Why aren’t we helping them? I think that politics in an election year is the most likely reason. And it’s infuriating, because just as Obama blew an opportunity to help the Iranians in their uprising, he’s now missing a strategic opportunity to take out a long-time linchpin of the enemy in the Middle East. We had no strategic interest in removing Khadaffi (or however his name was spelled) but we do in removing Assad.
Category Archives: War Commentary
A Nice Passover Gift For American Jews
Interestingly, that sole Obama remark, as reported by Wallsten, contains an ellipsis in the middle. After the then-state senator says the Khalidis had given him “consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases” comes a strategically placed dot-dot-dot. We don’t know what those blind spots and biases were and what he might have thought of them. Or how he might have changed. That, in Wallsten’s or some Times editors’ judgment, was best left on the tape.
So what are we to think? We have an administration that not only ascribes most of the Middle East blame to Israel, but also has banned “Islamism” and all related words, even “Islam” and “jihad,” from our national security documents. They’re completely gone. Indeed, even the Fort Hood massacre, so clearly inspired by Islamic extremism, has now been shifted into the comfortable category of the lone, angry killer.
It’s interesting to compare this to NBC’s recent journalistic malpractice, in which they elided some words in the middle of a quote to create the false narrative that George Zimmerman was motivated by race in his suspicion of Trayvon Martin. Except in this case, it’s the reverse — to remove potentially damaging comments to show that the president is an “unbiased” “moderate.”
What, indeed, is the LA Times hiding? If they are unwilling to show the tape, they could at least provide the complete quote. They haven’t claimed that a promise to a source prevents them from doing so, though now that I’ve made the request, perhaps that will be their next excuse. At which point, we can safely consign them to the same ill repute in which NBC should reside, even if it does not in the minds of its fellow “journalists.”
The New Neo-Nazis
I have some thoughts on Toulouse and political miscategorization, over at PJMedia.
More Of That Smart Diplomacy
Did you know that every country is “our strongest and closest ally”?
I don’t have enough palms to do my face or this justice.
Wernher Von Braun
He would have been a hundred years old today. Also, it’s the 29th anniversary of the announcement of the Strategic Defense Initiative. “Wouldn’t it be better to save lives than to avenge them?”
[Update a couple minutes later]
Related to last item: Japan prepares missile defense in anticipation of North Korean launch.
[Update a few minutes later]
Back to von Braun: a blog post from Roger Launius.
The North Korean “Satellite” Launch
Heading for a polar “orbit”? Well, if so, at least it won’t overfly Japan.
War With Iran
Is it on the way?
More thoughts from Barry Rubin: Obama’s policies make it inevitable.
A Cultural Revolution
Oh, goody. Is China on the verge of another one? Because, you know, the last one worked out so well.
[Noon update]
This seems like it might be related: Japan is getting worried about China.
[Bumped]
Smart Diplomacy
The administration has been played (again) by North Korea. I doubt that it is a satellite launch, but it’s actually a lot easier to launch a satellite than to deliver a warhead (which is what they really want to learn how to do).
[Update mid afternoon]
A missile launch would be “a deal breaker for the administration.” Yeah, right.
Retirement Of Ye Asse-Hatte
Rowan Williams is no longer going to be Archbishop of Canterbury. In his honor, I offer up an Iowahawk classic.