Good News – Bad News

[Swerd]

This isn’t another “What Grinds My Gears” post, although I do love to read them. I’m not in a good mood or a bad mood, just kind of reflective. So, I’ll do something new, a Good News – Bad News post.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, 74 years ago we were dragged into WWII. Even though I make no effort to hide that I’m somewhat anti-military, I’ll always be proud of what the US Navy did to win the war in the Pacific.

Muslim terrorists! I am certainly tired of hearing about them, but they are really getting me angry. Just like the Boston Marathon bombers. Perhaps they should be reminded how the US is slow to anger, but once provoked we can kick some serious butt (see Pearl Harbor above).

Adam lost his dog, the White Shepherd. KEW said it well, “Through your avatar, she was a kind of a mascot around here, so I kind of felt a familiarity/fondness with her even though (I) never met her.” I certainly agree with that. We should all offer Adam a hug and a beer, a Dogfish Head IPA 90.

Jimmy Carter recently announced that his cancer is in remission. I don’t know if everyone understands just how big that is, but when he said he was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, I figured he had months, not years, to live. Stage 4 melanoma is aggressively metastatic cancer that has already spread to multiple locations. He had 4 identifiable lesions in his brain! He has had new and remarkably successful treatment, including one of these two new drugs (I’m not sure which, but they are similar):

Pembrolizumab https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembrolizumab

Nivolumab https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nivolumab

Essentially, these drugs allow the immune system, tricked by tumors into inactivity, to become active against tumor tissue. This has been an unrealized dream of science and medicine for as long as I’ve been around this field. It is truly remarkable. Yes, just because Jimmy Carter is now tumor free, this isn’t a true cure, it may come back. But I am still delighted to see this remarkable breakthrough in cancer treatment.

 

[shadyJ]

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, 74 years ago we were dragged into WWII. Even though I make no effort to hide that I’m somewhat anti-military, I’ll always be proud of what the US Navy did to win the war in the Pacific.

Muslim terrorists! I am certainly tired of hearing about them, but they are really getting me angry. Just like the Boston Marathon bombers. Perhaps they should be reminded how the US is slow to anger, but once provoked we can kick some serious butt (see Pearl Harbor above).

We tried kicking 'serious butt' after Sept 11, 2001, but we bungled the butt-kicking through mismanagement and ignorance. Fighting an idea is not like fighting a government, but the american public is too dumb to understand that.

 

[markw]

That cancer news is great. It gives hope.

And, as far as giving hope goes, this is very encouraging ...but it does raise questions as to who is on what side.

http://www.ijreview.com/2015/12/486835-muslim-group-calls-out-pc-culture-for-being-too-afraid-to-take-down-islamic-extremism/?_ga=1.53415400.1584609043.1422651911

 

[Chu Gai]

We tried kicking 'serious butt' after Sept 11, 2001, but we bungled the butt-kicking through mismanagement and ignorance. Fighting an idea is not like fighting a government, but the american public is too dumb to understand that.

What in your opinion would have been more effective?

 

[shadyJ]

What in your opinion would have been more effective?

Having competent leadership for starters, which means better 'human intelligence' networks (ie better spys) to put a schism between mujihadeen guerillas and civilian populace. Better leadership would also have meant not starting a war with another Islamic country for no good reason whatsoever, which reinforced the perception of an all out war against Islam itself. It would also have meant not drawing resources away from one war to fight another, thereby losing both. The war for public opinion in the Islamic world might have been winnable if it weren't for the Iraq invasion, since we had a lot of sympathy after 9/11. Certainly torturing POWs sealed that deal. When I think about it now, I have to just stand back in awe at the spectacular incompetence of the Bush administration. It really is stunning. What a immense lost opportunity to destroy Militant Islam across the world, we could have done so much damage. Instead, we turned an opportunity to achieve some real good into catastrophic failure. Can you imagine if we spent the resources used to invade Iraq instead on simply targeting and attacking Al Queda and similar networks?

 

[Swerd]

In keeping with this thread's theme, you have to post something good and something bad. Not one or the other, but both. Because I say so . If Mark can do it, we all can.

shadyj – we tried kicking Taliban butt in 2003 in a small way, but they had only tiny butts. But you're right, pulling the trigger was only one part of the solution. No one, especially those in power at the time, seemed to have a clear idea what should happen next. I think they were afraid or unwilling to anger their petroleum partners who hold power in the Muslim World. And they are ones who must change their concepts of holding power and getting revenge on the non-Muslim world.

 

[shadyJ]

In keeping with this thread's theme, you have to post something good and something bad. Not one or the other, but both. Because I say so . If Mark can do it, we all can.

shadyj – we tried kicking Taliban butt in 2003 in a small way, but they had only tiny butts. But you're right, pulling the trigger was only one part of the solution. No one, especially those in power at the time, seemed to have a clear idea what should happen next. I think they were afraid or unwilling to anger their petroleum partners who hold power in the Muslim World. And they are ones who must change their concepts of holding power and getting revenge on the non-Muslim world.

Agreed, except for one correction, we tried kicking the Taliban butts in 2001, not 2003. We first attacked Afghanistan in late 2001.

 

[Chu Gai]

Having competent leadership for starters, which means better 'human intelligence' networks (ie better spys) to put a schism between mujihadeen guerillas and civilian populace. Better leadership would also have meant not starting a war with another Islamic country for no good reason whatsoever, which reinforced the perception of an all out war against Islam itself. It would also have meant not drawing resources away from one war to fight another, thereby losing both. The war for public opinion in the Islamic world might have been winnable if it weren't for the Iraq invasion, since we had a lot of sympathy after 9/11. Certainly torturing POWs sealed that deal. When I think about it now, I have to just stand back in awe at the spectacular incompetence of the Bush administration. It really is stunning. What a immense lost opportunity to destroy Militant Islam across the world, we could have done so much damage. Instead, we turned an opportunity to achieve some real good into catastrophic failure. Can you imagine if we spent the resources used to invade Iraq instead on simply targeting and attacking Al Queda and similar networks?

Let's make believe the President is Shady J. 9/11 has just taken place and you soon discover, Bin Laden and company were behind it. You don't have any spies or ground intelligence to speak of. What does President J do?

 

[crossedover]

the good
http://variety.com/2015/film/box-office/good-dinosaur-box-office-1201655546/

the bad
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/first-drudge-now-fec-boss-targets-local-elections-for-federal-regs/article/2577762

 

[Alex2507]

I'm just now getting use to physical illness in the family. Before it use to only be mental illness. Two years of sweating my balls off in Texas saw to it that I was able to diagnose and repair a bad oil pressure sending unit, front right bearing hub failure and a snapped RR E brake cable. All that sh!t went wrong in like 24 hours. I probably broke the sending unit changing the oil and for sure I caused the cable to snap by taking off with the brake engaged. It made a loud bang. The bearing was not my fault.

 

[crossedover]

I'm just now getting use to physical illness in the family. Before it use to only be mental illness. Two years of sweating my balls off in Texas saw to it that I was able to diagnose and repair a bad oil pressure sending unit, front right bearing hub failure and a snapped RR E brake cable. All that sh!t went wrong in like 24 hours. I probably broke the sending unit changing the oil and for sure I caused the cable to snap by taking off with the brake engaged. It made a loud bang. The bearing was not my fault.

Dont bear the weight on your shoulders alone as it has no bearing on life

 

[shadyJ]

Let's make believe the President is Shady J. 9/11 has just taken place and you soon discover, Bin Laden and company were behind it. You don't have any spies or ground intelligence to speak of. What does President J do?

President shadyJ would declare martial law in the USA, nationalize as many industries as a he can and then embezzle every single nickel from them all, and then flee to his underwater lair in an Arctic Ocean trench after having used the crisis to eliminate all of his enemies (and nuking DisneyWorld). Probably best not to ask what president shadyJ would do.

A good president, on the other hand, would attack the Taliban using much more force than was applied; enough to occupy major portions of the country. A good president would use something akin to the powell doctrine to cleanse Afghanistan of the Taliban and Al Queda. Then such a president might use a Marshall-type plan to rebuild the Afghan economy, and then institute a nation wide democracy after an era of economic prosperity. Rebuild high-profile mosques, and secure the Pakistan border as much as possible. After some improvement of the standard of living, including creating better roads, a modern postal system, modern telecommunications, other infrastructure, improved healthcare, education, judicial system, etc., Afghanis will not be as supporting of fundamentalists. A good president would try to fix Afghanistan (may not be possible, but an honest effort would count) and use the occasion to undermine support of militants the world over. A good president would also nuke DisneyWorld.

 

[herbu]

secure the border... improved healthcare, education, judicial system

The bad news: These are the same things we need here.
The good news: We have a chance to get them next year.

 

[Swerd]

Shadyj – you are right about 2001 & 2003. We did enter Afghanistan in late 2001 and later invaded Iraq in 2003. I remembered wrong.

As far as your President shadyj campaign platform, I don’t know whether to support it, oppose it, or call the FBI. However, nuking Disney World has some merit. As a former college football fan, I’ve never liked how ESPN (owned by ABC and Disney) has corrupted that game. Maybe you should add Monster Cable to the list… perhaps Starbucks and Microsoft too.

Pearl Harbor is often remembered as a time when our nation was united. People forget the serious divisions in this country in the years before December 1941. The political right (such as the America First Committee) advocated non-intervention in the European war as a way of protecting the USA. They were supported by many Americans who feared German invasion, were anti-British, or even pro-German. One of those isolationist organizations, the German American Bund, was infiltrated by Nazi agents. Charles Lindbergh, despite great efforts, never did live down his involvement with pro-German isolationists.

Other news items worth mentioning. I swear, I'm not making these up :

Drunken, naked episode gets Navy admiral fired. A Rear Admiral, of course.

Severed pig head thrown at Philadelphia mosque. PETA representatives are investigating.

Eagles of Death Metal members appear with U2 on Paris stage. ???

 

[Chu Gai]

President shadyJ would declare martial law in the USA, nationalize as many industries as a he can and then embezzle every single nickel from them all, and then flee to his underwater lair in an Arctic Ocean trench after having used the crisis to eliminate all of his enemies (and nuking DisneyWorld). Probably best not to ask what president shadyJ would do.

A good president, on the other hand, would attack the Taliban using much more force than was applied; enough to occupy major portions of the country. A good president would use something akin to the powell doctrine to cleanse Afghanistan of the Taliban and Al Queda. Then such a president might use a Marshall-type plan to rebuild the Afghan economy, and then institute a nation wide democracy after an era of economic prosperity. Rebuild high-profile mosques, and secure the Pakistan border as much as possible. After some improvement of the standard of living, including creating better roads, a modern postal system, modern telecommunications, other infrastructure, improved healthcare, education, judicial system, etc., Afghanis will not be as supporting of fundamentalists. A good president would try to fix Afghanistan (may not be possible, but an honest effort would count) and use the occasion to undermine support of militants the world over. A good president would also nuke DisneyWorld.

I remember somewhere close to the beginning of our involvement in Afghanistan something that royally flummoxed me. Let me first preface this that I'm of the opinion that an enemy truly understands when its been defeated when they're annihilated by overwhelming force.

Anyways, there came to be a situation on the ground where the US forces were on one side and the Northern Alliance was on the other. Caught in the middle with absolutely no hope for escape were the Taliban and their ilk. I don't recall if it was 5,000 or 50,000. I'm hearing this on the news and thinking Rumsfeld with what I assumed would be the implicit backing of Cheney would initiate an attack to wipe them out. Bombings, mortar, tanks, hell even thermobarics. Instead there was a pause and as I recall it was said that those trapped weren't hardcore Taliban. They were 'forced' into joining it for fear for their own lives. It was then I truly felt we had also become afraid of world and media opinion.

 

[KEW]

I remember somewhere close to the beginning of our involvement in Afghanistan something that royally flummoxed me. Let me first preface this that I'm of the opinion that an enemy truly understands when its been defeated when they're annihilated by overwhelming force.

Anyways, there came to be a situation on the ground where the US forces were on one side and the Northern Alliance was on the other. Caught in the middle with absolutely no hope for escape were the Taliban and their ilk. I don't recall if it was 5,000 or 50,000. I'm hearing this on the news and thinking Rumsfeld with what I assumed would be the implicit backing of Cheney would initiate an attack to wipe them out. Bombings, mortar, tanks, hell even thermobarics. Instead there was a pause and as I recall it was said that those trapped weren't hardcore Taliban. They were 'forced' into joining it for fear for their own lives. It was then I truly felt we had also become afraid of world and media opinion.

So, you can understand why some people believe that war was a pet project of Rumsfeld and Cheney. After all... "what's good for business"... wouldn't want to end it too soon.

Some good news? Clemson University is sitting at number 1!

 

[Swerd]

Some good news? Clemson University is sitting at number 1!

The University of North Carolina, which has good football teams roughly once every 25 years, managed to be competitive while loosing to Clemson last weekend. As a Tar Heel alum, that qualifies as good news.

Chu Gai – I don't remember what you described about the Taliban in 2001, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. The story is more complex.

If I understand things, as soon as the Taliban saw their situation, they cut and ran for the mountains. They intended to hide out there until the day the invaders eventually left.

 

[shadyJ]

I remember somewhere close to the beginning of our involvement in Afghanistan something that royally flummoxed me. Let me first preface this that I'm of the opinion that an enemy truly understands when its been defeated when they're annihilated by overwhelming force.

Anyways, there came to be a situation on the ground where the US forces were on one side and the Northern Alliance was on the other. Caught in the middle with absolutely no hope for escape were the Taliban and their ilk. I don't recall if it was 5,000 or 50,000. I'm hearing this on the news and thinking Rumsfeld with what I assumed would be the implicit backing of Cheney would initiate an attack to wipe them out. Bombings, mortar, tanks, hell even thermobarics. Instead there was a pause and as I recall it was said that those trapped weren't hardcore Taliban. They were 'forced' into joining it for fear for their own lives. It was then I truly felt we had also become afraid of world and media opinion.

It sounds like your are describing the Battle of Tora Bora? Anyway I doubt very much that Rumsfeld or Cheney or any of their ilk held back because of world opinion. Nothing they have ever done before than or afterward suggests that they cared about world or media opinion. Remember, many of the highly placed appointees in the Bush DOD were involved in Iran-Contra, so not exactly a squeemish bunch, and look at all the horrors they perpetrated afterward. You have to also remember the Taliban were given sanctuary and support by the Pakistani ISI, and that many of the Mujihadeen were foreign fighters coming in from the Paki border. I don't think there was ever a chance of dealing a fatal blow when elements in Pakistan were supporting them.

 

[Chu Gai]

Pakistan...that was always a problem. I'll try and do some more research about what I was thinking, maybe send an email to Rummie or Cheney.

 

[markw]

Light at the end of the tunnel?

http://www.westernjournalism.com/this-muslim-leader-just-came-to-donald-trumps-defense-in-a-way-that-shocked-everyone/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=WesternJournalism&utm_content=2015-12-09&utm_campaign=manualpost