POTUS in Baghdad.
The surprise visit by America's Number 1 Anti-War President is anxiety. Iraq is not a single theater, but a battlefield in the vast Ummah landscape under attack by the apocalyptic Twelvers and their suicidal jihadist pets. The battle is still in the balance. The lessons of 1933 are right in front of the White House and no amount of homogenized White House penned rhetoric about building "bridges" or preventing "walls" can reach to the enemy. The Obama administration is trapped in its own senior seminar on peace and reconciliation. Here is what those of us outside the privileged rooms know. The financial collapse of the globe from 1929 to 1933 was the predicate of global horror. The trust in the markets goes first, then the bankers panic, then the democracies try the fetal position, then the Devils go to work. Stalin was a sleepless Georgian gangster with a million enemies (including the loathsome and repetitive Trotsky) until the global collapse made the West as despairing as the five-year-planned East and Stalin could boast he was winning. As late as 1933, Britain was playing embargo games with Russia, as if Britain had the money and Russia had to come to reason. Laughable. Russia was already an insane rogue state; Moscow believed famine was a weapon of mass destruction to be used against the make-believe Kulaks. Adolf Hitler took the keys of Germany away from the drooling Hindenberg in January 1933. London and New York papers mocked him as an amateur, a buffoon, a tool of the industrialists, a minor desperate figure. At the same time, the Imperial Army in Japan was getting ground up like pepper in Manchuria against the stubborn Chinese warlords and looking for relief or accommodation with the British. Not one of these Devils was ready to break out from their own nests until after Washington, London, Paris turned away from confrontation and toward disarmament. A predator does not attack a man with a good weapon, or fifty good weapons. Easy Lesson of 1933: The time to prepare for war is when the enemy is licking its wounds.
While the Obama Administration Slept.
The grand tour just concluded (right, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul) by the POTUS and his flacks resembles in a jumbled way the 1933 fall to crisis. The G20 hand-holding without anti-protectionist mandates or currency management resembles the failed London Conference of June 1933. The yearning for a world without nuclear weapons by POTUS at Prague resembles both Kellog-Briand anti-battleship pact of 1929 and the tormented 1933 Paris Disarmament Conference that broke up after Hitler decided to walk out and look for suppliers (and deal with Ernst Rohm). The embassy to Turkey resembles London's compulsive gestures toward Russia and P.M. Stanley Baldwin's bizarre confidence that diplomacy was unaltered since 1912 -- that Stalin could be treated as a rough and tumble tsar. And now the POTUS dash into Baghdad in secret resembles the sentimental headlines in the London papers about veterans of the Great War getting together to tour the battlefields of Belgium, or the condescending treatment in the New York papers toward the doughboy veterans whose benefits were cut repeatedly by FDR. Barack Obama walks through Turkey and Baghdad as if the war is over and now we have to give the people better municipal services and a secure retirement package. Meanwhile the battlefield around POTUS presents the unchanging tactics of the enemy.
A series of six car bombs in and around Baghdad killed 33 people just Monday, wounding scores more and raising the prospects of a resurgence of violence. Most of the bombings struck predominantly Shiite neighborhoods. Just hours before Mr. Obama touched down Tuesday in Iraq, a car bomb in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad killed at least nine people and wounded 18, according to the Associated Press. That followed Monday's carnage: A seemingly coordinated series of bomb attacks across Baghdad killed more than three dozen and wounded 100.
While America sleeps, the enemy prepares to attack the sleeper. The anxiety that the Obama administration feels is that it knows, though it doesn't yet say at the microphone, that the North Korean missile fired over the Pacific toward Hawaii was a significant practice run for another Pearl Harbor; and that the missile was paid for by the Tehran thugs who also hired those car bombs in Baghdad and are working closely to devour the Ummah on the way to worldwide apocalypse and the lunatic return of the Mahdi. The anxiety is a product of not knowing what to do with the weapon in your hand. Yes, I know, it's all madness, but consider 1933-1945. Hitler could not have stood up against France as late as 1936 when he sent the Wehrmacht into the Rhineland on horseback. What did London and Paris do? Calls for disarmament, for balance of power, for trade. Stalin mass-murdered Ukraine in front of Europe's reporters and the response was famine relief embassies and a general sense that communism has some merit if in the hands of the Ivy League (see below, from the Chicago Tribue, April 1934, Stalin in the background: h/t Jim McTague). As late as 1938, FDR was looking for non-aggression treaties with everyone in a steel helmet. No prophet is needed. When the President of the United States stands on a battlefield that is still smoking from car bombs launched by the enemy and declares, "We've made significant political progress," then it is a certainty that the Devils are ready with the next offensive. It is Barack Obama's war, and soon he will either fight it or lose it.
There are many parallels indeed between then and now, but maybe one important difference that will work in our favor: there is no enemy leader with half the stature or power of a Stalin.
Now the bad news: Baseline Scenario re worldwide prospects 2010:
Global Economic Outlook
The global economy remains weak across the board, with no significant signs of improvement since our last baseline. The one positive sign is that some forecasters are beginning to recognize that growth in 2010 is not a foregone conclusion. The OECD, for example, now forecasts contraction of 4.3% in 2009 for the OECD area as a whole - and 0.1% contraction in 2010. This is broadly with our previous ”L-shaped” recovery view.
Even that forecast, however, expects quarter-over-quarter growth rates to be positive beginning in Q1 2010. (This is not a contradiction: if growth is sharply negative in early 2009, then quarterly rates can be positive throughout 2010, without total output for 2010 reaching average 2009 levels.) While most forecasters expect positive growth in most parts of the world in 2010, those forecasts seem to reflect expected reversion to the mean rather than any identified mechanism for economic recovery. The underlying assumption is that at some point economic weakness becomes its own cure, as falling prices finally prompt consumers to consume and businesses to invest. But given the unprecedented nature of the current situation, it seems by no means certain that that assumption will hold. In particular, with demand low around the globe, the typical mechanism by which an isolated country in recession can recover - exports - cannot work for everyone.
Looming in the land of milk and honey, BNL (no, not WalMart big 'n' large) is forming a coherent policy that any fool understands. Barak, Netanyahu, Leiberman
Somewhat paraphrasing here, but, it sort of sounds like this: 'what would any one expect for a country to do that has been constantly threatened with annihilation and extermination? Who would stand by and let it happen to their families and nation? We've seen this before and we will never stand still and let it be repeated!'
I understand this.. I'm a simple man. Who knows the result, but, it's coherent.
"There is no enemy leader with half the stature or power of a Stalin" -- yet.
What would "Fearless Leader" have done if "Rocky" would have zoomed up and wrested control of the thing right when it got off on its flight across the Sea of Japan?
Looking around the control room, Fearless Leader finds "Boris" and "Natasha" there with everyone else dumbfounded and looking at each other stupefied and wondering what had just happened.
"You told me that stupid squirrel was dead!" Fearless Leader yells as he moves across the room.
"Fearless Leader, sir, we are sure we ran over him with our skis and left his carcass on the slopes of Mt Fuji. Of course, we tore him to pieces first and buried him in the snow!" Boris explains while Natasha is seen rolling her eyes in disbelief. "Here are the squirrels goggles and his flying cap we took from him to show you for your glory."
"Of course we did, of course, Fearless Leader, we got the squirrel and tore him to pieces" Natasha contends, "and those are his goggles and flying cap."
Taking the articles from Boris and inspecting them at arms length, Fearless Leader then asks "And what of the Moose? Where is the Moose?"
"Ah, oh, the Moose, yes, the Moose. Well, we have reports that he was going over to the other side and fell in the volcano, yes, uh, fell right in the volcano and, uh, well, never saw him. But, we know he is dead" Boris explains and then adds, "It is a long fall down into the volcano, sir."
Just at that moment live reports from the CNN feed come through showing Bullwinkle J Moose, straddling a rocket with a cowboy hat twirling in the air yelling "Yee Haw" like Slim Pickens in Dr Strangelove.
Breaking News- 'Just In... Mysteriously, the much anticipated launch of the "Songs of the Leader Satellite" seems to have gone terribly wrong and has reversed direction and is on trajectory to land somewhere in the proximity of its original launch location. All indications are that the missile has been hijacked and is en route back to where it came from with an impact time of less than 33 seconds, 32, 31, 30, 29..."
"YOU IDIOTS!! The MOOSE! THE MOOSE FOUND THE SQUIRREL AND PUT HIM BACK TOGETHER! HE SAVED THE SQUIRREL !!!" Fearless Leader is heard to ----- squelchhhhh, jgjgjgjgjgssssssssss, psssssht~~~ K A BLOOEY!!!!
Fearless Leader IL couldn't/ wouldn't have done a darn thing... except be a cartoon character.
And, I don't really mean to be mean or make too much light about some of these people, but, what is it with these hats?
If they would use about half of the material it takes to festoon themselves with these massive headdresses, maybe they could afford a little bit of rice or something to throw to the population and help alleviate some hunger pangs. I just don't understand some peoples priorities.
Just an observation.
No hero on the scene either .... YET.
"Stop wishin' for bad luck, and knockin on wood." -- John Prine
Barack Obama does not operate in a vacuum. He has the (albeit eroding) support of most Americans. It is they who have been carefully groomed in ‘Style over Substance 101’ for decades now. It is they who have consistently scored high on ‘good intentions over verifiable lab result’ experiments, utilizing marginally well fitting Chinese plastic pig parts. Sessions are usually held to coincide with ‘free’ time - after regular school hours or on weekends - for the benefit of those whose parents unyieldingly agitate for pseudo-intellectual, extra-curricular opportunities for their kids to participate in. It is they who are consistently taught in what passes for Economics class these days that (again) plastic (credit cards) can solve any problem while at the same time denying the notion of any link between a dollar and the concept of ‘value’. It is they who mark and are marked ‘correct’ when proclaiming verbally or in pedestrian scrawl that two and two equals five. It is they who no longer see ‘winning’ on (property) taxpayer maintained playing fields as a primary objective in any school sanctioned (largely-for-beauty) contest. It is they who increasingly regard the armed and uniformed ‘thin blue line’ - as it exists between chaos and order - as unnecessarily restrictive and arbitrary; and, hence, as superfluous.
When things go badly (as often happens in the real world); when results fall short of lofty expectations, the blame always arrogantly shifts toward self. ‘Other’ can never be acknowledged to exist. ‘Other’ only exists as the ‘wrong’ part of ourselves. Only in this context can it be dealt with. Rearrange the wordage to fit; redraw the diagrams for the umpteenth time – anything to preclude taking the risk of shattering something - considered both fragile and precious - for which one just might be held accountable. Anything but to graciously accept the sacrificial sword of another, for it would prove that we are now alone. It is the curse of the human condition that has the misfortune of having become so refined as to be able to see nothing other than itself; a jaundiced eye turned inward. Better to hide under one’s school desk until the storm passes. Better to hide under the covers than to admit what we have written in our fan club diaries is wrong.
There is still one thing we can do to ward off disaster and that is to let disaster run its course; to embrace it; to merge with it. If they threaten to take our liberty, take up the chains voluntarily. If they threaten our lives, beat them to the punch and drink the cyanide laced cool-aid. Be proactive and anticipate the enemy’s demands – and acquiesce. Condemn those who would fight for you. Hold show trails involving your own; intimidate those who would speak for you. Execute those who would put their lives on the line to preserve that which has clearly become contentious. One hand clapping makes no sound.
I have recently read the actual (translated) words of bin Laden, exhorting his followers to fight on against the West. I wish we had even one tenth of the fervor, the confidence, the backbone of the Islamists who seek to destroy us. Even the nihilists and the anarchists have come to life in the vacuum of our arrogant studied absence. Though we may have the bomb and sufficient military hardware to bring any enemy to heel, we have no one left to man the battle stations. The old warriors have long since retired to live out what remains of their heroic lives ankle chained to TV sets where they can watch all they have bled for swept out with the dust.
Yes Obama visits the Occupied territory of Iraq to see how the occupation is going.
The Military-Industrail-Media Complex needa an enemy either it be Communists, Nazis, Russians or Chinese Communists or Muslim fanatics. You have to keep the war machine going.
Oh Bin Laden is dead. Bhutto stated he was dead on British TV before she was assisinated.
America has a couple of choices over the next seven months. The Great Depression 2 is coming one way or another compliments of the International Bankers. America can 1) arrest the bankers as Barnake, Paulson et al for fraud and blackmail. 2) WWIII with either Russia or China using Iran as the cause of it all or 3) put the Federal Reserve under Government control and get back to the gold standard.
However, the g20 declared a New World/One World Government so these countries taxes will be going to an unelected members of the IMF/World Bank.
Yes, pre- octupied with octo pies (The Great Eight) and of splitting the pie three ways, POtUS visits the baker to ask who the enemy the MIrailMC needs and WHO keepsis spoiling the soupsis? Lamb Chop or Chowder anyone? Shari Lewis we loved you and wanted to marry you!!!
Lasers tag British TV as asinine for the special reports of missing Bin Laden stated Bhutto before well we all know who and wishes where the info was whispered. That's right!
Amerika has seven magical months to decide between a couples choice of one way or another complimenting the InterBanklopers or arrestisis them for just being names of fraud et al or it is [WWW.III.OHNO!] with all the cause gold of the standard New World of the One World Government of Taxes.
As usual, JB has the Big Picture well in hand, but Field Marshal Obama does not. Apparently, he still believes in the toxic nonsense that Iraq and Afghanistan are not related theaters in a global struggle against the increasingly aggressive and intolerant Ummah but discrete conflicts, at least one of which was "optional" and "unnecessary" if not downright criminal. Oy!
Very well, Field Marshal and Grad Student in Chief Obama, here are some more particularly targeted seminar questions for you. First, as your ballyhooed escalation of the Afghan War will necessarily result in taking additional Taliban and al Qaeda fighters prisoner, where do you propose to hold them, since you are closing Gitmo? Further, Mr. Obama, since you have trashed the established legal concept of "unlawful enemy combatant" and jettisoned its sixty+ year history of stare decisis before the US Supreme Court, on what legal grounds will you hold them? And for how long? And how does closing Gitmo even begin to help you address the last two strictly legal and constitutional questions?
Let me help you, Field Marshal, with this llittle hint -- unlike your sleazy Chicago real estate deals with Tony Reszko et. al., the right answer to the last three questions is not "location, location, location."
Obama IS Stalin.
He's two dictators in one, actually.
He's got the cult member zombies to back up his whacko policies like Hitler and the terror base to subvert American democracy, like Stalin.