Interesting point about the Air Force, I remember having a debate with some friends a couple of years ago where I argued the UK was right to join the US bombing of Syria as it was the only alternative to even more British troops on the ground.

Looks like I was on the right side of that argument!

Though I do worry about the power vacuum in Iraq / Syria – could only Iran fill it?

At least if Rocket Boy is defeated South Korea can step up (though that would probably be 1000x bigger than German Reunification in the early 90’s!)

Obama didn’t want to defeat ISIS, really was on the side of ISIS.

For Gulf War II, W said “The Iraqi people are perfectly capable of governing themselves.” Dumb de dumb dumb, dumb. “Wide of the mark.” As in W’s recent speech, he still totally fails to “get it”.

Akrapistan? Stands to be another Trump, Mattis victory. E.g., Tillerson just claimed that some of the Taliban are getting tired of the war. No shiite, Holy Batman, but not nearly as “tired” as they will be if they don’t give up soon.

Assad? Why do we talk ourselves into being against Assad? Heck, IIRC, Syria was part of the Gulf War I coalition! Assad? He’s liked by the Shiites in Syria, right? So, what’s the problem? Sure, the Sunnis in Syria don’t like Assad. Right, the Sunnis with ISIS, Al Qaeda, UBL, etc. Why? We expected something else? Recall the 1000+ Shiite-Sunni war. That war’s a fact. I won’t take sides; hopefully both sides can lose, and often have. So, sure, Assad dropped barrel bombs and deadly chemicals on the Sunnis. And why didn’t the Sunnis drop such on Assad? Because they were more humane? ISIS, Al Qaeda “humane”? Not a chance. It’s just that the Sunnis didn’t have an air force to drop anything.

Assad doesn’t look very dangerous to the US and comparatively not very dangerous to Israel. So, if have an enemy, then have Assad. So, leave Assad in power in Syria. Or, before dumping a really bad dictator, be sure who the next guy will be and that he will be better. Sure, Baghdadi would have liked to have taken over Syria and killed Assad and all his Shiites. Baghdadi would have been better? Some Al Qaeda guy?

For the Iranian Shiites in the ISIS fight and their role in the Baghdad government, it was Tillerson or Mattis who told them “War’s over. Time for you to go home now.” Maybe that will work — should be the first thing try?

Sure, the Kurds don’t have a state yet. Instead, they just put up some signs, that the US is happy to help them enforce, that read: “You are entering a Kurdish controlled zone. Kurds only beyond this point”.

Winning can help lead to more winning: From ISIS, Trump is winning, big league! Or at least quickly enough to be big league! Even the Taliban can begin to see. So can Congress and the US voters.

Oh, I forgot: There’s still Dumb Dung Dong Song Pong Ill Uno Rocket Boy in Ping Pong Yang — the MSM lets us forget about that and concentrate on, WHAT?, Rep. “Mad Hatter” Wilson?

Well, we’ve been having joint US-Japan and US-South Korea air exercises. And now the US B-52s are on 24 x 7 alert. And, how many US carrier battle groups near NK? We’ve done some ABM testing, right? And no one has mentioned the US SSBNs on alert, but who would doubt that they are?

Rocket Boy may face a blockade. Supposedly some Navy Seal like guys in South Korea have been practicing what they might do some weekend in NK.

While Rocket Boy continues his trash talk, apparently Trump, Mattis and Co. are preparing for big fight, of just one round, only 15 seconds long, for a KO.

Rocket Boy is a loser. Trump’s a winner. I believe we know about how this will end.

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The failure to obtain a SOFA was an Obama admin failure. They should have dictated terms with their checkbook in hand. We provided every bit of military hardware to build the Iraqi army while taking nothing in reparations.

I don’t think Pres Obama wanted any troops in Iraq to be able to say the “war is over.”

We have had troops in Europe, Japan since 1945 with a SOFA.

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

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One can argue with confidence that the cost of Iraq and Afghanistan is a huge part of the deficit racked up by President Obama. President Obama added more to the US national debt than all prior presidents COMBINED.

Of course, the Congress just sat there and funded their own pet projects. Nobody in DC has ever cut a cost. Even when they say they are, they are only cutting the rate of growth, not the actual absolute cost.

There is no doubt that whatever happens in NK or with Iran will be a budget buster.

If we had a President and Congress who were truly fiscal conservatives — it would take both — the budget would be balanced in a couple of years, but, alas, we do not.

I fault the Congressional Republicans more than anyone else. The GOPe — the Republican establishment — is a worse set of profligate spenders than the Dems. The Dems make no pretense, while the GOPe pretends they are holding their nose as they spend the money.

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

Was the failure to get SOFA the fault of Bush or Obama? (Or both?)

If things escalate to a full blown war with Iran and / or North Korea, will this not massively increase the US budget deficit and national debt? (Probably UK as well as I’m sure we’d get drawn in). Can you justify this as a fiscal conservative? What’s the best way to fund it?

PS special thanks for bombing the shit out of the British traitor Sally-Anne Jones (despite that fucktard Corbyn’s objections). Us Brits owe that drone captain a pint!

http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/leadership-changes-ceo-shoptalk/

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com