Dumb foreign policy and simple eloquence

Malcolm Pollack is not a Neutralist, but his blog is always interesting.  Today, he hit a neutralist pitch out of the park.

Title of his post:

And The Burnt Fool’s Bandaged Finger

Body of his post:

… goes wabbling back to the Fire.

Mr. Pollack linked to an article in The Washington Post with the title, U.S. moves toward providing direct aid to Syrian rebels.  No need to read the article.  Pollack said it all.

The Neutralist is suspending its fundraiser in favor of antiwar.com

We suspend our fundraiser

The Neutralist occasionally announces a fundraiser that is known mostly for its failure. The terms are a minimum $10million per donor. This year, we are again suspending the effort in favor of antiwar.com.

Antiwar.com is holding another one of its begathons and unlike public radio, they have earned support. After all, public radio has never forced the establishment to retreat if only because they are part of the establishment.

Of course, if you do have that spare 10 big ones lying around...........

The Neutralist takes Mencius under our protection

I accidentally found that way back in the blog stone age of mid 2009 one of the giants of the blogosphere had linked to me in a post.  Unqualified Reservations, the vehicle of a Mencius Moldbug cited my views on American policy as regards Israel and the Palestinians.  He actually agreed with it.  This is not better than the young Marilyn Monroe asking one to come over for drinks, but I'll take it.

To be honest, I am intimidated by MM (Mencius not Marilyn).  I start reading his offerings and they go on so long that due to laziness or an intellectual deficit, I stop.  They are always intriguing and easy to start, but mea culpa, I can't keep up.

Never the less, if someone of his qualities mentions me favorably, he has my loyalty.  I don't care if the next week he trashes me, The Neutralist is nothing if he is not a nepotist.  So watch out.

Blog Post of the week-The Paks are not feeling the love!

Dennis Mangan noticed the Gallup that sampled the displeasure the Pakistanis have for us.

Dennis succintly notes the fighting them over there so we won't have to fight them over there is ridiculous

But, but, these are terrorists! Maybe, but last I checked they have no navy or air force and thus cannot invade the U.S. The only reason some of them might be able to get to us is because we're letting them in.

We have been making that point since we started.  Reinforcements, however, are appreciated.

Getting to Dead, Algeria shows the way

There is an industry of hostage negotiators and I've heard some interviewed and they sound a reasonable tribe.  Through talking and empathizing with the hostage takers they save lives.

There is an alternative theory.  The book, Getting to Yes apparently has not been read in Algeria.  the rulers of that country fought the French and despite getting handled roughly, refused to admit defeat sufficiently that the Gauls ended up doing the admitting.

Not so long ago they fought and defeated Islamists in a bloody conflict.  I know a little more than the average American about the Algeria and it's conflicts.  That is to say, I know a tad north of zilch.  What I do know is that these are a crew that don't roll over.  US style Rodney Kingism is not their method.

So in the recent hostage event, the algerians were not interested in compromise.  They were brutal and they won.  I wonder if they were also sending a message to us like screw you and the Arab Spring bs.

I was pointed to this article by Malcolm Pollak.  I know about as much about The American Interest as I do about Algeria.  Still, it rings true and I recommend it.  Mr. Garfinkle may not be a Neutralist, but the piece does not harm our beliefs.

All must have prizes-women can kill!

Women are now to be allowed in the front lines.  the belief in absolute equality has reached the reductio ad absurdam.

I commend the article "Women in Combat" by Stephen Browne.  I disagree with him in some matters and he is certainly not a neutralist.  His article is a concise examination of the question.

He points out women have served well in places, amongst other duties as Soviet snipers.  I don't know if he is aware of the "Night Witches" an amazing group of flyers who terrorized the Wehrmacht.  These lasses beat the Germans in biplanes.  The Neutralist does not believe in equality, but hardly denies that the heroism and effectiveness of, as the Brits say, horses for courses.

The Neutralist sees this integration as part of the gender spoils system.  As such, it will not enhance military power.  A degradation will ensue.

One might say, the Neutralist would be encouraged by such a development.  It can only hasten the day when the imperialist absurdity crashes.  We don't.  The crash due to our forces deteriorating can only be horrible.

note:  I first became aware of Mr. Browne reading his article on the Saudis.  Maybe his writing is a lie, but it sounds logical, if not brilliant, to me.  I thank him for saving me the necessity of a trip to KSA.