Is Deference Really Safer than Deterrence?

"Beware international affairs the next five months, a dangerous period for America." 

Victor Davis Hanson  "Deterrence is a nation’s ability to discourage aggressors by instilling in them a credible fear of punishment far greater than any perceived gain that could be achieved by an attack. 

"Deterrence is quite different from deference, which is a courteous accommodation to the will of another, often one deemed superior. 

"Deterrence is ultimately enhanced by the possession of overwhelming military force, but it is unfortunately not thereby ensured.

"France, the Low Countries, and the British expeditionary force had a combined larger army, more tanks and comparable air forces, when Germany nevertheless attacked in surprise fashion and destroyed them in six weeks in May and June 1940. What the Allies lacked were not the guns and soldiers but the credibility that they would use them with dispatch, skill, and determination. " . . .

In contrast, the Neanderthals of the world assume that U.S. force is now becoming irrelevant and that the president is entirely predictable: occasionally eager to compromise and lecture, usually full of braggadocio, and always without credible follow-up. To be blunt and cruel, they find Obama the proverbial freshman loudmouth whom bullying seniors for sport enjoy separating from his lunch money.

Who Would Replace Hillary on Dem Ticket? (Reader Poll)

Obviously unscientific, I'm sure.

Legal Insurrection

"We’ve been watching this story grow legs — the speculation that a Democratic Party cabal met behind closed doors to discuss replacing Hillary on the presidential ticket after her unfortunately public health episode Sunday.

"I imagine this was nothing more than a whisper campaign that morphed into an actual story. And you know, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer gal.

"But now that replacing Hillary is actually being discussed seriously, we’re only doing what’s proper — voting on who we think would (not should) replace Hillary, if it were to come to that.

"You can only vote for one (don’t worry, they’re all awful in their own special ways). Poll closes at midnight Wednesday." . . .

When life gives Hillary lemons, her people make lemonade for her

http://terrellaftermath.com/

"Powering through"! You can transform the awful images and stories into exactly what Hillary needs to win: A convincing presentation of herself as a feminist heroine.
"In Bustle, by Elizabeth Strassner: "If Hillary Clinton's Working While Sick Is A Scandal, All Women Are Guilty.' "
"Karol Markowicz in the New York Post: "Hillary apologists’ response to collapse is demeaning to women.' "

"Was it stoicism or an unstoppable hunger for power that drove Hillary to get ill enough to collapse at an event and have to be carried away? It’s not just women we’d criticize for taking risks with their own health, and the health of those around them. But Hillary always has her fallback excuse: Stop being mean to me, I’m a woman."   

The NFL protests, week one

Seattle Seahawks Won’t Take A Knee Or Sit During National Anthem

" 'We are a team comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds," Baldwin said during the video. "And as a team, we have chosen to stand and interlock arms in unity. We honor those who have fought for the freedom we cherish. And we stand to ensure the riches of freedom and the security of justice for all people. Progress can and will be made only if we stand together."

"Baldwin was asked Friday how proud he is of what the Seahawks have planned.

" 'I'm extremely proud," he said. "I'm excited. Extremely proud. Like I said, it makes me want to cry almost, just how our team has handled this and the discussions we've had and how we've come together. It's been absolutely amazing."

Obama should not support Kaepernick's protest     . . . "Yet, incredulously, the Commander-in-Chief spoke not one word of indignation on behalf of the service members he has sent to war. Instead, President Obama minimized the outrage of veterans by saying, “When it comes to the flag and the National Anthem and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us — that is a tough thing for them to get past...”  (Emphasis mine, TD)

"A tough thing to get past? As veterans of the U.S. military, we are deeply troubled by these recent protests. But we should not be alone in this outrage. If we are to be the nation captured by Key – the “land of the free and the home of the brave” – if we are to continue in our national quest to provide all with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we cannot expect our military to be the only ones who honor and respect the symbols and principles of our country.

"No Commander-in-Chief of an all-volunteer force, predicated on the principles of civilian control and public service, should divide society – as President Obama has – between those who serve and honor our nation, and some who merely take riches from its vast opportunities." . . .

Colin Kaepernick continues anthem protest; other 49ers, Rams join (Video)

"For the second game in a row, Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid knelt during the song while teammates Antoine Bethea and Eli Harold stood and held up their right fists.

" 'I think it's become so blatantly obvious that athletes and people in general have to react," Kaepernick said. "It's not something that, with social media, there's so many instances where it's instantly to you and you see these things every day, day after day and that's hard." . . .

A national anthem parody:  Althouse  Colin Kaepernick/ South Park video here.

Many commentaries on Hillary's health

The Fall Of Hillary Clinton  "First they said she was “over-heated.” Then it was pneumonia. The diagnosis that Hillary Clinton has Parkinson’s disease cannot be easily dismissed. It seems she does have symptoms of the disease, or something associated with it. There are several weeks remaining in the campaign, providing an opportunity for the media to try to be objective in their news reporting and finally do their jobs. Or will they double-down on defending Hillary and attacking Trump?"  Video

Media said to owe Clinton an apology Includes snark from MSNBC's Maddow

Watcher of Weasels: I don’t want Hillary to drop out of the race!  . . . "Sanders, because of his rabid base, and Biden and Kaine, because of their lack of scandals, all have the ability to defeat Trump." . . .

NO! Here’s Why Questioning Hillary Clinton’s Health Is Not “Sexist”
"Hillary being a woman has nothing to do with her health questions. Liberals like to claim it is sexist to do so, but they had no problem questioning John McCain’s health when he was the GOP nominee in 2008."

Former DNC chairman calls for Clinton contingency plan  . . . "Fowler said he expects Clinton to fully recover from her bout with pneumonia, which forced her to leave a Sept. 11 memorial event early and cancel an early-week fundraising swing. But he said the Democratic Party would be mistaken to proceed without a contingency plan. The party's existing rules empower the DNC to name a replacement candidate but include few guidelines or parameters."

Clinton team avoided ER to conceal details of her medical treatment
"Secret Service protocol called for the Democratic presidential nominee be taken to a state-designated Level I Trauma Center in the wake of her Sunday morning health crisis at Ground Zero, sources said.
"But a campaign operative decided to change course to avoid treatment by doctors, nurses or other medical workers who could leak details to reporters, a source said."

Hillary’s Health Is a Media Scandal  "Today, they call people who report the truth prematurely “conspiracy theorists.” A generation ago, the operative word was “reporter.' ”

Report: Dem Operatives Expect 'Emergency Meeting' to 'CONSIDER' Replacing Hillary  . . . "According to Shuster, a Democrat operative described Clinton's recent stumbles — literally and figuratively — as "uncharted political territory." The operative listed Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" comment, her hiding pneumonia for 3 days (if indeed she has pneumonia), and the video of her fainting after the 9/11 memorial ceremony. On Sunday, Clinton also called off her trip to California, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday."

Who's 'Irredeemable'? The Dangers of a Clinton Presidency Just Got Worse  . . . "It won't surprise you that I think Hillary is the "irredeemable" one. Much of what she said at the fundraiser and on the often-cited Israeli television show (not to mention how many other times we don't know about) was projection or something close to it, a wish that there was something wrong with her opposition when there is something decidedly wrong with her."

Adria Jenkins-Fanning

'Why Has America Lost its Friends and Allies?'

Paul E. Vallely, MG US Army (Ret.)  "Each day as I watch the news reports of recent events from across the globe, I wonder, "Who are America's friends anymore?" Try as I might, I can no longer readily identify them. It seems our longtime friends and allies are in retreat. And I am forced to ask myself, "How many of us are aware of this and have noticed that it's happening?"  Having visited the Middle East (Turkey, Syria, and Egypt) and Europe several times during the current administration’s two terms of office, I witnessed unquestionable signs of the downward spiral in US credibility and respect.  Those who counted on us for friendship and support in tackling world problems and threats – and who we counted on as well in return – are now nervous, skeptical and afraid.

"For example, the Egyptians could not understand why, after so many decades of friendship, an American administration would spurn their civil uprising against the Muslim Brotherhood. They cannot understand why an American administration would have shut off US military modernization assistance at such a critical time in the Middle East.

"Any special relationships garnered since World War II appear to have either disappeared or are certainly in decline. Clearly, confidence in us as the world's foremost leader has dissipated due to this administration's choice to cast aside allies and marginalize friends, despite our enemies becoming more numerous.

"The international chessboard is clearly changing but not for the benefit of America.

"Why is this so?  For me, there can be no question, it is the direct result of Progressive Socialism, which has permeated both our governing parties. The harsh truth is we do not have competent senior government officials. Our current lot are, sadly, only amateurs at handling foreign relations and our national security. We cannot permit the current leaders in the White House and halls of Congress to continue in their efforts to push us down the road of progressivism leading to the ultimate destruction of the America we have known and love." . . .
All emphases added by TD

What about Quranic slavery, Colin?

Tundra Tabloids

WND  "Colin Kaepernik “seemingly converted to Islam at his girlfriend’s urging and is now a self-styled black Muslim,” Larry Klayman writes. Klayman also refers to reports of Kaepernick’s relationship with Black Lives Matter activist DJ Nessa Diab. Therefore, it’s probably worth investigating whether George Soros, BLM funder, is actually behind the Kaepernik stunt. Would it surprise anyone if Soros were?

"In any case, does Kaepernick know that Muhammad himself was a slaver and a slaveholder? Slavery is permitted in the Quran and practiced to this day in certain parts of the world. Throughout their history, Arab Muslims made slaves of tens of millions of black Africans; they often castrated the men and boys. Millions of black Africans died of maltreatment during enslavement by Muslim Arabs. Why doesn’t Kaepernik and his ilk call out Islam for its abominable history of cruel slavery that is still practiced by ISIS, for example?

"Kaepernik is evading another reality. Does he care that 3 percent of the U.S. population, young black males (15-35), commit over half of all homicides America and the plurality of other violent crimes? Does he care that every year about 6,000 people are killed by blacks and that most of their victims are black? Will Kaepernik take any responsibility for ignoring the core problem of black-on-black crime by shifting the narrative to the police without whom black-on-black crime would soar to much higher levels?"

Black lives matter? Then support charter schools

 'It is hard to see any racial issue that matters as much as education'



Thomas Sowell  "Ordinarily, it is not a good idea to base how you vote on just one issue. But if black lives really matter, as they should matter like all other lives, then it is hard to see any racial issue that matters as much as education.

"The government could double the amount of money it spends on food stamps or triple the amount it spends on housing subsidies, and it will mean very little if the next generation of young blacks goes out into the world as adults without a decent education.

"Many things that are supposed to help blacks actually have a track record of making things worse. Minimum wage laws have had a devastating effect in making black teenage unemployment several times higher than it once was.

"In my own life, I was very fortunate when I left home in 1948, at age 17 – a high school dropout with no skills or experience. At that time, the unemployment rate of black 16- and 17-year-old males was 9.4 percent. For white males the same ages, it was 10.2 percent.

"Why were these unemployment rates so much lower than we have become used to seeing in later times – and with very little difference between blacks and whites?" . . .

"Apparently, these black children’s futures do not matter enough for black politicians – including the president of the United States – to stand up to the teachers’ unions. The teachers’ unions produce big bucks in campaign contributions and big voter turnout on election day.
"Any politician, of any race or party, who fights against charter schools that give many black youngsters their one shot at a decent life does not deserve the vote of anybody who really believes that black lives matter.

Hillary’s problem is paranoia, not pneumonia

Legal Insurrection
"How many stories and spins can Clinton World fit on the head of a pin within 24 hours?"

"The history of Hillary Clinton is one of deep paranoia.

"From the secretive health care taskforce during her husband’s presideny to the secret home server, fear of sunlight drives her actions.

"And the mainstream media is a willing participant most of the way until the obvious can no longer be denied or covered up.

"There is no better example than Hillary’s “medical event” at the 9/11 Memorial service yesterday. For weeks the mainstream media and the Clinton campaign have been berating anyone who pointed out that her coughing fits were not only odd, but perhaps a sign of deeper trouble. The wagons were circled.

"Then, yesterday Hillary collapsed. The video is devastating. Hillary starts out propped up by a stone auto barrier, but even then looks wobbly. As soon as the van pulls up Hillary goes into obvious convulsions as she tries to move towards the van while being held up by her arms. Even so, she falls forward towards the ground as she is dragged into the waiting van." . . .

MSNBC Goes far, far out to defend Hillary's episode:

"The original Clinton world and mainstream media reaction was that it was no big deal, just a little heat problem.

"Clinton hacks on Twitter immediately took to verifying that it was HOT HOT HOT in NYC that day, even though demonstrably it was NOT NOT NOT."

Weather Underground says it was 78.6 degrees

Could top Democrats push for the presidential election to be suspended if Hillary Clinton drops out due to her ill health?

"Now with top DNC strategists holding a crisis meeting to discuss whether to replace Hillary with another candidate, could the entire election be suspended?

"As HeatSt reports, “The Democratic National Committee reserves the right to replace a candidate who dies or drops out, and it doesn’t provide additional details in its by-laws. So presumably the Democrats would have to make up the process up as they go along.”

"However, a temporary Obama 3rd term wouldn’t be out of the question either because, as U.S. News & World Report noted last month, “The presidential election could be delayed or scrapped altogether if conspiracy theories become predictive and a candidate dies or drops out before Nov. 8.' ” . .  .

The Deplorables UPDATED!

American Thinker

Will “Basket of Deplorables” become the new “47 Percent”?  "Nothing says woman of the people like a political candidate who got filthy rich while serving in the Senate and State Department insulting millions of voters while surrounded by celebrities, right? Hillary Clinton shifted her attack from Donald Trump to his supporters at a fundraiser in New York City, putting “half” of them into “a basket of deplorables.” That’s a memorable turn of phrase, but will Hillary want to forget it?"

Updates:

I’m Deplorable and I’m Proud  

“The only way to beat [the left],” I wrote, “is to stand your ground, to not apologize for yourself or for your political allies, even those less verbally adroit. An apology is never enough.” Progressives, I added, “want you to grovel, and then they want you gone.”

 "Friday night, Hillary Clinton said out loud what our progressive friends have long been thinking. It may cost her the election.

"Half of Donald Trump’s supporters, claimed Hillary, were merely anxious about the future. The other half belonged in a "basket of deplorables." What made them deplorable, said Hillary, was that they were "racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it.' "

comicallyincorrect.com/

Hillary’s ‘Deplorables’ Comment: Alienating Critical Independents

. . . "Plenty of average voters know a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor who’s backing The Donald and know they aren’t double-secret KKK just itching to burn crosses on black people’s or Hispanics’ lawns. The charge isn’t credible and should bite Hillary hard where it hurts most: at ballot boxes in critical states this autumn."

Occidental College to investigate vandalism of 9/11 memorial

Same guys who spit on our GIs returning from Vietnam

LA Daily News

. . . "The memorial, consisting of 2,997 tiny American flags, was put in place in the quad area Saturday night by members of the student organization the Occidental College Republican Club, with each flag representing a victim of the Sept, 11, 2001, terror attacks,

But by Sunday morning, the club reported that the memorial had been trashed. On their Facebook page, the Occidental College Republican Club said that vandals had “crushed, snapped, and threw in the garbage every single flag. Not one was left on the ground.”

The group also claimed that posters and flyers had been posted on campus that “shamed the victims of 9/11.”

Occidental College issued a statement saying they don’t know yet who is responsible for the incident, but that they are investigating “and will take disciplinary action.”

Photos from Occidental College Republicans,
Vandalism from Democrats unless you can name others.

IDF Veteran Danny Lewin, the first person killed on 9/11/2001. Heart-breaking video from ground zero.

Legal Insurrection   "This year, I learned of Danny Lewin, likely the first victim of the 9/11 attack, via a 2013 book review in The Tablet magazine I saw linked on Facebook:

By most accounts, Danny Lewin was the first victim of 9/11. Seated in seat 9B aboard American Airlines flight 11, he saw Mohamed Atta and Abdulaziz al-Omari, sitting just in front of him, rise and make their way to the cockpit. According to calls from flight attendants to air traffic officials, later documented in the 9/11 Commission’s report, Lewin wasted no time in acting. Having served as an officer in Sayeret Matkal, the Israel Defense Forces’ top unit, he moved to tackle the terrorists. The man in 10B, Satam al-Suqami, moved, too, producing a knife and slitting Lewin’s throat. Less than 30 minutes later, at 8:46 a.m., the plane crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower." . . .

"Each anniversary of the 9/11 attack it’s important for me to learn something new when researching a post.

"In past years I’ve learned of the recording that Melissa Harrington Hughes left on her home answering machine for her husband, 9/11/01 and Memory:" . . .

Grisly memory that can haunt us. But first you need to know what a PASS Device is: 

" . . .a personal safety device used primarily by firefighters entering a hazardous (IDLH) environment such as a burning building. The PASS device sounds a loud (95 decibel) audible alert to notify others in the area that the firefighter is in distress. On a fireground, the sound of an activated PASS device indicates a true emergency and results in an immediate response to rescue the firefighter(s) in distress."

Having learned this, watch this heart-breaking video with your sound up.

. . . "And I located a recording of the chirping sound of PASS devices I remembered so well, each one representing the death of a first responder, I never have been able to erase that sound from my memory:"