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The Likelihood Of Further US Engagement In Overseas Conflicts

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This author and blogger has the sense of foreboding, that the United States will soon become more involved in overseas conflicts in a more direct manner.

The Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Gaza Conflict are escalating dangerously, and both represent major problems for American foreign policy.

Attempting to promote more military aid to Ukraine has been a struggle, and the sense is that Russia is emboldened by the inability of the US being able to promote more aid to Ukraine, ironically likely insuring a wider conflict.

Russia is likely to attempt to expand the war against former Soviet Union held areas before 1989—Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. This would bring the US and NATO into a wider conflict.

The Israel-Gaza conflict is likely to escalate with Iranian involvement, and will put America into the cross hairs of supporting a right wing Israeli government, which has shown no concern about human rights in its war on Hamas, sadly making the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to suffer massive loss of civilians.

All that these two conflicts are doing is complicating Joe Biden’s Presidential campaign.

One would expect that there could be wider war soon, against all desires, and if that happens, as sad as that is, it would help insure Joe Biden’s victory, despite vehement anger of many, as no President has ever lost an election for another term in a time of war!

The Ugly Month Of August This Year And In History

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August is known as the month of the usually greatest heat, and this month is no exception, with the tremendous drought affecting the western half of the nation, especially California.

August is also the month of disastrous hurricanes, as with Andrew in 1992 and Katrina in 2005, as examples.

August is also the month of many wars and provocations, as with:

The British burning of the US Capitol and the White House during the War of 1812.

The outbreak of the First World War in Europe in 1914.

The signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact which led to the beginning of the Second World War in 1939.

The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, ending World War II in Asia in 1945.

The falsely reported Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, which led to the escalation of the war in Vietnam under Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq’s Saddam Hussein in 1990, leading to the Persian Gulf War and the introduction of American troops on a permanent basis in a number of Muslim countries over the next quarter century, provoking a greater level of Islamic terrorism against America and Western Europe.

This August, we have seen racial tensions and division grow over recent killings by law enforcement authorities in St. Louis, Missouri and elsewhere, making us aware that the election of Barack Obama has NOT lessened the race issue in America, and has made us aware of the militarization of the police forces, with equipment returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And we have become fully aware, finally realizing the threat from ISIL (ISIS), after the death of journalist James Foley, and it forecasts an escalation of involvement in the Middle East, adding to the fuel already created by the Gaza War between Israel and the Hamas Palestinian terrorist group which controls the Gaza Strip.

So again, August keeps its horrible reputation as a month full of tragedy and disaster, although clearly, every month has its share of these, but August does seem to have more than its fair share!

The Democratic Platform And Israel: An Unnecessary Blunder By Barack Obama! UPDATE: NOW RETURNED TO LANGUAGE OF 2008 PLATFORM, A GREAT MOVE!

Ronald 12 Comments

The decision of the Obama Administration and the Democratic Platform Committee at the Democratic National Convention, to eliminate language which was in the 2008 platform–referring to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and language dealing with the terrorist group Hamas, and the issue of negotiation of the fate of displaced Palestinian refugees by Israel—is an unnecessary blunder that should have been avoided.

Everyone who is fair minded knows that Barack Obama’s Presidency has been one of full support of Israel on all matters that impact them, while occasionally disagreeing on tactics and approaches of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, and the Israeli President, Shimon Peres, have both praised Obama, and declared him as strong a supporter of Israel as any President, since the founding of the Jewish state in 1948.

But the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Mitt Romney Presidential campaign are now jumping on the removal of the platform language, and it puts Obama and the Democratic Party on the defensive, when keeping the language would have avoided this problem, and would have done no harm.

So it is not the issue of being angry with Obama, although some Jews, obviously, will be so, but rather, why, oh why, did the President decide to “shoot himself in the foot”, and create an issue which might impact the election in the swing states, particularly Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, in particular, and might also make the victories of the President in other states with substantial Jewish populations a bit closer, and might affect Congressional or Senate races.

The Jewish vote, if a large percentage abandon the President and the Democratic Party, could have long range implications that no one is thinking about now.

And it could make the Islamic world think that Obama might not support Israel to the extreme, in case of an Iranian crisis, even though one should have no doubt about the matter, in reality. But perceptions often matter more than reality, so this is something that Barack Obama and the Democrats will regret, as it gives unnecessary ammunition to the Republican Party!

It has just been learned that the 2008 Platform language on Jerusalem being Israel’s capital city has been returned to the document, a GREAT MOVE!

An Outrage And Dangerous Concept For Jewish Newspaper Publisher To Even Suggest Obama Assassination!

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It is absolutely shocking and reckless that the publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times suggested that Israel’s Secret Service, the Mossad, assassinate President Obama, because of the belief that Obama is out to harm Israel’s security.

According to Andrew Adler, Israel needed to strike against terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, attack Iran, and assassinate Obama, to insure the safety of Israel.

While backing away from his statement, which many Jewish leaders denounced, it still should lead to a Secret Service investigation against Adler, for advocating violence against our government and President.

And just imagine the horror if such an event were to occur, whether successful or not. It would lead to a national revulsion against the state of Israel, including calling for removal of all foreign aid to that nation; the end of the US-Israeli military alliance; the condemnation by millions of Americans of Israel as a terrorist nation; and the end, forever, of any possibility of the two nations ever working in support of their common goals in the Middle East. It would transform the Middle East and the geopolitical scene in a very destructive manner!

Rapidly Worsening Relations With Iran And Pakistan: A Concern For America And The West

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It is ironic that America has fought two wars in the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, both far from decisive, and now the reality is that the nations most to be concerned and worried about are their neighbors, Iran and Pakistan.

Iran has been clearly developing a secret nuclear weapons program, has been supporting Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel, and has become more and more belligerent as sanctions have been utilized against them. They are, in many ways, a much greater threat than either Iraq or Afghanistan ever were. And now, Iranian students have stormed the British embassy, done property destruction, and installed an Iranian flag in place of the British flag, and as the situation unfolds, it reminds one of the American embassy seizure in 1979 under the administration of President Jimmy Carter.

Pakistan, which harbored Osama Bin Laden for years, and has had connections to Al Qaeda and the Taliban for a long time, and whose secret service has worked against American interests in Afghanistan, has reacted aggressively against a NATO strike in Pakistan, part of an anti terrorist counteroffensive, by cutting off cooperation in allowing US and foreign forces to use their air space and roads in military operations in Afghanistan.

It is clear that relations with Pakistan are rapidly deteriorating, a dangerous situation since Pakistan has over 100 nuclear weapons, and in the wrong hands, could be utilized against India, or NATO forces in the area.

Barack Obama’s War On Terror: Reason Why, No Matter What The Economy, He Will Win Reelection In 2012!

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Barack Obama decided early on in his administration that he was NOT going to use the term “War On Terror”!

But forget what it is called: Barack Obama has waged a very effective “War On Terror”, has shown he is tough and decisive, has demonstrated aggressiveness in military matters, and has protected the homeland more effectively than George W. Bush and Dick Cheney before him!

His military and intelligence people have hunted down and eliminated dozens, if not more, terrorist leaders of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and related groups. Of course, the most famous is Osama Bin Laden!

He has utilized drones effectively, and made arrangements for new drone locations to go after terrorists in Somalia and Yemen.

He has given private warnings, now becoming public, to Pakistan and Afghanistan about connections to terrorists.

He has made Iran aware that we will not tolerate their connections with Hamas and Hezbollah in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and while we are trying to withdraw our involvement with ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are not abandoning the fight against terrorist elements.

Barack Obama is often called too nice, lacking in aggressiveness in dealing with Republicans, but even that is starting to change as he pursues an economic plan to promote fairness in taxation, and stop victimizing the middle class in favor of the rich!

He cannot quickly create jobs, but he is showing his intent for the long term, and while he is doing this, he has made perfectly clear his aggressiveness and single mindedness to protect us from terrorism and root it out wherever it exists!

This is a long battle that may never fully end, but the waging of the War on Terror worldwide is the ultimate reason why, no matter what the economy, he will win reelection in 2012! The Republican Party will be helpless on this issue, unable to criticize Obama, and they will lose the election and seats in Congress, and possibly control, because of that reality!

Barack Obama And Israel: Is He Abandoning Israel? NO!

Ronald 1 Comment

Listening to Republicans and Fox News Channel today, one would think that Barack Obama is ready to destroy Israel in his quest for good relations with the Islamic world.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Obama, in his speech at the State Department yesterday, and in his meeting with right wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today at the White House, made it clear that the United States does not expect Israel to negotiate with Palestinian leadership which refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist.

Obama also said that the Palestinian leadership cannot expect Israel to accept their dealing with and uniting with Hamas, the terrorist government in charge of the Gaza Strip.

Also, Obama said that the United States would back up Israel in the United Nations against any move to delegitimize or isolate it by vote in that body.

Also, Israel cannot be expected to endanger its own national security and safe borders, and that America would back its steadfast ally in its desire to remain a secular, democratic nation.

The controversial part of the Obama speech yesterday dealt with the proposal to return to pre 1967 borders with some mutually agreeable land swaps to stabilize the territorial boundaries of Israel and a Palestinian state. This is, Obama said, a beginning point for negotiations. Notice, the words are BEGINNING point for NEGOTIATIONS! It is NOT settling the final boundaries and terms of a settlement.

This idea of promoting negotiations and making concessions on both sides is nothing new! It was promoted by all of our Presidents since Israel was created in 1948, but always with the guarantee of protection of the security interests of Israel, our traditional ally!

To believe that President Obama is abandoning Israel is simply wrong thinking, and it must be recalled that earlier Israeli governments under other Prime Ministers were willing to make concessions for peace, but without handing over the security and sovereignty of Israel to Palestinians and terrorists.

The main point here is to help promote negotiations at a time of the so called “Arab Spring”, when so much turmoil and possible democratization is occurring in an area that has seen such harsh dictatorial regimes for so long.

It turns out that President George W. Bush had called for return to pre 1949 boundary lines when Israel was first created, as recently as a speech in 2008, while Obama referred to pre 1967, which in most respects is the same statement, but when Bush suggested it, his party endorsed it, but when Obama suggests it, he is bitterly condemned by Republicans.

What it comes down to is that the Republican party, as always, will simply come out against anything Obama says or does, even if it follows earlier Republican principles or stands.

So an appropriate term for this might be that the Republican Party has a disease–Obama Derangement Syndrome!