Tag Archives: Islam

by Barry Kelly | September 1, 2014 · 7:30 am

EIGHT DECADES OF INSIGHTS 147

A MAGIC TELEPROMPTER

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Our president talks the talk better than any modern-age politician. But that is it. Walk the walk never follows.

He seems to believe words do not need to be followed up by actions. By some magic, the teleprompter follows up with more words that are delivered passionately with a choir of adoring acolytes standing behind him taking in every word. These people also believe President Obama’s words are complete in themselves. No action is required. Putin, the Ayatollahs, Syrian President Asad, ISIS, China, Iraqi Prime Ministers, all will fall in line once the King has spoken.

Maybe it worked that way a long time ago in make-believe land, but not in this cruel, hard, beautiful world we live in. It is incredible a two-term president who has a Harvard law degree can stand on his podium with a straight face and watch the words flow off the teleprompter believing he has handled whatever the crisis was. Does he believe he has a magic teleprompter that converts words into actions?

When questioned about where is the presidential action, his puppets speak with one voice, with great patience, and in a condescending manner refer the rude questioner back to what the president said. It is wonderful to watch the expression on the questioner’s face — “Did I hear what I thought I heard?” — and so on until the next magical speech like the one he gave recently to the American Legion. Here, he promised a number of executive orders to improve the life of veterans needing assistance. There is nothing wrong with the executive orders, except, if he can do that with his pen why wait until now. Didn’t he know the Veterans Administration was in deep trouble over the deceitful ways it covered up its failure to help veterans? Don’t worry, the teleprompter will reach out and fix all wrongs. The imperial president has spoken.

The magical teleprompter won’t be able to fix the real problem of the president’s deliberate down-sizing of the Armed Forces. The teleprompter can’t do away with battalions of terrorists, or an increasingly aggressive China, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, or Putin’s plan to re-constitute the Soviet Empire. At times it seems Putin also has a magic teleprompter. Probably built one with the information Snowden stole from NSA.

How can a sane person stand in front of a audience of veterans and cast out promises of a better life for warriors when he is firing them and sending them back to an economy that has no jobs for them when the world grows more dangerous by the day? The teleprompter, in its best voice, implied American soldiers were responsible for the world troubles we are facing today because of their long occupation of other countries. Maybe he never heard of America’s role in two world wars or the Marshall Plan to give the European economy a new start. A world without America would be very different and not for the better. Does leaving some U.S. force level in Iraq look like a bad option now?

President Obama is stuck with his teleprompter in a pro-Muslim, anti-American mindset where the only solution is to destroy American military and economic power so wealth can be shared with the third world nations we have prevented from equal development and prosperity. All words, but very dangerous words because his inaction and failure to maintain a strong military force level equipped with advanced weapons will lead to the destruction of this great Republic. The only applause will be from radical Islamists.

Written by the author of “Insights: Transforming America — Is This What We Fought For?” available now as an ebook, in paperback or hardcover on Amazon.com or BN.com. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80. If you think this message is important, please share it.

EIGHT DECADES OF INSIGHTS 145

RESIST OR RESIGN OR BOTH?

The president, as commander-in-chief, directs the activities of the Defense Department. The secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs advise the president and send him recommendations. We all know that. Civilian rule over the military is a long-established and necessary doctrine. But what happens when the commander-in-chief is not capable of developing defense policy and providing the leadership to implement the policy? Are the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs still required to follow presidential guidance? The answer is a clear yes. We have a thing called the ballot box that settles who is our commander-in-chief.

President Barack Obama announces former Senator Chuck Hagel, second from left, as his nominee for Secretary of Defense. Photo by Matt Compton, from whitehouse.gov.

But that doesn’t mean that General Dempsey and the secretary of defense are powerless to resist dangerous policies or can’t argue forcefully against presidential (commander-in-chief) orders. We have a president who, to my memory, has not been right in a single foreign or military issue. His decisions always put his politics and image ahead of what professionals think/know is best for the nation. Just review the mess in Libya with Gaddafi’s regime looking better every day since he was ousted and central control over Libya vanished, ending up with Benghazi and weapons flowing to radical Islamic groups though out the Middle East and Africa. The president’s inability to see the world as it is has led to a dangerous situation in the Ukraine as Putin takes advantage of the absence of American power and resolve. The famous disappearing redline in Syria, the failure to aid moderate Islamic forces to overthrow Asad, the vacillation over the reformation of the Iraqi government, the plans to drastically reduce the armed forces, the constantly televised presidential statements telling our enemies what we will not do and when we are leaving the theater are some critical examples. It is too late for the moderate secular Muslims have now been killed or absorbed into ISIS.

Dempsey and Hagel have had ample opportunity to judge the effectiveness and wisdom of their commander-in-chief. Some of their statements indicate they disagree with President Obama. Even if their refreshingly strong recent statements are walked back within a day or so, it might be a start. They are required to follow President Obama’s lead by our founding documents but they also took an oath to defend America and its people. If they cannot convince the president to change or modify his orders, both need to resign and take their case to Congress and the public. They have a duty to do so. But maybe they think they are indispensable or that by remaining in office they are preventing a bad situation from getting worse. Or do they just want to keep their prestigious positions and titles? I hope both of these men who have honorably served their country will choose the right path.

At the very least they need to stop the disintegration of the Armed Forces back to pre-World War II levels and to invest in developing new weapons to ensure America’s ability to defend itself and its allies. Congress will cooperate, they know peace comes through strength. War thrives on weakness. Every historian, except those with a progressive political agenda, will agree.

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Filed under Barry Kelly, foreign policy, Intelligence & Politics, Obama, Progressives, Russia

Tagged as american military, Benghazi, general dempsey, Hagel, ISIS, Islam, Middle East, military, Obama, secretary of defense

by Barry Kelly | August 27, 2014 · 5:55 am

EIGHT DECADES OF INSIGHTS 144

THE THREAT OF ISLAM

Fate and luck have often produced the leadership needed in times of crises. Unfortunately, neither fate nor luck have given America the leadership she needs to combat the virulent march of Islamic radicals across Syria and Iraq. We have a president who is ill-equipped to deal with real world crises. He leans toward the Muslim side in all foreign policy issues. The president has surrounded himself with inexperienced department heads who share his view of the world. Both the critical departments of State and Defense are under pedestrian leadership. Clinton, Kerry, Hagel, and Dempsey have been conducting foreign and defense policy designed to withdraw America from a super power role to one consistent with the goals of the United Nations, an organization that has no love for American power.

Our executive leadership is implementing a plan to bring American troop strength down to pre-World War II levels at a time when radical Islam is sweeping across the Middle East and Putin is moving to reconstitute the Soviet Empire. (According to media reports, 900 army majors have been given termination notices, some while in combat areas. Majors and sergeants are the backbone of any army. It will take ten or twenty years to replace their knowledge and experience.)

But that is not the worst. A significant part of our population is increasingly anti-military and doesn’t recognize that all violence is not evil. All our personal freedoms and national security at times need violence to protect the nation and its citizens. The belief that we can control or positively influence enemies, current or potential, by our unilateral behavior is foolish to the point of suicidal. That unilateral disarmament on our part will lead other nations to act accordingly is a belief, not only naive and arrogant, but without any historical evidence. The president and his attorney general have often stated closing Guantanamo Bay will make it harder for radical Muslims to recruit new members. What deters enemies is strength and they will to use it.

While young Muslim boys (girls don’t get to go to school in the world of Sharia law) are being taught to hate the West and to learn how to be soldiers, our children are being punished for pointing a pretend finger gun or engaging in any act that might be construed to represent Christianity. Recently the media reported a young school girl was disciplined when she said, “Bless you” to a classmate who had sneezed. The spirit that got us through two World Wars and several others, needs to be rekindled. The meek don’t inherit the earth; in the real world they get themselves or others killed.

Before we encourage the spread of Islam in America, the citizens should know Islam is not a religion of peace. The Koran has none of the forgiveness, love, gentleness, or acceptance of the people of other religions that is contained in the New Testament. Muslim teachings support forcible conversions of non-Muslims and the killings of those who don’t convert. The imposition of Sharia Law is the end game of radical Islam that is, today, being carried out by ISIS. Occupation and domination is the plan. The end result of radical Islam is to impose a totalitarian rule run by an elite group. Funny how the progressive, socialist, communist, Islamic or fascist systems of governing all have the same end result, rule by an elite who make your choices for you. Individual freedom is not an issue. None of them believe in it.

Fortunately, we can see what the Islamization of Europe is doing. It is spreading fast and even imposing Sharia Law in some areas where the Muslim population is dominate. The United Kingdom now has more Muslim citizens fighting for ISIS than it has Muslims in its own armed forces. Muslim immigrants do not assimilate. They maintain their own language, culture, law, and education. Local mosques are the spearhead for the spread of Islam. It need not happen here. It must not.

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Filed under Barry Kelly, Eight Decades of Insights, foreign policy, Intelligence & Politics, Politics, Terrorism

Tagged as America, BarackObama, Hillary Clinton, iraq, ISIS, Islam, military, Obama

by Barry Kelly | August 14, 2014 · 7:30 am

EIGHT DECADES OF INSIGHTS 140

OBAMA AND IRAQ

The first requirement for the development of an effective foreign policy is to differentiate between your beliefs and reality. I don’t believe President Obama can see the real world. He only sees what he wants it to be. That kind of vision is dangerous in the making and implementing of foreign policy.

Iraq is a clear example. General David Petraeus and his surge strategy won the war in Iraq. To be fair, President Obama did not inherit a stable Iraq. He made the situation worse by his haste to pull all troops out of Iraq. The Iraqi government Bush left him could not last without enough American troops on the ground to check Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s rush to follow Iran’s guidance and to purge his administration and military of all Sunni and Kurd leaders. The end result was the creation of a Shiite oligarchy, no better that the Sunni dictatorship President Bush defeated.

The Bush regime won the war, but paved the way for a failed Iraqi government when they destroyed the Iraqi army and the Bath party of Saddam Hussein. None of the existing infrastructure every government needs was left. To make matters worse, the Bush administration failed to understand a Shiite/Maliki government would never be a check to the Shiite nation of Iran. Instead the Iranians ended up owning Maliki who preceded to further weaken the Sunnis and the Kurds. For all the American blood and treasure the Bush administration spent in Iraq, little was left for Obama to work with, especially given his primary motive to get out of Iraq as quickly as possible. I doubt President Obama, or either of his inept secretaries of state, ever saw the real geo-political problem a Maliki government would cause. You would think that President Obama, who leans hard in the direction of supporting Sunni Muslims, would have recognized the growth and consequences of Shiite power in Iraq.

You didn’t need timely intelligence, which Obama claims he never received, to see the Sunni Islamic radicals that joined the rebellion against Syrian Shiite President Assad could easily cross the border into Sunni areas of Iraq. The Sunni tribes alienated by Maliki were ready to provide support in the form of manpower, logistics, weapons and money. Borders mean nothing if they are not defended.

The result of the ISIS invasion of Iraq is that tribal and religious areas no longer follow the lines drawn by western diplomats after WWI. All remnants of the Shiite/Maliki government are being forced to fall back into Shiite populated areas, primarily south of Baghdad. A realistic map of Iraq will soon show Sunniland, Kurdistan and Shiiteland. The Sunnis and the Kurds will never go back into a centralized Shiite-run government. That failed experiment is over. Only more American blood and treasure could delay the collapse of Iraq, and for what? Our government needs to stop believing a Iraqi centralized government is possible. It is not.

Our policy should be to support the Kurds with modern weapons and monetary aid until their own fighters get properly equipped and to persuade the outside Sunni world to help bring the ISIS under some restraint. In the meantime, use unfettered air power and required boots-on-the-ground to break the advance of ISIS and stop their atrocities against the Christians and other religious groups ISIS is now slaughtering. Some massive evacuations of endangered refugees may be necessary. All because two administrations failed to see the Middle East as it is. Hawks and doves are equally to blame.

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EIGHT DECADES OF INSIGHTS 139

ISRAEL AND HAMAS

When Israel and Hamas have their battles every few years you can depend on a number of things being repeated. There is the start of the conflict provoked by some aggressive act by Hamas, a raid from a tunnel or the launch of missiles from Gaza into Israel. We have also seen repeated cease fires, some lasting days, some a few hours and others never getting started. We can also count on some bumbling by the State Department. Secretary Kerry is a world-class bumbler. In the end, Israel’s air, ground, and artillery forces prevail and the fighting stops until the next time.

During the conflict all the anti-Israel liberal voices in America and Europe bleat their moronic chants. They need no practice. It is always the same. “Israel needs to be controlled. They are not trying to avoid civilian deaths, the citizens of Gaza under Hamas’s leadership are fighting for their independence. If only Israel would end their occupation of Gaza and withdraw to the 1967 borders there would be no more violence. Israel won’t negotiate. The government (America’s) needs to pressure Israel to act responsibly.”

I know the radical left (today’s liberals) dislike facts unless the facts are theirs, but here goes in constant hope the truth will prevail.

(1) Hamas always starts the mini wars. Mostly with an increase in missile attacks. An increase because Hamas has launched missiles into Israel several times every month. How many nations would remain defensive in the face of rockets and mortars landing in civilian centers? Hamas missiles have poor or no guidance systems beyond the burning of the missile’s engine. So Hamas has no capability of avoiding population centers. In fact, population centers are their targets but poor guidance capabilities and the effectiveness of Israel’s “iron dome” missile defense and civilian missile shelters have spared Israeli population centers from heavy damage.

(2) No nation can negotiate with an enemy whose clearly stated goal is the total destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. What’s to negotiate?

(3) Hamas diverts cement and building materials, the Israelis permitted to cross the border, to the building of tunnels and other military facilities.

(4) Without support from radical Muslim nations, Hamas could not wage war.

(5) Hamas cares little about improving the lives of their citizens.

It is hard to understand why liberals equate the actions of a designated terrorist state with those of the only democracy in the Middle East. Except the liberal history is to always blame America or Israel. I think this blame America attitude has it roots in the liberal belief you can negotiate with anyone. If you show willingness to compromise your adversary will reciprocate. This history is shared by high officials in our government. How else can you explain the reckless reliance on negotiations and sanctions? Nations whose goal is to destroy us, use negotiations to buy time. If the end game is critical to our enemies, they will embrace the trade of continued negotiations and possible sanctions for time.

Israel is our only real ally in the Middle East. Why should we not use our influence and power to encourage the growth of democracy? Even in Muslim states. The book describing wars between democratic nations has not yet been written. The source material is just not there. I guess it never will be. On the other hand, there is great source material for the attacks of Muslim states on both other Muslims states and non-Muslim states. What is ISIS about? Has it shown tolerance for Christians or heretical Muslims? (Muslims who do not fit their definition of acceptability.) Is the ISIS movement’s mission to reinstitute a strict Muslim rule over the territory its armies spread the Muslim religion in the 700s AD?

For more about the Obama Administration and the world, read “INSIGHTS: Transforming America — Is this what we fought for? Available in hardcover, Kindle Free and paperback at Amazon.

by the author of the Brandon mystery/thriller novels.