will Be Televised

Apparently ISIS will defeat the US-led coalition and take the Kurdish town of Kobane live and on international television:

As Islamic State Nears Conquest of Syrian Town, U.S. Presses Turks

WASHINGTON — As fighters from the Islamic State were on the brink of a highly visible conquest of a Syrian town near the Turkish border, Obama administration officials on Wednesday said there were limits to what the United States was able or willing to do to defend it.

Officials from the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon warned that airstrikes alone would not be sufficient to protect the town, Kobani, from the black-clad fighters. Their comments came a month afterPresident Obama expanded the military campaign against the Sunni militant group into Syria. Although the Kurdish town — with television cameras trained on it from across the border in Turkey — has become a vivid symbol of the Islamic State’s lethal advance, and the Kurds’ fierce resistance, administration officials sought to play down its strategic importance.

“As horrific as it is to watch in real time what’s happening in Kobani,” Secretary of State John Kerry said at a news conference, “it’s also important to remember that you have to step back and understand the strategic objective and where we have begun over the course of the last weeks.”

Isn't it great to be reassured by Johnny Nuance? A few short weeks ago several beheading videos prompted an international outcry and prompted Team Obama to elevate their response to ISIS (which had begun earlier with airstrikes on behalf of the Kurds and Yazidis). Now ISIS will have their latest thumb in our eye broadcast to the world, live.

But since it is sort of part of the "plan", not to worry. Really? Maybe it would be less humiliating if we just have Kerry and Obama start producing recruiting videos for ISIS themselves; at least then the world wouldn't have to watch the US and its coalition of Alphonse and Gaston stand by while the people it is ostensibly protecting are slaughtered on global television. I am stunned that our PR geniuses think this will be something other than a disaster for the US and whatever is left of our credibility.

The WaPo has more on the so-far fruitless attempts to enlist Turkey. The gist - if the US would announce and enforce a no-fly zone in northern Syria and picks up the effort against Assad, Turkey might put boots on the ground which the Kurds don't want. 

MORE: They f***d up - they trusted us. Richard Fernandez of The Belmont Club on the Administration betrayal of the Kurds. He includes this passage from the Independent of Britain:

The capture of Kobani by Isis may be a turning point in the present crisis in Iraq and Syria because it marks the failure of the US plan to contain Isis using air power alone. President Obama promised less than a month ago “to degrade and destroy” the fundamentalists with air power, but Isis is still expanding and winning victories.

People who want to choose the strong horse won't be in a hurry to choose the US.

Comments

[MarkO]

The First.

[Man Tran on old iPhone]

I sent the link to Kevin Williamson's article on homeschooling to our DIL in anticipation of our g-daughter deserving that solution. Our DIL is back in school (mid 40s) and sent this response.

Wow! Since I started my class, I have learned so much about the school system, home schooling and Eastern Europe math education that it backs up everything that man said... There are no white men in my math class, they all dropped out, and I am one of three white women. Everyone else is from another country in my math class and English is their second language. As I struggle every day they sit in class bored getting A's and watching videos of playing poker on their phones. So I asked them how they know so much. They told me they learned all of this math in high school and they just need these math classes for their degrees. They have already learned matrices, inverse matrices linear programming and other math subjects yet to come. My math tutor in the math lab who is considered a genius was guess what, homeschooled until he was 6 and jumped right into 3rd grade and speaks two other languages one being Chinese...

Commie Core will fix all that!

[Iggy]

Never get involved in a land war in Asia war you do not intend to win.

[NKreBootDeux]

I honestly believe John Effin' Kerry is stupider than Obummer.

[Marlene]

Someone needs to make a GIF of Jen Psaki shuffling thru her notes at the State Dept. briefing yesterday. She was trying to answer a reporter's question about any success being made against ISIS. Awkward.

[Iggy]

With narcissists the unresolved question always comes down to "do they believe their own lies or are they just cynically calculating?"

Which brings us to TK's thesis;
Is Barry an incompetent boob who cannot see that every single foreign policy move he has made has ended up weakening the US and strengthening our enemies or does he pursue those policies precisely because they will have that result?

It's getting harder and harder to dismiss the latter proposition.
The only thing more damaging to the US and the people of Iraq and Syria than doing nothing about IS would be to half heartedly bomb them and lose a war to them.

Happy Birthday, TK.

[Comanche Voter]

Strong horse? Obama has turned us into a spavined Shetland pony without a brain.

[Frau Herzlos]

People will always choose the strong horse over a horse's arse.

[James D.]

Fromthe previous thread, Stephanie posted:

In a new op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Republican strategist Karl Rove warns the GOP that should they make big gains in the November midterm elections, they should focus on passing legislation rather than “score-settling” with President Barack Obama.

Rove writes that he anticipates Obama to reject bills sent to him from a Republican Congress but that Obama ” deserves the chance to show he’s matured as a leader and has the energy to govern.”

There are no words for how wrong, and stupid, this is. And there are certainly no polite words that I can use to express what I think of Rove. "He can go and die in a fire" is by far the kindest thing I could say...

[glasater]

I wonder if ISIS will line up the captured Kurds and massacre them in front of the Turkish tanks that the TV cameras are hiding behind.

[matt]

The republicans should concentrate on rooting out the teredos that have been boring into our bureaucracy for the past 30 years with the intention of destroying our democracy.

[Buckeye]

I agree that John Effin' Kerry is more stupid that Zero. Lurch actually believes the shit that comes out of his mouth.

Zero knows that much of what he says is a lie, but simply doesn't give a fat flying f$&@. If it advances his agenda that is all that matters.

[Thomas Collins]

The strategic objective of Obama and Kerry? Talk snark and wave a foam stick.

[Danube on iPad]

Happy birthday, TK.

Hillary is a Muslim.

[Jim Eagle]

Actually we have traded in our strong horse for a weak, pink Unicorn.

If they do televise the downfall of Kobani I wonder if we'll get any photos of awe and shock out of the Situation Room like when they nailed Usama?

Psaki and Harf are like the Lorraine and Shirley of Statecraft.

[Thomas Collins]

Happy Birthday, TK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzwLtW9iG0w

[NKreBootDeux]

[email protected]:38-- yep.

[NKreBootDeux]

JiB-- they are like the Lorraine and Shirley.... of.... Lorraine and Shirley.

[Iggy]

Laverne?

[James D.]

Psaki and Harf are like the Lorraine and Shirley of Statecraft.

Does that mean Kerry is Lenny? Or Squiggy?

[Bori]

I'll ask again, from the previous post what 50 nation coalition is the NYT talking about? Last I heard with Australia jumping on board that would make 6 coalition member, did I miss the other 44?

[maryrose]

JIB and NK:
That's Laverne and Shirley
Psaki looked like a fool. OReilly is right -she looks like an SNL skit with Harf as the other Twisted Sister.
Happy BirthdayTK!
I repeat my previous question- Where do repubs put their money 3 weeks out?
Ruemmler was involved in the IRS scandal She is the connection to Lerner.
Jane: She will never pass muster for AG.
Cheryl Mills is the connection to Hillary wrt Benghazi. I am sure Gowdy will reveal this in time.

[James D.]

I find Kerry's dismissals of an ISIS victory, and, presumably mass executions of the defeated that will follow, interesting.

Especially in light of what the Secretary of State and the President were telling us two years ago about the power of a crummy, homemade 3 minute YouTube video that nobody had even seen, to inflame the entire Muslim world.

[maryrose]

Bori: Yesterday I heard Earnest say 60 members. Who are they? It is a made up number like the employment rate and those really covered by Obamacare.
Jim Angle says 13 states including DC cancelling Health insurance by Nov. 1st. 250,000 in Virginia alone after Warner guaranteed it would not happen.

[James D.]

I meant to say, Kerry's dismissals of having the ISIS victory and subsequent executions, televised for the world to see...

[Rick B]

Bori,

I don't think it's even six for Syria. Iraq has at least six but several of the EUtopians are not on board wrt Syria. Something about an angry Bear and winter approaching...

[henry]

Maybe the members contributed 60 actual fighters.

[NKreBootDeux]

Apologies to Laverne....

[Tom Maguire]

The strategic objective of Obama and Kerry? Talk snark and wave a foam stick.

They do seem to be hamstrung by the absence of an obvious Koch brothers involvement. So far!

[centralcal]

Happy Birthday, TK!

[Dave (in MA)]

Marlene @ 11:18: http://postimg.org/image/440s0o0vf/

I won't embed, because it takes a long time to load.

[Stephanie accidentally OnT?]

Talk snark and wave a foam stick.

It's like the 1916 Cumberland College cheerleaders holding up 'We're #1" foam fingers.

Yeah they're #1... in worst losses EVAR!

[Rick B]

Dave (in MA),

How's your 401K enjoying today's E ticket ride?

[Jane]

Why do Harf and Psaki wear all that gigantic junk around their necks? Is that considered fashion in DC these days?

[Miss Marple]

Jane, Those are Statement Pieces which I assume (no matter that they are ugly) quite pricey and indicate they have money and thus some power.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/state-department-spokesperson-jen-psaki-splash-stylish-necklaces-article-1.1510652

[GMax]

Pan Atlantic SMS releases a poll showing

Lepage 39.3%
Michaud33.6%

Should be very good news for both Republicans in the two house district races as well.

[rse]

To add to The Winters Tale discussion from the previous thread, Helprin's Freddy and Fredericka would be on my all time favorite list of books. Extraordinarily imaginative satire.

[Jane on Ipad]

They look stupid MM

[Jim Eagle]

I was thinking of my ditzy neighbor who is a Lorraine.

Happy Birthday, TK.

Going down to Key Biscayne tomorrow. UC plays Miami in Sunlife Stadium and I'll probably make the hike up there to see the game.

Supposed to get to 90 today but not at the beaches. NIce ofshore breeze.

[Marlene]

Thanks,Dave.
GMax the candidates for governor held a debate in Portland yesterday and another one in Waterville this morning. I believe they have two more debates,which will be televised. Lepage was "jovial" at yesterday's debate and Michaud fumbled a bit. Cutler,the independent,went after Michaud as someone who has been an ineffective congressman. Michaud's mantra for his years in Congress has been anti-NAFTA. Cutler said to Michaud,hey Mike you had the father of NAFTA (Bill Clinton) campaign for you! Lepage and Michaud both grew up with French as their first language,and they both have an accent. They are not polished speakers.
ME-2 will probably go R. ME-1,not sure about that.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Husband: ::talking on phone:: You're gonna do that?

Wife: Who are you talking to?

Husband: It's Harf, from State Department.

Husband: ::talking on phone:: That sounds stupid.

Wife: Harf, from State Department at 3 in the morning?

::grabs phone::

Wife: Who is this?

Harf: It's Harf, from State Department

Wife: What are you wearing ::air quotes:: Harf, from State Department

Harf: Gigantic statement pieces around my neck

Wife: Send me a pic

::checks phone::

Wife: ::hands phone back to husband:: She look hideous

Husband: Well, she's an idiot

[Gus]

Hi everybody!! Good news!! My Lesbian Senators office just informed me that their source for the COALITION (snicker) against ISIS or ISIL (they use ISIL cause they're really really smart and nuanced) their source is CNN and CNN tells Senator Baldwin that there are 13 countries. I asked the nice staffer lady/girl, how does CNN have a list yet my Gay Senator doesn't, and furthermore isn't 13 less than 50???
She informed me that Mizz Baldwin probably has a list and that she knows my name via caller i.d.!!! We're in good hands.

[Appalled]

I think you all look in the wrong places when you look for what motivates this President. He is looking to his legacy -- which he sees as an enduring Progressive majority. Part of this is cementing the current youth vote. The one thing that could separate the youth of America from the Dems is a war that has the potential of killing a lot of them.

Isis is not the real enemy. That's the GOP.

[Porchlight]

Why do Harf and Psaki wear all that gigantic junk around their necks? Is that considered fashion in DC these days?

It's the fashion everywhere. I love vintage costume jewelry, but I'm amazed at how tawdry looking some of the supposedly chic jewelry, especially these "statement" necklaces, look. And it ain't that cheap either.

Take a look:

Google image search for "statement" necklace

That said, most women in politics have forever worn ugly jewelry IMO.

[Gus]

Obama is not looking for a legacy. He's a Commie to the corpse errrrrrrr corps, errrr core.
I'm not joking. Obama is a dead serious Marxist and he is emotionally disturbed.

CLEARLY.

[Porchlight]

He is looking to his legacy -- which he sees as an enduring Progressive majority. Part of this is cementing the current youth vote. The one thing that could separate the youth of America from the Dems is a war that has the potential of killing a lot of them.

The one thing? What ought to separate them from the Dems is unaffordable health care, massive student loans, unemployment and the Dems' unending desire to put them, their children, and their grandchildren in tens of trillions worth of debt.

[Captain Hate]

Jane, if you're reading this we had a visit from the deer, Hobbler and Junior, yesterday. Mrs H is always worried about them because of Hobbler's missing hoof, and the risk that Junior might not be ready to be on his/her (I think it's a male but there's no apparent physical evidence) own, but I told her that they're better off in this genteel setting than in the wilderness.

Anyway she seems to travel with another doe and her fawn although they don't seem as willing to come in our yard when I'm out there but Hobbler counts on us to feed her. Once she's eating apples, nuts and carrots she drives off the other deer family from joining in. The increasingly grown up Junior has gotten pretty frisky and stopped a couple yards away from me once, which I should probably discourage for his own good.

[Gus]

Progressive? Why do Commies fall themselves PROGRESSIVE?

[Beasts of England]

lol, hit!!

[Gus]

Call themselves I mean.

[Rob Crawford]

"Progressive" was the label American fascists attached to themselves, because who's against progress?

The difference between a communist and a fascist is PR.

[Gus]

More good news!! The Pentagon says that AIRSTRIKES are WORKING, but won't stop ISIS.
It seems everything Oblahblah does 'WORKS', but Republicans obstruct him all the time.
Yay!! Oblahblah claims airstrikes are working. PEACE IN OUR TIME!!!

[Dave (in MA)]

Rick B., I haven't checked what's going on yet.

[Dave (in MA)]

Yike.

[matt]

As to the Coalition, Denmark has donated 144 cases of toilet paper, the Brits are sending a flying squadron of termite inspectors, and the Germans are sending toilet bowl brush kits, personal sanitary goods, and toothbrushes.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Army is poised to embargo all Turkish Delight from Syria and Iraq.

Our one casualty to date is a poor kid who fell out of an Osprey. This really is the gang who couldn't shoot straight.

[[email protected]]

Dave-

down about 300 so far. It might rally into the close, it might not.

Happy Birthday TK.

[[email protected]]

now it is only down 240 points.

[Jane]

That made me laugh Hit. Can I put it on facebook?

[Dave (in MA)]

Ha!, H+R...

How long before The chicken lunatic lands a job with the State Department?

[Jane]

It's the fashion everywhere.

Shows what I know...

Thanks for the update Capn'. Will they stay for the winter?

[[email protected]]

Posted by: Appalled | October 09, 2014 at 01:20 PM -

I've got a searching criticism of that but think Porch mostly got it.

Can't disagree though the administration thinks of the GOP as the enemy (if I read that comment right).

[rse]

matt-headed out Sunday week to be part of an OC panel pro and con Monday night. Are you anywhere near corona del mar? that is supposedly where I am staying. Apparently have Sunday night and Monday to early afternoon to hang out.

[daddy]

I don't know why they are so excited about finding photographic evidence of a cannon on Mars.

I learned all about it when I was about 5.

[Captain Hate]

I assume they will, Jane. Their coats are already a much darker brown than in summer.

[Eric in Boise]

Kruggie boy is getting a weapons-grade slattering in the comments to that article. There are a few true believers bravely trying to hold down the fort, but for the most part the Rolling Stone comments section resembles something you'd see at Ace's or HA.

[Beasts of England]

The natives are getting restless again in Ferguson. Moar riots! I guess harassing the playoff crowds and symphony-goers wasn't good enough.

The tv in the bank lobby was tuned to CNN and showed some random citizen exercising her first amendment right to kick-in the back side of some SUV. With the cameras rolling. Charming.

[Carol Herman]

Small potatoes. The Kurds don't have their own nation, even though they have their own culture. Their people are dispersed among 3 nations: Turkey, Syria, and Iran.

You'll notice NONE of these groups cooperate with one another.

And, then you come to the Saud's. Known by many names including da' sunnies. (Not da' sunny's). And, who can forget Al's-Kayda-Truck.

Dirty players. Working both sides. Bought some very big American players through graft. Ditto, doing the same at the UN.

The only thing that brings this ugly stew together is hatred for Israel.

While VERY QUIETLY, and almost un-reported, there was a massive explosion in Iran. On Yom Kippur. Sure. A work accident. Fuel being collected to form a critical mass, exposed before it could create nuclar material. They say, on top of the ground, two were dead. No one talks about the tunnels underneath that houses all the activities. If people were down there? They still are. Entombed. 10,000 years from now, you can go dig.

[Neo]

If only we could launch air strikes against climate change
This week in existential threats to our society
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/if-only-we-could-launch-airstrikes-against-climate-change/

... but you can ...

Small Nuclear War Could Reverse Global Warming for Years
Regional war could spark "unprecedented climate change," experts predict.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/110223-nuclear-war-winter-global-warming-environment-science-climate-change/

[Beasts of England]

That's not a cannon, daddy, it's a Martian Death Ray™!

[(A)Nuther Bub]

I liked reading about your family's kindness to the disabled deer and her fawn, Cap'n. Sweet story.

[daddy]

Obviously I have Ebola!

CDC’s Ebola Advice to Airline Crews: Watch for Passengers 'Using Restroom Many Times’

watch for people “who seem unwell or are using the restroom many times.”

[fdcol63]

I don't like, trust, or respect my own government anymore.

How can I ask foreigners to do so?

[daddy]

That's not a cannon...

Beasts,

[Rick B]

"for the most part the Rolling Stone comments section resembles something you'd see at Ace's or HA."

That's BOzo's legacy among Millenials. Bronze plated serf collars which cost their weight in gold, with debt payments only exceeded by health insurance premia are other legacies which Millenials will not soon forget.

[henry]

Beasts, the latest isn't Ferguson but south St Louis. Last night a cop shot a perp (18 yo angel) by returning 17 rounds to the three the perp fired at the cop. The St Louis police have the perp's gun and 3 casings to confirm he did not surrender while eating a ham sandwich* -- the SUV kicker probably thinks the cops ate the sandwich and planted the gun.

* The dead perp's family claims it was a sandwich and the car then ground chase were because of Ferguson or something.

[Eric in Boise]

Daddy, the only time I use the restroom "many times" when flying is on Horizon Air, but I think it might dovetail with their policy of free wine/microbrews :)

[Rick B]

Henry,

Apparently three shots is the "Hands up, don't shoot." signal in south St Louis like the linebacker blitz move was in Ferguson.

[Captain Hate]

Thanks, (A)B. I know that they're regarded as pests by most around where I live but I hate to see a somewhat lame animal be left to the penalties of nature. Plus before Junior was born she was resting in the back of our yard while I was listening to music, which most of my neighbors regard as undistilled noise. Plus interacting with them partially fills the space vacated by Maggie, who would surely be outraged by their presence.

[matt]

I am very near to Corona del Mar. E mail me and we can work out a time.

[Bori]

Neo,

Wonderful, since the models can't predict the climate let's use them to predict a nuclear war. Way to use those millions of dollars in supercomputers.

Daddy,

Afterwards, they can isolate those passengers in the airthight section of the plane, right.

[lyle]

James Lileks rawks.

Side note to Karl Rove (profane rant trigger warning):

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. YOU'RE part of the problem not the solution. If the parties were reversed right now, you think for a nanosecond some putative dem consultant would be doling out advice like this, jackass? No, he'd be giggling gleefully about the various ways his party could submit the opposing party to torture, abasement, and ridicule that would warm the cockles of Marquis de Sade's icy heart. Why, after six goddamn years of getting nothing--NOTHING--from Zero but snark, abuse, blame, and arrogant condescension, would Rs want to help rehabilitate that jerk's reputation and "legacy" by cooperating with his agenda? To what end? So the fucking press will like you? Are you high? Again: fuck you.

That is all.

[narciso]

lol, hit

if we find the space modulator Q 36, we're in deep trouble,

I was reading this Candidesque tale, Vitus, about the siege of Barcelona in 1714, which concerned one of those crazy wars, which the Spanish were on the receiving end of, the writer is Catalan, so he reminds us on the 'conflicted' history that they had with the Castille kingdom,

[daddy]

Gretchen sez we should get the results of the tests to determine if the Frisco Texas guy has Ebola within the next hour or 2. Will keep you advised.

[Jim Eagle]

henry,

Can they indict the ham sandwich as a co-conspirator or accesory before the fact?

Dave,

I started to laugh real hard at that chicken lunatic and then I remembered my Mother to never laugh at people with disabiliities, hers obviously mental.

[Beasts of England]

And speaking of bank lobbies, I had a small follow-on effort to an earlier consulting gig, and to streamline its procurement, they tacked it on to a previous PO - which was fine, except it reset my billing cycle by three weeks.

So, in the interest of positive cash flow, I reminded them that my listed terms were 2/10, net 30. And seeing as they usually pay me after about 120 days, I thought I was wasting some valuable pixels. Got the check this morning. And they took the 2% discount, costing me $500, but:

< insert Pretenders riff >

Got cash. In pocket.

< / >

Hookers & Blow account hardest hit is back to full strength. If I could only think of an appropriate celebration...

Oh. Never mind! If y'all don't hear from me for two or three days, no need to worry. Seriously. :)

[Old Lurker]

Lyle, was that a transcript of my thoughts?

[Eric in Boise]

-
3
1
6
.
8
7

Just filling in for Duda, who's seemingly indisposed.

[lyle]

Party on, Beasts! You'll be in good company:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/conditions-ripe-for-stronger-growth-wsj-survey-says-1412876062?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

Recovery summer whatever!

[Rick B]

Lyle,

Thank you for the fine example of what a "strong letter follows" looks like from Lileks. I've often wondered about the appropriate close to such a letter and Lileks provides a simple yet clear illustration.

[Old Lurker]

"Hookers & Blow account"

You make it too easy, Beasts.

[narciso]

Sorry, it's called Victas, many of the countries in that region, not only Iraq, are cobbled together, that includes the Kingdom, and modern Turkey, so why do the Kurds get the short end of the stick

[lyle]

You must have been directing me by mind meld, OL. Didn't I see you divulge being part Vulcan on your mother's mother's side a few years back right in these comments?

[daddy]

General Eisenhower: General Patton, you are ordered to go out there and lose the town of Kobani to the advancing Nazi's, for "Strategic Reasons.

General Patton: Say what?

Ike: Yeah, the President, via the Secretary of Defense, has advised us that we are supposed to lose the important town of Kobani to the Nazi's and watch live News Reels about them conquering and slaughtering innocents, for "Strategic Reasons."

Patton: Ike, Are they [email protected]#$5in' nuts?

Ike: They're Democrats.

[Captain Hate]

The domestic MFM doesn't report; the Ewok derides:

http://minx.cc:1080/?post=352355

[Thomas Collins]

To: Jane and madjack and rocco and Dave(in MA)and DGS and all other Mass. JOMers: Our Guv has pronounced ebola "hard to catch". I can hear that sigh of relief from all of you.

[Danube on iPad]

Hi. I'm William Devane.

[Rob Crawford]

ISTR Ebola can infect you after exposure to just ten individual virus particles. It is NOT hard to catch.

How many dead will it take?

[Porchlight]

Kansas Senate: Rasmussen posted this but then subsequently deleted it. ???

KS Senate
Orman (I) 52%
Roberts (R) 40%
October 7-8, 2014 By Rasmussen Reports

As of right now, RCP doesn't have it listed:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2014/senate/ks/kansas_senate_roberts_vs_orman-5216.html

Weird. Seems like an error because Orman +12 would be the biggest Orman lead yet, but all other polling shows the race tightening if not an actual Roberts lead.

We'll see.

[narciso]

You have to realize, Captain, that Foster is their version of David Brooks, why they would want one, Rasmussen has gone pearshaped recently,

[Eric in Boise]

I've often wondered about the appropriate close to such a letter

I've found it's hard to go wrong with "Warmest personal regards".