Posted by Tina
Just saw General MaInerney on Fox Business News reporting on the state of efforts to defeat ISIS and he said that although “radical Islam is not dead, Isis is done.” Victories in Iraq and Syria have been reported in recent days, see here, here and here.
McInerney also indicated the Trump administration has pressed for Arabs in the region to take the initiative to tackle the problem of radicalization.
The effort to defeat Isis has included diplomacy as well as military operations with our allies in the region:
US-backed militias have completely taken Isis’ de facto capital, Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Tuesday, in a major symbolic blow to the jihadist group.
The fall of Raqqa, where Isis staged euphoric parades after its string of lightning victories in 2014, is a potent symbol of the movement’s collapsing fortunes. The city was used as a base for the group to plan attacks abroad.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by a US-led international alliance, has been fighting Isis inside Raqqa since June.
It’s been only 9 months since President Trump took on the responsibility of Commander-in-Chief. He promised to defeat Isis and he, along with his generals have done an amazing job so far.
This recent success has been largely ignored by the orthodox press (= MSM = Democrat party/left wing volunteer propaganda apparatchik, which of course, at this point, should go without saying).
It wasn’t the orthodox press in itself, which is on a mission to destroy him, Trump did it to himself. Again.
The OP focus last week became Trump’s infantile exchange with Corker and his stupid-beyond-belief comments threatening the 1st Amendment.
I don’t fear Trump’s idiotic comments that threatened the 1st Amendment and leave it up to the people who hate him to feign outrage. Trump won’t be pushing any legislation to go after the op and 1st Amendment. Anyone who actually thinks he will is brain dead. (Certain participants here come to mind.)
What I fear is that Trump will end up destroying the GOP with his gaffes and his uncontrolled narcissistic maliciousness. Frankly, am fed up with this nonsense. He is his own worst enemy. Greg Gutfeld may think this amusing and entertaining, but I don’t.
Trump’s handling of ISIS has completely turned around the horrific damage done by Obama policy and his lunatic micro-mismanagement. Trump’s policy wasn’t necessarily brilliant. It was common sense. He let those in the know to do their jobs as they deemed fit, gave him his support, and stayed the hell out of the way.
Compared to anyone in the Democrat party, the man is a damn genius. I’ll take it. I don’t like it, but I’ll take it.
This is a good comment. I was about to ask Tina what specific strategy Trump has employed to defeat ISIS, but your theory strikes me as plausible, Pie. If your theory is correct than I will give him credit for stepping out of the way and letting people who know better do their jobs.
I also agree that while Trump is unlikely to propose legislation that would harm the first amendment, his comments certainly do not help promote a culture of free speech.
I was more appalled by his false statements yesterday that past presidents did not call family members of fallen soldiers. Why would he say something like that, when he immediately admitted that he had no idea whether it was true after a reporter called him on it? Because his first instinct when it comes to tragedy is to make it about himself, and somehow redirect the conversation to being about how he is The Best. Right after 9/11 he proclaimed that he now has the tallest building in New York. Normal people don’t say things like this. He has no sense of social appropriateness and only cares about self-promotion, to the point that he’s willing to defame past presidents–including Republican presidents–to build himself up, without even a thought to whether what he’s saying is true. I’ve seen one conservative blogger say that all presidents have lied, but Trump is the first to not even understand the concept of objective truth, and moments like this seem to lend credence to that theory.
Re “If your theory is correct than I will give him credit for stepping out of the way and letting people who know better do their jobs.”
It is not a “theory”, it is what he did.
I mustn’t forget that when dealing with Chris I am dealing with an idiot.
“I was about to ask Tina what specific strategy Trump has employed to defeat ISIS…I will give him credit for stepping out of the way and letting people who know better…”
Hard to know if this was meant cynically or sincerely.
The following indicate Trump’s strategy:
Trump’s speech to the Arab nations was strategic and brilliant. If you haven’t read it you should. He was very well received. (He also met with leaders individually, as did others in his administration.)
All of the leaders of the world have been put on notice. They should take their responsibilities as leaders seriously and meet their obligations to their people and to each other. In a strange way what Trump does is empower others to become better.
Trump informed the media (and the people) that his administration would not be sharing military plans or setting timelines. Signaling intentions to the enemy is not something his administration will do.
Trump met with his generals and advisors and together they developed a strategy, coordinated with allies, and executed without fanfare. History will record the details.
Nikki Haley is working very effectively at the UN.
The Trump Doctrine confounds democrat and republican elites, probably because of the element of common sense, but it’s not all that complicated and mirrors that of Ronald Reagan, peace through strength, and Theodore Roosevelt’s, “speak softly, and carry a big stick.”
As a reminder, Obama’s approach was incredibly ineffective:
I predict that his time in office will be respected around the world when all is said and done…the man is shaking up the entire world, dismantling things that don’t work and showing leaders what does work.
Pie, I doubt there is anyone who disagrees about the Presidents weird/strange comments.
He’s definitely not an experienced orator at this point. He speaks in incomplete sentences and tends to brag. But he’s not without humility so is not a narcissist in my book.
He truly loves America and truly wants people, all people, to succeed.
I have to take exception to your assessment of Trumps abilities as CIC for several reasons. He went to military school and has great respect for the military and military history. He’s read “The Art of War” and applied the principles in his business experience. I’ve heard several people who serve under him say he’s very smart and learns fast. He is disciplined in his work ethic and seems able to keep several balls in the air at the same time. He recognizes genius in others and is good at delegating responsibility. He speaks using the term “we,” realizing his accomplishments are team efforts.
“I’ll take it. I don’t like it, but I’ll take it.”
A lot of us have taken that position. As it stands today that’s very good news for anyone who opposes the radical left agenda.
In many ways he is the right man for the job in this time. If anyone can clean up the mess made in the last eight years, and reverse the leftist domination he can. It’s a daunting job and I’m blown away at the progress he’s made in so short a time.
It is good to have you back, Pie!
Huh? I did made no criticism Trump’s CIC ability.
I apologize Pie. I misunderstood.
He does let the generals do their work in the field without micromanaging…he gets out of the way.
But it’s my understanding that he is very much involved in the process of determining the best strategy. He’s apparently very good at “common sense” approaches to complex problems.
If Trump respected the military, he would not have used dead soldiers to make himself look better by falsely claiming that other presidents did not call the families of fallen soldiers. He would not have mocked McCain for being a POW. He would not have called his college STDs his “personal Vietnam.” He would not have said he “knows more than the generals.” He would not have insulted Gold Star parents.
You respect the military, Tina, and you would not do these things.
Another day, another example of Trump disrespecting the military. Amazing that immediately after falsely claiming past presidents didn’t call the family members of fallen soldiers, defaming each and every one of them, Trump managed to botch a phone call to a family member of a fallen soldier, telling a war widow that her husband “knew what he was getting into.”
Of course, Trump being Trump, he denied that he ever said this after it was first reported by a Dem congresswoman, only for the mother of the fallen soldier to confirm her account and say Trump disrespected her family.
How soon before Trump is publicly feuding with the mother?
Benghazi family members have made claims about comments from Hillary, but she was at least smart enough to not attack them. Trump’s previous feud with Gold Star parents indicates he lacks that kind of self-control.
It was clear long before the election that Trump lacked the skill to do basic parts of the job, like comforting Americans during a crisis. Instances like this, as well as his shocking reaction to the devastation in Puerto Rico, prove this, and show that his inability to do so is borne directly from a lack of both empathy and basic social skills.
The Congresswoman, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson from Miami Gardens, is a known Trump hater and on board for impeaching him. She may be the liar here. There is no recording but there is a clear agenda.
“telling a war widow that her husband “knew what he was getting into.”
CNN, “Gold Star father: Trump’s words misconstrued”:
His words can be taken as insensitive. They can also be understood as high praise!
Anyone who takes a job that puts his life at risk does so KNOWING what he’s signing up to do…that’s incredible. I’ve said it many times myself, I could never adequately thank the people who put themselves in harms way for me…and I do take it personally!
Those who hate Trump hear what they want to hear.
Tina,
Several facts make your response insufficient.
You ignore completely that Johnson’s own mother confirms Wilson’s account. Was she lying too?
You ignore completely that Trump literally lied about phone calls to Gold Star families the day before this, falsely claiming that other presidents didn’t call. He has no credibility on this issue. He has already shown that he is willing to make things up about calls to the families of fallen soldiers to make himself feel better. So why should we believe him here? Are you OK with his defamatory statements about the Bushes, Reagan, and other presidents who absolutely did call grieving families?
Then you move from “Wilson is probably lying about what Trump said” to “Trump’s comments were misunderstood.” Do you realize this is a totally contradictory argument? Trump initially denied that he had ever said “he knew what he was signing up for.” Now the White House has stopped denying that and is moving on to “He meant it in a nice way.” How can we trust anything they say when the story changes every day?
The father quoted in the CNN piece is not the father of the soldier in question, and the CNN piece doesn’t even make it clear that he was involved in the same call! It seems like they’re trying to be balanced but I have no idea why they seem to be putting his opinion on the same field as people who heard the call in question.
I “hate Trump” because he has already shown insensitivity to soldiers and their family members, such as the examples I already showed you: his insults toward McCain and the Khans, his claim during the campaign that if he ordered soldiers to commit war crimes they’d “have to obey…” the list goes on and on. You have chosen to accept this because you believe you can get some of what you want done under Trump. But there is no doubt in my mind that if Obama had been accused of saying stuff like this, or if he had defamed past presidents by saying he was the only one to call Gold Star families, you’d be screaming from the rooftops.
Trump’s words while possibly inarticulate are child’s play compared to the disrespectful actions of Obama toward the SEALs Team Six family members killed in Afghanistan.
We went from a silver-tongued devil who lied all of the time and got away with it, except for being awarded WaPo’s liar of the year award, to a man who can’t form a simple sentence that doesn’t open the door for everyone trying to figure out what he meant to say.
The words, “He knew what he was getting into,” is a commons saying expressed to police officer, firefighters in addition to every volunteer military soldier. They all knew the dangers they could be facing and still chose to get involved.
What is disgusting is for anyone including the media to use these family members to promote their personal and political agendas at a time they need to be left alone to mourn their loss.
Karen Vaughn speaks about Trump’s and Obama’s treatment for son’s death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6eMNHI_2yA
This Florida congresswoman is an attention addict who wears outfit matching sequined cowboy hats and appears on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Her role and dialog should be an insult to every parent and a horrible example of what’s going on and presented as normal for “Real” families of any color.
“Plus, Phaedra spends most of her time in the episode trying to make herself seem like a big deal and saying things like, “One of my friends in the White House introduced me to congresswoman Wilson,” anyway, so there’s not much time for her go too off the mark. Said congresswoman, Frederica S. Wilson founded the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project that Phaedra hopes to model her own organization after. She’s also a bit of a character — in their meeting she’s wearing Cynthia’s 4th of July outfit a sequined red cowboy hat, a rhinestone studded American flag bow tie necklace, and says things like, “People really do not like African-American boys.” The latter makes Kim a little uncomfortable as she has her 8-year-old son Sebastian in the meeting with her and doesn’t want him to be exposed to concepts that he can’t fully comprehend yet. Phaedra says she doesn’t have “the luxury of sugarcoating reality” with her sons.
Later, Kim excuses herself from another luncheon to take her boys back out to the car and says that she’s frustrated with the situation because it’s not kid friendly. My question is what was Kim was expecting out of this weekend? Was it pitched to her as something else, and then she showed up and realized she had to wrangle two kids to a bunch of luncheons? Or is she just not down to politically clown? Something about the Kim stuff this episode was just off. I can understand a parent wanting to preserve her child’s innocence at a young age, but from what we’ve seen on the show, the sheltering of her family seems to interfere with her being able to relate to anything outside of that four-person family unit. She ultimately leaves before the main Million Man March event, citing an engagement she was already signed onto back home. I’m sure that engagement was real — but I’m also sure by now that Kim is not cut out for this show.”
http://ew.com/recap/the-real-housewives-of-atlanta-season-8-episode-11/
I’ll let Jena Green, whose father was KIA in Iraq, respond to your disdainful comment, Chris.
Daily Caller, “My Dad Was KIA In Iraq – Here’s Why We Shouldn’t Bicker Over Phone Calls”:
Warping the tragedy of a fallen soldier into a PR stunt is lower than low.
Correct.
So why does she not object to Trump saying “past presidents didn’t call” in order to warp the tragedy of fallen soldiers into a PR stunt?
Why don’t you?
Victor Davis Hansen’s new book “The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won” came out today. I ordered my copy. NRO is publishing a series of excerpts. Here is a link to the first installement —
A Classical War of Modern Violence
Thanks Pie. I enjoy reading anything VDH has to say. The book will make a wonderful gift for someone in my family too.
I may have been wrong about Obama’s handling and bow to David French —
The Fall of Raqqa Is a Marvelous, Bipartisan American Victory
I have come to really enjoy David French, and NRO as a whole, over the past year. That was a great article, and your willingness to concede that you may have been wrong about the previous president’s strategy speaks very well of you. I will also concede that Fremch is probably right about Trump’s contributions as well.
Please refrain from showering me with your arrogant, pompous and condescending approval, you ridiculous, self-aggrandizing ass.
If it is true that you are a teacher of children, I truly pity them and their parents for having to suffer such a fool as you.
I am confident that someday you will shoot your mouth off to the wrong person and receive the thorough beating you so richly deserve.
Have a nice day!
No President does everything wrong.
But I can’t take the “bipartisan we” David French is selling to heart. Raqqa (Isis “capitol”) was made possible because of the many other wrong choices he made.
President Obama took all that our military bled and died for in Iraq and turned it on it’s head! He opened the door wide for a terrorist resurgent expansion into Syria, Iraq and Libya. He made possible radicalization, recruiting, and expansion of Isis into the west. He empowered Iran, the biggest sponsors of terror and set them on a faster path to nuclear weaponry. Worst of all for our military were his terms of engagement and micromanagement of the wars. Eight long years of bad decisions without victory don’t make up for a few good decisions, not in my book.
Daniel Larison, The American Conservative, “Obama’s Legacy: War Without End,” quoted Gene Healy who wrote about Obama:
Larison then went on to address and assess his legacy:
I fully appreciate the desire to see American unity once again. I doubt we will achieve that noble goal by ignoring basic truths and shoving unpleasant facts under the rug. Obama was not equipped to be president, especially during such times, and it showed. No other president, including the current president will ever get the soft media coverage Obama got. Had GWB done what Obama did he would have been driven from office!
Sorry for the diatribe…tripped on a soap box and couldn’t resist taking advantage!
Must see the most inspirational video on the internet.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FdHJw0veVNY
Chris: “You ignore completely that Johnson’s own mother confirms Wilson’s account. Was she lying too?”
The reason I let a KIA family member respond is that I have no desire to claim or imply that this grieving woman is a liar. Since you’ve chosen to push it….there are a couple of possibilities:
1. She was primed and coached by the Trump hating representative, and 2. She misunderstood what Trump was saying in her grief.
Bottom line, the representative has a single agenda: to impeach the president. That makes her motive in reporting this to the press highly suspect.
Since you are willing to believe Trump is morally bankrupt and irredeemable as a human being, I’m not at all surprised you are willing to believe the worst. That is your right.
Trump has done nothing but praise and promote those who serve in our military, men and women who have chosen to serve in a time of serious military obligation and great danger. The idea that our President would intentionally set out to make a statement to harm a loved one of a fallen soldier is absurd on it’s face!
” falsely claiming that other presidents didn’t call.”
It may be that Trump was told what the protocol was and assumed others didn’t make calls. It wasn’t necessary to make this assertion but the criticism is fairly petty when weighed against the support he’s given our military and the unprecedented and unwarranted criticism he’s received and the outrageous efforts to undermine and defeat him over fake accusations. The “Russian collusion” accusation is particularly despicable given the massive coverup of the Hillary, Obama, Holder, et all, uranium bribery and kickback scandal.
I don’t particularly like Trumps criticisms of Bush and Reagan but it isn’t unusual for any president, including Mr. perfect Obama, to criticize others or, for that matter, to puff themselves up. Obama was a smooth braggart as was Clinton…the twin users of I.
“Then you move from “Wilson is probably lying about what Trump said” to “Trump’s comments were misunderstood.” Do you realize this is a totally contradictory argument?”
How so? It is possible that the Congresswoman didn’t get what Trump said and, armed with her misunderstanding, chose to float what is actually a lie in the press.
“the list goes on and on.”
OH…the drama!!!
I get it. Trump has to be perfect or he’s not “qualified” to be president and unfit to represent our country.
Well excuse me if I think he is 100% more qualified than the former coddled president who was, to me, a great embarrassment to our country and not just for his nutty statements (you can keep your doctor…you will have lower premiums), but for the devastating decisions that placed the entire world in greater jeopardy and chaos and the lousy economic policies that made the rich richer while more Americans fell into poverty and malaise.
Trump is enacting policies and making decisions that positively impact the people in our country and the world and he’s showing it can be done swiftly…that the political class needs to step up their game for the sake of the people. I think we can afford to cut him some slack.
As I wrote, “His words can be taken as insensitive. They can also be understood as high praise!
High praise…that’s the truth about Trumps attitude toward our military.
The rest is petty bull pucky from elements of the Democrat party that will do anything, and I mean anything, to undermine this president! I guess you’re on board and okay with that agenda!
“Trump has done nothing but praise and promote those who serve in our military”
I…literally just showed you that that isn’t true. Perhaps you’d like to explain how “I like people who weren’t captured” praises those who serve, rather than insults every POW there ever was. I know you cannot do that. So you simply ignore it.