This and the episode with the NIE point out the need to clear some dead wood from our intelligence community. As a former member, I am appalled with the short sightedness of the report, particularly within the context of current KNOWN Iranian activities. But what boils me over are the POLICY recommendations. That is not the intelligence communities role, because once they do that, then they cease to look at intelligence data objectively and begin to filter it to fit their desired policy outcome. Policy is the purview if the President, not some intelligence wonk who lives his/her life in a high security building without windows. Grrrrr
Amen! The absence of manger scenes, all references to the word "Christmas" while merchandising "Wish" and other such meaningless drivel have made our Christmas what it should be, less commercial and less expensive. If things were as they should be, they'd Wish people were shopping in their stores. Lots of Santa Claus buyables for the gullibles, while we patronize small religious stores for the "reason for the season" items we can find nowhere else.
TOTAL DITTO to your post and tag.