Why Obama Should Remember Eisenhower’s Vietnam Doubts BY JEFFREY FRANK

The New Yorker / View Original 4 Sep 2013 EISENHOWER 1954, OBAMA 2013 In April, 1954, President Eisenhower was being pressured to take military action in Vietnam, where the French were losing a symbolically important battle at Dien Bien Phu and were about to be driven out of what was then their colony. At a press …

AL QAEDA MUST BE CONFRONTED IN SYRIA By Joel Brinkley (and Ogres: DeM Banter)

DeM Banter:  Very true... and one of many editorials this AM on Syria, The POTUS, and Congress.  The conflict in Syria has morphed several times over the past 2-3 years.  Now the rebels are heavily backed by al Qaeda and in some cases...there are not rebels...only al Qaeda.  So if Assad is hit are we simply opening …

ADVISORY BOARD TO SUGGEST MILITARY HEAVY ON RESERVES By Andrew Tilghman

DeM Banter:  One (of many) holes in this logic...why would anyone sign up?  Recall the Brits are facing issues with not being able to meet their recruiting goals as they switched to a heavier reserve component. If you are working 40-60 hours a week to feed the family...would folks take on an additional reserve job--when …

Street Killings Underscore Iraq’s Rising Unrest By Adam Schreck

DeM Banter: ...Iraq...not necessarily covered in the mainstream press any longer, but something to pay very close attention to...how do we avoid this? And this with a full ground invasion...using a Libya airpower model in Syria...will it work? Speaking of work...what is success in Syria? And speaking of Libya...things there are not good either...the silence …

NATO Chief: No Plans For Alliance Action In Syria By Jan M. Olsen

DeM Banter: Here's a thought...maybe it's more a movie plot...but: Assad did not use chemical weapons, but AQ did. The US laid out some red lines and AQ (or their friends and various partners) knew that unleashing chemical weapons in Syria would draw the US into the conflict. UBL made it clear that his plan …

Advancing Leadership will Change the World…DeMarco Banter

I am a firm believer in leadership.  With strong leadership, everything moves forward.  Leaders are advancers. They advance and push the thinking of their teammates right out of the box--smashing the status quo and advancing creativity.  Leaders elevate others' performances--making those they work with (and for) better than anyone every thought possible.  Leaders improve the …

U.S. Strike Could Pull Nation Into War, Experts Say By Ernesto Londono and Ed O’Keefe

DeM Banter: When there is no strategy to fall back on... and that pesky thing called history points in a different direction...things don't resonate too well. Washington Post August 28, 2013 Pg. 1 Washington has had mixed success with limited intervention An imminent U.S. strike on Syrian government targets in response to the alleged gassing …