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Our Republic Is Under Attack by the President

Started by RussCarroll, 10/18/2019 08:12PM
Posted 10/18/2019 08:12PM Opening Post
By William H. McRaven

Admiral McRaven is a former commander of the United States Special Operations Command.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/opinion/trump-mcraven-syria-military.html


Portion

"As I stood on the parade field at Fort Bragg, one retired four-star general, grabbed my arm, shook me and shouted, “I don’t like the Democrats, but Trump is destroying the Republic!”

Those words echoed with me throughout the week. It is easy to destroy an organization if you have no appreciation for what makes that organization great. We are not the most powerful nation in the world because of our aircraft carriers, our economy, or our seat at the United Nations Security Council. We are the most powerful nation in the world because we try to be the good guys. We are the most powerful nation in the world because our ideals of universal freedom and equality have been backed up by our belief that we were champions of justice, the protectors of the less fortunate.

But, if we don’t care about our values, if we don’t care about duty and honor, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Syrians, the Rohingyas, the South Sudanese and the millions of people under the boot of tyranny or left abandoned by their failing states?

If our promises are meaningless, how will our allies ever trust us? If we can’t have faith in our nation’s principles, why would the men and women of this nation join the military? And if they don’t join, who will protect us? If we are not the champions of the good and the right, then who will follow us? And if no one follows us — where will the world end up?

President Trump seems to believe that these qualities are unimportant or show weakness. He is wrong. These are the virtues that have sustained this nation for the past 243 years. If we hope to continue to lead the world and inspire a new generation of young men and women to our cause, then we must embrace these values now more than ever.

And if this president doesn’t understand their importance, if this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office — Republican, Democrat or independent — the sooner, the better. The fate of our Republic depends upon it."
Posted 10/18/2019 09:52PM #1
So Trump went from "The Kurds are our allies, don't mess with them" to "I don't even know these people" and negotiated up to "why don't we help them get off your land, Mr. Erdogan?"

120 hours for the Kurds to GTFO.   And there has already been Turkish shelling today, only 24 hours into the so-called "Cease-fire".

Didn't anyone in the Trump inner circle know that Turkey is absolutely fine with ethnic cleansing and/or genocide? (see: Armenian Genocide for details...)  The Kurds in this area will be killed by the thousands.

Well of course they knew.  They just don't care because pleasing Putin/Assad/Erdogan is more important. 

Good thing Pence went in there and threw his weight around. That'll show 'em!

Dave 
Posted 10/20/2019 05:18AM | Edited 10/20/2019 05:18AM #2
That is an really great post Russ. It's is indeed time. 

Too bad it will fall on deaf ears here. I don't know what will ever sway them away from 'Ole Bone Spurs. 

Heck, Maddis even makes jokes about the bone spurs. You do know he is the world's most overrated general, don't you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYN2mrvnCT4
Posted 10/20/2019 10:28AM #3
Trump's right, we can't have our troops mixed up in the middle east. That's why he moved them to Saudi Arabia. Along with our planes and missile systems.  
And just look at what he did for the Turkey Kurds. He arranged a ceasefire or, as it as known in Turkey, "a pause". (For 120 hours) Then...
Now the Turks are using previously acquired Israeli modified tanks with active and passive armor. That should tell anybody that they're serious about their shit. For example, one ISIS fighter fired a Kornet missile (standard anti-tank round) at a Tukey tank and three things happened: 1. IT MARRED THE PAINT 2. It pissed-off the crew inside and 3. The ISIS fighter got an express pathway straight to Allah where he met his seventy-two virgins a lot earlier than he had planned. 
Meanwhile, Turkey's Erdogan threw Trump's letter in the trash...