The 82nd: Keeping America Great ... And Safe -- January 1, 2020

First things first: the granddaddy of them all. Wisconsin Badgers have lost the last four of their Rose Bowl appearances. Lost tonight by one point, 28 -27.

Futures mean squat, but Dow futures are up 70 points right now (7:57 p.m. CT, January 1, 2019).

China's manufacturing activity expanded in December, 2019. Sources.

Geopolitics: the anti-Benghazi? Trump, 4 -- Iran, 0. So, we have:

• the embassy staff in the safe room
• a handful of US marines holding off the hordes
• a contingent of US marines helicoptering in to reinforce
• and now --

Hundreds of U.S. paratroopers began a deployment to the Middle East early Wednesday, January 1, 2019, the Army said, the morning after Defense Secretary Mark Esper ordered some 750 82nd Airborne Division troops be sent immediately in response to unrest in Iraq.

“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, I have authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the 82nd Airborne Division to the U.S. Central Command area of operations,” Esper said in a statement.

The rare rapid deployment, which adds to the nearly 14,000 troops that have deployed to the region to deter Iranian threats since this summer, comes after mobs waving militia flags stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday.

The NY Times called these mobs, "mourners." 

Quick: name the SecDef.

Quick: name the Joints Chief of Staff. 

Under Carter: hostage-situation for 444 days.

Under Obama: Benghazi ("What does it matter?" -- HRC)

Under Trump: no. The buck stops here.  My hunch: Trump was channeling "Dirty Harry"/Clint Eastwood / John Wayne / SSgt Barry Sadler when he decided to send in the 82nd Airborne.

The Ballad of the Green Berets, SSgt Barry Sadler
I was ambivalent about posting this video until I read the comments. No longer ambivalent.

Later, one week later: the Dems support Iranian terrorists; attack Trump.