Several Observations: Saying Less, and Jim Webb

by Deacon Blues

Several observations on some issues of the day:

Mr. President, if you have to go to war (and that's an "if"), sometimes it’s better to say less and do more. You don’t have to go out and make macho or cheerleading statements about your every action against a foe, just because your political opponents have cowed you into doing so as a test of your manhood. It’s simply enough for you to run a smart war silently that actually achieves your objectives, rather than the stupid and loud wars of your predecessors. Just tell the media that you’re keeping key members of Congress informed and coordinating any actions with our allies, and leave it at that. Lord knows the congressional GOP would soil its undies if it ever had to actually be responsible for anything.

On a related note, if that means doing more with Iran, again, just do it without the need to broadcast it. The last thing the Russians want to see is us building some regional relationship with Iran, and even the Saudis and Iranians are now working with each other. It only takes a maniacal force like ISIL to make foes work with each other, and with stability being the sole short-term objective here, statecraft needs to be as broadminded as possible.

Hamid Karzai, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

Although he is not a telegenic candidate, having Jim Webb in the 2016 Democratic primary campaign will be good for the party, and for Hillary Clinton. Webb sounds like Elizabeth Warren on economic issues while sounding like Rand Paul on foreign policy. Such a combination may prove appealing to Democratic and independent voters in 2016, and it’s necessary for the party to credibly offer that alternative.