Meanwhile in Iraq & Syria

[ssu]

Rarely do we agree, StA

But response to an earlier thing, why I said that a lot can be blamed on Obama here:

The thing is that after Obama's famous line in the sand thing, Obama just basically left the whole thing. And with leaving, I'm not just saying that he stopped any attacks against Assad, what he stopped was the engagement otherwise on the situation. That crisis wouldn't go away, because it would effect Iraq and the whole neighbourhood. The US being basically inactive on all fronts lead to the opening that not only Russia could deploy a strong force to back Assad, but also gave the initiative to Putin and hence start a Russia lead process with Turkey on the crisis. One shouldn't underestimate the issue that Russia could start the political process without the US. Once that happened, you had the strongest ally of the US going it's own way with Russia. Yes, bombing Assad is a terrible option and good that Obama didn't do that, yet basically walking away from the whole situation wasn't going to work either. (And bombing Assad isn't the only option, I should remind people here)

Turkey was not obviously the only country disillusioned with the non-existent US leadership in the matter. Hence the US has had to scramble about coordinating the strikes as there wouldn't be accidental bombings of Russians, perhaps even others too. The way that Turkey is now responding to the US just shows the US isn't leading. The US is just an actor that nobody seems to know what it will do. A long way from the time Bush senior gathered a coalition, which had Syria in it btw, and the countries listened to it.

I do wonder if the Trump administration did use this opportunity to gather it's allies around itself, or just went and bombed one airfield as the President had to react. I assume it was just the latter. Of course it's too early to say, but I see the markings here of a President demanding something having to be done or he will look bad and the Pentagon trying to minimize backlash yet giving something to the President to save his face.

Stupid move.

[DBTrek]

All this proves, is that America wants absolutely no part in actually confronting the Russians, and so Assad has now been given carte blanche, from behind Mr. Ivan's nuclear petticoats.

Is this what's passing for analysis these days?

"Trump blasting Assad's airfield after the tyrant unleashed chemical weapons on civilians is just proves that the USA is afraid of to confront the Russians!!!"


Let me try to picture that.

All the high ranking brass gather in a room to discuss our response to Syria deploying WMD. The #1 question on their mind is how to prove to the world that America is terrified of Russia.
"How can we best do that?" asks Gen Mattis.
"Let's blast the f*** out of the very airbase they used to deploy the WMD"
"Yeah! That'll show those Russians we're good and scared of them!"

Yet . . . Russia gained nothing.
Syria lost an airfield.
And we're just over here like "what's up now?"

[clubgop]

Utterly stupid, this was the stupid move that Obama dodged, which now Trump has blundered straight into, if you're going to whip it out, it better not be a flaccid limp dick 50 TLAM's into the dirt on purpose, if you ain't rock hard and ready to take it to the brink, just keep it in your pants.

All this proves, is that America wants absolutely no part in actually confronting the Russians, and so Assad has now been given carte blanche, from behind Mr. Ivan's nuclear petticoats.

Better to keep them guessing, than to actually whip it out, but have it be a soft serve. Before, they didn't think you were serious, but now they know you ain't.

The low information crowd will think it good. This will get spun as good "at least we're doing something." Russians knew we weren't going to do anything serious anyway. Obama had a clear shot no Russians and didn't take it. They knew then and there it was done.

[clubgop]

All this proves, is that America wants absolutely no part in actually confronting the Russians, and so Assad has now been given carte blanche, from behind Mr. Ivan's nuclear petticoats.

Is this what's passing for analysis these days?

"Trump blasting Assad's airfield after the tyrant unleashed chemical weapons on civilians is just proves that the USA is afraid of to confront the Russians!!!"


Let me try to picture that.

All the high ranking brass gather in a room to discuss our response to Syria deploying WMD. The #1 question on their mind is how to prove to the world that America is terrified of Russia.
"How can we best do that?" asks Gen Mattis.
"Let's blast the f*** out of the very airbase they used to deploy the WMD"
"Yeah! That'll show those Russians we're good and scared of them!"

Yet . . . Russia gained nothing.
Syria lost an airfield.
And we're just over here like "what's up now?"

They know we aint got the stones to follow through. Bet we told them "look clear out of that space, we have to put on fireworks show."

[DBTrek]

So . . . the consensus of the wizened Martin Hash members is that because the USA didn't annihilate any Russians over the actions of Assad, we're afraid of them and now they're going to conquer the world?

Is that what I'm hearing?

Because I don't want to call anyone stupid prematurely.

[Smitty-48]

All this proves, is that America wants absolutely no part in actually confronting the Russians, and so Assad has now been given carte blanche, from behind Mr. Ivan's nuclear petticoats.

Is this what's passing for analysis these days?

Hey, if you don't like it, why don't you shoot 50 TLAM's into a barn in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, after warning us first of course, so we can move all the dope to the barn down the road before hand. lol.

[Speaker to Animals]

I find myself more inclined to retreat into the world of military SF. The plots are just as unrealistic and sometimes ridiculous, but at least I know there are only so many pages.

[Smitty-48]

So . . . the consensus of the wizened Martin Hash members is that because the USA didn't annihilate any Russians over the actions of Assad, we're afraid of them and now they're going to conquer the world?

Is that what I'm hearing?

Because I don't want to call anyone stupid prematurely.

Annihilate? Hey, how about just not warning them beforehand, to ensure that they know you ain't serious and this is not for realz, followed by shooting 50 million tax dollars into the desert, without actually hitting anything of consequence, on purpose.

[DBTrek]

Hey, if you don't like it, why don't you shoot 50 TLAM's into a barn in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, after warning us first of course, so we can move all the dope to the barn down the road before hand. lol.

If my intention is simply putting Canada on notice that I'll wipe that barn, or blast any ramshackle maplewood building occupying that sad stretch of tundra to kingdom come, I will.

And afterward I'm sure some clown in some Australian forum will be saying "The USA is afraid of England, the cowards! That's why they didn't hit the British embassy instead!"

And some echo chamber of brainless forum retards will be like "Hell yeas! U don't fire no missile into Canader unless u reddy to nuke London, SON!!!"

Because drunk people.
And the internet.

[Smitty-48]

Hey, if you don't like it, why don't you shoot 50 TLAM's into a barn in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, after warning us first of course, so we can move all the dope to the barn down the road before hand. lol.

If my intention is simply putting Canada on notice that I'll wipe that barn, or blast any ramshackle maplewood building occupying that sad stretch of tundra to kingdom come, I will.

You've turned into a bunch of fuckin' Canadians now, you've been totally Canadianized; "Hello, Russia? Just to let you know, were going to be shooting some cruise missiles at that base in the middle of nowhere, we don't want you to be alarmed, we're not really shooting at you, this is just for domestic consumption, we apologize for any inconvenience we may cause, here are the grids we are targeting, so you can move all the valuable equipment out of the way beforehand, and ensure that none of your people get hit, again, not for realz, just for show, thanking you for your patience, have a nice day."

Who came up with this fuckin plan? Justin Trudeau? How do you get out of this chickenshit outfit? lol.