Politics

[CJW]

Looks like DOS/CIA were the victors.

View attachment 651880

If you kept everything in that picture the same but replaced those three buffoons with 6 year olds, it wouldn't look any less ridiculous.

 

[WAB]

When it transforms to trig I'm changing threads.

Ah but then you won’t learn about the great Indian chief SohCahToa!

Sine: opposite/hypotenuse
Cos: adjacent/hypotenuse
Tan: opposite/adjacent

Amazing how a good teacher can make stuff stick in your brain!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[fourfive8]

Wonder what the chatter sounds like on the BHO network channels given the events in Syria? Did someone mention ISIL?

On the other sub-thread, as history often does, some likelihood for the CIA being at the tip of the spear leading the way in or paralleling/guiding overt US military actions.

 

[Tanks]

What's interesting is that USA, Turkey and Israel are hedging their bets by doing bombing runs before a new government takes place. Russia is rattling sabers in regard to their bases.

I am guessing Syria will be the new Libya.

 

[bowjijohn]

On a confusing and fast moving canvass of international affairs, I look to two sources

The BBC - inevitably looking the wrong way and backing any and everything anti western

And

Israel - as their pragmatic and direct approach is, if not always correct, usually effective

And largely on the right team

 

[VertigoBE]

On a confusing and fast moving canvass of international affairs, I look to two sources

The BBC - inevitably looking the wrong way and backing any and everything anti western

And

Israel - as their pragmatic and direct approach is, if not always correct, usually effective

And largely on the right team

I would add the politics section of AH to that list! [emoji23]

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Ah but then you won’t learn about the great Indian chief SohCahToa!

Sine: opposite/hypotenuse
Cos: adjacent/hypotenuse
Tan: opposite/adjacent

Amazing how a good teacher can make stuff stick in your brain!

Vicki Jewell, 7th grade English/drill sergeant... She is the reason I want to correct everything I see on here, or anywhere really. I did not learn a single new thing about grammar or writing after 7th grade, to include college comp. We hated her then (some probably still do); in hindsight I now revere the woman. She made my adult life so much easier than it could have been, and I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to tell her so.

 

[Newboomer]

Vicki Jewell, 7th grade English/drill sergeant... She is the reason I want to correct everything I see on here, or anywhere really. I did not learn a single new thing about grammar or writing after 7th grade, to include college comp. We hated her then (some probably still do); in hindsight I now revere the woman. She made my adult life so much easier than it could have been, and I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to tell her so.

My first year in High School English class was mostly grammar, punctuation and context. We spent an inordinate amount of time diagramming sentences. At the time I loathed it (and her) but looking back I can see the value of it. It led me to a part time teaching/writing career and to this day I am extremely critical of misspelling, incorrect punctuation and context. Makes me cringe. Especially when committed by seemingly intelligent people. So, regardless of how much paper you hang on your wall, if you can't/don't use the English language correctly, y'all ain't so bright.
Therefore, should I start correcting abuses to our English languages? Might be an eye opening experiment.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

What's interesting is that USA, Turkey and Israel are hedging their bets by doing bombing runs before a new government takes place. Russia is rattling sabers in regard to their bases.

I am guessing Syria will be the new Libya.

NPR is saying that Russia is attempting to hedge their bets and is telling the opposition groups (which they’re no longer referring to as rebels/terrorists) that they are willing to continue to honor their base agreements with any new Syrian government(s).

Interesting times.

 

[sgt_zim]

My first year in High School English class was mostly grammar, punctuation and context. We spent an inordinate amount of time diagramming sentences. At the time I loathed it (and her) but looking back I can see the value of it. It led me to a part time teaching/writing career and to this day I am extremely critical of misspelling, incorrect punctuation and context. Makes me cringe. Especially when committed by seemingly intelligent people. So, regardless of how much paper you hang on your wall, if you can't/don't use the English language correctly, y'all ain't so bright.
Therefore, should I start correcting abuses to our English languages? Might be an eye opening experiment.

I am the same way, though I find these days my fingers seem to often skip over words my brain has sent to them. Consequently, I go back and read what I've written to discover that what I've typed makes very little sense when several words just didn't make their way onto the screen.

Mismatched number, misuse of adjectives/adverbs, misused pronouns (substitution of a direct object pronoun when an indirect object pronoun should have been used)...those are things that drive me bonkers.

Blame it on 8 years of Catholic nuns and another 5 years of Catholic monks (brothers).

 

[Wheels]

Looks like the DOS is trying to cover it's tracks regarding their censorship activities over the past few years. Hopefully the Federal Courts will keep DOS on the hook for the things they have done.

 

[Dirtdart]

Have a feeling it won't be better. Especially for the Christians, Druze and Alawites.

Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) generally advocates for the imposition of Sharia law but their leader suggested the there might be relative tolerance, including for non-Muslims.

Anyone that believes that probably believed Joe when he said he would not pardon his son.

 

[skydiver386]

Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) generally advocates for the imposition of Sharia law but their leader suggested the there might be relative tolerance, including for non-Muslims.

Anyone that believes that probably believed Joe when he said he would not pardon his son.

Things are likely to get far worse in Syria before they get better. Widespread ethnic cleansing wouldn't shock me knowing the actors there.

 

[Dirtdart]

Things are likely to get far worse in Syria before they get better. Widespread ethnic cleansing wouldn't shock me knowing the actors there.

Those are the same "actors" that like to post videos of their tolerance for the world to enjoy.

 

[Tanks]

Things are likely to get far worse in Syria before they get better. Widespread ethnic cleansing wouldn't shock me knowing the actors there.

Syria will still be divided. NorthWest has Turkish ethnic populations, NorthEast has Kurdish populations. I don't know where the concentration of Shia populations are, or even if they are co-mingled with the Sunni population. Add to that the Alawites (Assad's sect) on the coast which are despised by both Sunni and Shia religious scholars, they constitute about 10% of population.

Really fascinating, if one is into Game of Thrones scenarios.

 

[Hunt anything]

Will the Sunni and Shias even occupy the same territory? They seem to be the Arab worlds Hatfields and McCoys.

 

[Wheels]

The more I think of this the more I think the Picot Sykes borders in Syria is a thing of the past. Will Turkey keep the areas with Turkish people in the north. Will Israel give up the new area around Mt. Hermon. Will the Kurds establish a a homeland in the east. Are the Alawites strong enough to keep their area along the coast. Will infighting between Sunni and Shites along with the remnant of Hezbolah keep either party from asserting dominance over the old Picot Sykes lines. It will be interesting to see how things fall out.

All in all, Iran may be the big loosers. Little could they have imagined when they gave Hamas the go ahead for 10-7 attack that things would have turned out so poorly for their proxies. With the Trump administration probably cutting off funding and implementing sanctions on Iran, the Ayatollahs' may be feeling the pressure themselves. It also gives clearer meaning to Netanyahu's comments a couple months ago.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-to-iranians-israel-stands-with-you-youll-be-free-sooner-than-people-think/

 

[Red Leg]

The more I think of this the more I think the Picot Sykes borders in Syria is a thing of the past. Will Turkey keep the areas with Turkish people in the north. Will Israel give up the new area around Mt. Hermon. Will the Kurds establish a a homeland in the east. Are the Alawites strong enough to keep their area along the coast. Will infighting between Sunni and Shites along with the remnant of Hezbolah keep either party from asserting dominance over the old Picot Sykes lines. It will be interesting to see how things fall out.

All in all, Iran may be the big loosers. Little could they have imagined when they gave Hamas the go ahead for 10-7 attack that things would have turned out so poorly for their proxies. With the Trump administration probably cutting off funding and implementing sanctions on Iran, the Ayatollahs' may be feeling the pressure themselves. It also gives clearer meaning to Netanyahu's comments a couple months ago.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-to-iranians-israel-stands-with-you-youll-be-free-sooner-than-people-think/

Best assessment yet. The sheer irrationality of Picot Sykes has resonated calamitously for a century. It will be an interesting contest between traditional tribal/religious loyalties and the messianism of the trans national/tribal aspirations of radical Islam. Turkey, at least until the US decides upon its new regional interests, likely holds the fate of the Kurds in its hands. The Alawites will try and navigate between the various factions.

I absolutely agree that Iran is the great loser in this game. The administration deserves some credit with respect to that regardless of the collateral damage. Whether the collapse of Iran's regional alliances is worth the aftermath in Syria only time will tell.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

The more I think of this the more I think the Picot Sykes borders in Syria is a thing of the past. Will Turkey keep the areas with Turkish people in the north. Will Israel give up the new area around Mt. Hermon. Will the Kurds establish a a homeland in the east. Are the Alawites strong enough to keep their area along the coast. Will infighting between Sunni and Shites along with the remnant of Hezbolah keep either party from asserting dominance over the old Picot Sykes lines. It will be interesting to see how things fall out.

All in all, Iran may be the big loosers. Little could they have imagined when they gave Hamas the go ahead for 10-7 attack that things would have turned out so poorly for their proxies. With the Trump administration probably cutting off funding and implementing sanctions on Iran, the Ayatollahs' may be feeling the pressure themselves. It also gives clearer meaning to Netanyahu's comments a couple months ago.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-to-iranians-israel-stands-with-you-youll-be-free-sooner-than-people-think/

Best assessment yet. The sheer irrationality of Picot Sykes has resonated calamitously for a century. It will be an interesting contest between traditional tribal/religious loyalties and the messianism of the trans national/tribal aspirations of radical Islam. Turkey, at least until the US decides upon its new regional interests, likely holds the fate of the Kurds in its hands. The Alawites will try and navigate between the various factions.

I absolutely agree that Iran is the great loser in this game. The administration deserves some credit with respect to that regardless of the collateral damage. Whether the collapse of Iran's regional alliances is worth the aftermath in Syria only time will tell.