Trump to release Dr Martin Luther King Jr Files

Sky News: Reports that the Trump Administration is to release the Files on the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Lets Get Real:

These files should never be released, as if previous reporting, the Files contain allegations that Dr King had affairs, so did JFK, but Dr King was hero to African Americans and his fight for civil rights in 1964 and for voting rights in 1965.   These having nothing to do with his personal life.   The US needs its heroes, JFK's affairs did not help with his political reputation later, some heroes have to be protected, thus case with Dr King.   This is a diversion by the Trump Administration.

LBJ and Civil Rights - LBJ Era

Guardian: Reports on a recent row on the role of President Johnson in the Civil Rights movement, the article notes the following on LBJ, " He embarked on an ambitious legislative programme which included the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the “War on Poverty”, though his presidency was later undermined by an unpopular and costly war in Vietnam.  "

Lets Get Real:

This blog admits it, it has a soft spot of LBJ, this President was willing to go to the wall to defend new civil rights for African - Americans, as he stated at the time what was the point of the Oval Office is not to take risks to do the right thing.   This blog would have respected President Obama if he had stated that ObamaCare was a tax to help poor people, might not agree how it worked but one could understand the moral point, instead the President stated it would help ALL Americans, also they could keep their Doctor if they liked their heath plan.   That is now taken as the one of the biggest lies in political history.   LBJ was willing to use the power of the Oval Office to get Civil Rights through the Congress and have diect talks with Governors so they would protect African - Americans.   This blog hopes that this film is not meant to downgrade LBJ as to put Obama in a better light, one got that impression with the Butler.   If your making a left of centre film say so, if your going to mess up facts expect come back from historians, its your own fault.   This blog will wait in till the film Selma comes out.   Then will do a full historical review of the film and history. 

The Republicans on illegal Immigrants - 2nd Term Blues

CNN - Politics: Reports " Republicans are furious Obama is going around them and have already sternly warned doing so could wreck relations between the Capitol and the White House for the next two years. "

Lets Get Real: 

The Republicans are making a BIG POLITICAL MISTAKE, they should be critical of President Obama, as this move is not supported by the Republican base and the US Courts might reject this move by the Oval.   In pure political terms it could be a great move by President Obama, the base of the Democratic Party wants this and the Oval would have suffered political blowback if it had done nothing, the Obama Oval is looking to the future, these illegals will become US citizens in the long term, they will it is assume support Democrats as African Americans have done since LBJ bought about Civil Rights for black Americans.   This is how the Republicans could benefit, the issue will be off the table tonight after President Obama's address.   The Republicans should offer good economic policies that help the former illegals, as stated they should out do Obama, its an old political lesson, attack the opposition at what they see as a plus.   The Republican candidates for President can say that the issue is OFF the table, they can hardly throw five millions illegals out after 2017, it would not be fair and there would be political blowback, smell the coffee Republicans, change a loss in to a win. 

IS near Baghdad - The New War on Terror

BBC News: Reports " Iraqi ground forces, backed by air strikes, appear to have halted advancing Islamic State (IS) militants in a town west of Baghdad. "

Lets Get Real:

This blog would not be surprised to hear one morning that the black flag of IS has been seen on buildings in Baghdad, the threat from IS it seems has not been pushed back by the air attacks of the US and its allies.   This lack of success means that the West has to place ground troops in Iraq in the near future, the bombing stalls IS but only that, to hold and keep ground either the Iraq Army has to find its backbone or President Obama has to allow military advisors to help the Iraqi forces.   Why does Iraq remind me of Vietnam at this moment. simple, weak government, no great support in the country and the enemy within is winning.   Will 2014 look like 1965 ALL over again. 

Obama on IS - The War in Iraq

The White House: Reports on the weekly address by POTUS.  Here are the remarks, " Over the past week, the United States has continued to lead our friends and allies in the strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.  As I’ve said before, our intelligence community has not yet detected specific plots from these terrorists against America.  Right now, they pose a threat to the people of Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East.  But its leaders have threatened America and our allies.  And if left unchecked, they could pose a growing threat to the United States.

So, last month, I gave the order for our military to begin taking targeted action against ISIL.  Since then, American pilots have flown more than 170 airstrikes against these terrorists in Iraq.  And France has now joined us in these airstrikes.

Going forward, we won’t hesitate to take action against these terrorists in Iraq or in Syria.  But this is not America’s fight alone.  I won’t commit our troops to fighting another ground war in Iraq, or in Syria.  It’s more effective to use our capabilities to help partners on the ground secure their own country’s futures. We will use our air power. We will train and equip our partners.  We will advise and we will assist.   And we’ll lead a broad coalition of nations who have a stake in this fight.  This isn’t America vs. ISIL.  This is the people of that region vs. ISIL.  It’s the world vs ISIL.

We’ve been working to secure bipartisan support for this strategy here at home, because I believe that we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together.  We’ve been consulting closely with Congress.  And last week, Secretary of State Kerry, Secretary of Defense Hagel, and military leaders worked to gain their support for our strategy. 

A majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans in both the House and the Senate have now approved a first, key part of our strategy by wide margins.  They’ve given our troops the authority they need to train Syrian opposition fighters so that they can fight ISIL in Syria.  Those votes sent a powerful signal to the world: Americans are united in confronting this danger.  And I hope Congress continues to make sure our troops get what they need to get the job done.

Meanwhile, because we’re leading the right way, more nations are joining our coalition.  Over 40 countries have offered to help the broad campaign against ISIL so far – from training and equipment, to humanitarian relief, to flying combat missions.  And this week, at the United Nations, I’ll continue to rally the world against this threat.

This is an effort that America has the unique ability to lead.  When the world is threatened; when the world needs help; it calls on America. And we call on our troops. Whether it’s to degrade and ultimately destroy a group of terrorists, or to contain and combat a threat like the Ebola epidemic in Africa; we ask a lot of our troops.  But while our politics may be divided at times, the American people stand united around supporting our troops and their families.  This is a moment of American leadership.  Thanks to them, it is a moment we will meet. "

Lets Get Real:

I wish President Obama would stop saying that there will be no ground troops in Iraq, the US has 1,600 troops on the ground already, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has stated that these Military Advisors could go out on missions with their Iraqi colleagues.   Thus the US does have boots on the ground, it also needs spotters for the air strikes, Vietnam started with military advisors.  In 1965 LBJ placed the Marines in South Vietnam to protect US planes, will Obama in 2015 send real ground troops back in to Iraq, there is more chance of that than the US leaving Iraq for good. 

Funding of the New War in Iraq and Syria

Guardian: Reports " House of Representatives approves Obama plan to arm Syrian rebels "

Lets Get Real:

This new Obama plan for Syria is NOT going to work, those in the House and the Senate know it will not work and even if it worked there is a great chance that the battlefield will look different by the time US had trained the Syrian rebels.    This move by the House is getting the US further in to the Wars in Syria, thus far the Oval has not attacked Syria, how many beheaded Americans does it take, for the Oval to understand that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs understands better than the Oval, in open remarks the Chairman stated that Military Advisors could be part of any attacks on IS.  Also if the Obama plan fails there will be the need for ground troops.   The Congress will come back to this issue, after the Mid Terms.   This smells like Vietnam all over again. 

Obama and Iraq - The New Iraq War

BBC News: Reports " President Barack Obama has told an audience of US troops their comrades fighting Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq will not have a combat mission. "

Lets Get Real:

Lets hope that the Oval understands the above is a holding statement. there is no way the Iraqi Army and the Kurds will be able to take large towns, that takes experts, thus US Special Forces, also there has to be a question will the Kurds go in to towns that are majority of a different ethnic group, the Iraqi army is going to take time to build and re -arm, thus again the need for Special Forces.   It can be postulated that no on with a brain cell believes that POTUS wont use ground troops, if not it will be Vietnam pre 1965 again, it will be a battle to keep gains, and prevent IS aka the Viet Cong from taking more ground.  Interesting times ahead in Iraq. 

Amash Amendment Defeated - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports on the fate of the Amash Amendment in the Republican House, " First major challenge to NSA's bulk collection of phone records defeated by only 217 votes to 205 in House of Representatives ".

Lets Get Real:

The vote was interesting folks, the vote divided Parties, on the hawk side was the Obama Oval and Conservative Republicans, while liberal or moderate Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the spaying on US Citizens.   Those that watched 9/11 will never forget that day, but it is like those that were around on November 22 1963, the day that President Kennedy was Assassinated, to them that was the DAY that changed the US, while those that were born after 1963 can place the Kennedy assassination in context, did the change from Kennedy to Johnson really change US policy in Vietnam, many Kennedy supporters have argued so, while those that see Kennedy in the cold light of day and with time argue that LBJ was carrying on the Kennedy policy, what IF's are for counter factual history.  What can be said of President Johnson is that he put his Presidency on the line for Civil Rights and the Great Society, with the best will in the World one can not see Kennedy passing Civil Rights, he was far to cautious, and wanted Southern votes in 64 and to support his brother later on, time has away of showing the truth to those that were not around at fixed times of history, historians have a point of view, that is to be expected, but honest historians give you objective history as far as they can, they give you what was going on and the results, not what they want to have happened, and what COULD have happened.   Thus in time 9/11 will become part of history, such as the Pearl Harbour in 1941, the Kennedy Assassination of 63, but to those that lived through those hours, it will never be far away, it defines us as much as the Cold War. 

The NYT Living in the PAST - Obama's America

The New York Times: Has the following editorial on the revoking of section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the article states the following, " What is needed now is a new coalition — as loud and as angry as the voices of 1965 — to demand that Republican lawmakers join Democrats in restoring fairness to the election system.  ".

Lets Get Real:

This is the problem with the liberal left NYT, its living in its glory days of the 1960s, it has not moved on, nothing is forever, the US Supreme Court has moved with the times, thus their ruling in support of gay rights, this was the right move in a morale and political sense, the Voting Rights Act is still in force, it has not been overturned, just now the South will not be treated as a special case, having to cap in hand to the Federal Government EVERY time it wants to change election law, as it has been noted, in many Southern States, the African American vote is higher than the white vote, times changes ALL things folks, it is sad folks that the left can not see that in essence the 1960s IS OVER, there is an African - American President and Attorney General, the great Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s have achieved their gaols, it is time to look at the character of someone and what they do, NOT their colour, Liberals were right to have that fight, but its over, there are other fights out there folks, poor people, people without jobs, people with severe disabilities need people to give them hope, that they are not the forgotten PEOPLE of the US, time for Liberals to grow UP and so NYT. 

Obama and the 1965 Voting Rights Act - Civil Rights

The White House: Has released the following statement by POTUS on the revoking of section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, " I am deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision today.  For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act – enacted and repeatedly renewed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress – has helped secure the right to vote for millions of Americans.  Today’s decision invalidating one of its core provisions upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent.  As a nation, we’ve made a great deal of progress towards guaranteeing every American the right to vote.  But, as the Supreme Court recognized, voting discrimination still exists.    And while today’s decision is a setback, it doesn’t represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination.  I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls.  My Administration will continue to do everything in its power to ensure a fair and equal voting process. ".

Lets Get Real:

This is tricky for President Obama, he is the 1st African - American President, and one of the major Acts of the 1960s Civil Rights movement has been gutted, section 4 set out the conditions for section 5 that stated that on the whole Southern States would need Federal okay to change voting rules, by revoking section 4 the US Supreme Court has in effect revoked section 5, there is not great pressure on Republicans to give Democrats anything, the South of 21th Century is not the racist South of the 1960s, how ever much the Democrats want to go on about the subject, in fact in some States more African Americans are registered to vote that whites, thus in many respects the Act is dated, and the US Supreme Court has had the courage to revoke an out of date Act.   Lets see the political results if any, this blog has reservations, but lets see what happens, the South is not suddenly going to go back to being racist, things change folks, those that live in the past do not see future and in many respects do not want to see, they are blind by their own negative background. 

HIS WAR!, Obama and Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan is Obama’s War; as with LBJ after 1964 it become his war after President Johnson sent in the Marines to protect the airfields; Obama got his War when he sent in his first surge to Afghanistan, the second surge sealed the deal of the fate of the Obama Presidency, Obama could have take the advice of VP Biden to scale back US footprints and do more Special Forces operations and drones, but the Obama ego and it seems the Presidents scant CV when it comes to military matters helped the Military Chiefs; my dog lucky has seen more of war and that’s with cats; thus the military had their way and now we have over a hundred thousand NATO forces in Afghanistan. The President has stated the following to his Civilian and Military Officials in Afghanistan, “ Earlier this afternoon, the President held a conference call with Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and General David Petraeus. He congratulated General Petraeus on the change in command, underscored that his thoughts are with them and their teams on this holiday weekend, expressed his appreciation for their sacrifice, and reiterated the importance of our vital mission in Afghanistan. ”. In many respects General Petraeus is more powerful than Obama, the hero of Iraq has the clout to force Obama to stay in Iraq well after 2011, also Obama does not want Petraeus to be the Republican nominee for President in 2012, thus he has to keep him happy, also if the Congress goes Republican the Republicans will keep the Obama feet close to the political heat when it comes to Afghanistan, they wont allow Obama to withdraw troops based on any left wing timeline, this is why Afghanistan is Obama’s War and why he is the next LJB, and lets recall LBJ didn’t run in 1968.
　

Karzai and Diem = Afghanistan/South Vietnam

WSJ: Reports on the growing tensions between the Kabul Regime of President Karzai and the Obama White House. In essence Kabul is very much like political workings of Chicago, the home town of President Obama, corruption is the norm, and President Karzai does not like the fact that the Obama White House wants less corruption and more effective government in Afghanistan. The case has an historical example, Diem of South Vietnam also become an irritant to the Kennedy White House, thus the infamous August 1963 green light for the coup that lead to the death of Diem and the rolling in of the US Marines in 1965. In the modern case there is a major difference, Karzai has just been re-elected for a second term, corruption took place but it is agreed that Karzai would have won the second round, it just that the second round would have cost the lives of more NATO soldiers, for a victory that was guaranteed Also the Obama White House has green light two surges in Afghanistan since 2009, this is Obama's War, very much like Vietnam become LBJ's War. In stark truth Karzai is the only game in town, if Obama gets rids of President Karzai one way or another the war and the running of Afghanistan become one, thus more problems for Obama. The War in Afghanistan was the good war in the eyes of liberal Democrats, now that the death rate is going up the liberals in the Democratic Party are showing their usual yellow streak, but to give POTUS his due he has not backed off Afghanistan, thus his recent visit, as stated it wont be health care reform that brings down Obama it will be Afghanistan, Obama is the heir to LBJ.

Obama on Al Qaeda

The President after the success of health care reform and the new Treaty with Russia has moved to show that he is not just obsessed with domestic issues, thus his surprise trip to Afghanistan. The Speech one has to admit was vintage Obama, but that could be the problem later down the line. I think even President Obama's most loyal supporters would have to say that Afghanistan is now his War, the President stated the following on the threat from Al Qaeda, " Al Qaeda and their extremist allies are a threat to the people of Afghanistan and a threat to the people of America, but they’re also a threat to people all around the world, and that’s why we’re so proud to have our coalition partners here with us. Thank you very much for the great work that you do. We salute you and we honor you for all the sacrifices you make, and you are a true friend of the United States of America. Thank you very much...... And we also salute the members of the Afghan National Army who are fighting alongside all of you. They’re risking their lives to protect their country. And as I told President Karzai today, the United States is a partner but our intent is to make sure that the Afghans have the capacity to provide for their own security. That is core to our mission, and we are proud of the work that they are doing and the continuing increased capacity that we’re seeing out of Afghan national security forces. So thank you very much for the great work you’re doing to take responsibility for security here in your own country......We can’t forget why we’re here. We did not choose this war. This was not an act of America wanting to expand its influence; of us wanting to meddle in somebody else’s business. We were attacked viciously on 9/11. Thousands of our fellow countrymen and women were killed. And this is the region where the perpetrators of that crime, al Qaeda, still base their leadership. Plots against our homeland, plots against our allies, plots against the Afghan and Pakistani people are taking place as we speak right here. And if this region slides backwards, if the Taliban retakes this country and al Qaeda can operate with impunity, then more American lives will be at stake. The Afghan people will lose their chance at progress and prosperity. And the world will be significantly less secure....And as long as I’m your Commander-in-Chief, I am not going to let that happen.... Our broad mission is clear: We are going to disrupt and dismantle, defeat and destroy al Qaeda and its extremist allies. That is our mission. And to accomplish that goal, our objectives here in Afghanistan are also clear: We’re going to deny al Qaeda safe haven. We’re going to reverse the Taliban’s momentum. We’re going to strengthen the capacity of Afghan security forces and the Afghan government so that they can begin taking responsibility and gain confidence of the Afghan people....... We’ve struck major blows against al Qaeda leadership as well as the Taliban’s. They are hunkered down. They’re worried about their own safety. It’s harder for them to move, it’s harder for them to train and to plot and to attack, and all of that makes America safer. And we are going to keep them on the run because that is what’s going to be required in order to assure that our families back home have the security that they need. That’s the work that you are doing...." Thus in 2011 will the President really be able to bring the troops home if Al Qaeda is still a threat to Afghanistan and the rest of the world. Have my doubts. It can be argued that Vietnam become LBJ's War after 1965, in that year the US Marines landed in South Vietnam to protect US planes, the rest is history folks, the War in Afghanistan is Obama's War due to the fact that he has chosen it, the question that has to be asked did Obama make a mistake, the Iraq War looks like a success now after the Bush 43 surge, elections have just finished and the political horse trading to form a new government are taking place in Iraq. An old Chicago hand like President Obama should be more active in Iraq, but one gets worried when Obama states the following, does recall the late LBJ years, the President stated the following in Afghanistan, " And here in Afghanistan you’ve gone on the offensive. And the American people back home are noticing. We have seen a huge increase in support in -- stateside, because people understand the kinds of sacrifices that you guys are making, and the clarity of mission that you’re bringing to bear. ". The US is split when it comes to the War in Afghanistan, the latest poll has a even approval to disapproval of the War. Its the kind of thing LBJ would say, when a President is economical with the truth he will lose the American voter. Lets hope the above remark was rhetoric not what Obama really has in desk draw. Lets hope for the sake of the US and the UK that Obama is right about Afghanistan, so far this year has been more bloody for the the US and UK than last year.