The week's middle 72 hours can be counted as one of the worst periods in our nation's history. Not the worst 72 hours of the week, Not the worst 72 hours of the year, or of the last two years. Not exaggerating. This is bad for us. We've been thrown into chaos. Truly.
Don't we all feel like we've suffered whiplash from all the antics of our own KAOS agent? It's been hard to keep up with the developments.
SCROTUS campaigned on a promise that there would be a southern border wall and that "Mexico will pay for it." He hasn't been able to get that to happen, and now suddenly it's two years later and he's about to lose the party monopoly. Last week, just 10 days ago, he sat with the Democratic leadership and told them that he would shut down the government and be "proud" to do it if he didn't get $5 billion for his flocking wall.
Tuesday, it seemed like there was an agreement for a stop-gap budget deal and 45 reportedly agreed to sign it. Of course, the bill didn't have funding for the wall. There are not enough votes for funding the wall. But Sarah Sanders hinted that the'd sign the budget bill and find "other ways" to fund the wall.
Wednesday, a couple whiney conservative talk radio hosts belittled their puppet in the Whitewash House. Rush Limbaugh lambasted him with, "It looks like a lot of people’s worst fears may be realized and that the president is getting ready to cave on getting any money for the wall in the current budget. ... Trump’s gonna get less than nothing because this compromise strips out the $1.6 billion for the wall that the Senate Appropriations Committee had already approved weeks ago. That’s gone too. Not only, is there not gonna be five billion, there isn’t gonna be $1.6 billion that was already allocated. So it’s an even better compromise in the minds of the Drive-By Media and the denizens of the swamp. Not a penny. Forget wall."
The slimy Ann Coulter called him "gutless," and in true 8th grade fashion, SCROTUS un-followed her on Twitter. And then capitulated.
He just can't bear to see his besties be mad at him! On Thursday, he threw a tantrum and demanded the funding for the wall again and forced a government shutdown. In a bow to him, the House passed a bill with funding for the wall, but it was just procedural. The Senate does not have the votes.
So, here it is, Friday night, as I write this, Congress has adjourned and we have a partial shutdown (thank goodness this essential service will be staffed no matter what!). Hundreds of thousands of government employees are furloughed or working without pay. And Christmas is in three days. yay.
Right punch.
And concurrently with that mess, the Fomenter-in-Chief decided to announce "Mission Accomplished" via Twitter. Guess what? The war with ISIS is over, we won, let's pick up our toys and go home!
Monday: TЯUMP talks to Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan who complains about US involvement in Syria. 45 shrugs and says, "You know what? It’s yours. I’m leaving.”
Wednesday morning:
We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
He ordered the immediate withdrawal of troops from Syria. Here's another non-sensical speech (and side note, there is an interesting distortion of the phoneme /k/ in "American" at :43 ....adding this to my bag o' speech evidence).
After historic victories against ISIS, it’s time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
My first thought --and I imagine the thought of many-- was that it is just another gift to Putie. It throws the area back into destabilization and lets Assad conspire unchecked with Putin. I'm very much a dove and I just hate the thought of war. On the surface, it seems like it's a good thing to bring troops home and out of harm's way. But this idiot didn't think it through. He didn't consult with any of his expert advisors. This is a dangerous act. It's a gift to ISIS. ABC News explains more.
Soon after, on Thursday, he ordered the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. This 17-year-long war is horrible, and withdrawal is a long time coming. But this way? Now? Without input from military advisers?
Left punch.
Thursday afternoon, General "Mad Dog" Mattis delivered his letter of resignation as Secretary of Defense and provided a copy to the public. Just before that, SCROTUS tried to spin his resignation as "retirement." Ummmm.....nope. The letter is poignant and powerful and deserves a read.
Dear Mr. President:
I have been privileged to serve as our country’s 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.
I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department’s business practices for greater performance. Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence.
One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. NATO’s 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.
Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model — gaining veto authority over other nations’ economic, diplomatic, and security decisions — to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department’s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February. Further, that a full transition to a new Secretary of Defense occurs well in advance of the transition of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September in order to ensure stability within the Department.
I pledge my full effort to a smooth transition that ensures the needs and interests of the 2.15 million Service Members and 732,079 DoD civilians receive undistracted attention of the Department at all times so that they can fulfill their critical, round-the-clock mission to protect the American people.
I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.
Signed,
...And we're down.
Everyone, right and left, was shocked and stunned of the news that Gen. Mattis is resigning over irreconcilable differences. Read some reactions from GOP leaders. He was one stable person in the cabinet. But sadly he, too, reached his breaking point. The message it sends is sobering.
And just in case anyone thought the nation was going to be able to push off the mat, we get the news that RBG had surgery today (Friday) for malignant lung nodules. The surgery was deemed a success, and no further treatment is expected, and knowing her, she'll kick cancer's ass AGAIN, cuz she kicks ass at will. But the thought of her leaving the bench anytime soon is just too much to bear.
We've been hit hard this week. And yet, Sister and Brother Resisters, I entreat you. Let's get back up. We can't lay down and give up. Dig deep, keep the hope, work together, and talk to your Members of Congress. There are signs that the GOP is finally reaching for the towel. We must persist!
"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." -- Vince Lombardi
No comments:
Post a Comment