Open Thread | COVID Update

Posted on August 23, 2021 by rikyrah

First and foremost

Yesss๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿฟ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿฟ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿฟ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿฟ
So, we will see, because not being fully approved was on the bullshyt reason list for the ‘vaccine hesitant’.๐Ÿ˜’๐Ÿ˜’

This will never get old:

Someone wrote on a blog this week that Anti-vaxx was Anti-Black.
That totally clicked with me. Because nobody that was Pro-Black would want to subject Black people to the systematic racism that exists in medicine today. They already don’t believe in our pain. Now, you have doctors admitting that they feel some sort of way about having to treat the UNVACCINATED. And, they are talking about the 2520 UNVACCINATED. How do you think they feel about treating US? It is getting to the point where they are RATIONING healthcare. Where do you think that will leave Black people?๐Ÿค”๐Ÿค”

๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ 

Uh uh.
Nope.๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ 

Nate needs to stay in his lane.๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ 

Should be happening at every college and high school in the country.

๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ

๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ 

Our rage is growing.

I follow this Doctor’s Twitter feed.
The children are breaking my heart.๐Ÿ˜ข๐Ÿ˜ข

This entry was posted in COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccine, Healthcare, Open Thread, Politics and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

32 Responses to Open Thread | COVID Update

  1. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 7:04 am

    Spandan @ Reclaim the Fight ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ (@reclaimthefight) tweeted at 11:05 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    The Afghanistan evacuation is already proceeding at a pace faster than anyone thought possible, and any minute now, Singaporean Air Force will be headed to help, thanks to the agreement our wonderful MVP Kamala Harris got from their PM. ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
    (https://twitter.com/reclaimthefight/status/1430018332032339998?s=03)

    Reply
  2. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 7:00 am

    John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) tweeted at 5:25 AM on Tue, Aug 24, 2021:
    Biden national security officials last week set goal of evacuating 5K-9K per day from Afghanistan

    this morning, WH says 21,600 were flown out of Kabul in last 24 hours – 12,700 on US military flights, 8,900 on allied coalition flights

    total evacuees in last 10 days: 58,700
    (https://twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/status/1430114109555683333?s=03)

    Reply
  3. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 6:39 am

    The Associated Press (@AP) tweeted at 8:57 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    President Biden has honored the 2020 WNBA champion Seattle Storm. It’s the first time an NBA or WNBA team has visited the White House since 2016. The two leagues skipped such celebrations during the Trump administration. https://t.co/J2L1l4nEoI
    (https://twitter.com/AP/status/1429986108868280320?s=03)

    Reply
  4. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:27 am

    Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) tweeted at 10:01 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    BIG NEWS! The merch store is here! If youโ€™re a member of our big bold coalition committed to making sure we have a democracy that works for working people, pick up a t-shirt or a tote to support our campaign today. Puppy not included. https://t.co/PzsMPSnsKn https://t.co/qkTd3dX4ln
    (https://twitter.com/malcolmkenyatta/status/1429821154668204038?s=02)

    Reply
  5. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:23 am

    Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) tweeted at 1:38 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    To the anti-vaxxer loons who are insisting that obese people should be denied medical treatment:

    1) There is no obesity vaccine. There is a proven COVID vaccine, you’re just refusing to take it.

    2) Obesity is not communicable.

    3) Obesity doesn’t fill ICU beds to 100% capacity.
    (https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/1429875768721649666?s=02)

    Reply
  6. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:21 am

    Kate ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ (@ImSpeaking13) tweeted at 5:12 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    To be clear, Mike Pence. Pfizer was approved by the FDA today. Pfizer did not accept federal money and Operation Warp Speed deserves no credit.
    (https://twitter.com/ImSpeaking13/status/1429929661564395521?s=02)

    Reply
  7. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:11 am

    Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) tweeted at 11:06 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    BREAKING: Kathy Hochul has officially been sworn in as New York’s 57th governor โ€” making history as the first woman to hold the state’s highest office.
    (https://twitter.com/KaivanShroff/status/1430018582763786241?s=02)

    Reply
  8. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:08 am

    ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ 
    Jake Lobin (@JakeLobin) tweeted at 5:54 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    The anti-mask New York Post now requires employees to wear masks.

    The anti-vax cesspool Fox News now requires employees to have vaccine passports.

    These fucking hypocrites are keeping the pandemic raging. Seriously, fuck them.
    (https://twitter.com/JakeLobin/status/1429940233383124993?s=02)

    Reply
  9. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:02 am

    Spandan @ Reclaim the Fight ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ (@reclaimthefight) tweeted at 4:11 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    The Newsom strategy of getting Democratic voters to fill out and return their ballots ASAP is beginning to work. That’s good news. But my fellow Californians, there’s no room to drag our feet. #VoteNoOnRecallCA and return your ballot right away.
    (https://twitter.com/reclaimthefight/status/1429914189057777664?s=02)

    Reply
  10. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:01 am

    chris evans (@chris_notcapn) tweeted at 11:27 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    NEW: North Carolina Court just ordered the biggest expansion of voting rights in NC since VRA of 1965. Now, any person on community supervision can register & voteโ€”including felony probation, parole, & post-release.
    (https://twitter.com/chris_notcapn/status/1429842713806004238?s=02)

    Reply
  11. rikyrah says:
    August 24, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) tweeted at 6:30 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    USA Today-Ipsos poll:

    Americans 72%-28% called mask mandates “a matter of health and safety,” not an infringement on personal liberty

    Americans 61%-39% endorsed requiring vaccinationsย except for those with a medical or religious exemption
    (https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1429767879377838086?s=02)

    Reply
  12. eliihass says:
    August 24, 2021 at 1:15 am

    Doubt very much that a โ€˜debut on the Forbes richest listโ€™, is the Obamasโ€™ goal in life..

    Crazy, and incredibly insulting, all this ongoing trivializing and discounting of the Obamas.. reducing and caricaturing them, to diminish and dismiss them.. using the same derogatory โ€˜celebrityโ€™ smear, underpinned by spite.. employed by the Alt-right, Alt-Left, green-eyed black crabs in a barrel, and assorted others whoโ€™ve always envied the Obamas, relentlessly disparaged the Obamas, and tried to impugn their honor/character, to try to discredit them..

    And, even as the Obamasโ€™ loudest critics themselves, lacking any self-awareness, and zero sense of irony, shamelessly worship at the altar of money/monied types, and desperately crave, actively seek out, swoon over and boast of their slightest brush with even the most marginal of z-list celebrities and the wealthy..

    Whatโ€™s even more batshit Orwellian about all this ongoing revisionism and gaslighting, including that being done by some black folks whoโ€™ve spent all these years disrespectfully and abusively deconstructing the Obamas and their every move, breath, utterance.. folks who for clout and clicks, routinely castigated and were hypercritical of the Obamas for years.. and even before they ever made it to the WH.. and now, post-WH..

    Same folk are now busy coddling, shilling and playing save a mediocre careerist politician(s).. and, unconvincingly, and laughably talking up and propping up largely unimpressive careerist politicians.. trying desperately to force narratives, feed contrived images, to try to make fetch happen… and curiously, holding said career politicians, to far lower standards and โ€˜accountabilityโ€™, than theyโ€™ve held and continue to hold the unelected Black FLOTUS…

    Same folk, suddenly all unquestioning, โ€˜understandingโ€™ and accommodating, in their recent caping and desperate attempts to fluff up some of the most mediocre of careerist politicians.. cheap imitations ..desperate copycat, 2-bit wannabes whoโ€™ve binged on years of all things Obamas.. and have endlessly tried their darnedest to mimic them.. when they arenโ€™t trying to exploit/co-opt the Obamas/their image/connections, when it suits their purposes… And routinely, glaringly, falling short..

    Even if the Obamas do debut on the Forbes richest list, itโ€™ll be merely incidental to what has always indisputably, been about a much greater purpose…about the greater good.. It has never been about โ€˜getting aheadโ€™, no matter how hard the venomous now desperately try to frame things, even as theyโ€™ve for years, maliciously cast aspersions on the Obamas ..same folk who sniffed and snapped and screamed that it was โ€˜beneath the positionโ€™, when the historic FLOTUS wore clothes from Target and J.Crew.. same crowd now mad that just like their predecessors, the Obamas, post WH, are living in homes that can actually accommodate their many security needs and their secret service detail.. and in the Obamasโ€™ unique case, necessitated by, and commensurate to the unprecedented death threats they continue to be subject to as the historic first black First Family..

    Same with the silly, baseless attacks by those who in their desperation to negatively reframe what has been routine for every modern US President and First Lady, post-WH.. fundraising and building a presidential library and foundation, to preserve, firm up, repair, rewrite/revise.. build upon a presidential legacy, however they deem fit.. And the rest of that small group of โ€˜formersโ€™, unwinding in their downtime, celebrating milestones, big and small, in their own way.. without the peering gaze of those intent on tracking and controlling their every move and expenditure..

    Thereโ€™s also the obvious difference… that unlike their modern predecessors who all took blank checks as โ€˜donationsโ€™ to their presidential libraries and foundations, from many questionable monied types, including Russian, Saudi/other Middle Eastern oligarchs.. something the Obamas couldโ€™ve easily done, but actually, rightly chose not to.. the Obamas are actually, doing things ethically, with their hands and feet tied, and in the face of an explosion of brazen, hostile white supremacy, headlined by the very same buffoonish con artist who perpetuated the Birther lies that incited unprecedented deaths on the historic First Couple, and traumatized their then minor daughters.. The Obamas are now also having to navigate the building of their presidential library, in the face of a pandemic, and ongoing hostilities and stupid mess… including from so-called โ€˜alliesโ€™ ..envious and resentful of their success and continued popularity, and desperate to curb, put them โ€˜in their placeโ€™… but most importantly, desperate to supplant them..

    Monied Russian, Saudi types by the way, would still give their right arms to buy their way into the Obamasโ€™ orbit.. But the Obamas arenโ€™t biting, and have instead, opted to take the ethical path to honestly earning their money, post WH… following a principled, even if unorthodox, and rather more strenuous, even if not as stuffy, a route.. so much for all the flagrantly stupid and false โ€˜theyโ€™re only interested in getting richโ€™ attacks from the preternaturally malevolent sour grapes crowd.. who want nothing more than to turn the Obamas into at their beck and call indentured slaves.. to entirely usurp their smarts, popularity, influence, reach, greatness …specifically to be exploited/utilized/deployed only and only for the sour grapes crowdโ€™s benefit and purposes..

    The Obamas are ethically raising the funds they need to build their library and foundation, and to fund their important and substantive initiatives and local and global projects that theyโ€™ve set out to accomplish.. Initiatives/projects that also come with hefty project costs, overheads, staff, competitive salaries etc..

    The Obamasโ€™ ethical and innovative ways of raising the money necessary to fund their post WH initiatives, ironically and amusingly, are also now being copied, yet again, by the very same endlessly disapproving, sniffing, tsk-tsking, finger-wagging crowd.. including other living presidents and first ladies.. even if far less successfully and to far less acclaim..

    And thereโ€™s the real grouse..

    First they attack, tsk-tsk, and sniff at the Obamas …then they shamelessly try to copy them.. and try, and utterly fail to match or outdo or exceed them.. then they get even more resentful, madder, and faux-outraged at the Obamas.. lather, rinse, repeat.. And on and on it goes..

    The perpetually faux-outraged crowd, permanently parked in the Obamasโ€™ wallets, will never ever be assuaged.. short of the Obamas being destroyed, publicly humiliated.. permanently confined to โ€˜their placeโ€™ in the corner of some slum, in tattered mourning rags.. destitute, empty bowl in hand, living at the mercy of those who hate them and resent the massive success theyโ€™ve achieved and sustained..even in the face of the unimaginable.. and all while navigating the most treacherous of terrains, with stoic dignity… and all in spite of haters and faux-allies alike..

    And even then, somehow I still doubt that even tattered rags and destitution will ever stop the attacks..

    These days, with all the gaslighting and revisionism, itโ€™s rather easy to forget.. especially as WH occupants now freely come and go as they please.. unquestioned.. flying away each weekend on Air Force One to any number of different destinations, to be away for as long as they wish … change of location unnoticed, and with hardly any brows raised, questions asked or complaints made.. The Obamas still watched like hawks to this day, unbelievably, 5 years post-WH, had their every move tracked and reported when they were in the WH.. with even the โ€˜mainstream mediaโ€™ keeping tabs on their every step.. announcing the cost of each step โ€˜to the taxpayerโ€™ ..whether they took said steps off the WH grounds or within it.. every last detail tracked, reported, analyzed, scrutinized, bitched about… where they went, who was there, what they ate.. endlessly invading their privacy as a couple and family.. egged on by the same malign crowd on the left and right.. screaming and demanding to know what it was all โ€˜costing themโ€™.. yelling that the Obamas were โ€˜living high on the hogโ€™, that they were โ€˜ungrateful, unpatriotic and un-Americanโ€™ for not โ€˜appreciatingโ€™ the WH enough, and daring to venture out of it.. yelling at them to โ€˜stay homeโ€™ …that is, when they werenโ€™t demanding that the Obamas get out of โ€˜theirโ€™ WH..

    Donโ€™t even get me started on those who endlessly bitched and moaned and loudly complained at every turn, about how โ€˜inconveniencedโ€™ they were when the historic First Family, shortly after moving to the WH, made their very first visit of what wouldโ€™ve been as theyโ€™d promised, regular visits back home to Chicago.. the noisy attacks forcing the young family to scuttle any further plans of returning home often, as theyโ€™d previously hoped.. so as not to โ€˜inconvenience or upsetโ€™ folk.. Same folk who spitefully campaigned against the Obamasโ€™ effort to bring the Olympics to their hometown, and cheered when it went to another country.. same folk who actively fought their much sought after presidential center, while simultaneously trying to derail, hijack and command it.. Very same folks who now 15 years later, continue to bitch, whine and bemoan the Obamas โ€˜abandoningโ€™ Chicago.. but continue to attack and put them down, as they gripe and resent their hard-won success and good fortune..

    For all they crap theyโ€™ve had to put up with.. for all the vile dehumanization, and unprecedented death threats that they continue to contend with.. hereโ€™s hoping that the Obamas keep thriving and keep succeeding, and keep excelling .. And hereโ€™s hoping that they indeed not only โ€˜makeโ€™ the Forbes list, but, deservedly, top it at some point.. I know without a scintilla of doubt, that instantly, completely unencumbered, theyโ€™ll do such great things for country and world with that wealth..

    Money talks, bullsh*t walks.. thatโ€™s still very much the case today ..as itโ€™s always ever been…

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 6:10 pm

    AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) tweeted at 4:18 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    Context: A Source inside the White House says @POTUS has taken a knee during photos with sports groups before. There is a picture w/@POTUS and the Dodgers on a knee. Meanwhile, for the @seattlestorm, led the way in professional basketball efforts for police reform & #BLM. https://t.co/ifyl5MKYO7
    (https://twitter.com/AprilDRyan/status/1429915897209163782?s=03)

    Reply
  14. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    3ChicsPolitico (@3ChicsPolitico) tweeted at 9:08 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    111 Afghan school girls escape Kabul safely

    https://t.co/lzO8z0pf2J
    (https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/1429807639630958593?s=03)

    Reply
  15. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 4:48 pm

    Sgt Joker (@TheSGTJoker) tweeted at 0:08 PM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    Kicking out military members who refuse to get the COVID19 vaccine would probably also eliminate the vast majority of the Proud Boys, white supremacists, and Neo-Nazis who have infested the military. So, a win-win!
    (https://twitter.com/TheSGTJoker/status/1429853145430114306?s=03)

    Reply
  16. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 2:20 pm

    Vivian Balakrishnan (@VivianBala) tweeted at 10:20 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    Vice President @VP Kamala Harrisโ€™ call on President Halimah Yacob made history as the first meeting between the USโ€™ first female Vice President and Singaporeโ€™s first female President. https://t.co/i3p5XWynyg
    (https://twitter.com/VivianBala/status/1429825813885513731?s=03)

    Reply
  17. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) tweeted at 11:25 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    good piece here how Biden was willing to take a political hit to do the right thing and end Forever War.

    fact: Biden is the anti-Trump and the press is hanging him for it; https://t.co/7LjfgpuZOs
    (https://twitter.com/EricBoehlert/status/1429842308917235722?s=03)

    Reply
  18. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 9:19 am


    The Postโ€™s headline is Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine wins full FDA approval, potentially persuading the hesitant to get a shot.

    CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP

    Now, itโ€™s time for more sticks from employers and the government.

    No Airplane

    No Amtrak

    No Greyhound

    without proof of FULL vaccination.

    Reply
  19. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 9:10 am

    yesssssss

    Cook County Employees Will Have to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 by Oct. 15, Preckwinkle Says
    Heather Cherone | August 20, 2021 5:25 pm

    Cook County employees who report to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will have to be vaccinated by Oct. 15, officials announced Friday.

    โ€œGiven the current state of the pandemic, Cook County will implement a mandatory employee vaccination policy to ensure that members of the public who interact with county employees and our facilities are safe when doing so, as well as to ensure the safety and well-being of employees while at work,โ€ Preckwinkle said in a statement Friday.

    The order covers all of the employees who work for the office of the president as well as those covered by Cook County Employment Plan, officials said.

    Employees have until Oct. 15 to comply with the policy โ€œor provide a verifiable medical or religious exemption,โ€ according to the statement.

    Preckwinkle said she would encourage โ€œCook Countyโ€™s separately elected offices to follow suit.โ€ Those officials include Sheriff Tom Dart, who operates Cook County Jail, and Stateโ€™s Attorney Kim Foxx.

    https://news.wttw.com/2021/08/20/cook-county-employees-will-have-be-vaccinated-against-covid-19-oct-15-preckwinkle-says

    Reply
  20. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 8:22 am

    Uh huh ๐Ÿ˜’๐Ÿ˜’

    Kenny BooYah! ๐Ÿ––๐Ÿพ (@KwikWarren) tweeted at 7:40 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    Isnโ€™t it interesting how so many law-enforcement authorities can see the humanity in and respect the lives/rights of so many white domestic terrorists, but canโ€™t see the humanity in or respect the lives/rights of so many unarmed black โ€œsuspectsโ€?!
    (https://twitter.com/KwikWarren/status/1429785655266185217?s=03)

    Reply
  21. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:59 am

    The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) tweeted at 1:20 PM on Sun, Aug 15, 2021:
    In an Aug. 3 interview with McClatchyโ€™s California editorial boards, Larry Elder laid out his argument against a minimum wage for workers. https://t.co/oQ1bd5udzs
    (https://twitter.com/sacbee_news/status/1426972132194594818?s=03)

    Reply
  22. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:22 am

    And The Tweet Goes On (@lacadri34) tweeted at 10:20 PM on Sun, Aug 22, 2021:
    So why is the Portland police & FBI allowing white supremacists to tear up the city again?
    (https://twitter.com/lacadri34/status/1429644564567109632?s=03)

    Reply
  23. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:21 am

    InTheShadows (@Debtors_Cartel) tweeted at 10:30 AM on Sat, Aug 21, 2021:
    Great scoop by @JimLaPorta… CIA, SOF and DIA going outside the wire (airport) to collect Americans and Afghans.
    https://t.co/NKNeB1gbbX
    (https://twitter.com/Debtors_Cartel/status/1429103734555095040?s=03)

    Reply
  24. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:09 am

    Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) tweeted at 8:30 PM on Fri, Aug 20, 2021:
    Moderna Inc said on Friday it will require COVID-19 vaccination for all its employees in the United States from October. https://t.co/O5q04w52Mr
    (https://twitter.com/Reuters_Health/status/1428892164646477829?s=03)

    Reply
  25. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:08 am

    Harvard Health (@HarvardHealth) tweeted at 4:00 PM on Sat, Aug 21, 2021:
    Drinking two or more sugary drinks a day appeared to more than double the risk of colorectal #cancer in women: https://t.co/y16IVUKzd8 #HarvardHealth https://t.co/rOwAJ9r8CG
    (https://twitter.com/HarvardHealth/status/1429186664358891538?s=03)

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:06 am

    Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) tweeted at 6:43 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    Source confirms Qatari ambassador in Kabul is escorting Americans and Afghans to airport in buses and even his own car. โ€œHe knows [the Taliban] will respect him,โ€ the source says. “He knows the risks but we also know Qatar is respected by everyone there.โ€
    (https://twitter.com/MarquardtA/status/1429771315687436290?s=03)

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 7:03 am

    Jennifer ‘pro-voting’ Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) tweeted at 6:59 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    expecting a flawless exit from a quagmire one perpetuated over two decades is unfair โ€” and cowardly. Reporters who have themselves been spun about the warโ€™s progress might be more candid about what the administration is achieving despite the chaos.
    https://t.co/dHgi7W8kv1
    (https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1429775373114413067?s=03)

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      August 23, 2021 at 2:21 pm

      LOL..

      This was bloody Jennifer Rubin just the other day.. Please, fam, stop falling for this fork-tongued gaslighting and Orwellian okey doke..

      โ€œ..President Obama ran in 2008 on the premise that Afghanistan was the โ€œgood war.โ€ But soon enough he was setting out a timetable for withdrawal. Then he sped up the withdrawal of surge troops in time for reelection. Now he gives every indication he will not leave behind any significant military presence, which (as many independent experts who have looked at it conclude) means we effectively have thrown in the towel on Afghanistan.

      As the debate over the size and scope of the post-2014 coalition mission nears its end, some in the administration are pressing for a force that could be as small as 2,500, arguing that a light touch would be the most constructive way to cap the costly, unpopular war.โ€ Make no mistake; this is a political, not a military decision. (โ€œThose troop levels are significantly lower than what some senior military officials have advocated, arguing that a sudden disengagement could lead to the collapse of a frail state and the onset of a new civil war. The low number also is a far cry from figures in the 10,000-to-30,000 range discussed among NATO allies and some U.S. officials as recently as a year ago.โ€)

      Jamie Fly of the Foreign Policy Initiative tells me, โ€œThat size force is nowhere near enough to achieve our goal of an Afghanistan that does not again become a safe haven for those trying to attack us. It appears that the White House has learned all the wrong lessons from its negotiations with Iraq over a post-2011 presence. The stakes in Afghanistan are, unfortunately, even higher.โ€

      In short, the president should be honest: The mission he previously said he wanted to accomplish canโ€™t be achieved by the force level he apparently is willing to sustain. (Just goes to show he can create incoherent national security policy without Chuck Hagelโ€™s assistance.)

      Get used to this sort of bait and switch. The president likes to take victory laps and beat his chest, prematurely declaring victory over Al Qaeda, but he will not devote the manpower and material needed to accomplish anything approaching that happy state of affairs. Instead, we will have a hollowed-out military, minimal engagement and the gradual withering away of American influence.

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/01/09/obamas-unserious-afghanistan-war-plan/

      Reply
    • eliihass says:
      August 24, 2021 at 2:33 am

      Jennifer Rubin..

      โ€œ…Now, letโ€™s recall that the Obama White House has never been good at using military force or even the threat of military force to up its diplomatic leverage. It seems to be under the illusion that only when force is out of the picture can diplomats do their work.

      Even if some in the White House comprehend the strategic importance of Assadโ€™s political demise, the human rights atrocities underway and the degree to which U.S air power could positively affect the outcome, itโ€™s clear the president does not have his heart in this. His impulse, if not his obsession, is to exit the United States from military engagements (e.g. Iraq, Afghanistan), avoid military action even at the risk of significant strategic losses (Syria, Iran) and label those who disagree as engaging in irresponsible bluster or โ€œbeating the drums of war.โ€ In this case his ideological preference (โ€œU.S. intervention in the world is generally a mistakeโ€), election strategy (no conflicts) and domestic priorities (bleed the defense budget to feed his welfare state) all point in one direction. And in dispensing intelligence personnel to spin up the media, the administration attempts to persuade us that it is a lost cause anyway.

      Unfortunately for the people of Syria, our passivity is deliberate and comes with its own PR campaign. They are essentially on their own..โ€

      https://souriahouria.com/obamas-passivity-dooms-the-syrian-people-by-jennifer-rubin/

      Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 6:58 am

    Skeptical Brotha ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ๐ŸŒˆ (@skepticalbrotha) tweeted at 4:41 AM on Mon, Aug 23, 2021:
    In about a year or so historians will be asked to assess Joe Biden’s presidency and I believe that he will debut no lower than 12 and will make the top ten before he leaves office. Trump should be in prison by then and the Obamas should debut on the Forbes richest list.
    (https://twitter.com/skepticalbrotha/status/1429740538924781572?s=03)

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 6:55 am

    Uh huh
    Uh huh ๐Ÿ˜’

    3ChicsPolitico (@3ChicsPolitico) tweeted at 8:53 PM on Sun, Aug 22, 2021:
    A former Pence adviser said Trump had 4 years to help Afghan allies leave the country but Stephen Miller’s ‘racist hysteria’ blocked it from happening

    https://t.co/BlBdcV41Qv
    (https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/1429622721827295234?s=03)

    Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    August 23, 2021 at 6:54 am

    Good Morning Everyone ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š

    Reply

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