The bottom line: Unlike most others, who pretended to leave on fine terms, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis bailed with a sharp, specific, stinging rebuke of Trump and his America-first worldview....In this telling, Trump really gave up on the wall, then saw himself criticized, so he made waves on Syria, got criticized for that, and then revived his interest in the wall. This conception of Trump has him doing one thing and not having any view forward to how it will be received or what other moves he will make later. That might be true, but how can you know Trump isn't seeing whole sets of moves — with reactions and subsequent actions already in mind?
It was a historic letter and a historic moment capping a historic day, one you could easily see filling a full chapter of future books on the Trump presidency. The wheels felt like they were coming off the White House before Mattis quit.
• The spiral began Wednesday when Trump saw conservative media turn on him when he appeared to be caving on funding for the border wall in order to avoid a government shutdown.
• Trump then announced he was keeping a different campaign promise: withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. And yesterday, word leaked that he had ordered a drawdown from Afghanistan.
• "[T]he president was super pissed and [conservatives] have him all whipped up ... [H]e is seething at the media reports of him retreating," a Republican lobbyist emailed.
• An outside adviser added: "What triggered Trump on Syria was giving up on the wall."
• By midday, the wall was back and Trump was telling congressional leaders he was prepared to allow a partial government shutdown.
Are they just assuming that Trump is an idiot? They portray him as running on pure emotion — "rebuked, rampaging." He's "super pissed" and "all whipped up" and "seething."
"The wheels felt like they were coming off" — a particularly silly phrase. Just grammatically, it's stupid, because it puts the wheels in the position of having feelings. And you can guess why the writers stumbled into that silly image: They didn't want to identify themselves as the ones experiencing the feelings. They want to look like neutral observers.
Trump was "triggered" — he's a gun. And he's also something with wheels. His mind is a landslide — a tsunami — of metaphors.
Posts
59 comments:
Yesterday I happened to hear CNN for a minute, and they said that the White House is in chaos.
Trump understands it’s the holidays and most people aren’t paying attention.
For those paying attention, Trump has clarified that most Dems and GOP are for open borders and endless wars. Neither of these affect them personally because they live in the Capital.
If this is chaos, let’s have more of it.
Sorry to lose Mattis. But basically everything was what I wanted to happen: Draw-down in Afghanistan (why are we there anyhow? Can't remember), out of Syria (ISIS is destroyed there and I don't much care what the rest of them do to each other), willing to shut the government down to fulfill his signature campaign promise. What's not to like?
It is charming (actually it is freaking scary) that Ann still clings to the delusion that Trump is some kind of Machiavellian genius who understands and anticipates the consequences of his actions.
I know that Ann is not a fan of Occam's Razor (especially since Trump was elected), but at some point she must finally realize that Trump is going with his gut because his brain isn't working right. To declare ISIS defeated is to ignore reality.
Every single day and from multiple sources, Trump is assaulted. Criminal investigations. Resignations. Firings. Tweets. Stand offs. Shut down. Chaos!
But Trump has set up Schumer on the Wall. The gov't will shutdown. But it is only a tiny percentage. Many departments are fully funded through July.
Trump will offer Schumer DACA. Schumer will refuse. Trump will offer Schumer $30B for his Gateway tunnel into NYC. Schumer will refuse.
Trump will then address the nation from the Oval and pin the gov't shutdown, DACA inaction and no Gateway tunnel on Chuck and Nancy.
What will NY people and DACA people then think about the Dem party? It's their fault!!
Trump has planned this whole thing out. Mark this post.
An outside adviser added...
Adviser to whom?
Outside of what?
MSM headlines.
Clinton News Network and MSDNC are both jokes. The Democrat corruption machine in full display.
All characterizations and observations from someone no closer than the same hemisphere as Trump.
On my previous comment, any experienced Deplorable lawyer or businessman with giant balls would do the exact same thing I posted above. No offense to women intended. I could see Thatcher doing something like that. Nikki Haley. Ginni Rommety at IBM. A few others.
It feels like the wheels are coming off to the people who every day wake up thinking "today's the day he gets impeached!" They are stupid. Their feelings and their wisdom is worth nothing.
That said, the impression given to the public was that he was backing off the wall and the Syria withdrawal came out of nowhere. But who can be so stupid at this stage of the game to assume that those impressions are accurate? Oh yeah, liberal journalists can be that stupid.
My first reaction to hearing about Mattis leaving was "oh boy! First Kelly and now Mattis. The adults are bailing." But when I heard why Mattis is leaving (disagreement over Syria and Afghan pullouts) I decided he's replaceable.
"The wheels felt like they were coming off."
We waded into the lake and the water felt cold.
Oh, that pour[sic] water!
Are they just assuming that Trump is an idiot?
Trump's idiocy is taken for granted. He's regarded by everyone left of center -- and some right of center -- as a screaming baby. Even when he does something they should be happy about, they find a reason to criticize it (prison reform -- it's because Jared's daddy was in jail [mock sympathy], and because Trump knows he is going to jail too).
The left is now making the arguments against leaving Syria that the right once made about Obama leaving Iraq. And they might have a point (though I doubt it given the vast differences between the two situations) but it's amazing to see their hatred of Trump turning the people who wanted to impeach Bush for involving us in pointless wars for Halliburton into interventionist hawks desperately concerned the US maintain our (imperialist?) influence in the Middle East.
"rebuke of Trump and his America-first worldview"
I'm sure we'll hear more from Mattis, but:
What's wrong with "America first" as a guiding principle? Why should we "respect" allies, the big point in his letter, when they haven't respected us? And how should we get tougher on Russia, Iran, and China, the bad guys he seems to be concerned about, than Trump already is?
The dirty secret in Trump's moves is that, apart from the Iran deal, his instincts are not so different than O's.
The media have their little go-to Rolodex mass produced ultra pasteurized cliche'ed bromides and talking points. In unison. It's almost funny that our media is such a democratic party supporting pile of corruption. All because they personally hate Trump.
Because Obama was Qatar and Iran first:
https://quodverum.com/2018/12/355/james-mattis-to-resign-as-secretary-of-defense.html
The confluence of several factors--imminent government shutdown, resignations, stock market plunge--sure looks like a crisis. Crisis is opportunity. Our complex system can no longer sustain or support change without crisis, is what it looks like.
To declare ISIS defeated is to ignore reality.
Do a Lexis-Nexus search on ISIS mentions in the press.
What will a sane person conclude? ISIS is used as a cudgel when the Press want to talk about what they perceive is Trump's "failure". When news of ISIS losing territory, or leadership -- it's mostly dead -- occurs, the media doesn't dwell on it. Now, suddenly, it's interesting to them.
Remember when Pelosi said Trump didn't have enough votes in the House for the wall? That was nice.
Freder Frederson said...
I know that Ann is not a fan of Occam's Razor (especially since Trump was elected)
Funny thing about Occam's Razor--there's a lot more room for disagreement about what constitutes the simplest explanation than people citing Occam's Razor usually want to admit.
I don't buy in to the 4th level chess explanations, but if you pay any attention at all to Trump, you know that to him everything is an angle in a negotiation. All his statements are designed to elicit some response that calculated to advance his goals.
That's what his supporters get that his critics don't. Why his "lies" don't bother his fans while they drive his haters nuts. His supports see what he's doing while his critics are determinedly blind to it.
Field Marshall Freder: "It is charming (actually it is freaking scary) that Ann still clings to the delusion that Trump is some kind of Machiavellian genius who understands and anticipates the consequences of his actions."
Field Marshall Freder, you will recall, is the fellow who decided he would simply pile lie upon lie regarding the outcome of the Bundy Trial and it's findings.
As a note: number of complaints Freder offered up for obama pulling out of Iraq against the generals wishes: ZERO
Yesterday I happened to hear CNN for a minute, and they said that the White House is in chaos.
That way they can re-use their old headlines. Over and over and over ...
site:cnn.com "chaos" "trump"
+
Stock market today: Fed, Trump bring chaos - CNN
Donald Trump's 'chaos' presidency reaches frightening new highs ...
Yes, Mr. President, there is total chaos in your White House - CNN.com
Trump unleashed: Mattis exit paves way for global chaos - CNNPolitics
What is chaos and is Donald Trump in it? - CNNPolitics - CNN.com
Donald Trump's White House chaos is rocking the world - CNNPolitics
Think the White House is in chaos now? Just wait. - CNNPolitics
Rep. Maxine Waters: Chaos is what Trump wants - CNN Video
Chaos, again, engulfs Trump's Washington - CNNPolitics - CNN.com
SNL is right -- Trump's chaos is part of a plan (opinion) - CNN - CNN.com
Fueling Trump's chaos: Can't fire who he wants, can't keep who he ...
Here's what happened in Trump's White House the day he said there ...
Trump embraces his impulses in ever-chaotic Oval Office - CNNPolitics
+++
I guess CNN uses the word "chaos" to mean "we can't cogently explain why we don't like it, but we don't".
Anecdotally 95% positive for leaving Syria/Afghanistan on the Twitters. Prob Russian bots though. Or something like that. Cuz Pootin'.
I don't think it's good for the media to keep portraying Trump as on the edge of a breakdown and our country therefore in great peril, and in a time of tremendous distress. I get it, they are trying to sell advertising. But it isn't good for the national health of people in this country. The opioid and suicide epidemic show people feel hopeless, but there is so much home. Life is beautiful. They should do more to help people see the beauty of it. Or at least not feed ennui for $$.
The lefties who so recently chided us all for not respecting the constitution and election outcomes are now fully on record as openly calling for military coups and to gut the constitution.
I wonder how hard it will be for LLR Chuck and his lefty pal allies to toss that stuff down the ashcan of history so they can pretend the next time that all the deplorables better straight up accept a democrat win?
It won't be so easy next time, what with "teh interwebs" and all.....
Are they just assuming that Trump is an idiot?
THE SCIENCE IS SETTLED!
(Wringing of hands, stomping of feet)
It is charming (actually it is freaking scary) that Ann still clings to the delusion that Trump is some kind of Machiavellian genius who understands and anticipates the consequences of his actions.
You don’t have to be a Machiavellian genius to foresee what was going to happen here. Whats actually funny is that you still cling to the belief that Trump is a complete blithering idiot when his approval ratings haven’t gone down, he’s still getting things done, and the economy is better off. That defies reality, but leftism as a whole defies reality.
I don't think Trump is a genius and I'm truly sorry to lose Mattis. But we are in Syria/Libya/Wherever else with almost no national discussion. We're still in Afghanistan. And the way the Intelligence Community -- the Brennan/Comey Team-- have treated Trump from the get go makes me believe there are interests in having a presence in those areas that has nothing to do with *National* interests, but has more to do with people who love being in the game.
Maybe I've watched too much Narcos and Narcos Mexico. The CIA always wants to be in the game.
Civilian leadership of the military used to be a founding principle to this Nation. Obviously not this civilian. I know the experts (who ever these nameless people are) will disagree, but about half of all decisions turn out wrong. Those that are right, are usually corrections to the ones that proved wrong. My point is, none of these decisions carry much down side risk, to life, or capital. Political capital is another matter. President Trump not being a politician never does that calculation.
What's the down side to President Trump? People say mean things about him? He wont get re-elected? The President has nothing to lose, letting this shutdown run until the next election.
Here's a Not That Oldie But Very Very Goodie:
"Obama Fires Top General (Mattis) Without Even a Phone Call"
"In another post, Ricks says Mattis was fired because: Pentagon insiders say that he rubbed civilian officials the wrong way -- not because he went all "mad dog," which is his public image, and the view at the White House, but rather because he pushed the civilians so hard on considering the second- and third-order consequences of military action against Iran. Some of those questions apparently were uncomfortable. Like, what do you do with Iran once the nuclear issue is resolved and it remains a foe? What do you do if Iran then develops conventional capabilities that could make it hazardous for U.S. Navy ships to operate in the Persian Gulf? He kept saying, "And then what?"
https://www.weeklystandard.com/daniel-halper/obama-fires-top-general-without-even-a-phone-call
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
So, obama and his crew of midgets LITERALLY FIRED Mattis because Mattis dared, dared get in the way of obama and giving Iran everything they wanted.
What did the lefty/LLR handwringers of today say about that when it happened?
I'll give you 4 choices:
1) Good!
2) It's about time!
3) We don't elect Generals and Civilians are in charge for a reason!
4) All of the above
Every single lefty/LLR everywhere selected number 4.
Which you already knew.
Blogger Mike Sylwester said...
Yesterday I happened to hear CNN for a minute, and they said that the White House is in chaos.
I didn't even hear them for a moment. Didn't need to.
They have been telling us the WH is in chaos! ever since President Trump got elected.
What else have they got?
John Henry
Perhaps Freder would be so kind as to provide a link where he criticized obama for firing Mattis without so much as a phone call?
Let's all patiently wait to see all of that glorious and magnificent (sorry LLR Chuck, I'm not describing obama there) non-hypocritical analysis.
Occams Razor says Freder and his lefty/LLR pals are full of crap, lets see if that's right....
The lefties who so recently chided us all for not respecting the constitution and election outcomes are now fully on record as openly calling for military coups and to gut the constitution.
Can you provide one citation (and dig as deep into the loony left as you would like) where "lefties" are calling for a military coup?
Ddidn't think so.
Freder: "Can you provide one citation (and dig as deep into the loony left as you would like) where "lefties" are calling for a military coup?
Ddidn't think so."
LOL
Was I supposed to sneak an answer in between your two sentences? And now, having failed to do just that, you are proved correct?
LOLx2
Well, I must admit, given your track record you have certainly found 1 way you claim victory! (pssst: its the only way)
Fish in a barrel
How about this, Freder? Don't even have to dig very deep.
Rosie O’Donnell Calls for a Military Coup
By
S.Noble -
October 18, 2018
40
Rosie O’Donnell said on MSNBC Thursday that she wants to send the U.S. military to the White House to “get” President Donald Trump.
She was on MSNBC’s show “Deadline: White House” at the time she made her comments. Rosie said she was depressed for a year after Trump won, so she finally proposed a coup d’état on Twitter. It’s still up — since January 2017. Twitter doesn’t see it as a problem.
“What I wrote on Twitter was we should impose martial law until we make sure the Russians weren’t involved in the final tally of the votes. … And people were like, ‘Martial law? What’s wrong with you?’” Rosie whined.
“He wants to send the military to the border,” MSNBC host Wallace joked about Trump wanting to send the military to stop the 4,000 foreign invaders heading our way.
“I want to send the military to the White House to get him,” O’Donnell announced.
Video at the link
http://www.independentsentinel.com/rosie-odonnell-calls-for-a-military-coup/
John Henry
I called for a Mueller Coup yesterday. I also predicted that the Trump cult your club would throw Mad Dog under the bus. One out of two ain't bad. Glad to see Trump is doubling down on the Wall Shutdown. It should keep this blog alive for another 6-months.
Or this:
Former CIA Director Calls For A Coup If Trump Fires Mueller
Profile picture for user Tyler Durden
by Tyler Durden
Tue, 07/25/2017 - 09:19
0
SHARES
In the most vocal opposition to president Donald Trump yet, former CIA Director John Brennan said that if the White House tries to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, government officials should refuse to follow the president orders, as they would be - in his view - “inconsistent” with the duties of the executive branch.
"I think it's the obligation of some executive branch officials to refuse to carry that out. I would just hope that this is not going to be a partisan issue. That Republicans, Democrats are going to see that the future of this government is at stake and something needs to be done for the good of the future," Brennan told CNN's Wolf Blitzer at the Aspen Security Forum, effectively calling for a coup against the president should Trump give the order to fire Mueller.
Video at the link
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-24/former-cia-director-calls-coup-if-trump-fires-mueller
Let me know if you want more.
John Henry
Howard: "I called for a Mueller Coup yesterday. I also predicted that the Trump cult your club would throw Mad Dog under the bus. One out of two ain't bad. Glad to see Trump is doubling down on the Wall Shutdown. It should keep this blog alive for another 6-months."
Actually its none out of two, since Mueller is not a the military.
But I can see why you are confused. Both "Mueller" and "military" begin with "m".
Do we think Trump is a thin-skinned idiot who has no clue what to do? Absolutely yes. The evidence is overwhelming, and any of you who don't admit that are fooling yourselves. Lets be real here: his wall is nothing more than overcompensation for his micromushroom penis. And no, Democrats do not support "open borders."
I WANT a government shut down.
They just shut down non essential parts of the Government....which is likely the majority of the government....
Anyway....the shut down reminds us or brings to light just how little some offices actually are needed. How many people are getting paid (a lot of money) to do things that are not really essential or even wanted.
Sure. Some minor inconveniences like the ones that Obama manufactured like stopping so many people being able to visit Yellowstone. We don't need so many people to invade Yellowstone anyway. Shutting down the ability to climb the stairs in the Washington Monument. B.F.Deal
Shut it down and see how much we DON'T need much of government. See where our tax dollars are being wasted.
Please....shut it down for a month...maybe two. Then decide which, if any parts, should be revived.
Most of the government is currently funded already, only about 25% of the agencies (including DHS) would be shut down and 30% of total Federal employees furlowed according to a friend of mine who is a assistant director at the Smithsonian, as of this morning. The Smithsonian itself has "old money" in reserve to hold it open until at least Jan. 1.
Let it go, let it go, don't hold it back anymore!
I'm essentially remembering this from when I was a kid, but when my mom worked for the California government the shut down went like this...
She kept working cuz that's just the way she is - was :(
She received an IOU for her pay
Large banks fronted the money on the IOU (for my mom that was Bank of America)
When the budget was passed ALL workers (even those that didn't work) received back pay and my mom's IOU was made good and went to the bank that had advanced the money.
All essential services were continued. The world didn't come to an end.
"So, obama and his crew of midgets LITERALLY FIRED Mattis because Mattis dared, dared get in the way of obama and giving Iran everything they wanted."
It sounds more the opposite, that he was advising against military action against iran. Very confusing.
Mattis Was Always on Borrowed Time
Drago: Coup only needs military approval or neutrality. They don't need to lift a finger while allowing the deep state to have their way.
There sure would be a lot less chaos, and room for chaotic goings on, if Congress did its job.
Wheels are far more often pulled off rather than fall off. The stock market decline, the resignation of Mattis, and the dispute over the border wall---these events are not symptomatic of serenity in our body politic, but neither are they bread riots, a losing war, or burning cities. The left's response to these events is far more chaos inducing than the actions of Trump....... My lying eyes lead me to believe that RBG is not a dynamo of strength and vitality and that Trump is not a crazy man.
The scary thing is that there are a lot of people who believe this is an accurate description of Trump.
DB@H said...
"The media have their little go-to Rolodex mass produced ultra pasteurized cliche'ed bromides and talking points. In unison. It's almost funny that our media is such a democratic party supporting pile of corruption. All because they personally hate Trump."
The Trump-hate is just a symptom. They will do the same to any elected official on the (R) side, from the president on down to the dog catcher.
Democratic Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen, hours after the summit, suggested that the United States military storm the Oval Office and drag the president out. “Where are our military folks? The Commander in Chief is in the hands of our enemy!” he wrote on Twitter.
Where are our military folks ? The Commander in Chief is in the hands of our enemy! https://t.co/3eF7OLKEdN
— Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) July 16, 2018
Rosie O’ Donnell Calls For Military Coup Against Trump. October 20, 2018
Rosie O’Donnell said on MSNBC Thursday that she wants to dispatch the military to the White House to get President Donald Trump, a comment that elicited laughter from the panel.
O’Donnell, appearing on Deadline: White House, said it took her a year to compose herself to be out in public again after Trump was inaugurated. She also brought up her previous call to use “martial law” to stop Trump’s inauguration, noting she was called a “lunatic” for making such a suggestion.
“Well he wants to send the military to the border, so,” said host Nicolle Wallace.
“I want to send the military to the White House to get him,” O’Donnell said, cracking up the panel.
There are many more, but why bother?
Howard: "Drago: Coup only needs military approval or neutrality. They don't need to lift a finger while allowing the deep state to have their way."
LOL
Thats your fallback?
Quit while you are not that far behind before you go off the LLR Chuck "shallow end"...
Plenty of your comrades in Trump call it exactly that. It's so confused when I speak in this blog's linguini Frankfurter
I said on this blog some time ago it was only a matter of time before Axios turned into Vox.
However, I thought it would take longer.
To declare ISIS defeated is to ignore reality.
But they're only a JV team, Freder. Your President Precious assured us of that.
What changed?
Here's a pretty good list of the rotation of criticisms the media use against Trump. http://cosmicweenie.com/Trump_flaws.htm
The Trump Rotation
Everything Wrong with Trump According to the critics, the Democrats,
and the mainstream media elites and pundits.
Illegitimate President
Lost the Popular Vote
Incompetent
White House Chaos
Unhinged updated to Unglued
Liar
Hitler
Demands loyalty
Cheeseburgers is all he eats, McDonalds
Sex offender
Russian Agent
Never says anything bad about Putin
White supremacist
Narcissist
Mentally Unfit (dummy)
Insane
Unstable
Clown or Bozo
Foreign leaders hate him
Hates women, misogynist
Admitted molester
rapist
25th Amendment should be instituted
Should be Impeached
Hates immigrants
Hates Mexicans in particular
Says all Mexicans are rapists
Racist
Small hands, small penis, big red button
Should not have nuclear codes
Immature
Child-like, you need an adult in the room
Tweets too much
Thin-skinned
Bully
Holds grudges forever
Mean
Bankrupt
Does not have any money
Long ties
Fatter than 239
Plays golf too much, after criticizing Obama
Hypocrite by action seldom called one
Incestuous, would date daughter
Divorcee
Golden showers, pee pervert
Tax Cheat – won’t release taxes
Impetuous
Nixonian
CRIMINAL
Obstruction of justice
Money laundering
Runs the mob
Erick Erickson
✔
@EWErickson
If we lived in a lesser country than our great nation, today is the day we really would be talking about a military coup. Soldiers down to the enlisted ranks are raising hell about the President's Syria decision.
671
9:16 PM - Dec 20, 2018
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Howard: "Plenty of your comrades in Trump call it exactly that."
Uh huh.
We'll always have Afghanistan.
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