Presidential Choice

For John, BLUF:  Here is a chance for the President to shine.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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There has been some comment on the President's Comments on CNN Friday morning (yesterday) about Daesh.

In my mind this is not about the President and being unlucky in what he said to CNN on Friday.

It is about the fundamental question of if we really have a grounded understanding and a strategy for dealing with a group that has a totally different view of how to govern and what is acceptable in governing.  Further, it is if we can defend ourselves from such a group without becoming who they are.

The President has been trying for some time to keep things calm and avoid the kind of "clash of civilizations" rhetoric that leads to abuse of civil rights and needless casualties.

As Dead Carl tells us, "The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish . . . the kind of war on which they are embarking."

So, the President must answer the question as to if this is this just a one-off event.  If yes, the it must be dealt with, but it should not change our overall strategy?

If it is not, then the question is if President Obama can now shift the approach of the US Government to crush Daesh and win the peace.  A large bureaucracy, going one way, is sometimes difficult to orient in a new direction.

And how he would go about crushing Daesh.

As a final thought, except for a mad few, terrorism is just a tactic for achieving a higher goal.  This is not about fighting terrorism, except to the extent it is about defending ourselves from this tactic.  Defeat of the enemy does not come about from fighting terrorism, but from fighting the enemy and his strategy.

Hat tip to the Lani Kass, for the list of quotes from Dead Carl.

Regards  —  Cliff