Obama: brilliant or stupid

[pr126]

Syrian crisis? What crisis?
It is normal for Muslims to be in a permanent state of war.

Islam demands it.  See here:

Quran 2:216

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.

Quran 9:111

Surely Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their belongings and in return has promised that they shall have Paradise.106 They fight in the Way of Allah, and slay and are slain.

Quran 8:60

And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged



Have been doing it since 622 CE.

[Baruch]

SGOS - One of the primary reasons for keeping Iran from getting nukes, is that if they do, the Saudis will demand them from us (we are their infidel slaves).  And we don't want that at all.  Even the Gulf princelings will want one.

pr126  - Americans agree, a permanent state of war has been necessary for the US since 1940.  We even make war against nouns like poverty, drugs and terrorism.  At least we leave the adjectives at peace ;-)

[josephpalazzo]

Putin is playing the cooperation card to get something, to be sure; like dropping sanctions. But if there was ever a snake he is it. And I don't give Obama high marks on international issues. I'd be checking for my wallet after spending an hour with Putin.

Putin is playing the card - let's restore Russia to its former glory days- it's their own version of American exceptionalism.  He needs that as a distraction as his country is in recession with high unemployment numbers. This is how he is consolidating his power with the generals and the xenophobic element of the Russian population. Notwithstanding that Russia is selling large catch of weapons to Syria, it is also modernizing its strategy naval base at Tartus to accommodate heavy warships, the only port available to  Russia on the Mediterranean Sea.

[Baruch]

The Russians aren't stupid.  Respect them or not at your peril.  Obama vs Putin is Chicago Jewish Mafia (Pritzger) against KGB ... leaders are figureheads.  It takes a real man to run Russia, America not so much.

[josephpalazzo]

It takes a real man to run Russia, ...

[pr126]

Obama calls for “rejection by non-Muslims of the ignorance that equates Islam with terror”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42H4uJkkymM

But what about the Muslims who equate Islam with terror?

[trdsf]

Re: the OP: it's neither.  It's just realistic.  Which is more intelligent than one generally expects of a politician, at least.

[Munch]

I can list off more lovable russians then that soak puppet.

[Shiranu]

Working with the global community to try to solve an issue?

Sounds terrible, probably impeachable.

[redpaint417]

At the UN, the President declared that the US would be willing to work with Russia and Iran to solve the Syrian crisis.

Brilliant or Stupid?

russia and america cant be on the same side if that were the case then we would have world peace and that should never happen

[josephpalazzo]

russia and america cant be on the same side if that were the case then we would have world peace and that should never happen

I don't think it's a conspiracy to keep war alive. The US and Russia have different agendas, so they will inevitably clash. Though they can work together on certain issues, I'm not sure they can do it on the Syrian crisis. The situation is too complex, and both countries are at odds - the Saudis, the US ally in this conflict, want Assad out, a no go for Putin.

[trdsf]

I don't think it's a conspiracy to keep war alive. The US and Russia have different agendas, so they will inevitably clash. Though they can work together on certain issues, I'm not sure they can do it on the Syrian crisis. The situation is too complex, and both countries are at odds - the Saudis, the US ally in this conflict, want Assad out, a no go for Putin.

I don't think the Russians care about Assad per se; he's just their man and they're satisfied that he'll remain their man.

If a suitable substitute could be found that could be Russia's man without being the problem that Assad is for the region, I'm sure Putin could be coaxed into going along -- he might even go as far as publicly giving Assad the push.  It'd let him spin himself as being "coöperative internationally" without actually giving anything up.

Whether or not there actually is an acceptable substitute who could be positioned to take over, I don't know.

[josephpalazzo]

Whether or not there actually is an acceptable substitute who could be positioned to take over, I don't know.

The million dollar question. Assad is from the Alawites, a tribe that is a small minority within Syria (12%). If he goes, the tribe itself could be wiped out for their unconditional support during years of atrocities. So no one in that tribe is going to betray the very person that represents their own survival.

[Baruch]

This is why the policy of "kill your neighbors" is a "paint yourself into a corner" policy ;-(

[josephpalazzo]

This is why the policy of "kill your neighbors" is a "paint yourself into a corner" policy ;-(

The US painted itself in a corner. First it supported Hussein against Iran, then removed him to put the Shiites in charge, forgetting they are cousins of Iranians. So now, the US are on the same side as Iran fighting ISIS, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, a US ally. So when Putin invited Obama to join him in fighting ISIS by supporting Assad, who is supported by Iran, Putin must have had a Cheshire smile on his face.