By Ted Belman
In the last month at least I have been posting articles which herald’s Trump’s decline into captivity. My feelings descended to the nadir when McMaster fired so many Trump people and Trump did nothing.
As we know Trump has abandoned Israel’s interests in Syria. And he wimped out on the Iran deal cancellation.
I believe Bannon will be more effective on the outside than he was on the inside.
I am happy to say, there are still signs of life.
1. Afghanistan. Most feel this speech was a departure from his agenda which was to quit the field. Now in reading the speech, what one thinks of his plan depends on what one focuses on. Trump said “the American people are weary of war without victory.”, our soldiers “deserve the tools they need, and the trust they have earned, to fight and to win.” and “we will defeat them, and we will defeat them handily.” Thus Trump is in it win it. Thus his new plan has victory in mind.
2. I was quite satisfied with what he said about the violence in Charlottesville. He kept doubling down. Unfortunately when he said after the Boston violence, “I want to applaud the many protesters in Boston who are speaking out against bigotry and hate. Our country will soon come together as one!”. This really upset me as he appeared to have caved entirely.
But he came roaring back in Pheonix and again double down on his remarks about Charlottesville and blasted the MSM. He also attacked McCain and Flake without naming them. He also, all but pardoned Sheriff Joe. All this was unscripted.
Cohn when deciding not to resign admonished Trump to do more to condemn the neo-Nazis and KKK. It seemed to me that he and the liberal-left are pressuring Trump to focus his ire on them and thus to ignore Antifa etc.
He also promised in no uncertain terms, that the wall will get built. He is staking his Presidency on it.
3. Al Sisi refused to meet with Kushner, because the State Department had maintained Obama’s policy of with holding aid, Trump called him and assured him that the US is there for Egypt. Very important break from the past. Al Sisi then met with Kushner.
4. Finally, The State Department refused to endorse a two state solution.
5. As I said before, the litmus test will be when the US must declare Iran is abiding by the Iran deal in two months time. He has intimated he will act differently next time. Of course firing McMaster will mean he is fully recovered and is now in charge.
@ yamit82:
I agree with both of your remarks. I just openned the door on winning without knowing what he had in mind..
Yes, winning in our terms is highly improbably.
As for Tillerson and McMaster, I can’t fathom why he appointed them. Did he not vet them. Did he have other considerations? Can’t imagine.
So the question becomes Who’s in charge? He seems to be taking orders from them. Their insubordination is intolerable.
He and Pence have invited Tillerson to lunch to have a talk. Hopefully Tilerson will be relieved of his duties or resign and Bolton will be put in his place. But will the Senate approve anyone who supports Trump’s agenda?
yamit82 Said:
He should fire both Tillerson and Cohn for their criticism of him and non support for his agenda… No President can abide by such insubordination and betrayal in his government. It makes Trump look weak and inempt
Ted Belman said:
He promised and ran on getting out of Afghanistan almost 17 years thousands dead and wounded and trillions of$$$ wasted. in 2011 we had with NATO 140-150K troops in Afghanistan and couldn’t win it. We now have with increase of forces less than 15K so tell me what is winning and how are you going to achieve it?: Why are the Americans still there after 16 years plus? ISIS AL QAEDA AND Taliban created by Pakistani Intel and the CIA ….. ARE ALL CREATIONS OF THE CIA. The Taliban were never a threat to the USA and neither was Saddam or Qaddafi. Iran and the Saudis are the real threats and we are screwing around in Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan? Trump succumbed to his stupid generals and I mean stupid. Trump is also no brain but i always thought he had good instincts. I would say he has good instincts and lousy judgement he has no idea how to govern and run a government….. his mistakes and learning curve could be very disastrous not just for America but for us in Israel as well.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
You were correct we can agree to disagree. I apologize you site so many articles you must be correct. This now has gone on a tangent away from the article Ted posted. Done!
@ Bear Klein:
This guy must know a lot about security issues, right?
Former Israeli Security Chief Pushes for Unilateral Withdrawal
http://www.thedailybeast.com/former-israeli-security-chief-pushes-for-unilateral-withdrawal
Or was that a pundit talking? He didn’t really advocate something so crazy, right?
anti-Israel activists love to throw this guy in my face
Miko Peled, son of Israeli general, speaks out for Palestine
http://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2017/03/miko-peled-speaks-at-ub
Credentials? Feh!
@ Bear Klein:
Oh, and let’s not forget U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph Davies. When I was a Stalinist, his book, “Mission to Moscow” was a standard reference. Hollywood turned into a movie in 1943. Amazon has both. Of course, though there was no Amazon in the 80s and 90s, to my knowledge.
I have more faith in Trump, and Kushner (despite my disagreements) for that matter, with their lack of political credentials or experience, than in any of these be-medaled fellows.
humor
https://youtu.be/5m6Czgl1acU
@ Bear Klein:
Pundits? The statement of parents of a child taken away and interrogated so brutally that he wound up in the hospital still denied contact with his parents or a lawyer are pundits? Are you actually reading anything I am citing? It doesn’t seem that way.
Do you think you can make a statement without evidence and expect to be believed?
While I respect your professional experience, which I had no way of knowing about until now, it does not by itself constitute authority.
Steve Pieczinik has an amazing bio. But, he thinks 9/11 was an inside job.
Ramsey Clarke was Attorney General of the U.S. during the Vietnam War. When I was a Leftist activist, he was a leading figure in the All People’s Congress, the front group of the Communist Workers World Party and a regular speaker at anti-US rallies.
And let’s not forget that other leading authority of the Left, the former CIA agent, Philip Agee, who wrote a “tell-all” book.
And if you go by credentials, it doesn’t get much more impressive than McMaster, Kelly, and so on.
I’m not impressed by credentials, thank you very much. “Just the facts, M’aam.” – (Dragnet)
Look at Carter’s credentials. He worked for Admiral Rickover as a nuclear engineer in the navy!
@ Bear Klein:
Fine. But, you can easily convey your knowldege in an article. I am half way trained as a historian. I am not relying on my own experience but on the experiences of others who have written and who live in Israel. How familiar are you with the sort of cases I cited? Do you doubt them? I said myself that they are not representative of Israelis as a whole. That legal aid website said there are more than 1000 cases a year of Israeli Jews who fall afoul of the law because they either defend themselves from Arabs or because of the their love of Israel.
I am aware that Egypt, in general, is a pretty awful place, though not as awful as it was under Morsi, or in just about any other Muslim country, but that has nothing to do with the form of government.
You really have not answered me substantively.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
Since you did not live through an earthquake you did not understand that analogy. Let me try this I played soccer competitively and coached later for a bit. I was a field player but trained my son who was a high level goalie. When I watch a game I usually see the same things he says when watching the goalie but sometimes he catches things I never would because he actually played the position. We both look at a game much differently than someone who never played. We look for different things and have a much deeper understanding.
Hence I studied and worked in the Criminal Justice System in the USA before moving to Israel the first time. When I moved to Israel I wanted to compare how courts are different or similar so I sat in Israeli courts. Both legal systems are based on English common law for example. In Israel I was exposed to the police, intelligence and military on various levels including among other things their law enforcement. I have met and discussed all sorts of topics with people at the Israeli political level over the years. So when I read a political article in the paper I look at differently than someone who does not have the same life experience.
In the USA I remember reading an article about a crime that had occurred. I did not recognize what I was reading about was a case I was involved in, until I made some inquiries. The reporter had so embellished the facts to make the case interesting it was beyond reality. So my point is if one does not experience some things first hand they may not have a clue what they are reading about has a possibility of being true. Especially with political writers who are more pundits than actual reporters.
@ Bear Klein:
Are you aware that the De Toqueville, who visited America briefly in the 1830s is universally considered the leading authority on ante-bellum America?
I remember this school of historiography. Very popular on the Left. You have to be Black to understand African-American History, you have to be a woman, a Native American, a Frenchman, etc.
A nice authoritative way of telling opponents to shut up. No right to speak. Can’t understand.
Never bought into it.
Foreigners or Uncle Toms.
@ Bear Klein:
Ever read this?
https://www.amazon.com/Grains-Sand-Fall-Neve-Dekalim/dp/9657344190
Do I have to have lived through the destruction of Gush Katif as my childhood home to understand and empathize?
Have you lived in Egypt?