Trump’s ‘Madman Theory’ Diplomacy

The president’s perceived volatility could help make his foreign policy a success.

Charles Krauthammer  "At the heart of Donald Trump’s foreign-policy team lies a glaring contradiction. On the one hand, it is composed of men of experience, judgment, and traditionalism. Meaning, they are all very much within the parameters of mainstream American internationalism as practiced since 1945. Practically every member of the team — the heads of State, Homeland Security, the CIA, and most especially Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster — could fit in a cabinet put together by, say, Hillary Clinton.

"The commander in chief, on the other hand, is quite the opposite — inexperienced, untraditional, unbounded. His pronouncements on everything from the “one China” policy to the two-state (Arab-Israeli) solution, from NATO obsolescence to the ravages of free trade, continue to confound and, as we say today, disrupt.

"The obvious question is: Can this arrangement possibly work? The answer thus far, surprisingly, is: perhaps.

"The sample size is tiny but take, for example, the German excursion. Trump dispatched his grown-ups — Vice President Pence, Defense Secretary Mattis, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — to various international confabs in Germany to reassure allies with the usual pieties about America’s commitment to European security. They did drop a few hints regarding Trump’s loud complaints about allied parasitism, in particular NATO members shirking their share of the defense burden.

"Within days, Germany announced a 20,000-man expansion of its military. Smaller European countries are likely to take note of the new setup. It’s classic good-cop, bad-cop: The secretaries represent foreign-policy continuity but their boss preaches America First. Message: Shape up." . . .

Yet sometimes an off-center comment can have its uses. Take Trump’s casual dismissal of a U.S. commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East. The next day, U.S. policy was brought back in line by his own U.N. ambassador. But this diversion might prove salutary. It’s a message to the Palestinians that their decades of rejectionism may not continue to pay off with an inexorable march toward statehood — that there may actually be a price to pay for making no concessions and simply waiting for the U.S. to deliver them a Palestinian state.

Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Trump side by side

AmericanFlavor

Taking Liberal Stupidity To A New Level : Gay CNN Host Tweeted Support For Sharia Law – The Internet Responded

US Chronicle

From August, 2016:
"Some Liberals are so beyond-the-pale ignorant that they can’t see the forest because the trees are blocking their view.

"CNN political commentator Sally Kohn found herself in hot water, from social media users, after posting a controversial Tweet suggesting that “Progressive Muslims,” who are fighting against radicalized Islamic terrorists, also subscribe to the idea of Sharia law.

"The irony was not lost on Twitter users, who immediately pointed out that a homosexual, like Kohn, would be put to death in many countries that use Sharia Law as the basis of their legal system." . . . 

Milo-Hating Lefty Crybaby Boycotts Bill Maher, Maher Defends Milo

The American Spectator

“Liberals will continue to lose elections as long as they follow the example of people like Mr. Scahill whose views veer into fantasy..."

"Conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos may not be able to appear at UC Berkeley, but he will be appearing on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” despite a leftist boycott.
said

"Milo “is many bridges too far.”

"Maher, much to his credit, did not back down.

“ 'If Mr. Yiannopoulos is indeed the monster Scahill claims — and he might be — nothing could serve the liberal cause better than having him exposed on Friday night,” Maher said. He added, “liberals will continue to lose elections as long as they follow the example of people like Mr. Scahill whose views veer into fantasy and away from bedrock liberal principles like equality of women, respect for minorities, separation of religion and state, and free speech.” 

"Let’s take a look at the claim that Milo is a monster.

In his statement explaining why he won’t appear on “Real Time,” Scahill claims Milo “has ample venues to spew his hateful diatribes.” . . .

How to Tell if News Is Really News

https://earloftaint.com/

Press is Not the Enemy, But Nor is it Objective  "Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," had an unfortunate turn of phrase the other day. She said it's the mission of the press to "control exactly what people think."

"My suspicion is that this was less a Freudian slip than a simple slip-up. Brzezinski was referring to her fear that President Trump may be trying to control the way people think by discrediting the media -- whom he calls "enemies of the American people" -- and she lost her rhetorical footing, stumbling into saying that mind control is "our job."
"But the misstatement resonated with a lot of people, as did Trump's claim that the press is an enemy of the people." . . .

How to Tell if News Is Really News . . . "I routinely search sites like lucianne.com and the Drudge report to read the articles posted from all sources. Invariably, news reported by The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC,  USA Today, Reuters, Associated Press, AOL, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair,  Politico and the Daily Beast will be negative and spin events to a particular narrative rather than the truth. Even William Buckley’s revered National Review became a #NeverTrump conclave during the 2016 campaign and still has not had its conservative reputation completely restored." . . .

Mandatory reporter facial expressions when interviewing conservatives:

Ever since back in the day:

Boycott the Academy Awards on February 26, 2017

From a former Marine:

"The 89th showing of the Academy Awards is coming up on February 26th.  It is important that we, the deplorable, show the likes of Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Alec Baldwin, Cher, Ashley Judd, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and the other arrogant hypocrites, that we, the backbone and decent people of America, are more united than the bitter, unhappy, angry, divisive people of the entertainment industry.

"These arrogant, pompous, pampered soulless individuals declare that half of Americans are racist, sexist, and bigoted for voicing our political choice through Donald Trump. Yet there can be no doubt that the entertainment industry does more to exploit, degrade, minimize, and stereotype women than Donald Trump or any other industry ever has.

"From Madonna and Miley Cyrus parading on stage with little to no clothing while grabbing their crotches and allowing fans to do the same, to movies that depict women as whores, sluts, and gold-diggers dependent on their bodies for survival, to the deplorable speeches of Madonna and Ashley Judd talking about their periods in a vile manner and talking about blowing up the White House, we must send these evil-hearted people a strong and distinct message that they do not speak for the women of this country and they are not the role models of our young daughters.

"The wearing of pink does not negate the black hearts that these people have for our country and our Constitution.  Nor does it negate the disdain and contempt they have for the American people and our political process. 

"In recent social media threads, the good people of this nation are calling for a full boycott of the entertainment industry for this unwarranted and outrageous display of petulant behavior. Some in the entertainment industry are mocking us saying,
"Go ahead, we don't need you trailer trash racists."

"That may be true, but these people do need our green dollars.  It is important that we send a strong and powerful message to this group telling them to stick to their make believe jobs and to leave the politics of this country to the people, just as our wise and forward thinking forefathers designed.

"The good people of this country are not asking you to give up movies.  We are asking you to take two simple steps.  

• First, protest these groups by refusing to watch the Academy Awards on February 26.  Simply change the channel or go for a walk with your family members and tell them how much you love them.
• Second, forward this request to as many friends as possible and post it on social media to get the word out.

"This will only be effective if we show the same unity we exhibited during the election.  Yet how powerful will it be when the ratings for the Academy Awards fall in the toilet.  It is only for a couple of hours and requires very little effort.  When this happens, the arrogant entertainment industry will understand just how insignificant and powerless they are. 

"I am so proud of my fellow Americans who stood up and said, "Enough is Enough." 
Michelle Obama may have only been proud of this country once in her life, but we the patriots have never lost our love and pride in America.  The left is now up to their old tricks trying to bully the rest of us into feeling guilty.

"Let them know that their selfish, vulgar, and unpatriotic behavior over this past week will not be tolerated.  Let them know that we will not be silenced and that we are no longer going to be shamed for what we believe.  We must continue the fight.  We must shut them down now.  We must show them that America will be great again no matter how filthy and disgusting they become.

"Boycott the Academy Awards on February 26, 2017."

Hat tip to Corporal Robert Hope, USMC ret.

Why Game-Show Hosts Vote Republican

Daily Beast

Pat Sajak thinks global warming alarmists are ‘unpatriotic racists.’ Read this story from 2010: The rest of Hollywood may swing left, but from Pat Sajak’s new National Review column to Chuck Woolery, game show hosts are the right’s secret weapon. Rebecca Dana exposes the TV staple’s true colors.

. . . "A tiny island of Reagan Republicanism in the vast sea of liberal Hollywood, television’s greatest arbiters of luck and love—including Chuck Woolery, Drew Carey, Wink Martindale, Merv Griffin, and many others—have regularly loaned their support and opened their wallets to right-wing candidates and causes, collectively donating more than $100,000 since 1998.

"Sajak alone has given more than $10,000, including fat checks to Fred Thompson, Bob Dole, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, George Allen, and Rick Lazio, as well as Steele. Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy!, gave $3,000 to former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

“ 'I am a conservative thinker. My political choices usually follow that path,” says
John O’Hurley, a former host of Family Feud who donated more than $2,000 to Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign.
“ 'I am a strong believer in individual responsibility both in the quality of my actions and in setting the direction for my life.”

The gallery of game show hosts: Of whom this is but a sample....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The longtime host of Jeopardy! is a supporter of conservative causes and a three-time donor to former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel. He also was reported to be hosting a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser in Malibu to benefit GOP candidates with military backgrounds, but his spokesman contests that claim.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. . . "I'm now sacrificing my career coming out as a conservative,” said The Dating Game’s Woolery, a born-again Christian, during a 2009 appearance on Mike Huckabee’s Fox News talk show. “So I'll never be hired in Hollywood again once they find out I'm doing it on your show.' ”

Democrats to choose their leader

pinterest.com

Power Line Blog  "You may have missed CNN’s forum last night hosting the gang of eight candidates to lead the Democratic National Committee. The election will take place in Atlanta this Saturday. The members of the DNC will pick their chairman on Saturday and then they will rest."

DNC Hopefuls Test Limits of Crazed Anti-Trump Rhetoric  . . . "So, it should not have been a surprise to see the eight candidates for Democratic National Committee chair twist themselves into knots Wednesday to prove they are the most virulent opponents of the president. He’s violating the Constitution! He’s causing children to wet their beds! He’s a computer virus! A fascist! A thief! Oppose him! Impeach him!"

More to come here today.

Love Trumps Hate or something

Moretti Underground

What’s Behind the Rash of Anti-Semitic Incidents?

The apparent increase in anti-Semitic incidents is troubling, but responsible commentators would do well to wait for hard evidence before assigning blame.

St Louis Post-Dispatch

National Review  "On Monday, for the fourth time since the beginning of the year, bomb threats shut down multiple Jewish Community Centers across the country. The calls are the latest in a series: Sixty-nine threats have been called into 54 Jewish Community Centers in 27 states and a Canadian province since January 1, according to the JCC Association of North America. Meanwhile, also on Monday, vandals toppled nearly 200 tombstones at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis.

"Anti-Semitism has been on the rise in Europe for several years. In April 2015, Jeffrey Goldberg penned a long essay for The Atlantic entitled “Is It Time for the Jews to Leave Europe?” In the final paragraph, he wrote: “I am predisposed to believe that there is no great future for the Jews in Europe, because evidence to support this belief is accumulating so quickly.” But the prospect of rising anti-Semitism in the United States, which does not share Europe’s tragic history, seems different — and perhaps, for that reason, even more troubling.
. . .
"None of this is to let the president off the hook. If it becomes undeniably clear that American Jews face a rising tide of violence to which the president has contributed, every side should call him to account. There is no place for anti-Semitism in the United States. But accusations warrant evidence, and that should be the case no matter who is in the White House."

Ian Tuttle is the Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at the National Review Institute.

Ann Coulter: American Gigolos (GOP Watch List, Part 2)

Ann Coulter  "Americans thought electing a trash-talking billionaire reality TV star to the presidency of the  United States would finally be enough to convey the message that they hate both political parties. If anything, they hate Republicans more.

"But the Uni-Party can’t learn. The bureaucracy, the judiciary and congressional Republicans are all openly working for the “Resistance.” It’s President Trump against the world.

"In Congress, the hate for Trump is personal. Not only did he throw a grenade into politicians’ little do-nothing club, but his very existence destroys their self-conception as people with a set of skills.

"While Trump was making billions of dollars building skyscrapers, developing golf courses and starring on a hit reality TV show, members of Congress were slowly working their way up the political ladder — interning at think tanks and congressional offices, taking some small government job, then running for the House or Senate, and, hopefully, marrying a woman with a large inheritance.

"A stunning number of senators and congressmen are supported by rich wives — Sens. John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Richard Blumenthal, John Kerry and Ron Wyden, and Reps. Michael McCaul, Scott Peters and Paul Ryan, to name a few. Is there any other profession with as high a percentage of men sponging off their wives’ inheritances?

"Then a self-made billionaire came along, violated all the rules they had lived by, and swept aside more than a dozen experienced politicians just like themselves! Not only did Trump make his own money, but he beat them at the one thing they thought they knew how to do.

"How else to explain Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s sneering dismissal of Trump’s request for an investigation into voter fraud, followed — one week later! — by McConnell’s assurance that the Senate would investigate former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s phone call to the Russian ambassador?

"These useless Republicans allowed a Senate seat to be stolen from under their noses in Minnesota in 2008, giving Obama the vote he needed to pass Obamacare and destroy our health care." . . .

Come back! These agencies serve the American People!

Trump administration revokes Obama-era transgender bathroom guidance for schools   . . . "Anti-bullying safeguards would not be affected by the change, according to the letter. "All schools must ensure that all students, including LGBT students, are able to learn and thrive in a safe environment," it said." . . .

In Foxx, Trump & DeVos Have a Staunch Education Ally  . . . "With control of all three branches of government, Republicans are set on unraveling President Obama's education legacy and pushing an unprecedented amount of funding and authority back to states." . . .

Pregnant Mother of Three Supports GOP Replacement Plan After ‘Absolute Nightmare’ Experience With Obamacare

Feds probing VA employees as opioid thefts sharply increase . . . "Now, consider what would happen at a private-sector clinic or hospital. First off, the DEA would have climbed all over any practitioner, pharmacist, or hospital for not keeping spotless records regarding the security of narcotics. Also, these drugs are not exactly cheap, so having significant amounts of it go missing would eventually prompt questions about costs even without the issue of inspections. The comparison to the government’s own performance when regulating its own operations speaks for itself."