A Vacuum Creates An Invitation To The Bad Guys

There's nothing new here. I'm fairly certain FDR's goal was to reduce Hitler and the Nazis down to a manageable problem...WH Press Secretary Tweet

• Bad guys love nothing more than a vacuum. We're currently watching that being played out in Iraq. As soon as we pulled out all of our forces, the homicidal maniacs moved in to set up their killing fields. The same scenario occurred in South East Asia after we pulled out of Vietnam. The Communist moved in---as is their MO--- and they murdered several million in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. 
• Iraq is not the only place we're observing the same phenomena. Just a few days ago, our own embassy in Tripoli was attacked by terrorists (American embassies are considered American territory). In fact, the Jihadist were so thrilled with their taking over the embassy, they made videos of themselves frolicking in the embassy swimming pool. To put it in other terms: they were flipping us the bird as they did their belly-flops into the pool.
• The same can also be said with what is occurring in the Ukraine today. As British PM David Cameron said earlier this week: "We run the risk of repeating the mistakes made in Munich in 1938. We cannot know what will happen next." Cameron was referring to Neville Chamberlain's sellout to Hitler. (Officials meeting in NATO this week will consider a rapid-reaction force to protect Eastern Europe even though the Ukraine is not part of NATO). It's worth noting, after Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, it didn't take long for France to come under Nazi boots, less than a year later.
• Fortunately Israel appears to be the only nation willing to stand up to the Islamic hoards. Even after Hamas sent over 4000 rockets into Israel, the Israelis never backed down. They never do. They don't appease terrorists.
• Having said all of this, I don't believe ground troops are the answer either. We sent ground troops into Vietnam. The last images were of American choppers vacating the American embassy after 10 years of war. Of course, it wasn't because we lost the war. We quit Vietnam. The Democrats withdrew funding that would have helped South Vietnam turn back the North Vietnam Communists. 
• With this current challenge facing us, ground troops---in my opinion---are also not the answer. Yes, ISIS beheading two more Americans is an affront to everything we stand for. But they weren't the first Americans to be beheaded by those barbarians. Danny Pearl and Nick Berg suffered the same fate over 10 years ago. And in between those two horrific events, we lost thousands of our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Keep in mind, ISIS is not the only group of homicidal maniacs out there. Boko Haram and al-Qaeda---along with their affiliates---will continue to roam the Middle East and other regions of the globe like roaches in a New York City tenement. As soon as you kill some over here, more appear over there.
• So what are we to do? We know all of these Jihadist groups are a threat to America. We saw that evidence almost 13 years ago to the day. We've also experienced other events in the last 13 years including the Boston Marathon bombing. But one thing is certain. You cannot "manage" lunatics whose sole intent is to kill as many Americans as they can. It's also harder to manage a vacuum. History is replete with examples.
• Perhaps I should reference someone who knows about these issues better than I do. John Podhortez wrote this week: "The president decided America was through with the war in the Middle East. The vacuum his fecklessness has created is sucking us back in---and in a far worse tactical and strategic condition than we were before."
• Where is George Patton when you need him?

Islamist Terrorism: Just One Of The Many Perverse Outcomes of Political Correctness

Shampoo Strategy: President wants to make ISIS soft and manageable...David Burge Tweet

• I've written often about the failures of progressive ideology and the dangers of political correctness. From PC infiltrating the Pentagon as seen in the aftermath of the Ft. Hood shooting (classified as "workplace" violence in addition several federal law enforcement agencies having been aware of Nidal Hassan's sympathies to terrorists. In fact, just last week, he wrote a letter claiming he would be "honored" to join ISIS) to warped progressive ideology prevalent throughout our political systems.
• Perhaps no where is there a better example of the horrors imposed by political correctness than what happened in Rotherham, a borough in England. It is estimated that about 1,500 young girls were raped and brutally sexually exploited for over 15 years. The perpetrators of the crimes were largely Muslims from the local Pakistani community. The Home Secretary in Britain classified the crimes as also "institutionalized political correctness." In other words, British authorities and local social workers were made aware of these crimes, yet did nothing. They did nothing because no one wanted to offend the local Muslim community. An independent inquiry reported: "Offending behavior mostly involved men operating in groups." It continued "the young girls were passed around and prostituted among other men..." In another inquiry by the Rotherham borough council:  "They were raped by multiple perpetrators, trafficked to other towns and cities in the North of England, abducted, beaten and intimidated...Girls as young as 11 were raped by large numbers of male perpetrators..." Rich Lowry, also writing about this case, pointed out: "It hasn't prompted feminist hand-wringing bout how multiculturalism effectively empowered a criminal patriarchy. It has barely caused a peep." Sources: Daily Mail, NY Post, NY Times, HotAir
• So is it any wonder why we're facing the onslaught of Islamist terrorism when many of our leaders don't even have the guts to call it out for what it really is: Pure evil.  As John Podhoretz said of the current wave of ISIS barbarism: "This is what it looks like in a vacuum: Slaughter, Mayhem and Chaos." 
• As for those nitwits who don't think it can happen here or anywhere outside of the Middle East, last May an ISIS terrorist (trained in Syria) attacked a Jewish Museum in Brussels. He murdered four people.  And just yesterday, it was reported the second known American killed fighting with ISIS in Syria worked at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He had a security clearance giving him access to aircraft. In fact, he cleaned the planes---meaning, he was one of the last persons to be on a particular aircraft before passengers boarded. Just yesterday, it was reported ISIS may have control of at least 11 aircraft seized from Tripoli airport.
• I also have to confess, I don't have a problem with Islam in general except for many practitioners who have a penchant for slavery, rape, gang rape, stoning, beheading, misogyny, honor killings, forced marriages, child marriages antisemitism, Jihad, gender inequality, terrorism, using children as human shields, Sharia Law and hatred for Christians. Hey, other than those few items, what can possibly be wrong?
• So when Pres. Obama says he doesn't have a strategy to deal with this evil and affirming it can be manged, be alert my friends. It can't end well.

Postscript: Since this was written, ISIS is still on the move. And they've beheaded a Brit, a man who worked helping Muslims. In addition, Boko Haram remains a threat especially against girls and young women. In addition, France is learning a big lesson regarding political correctness.

The Progressives Laughed At George W. Bush, Sarah Palin + Mitt Romney. But Whose Laughing Now?

The president is off to Europe tomorrow. The Oval Office will be permanently added to the WH tour where a president used to work...WH Press Secretary Tweet

There were two profound pieces I read this past week. One was a letter to the editor of the NY Post after the ISIS scumbag murdered journalist James Foley. Ed Quinian ended his letter about Obama's frolicking: "How could this president not find it in his heart to grieve for one day?" 

The other piece was by Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal. In short, it was reported that Obama was outraged at the Israeli treatment of John F. Kerry. For a moment, let's put aside the fact that Kerry---a pompous fool---has been a total failure in foreign policy. Stephens points to the fact that while Obama was outraged at Israel the Russians invaded the Ukraine, Hamas sent thousands of rockets into Israel, ISIS slit the throat of an American journalist and Chinese jets conspicuously harassed U.S. surveillance aircraft. So where was his outrage at these events?

The observations noted above take me back to the future. Many---including myself and others---warned the electorate what would happen if Obama was elected president. In fact, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney also warned Americans as well but many progressive laughed at those admonishments.  So what were they laughing at? 

• In 2012, Romney warned that Russia continued to be a strategic geo-political threat.
• In 2008, Sarah Palin warned that Putin might invade the Ukraine. In fact, many on the Left countered her claim by referring to it as a "far-fetched" scenario. Foreign Policy Magazine
• In 2007, then Pres. Bush warned what would happen if we completely pulled out of Iraq. He said it would become a safe haven for terrorists and would result in mass killings.
• In 2012, Romney warned the nation that Obama would have difficulty working with Congress.
• And recall when Palin took a shot at Obama's "hopey, changey stuff?"

So whose left laughing now?