"I'm surely not now or have ever called for magical or otherwise rescue teams to intervene in every CIA operation. The nature of their work makes it impracticable.
However for our civilian employees in obviously dangerous and violent countries it is nothing less than criminal to let them go essentially unprotected."
Civilians are killed all the time in Iraq and Afghanistan despite the standing army there. So what is the solution you propose? I'm sure if you know how to stop all bombs and bullets the Joint Chiefs would love to hear it. Don't keep it to yourself now. Think how many lives you could save.
OK, I'm not a navy seal or special forces or anything like that. But I'm pretty sure they don't want to just grab a gun and jump into unknown situations. I think they train extensively for each operation. More like The Dirty Dozen, less like a video game.
Remember, there were lots of protesters around the consulate, and it was in a city that could muster probably thousands of angry young men with AK-47s at the drop of a hat. Tactically, what do you do in that situation? Send a thousand troops? Carpet bomb the area? Do a "Blackhawk Down" part II? I don't think there was a good solution.
Maximus, enjoy your golf game. Hope you don't scuff your solid gold putter.
Anyhoo, I really do think that a lot of people assume that the President knows much more than he does, and can affect much more than he can.
I mean, how is this one guy to know right off the bat that the Benghazi attacks were terrorists using the cover of protests rather than a spontaneous consequence of the protest itself? It sounded plausible to most people at the time. After all, there were other protests leading up to it and it's not like a riot in Libya is an unprecedented circumstance. And what could he possibly gain by lying about that? Isn't it splitting hairs anyway?
But many of these conspiracy theorists would have you believe that there was some sort of intentional removal of protection from the ambassador on 9-11-12 or something. Or that a magical team of superheroes could immediately fly to a particular house in the suburbs and quell all resistance there, and be able to tell the few "real" bad guys apart from the hundreds of protesters, and not get shot up in the process, and avoid hitting any nearby houses or residents, and identify and rescue the four people who were in trouble. And they think the President should have directed it personally, or at least used the bat-phone on his desk.
It's the kind of magical thinking that lets people believe that the CIA or the Department of Homeland Security or whoever can protect them from every single thing. They think that these giant bureaucrazies full of fallible humans will prevent every terror plot. And if they don't? Well, who cares about catching the actual terrorists, but by God you should nail the President for it, or at least that darn female who ran the State Department.
Simplistic Truthiness, if you would like to present some facts or cogent arguments then I'm sure you will find plenty of people who would respond to you. For an example of someone on the right who actually says something look to BigRidgePatriot.
Simplistic Truthiness, you are so good at logic and rational arguments you should start your own debate team. You could call your team, "I Know You Are But What Am I?" They could specialize in making fart noises when the other team is talking.
BRP said. . . "The CIA is acting at the behest of the White House and the State Department."
Mmm. Nominally. But surely the President doesn't know everything they do. No one person could. A lot of this conspiracy talk is by people who assume that the President has certain and perfect knowledge of everything in the country in real time. For these Monday morning quarterbacks there is no fog of war or chain of command.
It all goes back to jtwhatever's first post - "Republicans have waited five years for the moment to put the screws to Obama "
The day after Obama won his first term certain groups have been doing everything in their power to bring Obama down. Before he even took office, before he ever made a single Presidential decision, a very active and vocal minority have made it clear that they hate him. They hate him more than Clinton, more than Carter, more than brussel sprouts. They say he's an African, a Muslim, a bastard, a Communist AND a Fascist, a lazy golfer, a welfare pimp. They vowed to filibuster every law and have crushed all prior records for doing so. Every week there's a new conspiracy theory.
The Cover-Up
Good comeback. Did you put a lot of thought into that, Simplistic Truthiness?
How old are you? I'd feel bad if I were making a 12 year old cry.
The Cover-Up
Simplistic Truthiness, your meaningless posts are a waste of good electrons.
The Cover-Up
Jtwhatever said. . . Sir:
"I'm surely not now or have ever called for magical or otherwise rescue teams to intervene in every CIA operation. The nature of their work makes it impracticable.
However for our civilian employees in obviously dangerous and violent countries it is nothing less than criminal to let them go essentially unprotected."
Civilians are killed all the time in Iraq and Afghanistan despite the standing army there. So what is the solution you propose? I'm sure if you know how to stop all bombs and bullets the Joint Chiefs would love to hear it. Don't keep it to yourself now. Think how many lives you could save.
The Cover-Up
OK, I'm not a navy seal or special forces or anything like that. But I'm pretty sure they don't want to just grab a gun and jump into unknown situations. I think they train extensively for each operation. More like The Dirty Dozen, less like a video game.
Remember, there were lots of protesters around the consulate, and it was in a city that could muster probably thousands of angry young men with AK-47s at the drop of a hat. Tactically, what do you do in that situation? Send a thousand troops? Carpet bomb the area? Do a "Blackhawk Down" part II? I don't think there was a good solution.
The Cover-Up
Magical rescue teams standing by across the street for every covert CIA op. You been watching too much TV, boy.
The Cover-Up
Maximus, enjoy your golf game. Hope you don't scuff your solid gold putter.
Anyhoo, I really do think that a lot of people assume that the President knows much more than he does, and can affect much more than he can.
I mean, how is this one guy to know right off the bat that the Benghazi attacks were terrorists using the cover of protests rather than a spontaneous consequence of the protest itself? It sounded plausible to most people at the time. After all, there were other protests leading up to it and it's not like a riot in Libya is an unprecedented circumstance. And what could he possibly gain by lying about that? Isn't it splitting hairs anyway?
But many of these conspiracy theorists would have you believe that there was some sort of intentional removal of protection from the ambassador on 9-11-12 or something. Or that a magical team of superheroes could immediately fly to a particular house in the suburbs and quell all resistance there, and be able to tell the few "real" bad guys apart from the hundreds of protesters, and not get shot up in the process, and avoid hitting any nearby houses or residents, and identify and rescue the four people who were in trouble. And they think the President should have directed it personally, or at least used the bat-phone on his desk.
It's the kind of magical thinking that lets people believe that the CIA or the Department of Homeland Security or whoever can protect them from every single thing. They think that these giant bureaucrazies full of fallible humans will prevent every terror plot. And if they don't? Well, who cares about catching the actual terrorists, but by God you should nail the President for it, or at least that darn female who ran the State Department.
The Cover-Up
Simplistic Truthiness, if you would like to present some facts or cogent arguments then I'm sure you will find plenty of people who would respond to you. For an example of someone on the right who actually says something look to BigRidgePatriot.
The Cover-Up
Simplistic Truthiness, you are so good at logic and rational arguments you should start your own debate team. You could call your team, "I Know You Are But What Am I?" They could specialize in making fart noises when the other team is talking.
The Cover-Up
BRP said. . . "The CIA is acting at the behest of the White House and the State Department."
Mmm. Nominally. But surely the President doesn't know everything they do. No one person could. A lot of this conspiracy talk is by people who assume that the President has certain and perfect knowledge of everything in the country in real time. For these Monday morning quarterbacks there is no fog of war or chain of command.
The Cover-Up
It all goes back to jtwhatever's first post - "Republicans have waited five years for the moment to put the screws to Obama "
The day after Obama won his first term certain groups have been doing everything in their power to bring Obama down. Before he even took office, before he ever made a single Presidential decision, a very active and vocal minority have made it clear that they hate him. They hate him more than Clinton, more than Carter, more than brussel sprouts. They say he's an African, a Muslim, a bastard, a Communist AND a Fascist, a lazy golfer, a welfare pimp. They vowed to filibuster every law and have crushed all prior records for doing so. Every week there's a new conspiracy theory.
Why do you suppose that is?