Friends, good news: the U.S. Senate has declined to place limits on the authority of President Trump to use force against Iran. Only one Republican -- Rand Paul -- voted to handcuff DJT, while only one Democrat -- John Fetterman -- voted to maintain the President's freedom of action. Of course, none of these votes matter in practice, because any resolution requiring the President to disengage from hostilities would, we assume, be vetoed by that same president. Still, it's significant that the Senate is willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, for now, since, according to polls, most Americans are not. I personally take Trump at his word that there will be no extended "war" with Iran, and no U.S. occupation of Iran. Instead, we are doing our best to facilitate a takeover of the country by secular, moderate elements, although whether such elements will emerge remains to be seen.
https://www.ms.now/news/trump-iran-war-powers-senate
President Trump is greatly irritated by Spain's refusal to allow U.S. military forces based in that country to join in hostilities against Iran. He has threatened, in fact, to place an embargo against all U.S. trade with Spain. The Europeans naturally regard any such suggestion with horror, and they say that our trade deal with the EU precludes any such action. Does it? I dunno, but sooner or later I would advise President Trump to use his power to embargo other countries, because it would be a felicitous demonstration of his executive authority, especially in light of the Supreme Court's decision to impose burdensome restrictions on his ability to use tariffs. An embargo, needless to say, is a heck of a lot more serious than a mere tariff, and, as long as President Trump retains the ability to embargo our adversaries, he will enjoy enormous leverage in our trade negotations with friend and foe alike. If all he does is posture and vent, on the other hand, embargoes, or potential embargoes, will frighten no one.
RAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteSurprised we still have forces in Spain. Not surprised that those arrogant people won't allow our forces there to join our other forces who are operating against Iran.
RAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDeleteDamn! All this unpleasantness going on in Iran could have been resolved peacefully if President Trump had sent Donna Shalala over there in the first place.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: I wonder though if those polls might have been worded in leading language such as "do you have concerns about Trump's" (not President Trump's) "action against Iran?" Or perhaps similar discreditable wording was used by these expert dissemblers (?). The action has proceeded so militarily successfully so far that I must wonder if a majority of Americans doubt our President in this.
ReplyDeleteThe President's present policy is to work the destruction of Iranian coercive power in plausible hope that the Iranian people will be thus motivated to throw the mullahs out. He is using our superlative air and naval forces to close to the furthest extent to carry out this well thought out policy, which takes appropriate account of our mistakes in Afghanistan and Iraq.And he has wisely allied us with gallant and supremely motivated Israel .Should that not work I trust he will reassess the situation with the same care with which he prepared for this action and the same RESOLVE not to countenance under any circumstances , Iranian strategic aggressive capability. A possible alternative, if necessary ,could be a nuclear demonstration in the desert .
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Much of the MSM commentary on Desert Storm as it progressed was disgraced by far leftist wishful "thinking" that we had "another Vietnam" close at hand. Oh how they hoped it would be so and they could reprise the career building "glories" of their vicious and purposeful misrepresentation of our intent and conduct in Vietnam. Their despicable stereotyping of our soldiers as war criminals , even seconded by two Dem Presidential aspirants (Clinton and Kerry) drove many Vietnam vets to undeserved emotional chaos which in some of them persists to this day. An opportunistic by then grievously far leftist infected MSM and a by then fully motivated "American" radical rump by then up to speed in working their hate filled destruction of America, was really "feeling" its "Os". It fostered a purposed and then potentially catastrophic degradation of military morale which encouraged Soviet adventurism (eg. their attempted development of a "blue water Navy" to rival ours). Oh my, how they wished to do it again ( and do so now!).
ReplyDeleteBut they were stymied by two brilliant Generals: Powell and Schwarzkopf and by a superb and courageous WWII veteran wartime President Bush. He displayed very appropriate discernment and consequent contempt for the MSM's traitorous intentions and enacted , for them, galling restrictions. And the Desert Storm vets were welcomed home after their wonderful performance , in praise and respect after their own well earned deserts while the shunned radicals recoiled into their hidey holes.
I mention this because of the powerful nonsense being reflexively advanced by the far left/ Dems and particularly by House Speaker and close Presidential succession aspirant Jeffries' baloney ,that the now 5 day effort is already a " failure and can only end in a quagmire. Oh how he hopes it will!
Jeffries pretends that we do not have a President with an "I" beam for a backbone, one who survived and thrived after maybe the worst political and legal onslaught ever directed on a consequential public figure. And he recklessly ignores the fact that our military, from the combat veteran Secretary of War on down holds his obstructionist ilk in utter and richly deserved contempt.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: I hope that if our President does enact a deserved embargo on trade with Spain that we indemnify American businesses which could be damaged or destroyed by the measure.
ReplyDeleteRay, are you suggesting that the mere appearance of Donna Shalala would scare the mullahs straight? I'm pretty sure you're right.
ReplyDeleteHmm. I'm not sure our "alliance" with "gallant" Israel increases the chances that Iranians will flock to our side, but it does increase our collective firepower.
And, re: polling, any question that mentions Trump will, 100% of the time, ensure that 50% of the respondents will HATE HATE HATE whatever they are asked about.
Hmm. My memory of the Gulf War is that the media was, at worst, "objective" in its reporting, i.e. it gave equal credibility to the Iraqi and U.S. versions of events. If you recall, Jack, many Democrats supported President Bush's actions in Kuwait/Iraq. That was a very different time.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: During Desert Storm I don't remember us having Fox and I had no access to TV at home . But the reflexive America haters did set up cacophonous loud speakers near the White House and successfully interfered with our Commander in Chief's vital rest.Could weariness have played a role in President Bush's decision not to topple Saddam? Jane Fonda held forth publicly against our effort though she apparently shrank from working in an Iraqi antiaircraft redoubt that time. The reflexive America haters were bustling in public but maybe my abbreviated access to the media did not afford me an objective opinion as to how damaging the MSM actually was. I do remember having a very negative opinion of what I saw of Peter Arnett and CNN's "news" reporting.
ReplyDeleteRight now, firepower is everything and I rejoice at any cathartic effect Israel may derive from its alliance with us in using it.Not only, in my opinion, is it historically just to support Israel in its travails but Israel at war is a terribly efficient and dominant force. Their oppression at the hands of these neomedieval savages has been a despicable extension of Judaism's 20th century almost unimaginable ordeal. Much of the world has publicly and unforgivably expressed craven hope for Israel's immolation but gutsy and besieged Israel remains faithful and true. Pardon my spelling but "eretz yetzion Yrushalim!" rings eloquently to me.
"Eratz yetzion Yerushalayim" rather. Jack. ( I am not Jewish though I revere the faith).
ReplyDeleteJack, it is interesting to me how blatant much of the U.S. and international media has become in its slander against Israel. Anyone wishing to hold on to a job used to be afraid of the charge of anti-Semitism (which used to be synonymous with "anti-Israel"), but no more...
ReplyDelete