A medium-range (30 miles) radar-guided surface-to-air Buk missile takes out an airliner flying over Ukraine at 33,000 feet.Exhibit B:
A small, crude, fire-and-forget, Qassam surface-to-surface artillery rocket with a 2 to 8 mile range is fired in the direction of the Tel Aviv airport. It does not hit the airport property and there is no damage.Now, enter the Twilight Zone....
Take a guess where flights from the US are cancelled.
The administration says cancelling flights to Israel is in the interest of safety.
These two recent events give us the rare opportunity to see each political party stand for what they believe in.
Republican Response: We can only assume, but here is what I think a Reagan would do. Out of both safety and a need to hold Russia accountable for giving Buk missiles to people who might use them against airliners, I see Reagan cancelling all direct US flights into and out of Russia. I would expect Reagan to confirm flight safety into Israel, and follow the advice he'd receive.
Democrat Response: Obama will never place serious sanctions on Russia because a) he fears Russia and b) it is an opportunity to bring the US down a notch in foreign affairs. Obama's FAA has cancelled all flights to Israel.
Libertarian Response: I've asked for this from Ushanka's Libertarian readers but have not received a response. They've demanded an investigation into the Ukraine event, so I must assume President Ron Paul would have done the same. I haven't seen any Libertarians comment about the cancelled flights into Israel, so I assume they are in agreement with Obama.
4 comments:
I'm a libertarian leaning conservative so I don't know if that counts. I think Obama judged handed a huge victory to Hamas although there is no surprise there. That kind of decision should be left up to the airlines.
As for the downing of the civilian airliner, before we go rushing off to war with Russia let's find out what really happened. Think WMD and Iraq. There is too much information being apparently deliberately hidden. Was it (a) a deliberate act by the separatists under orders from Russia to take down a civilian airliner? (b) an accidental firing by the separatists? (c) a deliberate firing because the separatists thought it was a Ukrainian military jet? (d) a deliberate firing by some group that wanted to make Russia look bad? or (e) something else entirely?
I think a and b are highly unlikely. c is plausible but still unlikely. d and e are the most likely.
Oops - typed too quickly. I meant Obama just handed a victory to Hamas.
Agree re: Hamas. But I'd re-write what you said: Obama will hand a defeat to Israel every chance he can get.
My approach to Russia is the same the law here takes with parents whose kids get access to a gun and hurt someone. The law holds the parent, the gun owner, responsible for the injury. Deliberate, accidental, whatever - all secondary to the act.
I don't know where you got "rushing to war" with me. I want to hold Russia accountable. My preference would be to isolate them by shutting down all direct air traffic to and from. Who'd argue with that?
As for war, I'd expect them to escalate with sanctions and further isolation. That is a tough scenario, but each side knows how that would go. Russia wins the PR war with incremental escalations, but the US wins when the bullets fly.
If they knew we were willing to go that far, they'd back down and just talk trash. I don't see Ron Paul or Obama being capable of sending that message. Am I wrong?
Obama is a Pajama Boy. The only people he actively threatens are law abiding, productive American citizens. He represents the moochers and freeloaders in our country. I can't imagine any experienced leader in the world giving him a moment's thought. Ron Paul - who knows - but don't forget that Harry Truman was considered a lightweight when he took office. But since Ron Paul will never be President, it is a moot point. God knows what will happen when they appoint Hillary President. She might push the launch button during a hot flash.
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