Trump Has Ordered Full Withdrawal From Syria
Holy Sheeet! Trump just did something sane.
Donald Trump declared victory over Islamic State, as officials said he’s ordered a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria in a sharp reversal of American policy that appeared to take the Pentagon by surprise.The U.S. military is working to quickly carry out Trump’s order, according to the officials, but it wasn’t clear how soon the approximately 2,000 troops would be coming home and what the president’s decision would mean for vulnerable Kurdish allies that they have supported.
“We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,” Trump said Wednesday morning on Twitter.
A withdrawal could leave America’s Kurdish allies at the mercy of Turkish troops who have long wanted to pursue forces they view as terrorists.
A U.S. departure also would leave Russia and Iran, allies of President Bashar al-Assad, unchecked as prime influences in Syria.
What is the knee-jerk liberal response? Putin Wins!
No one mentions that our presence there was unconstitutional.
BTW, this happened just yesterday.
The three self-appointed guarantors of the Syrian peace process – Russia, Turkey and Iran – have spurned efforts by the UN to change the composition of a committee due to write a new constitution for the country.The 150-strong committee, due to start work next year, could pave the way for UN-supervised elections and a possible peace process that would encourage millions of refugees to return to their homeland.
We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake. https://t.co/028NOsbyzT
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2018
Sarah Sanders: “We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign...” pic.twitter.com/1V00r4WUyP
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 19, 2018
So far New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has come out against it.
I'll be updating this essay during the day.
Comments
Her
This is something that Hillary Clinton would never do.
"Please clap." -- Jeb Bush
I'm curious how #TheResistance will oppose this
Will these so-called liberals abandon all pretenses of opposing illegal wars?
Why yes, they will. You know...
leopard-spots-not changing.
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
One good thing about this
is that the leaders of the Macresistance are increasingly unable to hide the fact that they are corporate, militaristic imperialists.
Isn't MIA Farrow in the Resistance?
If so, then here ya go. I'm sure I'll see many more saying stupid stuff like this. Oh I yearn for the Bush years when many Americans were anti war.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
It's people like Mia Farrow
...who make Donald Trump look smsrt.
The American brain-washing and propaganda have damaged so many American minds. It's cruel and unusual, to say the least.
Good ... if true.
This was just in the WaPo a couple days ago: America’s hidden war in Syria: U.S. troops will now stay in Syria indefinitely, controlling a third of the country and facing peril on many fronts
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Maybe they were wishful thinking?
?
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
This happened once before. In April 2017.
Trump declared that Assad could go his own way. The US was going theirs, and leaving Syria for more important matters. I call this event, the April Fools Coup.
Three days later, as the US narrative goes, a rebel-held town was "bombed" with a chemical weapon. The White Helmets made their debut. Very good MIT scientists who do this for a living for the Pentagon, almost immediately pointed out that this was a false flag attack and sarin was not present based on the video shown. The "bomb" and the "impact" crater were fakes. Chlorine gas may have been present, there was a factory nearby with the gas. But it was not sarin and it was not dropped from an airplane.
Despite the clamor from scientists and other world leaders, the US absolutely refused wait for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the UN to execute these tests using physical evidence at the site, to determine if there had actually been a chemical weapons attack in Syria. The facts were drowned out, there was a staged blow-up / screaming match at the UN with much wailing and gnashing of teeth. The United States could not wait for samples from the site. The USA, USA, USA! had to bomb, bomb, bomb immediately. The babies and children! The US had to bomb a distant sovereign nation that did not attack or threaten to attack the United States.
Thus, it came to be that Donald Trump committed his first war crime — which he can be impeached for right now — as he would be in any decent nation that had a shred of morality. His impeachable offense has always hung around his neck, ignored by resisting and whining Americans, and he will wear it for the rest of his life. His war crime has even been given a name:
For future criminal proceedings, all the names of his co-conspirators and enablers appear the the article above.
A short time later, President Trump felt an urgent need to surrender his Presidential military authority (over all murder and mayhem) to the generals. Control over the red button and all other US slaughter and atrocities was given to the Neocons where it remains to this day.
The April Fools Coup.
Kabuki-style Peace only lasts until the next false flag attack.
Or, it is the Deep State
trying to get ahead of the story and regain control of the narrative. Trump has always said he wanted to get us out of Syria.
My suspicion is that the Deep State will launch another false flag attack to drag us back. There is a war going on within our government as to who is really in charge. For decades the Deep State has controlled most of our foreign policy and the President has been just a figurehead in that regard. I may be wrong, but IMHO, this is going to get uglier before it gets better.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
they drag us back in
[video:https://youtu.be/UPw-3e_pzqU]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
gjohnsit,
thank you for keeping us current for years now on the details of what happens in Syria with respect to U.S. forces and the Kurds as well as the craziness of the relationship with Turkey, not to mention ISIS.
I'm such a lifelong conspiracy theorist and such a believer in the importance of Gen. Flynn's history of speaking out about our political leadership supporting the Islamic State forces, that I can't help reacting with a concern that yesterday's news about Flynn and his private contracting with the Turkish government, if that's what happened, may have something to do with Trump's move.
Is this going to be a resurgence of ISIS? Is this instead a respectful acknowledgement of the hard work of Putin and others to stop the slaughter? Is this what Gen. Flynn advised him to do from day one?
The first thing that will happen
is that the Syrian Kurds will have to cut a deal with the Assad government.
This is a good thing. Otherwise the Kurds will have to fight the Turkish army.
This will enable Ankara and Damascus to cut a deal on Afrin and northern Aleppo.
Idlib will still be an issue.
Thank you, gjohnsit
Trying to sort out the players in the Middle East has always been confusing to me. Your essay sheds more light on this. I just hope it will hold.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Yes, thank you,
, as gulfgal98 says, you are shining light on this dark subject. I sure hope you are right.
Even a broken clock
is right twice a day.
Translated: he keeps doing random actions. Occasionally they're correct.
If only he WERE really that "random"
Most of the time, he's the near-perfect Republican he's always been.
If he were really as "random/unpredictable/Chaotic" as they keep claiming, he'd do better-than-average things 50% of the time - which might have made him the best president-or-facsimile-thereof in my lifetime.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
Yeah, random's not the right word
or he'd be scoring a few more "good" hits. He's not really random, he's an impulsive childish sociopath. But you get my drift.
Keep in mind what happened the last time he said he was "withdrawing" (if only his daddy...) . Suddenly, there was a "chemical attack". Oops, changed my mind.
For everyone's sake, the troops, the Syrians, us -- I hope it actually happens.
Edit: There was actually a time when he was a Playboy limousine liberal. It's all camouflage, for a deeply disturbed person. But he makes a useful if troublesome frontman.
I don't understand why these actions are being allowed.
I'm surprised the Pentagon (and others) are not in an uproar over this stuff.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The Kurds
should just stay under the bus as it is probably safer there.
This is like the fourth time we have thrown them under there.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
True.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
holy shit can happen - I hope it is true and
remains what it looks like. A good thing, imo. But what do I know.
Nice Christmas gift to the troops.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Why yes, they will. You know...
leopard-spots-not changing.
EDIT; trying to get this to show up where it belongs
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
First, WTF? It isn't April first yet, gj. Second W00T!
3rd, bwahahahaha, I can't wait to see all of the anti-peace horsepiss that will spew from all of the pragmaticists and "liberals".
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Outflanking the Dem on the left again.
Dems are so dumb and corrupt, they make it easy for Trump to do better than them.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
So, the increase in the military budget was
for what? Trump told the Pentagon to increase its budget over what they had originally requested why? What will the killing machine corporations say . . . after all, Trump claims that they provide jobs and must be subsidized?
If he fired Bolton and some others and replaced him/them with sane people, I might buy it. Until then, I will wait for the other shoe to drop.
Maybe he needs to bring the military home to build his wall.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
Trust none of it.
But the insane warmonger Bolton is still there, so I trust this about as far as I can throw a piano. Clearing our guys out so they can use nukes? NOTHING would surprise me with Bolton around.
Maybe that is why Bolton was packed
off to Africa before this announcement was made. Maybe he is actually at a secret meeting planning something that would prove that we need to stay at war and probably to step it up.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
Why, to chase terrorists worldwide.
And because of China and N Korea.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Why, to chase terrorists worldwide.
And because of China and N Korea.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
"Declare victory and leave." If only someone had done that
sooner in Vietnam, the Vietnam War Memorial (they finally called it a war) could have been so much smaller. And those were only the American casualties.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Aiken
I'm not certain yet what to say about this withdrawal from Syria, except that I think war is never the right answer. Then, again, what I decide doesn't much matter.
If only
Lyndon B Johnson and Robert Strange McNamara had stuck by their own intelligence about the supposed attack on the Maddox we could have avoided war. But hey, Saddam has mobile bio terror labs and yellowcake too. SSDD.
yellow cake
Any American can have yellow cake that wants it.....
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
And eat it too
with Marie A. frosting
question everything
Unfair!
I was gonna think of that, too....at some point.
My brain read “Deliciously Moist” as “Deliciously Maoist” … n/t
One down!
Next Afghanistan. Then Iraq. Then the 160+ fng bases around the world.
We should really let these people figure their own shit out.
We are an island fortress with Nukes and a Military funded more than 80 % of most countries GDP.
If we're not attempting to colonize most of the world or "spreading democracy " then what the f is our purpose?
Turkey is on the road to be the new Ottoman Empire. Let them. It worked out so well last time.
Isn't it time to just Stop The War?
The Patton speech, George C Scott. Overdubbed. Huzzah!
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
Is Turkey *really* on the way to that?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Let's see,
“We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,”
That's a giant lie right there, i.e., that wasn't the reason Trump or Obama were in Syria, and to say they're defeated is like another "mission accomplished" moment. And how many times did they tell us they had left Iraq and look at the US troops there today.
Looks like this is a tactical move, if it occurs, based on the failure of their real mission in Syria, that's all. They've been toying with this all year. It doesn't change the big picture. No credit to Trump on this at all.
Does that matter?
I'd let him get away with declaring victory if it meant an end to the war.
the end
Or at least our part in it, and our responsibility for the same. You betcha!
"Support Our Troops!" -- Bring Them ALL Home NOW!!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Ending what war? You must be kidding.
It's all one big fucking war. Nobody is ending any war.
If we aren't fighting in a place where we were fighting
That would make me happy. I'm waiting to see whether that actually happens. Like you, I'm not overwhelmingly sanguine, but I'm maybe not as sure as you. I don't understand how or why this is happening at all.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
OMG! Putin has weaponized peace now!
LOLOLOLOL
God I'd laugh at how batshit crazy they all are except they're going to get us all killed. But hey, on the bright side, global thermonuclear annihilation does solve the whole global warming problem, not to mention pollution and a handful of other human induced problems. I think "let's get rid of all the humans" is an out-of-the-box answer for sure.
What is truly sad, though, is watching my own family become McArthyists even as they proudly proclaim how liberal they are.
A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard
Over at ToP things are weird
Here
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/19/1820129/-Trump-announces-full-withdrawal-from-Syria-enraging-State-Department-officials-and-Republicans#comment_72335194
Seems they like endless war. Seems they are conflicted re: foreign intervention. Seems they know this is Putin's fault.
It's actually hillarious. Especially when they start debating Lindsay sexual proclivities in regards to him disagreeing with Trumph.
Top at its finest.
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
No mention on TOP of
1) the illegality of the war
2) the unconstitutionality of the war
3) the utter failure so far in this war
4) the complete lack of what we hope to accomplish there
5) the dangers of staying
It's just "oppose Trump" at all costs.
Those people are really sick over there
If you mention any of those things on your list, you will probably be instantly banned. I went over there the other day and the sheer lack critical thinking skills reminds me of what has been described as cult behavior. It is frightening to think that people can fall so easily under propaganda. Do they not do any research outside their very narrow comfort zone? And since when is war to be applauded? I lost brain cells just reading their comments.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
One person was talking sense
Here's the exchange:
"I'm anti-war myself, but...."
Yeah, sure.
"I'm anti-death penalty myself, but if a guy I don't like gets the electric chair... bring it on."
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
TOP -- always good for enhancing my depression
Good god those people are crazy. I am so proud I am banned from there.
A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard
exodus
punctuation added due to format change
I saw the "handwriting on the wall" and left on my own......
[video:https://youtu.be/XDM1bZz3gQk]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Be kind
I'm told they have to wear tight pink vajayjay hats 24/7 now to hold their brains in.
It's a struggle for them.
Dang! Quick look-see at Free Republic on withdrawal
Except for a few posts, looks like denizens of TOP are neocon interventionists. But just jumped on my mind to check with Free Republic to see reaction there. It was overwhelmingly "withdrawal is good thing." I could have missed it, but nobody implied it was a bad idea or that Putin ordered Trump to do it and its numerous variations.
Do the posters on TOP have any self reflection on the import and consequences of their rants? Trump gave Syria to Putin. Apparently the US owns Syria to give it away.
Saw the part on the homophobic remark. Homophobia is pretty much an accepted tactic of the Resistance to attack Trump. Again, total lack of self-reflection. One of thee worst at homophobic attacks is Cenk of TYT. I saw one clip where he was foaming at the mouth debating who was the top and bottom of the Putin/Trump relationship as if he were engaging in some weird sexual fantasy. I wish I had copied the link.
I hate it when the far-right is correct
Liberals are useless.
I'm still a socialist.
Far-right anecdote
The guy who wrote Goldwater's "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" speech became an anarchist and supported himself welding sculptures to barter because the IRS had a lien on all his earnings.
I always said the political spectrum was a circle, not a line.
The political spectrum as a circle
I have seen diagrams showing how political spectrum looks when graphed as a circle and it made sense to me.
Also, IMO, many of these people like Markos and the like have no real beliefs of their own other than fealty to their benefactors. They are opportunists who have no qualms about screwing over others if it benefits them either monetarily or in the form of power. It has always been about following the money and those with the money are pulling the strings which is why I am very careful not to blame the average person who happened to support a politician like Trump from the other end of the circle. They are victims just like us, but are looking for answers in another direction. Dealing with the issues can make allies of former political enemies.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Mercenaries
The term for people who fought on the side that was winning as long as they were paid for it or would join the other side if the price was right, sometimes switching sides in the middle of the battle. No moral compass whatsoever.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
Could be the reason “Game of Thrones” is so popular in this era
The clear good-versus-evil aspect of the characters in a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings universe gives rise to cognitive dissonance as soon as people try to compare that to the world we live in.
The match-up between the amorality of real-life politics and politicians and the characters in Game of Thrones, on the other hand . . .
Good observation.
I would not quite put LotR in that category though as there are a number of characters who exhibit more life-like behavior (in the books). It is more of what the normal should be where only a few choose evil while GoT has an excess of the evil doings that we see today.
Hope that made sense. I am tired. G'night.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
I think Marx had it right
Politic isn't a circle.
Nor is it left-right.
Politics is up-down.
Either you've got the money/power or you don't.
Good point, it's all about power
My "circle" metaphor thinking is >40 years old and showing its age, but my main point is that this left-right linear duality is bullhonkey. Your response made me think of John Reed in "Ten Days" and "all I know is that there are two classes".
How's this for a new metaphor: the political idea-space is a sphere. In the center is absolute power. Away from the center is increasingly distributed power. The very many flavors of anarchism, communism, and socialism, not to mention yet-undefined philosophies, would lie on radii in different directions and different distances from that center.
OK, maybe this is overly abstract, and the notion of power vs no power is all that's needed, but I see so much squabbling and what I call "ice-picking" (see Trotsky) that it never stays simple for long.
That picture of power at the center (with internal lines of defense) and the opposition being diffuse can sure help illustrate why it's so damn hard to get rid of the owners.
Ah, and if we include gravity in this model we can picture people being drawn to power. And then we need a balancing force to oppose that.
But the map is not the territory, a metaphor is only a metaphor, and we must never lose sight of the basic fact that it's all about power.
Don't mind my rambling, I'm still trying to figure it out. Thanks for stimulating me!
liberals
Liberals aren't useless; the neolibs who attempt to speak for them, however, are.
Genuine liberals, to a (wo)man, are overjoyed we're finally getting the F out of that Syrian tar pit. I know many face-to-face and they are overjoyed! The likes of Markos Moulitsas (neolib centrist asshats) want us to stay there.
The genuine liberals in my life meet that with much-deserved disgust.
And I'm still an anarchosocialist.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Threw a few flags today
at people who said that about Graham. Seems like I was the only one who did, but at least a few others threw a scolding. It seems that misogynistic, sexist and homophobic comments are acceptable as long as they aren't directed at people in their party. Sarah Sanders and others in Trump administration? Sure, go ahead.
Anyone ever wonder how members would have reacted if Vlad had come to Saddam's rescue? Seen as someone who would stand up to Bush? Or not ..? Party colored glasses.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
Neocons are having a bad week.
First the Weekly Standard. Now this.
On top of that, looks like John Bolton has been shuffled off to the Africa desk where he can still indulge his Imperial Viceroy fantasies but without risking WWIII.
Good news for a more peaceful 2019.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Take THAT, you atheists! :-)
There is a God! (And no, it's emphatically not Donald Trump!)
I think a Hymn of Praise would be most appropriate here:
[video:https://youtu.be/pRhjWdr-LAA]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I posted the tweet on Facebook
And said, "Thank you, Mr. President. Now let's bring all the troops home. No more wars!"
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
I had an essay on the
I had an essay on the WayoftheBern redditt which I posted on November 23, 2017. The title was, "The
war in Syria is over----and The USA Lost." My thesis was that Iran, Turkey, Russia and Syria had already concluded the war and were in charge of the outcomes.
We were still there because US Presidents hate to be the one declaring defeat.
Well, Trump has solved that problem! He's declared victory in the fight against ISIS. Fine with me!
Cable TV has all the generals on air tonight squealing about our "security concerns." Fuck every one of them.
Reminds me of Netanyahu calling his massacres responses to some imagined israeli security situation. Fuck him, too.
Regime change wars are wars of choice for private profit.
NYCVG
From the few I heard
Seems they were spouting a variation of Bush's "we have to fight them there, so we don't have to fight them here".
US politics is beyond redeemable when resistance to trump is pro-war and engagement with clinical paranoia involving secret communication between master Putin and puppet Trump.
Good decision but what happened in back rooms
I thought Trump lost total control of policy and actions in Syria. Pentagon even disobeyed Obama. Looks like he might be using the power of the tweet and forcing generals into withdrawal.
Fricking amazing that Trump may turn out to be the peace president.
If he is any kind of businessman
...then he knows the only way to save the economy from collapse is to stop the giant military bleed of the nation's revenues into the pockets of the rich by ending the shitshow wars.
But hey, he got totally bamboozled by that GOP lie that if you cut the taxes on the rich, then government revenues go up and deficits go away. His instant karma makes him look fat.
Don't believe a word of it
Just more diversionary propaganda. Policy will not change (without force). This is another 'look the other way' psycops operation.
question everything
we shall see.
Do you perchance have direct evidence, specific to this exact situation, to support these assertions? (Please do post it if you do!)
Mere supposition, even backed up by previous history, won't do here. Unless and until we find out whether the promised withdrawal actually happens, the appropriate attitudes are "we shall see" and "distrust and verify".
And indeed, we shall see. But we'll monitor RT and (especially) WikiLeaks in the mean time.
Please do keep in mind that getting us out of a war has helped Republican Presidents rehabilitate their reputations in the past. "He got us out of Vietnam" worked wonders to get Americans to forget Richard Nixon's crimes against the Nation and accept Gerald Ford's pardoning of him. Donald Trump might be gunning for more of the same.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I think Trump may be on to something!
Declare victory in Syria and bring the troops home.
What an idea! Here's a few more suggestions:
Declare victory in Afghanistan and bring the troops home.
Declare victory in Iraq and bring the troops home.
Declare victory in Korea and bring the troops home.
Declare victory in Germany and bring the troops home.
Declare victory in Japan and bring the troops home.
Declare victory in Norway and bring the troops home. I read somewhere that we have 200 troops in Norway, apparently in case ISIS decides to drive their pickups there to stir up some shit.
Downsize the military. Take the peace dividend (remember that phrase?) and buy everyone a pony. Or health care.
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
If we go off oil,
we may need a pony. It's actually a good idea.
The US did not defeat ISIS, we made it. Syria, Russia and Iran
won that horrible war. We just delayed the inevitable reconstruction on their terms.
Net zero. Syria has been destroyed. So has much of Iraq at the cost of American hegemony in MENA. Something gained, something lost. Stalemate. Screaming agony.
Going to be long, bloody decline for this Empire.
Trump does something right, while he still can.
Caitlin Johnson has this to say
.
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2018/12/20/reactions-to-trumps-syria-withdr...