Althouse: And here's a 5th question: Are there any answered questions?

March 24, 2011

And here's a 5th question: Are there any answered questions?

4 unanswered questions about Libya.

40 comments:

kent said...: Obama was asked the most obvious question — what is the U.S. endgame in Libya? — several times during his trip. His answers seemed deliberately obtuse [...]

Gedouttatown!

wv = "autemn": How Joe Biden spells "Autumn."; 3/24/11, 1:10 PM
Carol_Herman said...: CATNIP doesn't take a precedent!

Design something that helps elevate Obama's falling poll numbers: and you see an excellent opportunity to rid himself of the Irak/Afghanistan curse.

Libya's just coastline! Ten miles deep with people. Then sand dunes.

Libya can turn into the Las Vegas of the Mideast. And, you think I'm kidding, huh?

Coastline = Tourism.

Q-Daffy has prevented every break imaginable, that you'd get in a wealthy oil producing country.

Add to this that the Libyans hate the Saud's, the country on the left. And, Egypt, the country on the right. For different reasons.

Small population, where everyone knows each other!

Imagine lifting the yoke of oppression from a small country's shoulders. CATNIP TIME.

Sure. No guarantees. I'm not the Oracle of Delphi. And, I don't forecast the future.; 3/24/11, 1:11 PM
AFG said...: what's everyone think of Newt Gingrich's stunning reversal on the issue? Is anyone willing to admit when someone from the opposing party actually does something they agree with, or is it lockstep disapproval no matter what?

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/23/gingrich-libya-flip-flop/

P.S. - Try to address my question and not the author of the article, i just used the link for ease.; 3/24/11, 1:13 PM
Barnaby Films Blog said...: Why were these exact same questions not asked of Bush when he beagn the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?; 3/24/11, 1:19 PM
Largo said...: Off topic but breaking.
Earthquake in Burma (6.8); 3/24/11, 1:20 PM
Hagar said...: It's all the same war, and I am all for taking out Gadhafi.

However, opening another front by attacking Libya is a bit bigger deal than sending a gunboat up the Congo in the 19th century, and I do not understand sending the military to establish a "no-fly zone" in Libya and then begin figuring out what to do next, asking prospective allies if they'ld like to take over, etc., can we do anything with these "rebels," and who are they, anyway?

And these are the people who criticized George W. for "cowboy diplomacy" and "going it alone"?; 3/24/11, 1:23 PM
kent said...: Yet another crucial unanswered question: will First Klingon M'Chelle Obama now be leading a Kinetic Military Action against childhood obesity, rather than the whole earlier "war" thing...?; 3/24/11, 1:24 PM
Scott M said...: There are three answered questions about the President. Outside the following, I just don't know that much about him that can be counted on;

1) His middle name is Hussein, though John McCain doesn't like that fact mentioned.

2) The lock for the entrance door into the White House works perfectly well.

3) Everything he says comes with an expiration date, including "let me be clear".; 3/24/11, 1:25 PM
Revenant said...: Are there any any answered questions?

Q: Are we at war with Libya?

A: Yep!; 3/24/11, 1:37 PM
kent said...: "Shootin' at the walls of heartache,
BANG! BANG!
I am the Kinetic Military Actioner!
Well, I am the Kinetic Military Actioner,
And heart to heart you'll win,
If you surviiiiiiiiiive -- !!!"; 3/24/11, 1:43 PM
Scott M said...: Q: Are we at war with Libya?

A: Yep!

Wrong. We are militarily exchanging kinetic energy.

Honestly, when I read the first article that mentioned "kinetic military" yadda yadda, I thought I had clicked the wrong bookmark and was reading The Onion.

How stupid do they think we are?; 3/24/11, 1:47 PM
Unknown said...: The 6th question, "how long do we put up with this incompetent egomaniac before even the Democrats realize he has to go (if only for their own survival)?".

But, to answer Ann, you are correct, Madame, we have no answers, and it does look like Khadaffy is going to hang on.

tooclass said...

what's everyone think of Newt Gingrich's stunning reversal on the issue?

Frankly, I think only Fox News entertained any notion of him being a serious candidate.

Lessee, now,

Huckleberry,
Mitt,
Newt,
Daniels

Yup, pretty soon Miss Sarah and Herman Cain should be the only two left.; 3/24/11, 2:08 PM
kent said...: Only 17 percent of Americans see President Barack Obama as a strong and decisive military leader, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken after the United States and its allies began bombing Libya.

"CATNIP!!!"

(... heh-heh-heh...); 3/24/11, 2:17 PM
Hagar said...: and especially allies that are only going to work together if they can say, "Well, the Americans made us do it" with a reasonably straight face.; 3/24/11, 2:17 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: "And here's a 5th question: Are there any answered questions?"

Pure logic suffices to answer that question:

Yes.; 3/24/11, 2:24 PM
Carol_Herman said...: CATNIP produces higher popularity ratings. It takes the Irak/Afghanistan wars, and it drapes them in Dubya!

He gets out from under.

The coastline of Libya gets developed. This is the first chance in 50 years for Libyans to go into business. (Show me an arab who isn't able to sell retail.)

Q-Daffy is a better target than Saddam.

Q-Daffy is already "zenga-zenga" ... going crazy on TV. This was before you add in that those Tomahawks and missiles are AWESOME.

Tripoli, after the first night of stage #1, had CNN, AP and Reuter's running in with cameras rolling.

Stage #2 had taken off from air fields. And, "someone" called the planes back. For fear of hitting the journalists. Who, in essence, stepped behind enemy lines.

You bet this will play out. And, it's not the bloggers who got this fantastic protection.

You want Obama to go down.

Well? The Messiah could walk on water. In politics, you just need to "get out of the water" and appeal to Independents. Lots of those Independents actually voted for Obama in 2008.

McCain is such a putz! He thought he had "Hillary's women," when he didn't. He sold the republicans (who didn't like him much), that the press was in love with him. And, he thought a Black man couldn't get elected.

Why do republicans need to be banged on their heads to gain focus?; 3/24/11, 2:28 PM
ricpic said...: Kinetically speakin' the "action" needs tweakin'.; 3/24/11, 2:31 PM
Phil 314 said...: Are there any unanswered questions?

Yes, are we going to participate in the
Coalition of the Ambivalent; 3/24/11, 2:32 PM
ricpic said...: The coastline of Lybia gets developed.

It could be South Beach facing north! With couscous. And falafel.; 3/24/11, 2:36 PM
Michael K said...: The French and Italians know exactly what they want; their oil. The British turned loose that poor guy with six months to live a year ago so we know they want their oil. What does Obama want ?

To be left alone to enjoy the presidency. It's a four year party to him.; 3/24/11, 2:38 PM
kent said...: To be left alone to enjoy the presidency. It's a four year party to him.

"Brackets, more brackets... and: SAMBAAAAAAAAA -- !!!"; 3/24/11, 2:41 PM
Chennaul said...: You know one of the funniest lines from A Fish Called Wanda is:

I'm going to k-ki-ki-kill you k-k-k-ken..[ ]; 3/24/11, 2:44 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Highly overrated, too, is Sonia Sotomayor.

If you want to believe this bitch is the "wise Latina," I don't care. But we don't vote. All we do is vote for senators.

And, they "confirmed."

At least, here, PEOPLE vote.

Makes the outcome of the April 5th election looking more interesting day by day.; 3/24/11, 2:46 PM
Chennaul said...: Wait... I think I got that line wrong.; 3/24/11, 2:47 PM
traditionalguy said...: Keep em all guessing may be a brilliant strategy, if we want the USA to look weak, indecisive, and therefore useless to the Arab world that once relied on the USA as the regional Hegemon. Maybe Israel's military could take our place. But then Obama would sneak in another shot at Israel to either abandon control of Jerusalem, or else cut them off. So how many allies do we now have...none. And how many enemies do we now have...all of the old friends plus all of the old enemies. Obama is brilliant.; 3/24/11, 2:55 PM
kent said...: ... but, seriously: what could possibly go wrong...?

"CATNIP!!!"; 3/24/11, 2:55 PM
Carol_Herman said...: South Beach? That's mafia country. In New Jersey.

Arabs are basically good at running small businesses. But not in Libya!

Crazy Q-Daffy terrorized everyone while he pocketed all the oil profits for himself. (And, yes, he gave away billions, to politicians. To stay in business. Gave to honchos at the UN. Tony Blair. Sarkozy. Etc.

Not one dime was put into infrastructure. There's no middle class in Libya. (Why not, if arabs are good at small business? This has been true since the days of the Caravans. Before Magellan.)

But not in Libya! COASTLINE without hotels! Not one university. Not one opportunity for an education.

Just through fear, alone. Like Stalin.

Here's my guess. Not only has his military capabilities been degraded; he no longer has communications! Nothing. He can't even call a bank and send money to "the rebels.") Money to the rebels has to come from Iran's involvement.

Don't know if this action is going to be a ballgame changer. But my bet is on the CATNIP. And, if I'm right, Obama's numbers will accelerate upward. Not that you have to believe voters put him in office over McCain, because McCain blew it.

But "blowing it" is a republican habit. Stay focused. This is not about draping fetus signs on the republican party. This is about having opportunities, too, and making foolish mistakes.

Sure. I can be wrong. I'm not the Oracle at Delphi. And, the sun, rising in our mornings from the East, and going West, is not a prophecy, it's something people learned as soon as the "flat earth society" dropped dead.; 3/24/11, 2:57 PM
Chennaul said...: Damn it!

I think I'm Ken. LOL!; 3/24/11, 2:57 PM
Quaestor said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/24/11, 3:28 PM
Quaestor said...: Let's try that again sans the stupid typos.

Barnaby wrote: Why were these exact same questions not asked of Bush when he beagn [sic] the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Because the people whose duty it was to ask these questions were convinced they already knew the answers, to wit: Bush is a empty-headed jay and a stooge for BIG OIL, thus the naked military grab of Iraq and her resources.

wv: hencomph - a meeting of minds in the chickencoop; 3/24/11, 3:33 PM
From Inwood said...: Obama Sings

[Aplogies to Cole Porter]

At words prophetic, I'm so kinetic
That I always have found it best,
Instead of letting 'em rest unexpressed
To get ‘em off my chest.
I love parading my serenading
As I'll do it ad nauseam,
So if this guesswork-y seems kind of murky
At least it’ll tell you
How great I am.

Response by sycophants:

Your words prophetic are sure kinetic
In every way. Oh, One you shine,
And we can feel after every line
A thrill divine
Down the spine.
Now nasty wrecks like some Glenn Becks
Might think that your song is bad,
But we got a notion
We'll second the motion
And this is what we’re going to add:

You're the top!
You're The True Messiah
You're the top!
You're a Himalaya.
You're a dance in Bali.
You're the top!
You're a hot tamale.
You're an angel, you,
Simply too, too, too diveen,
You're a Boticcelli,
You're Keats,
You're Shelly!

You're Earthy Green!; 3/24/11, 4:02 PM
From Inwood said...: Obama Sings

[apologies to Cole Porter}

At words prophetic, I'm so kinetic
That I always have found it best,
Instead of letting 'em rest unexpressed
To get ‘em off my chest.
I love parading my serenading
As I'll do it ad nauseam,
So if this guesswork-y seems kind of murky
At least it’ll tell you
How great I am.

Response by sycophants:

Your words prophetic are sure kinetic
In every way, Oh, One you shine,
And we can feel after every line
A thrill divine
Down the spine.
Now nasty wrecks like some Glenn Becks
Might think that your song is bad,
But we got a notion
We'll second the motion
And this is what we’re going to add:

You're the top!
You're The True Messiah
You're the top!
You're a Himalaya.
You're a dance in Bali.
You're the top!
You're a hot tamale.
You're an angel, you,
Simply too, too, too diveen,
You're a Boticcelli,
You're Keats,
You're Shelly!

You're Earthy Green!

[etc.]; 3/24/11, 4:05 PM
Anonymous said...: Here's another question:

The government of Syria is massacring civilian protesters. Why aren't the United Nations and the Benevolent Humanitarian Coalition agitating for kinetic military action to protect innocent civilians in Syria?

(Please don't say it's because Syria doesn't have oil reserves that France, Italy, and Britain want -- that would be a cynical distraction ...); 3/24/11, 4:06 PM
Quaestor said...: Just fab, Inwood! Your work?; 3/24/11, 4:08 PM
Scott M said...: Why aren't the United Nations and the Benevolent Humanitarian Coalition agitating for kinetic military action to protect innocent civilians in Syria?

Obviously because they don't care about black people or they would have been agitating for kinetic military action in Rwanda.; 3/24/11, 4:09 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Assad hasn't threatened Sarkozy with disclosure of "bank transfers" into the billions of dollars.

Wave #1, which included 112 Tomahawks, delivered by our Navy, hit and destroyed Q-Daffy's Tripoli infrastructure.

And, then Q-Daffy had gone on TV and ranted like a paranoid manica. In Israel, they've turned this into an Internet musical: Zenga-Zenga.

Assad hasn't been attacked in Syria, and you have to question this? The Israelis keep him alive for a reason.

Alwites are better despots than Sunni's Muslem Brotherhood.

The Muslem Brotherhood has no toe-hold in Libya! The mosques were constantly swept by Q-Daffy's secret police, to keep them free and clear of rabble rousers.

You can't fool me.; 3/24/11, 4:13 PM
retire05 said...: Carol Herman has to be the most ill informed brain dead liberal to every walk the face of the earth. You see, Carol thinks because the Muslim Brotherhood wasn't holding May Day parades in Tripoli, they didn't exist.

So perhaps all those who want to point a finger saying "Don't look over there, look here at how dumb George Bush was."

So, where was Obama's speech to the UN or his address to Congress or even an Authorization For Use of Military Force against Libya?

And who are we protecting in Libya? Who are the "rebels"? Are they the same tribalists that sent jihadists to fight, and hopefully kill, our soldiers in Iraq? Are they the same closet al Qaeda members that the head honcho for AQ just encouraged to continue with the revolt in Libya?

Since when does a no-fly zone include dropping missiles on people and trying to take out a government base?

Where are the war protesters, who were so visable when Bush was in office? Does anyone really think that when we are dropping bombs on a city there will be no collateral damage, like dead people?

And then Carol, in infinate wisdom, tells us that Qdaffy's infrastructure is destroy and with the next breath tells us how he went on TV after the bombing.

And let me ask you this: why is Obama giving Brazil $2 billion and the permission to drill in our own Gulf of Mexico while American drilling companies are going out of business?

Wake up, folks. We are being lied to as we are being screwed and the only one going to dinner is Obama.; 3/24/11, 5:16 PM
Revenant said...: Why were these exact same questions not asked of Bush when he beagn the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

We didn't ask Bush "these exact same questions" about Afghanistan because just under 90% of Americans wanted us to invade Afghanistan, and thus could easily have answered the questions ourselves:

Q: Can we really get out fast?

A: We're there to "get al Qaeda", not to "get out fast".

Q: France? Are you kidding?

A: Say what?

Q: Will Congress rebel?

A: Congress authorized the war by a combined House and Senate vote of 518 to 1. Next stupid question, please.

Q: What if [al Qaeda and the Taliban] holds on?

A: Then we'll slaughter every last one of the bastards and salt the fuckin' earth when we're done.; 3/24/11, 7:16 PM
Chef Mojo said...: CATNIP! = new MATT DAMON!; 3/24/11, 7:28 PM
From Inwood said...: Quaestor

Thank you. It's mine.

Can't figure how to delete repeat copy; 3/24/11, 9:23 PM