Category: Politics and Issues

USA to Iraq: GOODBYE!We have a golden opportunity to accelerate our departure from the Middle East

By Dr. Larry Fedewa (January 8, 2010) Federalist columnist Willis L. Krumholz, speaking for Middle America in an insightful article, asks, “The Fundamental Question is: Why is America Still in the Middle East?” (The Federalist Daily Briefing, January 6, 2020). His answer is; America’s newfound oil independence eliminates America’s interest in the Middle East. So, it is time to leave the Middle East. American involvement in the Middle East formally began in 1928 with the Red Line Agreement, essentially splitting access to the oil properties of the northern Middle East (principally Iraq) between France, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1933, the USA entered into an agreement with Saudi Arabia to form ARAMCO, a joint venture to exploit that country’s newly discovered oil fields. America’s relationship with Iran was solidified by the CIA-aided 1953 coup d’état which established the Shah of Iran as the country’s ruler. The Shah was overthrown by the current leadership of Iran in 1978, leading to the sacking of the American embassy and holding of American diplomats hostage until 1980. This was the first overtly anti-American incident in what became a long series of assaults against American interests in the Middle East, culminating in the 2001 attacks.   The 21st century wars between the Americans and Islamic terrorists which followed 2001 are familiar to most Americans. The major stake that all Western countries have had in the Middle East for the past century has been the need for oil which has powered the economic and technological advances that became the foundation of Western civilization. Control of that resource has been a critical, life-or-death priority for these countries. That control has been very expensive in the 21st century. Total casualties through 2018 including civilians are estimated at 500,000. US casualties alone were 7820 (including contractors and civilians) (Source: Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University, November 2018). The financial costs of these wars are estimated at $6.4 trillion – nearly 1/4 of our national debt (Krumholtz, ibid.). This equation has undergone a radical change in the past five years with the result that the USA is now energy independent The USA has become in fact the largest energy exporting nation in the world, thanks to technological developments in the energy industry, especially rediscovery and refinement of fracking. The USA no longer needs Middle Eastern oil. The motivation which has fueled our involvement in Middle Eastern affairs since 1928 has evaporated! Our remaining interests seem to be 1) safeguarding the security of Israel — a moral rather than a strategic obligation, and 2) the denuclearization of a very recalcitrant Iran. We have NO remaining strategic interest in Iraq. That being the case, when last week’s vote by the Iraqi parliament to prohibit the presence of foreign soldiers in their country was concluded, our answer should be “GOODBYE IRAQ!” This is a gold-plated opportunity for us to pack our soldiers and our ordinance and leave this god-forsaken country to its own devices. Why on earth should we abandon the country where we have invested so much blood and treasure to free them from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein? In order to understand the actual peril of our continued involvement in the Middle East, it is necessary to recall that the underlying reality of the region is the war between the two dominant sects of Islam: the Sunnis and the Shia. This war had been going on for 1400 years. The course of events which has driven US policy over time has put America on the side of the Sunnis, largely because we were expelled from Iran, the leading Shia nation, and accepted by the leading Sunni country, Saudi Arabia. We have supported the Sunnis even to the extent of recently organizing a formal alliance between the several Sunni nations and equipping and fighting their wars, especially in Iraq, Syria, and earlier in Lebanon. Since Iraq is predominantly Shia (60-70%), they will never be happy with our Sunni allies. They want us to leave. If we don’t want to get drawn into their thousand-year war with the Sunnis, we should get out while we can. As Krumholz reminds us, Iran is bordered in the north by Afghanistan and the south by Iraq, both occupied by Americans. They are surrounded, and they will not give up as long as that situation exists. It is definitely not in our national interest to find ourselves leading the Sunnis in their ongoing war with the Shia.What about our leverage to denuclearize crazy Iran? Today’s weaponry allows long-range warfare, as our recent sorties against Syrian and Iraqi targets has demonstrated. As long as we retain that capability, whether by land bases or sea, we have the needed leverage to protect our interests. Our withdrawal of ground troops will have to be gradual in any case, and our negotiations can be paced accordingly. Some critics might worry that this withdrawal at this time would be interpreted by Iran and the world as the triumph of Iran in the current contest of wills. The simple explanation would be that America has always proclaimed and actually sought peace, not conquest, of iran and Iraq as well. This gesture is a concrete proof of our intentions, We will maintain our long range strike capacity and our economic sanctions as long as Iran poses a nuclear threat and we will follow up on the President’s call on NATO to take a more active part in this policy, but our motivations are truly peace and prosperity for all nations. So, what about Israel? This is a somewhat different challenge. For the most part, our Mediterranean fleet can (and has) provided much of the needed cover. For out-of-range options, coordination with the Israelis themselves should provide the answers. The bottom line is that America’s most basic responsibility is the strategic deployment of our forces in areas of national interest only. The lives and futures of these troops are not to be squandered recklessly on misbegotten missionary adventures of nation-building to “spread democracy’” especially to countries whose entire history and culture demonstrates their lack of receptivity to our doctrine, emancipating as it has been for us. As the song from Les Miserable says, “Bring him home!” © 2020 Richfield Press. All rights reserved.

Lowry misses one important point, there is a Iranian policy. It is the policy of containment through economic sanctions. The alliances of Sunni states to counter Iran and informal alliance Sunni’s and Israel. You can argue if this is enough or question if history repeats itself Iran will implode like the Soviet Empire but there is a policy in place. Trump goal is to reduce our footprints in the Mideast and leave this alliance in place. Will Iranian economic sanctions end the regime? https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/01/08/trump-neocon-isolationist-lowry-096445

There are so many events over the past year but some of the top includes: 1.China/US trade talk

2. Iran recent attack through their proxies US Embassy

3. Horowtiz report showing FBI violation of civil liberties, lying to federal judges and spying on a political campaign

4. Hong Kong protester

5. British voters and Brexit is now becoming a reality.

6. impeachment process still in search of impeachable offenses.

7. Attacks on Jews in New York over the past two weeks, showing the rise of Anti-Semites from left to right.

8. Democrats candidates moving so far left that they became Venezuela socialists

9. The debt continues to balloon

10. The fracking revolution has changed the world energy market

11.Unemployment dropped to historical lows, including minorities

The biggest loser in the Russian collusion and present Ukraine impeachment farce is the credibility of the media. They have not just been wrong, they are still refusing to cover the truth that a Presidential campaign was spied on.

The second truth is that the FBI knew that there was no collusion but they kept up the investigation based on evidence they knew to be false. The Mueller investigation kept the investigation going through the 2018 election to help the Democrats.

The media not only failed to report on the biggest story since Watergate on the massive violation of civil liberties, they cooperated with it.

What we have witnessed is our political class, our FBI, and our media class used up their credibility and in the process, their ability to propose ideas that much of America will accept. The ability to compromise has been harmed and not by Trump but the Democrats and allies

A.O. Ewen author of (Un)limited by the mind

1. The election polls at the moment have the conservative part a decent amount ahead of Labour at the moment. Although we have seen in the past, that they are far from 100% accurate. A bad interview/tv appearance or something else could swing the pendulum in the other direction. 

2. I mean I think some people look along Boris Johnson as like our version of Trump, with his strange haircut and awkward mannerisms. He is I think reasonably honest though, for a politician at least and is doing his best to get Brexit sorted. Jeremy Corbin I feel has been putting a lot of obstacles in the way to stop Brexit. Whether we leave with a deal or without a deal, we should listen to the public’s decision and not waste even more time by having another referendum. He is passionate, but I also feel like he says all these things that people want to hear and then won’t actually fulfil these promises. Mind, Boris and others are probably the same. Promises and politicians don’t go together. Hi Swinson I feel is putting all of her eggs in one basket. All she seems to talk about is having another referendum on leaving the EU. That would just be ignoring the public’s original opinion and make the last few years even more of a waste. In my opinion, this and other things have pretty much made it a two horse race between the Conservatives and Labour. 

3. For the last few years all that has ever been discussed really is Brexit. There are many other issues that need to be discussed like the NHS, the benefits system and coming up with ways to combat the rising issue of knife crimes. 

4. I think a lot of people just want us to leave the EU, either with a deal without one. Years of no progress and constant stalling have made the people here sick. I for one have thought about leaving the country, just because the whole country seems to be constantly under a Brexit cloud that you can’t escape. The EU needs us as much as we need them, so it’s only fair that we come out with some good deals too. Nissan which employs thousands of people near me, has been surrounded by uncertainty, saying if we leave the EU without a deal, that people may lose jobs. Brexit could have a big impact on companies operating in the UK and so we need to make sure the deal is exactly right for businesses and the people of this country. 

5. I am from a little village near Durham in the north east of England. The north east used to be staunch labour supporters, but in recent years it’s becoming more divided and we’ve seen the Conservatives winning more seats.

 6. I completely agree with the statement that too much money and effort is spent on London and the surrounding areas, often leaving the north of England quite neglected. I think they think London is the be all and end all of England. It is not fair that one part of the country gets so much of the resources while we are left with limited opportunities to improve our health services and schooling. Mental health services are also limited in the north with long waiting times and a lot fewer therapists employed here. 

7. My debut poetry book is called (Un)limited by the mind and focuses on mental health. By typing in A.O.Ewen or (Un)limited by the mind on any Amazon site, you can purchase the book in paperback and on kindle. I wrote the book because although first it was hard to open up about my problems, I wanted to show people that they are not alone and that their problems can be managed and reduced. Mental health problems don’t have to be a life sentence. 

If you are a Republican political operative, there are books you need to have read beginning with Salena Zito and Brad Todd, The Great Revolt which explains based on polling data and interviews,  the Trump coalition and how Trump won 2016.  The second book is my own book on the 2016, The Rise of National Populism and Democratic Socialism, What Our Response Should be which includes data we collected post 2016 as well actual campaign successes our organization Americas PAC had and the lesson we learned not just for 2018 but also 2020. 

God, Trump and the 2020 Elections by Steven Strang is another book for Republican operatives for the simple reason, Mr. Strang gives us insight into the Evangelical voters, voters who gave Trump 81% of their votes and whose vote total exceeded Black and Hispanic vote totals.  Most of us don’t truly understand the Evangelical voters but as Strang noted, they vote in big numbers and even more importantly, he noted that 21 million evangelicals are not even registered to vote and in 2012, some three to five million evangelicals stayed home, ending what chances Romney had of winning in 2012.  We certainly don’t want the same thing to happen in 2020.

I don’t know how many times I have been asked why you support just a vile and corrupt man as Trump and my answers are mirrored by Strang.  In 2016, Hillary Clinton was as corrupt a politician I have witnessed in my lifetime and worse, she managed to get away with this corruption. The Clinton Foundations was nothing more than a play to pay operation in which donors including foreign donors and government understood that if they want access in a future Clinton Administration, they better contribute to Clinton Foundation and the Clintons were worth nine figures by 2016 after Hillary declared some 16 years earlier, they were flat broke.  Peter Schweizer detailed this corruption in his book, Clinton’s Cash. As for Trump morality, the voters including many evangelicals understood he was no saint and Strang himself did not care for Trump during the primaries and like many of us, chose to vote for him out of legitimate concerns for our civil liberties including our religious freedom and economic freedom. The stakes were high in 2016 and even higher in 2020.

I will add that the me/too movement was less about justice for women than other weapons to use against Trump.  Democrats and media who were the biggest supporters of me/too movement never seemed concern when Bill Clinton was doing the sexual assaulting nor for that matter, concern when his wife, who often attack those women who dare to speak up.  During the 1992 elections, Ms. Clinton led the Bimbo eruption team whose goal was to ruin any women who admitted that they had an affair with Bill Clinton or accuse him of sexual assault. 

In 2018, the me/too Party had no problem supporting at least two Senators for re-election who had documented records of abusing their first wives.  One of those Senators hit his wife so hard, she had a black eye. Keith Ellison received support from the Democratic Party for Minnesota state Attorney General despite significant accusation of sexual assault.  I could go on the number of Democrats whose own past rivaled Bill Clinton supported by the Democratic Party and how many didn’t have to worry about the Media coming after them. 

Strang understands that Trump is no saint and while his view of Trump has changed as a result of actually meeting with him, he understands Trump shortcomings but observed that God does bring forth those who are sinners or even non-believers to come forward to do God’s work. One example sited is Persian King Cyrus who allowed Jews to return back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. 

Strang sees God’s hand at work and his belief that God raised up America to be that beacon of light and hope to the world includes Religious freedom and Strang sees Religious freedom as important for the United States as well as the other freedoms. He discusses immigration reform including controlling our border and the importance of reducing illegal immigration and even makes a biblical case for this.  Evangelicals understand that our religious freedom are intertwined with other freedoms, just as freedom of speech and press.   For those familiar with the Masterpiece Cake versus Colorado Civil Rights Commission in which a baker refused to use his talent to participate in a gay wedding and the baker found himself fined six figures and threaten with bankruptcy. The Supreme Court ruled in his favor, showing the importance of appointing the right judges. (He is still under siege by the commission despite winning his case in front of the Supreme Court, so our freedom is fragile and for many evangelicals, they see this case and wonder whether they will be worship God ) The recent case in California where an undercover journalist is facing jailtime for a story he released about abortion clinics selling baby parts is another example where our freedom is at risk under a future Democrat administration.

In my book, the Rise of National Populism and Democratic Socialism, I document this threat to our freedom and much of the left attitude has become worse since my book was released in December 2017, as many colleges are keeping conservative speakers off campus in the name of stopping the hate and redefining hate speech that could simply interpretive of conservative ideas that the left hates.  We have a major political party that is now supporting infanticide whereas 80% of voters believe abortions should be restricted in the second trimester including half of those who view themselves as pro-choice and close to 45% of Americans believe that abortion should be restricted in the first trimester.  The average American voter don’t believe there is a unlimited right to abortions as Democrats are now supporting abortions up to actual birth and when given a chance to support a bill that would require medical personnel to care for babies who survive an abortion, 44 of 47 Democrat Senators including all Senators running for President and all but one Senator running for re-election in 2020 opposed this.  They supported infanticide.

Strang case for evangelical that their freedom and ours are at stake, and he is right.  This book explains the evangelical worldview and that is why Republican operatives need to read this book, so they better understand a significant part of our coalition.  five million evangelicals didn’t vote in 2012 and that hurt Romney.  With some 21 million not even registered, Republicans don’t have a margin of error.  Democrats with three states, California, New York and Illinois have 104 Electoral college votes in their hip pocket whereas Texas is still red, but Florida is a battleground state and not a certainty in 2020.  Democrats Presidential candidate have 104 Electoral college in his or her back pocket and only needs an additional 166 votes from the remaining 47 states.  The only state of more than 20 electoral college that Republicans can count on is Texas 38 and they must find a way to garner another 232 votes from the remaining states.  Republicans have no margin of error as Trump won because 70,000 votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania went for Trump. 

Strang observed that Trump own outreach has included those moments in which he used the wrong phrases in front of evangelicals and often struggle with the right word.  Strang own view is that Trump is making the effort and certainly his policies along with his appointments to the Federal bench shows that he comprehends what they are seeking.   For many of us not raised in the evangelical tradition must understand that our battles are intertwined with their concerns and that a free market, constitutional rule of law is what is needed and required for our civil society to survive as a free nation and allow civility to return.  Strang explains this well and for that alone, this book does a service by explaining the evangelical view and we might want to understand that to win, you need a coalition and there is no replacing those million of voters.  Another aspect is that many Blacks are also raised in this tradition and any outreach to minorities including blacks and Hispanics must include understanding this evangelical underpinning.   The ability to add votes from minority communities is connected to understanding the Evangelical worldview. 

My view of last night debate in case anyone was even paying attention. Mayor Pete did enough to keep his major seat at the table but being less crazy than Warren or Sanders. Warren didn’t lose ground but didn’t gain any. Biden is a time bomb waiting to happen. continue

The impeachment trial has highlighted his swamp like corruption in Ukraine and that is the tip of the iceberg but for now he is still in top three. Bernie kept himself in fourth and Kamala Harris needs to go back to her day job.

Tulsi has a future in the Democratic Party, especially if the old folks in the lead loses big. This is not her year and Mayor Pete can be part of any rebuild but the present Dems are Venezuela socialists.

What we found out so far and its implications. Well so far there is very little evidence of a quid or quo. We know Ukraine is one of the most corrupt country and that Trump had his doubt how much more aid to give. (Note weapons were already given.)

Trump also had no trust in his state department and after these testimonies, this distrust is well deserve since many of these individuals worked to undermine the President policies and substitute their own policies.

What we found out so far and its implications. Well so far there is very little evidence of a quid or quo. We know Ukraine is one of the most corrupt country and that Trump had his doubt how much more aid to give. (Note weapons were already given in previous shipments.)

Trump also had no trust in his state department and after these testimonies, this distrust is well deserve since many of these individuals worked to undermine the President policies and substitute their own policies.

The role of Rudy shows this distrust. Remember in the early 1970’s, Richard Nixon had Henry Kissinger go around his own state department to deal with China. Rudy is not Henry but the principles is the same.

What we are witnessing is the criminalization of political differences and the attempt not just to overturn the 2016 elections but impact the 2020 elections. These hearings show that Trump had legitimate concerns and in the end, gave the arms without any quid for quo.

Senator Ron Johnson was one of those who pushed Trump in this direction. Read his letter. He pushed his POV but made it clear that in the end, it is the President who makes policies not him or the State Department bureaucracy.

The final lesson is that future Republicans whether their name is Pence, Rubio or Haley must understand that the bureaucracy and even some in the intelligence community will undermine policies they disagree with.

This can be seen that many within the State bureaucracy and whistleblowers in the intelligence community (Initial EC) are willing to work with Democrats to overthrow a Republican President and an election. Not a good thing if the bureaucracy behaves as a Deep State.