I find myself in the strange position of agreeing with John Cole:
Why, every time we come up on a significant crisis like Syria, does a significant portion of people I read online act like a military strike is not a declaration of war? There is no such thing as air strikes without war.
Unless you are prepared to say that if another country launched a shitload of Tomahawks into continental US it wasn’t an act of war. You can shrug your shoulders and say you aren’t outraged at the missiles hitting our cities are just “tactical strikes.”
It’s war, and pretending it is just a “surgical strike” or a “limited engagement” or “just sending a message” is a joke. It’s magical thinking designed to help people cope with the go on/get along and to convince themselves they are not warmongerers.
When you start dropping bombs and lobbing missiles at another country that is an act of war, regardless of whether you have made a formal declaration of hostilities first. And Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution states:
The Congress shall have Power… To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water
It’s really that simple.
The Crawdad Hole 
Tried to watch what I could of the Congressional “discussion” on Syria yesterday and have to say that I found John Kerry totally disgusting. As someone said in a blog yesterday “without Lady Ketchup he would be selling shoes in a mall”. Not sure he would even be good at that. Later on FOX, Dana Perino said she thought he did a good job! What! No he didn’t, he was awful and the fact that he is our Secretary of State puts us in a bad state, indeed. Things get worse by the day. And the little interlude with Code Pink was quite revealing…
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/03/John-Kerry-to-code-pink-similar-feelings
Actually he was a decorated veteran, got a J.D. from Boston College Law School, worked as an Assistant District Attorney, co-founded a private firm. served as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and, and became a US Senator before marrying his current wife.
Feel free to list your accomplishments.
What’s he done lately?
Let’s see, he burned the suffering MA boating industry by having his multi-million dollar yacht built in New Zealand. THEN rips off his state’s treasury by parking his boat in another state to avoid their obscene taxes. What a guy !
You mean between botched botox treatments? I dunno.
Only in Massachusetts. Anywhere else he would have sold shoes in a mall. We have very low standards for our politicians here. Look who’s in the senate now.
My husband left MA 50 years ago to get away from the corrupt political climate and the general idiocy of the people who kept electing them. And over those years the state keeps proving him right. He even refused a native son Vietnam War bonus because it required him to claim permanent residence and pay MA income taxes for the rest of his life. Sneaky, huh?
Hey bub — driguanan is too nice to say and he certainly doesn’t have to list his accomplishments for a POS like you, but he is way, way more accomplished than Kerry, and has done work all over the globe that actually *helps* people and contributes to their future well-being, unlike Kerry who has lived off the public teat (and his wife’s money) his entire so-called “career” as a politician that he began by throwing those military “decorations” away, so you can’t really count those.
Enlisted in the service, attended law school, held a public job, helped a friend start a business, elected to two do-nothing jobs. All the while being an arrogant prog. And in MA those are called accomplishments.
Lady Ketchup looked like hell yesterday. The woman has had a stroke and Kerry drug her out of the house for the cameras and to show she supports him. I’m not sure she knew where she was. Shame on him. That is all this Syria crap is about–A SHOW, a pretense to save face for their incompetent stupid Harvard not-at-all-smart power. And Kerry’s giant chin is three times wider than it used to be. What is up with that? It is freakish.
She looked terribly distracted. I thought she might have been rolling on molly….
That too. Post stoke everything upstairs is not always working right if you know what I mean. But such a wealthy woman going out looking that bad is not normal. She felt terrible.
How do those Code Pink peeps keep getting into these things ? Then I smelled a set-up. Kerry had a prepared statement ready to roll back at them…..”When I was 27 I felt like you did….blah, blah, blah”….. Kerry is just not that quick on his feet, so I’m calling kabuki on this. Team Obama needs to convince the anti-war left that Obama wars are cool 😉
It was a set up, with CodePink’s cooperation. Oh, and he’s a fucking liar. No, he did not feel like they did “when he was 27.” He felt like they do for decades, vocally so. He felt like they do throughout Bush’s presidency. He banged the anti-war gong all through Bush’s second run (with him as opponent), and McCain’s run and Romney’s. He was in totes agreement with CodePink, all the way up until he and Obama grabbed the power and had the keys to the missiles and other toys.
When you were 27 my ass, Secretary. Try 4 years ago, you liar. Try your ENTIRE FUCKING POLITICAL CAREER built on the back of being “anti-war”, you lying liar.
Great rant. Every word true.
They know they can get away with it, though. Because BOTH parties know that half the country, even those with grave misgivings, will shut up and get behind them when push comes to shove.
There were a LOT of rank-and-file R’s who did not want to go into Iraq. A lot. I know a few personally. You know what they did? They shut up, got behind “their guy”, and found excuses and justifications for him. Because the spectre of “disunity” giving “ammunition” to the “other side” (the D’s) was scarier to them than war was. Because the pretzel logic said that being too vehement in their criticisms of Bush (even when they disagreed with him) would result in “empowering” the Democrats, and that was a fate worse than….. war.
And now the progressives are doing the same fucking thing. And justifying it to themselves in the exact same manner as the rah-rah Bushies did.
This country is doomed until we ALL, from all manner of political opinion and party, stop letting the two parties call the shots and are vocal about the TRUTH, no matter WHO is in office.
” Team Obama needs to convince the anti-war left that Obama wars are cool”
That shouldn’t be hard, all the Obots require is a catchy phrase to mockingly mutter at the unbelievers and they are happy and go along with anything.
Word.
there should be a hashtag for Obama war slogans.
Yep. Their main concern is neither peace nor national security. Their main concern is an anxious “Am I still in the superior kewl group?” So long as that worrisome itch is scratched, they will get behind anything.
Hmmmm, what up France ? Having second thoughts about this Obama folly ?
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130904/DA8JFNTO2.html
Now they want to debate it too.
Good pont, klown
https://twitter.com/votermom/status/375226247371956224
and from yesterday
https://twitter.com/votermom/status/375064599206576128
Obama doesn’t think attacking a consulate or murdering an ambassador is an act of war either.
I wonder just what he thinks IS an act of war? A royal proclamation of war, hand-written on a scroll with an stamped with a wax seal?
…And nailed to the front door.
Sadly that’s true.
Honk
Your morning cup of Iowahawk:
Kerry summed up in one graphic:
Obama just denied setting a red line in Syria, according to tweets. He said the world set it. He doesn’t want to give his phony Nobel Peace Prize back.
Shifting blame. Next Team Obama are going to say they are just giving us the war we wanted and everything is the fault of The People.
Yes!
https://twitter.com/SharylAttkisson/status/375245923062140928
He has gone from the royal “we” to the omniscient “international community” is me. Does his hubris know any bounds?
https://twitter.com/votermom/status/375250009010106368
Obama should just say that he was high as a kite when he said” red line.”
That would actually be believable.
President Pathological Liar says he did set a red line.
Chooming when setting red lines? Maybe. I vote for pathological liar and wetting his pants scared that he has really messed up this time.
I can’t type today for laughing. President Pathological Liar says he did NOT set a red line
Lulu: President Pathological Liar is just Perfect.
😀
In other Breakng News……new cast of Dancing with the Stars announced 😉
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Corbin-Bleu-Valerie-Harper-Among-Cast-of-DANCING-WITH-THE-STARS-20130904
President Obama says he believes Congress will approve military action against Syria but that he reserves right to act in interests of national security – live video
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/09/an_obama_fairytale_for_our_time.html
so whose idea was it to go to congress????
http://www.france24.com/en/20130904-france-mps-debate-syria-military-action-francois-hollande-russia
France —-after you ALphonse
Fucking Democrats.
*F* all of them.
HONK!
Nice to see the masks come off. I already told my lefty facebook friends that the next time they start getting all worked up and indignant over some Republican “warmonger”, I am going to jeer and laugh right in their hypocritical faces.
I am so tired of this shit. I have no problem with people who disagree or argue with me. Make your case, and we’ll go at it hammer and tongs. But I despise hypocrites with the heat of a thousand suns.
They don’t see the hypocrisy at all. I can’t tell you how disturbing this is. They are simply being “honorable” or “pragmatic” or “realistic”. I am losing my mind. The people I love the most in this world are among them.
wmcb-you are so much braver than I am on FB 😀
http://www.hulu.com/watch/529157
Is there a live stream news site people use? I’m at work and would love to be able to work with the news on today.
I just read twitter feeds. And if something’s popping in Congress, switch to the Cspan live feeds. Trust me, you miss nothing important that way 😀
thanks Denise. Can’t have twitter on at work, but have C-SPAN on in my office.
If you can read TCH at work, I promise you won’t miss a thing either 😀
Let me say I cannot help but wonder if there is something else going on they are trying to keep the focus off of? Is this just another big Squirrel?? 🙄
I think there is a lot of stuff they are trying to divert everyone from thinking about. Obamacare which is a going to be Hurricane Katrina times a million in terms of damage to peoples lives, the debt ceiling, no written budgets again, etc.
Look at Drudge. LOL. “It says I Didn’t Set a Red Line” with a horrid close up of President Pathalogical Liar in red. When they were trying to divert from the mounting absolute failures I don’t think this is what they had in mind. Someone needs to put him in the basement so he can’t keep on with this crazy pants lying.
But those crazy pants have such a sharp crease in them, one (david brooks) cannot help but admire him. /s
I have that feeling too. Just saw an unsourced report that nuclear warheads are being moved from Abilene, TX to the South Carolina coast. Gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.
So this means he is going full “tiny dick” syndrome? I hope that is just more saber rattling baloney before he gets jacked around by Putin.
I asked my husband, the former War Hero And Military Intelligence Oxymoron Expert ™ …. the movement of nuclear “warheads” is common to the East Coast especially where you have nuclear powered ships and submarines based. It’s like a UPS delivery so stop scaring your friends…. I guess it’s no biggie. Sigh.
https://twitter.com/votermom/status/375287502891790337
the three stooges are back testifying on c-span 1. starts at noon
The House grilling should be interesting. The pre-hearing is very noisy. The staff and audience is acting kind of freaked out.
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/09/04/mcrino-says-he-wont-support-senate-resolution-on-syria-because-it-doesnt-go-far-enough/
McCain says he will vote no as the resolution does not go far enough
Triangulation.
hearing just starting and Kerry is being his usual ignorant self. why bother listening to people, I am too important for that. Ignorant as cat shit
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/09/is-war-with-syria-really-about-chemical-warfare/
what is it with muslims and pipelines?
backtrack does not want the keystone pipeline
Assad does not a natural gas pipeline that Qutar does
http://twitchy.com/2013/09/04/obama-on-the-red-line-i-didnt-draw-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/
twitchy on the red line