How Obama Outtrumped Trump

With respect to the media, Obama did what Trump brags about wanting to do.

Whatever else you want to think about the two presidents, Obama is way more competent at being evil than Trump.

After all, Trump has yet to actually abuse the Espionage Act to search the journalists' phone records, particularized search targeting, and so forth. In fact, I doubt he is even aware of that possibility.

So do be duly horrified of the President's dangerous and reckless statements, but also keep in context that what he merely thinks about doing someone else has already done. Likely setting an example for others to follow.

No Secrets Left Worth Keeping

First we find out that a Russian cybersecurity firm got to examine the source code for central Pentagon software under Obama.

Then we learned that Russian hackers stole NSA data, which may allow for easier penetration.

Now it turns out that Chief of Staff Kelly's phone was compromised since last December, and he didn't learn of the breach until this summer, all the while being the head of the Department of Homeland Security!

If the head of DHS doesn't check for bugs, hacks, and other technical compromises of his devices, what can be said of everyone else in the government?

Aren't there common sense protocols for compromise awareness that our officials are briefed on when taking office?

And that's not even counting the obvious and inexcusable negligence of Javanka keeping officials on private servers after all the brouhaha with Hillary Clinton doing the same thing.

Jeez.

Reinventing the State Department.

Once upon a time, diplomacy was a powerful political tool for assisting and complementing military solutions towards complex problems.

Now it has become a joke of endless dialogues and peacemongering at the cost of all other steps that need to be taken to resolve the problem.

The issue here is not destroying or eliminating the State Department, but reorienting its mission, optimizing existing tools towards the foreign policy goals of the administration, getting rid of the people who are disruptive to those goals, and hiring people who will be helpful towards the implementation.

But the status quo cannot continue. The military can only advice as to the military objectives and strategies towards achieving those. They are not a substitute for political decisions.

Measuring Progress in Afghanistan

The bottom line on Afghanistan is this:

President Trump's speech made me somewhat optimistic that the administration has clear goals and is willing to put aside timelines to achieve them.

However, since the speech there's been no public communication at all about what the concrete, measurable goals are, what success looks like more specifically besides "stability with no terrorists", and what are the measurable steps to get there. I'd be ok with no timelines, as long as I knew what exactly we are looking to do, and how, generally speaking, we are planning to get there.

George W. Bush's administration may have been well-meaning when it came to Iraq, but it completely and utterly failed to communicate what it was they were hoping to achieve and how, and not only came out looking like liars, but wasted valuable resources and human lives until they finally came to some sort of conclusion.

I am really concerned that this is where we are headed on Afghanistan with Trump's administration. I am impressed with Mattis' ability to communicate and defend the president's comments and positions, but he is not a policymaker. He is an executive.

I have yet to see the core of the message that is being communicated here.

How Trump is Shooting Himself in the Foot on Puerto Rico

Let's separate the wheat from the chaff - the media generated propaganda about what Trump is or isn't doing regarding Puerto Rico recovery, and what Trump is saying about the situation.

 Trump's appointment of the general to lead the recovery seems a wise choice. The military has been exceptionally helpful during all of the hurricanes in recent memory that I've been keeping track of. Maria relief is no exception. Along with private efforts, they so far have been the best, especially since the Jones-related shipping rules have finally been lifted.

 One could criticize the administration from getting involved later than what would have been optimal, but now that they are involved I'm not sure that it's inadequate. The island is indeed devastated, and there's only so much that can be physically done in one go in terms of bringing help and saving lives.

  Trump's comments about Puerto Ricans wanting everything to be done for them were completely uncalled for. Yes, PR has major economic issues, exceptionally poor leadership, and union-related problems that may in fact be causing frictions with FEMA and slowing down the recovery. None of that is relevant right now, nor is this the time to accuse the many vulnerable people who've lost and are struggling to survive of being lazy bums and a burden on the US economy. Criticizing such comments is completely legitimate. And getting into fights with local mayors is a major distraction from whatever positive coverage of the administration's help towards recovery that would have otherwise been warranted. Trump is basically undermining his own case here.

Football v. Taxes

What we are still discussing five days later: football kneelers What we are not discussing: the new White House tax proposal (well, except Ted Cruz, who went on an epic tweetstorm). What has bearing on our daily lives and everything we do: taxes What has no bearing at all: football, and whether football players, stand, sit, kneel, do cartwheels, or float on air.