Stirring up a Nest of Wasps?

Opinion

Opinion written by George McClellan:

Trump attacked Syria because of Assad’s use of chemical weapons in contravention of UN agreements outlawing such use. Syria is a Russian client state. Russia sits on the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council did nothing! Remember when Obama brazenly drew his red line in the sand, then did nothing? Well, that’s not really true. He did do something. He left the door wide open for terrorists, tinpot dictators like Assad and Kim Jung Un, to assume it was okay to do what they wanted because Americas was too weak or indifferent to respond.

Then came Donald Trump. No hesitation, no hand wringing consensus by committee, just the necessary decision to point out to Syria that there is indeed a UN Convention against the use of chemical weapons. Nothing more! And half the world went nuts. The President now yields another big stick (for poking wasp nests) by sending a Carrier Strike Group into the waters surrounding the Korea’s and suddenly, Kim has gone to ground, either hiding in his bunker or enjoying a cultural respite in Manchuria. He could even be on holiday in Hawaii for all that. It wants to be a sanctuary state.

It took two full days for a startled Russia and a bellicose Iran, to issue a public response that threatened our well being if we dared an attack like that again. Iran say’s it has this remarkably efficient army, now earning their battle credentials in Syria, that stands ready to repel America,  the “Great Satan.” Senator Rand Paul said: “As horrific as those attacks were, and as heart-rending as the pictures and the atrocity and the children dying are, I don’t believe that there was a national security interest of the United States.” He’s correct up to a point, that point being Syria’s illegal use of chemical weapons, nothing more! Sen. Paul wants a debate first before launching any such attacks. Problem with that is, events move too fast for slow deliberation by a congressional committee to be effective. Besides, inefficient and incompetent as it is, government can’t really be trusted to do what’s right, when it’s needed. Sen. John McCain would already have us involved in a full scale, boots on the ground, bloody war by now, if he had his way. Clearly, Trump is not going to take a lot of crap off other Arab dictators either. Trump doesn’t care if they kill themselves wholesale, just don’t use chemical weapons to do it.

We may actually see an increase of Iranian attacks, either actual or inspired, in the Persian Gulf theater to show us who’s boss over there, but Iran hasn’t sallied forth any viable surface combat ships yet to show their flag, only a flotilla of small PT boats that C-Whiz Phalanx Gatling guns can quickly turn into splinters. They claim they have a potent submarine force. If its still in the Persian Gulf, it will stay there because the Straits of Hormuz is as deadly bottle neck for ‘em as it is for us.

Turning to North Korea, Kim Jung Un hasn’t threaten with a vast chemical weapons inventory, though he doubtless has them. Remember the assassination of his brother in Kuala Lumpur? Kim just prefers thermonuclear devices for the shock and awe effect, if the can deliver them.

Trump has their measure. He reads people like a deck of cards, understands their motives and, so far as I can tell, anticipate their movements. Trump has honed effective strategies for defeating his opponents developed over years of business negotiations. There is nothing sacrosanct about running a government different from running a business except governments don’t have to turn a profit. They’re still run by people and people will negotiate. Governments just spend until the money runs out, then vote themselves more while refilling their coffers by theft through taxation. Let’s stay with Trump. We’re moving in the right direction al last.

Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (10April17)

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