I Think I Can Now See Why Obama Didn't Attack Syria After The 'Red Line' Remark.

[TrollBuster9090]

Syria has a very accurate anti-aircraft missile system, thanks to Russia. So, if you want to attack an airbase, you can't use jets. That leaves you with Tomahawk missiles which are accurate, but carry a very small explosive payload.

So, if you have to attack an airbase with Tomahawk missiles, you stand a very good chance that you'll make a fool of yourself by putting on a big fireworks show one night, and having the same airbase back in operation the next day. Meanwhile your enemies are laughing, and saying 'Is THAT the best you can do?' (58 missiles fired, six aircraft destroyed, six people killed, a couple of dents in the runway; and the airbase is back in operation today. That was the WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME for that kind of a strike. That looks a lot like Nixon's famous statement about the United States in Vietnam looking like a 'big, foolish giant being pushed around by a third rate country')

Frankly, it's better not to make threats. But if you do, it's better to threaten somebody, and then look like a 'coward' or a 'wimp' for not following through with your threat than it is to carry through with your threat, and then have your enemies laughing at you afterwards.

Don't make threats if you can't back them up.

We're now at the point where the first level threat has been carried out, it didn't work, and now we have to escalate. I think most professional foreign service people are taught to ask this question on their first day of foreign service school. "If you threaten, and then take action, will you do if your action didn't work?" What will be your opponents next move, and what will be YOUR next move.

Too bad Trump FIRED all the professional diplomats.

Trump is a creation of Fox News' bullshit rhetoric. Where conservative voters are taught to believe that all you have to do is act tougher, and be more generous with the bombs, and everything will work out fine. And they further push the narrative that the reason why people like Obama are NOT bombing people left right and center is because they're too wimpy, or too cowardly, or (laughably) too concerned about the environment. (Remember that one from the campaign trail? Obama was afraid to bomb Syria because it would be bad for the environment.)

But this is probably the first time in recent history when a GOP politician not only USED that bullshit rhetoric, but ACTUALLY BELIEVED IT.

[randr]

1. Speaking softly and carrying a big stick is not in his playbook

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. He thinks the stick he carries is a big one. The biggest, believe me.

But in fact his stick is very small, and speaking loudly will not enlarge and stiffen it.

[TheDebbieDee]

3. No! Obama didn't attack Syria because he needed

Congress' okay to do so... And republican'led Congress never brought the issue to the floor!

[Blanks]

4. Obama said they crossed a red line...

And they did not gas civilians again until AFTER Obama left office.

The president has many tools at his disposal. The Russians are angry at the sanctions Obama took after the election hack.

Just because Obama wasn't thumping his chest publicly the way dipshit does, doesn't mean he wasn't doing anything. He was just effective, not theatrical.

Obama, somehow got the Syrian government to stop gassing civilians through diplomatic means.

We have to keep in mind that the military industrial complex and the media are owned by the same people. The press is always gonna celebrate military action.

Greedy bastards.

[brer cat]

5. "He was just effective, not theatrical."