When Senator Hayne of South Carolina told Senator Benton of Missouri that he doubted if Jackson would really hang anyone, Benton, a good friend of Jackson and a man who had shot him in a brawl, one of many such affrays Jackson was involved in during his life, in 1813 before they became friends, told him that “When Jackson begins to talk about hanging, they can begin to look out for ropes”.
Donald R. McClarey, The Devil and Andrew Jackson
Trump launching a Tomahawk strike on a Syrian airbase demonstrates the true idiocy of the idea that Trump is a pawn of Putin. Trump is his own man as Putin now realizes. Trump may well be a President who does what he says he will do. Americans, and our enemies abroad, should take note. Trump has placed a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office, and I don’t think it is mere decoration but a signal to our enemies and our friends.
Hope and Change! Fundamentally Transformed!
So much for red lines in the sand and Obamas’ Arab Spring. Reach out and touch someone.
Noriega had his Reagan. Saddam had his both Bushes. Saddat has his Trump.
“Even peace may be purchased at too high a price.” – Benjamin Franklin. At times killing people can help matters.
Without commenting on the morality of his choice, this certainly does two things; 1) it tells China, Iran, Russia and N. Korea, that there will be an immediate cost to pay if you continue thinking you can do your evil unopposed. 2) Conversely, we may find out that such an act has consequences that we aren’t prepared for.
I’m glad I’m not the president who is forced to make these lose/lose decisions.
If the left insists that Trump did this to prove he’s not in bed with Putin, then they can only blame themselves for starting the lie for political gain. Lying does have consequences.
Looks like the Neo-Cons are back in control. Graham and McCain are happy.
Wars and rumors of wars!
🙁
Actually, this is Trump doing what he said he would NOT do, intervene militarily in situations like this. This is the same Donald Trump who, during the GOP primaries no less, dutifully parroted the left’s slander of Bush lying about WMDs in Iraq. Oh, how quickly we forget!
While we are on the subject of things disappearing down memory holes, this is the same President Trump who drew moral equivalence between us and Russia and Bush and Putin.
If this is the first step in an effective effort to loosen Russia’s foothold in the Middle East, then yes we can say Trump’s infatuation is no more. But to say that this ALONE achieves that is nonsense.
A statement to the world, that Trump is not Obama. There is no question that the world lost respect for America under Obama with his multiple ‘lines in the sand’ moving ever backwards, and his weak foreign policy. This was certainly a measured response that makes a statement, and it is not anywhere near before time.
America can start again to make claim to be the leader of the free world – because that was sadly lacking over the past 8 years.
Tovarich Greg, It’s going to be a hard eight years. “Associate Justice Gorsuch” sounds great, too.
Trump isn’t Crooked Hillary. I’m still ecstatic.
People’s expounding (beating a dead horse) utterly unfounded Russia/Trump nothings is more proof that the left has lost its collectivist mind.
I think I understand some of the reasons for the attack but I still think it ill-advised.
Syria is a critical Russian client state. The RussIan navy needs it and Russia won’t let her Syrian ports go easily.
Yes, Assad is a complete bastard and I do not doubt that he will leave this life unredeemed. (I pray I am wrong.) The thing is that some pieces of this planet cannot BE ruled with other than an iron fist. Since out regional interests are, to my mind, in stability, it seems better to let him remain as a Russian puppet and focus on ISIS/ISIL.
There was an idiotic naiveté to the Obamazing foreign policy, such as it was. I want Trump to be as pragmatic in foreign policy as he is in his businesses. If this is a gesture, fine. No problem. Gestures have value in practical situation management. But, please let this not be Obama Foreign Policy Idiocy, Part II.
I agree with Dave Spaulding above. I add this quote:
“Whenever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America’s heart, her benedictions and her prayers. But she does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the wellwisher to freedom and independence for all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She well knows that by once enlisting other banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extridition, in all wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy and ambition which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom….She might become the dictress of the world but would no longer be ruler of her own spirit….Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy.”
__John Quincy Adams__ As Secretary of State
Ah, the dangers of taking isolated quotes as Gospel. Adams also authored the Monroe Doctrine which basically told the rest of the world that the Western Hemisphere was American turf.
The simple truth is that American intervention overseas has always had two components: idealism and self interest. Where either element is lacking it is hard for American resolve to last in an overseas venture.
http://www.dailywire.com/news/15237/syrian-air-base-targeted-trump-still-launching-air-hank-berrien?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=062316-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro
Things may not be as they seem.
http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/6/syrian-rebels-used-sarin-nerve-gas-not-assads-regi/
Del Ponte has been singing that song since 2013. I would not trust her if she claimed that fire burns. She is a stooge for Russia:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3437674/Russian-air-strikes-Syria-good-thing-Del-Ponte.html
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/05/middleeast/idlib-syria-attack/
As much as I think Trump is lacking in impulse control, I don’t think even he would have ordered those strikes without solid evidence that it was in fact Assad who gassed that village.
Donald R McClarey wrote: “Ah, the dangers of taking isolated quotes as Gospel.”
Damn! Beat me to the punch Maister McC! 🙂
Furthermore, the tag, “says U.N. Official” by itself ought to cast doubt on the credibility of the claim that preceded it.
First, I respect Trump and I understand his reasons for bombing Syria. He is a far better President than Obama was or Hillary would have been. I have nothing against Trump. But, this decision is still wrong.
“Del Ponte has been singing that song since 2013. I would not trust her if she claimed that fire burns. She is a stooge for Russia…”
I do not know anything about Del Ponte. I have simply been seeing many articles questioning why Assad would do something so foolish as to gas his own people at a time like this. And I have seen other articles where some Christians living in Syria maintain that the rebels did their own gassing. I suppose the retort will be these people making such assertions are stooges of the Russian Orthodox Church. Truly I do not know. But I still say that I agree with that isolated quote from John Quincy Adams. I see no good coming out of this ever brewing conflict.
Now perhaps as other theorize Trump did this to send a strong message to Russia, China, Iran and N. Korea that weak kneed, yellow bellied, cowardly Obama is not in charge. Again, I do not know. But what happens when a secretive diesel electric submarine of an unknown foreign national running ultra quietly on its batteries lodges a torpedo in one of our aircraft carriers in the region. We’ll be crying what Augustus did so long ago, “Quintili Vare, legiones redde!” Except we may never know in such a case who “took the legions.” Iran, Russia, etc……..
PS, I also see my other comment deleted. I understand. Comparing the different methods of infanticide that show many in our country are no better than many in the Syria is an unpopular and non-politically correct statement.
We have no friends in Syria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgi9tz3IZWQ
Trump has rocked people on their heels. Now we wait to see what comes next.
I’ve been pretty torn up over this situation, and I see both sides. Though I was on the “Trump Train” back in 2011 before there ever was a train, I don’t blindly go along with everything he says or does. I happen to be Catholic, and I am an ex journalist. Perhaps I should’ve given up news and politics for lent. It’s not necessarily a healthy addiction.