Congress set for showdown with Trump over Kurds

The Hill ^ | 10/09/19 06:11 PM EDT | JORDAIN CARNEY AND REBECCA KHEEL

[nathanbedford]

a never-ending string of failures... Korean War, Vietnam War, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and now Syria... Each of these involved some kind of treaty or coalition... too many opportunities for graft and corruption... sacrificing our best and brightest... and, unfortunately, for better or worse, blaming the President.

A good description of our postwar martial misadventures.

You are quite right, "I didn’t make the mess, you didn’t make the mess." I would add that President Trump certainly did not make the mess. As a matter of fact he campaigned and won reelection running against this mess. I wish he had your pen at his disposal and he would clearly outline to the country where we are, what we are doing, and why.

Churchill said it best in 1940 when he outlined British war aim:

“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”

He asked and answered the same question concerning his policy:

It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.

Donald Trump inherited a dysfunctional nation, at least a nation politically dysfunctional. Our Congress is broken as you describe and our courts are running rogue. Trump recognizes the symptoms and his instincts concerning getting us out of these quagmire wars is fundamental to our national survival just as defending us against China is fundamental to our economic future and, ultimately, to our survival as the land of the free and the home of the brave.

As many on this thread have observed, Trump ran explicitly on these truths. But our electorate has a very short memory and our media can vaporize the truth in seconds.

It is the duty of the American president to fulfill many roles besides those explicitly outlined in the Constitution. Not only is he commander-in-chief, he is the nation's chief (unitary) executive, the nation's chief diplomat, but none of these things work if he does not fulfill a role not articulated in the Constitution: leader of his party-and leader of the nation. .

The president must first carry the party to carry the country or his policies are lost in a morass and sink into the swamp. Trump has succeeded overall in carrying his party, although his party members in Congress lesser so. But the polls do not show that he is actually carried the country. Recently, even a Fox poll shows 57% of the respondents wanted him impeached and 51% wanted him removed from office.

Can you actually say that Trump has so clearly and cogently articulated his policy in this instance concerning withdrawal from Syria in a way that carries both party and country? Can you say that he makes it is clear as Churchill did in 1940? Can you tell me what our policy is in individual applications? What is going on in Afghanistan, are we staying or going? What is going on in Syria, there is some question about actually staying, or threatening turkey, or waging air war by against turkey if necessary, or maybe only waging economic war? Can you honestly say you know what the policy is?

I am criticizing Trump for doing what no president should be asked to to do, to articulate a clear policy that has universal application while the country is in the thickets, or as you said, in a mess. Yet that is his job.

Congress is hopeless, we all agree about that. But that does not mean that the president does not have the responsibility to lead it, to make something of it as other Presidents have done in the clutch.

When he does just that all will fall into place, your injunction will be effortlessly obeyed:

When you’re in command... COMMAND! If you’re a subordinate, you FOLLOW ORDERS!

Thank you for the kind words.

[a little elbow grease]

"As for me, Keane's connection to Kimberly Kagan, and the Kagan family, is the only indicator I need to reject him and his drum beat for war outright."

________________

Dr. Kagan was also credited as the executive producer for the blockbuster film The Surge: the Untold Story with CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus, ISW Chairman, U.S Army General Jack Keane (ret.) and LTG James Dubik (ret.) describing the surge strategy in Iraq and how some high-ranking officers from the United States Army would like to present themselves as having pacified the country and thus won the war."

"Along with General Keane, Dr. Kagan is an Advisory Board Member of Spirit of America, a 501(c) organization that supports the safety and success of Americans serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help."

***

(Belated Barf Alert)

[a little elbow grease]

"Project for a New American Century"

_______________

... Billy is so offended.

:-)

[pfony1]

A “whistle-blower” told me that Mitt Romney and Chris Murphy think the only FAIR thing would be to send thousands of US troops to support the Kurds — our allies in the ISIS war — and to send thousands of US troops to support Turkey — our ally in the NATO treaty.

Of course, having Americans fighting Americans would increase the number of American casualties...

But, for them, that would be an unfortunate, but FAIR result.

Nonsense! Trump’s solution is a better one. Deploy NO American troops!

[Wuli]

Name calling really makes an argument doesn’t it. /sarc

[Jim Noble]

Here’s a simple solution for the Congress which is within their proper role:

JOINT RESOLUTION
Declaring that a state of war exists between the Republic of Turkey and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.

Whereas the Republic of Turkey is mean to Kurds, gives some Americans bad feels, and Erdogan is a poopy-head:

Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Republic of Turkey which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Republic of Turkey; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

[AAABEST]

I didn't call you any names! Go re-read my post.

I do call people names all the time (it's a vice), but I did NOT in your case.

[Wuli]

I didn’t say you called me names.

[1Old Pro]

Collins, Romney and Graham, same 3.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

I’m sure that President Trump will be deeply saddened. That is, if you even supported him in the first place.

I assume that you will be campaigning for Fauxcahontas?

I’m sorry that you won’t get your precious war.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

This “Oklahoma” creature is nothing but an ignorant, uneducated troll.

During the Presidential Election, he was a virulent, obnoxious NeverTrumper who did nothing but hurl childish insults at freepers who were much more knowledgeable than him. He constantly attempted to “talk down” to other users, despite the fact that the targets of his disdain were far superior to him.

After Trump’s victory he, thankfully, slithered back to DU. He only posts on FR if he believes that President Trump is in trouble. Once again, he will be disappointed.

Just ignore or report him. I just point and laugh at him.

[tet68]

I really have to wonder if President Trump thought to
himself, how can I get more troops into Syria to protect
the Kurds? I know, I’ll pull the troops OUT of Syria
and the rats will go nuts and demand I put more troops in... Win=Win.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

“US membership in NATO has outlived its usefulness.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

[Chaguito]

Ironic it is that Congress was not consulted before the previous occupant of the WH sent troops into Syria. Now they have PIAW over an action to re-stabilize the mess it caused.

[Oklahoma]

Report me for what? Doing the same thing you did in the post I’m responding to?

It’s easy to talk down to halfwits, fools and naves.

Never been a big fan of the Trumpian “genius” but I prefer Trump to ANY democrat that has run or will run in the next ten years.

Why don’t you go back and read every post I’ve made on these forums the past twenty years and then tell me I come from DU.

[Jane Long]

Those rats always come creeping out at (what they think are) oppurtune times.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

Yes, they certainly do.