That's not what the secretary of defense said .
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Bingo NF, and now let's get back to the links and fund raising.
Now that's a plan.
This guy is in way over his head, at our expense.

He doesn't care. Some people use drugs to escape reality , he uses golf and fund raisers . He can feel relevant there. Sad and dangerous times for America
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I think it's pretty silly to think the Administration has been ignoring the issue for 2 years. We've been trying to get the Iraqi government to take some responsibility in the matter. How are we supposed to take the blame for military acting French?

This stuff has been brewing for so long but you can't resist the opportunity to blame blame blame rather than think about what we can and should do. It's a very complex situation with no easy options.

The positive side to things being this dangerous is that the other Arab nations are finally waking up to the monsters they've helped create.

What about the summer suit? No outrage about the suit?

-spence

He missed his opportunity by not getting a coalition into Syria early, IMO. ISIS/ISIL became a force from within the rebel void of power. The US could have had an ally had they supported the early rebellion against Assad.

Can and should do, and no easy options?
Too late, there should have been strategies on the table
for contingencies as the troops were withdrawn.
The biggest blunder was not anticipating isis would come across the border. They should have been hit hard as they crossed, BEFORE they became entrenched.
But that would have taken an out front leader with forward planning rather than leading from behind and hoping it goes away.
Day late and a dollar short.

Was pissy when the Ospreys flew over my house last night. 5 Million dollars to generate 500K

The world IS falling apart and no small thanks to this fustercluck of an administration. No, it is not all Obama's fault, but part of it - the LEADERSHIP, is his responsibility. The lack of good Advisers and/or listening to good advice IS his responsbility.

Lets see the issues:

ME Peace
ISIL
UKRAINE
IRAN Nukes (not that we have heard much - is that effective policy? Or just not enough room above the fold?)
Iraq Collapsing
Race relations
Afghansitan Collapsing
Russia expansionism/ re-imperialism
China expansionism
Immigration (The only nation than can enforce borders but does not enforce?)
Ebola


Yes - things are being deftly managed. /sarc

Looks like he is becoming unhinged. I am really getting concerned that this guy is loosing it.


No, suit is a minor . I'm afraid the Administration has been screwing things up the last 2 years. Too much Hope & Ideology, not enough Realism


No, the opportunity was missed when a Status Of Forces Agreement was not established/pursued with Iraq to leave a force of sufficient personnel in place to bolster the Iraqi Army to keep ISIL in Syria. The ability to lean on Maliki to NOT further peees on the dissatisfied.

Seatbelt light is on folks, expect much turbulence ahead. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

You guys are armchair quarterbacking...

What would you be willing to give up for US troops to stay in Iraq? Bush had to give up some legal protections just to keep us there until 2011. What about contractors?

How do you build a coalition against Syria with steadfast Russian opposition? If the terrorist threat isn't imminent how do you get Arab support?

Don't we have to test Iraq and see if they can stand on their own? Isn't this nearly the same welfare dependency argument Conservatives are glued to at home?

Wouldn't a President Romney or McCain likely be saddled with the exact same constraints as Obama?

I think they would be.

-spence

You're right .... What time do we tee off ?
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Finally? They have been aware of the monsters for a long time. Why do you think they usually resort to tyrannical regimes? To mollify the "good" Muslims? It has always been "this dangerous." And the only way to suppress the monsters has been the way of all tyrannies--force, coercion, suppression, pandering. It has been the "easy" option. Individual freedom and responsibility has not been inherent in their cultural and societal identities. A free people would have long ago revolted and taken "Responsibility" for self governance.

Oh, wait. That is a tired old train, as you would put it. They're beyond that nonsense. They are so much more ahead in their historical perspective than those who are stuck in some ancient time warp and its illusions of individual life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. They understand the need to meld into the collective and be herded by more intelligent experts and masterminds.

Surely, Obama would have understood this and not expected the Iraqi government to take some kind of responsibility other than that which they did. Wouldn't he have done the same? Hasn't he taken that responsibility to fundamentally transform America? Hasn't that transformation progressively been molded toward governance by a central power rather than local and individual responsibilities?

There you go doing that armchair quarterbacking thing.

It is a bit mind-twisting how when Obama does or doesn't do something you think that those who oppose him would do or don't do the same thing. Did that apply to the things that Bush did or didn't do? So when Obama blames Bush for the problems he has "inherited," does that mean he's just blowing smoke up our butts because he would have been "likely saddled with the exact same constraints" as Bush?

Direct hits, Detbuch.

Maybe the answer is for O to make another apology tour for all our transgressions. Then the extreme islamists will feel sorry for us, being we confessed for all the terrible things we have done as a country, mostly under Bush,give up their believe to kill all infidels, lay down their arms and peace will reign forever.

Oh that's right, that's how we became perceived as a second rate power and
our enemies began to rise up again.

I think they may have done some of the same things, though maybe better, and would have done different things.

I don't think there would be as high a sense of panic, as high a lack of strategy. And even if there were a lack of strategy. THEY WOULDN'T SAY IT like that. That is amateur hour.

Announcing to our enemies we would leave AFG in 2014. Amateur hour. Hey guys, take all the potshots you can us while you wait us out - we're leaving on '14 and you can't do nothing about it. Amateur hour.

I think they WOULD have listened to their military advisers more and better. Obama's military advisers have been cowed into speaking the party line and to putting things like transgender troops to the top of the heap in importance* or spending significant millions or training and resource budgets to foster green technology (should come from other guv funding). This is not what the military is supposed to do yet under Obama it is.

Russia, China, Iran, Islamic non state actors / groups are the counterweights on the US and EU. All of those perceive the US and EU to be weak and indecisive. Most likely correctly. They will use the opportunity, NOW and in the next year, to leverage our incompetence and lack of spine and grab whatever gains they can.


* Off topic - I am mixed on having GLB serving only because it is taking from the primary missions of the military. So we are playing social engineering with our military rather than focusing on the basics: which is to defend the US, build coalitions, mutual defense, and commonality with partner nations, and when necessary break a lot of the other guy's sh1t. Transgender - a bridge too far.

Amateur hour is correct. Much of administration is filled with unproven personnel and headed up by someone who was no more than a sophomore senator when first elected. Past administrations would attract and pursue the captains of industry, who had actual experience to fill cabinets and senior level leadership positions. This group didn't even consult with a single US health insurance company before they hired a Canadian firm (why???) to build the Obamacare software program. Oh, and that Canadian firm had no experience in building software on such a scale....

[QUOTE=JohnR;1050526]
I think they WOULD have listened to their military advisers more and better. Obama's military advisers have been cowed into speaking the party line and to putting things like transgender troops to the top of the heap in importance* or spending significant millions or training and resource budgets to foster green technology (should come from other guv funding). This is not what the military is supposed to do yet under Obama it is.

Russia, China, Iran, Islamic non state actors / groups are the counterweights on the US and EU. All of those perceive the US and EU to be weak and indecisive. Most likely correctly. They will use the opportunity, NOW and in the next year, to leverage our incompetence and lack of spine and grab whatever gains they can.


Bingo....we have Bingo!

[QUOTE=JohnR;1050526] So we are playing social engineering with our military rather than focusing on the basics: which is to defend the US, build coalitions, mutual defense, and commonality with partner nations, and when necessary break a lot of the other guy's sh1t. QUOTE]

This, all at the same time reducing our military spending to pre 9/11 levels.

That is another thread altogether. There is really bad decision making going on by the defense contractors, the Pentagon, and Congress on both sides of the aisle.

Geez JR, can't I even hijack my own thread. :huh: :D

:rotf2:

nope
 

that is....unless it's your Birthday

i'll betcha he put allot of Pennies on the railroad tracks :uhuh:

"What say you?"

What say I?...Hmmm...

I remember Obama's comments concerning the Iraq Surge, which he opposed and derided, refused to admit is was succeeding, and when he could deny it no longer, he said something like "it exceeded everybody's expectations". Actually, it did precisely what the military expected it would do, but Obama's original expectations, since they were based on ideology instead of military logic, coul dnot have been more wqrong.

I remember the jillion dollar stimulus package, which Obama said would keep unemployment below 8% and woudl fund all these shovel ready jobs. When the dust settled, unemployment went much higher than 8%, and Obama LAUGHINGLY said that those jobs weren't as shovel-ready as he originally thought. Once again, his predictions could not have been more wrong.

And here, he dismisses ISIS as a "JV" squad.

Obviously, no one is perfect, and of course I am biased because I absolutely despise everything about Obama. But these were major, major issues, and not only was he not right, it would almost be impossible for him to have been more wrong.

This is, predictably, what you get when you elect a guy who has absolutely no track record of accomplishing anything significant. Community organizer in Chicago? i'm not sure what that means exactly, but whatever it was he did in Chicago, it doesn't appear to have been all that effective at improving conditions there.

There are lots of ideas that sound absolutely fantastic in an Ivy League faculty room, but which fail miserably in the real world. Being educated is a fine thing, but it needs to be combined with SOME real-world experience.

The giuy can't get one right, not even by accident. Everything he touches, turns to vomit.

He doesn't disregard it when it comes from the right. When it comes from the right, he accuses it of being hate-based and racist. I'd be happier if he ignored me, than if he called me a hate-mongering racist. "Republicans in the House, you've got to stop hating al the time". That's the guy who I'm supposed to believe is interested in representing me?

Spence, the point is, Obama dismissed ISIS as a non-threat when he referred to them as "the JV". Obama also mocked Romney for stating that Russia was a threat to be taken seriously (the 1980's called, they want their foreign policy back. Haw haw haw!! tell that to the Ukranians...

It's almost comical how incompetent the guy is, how deep he is in over his head. Bill Clinton, for all his faults, realized when it was time to put his ideoilogy aside and listen to Newt Gingrich when Gingrich was clearly correct. Obama cannot, or will not, do that. Amazing.

Also, I recall that Obama sent Eric Holder and some other brass from the Attorney General's office to Ferguson. Has Eric Holder been sent to Mexico to find out what the hell is going on with the Marine that's been jailed there for months? What about the Pakistani doctor, who risked his neck to help us catch Bin Laden, and we sit by while Pakistan throws this guy in jail for treason?

Spence, is this how we treat those who risk everything, literally risk everything, to help us?

I don't get it. I just don't get it. I guess you have to have a Harvard degree to understand why that's actually brilliant foreign policy.

I thought Obama's charm, as opposed to Bush's brutality, was supposed to make countries like us more? I'm sure that jailed marine and the Pakistani doctor, take great comfort in knowing that Obama is so skilled at ensuring that other countries become productive allies of ours.

Go ahead Spence, tell me where I'm wrong, and why these are actually brilliant moves by your man-crush.

Clearly ,as Biden put it " one of Our proudest achievements "
These people are so busy baffling people with bull #^&#^&#^&#^& they can't concentrate on the truth anymore .
We all know that person that lies so often they make #^&#^&#^&#^& up to cover for there lies and refuse to aknowledge the truth . Apparently that type of behavior can make you President some day .
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Closer to home, where was the out cry from Holder and Obama when just about a week ago in Dorchester, Dawn Jaffier was shot dead while marching. Here is a girl loved by her community. She loved working with kids.

I guess she did not count because it was black on black

I know someone who works for ob on a daily basis- says he's become more arrogant than before, if that's possible. still can't believe we (not me) elected this clown- twice. show those corksuckers isis we love them by sending them some hallmark cruise missles. gotta kill it before it grows and comes here.

Where was Obama, Holder and the FBI when the Austrialan baseball player in Oaklahoma was murdered by 3 black youths who said they had nothing better to do? It was difinitly racial. One even tweeted how he hated whites.

Matter of fact, Y was there no white protest on the streets?

I just read a headline and story..... "Obama wants to make ISIS a "manageable problem"" OK. There you go. He has his strategy......WTF

It's his " never take a position " policy. It is a disgrace that a man with no spine ,is the leader of such a great nation.
Now we find out that he has been warned , in daily briefings , of the threat ISIS has posed, for over a year now .
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A response is what Isis wants. These videos are baiting tactics to bring us into Iraq and Syria. Doing this would only empower them more. That said, Obama sure looks like a lame duck these days.
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Pretty arrogant and stupid move on their part if that is their hope.
If we have a get a leader who will let the US take off the gloves and use the firepower that we have they will be annihilated in short order.
I would start with a couple 500 pounders drifting down onto our evacuted embassies .
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And when 10 or 30 innocent civilians die from those bombs, what happens next.

This is a delicate situation that requires delicate action. Pouring gasoline on a fire comes to mind.
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War is ugly . We didn't ask to be in it . Your thinking ends up getting more people killed in the long run.
I don't know if you've been watching the news, but they're killing thousands of innocent people .
The United States armed forces are extremely good at doing two things. Killing the enemy and destroying their infrastructure . If you don't let them do that then we will not succeed. We have several wars in recent history to prove that.
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they don't have all the toys we have
fly's on the wall

That scenario is ugly, and it's what Israel faces every single day. But you have to protect yuorselves and do what's right.

It's ugly. But one thing history has taught us is this...when you decide to go in in a situation like this, you go in all the way or you don't go at all. Half-measures will never work. Obama is doing airstrikes, and I give him credit for that. But if ISIS is the threat they seem to be, it's time to send in the cavalry and kill as many as we possibly can, avoiding civilian casualties when possible, living with the consequences when it's not possible.

It's awful, but it's necessary. There is more to being President that golfing and fund-raising and hob-nobbing with the swells on Martha's Vineyard. Maybe we shouldn't have chosen someone who constantly voted "present" as a state senator, because he din't have the courage to take a position and act on it.

Sounds like we need a "glass-lined" parking lot in that region.
Since we're dealing with uncivilized animals that live their pathetic lives via the internet, maybe we can show them exactly what a "long distance" reply really looks and feels like?
Sure, an ICBM isn't as fast as the web, but it will make much more of an "impact" when it arrives, and we can send them just as easily as an email.

every single piece of equipment we gave to the IRAQ
military should have had a tracking element built into
the metal (non removable) so selecting them later as targets
if STOLEN would be as easy as pie.

Great idea Rav, a GPS in every piece of heavy armament.

I think we should send a message to isis with a few B2's loaded with 1000 lb bombs on 9/11/.