Charles Krauthammer: The world according to Trump

Charles Krauthammer  . . . "Two world wars, nuclear missiles and international terrorism have disabused us of the illusion of safety-by-isolation. You wouldn’t know it, though, from the Democratic presidential race in which foreign policy has been treated as a nuisance, a distraction from such fundamental questions as whether $12 or $15 is the proper minimum wage.

"On the Republican side, however, foreign policy has been the subject of furious debate. To which Donald Trump has contributed significantly, much of it off-the-cuff, contradictory and confused. Hence his foreign policy speech Wednesday. It was meant to make him appear consistent, serious and presidential.

General Dunford Suggests White House Is Limiting His Ability to Fight ISIS

The Weekly Standard  "On Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham asked General Dunford about his ISIS strategy.

" '[T]he military strategy that we're embarked on is the best way to destroy ISIL. And it's what you recommended. Or is it limited by conditions put on you by the White House?"

"Dunford responded, "[T]o clarify, so if I say..."

"Graham interrupted, "[W]ould you do more if you could?"
"He answered, "I would do more if I could, but the limitation is not just a political limitation. Part of it is our partners on the ground...' "

Setting the Record Straight on Britain, America, and World War II

Victor Davis Hanson

. . . "What ensured a war were the appeasement of Nazi Germany by Britain and France, the isolation of the United States from global responsibilities, and the collaboration of the Soviet Union with Adolf Hitler. All three developments combined to convince Hitler that he could bully or invade his neighbors without consequences.

"America entered the war on Britain’s side in late 1941, after more than two years of war that saw Hitler consolidate a continental empire larger than the present European Union. The United States declared war on Nazi Germany and fascist Italy on December 11, 1941 — but only after the two Axis powers declared war on us first. Had Hitler and Italy’s Benito Mussolini not declared war after Japan’s December 7, 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, America may well have concentrated on defeating Imperial Japan and stayed neutral in the European theater.

"Great Britain was the only major power to fight for the entire duration of World War II, from its beginning after the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the surrender of the Japanese in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

"In late June of 1940, after the fall of Western Europe, Britain was the only major power in the world still resisting Nazi Germany. Otherwise, all of Europe was either occupied by Hitler, neutral, or supposedly neutral but surreptitiously aiding the Third Reich with shipments of supplies.

". . . The Russians supplied Germany with key resources that helped the Luftwaffe bomb a solitary Britain during the Blitz of 1940-1941. Nearly 50,000 British civilians were killed by German bombers, cruise missiles, and rockets — while America’s continental homeland remained all but untouched."

To Counter Sanders' Supporters, Focus on Venezuela

First the background:
New Poll Finds Most Millennials Reject Capitalism

"According to a new poll conducted by Harvard, a majority of Millennials reject the idea of capitalism.

"It’s no surprise that a generation of people who grew up in the era of “everyone gets a trophy” reject the idea of unequal rewards based on hard work. Millennials were educated largely by public schools obsessed with the idea of fairness and afraid in some cases to let children play the game of tag.

"One has to wonder if the participants responded on their iPhones."

Socialism Never Works   Rush: "I got a note from Newt Gingrich today, who said, "You know what you ought to do?  You need to do daily reports on Venezuela in order to teach people about the failures of socialism." 

"And, my first reaction: Venezuela?  If Detroit's not doing the trick, how in the world does anybody expect teaching about Venezuela's gonna do the trick? 

"But I wrote him back.  You know, it's an interesting thing.  Essentially this is what I've been trying to do for 27, 28 years, and I've learned what doesn't work.  I mean, Venezuela is literally falling apart.  Have you heard the latest?  The elites, government officials are being told to only go to work two days a week in order save electricity.  It's an absolute abject, total implosion failure. 

"It is all the result of socialism and communism.  And so if you try to point out to either low-information people or young people, Millennials, college students, you're gonna fail every time.  You know why?  Why will you fail?  Why will it not work?  Why does it not work?  I've learned over 27 years that it doesn't work.  You know why?  Because there's no way that your average college student thinks that America would ever become Venezuela.  They personally cannot envision it. 

"So, to say, "You see Venezuela, that's where we're headed."  You lose 'em right there 'cause even if it is possible to happen, they won't consider it.  The same with Cuba.  And my point, if they don't get the failures of the Democrat Party and socialism looking at Detroit, they don't have to study Venezuela.  I mean, you could.  But you know what they would then say?  You stick to Venezuela, you know what they'd then say? 

"Your average Millennial, your average low-information voter would say to me, "Well, at least Hugo Chavez tried.  At least he cared about his people.  At least he tried.  That's more than you Republicans do.  You Republicans, it's all for the rich, and you don't want anybody having any fun.  That's all you care about is who's using the bedroom, marriage, screw it, at least Hugo Chavez tried," and that's going to be their reaction.  So how do you teach and alert young people to the perils of socialism?"

‘Clinton Cash’ Has Been Made Into a Movie

The Breitbart-funded broadside against Hillary Clinton will be screened in Cannes and have its U.S. premiere the week of the Democratic convention.

Bloomberg

. . . "A year ago, before Donald Trump dubbed her “Crooked Hillary” and Bernie Sanders was assailing her secretive speeches to Wall Street banks, Hillary Clinton looked like a powerful presidential front-runner. Then, in May, HarperCollins published an investigative book about the Clintons by the conservative author Peter Schweizer that caught them off guard and took a prominent place in the political conversation for months. Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich became a surprise bestseller.

"Today, Clinton has righted the ship and her candidacy looks stronger than ever. But while polls suggest Trump and Sanders will have a hard time stopping her, the team behind Clinton Cash—Schweizer and Stephen K. Bannon, the executive chairman of Breitbart News—haven’t given up. " . . .

Branco Cartoon – Democrat Base