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Yeah Joe, as a conservative I would have to disagree with your overall assessment of this President, particularly his foreign policy chops. I well remember Secretary Gates’ classic remark about President Biden being “wrong about every big foreign policy decision over the past forty years.” (As a Marine who did four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, I was particularly disgusted by the way we departed Afghanistan).

By the way, I appreciated your comments on aging, including your own; We can all relate. And you are indeed still a very graceful writer.

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Thanks for your service....Helmand and Al-Anbar, I'd guess. I'm a big fan of Gates, but that was a gag, not a serious assessment of Biden. And I think Joe has done the right thing in Ukraine, the Middle East and Asia. But as I said, there was no way we were going to leave Af without a mess (though running the Evac through Bagram would have helped). And thanks for the tone and intelligence of your comments.

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There is no way we are going to leave Ukraine without a mess, too. Many things are lacking in our effort, among them a clear statement of war goals by the US and the western alliance. No western troops involved, yet, but all slopes are slippery in limited wars. Eventually, we and our money will leave (too costly for achievable aims, whatever they may be), but the Russians will stay. They live right next door.

What lies ahead for the USA and Ukraine? Claims of betrayal, recriminations, and fortunes and thousands of are lives spent to little avail.

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hey putinist troll, you think AF and UA are the same? huge difference between a committed nation (UA) and a bunch of bribe takers and thieves (the AF elite -- or Putin's elite).

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Joe, Not sure that Gates meant his takedown of President Biden as a “gag,” as he did write about it in his book and repeat it during the 2016 campaign. (I am willing to concede that it might have not been meant literally). Still, I am sure that Gates was referring to Biden’s opposition to the Iranian “surge,” his tripartite plan for Iraq, the downplaying of ISIS threat after leaving Iraq in 2011, his support for the JCPOA, and Obama’s dismissal of his Syrian “redline,” to name a few. (His treatment of the Abraham accords, cool treatment of Israel and Saudi Arabia and disastrous Kabul pullout hadn’t happened).

Yes, the President is doing the right thing in Ukraine but he is also slow walking vital weapon systems and not rallying the American people to a noble cause. Most importantly, his Chinese policy is completely reactive and any leadership our government has on that issue is coming from Chairman Gallagher’s vital select Committee on China. Anyway, don’t mean to drone on-- keep up the great work!

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