Rob's House Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2011/03/30/measuring_force You don't just walk up to the local bully and slap him across the face. If you are determined to confront him, then you try to knock the living daylights out of him. Otherwise, you are better off to leave him alone. Anyone who grew up in my old neighborhood in Harlem could have told you that. But Barack Obama didn't grow up in my old neighborhood. He had a much more genteel upbringing, including a fancy private school, in Hawaii. President Obama's Monday night speech was long on rhetoric and short on logic. He said: "I believe that this movement of change cannot be turned back, and that we must stand alongside those who believe in the same core principles that have guided us." Just what would lead him to conclude that this includes the largely unknown forces who are trying to seize power in Libya? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2011/03/30/measuring_force Great article! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicot Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Only in the Bizarro world of American politics could Obama be accused of alienating the Israelis and cozying up to the Palestinians. How exactly has he alienated the Israelis? By giving them a blank cheque to do more or less whatever they want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Only in the Bizarro world of American politics could Obama be accused of alienating the Israelis and cozying up to the Palestinians. How exactly has he alienated the Israelis? By giving them a blank cheque to do more or less whatever they want? Hush up, you jew lover! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whateverdude Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Only in the Bizarro world of American politics could Obama be accused of alienating the Israelis and cozying up to the Palestinians. How exactly has he alienated the Israelis? By giving them a blank cheque to do more or less whatever they want? Just the reverse. Israel can field 19 divisions of ground troops and fly nearly 3,000 combat missions, per day. Granted much of this might was built on American dollars, but as things stand right now the US is the only country holding Israeli back from going ape **** on hezbollah backed Arab countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicot Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Just the reverse. Israel can field 19 divisions of ground troops and fly nearly 3,000 combat missions, per day. Granted much of this might was built on American dollars, but as things stand right now the US is the only country holding Israeli back from going ape **** on hezbollah backed Arab countries. "Hezbollah backed Arab countries"?? Which countries are these then and do you really think that Israel is going to start a war with multiple Arab nations if the US didn't "hold it back"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
....lybob Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Just the reverse. Israel can field 19 divisions of ground troops and fly nearly 3,000 combat missions, per day. Granted much of this might was built on American dollars, but as things stand right now the US is the only country holding Israeli back from going ape **** on hezbollah backed Arab countries. Israel has by far the strongest military in the region but their military is even more casualty adverse than ours, if they aren't pretty assured of kill ratio's of 100 to 1 or better they are not going to attack, they'll use their Air Force pretty freely but they probably won't use ground forces except to police civilians, mop up ravaged troops, or if they were utterly desperate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whateverdude Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) "Hezbollah backed Arab countries"?? Which countries are these then and do you really think that Israel is going to start a war with multiple Arab nations if the US didn't "hold it back"? Absolutely! Nukes are a game changer Edited April 1, 2011 by whateverdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicot Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Absolutely! You still haven't answered. Which countries is it that Israel is going to start attacking if it wasn't for the restraining influence of the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whateverdude Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) You still haven't answered. Which countries is it that Israel is going to start attacking if it wasn't for the restraining influence of the US? Iran(not Arab but shia) and it's puppets, Lebanon and possibly Syria if Hezbollah is successful in suppressing the protests there. Israel can not let the Iranians have nukes. Israeli defence minister Shaul Mofaz stated "under no circumstances would Israel be able to tolerate nuclear weapons in Iranian possession". In December 2005. On 8 May 2006, Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said in an interview with Reuters that "the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map". Israel reportedly asked for bunker-busting bombs for an attack on Iran's main nuclear complex and for permission to fly over Iraq to reach Iran's major nuclear complex at Natanz. The Bush administration rejected the requests Edited April 1, 2011 by whateverdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicot Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Iran(not Arab but shia) and it's puppets, Lebanon and possibly Syria if Hezbollah is successful in suppressing the protests there. Israel can not let the Iranians have nukes. What on earth has Hizbollah got to do with suppressing the protests in Syria?! It will be the Syrian security services doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whateverdude Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 What on earth has Hizbollah got to do with suppressing the protests in Syria?! It will be the Syrian security services doing that. This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicot Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 This Typical Israeli propaganda - raising the spectre of Iranian involvement with little or no proof. A friend of a friend told them that someone was speaking farsi. The Hizbollah link is even more tenuous (if that's possible) - someone was speaking farsi = Iranian, Iran = Hizbollah. Why would Syria be busing in security from Iran - they have plenty of homegrown security forces? Has it never occurred to you that Israel may have a vested interest in playing up Iranian involvement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Typical Israeli propaganda - raising the spectre of Iranian involvement with little or no proof. A friend of a friend told them that someone was speaking farsi. The Hizbollah link is even more tenuous (if that's possible) - someone was speaking farsi = Iranian, Iran = Hizbollah. Why would Syria be busing in security from Iran - they have plenty of homegrown security forces? Has it never occurred to you that Israel may have a vested interest in playing up Iranian involvement? On the other hand, are you denying that there's a common interest among Iran, Syria & Hezzbolah? Even if the friend of a friend was wrong, Hezzbolah relies heavily on Iran & Syria, and the three certainly don't have many friends in Mid East outside each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicot Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 On the other hand, are you denying that there's a common interest among Iran, Syria & Hezzbolah? Even if the friend of a friend was wrong, Hezzbolah relies heavily on Iran & Syria, and the three certainly don't have many friends in Mid East outside each other. No, I wouldn't deny that at all. They are certainly allies. However, I just can't see Syria relying on Iranian assistance for internal security and it's obviously in Israel's interest to play up Iranian involvement wherever they can. Would you not agree that that was a powder-puff piece of "journalism"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 No, I wouldn't deny that at all. They are certainly allies. However, I just can't see Syria relying on Iranian assistance for internal security and it's obviously in Israel's interest to play up Iranian involvement wherever they can. Would you not agree that that was a powder-puff piece of "journalism"? Is there any other kind of journalism lately? Especially judging from the picture in the story, which was blatantly stolen from the closing scenes of Life of Brian? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Typical Israeli propaganda - raising the spectre of Iranian involvement with little or no proof. A friend of a friend told them that someone was speaking farsi. The Hizbollah link is even more tenuous (if that's possible) - someone was speaking farsi = Iranian, Iran = Hizbollah. Why would Syria be busing in security from Iran - they have plenty of homegrown security forces? Has it never occurred to you that Israel may have a vested interest in playing up Iranian involvement? My impression of the story was that Syria is using Hizbollah to augment security...which, of course, is backed not insignificantly by Iran. Either way...the story was pretty well overblown. The only practical reason for Iranian cooperation with Syrian Ba'athists is a common interest in Hizbollah, which is an awfully tenuous thread to base a heavy-handed "Iran is involved in Syrian internal security!" news article on. Not completely outside the realm of possibility...but then, neither is the Bills winning a Superbowl in the forseeable future. Especially judging from the picture in the story, which was blatantly stolen from the closing scenes of Life of Brian? I first saw that and thought "Holy ****...the Syrians are crucifying protesters?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whateverdude Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 If it makes any difference to the cynics here, this was a joint article with Reuters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Is there any other kind of journalism lately? Especially judging from the picture in the story, which was blatantly stolen from the closing scenes of Life of Brian? ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 ! Wait till Biggus Dickus hears of this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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