“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
Have to tell you guys about this soup/stew recipe. Strangest thing is, ….it has restorative powers. I’m not lying and never run into anything quite like it in 30yrs of active cooking. We joke, “it’s like an IV fluid for those who are disease ridden, exhausted, or homesick”. Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook, and ran a high end catering company for years, but this is different. It’s not like regular food. Sure, many casseroles have that “homecooked” feel, but we’ve never had a similar response like we get with this soup/stew. Since it’s cold outside, and cold and flu season, I thought it would be nice to share the bounty. I’m giving this to you exactly like we make it. No secrets between friends at QTree.
Chicken Soup/Stew ~ 30-50 hearty man-size servings, enough to share and be generous.
Ingredients/Instructions:
In an 8qt stockpot, dissolve 15 chicken bullion cubes and 15 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add 2lbs of lentils and cook over medium for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and set aside for an hour. Drain, saving juice, (let the sludge remain at the bottom, we’re going to use the top half for later). Set aside. While waiting on the lentils to soak….. (yes, you can use white beans to make it prettier, but lentils have more protein).
5lbs of Carrots, peeled and cut into 3/8″-1/2″ slices. Set aside.
2 big bunches of celery, washed and trimmed of bad spots. Sliced into 3/8″-1/2″ slices, and yes, even the leaves and hearts. Set aside.
2 bunches of parsley, washed and finely diced. Set aside.
5lbs of trimmed up chicken breasts, remove all fat and cartilage, cut into pieces about 3/4″ cubes, drop all the pieces into a Glad Bag of 2 cups of flour, shake to coat (you can add a little salt, pepper, nutmeg. I do, but you don’t need it. I sometimes steal a little bit of the cooked chicken for salads later on). Get rid of the excess four. Set aside.
2 medium onions or one super large onion, peel and quarter, and place in a food processor, pulse until pulverized. Set aside.
Measure out 2cups of milk, I use 2%.
Need 1 1/2 sticks more butter, unsalted.
1 Cup of Flour
Bottle of a good dry white wine.
1 HEAPING tablespoon of dried tarragon.
2lbs of Bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces before cooking makes for perfect bacon bits.
4 extra bullion cubes and 4 cups of water (you might need more water later).
No extra salt or pepper, not needed.
Ready to start?
Start with a big stock pot. At least 16qts, heavy bottom.
2lbs of Bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces and saute, stirring continuously. They will all get done at the same time. Remove from pan to drain on paper towels. Set aside. Dump all excess grease from the stock pot and dab the bottom with a paper towel, but DO NOT CLEAN the bottom.
Return pan to heat. Into same pot, with bacon residue on bottom, add 1 stick butter, juice of 2 lemons and about a 1/2 cup of wine. We’re deglazing the bottom of the pan with a metal spatula, removing the bacon crinkles from bottom of pan. Once that is done, cook the chicken. Remove and drain with copious amounts of paper towels, set aside. Do NOT clean the pot.
Return pot to heat. Into same pot, dump the onions and stir for about 5 minutes, deglazing again. Add carrots, celery, and blend to coat with onions. Add up to 1/2 bottle of wine and the tarragon. Add the top 1/2 of the juice from the lentils, discarding sludge at the bottom. Add 4 more bullion cubes and enough water to cover the vegetables. Let it simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are al dente.
Meanwhile, while we’re waiting on the carrots/celery to cook…..
We’re going to make a roux to thicken the soup/stew. In another pan, like a broad shallow chicken fryer skillet, over med heat, melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter, add 1 cup flour until lightly toasted. Working constantly with a sturdy whisk, add the milk, slowly, and whatever is left of the wine. Set aside.
When the carrots are done, dump in the lentils and blend carefully. Remove from heat for a minute for the next step.
Into a large bowl, take out half the carrot/celery/lentil broth mixture. Run 1/2 through a food processor, pulsing to break up big chunks. This way you get thicker stew and small and big chunks of veggies. Return all the soup mix to the pot.
In same food processor, shred 1/2 of the chicken into smaller pieces. Dump all the chicken into the same big soup pot.
Add the roux (flour/milk/wine) to thicken. If you need to add water to the stew, add 1 cup at a time. Blend carefully.
Add the parsley.
The whole thing need to come to a boil, sort of, it will never really boil but becomes very hot. You need this step to activate the flour and thicken properly. It takes about 30-45 minutes on my stove top. Be careful and don’t use too high of heat as the bottom burns and the soup will be ruined. I stir about every 5-7 minutes during this process, checking the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
It’s supposed to simmer for about an hour, but I’ve never had my family wait that long to grab a bowl. We keep the whole pot, lid turned upside down, in an extra fridge and anyone can grab a cup, warm up in the microwave, when they are hungry. To stretch even further, add 2-12oz bags of frozen, then cooked, green beans, for a nice addition. Fresh mushrooms don’t work, too much moisture, I’ve tried. Peas don’t work well either. We serve with about a tablespoon of bacon bits on the top and I still have bacon bits leftover for salads.
It’s a killer recipe, incredibly healthy, and lasts all week long. I dole out portions to the son in college and his roomies, sick folks from church, or hungry firemen/police if they have a big incident.
One note: The recipe originally called for 5lbs of potatoes and we made it this way for a few years. Substituting the lentils (or white beans) is like a protein injection and no sleepiness from the high carbs of the potatoes.
One more note: I found this is a great team project. Husbands have no objection to slicing up vegetables and kids can peel carrots. They set up with a big cutting board in front of a football game. Makes it easier and everyone has a hand in.
It’s a super food.
Stay warm and healthy, love to all.
Note to Alison: No dried apricots in this one. Bwwhahahaa!
Tune into OANN for full coverage of that rally at 8 p.m. EST.
“It’s cooler near the lake.”, is the motto for Milwaukee. Wanna go to a MAGA Rally in Milwaukee? President Trump is going to need all our help in this state, tough crowd. We could stay a while. Gosh, we could eat our way across the Midwest, from Toledo to Milwaukee. The food is wonderful.
This time, our Master Troll President is hosting a Rally on the same night as the boring Dem Debates. Great strategy.
Local Scoop and topics we’re likely to hear about:
A Federal Judge just ordered 209K voters removed from Wisconsin registered voter list.
The Dem Legislature ordered no local funding of police protection for Presidential Candidates one day before the President arrives in Milwaukee. (This is a recurring objection which is pure propaganda. It stems from the highly misleading “survey” released before the Greensboro Rally, which suggests President Trump doesn’t pay his bills for local police. Designed to cleave LEO support for the President. Recall the report was far more damning to Hillary/Obama/Bernie and there is no vehicle for Secret Service to pay local police.) Objection/issue started primarily from a local police chief in Tuscon (?) where interstates were blocked by protesters and an approx 500K bill was presented to Trump campaign. Local sheriff made a big stink about it but the problem was caused by him.
Operation Relentless Pursuit, announced by AG Bill Barr, is a federal operation to flood the zone in high crime cities……. like Milwaukee. (+ Kansas City, Memphis, Cleveland, Baltimore… 7 cities in total but Milwaukee is one of them.)
And a local crime which is being used for politics of the worst kind. Clifton Blackwell allegedly threw acid in Mahud Villalaz’s face after telling the U.S. citizen to go back to his country. Of course, the left is blaming President Trump.
FoxConn manufacturing facility. Is it a go or not? I’m still not sure.
The Dem Convention will be held in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee has a STRONG German and Polish influence. It’s the land of great cheeses, beer (Pabst + Miller + Sprecher ) great meats and especially brats, Milwaukee Tools, and Harley Davidson. A city with a highly skilled labor force which leans Democrat…. even Socialist. Milwaukee elected three mayors who ran on the ticket of the Socialist Party: Emil Seidel (1910–1912), Daniel Hoan (1916–1940), and Frank Zeidler (1948–1960). Often referred to as “Sewer Socialists“, the Milwaukee Socialists were characterized by their practical approach to government and labor.
Welcome to the OPEN THREAD!!!!!!!! January shall be known as “Expose the Sham in SHAMUARY!” Let the truth bombs fall. Expose the hypocrisy of the press, malinent of politicos, bureaucracy, and NGOs.
Here are a few examples:
The press and Dems insist our President was out of bounds for an “Assassination”. Well, it wasn’t an assassination when Holder and Obama did it.
WATCH: In 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder argued that the targeted elimination of a "senior operational leader" of a terrorist group or country who "presents an an imminent threat of violent attack" is NOT an "assassination," it is SELF DEFENSE. https://t.co/pOx3FVqlg6pic.twitter.com/g1R3KMCp6n
2. For the past 3 days, the press and Dems have foamed at the mouth about curbing the President’s Power with a War Powers Resolution. They passed it. The media covered it. It means nothing. It’s toothless. All a big act for the media and to mislead the people. Besides that, most people think the War Powers Act is unconstitutional.
#3. The word of the day has been “Crossfire”, intended to mislead the public to believe a Ukrainian Airliner was shot down, with 176 dead, because of something the USA did. No.
Incredible. Iran fires balisstic missiles at US troops, US does not shoot back. Then when Iran shoots down a civilian airplane, it’s “crossfire.” https://t.co/QtJJGUH8rj
Expose them all!!!!!!!!!!! They’re STONE COLD BUSTED!
Cuz you know what happens right?
Now for the housekeeping.
We don’t believe in political correctness at QTree. You can say what you want, comment on what other people said, and so on. Free Speech is practiced here. ENJOY IT. Use it or lose it. Important Guidelines are outlined here in the January 1st open thread, with an addendum on 20191110. In other words, please keep it SOMEWHAT civil. We have a new board – actually a new SITE – called The U Tree – where people can take each other to the woodshed without fear of censorship or moderation. NOT HERE. This board will remain a REFUGE for those who need civility, either some or all of the time.
SPEAK THE FIVE WORDS BOLDLY TO OUR PRESIDENT!, “I AM PRAYING FOR YOU!“
And remember….. it is time to drain the swamp in DC and LOCALLY. Please make a commitment in the new year to attend a LOCAL board meeting for your town or municipality or school board. Get involved and make your presence known. Put your local officials phone numbers in your cell phone and call them once a week (or more often).
“Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People.”
When you have to get home to Toledo, any excuse will do.
Jamie Farr, Lebanese American, portrayed Corporal Klinger on the hit show MASH. As a result, America fell in love with Toledo and the Mudhens.
The Mud Hens were a real AAA team.
Corporal Klinger dreamed of Tony Packo’s corner cafe when he served in the Army in Korea but Packo’s is still there, still serving their famous pickles and peppers for hot dogs.
But this time, we get to travel with the President to Toledo, Ohio, for a MAGA/KAG Rally and seriously kick off the 2020 Presidential campaign season. Toledo has changed dramatically since the Korean War and even more since MASH ended.
Also, maybe worth considering was the dispute between Ohio and Michigan over a border area that was known as the Toledo Strip. It nearly came to war between the two states. Andrew Jackson intervened to help resolve the dispute. One outcome was that Michigan was given most of the Upper Peninsula as compensation in the settlement. (Hat tip to ItsWoot) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War
Toledo was founded in 1833, re-founded in 1837 at the conclusion of the Toledo War, but expanded rapidly when the Erie and Miami (connected Cincinnati to Lake Erie) Canals were finished. Since Toledo is located on the manufacturing beltway between Chicago and New York, the glass manufacturers arrived in 1880’s and Toledo’s nickname became “Glass City”. To this day, Owens Corning and Libby Glass are still big employers in Toledo.
Toledo in 1876
The Great Depression hit hard in Toledo and many WPA projects were completed at the time, an amphitheater, aquarium, zoo, and Museum of Art. In the 80’s, the downtown of Toledo was in recession/depression as the suburbs grew. Yet, recent hockey rinks and ballparks have brought people back to the downtown area.
The population of Toledo as of the 2010 Census was 287,128 making it the 71st-largest city in the United States. The 2018 population estimate is 274,975. Population is going down in Toledo. It hit a high in 1970 of 383,818, shrunk by 1/3 since the onset of NAFTA. Amazing what the destruction of manufacturing can do to a city. Housing and rents are inexpensive in Toledo and many old gems still exist.
Yeah, I know it was a mental hospital but it’s beautiful.
Outstanding Statistic for Toledo is their location. Toledo is within 250 miles of 7 metro areas – each of them containing greater than a 2 million population, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Chicago. It makes Toledo a perfect business location.
The Toledo economy is bustling and picking up in a Trump economy. Look at the top 40 places to work, GM, Solar, Libby, Grain Elevators and AgriBusiness, Dana Manf, Owens Corning, Healthcare, Banking, etc. https://topworkplaces.com/publication/toledoblade/
Toledo has a perfect port location on west end of Lake Erie, just south of Detroit. The town is split by the Maumee River and ideally located for shipping and transport logistics.
Michael, our dearest QTreeper usually in charge of food for our MAGA Rally threads is going to have a good time in Toledo. This is a town which has a rare mix of outstanding Mediterranean to Hungarian food + the best hot dogs in the world + an overabundance of local breweries + the normal Chinese/Japanese/Mexican/SteakHouse etc. It’s a food-gasm in Toledo.
Anything served on a knife blade has to be good.
Rice or risottos, with grilled veggies, seafoods and spiced meats, and always a dipping sauce. Michael is going to love this place.
Ahhhh, would give anything to spend the afternoon with this guy in his bakery, learning how to make ciabattas and meat pies. LOOK at those pans!!!!!
The hot dogs/Polish sausages are legendary in Toledo. Rudy’s, Central Hot Dog, and Tony Packo’s are the local haunts. Even Obama made it to Rudy’s for a hot dog, so President Trump would probably go to Tony Packo’s.
That said, the Trump Supporters are gearing up for Toledo!!!!!!!!
Apparently, in about an hour, the President will address the nation about the Iranian attacks on our bases last night. Transcript is located below.
Here is the live link from FOX 10 in Phoenix.
Golden State Times Link:
Going to be a busy day, folks. QTree will add info as it becomes available. God Bless our Troops and love to all.
Golden State Times does not have a live feed link up for the President’s Address. Yet, here is his presser from yesterday with the Greek PM.
Remember, there is a MAGA/KAG rally in Toledo, Ohio tomorrow.
Transcript:
THE PRESIDENT: As long as I am President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Good morning. I’m pleased to inform you: The American people should be extremely grateful and happy no Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.
Our great American forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world.
No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well. I salute the incredible skill and courage of America’s men and women in uniform.
For far too long — all the way back to 1979, to be exact — nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond. Those days are over. Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world. We will never let that happen.
Last week, we took decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist from threatening American lives. At my direction, the United States military eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani. As the head of the Quds Force, Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the absolutely worst atrocities.
He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region. He viciously wounded and murdered thousands of U.S. troops, including the planting of roadside bombs that maim and dismember their victims.
Soleimani directed the recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq that badly wounded four service members and killed one American, and he orchestrated the violent assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. In recent days, he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him.
Soleimani’s hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood. He should have been terminated long ago. By removing Soleimani, we have sent a powerful message to terrorists: If you value your own life, you will not threaten the lives of our people.
As we continue to evaluate options in response to Iranian aggression, the United States will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime. These powerful sanctions will remain until Iran changes its behavior.
In recent months alone, Iran has seized ships in international waters, fired an unprovoked strike on Saudi Arabia, and shot down two U.S. drones.
Iran’s hostilities substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, and they were given $150 billion, not to mention $1.8 billion in cash. Instead of saying “thank you” to the United States, they chanted “death to America.” In fact, they chanted “death to America” the day the agreement was signed.
Then, Iran went on a terror spree, funded by the money from the deal, and created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration. The regime also greatly tightened the reins on their own country, even recently killing 1,500 people at the many protests that are taking place all throughout Iran.
The very defective JCPOA expires shortly anyway, and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout. Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism. The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognize this reality.
They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal -– or JCPOA –- and we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place. We must also make a deal that allows Iran to thrive and prosper, and take advantage of its enormous untapped potential. Iran can be a great country.
Peace and stability cannot prevail in the Middle East as long as Iran continues to foment violence, unrest, hatred, and war. The civilized world must send a clear and unified message to the Iranian regime: Your campaign of terror, murder, mayhem will not be tolerated any longer. It will not be allowed to go forward.
Today, I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process. Over the last three years, under my leadership, our economy is stronger than ever before and America has achieved energy independence. These historic accomplishments changed our strategic priorities. These are accomplishments that nobody thought were possible. And options in the Middle East became available. We are now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil.
The American military has been completely rebuilt under my administration, at a cost of $2.5 trillion. U.S. Armed Forces are stronger than ever before. Our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal, and fast. Under construction are many hypersonic missiles.
The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent.
Three months ago, after destroying 100 percent of ISIS and its territorial caliphate, we killed the savage leader of ISIS, al-Baghdadi, who was responsible for so much death, including the mass beheadings of Christians, Muslims, and all who stood in his way. He was a monster. Al-Baghdadi was trying again to rebuild the ISIS caliphate, and failed.
Tens of thousands of ISIS fighters have been killed or captured during my administration. ISIS is a natural enemy of Iran. The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran, and we should work together on this and other shared priorities.
Finally, to the people and leaders of Iran: We want you to have a future and a great future — one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home, and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.
I want to thank you, and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
Yesterday, we did a rehash of ME history highlighting major events over the last 30+ years. We’re trying to get an objective view of what happened, what we did, where we screwed up, and what we could have done differently through various administrations. It was time for a reassessment. Not sure if anyone accurately explained the Obama Doctrine of “appeasement” of Iran. Did you get that message? Could any of us passed a test on Obama Doctrine in the Middle East? Well, Robert Malley knew what it was, he wrote it.
The JCPOA ensured a path to nuclear weapons for Iran. Bottom line, we knew some things would never work and Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, which is why Trump ripped up the JCPOA.
But what to do? Once Team Trump decided to identify Iran as an enemy, act like Iran is an enemy, and TREAT Iran as an enemy, and actually act like our military was a REAL military, we thought we were in the clear, right? Sure, we wanted to get rid of ISIS, get out of Syria and Afghanistan, and we’re working on it. Yes, the QUDS forces killed some of ISIS because ISIS was also in Iran’s way. Yet, Team Trump had everyone heading in the same direction, clearly defined good guys and bad guys. Sounds easy, right?
Iran = the bad guys.
At the end of yesterday’s post, we talked a little bit about “The Crisis Group”. They bugged me, like a snake lurking in the weeds. Made me want to throw a yellow caution flag. Robert Malley is the CEO, head of the Crisis Group. This is the internal enemy, the behind the scenes opposition. It’s the people who are too narcissistic to admit failure and would rather drive the world off a cliff than admit they were wrong. It’s leftover Obama Administration fellows who are clogging up the works.
Keep in mind, I’m a mere bumbling middle-aged lady in a flyover state who makes blueberry muffins. I’m no one special, but I stumbled across Robert Malley yesterday and lil’ ole me stopped on a dime.
Thus, when I woke up this morning and saw a reposted article from Tony Badran on Robert Malley in Tablet, I started looking over my shoulder. Pretty weird, eh? Imagine my surprise. How is it possible we can all be thinking about the same thing? The same person/group? At roughly the same time? And if I can see the problem “from my kitchen window”, why is everyone in the chattering inter-agency assessment community so damn blind? Or, more likely, intentionally avoiding the conversation?
Again, here is the link to the Crisis Group. It’s an NGO, receive funds from grants (read as US Taxpayer dollars), various countries, and private donations. It’s a who’s who of progressives and similar to the Atlantic Council. In the case of Crisis Group, their goal is to push favor towards Iran, whereas Atlantic Council’s goal is to do anything to oppose Russia. It’s a nest of vipers, former high ranking officials with media execs to push a narrative anywhere on the planet they wish. Take a look at the Board of Directors. https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/board
Robert Malley was born in ’63, served in the National Security Council under Obama from ’14- January of 2017. He’s a “global conflicts resolution” lawyer/specialist and immediately flew the coup when Trump was inaugurated, returning to the Crisis Group. He went to Yale/Oxford/Harvard. Gee whiz, he must be really smart. But note his resume, Malley worked at Crisis Group BEFORE he went into the NSC under Obama. AND the Crisis Group has been pro-Iran since the 90’s. Why was Malley picked for the NSC during the JCPOA negotiations? Interesting choice. Cue the suspicious cat or dog…..
From his Wikipedia bio, obviously carefully curated, “Malley is considered an expert on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and has written extensively on this subject advocating rapprochement with Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood.”
And then we find the golden nugget: “In 2015, the Obama administration appointed Rob Malley as its “point man” on the Middle East, leading the Middle East desk of the National Security Council.[4] In November 2015, Malley was named as President Obama’s new special ISIS advisor.[5] “
Malley was the Obama point man for ISIS? What? Have any of you guys ever seen Malley’s picture before today? So, when James Foley was beheaded, it would have been a “policy failure” by Malley? When the Jordanian pilot was burned alive in a cage, would that have been another policy mistake by Malley? How about the Yazidi women/children sold as sex slaves? Don’t tell me that was approved policy. Or the million + immigrants into Europe?
Why haven’t we done a thorough probe of Malley? He’s at the center with blood on his hands…… and he LOVED the Muslim Brotherhood. In researching this piece, several experts have described the “Arab Spring” as the Muslim Brotherhood’s coming out party, as opposed to independent citizens who wanted to throw off old and repressive dictators. Interesting…..
Then we get to the history of Robert Malley. Check his Wiki Bio, he could have been Obama’s brother. His mother — “worked for the United Nations delegation of the Algerian National Liberation Front (FNL), and her husband, Simon Malley (1923–2006), an Egyptian-born Jewish journalist who grew up in Egypt and worked as a foreign correspondent for Al Gomhuria. A communist sympathizer, the elder Malley spent time in New York, writing about international affairs, particularly about nationalist, anti-imperial movements in Africa.
It gets better. I’m the same age as Malley. When my dad moved me to Chicago in ’69 to build skyscrapers and roll around in American Capitalism, Malley’s father moved him to France to open a leftist magazine called Africasia. Malley’s dad, Simon Malley, was so far left, he was thrown out of France in 1980 when “then French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing briefly expelled Simon Malley from the country to New York, due to his hostility towards the Western world and Israel.[6] “
What????? Malley’s dad was too far left for France…….. so New York state took him?
Naturally, young Robert Malley went to Yale, then Oxford for a PhD in political philosophy (just like Chelsea Clinton), and he wrote about “third worldism” and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Yet, Malley was so smart, he decided to pick up a JD at Harvard……… where his classmate was one……… Barack Obama……. What are the chances?
Why didn’t we see that one coming?
See this picture below? Robert Malley is at the end, on the left. Followed by the short humpty-dumpty Napoleon guy, next to John Kerry…… who consistently meddles in the ME subverting President Trump’s policies. At the end is the white-haired Cruella deVille – Wendy Sherman, the latest star pundit at MSNBC. She’s the one who screwed up DPRK in the 90s, giving North Korea nuclear weapons during the Clinton Administration. These are the people who have been wrong for decades.
Yet, the Malley essay is a lackluster defense of Obama’s foreign policy. Malley seems depressed, desperate, wildly partisan, as Obama’s legacy of the JCPOA is in tatters. Malley insists the only way forward for us all, for us to save the WORLD, is more diplomacy and negotiation……. the kind of stuff only smart guys like Malley can do.
And the folks in the agencies take their cues from Malley, as he was Obama’s right hand in the Middle East. It was Malley’s push which netted the recent block on more weapons to Saudi for the Yemen war.
No, there is another option, brought forth by President Trump. Treat Iran like an enemy and hit them over the head. Thugs respect strength and sometimes you need a bigger StrongMan with a bigger gun. Establish a deterrent, a consequence for their actions…. like the death of Soleimani. Iran has been unchecked for a decade.
Clearly, Malley wants to run away from the Middle East, “avoid the tinderbox” and blame allies like Saudi and Israel. He describes Saudi’s war with Yemen as “reckless”, and shames Israel for actions in Lebanon and Syria. “How dare they object to Iranian presence”, seems to be the mantra. Funny, I had a salesman in Yemen when the Houthis started the war with Saudi. His brother was the manager of the port. The Saudis didn’t start anything. Iran funded the Houthis to bug Saudi at their southern border. And somehow Israel should stand down while Iran runs Hezbollah, Hamas, and Syria? Nah…… I can’t see the Jewish people ignoring all the rockets…. suicide bombers…. burning crops… you know…. terrorists.
It’s true though, the strategy from Obama/Malley was to strengthen Iran in order to balance the power of Israel and Saudi. Strike a balance for peace and harmony in the region (I’m looking for white doves to be released and the seas to be parted by Obama). In effect, the Obama Admin sided with Iran, against our allies……. for some “greater good”…. according to smart guys from Yale/Harvard/Oxford.
In other words, if our allies are strong, then America should seek to weaken them until “balance” is achieved, which will help bring about more “peace.” If Iran were stronger, and Israel and Saudi Arabia were weaker, then peace would therefore be more likely. American policy, in the present moment at least, should therefore be to strengthen Iran at the expense of Israel and the Saudis.
Indeed, this odd syllogism, which anchors the essay, is hardly Malley’s own; it simply reiterates Obama’s core vision for the region. The goal of achieving “balance” in America’s posture in the Middle East is how Obama presented his strategy of realigning American interests with Iran. For Obama, it was not in America’s interest to lead a regional alliance system which stands in opposition to Iran, and which therefore threatens to move the U.S. closer to war. Rebalancing away from traditional allies means moving closer to Iran, and away from the security architecture in which America had formerly been invested.
Gobsmacked. We had suspicions Obama was a sell-out to Iran but here it is in black and white. My poor little flyover state brain can’t handle it, but here it is. Common knowledge amongst the bureaucracy.
How did it happen? Who thought it was a good idea to turn Iran loose and throw Israel and Saudi under the bus? Guess that explains why Obama left Netanyahu waiting, cooling his heels for over an hour, outside the Oval Office. Yet, it’s clear, that was Obama’s policy and Malley was merely aligned in thinking. Such a reversal was dramatic, however, what caused it? Because make no mistake, the policy was malicious and intentional.
Answer can be found in the rejection of Bush policy, nation building, endless war, and the utter disaster of Iraq and Afghanistan. Elections have consequences and the Obama team seized the opportunity. Reading further in the article, when the Obama admin came in, they reassessed and took an opposite approach = hands off Iran. Let Iran and Saudi share the region. Coddle Iran to the detriment of Saudi and especially Israel.
Both Malley and Badran freely admit the “interagency consensus” is now tilted against Israel and Saudi and loyal to Obama policy = cozy up to Iran. Well, that explains why they had such a fit when Khashoggi was killed. It also explains why they had a fit when Trump visited Saudi Arabia for his first foreign visit. And why the Deep State thinks Trump is dumb……… because he does not agree with “them”.
“I think there was a comfort with a United States that was comfortable with an existing order and the existing alignments, and was an implacable foe of Iran,” Obama said in 2014, referring to Gulf Arab states. “What I’ve been saying to our partners in the region is, ‘We’ve got to respond and adapt to change.’”
In other words, it was Obama’s “new normal” for the Middle East.
Malley was/is far more concerned about Sunni tribal divisions than the problem of Iran and points again to MBS killing of Khashoggi, isolating Qatar, war in Yemen, and the “kidnapping of Lebanon’s foreign minister” (he was stopped at the border to save his life – Saudi learned about the assassination plot)….. which also explains the extended stay at the Ritz Carlton for the Saudi Princes.
Malley and his disciples are sprinkled through the Dem candidates running for President and their influence is real. Malley prefers Bernie Sanders the fellow communist sympathizer, personally, but there are other members of the team interspersed in Butteigeg and Warren campaigns as well as others. Malley thinks if President Trump is a one term President, the old Obama policy will “snap back” (which is why Kerry is running around the middle east) and Iran will again be in good graces, with Israel and Saudi on the outs.
And not only that: What is perhaps more surprising, and more significant, about Malley’s essay is the extent to which it serves as a blueprint for understanding the larger foreign policy consensus in Washington—one that is embraced by both Democrats and Republicans, whether wittingly or not.
As an architect of the Obama administration’s highly deliberate and disciplined Middle East policy, and as a representative of the new Democratic Party foreign policy elite, Malley’s thoughts are worth studying carefully.
Other articles in my research for this article mention Malley over and over again as a possible National Security Advisor for a Dem Administration if they win in November.
This is a little complicated or a rehash of events for a regular post, but I beg your indulgence and value YOUR opinions in response. In fact, this group, as you know, was hand-picked for “influencers”. A place where we could discuss larger topics, in depth, and then spread information to our “friends”, in an effort to find the truth and push back on MSM.
Here, we begin the discussion of “The Strong Man in the Middle East versus the strong men who are Democratically Elected leaders with liberties for the citizenry”. No babies allowed.
We all remember Saddam Hussein in Iraq. He was a ruthless leader, a “StrongMan” of the Middle East. He led his countrymen into an 8yr War with Iran which concluded as a “draw” and by 1987 had gassed 287,000 Kurds. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-crimes-of-saddam-hussein-1779933
When he invaded Kuwait in 1991, the USA became involved in Operation Desert Storm. We recall the warnings of Norman Schwarzkopf who was reluctant to cease operations and instead, preferred to “roll all the way to Baghdad”. Schwarzkopf knew the bigger problem was left, unresolved.
“W” Bush returned to Iraq after the WTC were destroyed for “weapons of mass destruction”, either in error or intentionally misled by the intel community and politicians. The war in Iraq was expensive in both blood and treasure for America and for Iraqis. In the end, Saddam Hussein was hunted down as the “Ace of Spades” and hung.
But — we never removed the counterbalance to the force Saddam represented. Saddam was one side of the power struggle in the Middle East. Iran’s Mullahs, backed by IRGC was the other side. By removing Saddam, Iran became the bully on the block.
In retrospect, most foreign policy experts recognized the problem of removing Saddam and “not planning for what comes afterwards”. We could say, we made the same mistake in Libya, removing Gaddafi, and not planning for the mayhem which comes from removing a strong, albeit ruthless, leader. OUR actions plunged the country into chaos. Results are mixed with the only clear beneficiaries being the weapons manufacturers…. and the politicians.
Maybe the Green Revolution in 2009, within Iran, would have removed the Mullahs and returned Iran to democracy. In this way, BOTH Iran and Iraq would have removed their “Strongmen”, the ruthless and oppressive leaders, and the Middle East would have had a chance for democracy and a few more freedoms for the people. Yet, the Obama Admin came to power in 2009, and strangely, the Obama Admin remained silent on the Green Revolution in Iran…………. giving a nod to the Mullahs.
How odd.
And Iran remained the central power, the strongest, in the Middle East. Iran developed nuclear ambition and a desire to become a hedgemon, returning Persia to its former glory. The Obama Admin helped. Whether their intentions were innocent or intentional is a subject for dispute.
What was supposed to be a counterbalance, quickly turned into intentional “favor for Iran” as the “Strongman in region who could at least keep the peace”. Yet, the results turned over large swaths of land to Iranian direct/indirect control. Entire countries fell to Iran as proxies (Russia is not a proxy of Iran, understood).
Every foreign policy expert will agree, the most efficient form of government is the “Benevolent Dictator”. Yet, what happens when the guy in charge is not benevolent? What happens when the guy with the real power in the region is a guy like Soleimani?
At key points, the Obama Admin helped Iran’s rise to power. Were they “leading from behind”?
The Obama Admin left Iraq in 2011, without a “Status of Forces Agreement” (meaning our soldiers would be subject to Iraqi Law) allowing Iranian influence to overtake Iraq. What Iran could not win via war with Saddam, they took because they were the bully on the block and flush with cash.
Take a look at a post from Kinthenorthwest about Obama Admin actions in the following years.
2011 – Libya. Operation Odyssey Dawn. Coalition forces enforcing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 with bombings of Libyan forces. drain 2011 – War on Terrorism. Osama Bin Laden is killed by U.S. military forces in Pakistan as part of Operation Neptune Spear. 2011 – Drone strikes on al-Shabab militants begin in Somalia.[15] This marks the 6th nation in which such strikes have been carried out, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.[citation needed] 2011 – Uganda. US Combat troops sent in as advisers to Uganda.[16] 2012 – Jordan. 150 US troops deployed to Jordan to help it contain the Syrian Civil War. 2012 – Turkey. 400 troops and two batteries of Patriot missiles sent to Turkey to prevent any missile strikes from Syria. 2012 – Chad. 50 U.S. troops have deployed to the African country of Chad to help evacuate U.S. citizens and embassy personnel from the neighboring Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui in the face of rebel advances toward the city. 2013 – Mali. US forces assisted the French in Operation Several with air refueling and transport aircraft.
ISIS was born in the interim and it was in Iran’s best interest to crush ISIS, obtaining control of more oil-rich land in northern and western regions of Iraq. In this way, Iran sided with Assad and moved into Syria.
Do you remember when oil fell to $44/barrel? This was a direct act by the Saudis and other OPEC countries to starve Iran of oil profits. Iran was on the brink of destruction, economically, when Obama Admin stepped in again, with the JCPOA, releasing billions of dollars, to a designated terrorist state, WITH INTEREST. https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/indecent-exposure-91to-commodities93-12680612
Interestingly, the 18 month long campaign by the Saudis, lowering the cost of oil, brought Russia’s economy to the brink, as they cast aside support of Cuba. Yet, when Cuba was on the brink, ready for defeat, Obama again stepped in to save the dictatorship of the Castro brothers. Suddenly, Beyonce and her pals found a new playground in Havana….. and the money, in USD, flowed to Cuba.
Strange, eh?
Then, there’s the problem with Hezbollah in Lebanon, another Iranian back proxy. Hezbollah is a direct threat to Israel. We know, from Operation Cassandra and in depth reporting from Politico, Hezbollah was selling USA cars in Africa and importing hundreds of metric tons, thousands of tons of cocaine and other drugs into the USA. On the brink of a years long investigation by our DEA, ready to roll up the whole operation, again, the Obama Admin stepped in and stopped all operations, in favor of Iran. The Obama Admin didn’t want to embarrass Iran which might preclude the JCPOA deal. https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/
In summary, the Obama admin favored Iran, the Strongman left within the region of the Middle East to maintain some sense of order and balance power between Saudi, Iran, and Israel. Yet, the Obama Team received the opposite of what they expected.
Immediately, instead of being a calming influence, benevolent, and maintaining some kind of “order”, Iran, with a blind eye from America, began to use their military and money to overthrow other countries in the region, the Saudis and Israel. Iran was the bad kid, the horrific and torturing bully, with an almost unlimited credit card, spoiled, rotten, and hungry for more power. The “teenager” whom Obama left in charge started running guns, women, drugs, and taking over friendly countries. The monster was loose from his cage.
No, Iran/Soleimani was not a benevolent dictator. And make no mistake, Soleimani was the leader of Iran. Let’s posit this question, originally from Scott Adams, paraphrasing:
If there are two men in a room, and one has a Quran and one has a gun, who is in charge? The answer is = The person in charge is whoever the guy with the gun WANTS to be in charge.
Scott Adams
If Soleimani was a deeply religious man and genuinely served at the behest of his Mullah leader, then the Mullah was in charge. Yet, let us not be naive. If Soleimani wanted to overthrow the Mullahs, he could have.
Could peace in the Middle East ever happen with a man like a Soleimani in charge?
How could the Mullahs thwart the ambition of a man like Soleimani? If they WANTED to?
Do you think spending on the Iranian military was ever curbed?
Did the QUDS forces go hungry, like the people of Iran did over the last 2years?
Do you think maybe the Mullahs were threatened by a man like Soleimani?
With the economy of Iran crumbing under sanction by the USA, do you think the Mullahs might be worried about an overthrow……… maybe to install a military regime…….. with a leader like Soleimani?
Do you think, perhaps, the Mullahs, who were deeply unpopular 2 weeks ago, are secretly relieved Soleimani is gone and the country is distracted from the Mullahs failure?
Gosh, it’s a wonder the Mullahs didn’t kill Soleimani themselves, but that might have led to greater unpopularity of the Mullahs and accelerated an overthrow.
Oh, my! What to do?
Could…. would ….. anything ever stop the trajectory of a man like Soleimani?
No.
Only a guy with a bigger gun…………. and his name is President Trump.
But…………..President Trump worked slowly and methodically to disassemble the apparatus of terror in the Middle East. In retrospect, we can see President Trump’s fingerprints all over the Middle East. It’s quite remarkable, really, unlike anything attempted heretofore.
Remember how shocked we all were with President Trump’s continued meetings with King Abdullah of Jordan, starting almost immediately?
And Al Sisi of Egypt?
The moment when Al Sisi of Egypt proclaimed President Trump “Can do the impossible”.
Remember how the Press Corps was befuddled when President Trump’s FIRST foreign visit was to Saudi Arabia?
And the Trump speech, bold and strong, before all members of the GCC? May 21, 2017, it was one for the record books!
He called on the leaders to root out and destroy the terrorism within their own countries and topped it off with a sword dance. Always better for people within the region to police their own. Why do we have to do it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=runYPf4Q2g8
Does ANYONE think the commemoration of the Saudi Intel building was a one-off? Remember the “orb”? Remember the Princes from the House of Saud imprisoned at the Ritz-Carlton, for months, while their corruption was sorted out? Talk about a house-cleaning….
And were you as surprised as I was when Tamir Pardo, the head of Mossad was interviewed, talking about full intel cooperation with Saudi Arabia? Did you ever think we would see it in our lifetimes?
In November and December 2017, there was a flurry of rare public confirmation of contacts between Israel and the Saudis by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, minister Yuval Steinitz and then-CIA director Mike Pompeo.
Let’s not forget the “Eager Lion” exercises in the Middle East, joint forces, kind of like a NATO for the Middle East…. a force which could counteract the Iranians.
The United States has been working meticulously to create a new security alliance comprised of the six Gulf Arab states, plus Jordan and Egypt. The new Arab NATO is expected to be formally announced during the next Gulf Summit in Washington to be held in about two weeks. The new alliance will serve as a “bulwark against Iranian aggression, terrorism, extremism and will bring stability to the Middle East”, a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council said. Interestingly, there has been a de facto alliance among the Gulf Arab states and the United States to contain Iran’s influence in the region. And yet, there has been a key difference between Saudi Arabia and the United States with regard to Iran’s growing influence on both Syria and Iraq. Surprisingly, the United States did little to reverse Iran’s ascendance in the region.
And the Christmas trip by President Trump and Melania to Iraq, when he talked to the Generals on the ground. Why was the mop-up of ISIS taking so long? The President had his answer, came home, and fired Mattis, ASAP.
And then……… all those mysterious trips by Jared Kushner to the Middle East.
The blockade of DPRK as an outlet for Iran was masterful. Again, Trump is engaging, whereas Obama, avoided.
Culminating with crippling Sanctions on Iran. …………. and the death of Soleimani.
Bottom line, President Trump is dealing with a mess in the Middle East, leftover from decades of mismanagement. Unfortunately, we cannot ignore the problems. Still, Trump is the furthest thing from a NeoCon Repub, or a war-monger like Hillary, or a “let’s light the Middle East on fire” like Obama.
…………. Which Beget the APPROVED invasion of Europe, massive immigration.
President Trump is the adult in the room, AND a Strong Man with the biggest gun, an elected President of a Republic, who believes in liberty for the citizenry…. and skillfully manipulates those who oppose him to reveal themselves. He is the perfect person to clean up the mess.
President Trump wants to come to terms with the Taliban in Afghanistan and bring our troops home. Strange that the Taliban blew the cease-fire if their goal was truly to remove Americans.
President Trump wants to leave Syria. He tried and triggered politically motivated, manufactured outrage from the press. We know the backstory, but it is difficult for those voters who don’t follow geopolitics on a daily basis.
President Trump has railed against the blood and treasure lost in the Middle East, as opposed to lost opportunity here at home………… Yet, he knows it would be dangerous to hand the keys for Iraq to Iran and turn over control of the country.
We must be careful, wise, prudent, and the days ahead will be tricky. Expect a $hitload of trash-talk, wild threats, and distractions from all sides. Let’s not take the bait. The following letter, “notice of withdrawal from Iraq” was a total distraction.
Updated at 2:02 pm on January 6, 2020: This letter has been confirmed by Reuters but it is unsigned and makes no sense. Or, is this a head fake? Because the press corps would normally have a heart attack if we withdrew from Iraq? Update at 6:00pm Eastern time: For hours we wondered, but by the evening news, we received formal notice from the Pentagon……… “It was a draft letter, a mistake, never signed”, not released intentionally, a fake. https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-iraq-security-withdrawal-idINKBN1Z520F
No one knows what will happen tomorrow nor the day after. Those pundits who prognosticate of imminent threats of WW3 are shrieking in the wind, misleading and scaring readers for clickbait. It’s almost unholy to prey on people’s fears in such a way, but such is the business of the media.
Objectively, of all Presidents in the past hundred years, Trump is probably the least disposed to bumble into an accidental war. We’re in good hands with President Trump, and no doubt, the Intel Community which supplied him with the details on Soleimani was working overtime on behalf of the USA.
Well done.
In the Middle East, a region where actual Strong Men are admired, and women/children/assets /land are often taken by torture or brute force, a benevolent but fearless man like President Trump has the ideal persona for this moment in time. He has an unpredictable nature, all the character traits, and strategic foresight, who can trash-talk the best of dictators. As my Marine Daddy used to say, “It’s not bragging when you can back it up.” President Trump has street cred.
It’s true, President Trump is the perfect American President at exactly the right time in history, to resolve problems in the Middle East and bring peace, either by negotiation or blunt force.
It’s time to quit toying around the edges and solve the problems.
Who are our enemies?
Just when we think we’ve correctly identified Iran as the enemy, things get a little confusing. Take a look at the Crisis Group, which is like the Atlantic Council on steroids. Members include Alexander Downer, Admiral Mcraven, George and Alex Soros, and a laundry list of those who want to protect the Iran Deal, the Mullahs, and by extension, the Iranian Hedgemon. They even have a location in ….. wait for it……… Kiev, Russia.
Perhaps these are our real enemies? Those who enable people like Soleimani to harm the citizens of Iran and the USA with no equivocation. Take a look at the Board of Directors. https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/board
If we really wanted to get out of the Middle East, bring our troops home, wouldn’t it be easier without folks like the Crisis Group or Atlantic Council standing in the way? Or the media screaming?
Can’t help but think the Iraqis, Iranians, and Americans all have the same problem = the wrong people in charge and harming the people of their countries. Gosh, I want one of those pastries the Iraqis and Syrians made to thank Trump.
We can all speculate on the best way to “bring our troops home” or resolve conflict in the ME, but we would probably be wrong. We don’t have access to all the info, nor the expertise. We’re going to have to watch, wait, and trust Trump.
Welcome to the OPEN THREAD!!!!!!!! January shall be known as “Expose the Sham in SHAMUARY!” Let the truth bombs fall. Expose the hypocrisy of the press, malinent of politicos, bureaucracy, and NGOs. OUR President has become the leader of those who are tired of inept leaders/bureaucracies all over the world. It’s up to us to support him. Let the memes fly, ……… and call your Congress Critter.
When you get tired or frustrated, think of the decent people all over the world who look to America to lead. Those in Hong Kong, DPRK, England, Italy, Hungary, Chile, depend on us for inspiration. If President Trump loses in 2020, the globalists win….. and we may never get another Donald Trump.
It’s a battle of good over evil, and the winners will control the world. It’s a culture war, a political war, a war of family versus the state, independence versus dependence and morale crushing oppression. It’s a battle of the will of the people versus a few snots in DC and their never ending quest for control over the population. They’ve spent us into oblivion, mismanaged our country, been responsible for the death of fellow countrymen, and they’ve lied about their complicity.
We’re the Americans. It’s our job to lead.
And today, we’re at peace because the threat has been removed from the battlefield. Soleimani is dead.
We don’t believe in political correctness at QTree. You can say what you want, comment on what other people said, and so on. Free Speech is practiced here. ENJOY IT. Use it or lose it. Important Guidelines are outlined here in the January 1st open thread, with an addendum on 20191110. In other words, please keep it SOMEWHAT civil. We have a new board – actually a new SITE – called The U Tree – where people can take each other to the woodshed without fear of censorship or moderation. NOT HERE. This board will remain a REFUGE for those who need civility, either some or all of the time.
SPEAK THE FIVE WORDS BOLDLY TO OUR PRESIDENT!, “I AM PRAYING FOR YOU!“
And remember….. it is time to drain the swamp in DC and LOCALLY. Please make a commitment in the new year to attend a LOCAL board meeting for your town or municipality or school board. Get involved and make your presence known. Put your local officials phone numbers in your cell phone and call them once a week (or more often).
No more silent majority.
“Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People.”
Candidate Donald J Trump
Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
Figure out where your local Congress Critter has an office and drop by. Write a letter or send a postcard. Email and put them on your notifications for Twitter or Facebook. Stay in touch. They need to see you, and hear you.
The “Townhall . com” project is a PROGRESSIVE website where you can type in your zip code and see all town halls within your region. No reason we can’t use the same website, right?
It’s time for us to show up and be counted!
And here is the list of the “Dirty Thirty”, those freshmen Congressmen who promised to be different and support the will of their constituents………. but who voted with Pelosi for impeachment. They won in historically Republican Districts. Call them.
It’s time for a few patriots to make a trip, virtually or in person, to talk to our Congressmen. The old system of $$’s from the US Chamber and Club for Growth are no longer needed if they have the voter’s support.
It’s gonna take COURAGE!
Is there anyone left with COURAGE?
Do YOU have COURAGE?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFalmesXWMY
We have nothing to lose. We’re playing for all the marbles in 2020. Get ready.
We have confirmation from BBC in Iran, WaPost in Beirut, and even Brookings. Two SUVs were on the way to the Airport in Baghdad, and four rockets were fired killing as many as 8 people in the two cars. We’re still sorting out who was in the cars. Many Iranian/Iraqi sources confirming the death of both the Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani and the #PMU Deputy Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes by the attacks on the convoy near #Baghdad airport.
It is now confirmed: the US has killed Qassem Soleimani.
What it means is a month of ass-wipe “journalists” mourning over the loss of another “austere religious scholar”. To the parents of thousands of dead Americans and every soldier who was deployed to Iraq, it’s long overdue!
We will update as info flows. Please add to the post at will. Thank you for your help.
Update #1: Looks like we got all three of them, traveling together.
We’re all still reeling from the machete Hanukkah attack in Monsey, NY, and the shooting attack at White Settlement, TX. Fortunately, most of us will never understand why it’s a problem for Americans to worship as they choose. Politicians will argue about who is to blame and “hate groups” for at least one slow news cycle in a selfish attempt to grab press or fundraise. Yet once again, the family reports the perp in New York had a long history of mental illness, was not raised to hate particular groups/skin colors/religions nor was he a member of any hate group……. he was just mentally ill and had been hospitalized before for such cause on several occasions.
The idea of mental illness as drawn by one who was criminally insane.
Most of us can think of a particular person in our lives for whom we have disdain, but we don’t attack them with machetes or shoot them. We are mentally sound and can reason that violence is not the answer. It’s the mental illness which pushes people over the edge. If we want to solve a problem like the criminally insane, we need to properly identify the problem, the cause of the problem, and possible solutions for safety of the population writ large, but that’s not what is happening today.
Recognizing the problem and associated costs of unchecked mental illness would make sense, be cost effective, safer for society. Why would our elected leaders ever do something so easy and fiscally prudent?
Deflection of the problem of mental illness for personal or political gain only helps politicians. It’s truly detestable to use the death of constituents to further political power. When you watch the news today, see it for what it is, avoiding one problem while furthering the narrative of another “alleged problem”.
The media is worse and far more corrosive to regular Americans. Mental illness is not what the pundits want to talk about, right? It’s not the preferred public pitch. The narrative is a “rise in hate groups”, which justifies paranoia of one color/religion/sexual persuasion of America to fear other groups….. as in…. “those white people should fear machete-wielding black men”, and/or all guns, and whatever happens, it’s the fault of the white person. Funny, I recall Mr. Larry (who happens to be black) and I (the white female) both wielding machetes, cutting down a privet hedge, when we took a break for a cold beer. Would the media prefer Mr. Larry and I not work together, not know each other, not worship together, eat at the same table together, listen to the same music, laugh/dance/sing together…….. or vote similarly? Seems like it……
The media push for a “rise in anti-Semitism” is an easy narrative given what has happened in New York over the last few weeks, but are we leaping to a convenient conclusion about disparate incidents? Punctuated by the drama and severity of the attack in Monsey? Is it possible the media doesn’t care about the real cause of Monsey, other than for how the attack helps the media’s narrative? After all, a rise in white nationalism (even though the perp is black) is a great way to blame President Trump and all those uneducated white Americans who voted for him. Could it be the media jumped on the story in Monsey, as opposed to the story in White Settlement, as a golden opportunity in a further attempt to divide Americans…… because it is good for business?
Late night comedy and Hollywood feeds off of hatred and division of America.
And then, something strange happened. From out of left field, I saw a kernel of hope in the midst of the melee of media distraction…….
In the never ending quest to find common ground with the left, we might have a sign from above. Follow me for a second, it might work…… maybe….. It’s a stretch, I concede, but it might be an opening.
Last summer, Pete Buteigeg pitched the idea that the Chinese prison camps are horrible, and “the Trump Admin stays silent”. Back in July of 2019, Pete called for sanctions against China. No kidding. What kind of sanctions, Pete? Given the entangled economies of the USA and China, what kind of fallout could we expect for immediate sanctions if we follow your idea, Pete? Gee whiz, we remember the NY and DC press with dire warnings of economic collapse when President Trump announced a few tariffs on China. Outright sanctions would cause a meltdown on Wall Street, but it might be okay……. cuz Pete is a Dem, right? BUT Pete said this in July of 2019…… watch what happened.
China is oppressing millions of Muslim Uighurs and eroding freedoms in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, this White House is reportedly willing to stay silent and withhold sanctions in exchange for trade concessions. America's commitment to dignity and religious freedom must not be for sale.
So, we have a prominent Jewish guy, in Hollywood, calling for us to pay attention, shun China, for their treatment of the Uighurs…… and why aren’t we talking about it more?
Apatow is right! This is good. Remember, we all said, “Never Again” after the Holocaust. Why does China get a pass? As long as the media is deflecting from mental illness, why not USE THE DEFLECTION of the media? In this way, ALL Americans have a common enemy in China’s CCP……. instead of fighting with each other. China’s problems with fentanyl, IP theft, truly horrific environmental policy, currency manipulation, military buildup, treatment of Hong Kongers, and double dealing in the third world only adds further fuel to the fire.
When the media deflects from the real cause of mental illness for homegrown attacks, the discussion is dead for the moment, saved for another day. Yet, we need to be able to leapfrog the media, and use their momentum to accomplish another goal. Is it possible the left is coming around to be AGAINST China? We all know how strongly Hollywood is influenced by China….. interesting to speculate where the ramifications of such an action could lead.
Let’s keep in mind, Judd Apatow is a Hollywood type (he did The Hangover movies) with millions of followers on his Twit feed. He’s a hard leftist who can be offensive and irrational at times. Okay fine, we can all be irrational at times. Let’s not pick that fight right now. For instance, Apatow thinks that because Mick Mulvaney stepped out of the Oval Office when Giuliani was there, to preserve President’s confidence with personal lawyer, that means the President and Giuliani were conducting illegal Ukraine policy. SMH. Can we presume the left thinks the President is not allowed to defend himself in a public forum, not allowed to appeal an illegitimate subpoena for clearly granted Exec Privilege, and NOW not allowed to have an attorney either? Anyway….
Nonetheless, Apatow’s salvo against the CCP is a glimpse, a crack in the wall so to speak. If Apatow is an average Hollywood leftist, and he cares about this issue, then others may as well. It’s a chance for some modicum of unity.
This MIGHT be a place where we can all agree, on the Uighurs, to unite against China and further erode the CCP public image. Good heavens, the NYTimes claims the CCP has “separated over a half million children from their parents”. It might be a chance to use the press to accomplish a worthwhile goal, to OUT the Chinese Communist Party policy. It might work.
The goal of those who seek to harm America is to control the greater levers of power in the USA. They use division of Americans by class/color/sex/politics, which makes it easier. Well, if that’s their goal, can we use this issue to bring us together and turn this missive back toward our collective enemy?
After all…….. When we said, “Never Again”, did we mean it? Or, is it okay for China to keep a million people in prison camps merely because we like cheap Nike t-shirts? Or, is it okay to imprison a million people for their faith just because they are Muslims? As opposed to Jews and Christians?
No, it’s never okay to keep a million people in prison just because of their faith. What does “Freedom of Religion” really mean to us in 2019?
Our forefathers risked their lives for the idea.
How strange…….. and natural…… would it be for Jews and Christians, left and right, to unite as Americans in defense of Muslims against an oppressive Communist regime?
Imagine the irony, and the shocked faces, when we turned the table on our common enemy.
