First impression of speech from Obama

[SittingElf]

One sentence.....

What a load of total ignorant bullshit! No substance whatsoever!

Pissed off!!!!

[(1VB)compforce]

Never once actually looked into the camera. If he was going to read the entire speech, couldn't they have at least placed the teleprompter above and behind the camera so it looked like he was talking to the viewer?

Less than 2 minutes in to the speech to say that they have no indications of connections to ISIS or other large groups. Maybe he needs to go watch the news again.

More gun control... and making it harder to buy "assault rifles"

Looking at K-1 visas doesn't make a bit of difference if you are going to continue to welcome refugees.

I do agree with the premise that SOF + HN forces is the way to go about destroying ISIS. Boots on the ground will just result in the same kind of clusterfuck that happened in AFG

I don't agree with the idea of a cease fire in Syria. That's a cover to retreat from a failed conflict that he owns.

Someone wrote a pretty good speech for him, but his body language and lack of emotion make it clear that he didn't own it.

"For seven years, I've confronted this evolving threat each morning in my intelligence briefing." Isn't President Obama the one that doesn't go to his intelligence briefings? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...briefings.html

[Sdiver]

... but his body language and lack of emotion make it clear that he didn't own it.

His voice broke and quivered a few times, as if he was unsure of himself and what he was saying.

Why was he standing behind a podium instead of sitting behind his desk. This was a speech from the Oval Office. That's what past presidents have done. Makes them look more Presidential/Official. Again, him standing behind a podium makes this speech hastily put together.

Almost threw a rock at my TV (I locked up all my firearms before the speech ... just in case) when he spewed that line about his morning intelligence briefs.

[Divemaster]

Vapid...adrift...

[Old Dog New Trick]

Sounded like Charlie Browns' teacher only with less substance.

What's an "assault weapon" and how do we ban them?

Also, there are no known "possible terrorist" on a (US) No Fly list that meet the minimum legal requirements to buy a weapon. So that's just smoke and mirrors for more gun control.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by Sdiver

His voice broke and quivered a few times, as if he was unsure of himself and what he was saying.

For him, probably akin to a public apology & shaming (the guy who got rid of the term GWOT). On the visceral level, not uncommon for such things to elicit easily spotted physical responses.

When asked tomorrow Josh "MOTUS" Earnest will say his boss was simply channeling sorrow & frustration. I'll bet he puked when the FBI spox in San Berdoo used the 'T' word.

[(1VB)compforce]

Originally Posted by Old Dog New Trick

Also, there are no known "possible terrorist" on a (US) No Fly list that meet the minimum legal requirements to buy a weapon. So that's just smoke and mirrors for more gun control.

I think that's an end run around the Constitution. The no-fly list is, at it's heart, an arbitrary list of people. There is no trial, no due process, not even an accusation until someone on the list tries to buy a ticket. If you link the ability to purchase a legal firearm to this type of list, you bypass several Amendments.

[PSM]

Did he actually admit that the Ft. Hood shooting was an act of terrorism?

Pat

[Flagg]

Originally Posted by (1VB)compforce

I think that's an end run around the Constitution. The no-fly list is, at it's heart, an arbitrary list of people. There is no trial, no due process, not even an accusation until someone on the list tries to buy a ticket. If you link the ability to purchase a legal firearm to this type of list, you bypass several Amendments.

So if I understand the speech correctly, their hope is that if you're on the "no fly list" you will be prevented from purchasing/owning firearms.

Who controls the No Fly List and ensures it doesn't expand to include millions of firearms owners for liking, sharing, commenting on an Internet social media meme arbitrarily viewed as promoting or condoning violence?

As I understand it, there have been a few people accurately categoriized as non violent political protestors placed on the No Fly List.

I thought the right(and at times responsibility) of non violent political protest was what helped separate the U.S. and a few other countries from totalitarianism.

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I was amazed at the complete lack of acknowledgement of the risk posed by illegal immigrants & culturally, linguistically, and politically incompatible refugees.

Just mention of visas or some such to reduce risk/threats.

Surreal debacle

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The President made the right noises in terms of SOF, "by, with, thru", et al MEANS.

But I'm not hearing much in the way of a coherent, cogent MISSiON with an END STATE.

It sounds "cool" to many I'm sure, but it also sounds like the President may be happy to "pretend and extend" to the end of his term.

This is another decade+ long chapter in an ongoing unconventional war.

Sadly, while this unconventional war is being conducted against nebulous state actors, non state actors, and domestic subversives, there are also peer level existing and emerging threats to deal with concurrently.

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This is feeling more and more like the 1930's mashed up with Bladerunner everyday.

[Flagg]

Originally Posted by PSM

Did he actually admit that the Ft. Hood shooting was an act of terrorism?

Pat

Seemed to be an oblique acknowledgement, but how many years later?

What gets me is the perpetual need to clear Islam of guilt.

Communism itself wasnt the devil, and most communists were not out to get us.

But enough of them WERE out to get us(and each other's competing communist block) both overseas and subversively at home to have to face it decisively and destroy it head on.

Islam as a platform is much like communism, but with greater resilience, persistence, and rigid ideological adherence.

Communism achieved a certain level of open and fashionable adherence, acceptance, tolerance in the west(same with the short lived nazi parties), until it was found to be hijacked by the minority within communism who pursued global dominance,

That communist minority rigidly and decisively controlled the communist majority, despite most of them being just like us wanting to get on with their lives in peace.

A rigid ideological adherent minority is battling for the majority again, and is currently winning.

It's like fighting communism all over again, except few see this emerging global threat for what it is.

I'm currently reading a book on Col Eddy USMC who was an OSS officer and Arab SME" it's helping be undestand the basis of US relations with Saudi and the rest of the region.

I think I'm going to read up on the rise and fall of communism and the rise of neo communism in the U.S. next.

[Guymullins]

Our chap doesn't use an autocue. Watch this and try to contain your envy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqNa6992ih4

[SouthernDZ]

I'm getting a bit tired of Barack Obama taking every opportunity to tell me how I'm coming up short being a true American, both morally and as a citizen. I was serving my country while he was still an "underprivileged" youth smoking dope at Harvard.

Bite me Barry.

[Paslode]

I can't watch President Me, Myself and I for the reason SDiver mentioned.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by (1VB)compforce

I do agree with the premise that SOF + HN forces is the way to go about destroying ISIS. Boots on the ground will just result in the same kind of clusterfuck that happened in AFG...

Just to point out, SOF in country is still "boots on the ground", just fewer boots facing the same dangers as non-SOF boots, with fewer support assets available in case things go sour.

[(1VB)compforce]

Originally Posted by Razor

Just to point out, SOF in country is still "boots on the ground", just fewer boots facing the same dangers as non-SOF boots, with fewer support assets available in case things go sour.

I understand. IMO, this type of conflict is more suited to UW/FID than it is to maneuvering battalions of infantry around. Add conventional forces to the mix and we have all the same issues that we had/have in AFG.