Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis Resigns - Trump Went a Step Too Far

I think this deserves its own thread. The last "adult" in the room with Mr. trump has resigned. I think the tipping point for Secretary Mattis was the abrupt announcement, via a tweet, that the United States was immediately withdrawing from Syria. The announcement by trump gave Putin and Russia an enormous victory in Syria and the region. It dramatically increases the influence of Iran. It sells out the Kurds who fought by our side in Iraq and Syria to defeat the Islamic State. It does a heck of a lot more than that, but that's enough.

Mr. trump seems surprised by Mattis's announcement. He thinks he can do whatever he likes on a whim and it doesn't have consequences. In my opinion, trump is mentally ill and as the walls close in, he is losing it. That makes him a danger to the Republic, in my humble opinion. The stock market is tumbling. There is a trade war trump started that never should have begun that is having a negative effect on our economy and the economies of other nations. He pushed through a huge tax cut aimed squarely at the rich that is creating an enormous deficit and is driving inflation upward. He has consistently attacked our allies and friends while inexplicably embracing Putin and other undemocratic strong men, going out of his way to praise them. He took us out of the Paris Agreement, putting us at odds with the overwhelming majority of the other nations of the world.

I could go on. The list is absurdly long, but I'll get back to why I started the thread. Mattis was the one figure in the administration preventing trump from doing something crazy with the country's military. Mr. trump has proven himself capable of anything, at any time, and he has the power to be a clear and present danger to our country. With Mattis gone, what is to stop him? Mattis was and is deeply respected by our military, from the leadership down through the ranks. If trump decided tomorrow to start a war with, say, North Korea, Mattis would have done everything in his power to prevent it. Now he will likely be replaced with a trump sycophant, willing to do whatever trump asks, no matter how mad it might be. We should all be very worried. I know I am.

 

Mattis ignored that because while he certainly disagreed, in my opinion, it wasn't something that had a major impact beyond the Mexican border and the military men and women who had their Thanksgiving ruined. The abrupt decision to unilaterally withdraw from Syria without consulting our allies or the Pentagon, putting the entire region at risk of expanded Iranian and Russian influence, while betraying our allies, the Kurds, was simply a step too far for Mattis.

It is a colossal mistake by trump. Putin has to be dancing around the Kremlin with glee. The Mullahs in Iran can't believe their good fortune. In other words, our allies are dismayed and angry, while our enemies are delighted with the news.

 

We only have about 2300 troops on the ground in Syria. That's it and it's a pittance. They serve an important role in defeating the Islamic State, which isn't defeated, not yet. There are an estimated 14,000 fighters still active. They've been on the run. Now they'll regroup and continue their madness down the road. The Turks are planning to slaughter our allies, the Kurds, who have been key to defeating ISIS and are still fighting against them. Our presence prevents the Turks, the Syrians, Iran, and Russia from attacking them. We're in the way and it makes a difference.