Posted on 04/09/2017 7:38:52 PM PDT by LS
By way of disclaimer, I have known Steve Bannon for years and we regularly communicate in rather short bursts. So my info on the "inside Team Trump" is pretty one-sided. I don't know Jared Kushner, know OF McMaster and recommended him to Team Trump (as did Victor Davis Hanson). So I know what I know, but it's a pretty limited range of insight.
1. The Syria strikes. I knew going in this would be a firestorm for Trump among his voters, especially the Ron Paul/non-interventionist backers (many of whom you see on Twitter).
I agree with many of you that the evidence was not clear that it was Assad---indeed, it could well have been ISIS. I also agree this does not help in our fight against ISIS. I further agree that regime change is dangerous on a number of levels.
That said, the strike was a multifaceted message, and unfortunately one that absolutely had to be sent, somewhere, somehow.
Recall as many of you have posted, in the past two years, the Russkies have been getting extremely provocative, doing flybys of American ships, sailing into our waters, and so on. Forget who is "responsible" for Ukraine, the fact is Ukraine unloaded its nukes cuz we promised them we would protect them via NATO. Now that promise is vanishing. Our word certainly is not good from the Ukrainian perspective.
I start Syria with Russia because at some point, somewhere, Putin had to get a message that while we want peace and want to work with him, he cannot possibly be allowed to threaten (as he already has) American ships at sea and sail in our waters. This is flat out aggression.
It can be stopped, and nipped in the bud, but how? Consider Syria a "brush back pitch" to the Russian batter. (In baseball, when the hitter takes advantage of the plate and gets too far into the pitcher's zone, the pitcher throws one high and tight to brush him back and say, "No, you have to play by the rules.")
I do believe Putin not only got this message, but was expecting it. He wanted to see if Trump was Obama The bad news is that it had to go on this long, but like any aggressor, the longer you wait, the bloodier it becomes to stop him. I think Putin got the message. Yes, he's making a lot of threats. But he now knows Trump will act when provoked and act DECISIVELY. Whether you agree with the strike or not, you can't accuse Trump of "indecision."
Further, I think the brush-back pitch worked on Iran and the NORKs. Coming as it did when Xi was at dinner (indeed, I hear he was the first one to receive the news of the attack!), it was the equivalent of Trump pulling out a Colt .45 and laying it on the table and saying, "ok, Xi, let's chat." The fact that Xi apparently gave his blessing to American responses to the NORKs--in their own back yard---suggests the meeting was a 100% success. The brush back pitch was felt in China, too.
Many here do not agree with Trump's action. Many think he was being "played." I have heard (haven't verified it) that the "vote" to fire the missiles was unanimous among the NatSec team, including Bannon. He of course would never confirm or deny, nor would I ask. But what we have from "fake" news is one story that it was Kush v Bannon, another that it was Kush/Bannon v Mattis, and a third that it was everyone agreeing.
For the reasons I've outlined above NOT particularly relating to Syria, I believe the latter. Further, this was an opportunity to throw the brush-back pitch without civilian casualties and without a bunch of dead bodies being hauled out of a mosque. In other words, if Team Trump was looking for the "perfect" place to send a message, gas or no gas, this was it.
2. "Chaos/Turmoil inside Team Trump" Lately the Twitter people have been going nuts against Kushner thinking he is engaging in a war on Bannon. First, if you look at the picture of the "bunker" with everyone during the strike, the two people closest to Trump are Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon, right behind him. Kush is one person removed. Small things. Second, Bannon himself told me three nights ago, "I ain't goin' anywhere." I'm pretty sure that means DT said so, too. We keep missing this and missing this, but REGULARLY Team Trump throws out a piece of media "cheese" into the maze and the media rats chase it while Team Trump governs. I don't know if the Kush/Bannon "clash" is real or just cheese, but it would not surprise me if the two guys don't go get a beer every night and laugh.
Trump's management style is much like Lincoln's: get a bunch of top, smart people who have different ideas, let them fight, come to a decision that may favor one, the other, or even neither. Don't forget businessmen do not hesitate to drop non-producers. Trump fired Lewandowski, Manafort, and his OWN BROTHER (as did Thomas Watson, Jr. at IBM!) If anyone thinks he won't dump Kush for good reason, think again. Ditto Bannon.
3. McMaster. I vouched for McMaster as did Victor Davis Hanson. McMaster is one of the few people in the Pentagon with actual hands-on success at forming alliances with Muslims against other Muslims. He was a rebel throughout the Iraq war, which kept him from being promoted. He's exactly the type of outside-the-box thinker you want. I'm NOT concerned about his early comments on "radicals" being a minority. Folks, you will not find any commanders in the field, anywhere, saying all Muslims are terrorists. Won't happen, cuz they need locals as interpreters and most of the time as allies. Maybe personally they have different thoughts, but they cannot express those in a combat zone. I think McM's comments were typical of that battlefield thinking.
Bannon's removal from the NSC planning group was predicted in Trump's own plans early on. Bannon was there to de-politicize it, and he has, and he still has top clearance, as you've all seen. I could be wrong, but of all the things to worry about, McM ain't one of them.
Finally, we are in a VERY dangerous position due to Obama. If anyone thinks we could just retreat to our borders, it's way too late for that. The NORK nut could wipe out the entire west coast with a single EMP bomb over the north Pacific. Many here would say "yay," but of course that's crazy. The entire US would be set back massively, Japan would be wiped out and we'd have to retaliate big time. (I do think it's time we reconsider assassination as a policy). Zero let the Russkies run wild. We can nudge them back into their stall, but to act like they aren't out would be a mistake. And we still have to deal with Iran.
None of this is easy, and no one will agree with any one policy. Trump was handed an absolute bag of excrement in foreign policy. I think he is trying to avoid not just one, but three wars, and we all better hope the "brush back pitch" was heeded.
Thanks for that LS...
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I think King Abdullah would know best who could get Syria looking more like Jordan, who’s taken in 1 million refugees. I really appreciate that guy and his wife.
The Turkish are now fair game because Erdogan has become exactly what many of us here warned he would way back when, and is no longer an ally. Now Turkey is seen as crazy islamist nation with a genocidal past.
The Syrians don't seem to want to fight for thier freedom perhaps the capital of free Krudistan should be Damascus
Czar Ivanka cares for the gassed children in Syria.
Not so much for aborted American babies.
If there is indeed a “moderate” Muslim, it’s him.
Good, sane analysis, LS. I seek out your comments, and would appreciate being added to your ping list, please.
Thanks for your insight.
Cheers,
Jim
Excellent. Thanks, LS.
Did you know he’s a fighter pilot since he’s 17?
You can almost deduce the plan just by seeing who DJT’s been having over recently: Sisi, Abdullah, Bibi a few weeks back, other good guys. Someone mentioned SKB is stuck to CINC the last 48hrs, that gives me great faith and relief.
I keep hearing this, but I haven't seen any proof of this other than a Tweet she put out expressing personal sorrow at the reports of the gassing. That doesn't equate to her talking the President into taking the action he did. I think people are too ready to pin blame on her without evidence because they don't like her liberal views on other subjects.
Could you add me to your ping list, please?
What you say in this post makes very good sense. It’s pretty much what I’ve been thinking, although without any insider knowledge.
LS, thanks. On target again.
Rhino, while I see your point, I think you need to remember that America is now fighting for our life.
The “brush-back” pitch is an outstanding analogy.
My chosen analogy is still the jab. This is a punch that is not meant to be devastating, but to probe, to create a reaction, to create an opening for the real power.
I am suggesting to all of those who have VERY LEGITIMATE MISGIVINGS about this attack, that we must keep our EYES ON THE BIG PICTURE—saving America from the hole that has been dug for us by the neocons and the Left.
I do not see Trump going neocon on us, but neither can he await the “perfect” single punch solution, complete with Congressional Declaration of War etc. As part of “negotiation” he must be a credible Commander in Chief.
Trump, “I will destroy ISIS”.
Free_life to McGruff, “ISIS is in Syria!”
Wake up...grow a pair...or join DU...they don’t support President Trump either.
Plenty of evidence re: Ivanka in general—from her pet causes, to reports of her meeting with Congress re: taxes, etc., to her own assertions of influence offered in her interview last week with Gayle King. Lots of Freepers here accused of personal animus toward Trump’s family, when actual and documented policy involvement and pull toward the left is the issue.
Re: Syria:
Plenty good circumstantial case. Third party reports, she explained last eeek that she influenced her father on stuff she was concerned about, two tweets from her on it, an expression of “pride” in his actions. Expecting more evidence and casting aspersions on Freepers about this is really silly.
Consider Syria a “brush back pitch”...
I suspected that it was a warning to Russia and North Korea due to the timing (meeting w/ China).
Some of us are still getting over W’s no nation building flip.
Oh yes, and they are still at it.... which is, that the “war in heaven” so to speak in the “deep state” is continuing daily battle, and yes, until we see differently— trump is being maneuvered (by is overweening ego side is an opinion)right back into the standard Establishment b.s. power bloc. Unless... he isn’t. It is a great concern, because we will NEVER get our nation back if this is true— all battles will be met by the administrative state of lifetime neo-socialist bureaucrats (like the French govt... forever after a continual nutso “regime ancien”. Worries shared by many. This posting by LS only marginally posits an easing of the mind— particularly because it is based on a friendship with Bannon (friend of a friend... said friend is not in control of holding their position vs. family members).
Thanks, LS, for the usual link to sanity instead of the fake news posted gleefully and daily on Free Republic by the Judas/et tu Brutus members and then follwed their mad dog cheering section with their concerned agreements to the fake news.
This will continue as long as Trump is our president.
When we see these fake news postings and the rabid agreement by the Judas/et tu Brutus members, we need to ask this basic old Latin question:
Cui Bono? Who benefits by trashing our President with fake news and faked concern about the fake news?
Following the money and the power if Trump is kept from what he is doing?
It was the easiest/lowest cost when you sit back and consider that we already had military in place AND Syria’s capability to fight back themselves due to 5 years of war.
All other players are not in the weakened position that Syria is.
My two cents.
Am not eased by the “curse” of Confucius. Would like for a Calvin Coolidge— silent but deadly earnest conservativism (for his day, anyway)... and getting back to the words on our first coins.... “Mind Your Business”.
Not healthy for citizenry to remain either in paranoia/fear or in fat-a@@ complacency at the mickey Ds (like some 90% do, glued to their x-boxes, handheld— mindless robots)
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