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NYTimes ISIS Editorial

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by YankeeFan, Aug 26, 2015.

  1. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    Sheesh, Baron.

    "We have intervened to no effect whatsoever, And must keep doing exactly that, because reasons" is the Donald Trump of newspaper editorials.
     
    YankeeFan likes this.
  2. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    So what's the alternative then?
     
  3. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    That's not a question for MC or me Baron. Based on the Times editorial, it's a question for them!

    Here, I'll help you out with an analogy:

    The big sports columnist thinks it's imperative for the local team to make the playoffs. The current roster isn't good enough. So, the columnist, who paints this year as the most important year ever, calls on the GM to... stand pat with the current roster.

    Would that be a good column?

    Wait, wait. I'll do better.

    A car analogy!

    The CEO of BIG US AUTO is getting his clock cleaned by foreign competitors. His cars just aren't good enough to compete with the Japanese and German cars.

    He sends out a memo to senior management that spells out how dire the situation is. They need to sell more cars or the company will go out of business. In order to turn the situation around, he urges his leadership team to... keep doing exactly what they've been doing!

    Good plan?
     
  4. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    There are literally dozens of things the U.S. could do to combat such a grave threat. We know for sure that one way hasn't worked, so let's start at "any other possibility besides that."
     
  5. doctorquant

    doctorquant Well-Known Member

    We don't know that it hasn't worked. All we know is that it hasn't worked to our satisfaction. But there might be nothing, given political constraints/military realities, that would work to our satisfaction.
     
    cranberry likes this.
  6. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    And to continue with your analogies, your solution would be for the GM to order his manager to pitch his worn-out ace pitcher on three days' rest for the rest of the season to boost attendance because the fans aren't caring whether the team does well or not. Therefore, creating greater risk of harm to the team's biggest asset, without any guarantee of success. In fact, the team already tried doing that once, and even though the GM held a victory parade in May, the pitcher's arm got hurt and the team barely finished in front of the last-place team only because that team had no unity behind its dictatorial owner.

    As far as your second analogy, senior management has received these memos before from the previous CEO, who had said that the Japanese and German automakers were set to unleash these super cars that were going to destroy BIG US AUTO. Only, as it turns out, they didn't, even though the Chinese competitor was trying to destroy the company.

    So, Previous CEO came up with a failed strategy of going after the German and Japanese automakers. It was such an awfully-designed strategy, everyone knew about it, except for the board of directors, who thought things were just peachy-keen, especially since their investments as a result of the failed strategy were still making them rich. Those board of directors even questioned the loyalty of anyone at the car company who criticized the Previous CEO.

    So, new CEO comes in, tries to clean up previous CEO's mess, somewhat does so, but now there's a different, worse mess that wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for the failed strategy. And the same board of directors wants the new CEO to do the Previous CEO's strategy all over again, because THIS TIME, they're positive they'll get it right.

    Do any of those scenarios make sense?

    And yes, it is a question for you. You're the one criticizing the editorial. Since you think you can do better, have at it.
     
  7. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Dozens of things. Such as?
     
  8. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    The Washington Post pretty unequivocally calls for war:

    Congress should authorize war against the Islamic State

    Lost in this debate is what should be the overriding imperative of a vote to authorize the war. Those who insist on conditionality ensure only that the president will continue to act on authority that is as expansive as it is thin.
     
    YankeeFan likes this.
  9. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Post probably read this thread and wrote it to appease YF.
     
    YankeeFan likes this.
  10. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    Or to annoy Baron.
     
    YankeeFan likes this.
  11. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Or both.

    See, they're trying to be unbiased! Libruhl media my arse.
     
    YankeeFan likes this.
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