The Letter "T;" The Letter "T" As In President Obama's "Targeted."

Remember Sesame Street? Today’s letter of the day is the letter “T.” President Obama likes to use the word ‘targeted,” as in “Targeted Air Strikes.” As in “targeted tax cuts for small business.” As in “Significant and targeted sanctions against Russia.” As in the President targeted Fox News. As in targeted killings. As in “The IRS targeted conservative groups.” The President’s use of “targeted” is revealing of the President. In one sense the idea of targeted airstrikes is a nonsensical redundancy. Of course, we want rockets, missiles, bombs, and artillery shots targeted at specific targets. We don’t want them randomly flying through the air. Thus, this use of “targeted air strikes” is typical of the President’s trite orations. It seems to say a lot, but means nothing. The alternative interpretation is as with “targeted tax cuts for small business.” It represents the hubris of Washington elites who believe they can predict and control human and market behavior, militants, terrorist, battles and wars. They also believe they know what’s best for us. President Johnson believed in targeted air strikes in the Vietnam War. He didn’t call them targeted, but his air war was micromanaged out of the White House. We know how that worked out. President Obama’s short briefing yesterday reinforces the concept that left-wing liberals flinch at using America’s military to defend the national interests of the United States, but will readily use it in human rights crusades, such as protecting the trapped Yazidis from genocide. Humanitarian missions are good, but they don’t affect the security of the United States. The President is trapped by his ideology. He is a time warp of the 1960’s, as if he were a Child of the 60’s. He wanted totally out of Iraq with a fixed timetable for bugging out. He has no intention of returning. He’s adamant about no boots on the ground, but he doesn’t need them. The Kurdish Peshmerga will fight, but he refuses to arm them. He is clueless about the ISIS turmoil. ISIS captured a treasure trove of American military equipment, such as tanks, Humvees and artillery, with the fall of Mosul. The Peshmerga have nothing to fight the heavy weapons of ISIS. Tepid targeted air strikes will not resolve the conflict. President Carter lost Iran, Will President Obama lose the Levant or even all of Arabia? Time will tell. Another T word is “trip,” as in the President is about to take a trip (vacation) to Martha’s Vineyard to tee off, but that would appear tawdry. Yet another T word is Turkey. Turkey has been a member of BATO since 1952 and a stalwart ally of the United States for six decades. President Obama has so outraged Turkey's Prime Minister, and soon to be President, Recip Erdogan that the PM will no longer talk to the President. Erdogan does speak with Vice President Biden. Just wait until Iran gets The Bomb.