Jim Kunstler on Syria.

But unlike the USA, Russia doesn’t have ambivalent intentions where ISIS is concerned. We’ve pretended that any old freelance gang opposing Assad is our friend. Russia’s aims are pretty straightforward: prop up Assad, rescue whatever governing institutions remain in Syria, and smash ISIS. In exchange they get a warm-water naval base on the Mediterranean. That’s supposed to be an existential threat to the USA.

. . . Sadly, the US can’t seem to formulate a strategy that doesn’t make things worse for people in the region or for the US homeland (or for our allies in Europe, plagued by refugees they cannot comfortably absorb and the awful threat of terror events).

I expect in 2016 that Obama’s policy will be to just get out of the way of Putin and see what happens. He doesn’t have much left in the kit-bag for now. The worst thing to come out of this for Obama, really, is if Putin can succeed in pacifying Syria, America’s leaders will look bad — incompetent and foolish — which is the actual case, of course.^[1]

Hitler

Mr. Kunstler couldn't keep from unburdening himself of the low characterization of the "demi-fascist" Marine Le Pen as "a female Hitler." She is not the one turning France into a third-world garbage dump. She is not the one calling for the French to extinguish themselves. That is the ardent desire of Nocolas "Duty of Metissage" Sarkozy. But . . . Sarkozy is "not as crazy" as Le Pen.

Point of fact, I've yet to see in her anything but a woman with an impressive intellect, courage, keen political instincts, and a refusal to accept leftist manipulation.

Kunstler doesn't stop there. Trump is "Hitler without the brains and charm" and much more that Kunstler doesn't like. Just not quality people.

So, unfortunately, clarity on Syria doesn't necessarily transfer to other areas. Sometimes I wish Kunstler'd stick to his fascination with "peak oil."

Notes
^[1] "Pretend to the Bitter End. Forecast 2016." By James Howard Kunstler, Clusterfuck Nation, 1/4/16.