Shyt just got real.
There is a tape on TV right now of tomahawk missiles flying, the launches played over and over again in a continuous loop. It was a “proportional response”, and Russia was informed of the strike in advance on the “deconfliction line”, but we still don’t know Russia or Syria or Iran or other governments will react, or whether there have been military or civilian casualties.
All that prompts a very obvious question.
Does anybody know who is really minding the store right now?
Seriously. Who is running this country?
No one in their right mind thinks that DJT has the brainpower to deal with complicated foreign policy decisions. So who has the ear of the president* and advises him on actions like these?
Six days ago his “Secretary of State” was saying “the long term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people.” Two days ago everything changed when DJT finally discovered that children are dying in Syria. Newsflash: they have been dying for a while. DJT probably never saw or heard the story of Aylan Kurdi.
He doesn’t care about the dying children enough to let them and their parents into this country as refugees, but he wasn't above expressing inauthentic concern for them as justification for launching this military strike tonight.
DJT doesn’t know what he thinks about Syria. All he knows is he wants to look tougher than President Obama.
Think back to 2013 when DJT as a civilian was free to play both ends against the middle.
On the one hand he opined in full RWNJ all caps glory: TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA — IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!
On the other hand, he got to say that Obama looked weak for issuing a “blank threat” — drawing a red line and then not being macho enough to follow through with dropping bombs once the red line was crossed.
No-Drama Obama, not comfortable with the unilateral actions of a dictator, did take the red line crossing very seriously and tried to get Congressional approval before starting a third war (imagine that). Congress didn’t want to take any responsibility for that kind of AUMF. Read the Republicon comments at that link and see their hypocrisy on flagrant display. Don’t hold your breath waiting for Congressional Rcons to criticize DJT for popping off with missiles without seeking congressional approval, conferring with allies, or mapping out a clearly defined strategy for what happens after the initial knee-jerk reaction.
DJT doesn’t have a lot of experiences of mutuality in his life. He is used to taking actions without having to be concerned about someone of equal power taking an action in response. He does not have the kind of analytical mind that thinks even one step ahead of himself — does not go to “what if” scenarios. What if the courts strike down my Muslim Ban? What if Mexico won’t pay for the wall? What if TrumpCare does not pass the House?
What if, after lobbing a few bombs at a secondary air base, Assad or Putin or Rouhani or Kim Jong-Un decides oh are we dropping bombs now? We’ve got bombs too!
So DJT continues his dinner table diplomacy with Chinese President Xi Jinping tonight as the missiles were flying in Syria. Yet and still another diplomatic event where nothing will be accomplished except visuals to give the appearance that he is working, instead of just looking for one more excuse to have a long weekend at his golf resort at taxpayer expense.
Mike Pence is apparently in Washington, so is he keeping close watch over this proportional response In Syria tonight? Was this too small of an operation to call for the Situation Room? What if neither the POTUS nor the VPOTUS is keeping track of tonight’s events?
Maybe Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is pulling a quieter and more dignified Alexander Haig tonight. His star is in the ascendancy since “President Bannon” got bounced from his seat on the National Security Council. Apparently Bannon still has the same top level security clearance and the ability to attend meetings if he wants, but he no longer has an official seat, title or role on the committee, which is good news for McMaster, and the country, and the world.
Jarvanka is not monitoring overseas events because they also attended the dinner for the President of China, which makes perfect sense given the overlapping family business interests there.
Jared’s family had been negotiating with a Chinese conglomerate, Anbang Insurance Group, to complete a debt restructuring deal that would have sunk $400 million into their family’s flagship office building at 666 Fifth Avenue. (Yes, 666. You can’t make this stuff up.) When Democratic Congressional leaders (Senators Elizabeth Warren, Tom Carper, Gary Peters and Sherrod Brown, and Representative Elijah Cummings) wrote a letter to White House counsel about the obvious conflicts of interest, Anbang tried to sidestep with a “what the meaning of ‘is’ is” statement: “There is no investment.” But the idea of an investor with close ties to the Chinese government having a business partnership with the President’s son-in-law rang enough alarm bells that the deal was very publicly called off. However, since I don’t trust him or anyone in his family, my first thought is Jared is hoping to create a back channel version of funding for that real estate deal with some other Chinese investors whose political connections are not as obvious.
Ivanka, as we know, is one of those “America First for Thee But Not for Me” Republicons. While her father whines "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country," and "There are no jobs because China has our jobs," Ivanka manufactures shoes and clothes there, and is so adored by young Chinese women that she is referred to as “Goddess” and companies are filing trademark applications like mad to put her name, “Yi Wan Ka”, on hundreds of products.
I made myself watch DJT stumble through reading his statement tonight. Nothing but platitudes and empty phrases he could barely read through, much less sound like he means them. He did not reassure anyone that he knows what he is doing. He did not reassure anyone that he knows what he will do tomorrow. He did not reassure anyone that he is actually running this country. He insincerely mumbled someone else’s words while being recorded on tape, haltingly glancing from one teleprompter to another, and then went off to his diplomatic dinner to deal with his real areas of concern — using the office of the presidency to add to his family’s wealth.
In the meantime, who is really responsible for our foreign policy in this new step toward expanded international conflict? Who is thinking beyond the end of his nose with respect to bombing Syria? I’ve got a small query for you — what comes next?
If space aliens land tonight and say Take Me To Your Leader…
...tell them we need to think about it for a minute first.
PREVIOUS TRUE BLUE REPORT diaries
Apr 5: DJT ran for POTUS to get back at Obama but the person he is discrediting is himself
Apr 4: Obama’s is bigger—Twitter following, inauguration crowd size, and approval rating
Apr 3: Filibuster a SCt nominee? Ds are changing the rules! This never happened before !1!
Apr 2: TBR SUNDAY: Put Your Lights On
Apr 1: Blue Ribbons for 4/1/17—Dick Cheney, Richard Burr, Rick Wilson
MARCH
Mar 31: The possible reasons Flynn was refused immunity are all good for the Blue Team
Mar 30: Special Assistant Ivanka—every word she says from now on is a DJT advertising ploy
Mar 29: “It’s just that valuable” — do you know the MAIN reasons Ryan wants to pass the AHCA?
Mar 28: Nipping at their heels
Mar 27: In cheering Republicon failures, think like a surgeon
Mar 26: TBR SUNDAY: Dare we hope the tide is turning? Or is that unrealistically optimistic?
Mar 25: Sheldon Whitehouse, Al Franken, Bobby Brooks, Betsy Anderson, ACA phone callers
Mar 24: HaHaHa-Ha-Ha You’re gonna need Congressional approval and you don’t have the votes
Mar 23: Rcons hate Obamacare for selfish, greedy, racist reasons, but not enough to fix it.
Mar 22: Neil Gorsuch’s attempt to seem wide-eyed and innocent makes him look even worse
Mar 21: Using Trump as a bad example—no Trump Sleep, Trump Food or other Trump habits
Mar 20: Is DJT a compulsive liar, or out of touch with reality? Five scenarios...
Mar 19: TBR SUNDAY: A budget is a moral document—a statement of public compassion
Mar 18: Ribbons: CBO scorers, Senate Intelligence Committee, Judge Derrick Watson
Mar 17: They know DJT is lying. Here’s one sad reason they follow him anyway.
Mar 16: Mick Mulvaney's ignorant, callous, evil, Republicon definition of compassion
Mar 15: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points re DJT 2005 tax return
Mar 14: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points about Obamacare repeal
Mar 13: Culture, Civilization, Rural America, Working Families—the missing word is a “tell”
Mar 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Rcon definition of Christians is as wrong as the Rcon definition of Democrats.
Mar 11: Ribbons: A Day Without a Woman, Native Nations Rise, Voting Rights Act still lives
Mar 10: How to talk to people who have trouble understanding actions have consequences
Mar 9: Where’s the fire? The real reason Rs are trying to rush TrumpCare through Congress
Mar 8: Message Discipline 101: TrumpCare, RyanCare, GOPCare, DonTCare—what’s in a name?
Mar 7: How very hard it is for a woman to go a day without paid (or unpaid) work
Mar 6: Can DJT really be stumbling into the exact investigation we want?
Mar 5: TBR SUNDAY: How is it even possible that deplorables see a man of faith when they look at DJT?
Mar 4: Blue Ribbon Winners—Chris Hayes, Malcolm Nance, Cierra Fields
Mar 3: I’m glad Bannon, Conway, Carson, Sessions, Miller, et al. are in the DJT Administration
Mar 2: “In every major fire it always starts with smoke. And smoke is what kills you.”
Mar 1: Am I the only one whose skin crawled at the Carryn Owens BIRGing moment?
FEBRUARY
Feb 28: Spinspotting 101: Special Prosecutor for what? It’s so easy to answer that question
Feb 27: Spinspotting 101: I’ve seen no evidence because I haven’t looked for any evidence!
Feb 26: TBR SUNDAY: If Neil Gorsuch were a man of integrity, he would decline the S.Ct. appointment
Feb 25: True Blue Ribbons: Russia Flag trolling, Dixie Swastika grabbing, District Days demonstrating
Feb 24: There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative
Feb 23: Chief of Staff, Nat’l Security Advisor, GOP Head, President Bannon—too many hats!
Feb 22: DJT has a few questions for you—SMURF THIS POLL!
Feb 21: The end of “access journalism” means it’s time to #sendtheinterns
Feb 20: KAC lying low for now… can we banish her (and all her ilk) from the airwaves completely?
Feb 19: TBR SUNDAY: DeVos cartoon, Ruby Bridges, unearned unhappiness and childlike faith
Feb 18: Blue Ribbon Winners—Vice Adm. Harward, Melissa McCarthy, and intel whistleblowers
Feb 17: And Ain’t I an American?
Feb 16: Please tell your family and friends—If you regret your DJT vote, speak up NOW
Feb 15: R-supported forced childbirth laws deny the autonomy of women
Feb 14: What did the president know? Everything. When did he know it? From the beginning.
Feb 13: Coping with The Madness of King Donald by hoping political comedy will save us
Feb 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Poverty and Justice Bible
Feb 11: Blue Ribbon Winners—Swastika removers, Ninth Circuit Panel, and the Persisterhood!
Feb 10: The first three words of the Constitution are “We, the People” not “I, the President”
Feb 9: Who first inspired your political activism? Who inspires you now?
Feb 8: We cannot and will not be silenced—Here’s what to do if they try to silence you
Feb 7: Plain Talk Tuesday: Tell people the Affordable Care Act is the same as OBAMACARE
Feb 6: Interview Skills 101—Internalized oppression and what Ryan Lizza did right. BRAVO!
Feb 5: TBR SUNDAY: These protest signs with Bible cites will confuse and befuddle RWNJs
Feb 4: Blue Ribbon Winners—Temple B’Nai Israel, Judge Robart, CNN, Senate Phone Callers
Feb 3: Not rich, not smart, not a good businessman, not a winner—DJT is NOTHING he claims to be
Feb 2: Thursday action—Encouragement, thanks, and apologies (pick one or more)
Feb 1: July 7, 2009 to August 25, 2009 and September 25, 2009 to February 4, 2010
JANUARY
Jan 31: If you’re on overload that’s part of their plan—there’s more than one way to #resist
Jan 30: Interview Skills 101 for reporters attempting to interview KAC and other Rcons
Jan 29: TBR SUNDAY: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness
Jan 28: Blue Ribbon Winners—Women's March participants and #NoMuslimBan demonstrators and...
Jan 27: I wish Steve Bannon would tell me to keep my mouth shut
Jan 26: Thursday Action—Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Here’s how to start
Jan 25: The Asch Conformity Study, inauguration crowds, and the importance of speaking out
Jan 24: #ResistTrumpTuesday—good news day or another paying dues day?
Jan 23: Spy the Lie 101: How to enjoy watching Rcon spokesbot interviews, even KAC!
Jan 22: TBR SUNDAY: Why I prayed for the President* today
Jan 21: The only silver lining in the midst of these clouds
Inaugural (!) diary: Stop expecting Republicons to make sense