Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Wednesday roundup

Huge suicide-bomber attack near the cluster of embassies in Kabul. Many casualties and injuries.

UPDATE: At least 90 killed, at least 400 injured.

Kathy Griffin tries to go all contrite in the face of the backlash to the bloody-head-of-DJT photo. You buyin' it?

This is reassuring:

The U.S. military successfully shot down a mock nuclear warhead simulating the speed and range of a potential North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said Tuesday.
In a statement, the agency said an unarmed rocket launched from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean was "destroyed" by a ground-based interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California as it traveled outside Earth's atmosphere.
The successful test was the first of its kind in nearly three years.
It came two days after North Korea tested a SCUD-type ballistic missile that landed in Japan's maritime economic zone in the Sea of Japan.
This system is vitally important to the defense of our homeland, and this test demonstrates that we have a capable, credible deterrent against a very real threat," said MDA Director Vice Admiral Jim Syring. "I am incredibly proud of the warfighters who executed this test and who operate this system every day."
The mayor of Portland, Oregon wants to use that atmosphere-of-hate jive to try to deny some US citizens their First Amendment rights:

Portland's mayor is at odds with the ACLU over his request that the federal government revoke a permit for Sunday's scheduled "Trump Free Speech Rally Portland" on federal land, citing Friday's deadly stabbings on a city train after good Samaritans tried to stop the killer from harassing Muslim and African-American teen girls.
And, per the previous post, in which we once again make the case for the camp that cedes conservative bona fides to no one, but remains resolute in its conviction that DJT is a mess as president, we are the faction that knows it must acknowledge good moves when they occur, and pulling out of the Paris climate agreement certainly is that.

We will, of course, have to applaud it unflinchingly even as Leftists on social media try to conflate it with some kind of identifiable Trumpism, which is, as we know, not the case. And, per the previous post, the Dennis Pragers of the world are no help in this task.



22 comments:

  1. Wow, the U.S. military successfully downing a mock nuclear warhead simulating the speed and range of a potential North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, well, that is beautiful and glorious. And this technology had to have been a hold-over from previous Commanders in Chief, even the spineless ones like Carter, Clinton & Obama. Trump certainly deserves no real credit for anything about this other than ordering a test. He's nothing if not a showman.

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  2. I don't know why you bring that up. I hardly give a flying diddly whether or not Trump deserves any credit. It is hardly the point. The point is that we are in a better position to serve notice to North Korea that its missile program is going to proceed obstacle-free.

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  3. Not going to proceed obstacle-free.

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  4. I'm not a fan of Trump's military showmanship though it seems to play well with a certain segment of his hawkish peeps. They think statecraft was weakness, when in reality it's much more difficult than just popping off bombs or even fancy counter-bombs, but it makes for great theater. Then why'd the linked article have to mention the successful test was the first of its kind in nearly three years? Matis, who Trump likes to call Mad Dog, even though Matis himself does not like that appellation has it right here when he says that war with North Korea would be catastrophic. I hope this shows them we're ready. Still, as maligned as statecraft is by your hawkish ilk, it still beats fighting fire with fire. That was kind of the idea behind nuclear disarmament, but it appears there will be escalation and you know what that means, a neo arms race, especially since the idiotic Trump and the people who backed and voted for him are hell bent on making America great again. Did you realize that, not only did we drop more firepower on Nam than all the combined forces dropped during the Big One, in 2 years (1950-52) we dropped more firepower on Norkor than all that we dropped in the Pacific theater during WW II? These projects are, of course, real boons for that MI Complex Ike apparently dreamed-up, as your ilk seems to see it. I realize these hawkish times come, then they go, so, now that fearful days are here again, let's roll. Oh, by the way, Afghanistan is now by far our longest war. Drop some more mothers on her. Il Papa took issue with a bomb called Mother. But, oh, he's so satanically liberal with this thing called mercy.

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  5. By the way, all those bombs dropped on Norkor are a major reason that they hate and fear us. We killed millions in an effort at their liberation. Same with Viet Nam. But those were the enemy, gooks to some. Our losses were quite minor in comparison. Another gook from another time had had enough. There are many still among us who almost revere his other worldly wisdom. I'd wager our God might feel the same:

    Chapter Thirty-one

    Weapons of war are instruments of disaster.
    They are rejected by all beings.
    Thus a person of Tao will not dwell upon them.
    According to the ancient custom of Ying and Yang,
    A man of virtue values the left which is represented by Yang.
    And a man of war values the right which is represented by Ying.
    Weapons are instruments of evil, and are not valued by a man of virtue.
    They are only used as the last resort to attain peach when all else have failed.
    If their use is necessary, it is best to employ with calmness and tranquility.
    Even it if means victory, it is not something pleasant.
    Those who rejoice over the victory, enjoy killing.
    He who delights in killing will not be favored by the people and shall not bring harmony to the world.
    It is the ancient custom to favor happy events to the left as represented by yang.
    While on sad occasions, it is favored to the right as represented by Ying.
    When this rite is applied in the army,
    The lieutenant general takes the place of the left,
    And the commander-in-chief takes the place of the right.
    This indicates that war is treated as if it is a funeral service;
    For many lives had been killed and hence should be mourned with sorrow.
    Therefore, although a victory was won,
    It is treated like funeral rite.
    --Lao Tse, circa 350 BCE

    Ahh, but we were so much older then, we're younger than that now.....

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  6. When you use the word "they" in the phrase "they hate and fear us," are you referring to the Kim family, the military, the privileged classes, or the average NorKor Joe in some town where there is nothing to do but follow the party line?

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  7. I would guess everyone in North Korea either remembers or is still being told about this.

    For the Americans, strategic bombing made perfect sense, giving advantage to American technological prowess against the enemy’s numerical superiority. The American command dismissed British concerns that mass bombardment would turn world opinion against them, insisting that air attacks were accurate and civilian casualties limited.6 Russian accusations of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets did not register with the Americans at all. But for the North Koreans, living in fear of B-29 attacks for nearly three years, including the possibility of atomic bombs, the American air war left a deep and lasting impression. The DPRK government never forgot the lesson of North Korea’s vulnerability to American air attack, and for half a century after the Armistice continued to strengthen anti-aircraft defenses, build underground installations, and eventually develop nuclear weapons to ensure that North Korea would not find itself in such a position again. The long-term psychological effect of the war on the whole of North Korean society cannot be overestimated. The war against the United States, more than any other single factor, gave North Koreans a collective sense of anxiety and fear of outside threats that would continue long after the war’s end.

    Read more at http://apjjf.org/-Charles-K.-Armstrong/3460/article.html

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  8. So we should immediately cease and desist efforts to knock down the ballistic missiles that North Korea is tirelessly working on?

    By the way, your man Armstrong seems to get himself in a fair amount of trouble on issues of academic ethics.

    That aside, he touts the Six-Way Talks from the Bush 43 era as a good model for the parties involved to get back to. One question: In what way dod they thwart North Korea's missile program, nuclear-bomb program, hostile stance toward South Korea, Japan or the US, or its horrific human-rights record?

    Sorry, this is nothing more than blame-America-first-ism. The North blatantly invaded the south in June 1950, and thereby forfeited any moral claim to how it fared subsequently.

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  9. The carnage is on the record and I did not contend that it explained anything other than why the North Koreans fear and hate us. So, kill more millions. Like I said, statecraft is very difficult, but Mattis is well-aware of the potential carnage ahead. On all sides. Your bellicose ilk wants blood, always has. Just why is all this coming to a head under Trump now, after 65 years?

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  10. How did Armstrong become my man? I was just linking one of the many accounts out there about what went down. It was bombs. Some generals still talk about bombing the enemy back to that Stone Age. I've yet to see that accomplish even victory in my lifetime.

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  11. Anyhow, the linked author was charged with plagiarism by a number of his colleagues, so that says nothing about any leftist dog puke bias you might try to accord to him and this discount the veracity of his research. Unfortunately, truth is not a defense to plagiarism as it is for libel or slander. I'd look to his accusers for confirmation of his historical truths since they say he copied from them. It has also been noted that this author rectified his alleged plagiarisms.

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  12. So kill on, kill on, but I would think God looks at all body bags pretty much the same. Especially when they are civilian kill, worse so with innocents. Praise the Lord & Pass the Ammo...,

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  13. How about the test the US just conducted (the subject and f this post) that successfully knocked another missile out of space? Good move? Bad move? If bad, what's bad about it?

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  14. I already applauded it. But said it was showmanship. While there has not been a test in 2.5 years, it's getting big press now and the Trumpsters likely think it's their man, their toughie, who does not read (and hence might not even realize what water is already over the dam in Korea), and he likes ratings. Ask Arnold. You know the current bellicose mood of many because you are one of them. That's all.

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  15. A question, if you sign on to a climate agreement and there are no penalties to adhere to it, why would you not. If principle is the issue is it not better to say I agree and go about your merry way "attempting to agree. Not big on Pariah stuff here.

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  16. Real Numbers with the three principals of "democracy"
    First; international tourism is down since January by thirty five percent, at least. The likely hood of extended corporate trade agreements (company transactions) with our trading partners is decreasing daily. I will personally pass on "Nationalism Dogma"

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  17. Off the subject, off the subject, but in response to Mr. Mitchell's mention of the Paris Climate Agreement, France, Italy & Dear Old Deutschland say he can't back out. Well, we'll see about that! Did he leave any hope that the world might be able to meet his terms, or is it One Way, His Way? Bloggie loves this though. I think it was probably a lot like he pulled out of his women, use your imagination there.

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  18. Mr. Mitchell, sir, can you please remind us what the 3 principles of democracy are and how they equate with international tourism figures and making America first with trade? If I don't ask, bloggie might. It is off the subject though, but again, bloggie's contention that mine was as well (a weak defense of the weakness of his positions in diverting attention back to what he wants to call a material breach in serious argumentation--a professorial defect of character for him), presages his calling you on it as well.

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  19. Mr. Dings, pillars or principles making America great again... Transactional Darwinism is not one of them is it? Serious Augmentation that's a lofty goal isn't it?

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  20. You can turn writing into an abstract art.

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  21. Transactional Darwinism? Is that evidence of Intelligent Design or does it mean survival of the transactional or just what does it mean to you, so I might have a clue. Nevertheless, it doesn't appear to correlate with Star Wars military technology and shows of same, stooping to the level of a Certain North Korean dictator.

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  22. Survival of the transactional seems stopping just short of intelligent design. Countering Darwinism is such a hopeful thought,I like it. Maybe I am just a little Lemur from the swamp.

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