Weakness Begets Terror

A terror truck plows into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France killing at least 84--many of which are children!

How many terror attacks do we have to undergo before someone wakes up and does something?

I watched Judge Jeanine express outrage on Fox News video about what is going on with radical Islamist terrorism across the globe.

Moreover, there is spiraling inner-city violence here at home with presumed racial killings of black people and the murder of 5 police officers in Dallas, Texas and more warnings about a Day of Rage in 36 cities today. 

Things are out of control!

OMG, the list of terrorist attacks just this year alone in 2016 is so long that wikipedia had to break them up into separate lists by month.

Some still can't get up the courage or leadership skills to identify the enemy.

Moreover, they vow not to put boots on the ground. 

Instead, they prefer platitudes and implications that Western civilization is at fault rather than the murdering terrorists. 

Choosing disengagement, withdrawal, and appeasement over defending our national security. 

Just this week again, Iranian attack boats swarmed a U.S. battleship in International Waters that had our 4 star general in charge of U.S. Central Command, and we do nothing but lift sanctions on them, release $100+ billion, and encourage the opening of finance and trade with them as they continue to chant "Death to America."

Russia and China continue to buzz our planes and ships and extend their boundaries into Crimea and the South China Sea, respectively, while North Korea tests ballistic nuke missiles that may soon be able to reach our shores. 

Moreover, instead of making things better, we are continuing to make them worse, with our own military warning against the change in policy to a stated "no-first-use" weapons policy in an age of dangerous nuclear proliferation and resurgent and modernized adversaries. 

After 9/11, we overreacted with almost 10-years of war, lashing out at enemies real and imagined, and now for the last years, we have become disengaged and withdrawn--either too afraid, unwilling, or ridiculously "political correct" to defend our own national security. 

The pendulum has swung wild and reckless for too many years...it is time for a normal and balanced course of action to protect our people and country--can anyone say radical Islamists? ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Weakness Begets Terror

What Terror Attack?

Haven't we all heard it before...

Another terrorist attack, and there is an appeal for calm.

Radical Islam, no way...we can't even say the words.

I'm sure we'll hear the typical...that it was just a lone crazed gunman.

Forget that he avowed allegiance to ISIS.

And that he had previously been investigated by the FBI.

Also, that it is just 3 days since ISIS threatened to attack Florida.

We need the public to think there is stability and safety, especially right before the election.

DON'T ROCK THE POLITICAL BOAT!

The public is perceived as stupid.

Part of the echo chamber with the media. 

Feed them some crap about this being gun violence and attack the 2nd Amendment and call it a day.

The sheep will go back to their slumber and still vote for who the elites tell them to.

Over 50 DEAD.

Over another 50 wounded, many (or most) in CRITICAL CONDITION.

The WORST mass shooting in US history.

We're tough on terrorism...keep repeating that.

Don't flinch when the cameras are on you.

Make a remark that it's because the enemy is angry about GITMO or Palestine or whatever.

In other words, it's justified--we deserve it!

Close GITMO and resolve the Palestinian issue and all will be well in the world and there won't be any more of this terrorist, murderous, violence against civilians, women, children, people at worship or at weddings or at funerals, or going to work in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, or on a bus or train, or sitting in a cafe or pizzeria or club.

Let's stop more sanctions and release more money to Iran, the world #1 sponsor of terrorism.  

Let's leave Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and more...all will be well.

Blood shed, treasure spent. 

Time to go home.

The enemy is not coming here.

Everyone rest assured. 

The unity rally after the attacks in Paris...we're a no show. 

The attack in Tel Aviv last week...tell them to show some restraint. 

Orlando...forget about it, really--it's over.

Let's focus on the election now.

Tell them about glass ceilings and redistributing the wealth--they'll eat that up.

Power, 4 years...maybe 8.

Citizens, sleep well...the Ambien is being carefully administered to each and every one.  Zzzzzz.  ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

What Terror Attack?

Have A Nice Doomsday

This was a photo of a photo I took at Washington Artworks this past weekend.

An anti-nuke demonstration outside the White House with signs that say:

"Live by the bomb, die by the bomb."

and 

"Ban all nuclear weapons or have a nice doomsday."

This was particularly interesting juxtaposed to the editorial in the Wall Street Journal yesterday by the UAE Ambassador to the U.S. who reflected on "one year after the Iran nuclear deal" and outright stated:

"Don't be fooled. The Iran--we have long known--hostile, expansionist, violent--is alive and well."

And he goes on to cite the multiple ballistic missile tests by Iran (October, November, and March), the firing of rockets by Iran dangerously close to a U.S. aircraft carrier (December), the detaining of US Navy sailors on their knees broadcast to the world (January), an $8 billion purchase by Iran of Russian fighter jets, planes, and helicopters (February), and the seizure of shipments by Iran of large weapons caches supporting terrorism around the world (February, March, and April) including just yesterday when the U.S. seized thousands of AK-47s and RPGs headed for Yemen. 

The editorial ends...

"Our hope for a new Iran should not cloud the reality that the old Iran is very much still with us--as dangerous and as disruptive as ever,"

Let's pray that our earnest yearnings for peace with Iran (and North Korea for that matter) does not end in the polar opposite...a "nice" nuke doomsday scenario by the leading state sponsor(s) of terrorism worldwide. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy from Washington Artworks)

Have A Nice Doomsday

The Voter Psychology Behind A Trump

Over and over again the left AND the right try to get a knockout on Donald Trump. 

But what happens?

He's not knocked out.

He's not even knocked down.

To the contrary, he is still standing and seems to become stronger!

What is going on with this phenomenon?

Some would like to call it perhaps a psychosis of the masses. 

Other like to belittle those that like him by dissing their intellectual status and calling them stupid. 

Many even seem to go to every extreme to to make him out as crazy, fascist, bigoted, hateful, and a con man. 

Yet, for the most part it's doesn't seem to be working--people are still flocking to him. 

It's like the more they try to gang up on him, torment him, bash him, and zing him--and rather than buckle, he is still there standing and remains strong--perhaps, the more "proof" it is for people that he can and will stand up for America!

With dismal ratings for the President, Congress, and government overall, the outsider, the business man, the billionaire, the dealmaker, the one who isn't afraid to speak his mind and to say to the people the non-politically correct thing is coming across refreshing to many who are seeking change from the the last 7 years, 15 years, or further. 

With many seeing the current politics of the U.S. as leading from behind, appeasement, weak, divisive, and disengaged, it is not surprising to see bands across America yearning for something more. 

Is Donald Trump strong and anti-establishment or truly bad and dangerous?

This is for America to seek the truth on and wisely decide. 

What's riding on this?

Whether Trump OR another candidate to be determined --(someone/anyone) -- can potentially get things positively and constructively done in our large and complex political machine that has in many ways become increasingly stymied by bureaucracy, obstructionism, defeatism, game-playing, selfishness, pork barrel politics, (corruption,) sequestration, government closures, and political fighting across the aisle/behind the aisle/and in the aisle.

Let's hope for America and the world's sake the voters get it right.

But keep bashing Trump and you are keeping his message of superior strength and hope very much alive. ;-)

(Note: This is not an endorsement for any candidate or political party)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Voter Psychology Behind A Trump

Iran Man

Today, Iran warns a U.S. Navy ship and fighter jet to stay away from military exercises they were conducting.

And what did we, the Superpower, do? 

We hightailed it out of there. 

Yet, presumably we were in international waters this time, so it's curious why the U.S. military would take it's orders from Iran if we were legitimately there. 

This is just...

- A little more than 2 weeks after Iran seized 2 U.S. Navy ships and 10 sailors and put them execution style on their knees and broadcast this to world.

- And less than a month after Iran fired missiles within 1.3 km of the U.S. aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman.

Wonder why did Iran warn us this time and not last month with the aircraft carrier--should we be "thankful" again to them, this time for warning us.

- And just less than 2 weeks ago, Iraq-based Shiite terror militias (alleged proxies for Iran) abducted 3 more Americans (almost simultaneously with their prisoner swap with us--refilling their human cache).  

- All this, plus the 2 ballistic missile tests (those capable of carrying nukes) that Iran conducted in October and again in December in violation of U.N. resolutions, and what do we have? 

A new "Iran Man" (not Iron Man) in town--with over $100+ billion to spend on global terrorism while chanting "Death To America"--and he most certainly isn't a superhero. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Iran Man

What Do Red Lines Mean Anyway?

Whether with chemical weapons or nuclear capable ballistic missiles, we set red lines with Syria and Iran and what happens?

These are weapons of mass destruction we are talking about!

What message do we send our dangerous adversaries, when we say we are going to do something and then we hesitate or don't follow through?

Respect is earned and without that we are as good as roadkill. 

When we say something is crossing our red lines we ought to "say what we mean and mean what we say."

Our national security is important, and so are our red lines and follow through actions. ;-) 

(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal adapted from here with attribution to hobvias sudoneighm)

What Do Red Lines Mean Anyway?

Can You Say Coalition?

So count up the number of times the word coalition was thrown around last night in the DNC Presidential Debate. 

Every last sentence to every question asked was like: 

We need a coalition to defeat ISIS.

We need a coalition outside the U.S. to defeat terrorists grabbing land, and inside the U.S. to defeat the lone attackers. 

We need a coalition for climate change. 

We need a coalition to get our economy back on track.

We need a coalition to better regulate guns. 

We need a coalition on immigration reform. 

Of course, as the superpower, we can't seem to do anything for ourselves anymore. 

We are disengaged, leading from behind, and have no real answers to any of the big problems we face. 

No matter that we have been using a coalition to fight ISIS these last number of years, and success has been marginal at best as they keep recruiting on social media. 

No matter that we can't get binding agreements with Iran as they shoot off new ballistic missiles capable of carrying nukes into the ether, or on global warming because each country in the end will do what they want in their own best interests. 

No matter that ISIS, Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea does what they want and don't need permission, forgiveness, or anything from anybody--they pursue what is good for them and they are relentless in getting it. 

No matter that we constantly show fear and weariness and helplessness in the face of our enemies that have the resolve, patience, and determination to fight as long as it takes and do whatever it takes to win. 

One candidate spurted something about, "Do you know how many coalitions I've put together" or "I've been putting together coalitions for years" (like that has achieved what exactly)?"

Terrorism is on the rise from Paris to California, ISIS is on the move grabbing up territory from Iraq and Syria and now even in Libya, the world is an unstable powder keg from Taiwan to Sudan, and our problems at home are growing worse (national debt, racial discord, etc.)

Oh, we need to get Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Iraq to step up to the plate, so said another one of the candidates last night. 

But we spend billions and billions training them, and they are happy to take the American dollars, but when the first shot is fired, the troops head for the hills...why should they get killed fighting a war that we care about and against their own brothers.

You can't relegate your problems to others or ask others to pick up your slack, while you sit back and drop some bombs from the air--la la la la. 

Are we in a complete and utter leadership void and stupor?

Coalitions are only effective when there is leadership and resolve.

Coalitions are a cop-out when we are stymied to fight for ourselves, to stand up for our beliefs and values, to demonstrate we are committed, and to lead the charge. 

Cowardice will lose the war and much else...if we don't get off the coalition's dime. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Can You Say Coalition?

When Terror Strikes--We Do What?

Bret Stephens in the Wall Street Journal today writes compellingly about how tolerance for terror (or what he calls tolerance for intolerance) is allowing it to happen. 

For example, Jews are getting knifed, stoned, and intentionally run over almost daily in the Holy Land and not a peep from anyone, except to blame it on settlements, even though this extreme barbaric violence was happening long before there ever was a single settlement. 

It has become okay to use violence--even terrible sickening and brutal violence against civilians--and as much of it as one can muster--if you have a perceived gripe. Shall we talk burning victims alive, running over live bound victims with tanks, throwing gays off of the roofs of buildings, beheadings and crucifixions, serial killings and mass graves, abducting young girls as sex slaves, use of chemical weapons and indiscriminate bombings and shootings, and more. 

So what do we do?

- We tolerate the intolerable by excusing absolute insufferable violence against innocent men, women, and children, because some are feeling upset or aggrieved--so we show maybe misplaced compassion, where we should be expressing outrage at inhumane acts of murder and barbarism.

- We negotiate to try and appease the terrorists, but they couldn't care less about deals when blood is the only thing that will quench their thirst for Jihad, power, and a new Caliphate.

- We use bold but empty phrases to placate the public and victim's families--such as we are at war or we will be merciless and we will destroy them. and then we perform another single bombing run and drop 20 in retaliation (on perhaps empty buildings as the enemy claims) after the U.S. has already run 6,000 bombing runs previously. 

- We are afraid to name the enemy, with democratic candidates at Saturday's night debate even refusing to use the term "radical Islamists"

- We are afraid to fight the good and necessary fight--after the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, some are "war weary," or perhaps pacifists to an out of bounds extreme--where we are willing to risk another major attack on U.S. soil rather than appropriately defend ourselves and bring the fight to the enemy. 

WAKE UP USA, EU, NATO, AND UN. 

This problem is not going away--it is not "contained"--the war is not won--far from it. ;-)

(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

When Terror Strikes--We Do What?

Is He A Man Or A Mouse?

Often at home, we'd look at what's going on in the world, the sad state of affairs, when people act bad, and the lack of leadership, and my dad would say, "When there's no man, you be the man."

He was right!!!

These days, the question has morphed into, "Is he a man or a mouse?"

We are so chasing our tails out there.

Today after 4 1/2 years of civil war in Syria--hundreds of thousands dead, 14 million displaced, chemical weapons and barrel bombs dropped on civilians, crossed red lines and empty vows of "No boots on the ground"--and now we sending up to 50 special forces as a token force to "advise and assist" in Syria after the recent $500 million military training program for "4 or 5" moderate rebels in Iraq was a total bust!

Of course, we're going to Syria not to actually engage the enemy, but more to dare Russia whose deployed there with planes, tanks, ships, artillery, and Spetsnaz special forces to hit us. 

Similarly, after Russia's incursion into Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, we conduct a training exercise with 3,000 troops in the Baltics and put together a NATO rapid reaction force in Europe and call it day, as if that will deter the "Great Bear."

Oh, and don't forget that we sent a single battle ship within 12 nautical miles of the South China Sea artificial islands--again, daring them to try something. 

Well what if one of these days Russia or China actually took up the dare?

Already this week, Russia flew two fighter jets within a mile of the Ronald Reagan Aircraft Carrier--endangering the 6,000 personnel and all those valuable Navy assets. What did we do? We had 4 fighters escort them away--after what couldn't been a significant attack on our Navy.

If we did that to Russia, what do you think they would've done--our fighters would've been shot down so fast, we wouldn't have known what hit us--like when they did the Blitzkrieg into Ukraine and recently into Syria--we're taken off guard again and again. 

Also recently, Russia maneuvered a military satellite between two of U.S. Intelsat satellites, 50 of which are used by our military for communications and drone missions. Moreover, Russian subs and ships are hovering around major global data cable lines posing a threat to the backbone of the Internet.

How about with Iran--we make a deal easing sanctions on them and releasing hundreds of billions of dollars--and what do they do? Conduct long-range ballistic missile test, convict a Washington Post reporter, arrest a U.S. business executive, and continue to threatens America and Israel. 

When we are afraid and our enemies are not--when they act with impunity--we are more mouse than man. 

We may get some cheese, but the mouse is dead rodent meat unless it gets with it.

This is not a game of cat and mouse--but the lives of hundreds of millions that hang in the geopolitical balance--and there is no mousey hole to hide in. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Is He A Man Or A Mouse?

Please Tell Us Your Diabolical Intentions

So Russia is escalating in Syria (from devastating air strikes to sea-launched cruise missiles, and now a possible land offensive) and even considering expanding into Iraq. 

Our initial reaction...

"We believe this is a fundamental mistake."  --Maybe a mistake for us, but not for Russia who is wielding their mighty bear claws and showing a decisive victory!  

Upon further reflection...

"We are not prepared to cooperate on strategy."  -- Is this perhaps because we don't have one, and Russia apparently does. 

"Syria is not going to turn into a proxy war between the Russia and the United States." -- Okay, so the alternative is to capitulate and give the Middle East over to Russia, like with Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. And what then will we let over to the Russians, Chinese, and Iranians next (because there's no reason for them to stop there)? 

"One of the profound difficulties dealing with Russia in Syria or elsewhere is how opaque Putin's intentions are and how the Russia system lies about what they are up to." -- Gee whiz, we can't figure out what Russia is up to as they slam Assad's opposition (that we are supporting) into smithereens? We're expecting the competition to tell us their strategy, and why should they do that? 

This last one is perhaps the most bizarre as we all implicitly understand that an adversary is not going to divulge their strategy, and moreover are using misinformation and deception to throw us off balance and advance their objectives. 

It is time for us to bring sanity back to the military equation here.

Immediately...

- Establish a no fly zone over Syria. 

- Put our own base on the ground or military assets into sharp play. 

- Issue a cease and desist ultimatum and mean it. 

The time for losing is over, and the time for winning must begin. 

We can pretend that we can look the other way and simply avoid a conflict, but all we are doing is bringing ever more devastating confrontation that much closer as we lose ground, credibility, and allies (who fear the commitment and iron hand of Russia far more than our own wavering and dubious one)--and we deceive ourselves far more than our adversaries could ever deceive us. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Please Tell Us Your Diabolical Intentions

Why Have We Gone Soft On Terror?

So today, we saw the movie American Sniper, which topped the long weekend box office with over $105 million in receipts.

Why are people loving this movie?

Because Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper) was a true patriot, and as a Navy Seal sniper fought the war on terror with 4 tours of duty overseas and over 160 confirmed kills.

Chris Kyle loved this country and what it stands for and he loved his fellow warfighters, who gave so much of themselves to protect this nation.

The people of our country are watching the world events unfold with one terrorist attack and atrocity after another...and they are aghast at how we have apparently gone soft when we are still at war!

- Iran misses deadline after deadline for disarming their nuclear WMD program, and rather than leading the charge on sanctions, instead there is a vow to veto both houses of Congress on any legislation that even threatens sanctions that would only take effect if they fail to reach a deal by the July 2015 deadline. 

- Al Qaeda conducts series of horrific terrorist attacks in Paris on Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher grocery store, and 40 world leaders and millions of citizens come together for a Unity Rally, but our leadership bows out of attending, instead of being arm-in-arm with our allies such as France, Germany, England, and Israel.

- Hamas rains thousands of missiles indiscriminately on Israeli cities and digs terror tunnels to abduct and murder across the country, and in the ultimate hypocrisy of justice, the International Criminal Court protects the terrorists and investigates our ally for defending themselves in a 50-day war against those who vow to destroy them. 

- ISIS is capturing huge swaths of Iraq and Syria and is murdering and torturing the populace and beheading our journalists and aid workers and our response is tepid and inadequate. 

- The Taliban slaughter 145 mostly schoolchildren in Pakistan and where is our indignation?

- Boko Haram kidnaps hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls and they threaten to sell them and we hold up signs to "Bring Back Our Girls," but where is the action to actually free them. 

- With terrorists hunted down and captured--at great risk to our own military and intelligence men and women--and held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, instead of locking them up and throwing away the keys, we are releasing them, while many yet return to perform more terrorist activities against us.

These are just a few to mention...yet where is the outrage at all the ongoing terrorism around us? Where is the determined action to protect our people, freedom and democracy?

We need to honor those who fought for this country--like patriot Chris Kyle--and decisively win this war on terror. Anything less is a losing strategy. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Why Have We Gone Soft On Terror?