While Trump Feasts on Thanksgiving, Troops on the Border Eat Rations and Await Pancho Villa

[herman]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/while-trump-feasts-on-thanksgiving-troops-on-the-border-eat-rations-and-await-pancho-villa/2018/11/16/4d60d4c8-e9b8-11e8-bbdb-72fdbf9d4fed_story.html?utm_term=.dc74f6d4634d

President Trump is reportedly planning to celebrate Thanksgiving once again at his members-only Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, feasting on (if previous menus repeat) a 24-dish extravaganza of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, marshmallow sweet potatoes, red snapper, leg of lamb, grilled diver scallops, stone crab, ahi tuna martinis, Maine lobster bisque, short ribs, beef tenderloin and seven desserts.

It will likely all be topped off by what the president calls “the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake” — available exclusively to members ($200,000 initiation fee) and guests.

Things will be rather less sumptuous along the southern border, to which Trump, just before the midterm elections, ordered some 5,600 troops, with another 1,400 on the way, to contain the “national emergency” posed by the approaching caravan of Central American families seeking asylum.

Since the election, Trump has forgotten about the mortal peril posed by the caravan “invasion” — he has mentioned the “caravan” only once, and only when asked — but the troops he ordered to act in this political advertisement can’t forget. They will remain on the border through Thanksgiving, the New York Times reported, eating MRE rations, living in tents without electricity, receiving neither combat pay nor hostile-fire pay.

Their only task is to spend a few days stringing barbed wire. After this, their mission, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said, “is somewhat to be determined.”

Operation TBD. At least that’s more honest than “Operation Faithful Patriot,” the name originally assigned to Trump’s Pentagon-financed campaign ad.

This is the time when another president would pay a Thanksgiving visit to the troops he has mobilized. President George W. Bush famously visited Iraq on Thanksgiving in 2003.

Trump, similarly, could visit his underemployed troops and give them a sense of mission — even a phony one. Before Election Day, he imagined the caravan to be packed with terrorists, drug dealers and killers. Surely he could now blame the caravan for, say, the California wildfires, Roger Stone’s text messages, the failure to vet the acting attorney general, the need to furnish identification when buying breakfast cereal or all those people who were able to repeatedly vote by changing hats in their cars.

He could then pass out 7,000 stone crabs and beautiful pieces of chocolate cake and be on his way. (When he visited a local Coast Guard post last Thanksgiving, they got wrapped sandwiches and potato chips.)

Mattis tried another way to give meaning to the troops’ aimless mission on the border. “I would put this in a little historic context,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “I think many of you are aware that President Wilson 100 years ago, a little over 100 years ago, deployed the U.S. Army to the southwest border. . . . The threat then was Pancho Villa’s troops, a revolutionary raiding across the border into the United States.”

At first glance, it would appear that a raid by Pancho Villa’s guerrillas that killed 17 Americans in New Mexico 102 years ago has very little to do with the unarmed and impoverished Central Americans currently seeking refuge in the United States.

But maybe Mattis has revealed something about Trump’s national-security decisions. The policies may be inappropriate for the current day, but they would have been eminently sensible a century ago, or earlier.

Some might say it is pointlessly antagonistic to attack the president of France over his approval rating and the French unemployment rate and to misrepresent his statements. But there is historical context for Trump’s belligerence! The French fought us during the French and Indian War in the 1750s . And French privateers seized our merchant ships in the 1790s.

Some might think Trump’s “travel ban” is an attempt to punish Muslim countries on the basis of religion. But there is historical context! Between 1801 and 1815, we fought in the Barbary Wars against what is now Libya — one of the countries targeted by the travel ban.

Some might take issue with Trump’s attempt to portray Mexicans as murderers. But there is historical context! Remember the Alamo? The Mexican-American War? The Cortinista Bandits of 1859? The Las Cuevas War of 1875? Anyone?

Some might think Trump is naive to alienate Britain and Germany while warmly embracing Russia. But there is historical context! Russia was on our side during the Boxer Rebellion in 1899 (and they weren’t so bad in 1856 during the Second Opium War ). And Britain was our enemy in the War of 1812 — and Hessian soldiers fought against us during the American Revolution!

There is even historical context for Trump spending Thanksgiving in Mar-a-Lago’s luxury rather than roughing it with troops along the border. That area was highly unstable in 1521, when Europeans defeated the Aztecs and their emperor, Montezuma II. We can’t risk sending the president there. You never know when Montezuma might exact his revenge.

[Irie]

Nice unbiased piece of reporting....not.

[Lobo]

<<Since the election, Trump has forgotten about the mortal peril posed by the caravan “invasion” — he has mentioned the “caravan” only once, and only when asked — but the troops he ordered to act in this political advertisement can’t forget. They will remain on the border through Thanksgiving, the New York Times reported, eating MRE rations, living in tents without electricity, receiving neither combat pay nor hostile-fire pay.>>

You mean the Great Invasion was CALLED OFF by the Forces of Evil? And just the day after the election?

They must have sneaked over the border by the millions, voted for Democrats in all 50 states, and then sneaked back over and down to southern Mexico before anyone noticed.

At least the troops will be spared the horror of having to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Nothing beats a tasty MRE in the desert.

On Friday, November 16, 2018 at 11:02:12 PM UTC-5, herman wrote:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/while-trump-feasts-on-thanksgiving-troops-on-the-border-eat-rations-and-await-pancho-villa/2018/11/16/4d60d4c8-e9b8-11e8-bbdb-72fdbf9d4fed_story.html?utm_term=.dc74f6d4634d

[Lobo]

<<Nice unbiased piece of reporting....not.>>

As it says in the link and on the article, it's an "Opinion" piece.

But even if it was a straight news article, can you think of a better way of putting it?

On Friday, November 16, 2018 at 11:38:23 PM UTC-5, Irie wrote:

Nice unbiased piece of reporting....not.

[Irie]

So if op-ed is cool why does your camp whine like a 4-day old kitten about (eg) hannity?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday, November 16, 2018 at 10:47:40 PM UTC-6, Lobo wrote:

<<Nice unbiased piece of reporting....not.>>

[herman]

Who here has been mewling over and over about Hannity?

Besides, your whines are tolerated, irie.  Feel free to whine that pointing about Fat Donnie's gluttony and sumptuous dining contrasts sharply with the holiday repasts and living conditions endured by the thousands of troops he sent to the border in his political stunt.

[Irie]

Plug in "hannity" in the search bar at the top, doofus.  

I'm not going to waste my time trying to educate the uneducable (you).  

[herman]

Your whine, your claim, your work....if you want to prove a point or something.

Back to trump's political stunt:  Why do you support it?

[Lobo]

<<So if op-ed is cool why does your camp whine like a 4-day old kitten about (eg) hannity?>>

I don't have a problem with Hannity acting in a commentary capacity (I mean, beyond the fact that he's an outrageous liar and the Voice of Trump). If you mean when he acted as such -- cheerleading for his side at a political event when he was supposed to be acting as an objective reporter -- even FOX "News" had a problem with him then.

[Irie]

LMAO...quote where I made any comment on "trump's political stunt".  

You really are a top-notch lying piece of shit.

Chop chop......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

[herman]

Oh, you acknowledge it's a political stunt and you seem to be backing away from supporting it.

Back to trump's wasting taxpayers' funds on his political stunt:  You and other trumpgropers would be howling were a Democrat to do this.  Yet not a peep when one of your own alt-right nationalists does it.

[herman]

<<So if op-ed is cool why does your camp whine like a 4-day old kitten about (eg) hannity?>>

We haven't been doing this.  It's just irie trying to deflect attention away from the yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge contrast between the sumptuous dining and living accommodations the CinC is enjoying and will enjoy on the holiday and those endured by the thousands of "his" soldiers caught up in his political stunt.

[Irie]

Yeah, I'd be upset if one of your dimocrat betters tried to secure our border(s).

LOL...you go with that.

[Lobo]

<<Yeah, I'd be upset if one of your dimocrat betters tried to secure our border(s).

LOL...you go with that.>>

LOL... YOU go with THAT!

Though I'd prefer you didn't force me to lose my respect for your intelligence.and integrity. Do you seriously think that was what Trump's blindingly obvious political stunt was about: "defending" the US from a ragtag bunch of mostly women and children refugees who were at least a thousand miles from the border; an "Invasion Crisis" that was completely forgotten by the Commander In Chief the day after the election...?

(Say it ain't so, Irie...)

On Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 12:32:25 AM UTC-5, Irie wrote:

Yeah, I'd be upset if one of your dimocrat betters tried to secure our border(s).

LOL...you go with that.

[mitchscove]

While LBJ feasted on 1965 Easter Dinner, thousands of troops he sent to Vietnam a month earlier dined on bullets.

Da Nang Dick was nowhere to be seen.

On Friday, November 16, 2018 at 11:02:12 PM UTC-5, herman wrote:

[Lobo]

LOL! Pushing back pretty far to find an excuse for Trump, aren't you? Why not pull out James K Polk and the Mexican invasion? 

If you really think it excuses what Trump did, GOPer George W Bush lying the country into the Iraq War might be a little more appropriate.

[ROOS55]

Now he will need a new wardrobe 

[btdt100]

I seem to recall that Obama's Thanksgiving celebrations were at the White House where he pardoned a turkey - each year, and watched football.  

Trump has only had one thus far and that one included a visit to a Coast Guard station bearing a meal, and a phone call to all the troops.  

https://www.npr.org/2017/11/23/566262684/trump-to-troops-on-thanksgiving-you-re-fighting-for-something-good

[btdt100]

Everything the Wapo publishes is opinion. It is now a tabloid outlet for gossip, not a news outlet.  

[mitchscove]

How many soldiers did Trump kill protecting American citizens?

How many did LBJ kill in Vietnam?

Did any of Johnson's dead come back to life --- which would push back in time?  If they're still dead, their plight is as current as Trump's.

[Lobo]

<<How many soldiers did Trump kill protecting American citizens?>>

When did Trump ever "protect American citizens" from anything?

<<How many did LBJ kill in Vietnam?>>

About as many as Republican Nixon killed continuing and expanding the war. (And, of course, like GOPer Reagan a couple of decades later, secretly bribing Iran to not release the hostages until after the 1980 election, GOPer Nixon committed a little treason meeting with North Vietnam before the 1968 election, trying to stop LBJ's attempt to end the war).

Anyway, I admit Johnson lied the US into that war. He was one of our greatest presidents where domestic policy was concerned, comparable to FDR, but the Vietnam War was unfortunately  kind of overwhelming. But that said, you seem to forget GOPer Bush/Cheney lying the country into invading Iraq -- a war much closer to us in time. The US casualty count may not have been as high as Vietnam, but strategically it was much more disastrous.

[Lobo]

<<Everything the Wapo publishes is opinion. It is now a tabloid outlet for gossip, not a news outlet.  >>

Because any news media that doesn't report the news Trump wants reported, the way Trump wants it reported, is "Fake News"...?

LOL... Trump even admitted in an interview with Lesley Stahl that he attacks the press at all times (except FOX/TrumpTV, of course), so that when they report news that fails to put him in a good light, his followers won't believe it.

[ImStillMags Mags]

and btdt is walking proof that his methodology works.

[Lobo]

<<and btdt is walking proof that his methodology works.>>

As is mitchscove, and mark, and navy, and all the other Trump-followers who actually believe his lies, even when he tells them that he's lying, and openly boasts about manipulating them!

No slick, big city con-man before The Donald ever had it so damn easy. I'm surprised the Trump Organization, Inc hasn't started selling the Brooklyn Bridge yet...

[btdt100]

If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.......  

[herman]

There's no equivalence, btdt.

Obama didn't use a fake "invasion" as a pretext to pull a political stunt right before an election, btdt.

[btdt100]

Obama didn't?  Could have fooled me with his Russian 'invasion' of Crimea.  

[Lobo]

<<If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.......  >>

LOL... the one Obama "lie" over 8 years to somehow drown out Trump's 6,000-plus lies in less than two years -- though it was actually, more of an exaggeration or a misjudgment, since at least 98% of people with insurance who wanted to keep their doctor did, or lost them for reasons that had nothing to do with ObamaCare.

In any case, as Herman points out, it has precisely dick to do with Trump's outrageous, morale-destroying misuse of our troops for partisan political purposes. At a cost to all taxpayers, of all or no political parties, of at least $30 million..

[Lobo]

<<Obama didn't?  Could have fooled me with his Russian 'invasion' of Crimea.>>

Obama invaded Crimea with Russian troops? I could have sworn that was Vladimir Putin...

[btdt100]

Sure Lobo. Morale is so bad in the military because of Trump, they are voting for democraps. Not.  

[btdt100]

Of course you would swear that it was Putin, but you will not explain how Putin could invade a territory he already had legal possession of and was also already full of troops.  

Another good one of Obama's was Assad gassing his own people.  

Truth of the matter is that there was little that Obama was ever honest about.  Not to mention your candidate for POTUS whose middle name is Liar.  Sure Shilliary, a video caused the Benghazi attack.