The US Hamster Wheel

[BenThere]

It seems old "Generalissimo BS" (BS for bone spurs or the more smelly stuff) may have been exaggerating

You could be right, Goblin, or you could be wrong. President Trump may have spoken to the special forces troops after the operation to get their narrative before going on camera with his account. I'm not saying that's what happened but I don't rule it out either. In any case you can rely on Washington Post and New York Times to frame their accounts so as to most negatively reflect on President Trump and his administration. That's what they do.

As to the significance of Abu Baker al-Baghdadi's death on ISIS effectiveness, it's too soon to tell. Apparently several inner circle acolytes fell along with 3 of his children. Maybe some of them were key to his propaganda machine, recruitment efforts, funding, and such at an executive level, ISIS having been reduced from a regional force to isolated enclaves by the Trump administration, with help from the Kurds and Iraqi forces.

I would think the die-hard ISIS cultist's morale would be quite low today. At the same time I'm getting the sense that the difficult extrication of US forces from the squeeze of Turk, Russian, Syrian, Kurd, Iraqi and Iranian impulses might prove to have been quite wise. Why expose American soldiers to that disaster in the making?

Looking back, the US allowing Iran and Iraq to fight it out in the 80's was a masterstroke, pitting enemies vs. enemies, supporting Iraq, the lesser enemy vs. Iran, the greater enemy. Perhaps the current scenario is a sort of redux. Going back to that era, supporting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union played a not insignificant role in the collapse of the USSR, though subsequent events proved costly. At the same time, Saudi Arabia was an enthusiastic supporter of the Afghans, and Saudi Arabia was critical to the US energy supply. But the Cold War was ultimately won, and President Trump has implemented US energy independence.

The politics of this and everything else is painted by pundits on all sides. I tend to focus on results.

[TheGreenGoblin]

BenThere your cowardice in facing the truth is enough to make me want to...



Although I know my grandfather flew P-51's and then Sabres in belief of the American way in Korea...

What has happened to the USA?

[BenThere]

Accusing me of cowardice is a gross insult.

What have you done?

[TheGreenGoblin]

Teased you again..

And shown you have some honor after all.

[BenThere]

Your first vid didn't run, Goblin. And I couldn't tell with the second, mostly because it was in a language i don't understand, whether it was a critique of the US or a hatchet job. I suspect the latter.

America has flaws, and our political and cultural divisions are daunting. But all in all I feel like I won life's lottery to be born, raised, and remain here, though half my time is now spent on Riviera Maya in Mexico. I live in two comfortable homes, have two nice Mercedes in the garage, and a Chevy I drive to the airport. In Mexico I have a new Honda SUV. I shop at my local Kroger and buy high quality produce, meats, cheeses at unbelievably low cost. I buy electronics and computers at half what my Australian relatives pay (same with their cars). Life is good here, and I am ever so grateful.

I'm cognizant that many in the rest of the world resent American materialism, economics, and standard of living and enjoy poking at it. It's nice to be on top, though, where you can take those punches with a degree of equanimity and tolerance.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

America is not for everyone. Equally, not many would like the "voluntary police state" of Switzerland. I hope everyone reaches the country, and has the neighbors, which best suit them.
I think it mostly comes down to the two or three freedoms people value most, and whether they can take the worst of the rough that goes with it.

[llondel]

The US is generally a nice place, but it's definitely not the land of the free. It's a borderline police state where you can be shot by law enforcement with very little penalty to them if it turns out they were wrong, the gun often being the first resort instead of the absolute last. All sorts of things require a permit, you can't just cross the street, you're supposed to use a crosswalk. Cities, counties and states are all very protective of their tax-raising powers (ironic considering the origin of the independence movement). The healthcare system is a joke (unless you're in need and haven't got the money). Speed limits seem entirely arbitrary and change for no apparent reason unless the purpose is to catch you out and so raise revenue for the local police.

Despite that, yes, it is way better than a lot of place on this planet and yes, I did choose to come live here.

[BenThere]

liondell,

The only times I come across police state methods is when I pass through TSA at airports, frisking nuns and searching the bags of quadriplegics; and when Antifa brownshirts descend upon President Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats to Trump's frequent and heavily attended rallies of his faithful.

In jurisdictions like Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, et al., where the local government is always Democrat, the police are not allowed to intervene in the violent attacks and Antifa runs amok, with few arrests and no consequences for violating 1st Amendment rights to assembly and Freedom of expression. It's as if those in power in those places share the idea that political opponents/dissenters should be beaten and intimidated.

Otherwise my world is quite pleasant. My local police force, among them several friends and neighbors, is benign, enforcing traffic laws without traps such as cameras and sudden and unreasonable speed limit changes. Our community is in the top 20 in the US for safety and low crime. Of course, most of us are armed, and we are heavily Republican.

[llondel]

Sounds like you watch the Fox News version of events. All sort of people, invariably not white, mysteriously die in police custody or get beaten up or shot, including the disturbing recent trend of being in their own home minding their own business, although it appears that in these cases people recognise that a line has been crossed and they're facing consequences for their actions. I grew up in the UK, and while the police there are not always paragons of virtue, they tend to get held much more to account than their US counterparts. It does help that they are not routinely armed, and vote regularly to confirm that they don't want to be. As for safe communities, San Jose is surprisingly safe considering it's the 10th largest city in the US.

[AtomKraft]

In my experience, cops are often idiots. I think the job attracts them.
It's hardly a surprise that giving them guns results in fatalities.
In the UK we give them a baton.

[John Hill]

I am pleased BenThere that you are enjoying your lifestyle but I somewhat doubt what you describe is the norm for the wider population of the USA.

[Boac]

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/11/the ... rom-syria/

[Boac]

Apparently Humpty cried 'like a baby' when the crowd boo'd him at the baseball match. Big boy!

[Boac]

Speaking at a Republican fundraiser, the president appears to give another clue to his much-discussed relationship with the first lady

Donald Trump has suggested his wife Melania Trump would not cry if he were shot in an assassination attempt.

Well, she is not alone there!

[barkingmad]

All sort of people, invariably not white, mysteriously die in police custody or get beaten up or shot, including the disturbing recent trend of being in their own home minding their own business, although it appears that in these cases people recognise that a line has been crossed and they're facing consequences for their actions.

As you were saying;

https://larouchepub.com/other/book_revi ... urder.html

https://boingboing.net/2013/02/04/forme ... spira.html

Strange what befalls those who threaten to embarrass the powers that be?

[BenThere]

Contrary to the image often portrayed, the US is not a free-fire zone directed by police on upon innocent, unarmed non-whites. Any such incidents that occur across our 350 million person nation result in national news coverage and pundit pontification about our inherent racism. The daily dose of fatal black on black predation and unspeakable cruelty in such places as Chicago and Detroit has a hard time even making the local news.

Further, incidents like the Zimmerman case in Florida and the Missouri case in Ferguson resulted in widespread rioting focused against alleged police brutality. President Obama's Department of Justice actively investigated both of those incidents seeking to obtain convictions of the non-black (white and hispanic) participants in those provoking incidents. The resulting trials fully exonerated the involved survivors as acting in justified self-defense, but the narrative of police hunting down people of color survives and thrives, particularly outside the US.

I haven't been stopped by police for 40 years or so. But I am law-abiding, drive sober, don't break any laws intentionally, and as I posted above, know and befriend my local cops, and openly praise them for their service in the same vein I am often praised for my 30 years with USAF. The relationship is a virtuous spiral of mutual admiration.

I know better than to display a pro-Trump sign on my yard or a bumper sticker on my car. That's asking for vandalism and even violence, especially when venturing into Ann Arbor, overwhelmingly Democrat, as I often do.

[John Hill]

The relationship is a virtuous spiral of mutual admiration.

[Boac]

Poor old Humpty is dreadfully confused (amongst other things) about dogs. We had the 'hero' dog, the baddy 'whimpering like a dog', and now a Dem 'quitting like a dog'. Surprising, really, in view of the number of 'dogs' he must have had...........

[BenThere]

Nevertheless, Boac, President Trump's phenomenal ability to pack arenas at his frequent rallies around the US is unmatched. The field of Democrat candidates all have trouble drawing more than a few hundred to their events, while President Trump can draw 30,000 or more of enthusiastic supporters on a continual basis wherever he goes. His base is extremely loyal and committed, and their boisterous approval suggests that while they may poll in the mid-40% approval ratings, they are going to show up at election time, particularly if the US economy continues its spectacular performance. Helping President Trump also is the lurch left of the Democrat party. Most Americans aren't Socialists yet by a long shot, and Socialists seem to currently be driving the Democrat bus.

The people can see that Democrat-run jurisdictions are generally a mess, their high-taxes, high crime rates, social warrior mentality driving sane income producers to increasingly move out to the Red states, leaving the non-tax paying welfare class behind. President Trump this week changed his tax home to Florida from New York - telling. New York's governor said, "Good riddance" as he moves his billions out of New York, as many other financial worthies are doing, as they are in California and Illinois, also plagued with a surplus of Democrats. Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and other Democrat strongholds face the same challenges.

[Boac]

I sense you are dogged by irrelevance, Ben?