danielet's Comments (227)

“Thousands of Bush political appointees filling up our so-called HOMELAND SECURITY APARATUS were covering-up the airlines’ violation of laws established in 1970s during a spade of skyjackings to put two skymarshals on every airliner and to make the pilot's cabin impenetrable in flight. But greedy airlines didn’t obey the law so on 9/11 four airliners were taken-over in 10 minutes each. Flying back-and-forth between the coasts alQaeda’s operatives realized that the pilot's cabin door is never closed because, as an airline exec explained that airlines can't lock the pilot's cabin door because First Class passengers pay a lot for their ticket and deserve to see that a human is flying the plane (!@$##%&!!) As a World Trade Center survivor I've devoted all these years since to fighting the torrent of lies from both parties as they cut away our rights. The more we kill Muslims trying to feel safe, the less safe we are. We're sending intel blind, language deaf and culture dumb mom and dad soldiers to kill an enemy that they can't see so they kill blindly. Consequently, survivors live only to kill us in revenge. How are we to respond? Perhaps if we pulled out of their lands they would not be as ready to die killing us and we might better defend America against the fewer that still will want revenge. OBAMA, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!”

“For half a century before they attacked us we invaded their world to control its resources as "OUR vital security interest." We're 5% of world population consuming 60% of world's resources, forcing patriotic mom and dad soldiers to die intel-blind, language-deaf, culture-dumb shooting literally into the dark so we can control it all. Our soldiers kill to live, those whom we invade live to kill; vengefulness is defeating our high-tech warfare. Bush and Cheney-- war and draft evader respectively-- answered neocon call for "World War IV" against Islam, deceptively insisting that we're doing it for Israel. Fearing political backlash Obama perpetuates WWIV as if he really believes that Muslim's fight "because they hate our freedoms." Long before 9/11 we imposed crooked regimes on Mideast. Yet Obama endorsed McChrystal, whose answer to his every failure is more troops, more troops!. Since 9/11 our mediocre generals considered themselves unaccountable so long as casualties (ours) are low and (Muslim) body count is high-- money is no object! Repeatedly they fail and repeatedly they insist that the answer is more moms and dads as cannon-fodder. Americans cheer for "victory" thinking someone else in paying because: "IT AIN'T MY KID GOING TO WAR." It's not clash of civilization, it's political domination by Viagra-ODed geriatrics.”

“Amb. Ginsberg finally exposed Cheney’s supposed spy factory at Gitmo, supposedly manufacturing “turned-Jihadis” to re-infiltrate. Cheney, the quarterback, could easily dominate our MrSoftee president-- the “UNABLE-decider” cheerleader made captain of the football team—until Bush’s Poppy disenabled Cheney during second term. But by then it was too late. Cheney was the Saudi’s man; they made him rich, controlling him with cash as they controlled many prominent Republicans. The Saudis and Israelis feared most the Sunni MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD (MB) which Iran’s leader Khomeini united with Shias into alQaeda. SaudiArabia and Israel feared MB and Saddam’s support for it because it was replacing crooked Arab nationalists like Arafat with dedicated mujahedins willing to die killing infidels. MB has political peaceful fronts in all Arab countries and in Israel HAMAS; it’s shahids would gladly die killing whom it considered enemies of Islam. Both
Israel and Cheney were duped by hardened captured mujeahedins pretending to switch sides. Instead of becoming our spies these became more dedicated mujahedins duping us. Cheney obeyed incompetent Saudis that made him rich and Israelis whose neocons helped him become VP, and screwed-up badly. Our Republican leaders, our corrupt Saudi allies and the ideologically blinded Israelis couldn’t understand mujahedin dedication to cause for they only know dedication to money. And so the war goes on.”

“What we lost in Vietnam was due to triple canopy jungle and safe bases next door in Laos and Cambodia for PAVN. Soviet ships from Vodivostok to Haiphong and train from Haiphong to Hanoi and truck routes from Hanoi to Mu Gia Pass into Laos went unmolested. From then on it was pot luck for we couldn't even see the roadways through Laos and Cambodia. It was all blind bombing. In Iraq we had not even a Viet Cong like insurgency to speak of until we so abused Iraqis because we didn't have enough boots on the ground. Our military may or may not have been war criminals but they sure were intel blind, language deaf and cuture dumb moms and dads scared to death. They only fought to live so they could get back to their families while the shahids fought driven by hate to die killing us. That's a very uneven table. So I think the "stop-loss" scheme by which volunteers are repeatedly sent to combat involuntarily is outrageous. Bring them home to protect the homelenad and raise their kids right.”

“My point is that back in 1960s Vietnam was EVERYBODY's war because of the draft, we had MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE on it so that by the end everybody knew what it was about. Unlike in the 1950s, in the 1960s we DEBATED because Communist Betina Aptherker-- instead of calling for a "Red Revolution"-- called for MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE. And what I am saying is that if we are to escape the worst of 2009 and not make 2010 like 2009, we had better engage in MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE on all our current problems as in the 1960s and this time avoid becoming ME-ISTS as in the 1970s.”

“Odierno has made a career of drawing ONE line through ONE point and absurdly insist that it is the EXCLUSIVE answer. Iraqi insurgents know that we are losing in Afghanistan and are spread so thin that we can no longer add to Iraq but must subtract fast to reinforce fast Afghanistan. Afterall, many of these are alQaeda that traveled back and forth between the two fronts. For seven years the Iraqis have seen what mediocre generals we throw up against them and how intel blind, language deaf and culture dumb-- thus totally disoriented-- are our soldiers. Now Iraqis deem preparing for the inter-Iraqi war more important than to die killing Americans in revenge for the murderous brutality of the last seven years. They managed to kill almost 5000 of our “kinetic” supermen and now have other priorities. But, like Petraeus who made the same linear case for his surge, Odierno cannot recall the first class in high school geometry where kids learn that the number of lines you can draw through one point is infinite. That we went one month of 82 without any casualties is no tribute to our forces but rather a testament to their irrelevance to Iraq's future. It's nothing to brag about but rather a sad commentary on how in vain were our losses there to date”

“Mr. Soltz, you were sent to Iraq intel blind, language deaf and culture dumb with no tool other than a gun, as occupier never having experienced humility&rage of occupation. You therefore can't understand why privileged Muslim youths are ready to sacrifice life in revenge. Our weapons are really weak-- used only to kill to stay alive-- destroying lives for no clear reason. In fear we bomb blindly, indiscriminately and impersonally, like a video game. After your term of killing is up you expect to go back home to be safe and catch-up on lost time. Yet your Muslim counterpart no longer has a home to go back to because we inflicted on him the neocons' "World War IV" on Islam. As a result, many young Muslims can reach the breaking point of outrage where all they want is revenge for your senseless murder of the only home they knew. Our incompetent generals would never have made it past sergeant had we a draft with all capabilities forced to serve. But as it is, most Americans suffer from the ain't my kid going to war disconnect syndrome, never caring that kid next door joined-up to do what they would never allow their biologic kids to do. We are our worst enemy, making our sons frightened killers who shoot blind in fear under incompetent command. They thus breed hate occupying people who once looked-up to us. The cycle of terror thus comes home, here, where our kids live.”

“Mr. Hart, though in 1972 I debated your presidential candidate McGovern as a Nixon surrogate, I must now admit that I missed your point. So glad was I to have escaped from the jaws of Communism into this Paradise of Freedom that I misread you as willing to deny that freedom to others. But of course the issue was limited capabilities so America had to choose its battles. At UC Berkeley, 1964, a bunch on NYC Commies led by Betina Aptheker challenged authority demanding free speech. 25,000 out of 27,000 students-- including Cal Conservatives for Political Action-- risked all to go on strike; student FSM beat the system. Victorious, Betina didn’t ask for "red revolution” but for MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE. This new dialogue tradition forced Vietnam teach-ins, thus even you had to debate little nobody me in 1972. But the 70s degenerated into ME-IST era. Since then America became drunk with illusory entitlements as "biggest" and "best" that it thought it could manufacture material paradise at others’ expense. To date, our guns enabled us-- 6% of the world's population-- to consume 60% of world's resources. But we're in decline and many want revenge; yet we’re self-centered as before Betina won MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE, having slid backwards as ME-ISTs. I beg you, please, let’s again promote MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE so we can all be made responsible citizens instead of irresponsible ME-ISTS.”

“NO, NO ARIANNA...DON'T WANT TO FORGET ONE THING FROM PAST DECADE because they are all the minute pieces of a mosaic that explains why in the next decade our beloved America will seem like a bottomless cesspool. For half a century Americans have imposed nonsense Biblebabble morality covering-up avaricious swindlers as heroic characters to emulate down to Bush the cheer-leader made captain of the football team pretending he's a "decider." Our borders have been breached but all the while our leaders have been ever more on the take from a corrupt Wall Street and led by the nose by mediocre generals pushing mom and dad soldiers into wars that drain our assets and our soldiers making for widows and orphans on the homefront. Obama inherited a powerful degenerative momentum and we will never reverse it lest we understand it. And we’ll never understand it unless we put together all the parts of the pathology that devastated our economy, our defense and our moral fiber. For eight years of the last ten corrupt incompetents with no skills at legislation and leadership but obsessed with stealing political meat from eachother's mouth ruled. The prior eight were no better. Our forces are depleted by ragtag armies of shahids that do so much more with so much less. Let TRUTH COMMISSIONS instruct us on every detail lest we forget and perpetuate the decade.”

“Cheney’s game is to slander, lie and do harm because he can. Why can he? Because Obama foolishly thought he’s dealing with pragmatic racists who’ll waffle when it's in their interest to do so. Instead of sticking hard to his moral perspectives in face of power-hungry amoral Republicans, Obama thought they would pay for silence with silence. Preferring to temporize, he didn’t realize that no matter what, the Taliban, Republicans and Israelis all want him politically dead and he better expose them to sun and oxygen right from git-go. He didn’t to dirty presidency wrestling such human manure in the ring; he could have let TRUTH COMMISSIONS educate the American people as to where they are and who got them there. After four years locked in the White House basement, Cheney wants to be remembered before his heart stops as best of WashDC-type bushwhackers. He uses the emotive words that augment the public panic, making them impervious to words or reason. It worked with the healthcare bill while Obama hid in the White House rather than confront the KKK-like white mob ready to lynch him. Cheney smelled fear and, despite his grave medical state, wants to go out as Darth Vader, the evil Republican that slays Obama’s presidency. If Obama fears Cheney-type Republican whitey-is and won’t drown them in their own record, then he would do well to go back to Hawaii for good.”

“Clearly Mr. Benen has it right....so far. But if Obama chooses to follow political spinal reflexes instead of the cerebral processing for which he is famous, he will fall into the Bush-it trap of cover-up. The real problem with the one that almost got away is that lower level bureaucrats are careerists instead of professionals. They look at their jobs in terms of "what can it do for me?" instead of "how can I keep America safe?" This is how the "ME-IST" generation form the 70s was raised. Worst of all are Foreign Service Officers embassy or StateDept bureaucrats. For most their job is to see the world and have fun. As they get older they become metabolically hibernating until time comes to retire. Any drive, enthusiasm and sense of initiative was long eliminated, turning themselves into well adapted party goers and formalists who climb by screwing the guy above. CIA is a different kettle of fish. There people are more team oriented. But those who run out of gas usually suppress oxygen access for those with more active metabolism. Obama would do well to recognize that the trouble is one of GOV careerism and bureaucratism at lower to middle level where the new directors and assistant directors cannot take action, especially as a lot of Bushites are well entrenched playing politics there. This one case doesn't call for change-at-top, only for clearer terms of cross-agency communications and liability.”

“Amb. Ginsberg was always a welcome image/voice of FOXNEWS after I survived 9/11 because he seemed rational and disciplined voice on dealing with Islam. But the issue is not alQaeda enticing young shahids who suffer the disillusion with life young men everywhere. It’s better security and better understanding of Muslims so we don’t seem manipulated by Zionist radicals like neocons who dream of American commitment to exterminatory "World War IV" against Islam for Israel's sake. Recall the young Mossad illegal aliens disguised as painters openly cheering from atop a parked van on New Jersey side of Hudson as World Trade Center came down; nor Dove Heikim's call for indiscriminant profiling of Muslims laws thus raising question of whether we Americans will become Israel's pawns in its war with Islam. Amb. Ginsberg used to remind us of our role as "honest broker." That role is not possible so long as we are hysterical bloodthirsty mobs ready to bomb the Muslim World every time Israel blows its dog whistle at us. We are Israel's friend working to integrate it with Arab neighbors but not its mad dog working to impose its domination over the Mideast. Making that clear will bring us peace&security. Let's recall that 9/11 was reactive to our imposition of the royal crooks on Saudi Arabia so we get cheap oil and giving Israelis weapons used to exterminate innocent Palestinians. That should change for our safety's sake.”

“We are spiraling into an ever deeper hole as we kill people in Afghanistan, whomever these may be. It matters not what side they’re on for OUR Afghan Gov is on all sides at one place/level or other. It is time to demand a full accounting from the likes of Bruce Reidel who declare that if we don't win the Afghan War we'll be in serious danger. Affirmations anyone can make. But, like a good lawyer, these PROFESSIONAL AFFIRMERS must learn that they have to argue their case and defend it in MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE, not on monologue platforms. WE need teach-ins to sort out fact from opinion or at least to give us an idea of where we each need to do our own research as responsible citizens. Alas, it may be that American just don't care as it "ain't my kid going to war." If that's so then we are dead as a nation as we fall victim to self-promoting monologue from the likes of Petraeus and McChrystal. We are an infected democracy and Obama failed to extirpate the poison by letting light into the secret files. He thus will lose Obama's War in Afghanistan which he inherited from Bush as lost as Nixon is mis-represented as having lost the Vietnam War.”

“Sorry Colonel Astor, you're wasting your breath on a replay of ancient Rome in decline. The 1970s ME-IST generation is now geriatrics refusing to accept the limitations of their dilapidated old age after a life of self-abusing excesses. Back in 2006 we faced moral dilemma of imposing poorly run Iraq&Afghan Wars on troops sent in intel blind, language deaf and culture dumb. The Iraq Survey Group concluded that it was exit time. But Bush-- the combat evader through Poppy's connections-- decided that ME-IST boomers are so adverse to defeat (that's why they gobble vitamins and Viagra by fist-full) they would much prefer a "surge" at the expense of our volunteers because ME-ISTs suffer from "ain't my kid going to war" disconnect syndrome and don't care about the fact that half our troops are moms and dads who joined Reserves on promise by recruiters that they would defend the homefront, serving only one weekend a month and one month a year-- OTHERWISE THEY WOULD HAVE *NEVER* ENLISTED! Bush did one better: he ordered a "stop loss" and no one gave a damn as military families broke-up from stress of moms&dads soldiers never knowing if an IED would go-off around the next corner. The ME-ISTs won't read you column sir, they’re at the imperial circuses. God bless troops and Vets, America won't!”

“So much of our equipment is lost, destroyed or in need of expensive repair after War on Teror (sic) that to get back to where we were in 2001 is quite expensive:
http://armedservices.house.gov/comdocs/schedules/3-30-06GAOStatement.pdf
Ours is a high-fat miluitary. Sustaining our equipment in ready form is very costly. Our present economic status demands that hard choices be made. Military thinks that it should get top roiority over entitlements. Petraeus/McChrystal's ultimate goal is to push nation back to conscription. By treaty we are severely cutting down our nuclear missiles in accord with Russian reciprocity, NOT China, which is byuying and reverse manufacturing Russian weapon-systems. As more countries go nuclear, our deterrent capacity gets diluted because it's a big world out there and China konws it.”

“So far the heroic Pelosi-delivered *REAL* Congressional HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM has turned into the Senate's dog-and-pony-show making lots of dog-and-pony-poop for which the health insurance companies' lobbyists are paying $3 million per ticket per day. As part of the show Senator Lieberman went from the moral conscience of the Senate to the ultimate Senatorial fire-sale of conscience. Suddenly soaring rise in health insurance stocks say loudly who won from Senate bill. History will remember Democrat Senators to be as corrupt as Roman Senators of past or Republican Senators of present. With the economy bad and Democrat prospects in 2010 election dismal, they followed the Pied Piper Lieberman to the lobbyist backpocket, kissing between pockets on their way out. But of course-- NOW, WHEN MEDICINE IS SO DEPLETED AND RETARDED BY CUTS-- the Senators are cobbling a FOR-PROFIT bill that will BEND UPWARDS PROFIT curve of health insurance corporations and BEND DOWNWARDS the curve of funds available for up-dating the quality of healthcare. The goal clearly is proving LESS healthcare for MORE people by forcing ALL Americans to stuff the pockets of corporate fat-cats that keep full Democrat coffers and keep your Senator, Republican or Democrat, full while America makes-due on empty. Why did we bother to replace REPUBLICANS WITH DEMOCRATS IN 2008? The disappointment today hurts more than eight years of BUSH-IT!”

“Brilliant Hadar is Israel’s loss, America’s gain. Please Obama, make him SecState! Today America is economically as crippled as Israel. But while Israel depends on American generosity, America depends on Chinese financial tolerance. Chinese have anything but our well-being at heart. Mao said "one, two three...many revolutions." Today’s Chinese leaders say: “one, two ,three...many nuclear countries so America will have so many countries to point its missiles at that it won’t have enough to credibly deter us and our Russian friends.” Russia tried to bully the oil/gas rich Central Asian states into military alliances; China more subtly created the voluntary Shanghai Accord of willingly united to keep US imperial hands and Islamic terrorists out of Eurasia (India, Iran, Pakistan, all Central-Asian “stans”). Obama didn’t say: OK Shanghai Accord, you deal with Taliban, we're going home. Instead he increased our debt to China sending more of our mom and dad soldiers as if Chinese mercenaries fighting Taliban so China need not worry about radical Muslim state next door to Muslims in West China. Most Americans know how it feels to have your banker own your home but don't realize that Obama added to the Chinese banker’s ownership of our nation by listening to incompetent generals on Afghanistan. Wake up American shop-a-holics!”

“BRAVO Heilbrunn, I'm hear you. But think: WHAT IF OBAMA DOESN'T LEARN FROM POWELL EXAMPLE: you can't go along to get along. He is englobed in a Clintonista Cabinet of dubious motives. I realize that he had no "experts" of his own, but with the Clintons and their camp-followers in Obama cabinet, Clinton foxes are in the White hen-House. Clintonista ideology is: follow the polls, steal the Republicans' issues and then steal their funders. Their goal: SCREW-UP OBAMA SO HILLARY NEEDN’T WAIT BEYOND 2012! You know the neocons; you know what she’s gotta do to get their OK and cash from their financiers. Can you not see Hillary kissing up to them? Can you not see the Clintonistas slowly bleeding Obama while he tries to get along? He should have smashed down the pompous failed generals Petraeus/McChrystal when McChrystal followed his request for 20,000 troops with failed tactics in Helman Province followed by “LEAKED” request for 80,000 more. Obama dumped Gen. McKiernan without blinking, why not Petraeus and McChrystal? Does he have the same inferiority complex Powell had relative to Bush? That’s unacceptable because Powell was ONE OF the Cabinet; Obama IS THE President who must bend his team to HIS will. We can't have healthcare and war yet $30 billions, yet 33,000 soldiers were squandered through Petraeus/McChrystal intimidation that might mean he's a wimp!”

“Fact: Obama's no idiot. Fact: Obama really wanted to do all that he proposed in the campaign. Alas, like Powell, he's got this GOTTA GET ALONG TO GET ALONG complex. His political experience was too short to acquire a team of experts with which to staff the White House. All he had time to do was put together a campaign team of folks he barely knew. Suddenly as President what could he do? So he took the only Democrat "experts" available, THE CLINTONISTAS! Even Hillary got into the game. Like a boa constrictor, Bill Clinton's guys englobed Obama in an impermeable cocoon. He could ask any question he wanted but they controlled the answers. Hillary is making her move for 2012, assuming Obama will be politically bead by then, his wife demanding an end to the lime and assassin's light upon them. At the same time, Petraeus figured now's the time to make his move. So he put his stooge McCrystal in Afghanistan and leaked an endless surge demand, knowing full well at that some point Obama will say no more. It is then that Petraus will play his Adolfian "stabbed in the back" explanation for the failed Iraq and Afghan surges under his command: "I asked for more troops and he said no; he betrayed us." I can imagine the 2012 Campaign now: Petraeus (Little McArthur) vs. Hillary (Iron Maiden).”

“OkieIntellectual, point well taken but, alas were depleted of power so must accept a certain degree of uncertainty in the short term in order to aquire good will in the long term. You will see that NO MATTER WHAT WE DO most weak nations will go nuclear because; a) it's a lot cheaper than a standing army, b) a better deterrent and c) less of a risk of coup d'etat by the army through frappe de puscht. Nuclearization is irresistable because China is desseminating nuclear technology in discrete drips anonymously all over the world. Since it can't hope to match US nuclear quantity, it hope to diffuse the aiming of our nukes trying to deter a world full of nuclear states. Since we can't afford enlargement of number of our missiles we'll be spread thin with far less less to point at China than now. Compared to what they'll have to deter us with, what we'll have to deter specifically China with will no longer seem so much greater. So get used to US as 2nd rate because we've made it that way by shopping until we drop buying Chinese garbage. Now they have more US dollars than we do.”

“For Obama every word is an empty promise just like every word was when the same White House staff served Bill Clinton and bowed before the Taliban. Bush added to our shame pretending that they hate our freedoms so that's why they fight us. But in truth, our freedoms have consisted of self-indulgent invasion, avarice, hubris and blind brutality. We have no credibility to a miserable Afhgan pauper while the Taliban willingly dies for his faith killing "monsterous infidels" that invaded his country. How are you going to convince these people to listen to you when they only know you as an American? They may be illiterate but they're not amnesics. They heard Obama's hollow speeches after 8 years of actions that speak far louder than his words at Stokholm. See how your words sound to Afghnas:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n13/rory-stewart/the-irresistible-illusion/print
"American" soundslike an Okie rainman making empty noises in language they can't understand about a rain that never comes. It is you that's crazy in their eyes, suspect no matter how valid your advice because they know that with your language comes horrid killing from the sky. Put yourself in their shoes and realizre that you look just like the guys who shot up their homes and who never delivered the generator and medicines they promised. America has made a fool of itself in Afghnaistan for 8 years. Reach for last drop of dignity and go home quietly.”

“When will we we Americans ever come to understand that we are not the Roman Empire in its heyday? We're as slefish short sighted as any banana republic. Iran is defensively, not aggressively, seeking a nuclear bomb for reasons of its own. It lives in a world that we helpled create, making out like bandits on the natural resources of others, splashing our hollow dollars all over the world. All those Iranians, like a lot of the of the Iraqis we misled, are ready to cease and decist from their dissent in order to fight the "evil Empire" should we try anything. Every Iranian I ever knew reproached us for our support of the Shah as well as for dethroning him. We're in everyway part of world's mysery, leaving when things seemed too inconvenient and expensive to stay. The whole planet knows our history since WWII, as 6% of population using 60% of world's resources. We always felt we could interfere in affairs of weak countries only to abandon them when the blood we shed stained our shoes. So let's not pretend moral purpose-- admit the issue was always convenience. We are too weak now to impose ourselves any more and too self-centered to be convincing or helpful. We must deal humbly with the world and above all stop threatening because Iraq made clear how helpless we can be against determined Muslims.”

“Mr. Churcher your column is a Christmas gift of realism and experience. Thank you. As American by choice not chance I never wanted this my nation defeated. But they keep getting smashed and never learn, deliberately forgetting bloody lessons! This arrogant amnesia is more important to them than the lives of their own kids. They also can't escape reductum ad absurdum. There's this insolent notion: IF IT AIN'T AS SIMPLE AS I SAY, DAMNIT, I"LL MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS I SAY. That's when the hustlers careerists and corporate thieves takeover policy. I recall NY Times commentator, Tony Lewis, writing that as an American he found yourself rooting for Hanoi. I was outraged, but talking it through with him I came to understand. He loves America and thought that when cut down to size it learns, once it learns it will be better, showing its kind and good side. Yet it deliberately forgets rather than learn humility. What Petraeus did in Iraq was total fraud. Iraqis
still hate us for the mess we made. So do Afghans. Yet we insist they hate Taliban and love us. So I ask you: couldn't we just walk out and leave the Taliban to the SHANGHAI ACCORD? No neighbors want Taliban and there would be a REGIONAL solution, like what really ended Iraq (Sunni-Shia-Kurds guided by Turks again). The same people feeding factions we fight would conjure-up regional solutions. We must learn or we're just irrelevant global thugs.”

“Mr. Zelinsky, feel free to celebrate Hanuckha as a major religious holiday but try to consider the feelings of others. Recall that after 9/11 Americans attacked Afghnaistan in fear. But neocons insisted that we must focus on Iraq, claiming that we owe it to Israel and we must stop Saddam from building WMDs. The WMD myth, according to Israeli ex-Mossad Chief Brohm, was an Israel intelligence deception and DCI Tenet admitted that our error was in depending too much on foreign intelligence. So we dropped the Afghan ball and moved to attacked Iraq. Now Obama is stuck trying to pick up that ball after 8 years or dangerous neglect. It will make this Holiday Season very sad for a lot of Christian families. I think it seems like mere chutzpah to compare our dire situation after 8 years misled to the Maccabee myth that you can choose to believe but don't let it be a point of insolence. It reminds me of how Synagogue Youth Organization chapers were sending Gen. Westmoreland eye patches after the 1967 Six Day War as if to say that had he been more like Dayan Vietnam would not have dragged on so long. Given that the neocons had insisted on what they called "World War IV" against Islam from their Ziponist perspective, your imposing myth on reality will only feed resentment you'd rather not feed.”

“Like Powell trying to influence Bush through unquestioning loyalty, Obama’s trying to gain acceptance from the military through compliance with their requests. None of this would have led to demise of either’s public esteem had Obama/Powell relied on OPENESS AND TRUTH. There is a pair of traits that characterize Bushies and generals alike: LYING AND SECRECY, covering-up Bush-like traits of media-obsessed generals: deceptive self-promoting and “classified” cover-up of real incompetence. Today our soldiers are "volunteers." I put the word in quotes because many complex motives force them to enlist. Enlistment hitch didn't seem so long until war-evader Bush commanded "stop-loss" to prevented soldiers from leaving combat once term-of-commitment is up. Many soldiers want to quit because they see that public doesn’t appreciates their sacrifice, given how little concern people show for what is done to soldiers in service, and how little is done for them as veterans. Americans are as despicable and rotten as were the Roman citizens distracted from duty as citizens with imperial circuses. Every society’s decline is marked by frequent use of its soldiers in illusions of power in service of self-promoting generals hiding their mistakes. If Obama were brave he would order de-classification of Pentagon's documents showing what Petraeus/McChrystal are all about. Instead he keeps their dark side secret so they can outshine him and intimidate him. Truman,in dealing with these McArthurs, Obama ain't!”