dagblog - Comments for "Jim Mattis' resignation letter is an absolutely stunning rejection of Trumpism"

I don't think we are going

Aaron Carine — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 14:29:19 +0000

In reply to The era of total victory and

I don't think we are going to see "the best possible outcome in Syria", but I'm glad Peter wants to end military interventionism. I'm sticking with my gleeful peace politicking; I don't see that endless war has produced better results.

Sec. Pompeo was the one who

artappraiser — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 20:38:31 +0000

In reply to Jim Mattis' resignation letter is an absolutely stunning rejection of Trumpism

Sec. Pompeo was the one who conveyed to Sec. Mattis today that he was being asked to leave the Pentagon by Jan. 1 and not staying on through Feb. 28, per a senior administration official
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) December 23, 2018

Perhaps I should have better

Peter — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 06:39:10 +0000

In reply to One point on how uninformed

Perhaps I should have better explained my point about Germany so an intellectually challenged reader wouldn't become confused and spout a foolish rude reply. If you knew much about Germany or Japan you would know they were allowed to develop modest self defense forces but no offensive capability. Even with their SDF's they must still seek shelter under the umbrella of the mighty US offensive shield. It was only a few years ago that Germany was allowed to participate in offensive actions in the ME and then only in a support capacity. TDS seems to have advanced so much in some cases that its victims can only manage to repeatedly parrot hysterical talking points, ad nauseam.

Bob Woodward on Mattis on

artappraiser — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 05:26:08 +0000

In reply to Jim Mattis' resignation letter is an absolutely stunning rejection of Trumpism

Bob Woodward on Mattis on North Korea, including excerpt from his book:

Mattis at an NSC meeting in the Situation Room (a year into Trump's presidency, on January 19, 2018), after President Trump asked, “What do we get by maintaining a massive military presence in the Korean Peninsula?” #Fear, p. 305 (10/10): pic.twitter.com/q6LLZafapO
— Bob Woodward (@realBobWoodward) December 21, 2018

confirmation of "glee in

artappraiser — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 23:31:24 +0000

In reply to

confirmation of "glee in Russia" from Neil MacFarquhar reporting from Moscow:

“Trump is God’s gift that keeps on giving,” said one analyst. “Trump implements Russia’s negative agenda by default, undermining the U.S.–led world order. Russia can just relax and watch and root for Trump, which Putin does at every TV appearance.” https://t.co/zZCFI8TWgP
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) December 21, 2018

artappraiser — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 23:14:17 +0000

In reply to Jim Mattis' resignation letter is an absolutely stunning rejection of Trumpism

Russia Gloats: ‘Trump Is Ours Again’

If Moscow was happy about the Syria pullout, it’s ecstatic about Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ resignation.

By Julia Davis @ DailyBeast.com, Dec. 21

[....] Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Upper House of the Russian Parliament, has said that “the departure of James Mattis is a positive signal for Russia, since Mattis was far more hawkish on Russia and China than Donald Trump.” Kosachev opined that Trump apparently considered his own agenda in dealing with Russia, China and America’s allies to be "more important than keeping James Mattis at his post," concluding: "That’s an interesting signal, and a more positive one” for Russia.

Jubilation was even more apparent on Russia’s state television, which adheres closely to the Kremlin’s point of view. The host of the Russian state TV show “60 Minutes,” Olga Skabeeva asserted: “Secretary of Defense Mattis didn’t want to leave Syria, so Trump fired him. They are leaving Syria.”

[.....]

President Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Sanders, remarked: “The idea that Putin is happy about this [Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from Syria] is ridiculous. It puts them at a greater risk, so I think that's just silly.” To the contrary, the idea of an American withdrawal from Syria is being widely perceived in Russia as “a total dream come true” if it truly takes place.

State TV host Olga Skabeeva surmised that Americans are “losers, since Putin has defeated them in every way.” With a theatrical sigh, her co-host,Evgeny Popov, added: “Trump is ours again—what are you going to do?” Every member of the sizeable audience enthusiastically clapped. While these statements are decidedly sarcastic, Russian opinion makers recount the Kremlin’s victories with unmistakable glee. Popov smirked: “It seems to Americans that we won on every front: the U.S. Secretary of Defense has been removed, we unquestionably secured a complete, unconditional victory in Syria.” Skabeeva chimed in: “They’re also planning to leave Afghanistan.”

Popov pointed out: “On top of that, Rusal sanctions have been lifted with Trump’s hands.” Panelists of the show, including Russian lawmakers, couldn’t hide their satisfied grins. The reference was to the announcement that Trump’s Treasury Department intends to lift sanctions against the business empire of Oleg V. Deripaska, one of Russia’s most influential oligarchs, sanctioned for Russian interference in the U.S. elections.

Glad to chip in and help.

NCD — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 23:07:07 +0000

In reply to Thanks, I was going to write

Glad to chip in and help.

With Peter, my point is counter his fantasies, in case somebody not a regular thinks some "fact" Peter promotes is true.

Thanks, I was going to write

ocean-kat — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 21:49:41 +0000

In reply to One point on how uninformed

Thanks, I was going to write a comment like this but didn't get around to it. Thanks for saving me the time

One point on how uninformed

NCD — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 21:13:10 +0000

In reply to The era of total victory and

One point on how uninformed and delusional you are: Germany rearmed starting 60 years ago. Germany is among the top 5 arms exporters in the world, and among the top 15 in defense spending. Aside from various missile, artillery, battlefield weapons, they specialize in heavy tanks, armored vehicles, war ships and nuclear missile capable submarines.

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As to "eras of victory or surrender", real Americans are asking this:

How will we ever recover from our embrace of this treasonous, crude, vulgar, venal, infantile, draft-dodging, p*ssy-grabbing, pornstar-screwing, Putin-loving, ally-insulting, dictator-appeasing, charity-robbing, serial bankrupt, lifelong bunco artist and compulsive, inveterate liar?

So the sane Peter writes the

PeraclesPlease — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 21:01:21 +0000

In reply to The era of total victory and

So the sane Peter writes the 1st paragraph, and who writes the 2nd?