Open Thread for Monday, November 16, 2015

President Barack Obama welcomes Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France before meeting with European leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey, to discuss the terrorist attacks in Paris, Nov. 16, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama welcomes Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France before meeting with European leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey, to discuss the terrorist attacks in Paris, Nov. 16, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

A quick once-over of today’s news:

  1. Obama rules out Syria ground invasion in passionate defence of Isis strategy — Yeah, that’s from The Guardian, hence the British spelling. Meanwhile, Hollande vows to destroy ISIS, saying “France is at war” and “They are not out of our reach.” So remind me, because I’m getting confused: Which of them leads France, and which the United States? I mean, it’s like he’s taunting Obama, saying such things as “It is not about containing, but about destroying that organization.”
  2. Governors bar Syrian refugees — This morning, it was Alabama, Michigan and Texas moving to bar the furriners on account a them all being terrorists. Now, it’s up to 16 governors — all Republican. Please don’t say South Carolina will be next… Please don’t say South Carolina will be next… Actually, I’m going to go out on a limb and say I don’t think Nikki Haley would do something like that. And not just because she’s my girl since her leadership on the flag. I think that, as the child of nonChristian immigrants, she knows better… POTUS is right when he reacts to some GOP candidates’ demagoguery by saying a religious test for immigrants would be “shameful.”
  3. USC students protest inequalities — The group “did not provide complete details of all the incidents that led to the protest Monday.” So, just because, I guess. Get back to me when the football team threatens to boycott the next game. Come to think of it, a move like that could help the team’s win percentage this year…

That’s enough. If y’all want to talk about other stuff be my guest, but that’s a plateful…

15 thoughts on “Open Thread for Monday, November 16, 2015

      1. Doug Ross

        How about we just ban unmarried males between the ages of 18 and 40? Wouldn’t that drop the probability of a terrorist slipping through by about 95%? Are many of the terrorists or suicide bombers married or fathers?

        That’s called a compromise, isn’t it, Brad?

        1. Barry

          That would probably make sense.

          I’d be all for admitting a small number of families that are completely screened.

          But in the absence of a very limited scope, I’m in full agreement with the governor’s stance.

        2. Karen Pearson

          That would do a lot to reduce the number. I would let the clearly disabled in also (how many blind or wheelchair bound terrorists have we seen?

  1. Mark Stewart

    The right thing to do is to help refugees.
    The moral thing to do is to help refugees.
    The honorable thing to do is to help refugees.
    The historically American thing to do is to help refugees.

    The xenophobic, un-Christian, scaredy-cat, spineless, contemptible and historically regrettable thing to do is to placate the know-nothing masses and their presumptions of the fearfulness of others. We should all be disgusted at the blathering nonsense spewed by these governors.

    People, we are better than that. If you aren’t, I am. If that offends you, tough. Our shared American history is one of triumph over such weak-mindedness. Right will prevail, the only question is how much embarrassment will be left in its wake?

    1. Bob Amundson

      … “Give me your tired, your poor,
      Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
      The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
      Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
      I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

      Well said Mark.

      1. Barry

        Most screaming the loudest aren’t interested in personally helping. They prefer to look down their noses.

        I had rather approach is from a prudent and practical standpoint, than a “look how good I am” point of view.

        As David Gergen said tonight on CNN – the problem with Syrian refugees is that there is no system in place in Syria to do background checks on anyone. As he stated himself, it is wise to go extremely slow with the process, and possibly admit certain people (young women, young families, elderly, etc).

        There is something odd about admitting young men of fighting age that aren’t willing to fight for their own country.

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