The Great Reversal — for now

Charles Krauthammer

"The world is agog at President Trump’s head­snapping foreign policy reversal. He runs on a platform of America First. He renounces the role of world policeman. He excoriates parasitic foreigners that (I paraphrase) suck dry our precious bodily fluids — and these are allies! On April 4, Trump declared: “I don’t want to be the president of the world. I’m the president of the United States. And from now on, it’s going to be America First.” 

"A week earlier, both his secretary of state and U.N. ambassador had said that the regime of Bashar al­Assad is a reality and that changing it is no longer an American priority. 

"Then last week, Assad drops chemical weapons on rebel­held territory and Trump launches 59 Tomahawk missiles into Syria. 

"This was, in part, an emotional reaction to images of children dying of sarin poisoning. And, in part, seizing the opportunity to redeem Barack Obama’s unenforced red line on chemical weapons.

"Whatever the reason, moral or strategic, Trump acted. And effectively reset his entire foreign policy. 

"True, in and of itself, the raid will not decisively alter the course of Syria’s civil war. Assad and his Iranian, Russian and Hezbollah co­combatants still have the upper hand — but no longer a free hand. After six years of U.S. passivity, there are limits now and the United States will enforce them. 

"Nor was the raid the beginning of a campaign for regime change. It was, however, a reassertion of an American stake in both the conduct and the outcome of the war. America’s abdication is over. Be warned. " . . .

KRAUTHAMMER: TRUMP SENT A MESSAGE ‘THERE IS A SHERIFF IN TOWN’; ‘THERE WAS AN ABSENCE FOR 8 YEARS’
. . . "He could have shut down the air force, but he just wanted to say, it’s not that there’s a new sheriff in town, there is a sheriff in town. There was an absence for eight years. America is back and you are not allowed to do whatever you want. That in and of itself is going to have a big effect.' "

Extreme religious acts mark Good Friday in the Philippines

It is as if they have no understanding of the meaning as to why Christ suffered all this Himself, that it was in their place and that one time was sufficient.

UK Daily Mail  "Whipping their backs to a bloody state and nailing themselves to crosses, devotees in the fervently Catholic Philippines marked Good Friday with extreme acts of faith that have become tourist attractions.

"In towns north of Manila at least five people were nailed to crosses, while in an island to the south hundreds of residents dressed up as Roman centurions as part of decades-old traditions in the Southeast Asian nation. 

"These customs flourish, although they are not officially endorsed by church leadership." . . .

. . . "Half-naked men showed their devotion in a cemetery by flogging their backs that had earlier been sliced by a razor as part of their vow to God. 

" 'I've been doing this for 15 years. I do this so my sins will be forgiven," said Sammy Matre.

"Newcomer John Allen Jamig, 17, briefly fainted after his flogging drew blood.

" 'I don´t know why I felt dizzy, I think because I didn´t have enough sleep last night," he insisted.

"In San Pedro village north of Manila, 56-year-old Ruben Enaje underwent his 31st crucifixion after surviving a construction accident." . . .

"People also whip their backs, drawing blood, to show their devotion and be cleansed of their sins"

But the Scriptures say in the book of Hebrews, chapter nine, verses 25-27: 

25Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Otherwise, He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him. 

Salon: 5 reasons Maxine Waters should be our next president

Hat tip to YesI'mRight

Salon  "Today on Salon 5 we will discuss Waters, her amazing political talents, and why we millennials love her so much. Watch the video to learn more about why Maxine Waters should be our next president."
D. Watkins is an Editor at Large for Salon. He is also a professor at the University of Baltimore and founder of the BMORE Writers Project. Watkins is the author of the New York Times best-sellers “The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America” and "The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir."

More on the character and wisdom of Maxine Waters here.

Video: The Three Stooges: Featuring Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Elizabeth Warren

Don Surber: Napolitano vindicated. Britain meddled in our election.

When Fox News suspended Judge Andrew Napolitano for saying British intelligence helped Barack Obama spy on Donald Trump's campaign, the New York Times went out of its way to make the judge look like a mad man.

From the New York Times on March 17:

The saga began on Tuesday on “Fox & Friends,” the chummy morning show, where Mr. Napolitano made a bizarre and unsupported accusation: Citing three unnamed sources, he said that Britain’s top spy agency had wiretapped Mr. Trump on behalf of President Barack Obama during last year’s campaign.

. . .

"On Friday, Fox News was forced to disavow Mr. Napolitano’s remarks. “Fox News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano’s commentary,” the anchor Shepard Smith said on-air. “Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind that the now-president of the United States was surveilled at any time, any way. Full stop.' ”

. . . 

"Always in such a controversy, go to the exact words -- not some partial quote.

"But weeks later, the truth came out, vindicating Napolitano.

"From the Guardian this week:

Britain’s spy agencies played a crucial role in alerting their counterparts in Washington to contacts between members of Donald Trump’s campaign team and Russian intelligence operatives, the Guardian has been told.

GCHQ first became aware in late 2015 of suspicious “interactions” between figures connected to Trump and known or suspected Russian agents, a source close to UK intelligence said. This intelligence was passed to the US as part of a routine exchange of information, they added.

Over the next six months, until summer 2016, a number of western agencies shared further information on contacts between Trump’s inner circle and Russians, sources said.

"We now have proof that Britain meddled in our election." . . .

MOAB

Here's why the 'mother of all bombs' exploded 6 feet above its target in Afghanistan
. . . "The MOAB itself never touched the ground at the complex, however. Instead, like most large weapons, including nuclear bombs, it detonated in the air moments before impact. There was probably about 6 feet between the MOAB and the ground when it unleashed its destructive force, which was equivalent to about 11 tons of TNT. 

"Why didn't the MOAB strike the ground before detonating? "The main attribute of the MOAB is that it causes overpressure," Adam Lowther, the director of the US Air Force's School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies, told Business Insider reporter Alex Lockie. 

"Overpressure" is a term for the sharp spike in air pressure that a bomb causes. That change in pressure moves away from the bomb in a wave in all directions. Any mines, tunnels, or bodies caught in the blast would be unrecognizable after it passed." . . . 

Here are the basic facts about the MOAB:   "The idea behind an "air burst" weapon, as opposed to a weapon that explodes on impact with the ground, is to increase its destructive range. A bomb that penetrates the ground and then bursts tends to send all of its energy either down into the ground or straight up into the air. An air burst weapon sends a great deal of its energy out to the side."

Hillary F. Clinton Curses Those Who Keep Her Safe

"Hillary routinely bullied her bodyguards — and with the worst language possible."

National Review  "Hillary Clinton’s “treatment of DS [Department of State] agents on her protective detail was so contemptuous that many of them sought reassignment or employment elsewhere,” according to a just-released summary of an FBI interview with a former State Department official. “Prior to CLINTON’s tenure, being an agent on the Secretary of State’s protective detail was seen as an honor and privilege reserved for senior agents. However, by the end of CLINTON’s tenure, it was staffed largely with new agents because it was difficult to find senior agents willing to work for her.” 

"Clinton’s State Department agents are hardly the first to complain about her bullying. 

"“She derives pleasure from lording over other people who cannot do anything about it and who are less powerful than she is,” author Ronald Kessler told Newsmax TV’s J. D. Hayworth. 

"In fact, Clinton’s well-documented history of profane, unhinged outbursts against those who work for her spans decades. 

"While Clinton’s vulgarity is presented here in relatively family-friendly form, fill in the blanks and imagine the pain that this woman inflicted when she uttered these words." . . .

Hillary Clinton Became PHYSICALLY VIOLENT on Election Night and Tore Into Robby Mook and John Podesta

. . . "Hillary Clinton did not make it on stage that night. She sent John Podesta out instead.

"Hillary was drunk.

"She was. I posted about that too. She was in a "psychotic drunken rage" according to my reporter friend. Doctor added sedatives to the mix. https://t.co/jZv376ydD— The Kincannon Show (@kincannon_show) November 15, 2016

"The reporter said CNN would not publish the story! 

"The CNN reporter didn't fail to report it. His editors will not let him. CNN has banned all "Hillary in the bunker" stories. https://t.co/Iq7WlezU4i— The Kincannon Show (@kincannon_show) November 15, 2016

"I sure hope someone has video… somewhere. That would be epic!" . . .

More accounts of Hillary's actions election night.

patriottribune

Obama Is America’s Version of Stanley Baldwin

"Both leaders put their successors in a dangerous geopolitical position."

Victor Davis Hanson  "Last year, President Obama assured the world that “we are living in the most peaceful, prosperous, and progressive era in human history,” and that “the world has never been less violent.” 

"Translated, those statements meant that active foreign-policy volcanoes in China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the Middle East would probably not blow up on what little was left of Obama’s watch. 

"Obama is the U.S. version of Stanley Baldwin, the suave, three-time British prime minister of the 1920s and 1930s. Baldwin’s last tenure (1935–1937) coincided with the rapid rise of aggressive German, Italian, and Japanese Fascism. 

"Baldwin was a passionate spokesman for disarmament. He helped organize peace conferences. He tirelessly lectured on the need for pacifism. He basked in the praise of his good intentions. 

"Baldwin assured Fascists that he was not rearming Britain. Instead, he preached that the deadly new weapons of the 20th century made war so unthinkable that it would be almost impossible for it to break out. 

"Baldwin left office when the world was still relatively quiet. But his appeasement and pacifism had sown the seeds for a global conflagration soon to come." . . .

Media Eats Crow After Distorting Sessions’ Speech on Immigrants

Legal Insurrection   "And the mainstream media wonders why Americans hate them so much. The media went into a tizzy over a speech Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave to border patrol agents on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal published an article with these two paragraphs:

In remarks Tuesday to Border Patrol agents at the US-Mexico Border in Nogales, Ariz., Mr. Sessions spoke in stark terms about the threat he said illegal immigration posed.

“We mean international criminal organizations that turn cities and suburbs into warzones, that rape and kill innocent citizens,” Mr. Sessions said, according to the text of his prepared remarks. “It is here, on this sliver of land, where we first take our stand against this filth.”

"That’s NOT what he said."

"Distortion

"But the WSJ left out an extremely important detail from Sessions’ prepared remarks, which the Department of Justice published on its website (emphasis mine):

Here, along our nation’s southwest border, is ground zero in this fight. Here, under the Arizona sun, ranchers work the land to make an honest living, and law-abiding citizens seek to provide for their families.

But it is also here, along this border, that transnational gangs like MS-13 and international cartels flood our country with drugs and leave death and violence in their wake. And it is here that criminal aliens and the coyotes and the document-forgers seek to overthrow our system of lawful immigration.

Let’s stop here for a minute. When we talk about MS-13 and the cartels, what do we mean? We mean criminal organizations that turn cities and suburbs into warzones, that rape and kill innocent citizens and who profit by smuggling poison and other human beings across our borders. Depravity and violence are their calling cards, including brutal machete attacks and beheadings.

It is here, on this sliver of land, where we first take our stand against this filth.

"So when Sessions mentioned filth in his prepared remarks, he specifically meant the criminal organizations that leak into our land." . . .

Watch how just this one liberal reporter commented on this:

Daniel W. Drezner 

✔@dandrezner
Filth. He described illegal immigrants as "filth."
Whatever your views on immigration that's f**king embarrassing for a US official to say. https://twitter.com/jdawsey1/status/851847803454226432 …
12:30 PM - 11 Apr 2017

More at the site.

"US May Launch Preemptive Strike On North Korea Ahead Of Nuclear Test"

Report: Kim orders evacuation of NoKo capital  . . . "So what is going on?  To sum up:

1. The U.S. is moving a carrier strike force to the Korean peninsula.2. China has moved 150,000 troops to Korean border to handle an expected            flood of refugees if an attack occurs.3. Kim has threatened to use nukes if provoked.4. Reporters are being told to expect a "big event," while some reports – perhaps      not reliable – claim that Kim has ordered the partial evacuation of the capital.

"Taken together, the signs are ominous. " . . .

UK Daily Mail photo

Zero Hedge   "With just two days to go until North Korea's "Day of the Sun" celebrations, when as reported yesterday it may conduct its 6th nuclear test at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, NBC reports citing multiple senior U.S. intelligence officials that in the latest stepwise escalation, the U.S. is prepared to launch a preemptive strike with conventional weapons against North Korea should officials become convinced that Kim Jong-Un's nation North Korea is about to follow through with a nuclear weapons test. Note: North Korea does not even have to carry out the text: mere conviction on the side of the US that it would, is sufficient.

"As first reported yesterday, North Korea warned that a "big event" is near, and U.S. officials say signs point to a nuclear test that could come as early as this weekend. According to multiple sources, the U.S. intelligence community has reported with "moderate confidence" that North Korea is preparing for its sixth underground nuclear test, though the U.S. is also in the dark regarding the specific timing.

"The launch of a preemptive attack would naturally threatens a counterattack by Kim: the U.S. is thus "worried" that its strikes could provoke the volatile and unpredictable North Korean regime to launch its own blistering attack on its southern neighbor. "The leadership in North Korea has shown absolutely no sign or interest in diplomacy or dialogue with any of the countries involved in this issue," said Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Meanwhile, intelligence officials have told NBC News that the U.S. Navy has positioned two destroyers capable of shooting Tomahawk cruise missiles in the region, one just 300 miles from the North Korean nuclear test site. Additionally, American heavy bombers are also positioned in Guam to attack North Korea should it be necessary, and earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group was being diverted to the area.

"Earlier in the week, North Korea said it would "hit the U.S. first" with a nuclear weapon should there be any signs of U.S. strikes. On Thursday, North Korea warned of a "merciless retaliatory strike" should the U.S. take any action. It is almost as if the U.S. is eager to provoke the "irrational" North Korean dictator." . . .

Do these satellite images prove North Korea is preparing to detonate a new nuclear bomb to mark sinister 'Day of the Sun' as Trump's armada moves in

The Russian Stooge

Rich Lowry at NRO   "The circumstantial evidence is mounting that the Kremlin succeeded in infiltrating the U.S. government at the highest levels.  

"How else to explain a newly elected president looking the other way after an act of Russian aggression? Agreeing to a farcically one-sided nuclear deal? Mercilessly mocking the idea that Russia represents our foremost geopolitical foe? Accommodating the illicit nuclear ambitions of a Russian ally? Welcoming a Russian foothold in the Middle East? Refusing to provide arms to a sovereign country invaded by Russia? Diminishing our defenses and pursuing a Moscow-friendly policy of hostility to fossil fuels? 

"All of these items, of course, refer to things said or done by President Barack Obama. To take them in order: He reset with Russia shortly after its clash with Georgia in 2008. He concluded the New START agreement with Moscow that reduced our nuclear forces but not theirs. When candidate Mitt Romney warned about Russia in the 2012 campaign, Obama rejected him as a Cold War relic. The president then went on to forge an agreement with Russia’s ally Iran to allow it to preserve its nuclear program. During the red-line fiasco, he eagerly grasped a lifeline from Russia at the price of accepting its intervention in Syria. He never budged on giving Ukraine “lethal” weapons to defend itself from Russian attack. Finally, Obama cut U.S. defense spending and cracked down on fossil fuels, a policy that Russia welcomed since its economy is dependent on high oil prices.

"Put all of this together, and it’s impossible to conclude anything other than that Obama was a Russian stooge, and not out of any nefarious deals, but out of his own naivete and weakness. " . . .

Welp. He Did It. 'Caitlyn' Jenner Finally Cut It Off

PJ Media   "Former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, who now goes by Caitlyn, has been emasculated, and he's going public about it.

" 'The surgery was a success, and I feel not only wonderful but liberated," Caitlyn Jenner wrote in his new memoir, The Secrets of My Life, which comes out April 25. A report from Radar Online released the scandalous details.

“ 'So why even consider it? Because it’s just a penis. It has no special gifts or use for me other than what I have said before, the ability to take a whiz in the woods,” Jenner wrote. “I just want to have all the right parts. I am also tired of tucking the damn thing in all the time.”

The surgery reportedly took place in January of this year, the 67-year-old former Olympic gold medalist announced. He said he is going public in order to stop fans from asking the most embarrassing question.

" 'I am telling you because I believe in candor," the reality TV star wrote. "So all of you can stop staring. You want to know, so now you know. Which is why this is the first time, and the last time, I will ever speak of it."

"Jenner called the surgery a "complex decision," due to the health risks associated with the operation. But he ultimately decided to accept the risks in order to have "all the right parts.' " . . .

Lib media desperate to declare White House egg roll a failure

easter-eggs-banned-offensive-liberals-renamed-candy-eggs-

Ed Straker  "The liberal media, so desperate for anti-Trump stories to feed into their narrative, are looking to use something as innocuous as the White House Easter egg roll as a yardstick to show "yet another" failure of the Trump administration.  There are many legitimate grounds to criticize the Trump administration on ("DREAMers," more Syrian refugees, not supporting full Obamacare repeal), but an Easter egg roll?  Come on!

It's the single most high-profile event that takes place at the White House each year, and the White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on," said Melinda Bates, who organized eight years of Easter Egg Rolls as director of the White House Visitors Office under President Bill Clinton. "I'm really concerned for the Trump people, because they have failed to fill some really vital posts, and this thing is all hands on deck."

"Vital posts...for an egg roll?  If these posts are focused on events like egg rolls, are they really so vital?

"The article also claims this is the single most high-profile event at the White House.  Does that include state dinners for foreign leaders?  The White House is "judged" by an Easter egg roll?  Don't the stakes sound more than a little exaggerated?" . . .