Boehner supports Syria adventure
Nice. Fox News is reporting that Speaker of the House John Boehner has announced his support for the President’s “punishment” or something of the Syrian government for their alleged use of chemical weapons on their alleged opponents in the alleged civil war in Syria. Allegedly.
Boehner, emerging from a White House meeting with several other top-ranking lawmakers, said the chemical weapons attack last month “has to be responded to.”
“I’m going to support the president’s call for action,” Boehner said.
The report doesn’t say whether Boehner had tears in his eyes or not.
At this point, we’re not hearing what this military action will accomplish (other than sending some nebulous message to some nebulous dictators – I guess because the message of Iraq wasn’t loud enough). I don’t know what our national security interest is in this, other than sending a nebulous message to nebulous dictators.
The only reason that Boehner doesn’t oppose this punishment strategy is because he doesn’t want to be called a meany or a racist or something. Anyone with any sort common sense or even a cursory reading of von Clausewitz would recognize this as a bad idea.
So what will “victory” look like? What’s the exit strategy?
Category: Congress sucks, Dumbass Bullshit
Like I’ve said before: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this . . . “
The Republican leadership is every bit at bad as the Marxists on the other side of the aisle.
Rep. Peter King is my rep here on Long Island…..I’ll vote for (John Kerry’s) Genghis Khan before that coward.
Maybe we now know why it was so blasted important to declare AlQ to be decimated. Now it is OK to furnish arms to them.
Some my Congress critters have declared being against this. Time to remind that remaining so is in the best interests of the country.
It’s guys like Weeping John, et al, that when people ask me if I’m a Democrat or Republican, I tell them I’m a CONSERVATIVE. This guy is a hanky away from Obumbles.
And NO, libtards, that’s not a good thing.
One of these is a false headline:
A) USA Takes Gold Medal! Beats Soviets!
B) Broadway Joe Calls It! Jets Beat Colts!
C) Secretariat Loses The Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown!
C) John Boehner Found inside Rose Garden Podium Blowing Obama!
GaaaaaaaadDammit. I had two Cs. Oh well, one of them is the correct answer.
Well, I think we’re mcdonaldizing freedom and democracy. This one dimensional strategy is both ridiculous and unnecessary.
impeachemnt calls guys?
Where’s the grass-roots movement that was supposed to call for cry-baby Boehner’s ouster?
Fuck him and the administration he represents.
Apparently some Arab countries are beginning to take notice.
And they don’t like what they see.
“The United States is AWOL.”
http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/02/reporter-arab-allies-view-obama-as-wobbly-indecisive-not-strong-enough/
Ya think?
I think we all have heard the phrase “a bad decision is better than no decision” in regards to military operations. However, when you have the mixing of “no decision” and “bad decision” thrown into the same mix, I’m pretty sure it’s a recipe for disaster.
I got it, I understand what’s going on, my CIF gear is packed in the garage and ready to go.
I’m just wondering what the end state is…. What is Syria supposed to look like at the end of this? History shows that lobbing a few cruise missles and then getting a high five on the way to Starbucks doesn’t really change anything. If you want to change things, you have to send in troops on the ground to plant the flag and start singing “This land is my land…..” If you do that, you better have thought your actions out from how you’re going in, what you plan to accomplish and what are the conditions for withdrawl. I’m not the sharpest pencil in the box but at least I know that much. Maybe it’s time to retire…..
…oh, and Mattis for President in 2016.
Not sure about that, CWO5USMC. IMO Custer would have been best advised to have stayed in garrison deciding what to do next than to have opted to attack that village in eastern Montana some 137 years ago . . . .
#13 He’d have been fine if he hadn’t had a soft spot for the people he was attacking. He left his field guns behind because it would be more fair. At least that’s the last thing I’d read about the incident. Your point still stands, but still.
Is anyone else getting shades of Wag the Dog from this?
Look, obamaman and his lapdogs, John “Kleenex” Boehner, John “What! I’m a Senator?” McCain think it’s our role to punish Assad for allegedly using gas to kill Syrians, in opposition to international law. Unlike Benghazi, no US citizens were affected, let alone killed, and no US property was destroyed. This punitive–not preventive–action is the very type not to be taken unilaterally, according to the old obamaman, but only when the civilized nations of the world (and a few, not so much), get together at the UN and vote, after thorough investigation and clear conclusion. The new obamaman sees things differently. Thus, missiles may be out, pilots may be in, and people will die. Welcome to obamaworld.
@13, Hondo, point taken, but there’s always exceptions to every rule. I still stand by that idea that even a bad decision is better than no decision….in most cases.
The Dead Man: he might have survived if he hadn’t split his forces, too. But thinking things through ahead of time reputedly wasn’t exactly Custer’s strong suit.
And no matter how you cut it, attacking when outnumbered 3- or 4-to-1 (or worse) isn’t usually the recommended course of action. (smile)
CWO5USMC: sometimes it is; sometimes it’s not. Depends on the situation – and the potential consequences of a bad decision versus deferring until more data is available.
The young lieutenant on watch at Fort Shafter on 7 Dec 1941 would have been better off not deciding anything about the planes the radar station was tracking at 7:02 that morning vice deciding they were a flight of bombers from the mainland (inexplicably approaching from the west, as I recall) and telling the operators not to worry.
I believe that one leg (support of the people) is missing from Dead Karl’s three legged stool. I’d think that another leg (support of the military) is somewhat wobbly as well.
This is what happens when a totally inexperienced community organizer is elected President. (As usual, I state the obvious).
If these dunderheads fire on Syria, they will drag us into a shooting war before we can blink, and it won’t just be against Assad’s troops.
@9
We have been searching for someone to replace this scumbag. Though we had very good candidate last term but he did not file. We are spreading the word around Butler County what a wasted POS he has become, on this and IRS, NSA, Bengazi.
Pray a real conservative will step up.
Hondo – two schools of though on that – we probably still would have been unable to scramble sufficient planes to make a difference and IF the capital ships had been able to steam away, they may have simply been sunk in deeper water offshore and been totally lost to us. But yes, agreed – inaction is an action and sometimes may prove to be the better action.
Best way to decide in this case is probably to stand off and wait till the killin’ stops and see who’s left.
I wonder if Boehner calls President Obama, masta, after their meetings. I wouldn’t doubt it at this rate.
The guy is such a spineless wuss no wonder Congress has historical low favor ability with this dickweed in charge.
David: agreed, on both counts. The Japanese had achieved strategic surprise, and the Pearl Harbor attack would still likely have been devastating.
Still, inaction here allowed them to achieve tactical surprise as well. That greatly increased the lethality of the attack.
As you observe, opting to defer a decision is itself a decision. When the possible consequences of a bad decision are severe, sometimes deferring is the best decision possible.
John “Jungle Stroll w/ Cameraman” Kerry is presently testifying in the Senate. I am reminded of the famous words of one Felix Cat: “You’ll laugh so hard, your sides will ache, your heart will go pitter-pat….” Well, at least he articulated “President Obama’s policy. President Assad must go.” I kid you not. that is what he said. I can’t take it. I can’t take another minute of these buffoons. “This a vote for accountability,” he says. Really? Benghazi, you bastard.
Oh, part of the Kerry rationale for military action? Well, Assad has chem weapons and terrorists may get them and use them against us. Just shoot me now. Oh goodie. Protestors at the hearing. Kerry is relating to them. You can’t make this up, I tell you. We are in bizzaroworld.
Kerry is using the same rationale that he tried to skewer Bush about in 2004? The sad part is that he doesn’t see his own hypocrisy.
so how with limited air strikes are we accomplish Assad’s departure? Isn’t this the same administration who just said last week we weren’t looking for regime change?I know I’m not the brightest candle on the menorah, but still…
Now, they may actually come close to a rationale at one point -if, as 2/17AirCav indicates, they came out and said “Assad has, has used, and is about to provide chemical weapons to al-Quaeda for use against the US and we can positively stop that”, THAT might be a reason which actually had something to do with US interests and security. But “we have to do something/he must be punished” are not.
This is too rich. While Kerry is yapping, the crawler at the bottom of my TV screen is saying that the White House says that one of our objectives is NOT regime change in Syria. Kerry says it is obamaman’s POLICY that “Assad must go.” Who’s on first. What’s on second. I Don’t Know is on third.
Unbelievable.
Victory? Exit strategy?
What are those?
If any of the Syrians, on either side, want our interference, it’s for our money and our weapons. That’s it. Both sides see us as the real enemy, and will be more than happy to kill us just for the diversion.
We need to let them sort themselves out. We need to stay out of, and away from, Syria.
I just wonder how much more stock in Defense Contracors has John F**king Kerry purchased before hopping on this bandwagon, ditto with Nanny Lugosi and John Bawler (*OOPS*, Boehner)?
So do I pack my gear, not pack my gear…what’s going on? BOG? No BOG? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.
Michael Walsh, via Mark Levin, called Speaker Boehner and Cantor’s support “Fusion Government” in which there’s only very small differences between the parties in terms of rhetoric, and none in terms of actions/deeds.
2014, and by extension 2016 are at the bottom of all of this. By supporting Obama’s cynical drive for war, the GOP maintains its national defense cred, and puts the Prognazis in the position of goose-step support of Obama, or in opposition to Obama in order to appease their local constituencies.
There is also the leverage on Obamacare – not to defund it, but to delay it to 2017, and failing that, to get rid of the thousands of waivers accorded Obama’s crypto-marxist base.
The only problems with that calculus is the press, notably trumpeting Obama as the first and only POTUS to ever consult Congress on matters of war; and, Reid and Biden are master of parliamentary procedure in the Senate and have Obama’s back, in exchange for favors. Speaker Boehner is a loser, but he’s Speaker of the House.
Sooo, Obama finally got a Boehner? He must be proud.
And Hondo; Gen’l Custer got Siouxed.
Hillary likes bombing Syria, too. Guess she thought the bandwagon might leave before she jumped back onto it.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/03/20312394-hillary-clinton-supports-president-on-syria?lite>1=43001
Beneath contempt, now.
I think the only way we can do this is to totally destroy Syria’s physical infrastructure. Bomb all of his power plants, all energy production facilities, Dams, bridges, airports and seaports. Blast the roads and highways. Destroy water systems and irrigation facilities. Flatten every government building it the country. Turn the country into an uninhabitable rubble pile. Issue arrest warrants for every member of the Assad government and arrest them as soon as they set foot outside of Syria. They will have to flee by ground because there will be no flights in or out for two generations. If we are not prepared to do this then we need to mind our own business. Noting less will get rid of the murdering Assad family.
GOD help America!!!…
Here’s the Senate resolution, passed today, limiting the time and the action in Syria:
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/03/20306844-senators-draft-resolution-to-limit-syria-action-to-90-days-no-boots-on-the-ground?lite>1=43001
I don’t think it will give bodaprez what he wants: the opportunity to completely destroy his own presidency a la Lyndon Johnson’s decision to ramp up the military’s mission in Vietnam.
I guess history does repeat itself, especially with people who have no common sense.