Did Trump do anything wrong? We don’t know – that’s what trials (and the whole “innocent until proven guilty”) thing is all about.
But the firestorm of agitation that Big Left and the Media are whipping up, in the absence of any hard evidence, has nothing to do with right, wrong or justice, says Kurt Schlichter:
The blizzard of lies and distraction blowing through Washington is not just any routine stuffstorm, but a calculated attempt to bring down a president – our president, not the establishment’s president. And more than that, it’s an attempt to ensure that we never again have the ability to disrupt the bipartisan D.C. cabal’s permanent supremacy by inserting a chief executive who refuses to kiss their collective Reid.
This is a coup against us. It’s a coordinated campaign by liberals and their allies in the bureaucracy and media to once and for all ensure their perpetual rule over us. We need to fight it, here and now, so we don’t have to fight it down at the bottom of this slippery slope.
There are times I wonder if this nation shouldn’t just call it quits and split into 2-5 other nations, and let the coasts rot in their own splendid filth.
That is why I favor doing what the ideologues ask for and annexing the territory. It would be an honest reflection of the Israeli governments actual long term plans, and would force the issue of Palestinian citizenship to the forefront. If Netanyahu and his coalition of zealots want control of the territory, they should be forced to take full control. Recognizing the whole of the West Bank as part of Israel would discomfit this government more than any list of countries recognizing the fictitious state of Palestine. I dearly hope Trump proposes exactly that at the UN.
“If Netanyahu and his coalition of zealots want control of the territory…”
Israel prefers that they quit trying to attack them. Peace and trade etc.
If Israel put down all of their weapons what do you think would happen?
It’s a fake country that Jordan never negotiated back for whatever reasons. The Arab world loves all of the grief it causes.
Assimilating Hamas controlled Arabs. Sure.
It’ll be a few months before Trump loses his attention span for combating terrorism in the Middle East and hands it over to the technocrats/generals. As if something that’s been going on for decades will suddenly get fixed because he’s involved now. The same for Israel/Palestine.
Even the hubristic Obama didn’t come into the Middle East this self-assured that he could change everything. Towards the end of his terms, Obama’s frustrations made him look at the Middle East and North Africa as all but a hopeless hellhole hence his pivot to Africa/Oceania.
“…fixed…”
“…change everything.”
Not sure those were the objectives, here.
Dunning_Kruger squeaked:
“Even the hubristic Obama didn’t come into the Middle East this self-assured..”
Yeah, the bowing and scraping was a dead give away.
So, after all the chest-thumping, Trump bowed and kissed the same ring as the previous presidents. Probably more comfortable in Saudi than in Washington right now.
Annexing the occupied territories would cost Israel the little global support it has has, Emery. I suspect that this would suit you just fine.
Borders in the ME have been drawn by strangers for centuries — first by the Turks, then by the victorious allies in WWI. The only borders the Arabs seem to mind are the borders drawn to create a Jewish state. Many of the ME states are ruled by a religious minority — including Syria. For some reason, it is only the Jews who offend, and the price they must pay for peace is to expose themselves to destruction by their Arab neighbors.
Yes, annex the West Bank (Judea and Samaria if you like), and deal with the consequences. The status quo will generate yet more intifadas, one of which will descend into serious bloodshed. Its time for Israel to admit that it has full political control over the land that it has occupied, incorporate it into the country, and decide what to do with the population there. A political solution that accommodates the non-Jews and gives them full economic rights and most freedoms is essential if Israel is emerge from its permanent state of siege, a state of affairs where liberal democracy cannot survive.
Three words: Hamas, Fatah, and Iran.
How in the hell can you integrate that? The corruption of Fatah ensures nothing will ever work there. The Arabs don’t know how to lose wars gracefully. Then what they get is a never ending distraction called Palestine. They like it.
Think of all of the Jews kicked out of those countries. Now the Jews aren’t supposed to have their own country?
P.S. Has Arab quality of life gotten worse or better since they kicked out all of the Jews?
If they are citizens, they can be tried for treason, Emery.
Iran had elections.. please remind me of the last elections held in Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE etc. Also note that in Iran there are Jewish, Christians, Armenians, Zoroastrians, Sunnis and other groups which is not true for Saudi Arabia.
Al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban. the list goes on and on. All Sunni. Not to say that there aren’t Shia terrorists. But the numbers aren’t even close. And anyone who has been paying attention knows it.
If I were a little more cynical I would have thought that this looks like Trump is trying to stir up war in the Middle East between Shia and Sunni.
They all think if you aren’t expanding power you are contracting it. Iran is just way, way, way better at it. State power. Plus a lot of the guys that control that place are death cultists. I suppose some are Kleptocrats.
FWIW, Real Vision had a very serious guy on that predicted that Saudi Arabia will be very successful at reforming their country. #JustReporting
Its time for Israel to admit that it has full political control over the land that it has occupied
West bank is occupied? You fucking antismeitc guttersnipe troll spouting lies and misinformation.
Also note that in Iran there are Jewish, Christians, Armenians, Zoroastrians, Sunnis and other groups
Every time you write something like this you prove to be an uninformed, and if informed, then fucking lying and deceiving piece of shit troll.
Hasbara!
I have long believed that the US has no business in the Middle East. The oil problem is solved. It is time to bring the legions home.
Emery on May 22, 2017 at 10:51 pm said:
I have long believed that the US has no business in the Middle East. The oil problem is solved. It is time to bring the legions home.
I agree with this. The US does, however, have a compelling humanitarian interest in the continued existence of Israel as Jewish state. At least now we can separate oil from that issue.
It should be remembered that independence from Mideast oil did not come as a result of energy conservation or exotic new energy sources.
But the statists never learn. There is no advantage in learning for them.
The US does, however, have a compelling humanitarian interest in the continued existence of Israel as Jewish state.
Mammy, remember, for SFB eTASS, the only good Jew is a dead Jew. eTASS would have been content with Hitler as his overlord. And no, I am not stooping into Godwin territory, it is an appropriate historical reference.
Woolly: I think we mishandled 9/11, which is now some 16 years ago. I think the political leadership, starting with Bush, panicked after 9/11. I think we handled the Middle East in the wrong way. I think we were correct to invade Afghanistan, but I think we handled that very badly. I think we were incorrect to invade Iraq, and I think that is one of the things that helped create ISIS. I don’t think we’ve ever really faced up to the mess we have helped make in the Middle East.
We talk about ending terror. And I was thinking the other day about this. I was talking to a friend about crime in America. And he said, nobody talks about ending bank robbery. We talk about catching bank robbers, yet we talk about ending terror. And we’re not going to. And so I think we have never really had an honest political discussion with our political leadership and with the American people about what we’re doing and how we’re trying to do it.
The fundamental driver of Western civilization is the agreement that objective reality exists, that people of goodwill can perceive it and that other people will change their views when presented with the facts of the matter.
First of all, you need to have principles. You need to stand by those principles and remember them. Second, you need to look at reality to observe facts and not just have opinions and to say, what are the facts of the matter? Third, you need to act upon those facts according to your principles.