Syria, isolationism, and world police?

I have a number of conservative friends on FB and haven't seen any putin love.
A few of them are pretty... crazy evangelical "Obama is the anti-christ" people. They are convinced that if he isn't the Anti-Christ he's at least a Muslim and he's gay. A few of them are pretty normal conservatives though and that definitely worries me, Putin doesn't seem like the kind of guy we want to be classifying as a hero at all. That being said, I'm not trying to say that all conservatives think this way, I'm just disturbed by some I've seen.
 
A few of them are pretty... crazy evangelical "Obama is the anti-christ" people. They are convinced that if he isn't the Anti-Christ he's at least a Muslim and he's gay. A few of them are pretty normal conservatives though and that definitely worries me, Putin doesn't seem like the kind of guy we want to be classifying as a hero at all. That being said, I'm not trying to say that all conservatives think this way, I'm just disturbed by some I've seen.
There is a definite strain of American politics that will deify just about anyone perceived to be "standing up" to the other guy, no matter who it is, similar to the way a lot of the fringe left venerated Hugo Chavez. The difference this time is that a lot of the people praising Putin aren't that fringe (Fox News personalities).
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Oy, you guys should see the e-mails my Uncle Herb keeps sending the whole family about Obama. I feel like such a pinko having to shoot him down constantly, but his gobbledygook is exactly the kind of stuff that weakens conservative arguments.

In other news, in a move that's SURE to calm everybody down, the Russians have sent an anti-carrier missile cruiser into the Mediterranean as part of the largest Russian naval deployment since the fall of the USSR. Being interestingly candid, however, the Duma's defence committee chairman has said that the Russian navy is 30 years outdated and can't possibly hope to compete with the US Navy.
 
The article does make that conjecture, as well as that of it being perhaps part of an effort to evacuate Russian citizens if things go completely pear-shaped.
I think that the Russians know that the US is always going to be willing to deal and not be crazy, but are wary of the Turks and/or Saudis since they have direct regional interest.

If there's even a hint that the Kurdish elements in Syria are gaining a regional upperhand in anyway, Turkey is going to do something. And the relationship between the Saudis and the Russians is not too dissimilar from ours with Iran.
 
I like how Syria is claiming that it was Russia's offer to take the Chemical Weapons and not the US involvement that made their decision.

Considering Russia gave them the chemical weapons, probably told them that they'd hold on to them for them until this blew over and most likely would have never even reached a National level of interest if not for the US, I'm going to call bullshit on this one. ;)
 
I am enjoying watching my conservative friends on FB praising Putin as such a clear headed and strong leader. Plus he's got the right idea about the gays apparently.

I mean, look, Obama dropped the ball pretty badly on this one but really? Putin is the guy you are going to suddenly rally behind? Yikes.
I have been taken aback by similar sentiments as well. I just assume everyone is being sarcastic or ironic and then I don't have to cut myself or drink myself to sleep.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
With action stalling in the legislature, it's time to take it directly to the public, and crowdfunding!

Kickstart WW3!

 
Man, the talking GOP heads are basically worshipping the ground Putin walks on in the last two weeks.

Which is hilarious because during Obama's first term, when it seemed that Putin and him were together, they were screaming about all of Putin's atrocities and how he's the devil incarnate.

Oh GOP talking heads, will you never stop being hilarious?
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Man, the talking GOP heads are basically worshipping the ground Putin walks on in the last two weeks.

Which is hilarious because during Obama's first term, when it seemed that Putin and him were together, they were screaming about all of Putin's atrocities and how he's the devil incarnate.

Oh GOP talking heads, will you never stop being hilarious?
You're always going on about these "GOP talking heads" saying things I've not heard of Rush, Beck or Hannity talking about. Which "GOP talking heads" are you referring to, specifically?
 
You're always going on about these "GOP talking heads" saying things I've not heard of Rush, Beck or Hannity talking about. Which "GOP talking heads" are you referring to, specifically?
Rush, Beck, Ingrahm, Savage are usually the ones I'm talking about.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Rush, Beck, Ingrahm, Savage are usually the ones I'm talking about.
Well, the brief times I've come across the first two in our radio market here, they've had no kind words for Putin, unless in some strange perspective lamenting what a monkey he's made of our executive branch is "worship."

I googled around to see if I could find other examples of what you were talking about, but overwhelmingly it was all either "token republican allowed on MSNBC because he's a turncoat" stuff, or misinterpretation of something Charles Krauthammer said. Oh, and Newt Gingrich marvelling over a Russian quoting the pope.





In related news - seems Time Magazine is at it again:



A different cover in the US from the covers in the rest of the world, which read "America weak and waffling, Russia rich and resurgent." The latest in a number of times they've changed the US version's cover when their main story was something that cast Obama in a less than positive light.
 
Crap.

Remember how we were talking about Turkey potentially getting directly involved as more than supplier of arms to their faction of choice? That may start being more than "potentially".
 

Dave

Staff member
Because for the love of god stop thinking about the NSA and Benghazi and Obamacare and the IRS and I SAID STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM look, Syria! OOooooh boogie boogie boogie boogiemen!
I am with you on everything but Benghazi or Obamacare. I would say more Snowden/NSA/IRS than anything.
 
Because if we don't everyone will hate us and we'll hurt our national interests. Of course if we do everyone will hate us and we'll hurt our national interests...

Pay no attention the the gross violations of the fourth amendment!
 
I'm still confused about the Bengazi thing. I see lots of folks posting stuff over on FB about Obama covering something up, but what exactly was covered up? It just sounds like it was kind of a clusterfuck all around.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Benghazi_attack

The main issue appears to be that the administration had information and evidence they did not disclose to congress before it was reported in the newspapers and the slow response.

Those are symptoms of an administration trying to come up with a PR strategy in order to avoid being blamed, or having to blame someone they posted.

Because they kept trying over and over again to get a handle on things, and held back information repeatedly until it was forced from their tight fist, many are wondering what else they know that they were successful in hiding.

While hindsight is 20/20, many believe that there was enough information to make a better decision prior to the event, implying that the decision wasn't mere ignorance, but active neglect, and not at lower levels but at Clinton's and possibly Obama's level.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
I am with you on everything but Benghazi or Obamacare. I would say more Snowden/NSA/IRS than anything.
Not just concern about those things, but it's meant to take over all the "talk time" so that nobody can pay attention, or even take the time to discuss them. And believe you me, there's still lots of people who are cranky about Benghazi and Obamacare. Despite all the distraction, there's still a house investigation of the former going on, and an effort to defund the latter. But if the Obama administration can spam the media with 24/7 Syria handwringing, maybe it'll fall out of the public's attention, and just go away. They hope.
 
White House holds back top secret information, world outraged. News at 10:00.


Could be a headline from ANYTIME, eh?
 

GasBandit

Staff member
It's not just that they held it back, but they actively lied and manufactured the whole "outrage over a youtube video" thing out of whole cloth to try to further a cultural agenda while simultaneously trying to cover up their incompetence and exactly what else they were trying to do there that went so horribly pear shaped. My money's still on them trying to broker arms under the table.
 
My point was really more that Obamacare is still a issue to a lot of people, even if not everyone.
 
My point was really more that Obamacare is still a issue to a lot of people, even if not everyone.
I would best, safely I may add, that if Obamacare was defunded and struck down people would throw a fit at the stuff they were no longer guaranteed.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
I would best, safely I may add, that if Obamacare was defunded and struck down people would throw a fit at the stuff they were no longer guaranteed.
Well, the 12% or so who polls show think they'll actually benefit from it probably would. They are, however, outnumbered by a fair amount.
 
Honestly it's so far changed from what Obama originally wanted, thanks to all the bullshit put forth from the GoP, I don't even think it should be called Obamacare anymore.
 
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