Romney vs. Obama = 2012

Guardian: Reports on a Washington Post/ABC News poll that has Governor Romney on 49% while President Obama is on 46%. Not quite the time for Republicans to have a Party, this is a snapshot of the mood of the electorate just after the US unemployment rate went up to 9.1. POTUS might try to keep his base happy and get independent voters back by getting out of Afghanistan faster than the 2014 timetable. This blog has been has always been wary of the War in Afghanistan, but lets hope POTUS does not put party politics ahead of national security. After the death of OBL the political aides within the White House see a Exit route out of Afghanistan, but Afghanistan is not the PRIZE, the prize is a stable Pakistan. If the Pakistan Taliban can use bases within Afghanistan after the West has left it could undermine the security of the Government of Pakistan, and lets recall Pakistan is nuclear armed. Lets hope Obama puts military strategy ahead of his re-election, otherwise a sharp withdrawal of troops will be used by the Afghan Taliban as a PR victory, this would undermine NATO in Afghanistan and could set back the 2014 leaving date.

The FATE of Jisr al-Shoehorn = Syria

Telegraph: Reports that the Syrian Army is expected to attack rebels in the Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour, a massacre is expected by the town’s people. With the death of around 120 of the Assad Security Forces this could be the tipping point folks, the Assad Regime has tried to divert attention by pushing Syrian Palestinian supporters to threaten the border between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights. But this cheap PR stunt will not cover the fact that the Assad Regime is killing its own people, and what is sad about the case is that the West will not do d-m thing about the upcoming deaths, just hot air and sanctions. The Assad Regime is EVIL, the good people of Syrian deserve more, if they want freedom they will have to fight for it, it wont be given, the Assad Regime from its own point of view has only choice, that is mass killing, otherwise the Regime will suffer the same fate of the old leaders of Egypt and Tunisia and now Yemen. The World is harsh folks, and bloody, that is the cost of freedom.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has announced the name of the second Soldier to be killed on Sunday in Afghanistan, the Soldier was “ Rifleman Martin Jon Lamb from 1st Battalion The Rifles ”. Our thoughts are with the family of Rifleman Lamb.

51% Disapproval for POTUS

Rasmussen Reports: Has it latest daily tracking poll of likely voters, in this poll POTUS has a 51% Disapproval rating, while 48% Approve of the job performance of President Obama. The Approval at 48% is interesting, in Gallup in its latest poll of average voters, the President is on 47% Approval. Thus it can be argued that Obama is around 47% Approval overall, its not great but it could be worse with a 9.1% unemployment rate. The bounce from the killing of OBL has gone away, there is still some residue thus the fact that POTUS is over 45%. The Obama Chicago re-election committee must hope that the rate does not go to 10% unemployment. In a recent New York Times article; link on this blog; the aides close to the re-election committee stated that they will argue that the voters should not switch horses midstream, that’s a hard argument with the bad stats out from the US economy. But folks it’s a long road, and so far the Republicans don’t have a STAR.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has announced the name of one of the two UK Soldiers killed on Sunday in Afghanistan, the Soldier was “ Lance Corporal Martin Joseph Gill, from Kilo Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines ”. Our thoughts are with the family of LCpl Gill.

Winter of Discontent Part Two ?

Telegraph: Reports that the Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable has warned unions that they could face tough new strike laws should strikes become a threat to the UK economy. The Conservatives know what happens if you let the Unions get out of control, in the late 1970s the Labour Government faced a winter of discontent, people that had died could not get buried. The Thatcher Governments bought in tougher new Unions laws, these laws broke the power of the unions, thus the Coalition has to two historical case studies, Labour in the 70’s and the Conservative Governments of the 80’s and 90’s. The Unions have been warned, if they become a threat to the UK economy then public sector unions should be banned from striking under heavy legal sanctions or heavily restricted in then nature of strikes, if push comes to shove, the Coalition should be more Thatcher than Thatcher, leadership respected, might not be liked but it is feared, thus the Unions has been warned.

Coalition Economic Policy = IMF Approval

BBC News: Reports that the International Monetary Fund has given the thumps UP to the cuts policy of the Coalition Government. This news will not do any favours for “ Red ” Ed Miliband, lets be honest here, the Labour Party needs for the economy to fail if it to have any chance of winning the 2015 election, the more it is seen as out of touch the more that Miliband Junior will look like IDS the former Conservative leader who was dumped by his own Party as not being able to win a General Election. The real worry for Ed Miliband is what is Ed Balls the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer up to, does really want Ed Miliband to be successful or does he want to give the appearance of being loyal but when the chips are down will he stab “ Red ” Ed in back, stabbing people in the back is a profile both shared by Ed Balls and Ed Miliband, it would be ironic if Ed was taken down as he took his brother down.