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Sunday, 05 January 2020

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Over here, our left is always loony. In power they are dangerous, out of power they are violent. With this Iran thing, true to form, they have all in one motion donned their "anti war" "anti violence" agit prop. The left is anti neither one. They are simply on the other side. It is instructive when the communist front group ANSWER is doing the organizing.

the previous President did more or less exactly the same

David, please explain.

Oh, did you miss it, Bob?

"Osama bin Laden was able to evade U.S. forces during three presidential administrations. But on May 2, 2011, the fugitive leader of al-Qaeda was shot and killed inside a private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by U.S. Navy SEALS and CIA operatives in a covert strike ordered by President Barack Obama."

Ruthless, that 'Obamarama'!

The two aren't equivalent. Killing OBL was a capping blow, not an opening gambit. Few in the Western powers disagree Soleimani deserved to be killed. However, both presidents GW Bush and Obama decided the risks outweighed the possible advantages.

Soleimani both rose to power and killed hundreds of Americans during GW Bush's Iraq War. Obsessing about Obama makes no sense.

Re the fires in Oz, in previous wild fires in the American west, Aussies have come to our aid in fighting them as they have a great deal of experience with with these calamities. Now we are sending fire fighters to return the favor. Fighting and evacuating and coping is the first order of business but extended rainfall will be the final answer.

David,

You're right that American big cities, nearly all run by Democrats, have big city problems. What you're ignoring is that rural areas, nearly all run by Republicans, have higher unemployment, nearly equal problems with drugs and alcohol, less public transportation, and fewer health care facilities. They only have a smaller serving of other city problems:

https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018/05/22/views-of-problems-facing-urban-suburban-and-rural-communities/

It isn't as if Obama, who launched 563 drone strikes during his two terms (including one against an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, that took out members of his family as well), was particularly allergic to such methods.

This is just how things are done these days. The technology is just too seductive not to use it. But how different parties respond depends far more -- let's be honest here -- on who's doing what than what is being done.

Angelo,
"But how different parties respond depends far more -- let's be honest here -- on who's doing what than what is being done."

Ain't that the truth!

Bob,

"However, both presidents GW Bush and Obama decided the risks outweighed the possible advantages."

(Mr. Misterioso just the drone strikes onto Iraq exceed your paltry 563 number - in the public domain that'd been 2400+.)

Anyway. Bob you got to be kidding us.

Obama droned at minimum by my count - 17 different countries from extreme western Africa (Mali) to, at least, Afghanistan.

GW might have had he the tech - hard to say. I figure Rumsfeld had he "beyond Predators" definitely.

JK,

I was only referring to killing Soleimani. Obama was no peacenik. Never claimed he was.

Things are improving very slightly here in Oz but we will survive.... that's what Aussies do.
There are too many fine charities to name but we thank you for your kind thoughts at this terrible time.

Bob,

You're aware than on 11 October 2011, the Obama Administration revealed the United States Government's allegations that the Quds Force was involved with the plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States in Washington DC?

That the Iranian team infiltrated via Venezuela and then up and across the US Mexico border in to New Mexico? Reports have the team traversing I-40 then up through Arkansas to Missouri's I-44 then catching a flight from St Louis into National in DC?

You think such action wouldn't make any member of the organization a legitimate military target?

Provided of course the member was outside the jurisdiction of CONUS and as Gerald Ford's Presidential Directive against US law enforcement participating in "rubbing out" such individuals/teams/groups Obama would not have, had he not been more inclined toward delivering 'pallets of cash' he'd not ordered the military to "take your best shot"?

You might Bob see if you can manage a mailing address for retired General McCrystal and inquire of him whether he agrees with you.

Bob,

"What you're ignoring is that rural areas, nearly all run by Republicans, have higher unemployment, nearly equal problems with drugs and alcohol, less public transportation, and fewer health care facilities. They only have a smaller serving of other city problems"

A "smaller serving" indeed Bob.

My county for instance is rural. Our most recent gun homicide taking place in the spring of 2004 and our most recent "shot by police" criminal (non-fatal however, I suppose owing largely to then our cops' service arms were .38 revolvers) was in 1968.

I would allow as there's been a couple instances our locals have disabled vehicles by gunfire, most recently just this past year when my schoolchum Sheriff shot the sidewalls of the driver's side tires ending a chase that began in a non-rural (by our standards) metropolis of some 50,000 more or less.

Our paper reported the driver gave up peaceably exclaiming "We don't see shooting like that where we come from!" Made the local radio station's news for a week.

G'day Duffers.
I live over 200 kilometres west of the Gippsland fires. Visibility here by Port Phillip is around 400 to 500 metres due to the smoke from the East Gippsland fire. Fortunately it has started to rain but we needs lots of it.
A few of the fires are due to arsonists. The bastards ought to be thrown into the fires they have started
Whiters is spot on. The cousins have sent firefighters here just as we do when they have large bushfires.
If you are looking to find how to donate can I suggest a call to Australia House in London.

AussieD,
thanks for the update and stay safe.

JK,

You're asking for a lot of speculation on military matters I'm not qualified to make.

I have also lived in the country, about 40 miles outside of Indianapolis. There was not a 0 crime rate. Most of the criminal activity had to do with drugs, especially methamphetamine, and theft. Even if rural America were utopia, you'd have to consider this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-us-gdp-concentration-counties/

JK,

Here's what General McCrystal had to say about letting Soleimani escape:

"The decision not to act is often the hardest one to make—and it isn’t always right. In 2007, I watched a string of vehicles pass from Iran into northern Iraq. I had been serving as the head of the U.S. military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for four years, working to stem the terrorism that had devastated the region, and I had become accustomed to making tough choices. But on that January night, the choice was particularly tricky: whether or not to attack a convoy that included Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force—an organization roughly analogous to a combination of the CIA and JSOC in the United States.

There was good reason to eliminate Suleimani. At the time, Iranian-made roadside bombs built and deployed at his command were claiming the lives of U.S. troops across Iraq. But to avoid a firefight, and the contentious politics that would follow, I decided that we should monitor the caravan, not strike immediately. By the time the convoy had reached Erbil, Suleimani had slipped away into the darkness."

https://foreignpolicy.com/gt-essay/irans-deadly-puppet-master-qassem-suleimani/

JK,

"(Mr. Misterioso just the drone strikes onto Iraq exceed your paltry 563 number - in the public domain that'd been 2400+.)"

Quite so. I was only counting strikes outside the "legitimate" Iraq theater, in places like Yemen, Pakistan, etc.

Well Bob, I suppose you've got something there, sure there's drugs. But the cost of living is low. Take me for instance, I'm in a three bedroom house and even have indoor plumbing, rent's $300 a month. Electricity internet and tv a bit less than half that. Currently gasoline for my cars and pickup (paid for) is up a nickel from the $2.19 a gallon it was costing me last week. Meals out generally run me about $30 including the tip. So figure all that which leaves me just a bit less than half of what I'm getting from social security - leaving whatever I choose to take on for the generally two to three "sidejobs" I may take on depending on the "quality of the pleading" of whoever is wanting me to do whatever it is their needing done.

So I'm guessing I can do at least as much leisure activities as however many Bloomberg reporters it took to research whatever they've concluded my gdp-thingy indicates I'm limited to.

The dopers and whatever other criminal types around here there are haven't bothered me but maybe that's due to word getting around "the underworld" that I'm a guy who doesn't call 911. And my dog only responds to Dari, some Pashtu. And then of course there's my neighbors who don't call 911 either.

***

I wonder if General McCrystal rues his choice of calling Susan Rice to "clear the shot" and d'ruther he'd called Jeh Johnson?

https://commoncts.blogspot.com/2020/01/boom-obama-dhs-secretary-jeh-johnson.html

Oh by the way Bob,

Please tell any of your friends who are considering a move that Idaho is a much better place than Arkansas.

JK,

Idaho is a beautiful state. My wife and I drove across it back in the 1980's and were so impressed we looked into moving there to retire. The #1 fact that impressed me was the average winter temperature in Boise is -13F. I don't know any Eskimos.

I now live in a small city. It's more expensive but there's a lot more to do. To each his own.

Well Bob I would allow as if I want to see a flicker-show I got to drive 28 miles up into Missouri. And the nearest Walmart is over in the next county which distance is 18 - travel time depending on (farm) tractors and the occasional horse. Deer of course.

One thing I didn't take into account for you is taxes - which in my case and owing to my own preferences makes me subject solely to personal property which runs me in the neighborhood of eighty bucks a year. Victuals qualified in my case compared to my neighbors because I enjoy a more "exotic fare" (seafood, lamb, elk) runs me $200 a month.

Beer actually is about the only expense I sometimes worry over (I prefer store-bought - much to Barney's amusement).

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