sherpa

Why do you care?

One is the action of a rogue few, identified as a war crime and prosecuted by the governing authority. Anathema to the US military. The other is a planned strategy by the governing authority, including the kidnapping of hostages. There is no analogy.

No. There is nothing emotional about the vast differences. The out of control actions of an individual unit, completely un sanctioned by the UCMJ and US military authorities is absolutely not comparable to a government planned, equipped, formally trained and executed barbaric war crime, including the taking of hostages. Military actions have spawned atrocities forever, but they are not condoned and prosecuted, usually.

By the way, while not knowing a thing about bourbon, I do know a thing about wine. Proud to see that, this week, the Monticello Viticultural Area has earned the Wine Enthusiasts Wine Region of the year award for 2023. That is a world wide competition. Additionally proud that the petit verdot grapes from my vineyard produced in 2017 produced the 2021 Virginia Governor's Cup silver medal award for best red. You are welcome to come over to this side of the mountain anytime. Never any hard feelings.

Nope. Not a thing. I just know that old fashion is not old fashioned. I have never had a taste for it. Haven't tasted anything other than beer or wine in over thirty years. Not my taste, but to each his own.

Fair enough. No problem. Couldn't resist, but no permanent scar. I know what three sheets means. I'm not sure about four, but I'm guessing it looks like a Biden Amtrak story rendition.

I'm not sure what your "club" serves, but the implication is that you are referring to a drink, called an "old fashioned." An "old fashion" is bell bottomed pants. Still, enjoy your golf lesson as summer ends in Virginia today, and have a great afternoon, but stay away from those old fashions.

I am not going to waste time taking your assignments. Do your own work. Start by comparing a horrible event by a small, independent unit to an attack planned for a year and including the entire terrorist group. Same can be said for abu ghraib. That was basically one night shift of one small unit. Horrible, but not a military strategy being executed. Additionally, those were prosecuted under the UCMJ. Think the leadership of Hamas is going to prosecute? They planned it. That is nothing like the planning and barbarism under which the Hamas invasion, rape, beheading, torture, burning, evisceration of fetuses was undertaken as a controlled, planned strategy. You outdo yourself every day. Simply unimaginable how someone could conclude what you regularly do.

Not remotely close, but no surprise there.

Yes. Despicable murdering terrorists have figured out how to geometrically expand the casualties of non combatants and hostages.

What's going on now is the attempted, promised elimination of Hamas. Really smart guys in a room to figure out tunnel warfare? How about Iwo Jima? Didn't work there, and there were few civilians. Sure. These really smart guys can figure out how to spare lives and just get the bad guys without other casualties. Just nonsense. Not possible. One late, additional note. The Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen shot down a US Reaper drone yesterday. They did this while the Reaper was in international airspace, technically an act of war. All you need to know about the Houthis is contained in their slogan: "God is the greatest. Death to America. Death to Israel. Cursed be the Jews. Blessed be Islam." We'll see if there is a response, but an undisputed act of war is generally responded to. In addition, Eisenhower must transit just south of Yemen to get where it's going. Could be some tense times on that portion of her repositioning.

While desirable, has been made practically impossible by Hamas.

I thought it was pretty good. Certainly spirited. My favorite response was during the questioning about interdicting Mexican cartels targeting the US, and someone, I think it was that NBC Welker woman who asked it. She asked Nikki Haley how she thought her ex colleagues from the UN would react to active action against them, and she qucikly replied, "I don't care how the UN reacts." Still, a probably unnoticed bit of humor my wife and I picked up. There was a lengthy questioning of the TikToc issue, with most calling for a ban, but universal condemnation of it and its use by the Chinese Communist Party. At 9:52 pm (+/-). there was a break and guess what commercial played.......Yep.....TicToc

Trump did not preside over horror of the shameful US performance at the end. He didn't leave hundreds or probably thousands there to be killed, along with billions of US equipment. Biden did. Own it.

I answered your question, which really needed no answer. Trump approved a withdrawal from Afghanistan that had an out, if certain criteria was not met. There is no possible way to guess how he would have responded given the eventual circumstances. The Biden Administration fled from the area, leaving many who are now dead, many who are still hunted, and presided over the most disgraceful military action I have seen in my lifetime. Worse than Carter's insane hostage rescue attempt. There is no doubt that the Biden withdrawal was a disgraceful embarrassment. The Saudis, resistant to Biden, who asked them to not follow through, re OPEC production cuts, and then to delay the announcement until after the US mid term elections did what they did. Russia invades the Ukraine. China gets increasingly aggressive. Hamas invades Israel. Great track record, and you can "wait" as long as you want. I'm guessing the wait for him to be gone won't be long, thankfully. Not soon enough, but not long.

Facts. Since we abandoned our friends in disgrace in Afghanistan, the Russians have invaded the Ukraine. The Iranian led Hamas has invaded Israel. The Saudis have orchestrated a reduction in OPEC oil supply. China is far more aggressive in matters military. Figures. You want a number on people killed? You want a number on fuel price inflation? Biden has been a disaster.

Great post. My view is that we should support both, but it would be extremely valuable if we had the leadership to form coalitions among similar nations as part of that strategy. We no longer have that leadership. When I say leadership, I mean the ability to cause Arab leaders to provide and/or support some kind of Palestinian solution. Voting in Hamas, supporting Hezbollah or in any way looking the other way as Iran causes hate, death and destruction among those tortured people is clearly not working. In addition, I would aver that we simply must support Israel, as long as they don't do anything crazy. I don't think an offensive attack on Iran would be "crazy," nor do I think their current posture re Hamas and Gaza are crazy. Vengeance would be crazy in my view, but they are not there.

As mentioned previously, the Eisenhower has transited the Suez and is now very likely headed to the Arabian Sea along with two escort ships, a cruiser and destroyer. Having the carrier with its four F-18 Super Hornet and one Electronic Warfare Attack Squadron. Being positioned just off the the south coast or Iran provides a much easier/simpler response should something be needed there or if there are any anti shipping actions in the Persian Gulf or Strait of Hormuz.

You are a slimy little coward. You have made personal accusations against specific people on this site. You have been asked to provide evidence, and offered financial benefit for doing so. You have never done so, and can't, because such evidence does not exist. More than the class clown, the site idiot.

What quote? Show me where I ever "lied."

If you are going to call me a liar, more than once, and then not respond to a challenge that could award the charity of your choice a significant amount of money if you had any such claim, I'm stating you are a fool. Either tell me what you are accusing me of lying about, or shut up.

Really? As you recall, or maybe don't, since you have posted this again, I have offered to deposit any amount of money in the charity of your choice if you can prove this claim. You didn't respond. The offer stands.

You can call me whatever you want. Not bothered by anything the class clown ever says. When you hitch your wagon to a failed group/ideology/terrorist organization., as they have, maybe you even get the point, though not likely, you are going to suffer disproportionate results, Israel's hands are not completely clean in this, but they are are a group who has been persecuted/ evicted/ had their land and property stolen over and over again, in many different countries/cultures over centuries. By Arabs/Islam/ Catholics and Germans, who actually tried to exterminate them. They are determined not to have it done again, and the defense of that small land is their last stand. Are the terms diaspora or pogrom familiar to you? The Arab world has jettisoned it's Palestinians over and over, leaving the problem at Israel's doorstep, and uses them as a surrogate instead of dealing with the issue. You can call anyone on this site anything you want, but you expose yourself on a daily basis as an,,,,,,,,Fill in the blank. Not my concern.

What an asinine question. Who had the higher death toll in WWII? Your spiral quickens.

I'm intrigued How is it ever possible to have a "one state solution" in Israel, when one group insists the other has no right to exist? "Welcome to my neighborhood, and you have no right to exist." In addition, while you point out the contributions of the US to Israel, you don't mention Iran's complete funding and support of not only Hamas, but the Islamic world's hatred of Israel, down to and including grammar school hatred indoctrination.