The Oval and Afghanistan

Guardian: Reports on US support for the Afghanistan Government after 2014, the article notes the following, " The Obama administration is considering a plan to maintain 352,000 Afghan troops for the next five years as part of an effort to maintain security .. ". 

Lets Get Real: 

The most important date for the Oval is 2016 folks, the Oval does not want Afghanistan to fall to the Taliban, Al Qaeda back, and the War on Terror back on the front page of the New York Times.    It would be  a disaster for the Oval should there be a major terrorist attack in 2015/16, in 2012 Obama stated that Al Qaeda was dead while the US Car industry was still alive, after a US Government bailout.   If Al Qaeda is back in 2016 the US car industry is being made in China the Democrats will have a problem with their message.   As Afghanistan has shown for the British Empire and the USSR powers never end well in Afghanistan, thus one can expect that Afghanistan will fall in to another Civil War, then Al Qaeda and Taliban will return their home.   This will place pressure on Pakistan and in 2015/16 there will be another Crisis in Afghanistan.   The nickname for Afghanistan is the Graveyard of Empires, that story never ends folks,no matter the man in the Oval. 

The US in Afghanistan Post 2014 - Afghanistan

BBC News: Reports that the US has denied a German Government story that the US will keep around eight to twelve thousand US troops in Afghanistan.

Lets Get Real:

Thus folks this blog tends to believe the Germans, its a big enough force, without making Liberal Democrats feel that President Obama is going back on his word.   The reason the Oval wants to keep such a presence in Afghanistan is two fold, to make sure Al Qaeda does not come back and to make sure that the Taliban of Pakistan do not use Afghanistan as a training ground as to attack the secular Government of Pakistan.  Lets recall folks Pakistan is a nuclear armed power, the 2nd Obama term would be in the toilet should Al Qaeda take over Pakistan or Iran get the bomb.     The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq would like happy hour should Al Qaeda have a presence in a Government in Pakistan and even Syria folks.   Thus the Oval wants to protects its back, the weakness could be if the Al Qaeda come back and start to attack the US troops, that would force a choice, either back them up or leave, as stated leaving is not option, thus Afghanistan could come back to haunt Obama, as Iraq damaged Bush 43.   Watch this space folks. 

2nd Term Blues and Obama - 2nd Obama Term

CNN - Politics: Reports the following on the Obama Presidential legacy, " A second-term president has a small window of opportunity. And a presidential legacy is not something that can be kicked down the road. ". 

Lets Get Real: 

In recent Presidential history folks, ALL Presidents want to be Reagan, his VP won after him, it was seen as his 3rd term,  he was loved and had scandals like Iran - Contra but but he could walk away from it, also foreign policy disasters, while Clinton was impeached and his VP, Al Gore lost Bush 43 in Florida, while Bush 43 had to deal with the mess that was Iraq and a Western banking collapse.  Thus events will define the Obama legacy, he has given the US ObamaCare and got the US out of Iraq, on the other hand the US economy is in a slow recovery, and the US has a debt of 16 trillion dollars and going up.   The Obama legacy could be end of the US as a Super Power, it happened to Rome, British Empires, the next could be the US. 

Bulgarian Government FALLS - EU

Telegraph: Reports that the Bulgarian Government has fallen due to " ..rising prices, a stagnant economy and widespread corruption. ". 

Lets Get Real: 

Thus folks Western and Eastern Europe has a common disease, a stagnant economy, a growing youth unemployment, as those on welfare see the cost of living go up, and of course the pillars of a State are seen as corrupt, only helping the rich while the Middle Class and the poor as shafted every which you can think off, thus the solution folks.  It easy folks, the EU has to get rid of the Euro, the currency is killing Europe, it only helps the Germans, and the Germans are getting sick and tired of bailing out sick Countries of Europe.   President Hollande of France has gone to attack the rich, a 75% tax rate, even the French Courts threw that out, the Obama Administration just wants to raise taxes, never cut welfare.   The West has to bite the bullet and slash welfare, not just cut but really slash, enforce that you can not retire in till your 75 to 80 for men and women.   Even after you retire you only get full benefits if your at the bottom, if you well off you have to pay for health etc, the young, those between 18-25 should not get any welfare AT ALL, of course there are exceptions, but they should be narrow and limited.   The Welfare State is killing the Democratic West folks, it could be the 1930s all over again, this time there might be no  FDR, Churchill. 

Greek Violent Protests - Greece

Guardian Live - Euro: Reports in its 1.13pm post that Greek Police have used teargas to break up Greek protests. 

Lets Get Real: 

This blog supports peaceful protests against any Government policy, but once a protest turn violent the Police should read the Riot Act and go in hard, a Democracy can only work if those that use their rights behave, a Democratic State can not be threatened by the mob, it seems from reports that Greece has been bought to a HALT.   The Greek people had a choice in their recent election, between accepting the austerity package as demanded by the EU or getting out of the Euro, they chose the political parties that support Greece being in the Euro, thus those that try to overthrow the democratic will of the people through violent have to be taken in by the Police and give a tough stint in jail.    The Germans will not keep bailing out Greece if Greece decides it does not like the strong medicine, why should the German tax payer pay for the out of control welfare of Greece.    It is time for the Greeks to look at Classic Greece, the givers of Democracy and understand that with a vote comes results, those results can not be over turned by violence and the break down of law and order.    Police be tough but fair, Greece is under threat. 

When a General Strike FAILS - Greece

BBC News: Reports on how the 20th General Strikes in Greece have failed to stop the austerity agenda of the Greek Government, this had lead to Budget Cuts and tax hikes.

Lets Get Real: 

As long as the Greek Government keeps to the idea that it has to stay in the Euro then the Greek people will suffer, the glue that is keeping the Greek Government to the Euro is the Greek Elite, the real people of Greece would suffer short term pain if they left the Euro but could see light at the end of the tunnel, at this rate the Greek people will be walked in to the earth of Greece.  One has to ask how the Classic Greeks would view this, a Greece on its back, a economic slave of the EU, at least classic Greece had Rome, a real Empire, and Augustus was seen as a God, not the EU folks.   Poor Greece. 

Insulting Israel - Secretary Kerry

The Hill: Reports that the new US Secretary of State, Senator Kerry will not visit Israel on his first visit official visit abroad, the article notes the following, " Kerry had been expected to visit Israel and push for restarting peace talks with the Palestinians ahead of President Obama's own trip to the country next month. ". 

Lets Get Real:

What a slap in the face folks, the visit does include Egypt and the new Muslim Brotherhood Government but not Israel one of the America's closes allies.  This should be a warning to Israel, it can not trust the US State Department or the Obama Oval.   At the end of the day the Oval will not attack Iran,  it does not have the backbone to follow through, it refused the advice of its Secretaries of State and Defence to arm the Syrian rebels, the Oval hope it will all go away, yes folks the Oval is not fit to lead the Western World.   Thus Israel will have to act, for the security of Israel and for the Middle East, Israel will have to strike Iran soon before the Oval starts to place pressure on Israel to accept a nuclear armed Iran, look how weak the response has been to North Korea.     Lets hope Israel sees the signals and acts folks.