Mad Dog Mattis Resigns - Trumps replacement?

[Flying Hellfish]

Mad Dog Mattis resigned yesterday.

Read his resignation letter: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46644841

No indication yet who Trump will replace him with.

The globalist seem to think this is a bad news and the isolationists seem to think its good news.

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[theymos]

I actually hadn't read Mattis as a huge neocon, but his resignation letter indicates that he must've at least largely bought into the neocon argument. I suppose the whole Pentagon culture which he has been immersed in has been very pro-intervention.

I'm surprised and very happy with Trump's actions here. In addition to the Syria withdrawal, it wasn't widely reported that Trump simultaneously also ordered withdrawing half of the troops in Afghanistan. It seems that he's finally starting to go with his instincts even in opposition to his neocon advisors. While his instincts are far from ideal, they're a hell of a lot better than eg. "bomb-everyone Bolton". I'm a little doubtful that Trump will keep up this policy with any consistency, but if he does follow a consistent anti-intervention path from here on out, I will probably end up considering him the best president in many decades even despite his many other flaws.

So far, Trump has always picked establishment, neocon cabinet members. If he picks an anti-war Secretary of Defense, that might indicate a true shift.
Pick any point on the map at random and you will find horrible injustice. The US can't intervene everywhere, and history has proven that it usually causes more evil in intervening than it sought to prevent. For example, in trying to fight the admittedly-evil regime in Iran and "stabilize the region", the US is propping up the even more evil regime in Saudi Arabia, which is itself perpetuating what is essentially a genocide in Yemen. It's better to just get out of there completely. These wars are also all unconstitutional.

I wish the Kurds the best, especially given that Bitcoin's own Amir Taaki was fighting in their ranks for some years, but it's not the US's war to fight.

[Flying Hellfish]

Watching the MSM say the wheels are coming off the bus and there are no more adults in the room for the 701st time is a little funny.  The democrats seem to say constantly how weak the republicans are for "cowering" to Trump yet they are scarred shitless of an impeachment fight and avoid talking about it cause clinton...  They seem to want the opposition to do the heavy lifting for them?

What I think is ironic with these moves is that the next POTUS (dem or republican) will end up going back in there and will say they need to go back in harder this time cause we left.  This will give the military contractors more revenue in the coming decades...

I'm also extremely curious to see who he picks, he seems to have had a little problem finding a Chief of Staff.  It should be interesting to hear the names being floated around.

[CoinCube]

Watching the MSM say the wheels are coming off the bus and there are no more adults in the room for the 701st time is a little funny.  

The MSM is rapidly losing any credibility it has left. For example take the New York Times editorial board.

January 19, 2018:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/opinion/editorials/syria-war-trump.html

As a candidate, Donald Trump warned against foreign wars, not least in Syria. A year into his presidency, he is adding Syria to a list of open-ended conflicts that already includes Afghanistan and Iraq.

…

As of last month, there were about 2,000 American troops in Syria — up from 500 a year ago — a mix of engineering units and Special Operations units that fight and train with local militias in the battle against the Islamic State. Now that we know they will be there indefinitely, who can say the number won’t go higher and the mission won’t creep more?

Syria is a complex problem. But this plan seems poorly conceived, too dependent on military action and fueled by wishful thinking.

…

But the goals in Syria are so sweeping they may be unattainable, thus leaving American troops there in perpetuity.

Then look at the exact same editorial board 11 months later. The MSM is oozing hypocrisy.

December 19, 2018:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/opinion/editorials/trump-syria-withdrawal.html

On Wednesday, Mr. Trump summarily overruled Mr. Bolton and the rest of his national security team. He ordered the withdrawal of all 2,000 American ground troops from Syria within 30 days.

That abrupt and dangerous decision, detached from any broader strategic context or any public rationale, sowed new uncertainty about America’s commitment to the Middle East, its willingness to be a global leader and Mr. Trump’s role as commander in chief.

…

An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, who has been working hard to supplant American influence in the region and who, on Thursday, enthusiastically welcomed the decision, saying, “Donald’s right.” Another beneficiary is Iran, which has also expanded its regional footprint. It would certainly make it harder for the Trump administration to implement its policy of ratcheting up what it calls “maximum pressure” on Iran.

[Spendulus]

...In addition to the Syria withdrawal, it wasn't widely reported that Trump simultaneously also ordered withdrawing half of the troops in Afghanistan......
I wish the Kurds the best, especially given that Bitcoin's own Amir Taaki was fighting in their ranks for some years, but it's not the US's war to fight.

Syria never made sense.

If one looks back into history, there are many wars that never made sense.

Mattis served longer than ANY OF OBAMA'S THREE SECofDEF.

Oh, wait, it's TRUMP, so they have to make up something bad to say.

[Lucius]

I have to admit that this Trump's decision came somewhat unexpected, but we could witness that Trump is a man of the moment - and this decision is by what is write in article by Washington Post made just that way.

Trump have a phone call with Turkish President Erdogan, and after he find out that ISIS is 99% defeated in Syria (and his stuff confirm that), he decided that the presence of American forces in Syria was no longer necessary. This was a shock for Bolton and other officials who attended to this phone call, but Erdogan is also very surprised by the decision.

Erdogan, though, quickly put Trump on the defensive, reminding him that he had repeatedly said the only reason for U.S. troops to be in Syria was to defeat the Islamic State and that the group had been 99 percent defeated. “Why are you still there?” the second official said Erdogan asked Trump, telling him that the Turks could deal with the remaining IS militants.

With Erdogan on the line, Trump asked national security adviser John Bolton, who was listening in, why American troops remained in Syria if what the Turkish president was saying was true, according to the officials. Erdogan’s point, Bolton was forced to admit, had been backed up by Mattis, Pompeo, U.S. special envoy for Syria Jim Jeffrey and special envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk, who have said that IS retains only 1 percent of its territory, the officials said

Bolton stressed, however, that the entire national security team agreed that victory over IS had to be enduring, which means more than taking away its territory.

Trump was not dissuaded, according to the officials, who said the president quickly capitulated by pledging to withdraw, shocking both Bolton and Erdogan.

Trump call with Turkish leader led to US pullout from Syria

Does this decision have anything to do with that U.S. State Department has cleared Ankara to purchase Patriot System few days ago? In a way it is win-win situation for Trump, he withdraw American troops from Syria and make a 3.5$ billion deal with Turkey - in the same time he slap Russia because they fail to sold their S400 to Turkey.

I saw Trump's announcement that he was happy because military troops return home, and he is glad he will no longer have to send notice of the deaths of American soldiers to their families. In the eyes of the American people this was a praiseworthy move, and it is increasing the prospects for a his second presidential mandate.

[TECSHARE]

I am a realist, maybe even a bit of a cynic, especially when it comes to politics, but I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised with Trump's legacy. This, if he actually pulls it off, is another YUGE confirmation he is putting the brakes on that staus quo, and not just giving lip service.

[Spendulus]

I am a realist, maybe even a bit of a cynic, especially when it comes to politics, but I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised with Trump's legacy. This, if he actually pulls it off, is another YUGE confirmation he is putting the brakes on that staus quo, and not just giving lip service.

Trump gave quite a few hints he would do this, but when asked he consistently refused to put timelines on actions, as that would clearly be enabling to enemies.

But Syria's Military Action was OWNED BY HILLARY AND OBAMA.

Owned. 100%.

In no sense were the people consulted, or the congressional bodies.