What is the Exit Plan for Syria? | Clarion Project

What is the Exit Plan for Syria? | Clarion Project
"On April 8, 2018, the American think tank Security Studies Group shared an exit plan for Syria with the National Security Council.
Key points in the analysis were the conclusions that:

• The U.S. should execute a phased withdrawal from Syria that transitions to peacekeeping and development operations by allies in the region.
• The U.S. should urgently negotiate an agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to provide both economic development and military resources needed to create a protectorate in Sunni areas of Syria.
• The U.S. should negotiate an agreement with Turkey that mitigates their concerns about Kurdish expansion on their border and protects the People’s Protection Units’ (YPG) allies.
• The U.S. should facilitate an economic exchange of oil and other products from Syria.
• The U.S. should limit Russian and Iranian influence to only those areas already under control of the Assad regime.
• The Shiite Crescent envisioned by Iran must not be allowed to form across Syria.

On December 19, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that victory against ISIS had been achieved and ordered U.S. forces to withdraw from Syria.
The immediate question is: How will we move from political rhetoric to an exit strategy in Syria in the coming months?..."

How they "think"-----Right-Wing Extremists Are a Bigger Threat to America Than ISIS

Right-Wing Extremists Are a Bigger Threat to America Than ISIS
"...They and untold thousands like them are the extremists who hide among us, the right-wing militants who, since 2002, have killed more people in the United States than jihadis have.
These Americans thrive on hate and conspiracy theories, many fed to them by politicians and commentators who blithely blather about government concentration camps and impending martial law and plans to seize guns and other dystopian gibberish, apparently unaware there are people listening who don’t know it’s all lies.
These extremists turn to violence—against minorities, non-Christians, abortion providers, government officials—in what they believe is a fight to save America.
And that potential for violence is escalating every day..."
Read on for more lunacy.

Donald Trump doesn't need Congress' approval to build border wall

Donald Trump doesn't need Congress' approval to build border wall:

Minus an 11th-hour deal in the Senate, the only way a border wall will get built is if the president uses executive power to do it. He has the funds available and the authority to build the wall on his own. The only question is whether President Trump will finally start taking advice from those who actually support his goals rather than continuing to trust the internal obstructionists.

Congress demands answers on AP’s relationship with Chinese state media - The Washington Post

Congress demands answers on AP’s relationship with Chinese state media - The Washington Post
"China’s state-run media companies are rapidly expanding their integration with Western news outlets, as part of Beijing’s worldwide foreign influence operations campaign.
In Washington, lawmakers in both parties are calling out such arrangements and demanding U.S. media companies make sure they don’t become tools of Chinese government propaganda.
As with all authoritarian regimes, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is organized around manipulation and control of information and ideas. 
Under President Xi Jinping, the party has rapidly and boldly expanded its efforts to influence discussion about China beyond its borders, in part through the global expansion of state-run media outlets.
The goal is to suppress any criticism of the Chinese government and shape the international discussion of China in ways favorable to the party’s interests.
....That brings us to the late November announcement by Xinhua, China’s largest state-run news agency, that it is expanding cooperation with the U.S. news service Associated Press..."

Solar Panel Waste: A Disposal Problem | Watts Up With That?

Solar Panel Waste: A Disposal Problem | Watts Up With That?
"Solar photovoltaic energy is not as environmentally conscious a choice as many think it is
The last few years have seen growing concern over what happens to solar panels at the end of their life.
Consider the following statements:

• – The problem of solar panel disposal will explode with full force in two or three decades and wreck the environment because it is a huge amount of waste which is not easy to recycle. 1
• – Solar panels create 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than do nuclear power plants. If solar and nuclear produce the same amount of electricity over the next 25 years that nuclear produced in 2016, and the wastes are stacked on football fields, the nuclear waste would reach the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa (53 meters), while the solar waste would reach the height of two Mt. Everests (16 km). 2
• – Contrary to previous assumptions, pollutants such as lead or carcinogenic cadmium can be almost completely washed out of the fragments of solar modules over a period of several months by rain water. 1
• – In countries like China, India, and Ghana, people living near e-waste dumps often burn the waste in order to salvage the valuable copper wires for resale. Since this process requires burning off plastic, the resulting smoke contains toxic fumes that are carcinogenic and teratogenic (birth-defect causing) when inhaled. 2

Solar photovoltaic panels, whose operating life is 20 to 30 years, lose productivity over time..."

Lunch video-----3 Hours of Christmas Music Classics and Holiday Scenery

Why is it Important that Jesus Was Born to a Virgin? - Hope with God

Why is it Important that Jesus Was Born to a Virgin? - Hope with God:

Jesus Christ was born to Mary, a virgin.  Why is it important that she was a virgin?
The Bible clearly teaches us that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born to Mary who was a virgin. Why is this important?
It is important for many reasons. First,

Coming soon: Legal child euthanasia - WND

Coming soon: Legal child euthanasia - WND: "
Canada expected to join Netherlands, Belgium in allowing of killing sick kids
Following its 2019 elections, Canada is expected to approve euthanasia for sick children, joining the Netherlands and Belgium as the only nations in the world affirmatively sanctioning such practices.
The Council of Canadian Academies, a government advisory board has studied the expansion of euthanasia to include making it available for children, those with mental illness and so-called “advance requests” by those who wish to set in motion assisted suicide should they become incompetent to make the decision later.
...In Canada, however, it’s a booming business with thousands put to death by doctors and nurse practitioners since it was legalized nationwide in 2015. Clinics run TV commercials for euthanasia.
Nearly 2,000 were killed in 2017 alone in Canada, almost all by lethal injection..."

That nasty Trump...oops. Never mind.....16 times Obama said there would be no boots on the ground in Syria

16 times Obama said there would be no boots on the ground in Syria
WASHINGTON — Since 2013, President Obama has repeatedly vowed that there would be no "boots on the ground" in Syria.
But White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the president's decision Friday to send up to 50 special forces troops to Syria doesn't change the fundamental strategy: "This is an important thing for the American people to understand. These forces do not have a combat mission."
Earnest said the promises of "no boots on the ground" first came in the context of removing Syrian President Bashar Assad because of his use of chemical weapons.
Since then, Syria has become a haven for Islamic State fighters.
Here's a recap of Obama's no-boots pledges..."

#1 Song this day 1952-----Jimmy Boyd - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 1952

Republican Gov Pardons Five Iraqi Nationals Trump Admin Was Trying To Deport

Republican Gov Pardons Five Iraqi Nationals Trump Admin Was Trying To Deport:
"Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder, who has been at the forefront of the water crisis in that state has pardoned several Iraqi immigrants.
The major problem with this pardon is the Trump administration had been trying to deport them for over a year, unsuccessfully.
This is a Lame Duck Republican move.
Snyder would never have done it if he were still eligible to run for Governor again.
...Usama “Sam” Hamama of West Bloomfield, Michigan previously had a criminal record which made him subject to the Trump administration’s deportation designs.
With that record gone, however, so is the threat of being deported. Hamama was previously convicted of threatening someone with a gun during a road rage incident in 1988 and was sentenced to two years in prison..."

Exclusive/Watch -- Charlie Kirk: Leftists Want to Destroy Western Civilization

Exclusive/Watch -- Charlie Kirk: Leftists Want to Destroy Western Civilization:

Charlie Kirk told Breitbart News on Friday that Leftists want the complete and fundamental destruction of Western civilization, and that he hopes the Republican Party has learned that it needs to keep fighting in order to win.
“I hope [the Republican Party] is now a Party that fights,” said Kirk to Breitbart News, at his 4th annual Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, “I hope we become a Party that understands when we fight, we win.”
“Make no mistake that the number one lesson we can learn from the Trump presidency is that republicans are allowed to fight — in fact, we have to — and when we do fight, we’re going to win.”

'Who Is Jesus?' Google Home Couldn't Answer. People Weren't Happy | Fortune

'Who Is Jesus?' Google Home Couldn't Answer. People Weren't Happy | Fortune
"...users became angry when the smart speaker was unable to answer questions such as, “Who is Jesus?” but could respond to similar queries about Buddha, Muhammad and Satan, CNBC reports. 
...Some have noticed the Google Assistant wouldn’t respond for “Who is Jesus.” 
This wasn’t out of disrespect but to ensure respect..."

History for December 25

History for December 25 - On-This-Day.com
Sir Isaac Newton 1642 (O.S.) - Physicist, mathematician, Clara Barton 1821, Conrad Hilton 1887


Humphrey Bogart 1899, Rod Serling 1924, Jimmy Buffett 1946 - Singer


1776 - Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, NJ.


1991 - Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.

Border Patrol Snags More MS-13 Members, Convicted Sex Offenders Trying To Jump Border | Daily Wire

Border Patrol Snags More MS-13 Members, Convicted Sex Offenders Trying To Jump Border | Daily Wire:

United States Customs and Border Protection say they have arrested at least two more members of the notorious MS-13 gang, and two convicted — and previously deported — sex offenders trying to cross the United States-Mexico border.
The Daily Mail reports that CBP apprehended the four men in four separate incidents ranging across the southern border from Arizona to Texas. All four had had previous run-ins with border patrol.

The way we were-----Baby it's cold outside

Boob-tube-----Banned Looney Tunes & More Cartoons Compilation

Teamsters union takes all but $15 of UPS workers' pay

Teamsters union takes all but $15 of UPS workers' pay
"...seasonal UPS workers in Boston are dealing with a very different problem this Christmas season. 
It seems that some employees who were hired to help with the holiday surge of shipping were informed that they would need to join the Teamsters to take part in these temporary jobs. 
Imagine their surprise when they finished putting in a lot of overtime during their first week on the job and opened up their paychecks, only to find that the union had taken all of their pay except for an amount that would barely buy two people dinner at McDonald’s. 
CBS Boston has the story of Sheila O’Malley, who found herself in exactly that position with little time left before Saint Nick arrived.

Sheila O’Malley of Charlestown couldn’t believe it when she opened her paycheck from her seasonal job at UPS. “I was shocked,” she told the I-Team. She worked 41 hours that week, many of them during the overnight, and ended up with just $14.52.

Sheila assumed it was a mistake and the money would be refunded. In part, because Sheila, like other thousands of other seasonal part time UPS workers, signed an agreement to pay the $500 Teamsters union initiation fee in $32.00 weekly installments. But UPS told her it wasn’t a mistake. A spokesperson for UPS told the I-Team, “Local 25 reversed this long standing practice by rescinding this policy.”

It wasn’t just Shelia. 

According to the CBS report, this happened to literally thousands of UPS workers. 

And it’s been going on for a while now..."

Democrats Vs. Ordinary Catholic Guys | The American Conservative

Democrats Vs. Ordinary Catholic Guys | The American Conservative
“Why are you Christians so paranoid about the Democrats?”

Because of things like this:

A judicial nominee faced questions from Senators this month about whether membership in the Knights of Columbus might impede his ability to judge federal cases fairly. The Knights of Columbus say that no candidate for public office should have to defend his membership in a Catholic service organization.

Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) raised concerns about membership in the Knights of Columbus while the Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed the candidacy of Brian C. Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.

Senators also asked whether belonging to the Catholic charitable organization could prevent judges from hearing cases “fairly and impartially.”

In written questions sent to Buescher by committee members Dec. 5, Sen. Hirono stated that “the Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions. For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to California’s Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage.”

Hirono then asked Buescher if he would quit the group if he was confirmed “to avoid any appearance of bias.”...

WALSH: Jack Phillips Is Now In Court For Not Baking A 'Gender Transition' Cake. This Is Blatant Religious Persecution. | Daily Wire

WALSH: Jack Phillips Is Now In Court For Not Baking A 'Gender Transition' Cake. This Is Blatant Religious Persecution. | Daily Wire:

Scardina is a bully and a harasser. No rational person believes that his request was made in good faith. Even if it was (which, I emphasize again, it most certainly wasn't), a business owner has the right to decline to lend his labor and skill to the celebration of genital mutilation.

They lie to convince you taxes are good for the poor-----Sugar taxes have not reduced obesity rates anywhere — Institute of Economic Affairs

Sugar taxes have not reduced obesity rates anywhere — Institute of Economic Affairs:
"A global study found taxes on soft drinks, snacks, alcohol and tobacco are more likely to change the lifestyle behaviour of vulnerable poorer consumers.
At the same time, most of the tax revenues would come from higher income households.
Poorer sections of society are disproportionately affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) linked to lifestyle, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, said the authors.
NCDs were described as a “major cause and consequence” of poverty.
The findings, from a series of articles published in The Lancet medical journal, were reported shortly before a controversial sugar tax on soft drinks comes into force in the UK on Friday.
...However the findings were strongly challenged by Christopher Snowdon from the Institute of Economic Affairs.
He said: “The claim that poor people disproportionately benefit from these taxes is absurd. 
“Sugar taxes have not reduced obesity rates anywhere in the world and smoking is much more prevalent among the poor than among the rich, despite decades of high taxes on tobacco.
There is precious little evidence that poor people benefit from being taxed.
On the contrary, sin taxes drive them further into poverty.”

NICK GILLESPIE: The World Is Not Ending Because of Donald Trump.

NICK GILLESPIE: The World Is Not Ending Because of Donald Trump.
"NICK GILLESPIE: 
The World Is Not Ending Because of Donald Trump. In Fact, It’s Not Even Ending.

Trump is doing pretty much exactly what he promised he would do: Shrink our military footprint around the world, insist on a border wall, act impulsively and childlishly. Critics are right to chastise Trump for not following any sort of coherent process in arriving at or announcing his Syria decision, but it’s still the right decision. It’s always ugly and disturbing when the United States pulls out of occupied countries (remember Saigon?), but are we supposed to stay in Syria and Afghanistan forever?
In this case, Trump isn’t the problem. The problem is American foreign policy, which has been a virtually unmitigated disaster for the entire 21st century (and really, can we talk about Yemen at some point?).

The assumption that our prior Syria policy — or our prior foreign policy in general — was some sort of well-oiled high-performance machine that Trump is screwing up is hilarious. 
Who can look at the last two decades and think that?
Besides, you know, people who are paid to.--Posted by Glenn Reynolds"

Lunch video-----United Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Hawaii Travelogue - 1950

Noon-toon