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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"He now needs the weekend to collect his thoughts....
"He wants to be the one to announce it to the American people," Mattis said on Sunday, later adding, "He now needs the weekend to collect his thoughts on how he's going to explain it to the American people."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/20/politics/james-mattis-donald-trump-afghanistan/index.html
Sugar Smack
(18,748 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)You must admit, on rarity alone, his thoughts must be priceless.
Sugar Smack
(18,748 posts)Last edited Sun Aug 20, 2017, 06:43 PM - Edit history (1)
Priceless, maybe, and repugnant.
fierywoman
(7,705 posts)Cirque du So-What
(26,026 posts)without an 'R'.
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)milestogo
(16,829 posts)Vinca
(50,326 posts)They're hoping he doesn't sound like his usual raving maniac self.
Solly Mack
(90,800 posts)Mattis is making it appear as if Trump gave it some, albeit little, consideration. Get all those great words he knows in order. Practice his Churchill face some more. Decide on the number of flags that should be behind him. The best camera angle. Blue or red tie? What lighting goes best with orange. How many troops to use as a backdrop. Will they clash with the flags? Standing or seated behind a desk with blank paper and sharpie? Imaginary pen?- as in some photos. (Check out some of the photos of him behind a desk, his right hand is cupped around thin air)
So many decisions, so little time to get the optics right.
trof
(54,256 posts)Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)'Cause that one would have been a winner.
trof
(54,256 posts)PJMcK
(22,069 posts)They were pretty good and funny.
I think they were ended when I was just a lurker but I can't remember.
CrispyQ
(36,557 posts)I miss the DUzy's too.
PJMcK
(22,069 posts)Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)But I think I remember reading a thread about how the guy that used to do them died. And since it was very labor intensive, nobody has yet arisen to fill his shoes.
PJMcK
(22,069 posts)Thank you!
trof
(54,256 posts)Kleveland
(1,257 posts)No matter what he decides, young men are going to die.
It is a crappy situation, and admittedly he fell into it.
Am I the only one who remember the Russian having involvement here?
And the US backing and training Bin Laden and his cohorts?
Then that idiot Bush got involved, way too late....
Which lead to all of his madness in the first place.
In for a penny, out for a dime as they say.
underpants
(183,007 posts)The Afghanistan area has been invaded many times in recorded history, but no invader has been able to control all of its regions at the same time, and at some point faced rebellion. Some of the invaders in the history of Afghanistan include the Maurya Empire of ancient India, Alexander the Great of Macedon, Umar, an Arab Caliphate, Genghis Khan of Mongolia, Timur of Persia and Central Asia, the Mughal Empire of India, various Persian Empires, the British Empire, the Sikh Empire, the Soviet Union, and most recently a coalition force of NATO troops, the majority from the United States
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,976 posts)He could collect all of them in a matchbox in a minute or two; he doesn't need a whole weekend.
recovering_democrat
(224 posts)you can't collect thoughts you don't have because you need a brain to think.
Downtown Hound
(12,618 posts)"Terrorists are bad people. I've decided to kill them. As long as they're not white."
bearsfootball516
(6,377 posts)Does not sound like a good thing.
SweetieD
(1,660 posts)Luciferous
(6,087 posts)GreenPartyVoter
(72,386 posts)PJMcK
(22,069 posts)Trump isn't going to use nukes in Afghanistan.
However, can the president re-institute the draft? Or would it take an act of Congress? It would be hugely unpopular but Trump obviously doesn't care what the majority of Americans think. I'm curious because if I remember correctly, President Carter re-instituted the registration for the Selective Service following the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan. Note to Trump: Remember how well that invasion worked out for the Ruskies? (Hint: It led to the rise of Osama bin Laden.)
Regarding mercenaries, I think that's something else Trump would like to do. Isn't that part of the story behind Erik Prince's desire to privatize the entire Afghan (mis)adventure for $10 Billion? Regardless, Trump's cronies, like W before him, would love a piece of that military services money. Remember how Cheney's company Halliburton profited profusely from Iraq 2.0?
Damn, we live in interesting times. How I wish they were boring.
bearsfootball516
(6,377 posts)But I do think he cares about his approval ratings, because they're tied to how much of his agenda he can get through Congress. If he reinstitutes the draft, you'll see that approval rating fall into the teens.
Besides, drafts only happen when there literally aren't enough soldiers to fight. The United States has more than enough, especially since we aren't involved in any wars (Unless you count our presence in Afghanistan.)
My guess is that he's either privatizing the war, or he's going to do a troop surge.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)6000eliot
(5,643 posts)the tiniest basket ever made.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)1 kiddie pool to be filled with sand
3 bags of play sand
20 cases of green plastic army men
1 blow torch
Warning: When gets to playing with a blow torch and green army men, he tends to forget which side those green army men represent.
ailsagirl
(22,907 posts)Corgigal
(9,291 posts)to go full straight ahead, don't forget to recuse all the brown, black and gay/ trans-gender active duty not good people americas.
Sorry active duty white people.
ananda
(28,895 posts)He'll just follow Putin's propaganda playbook.
SHRED
(28,136 posts)WTF??
COLGATE4
(14,732 posts)To paraphrase another poster, "if Trump died of diarrhea they could bury him in a matchbox". His next thought will be his first.