The untenability of President Bolton
Spectator USA,
by
Curt Mills
Original Article
Posted By: Pluperfect,
6/22/2019 5:21:28 AM
The president of the United States weighed retaliatory airstrikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran before pulling back at the eleventh hour, he confirmed Friday morning.
‘We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it,’ Donald Trump tweeted. He said the planned response was not ‘proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone,’ referring to the recent malign activity from the regime. ‘I am in no hurry,’ he caveated.
‘He just tweeted it out,’ Alex Ward, defense reporter at Vox, joked.
Ward refers to a swirl
Reply 1 - Posted by:
PChristopher 6/22/2019 5:40:00 AM (No. 103802)
Bolton is a Neocon Globalist. Never trusted him, never will. There's only one Oval Office and President Trump is using it at the moment, thank you very much!
17 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Blue-Z-Anna 6/22/2019 5:45:18 AM (No. 103804)
Both Iraq and Asscrackistan could ave been handled from 40,000 feet.
The error was putting boots on the ground.
Likewise, Iran's nose can be badly bloodied without pondering an invasion.
Bush, with the best of intentions, gave war a bad name.
When we "Break it" we do not have to "Fix it".
Bolton is right.
But.....Trump is a gamer and I trust his instincts.
Unpredictability is a special weapon.
We do not have the luxury of doing nothing when attacked.
52 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
TexaTucky 6/22/2019 5:51:10 AM (No. 103807)
"The fact the United States is close to initiating a conflict with Iran is the culmination of a two-plus years ‘maximum pressure’ approach mainly spearheaded by the president’s advisers."
Entire article rendered meaningless by this statement alone. Unless you believe YOU are the one initiating conflict when you defend against an aggressor.
And this: "The funny part, however, is that the underlings seem to have almost as much sway as the president."
Sorta like when you're almost pregnant.
5 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
StormCnter 6/22/2019 6:40:31 AM (No. 103814)
It's disappointing to read your statement. No, he would not have been.
12 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Rinktum 6/22/2019 7:26:09 AM (No. 103832)
President Trump I believe made the right decision. Americans have spilt enough blood and treasure fighting these wars but never winning them. Of course, we fight if the provocation warrants it but downing a drone falls short in my opinion. If Iran wants a war with the United States the Mullahs should think twice because this President is a throwback to when it was understood that you don’t pull on Superman’s cape. There would be no pussyfooting around this time and the response would be swift and hard. Americans have had enough of being jacked around by Muslim countries and if Iran truly wants to confront the US, it better be prepared for the worst. Clearly, this President is a thoughtful man but had there been Americans killed by Iran’s reckless action, he would have put the hammer down without a second thought. If the Mullahs insist upon starting a war with us, the President will in short order make them regret it.
47 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
bpl40 6/22/2019 7:38:12 AM (No. 103844)
I believe this entire episode is one giant head fake. And people are falling for it just as they are supposed to. PDT is nobody's fool. What he has gotten from this 'exercise ' is the to a psychological impact of a surgical strike, without the strike. Besides laying political groundwork for the strike when it does come. IMO, this business about Trump vs Bolton is deliberately thrown red meat.
38 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Bur Oak 6/22/2019 7:49:28 AM (No. 103860)
The writer lost most of their credibility when they quoted CNN quoting anonymous sources.
34 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Falconer 6/22/2019 7:49:46 AM (No. 103861)
Bolton has put a game plan together. That is his job.
31 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
GO3 6/22/2019 7:55:37 AM (No. 103865)
Another article based on unnamed sources looking at it from a typical DC gamesmanship viewpoint rather than a serious decision making process. Members of Trump's staff will have opposing viewpoints and Trump made his decision - good. Ike did the same thing when it came to potential involvement in VN. He had staff input and made his decision not to do it. Some other observations:
- Conflicts cannot be solved from 40,000 feet. Korea demonstrated that very well.
- Forgive some who take the tac of retaliatory strikes. "Rising tensions" between Iran and the US is absurd. After all Iran has been killing Americans for 40 years including in Iraq and Afghanistan and nothing was done. I personally understand the frustration having been on the receiving end of Iranian-made 107mm rockets.
- Agree w/#7. We finally have a person at the top who understands how to formulate a strategy. We haven't had a person like that in a couple of decades and I include military in that non-strategerizing category. The downfall of Iraq and Afghanistan was not understanding the ramifications and not going in to win. I think Trump will reverse that.
18 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 6/22/2019 8:22:22 AM (No. 103889)
There was something that happened behind the scenes here. IMO, the President needed a reason to put Chinese President Xi and Putie from Russia on notice that their crude oil sugar daddy, Iran, isn't as secure as they think. This was a game of political poker and the President, running this down to T-minus 10 minutes, got something from Iran (such as, sorry, Mr. President, our mistake. We'll kill the commander who ordered the drone be shot down) that was blessed by Xi and Putie. One thing the Chinese are not good at, it is political poker. Think this scenario is over the top? Or not. By the way, yes, I'm little leery of Bolton, too.
8 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
RU4us 6/22/2019 8:22:26 AM (No. 103890)
FTA: It was the second night in the last three, that I heard from two well-placed sources familiar with the matter, that the administration was weighing a strike on Iran. Near midnight eastern, I heard from my source: ‘Hearing now it’s off.’ And so it was.
That should scare you much more than John Bolton. The treasonous sources are probably the same well placed national security circles that "jokingly referred to (Bolton) as ‘President Bolton’". My inerrant test for who are the good guys: They are usually hated by Geraldo Riviera.
12 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 6/22/2019 8:34:01 AM (No. 103894)
Ms. Lucianne, please pardon second post, but, I also think the purpose of this operation was to flush out a mole or two operating within the White House staff. As evidenced by reports that the msm was tipped off as to what day and what time the operation would be carried out, then to also be tipped off when the stand down order was given.
33 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Pammie 6/22/2019 9:08:12 AM (No. 103922)
I agree with Reply #14. John Bolton worked for President Reagan and is also hated by the leftist liberals. President Trump made a huge mistake by not firing all Obama appointed staff. Get your popcorn, coke, etc. and let the fun begin!
12 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
BeatleJeff 6/22/2019 9:08:14 AM (No. 103923)
Still better than a President PIAPS. Had that bloodthirsty warmonger become POTUS, by now we'd be mired in at least two wars with plans for more.
5 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
Ledwith 6/22/2019 9:10:08 AM (No. 103925)
Someone should tell the President that it's "locked, and loaded",not 'cocked'.
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
fairplay 6/22/2019 9:23:06 AM (No. 103934)
"Speak softly and carry a big stick!"
5 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Pepper Tree 6/22/2019 9:30:51 AM (No. 103942)
John Bolton isn’t happy unless he’s planning to bomb some dusty
goat metropolis into rubble. Last night Tucker Carlson did a good
segment on Bolton. He included a past interview with Bolton where
Mr. Mustache not only declared himself never wrong but got sarcastic
when Tucker expressed disagreement. Trump is keeping this NWO
neocon warmonger close, probably for examples of what not to do.
3 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
kono 6/22/2019 9:33:39 AM (No. 103947)
What a lockamamie criticism.
Assuming he was trying to make the point that the target was locked and the gun loaded doesn't allow for the possibility that he was trying to convey that the hammer was cocked and ready to fire with a round in the chamber. Slavish conformance to trite metaphors is unnecessarily constraining, especially for the President of the country.
11 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Holeymoses 6/22/2019 9:41:20 AM (No. 103956)
I am conflicted about Bolton, but in my confliction I wonder if opposng forces are trying to rid the President of one ore voice. They seem to go after the people around him when they can't get to him.
2 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
DVC 6/22/2019 9:46:03 AM (No. 103961)
BS. Bolton is a smart guy, and a good guy. Trump is President, Bolton is an advisor,
I don't buy this story at all.
25 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
HotRod 6/22/2019 9:48:50 AM (No. 103967)
Bolton is doing what he was hired to do. He is not a yes-man. He is not supposed to be a dove, calling for restraint at every turn. There are plenty of those types available. He is there to advise the President on available actions, and the preferred choices if the decision is made to use one. They choices are based on political realities as he sees them. Iran will not negotiate in good faith and Bolton knows that. He also knows it is President Trump's decision, no matter what the critics say! I would not want Mr. Milk Toast in Bolton's position!
24 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
Robert Jones 6/22/2019 9:54:03 AM (No. 103975)
To think Iran was an ally before Jimmy Carter. Iran saved US during the arab oil embargo of the ‘70’s. Let’s see. “Was that before or after he gave away the Panama Canal?”
12 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
stablemoney 6/22/2019 10:09:44 AM (No. 103998)
The left loves to attack members of the President's team, and get conservatives to join in the condemnation, all with made up snark. I think I will leave that bait in the sun in the middle of the road.
6 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
Nevadadad46 6/22/2019 10:09:56 AM (No. 103999)
First,. let me point out the bull crap speculation in this article and the "Never named sources" that apparently are leaking dome pretty damaging insider information. Those sources need to be weeded out immediately- unless Trump has ordered such strategic leaks.
As for the information on Bolton, it is old, it is highly speculative and calling him "Deputy President" is just another way of damaging the President's relationship with a valued advisor. Think about it- If President Trump really did not like Bolton, do you think the man would be around ten more seconds? When you think of how the President has handled past advisors who displeased him, you have to know, Boston's advice is considered worthy.
I am calling BS on this whole article and consider it just more media speculations disguised as meaningful commentary. "Lip Flapping" is all it is. Such writers end up getting American killed.
19 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
GoodDeal 6/22/2019 10:53:17 AM (No. 104041)
There is a group out there hell bent on getting rid of Bolton. Saboteurs and assassins that bad mouth and attack him everyday by spinning hit jobs in the media with pseudo-fakery about him. Anyone ever see him have an opportunity to defend himself? No. By the way it seems that there is a mis- spelling in the story, not sure who made the mistake but it should be three different sites, and not sights. Just pointing that out.
8 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
starboard 6/22/2019 11:28:49 AM (No. 104073)
There's something about this whole incident that doesn't wash clean and very happy with the President's decision. The first thing that came to mind when hearing about the downed drone was it a set up trying to draw Trump into a war ... aka a Fake. Reminds me a little of the Aspirin factory.
President Trumps gets an A+ with "I'm in no hurry."
11 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
govlawyer 6/22/2019 12:09:32 PM (No. 104106)
Depending on the conflict, you can certainly solve some of them with a well placed cruise missile or two.....no one is expecting the downing of a drone to require all out warfare, except maybe for those who don't view the spilling of American blood as an unfortunate byproduct of globalism.
The Prez has done the right thing for the moment, and unfortunately, Iran will be too stupid to realize that his restraint is not the payback--but merely the prelude to a fecal storm of epic proportions because they think DJT is obongo (and they listen to John F'in Kerry).
5 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
cThree 6/22/2019 12:33:06 PM (No. 104126)
to #19 (Bolton is Dr Strangelove) and
#18 (TR's Big Stick motto)
I did see the Tucker Carlson segment on Bolton and I agree, but Trump has brilliantly used that to his advantage.
Bolton, not bombs, is DJT's Big Stick. The Iranians know he's there, giving advice. As with Lincoln's famous "cabinet of rivals" Trump isn't afraid to have advisers of strong opinion, and he isn't cowed by them. Trump doesn't need a Valerie Jarrett to mange sycophants like Susan Rice and Eric Holder.
I'm very impressed.
Trump's game includes boxing in Iran, keeping China engaged (China's Iran's biggest oil customer), and projecting American interests.
He showed here he was ready and able to act, and that he was ready and able to refrain from acting.
"I'm in no hurry," as #6 observes, informs all of his negotiations, and should rightly be a wake-up call to our enemies.
7 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
BigTimeTrumper 6/22/2019 12:40:15 PM (No. 104133)
Barry Soetero Via Jon Kary...who served in Cambodia...Likely told their Iranian Pals to start a war to take Trump down.....Trump is not as dumb as they ...and the announcement and pull back was likely both a negotiation set up.... and a possible flushing out of Ebola Obamas in-bedded Traitors in the State Dept....Lots of Anti-American forces surround our POTUS and by know he is fully aware of it! ....And fighting them FOR US!
5 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
Marjbaldwin 6/22/2019 1:48:50 PM (No. 104167)
Exactly, #31. Surely PDT is acutely aware that Democrat sabotage of the Trump Administration, via BarackHussein/Kerry's buddies in Tehran, is a distinct possibility, and a kind a treason they are absolutely capable of. One wonders what other "foreign incident" goodies the Dims have in store for campaign 2020...?
6 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
bighambone 6/22/2019 4:02:21 PM (No. 104245)
Beyond the media chatter, what this all boils down to is about 150 or so Iranians dodged a US bullet in the last couple of days. Next time they may not be so lucky. Don’t be surprised if the Mullahs don’t bring in human shields consisting of women and children and lodge them around their missile and radar control sites which would be located in the target area.
President Trump knows by now, that if he takes a decision to bomb Iran in retaliation for them attacking US military assets that the leftist and liberal Democrats are going to come out a call him a warmonger, and if he does not order a military strike against Iran because of the same provocation that the same Democrats are going to come out and charge that Trump backed down again showing that he is very weak. So chances are the Democrats are out of Trump’s equation until after he makes his next decision and it is carried out.
3 people like this.
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John Bolton wanted to be president and now thinks he is. Go away, sir.