It’s been a very eventful week. I want to thank everyone here for all the great comments and keeping all of us who weren’t able to watch events firsthand feel like we saw them live. This is the best community.
Somehow I do have faith this President will bring us thru this crisis too.
Hi Guys! Thought I’d pop in a post something light and airy, since it’s been such a weighty day today. 🙂
Cousin and I were walking two blocks from our hotel to get to the Trolley Tour pickup stop, when I looked to the left and noticed we were passing St. John’s Episcopal Church. The lovely church that our First Family sometimes attends.
You’ve seen the adorable pictures of the family strolling down a tree-lined street, remember? Well, St. John’s is just across the street from Lafayette Park, which is essentially just outside the White House backyard. I was just giddy with excitement when I realized this was THAT church!
On the way to our tour pickup, walked past St John's Episcopal Church where First Family attends svcs. pic.twitter.com/ZHFpzDgbGn
Hi, my beautiful ‘Musician-In- Chief.’ I hope and pray that your trip will continue to be a lovely one. This is so wonderful that you got to see this lovely church where our President and First Family go to when possible. What an experience to be able to be in that wonderful space during your trip. Be safe and know that you are missed. (((((((( Lots of travelling angels surrounding you, Dudette))))))))HZ
Hi There my lovely HZ!!! Thank you so much for your prayers and your very kind words. It’s been an incredible trip. I already want to plan a return. There’s just waaaay too much to see and do in just two days. Can’t wait to go back, seriously no more driving. If I can’t fly, I ain’t going. 🙂
I am with you on this great thought, Dudette. I just said a prayer for her campaign. She is a hard working steward with her gifts for the people of Ohio and all across America. I love her passion for working hard. Support Nina Turner , Yes I Will. HZ
As we walked along H Street, caught a glimpse of this really pretty house on the other side of Lafayette Park. Gee, I wonder who lives there. Must be some pretty important people. 😀
Good Night my Chips and TOD family. Thank you for this space and for all of the brilliant contributors in our space here.
I will leave our TOD family with these words from ” Barack Obama, In His Own Words.” (written in 2006.)
On issues: “I really have to make sure that everything I do focuses on the substance and the issues. If I stay focused on that, I’ll have my good days and my bad days, but at least I’ll always feel I’m on solid ground.” Chicago Tribune, February 24,2006.
This week more than ever has reminded me of how lucky and blessed we are to have chosen Obama. His deliberation in the face of a howling chorus is a far contrast to any other President in my lifetime. And in far contrast to the other alternatives. Those emoprogs and those having Iraq flashbacks and comparing him to Bush need to remember that unlike Bush, Obama makes his own decisions based on logic, truth, and in his own time. He doesn’t lie, he doesn’t chestbeat, he doesn’t rush in without planning. He doesn’t need to cement a place in history: just being the first Aftican-American President has secured that. Obama is the man that Shrub could never be, the President he couldn’t even try to be. That very maturity drives both right and left crazy, for we haven’t had a President like him, really, ever. Think about it: a President who isn’t driven by his insecurities like Nixon or Carter, who doesn’t buy into ideological crap like Reagan or Daddy Bush, or sometimes the captive of his appetites like Clinton, or lazy like Bush. There are no hooks on him to make him do something he doesn’t want to do.
Sometimes I think many on the left have issues with power and the responsibility it brings. Having been the subjects of the abuse of power has allowed a certain “righteousness” without responsibility. It’s easy to think all uses of American military or financial power are corrupt without nuance. As long as daddy “conservatives” ran the place, there was no need to think about the deep decisions regarding America’s place in the world. Instead one could choose to “drop out” or talk “third party” or be haplessly pacifist in the face of an armed world. And one could have a progressive fiefdom of adoring followers without the need to reach out to others or be civilly engaged.
Syria is a tough cookie, no matter how you slice it. Assad is just like his father, a brutal bastard who has shown he would kill everyone he can to keep a power that was never granted to him either by election or a legitimate monarchy. And while many of the rebels just want Assad gone and a chance to take their lives in their own hands, some of the assistants just want another theocracy like Iran, which is simply tyranny by another name. But chemical weapons are the cruelest of all weapons. Even after the dead are buried, the soil is heavily contaminated, killing people long after the war is over. So Obama has a hard decision to make, but he’s up to the task and I trust him based on experience to make the right one or at least the best one he can make. If he goes for it, he has a plan to get things done. If he pulls away from the brink, he’ll have something to show for it.
Oh Wow!!! Could Mistress Chips please frontpage this insightful piece from Carol? Come to think of it, I have author rights, so I can. Do you mind me frontpaging it and giving you credit?
Good Morning all.. It has been a busy week for all of us. I was just happy I was able to watch both the March on Saturday, and the speeches on Wednesday. Could not have been prouder of all that participated.
On Syria….As we sat on the sidelines of Rwanda in 1994, Darfur in 2004, started an unnecessary war in Iraq in 2003 many are conflicted. I know that World Peace will not come anytime soon but….We have the best President in the White House at this time. He took out Bin Laden without any loss of civilian life. We helped get Ghadaffi by giving their own countrymen a way to remove him. We helped get rid of Mubarack and they elected a MISTAKE. I am torn on this issue. I know Military action usually hurts Civilians first but I am sure that if President Obama orders action…it will be precise! He is making sure his Military can act without loss of Civilian life.
My thoughts are with him, our Military and all of Syrians countrymen at this time.
Lol! My twitter account got suspended again. Somebody that knows me us reporting me, same person every time says twitter. I mean 4 accounts in 2 weeks? My tweets are not different from anybody else’s tweets. Except the NAME!
Why is my account being susoended?
Plenty of people cuss, plenty of people go after the media.
This is silly and somewhat malicious and spiteful.
In other news…
🙂
Im not too worried about that as far as the wife thing goes. He’ll have someone special beforehand if for no other reason than to leave himself less vulnerable to status-seekers and scandal. But like Obama, he needs a quality First Spouse, and not everyone comes up to that standard.
I am still disappointed in the UK. I guess because they ran so willingly hand in hand with G.W. into Iraq, they don’t want to help now. Like the President said everyone is against the use of chemical weapons, but no one want to do anything. Disappointed.
I agree with you annie. ALL PEOPLE should be shown the pictures of the victims of this assault against humanity over and over and over again for everyone to realize that this is not a political game we are talking about!!!! Shame people into action!!!!!
anniebella – supporting GWB brought 10 years of war – that achieved nothing other than death and destruction. President Obama has had to rebuild trust in the US – much of which was lost by Bush II. Recent events with Snowden have not helped in terms of trust. There are no easy answers or solutions for anyone at the minute.
99ts, I know all about Iraq and G.W. Bush, but what about doing what’s right. I am sure if we were to look at the paper sign for countries against the used of chemical weapons, we will see the UK name their. There are no easy answers or solutions for this President, other than trying to do what is right. The UK and U.S has a long history, we help one another out alot, and here’s one answer the UK could have seen, Barack Obama is not G.W. Bush.
I think at the minute, they may have an overwhelming desire to stay away from military intervention anywhere – many may not agree – the vote in parliament was very close – but it did not go as the PM wanted – things can change. In 1939-1941 Roosevelt could not get the votes in congress to join the war with Britain against Germany – but he helped in many ways – (lend/lease being the major way) – eventually it changed.
If Prez Obama was white, parliament would have voted differently. If it was Romney making this decision they’d have fallen in line. British racism is no different from America’s. There, I said it
I really cannot believe that zizi – I do not deny there is racism in the UK – some white supremacists around – but I have never seen anything like that directed at Barack Obama – he is way more popular outside the US than in the US.
UK has more historical ties to Syria. They created the ethnic cauldron that Syria is. But when the rubber meets the road, they weasel out and leave PBO to hold the bag?
I honestly don’t think that was the motivation for the vote, Zizi – it was partly down to the Brits not wanting to get involved in an another military campaign with America after the Iraq debacle (thank you GWB), and partly down to right wing Conservatives wanting to give Cameron a bloody nose, they hate him.
They had zero reason to turn their backs on Prez Obama, not when he had bailed them out again and again. He saved Cameron’s ass when he was gungho to bomb Libya. PBO has demonstrated on the world stage how astute his foreign policy decisions are. There was no reason for the Brits to use GWB as excuse.
They turned lily-livered cuz they could recoil into plausible deniability about the ghost of Iraq. To me it is the ugly spectre of not accepting the black guy’s authority in a very complex situation that they themselves have zero solution to. They can’t see themselves being LED by PBO.
But I didn’t interpret it at all as them turning their backs on PBO, rather a mistrust of linking up with America again in light of Britain’s Iraq experience – and that’s down to Bush. And, as I said, opportunism on the part of Tory turds to damage Cameron (who I generally don’t like, other than his liberal stance on most social issues – which is one of the reasons the right of his party hate him).
I genuinely don’t think the vote had anything to do with PBO, his authority didn’t feature in any of the debates I saw/read.
There has always been much discussion that if Blair hadn’t given such early and total support to GWB about those WMD, much of the past 10 years may have been very different. 9/11 generated massive support, worldwide for the US, at the minute that level of support is not there.
Thus said, I cannot always have the same viewpoint as most folks on TOD, despite my admiration for PBO as the best President ever – it is not my nation & I spent the first many years of my life with a major allegiance to the UK (We still recognize the monarchy as head of state). I probably should not have posted at all on the issue – and will not again.
Thirty-eight states sign the Geneva Protocol, banning the use of chemical weapons in the aftermath of World War I.
The treaty is currently governed by the United Nations with 138 countries registered as full “parties” to the agreement.
I have been thinking a lot about this….
I do not want us to go alone…because the UN has stymied by Russia and China, we cannot count on the world community to act…
our closest ally has said NO…
I do not want PBO to go alone either….I want him to call on the bat-crap krazy Congress for a vote…YAY or NAY….and get them on record…whether we should intervene…..it will be interesting to see where that vote goes…..
he asked more questions than he gave answers…and he said this…
Government is not moral, morals are for individuals.
Government may be just, it may be rational, it may be ethical within certain broad guidelines, but it’s not moral. It can’t be….
One billion dollars could be spent advertising ACA and you could still find people that don’t know about ACA, at point do people have to start taking responsibility for finding out about ACA?
So let me see, how much do I trust Putin. If it’s true what Putin is saying maybe they wanted to finish the rebels off. Who knows what is in the mind of something like that Syrian leader?
Putin is so pathetic, now he’s trying to act as though he gives a damn about Assad gassing his own people. I’m starting to think that Putin doesn’t want anything to do with President Obama after President Obama told the world that Assad’s days are numbered.
A few little thoughts on Putin. I don´t trust that guy one bit, he´s an egomanic jerk that is trying to cling to a world that doesn´t exist any more, mainly a world where Russia was still something like a world power that actually moved a lot on the international stage. Those days are gone and that´s what Putin doesn´t like. Russia today is riddled by too many problems to even consider it an equal with the US when it comes to influence.
So…that in short means that even though he is beating his chest now and warning about a limited air strike, he is unlikely to directly respond to it if it should come to it today or in the following days. I cannot see him closing lines with Assad and support him against the West, even Putin is not that stupid.
What however I do see is that if there is a strike (and I have no idea myself what I would do in PBO´s place…the only answer I can come to is that I am glad that I don´t have to make that decision and that I think he will do everything to make sure it´s the best possible option in a situation that basically has mediocre options at best) what Putin might do in the future is bend international law when it comes to the Georgian Republic where so far intervention from the Russian side has not been as extreme as Putin surely wishes. He might come up with bogu reasons to intervene there and crush the Georgian Republic without UN consent naming just the Syrian situation right now as an example. That´s how weird and crazy Putin is.
Also, repeating the opinion of everyone here: I am glad November 2012 turned out the way it did. I sure do sleep calmer because of it right now.
Interesting, thanks for your perspective. I agree that Putin’s Russia is not in any position to take on the West. And his behavior is a loud compensation for that fact.
President Obama’s itinerary for his first trip to Sweden this Wednesday before heading to the G20 Thursday and Friday.
*Bilateral meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to discuss trade and international security.
*Visit the Great Synagogue in Stockholm to honor the late Holocaust humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg, a Swede credited with helping save tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary.
*Tour the Royal Institute of Technology, which an administration official described as “on the cutting edge of research.”
In the evening, the president is scheduled to join Reinfeldt at a formal dinner that could include other Nordic leaders. Reinfeldt has invited the heads of state of Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Norway.
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
Love the President and First Lady
Not much activity tonight! Everyone is tired.
Jacqueline is still on last thread; will see if I can call her over
Thanks, Barb! Congrats, CarolynfromDetroit!
Yes,CfD. I’m actually heading off to bed now too. I’ll leave you with this thought…
“The supreme quality of leadership is integrity.” ~Dwight Eisenhower
Nite all
I agree. This is a perfect description of our President.
It’s been a very eventful week. I want to thank everyone here for all the great comments and keeping all of us who weren’t able to watch events firsthand feel like we saw them live. This is the best community.
Somehow I do have faith this President will bring us thru this crisis too.
Good night!
Beautiful comment to end the day.
Yep, we’ve got the right guy in the chair, mtmarilyn.
Hi Guys! Thought I’d pop in a post something light and airy, since it’s been such a weighty day today. 🙂
Cousin and I were walking two blocks from our hotel to get to the Trolley Tour pickup stop, when I looked to the left and noticed we were passing St. John’s Episcopal Church. The lovely church that our First Family sometimes attends.
You’ve seen the adorable pictures of the family strolling down a tree-lined street, remember? Well, St. John’s is just across the street from Lafayette Park, which is essentially just outside the White House backyard. I was just giddy with excitement when I realized this was THAT church!
http://binged.it/15npE80
Good to see you here, traveler!
Hiya JOB! I SHOULD be in bed. Crashed here in NC, half-way home. Gotta get up early to finish the trek back to GA.
Driven that stretch numerous times … you’re probably “too tired” to sleep! Sweet dreams when you get there.
It’s weird, but that’s kind of the best way to describe it. 🙂
Hi, my beautiful ‘Musician-In- Chief.’ I hope and pray that your trip will continue to be a lovely one. This is so wonderful that you got to see this lovely church where our President and First Family go to when possible. What an experience to be able to be in that wonderful space during your trip. Be safe and know that you are missed. (((((((( Lots of travelling angels surrounding you, Dudette))))))))HZ
Hi There my lovely HZ!!! Thank you so much for your prayers and your very kind words. It’s been an incredible trip. I already want to plan a return. There’s just waaaay too much to see and do in just two days. Can’t wait to go back, seriously no more driving. If I can’t fly, I ain’t going. 🙂
Thank you Dudette for sharing all these pictures. We lived in Georgetown for 8 yrs and loved our walks past St Johns, the White House, etc.
#FORWARD
Think I’ll throw in a little good news, if you missed this:
Yay Nina! I can’t vote for her, but I sure can send her a campaign contribution!!!
She’s one of the hardest-working politicians around!
Indeed. I wanna see her do a successful stint as Ohio SOS, then target the governor’s chair, if she wants it.
I am with you on this great thought, Dudette. I just said a prayer for her campaign. She is a hard working steward with her gifts for the people of Ohio and all across America. I love her passion for working hard. Support Nina Turner , Yes I Will. HZ
As we walked along H Street, caught a glimpse of this really pretty house on the other side of Lafayette Park. Gee, I wonder who lives there. Must be some pretty important people. 😀
No fair! I had a great speech planned too. 🙂
😀 😀 😀
hahahahaha…you are tooo funny Dudette…smiling as I sip my coffee,,,,GM to ya
Okay, the sandman just threw a box of bricks at me. Gotta make sleepy-time! Good night friends. 🙂
((((( Love you, Dudette.))))) Good night beautiful Dudette.HZ
Ta-ta 9t9. cya
Good read even if it is dailykos.
Rather amazed, sailor, that the wretched Obama haters at the orange swamp haven’t deleted it …
#FORWARD Together
Me too Lootenant……How would you like to be aboard one of those cans in the Med right now?
As a Doc, it would be an honor …
Dig up your white ditty bag with the red cross on it and stand-by in sick bay. 😀
None of us can escape the reality of our personal responsibility to answer the questions and act accordingly …
… time for some rest which unfortunately our dear President is likely not getting much of these days ….
#TrustBarack
Yes We Can
Good Night my Chips and TOD family. Thank you for this space and for all of the brilliant contributors in our space here.
I will leave our TOD family with these words from ” Barack Obama, In His Own Words.” (written in 2006.)
On issues: “I really have to make sure that everything I do focuses on the substance and the issues. If I stay focused on that, I’ll have my good days and my bad days, but at least I’ll always feel I’m on solid ground.” Chicago Tribune, February 24,2006.
He has never wavered from this thought. HZ
Not sure if this vid has been posted, I’m way too swamped to read today’s post…
This week more than ever has reminded me of how lucky and blessed we are to have chosen Obama. His deliberation in the face of a howling chorus is a far contrast to any other President in my lifetime. And in far contrast to the other alternatives. Those emoprogs and those having Iraq flashbacks and comparing him to Bush need to remember that unlike Bush, Obama makes his own decisions based on logic, truth, and in his own time. He doesn’t lie, he doesn’t chestbeat, he doesn’t rush in without planning. He doesn’t need to cement a place in history: just being the first Aftican-American President has secured that. Obama is the man that Shrub could never be, the President he couldn’t even try to be. That very maturity drives both right and left crazy, for we haven’t had a President like him, really, ever. Think about it: a President who isn’t driven by his insecurities like Nixon or Carter, who doesn’t buy into ideological crap like Reagan or Daddy Bush, or sometimes the captive of his appetites like Clinton, or lazy like Bush. There are no hooks on him to make him do something he doesn’t want to do.
Sometimes I think many on the left have issues with power and the responsibility it brings. Having been the subjects of the abuse of power has allowed a certain “righteousness” without responsibility. It’s easy to think all uses of American military or financial power are corrupt without nuance. As long as daddy “conservatives” ran the place, there was no need to think about the deep decisions regarding America’s place in the world. Instead one could choose to “drop out” or talk “third party” or be haplessly pacifist in the face of an armed world. And one could have a progressive fiefdom of adoring followers without the need to reach out to others or be civilly engaged.
Syria is a tough cookie, no matter how you slice it. Assad is just like his father, a brutal bastard who has shown he would kill everyone he can to keep a power that was never granted to him either by election or a legitimate monarchy. And while many of the rebels just want Assad gone and a chance to take their lives in their own hands, some of the assistants just want another theocracy like Iran, which is simply tyranny by another name. But chemical weapons are the cruelest of all weapons. Even after the dead are buried, the soil is heavily contaminated, killing people long after the war is over. So Obama has a hard decision to make, but he’s up to the task and I trust him based on experience to make the right one or at least the best one he can make. If he goes for it, he has a plan to get things done. If he pulls away from the brink, he’ll have something to show for it.
Beautifully said, Carol. Thank you.
Oh Wow!!! Could Mistress Chips please frontpage this insightful piece from Carol? Come to think of it, I have author rights, so I can. Do you mind me frontpaging it and giving you credit?
Mooooooorning Zizi and Carol!! Will add Carol’s comments to R&S which should be up in an hour or so – thanks a gazillion!
Thanks, Chips. I’m thrilled to be on the front page.
Brilliant, thoughtful, insightful and outstanding Carol – thank YOU!!!
Perfectly stated. Thank you.
Let us all say a prayer for POTUS that God bless in and help him make the right decision.
I agree with you Luna.
Good Morning all.. It has been a busy week for all of us. I was just happy I was able to watch both the March on Saturday, and the speeches on Wednesday. Could not have been prouder of all that participated.
On Syria….As we sat on the sidelines of Rwanda in 1994, Darfur in 2004, started an unnecessary war in Iraq in 2003 many are conflicted. I know that World Peace will not come anytime soon but….We have the best President in the White House at this time. He took out Bin Laden without any loss of civilian life. We helped get Ghadaffi by giving their own countrymen a way to remove him. We helped get rid of Mubarack and they elected a MISTAKE. I am torn on this issue. I know Military action usually hurts Civilians first but I am sure that if President Obama orders action…it will be precise! He is making sure his Military can act without loss of Civilian life.
My thoughts are with him, our Military and all of Syrians countrymen at this time.
Lol! My twitter account got suspended again. Somebody that knows me us reporting me, same person every time says twitter. I mean 4 accounts in 2 weeks? My tweets are not different from anybody else’s tweets. Except the NAME!
Why is my account being susoended?
Plenty of people cuss, plenty of people go after the media.
This is silly and somewhat malicious and spiteful.
In other news…
🙂
Jovie…do not use your name “Jovie” thats the give-away. Use JMS or something like that.
Hopefully that will work.
Thanks will do! JMS! Got it!
https://twitter.com/Jovie1312/status/373784138626891776
Good morning!
New account it’s my fifth in 2 weeks.
LOL!
Guinness book world of records.
I. Am. Crying. 😆 Jovie, you are a hooooooooooooot!!!!
Send me a direct message so I can add you as my friend. BertinMn What have you been up to to cause such a punishment? I love your comments.
Maybe some person place or thing hates me!
I hate Nouns too!
🙂
Oh he did make a statement disingenuous one too
No Putin, President Obama doesn’t need your help.
Then sign on to the UN resolution to condemn Syria’s use of Chemical weapons..
Why didn’t Putin talk his friend Syria out of using Chemical Weapons?
Is the MSM that scared that Booker will run for Prez one day – and WIN?
Joe and I say to that: ‘Malarkey”!!!
Im not too worried about that as far as the wife thing goes. He’ll have someone special beforehand if for no other reason than to leave himself less vulnerable to status-seekers and scandal. But like Obama, he needs a quality First Spouse, and not everyone comes up to that standard.
GAH. Can we just let him run for the Senate for now? JHC, this is just hideous. It’s like the new ice cream flavor of the month for the MSM.
I am still disappointed in the UK. I guess because they ran so willingly hand in hand with G.W. into Iraq, they don’t want to help now. Like the President said everyone is against the use of chemical weapons, but no one want to do anything. Disappointed.
I agree with you annie. ALL PEOPLE should be shown the pictures of the victims of this assault against humanity over and over and over again for everyone to realize that this is not a political game we are talking about!!!! Shame people into action!!!!!
anniebella – supporting GWB brought 10 years of war – that achieved nothing other than death and destruction. President Obama has had to rebuild trust in the US – much of which was lost by Bush II. Recent events with Snowden have not helped in terms of trust. There are no easy answers or solutions for anyone at the minute.
99ts, I know all about Iraq and G.W. Bush, but what about doing what’s right. I am sure if we were to look at the paper sign for countries against the used of chemical weapons, we will see the UK name their. There are no easy answers or solutions for this President, other than trying to do what is right. The UK and U.S has a long history, we help one another out alot, and here’s one answer the UK could have seen, Barack Obama is not G.W. Bush.
Maybe they could have seen that using these chemical weapons is not right.
I think at the minute, they may have an overwhelming desire to stay away from military intervention anywhere – many may not agree – the vote in parliament was very close – but it did not go as the PM wanted – things can change. In 1939-1941 Roosevelt could not get the votes in congress to join the war with Britain against Germany – but he helped in many ways – (lend/lease being the major way) – eventually it changed.
If Prez Obama was white, parliament would have voted differently. If it was Romney making this decision they’d have fallen in line. British racism is no different from America’s. There, I said it
I really cannot believe that zizi – I do not deny there is racism in the UK – some white supremacists around – but I have never seen anything like that directed at Barack Obama – he is way more popular outside the US than in the US.
UK has more historical ties to Syria. They created the ethnic cauldron that Syria is. But when the rubber meets the road, they weasel out and leave PBO to hold the bag?
I honestly don’t think that was the motivation for the vote, Zizi – it was partly down to the Brits not wanting to get involved in an another military campaign with America after the Iraq debacle (thank you GWB), and partly down to right wing Conservatives wanting to give Cameron a bloody nose, they hate him.
They had zero reason to turn their backs on Prez Obama, not when he had bailed them out again and again. He saved Cameron’s ass when he was gungho to bomb Libya. PBO has demonstrated on the world stage how astute his foreign policy decisions are. There was no reason for the Brits to use GWB as excuse.
They turned lily-livered cuz they could recoil into plausible deniability about the ghost of Iraq. To me it is the ugly spectre of not accepting the black guy’s authority in a very complex situation that they themselves have zero solution to. They can’t see themselves being LED by PBO.
But I didn’t interpret it at all as them turning their backs on PBO, rather a mistrust of linking up with America again in light of Britain’s Iraq experience – and that’s down to Bush. And, as I said, opportunism on the part of Tory turds to damage Cameron (who I generally don’t like, other than his liberal stance on most social issues – which is one of the reasons the right of his party hate him).
I genuinely don’t think the vote had anything to do with PBO, his authority didn’t feature in any of the debates I saw/read.
There has always been much discussion that if Blair hadn’t given such early and total support to GWB about those WMD, much of the past 10 years may have been very different. 9/11 generated massive support, worldwide for the US, at the minute that level of support is not there.
Thus said, I cannot always have the same viewpoint as most folks on TOD, despite my admiration for PBO as the best President ever – it is not my nation & I spent the first many years of my life with a major allegiance to the UK (We still recognize the monarchy as head of state). I probably should not have posted at all on the issue – and will not again.
“I probably should not have posted at all on the issue – and will not again.”
99ts, post on the issue whenever you wish!! I’m always interested in reading your views, on anything, please never hold back!
Rooney too? – no – think I’ll leave him out of the discussion also 🙂 🙂
99ts, you are free to discuss Rooney any time at all – but only if you hail him as the Messiah. Otherwise you’ll end up in spam. 😆
Gooooooooood Morning TODville…
sipping coffee…reading and thinking…
found this…
a timeline re: chemical warfare…intriguing..if you have not signed the treaty re: Chemical weapons does that mean that you are not bound by it…
Thirty-eight states sign the Geneva Protocol, banning the use of chemical weapons in the aftermath of World War I.
The treaty is currently governed by the United Nations with 138 countries registered as full “parties” to the agreement.
Where are the rest of these countries? Sitting back on their asses counting on America to do it all, once again.
Believe me I am not jumping for joy that the President is having to do this. I’m sure he isn’t either.
I have been thinking a lot about this….
I do not want us to go alone…because the UN has stymied by Russia and China, we cannot count on the world community to act…
our closest ally has said NO…
I do not want PBO to go alone either….I want him to call on the bat-crap krazy Congress for a vote…YAY or NAY….and get them on record…whether we should intervene…..it will be interesting to see where that vote goes…..
Despite the Treaty…
Chemical Weapons have been used multiple times……interesting…that there is no mention of the Nazis…
what is missing from this timeline…is the UN reaction for each time that chemical weapons have been used…
I read with interest Stonekettle’s opinion about this…
http://www.stonekettle.com/
he asked more questions than he gave answers…and he said this…
Government is not moral, morals are for individuals.
Government may be just, it may be rational, it may be ethical within certain broad guidelines, but it’s not moral. It can’t be….
trying to understand his meaning…
https://twitter.com/Jovie1312/status/373797981210034177
Where the hell have they been!!!!!
Watching fox news
yep
One billion dollars could be spent advertising ACA and you could still find people that don’t know about ACA, at point do people have to start taking responsibility for finding out about ACA?
Meanwhile, Putin says it would be “utter nonsense” for the Syrian government to use chemical weapons when it was winning its war with rebels.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/31/us-syria-crisis-putin-idUSBRE97U06120130831
Which makes so much sense, since crazy dictators always act on logic…
So let me see, how much do I trust Putin. If it’s true what Putin is saying maybe they wanted to finish the rebels off. Who knows what is in the mind of something like that Syrian leader?
Putin is so pathetic, now he’s trying to act as though he gives a damn about Assad gassing his own people. I’m starting to think that Putin doesn’t want anything to do with President Obama after President Obama told the world that Assad’s days are numbered.
I think Putin is NUTS, loco, missing a bunch of marbles. Which also makes him a bit dangerous.
A few little thoughts on Putin. I don´t trust that guy one bit, he´s an egomanic jerk that is trying to cling to a world that doesn´t exist any more, mainly a world where Russia was still something like a world power that actually moved a lot on the international stage. Those days are gone and that´s what Putin doesn´t like. Russia today is riddled by too many problems to even consider it an equal with the US when it comes to influence.
So…that in short means that even though he is beating his chest now and warning about a limited air strike, he is unlikely to directly respond to it if it should come to it today or in the following days. I cannot see him closing lines with Assad and support him against the West, even Putin is not that stupid.
What however I do see is that if there is a strike (and I have no idea myself what I would do in PBO´s place…the only answer I can come to is that I am glad that I don´t have to make that decision and that I think he will do everything to make sure it´s the best possible option in a situation that basically has mediocre options at best) what Putin might do in the future is bend international law when it comes to the Georgian Republic where so far intervention from the Russian side has not been as extreme as Putin surely wishes. He might come up with bogu reasons to intervene there and crush the Georgian Republic without UN consent naming just the Syrian situation right now as an example. That´s how weird and crazy Putin is.
Also, repeating the opinion of everyone here: I am glad November 2012 turned out the way it did. I sure do sleep calmer because of it right now.
Interesting, thanks for your perspective. I agree that Putin’s Russia is not in any position to take on the West. And his behavior is a loud compensation for that fact.
President Obama’s itinerary for his first trip to Sweden this Wednesday before heading to the G20 Thursday and Friday.
*Bilateral meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to discuss trade and international security.
*Visit the Great Synagogue in Stockholm to honor the late Holocaust humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg, a Swede credited with helping save tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary.
*Tour the Royal Institute of Technology, which an administration official described as “on the cutting edge of research.”
In the evening, the president is scheduled to join Reinfeldt at a formal dinner that could include other Nordic leaders. Reinfeldt has invited the heads of state of Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Norway.
The guy has some timing to go there just a few weeks after I left the country. *le sigh*
I just do not understand why you were not consulted!!!!!
*throws up arms* I know, right? 😀
Bummer!
Rise and Shine!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/08/31/rise-and-shine-598/