When talking extravagant credit for things one predicted...

[cthulu2016]

...it is preferable that one actually predicted them.

So let's see... who had, "Only a moron would think Obama has any intention of bombing anything. This is obviously an intricate ruse to get Congressional opposition to the use of force so high that somehow Putin will have no choice but to propose that Syria disarm unilaterally... or something."

Anyone?

The reason nobody knew how any of this would go (or will go) is that nobody, including people in Moscow, Washington and Damascus has had any idea how it would go, and they don't currently know how it will go.

And that is not unusual.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was such a fuck-up on all sides it makes your hair stand up to read about it, and everyone was, indeed, playing it by ear.

These are very human events.

[JoePhilly]

1. Many on DU knew exactly how this would go ...

Here's a summary of what was predicted all over DU.

President Obama was going to rush into Shock and Awe style bombing raids which would continue for as along as a month. Those raids were going to begin the Thursday before labor day, than on that friday, then over the long weekend. Obama was never going to wait for Congress, until he did. The predictions change such that ... the raids were going to happen SOON! Very soon.

The raids were going to release the same chemical weapons that we were trying to prevent from being used by Assad. Thousands of civilians were going to be killed. Syria wold expand into a second Iraq war, boots on the ground, zillions of dollars wasted. Then Iran and Russia would get involved. WWIII was coming.

All of this was happening because Obama is a puppet of the MIC and is not allowed to make his own decisions on sch things. Plus, he's a warmonger and a secret member of PNAC, and the Family, and *throw in your own favorite scary group here*.

Obama was going to let Congress vote and they were definitely going to rubber stamp and give him approval. That prediction switched, and became Congress is going to vote NO, but Obama the secret PNAC member would start WWIII anyway.

Regardless of the DU freak out ... here's what actually happened.

About a year ago or so, Obama said the use of Chem weapons by Syria would change the posture of the US relative to military intervention in Syria. We would not stand idle if that happened. Immediately after, US diplomats, and their counter parts around the world, including in Russia, began discussions on how to prevent this, and what to do if Assad did use those weapons. Revolution continues. Rebels make gains. Assad uses the weapons. The President said what he said earlier. He would not stand idle. The UN security council did what it always does, not much. Russia voted no to strikes, duh. Obama said he planned to respond, but wanted Congress to take an official position. Meanwhile, US and Russian diplomats continue their discussions. Obama schedules prime time address. Congress starts scheduling votes. Obama and Putin meet at G20. Obama tells Putin, I'm not bluffing on this. Diplomats work out potential deal. Russia takes deal to Assad. Assad agrees to give up weapons.

That's where we are today.

Much of DU made wild hair on fire predictions about what was going to happen. And those who did, appear to have been spectacularly wrong on a really fantastic scale.

[Capt. Obvious]

2. Your hair is on fire

[Egalitarian Thug]

3. Well, you got only one, half-hearted attempt at spinning flat-wrong

into "of course this was the plan all along". At least I hope it was half-hearted...

it would be just too sad to think that this was a best effort...

Maybe some helpers will come along and show us how it's done in the Big Leagues.

[Marr]

4. Yes, it is pretty odd to see people who were rationalizing war just hours ago

now insisting that the President would never have done such a thing.