dagblog - Comments for "How a Hillary Clinton Presidency Could Let ISIS Off the Hook"

A guy who thinks Hillary sent

NCD — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 03:18:53 +0000

In reply to You are concentrating on the

A guy who thinks Hillary sent $150 million and 'kill lists' to military death squads in Central America might reasonably jump to conclusions about what she would do with Syria.

It is pretty clear Syria is a disaster zone with millions of refugees destabilizing not only the region but Europe. A presidential campaign cannot succeed with the premise the outlook is hopeless and just do more of the same. 'Tough' talk about, and more pressure on getting parties to negotiate does not mean plans for an Operation Syrian Freedom.

You are concentrating on the

A Guy Called LULU — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 02:44:12 +0000

In reply to Well, now ya know. Glad to

You are concentrating on the wrong point. The reference to a Washington Playbook that Obama despises is from the long piece in The Atlantic Monthly. Whether Obama will despise what Hillary does with the foreign policy is not the main point. The main point is that Hillary can be expected to change the military tactics in Syria and to change them in a way that only an idiot could expect to work for any interest that they are willing to own up to.

Well, now ya know. Glad to

ocean-kat — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 02:29:30 +0000

In reply to

Well, now ya know. Glad to have brought it to your attention.

What condescending bull shit. I knew it years ago when "in a letter Tuesday to members of the CNAS board of directors, Flournoy said she would remain in her post at the think tank and asked Obama to take her out of consideration to be the next secretary of defense."

So now you know that Flournoy was not just Obama's main pick to be SoD but I'll also bring to your limited attention that it was Obama that nominated her for Undersecretary of Defense. There is much more reason to believe that Obama likes the way Flournoy thinks than that HIllary does. That kind of contradicts your articles contention that this supposed pick by Hillary indicates she's about to change to a policy Obama "so despises"

We don't even know Flournoy is Hillary's expected pick. Only that Obama did in fact pick her. responding that Flournoy has been on the short list doesn't mean she's Hillary's expected choice. That's your attempt at obfuscation, with a snarky insult included. How about a link that backs up this article's claim that Flournoy is Hillary's expected choice. Or do you just uncritically accept every contention in a bs article you agree with?

I think this article is bullshit. It neglects to give accurate information about Obama's relationship to Flournoy. And it exaggerates Hillary's connection to Flournoy with out evidence to support it. It also fails to include a link to the report so we have to just take on faith the author's brief summary of it. I've said it often, imo Hillary is more hawkish than Obama and a case can be made but this article creates a false narrative. It's garbage but you seem to like garbage information. I read the link and didn't want to weigh in on it at all. I only did because other people seemed to be buying the bullshit.

Actually CVille, the title

A Guy Called LULU — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:19:25 +0000

In reply to Flournoy's quote that I

Actually CVille, the title says, "How a Hillary Clinton Presidency Could Let ISIS Off the Hook". Note the word 'Could'. The title is well explained in the text that follows. Calling BullShit on a predictive essay without offering any supportive evidence is ... BullShit.

A Guy Called LULU — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:03:57 +0000

In reply to Yes, Flournoy has been on the

Yes, Flournoy has been on the top of the list for SoD for years. She was on the top of the list when Hegel left.

Well, now ya know. Glad to have brought it to your attention.

Maybe Obama thought Flournoy was a good choice at the time and today might make a different choice. Who knows? The thing is, she didn't become SoD back then but she might now and her own studied words show her to be a bad choice unless doubling down on stupid can be considered smart.

I have not understood or agreed with many of Obama's appointments. Either way, that is not the point. I thought his appointment of Hillary to SoS was bad checkers when at least one dimensional chess was called for. The point is that Flournoy has suggested idiotic policy and there is reason to think that Hillary likes the way Flournoy thinks. That is important because Hillary is about to become CiC.

I have tried to respond honestly to your questions while you have ignored mine but I have a couple more for you even though I doubt you will answer them. [1[ Do you think Flournoy is proposing smart policy in the paper referred to in Cockburn's piece? [2] Do you think Hillary is more hawkish than Obama, less hawkish, or do you maybe think that she is just the same and she and Obama are like in the fairy tale, 'just right'? [3] Do you think that Hillary would have acted the same as Obama did if she had been President for the last two terms and do you think she will act the same as Obama would for the next four or eight years? [4] Do you think anyone has influence on Hillary's foreign policy? Can you name anyone who does and about whom you have evidence to show they are good advisers? Kissinger maybe? Or maybe Flournoy, she has apparently impressed some people. [5] Do you consider Hillary to be a hawk?

No it isn't. But the past is

HSG — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:29:07 +0000

In reply to Well, it is on Counterpunch.

No it isn't. But the past is prologue and the basic assumption of the piece is that a President Hillary Clinton administration would pursue a similar foreign policy to the one she pursued as Secretary of State and for which she voted as Senator. That's persuasive isn't it A.T.?

Yes, Flournoy has been on the

ocean-kat — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:25:23 +0000

In reply to I have seen reports that

Yes, Flournoy has been on the top of the list for SoD for years. She was on the top of the list when Hegel left. Many expected Obama to select her for that role until she took herself out of consideration. So explain to me exactly how Hillary's rumored selection of the same person Obama was rumored to select proves that Hillary is going to enact a foreign policy your article claims Obama so despises.

Flournoy's quote that I

CVille Dem — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:22:22 +0000

In reply to I have seen reports that

Flournoy's quote that I posted states that the fight against ISIS has been underfunded. A quote. So you can jump all over the place about Syria, but the title of this junk piece is that Hillary will let ISIS off the hook.

The article is BullShit.

I have seen reports that

A Guy Called LULU — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:05:13 +0000

In reply to This article is based on two

I have seen reports that Flournoy is on the short-list for SoD for a while now. If you missed something it probably isn't the first time.

If Obama was planning to make Flounoy his SoD how could Hillary planning to do the same thing signal a turn from Obama's policy?

The position papers and statements quoted by Cockburn exist. Flournoy is already a powerfully influential woman so I think her policy positions are worth paying attention to. During that time that Flournoy was not the SoD Hillary was in a position of even more power and influence and continued to give reason why virtually everybody on planet earth who has even a semi-informed opinion has concluded that Hillary is more of a hawk than Obama.

The article gives more reason to believe that under a Hillary administration the tactics used in Syria would change. Flournoy's recommendations seem profoundly stupid to me. What do you think?

At this point it's just gossip not worth discussing.

I'd say that after the election is when it becomes not worth discussing.

Well, it is on Counterpunch.

Austin Train — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 21:20:04 +0000

In reply to This article is based on two

Well, it is on Counterpunch. Isn't that enough?