I salute Gen Amos!

[platoonDaddy]

He's clearly a old war-fighter and not a “yes man”

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/07/1601...tting-general/

[ABNAK]

He's a four-star, no doubt with more than enough years to retire. Probably doesn't give a shit anymore. If he takes a hit for it then he retires, which was probably his next step anyway.

Nonetheless, kudos to him!

[montanadave]

What a load of shit.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Fits in with what Krauthammer is a saying:

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/col...3#.U9LPKvldXKM

But I'd propose an alternate theory, less psychological than intellectual, that gives him more credit: Obama's passivity stems from an idea. When Obama says Putin has placed himself on the wrong side of history in Ukraine, he actually believes it . He disdains realpolitik because he believes that, in the end, such primitive 19th-century notions as conquest are self-defeating. History sees to their defeat.

Progressives believe in this unchangeable story arc. The trajectory of things cannot be changed and fate is pre-ordained. They can't fathom the concept that people, thru determined action. can bend the curve, change the story arc, and effect outcomes. An I mean effect, not just affect, outcomes. They get a narrative in their heads and the story can't be changed. It totally fits in with their fascination with 'memes'. When was the last time you saw a conservative (non-RINO) use a 'meme'.

The interesting thing is that if you accept their premise that the ME is truly and forever screwed, you have to believe that their society is inherently inferior or there is some genetic reason. Of course they'll just fall back on colonialism, but we were a colony and it seems to have worked out alright for us...

[KalashniKEV]

Honestly... it sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

OMGoodness... say it ain't so!

"I find it hard to believe, knowing out Iraq looked in 2010... that we would be in the position we are today in Iraq had we had the right forces, mentoring, leadership, blah, blah..."

Because we all did such a good job there and left the place safe, stable, and solid...

The position we're in today has it's roots in the 2005 elections when the Sunnis boycotted... his Marines were in charge out in Anbar province... Sunni eligible voter turnout was 2%! Did he forget?

Sure, we checked the block and just moved on to the next milestone, but it laid the foundation for Malikis sectarian rule, the spreading of Iranian influence, and flipping the tyranny switch once our last bird was wheels up.

Criticize the President for what he screws up, but this ship started sinking a long time ago and it wasn't going to be saved by American leadership or "mentoring."

[MarkG]

Honestly... it sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

OMGoodness... say it ain't so!

"I find it hard to believe, knowing out Iraq looked in 2010... that we would be in the position we are today in Iraq had we had the right forces, mentoring, leadership, blah, blah..."

Because we all did such a good job there and left the place safe, stable, and solid...

The position we're in today has it's roots in the 2005 elections when the Sunnis boycotted... his Marines were in charge out in Anbar province... Sunni eligible voter turnout was 2%! Did he forget?

Sure, we checked the block and just moved on to the next milestone, but it laid the foundation for Malikis sectarian rule, the spreading of Iranian influence, and flipping the tyranny switch once our last bird was wheels up.

Criticize the President for what he screws up, but this ship started sinking a long time ago and it wasn't going to be saved by American leadership or "mentoring."

Agreed and well said...

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Exactly. That attitude that things can't be changed, the story is set and it just a matter of time. Good examples gentleman. Six years in, a longer time than Bush had with Iraq, longer than WWII, development of the atom bomb, almost as long at it took to get a man on the moon.

But sure, yea, nothing could be done.

[montanadave]

But sure, yea, nothing could be done.

It wasn't our something to do. Then or now.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

It wasn't our something to do. Then or now.

It was our something after we kicked the hornets nest. We shouldnt have kicked it in the first place, but people being stung by the pissed hornets became our problem.

[montanadave]

It was our something after we kicked the hornets nest. We shouldnt have kicked it in the first place, but people being stung by the pissed hornets became our problem.

The Sunni-Shia pissing match is a thousand years old . . . and it is not a problem we are capable of solving.