Missile Frigate Xuzhou Transits Suez Canal

The first time a Chinese warship has entered the Mediterranean – ever. A sign of things to come: Missile Frigate Xuzhou Transits Suez Canal, to Arrive off Libya ~Wednesday 2 March: China’s first operational deployment to Mediterranean addresses Libya’s evolving security situation | China SignPost™ 洞察中国.

The Obama Inheritance – The Bush Years Just Keep on Giving

Would you accept an inheritance today that would cripple you with taxes and debt next year? Or an inheritance that would constantly remind you about how bad things can get? Depends, I suppose, on your view of the ultimate value of that inheritance, but you would certainly not relish the idea. Any hesitation in accepting the inheritance would be understandable especially if those around you sought your failure to successfully re-invest the inheritance.

Such is Obama’s dilemma. This is not new news….it was clear in January 2009 (and before) that Mr. Obama was taking on a significant challenge. Any number of news articles articulated this challenge, and books were hot off the presses which enumerated the effort that would be required to turn things around. George W. Bush left President Obama a mess – the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, the budget, foreign policy…the list goes on.

But what is different in late 2010, now that Mr. Obama has had almost two years to fix things? If you focused your attention on the newsstands only, you would think that nothing has improved. The debt and deficits are out of control. Unemployment is still too high. We are struggling in terms of a respected foreign policy. We cannot even win the Olympics or the World Cup. Certainly there are positive highlights out there; the economy appears to be – ever so slowly – turning around, GM has re-issued its stock, Iraq is moving in the right direction, Afghanistan is still a possible success, health care is improving, etc.

However, what is really most notable is that – despite the challenges confronted, and Mr. Obama’s vigorous response to them – he really has very little chance to succeed. The very politicians who bequeathed him the American inheritance in the first place are the same people who are making it difficult for him to make the necessary improvements. Imagine that? The Republicans gave Mr. Obama a declining inheritance, but they actively are preventing Mr. Obama from taking the necessary steps to make the inheritance worthwhile. So, the giver continues to give!

The Bush inheritance has given Mr. Obama a United States of lower stature around the world, and yet the Republicans claim that the President is wrong to qualify “American exceptionalism.” Why must we say we are better than everyone else? It is time to realize that we are part of a broader and inter-connected world. Listen to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

The Bush inheritance has given Mr. Obama the worst deficits and debt in American history, and yet the Republicans are whining that the President is trying to “cut” the taxes of the upper-middle class in this country, the people who supposedly drive American growth. If taxes were the substantial engine that drove growth, then how is it that we lost so many jobs in the last five years with those taxes so low?? Give me and the rest of America a break. Make some economically conservative choices. Otherwise get the hell out of the way so that we can start to make tough choices.

The Bush inheritance gave Mr. Obama Iraq and Afghanistan, and yet the Republicans use Mr. Obama’s tough decisions in these arenas as a platform from which to question his moxie and commitment to US armed forces. Let the guy lead. Let him listen to the military. He is C-in-C. Deal with it.

Mr. Boehner, McConnell and the rest of you…..the country is a mess. Mr. Obama inherited the mess. He did not create it. Work with him to fix it or get out of the way. But, then again, that’s your plan, isn’t it? Use the very inheritance to bring him down – and let the Bush gift just keep on giving.

Pentagon Finds Little Risk in ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal

I am not the most qualified person to comment on this, but the survey numbers do not lie. The closest I ever got to serving in the military was sitting in a Marine recruiting office in Philadelphia in 1986 just about to sign a commitment. The commitment would have put me in boot camp in the summer of 1986 and made me a Marine for some years after college, but I guess I was simply not ready to give up my summers. I had a great summer job and I enjoyed the weather. Selfish for sure. It is one of the decisions I regret in life. The Marines wanted me in their group and I rejected them. My loss.

That said, as the news reports articulate, internal military surveys suggest that the issue about gays serving in the military has no negative impact on morale and operations. I would not demand that this means the military should change their policies, but the military should think about it.

But what is most interesting about this debate is that we hear so many Republicans arguing against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” They use the same arguments against the repeal as they used against the creation of the policy in the first place….a policy put in place by President Clinton in the 1990s. They argue that any policy like this would crush military discipline and compromise the trenches. Same thing they said when Truman wanted to integrate the Armed Forces in the late 1940s even after African-Americans served valiantly in World War II.

There may be legitimate reasons for setting certain military policies, but – oh Republicans – please do not continue to show a lack of creativity in your arguments! Let those who want to serve put their best foot forward for this country. I did not do it, but we should allow others to do it.

Only James Bond Could Love a Story Like This

I would hate to be the military officer trying to explain this one to his command….

Taliban Leader in Peace Talks Was an Impostor – NYTimes.com.