48 Comments

1. Gaffe Prices:

So 0 sits in judgement against the oppressed citizens of another country: There will be NO expressions of protest against the action of a totalitarian dictatorship, and the despots are not to suffer any consequences from the community of free nations.

Great, 0. How bold and courageous, like your domestic policies. <sarcasm off/

Wankers

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:44 am 2. Gaffe Prices:

Gee Obama, you wouldn’t want to be a champion of individual human rights, and the rooluh law or anything, why that would be meddling! And give off the appearance of such. und das ist verboten yah?

Yah voll, you sos.

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:55 am 3. E. Nigma:

Possibly even more fun than watching the contortions of the alleged leader of the “free world” rationalize away the thuggish behavior of the Islamic Republic will be the justifications in the “free press” for his actions. Gee, I wonder what they will say at the Huffington Post after they stop making fun of Sarah Palin and her children?

What a repulsive way to start off the Fourth of July, 2009, in America.

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:25 am 4. ADE:

There is another possibility. Vid.

The Taleban had an agreement with Pakistan – thus far (the Talebanisation of the Swat Valley) shalt thou go, but no further. ‘Course the Talies went further.

But it was a trap. The Talies showed their true colours, in all their ghastly glory.

It was just as the Pakis knew the Tallies would. Just as the world knew they would do – EU, UK, US, uncle Tom Cobley and all.

Now the Talies are being hammered. Not a peep from MSM. A bit of collateral damage occurs while undertaking a drone bombing against a few ‘Militant Leaders in the Swat Valley’ – MSM, not a peep. See, they had it coming to them. Even the MSM knows that. The public perception has changed, and where it changes, the MSM must follow.

Shades of Sri Lanka against the Tamil Tigers. Yes, the currency of death is being debased, and now even the Left knows we have been correct for years. Obama knows this – you’re a mug if you think his thinking is back in the last five years.

So here’s the new trap. The Ober Islamic makes nice, on the US taxpayers dime.

He’s repudiated, as we write.

Utter outrage by the Liberals occurs. Trap sprung. Tamil Tigers, Swat Valley Tallies – you ain’t seen nothing like the way the Libs will turn on their Messiah. Now a united America is against you.

BC’ers – stop being linear. Let it run.

ADE

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:25 am 5. Dave the Kapampangan:

Nanny Obananarama: “Full speed ahead to the grand bargain, and damn the evidence that it’s not a good idea!”

“Always obey the double standard. To the the unlawful apartheid constituents, er states, give appeasement, entitlements and pampering. To the lawful, hardworking middle class, the Israeli and Honduran types, give only harsh criticism and debilitating suggestions.”

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:29 am 6. Morton Doodslag:

Happy 4th of July! to all the American Belmonters out there.

As for the vile imposter Egg occupying the White House:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses
And all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!

Obama’s perfidy viz. Iran lays bare Europe’s long standing perfidy in our erstwhile alliance. It will be curious to see if that alliance (such as it was) can ever be resurrected in the coming agonies which Islam promises to deliver. Our coy European mistress has lost her stolid suitor (careful what you wish for!) Europe for so long manipulated us into footing her bills and shouldering her burdens, while she bitterly complained and cheated like a trollop.

For sixty long years this fake alliance plodded along and we kept delivering our coy mistress her undeserved bouquets and looked the other way while she made whatever deals she could with whatever villain she could. How sordid and unworthy we all now look.

I think there might be some queasy stomachs in Europe as Obama begins to act exactly like they have for so long with his treacherous side deals and prissy pretenses. We have become too much like the effeminate Europeans. Our courtship with them may be at an end, and may not be revived.

Under Obama, the thoroughly feminised West will now try to play coy mistress to the vile Islamic rapist and the drunken Russian Lout. These beaus are neither so charming as America once was, nor do they worry over-much what their rape victims are thinking.

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:46 am 7. E. Nigma:

Gee Morton, that’s a charming metaphor.

I wonder if those clever people in Europe will think that Obama is being a cowboy about this?

But as this policy runs its course over the next year, more real Americans will revile it. And as the Persians do what Persians do best, which is double-deal in the bazaar, Obama the Vulcan will look more like Obama the Rube.

Unfortunately, a lot of innnocent people will probably get killed so that this country will learn a lesson we should have learned in 1979. The same lesson that lead to a million dead and Afghanistan wrecked, and a million dead in a pointless war between Iran and Iraq. Not that those things were “our fault”, but just the consequences of stupidity by the Leader of the Free World (in those days, Jimmy Carter).

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:11 am 8. Joe Hill:

Two things I will note.

1) Obama sems to have a visceral dislike of the UK, a phenomena not seen in the US since the pre-WWII isolationist Irish were a voting block. Maybe it is inherited from his Kenyan father.

2) It is one more indication that Obama is totally out of touch with American values. He is other, not Black not white not Christian not Muslim but seemingly some alien being plunked down on this third rock from the sun from an intellectual and emotional place unknown to the rest of us. We might love or hate the Rev Jeremiah Wright but we all recognize him as part of the stew that is American history and a quintessential element of We the People. He speaks in language we all understand as American and so is one of the family – that crazy uncle. Obama one the other hand is clearly motivated by things that are not part of the shared American experience who has somehow slipped his way into power without raising an alarm with our collective immune system.

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:43 am 9. Shivermetimbers:

Joe Hill

It is interesting how Obama slipped in and who he has been protected by during his adult life. At university, he hung out and identified himself with the extreme left. This, no doubt, helped him navigated through Ivy league schools where he is still protected. The public still has not seen his grades, nor did he write anything while he was with Harvard Law Review.

Then he became the community organizer, which helped him in Chicago politics.

We know he has ties to Soros. but, do you remember that one of the first king makers to jump ship on Hillary was David Geffin. Obama was plugged in with the right people. Who was it who showed him the ropes?

During the campaign it was the media who protected him and still does.

All of these folks who protected him and helped shape his identity are part of the American experience as well. They are just from the part that thinks America is an evil in the world.

I go to university at night. I see it there all of the time. This is the crap your kids get exposed to.

Tar and feather them.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:18 am 10. Dave the Kapampangan:

@7 and @8,

The Obananarama as “out of touch” Vulcan analogy is interesting. Here’s the Vulcan back story from Star Trek Voyager:

In the end, Star Trek Voyager with its politically correct liberal characters tanked and became the least popular Trek series. Captain Michelle and President Tuvok, er Captain Janeway and Officer Tuvok, befriend terrorists known as the Maquis and get the USS Voyager hopelessly lost on a journey from which it is estimated to take 75 years to get back to normal civilization.

Sound familiar?

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:22 am 11. charleston:

fitting the Obamas arespending the 4th of July in Russia

feh

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:42 am 12. Tony:

Not only do we hear that our elected government is rejecting sanctions on Iran, We are going beyond talking directly to Iran as Obama frees terrorist who killed American troops in Iraq.

As the Iranian government’s murderous repression of the Iranian people continues, critics right and left agitate over the deafening silence of an American president who, as a candidate, derided the Bush administration’s ambitious democracy promotion as too timid. They speculate as to why Barack Obama won’t speak out: Why won’t he condemn the mullahs? Is he daft enough to believe he can charm the regime into abandoning its nuclear ambitions? Does the self-described realist so prize stability that he thinks it’s worth abandoning the cause of freedom — and the best chance in 30 years of dislodging an implacable American enemy?
. . .
President Obama is now way beyond mere support of such engagement. Under his leadership, and even as the mullahs who have been at war with the United States for 30 years are engaged in a Tiananmen-style crackdown, Obama is neck-deep in terrorist-for-hostages negotiations with Iran-backed killers who have American blood on their hands.

To what end? Other than emboldening terrorists everywhere with the message that the way to gain American concessions is to kidnap Americans and American allies, all we have achieved by freeing a murderer of American soldiers is the retrieval of two British murder victims when we’d been led to believe that all five hostages still were alive. And still there is the implied threat that, if Qais Qazali and Ali Mussa Daqduq are not released soon, the other three British hostages — assuming they are still alive — will be murdered.

Happy Independence Day! There’s a reason we have elections every four years!

See you at the Tea Party!!

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:03 am 13. Marie Claude:

a video showing Sarko appealing for sanctions on Iran

http://www.france24.com/en/

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:50 am 14. Peter Boston:

There’s a reason we have elections every four years!

Well, we’d like to think so. There is so much happening that is beyond understanding or explanation that perhaps we should not take anything for granted.

I am only just beginning to comprehend the depth and darkness of the hole that postmodernism has left in the soul of humanity. There is no Grand Narrative, no philosophy, no science but that serves a political end. With no God, no Heroes, no Reason, no Logic there is no boundary that cannot be crossed.

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:50 am 15. Hellfish:

If obama were a secret muslim and an enemy of the US what would he do differently than he is doing now?

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:50 am 16. Ray:

No sanctions for Iran…

But what about Honduras? Hope and Change!!!

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:55 am 17. Gordon:

Clubbers: just learned that Stephen Pressfield has a blog–blog.stevenpressfield.com/

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:13 am 18. whiskey:

Nothing Hellfish. And Obama IS a Muslim. He does not even bother to really hide it. National Enquirer, the paper that broke the Edwards cheating scandal, had a big splash about Obama’s secret meetings with Muslim leaders at the White House.

Obama is a Muslim. He hates America. He hates Americans. He hates Israel. He wants Israel nuked off the map, and America’s cities nuked, so he can force a surrender and make himself Marshal Petain of a Vichy America. That’s been his dream, his mentor Wright’s, his other mentor Farrakhan’s, his pal Ayers, since the beginning. He can’t wait. Neither can his backers.

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:45 am 19. Walt:

The president of the United States now says it is cool to kill peaceful protesters. The country is not the same America seen by the poet Katherine Lee Bates in 1893. Her poem now reads

Oh beautiful for specious guys
Who clamber up for gain
With purple languaged travesties
With falsehoods bruited plain
America! America!
You’ve shed your history
And frowned on good and motherhood
From sea to shining sea

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:26 am 20. winslow:

As usual, whiskey is mostly right. Obama is not so much for Iran’s rulers as he i9s against the U.S. interest and especially its nationalistic constitution. His teleprompter is written by handlers whose goal is to subject the U.S. to a one world government which they control. Overall prosperity and general freedom are not valued. Capitalism and all types of democracy are to be abolished.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:26 am 21. DinIOWA:

OBAMA THE MARXIST

Living within range of Chicago radio for the past 30 years the local MSM occasionally lets slip instructive bits of info. When BO first got into his US Senate race a former collegue at the U. of Chicago mentioned casually that he had had many conversations with BO and his orientation was basically Marxist. Nothing more was let slip by the local or national MSM — until around election time when the collegue surfaced again with the same “Obama is a Marxist” personal observation. Again, only once did I hear this. Of course those who had been paying attention by this time were well aware of his orientation.

For an excellent, brief run down of BO’s many Marxist trainers, mentors, and assorted helpers see Robert Chandler’s SHADOW WORLD, p345-354.

One merely needs to understand that the main goal of the progressive-socialist-marxist alliance is to overload US systems until they collapse so the US can be remade into their version of a socialist utopia.

So BO is definitely NOT out of touch. He and his people know EXACTLY what they are doing. All the while speaking with a moderate, consoling message – per Lenin.

How telling that the BO spends his first 4th of July as US President in Moscow. Also see SHADOW WORLD for an in depth assessment of the Russian’s ongoing role in bring the US down.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:54 am 22. Leo Linbeck III:

Walt,

Picking up on the theme:

Oh beautiful for old Wall Street
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of av’rice beat
Directed by Congress
America! America!
Dodd mend thine every flaw
With rates so low from Angelo
A liberal needs no law

O beautiful for moonbats proved
In libertine surfeit
Who more than country self they loved
And soldiers on they spit
America! America!
Abandon all who strive
To fight for those who think we’re right
That Western ways should thrive

Cheers,
L3

PS – while fun, this is a little too pessimistic for me, so I’ll post something more positive later. Happy Fourth of July!

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:17 am 23. PA Cat:

L3–I’ll post something more positive later.

I’m going to hold you to that promise.

Meanwhile, it may be O/T, but I’d like to thank any and all BCers who are vets. We still have the Fourth to celebrate because of your service.

And a happy Independence Day to all.

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:27 am 24. Xixi:

Happy Fourth of July!

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:43 am 25. DeadButMorallySuperior:

I really, really don’t like “Teh One” with a passion. But because I live in a liberal region I try really hard to see the leftist’s point of view.

So the argument I hear from the locals in defense of the Big 0’s opposition to sanctions is that they weren’t very effective against Saddam’s regime either.

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:51 am 26. buddy larsen:

deadbut/25; right. Don’t plant, then you won’t have to mess around with harvesting. Don’t have any thoughts, they may be wrong. In fact, don’t do anything. Just shut up and stand by. We’ll call you when we have the history ready.

We should have known what these people intended to do –their plan was laid out precisely in what they spent eight years accusing Bush of doing.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:14 pm 27. buddy larsen:

L3/22; so I’ll post something more positive later –suggest placing ship alongside the enemy:

My country, ’tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:33 pm 28. ella:

We will see if Obama will block sanction on Iran. Looking at your president stand on recent (and continuing) events in Iran I think it is quite possible.
It is also quite different behavior from the one Obama is presenting on Pakistan and Taliban.
Have you noticed that in that region Obama was rather war-like?
I wonder why is that?

@ DeadButMorallySuperior

Would you tell the locals who defend Big O that Ahmadinejad himself told recently (before elections) that Iranian problems with economy are due to the sanctions.
Now, one of the complains Iranians have is corruption among officials. The corruption is larger in the presence of sanctions (because they smuggle many things).
Therefore the more sanctions the larger corruption and the larger corruption the more protests.
That means sanctions are working
QED

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:51 pm 29. Eggplant:

Politics as usual.

Think “League of Nations” and Neville Chamberlain.

History does not repeat itself but it often rhymes.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:02 pm 30. Leo Linbeck III:

First, lemme start with the observation that the last few weeks here at the Belmont Club have been unusually thought-provoking and enlightening. I want to thank our esteemed host for his continued work, wisdom, and hospitality.

I’d like to weave together a few recent W posts as I’m in a bit of a contemplative mood right now (at least as long as my 2-year-old is napping, anyway).

In the “Once upon a time” post, we recalled the birth of our nation, and its certificate, the Declaration of Independence. The video of Franklin and Jefferson discussing the right modifier for “truths” was fascinating, mainly for the scale of the scene. Three men, discussing whether those truths were “sacred and undeniable” or “inalienable.” It was as if one were watching there butterflies that were peacefully sitting on the twig begin to flap their wings and take to flight, with the benefit of the hindsight that those small but forceful motions were to set off a chain of events that would lead to a series of massive hurricanes that would first free landowning Americans, then all the nation, and eventually the world. The question is: how did this happen?

In the “Does business as usual work?” post, we contemplated the state of the world, and whether we were still making progress, or were in the midst of a major disruptive backslide in which the forces of evil will reassert their writ. We saw Sri Lanka win because of a resolute commitment to winning at all costs, while the king of optionality, Nassim Taleb, describe his view that we haven’t even reached the end of the beginning, and there was much, much worse yet to come. The question is: what is going to happen?

In the “A posteriori” post, we saw the official spokesman of the Obama Administration hem and haw when asked whether the President was going to abandon one his most-stated campaign promises of preventing tax increases on those making less than $250,000 per year. So, less than 6 months into his administration, our President has signaled that his code is, well, more of a guideline. The question is: will this happen?

And in this post, we see America taking actions that WRT Iran that align us with Germany, Italy, Russia, and China – those famously constant protectors of individual rights – by siding with those who would not economically punish the mullahs for their brutal suppression of post-election protestors. The question is: why would we do this?

You need look no further that the Belmont Club, then, for clear and compelling evidence that the only equilibrium we can hope for in this world is a dynamic one.

Although it is probably not possible to measure it with certitude, the volatility of our world appears to be very high. “Truths” that used to be held sacred, undeniable, and inalienable are now up for debate. Life is now a choice that depends upon the utility, plans, and desires of others; liberty is now a privilege bestowed upon us by Les Harvarques, our betters who have now arrived in Washington via Cambridge; pursuit of happiness is now the entitlement to pleasure, coupled with the disparagement of achievement, which is therefore taxed to fund those entitlements.

The arc of human progress has had a number of key inflection points: the time we gave up a faith in many, lesser gods for Faith in the One, True God; the time that God became of us and set us on a new course, freshly reoriented toward the destiny He had for us in the beginning; the time when we realized that destiny required that each of us, as individuals and not as members of a tribe, to claim the authority for our lives from our lords and rulers, and with it the corresponding responsibility; the time when we took it upon ourselves to translate those individual rights into a democratic republic, so that we would rule ourselves by law rather be ruled by a king; the time when we decided that if self-rule was good enough for white male property owners, it was good enough for all human beings.

But if that progress is to continue, we must once again assert those fundamental Truths.

The good news is that there is evidence everywhere that the high volatility caused by the financial crisis and early moves of the Obama Administration is reawakening and enabling the Spirit of 1776. There are Tea Parties across the country, with increasing frequency and attendance; the MSM is in its death throes, captive to an unsustainable business model; the President’s ratings, though lagging the ratings of his policies, are beginning to fall back to earth; the Left is beginning to fray, barely able to pass keystone legislation on global warming and losing momentum fast on health care; the financial crisis is beginning to translate into politically lethal unemployment; and – most exciting of all – the entrepreneurial class is beginning to get organized.

This last evidence I can share from personal experience. I have seen, over the past three months, a deeper understanding among successful business leaders that they are the last line of defense. They are the only ones, in this situation, with the financial resources, organizational skills, and commitment to liberty necessary to stem the flow of power to government. You can be sure that big businesses will not join this cause; they are too visible, and too easily bought-off by the government. There is nothing a big business CEO would like more than to cut a deal with the government that provides economic hegemony in exchange for their political support (if you don’t believe this, go back and look at the development of the tobacco litigation and its establishment of a government-protected tobacco cartel).

But our nation has been blessed with legions of successful entrepreneurs, men and women who understand the free market and (for the most part) adhere to the guiding principles that make for a productive life, a profitable business, and a workable polity. These people – and I can assure you that everyone at the Belmont Club knows some of these people – are beginning to move.

I offer myself as such an example. For most of my adult life, I have been completely uninvolved in the political realm. I chose to fulfill other duties: family, business, teaching, community service. But no more. I have begun getting more involved, and my involvement will continue to increase until the tide turns. I do not have any desire to do this; I abhor the idea that I have to spend my time in the political world. It strikes me as a singularly nasty and brutish world, and one that I’m not necessarily suited for temperamentally. But it is clear that I have no choice anymore in the matter.

And I am by no means alone. In fact, it was in discussion with a good friend (entrepreneur, but more politically active than me) that it became clear why I needed to get more involved. He pointed out that I was working hard to create a successful family and business, and teach my MBA students about leadership; but, if at the end of my life, I had left my children ample resources and my employees and customers a sustainable business and my students good frameworks, but the political system I left behind was a mess, all of my hard work would be for naught.

This, for me, was the turning point. And there will be thousands more like me, as a new zeitgeist takes hold. I have since talked to dozens of other entrepreneurs, and the realization that we need to act is spreading, and the action is beginning. It’s too early to know how this will all evolve; it’s a mystery. But the times, they are a changing.

On this Fourth of July, I encourage all of you to continue your efforts, not least here at the Belmont Club. Remember, the Continental Congress began as a sort of debating society, with lots of talk and little action.

But words matter. They really do. Especially when their foundation are truths – sacred, undeniable, and inalienable.

Words create an impetus for action. They shape the battlefield. They provide succor for those who are in the arena. They remind us why we fight, and for what. And these are not small things.

God Bless all of you, and God Bless the United States of America.

L3

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:51 pm 31. buddy larsen:

No wonder L3 makes Jesse Allred & the School Rottin’ Conspiracy apoplectic.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:04 pm 32. programmer:

L3, Thank you!

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:04 pm 33. Tony:

History happens quickly sometimes.

Just a couple of days ago, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, our new commander in Afghanistan, pronounced the classic Green Beret credo, where our troops live close, protect and defend the locals. Such strategy eschews air strikes, specifically because of the ill will Hellfires and Mk-82’s engender among the peeps, so the plan was to lay off those.

Yesterday, the very next day, the Plan met the Enemy.. Bombs away, there’s a war on here.

Wait, it’s not called war anymore, what is it we’re doing in Afghanistan again? Avenging 9/11?

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:12 pm 34. Marie Claude:

“Britain won a strong statement under the Czech EU presidency.”

that’s nnot what are saying the UE instances but rather:

Après les fiasco de six mois tchèques (After the six months of fiasco of the Czech)

http://www.eurosduvillage.eu/Les-enjeux-de-la-presidence,3030

“so he can force a surrender and make himself Marshal Petain of a Vichy America.”

one more of your subtile parallel, it shows mostly that you’re an ignorant and that you’re not a patriotic American

Even if your country is in difficulties, and the image of the politicians aren’t what you would like to recognize, it is still your country, you have to keep in mind that the whole is its component.

In lieu of whining, ask yourself what you can initiate in your own aera, and discrediting anything that your not chosen candidate do, or not do, doesn’t help the world to respect you

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:15 pm 35. buddy larsen:

MC that would be excellent advice except for the legislation working its way through the Congress.

Tony, that fight was way to the east of the new offensive –on the paki border, the other side of the mountains along the big vally of helman province where the new thing is happening.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:22 pm 36. Vanguard of the Commentariat:

Long time lurker, first time commenter. I share LL3’s observation about the recent unusually thought provoking posts. The beauty of our system is that it is essentially self correcting. I believe the Obama aberration will self correct and I hope that the tree of liberty does not require the blood of too many patriots in the bargain. Although I knew McCain was not going to win, I was heartened by the fact that McCain-Palin rallies featured chants of “USA, USA!” while Obama rallies featured “Obama, Obama!” That told me all I needed to know. I sincerely appreciate you BC’ers for your intellectual stimulation and I appreciate Wretchard for posing some truly relevant issues. Happy 4th to all of you and God bless the USA.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:30 pm 37. Tony:

@36 USA! USA! USA! That’s a hockey chant, isn’t it?

Buddy, my humble point was that we were not going to use bombers in Afghanistan on D+1, but we (the large we) in fact used bombers on D+2, to salubrious effect by all accounts.

Or Buddy, are you saying that in another part of Afghanistan we really can wage a different kind of friendly war that doesn’t have bombers, airborne arty, all that stuff that makes everyone mad at us?

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:54 pm 38. buddy larsen:

I dunno, Tony –the whole Helman offensive just scares the crap outta me –i don’t trust the CiC at all –and that valley is home –home –to a few hundred thousand villagers who are pretty much ALL part or full-time Talibans with guns and money and thousand year old supply routes. maybe i live too near the Alamo.

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:07 pm 39. Tony:

Buddy, in Afghanistan, not only do they not need no steenkin’ bodges, they have never had any such bodges or cops or laws. At least since Genghis Khan obliterated whatever existed there priot to 1126.

For the last thousand years, civilization has not taken root, all efforts have been like sand castles at low tide.

I totally don’t get the idea of sending in the Marines to be friendly. Don’t we have other services for that specialty?

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:32 pm 40. buddy larsen:

I guess the thinking is, Marines can do hearts and minds AND force protection all at the same time?

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:43 pm 41. buddy larsen:

Contact over time with the best Americans there are –the soldiers. If THAT don’t do it, say say sayonara. jury’s still out of course but what may have worked in Iraq is a logical thing to try in pashtun-land –is i guess the thinking.

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:52 pm 42. Promethea:

#30 L3 . . .

Your post was wonderful. You give me hope! Your butterfly image brought tears to my eyes.

Thank you.

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:17 pm 43. blert:

Helmand operations smack of an anti-opium focus.

If that is tried failure is certain.

The Taliban are not native troops. This is not an insurgency. We are looking at a foreign sponsored invasion that merely wears the trappings of an insurgency.

The accents and clothes of the Taliban make them really stand out.

Their policies are so anti-business that the cash economy implodes the minute they show up.

The opium crop has exploded up from levels seen under the Taliban: they suppressed cultivation.

Now their policy has been reversed. Opium plainly supports their campaign.

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:35 pm 44. Leo Linbeck III:

Tony,

Re: I totally don’t get the idea of sending in the Marines to be friendly. Don’t we have other services for that specialty?

I recently watched Stephen Pressfield’s 5-part series on Tribalism and Afghanistan. (h/t Gordon @17 – thanks!) While I wouldn’t necessarily agree with everything he says, it is a very useful viewpoint from an interesting writer.

One point he made was that the Pashtun tribal leaders we’re dealing with are warriors, and respect strength: the strong horse, if you will. By sending a Marine or Special Ops guy in to make the deals, we get better results because the tribal leaders respect them automatically, since they all know we could vaporize them if we chose to. Negotiations, therefore, proceed from a position of strength.

I don’t know enough about Pashtun leaders to have an opinion (the only Pashtun I know was one of my students, who was Oxford educated, soft-spoken, very smart, and very thoughtful – a delightful chap). But I though I’d pass this along; and I’d highly recommend the videos – they’re thoughtful and engaging.

Cheers,
L3

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:01 pm 45. Batman:

I strongly agree with L3. Politics will not be favorable to us for at least another 7 years. Oh yes, we can nibble at the congressional majorities. But Obama will manage to get reelected. We can’t count on Iran to hand us another hostage crisis and AQ is too clever to attack before November 2012. And it is probable that the inflation-deflation deadlock will not be broken before that election either.

But we still have the world of ideas and the general culture to work within. BC is a great gift as a cauldron for the incubation of and the refinement of ideas. But as W said a few posts ago, if it is not taken beyond BC and eventually turned from words to actions, it will be of little avail.

Whether elections go against us in the next few cycles (2010, 2012, even 2014) we must still work on ideas and culture. Have you noticed how many of the films scheduled for release over the next few months have to do with subjects like the soul, destiny, even God? So I will not despair if politics take a while to change. The culture is in peril but not yet lost completely.

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:13 pm 46. sgi:

I have been rereading a favorite book, “The True Believer” by Eric Hoffer. This time as I read it I was struck by the similarity between Barack Obama’s campaign and the ideas in this book.

Remember Obama’s campaign slogan?

“Those who would transform a nation or the world cannot do so by breeding and captaining discontent or by demonstrating the reasonableness and desirability of the intended changes or by coercing people into a new way of life. They must know how to kindle and fan an extravagant hope. It matters not whether it be hope of a heavenly kingdom, of heaven on earth, of plunder and untold riches, of fabulous achievement or world dominion. If the Communists win Europe and a large part of the world, it will not be because they know how to stir up discontent or how to infect people with hatred, but because they know how to preach hope.”

And then there’s this:

“When hopes and dreams are loose in the streets, it is well for the timid to lock doors, shutter windows and lie low until the wrath has passed. For there is often a monstrous incongruity between the hopes, however noble and tender, and the action which follows them. It is as if ivied maidens and garlanded youths were to herald the four horsemen of the apocalypse.”

Stopping Obama and his army of true believers will require courage, fortitude and intelligence.

Jul 5, 2009 - 2:33 am 47. someone:

Leo Linbeck, I know exactly what you mean. I don’t want to have to spend my adult life fighting politically. That’s not what I went to school for, sacrificed, and started my own business to do. I just want to be left alone to follow my passions.

It angers me that I have to do what you laid out but do it I will. Hopefully, my children will be able to live their lives, follow their industries… but every day it is beginning to look like this generation will not get to do that.

God willing we’ll pull it off.

Jul 5, 2009 - 8:56 pm 48. buddy larsen:

I’m coming to the same conclusion –my halcyon retirement has come to an end. I managed to rescue enough crumbs to stay retired, that’s not the issue, the issue is we gotta act –this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no party, this ain’t no foolin’ around.

Jul 5, 2009 - 10:00 pm

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