The Patriot Post Digest 3-10-2017

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The Patriot Post Digest 3-10-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
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That battle for Raqqa may be joined by a limited number of American troops. In a drastic departure from Barack Obama’s methods of political agenda first, last and always, Donald Trump is deferring more to his military experts in the field. They’ve already made one key strategic decision in preparation for taking the Syrian city and are weighing the benefits of a second.

Currently underway is the introduction of a “couple hundred” Marines26 to the region surrounding Raqqa, in order to pre-position heavy artillery assets. Those Marines don’t count against the Obama administration’s limit of 503 total troops in Syria, because they’re only there on a temporary basis. That arbitrary limit may be the reason for considering the second strategic move27: placing about 1,000 troops in Kuwait as a reserve force that can rotate in and out of the region as needed.

A strategic move that’s not being considered is a hunt for al-Baghdadi, who has left his Islamic State fighters in the field and is reportedly on the run28 in northern Iraq, hiding out among Sunni tribal sympathizers in a widespread region of desert along the Iraqi-Syrian frontier. His last public communication, urging the Islamic State irregulars fighting for Mosul not to surrender but to fight to the death, was released in early November29, before the election. Yet al-Baghdadi seems somewhat more hesitant to meet his 72 virgins in paradise, apparently preferring to lead from behind.

One thing President Trump may find regarding his vow to defeat the Islamic State, though, is that few of his strategic decisions will escape the notice of the press. For example, the Marines' entry to Syria was first reported (with great detail) by the Washington Post30, an outlet that will certainly make sure all interested parties are aware of any American strategy they learn about. The old admonition that “loose lips sink ships” doesn’t seem to hold any water with the media these days, and apparently there are plenty of unnamed “defense officials” who don’t mind sharing this information.

Also of newfound interest to the press, now that we have a Republican commander in chief, will be the re-introduction of body counts, particularly as the fighting moves from the remoteness of rearward air support and logistics to house-to-house fighting like that in Iraq and Afghanistan a decade ago. Despite our best efforts to minimize casualties31, and despite President Trump’s moving tribute to the widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens during his address to a joint session of Congress32 last week, our jihadist enemies can now count on the American media to exploit our nation’s weak stomach for a bloody and extended asymmetrical fight.

Still, as an entity, the so-called Islamic State will be lucky to make it much beyond the third anniversary of al-Baghdadi’s pronouncement of its establishment. But the impact of the fight to suppress it — as the latest phase of a generation-long foray into the Middle East that began with Desert Storm a quarter-century ago and has continued nearly unabated since the 9/11 attack — will surely affect our foreign policy for decades.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Demo Mission to Delegitimize Trump Is Damaging Foreign Policy33 — They’re playing Russian roulette with America’s global standing.
U.S. Soccer Takes a Stand34 — Unlike the NFL, its athletes will stand for the national anthem.
Air Force: Words Like ‘Boy’ and ‘Girl’ Could Be Offensive35 — The military is still infected with Obama-era political correctness.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

David Harsanyi: The GOP Repeal Plan Sucks. But Is it Better Than Nothing?36
Charles Krauthammer: Down the Conspiracy Rabbit Hole37
Michael Barone: America’s High-Risk Complacent Class38

For more, visit Right Opinion39.

OPINION IN BRIEF

David Harsanyi: “Halting federal funding of the nation’s largest abortion mill is a victory. Offering states more flexibility to run their own Medicaid programs is a victory. Expanded health savings accounts and the creation of real-life illustrations of successes is promising. Getting rid of the individual mandate is a victory, as is allowing consumers to purchase insurance across state lines. Repealing nearly all of Obamacare’s taxes — other than a postponement of the Cadillac tax — is a win. … Perhaps Obamacare Lite is preferable to Obamacare because it’s the best this crop of legislators is going to do. Also, as history has shown, making substantive policy changes doesn’t get any easier as a term wears on. This might be the last chance to do anything. Another infuriating aspect of this fiasco is that Democrats will treat any Obamacare ‘repeal’ bill as if it were an assault on all that is holy and patriotic. This rhetoric shouldn’t have inhibited Republicans; it should have freed them to pass bills that incorporate the ideas they supposedly believe in. Why would they let the same people who told America that Obamacare would be a political and functional success now lecture them on how unpopular a repeal bill will be? It’s just one of the many mysteries of the GOP.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “Any man who tries to incite class hatred, sectional hate, hate of creeds, any kind of hatred in our community, though he may affect to do so in the interest of the class he is addressing, is in the long run with absolute certainty that class’s own worst enemy.” —Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

Nailed it: “Replacing Obamacare is complicated. There are trade-offs. Somebody’s going to walk away convinced they got a bad deal. Even worse, whenever a legislator has the courage to tell the public that trade-offs and compromises are necessary, a political challenger will insist that it is not, that it represents lawmakers being stupid, or spineless, or selling out. … It is very easy to promise a better health-care system with no compromises and trade-offs; it is pretty much impossible to deliver it.” —Jim Geraghty

Upright: “The preferred free-market plan for health care policy should be no plan whatsoever. The idea that we need a federal top-down strategy to manage a huge chunk of the economy is at the very heart of the problem. We don’t need a federal plan for health care. Yet Republicans have allowed liberals to frame the entire health insurance debate in these anti-market terms.” —David Harsanyi

Braying Jenny: “[Republicans] don’t want the American people to see the facts. They’re always afraid of the facts. It’s just a remarkable thing.” —Nancy Pelosi

Busted: “Since 2012, The Fact Checker warned against politicians from language that implies women get mammograms at Planned Parenthood clinics. … [Chuck] Schumer’s claim is problematic because it says ‘millions of women’ turn to Planned Parenthood for ‘mammograms, maternity care, cancer screenings & more.’ He greatly exaggerates the universe of women who rely on Planned Parenthood for mammograms.” —The Washington Post awarding Schumer Three Pinocchios

Non Compos Mentis: “My moral compass is in my gotcha11.” —actress Cate Blanchett

And last… “Barbra Streisand says Trump-caused stress is making her fat. No word yet on what’s making her stupid.” —Twitter satirist @weknowwhatsbest

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.