The Israeli administration did not take the ideology of Gazas' leaders enough into account till it blew up in their faces. Hamas does not care about the well-being of the population they rule. And as you say neither do the governments of Iran, Russia, China and North Korea. Hitler had a vision of an expanded Germany, and the German people came in a distant second to his vision,and paid the price. Hitler lied about his aims constantly. The only way to stop people like him is force. The only thing that can stop them, the only thing they respect. It would be easier and lucrative in the short term to go along with these people--we could make a lot of money! It is a lot harder to do the work to form an effective alliance to counter them. But that's what you get elected President for, the hard tasks.
I ask, what has promoting democracy, human rights, and the American Way gotten us in the past 60 years? Authoritarian regimes are willing to endlessly sacrifice lives for ideology. Are you? The answer is yes, if it’s someone’s boy from Tennessee. You will toss them aside, hold a parade, and allow the parents to suffer. You may see a flag draped coffin on TV, … about as close as you are going to get. You will never know what it is like to sleep under mortar fire or exposed.
I believe that America must project force — a vital component of our post-WWII defense doctrine. But we must do so sparingly. You do it as a part of a defense seminar or college lecture. I do it with four children in uniform, naval officers all, who postponed careers on Wall Street, in consulting, and as attorneys to become special forces and aviators, … more tip of the spear. They have served in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Iraq. Garden spots. Thus, my view counts just a wee bit more than Dick Cheney, almost every pundit, and most politicians. I have a daughter pilot, a SEAL, intel, and nuke engineer with their skin in the game. .
Yes Trump seeks peace and prosperity. What a buffoon! I cannot believe he promotes the fundamental question, “Why kill Russian, Ukrainian, Israeli, Iranian, Gazan, and American boys, when they can have good jobs, families, and a decent life? Gaza, why not build a hotel and not a tunnel? Russia, why not trade with Ukraine and build prosperity? These questions are so superficial, so commercial, so naive, … unless, … you have children exposed. And really, who is the naive one? The establishment internationalists whose list of failures, foreign interference, and military excursions are manifold, or those MAGA rubes?
As one with four in the “game” I ask, ‘Who cares if their governments killed one of their journalists, if you are not willing to deal with an unnecessary enemy by castigating their royal family?’ What are you achieving criticizing Saudi Arabia? Ill will? South Africa is a tribal state. But South Africa is strategically located. Will we break relations with them for killing white people? Putin is not nice. Should we alienate him? Same with Kim, Khomeini, THKT, MBS?
We cannot judge everyone. We can pick friends carefully. We can face up to the fact Europe and Japan and S. Korea need to do more. Most of all, we can be realistic. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are transactional, strategic allies. Don’t make them adversaries. Play along a little with Russia, stop the shooting. We are running out of HIMARS & Tomahawks, deal with the Houthis and their sponsors Iran, … make peace in Donbas. Employ the interests of our adversaries or regimes with whom we must deal to win some form of stability. Even talk and schmooze the bad guys, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia. They are a factor and we are unlikely to remove the from the scene. The new Syrian strong man is not so strong. Give him incentive and a different way to consolidate power. Democracy is unlikely an option. In all these cases, play to their and our common interests. Make friends, … you may need a base, Intel, or a vote at the UN. Build a hotel. Sell an airliner, a fighter plane, or a tank. Accept what you can change, help pull them from their base instincts. Keep our troops, sailors and airmen safe
I would not compare a good foreign policy to Jefferson’s. Thomas Jefferson thought the French Revolution was good. He alienated the British. He thought the conquest of Canada would be, “a mere matter of marching.” He is no model of diplomacy. He helped set up the War of 1812. That was not a success.
Thank you for your service, and for your family's dedication. I am eternally in awe of our volunteer force, and while I hope that there is no one whom I know -- Dick Cheney included -- who does not value the lives of our men and women in uniform, I recognize that families often see the threats we face and the policy responses differently. This is a nation governed by civilians, not generals, and it is the civilians who make the choices of which you disapprove. Their bona fides are no less good than yours, I must insist, whether they or their children serve. It is our obligation to listen to you, to respect you, but not to follow your diktat because you deem yourself to have greater credibility. As for what American values have done for our nation -- and that's what we're talking about here -- I would argue that they are at the heart of everything the United States stands for. Absent those values, we are nothing but homus economicus, to paraphrase another. We have stood up for those values globally, and secured the global commons, and elevated both our nation and the world into the most prosperous era the human race has ever known. Yes, bad things happen, but bad things will always happen. We have lost fewer soldiers in every war, killed fewer civilians, and otherwise refined the art of warfare in ways our ancestors could never have imagined. There are people who are against the promotion of democracy, and as I noted, they have a solid, if not terribly moral case to make. There are people who are against the use of force in almost all circumstances, and they too have a case to make. As it happens, I disagree with those arguments, as I believe you know very well. I try to do my best to make my case, and am open always to respectful disagreement. Thank you for always making an effort to add thoughtful value to our comments. Dany
As one with four in the “game” I ask, ‘Who cares if their governments killed one of their journalists, if you are not willing to deal with an unnecessary enemy by castigating their royal family?’
I think you mean Jamal Khashoggi. And he was certainly an adherent of the Muslim Brotherhood. That doesn't mean he deserved to die. And more importantly, we *did* impose sanctions against the Saudis, though not against MBS. But we should certainly have the courage of our convictions. My argument on this case is that it was blown out of all proportion to the event that occurred. Happy to share if interested.
The Israeli administration did not take the ideology of Gazas' leaders enough into account till it blew up in their faces. Hamas does not care about the well-being of the population they rule. And as you say neither do the governments of Iran, Russia, China and North Korea. Hitler had a vision of an expanded Germany, and the German people came in a distant second to his vision,and paid the price. Hitler lied about his aims constantly. The only way to stop people like him is force. The only thing that can stop them, the only thing they respect. It would be easier and lucrative in the short term to go along with these people--we could make a lot of money! It is a lot harder to do the work to form an effective alliance to counter them. But that's what you get elected President for, the hard tasks.
Indeed, homo ideologicus “trumps” homo economicus!
I ask, what has promoting democracy, human rights, and the American Way gotten us in the past 60 years? Authoritarian regimes are willing to endlessly sacrifice lives for ideology. Are you? The answer is yes, if it’s someone’s boy from Tennessee. You will toss them aside, hold a parade, and allow the parents to suffer. You may see a flag draped coffin on TV, … about as close as you are going to get. You will never know what it is like to sleep under mortar fire or exposed.
I believe that America must project force — a vital component of our post-WWII defense doctrine. But we must do so sparingly. You do it as a part of a defense seminar or college lecture. I do it with four children in uniform, naval officers all, who postponed careers on Wall Street, in consulting, and as attorneys to become special forces and aviators, … more tip of the spear. They have served in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Iraq. Garden spots. Thus, my view counts just a wee bit more than Dick Cheney, almost every pundit, and most politicians. I have a daughter pilot, a SEAL, intel, and nuke engineer with their skin in the game. .
Yes Trump seeks peace and prosperity. What a buffoon! I cannot believe he promotes the fundamental question, “Why kill Russian, Ukrainian, Israeli, Iranian, Gazan, and American boys, when they can have good jobs, families, and a decent life? Gaza, why not build a hotel and not a tunnel? Russia, why not trade with Ukraine and build prosperity? These questions are so superficial, so commercial, so naive, … unless, … you have children exposed. And really, who is the naive one? The establishment internationalists whose list of failures, foreign interference, and military excursions are manifold, or those MAGA rubes?
As one with four in the “game” I ask, ‘Who cares if their governments killed one of their journalists, if you are not willing to deal with an unnecessary enemy by castigating their royal family?’ What are you achieving criticizing Saudi Arabia? Ill will? South Africa is a tribal state. But South Africa is strategically located. Will we break relations with them for killing white people? Putin is not nice. Should we alienate him? Same with Kim, Khomeini, THKT, MBS?
We cannot judge everyone. We can pick friends carefully. We can face up to the fact Europe and Japan and S. Korea need to do more. Most of all, we can be realistic. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are transactional, strategic allies. Don’t make them adversaries. Play along a little with Russia, stop the shooting. We are running out of HIMARS & Tomahawks, deal with the Houthis and their sponsors Iran, … make peace in Donbas. Employ the interests of our adversaries or regimes with whom we must deal to win some form of stability. Even talk and schmooze the bad guys, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia. They are a factor and we are unlikely to remove the from the scene. The new Syrian strong man is not so strong. Give him incentive and a different way to consolidate power. Democracy is unlikely an option. In all these cases, play to their and our common interests. Make friends, … you may need a base, Intel, or a vote at the UN. Build a hotel. Sell an airliner, a fighter plane, or a tank. Accept what you can change, help pull them from their base instincts. Keep our troops, sailors and airmen safe
I would not compare a good foreign policy to Jefferson’s. Thomas Jefferson thought the French Revolution was good. He alienated the British. He thought the conquest of Canada would be, “a mere matter of marching.” He is no model of diplomacy. He helped set up the War of 1812. That was not a success.
Or as Henry Kissinger said, “Get real.”
"I believe that America must project force — a vital component of our post-WWII defense doctrine. But we must do so sparingly"
Actually we have/do.
Thank you for your service, and for your family's dedication. I am eternally in awe of our volunteer force, and while I hope that there is no one whom I know -- Dick Cheney included -- who does not value the lives of our men and women in uniform, I recognize that families often see the threats we face and the policy responses differently. This is a nation governed by civilians, not generals, and it is the civilians who make the choices of which you disapprove. Their bona fides are no less good than yours, I must insist, whether they or their children serve. It is our obligation to listen to you, to respect you, but not to follow your diktat because you deem yourself to have greater credibility. As for what American values have done for our nation -- and that's what we're talking about here -- I would argue that they are at the heart of everything the United States stands for. Absent those values, we are nothing but homus economicus, to paraphrase another. We have stood up for those values globally, and secured the global commons, and elevated both our nation and the world into the most prosperous era the human race has ever known. Yes, bad things happen, but bad things will always happen. We have lost fewer soldiers in every war, killed fewer civilians, and otherwise refined the art of warfare in ways our ancestors could never have imagined. There are people who are against the promotion of democracy, and as I noted, they have a solid, if not terribly moral case to make. There are people who are against the use of force in almost all circumstances, and they too have a case to make. As it happens, I disagree with those arguments, as I believe you know very well. I try to do my best to make my case, and am open always to respectful disagreement. Thank you for always making an effort to add thoughtful value to our comments. Dany
As one with four in the “game” I ask, ‘Who cares if their governments killed one of their journalists, if you are not willing to deal with an unnecessary enemy by castigating their royal family?’
Actually Adnan Khashoggi was Al Qeada.
I think you mean Jamal Khashoggi. And he was certainly an adherent of the Muslim Brotherhood. That doesn't mean he deserved to die. And more importantly, we *did* impose sanctions against the Saudis, though not against MBS. But we should certainly have the courage of our convictions. My argument on this case is that it was blown out of all proportion to the event that occurred. Happy to share if interested.