Comments on: How we got here: Ben Rhodes on callow youth

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 18:25:51 +0000

We all see that Zero is a self proclaimed ‘Christian’ that doesn’t have any belief in demons. What else does this self proclaimed ‘Christian’ not believe in.

Take a hike, your ishtar is calling.

By: OM

OM — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 01:53:23 +0000

Yam:

Keep walking, turn that CPU of yours on once in a while before you post. Genius? Not so much.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 19:31:00 +0000

Some are even ripe for political change.

The only change that would be true would be a religious change of heart.

The people who only needed a change of mind, have already changed for the most part.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 19:28:03 +0000

No matter how many gods you worship, OM, it won’t save you from your own hypocrisy and weaknesses.

Your self righteous intolerance of other people, cultures, ideas, and formats, won’t get you a raise except here on Earth and in your own man made Deus ex hierarchy.

By: gracepc

gracepc — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:20:17 +0000

Excellent. Nailed Ben Rhodes.

By: TommyJay

TommyJay — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 23:48:56 +0000

Not to slobber, but I liked Neo’s use of the word “valence” at the end of para 12, (I think). I thought I was reasonably well read, but I had not seen it used outside of chemistry/physics. Also, that it references “experience” and not a thing or person.

Anyhoo, I really liked this post as well as the “the Truth is hard” one.

Couple of points: 1) In the realm of complete conjecture, I wonder if the Obama-Rhodes relationship is one of Obama using or nudging Rhodes to be a yes-man, or if Rhodes is literally a mirror or Zelig type personality using Obama.

2) One of Bill Clinton’s closest aids in the area of national security and foreign policy was Sandy Berger. He was mainly a political hack helping Clinton make a hash of US foreign policy for political gain, though I see that he had a few years in the Carter State Dept. under his belt at the time.

I didn’t think much of Condi Rice, but at least she was not an experienced political operator and was supposed to be knowledgeable of foreign affairs. And I don’t think she lived in the oval office like Berger and Rhodes did.

By: Richard Saunders

Richard Saunders — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 01:32:14 +0000

If it makes our “allies” (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Emirates) feel better to have McMaster make a distinction between “radical Islam” and plain old regular vanilla Islam, fine. I have no doubt he is perfectly aware of what the Koran says about killing infidels and about the Dar al-Islam and the Dar al-Harb.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 01:31:38 +0000

Neo:
“Do not confuse the doctrinaire activist with the reasonable person … Every one of them represents an opportunity for getting your own point of view across. Some are even ripe for political change.”

Which is only socially meaningful if there’s a viable social-political polar Center so changers can gravitate to their like in order to form a critical mass. Which will require reasonable people – displaced center-right conservatives and center-left liberals – to band together and compete as activists in the social arena head-to-head versus the doctrinaire activists on both sides.

Neo:
“What’s more, there are tyrants, potential tyrants, and those who approve of tyranny, on both sides. They are the ones who need to be watched out for.”

And competed against, both simultaneously, as though they’re complements essentially on the same side.

By: OM

OM — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 01:15:53 +0000

Frog:

Correction: The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945 Hardcover — October 25, 2016
by James D. Hornfischer

By: OM

OM — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 01:09:39 +0000

Frog:

Banzai charges for LGBTQ bathrooms? Mass suicide (Siapan) if another conservative is appointed to the Supreme Court? Who will protect your precious bodily fluids from them?