westernjournal--2020-01-11--Officials: 7 Confirmed Dead in Severe Storms, Toll May Rise

Authorities say at least seven people have died as severe storms sweep across parts of the U.S. South , bringing high winds and unrelenting rain .
The National Weather Service in Birmingham , Alabama , said Saturday via Twitter that three people have been confirmed killed near Carrollton in Pickens County .
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said that an “ embedded tornado within a long line of intense thunderstorms ” caused the deaths .
Earlier Saturday , firefighters found the bodies of an elderly couple Saturday near their demolished trailer , the Bossier Parish Sheriff ’ s Office said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong that the home was moved 200 feet from its foundation .
The deaths of the victims , who were the in-laws of a parish deputy , brings the storm-related toll in the state to three after a 75-year-old man was killed in Oil City , according to the Caddo Parish Coroner ’ s Office .
Raymond Holden was in bed when the tree fell on his home , crushing him .
Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington told The Associated Press that a truck driver and a Benton police officer had a close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power line .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' “ A power line was hanging across the road and a eighteen wheeler truck ran into it and got hung up in it and the Benton officer got there to help him , ” Whittington said .
Both were expected to survive .
The National Weather Service in Shreveport estimated that a tornado , with about around 135 mph winds , touched down in Bossier Parish .
Arkansas , Oklahoma and Texas on Saturday morning were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed through the night before .
One person died Friday night in Texas when a car flipped into a creek in Dallas .
Additionally , lightning from Friday ’ s stormy weather is suspected of causing two house fires in the North Texas cities of Burleson and Mansfield .
Officials said no one was injured .
Homes were damaged or destroyed in Missouri , Oklahoma and Arkansas on Friday , but no injuries were reported .
Downed trees and power lines were widespread .
According to PowerOutage.us , Mississippi had more than 61,0000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers were without power in Louisiana .
In Tennessee , Memphis Light , Gas and Water said about 23,000 customers were without power Saturday morning .
Damage was widespread throughout Shelby County , Tennessee ’ s most populous county that includes Memphis , including downed trees and power poles , some of which will need to be replaced , according to the utility .
Entergy Arkansas reported nearly 42,000 power outages Saturday morning , mostly in the southeastern part of the state .
Southwestern Electric Power Co. reported nearly 5,000 customers in East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reported Saturday morning that portions of several highways in the southeastern part of the state were closed due to flooding .
The Arkansas Department of Transportation reported that portions of several state highways across the state , particularly in the southeastern portion of Arkansas were closed due to downed trees and power lines and to flooding .
RELATED : Glacier Nat ' l Park Changing Signs That Claimed Glaciers Would Be Gone by 2020 The National Weather Service warned of high winds and flooding and the potential for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors escaping the cold are a common sight during the winter .
Many streams already are at or near flood levels because of earlier storms , and heavy rains could lead to flash flooding across the region , forecasters said .
Parts of Arkansas , Tennessee , Mississippi , Missouri , Illinois and Indiana were under flash flood warnings or watches on Saturday .
The storm , bringing the threat of ice and snow to the Chicago area , prompted the cancellation of about 1,000 flights Saturday at Chicago ’ s two main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s online flight-tracking website showed that as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday about 950 flight cancellations were reported at Chicago ’ s O ’ Hare International Airport and more than 50 flights had been canceled at Midway International Airport .
Delays at O ’ Hare and Midway were averaging around 15 minutes , the department said .
The weather service issued a winter weather advisory , flood watch and lakeshore flood warning for the Chicago metropolitan area for Saturday and a winter storm warning for adjacent areas of northwestern Illinois .
The weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snow , freezing rain and sleet was expected through Saturday afternoon in the Chicago area before changing by evening over to snow and sleet , possibly mixed with freezing rain .
Breezy conditions were forecast with gusts as high as 45 mph .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Authorities say at least seven people have died as severe storms sweep across parts of the U.S. South, bringing high winds and unrelenting rain.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, said Saturday via Twitter that three people have been confirmed killed near Carrollton in Pickens County. The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said that an “embedded tornado within a long line of intense thunderstorms” caused the deaths.
Earlier Saturday, firefighters found the bodies of an elderly couple Saturday near their demolished trailer, the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook. The winds were so strong that the home was moved 200 feet from its foundation.
The deaths of the victims, who were the in-laws of a parish deputy, brings the storm-related toll in the state to three after a 75-year-old man was killed in Oil City, according to the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office. Raymond Holden was in bed when the tree fell on his home, crushing him.
Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington told The Associated Press that a truck driver and a Benton police officer had a close call after being shocked by a downed power line.
“A power line was hanging across the road and a eighteen wheeler truck ran into it and got hung up in it and the Benton officer got there to help him,” Whittington said. Both were expected to survive.
The National Weather Service in Shreveport estimated that a tornado, with about around 135 mph winds, touched down in Bossier Parish.
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas on Saturday morning were clear of the severe thunderstorms that had passed through the night before. One person died Friday night in Texas when a car flipped into a creek in Dallas. Additionally, lightning from Friday’s stormy weather is suspected of causing two house fires in the North Texas cities of Burleson and Mansfield. Officials said no one was injured.
Homes were damaged or destroyed in Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas on Friday, but no injuries were reported. Downed trees and power lines were widespread.
Do you think global warming contributed to these severe storms? Yes No
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According to PowerOutage.us, Mississippi had more than 61,0000 power outages midday Saturday. About 35,000 customers were without power in Louisiana. In Tennessee, Memphis Light, Gas and Water said about 23,000 customers were without power Saturday morning. Damage was widespread throughout Shelby County, Tennessee’s most populous county that includes Memphis, including downed trees and power poles, some of which will need to be replaced, according to the utility.
Entergy Arkansas reported nearly 42,000 power outages Saturday morning, mostly in the southeastern part of the state. Southwestern Electric Power Co. reported nearly 5,000 customers in East Texas were without power Saturday morning.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reported Saturday morning that portions of several highways in the southeastern part of the state were closed due to flooding.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation reported that portions of several state highways across the state, particularly in the southeastern portion of Arkansas were closed due to downed trees and power lines and to flooding.
On Alabama’s Gulf Coast, Baldwin County canceled school activities including sporting events for Saturday.
The National Weather Service warned of high winds and flooding and the potential for 10-foot-high waves on beaches, where northern visitors escaping the cold are a common sight during the winter.
Many streams already are at or near flood levels because of earlier storms, and heavy rains could lead to flash flooding across the region, forecasters said.
Parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana were under flash flood warnings or watches on Saturday.
The storm, bringing the threat of ice and snow to the Chicago area, prompted the cancellation of about 1,000 flights Saturday at Chicago’s two main airports.
The Chicago Department of Aviation’s online flight-tracking website showed that as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday about 950 flight cancellations were reported at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and more than 50 flights had been canceled at Midway International Airport.
Delays at O’Hare and Midway were averaging around 15 minutes, the department said.
The weather service issued a winter weather advisory, flood watch and lakeshore flood warning for the Chicago metropolitan area for Saturday and a winter storm warning for adjacent areas of northwestern Illinois.
The weather service said rain, possibly mixed with snow, freezing rain and sleet was expected through Saturday afternoon in the Chicago area before changing by evening over to snow and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain.
Breezy conditions were forecast with gusts as high as 45 mph.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--Emissions Down: If Libs Really Care About Environment, They Should Support Trump

The results are in and , despite much squawking from the climate change left in recent months , U.S. carbon emissions did in fact reportedly fall over the past year .
According to preliminary estimates from the Rhodium Group , an independent American research organization , energy and economic sector data show the U.S. decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2.1 percent in 2019 .
Following a marked increase in 2018 , the firm reported that the decrease , “ due almost entirely to a drop in coal consumption , ” has left the nation emitting roughly 12 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2005 .
In fact , the U.S. saw a record 18 percent decrease in coal-fired power generation this past year , meaning coal power generation was at its lowest level since 1975 .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Somehow , despite constant claims that the Trump administration ’ s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement would leave the U.S. trailing European and Asian nations as a moral leader in combating the supposedly imminent threat of climate change , America is very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. is not on pace to meet its Copenhagen Accord target of a 17 percent emissions reduction from 2005 levels by 2020 , and is dramatically off course to reach the Paris Agreement ’ s unreasonable target of 26 to 28 percent reduction by 2025 , according to the Rhodium Group .
But in a world where those still signed on to such agreements have failed to keep even their most basic promises , and global emissions have in fact risen rather than fallen , no reasonable party could dare argue America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader .
While making the U.S. more energy independent , the Trump administration has still managed to cut national coal consumption in the energy sector while encouraging the market to pursue alternative solutions .
According to researchers Trevor Houser and Hannah Pitt at Rhodium , “ An increase in natural gas generation offset some of the climate gains from this [ 2019 ] coal decline , but overall power sector emissions still decreased by almost 10 % .
” In laymen ’ s terms , a cleaner , albeit imperfect , option has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. energy sector : natural gas .
RELATED : Glacier Nat ' l Park Changing Signs That Claimed Glaciers Would Be Gone by 2020 But the alarmist climate change left cares not for honest , middle-of-the-road solutions such as this .
They care far less about everyone making measured steps toward a better world , and far more about instituting a socialist , one-world-one-love utopia where the successful and the exceptional are forced to carry not only their own weight , but the weight of the unable and unwilling as well .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply advocate for a transition to natural gas or nuclear energy .
In fact , they fight against such things , instead championing economy-crippling green energy deals that include universal income and subsidized wind and solar energy research and development projects paid for by the middle and upper classes .
The American people are unmatched in their ability to rise to the challenge .
Time and again their ingenuity , innovation , moral leadership and raw heart have been mobilized to better — and dare I say save — the world .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
President Donald Trump certainly knows this .
Perhaps he knows it best of all .
More importantly , however , Trump knows the left and the international community are beyond willing to take advantage of those facts .
And that is precisely the problem with things like the Green New Deal and the Paris Agreement .
They require hard-working Americans to double their sacrifices , subsidize global innovation and go broke in the process .
This week ’ s numbers reveal that without such agreements , we can make a difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If that isn ’ t true climate leadership , I don ’ t know what is .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The results are in and, despite much squawking from the climate change left in recent months, U.S. carbon emissions did in fact reportedly fall over the past year.
According to preliminary estimates from the Rhodium Group, an independent American research organization, energy and economic sector data show the U.S. decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2.1 percent in 2019.
Following a marked increase in 2018, the firm reported that the decrease, “due almost entirely to a drop in coal consumption,” has left the nation emitting roughly 12 percent less greenhouse gases than it was in 2005.
In fact, the U.S. saw a record 18 percent decrease in coal-fired power generation this past year, meaning coal power generation was at its lowest level since 1975.
The US saw a 2.1% fall in greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to a new report. This was due to a decrease in coal plants, which resulted in an emissions drop of 190 million metric tons.https://t.co/nlrWAi4kjc — Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape) January 8, 2020
Somehow, despite constant claims that the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement would leave the U.S. trailing European and Asian nations as a moral leader in combating the supposedly imminent threat of climate change, America is very much on the right track.
Granted, the U.S. is not on pace to meet its Copenhagen Accord target of a 17 percent emissions reduction from 2005 levels by 2020, and is dramatically off course to reach the Paris Agreement’s unreasonable target of 26 to 28 percent reduction by 2025, according to the Rhodium Group.
But in a world where those still signed on to such agreements have failed to keep even their most basic promises, and global emissions have in fact risen rather than fallen, no reasonable party could dare argue America has forsaken its role as a world leader.
Do you support the use of nuclear energy and natural gas? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 97% (577 Votes) No: 3% (16 Votes)
While making the U.S. more energy independent, the Trump administration has still managed to cut national coal consumption in the energy sector while encouraging the market to pursue alternative solutions.
According to researchers Trevor Houser and Hannah Pitt at Rhodium, “An increase in natural gas generation offset some of the climate gains from this [2019] coal decline, but overall power sector emissions still decreased by almost 10%.”
In laymen’s terms, a cleaner, albeit imperfect, option has begun to see mainstream popularity in the U.S. energy sector: natural gas.
Did you know that according to the IEA the US leads the world in emissions reductions since 2000? Why? The market-driven shift to natural gas. I cover this and more in my 2019 Energy Market Outlook.https://t.co/jV8Dwevvj0 pic.twitter.com/UPmUK8zsbZ — Ryan Sitton (@RyanSitton) October 30, 2019
But the alarmist climate change left cares not for honest, middle-of-the-road solutions such as this.
They care far less about everyone making measured steps toward a better world, and far more about instituting a socialist, one-world-one-love utopia where the successful and the exceptional are forced to carry not only their own weight, but the weight of the unable and unwilling as well.
This is precisely the reason leftists cannot simply advocate for a transition to natural gas or nuclear energy.
In fact, they fight against such things, instead championing economy-crippling green energy deals that include universal income and subsidized wind and solar energy research and development projects paid for by the middle and upper classes.
The American people are unmatched in their ability to rise to the challenge.
Time and again their ingenuity, innovation, moral leadership and raw heart have been mobilized to better — and dare I say save — the world.
Every reasonable person versed in world history knows this.
President Donald Trump certainly knows this. Perhaps he knows it best of all.
More importantly, however, Trump knows the left and the international community are beyond willing to take advantage of those facts.
And that is precisely the problem with things like the Green New Deal and the Paris Agreement.
They require hard-working Americans to double their sacrifices, subsidize global innovation and go broke in the process.
This week’s numbers reveal that without such agreements, we can make a difference and continue to thrive in the process.
If that isn’t true climate leadership, I don’t know what is.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--Flourishing Trump Economy Lifts More Than 6 Million Off Food Stamps

Even before new rules proposed by the Trump administration have taken effect , the number of people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been falling , according to new data .
Department of Agriculture data shows that 6.4 million fewer Americans received food stamps in September , at the end of the 2019 fiscal year , than in January 2017 , when President Donald Trump took office .
Roughly 42.7 million people were enrolled in SNAP in January 2017 , compared to 36.3 million last September .
That 15 percent drop has also meant that SNAP , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government , now costs American taxpayers $ 13 billion less than in 2016 .
The White House noted last month that not only have Americans previously classified as unemployed found jobs , those who were not even seeking work are now working .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' “ The prime-age labor force has grown by 2.1 million people since the election , reversing losses under the prior administration ’ s expansion period , which totaled approximately 1.5 million people .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s revival over the past three years is not a continuation of past trends , but instead a result of President Trump ’ s pro-growth policies , ” the White House wrote in a December report on the labor force , which includes Americans who are working or looking for work .
The report said the roaring economy means many Americans now have more money .
“ For 16 straight months , annual nominal wage growth has been at or above 3 percent , a level not reached since the Great Recession , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wage growth for many disadvantaged groups is now higher than wage growth for more advantaged groups , as is the case for lower-income workers compared to higher-income workers , workers compared to managers , and African Americans compared to whites , ” the report said .
One official said the economy is lifting Americans off of SNAP .
“ We have had the longest economic expansion in the history of the U.S under President Trump , ” Brandon Lipps , the USDA ’ s deputy undersecretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Employers are hungry for employees , and they have now moved into employment .
It ’ s because they ’ re employed and above the level of poverty that they no longer qualify for SNAP.
” A new rule , meanwhile , seeks to increase the work requirements for some SNAP recipients .
According to current policy , adults between the ages of 18 and 49 without dependents who can work are limited to three months of benefits over 36 months unless they are working or are in a job training program for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , states can apply to the federal government for waivers of that requirement , citing high unemployment .
The new rule makes it harder for states to get a waiver .
The Department of Agriculture estimates about 688,000 people would lose access to SNAP out of about 2.1 million adults without dependents who are SNAP-eligible but not working .
RELATED : AOC Lies About New Trump Welfare Rule & Children , Gets 40,000 Retweets Only 800,000 of those eligible to work are in fact working , according to the USDA .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years , the agency said , as NBC News reported .
Lipps said that the change meshes with the goal of SNAP , which is to provide temporary help when families hit hard times .
The administration ’ s critics do not see it that way .
“ The Trump administration has deliberately taken policy actions to reduce the number of needy people getting food assistance under SNAP , ” Olivia Golden , executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy , told the Examiner .
“ It has gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support in order to make people hungrier.
” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the new rule “ would potentially throw hundreds of thousands off food assistance , driving the vulnerable into hunger.
” “ This is cruel and exposes a deep and shameful hypocrisy in this administration , ” he said on the Senate floor last month , according to USA Today .
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said that the administration wants to end dependency on Washington programs .
“ Americans are generous people who believe it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they encounter a difficult stretch .
Government can be a powerful force for good , but government dependency has never been the American dream .
We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand , ” Perdue said in a news release .
Perdue elaborated on his philosophy regarding SNAP in an Op-Ed for the Arizona Daily Star .
“ Our SNAP program should be structured to work with our changing economy , not be stuck in the past , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why I made it a top priority to ensure people have the tools they need to move away from SNAP dependency and back toward self-sufficiency .
At the USDA we are working to restore the original intent of SNAP — one that provides a safety net for those in need but encourages accountability and self-sufficiency.
” “ The USDA ’ s actions to reform SNAP restore the dignity of work to a sizable segment of our population , while also respecting the taxpayers who fund the program .
Our action to encourage work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more workers in our economy , ” he added .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Even before new rules proposed by the Trump administration have taken effect, the number of people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been falling, according to new data.
Department of Agriculture data shows that 6.4 million fewer Americans received food stamps in September, at the end of the 2019 fiscal year, than in January 2017, when President Donald Trump took office.
Roughly 42.7 million people were enrolled in SNAP in January 2017, compared to 36.3 million last September.
That 15 percent drop has also meant that SNAP, which is administered by states but funded by the federal government, now costs American taxpayers $13 billion less than in 2016.
The White House noted last month that not only have Americans previously classified as unemployed found jobs, those who were not even seeking work are now working.
“The prime-age labor force has grown by 2.1 million people since the election, reversing losses under the prior administration’s expansion period, which totaled approximately 1.5 million people. This evidence suggests that the labor market’s revival over the past three years is not a continuation of past trends, but instead a result of President Trump’s pro-growth policies,” the White House wrote in a December report on the labor force, which includes Americans who are working or looking for work.
The report said the roaring economy means many Americans now have more money.
“For 16 straight months, annual nominal wage growth has been at or above 3 percent, a level not reached since the Great Recession, and continues to outpace inflation. Importantly, wage growth for many disadvantaged groups is now higher than wage growth for more advantaged groups, as is the case for lower-income workers compared to higher-income workers, workers compared to managers, and African Americans compared to whites,” the report said.
One official said the economy is lifting Americans off of SNAP.
Do you think food stamps should be reserved for those who cannot work? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 93% (97 Votes) No: 7% (7 Votes)
“We have had the longest economic expansion in the history of the U.S under President Trump,” Brandon Lipps, the USDA’s deputy undersecretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services, told the Washington Examiner. “Employers are hungry for employees, and they have now moved into employment. It’s because they’re employed and above the level of poverty that they no longer qualify for SNAP.”
A new rule, meanwhile, seeks to increase the work requirements for some SNAP recipients.
According to current policy, adults between the ages of 18 and 49 without dependents who can work are limited to three months of benefits over 36 months unless they are working or are in a job training program for at least 20 hours per week.
However, states can apply to the federal government for waivers of that requirement, citing high unemployment. The new rule makes it harder for states to get a waiver.
The Department of Agriculture estimates about 688,000 people would lose access to SNAP out of about 2.1 million adults without dependents who are SNAP-eligible but not working.
Only 800,000 of those eligible to work are in fact working, according to the USDA. The rule will save $5.5 billion over five years, the agency said, as NBC News reported.
Lipps said that the change meshes with the goal of SNAP, which is to provide temporary help when families hit hard times.
The administration’s critics do not see it that way.
“The Trump administration has deliberately taken policy actions to reduce the number of needy people getting food assistance under SNAP,” Olivia Golden, executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy, told the Examiner. “It has gone around Congress to change policies with bipartisan support in order to make people hungrier.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the new rule “would potentially throw hundreds of thousands off food assistance, driving the vulnerable into hunger.”
“This is cruel and exposes a deep and shameful hypocrisy in this administration,” he said on the Senate floor last month, according to USA Today.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said that the administration wants to end dependency on Washington programs.
“Americans are generous people who believe it is their responsibility to help their fellow citizens when they encounter a difficult stretch. Government can be a powerful force for good, but government dependency has never been the American dream. We need to encourage people by giving them a helping hand but not allowing it to become an indefinitely giving hand,” Perdue said in a news release.
Perdue elaborated on his philosophy regarding SNAP in an Op-Ed for the Arizona Daily Star.
“Our SNAP program should be structured to work with our changing economy, not be stuck in the past,” Perdue wrote. “This is why I made it a top priority to ensure people have the tools they need to move away from SNAP dependency and back toward self-sufficiency. At the USDA we are working to restore the original intent of SNAP — one that provides a safety net for those in need but encourages accountability and self-sufficiency.”
“The USDA’s actions to reform SNAP restore the dignity of work to a sizable segment of our population, while also respecting the taxpayers who fund the program. Our action to encourage work will help fill the critical need for more workers in our economy,” he added.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--CNN-Covington Legal Battle Takes Bizarre Turn as Sandmann Claims False Representation

Even though Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann accepted a settlement from CNN after he sued the cable network for defamation earlier this week , the teen ’ s fight for his reputation is far from over .
Now the teen and his legal team are facing off against another lawyer , Robert Barnes , for claiming that he represents Sandmann .
Barnes is most famously known for representing Info Wars ’ Alex Jones , but when Covington Catholic students found themselves in the middle of a media storm last January following a confrontation with Native American activists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer quickly offered his services .
Ten of the students shown in the background of the viral video originally published by several establishment media outlets decided to accept Barnes ’ offer of representation .
Those 10 students have elected to remain anonymous during their own defamation lawsuits against establishment media companies , but Sandmann — the public face of the incident — sought legal representation with L. Lin Wood .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Earlier this week , CNN settled with Sandmann and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement brought attention to Barnes ’ lawsuit on behalf of the other 10 students , however .
In his lawsuit , Barnes claimed his clients ’ lives had been greatly impacted after several public figures “ called for the kids to be named and shamed , doxxed and expelled , ” according to Fox News .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , Rep. Deb Haaland , CNN ’ s Anna Navarro and Kathy Griffin are among those accused in the lawsuit .
Former CNN host Reza Aslan was also mentioned in Barnes ’ lawsuit over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Honest question .
Have you ever seen a more punchable face than this kid ’ s ?
” Barnes claimed Aslan ’ s tweet defamed his clients , but the tweet referenced only Sandmann — who isn ’ t represented by Barnes .
On Thursday , Sandmann called out Barnes over a series of tweets , claiming that Barnes was misrepresenting him .
“ @ Barnes_Law would you like to explain why you ’ re suing for me without my permission ?
You ’ ve blocked my lawyers on twitter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Reza Aslan tweet ?
Retract and stop lying to the public , ” the teen wrote .
“ Barnes can claim all he wants that he ’ s filed it on behalf of the covington kids but we both know that isn ’ t true , ” he added .
“ Reza ’ s tweet references only one kid , and i take up a majority of the picture.
” “ My position since January 18th , 2019 has been clear : I will not be used by anyone or any media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or attention .
This is just that.
” An hour after Sandmann ’ s tweets , Barnes tweeted , “ All # CovingtonBoys I represent retain anonymity as John Does ( Nick Sandmann , who went public , is not my client ) .
The reason to protect their privacy is the threats they already faced .
A key precedent we seek : you should not forfeit your privacy to sue for invasion of privacy.
” Barnes ’ lawsuit doesn ’ t mention Sandmann , according to Fox News , and when asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement with Sandmann will affect his clients ’ lawsuit , Barnes responded , “ I do not represent Nick Sandmann , ” before adding further comment .
Sandmann ’ s lawyer also chastised Barnes for “ publicly suggesting or stating that he represents Nicholas , ” adding that Barnes had been asked to stop doing so .
“ In response , Barnes “ blocked ” @ ToddMcMurtry & me on Twitter , ” Wood wrote .
“ Barnes apparently can not control his desire to garner publicity by falsely using Nicholas ’ name.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ publishing & then correct his prior false statements , Nicholas ’ attorneys are fully prepared to take legal action against him .
So Barnes can take the easy way out or he will get out the hard way – we will sue him .
A group of Covington Catholic high school students went to Washington , D.C. , for the annual pro-life March for Life and were gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial waiting for their bus when Indigenous People ’ s March demonstrators and radical Black Hebrew Israelites approached them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media outlets , including CNN , quickly ran with edited videos showing the group of teens , with Sandmann in the forefront wearing a “ Make America Great Again ” hat , in a standoff with the demonstrators , including Nathan Phillips .
The story was by the establishment media in such a way that much of the American public became convinced that the “ Trump-supporting ” students initiated the standoff , but the full video soon proved otherwise .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
@ @ @ @ @

Even though Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann accepted a settlement from CNN after he sued the cable network for defamation earlier this week, the teen’s fight for his reputation is far from over.
Now the teen and his legal team are facing off against another lawyer, Robert Barnes, for claiming that he represents Sandmann.
Barnes is most famously known for representing Info Wars’ Alex Jones, but when Covington Catholic students found themselves in the middle of a media storm last January following a confrontation with Native American activists and others in Washington, D.C., the lawyer quickly offered his services.
Ten of the students shown in the background of the viral video originally published by several establishment media outlets decided to accept Barnes’ offer of representation.
Those 10 students have elected to remain anonymous during their own defamation lawsuits against establishment media companies, but Sandmann — the public face of the incident — sought legal representation with L. Lin Wood.
Earlier this week, CNN settled with Sandmann and his lawyers outside of court.
The settlement brought attention to Barnes’ lawsuit on behalf of the other 10 students, however.
In his lawsuit, Barnes claimed his clients’ lives had been greatly impacted after several public figures “called for the kids to be named and shamed, doxxed and expelled,” according to Fox News.
Do you think Sandmann has a legitimate case here? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 93% (3804 Votes) No: 7% (297 Votes)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Deb Haaland, CNN’s Anna Navarro and Kathy Griffin are among those accused in the lawsuit.
Former CNN host Reza Aslan was also mentioned in Barnes’ lawsuit over his tweet referring to Sandmann that said, “Honest question. Have you ever seen a more punchable face than this kid’s?”
Barnes claimed Aslan’s tweet defamed his clients, but the tweet referenced only Sandmann — who isn’t represented by Barnes.
On Thursday, Sandmann called out Barnes over a series of tweets, claiming that Barnes was misrepresenting him.
“@Barnes_Law would you like to explain why you’re suing for me without my permission? You’ve blocked my lawyers on twitter and now claim you’re suing over the Reza Aslan tweet? Retract and stop lying to the public,” the teen wrote.
“Barnes can claim all he wants that he’s filed it on behalf of the covington kids but we both know that isn’t true,” he added. “Reza’s tweet references only one kid, and i take up a majority of the picture.”
“My position since January 18th, 2019 has been clear: I will not be used by anyone or any media outlet to gain clicks, money, or attention. This is just that.”
Yes. Barnes can claim all he wants that he’s filed it on behalf of the covington kids but we both know that isn’t true. Reza’s tweet references only one kid, and i take up a majority of the picture. The article he even linked (now deleted) stated this: pic.twitter.com/aK7DfV9zqE — Nick Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) January 9, 2020
It clearly states it’s about me in the title! My position since January 18th, 2019 has been clear: I will not be used by anyone or any media outlet to gain clicks, money, or attention. This is just that. — Nick Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) January 9, 2020
An hour after Sandmann’s tweets, Barnes tweeted, “All #CovingtonBoys I represent retain anonymity as John Does (Nick Sandmann, who went public, is not my client). The reason to protect their privacy is the threats they already faced. A key precedent we seek: you should not forfeit your privacy to sue for invasion of privacy.”
Barnes’ lawsuit doesn’t mention Sandmann, according to Fox News, and when asked earlier this week how CNN’s settlement with Sandmann will affect his clients’ lawsuit, Barnes responded, “I do not represent Nick Sandmann,” before adding further comment.
Sandmann’s lawyer also chastised Barnes for “publicly suggesting or stating that he represents Nicholas,” adding that Barnes had been asked to stop doing so.
“In response, Barnes “blocked” @ToddMcMurtry & me on Twitter,” Wood wrote. “Barnes apparently cannot control his desire to garner publicity by falsely using Nicholas’ name.”
4/ If Barnes does not cease publishing & then correct his prior false statements, Nicholas’ attorneys are fully prepared to take legal action against him. So Barnes can take the easy way out or he will get out the hard way – we will sue him. His choice. — Lin Wood (@LLinWood) January 9, 2020
“If Barnes does not cease publishing & then correct his prior false statements, Nicholas’ attorneys are fully prepared to take legal action against him. So Barnes can take the easy way out or he will get out the hard way – we will sue him.
“His choice.”
A group of Covington Catholic high school students went to Washington, D.C., for the annual pro-life March for Life and were gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial waiting for their bus when Indigenous People’s March demonstrators and radical Black Hebrew Israelites approached them and began verbally assaulting them.
Establishment media outlets, including CNN, quickly ran with edited videos showing the group of teens, with Sandmann in the forefront wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, in a standoff with the demonstrators, including Nathan Phillips.
The story was spun by the establishment media in such a way that much of the American public became convinced that the “Trump-supporting” students initiated the standoff, but the full video soon proved otherwise.
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--Omar, Tlaib Rage Over Potential Trump Travel Ban Expansion: ‘Straight Up Racism’

Word that the Trump administration could expand its current travel ban brought cries of racism from anti-Trump progressive Democrats before anyone even announced which countries might be affected .
The White House is considering an expanded travel ban , according to The Associated Press .
The AP report said most of the nations added would likely be majority-Muslim countries , but did not name all of them .
According to CBS News , which described its anonymous source as a senior administration official , the ban could be expanded by seven countries , most of them majority-Muslim nations .
CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News reported that a document outlining the plan has been making the rounds in the White House , but with the affected nations ’ names blacked out .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' The current ban covers Iran , Libya , Somalia , Syria and Yemen as well as Venezuela and North Korea .
Under the policy , immigrant and non-immigrant visas are suspended for applicants from the affected countries , but there are exceptions for students and individuals with “ significant contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban could be expanded brought yelps of outrage from Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota , Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Pramila Jayapal of Washington .
Tlaib referred to the ban as “ Straight up racism !
” RELATED : The Most Important Trump Adviser You 've Never Heard Of Is California Lawyer Robert O'Brien According to Jayapal , any expansion of the ban would be “ xenophobic.
” Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts promised that if she ’ s elected , she ’ ll undo Trump ’ s travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one commentator noting that racism has nothing to do with faith .
White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley would neither confirm or deny that the list of nations on the travel ban was being expanded .
“ The Travel Ban has been very successful in protecting our Country and raising the security baseline around the world , ” Gidley said in a statement .
“ While there are no new announcements at this time , common-sense and national security both dictate that if a country wants to fully participate in U.S. immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all security and counter-terrorism measures — because we do not want to import terrorism or any other national security threat into the United States.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Word that the Trump administration could expand its current travel ban brought cries of racism from anti-Trump progressive Democrats before anyone even announced which countries might be affected.
The White House is considering an expanded travel ban, according to The Associated Press.
The AP report said most of the nations added would likely be majority-Muslim countries, but did not name all of them.
According to CBS News, which described its anonymous source as a senior administration official, the ban could be expanded by seven countries, most of them majority-Muslim nations. CBS also did not name the countries.
Fox News reported that a document outlining the plan has been making the rounds in the White House, but with the affected nations’ names blacked out.
The current ban covers Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen as well as Venezuela and North Korea.
Are you tired of the knee-jerk howls of racism from the left? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 100% (1304 Votes) No: 0% (1 Votes)
Under the policy, immigrant and non-immigrant visas are suspended for applicants from the affected countries, but there are exceptions for students and individuals with “significant contacts” in the U.S.
News that the ban could be expanded brought yelps of outrage from Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
Omar called the ban “madness” on Twitter.
What do 5 out of 7 of these countries have in common? They are Muslim-majority countries the President already tried to ban. We need to pass the #NoBanAct immediately to stop this madness. https://t.co/UxdV7SsnCU — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 10, 2020
Tlaib referred to the ban as “Straight up racism!”
No more waiting. Too many Muslims have been intentionally targeted, discriminated against, separated from their families and denied opportunities solely based on their faith. Straight up racism! Pass #NoBanAct #RepealtheBan @MuslimAdvocates https://t.co/M47QECbGmD — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 10, 2020
According to Jayapal, any expansion of the ban would be “xenophobic.”
Different Muslim Ban—same xenophobic Administration. An expanded Muslim Ban will worsen our relationships with countries around the world. It won’t do anything to make our country safer. It will harm refugees, alienate our allies & give extremists propaganda for recruitment. https://t.co/qMaWQxt6oS — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 10, 2020
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts promised that if she’s elected, she’ll undo Trump’s travel ban.
Donald Trump is seemingly doubling down on his bigotry and xenophobia. Let’s be clear: I’ll reverse the Muslim Ban on my first day in office, and I won’t stop fighting against policies that scapegoat and hurt Muslim communities and families. https://t.co/3zKanMq6C1 — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 10, 2020
Others pushed back, with one commentator noting that racism has nothing to do with faith.
Jihad-Reps Omar, Tlaib OUTRAGED over report White House plans to expand travel ban : ‘Straight up racism!: Actually, betches, it’s “Straight up national security!” And long overdue. #BacktheBan Oh, and Islam is not a race. https://t.co/qh57ig5tm5 pic.twitter.com/REh4eAyncx — Pamela Geller (@PamelaGeller) January 11, 2020
White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley would neither confirm or deny that the list of nations on the travel ban was being expanded.
“The Travel Ban has been very successful in protecting our Country and raising the security baseline around the world,” Gidley said in a statement.
“While there are no new announcements at this time, common-sense and national security both dictate that if a country wants to fully participate in U.S. immigration programs, they should also comply with all security and counter-terrorism measures — because we do not want to import terrorism or any other national security threat into the United States.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--Iran Admits They Shot Down Civilian Plane, Blames US Anyway

Iranian officials admitted Saturday that they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane this week , but claimed it was “ U.S .
adventurism ” that led to this disaster that killed all 176 people on board .
A Boeing 737 passenger jet bound for Kyiv from Tehran ’ s Imam Khomeini International Airport and operated by a Ukrainian airline crashed Wednesday in Iran .
Iranian officials originally blamed the crash on a technical issue with the plane but acknowledged Saturday that Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard had accidentally shot down the plane , according to Fox News .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S troops .
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh , head of Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard ’ s aerospace division , told state-run TV that he accepts “ full responsibility ” for shooting down the aircraft and “ wished I was dead ” when he heard about the crash .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Hajizadeh said that an officer made a “ bad decision ” to open fire on the plane he had mistaken for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an all-out conflict , ” he said .
Iran ’ s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif still blamed the tragedy on the United States .
“ A sad day , ” he tweeted .
“ Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces : Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.
” “ Our profound regrets , apologies and condolences to our people , to the families of all victims , and to other affected nations , ” he added .
Iran ’ s President Hassan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the cause of the tragedy and “ The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.
” Iran said 140 of the dead were Iranian .
Other victims were citizens of Canada , Sweden , Britain , Afghanistan and Germany , according to the Ukraine Foreign Ministry .
RELATED : The Most Important Trump Adviser You 've Never Heard Of Is California Lawyer Robert O'Brien Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the news in a tweet Saturday morning .
“ We expect Iran to bring those responsible to justice , return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an official apology , ” he tweeted .
“ The investigation must be full , open & continue without delays or obstacles.
” According to The Associated Press , Iran ’ s admission renewed questions that if Iran was worried about more U.S. attacks , why did it no shut down its international airport or airspace ?
Ukraine International Airlines criticized Iran for this disastrous decision .
“ It ’ s absolutely irresponsible , ” Ukraine International Airlines vice president Ihor Sosnovskiy said .
“ There must be protection around ordinary people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they are obliged to close the airport.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Iranian officials admitted Saturday that they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane this week, but claimed it was “U.S. adventurism” that led to this disaster that killed all 176 people on board.
A Boeing 737 passenger jet bound for Kyiv from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport and operated by a Ukrainian airline crashed Wednesday in Iran.
Iranian officials originally blamed the crash on a technical issue with the plane but acknowledged Saturday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had accidentally shot down the plane, according to Fox News.
The plane was shot down hours after the ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S troops.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division, told state-run TV that he accepts “full responsibility” for shooting down the aircraft and “wished I was dead” when he heard about the crash.
Hajizadeh said that an officer made a “bad decision” to open fire on the plane he had mistaken for a cruise missile.
“We were prepared for an all-out conflict,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif still blamed the tragedy on the United States.
“A sad day,” he tweeted. “Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces: Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster.”
A sad day. Preliminary conclusions of internal investigation by Armed Forces: Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.
? — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 11, 2020
“Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations,” he added.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani also tweeted “human error” was the cause of the tragedy and “The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.”
Iran said 140 of the dead were Iranian. Other victims were citizens of Canada, Sweden, Britain, Afghanistan and Germany, according to the Ukraine Foreign Ministry.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the news in a tweet Saturday morning.
“We expect Iran to bring those responsible to justice, return the bodies, pay compensation and issue an official apology,” he tweeted. “The investigation must be full, open & continue without delays or obstacles.”
This morning brings the truth.
Ukraine insists on a full admission of guilt. We expect Iran to bring those responsible to justice, return the bodies, pay compensation and issue an official apology. The investigation must be full, open & continue without delays or obstacles. — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 11, 2020
According to The Associated Press, Iran’s admission renewed questions that if Iran was worried about more U.S. attacks, why did it no shut down its international airport or airspace?
Ukraine International Airlines criticized Iran for this disastrous decision.
“It’s absolutely irresponsible,” Ukraine International Airlines vice president Ihor Sosnovskiy said. “There must be protection around ordinary people. If they are shooting somewhere from somewhere, they are obliged to close the airport.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--Israel Announces New ‘Laser Sword’ Breakthrough Designed To Shred Enemy Weapons

It ’ s difficult to find geopolitical news these days that gives your average conservative an unalloyed warm , fuzzy feeling .
Sure , impeachment is backfiring like a worn moped on Democrats , but we still have to deal with the ridiculous specter of impeachment in the first place .
The fact that terrorist Qassem Soleimani was ( as John Cena might say ) compromised to a permanent end was somewhat soured by the fact that Iran , in its ineffectual response to the attack , shot down a Ukrainian airliner .
There ’ s tumult within the royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Where ’ s the good news there ?
Well , fear not , because I ’ ve got some grade-A unfiltered glad tidings for you .
Is it good news for Israel ?
You bet .
Is it bad news for Hamas ?
Absolutely .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Will it make Rashida Tlaib really grumpy ?
Yes — and that ’ s the key thing here .
If it ’ s something that makes Tlaib glower over her coffee in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner .
And that winner is a “ laser sword.
” According to The Jerusalem Post , Israel ’ s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that it was rolling out a laser system designed to hit rockets and mortars too small to be covered by the country ’ s Iron Dome missile defense system .
The new tech “ makes the security apparatus more lethal , more powerful and more advanced , ” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said .
Bennett added the country would “ add a laser sword when dealing with threats from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are entering a new age of energy warfare in the air , on land and at sea , ” said Brig .
Gen. Yaniv Rotem , head of the Defense Ministry ’ s Directorate of Research and Development .
“ The R & D investments made by the DD [ Directorate of Defense ] R & D in recent years have placed the State of Israel among the leading countries in the field of high-energy laser systems.
” The system has been germinating for over a decade and has been successfully tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a dramatic solution to rocket fire , ” said Dubi Oster , head of the optronics department at the Directorate of Defense ’ s research and development division .
“ We have been working on this for years .
But it is challenging to get a good-quality beam to stay the size you need at the range you need … for example , a beam the diameter of a coin from here [ in Tel Aviv ] to Herzliya.
” The Times of Israel reported that the system isn ’ t ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the developmental stages .
It ’ s set to begin testing later this year .
However , the unveiling on Wednesday is a sign that the system is ready to move forward — major news out of Israel , since the government there has been struggling to find a cost-effective way to make the proposed laser system work .
RELATED : Ilhan Omar Declared 'Antisemite of the Year ' by Anti-Hate Group It was reported last year that the Israelis were working on an “ Iron Beam ” laser system to compliment the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed by Israel and the United States first deployed in 2011 .
It ’ s so far unclear whether what was announced Wednesday was that system .
During the 2014 conflict in the Gaza Strip , according to the Jewish Virtual Library , the Iron Dome intercepted 90 percent of the rockets fired at Israeli targets .
However , the system relies on $ 20,000-a-piece rockets and isn ’ t effective against smaller targets .
Meanwhile , Brig .
Gen. Rotem said that each firing of the “ laser sword ” would cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have a high initial price tag , subsequent uses over time would make the system cost-effective .
Furthermore , so long as the Iron Beam is powered , it has unlimited ammunition .
Each Iron Dome installation is limited to a finite number of rockets on site , meaning a well-timed fusillade could get past the system .
“ During a war , missile interceptors will at one point run out , but with this system , as long as you have electricity , you have a never-ending supply , ” Rotem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system is meant only to compliment the Iron Dome , not replace it .
It has limitations of its own , particularly if skies are overcast .
“ We can only shoot down with a laser what we can see , ” Rotem said .
However , an airborne platform that uses the laser system is another potential deployment the Israelis hope to pursue , along with a fixed ground platform and a maneuverable platform that troops can use in the field .
“ This is one system with many options — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Of course , with any system like this it depends how it ’ s developed .
If testing is successful , the system will see its first deployment outside of Gaza .
However , the potential of a system that can shoot down mortars and small rockets would be a game-changer in Israel , particularly since it would take away a major avenue of asymmetrical warfare for groups like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon .
It ’ s the kind of news that makes you smile .
And yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glowering , which makes it all the more fun .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

It’s difficult to find geopolitical news these days that gives your average conservative an unalloyed warm, fuzzy feeling.
Sure, impeachment is backfiring like a worn moped on Democrats, but we still have to deal with the ridiculous specter of impeachment in the first place. The fact that terrorist Qassem Soleimani was (as John Cena might say) compromised to a permanent end was somewhat soured by the fact that Iran, in its ineffectual response to the attack, shot down a Ukrainian airliner. There’s tumult within the royal family and continuing unrest in Hong Kong. Where’s the good news there?
Well, fear not, because I’ve got some grade-A unfiltered glad tidings for you.
Is it good news for Israel? You bet.
Is it bad news for Hamas? Absolutely.
Will it make Rashida Tlaib really grumpy? Yes — and that’s the key thing here. If it’s something that makes Tlaib glower over her coffee in the morning, you’ve got a winner. And that winner is a “laser sword.”
According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that it was rolling out a laser system designed to hit rockets and mortars too small to be covered by the country’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The new tech “makes the security apparatus more lethal, more powerful and more advanced,” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said.
Bennett added the country would “add a laser sword when dealing with threats from the north or the south.”
“We are entering a new age of energy warfare in the air, on land and at sea,” said Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Research and Development. “The R&D investments made by the DD [Directorate of Defense] R&D in recent years have placed the State of Israel among the leading countries in the field of high-energy laser systems.”
The system has been germinating for over a decade and has been successfully tested against rockets and mortars.
“This is a dramatic solution to rocket fire,” said Dubi Oster, head of the optronics department at the Directorate of Defense’s research and development division. “We have been working on this for years. But it is challenging to get a good-quality beam to stay the size you need at the range you need … for example, a beam the diameter of a coin from here [in Tel Aviv] to Herzliya.”
The Times of Israel reported that the system isn’t ready to deploy yet and is only in the developmental stages. It’s set to begin testing later this year.
However, the unveiling on Wednesday is a sign that the system is ready to move forward — major news out of Israel, since the government there has been struggling to find a cost-effective way to make the proposed laser system work.
Do you support the two-state solution in Israel? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 41% (577 Votes) No: 59% (839 Votes)
It was reported last year that the Israelis were working on an “Iron Beam” laser system to compliment the Iron Dome, the anti-missile system jointly developed by Israel and the United States first deployed in 2011. It’s so far unclear whether what was announced Wednesday was that system.
During the 2014 conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to the Jewish Virtual Library, the Iron Dome intercepted 90 percent of the rockets fired at Israeli targets. However, the system relies on $20,000-a-piece rockets and isn’t effective against smaller targets.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Rotem said that each firing of the “laser sword” would cost about one dollar. While the system would have a high initial price tag, subsequent uses over time would make the system cost-effective.
Furthermore, so long as the Iron Beam is powered, it has unlimited ammunition.
Each Iron Dome installation is limited to a finite number of rockets on site, meaning a well-timed fusillade could get past the system.
“During a war, missile interceptors will at one point run out, but with this system, as long as you have electricity, you have a never-ending supply,” Rotem said.
Mind you, the laser system is meant only to compliment the Iron Dome, not replace it.
It has limitations of its own, particularly if skies are overcast.
“We can only shoot down with a laser what we can see,” Rotem said.
However, an airborne platform that uses the laser system is another potential deployment the Israelis hope to pursue, along with a fixed ground platform and a maneuverable platform that troops can use in the field.
“This is one system with many options — the weapon of the future,” Rotem said.
Of course, with any system like this it depends how it’s developed.
If testing is successful, the system will see its first deployment outside of Gaza.
However, the potential of a system that can shoot down mortars and small rockets would be a game-changer in Israel, particularly since it would take away a major avenue of asymmetrical warfare for groups like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
It’s the kind of news that makes you smile.
And yes, it’ll have Rashida Tlaib glowering, which makes it all the more fun.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-01-11--Appears Defense Officials Withheld Info from Congress Because Some Reps Can’t Be Trusted: Rep. Brook

Appears Defense Officials Withheld Info from Congress Because Some Reps Can’t Be Trusted: Rep. Brooks

Rep. Mo Brooks said that in the classified briefing about the airstrike that took out Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , it seemed defense officials withheld important details on the attack because some representatives can ’ t be trusted .
“ USA kills Sulaimani .
Kudos !
After 40 years , about time USA fights back against Iran terrorists , ” the Alabama Republican tweeted Thursday .
“ In classified briefing , it appeared defense & intelligence reps held back info out of concern too many Congressmen can ’ t be trusted to keep classified info from USA enemies .
Sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Brooks ’ assertion came on the same day the House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution meant to limit President Donald Trump ’ s ability to engage in military operations against Iran by forcing him to obtain congressional approval before doing so , Fox News reported .
After the airstrike at Baghdad ’ s international airport that killed Soleimani , the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ’ elite Quds Force , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have complained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack .
But Brooks and members of the Trump administration have since said that there was a concern about representatives leaking classified information to the news media , thus allowing vital intelligence to fall into the hands of the country ’ s enemies .
Brooks described the meeting in which he said officials withheld information in an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire .
“ There were questions asked for specific information and the people on the dais simply did everything they could to get around providing the specific information , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about sharing that classified information with Congress in that kind of setting , ” he said .
“ Which in turn leads to the inference that they had a reasonable amount of distrust as to whether shared classified information would in turn be shared by members of Congress with the news media or our enemies.
” Vice President Mike Pence appeared Thursday on “ Fox & Friends ” to respond to criticism of the briefing , saying that the airstrike prevented “ an imminent attack ” by Iran and that congressional leadership has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources and methods , we ’ re simply not able to share with every member of the House and Senate the intelligence that supported the president ’ s decision to take out Qassem Soleimani , ” Pence said .
“ I can assure your viewers that there was a threat of an imminent attack.
” Brooks told The Daily Wire that Pence ’ s response to congressional criticism of the attack and the briefing is “ very consistent with the concern that Congress can not be trusted to keep classified information classified.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You 've Never Heard Of Is California Lawyer Robert O'Brien “ [ It ’ s ] also consistent with that concern is what you just got done seeing with Adam Schiff ’ s Intelligence Committee during the impeachment proceedings wherein that information that was collected in a SCIF was invariably leaked to the news media , ” he said .
“ So if you just had that experience where members of Congress are quite clearly leaking information that was collected in a SCIF environment , how can you trust them not to leak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the deaths of our intelligence sources , or empower terrorist organizations to avoid American retribution for the killing that they have done ?
” Trump said during a Thursday rally that he didn ’ t inform Congress of the attack before it happened because Democratic represenatives would leak it to the mainstream media .
Brooks concluded , “ Quite clearly , there are some more visible members of Congress that caused greater concerns that others , but I ’ ll leave to you and the general public to figure out which ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Rep. Mo Brooks said that in the classified briefing about the airstrike that took out Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, it seemed defense officials withheld important details on the attack because some representatives can’t be trusted.
“USA kills Sulaimani. Kudos! After 40 years, about time USA fights back against Iran terrorists,” the Alabama Republican tweeted Thursday.
“In classified briefing, it appeared defense & intelligence reps held back info out of concern too many Congressmen can’t be trusted to keep classified info from USA enemies. Sad!”
USA kills Sulaimani. Kudos! After 40 years, about time USA fights back against Iran terrorists. In classified briefing, it appeared defense & intelligence reps held back info out of concern too many Congressmen can’t be trusted to keep classified info from USA enemies. Sad! Mo pic.twitter.com/NONrDmpEa6 — Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) January 9, 2020
Brooks’ assertion came on the same day the House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution meant to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to engage in military operations against Iran by forcing him to obtain congressional approval before doing so, Fox News reported.
After the airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport that killed Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have complained that Trump failed to consult them before launching the attack.
But Brooks and members of the Trump administration have since said that there was a concern about representatives leaking classified information to the news media, thus allowing vital intelligence to fall into the hands of the country’s enemies.
Brooks described the meeting in which he said officials withheld information in an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire.
Do you think members of Congress would leak the classified information? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 100% (977 Votes) No: 0% (4 Votes)
“There were questions asked for specific information and the people on the dais simply did everything they could to get around providing the specific information, which allowed the inference that they had reservations about sharing that classified information with Congress in that kind of setting,” he said.
“Which in turn leads to the inference that they had a reasonable amount of distrust as to whether shared classified information would in turn be shared by members of Congress with the news media or our enemies.”
Vice President Mike Pence appeared Thursday on “Fox & Friends” to respond to criticism of the briefing, saying that the airstrike prevented “an imminent attack” by Iran and that congressional leadership has seen the intelligence.
“To protect sources and methods, we’re simply not able to share with every member of the House and Senate the intelligence that supported the president’s decision to take out Qassem Soleimani,” Pence said. “I can assure your viewers that there was a threat of an imminent attack.”
Brooks told The Daily Wire that Pence’s response to congressional criticism of the attack and the briefing is “very consistent with the concern that Congress cannot be trusted to keep classified information classified.”
“[It’s] also consistent with that concern is what you just got done seeing with Adam Schiff’s Intelligence Committee during the impeachment proceedings wherein that information that was collected in a SCIF was invariably leaked to the news media,” he said.
“So if you just had that experience where members of Congress are quite clearly leaking information that was collected in a SCIF environment, how can you trust them not to leak classified information regarding Iran that could lead to the deaths of our intelligence sources, or empower terrorist organizations to avoid American retribution for the killing that they have done?”
Trump said during a Thursday rally that he didn’t inform Congress of the attack before it happened because Democratic represenatives would leak it to the mainstream media.
Brooks concluded, “Quite clearly, there are some more visible members of Congress that caused greater concerns that others, but I’ll leave to you and the general public to figure out which ones those are.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--Former Fighter Pilot Sen. McSally Blasts Narrative on Crashed Ukraine Plane

Republican Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona came out with guns blazing after Democrats tried to pin the blame for Iran downing a Ukrainian jetliner on President Donald Trump .
“ Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat .
My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all 176 souls lost aboard this flight , ” Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg tweeted .
His tweet followed a comment from Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of California that the downing of the plane was “ yet another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have been taken in a provocative way by the president of the United States , ” according to Newsweek .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Miatta Fahnbulleh , chief executive of Britain ’ s New Economics Foundation , said the incident proved Britain should have condemned Trump after the drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
“ This is yet another example of Trump being cavalier , reckless , thoughtless and impulsive and it ’ s put all of us in danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC .
All that was too much for McSally , who spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and was the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat .
She was also the first woman to command a fighter squadron in combat .
“ Anyone blaming America or POTUS for Iran ’ s dangerous & reckless actions in shooting down the airliner should be ashamed .
Nearly 200 people are dead & all they can think about it how much they hate our president .
It ’ s not hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad on this one , people , ” she tweeted .
McSally was not the only voice pushing back against the liberal “ blame Trump ” narrative .
RELATED : Emissions Down : If Libs Really Care About Environment , They Should Support Trump Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida , in fact , had predicted that liberals would smear Trump with the blame .
The Ukrainian International Airlines plane crashed Wednesday just after takeoff from Tehran , killing all 176 people aboard .
Although Iran initially said the crash was due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was revealed .
“ American intelligence agencies determined that a Russian-made Iranian air defense system fired two surface-to-air missiles at the plane , ” The New York Times reported , citing an official it did not name .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to announce what had taken place .
Among the dead were 63 Canadians .
“ We recognize that this may have been done accidentally , ” Trudeau said .
“ The evidence suggests very clearly a possible and probable cause for the crash.
” We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Republican Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona came out with guns blazing after Democrats tried to pin the blame for Iran downing a Ukrainian jetliner on President Donald Trump.
“Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all 176 souls lost aboard this flight,” Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg tweeted.
Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all 176 souls lost aboard this flight. https://t.co/zWaVgWxfdL — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 9, 2020
His tweet followed a comment from Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of California that the downing of the plane was “yet another example of collateral damage from the actions that have been taken in a provocative way by the president of the United States,” according to Newsweek.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, chief executive of Britain’s New Economics Foundation, said the incident proved Britain should have condemned Trump after the drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
“This is yet another example of Trump being cavalier, reckless, thoughtless and impulsive and it’s put all of us in danger,” she said, according to the BBC.
‘This is yet another example of Trump being cavalier, reckless, thoughtless and impulsive and it’s put all of us in danger’@Miatsf says the UK government made a ‘mistake’ in failing to condemn Donald Trump’s actions in Iran. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/yxDBRVfePE — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) January 9, 2020
Do you think that Democrats blame President Donald Trump for everything? Yes No
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All that was too much for McSally, who spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and was the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat. She was also the first woman to command a fighter squadron in combat.
“Anyone blaming America or POTUS for Iran’s dangerous & reckless actions in shooting down the airliner should be ashamed. Nearly 200 people are dead & all they can think about it how much they hate our president. It’s not hard to tell the good guys from the bad on this one, people,” she tweeted.
Anyone blaming America or POTUS for Iran’s dangerous & reckless actions in shooting down the airliner should be ashamed. Nearly 200 people are dead & all they can think about it how much they hate our president. It’s not hard to tell the good guys from the bad on this one, people https://t.co/mxtdFRESBa — Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) January 10, 2020
McSally was not the only voice pushing back against the liberal “blame Trump” narrative.
This suggestion coming from the left that the United States or President Trump is in any way responsible for Iran shooting down a civilian plane is not only wrong but absolutely reprehensible. My goodness. It is the Iranian regime’s responsibility, and theirs alone. — Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) January 9, 2020
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, in fact, had predicted that liberals would smear Trump with the blame.
It’s just a matter of time before you start hearing some say that it’s Trump’s fault that #Iran made a mistake and shot down a commercial airliner. — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 9, 2020
The Ukrainian International Airlines plane crashed Wednesday just after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard.
Although Iran initially said the crash was due to technical difficulties, on Thursday the truth was revealed.
“American intelligence agencies determined that a Russian-made Iranian air defense system fired two surface-to-air missiles at the plane,” The New York Times reported, citing an official it did not name.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to announce what had taken place. Among the dead were 63 Canadians.
“We recognize that this may have been done accidentally,” Trudeau said. “The evidence suggests very clearly a possible and probable cause for the crash.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-11--NYT Columnist Blasts Other Anti-Trumpers for Outrageous Attacks on Iran Strategy

I was surprised to see the headline for David Brooks ’ latest opinion piece at The New York Times , which I agreed with wholeheartedly : “ Trump Has Made Us All Stupid.
” Yes , President Donald Trump has made plenty of people stupid — Brooks among them .
Anyone who read his head-slappingly preposterous “ Flyover Man vs. Urban Guy ” piece — in which an imagined Trump supporter and an imagined liberal , respectively , had a stilted Socratic dialogue about their feelings on the president , a dialogue that was every bit as intellectually impoverished as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard-pressed to disagree .
My favorite Twitter comment on that dumpster conflagration : “ [ T ] he only person more staunch in their refusal to read David Brooks than I am is his editor.
” At least this time , Brooks is candid — if not particularly nuanced — about the shortcomings of the left in the Trump era .
TRENDING : Rep. Cheney : 'Speaker Pelosi Is an Embarrassment & Unfit for Office' Brooks — a nominal conservative , although that means virtually nothing around The Times ’ newsroom — still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignorant , narcissistic and intellectually dishonest.
” He just doesn ’ t think those opposing him are all that much better .
The death of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and the reaction to Iran ’ s moves , Brooks wrote in the Thursday article , has “ shown that the anti-Trump echo chamber is becoming a mirror image of Trump himself — overwrought , uncalibrated and incapable of having an intelligent conversation about any complex policy problem .
“ For example , there ’ s a complex policy problem at the heart of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran is not powerful because it has a strong economy or military .
It is powerful because it sponsors militias across the Middle East , destabilizing regimes and spreading genocide and sectarian cleansing .
Over the past few years those militias , orchestrated by Qassim Suleimani , have felt free to operate more in the open with greater destructive effect , ” Brooks wrote .
“ We ’ re not going to go in and destroy the militias .
So how can we keep them in check so they don ’ t destabilize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard problem — one that stymied past administrations.
” That ’ s why Brooks said a strike like the one against Soleimani was part of the balancing act .
Brooks called it using “ violence as a form of communication ” — again , not a paragon of nuance , but roughly what you ’ d expect from Brooks .
“ These sorts of operations have risks and rewards .
A risk is that it won ’ t cease the escalation , just accelerate it .
The radicals on the other side will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their leaders will have to appease that rage , ” Brooks continued .
“ A reward is that maybe you do halt the escalation .
The other side implicitly says : ‘ Message received .
We ’ ll do some face-saving things to appease the streets , but we don ’ t want this to get out of hand , either.
’ Another reward is that you ’ ve managed to eliminate an effective terrorist like Suleimani .
Talent doesn ’ t grow on trees.
” While Brooks said some people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance — he named retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice as two people he thought were doing so — members of the “ anti-Trump echo chamber ” weren ’ t .
“ Led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , they avoided the hard , complex problem of how to set boundaries around militias .
Instead , they pontificated on the easy question not actually on the table : Should we have a massive invasion of Iran ?
” Brooks wrote .
“ A great cry went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re on the brink of war !
Trump is leading us to more endless wars in the Middle East !
We ’ re on the precipice of total chaos !
” he continued .
“ This was not the calibrated language of risk and reward .
It was fear-stoking apocalyptic language .
By being so overwrought and exaggerated , the echo chamber drowned out any practical conversation about how to stabilize the Middle East so we could have another righteous chorus of ‘ Donald Trump is a monster !
’ ” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fault — his “ ultimate victory , ” as Brooks calls it .
But whether or not Trump is actually the cause of the derangement syndrome , Brooks did accurately diagnose it .
“ Hating Trump together has become the ultimate bonding , attention-grabbing and profit-maximization mechanism for those of us in anti-Trump world .
So you get a series of exaggerated fervors — the Mueller report !
Impeachment !
The Steele dossier !
— that lead ultimately nowhere , ” he wrote .
“ Most of this week ’ s argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really about the Middle East .
It was all narcissistically about ourselves !
Democrats defend terrorists !
Republicans are warmongers !
Actual Iranians are just bit players in our imperialistic soap opera , the passive recipients of our greatness or perfidy.
” Trump , he wrote , has actually used the military less than most presidents — and this is a bad thing , Brooks said , because “ populist Republicans and Democrats are gravitating toward the same foreign policy ” of isolationism .
The rest of the piece is your usual Brooksian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; he seems to invoke Samuel Huntington by saying both sides think they ’ re “ in the middle of a clash of civilizations ” but have come to the very un-Huntingtonian conclusion that isolationism is the answer .
There ’ s an argument against populism and another attempt to pin all of this reflexive talk about Iran on Trump ( “ Maybe once the Inflammatory One is finally gone from the scene we can have an intelligent conversation about ” isolationism , he concludes ) , and we ’ re done with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brooks ’ more insightful columns .
That ’ s not saying much , but at least he realized the outrage over the death of Soleimani for what it was — ill-considered bluster that had nothing to do with the man who was killed and everything to do with the man who ordered the strike .
Brooks wasn ’ t the only one , mind you .
Take NeverTrump commentator Tom Nichols , who posted a Twitter thread attacking those who would blame the Trump administration for the ( now-confirmed ) Iranian shoot-down of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following tweets contains profane language that some readers may find offensive .
Reader discretion is advised .
Well , at least it ’ s only fringe voices saying stuff like that : Brooks and Nichols are right in one crucial area , as much as you might disagree with them in others .
The Democratic line is that Trump is , inflammatory , narcissistic , vulgar , thoughtless and myopic .
In opposing him , they ’ ve chosen to embody every single one of those attributes .
It ’ s impossible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if they see more of a threat from the Oval Office than from Iran ’ s state-sponsored terrorist apparatus .
When David Brooks is making more sense than presidential candidates , it ’ s dire times indeed .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

I was surprised to see the headline for David Brooks’ latest opinion piece at The New York Times, which I agreed with wholeheartedly: “Trump Has Made Us All Stupid.”
Yes, President Donald Trump has made plenty of people stupid — Brooks among them.
Anyone who read his head-slappingly preposterous “Flyover Man vs. Urban Guy” piece — in which an imagined Trump supporter and an imagined liberal, respectively, had a stilted Socratic dialogue about their feelings on the president, a dialogue that was every bit as intellectually impoverished as the title might suggest — would be hard-pressed to disagree.
My favorite Twitter comment on that dumpster conflagration: “[T]he only person more staunch in their refusal to read David Brooks than I am is his editor.”
At least this time, Brooks is candid — if not particularly nuanced — about the shortcomings of the left in the Trump era.
Brooks — a nominal conservative, although that means virtually nothing around The Times’ newsroom — still thinks the president “is impulse-driven, ignorant, narcissistic and intellectually dishonest.”
He just doesn’t think those opposing him are all that much better.
The death of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and the reaction to Iran’s moves, Brooks wrote in the Thursday article, has “shown that the anti-Trump echo chamber is becoming a mirror image of Trump himself — overwrought, uncalibrated and incapable of having an intelligent conversation about any complex policy problem.
“For example, there’s a complex policy problem at the heart of this week’s Iran episode. Iran is not powerful because it has a strong economy or military. It is powerful because it sponsors militias across the Middle East, destabilizing regimes and spreading genocide and sectarian cleansing. Over the past few years those militias, orchestrated by Qassim Suleimani, have felt free to operate more in the open with greater destructive effect,” Brooks wrote.
Do you think the strike against Soleimani was a good idea? Yes No
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“We’re not going to go in and destroy the militias. So how can we keep them in check so they don’t destabilize the region? That’s the hard problem — one that stymied past administrations.”
That’s why Brooks said a strike like the one against Soleimani was part of the balancing act. Brooks called it using “violence as a form of communication” — again, not a paragon of nuance, but roughly what you’d expect from Brooks.
“These sorts of operations have risks and rewards. A risk is that it won’t cease the escalation, just accelerate it. The radicals on the other side will get enraged and take to the streets. Their leaders will have to appease that rage,” Brooks continued.
“A reward is that maybe you do halt the escalation. The other side implicitly says: ‘Message received. We’ll do some face-saving things to appease the streets, but we don’t want this to get out of hand, either.’ Another reward is that you’ve managed to eliminate an effective terrorist like Suleimani. Talent doesn’t grow on trees.”
While Brooks said some people in the public sphere were talking about this balance — he named retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice as two people he thought were doing so — members of the “anti-Trump echo chamber” weren’t.
“Led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, they avoided the hard, complex problem of how to set boundaries around militias. Instead, they pontificated on the easy question not actually on the table: Should we have a massive invasion of Iran?” Brooks wrote.
“A great cry went up from the echo chamber. We’re on the brink of war! Trump is leading us to more endless wars in the Middle East! We’re on the precipice of total chaos!” he continued.
“This was not the calibrated language of risk and reward. It was fear-stoking apocalyptic language. By being so overwrought and exaggerated, the echo chamber drowned out any practical conversation about how to stabilize the Middle East so we could have another righteous chorus of ‘Donald Trump is a monster!’”
This is, of course, Trump’s fault — his “ultimate victory,” as Brooks calls it. But whether or not Trump is actually the cause of the derangement syndrome, Brooks did accurately diagnose it.
“Hating Trump together has become the ultimate bonding, attention-grabbing and profit-maximization mechanism for those of us in anti-Trump world. So you get a series of exaggerated fervors — the Mueller report! Impeachment! The Steele dossier! — that lead ultimately nowhere,” he wrote.
“Most of this week’s argument about the Middle East wasn’t really about the Middle East. It was all narcissistically about ourselves! Democrats defend terrorists! Republicans are warmongers! Actual Iranians are just bit players in our imperialistic soap opera, the passive recipients of our greatness or perfidy.”
Trump, he wrote, has actually used the military less than most presidents — and this is a bad thing, Brooks said, because “populist Republicans and Democrats are gravitating toward the same foreign policy” of isolationism.
The rest of the piece is your usual Brooksian miasma of ideas which never quite cohere; he seems to invoke Samuel Huntington by saying both sides think they’re “in the middle of a clash of civilizations” but have come to the very un-Huntingtonian conclusion that isolationism is the answer.
There’s an argument against populism and another attempt to pin all of this reflexive talk about Iran on Trump (“Maybe once the Inflammatory One is finally gone from the scene we can have an intelligent conversation about” isolationism, he concludes), and we’re done with what’s actually one of David Brooks’ more insightful columns.
That’s not saying much, but at least he realized the outrage over the death of Soleimani for what it was — ill-considered bluster that had nothing to do with the man who was killed and everything to do with the man who ordered the strike.
Brooks wasn’t the only one, mind you. Take NeverTrump commentator Tom Nichols, who posted a Twitter thread attacking those who would blame the Trump administration for the (now-confirmed) Iranian shoot-down of a Ukrainian airliner.
One of the following tweets contains profane language that some readers may find offensive. Reader discretion is advised.
I do not yet know how Iran shot down that plane. Occam’s Razor says: Incompetence, failure to spread the word, some dumbass who wasn’t trained enough, poor discipline among air defense guys. It wasn’t a U.S. hit on an airliner. It was a screwup during operations. /2 — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 10, 2020
Eventually someone was going to ace Soleimani. Was Trump right to do it? Me, I wouldn’t trust Trump’s guys to order a Happy Meal and get it right. But worrying Iran is “jumpy” is like worrying if John Gotti was extra-murdery because the FBI wasn’t letting him get enough sleep. /4 — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 10, 2020
If there had been waves of U.S. planes bombing the hell out of Tehran, and some guy misidentified a plane, sure. We’d have some responsibility. But an attack that was theirs to plan, time, and execute means it’s *their* job not to target a plane at their own airport. /6 — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 10, 2020
I want Trump impeached and removed. I want him gone in 2020 if that fails. But “Trump made the Iranians do bad stuff” is juvenile and stupid. That’s not how military operations work, nor how chains of command operate in any country.
Seriously, people, get your shit together. /8x — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 10, 2020
PS: Stop using “the fog of war.” You’re all using it incorrectly. An operation planned at the discretion of the regime, on their own time, with no hostilities underway, is not the “fog of war.” Enough already. — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 10, 2020
Well, at least it’s only fringe voices saying stuff like that:
Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all 176 souls lost aboard this flight. https://t.co/zWaVgWxfdL — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 9, 2020
Brooks and Nichols are right in one crucial area, as much as you might disagree with them in others.
The Democratic line is that Trump is, inflammatory, narcissistic, vulgar, thoughtless and myopic. In opposing him, they’ve chosen to embody every single one of those attributes.
It’s impossible to take the left seriously when it seems as if they see more of a threat from the Oval Office than from Iran’s state-sponsored terrorist apparatus.
When David Brooks is making more sense than presidential candidates, it’s dire times indeed.
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