Name:	au67 -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/23/2018 4:24:43 PM

...looks like "Maddog" has been kicked out of the kennel of two administrations.  

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/23/2018 6:05:14 PM

Mattis is well respected, highly educated leader.  I think it is sad that Trump doesn't take seriously the advice of those Generals he thought so highly of in the beginning.  I give Mattis a lot of credit for doing the right thing.  But he can't keep hirig Generals and expect for them to be "yes" men.  That is not their training.  It's what happened with Colin Powell, Kelly, etc.  

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/23/2018 6:22:36 PM

MD is part of the swamp and he and his war mongering buddies need to hit the road.  Enough already.  Trillions spent to kill with impunity. May God forgive them if they see their sins. 

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/23/2018 7:48:56 PM (updated 12/23/2018 7:49:32 PM)

Carlson...Do you consider Bolton to be a war monger or a man of peace?

Name:	au67 -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/24/2018 8:32:57 AM

Defense Secretary James Mattis wanted us to stay in Paris accord. Trump said no. Mattis wanted us to stay in the Iran deal. Trump said no. Mattis wanted less pressure on NATO. Trump said no. Mattis wanted to keep soldiers in Syria. Trump said no.  Mattis wanted to hang around until February… Trump said no. (comment from CTH blog)

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	The little red light
Date:	12/24/2018 9:15:57 AM

GEN Mattis?  Is a bold and straight up kind of general.  EXACTLY the type we need in war. However, as au67 pointed out, he apparently did not agree with some of President Trump’s policies, actions, and directives.  Being a good subordinate, he seemed to have kept that tucked in… I was unaware of some of au67’s quotes… and, I am an avid reader of news… from several sources… every day. For him to retire (maybe he was asked to do so… maybe he just decided to do so), was the right thing for him to do if his disapproval complicated matters for his commander.  Good Soldier! 

The media contemptuously searches for something evil to assign to conservative leaders. 

This is the problem with debate today.  It assumes a person with an opposing perspective is bad… or evil.  There is very little in the form of classically critical discourse in the current political climate.  In place of civility and reason, we experience cynical obstructionism, righteous indignation, shrill ranting, and political cacophony.  There is violence in the name of “social justice.”  The opposition outwardly purports to know what others are thinking… what is intended – rather than acknowledging what is actually been said and done.  Parsing of words and misrepresentation of context spews from the mouths and pens of obstructionists in the name of “progress.”

Where is “duty, honor, and country”? 

Where is the voice of reason?

So much clatter… and very little matter.  The engine of The Republic is seizing for lack of the lubricant of reason, the coolant of historical perspective, and attention to the maintenance manual written by our Forefathers.  The dash warning light is on… but, the nation is too busy texting… to notice.

- LMF Curmudgeon

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/24/2018 9:57:58 AM

Yes, Bolton has been and is part of the swamp. 

Never have heard of a military man spilling all his/her gripes in a public letter of retirement.  Usually that is done in private in an exit interview which he had and yet felt it necessary to get in the last word in his parting letter.  Strangely, he thought he could publish the Mattis Manifesto and stay on two months?   

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/24/2018 11:49:36 AM

I think it is a matter of balance.  It's danagerous to surround yourself with "yes" men.  I see Bolton as a "yes" man - not to mention that he is a war monger.  The Pentagon has an obligation to present alternatives to the President, along with their assessment of the impact.  it is a matter of integrity when you feel so strongly about something the boss is doing - if you can't support his actions, then you must go.  His stint as the Secretary of Defense and his ultimate resignation does not take away from the magnificent career he had as a Marine General.  

I thought it cowardly that Trump had Pompaeo call Mattis to tell him that the President wanted him to leave by January 1st.  

What haunts me about pulling out of Syria is that I hope it is not some behind closed door agreement between Trump and Putin.  While I don't think Trump conspired with Putin to win the election, there is a small concern that Trump seems overly anxious to please Putin.

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/24/2018 12:06:29 PM

Wow, I hope my friends don’t treat me like Trump has Putin!  Russia is the least of our worries, look to China for the top honors.  

Has no one on this board not had a boss like Trump?  Like they if the the kitchen is too hot......

now everybody have a great Christmas and don’t look at your 401k balance.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/24/2018 1:20:09 PM

I think we have to worry about China and Russia and Iran, and a whole host of others  No point in understating the complexities of the world. 

Right now, I am focused on my stock accounts.  I'm not one to panic, but it doesn't look pretty.  Thankfully, I don't have to worry about my investments to live off of.  

Merry Christmas everyone!  

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...
Date:	12/24/2018 2:24:41 PM

Mattis is a RETIRED General who after retirement took another job as Secretary of Defense. He was hired based on his prior experience. His letter of resignation is simply a letter as Secretary of Defense and NOT as General Mattis active military. There are Retired Generals who have 2nd jobs as commentators on TV. From my perspective, that is their business.

He letter should be of concern all all Americans. Trump is just a New York developer trying to run the country. Sadly, he is way over his head and is not smart enough to listen to advice....as he knows more than the Generals.

Turkey will now try and wipe out the Kurds, Iran will get a foothold near the Golan Heights, and Trump will blame the Democrats. He has no cohesive policy and just shoots from the hip cause he believes his base likes that approach. The noose of miscalculations is tightening. The consequences are unknown but the outlook is not good. The market agrees and I do sincerely hope the new year brings some positive change. 

We are so polarized that dialogue leads to insults which is the approach Trump has used as President. This Forum is just a microcosm of the country. If we can’t change, why would anyone expect the country to change the next 2 years?

During Obama’s 8 years in office, FOX and Rush were 100% negative. The Right loved it. Now, that CNN and MSNBC are negative Trump, the Right is unable to handle it.Rather, they can only scream Fake News. Guys, 98%of it is NOT Fake. 

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Insults?
Date:	12/24/2018 7:00:35 PM

I am insulted every time anyone criticizes a "person of color" then gets called a racist. I am also insulted by the use of "n word". It still means the same thing. I am insulted when I hear blacks call each other nlgger but get all outraged when white person uses the same word. An offensive word is an offensive no matter what color mouth it comes out of. If the use of God's name in vain offends you,  does it matter what color the speaker is?

The whole n word controversy is simply a way for racist blacks to beat up on whitey. They can call us cracker with impunity. How many of you even know the entomology of the word cracker? If you don't you need to look it up. You should be offended when hearing that word. The original "crackers" were mostly vile creatures with no regard for human dignity.

I am going to stop. I could go on for pages about things that insult me but I can sum a lot of it up with one word, liberals. Yes liberals offend me and you quadruple so.

And just to take the thrill away from you or Archie I will flag this post myself

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...GF)
Date:	12/25/2018 10:44:42 AM

For you information, a General is a General whether they are retired or on active duty.  He actually has a right to use the title as long as he puts an (R) after it.  As Secretary of Defense he chose "Mr." because the entire Department of Defense works for him. 

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Well Lifer
Date:	12/25/2018 6:32:37 PM (updated 12/25/2018 6:33:35 PM)

I guess it is pretty clear where you stand! Can you guess what and who offends me?

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	That's easy
Date:	12/25/2018 6:58:30 PM

Anyone who doesn't believe exactly as your puppet masters at the DNC.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Insults?
Date:	12/25/2018 8:47:07 PM (updated 12/25/2018 8:48:29 PM)

What the he## does the use of the N word have to do with this thread? I have not seen the N word on the Forum until you decided to introduce it....SAD.

Your boy is sitting in the White Hiuse all alone so his wifey flew back from Florida.... SAD

You boy's market fell 600 points as a Christmas present to his Deplorables....SAD

Your boy shut down the Government to appeal to his ego...SAD

Pelosi will bring some sanity to the Country in 2018...

Happy Holidays Dude.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Well now...GF)
Date:	12/25/2018 8:51:11 PM

I understand.My point was that the letter was written as Sec of Defense not as General Mattis.

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	That's easy
Date:	12/26/2018 9:16:17 AM

If you have been reading, without bias and blinders, the posts I have written over the last 9 years including my opinions of BLM, medical care, deficit spending and other issues you would know that I am nobody's puppet.  If you took an unbiased look at the posts of most of the regulars on this forum over the last 2 years you would be forced to admit that nobody has more strings attached that are being jerked as needed than the typical ''Republican'' of today...Republicans who would be unrecognizable to Ronald Reagan, W and Daddy Bush, Barry Goldwater and Dwight Eisenhower.  Today's republican's beliefs are more akin to Williams Jennings Bryan (D) than Teddy Roosevelt (R)! 

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Translation please
Date:	12/26/2018 9:24:02 AM

Can someone please translate that second sentence for me. I don't speak idiot.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Insults?
Date:	12/26/2018 9:28:31 AM

Who said it did. I was referring to the real world, dumb@ss.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	To Lifer from a Dumbazz
Date:	12/26/2018 6:47:22 PM

You make NO sense. What did the use of the N word have to do with a thread about Mattis. 

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	To Lifer from a Dumbazz
Date:	12/26/2018 6:48:58 PM

You said you were insulted so posted what insults me.