dagblog - Comments for "Tulsi Plays Diplomat in Syria"

I'm beginning to see your

Peter — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:06:20 +0000

I'm beginning to see your reasons for parroting Russian/Iranian propaganda about who the Syrian rebels are and grouping/branding them all as terrorists. This simplifies the issue of who deserves killing and who deserves supporting. to a binary simple easy choice. The rebel held area of Aleppo was taken early in this conflict, i think before al-Nusra existed or was still very small. The local population supporting the rebels set up their own indepent government that operated throughout the years and al-Nusra may or may not have been involved. Even though al-Nusra is a listed terrorist organization they are still mostly composed of Syrians who are fighting for their version of their Syria.

If you are going to streach the meaning of terrorist in this way you must include most everyone involved in this conflict who all use some form of terrorist tactics.

I'm not sure that Gabbard embraced Assad but she has taken up championing him ignoring the fact that if he had been removed a few years ago this part of the Syria conflict would have ended, it was the only thing stopping peace talks. I think we already have laws that prohibit funding terrorists and unless she claimed the power to define who is a terrorist they wouldn't need expanding.

Gabbard's Peace only comes after the terrorists are killed or displaced along with many of their civilian supporters and those remaining people who oppose the despot will not feel their defeat and abandoment as deserving that name.

"You used a sarcastic

PeraclesPlease — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 18:57:00 +0000

In reply to You used a sarcastic

"You used a sarcastic accusatory comment to introduce a twenty second clip from a seven minute interview with Gafford. " - you wasted 20 seconds of my life - should I let you waste 7 minutes? I've objected to how many crap articles you've posted over the last year or two, as has Oceankat - not articles I simply disagree with - articles with certifiably absurd content.

If Gabbard were simply a private citizen, she can do what she wants. But she's part of our government, and we've developed structures and procedures to try to deal with these issues, for better or worse - especially if anyone thinks she's going to be part of the Democratic leadership of tomorrow. I hated it when Republicans tried end-arounds the administration, and I hate it when she does it. Who does she work for, Obama? Trump? Assad? Putin? Her constituency in Hawaii? She's parlayed a 12 month stint in a field medical unit into some self-ascribed expertise as our military expert for all things Middle East. No, I don't care for shallow self-promoters trying to interfere in serious operations.

I pointed out before that she spouted out a bunch of neoconnish anti-Muslim shit on Fox, apparently closely aligned with the anti-Muslim BJP, but some are happy to find allies wherever they lie. Peace, peace, peace - sure, she's just like John Lennon.

Anyway, if you think there's something worthwhile in 7 minutes of speech, paraphrase it for discussion - I'm not going off to try to figure out what you find amazing. We just had this exact same issue over your Bacevich & Merasheimer news item.

BTW, Hal - apparently a whole lot of Democrats, Republicans and Syrian resisters think in the same "bombast" I do. Perhaps it's just the famed confederacy of dunces aligning against that true genious, lolz.

Thanks Lulu. PP substitutes

HSG — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 17:14:37 +0000

In reply to You used a sarcastic

Thanks Lulu. PP substitutes bombast for analysis here in my view.

Very wise words. In fact,

HSG — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:56:36 +0000

In reply to Yes Assad is a tyrant.. One

Very wise words. In fact, any American military involvement in the Syrian conflict would likely make things even worse.

I would need some explanation

A Guy Called LULU — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:36:25 +0000

In reply to The people in Syria had no

I would need some explanation to understand where you come down. What is the realism that you recognize but that Gabbard moves away from? What is she promoting besides a way to eventually bring stability and then hopefully peace to Syria. Who does she show herself to "adore" in her position taken in the interview. A destructive meme that has become standard in discussions of foreign policy is demonstrated when, for instance, anybody makes a an obviously correct statement that Putin is an intelligent person and a strong leader that the person making that statement must admire both his actions and his character. Maybe even *adore* him? That is neither logical or helpful.

What history do you see being altered?

The people in Syria had no

Peter — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:05:28 +0000

In reply to The fact that he is the

The people in Syria had no real choice under the sectarian minority Alewite regime of Assad the ones who were the crazeys. It's arrogant to insinuate your or my feelings about anything to do with Syrians onto Syrians who make up most of the rebels and are supported by Syrians.

Making judgments about conservative Islam is pure Crusader and resembles R2P thinking. Christians in the ME are having problems because Christians from the West are bombing their Muslim neighbors and helping to steal their land. Guilt by association may be wrong but it's understandable.

The US has written out what it wanted in Syria as being the removal of Assad, but not the removal of the government which would then becme a transition government leading to some kind of shared power. This ideal might have worked early in the conflict but the more conservative Islamists groups grew and outperformed the western oriented so called moderates. These more powerful Islamist forces have little respect for Crusaders and want them out of the ME not directing moderates to mimic failed western modes of governance.

I don't know much about Gabbard and i understand the logic of facing the reality of the Russians keeping Assad in power. I can't accept when people such as Gabbard move from that realism to promotion, adoration or altering history to justify their position.

You used a sarcastic

A Guy Called LULU — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 15:16:30 +0000

In reply to "People will choose bad over

You used a sarcastic accusatory comment to introduce a twenty second clip from a seven minute interview with Gafford. Then by innuendo you trash her and suggest that she should just go the fuck away. I asked, "What is your problem with Gabbard which bears on anything she says in the full interview?" and your simplistic answer to the simple question is, " giving soundbites and hugs & kisses to the guy who just destroyed Aleppo? Doing a secretive end-around US diplomacy and the Congressional leadership?"

It is my belief, as already stated, that absent outside interference sponsored by and/or enabled by the U.S. that the part of Aleppo that was occupied by terrorist groups would not have ever been captured in the first place and so those terrorists would not have been able to use it as a base to attack the remaining parts of the city where the rightful inhabitants overwhelmingly supported Assad. Thus, that part of terrorist controlled Aleppo from which terrorist forces shelled the remaining part of the city that was still under government control, and so still able to function as a city, would not have been destroyed in the process of its recapture. If you can bring yourself to give an honest answer instead of another bs loaded rhetorical question filled with false or unproven allegations, do you disagree with that statement?

What Gabbard has done right IMO is represented in the full interview. She is, as HSG said, a powerful voice for peace. In the ranks of the U.S. Congress that makes her stand out. It is sad that being a voice for peace means becoming a magnet for ridicule. It's fucking un-American I guess. Gabbord has also sponsored a bill that would make it illegal for any agency of the U.S. government to give aid or support to terrorists. It would actually make that crime illegal. I would vote for that bill. Would you?

"People will choose bad over

PeraclesPlease — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 09:02:09 +0000

In reply to The fact that he is the

"People will choose bad over way worse every time" - Nov 8, 2016. Brexit. Duterte. Too fucking funny.

"And in what way is Gabbard wrong?" - giving soundbites and hugs & kisses to the guy who just destroyed Aleppo? Doing a secretive end-around US diplomacy and the Congressional leadership? Why don't you start with saying 1 thing she did right. You give her an incredible benefit of the doubt, for a military person much more hawkish than Hillary - have you listened to her Fox speeches? But anyone who tweaks the tail of the US empire seems A-OK. What gives?

The fact that he is the

A Guy Called LULU — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 05:43:03 +0000

In reply to Assad is a hereditary

The fact that he is the hereditary president for life guarantees he will win any election.

That is not automatically or necessarilly true. People will choose bad over way worse every time. People in mortal stress choose security to the extent they can. If I were a Syrian citizen in pre-revolution Syria, especially a Christian one or other minority, and I had the choice to live in those conditions or else the conditions I would expect if the crazies were to successfully overthrow Assad, it would be a no-brainer to me. How about you?

Assad remains in power for one main reason he has foreign military and economic power propping up his regime.

But he wouldn't need that help if his opponents weren't getting so much help from so many quarters. Again I will ask, what should we have done differently to this point and what should we do going forward starting now? I think you acknowledged that the U.S. purposes are not high minded. What do you think is our real purpose? And in what way is Gabbard wrong?

Yes Assad is a tyrant.. One

Flavius — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 05:41:41 +0000

In reply to Assad is a hereditary

Yes Assad is a tyrant.. One of many around the world. If we had ability to make things better there, it would make sense to debate whether we should try.

But we don't.