Wish somebody could explain exactly how Syria is a threat to our national security

[tinman01]

Originally Posted by LexusNexus

Syria is but one means that Russia has of testing the boundaries of American foreign policy (in this case as it pertains to the use of chemical weapons), gauging American resolve, evaluating the willingness of America to use military force, and determining under what circumstances that force will be used.

I agree in a large part, but also believe that they saw an opportunity to exploit our mistakes and successfully acted upon it. We made a threat, repeated the threat then wavered. It was a threat we shouldn't have made. We assumed the world would support us and we assumed wrong.

[saxondale351]

More of that American Exceptionalism, of sticking our nose in where its not wanted or needed.

[Kracer]

When asked about retaliation for a US strike, Obama snickered and said Syria wasn't a threat because of their diminished military structure. So how can Syria pose an imminent threat to the US.

[Patton360]

Originally Posted by bUU

The track record of random posters online when it comes to truth telling is far worse.

Naivete, thy name is bUU.

[bUU]

So you're claiming that random posters online are a reliable source of truth telling.

And you call me naive?

Do you realize how ridiculous that is?

There are legitimate ways you could express your disagreement with what I wrote, but you happened to not only avoid all of those ways, but you choose the way that was the most readily demonstrable as illegitimate.

I'll take pity on you, and give you a second chance, perhaps an opportunity to save face. Try again:

The track record of random posters online when it comes to truth telling is far worse.

[jazzarama]

Originally Posted by bUU

Except, of course, that isn't what President Obama's objective is. The photo just presents inane right-wing propaganda, without any concern about whether it accurately reflects the President's intentions.

However, it raises an interesting - but by contrast, a relevant - point: After seeing the pictures of the effects of chemical weapons recently presented, who would object to taking whatever action possible to get those weapons out of the hands of those who might use them?

Obama has several objectives. Among them are to change the battlefield momentum in favor of the rebels, oust Assad, and promote a secular post-Assad gov't. that respects free elections.

Obama thinks he and McCain can 'vet' the opposition in a way that distinguishes between groups who want a democratically elected gov't. and respect peaceful passing of power, from terrorist groups like al Nusrah/ al Qaeda. The photo displays the practical result of his policy; a Syrian gov't. of Islamic terrorists, worldwide and in their country.

[bUU]

Anyone expecting to make the solution to Middle East violence happen now is being silly. Every effort needs to have certain criteria applied, with humane considerations overriding other considerations. Solve the immediate problems now while trying to keep that from sending things in a worse direction later, but don't ignore the immediate problems now because you have no way to guarantee that there won't be a way to keep things from getting out of control later.

How do you recognize a faulty way of looking at these issues? They dismiss nuance and complexity.

[Patton360]

Originally Posted by bUU

So you're claiming that random posters online are a reliable source of truth telling.

And you call me naive?

Do you realize how ridiculous that is?

There are legitimate ways you could express your disagreement with what I wrote, but you happened to not only avoid all of those ways, but you choose the way that was the most readily demonstrable as illegitimate.

I'll take pity on you, and give you a second chance, perhaps an opportunity to save face. Try again:

The track record of random posters online when it comes to truth telling is far worse.

Smugness, thy name is bUU.

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by DoD Guy

I'm sure the dim warmongers will shortly chime in with their logic...

Asia/Eurasia


Russia’s pipeline construction in Asia clearly indicates its recognition of the continent and its sub-regions, mainly the Asia-Pacific region, as the world’s largest long-term energy market....



Apart from several small-scale projects, the major Russian pipeline project in Asia is surely the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) Oil Pipeline, also known as VSTO. Being implemented by Transneft, once fully operational, the ESPO will link Russia’s Siberian oil reserves (Taishet in East Siberia’s Irkutsk Region) via Skovorodino in the Amur Region with terminals on the Russian Pacific Ocean coast from where Russian oil will be exported to China, South Korea and Japan by sea.

Russian Review of oil and gas pipeline projects




I'm not really sure how many times I can explain the same thing over and over and over and over and over.


I'll give the abbreviated version.....if people want more details, they can use the search function.


1] The price of anything ---- even health care --- is subject to Economic Law and in particular to the Law of Supply & Demand, and those Laws can never be violated without suffering negative consequences.


2] The Social Democrats gave you the Grotesque Society. Seeing how it would bankrupt the US, and seeing how the plan to bankrupt the East Bloc and Soviet Union by forcing them to trade in US Dollars had failed, the Social Democrats did an about face, opened ties to China to obtain guarantees in Southeast Asia, withdrew militarily from Southeast Asia, dropped the Bretton Woods II Agreement, took the US off of the Gold Standard, shifted US geo-strategy to MENA (Middle East North Africa) and then adopted the Petro-Dollar, and then from that point forward, the Social Democrats are called Neo-Cons.


3] The value of the US Dollar as the Petro-Dollar against all other currencies is based on the Law of Supply & Demand.


4] The greater the demand for the US Dollar, the more valuable and stable the US Dollar remains.


5] The effect of the introduction of the Russian Ruble on a regional basis on the US Dollar is easily seen here....









...the impact is readily seen circa 1994 with the small peak. The US adjusts, however the negative effects of full-scale trading of the Russian Ruble on the Global Market for the first time since 1949 can be

seen circa 1997 with the decline.


Further decline can be seen circa 2000 with the introduction of the Euro.


The Clinton Recession causes further damage.


Bush accidentally unintentionally causes some growth through a combination of tax cuts and war spending on Afghanistan and Iraq, but it does not generate enough momentum....to gain enough inertia to over-come the malaise, spending would have to be in the $TRILLIONS....quarterly.


At this point, the Euro, the Ruble, and now the Chinese Yuan, plus the Indian Rupee are all starting to take their toll, the Bush Recession doesn't help, and down you go.


Obama makes a weak attempt to stimulate the economy, because he doesn't understand that at that point, you'd need to spend about $1 TRILLION per month to overcome the inertia, and given his poor record on economic policies to date, it still would have failed, and you'd be that much worse off.


That's where you are now.


Oh, and what I have been saying for the last 5 years? Oh, yeah, that's right, when you finally bottom out, the road back to the top is paved with Real Inflation.


What did I say? About 35% to 45% annually? Damn am I good. About 12 years from now. Hahaha.....you all will be on your hands and knees begging for the "Stagflation" of the 1970s.



6] Chevron and British Petroleum own 75% of the royalty rights to the oil, natural gas and strategic metals and minerals in Central Asia (the rest are owned by Total France, Gazprom, a Brasilian company and a few others).



You got whooped up in Afghanistan, just like the Russians before you, and the Brits before them, and every one on Earth from time immemorial who has tried to conquer the No Man's Land that is Afghanistan.



How do you get that oil, natural gas and strategic metals and minerals out of Central Asia, if you cannot go through Afghanistan, which is a moot point now since Pakistan turned out to be the Ally From Hell?


Through China? Then it's sold in Yuan or basket currencies, and not exclusively US Dollars --- you lose.


Through Russia? Then it's sold only in Euros and Rubles and never in US Dollars -- you lose.


Through Iran? Then it's sold in Yuan, Rubles, Euros, Rupees or Gold and you lose.


You lose because the value of the US Dollar declines causing you to pay more for goods and services, reducing your purchasing power, resulting in ever increasing lay-offs and job losses, plus a steady decline in standard of living and life-style.



Narrow-minded shallow people bereft of intelligence fail to see that as the purchasing power of Americans declines, the purchasing power of the rest of the world rises.....meaning they can buy more.....creating Supply & Demand issues, causing prices to rise, causing Americans to pay more for goods and services reducing purchasing power and resulting in ever increasing lay-offs and job losses, plus a steady decline in standard of living and life-style.



Yes....it's a vicious cycle as you spiral to the bottom.


The facts in light of Reality™ make your choices as a Country:


Continue engaging in warfare and slaughter to maintain a life-style and standard of living superior to the rest of the world....with no guarantee that you can even win by fully implementing your geo-strategy; or


Do nothing and end up as a 2nd/3rd World State; or


Totally re-invent yourselves; plan and prepare for a decline in your present life-style and standard of living, by choosing those things that are most important to you and rejecting the rest; find alternative living arrangements; learn to do less with less, but use all the free-time you have for self-improvement and the improvement of your community.


Myself, I'd advocate the latter, but that will never work so long as you continue to insist upon subverting the Constitution and operating as quasi-national centralized unitarian State. Things will be much more pleasant and beneficial for everyone, if you restore the Constitution and revert back to the federal system intended by the Founders™.



Geo-politically....


Mircea

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by DoD Guy

I'm sure the dim warmongers will shortly chime in with their logic...

More terrorists are being trained in Syria and those could harm US interests. The US is now going to get more involved in the Syrian situation.

Obama to deploy U.S. military advisers to Syria - Washington Times