Interesting times

Vanity | 6/20/2014 | Cuban Leaf

[cuban leaf]

Listening to NPR's coverage of ISIS this morning caused me to do two things. First, it gave me the epiphany necessary to connect the dots that have been swimming in my head for so long.

There are many more related facets to our current times that makes them so "interesting", but you can't cover it all at once. One bite at a time.

Oh, and second, gave me the courage to end the charade. And may the chips fall where they may...

[laplata]

Good analysis.

[VerySadAmerican]

It’s certainly interesting that ISIS is so public.

And look at who’s in charge of the CIA. A muslim who answers to a muslim.

[greene66]

Isis? Putin? China? Islam?

Not really sure which will be around to feast over the bones. I don’t know how much of a direct threat I now consider any of them, at this point. It looks more likely America will be dying by its own hand. From its own moral, economic, and cultural bankrupcy.

[cuban leaf]

I’m not being USA centric at all in this analysis. I see Obama as just one of many players on the world stage. They all bring their own abilities, demons and motivators to the table.

Yeah, this will be bad for the US, but I think it will be bad for a lot of people. WWII was bad for the US, but there was still france, belgium, china, etc., if you get my drift.

[grobdriver]

Good analysis.

Ditto that.

[VRW Conspirator]

All the big economies of the world are a house of cards. A world wide crash is inevitable. With such a crash are the inevitable power vacuums that will be filled by strongman despots. Good analysis.

[thejokker]

From a military point of view the invasion of Iraq was a viable strategy. By displacing the largest Army in the region we were well positioned to allow real democratic reform to occur in the region at a minimal cost. Not only could we have suppressed the rise of ISIS but we could have acted in Syria and Libya.

Much in the same way we nurtured democratic reforms in Germany and Japan the same could have occurred in Iraq and by consequence in other countries in the Middle-East.

Some may argue that doing nothing would have been better however doing nothing and allowing the rise of Islamic militants in the 90’s resulted in 9/11...

[dynachrome]

Very good. The strong man (or woman.) is out there. We will probably be surprised.

[cuban leaf]

Much in the same way we nurtured democratic reforms in Germany and Japan the same could have occurred in Iraq and by consequence in other countries in the Middle-East.

---

Yep. And notice both of those countries still have a US military presence. This is what should have happened in Iraq and what I argued for.

[Old Yeller]

The Anti-Christ is alive.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Germany and Japan were both cohesive societies Iran Irac Syria are not They are artificial constructs of the Sykes-Picot agreement of WWI
What is happening is the reversion of these states to their religious and tribal origins which we should encourage. There will never a “Caliphate” as the different factions will never agree

[MarMema]

bookmarking to read later

[2ndDivisionVet]

bflr

[cuban leaf]

The Anti-Christ is alive.

---

For the first time in my life, I really believe this to be true. Though, technically, we mean “the beast”.

[cuban leaf]

Germany and Japan were both cohesive societies Iran Irac Syria are not They are artificial constructs of the Sykes-Picot agreement of WWI
What is happening is the reversion of these states to their religious and tribal origins which we should encourage. There will never a “Caliphate” as the different factions will never agree

---

I partly agree. Unfortunately where I disagree is in the fact that when you say “religious” you are talking different factions of ISlam. They don’t play well together, and the region in which they live is no longer an international irrelevance. It’s why I thought we needed a permanent base in Iraq to keep them peaceful by the only means they have been taught to understand: Force, or the threat of force.

[Jimmy Valentine]

My position would be to keep Sunni and Shia odds and encourage Kurds to continue building their society and influence

[cuban leaf]

Sounds logical.

But Iraq is really only the small piece of the picture.

I once had a Chrysler Lebaron that I really liked (for what it was, anyway). But at around 140,000 miles it needed a new top, new CV joints, new front suspension and the tranny was getting a bit, well, old.

I traded it in.

Replacing the $800 top was just a piece of the total story that totalled a lot more than the car was worth. Iraq is the “convertible top” in our current crisis because, truth be told, it is a perfect storm of crises.

On a side note, I just got back from watching Fox News in the cafeteria here. The unlimited - and serious - scandals taht are all getting legs at about the same time reminded me of NPR’s lament in early January about 2013: “2013 has been Obama’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year”. And I remember thinking at the time, “You think that was bad? Wait’ll next year!”

I honestly do not think we will survive the Obama presidency. It is prudent to prepare for that future.

[cuban leaf]

So, I was watching Fox news in the cafeteria today and they were talking about Iraq, and the news bimbo called the ISIS action a Blitzkrieg...

[Jimmy Valentine]

I can certainly share your dismay. However, I think we as a nation can survive a knave and poltroon like our current esteemed President. Jefferson’s adage about watering the tree of liberty may, however be part of all that.