The Mali coup, corruption, and the jihadi problem in Islam.
The Taliban have taken 8 more district capitals. Normally this is unimportant because mostly the government takes them back quickly. These small "county" capitals aren't well defended and it gets the Taliban publicity. But without American air power, can the Afghan security forces continue this pattern of retaking the district capitals? And if not, how long before the defended portions of the country are under siege? Don't count on the Afghan air force without foreigners doing the maintenance. And let's hope the Taliban casualties are worse than the Afghan security forces now. They usually are, but without air power, who knows what will be different?
Just different racism. Critical race theory holds that America is at its very core a racist country with no hope of getting better, meaning the very system must be destroyed. And the really odd thing is that those making the charge count on white people not accepting the logic of that accusation. Because if white people did and acted on it to preserve their position in the system, minorities would be harmed. Even if CRT was true--and it is not--it would be a suicidal strategy for minorities to embrace. As it is, it is simply stupid, yet profitable for a minority of those of all races who manage to monetize it. Tip to Instapundit.
All Syria produced over the last decade was young men who could handle a weapon. Russia and Turkey (but let's not forget Iran despite not sending the young Syrians abroad) used them as cannon fodder.
So, what's conspicuously absent from our secretary of state's list of things we need to "reconnect" to allies to achieve? "'Our partners see the same thing that we do,' he said. 'If you're looking at all of the really big problems that we're trying to solve — ... like the pandemic, like climate change, like emerging technologies ... — no one country can do it alone.'" [emphasis in original] How about military power and common defense against common enemies? Isn't that the most basic function of alliances? Where's that "reconnection"? But our allies don't like that. Which is a major reason why they disliked Trump so much. But now that we won't ask uncomfortable questions our allies will "reconnect". But then again, we downplay that in funding, too. Why wouldn't our allies follow our example when it suits their priorities? This will work out just swell.
Valor: "Six Nigeriens, including two killed in the ambush by a force twice their size, were given U.S. medals for combat actions and valor" during the 2017 ambush of US and Nigerien forces in Niger.
Enduring Shield for cruise missile defense. I'll only really be happy when we knock down incoming missiles with area shields rather than with other missiles. Although I'll be satisfied if we can shoot down missiles with cannon shells.
Disperse our planes and defend them.
As I've noted, I used to at least respect the Democratic Party because it defended blue collar workers and freedom of speech. We've seen the demonization of "deplorables" and of course freedom of speech is a casualty of social justice wokeness that infected even the ACLU. Shame on them. They should follow AARP in just having the initials as their name, because "civil liberties" have nothing to do with the ACLU now. Tip to Instapundit.
Do masks work? Well, as I understand it the virus doesn't really travel around except on droplets which can be stopped by the medical masks. Of course masks aren't perfect--even if worn perfectly. But they buy time by at least reducing the rate of the virus getting into your body. If the viral load is kept low enough your body can fight it off--depending on how healthy you are. And clearly, N95 masks work even better than the medical masks. Still, the cloth masks are mostly worthless. Except for containing a virus-laden sneeze or cough by the sick (again those droplets). So there's that. So yeah, masks work. Don't take an early mask comment by Fauci as settled science when new science made that comment obsolete.
Oopsy! We accidentally censored your information access based on Chinese Communist Party standards! Tip to Instapundit.
India's Xi Jinping Flu surge is starting to wane. Thank goodness.
At this point, scientists, the Democratic Party, and the media have lost my confidence. Anything they say requires extraordinary proof. The media lost me in the 1980s as I saw their unreasonable bias against Reagan's reelection. It's gotten worse over the years and really exploded in 2016 as the media stopped even pretending to be fair. I used to vote for some Democrats at the local level. Democrats lost me completely in the Kavanaugh hearings. I'll never vote for another Democrat for anything ever again. And science, already shaky with their global warming lockstep march toward government control, has lost me for their Xi Jinping Flu pandemic performance. Was their offensive on the Bad Orange Man over the pandemic (while shielding China from any blame) worth trashing their reputation?
I've long argued that before we compare country responses to the Xi Jinping Flu pandemic we need to wait to the end and have uniform definitions on who died from the Covid-19 virus. It's a work in progress.
At least Venezuelans coming to America are actual refugees from political oppression. Although America is not the first safe harbor available. That matters, too.
If life is a simulation, I have to say I've been lucky all my life in that things work out. Is that proof of a simulation? Maybe. But if so, somebody is clearly playing my life on easy level because I'm far from wealthy, powerful, and famous.
Democrats believe any whackjob's tale, don't they? Well, if the tale attacks Republicans.
Antifa--along with the Lincoln Project and Bryan Williams--are scum (via Instapundit): "On Friday night, MSNBC host Brian Williams collaborated with the Lincoln
Project in giving free publicity to the far-left Antifa terrorist group
by shamelessly exploiting the Normandy invasion that was pivotal to
defeating the Nazis in Europe." Luckily I've got the D-Day angle covered:
I keep reading authors saying that Trump cast aside leadership in the Western world. Because of that our European allies are eager for America to be "back", as Biden frequently asserts. But I never see examples of where America under Trump failed to lead. Oh sure, I see issues where Trump disagreed with others on how America should lead. But that's different. It seems to be that American "leadership" when it comes to Europeans is simply doing what Europeans want. Which is nice for Europeans, I suppose. But what's in it for America?
We'll see: "'President Biden told President Zelensky that he will stand up firmly for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and its aspirations as we go forward,' [National Security Advisor] Sullivan said."
It really pisses me off that more than a year ago I believed news purporting to be "science" that the Xi Jinping Flu virus did not display any evidence of being engineered in a lab. Ef the media and ef our science culture. Big pharma is the only science to come out good in the last year. Well, that and private space companies.
Mission accomplished: “Now, the MPD is confirming that tear gas was used by district officers outside of Lafayette Park — something it had not done in its legal filings to date…Questions remain, however, concerning why it took a year for the district to reveal its use of tear gas, especially in light of the conflicting reporting, and the attempts to hold the Trump administration responsible for the decision.” It's safe to admit Trump didn't order the use of tear gas, as we've been told. I was fine with teargassing those a-holes. But others with TDS did not. Tip to Instapundit.
Wow, wow, wow: "So if it is proven that Communist China set a pandemic loose on the world, by either accident or design, the real danger is that Republicans might pounce?"
To Hell with Ellie Kemper. She was wrongly condemned as a "KKK queen" by a-holes. Then she surrendered and groveled. Good luck with that.
Reset 2.0! "Ukraine's president accused the Biden administration of handing a 'weapon' to the Kremlin by allowing the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which Russian president Vladimir Putin hopes to use to build influence in Europe."
Huh: "Biden to get warm welcome from relieved but wary [European] allies[.]" Europeans didn't like Trump. And they are worried about the man elected for being not-Trump. I'm thinking the problem is them and not us.
I was pleased that the Iraqis arrested a militia commander who is Iranian pawn. Progress on combating the pro-Iran militias is necessary for rule of law in Iraq. But release of that pawn suggests the corruption that Iran exploits to undermine Iraq is still too strong.
I guess anybody accused of hateful speech can explain to the uneducated morons making the accusation that the speech was actually a "metaphor" or something. Or she's just nuts. She said our country needs "healing". I wonder why? Tip to Instapundit.
Iranians and a war of attrition in Yemen.
I'm torn about the Afghan translator issue. On the one hand, evacuating them to save them is a decent thing to do. On the other hand, I want them to remain to defend the government and defeat the Taliban. Is evacuating too many of them a signal that we expect the Taliban to win? And would that become a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Stitching together a Frankensub.
As soon as I read this I cancelled my email updates from Foreign Policy.
Calling the American flag a symbol of white supremacy is stupid. Everyone on both sides of the political divide used to respect the flag and the country it represents. But Democrats started to stomp on the flag (and our country) and react to it the way vampires cringe in the presence of Holy Water and sunlight. That's on the Democrats who embraced or tolerated Leftist views. If the flag is a polarizing dividing line, that's totally on Democrats for making it a political symbol rather than a national symbol.
One Iranian human rights activist is boycotting the election. Iran's elections certainly are a sham: "As if to prove her point, the Guardian Council last month disqualified all but seven candidates from running for president. That decision has drawn rebukes even from Iranian leaders who are supportive of the ruling regime." The funny thing is, for all that people on the left say that America should not impose democracy on non-Western countries, dictatorships sure do work hard to pretend they have rule of law democracy.
Hahahahaha! "If the Jefferies analysis is correct (and we believe it is), then an EV will reach carbon-emission parity with an internal-combustion vehicle just as its battery requires replacement. This will come as a huge disappointment for those believing that EV adoption will have significant impacts on CO2 reduction." [emphasis in original]. What did I say about the footprint of electric cars?
The American general commanding the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan said "U.S. troops can do what is needed to 'go out with our heads held high.'" If you win, that isn't something you have to think about. The fact that the general has to think about the issue tells you all you need to know. We're getting out and hoping the war that is not ending won't go badly for America. The notion that we are encouraging peace talks as necessary to achieve a successful withdrawal is strategery at its best. We want out. The jihadis want victory. Do the math.
People have been "cancelled" for much less than this. Thank God for him that the media needs to protect his dad!
Well that's a safe call to make: "It’s absurd that Facebook lets Climate Feedback censor me because of something that might happen in 1,000 years." The absurdities multiply like bunnies.
Bravo. Keep your jokes to yourself. Attention to details keeps you alive.
Now this proven liar is a "scientist"? Wow. She lied and the media ran with it. The lies continue. The media is as bad as she is.
So ... the Russians are saying this: "Russia is close to completing its first naval ship fully equipped with stealth technology to make it hard to detect by enemy vessels, Russian media reported on Tuesday." I'm pretty sure the naval architect was Salvatore Garau.
From a continent settled by the descendants of criminals to a country run by the descendants of prison guards? Importing Chinese Communist Party ideas is far more dangerous than the virus the CCP unleashed on the world.
The slap heard 'round the republic? Wow, not even all the French appreciate nuance.
Yes: "In sum, the newly published research provides states and the international community with compelling evidence that a [Chinese Communist Party] genocide is slowly being carried out [against the Uighurs]." I believe I mentioned the multi-generational genocide.
Nobody likes the mullah-led Iranians except the Westerners eager to negotiate an Iran Nuclear Deal 2.0. Why Democrats love the mullahs so much is beyond me. The Democrats are willing to twist reality to get what they want. Meanwhile, Iran continues their charm offensive to get a deal: "Multiple rockets targeted two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led coalition troops and foreign contractors Wednesday, Iraqi security officials and the military said."
Understanding the sea terrain.
AOC really doesn't demonstrate any evidence of receiving a college education, does she?
The Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods cyberattacks were absolutely acts of war. The only question is whether our response is kinetic. And I'll say it again, the US sale of part of our uranium supply to Russia (approved by Hillary Clinton) was an opportunity for Russia to learn the details of our uranium supply chain. Which would be useful for a cyberattack. Russian hackers need to end up in graves or prison cells.
It's funny how the "root causes" of migrants rushing our southern border weren't a problem during 2017-2020. It's almost like protecting our border is sufficient without solving all the problems that drive people to look north.
The Army National Guard is a key resource bridging the gap between the small regular Army and a mobilization Army built from scratch. Or to support a major theater war that isn't won as quickly as we hope, as I wrote in Army magazine long ago.
I'm late to this opinion piece, but I absolutely did not advocate stationing up to four American heavy divisions on Taiwan in my Military Review article. I'm too worried we'd lose them in a Bataan peninsula debacle in a worst-case scenario. What I want is the ability to deploy heavy forces to Taiwan as a core of an Army corps of up to 4 divisions. Which would take time. I conceded that. At best the knowledge that American heavy forces are coming would free Taiwan to commit their heavy forces to an earlier counter-attack. At worst the American forces could finish the job. Actually at best the Chinese would be deterred from invading. The main point is that it is unacceptable to accept a ceasefire that allows PLA forces to remain on Taiwan if China invades.
To be fair, our president says a lot of stupid things--even before his cognitive decline. Honestly, Hillary Clinton must be on suicide watch after losing to Trump in 2016 and then seeing this man beat Trump in 2020.
Sure, just as Black gun ownership rises, Leftist Democrats are even more determined to cancel the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Straight up racism, if you ask me. Tip to The Morning Briefing.
In retrospect, the high point of Vice President Harris' trip to Central America was the cookie.
Biden plans to end that worry: "As Iran prepares to vote, its battered economy a major worry[.]"
Setting expectations pretty high: "President Biden stirred up a crowd of U.S. troops stationed in the United Kingdom on Wednesday with some tough talk directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he'll meet face-to-face next week." If Biden basically tells Putin to get off our lawn, it will look pretty lame.
The news media is discovering many news items it told us were true during the Trump administration weren't true. Funny that all the misconceptions were against Trump. I mean, Trump has a good point. If only there was some sort of investigative fact-collecting and publishing organization that could have let the media know what was going on. A man can dream.
You know, normally I'd complain about the reduced budgetary place for the Army. But the Navy needs the most help, I think. And while the Air Force is in good shape if it buys F-35s, I worry that this good plane is in trouble for no good reason.
Play Maoist games, get Maoist results. Tip to Insanity Wrap.
China takes the Gold for killing its own people so it makes sense it might stand at the pinnacle of sources of man-made global disaster body counts.
Biden's first trip overseas to be in contact with foreign leaders is going to be fascinating. Will friends and enemies publicly pretend all is well in Biden's skull? Huh, after writing that I see the issue is already arising. Oh, and this is funny: "Biden governs in a more collegial style than Trump and delegates much more to senior officials." Biden "delegates"? You mean, subordinates do things without the Big Guy knowing about it? No matter what foreign leaders think, Biden-friendly media will pretend all is well.
The Chinese and the defense budget are sadly the least of our military's problems. The biggest danger is not climate change, as the president claimed. No, the calls are coming from inside the house.
Beware of getting what you wish for.
If the Israelis can deploy F-35s to Italy, they can deploy to Saudi Arabia. Iran is closer to Saudi Arabia, of course. And having some aircraft close lessens the burden on Israeli aerial refueling assets to strike Iran directly from Israel.
Huh. "Pelosi seeks to quell uproar over Omar's latest comments[.]" So Pelosi is most concerned over the "uproar" over Omar's latest display of her anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, and apparent fondness for jihadis rather than the display itself? Omar doesn't settle for sending out obscure "dog whistles" to her fans, that's for sure. Fascinating.
A huge amount of pandemic unemployment payments went to criminals, mostly overseas criminals. This is on Trump and Biden. And I assume the theft is still going on. Our government is too damn big and spends too much money. Criminals go where the money is, after all.
Inflation. AOC's limited grasp of economics has infected all of our government. Runaway inflation kills the middle class. No president and no Congress over the last forty years is innocent of responsibility. But my God, Biden and this Congress have turned the spending dial to 11 and seemingly want to break off the knob to make it permanent.
I hope we compare and contrast government reactions to the current pandemic and to the 1957-1958 pandemic. I think the broad and lasting shutdowns were a mistake. And the level of federal borrowing and spending was grossly overdone. Especially this year when the pandemic is ending. But that's my opinion rather than based on deep knowledge. I hope we can get an honest inquiry uncontaminated by politics.
How bad is Greta if "building a coal-fired electricity plant every week" China is dunking on her? "The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece China Daily, the Pravda of Beijing, reported last week that Thunberg’s carbon emissions are a bit too large, if you know what I mean." No matter how much contempt I have for the addled lass, at least Greta doesn't currently have concentration camps and didn't unleash a pandemic on the world. And honestly, I'm relieved she's apparently put on some weight.
Better to learn now than in the opening days of a war. Fix this. And fix the system that allowed the problem. It's the third annual "Hack the Army" event. The goal should be to reduce what is found and exploited, eh?
Milley wisely avoids the question of whether the president's "broader" view is completely stupid: "'Climate change does impact, but the president is looking at a much broader angle than I am,' Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional panel Thursday morning. 'I'm looking at it from a strictly military standpoint. And from a strictly military standpoint, I'm putting China, Russia up there.'" I salute Milley for his wordsmithing. And I totally believe Biden thinks he was told what he related.
Huh. There was reason to wonder if Hunter Biden was suspicious--even before Trump won the Republican nomination: "Feds subpoenaed Hunter Biden during 2016 election, raising worry over unpaid taxes on Ukraine work[.]" Tip to Instapundit.
Well, at least we'll all go down the tubes at the same time: "Leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations were in broad agreement about the need to continue supporting their economies with fiscal stimulus after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a source familiar with the discussions said on Friday." I don't share their confidence that increases in inflation are temporary.
Kim Jong Un has declared war on "K-Pop". Really. Apparently South Korean pop culture is making inroads among North Koreans, but it gets in the way of the authentic North Korean culture of submission, despondency, and starvation. How embarrassing for Kim that he's spent so many resources on building nuclear weapons. He should have been investing in North Korean girl bands. Kim would be a laughingstock joke of a ruler if not for his absolute evil.
Have I mentioned lately that the Russians are a-holes? "Russia could soon provide Iran with a high-powered satellite that would allow it to track military targets across the region, it has emerged." But whatever. What's the harm in alienating America? It's not like Russia would ever need America's help to get their nuts out of a Chinese vise one day.
America isn't "rattled" by Iran's naval movements toward the Western Hemisphere. It's just that we know that the mullah-run government is evil and nothing it has interest in is anything but bad for decent people anywhere. And it would be a damn shame if the large support ship and whatever its cargo is sank on its voyage.
Be careful what you wish for: "Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau has criticized President Biden's decision not to meet eastern European leaders on his first trip abroad." I'm actually massively relieved that leaders in allied countries in the shadow of Russian threats can't see first hand just what kind of a husk of a president is leading the country they count on to deter Russian threats.
Say, maybe investigate this insurrection, okay? Remember, Antifa are violent scum who should rot in prison. And let Portland and Seattle die. I just don't care about what happens to those cesspools of madness that local politicians and residents have allowed or even approved. As a lesson to others. If others can learn.
Wait. Isn't putting women in the "birthing people" category a horrible slam against women unable to have babies through no fault of their own? I think somebody needs a good cancellation for this insult.
Liberal privilege is real. And it's spectacular. And good Lord, how did Alisyn Camerota draw the short straw at CNN to do that rehabilitation introduction? Tip to Instapundit.
Good: "The Pentagon announced plans on Friday to send Ukraine $150 million in military assistance that will include counter-artillery radar, counter-drone technology and electronic warfare equipment, Reuters reports." Probably not a coincidence that it was announced right before Biden meets Putin.
NATO air defense on the Black Sea.
Anybody promoting European "strategic autonomy" is essentially advocating for less American influence in Europe. Strategic autonomy means a European Union empire with its own military that weakens and guts NATO, which is the true force for defending Europe. Don't discount the effects of America's influence on keeping Europe friendly and free.
The woke are amazing all-purpose racists. Not only do the woke think that people of color are incapable of doing the simplest thing or overcoming the most modest challenges, they think white people are awful and that because of their success in America, Asians are "honorary" white people who should be hated as much as white people. And white women aren't looking too free of guilt according to the woke asshole haters, either. The woke should be shunned as the monsters they are who will not be satisfied until America is Balkanized and torn asunder by civil strife.
Heh:
The Chinese Communist Party is pretty damned touchy: "Beijing raises the specter of an invasion of neighboring Taiwan in response to a recent visit to the island by three U.S. senators." Ah, yes. The dread American senator threat. What's the CCP's red line? Four senators? Six? The CCP should be clear so there isn't a misunderstanding that leads to war. If the CCP rulers weren't so lethal they'd be laughable.
I wouldn't normally give a damn whether CNN wants Jeffrey Toobin on the air in less, ah, revealing modes. If this is CNN, good luck with that. One mistake should not in fact define a person forever. But CNN is a network of destroying people for one mistake--or even one alleged mistake that isn't actually true--no matter how far back the mistake was made, if the person is less than fully woke. So CNN deserves all the grief it is getting--and more--for (via Instapundit) its dominatrix-led humiliation session for Toobin. Next time it will include a ball gag.
Biden is ordering our troops out of Afghanistan where the fight against jihadis is now the most intense. So we're not seriously fighting jihadis. And we apparently won't hold jihadis that we do manage to capture. All that's missing is a Biden boast of defeating the jihadis and saving General Motors.
It really bugs me that leftists can't admit that America has made enormous progress on civil rights over the decades. As I've said, if America is "systemically racist" you'd think that the racists could have held the racist line closer to slavery than to an African-American president. More progress can be made. Luckily we've made so much progress that more progress is inevitable.
Really, Jon Sopel, do you know who he is? You do? Good. Let him know. He's wandered away from North America.
Venus! Tip to Instapundit.
Cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline after America approved its construction is no way to do rule of law. Our economy will suffer if businesses see that as standard operating procedure. Tip to Instapundit.
I did not know our latest HARM anti-radar missile is able to attack moving ships.
Will America and Russia reenter nuclear arms control talks? It depends. How much of Russia's nuclear arsenal actually works?
Mullah democracy in action: "Iran’s theocratic regime is paving the way for a hardliner, who is linked to mass executions and human rights abuses, to become the country’s next president[.]" Iran's system allows a broad spectrum of people to run for office. From those who scream for death to America and Israel with spittle-flecked fury on camera all the way over to those who quietly say the same thing in closed meeting rooms in Tehran. Amazingly, the mullahs with their theocracy are the only religious people the Democrats really seem to love.
Isn't it amazing that there aren't massive government leaks to the media about Biden's conversations with foreign leaders or even cabinet officials and staff? It must be that there are no gaffes or embarrassing moments Americans might need to know. What other reason could it be? Oh, in related news the biased media is perplexed that Trump would have made strenuous efforts to seal off the pipeline of leaks from sources within the administration and executive branch to the media. Amazing. Nobody cared how Obama investigated journalists. Nobody cares how Democrats rein in even friendly journalists. But Trump's effort to stop leaks was an outrage? Also note that the story magically changes the insane Democratic/media focus on alleged Trump-Russia collusion to one of mere Russian interference in the election (which Russians and Soviets have routinely done). The latter frame makes the Trump anti-leak effort seem ominous. But in reality Trump had good reason to stop the firehose of disinformation feeding the false collusion narrative that was pushed so hard. To Hell with these people.
I see politicization of the IRS under Obama is resuming after a brief hiatus under Trump. Biden's term really is Obama's third term. How is it acceptable that selective leaking of sensitive information for political purposes is being done? Also, all the subjects of the tax information leaks did was follow the tax laws that Congress enacted. Tip to Instapundit.
The European Union's eagerness to promote a renewed Iran nuclear deal can perhaps seem perplexing: "European Union negotiators said international talks that resumed Saturday on the Iran nuclear agreement were on track to revive the deal, which crumbled after the United States withdrew in 2018." Why is the EU so eager to revive a deal that is so obviously flawed? One so flawed that it Iran has had no problems threatening nuclear breakout with the nuclear infrastructure the 2015 deal allowed Iran to keep? I think the reason is that the EU simply wants a win as the diplomatic representative of "Europe". The EU apparatchiki don't care what the deal is. They want to increase their power to push forward their ambition to strip the prefix from their proto-imperial EU project.
Let us not forget that both Obama and Trump opposed the Russian Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany. So when you argue that Biden is restoring relations with European allies, Biden's decision to embrace the pipeline simply represents caving in to the wishes of a poor ally and the needs of a foe over the needs of our NATO alliance and the Ukrainian victims of Russian aggression. America is "back", indeed.
Just lie back and think of progressivism.
Maybe Israelis need to see how a left-dominated patched-together coalition can ef things up without Netanyahu.
Moron Alert! "The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency tells 'Axios on HBO'
that it's 'essential' to have a nuclear deal with Iran because otherwise
'we are flying blind.'" Oh my God! All the original 2015 deal did was allow some in the West to pretend that Iran isn't seeking nuclear weapons! It was a worthless deal. A new deal will be no better.
