Saturday Morning Links, News, And Views -- I Have A Dream

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September 1, 2013: hours before the surprise speech on Syria a reader suggested that Obama was going to strike that night. The strike would have been brief and in time for the Sunday morning news shows. At the time, I don't think either the reader (who sent me his thoughts on Obama) or I knew that the President had a speech scheduled for later that day. This was my reply, before I knew there was going to be a speech:

I don't get television so I don't know what additional information you have that I don't have.

If he were to launch tonight, it would simply be a square filler. He would be able to give a speech saying he did it, that he kept his word.

If he does do a limited, brief launch, I think it will be horrendous -- the Russians know that he was acting like a spoiled child, that even without the Brits, he would show the world who is boss, but the Russians know he is a paper tiger. The Syrians have said that if Obama launches, he will be launching all by himself, and he (Obama) will own/buy completely 100% whatever the fallout it, and I think it would Vladimir Putin carte blanche to do what he wants in the Mideast. Obama would be going it alone; no UN vote; no Congressional vote.

I can't read Obama's mind; he is 100% unpredictable. Reagan's Libyan bombing was similar but there was no lead up to it; it just happened. In this case, Obama would be going in despite everyone (except French Hollande) saying "no" publicly, though privately they may be saying something else.

So, I would not take any bet on when/if he launches tonight. He is too unpredictable. I think he invites the wrath of Putin if he launches.

The key thought in that note was my suggestion that President Obama knew he was going to be doing this completely alone: as I said above, whatever happened after the brief and limited launch, he, personally, had bought whatever happened next, for however long it lasted. He would "own" Syria. 

It appears the last connecting dot was the failure of the British government to back him: Parliament said "no" and the Prime Minister acquiesced.  Without the British, President Obama was entirely on his own. 

I thought about that note when I read the New York Times piece on his decision and his speech. Generally, the Times will put their spin on the story, giving some insight into their editor's stand on an issue. In this case, and I read the article twice, I could not find one bit of editorial slicing and dicing that put the President in a good light. 

WSJ Links

Of course, the Syrian Missile Crisis heads the list. No links: the story is everywhere. John Kerry reprises the Colin Powell role as the SecState who has all the evidence he needs to strike Syria. Well, actually not quite (all the evidence). His exact words: "high confidence" that the Syrian regime was behind a chemical-weapons attack -- direct quote from The WSJ.

"High confidence" is just a bit more conclusive than "pretty sure, you betcha."

Barry O'Bama reprises the role of George Bush #2, but this time the producer/director is the lead actor himself, Barry O'Bama, and he will re-write the script: no coalition, no UN vote, no Congressional authorization. Producer, director, writer, screenplay, editing: Barry will go it alone.

But with the British vote, and the American polling, this movie may never get made. 

If you all recall, Barry was piloting the lead helicopter that flew into the Osama bin Laden compound. I assume Barry will fly to Langley Air Force Base to personally launch the first drone missile attacks if the movie is released.

It is nice to see that French President Hollande is goading President O'Bama to take action against Syria. I assume France doesn't get any oil from Syria.

Meanwhile, Canada is rethinking/re-vamping its immigration policy. It looks like the Canadians are more interested in bettering their country than getting votes.

This should be interesting: Amish newspapers thrive in digital age.

The corn stands 5 feet tall, the temperatures are in the 90s and Johnny Byler got hooked on his head while fishing with a friend, reported Mrs. Jerry Ray Byler in a recent front-page article of the Budget.

Mrs. Byler is one of about 860 correspondents for the Budget, a 123-year-old weekly newspaper, which carries the news of Amish and Mennonite communities, from Diagonal, Iowa to the three Minnesota outposts of Bertha, Clarissa and Lenora. They write about who got married, who went to church, who received dentures—and how 11 chickens went missing when Toby Schrocks of Cisne, Ill., forgot to close the chicken-house door.

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I Have A Dream

I have a dream, too. I dream that someday we will have political leaders who can think and orate like Martin Luther King.