USPOL Dec: The War on Christmas -- Just another example of the War on Coal

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > USPOL Dec: The War on Christmas -- Just another example of the War on Coal

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Fried Chicken posted:

Carrier groups: not a significant about of force

Alternatively: paging fade5 to the thread please, fade5 to the thread

As has been noted by others, special forces guys are not "boots on the ground".

Talmonis posted:

Aren't special forces raids and air strikes the most effective counter-terror methods to date? Seems like this would be rather relevant to the current strategy.

Yes they are, hence how the Kurds have manged to beat ISIL's asses in just about every confrontation to date starting with Kobani.

Some examples of recent special forces actions: special forces called down airstrikes on Sinjar from the behind the lines while local Peshmerga forces, Yazidi militia forces, and even a few PKK fighters moved in afterwards. The special forces guys were there to handle airstrikes, not to fight on the front lines like regular Army troops would do.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/world/middleeast/isis-iraq-syria.html?_r=0

quote:

The American-led coalition has also provided the pesh merga with a large number of small arms, including machine guns, rifles, mortar tubes and mortar rounds. As the Sinjar offensive has approached, Kurdish officials say, the coalition has been rushing in new supplies of ammunition as well.

An Italian colonel has been leading a multinational effort to train the Kurdish forces at three bases in Iraqi Kurdistan. American, Canadian and other foreign Special Operations forces have also been advising the pesh merga at their defensive positions in the Kurdish region, although officials said they would not be accompanying the Kurdish forces to Sinjar.

Another example was the joint US-Kurdish raid on ISIL's prison in Hawija:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/25/video-released-us-kurdish-rescue-operation-iraq-isis-hawija
We rescued 70 prisoners who had already had a mass grave dug for their execution. One special forces guy (Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler) was injured during the raid and later died from his injuries. It's sad, but his sacrifice saved the lives of 70 people who would have certainly been executed by ISIL. We finished the raid by blasting the prison out of existence with airstrikes.

Those are the type of special forces actions that Obama is talking about, and so Obama is saying we're going to be doing more stuff like the prison raid.

fade5 fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Dec 1, 2015

# ¿ Dec 1, 2015 20:14

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 09:33

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

It also depends what part of reddit you're taking about. As an example, r/Syrian Civil War has been a good, useful place to follow the ins and outs of the Syrian Civil War. After Russia intervened recently in Syria the subreddit has had issues from pro-Russian users brigading the place. (There also tends to be a bias towards whichever group is winning and/or in the news a lot.)

Certain subreddits are better or worse than others, and the default subreddits are generally terrible. (People from r/worldnews tend to invade r/Syrian Civil War after a big news event, and it make the place much more unreadable.)

fade5 fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Dec 1, 2015

# ¿ Dec 1, 2015 20:54

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

zoux posted:

Jesus Christ you people.

You asked, and there are valid answers to that question. :colbert:

Oh and ISIL has done something like that before:

quote:

A Kurdish activist and his wife, who have witnessed ISIS atrocities in Kobani for several months and documented some on photo and video, met RT�s Murad Gazdiev to speak about what they�ve seen.

Bazran Halil, a Kurdish rights activist and freelance journalist briefly crossed into Turkey with his wife from Kobani for an interview. His laptop is full of graphic videos, lending credence to rumors of the Islamic State�s (IS, or ISIS, or ISIL) trademark brutality.

�There was a man with Down Syndrome,� he says. �He couldn�t understand the situation, to flee, or to run away from the frontline. When ISIS arrived they beheaded him and took photos, shared them on social media and said �we killed an atheist, a Kaffir�.�

# ¿ Dec 2, 2015 22:32

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Radbot posted:

It's so funny how it went from "white shooter" to "let's discuss why ISIS does this" within two pages based on fourth hand hearsay

If it's white guys who did it then loving nothing will happen, like usual. It'll just be one more depressingly common mass shooting. :smithicide:

# ¿ Dec 2, 2015 22:56

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Luigi Thirty posted:

The San Bernadino police chief says he doesn't know if this was an act of "traditional terrorism." It could be "domestic terrorism." As we all know, if it's a legitimate form of terrorism, etc etc

I hate that they can't just call it straight-up terrorism like it really is. But white people can't be terrorists.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2015 23:14

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Blowdryer posted:

What is the traditional sense?

A non-white person/Muslim did it.

Like I can't even joke, it's literally "traditional terrorism means attacks by non-white people", because calling white people terrorists isn't allowed because reasons. :suicide:

# ¿ Dec 2, 2015 23:26

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

SpiderHyphenMan posted:

I love you guys.

At a certain point you have to mock it, because it chips away at your sanity otherwise.

zoux posted:

Per this DMN reporter.

IRC said the first Syrian refugees are due in Dallas on Friday.

I hope the idiots filing suit get ground into the dirt so hard by the feds.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2015 23:36

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

JT Jag posted:

All the media in the comments asking for permission to use the video

Bunch of assholes. I swear VICE News somehow has more class than most of them.

Your Dunkle Sans posted:

Heard Obama responding to the San Bernadino shooting on NPR. He just sounds so totally exhausted and dead inside trying to make a statement.

"These shootings are unparalleled in any other country on earth. They should be rare, not normal."

Also the NPR reporter saying it's just totally impossible to prevent these kinds of shootings from happening. gently caress.

*Onion article goes here*

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 00:04

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

UrbicaMortis posted:

Not wanting to see hosed up graphic gore doesn't make someone unable to grasp that shootings are bad. You'd be just as likely to get people desensitised if you constantly showed dead bodies.

You are correct, and also describing those who stare into the abyss that is the Middle East.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 00:28

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Artificer posted:

So that's two suspects dead, and one in custody?

Seems like the answer is yes, assuming the guy in custody is directly related to this.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 00:54

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Joementum posted:

Does Alex Jones think this was a FALSE FLAG?

Yes, of course he does.

I would love to see Alex Jones do an expose of all the "false flag shootings" in Iraq and Syria.

He might even get to star in an internet video. :unsmigghh:

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 01:22

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

JT Jag posted:

Female suspect confirmed.

Huh, well that's... different.

Thump! posted:

Much like his political campaign, my Jeb! reference goes over like a lead balloon

Jeb! is a low energy has-been, it's (still) about the Trump.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 02:51

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

The Glumslinger posted:

"There was a pipe bomb that was found that wasn't a bomb"

So it was a pipe?

A Winner is Jew posted:

#1 in the world (in mass shootings)

Hey now, Syria and Somalia probably beat us. :colbert:

...Well Syria probably beats us.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 03:03

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Gail Wynand posted:

Right wing Twitter claiming the shooters are Muslim based on basically zero evidence, one of the names being banded about is "Tayeep bin Ardogan," laziest hoaxers ever at least come up with a real name not just part of the turkish president's name changed up to sound more ay-rab

Pulling from the Venom Snake school I see. :v:

toanoradian posted:

Wait wait wait. Research on gun violence is banned?

Yes, because it tended to show things like restricting access to guns caused gun violence to go down, and that cut into the NRA's profits.

Isn't the US grand? :suicide:

# ¿ Dec 3, 2015 03:19

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Your Dunkle Sans posted:

Isn't the media basically opening up the suspects' family to violent reprisals and identity theft and etc by broadcasting their photos/social security info/private IDs on live air? That's incredibly invasive to people who are otherwise innocent and had nothing to do with the shooters.

Somehow VICE News has become much a classier news organization than multiple mainstream media channels.

Stop the ride please, I want to get off now.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2015 23:43

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Defenestration posted:

lol Pataki try so hard

https://twitter.com/GovernorPataki/status/672917318482190336

Sell your soul, still can't get 1% at the polls

Sure thing buddy:
https://twitter.com/CJTFOIR/status/671014593393786880

quote:

#CJTFOIR conducted 174 strikes on Da'ish (#ISIL) from Nov. 21-27. 128 in #Iraq, 46 in #Syria. #InherentResolve

How's that?

Oh and the police officer will be by to arrest you shortly, have fun. Don't worry, you're white, you probably won't get shot 16 times for no reason.

fade5 fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Dec 5, 2015

# ¿ Dec 5, 2015 04:45

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Hodgepodge posted:

Wasn't ISIS' stated objective with the Paris attacks to increase the hostility towards Muslims in the West in order to recruit/radicalize more Western Muslims, because they are getting their rear end beat in Syria?

Call me crazy, but maybe doing exactly what your enemy wants you to is a bad idea in any sort of conflict.

I'm not sure if it counts as 'our fault' if we do so, but is is both very stupid and a bad strategy to do so.

If you can't grasp that, I hope I will someday compete against you in some way, because I will win, and not because I'm any sort of hot poo poo. In fact, I'm not, and could use more easy victories in my life.

You are correct goon sir, the growing anti-Muslim backlash is pretty much exactly what ISIL wants.

It's actually kind of sad knowing that every anti-Muslim/anti-Islam comment that comes out of American and European politics is helping ISIL's cause.

Pohl posted:

Edit: And seriously twitter? Who the hell cares about twitter? Twitter is a source of amusement, not a defining body of journalistic integrity, nor is it the overriding opinion of the populous. Why care about twitter?

Twitter is actually really, really important; I've only just come to realize this recently. If you're following the Syrian Civil War, generally the first place you'll hear about an attack, advances by one faction or another, the arrival of special forces, plans for the future, or any other change on the ground is via twitter, and what makes it so important it that twitter is instant, as opposed to waiting hours or days for regular news to report it.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2015 19:00

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

ComradeCosmobot posted:

Wishful thinking. It's largely platitudes about how we're fighting terrorism.

quote:

The president has relied on airstrikes, financial sanctions and targeted special operations to counter the growth of the Islamic State, while building a diplomatic coalition of dozens of nations and resisting any call for the introduction of large numbers of American ground troops in the Middle East.

Despite fierce bombings, the Islamic State militants continue to occupy large swaths of the region. And a sophisticated social media campaign by the group has succeeded in helping recruit across the globe, including, officials said, in the United States.

Mr. Obama is not expected to offer a new strategy. But in the speech, the president is likely to call for a more intense effort by the coalition to counter the terror group on the ground, and a renewed attempt to find a diplomatic solution to end the civil war in Syria.

So Obama's going to try the whole "remind everyone of reality" again.

It's not going to work; he could livestream video an airstrike during the speech and it wouldn't convince Republicans that he's doing anything about ISIL.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2015 00:37

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

QuoProQuid posted:

Obama's recommendations for Congress:

1. No guns for individuals on the "No Fly List"
2. Prohibition on high caliber weapons
3. Stronger screening for individuals who come to U.S. without visa
4. AUMF for a war against ISIS

Only one of those is going to happen.

Lol, we literally just discussed the fourth one like five pages ago, and why it didn't work the last time Obama tried it.

Meg From Family Guy posted:

�Muslims must confront this hateful ideology�

Is it me, or does this phrase sound like a trigger phrase meant to activate someone listening?

Kurds are Muslim and they're already doing exactly that.

Obama should probably point this out if he hasn't already.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2015 03:09

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Fried Chicken posted:

the fellows at The Onion will give it a shot

There really is a war on Christmas. Multiple ones in fact.

It's just not happening to white people.

Relatedly, Merry Christmas from Iraq (2014):
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/12/11-photos-of-christmas-in-iraqs-kurdish-capital.html

_{Oh yeah, Fried Chicken did you still need that youtube link?}

fade5 fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Dec 8, 2015

# ¿ Dec 8, 2015 02:45

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

zoux posted:

Thank god Cruz has cracked this nut

So Cruz approves of our current strategy. Awesome. :toot:

# ¿ Dec 8, 2015 20:50

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Sydin posted:

What even happened to Fiorina? She went from dark horse to nobody, and without any major catalyzing event as the cause. Did the GOP base just remember at last that they actually hate women?

A Winner is Jew posted:

Her status was inflated by the media from the kids table debate, but yeah after she was a "thing" everyone remembered they've had an rear end in a top hat boss and her support eroded faster than Jeb! makes bad decisions.

Walker, Fiorina, Jeb!, and Carson have all followed the 2012 election style of gaining interest, peaking, and crashing.

Also note how long Trump has been leading. :unsmigghh:

# ¿ Dec 9, 2015 00:30

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

A Winner is Jew posted:

Democrats love grand bargains though.

Hillary despises Republicans though, and in the very off chance Sanders would be elected he wouldn't do a grand bargain.

pumpinglemma posted:

So it wouldn't help for an insanity defense at all? (Genuine question - non-US citizen here.)

euphronius posted:

He seems competent to stand trial.

To give pumpinglemma/the thread some idea of how hard an insanity defense is:

quote:

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (May 21, 1960 � November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, was an American serial killer and sex offender, who committed the rape, murder, and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991, with many of his later murders also involving necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts�typically all or part of the skeletal structure.

Although diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder, Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial.

Jeffrey Dahmer literally ate people. He was found to be legally sane at his trial.

To get away with an insanity defense, you have to be crazier than Jeffrey Dahmer.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 01:42

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Artificer posted:

Christ Almighty this is a depressing as gently caress thread.

Follow the Middle East thread, you'll start to feel better about your life. (And you'll learn stuff.)

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 02:04

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

TheDeadlyShoe posted:

Where do you put guys who haven't committed crimes in the USA but are still clearly dangerous i.e. a guy who joined ISIL

Dusty Baker 2 posted:

It's not legal to join ISIL so prison.

And that's if they even make it back to the US alive.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 02:44

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

zoux posted:

I saw a poll today that had 65% of Republicans, not Trump supporters, but all Republicans, supported his Muslim immigration ban. That is loving insane.

Trump is here to stay, and it is terrifying.

Gonna enjoy Hillary grinding him into the dirt.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 03:54

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

zoux posted:

Yeah but five months ago we were all just as certain he was a joke candidate who'd be gone by September.

That's because the Republican field is a bunch of cowards who are too afraid to attack him, or want someone else to do it first (and/or they agree with what he's saying, just not out loud).

Hillary is not afraid of Trump, and she knows how to piss him off/needle him and make him look like an idiot.

fade5 fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Dec 10, 2015

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 04:20

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

foobardog posted:

On the other hand, the constant sports-team analogy helped support a host of terrible issues that the mostly leaders of the two parties agreed on like welfare reform, law and order polices, financial deregulation, aggressive foreign policy, and the war on drugs.

Ah yes, Obama and the Republicans famously agree on how to handle ISIL, and there haven't been any disputes at all.

And Bernie says legalize weed, Fiorina told a lie/bullshit horror story about how marijuana killed her daughter.

quote:

"Like so many high-achieving young women, Lori also struggled with bulimia for years," Fiorina wrote. "Despite her repeated stays in rehab, the combination of bulimia, alcoholism, and drug abuse took its toll. She was divorced and living in New Jersey when she died."

Fiorina never mentions marijuana in her biography, whether in connection with Lori's death or otherwise.

fade5 fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Dec 12, 2015

# ¿ Dec 12, 2015 00:20

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Hollismason posted:

All Cruz did was put a giant target on himself for the upcoming debate on the 15th. I won't be surprised if more than Trump goes after him. Jeb needs to make a impression so hopefully they'll give him a line of the emergency cocaine he has on hand from the 80s and he'll come out swinging.

On that note, we have the layout for the CNN debate on the 15th:

Patter Song posted:

Kasich, Fiorina, Christie, and Paul are somehow still loving in it. :argh:

But what's really notable is that Trump and Cruz are right next to each other. :allears:

# ¿ Dec 13, 2015 22:09

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

zoux posted:

Mandy Patinkin seems like one of the world's best people.

He had to quit working on Criminal Minds because it ate at his soul so much:
http://www.tvguide.com/news/mandy-patinkin-regrets-criminal-minds-1053095/

quote:

During a recent interview with New York Magazine, Patinkin opened up about his abrupt exit from the CBS procedural in 2007 after only two seasons. "The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do Criminal Minds in the first place," Patinkin said. "I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality. After that, I didn't think I would get to work in television again."

I can definitely understand, I got burned out on watching Criminal Minds; it just got so depressing after a while.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2015 21:43

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Relentlessboredomm posted:

Ugh of course.

I had the opposite reaction, "Hmm that's probably bullshit, oh wait Al Jazeera reported it? Well gently caress this might have legs"

A news station that originated as Qatari propaganda: now one of the more reliable news stations for US news. :v:

I'd laugh more by Al Jazeera really is good for talking about US news, hilarious irony notwithstanding.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2015 21:26

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

PUGGERNAUT posted:

source

bonus:

This post is amazing, thank you for making it. :allears:

# ¿ Dec 28, 2015 02:51

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

drilldo squirt posted:

I feel real bad for jeb now.

Never forget, he brought it on himself.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2015 03:20

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

So yeah, if you're a police officer you can gun down a 12-year-old on video and get away with it. :smithicide:

blue squares posted:

It's getting to the point where Sikh temples and businesses need to have signs up saying "We're not Muslims you idiots"

God it really is so loving depressing.

baw posted:

just want to take some time to remind everyone that this happened a couple years ago and no one was shot

I'm always amused/terrified that pictures from the Bundy Ranch standoff are pretty much indistinguishable from the Middle East:

The difference is that in Syria, they actually capture the white terrorists. (The fat guy in the middle is a captured ISIL fighter who surrendered to the YPG.) Apparently we need to ask them for tips.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2015 22:27

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 09:33

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Berke Negri posted:

That the vilerat movie is not actually about the people who died but quasi-fictional American soldiers* who didn't do anything is pretty fitting.

What's so asinine is that there's a legitimately good (and tragic) movie story that could be made about what happened in Benghazi, but that would be too loving hard and also mean acknowledging the reality of what happened and has been happening in Libya, so nope, make up some bullshit instead!

fade5 fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Jan 1, 2016

# ¿ Jan 1, 2016 01:38

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > USPOL Dec: The War on Christmas -- Just another example of the War on Coal