John McCain is positioning himself as the front runner in 2008 presidential derby by attacking steroids in baseball and defenses secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Given his criticisms of Rumsfeld, it’s clear Senator Sun Tzu, oops, McCain knows more about baseball than transforming the military.
First, when he says Rumsfeld should have increased the size of our armed forces, McCain must be under the misperception that the secretary of defense raises armies. Article 1 section 8 of our Constitution charges congress, not the secretary of defense or even the president, with raising armies and maintaining the navy. So when Senator Clausewitz… uh…McCain complains about the size of our armed forces he’s really noting his and congresses own incompetence and failure to act. That’s right, the same sanctimonious boobs that gutted our intelligence agencies then responded with outrage when they performed like gutted intelligence agencies, is complaining about the size of our armed forces when it was they who trimmed it for the “peace dividend” in the first place. Yes, very odd indeed.
Next, Senator Patton…uh…er…McCain, doing his best John Kerry, “I’d be smarter than the president.” imitation when he claims he’d simply add more soldiers to the Special Forces, intelligence and linguistics branches. This is like saying the NFL is going to add more Peyton Mannings or Jim Browns to the league. These forces are highly motivated, specialized, trained and equipped. It is not a matter of going out the formation, asking, “Who wants to be Special Forces?” and giving them a different color beret. It takes years to make one of these guys. Also, even if you went to the active forces and took all of the best NCOs available and turned them into Special Forces soldiers, what do you think might happen to the regular forces absent their leadership? Military professionals know that even the most mundane occupational specialties need quality leadership. It is what is referred to as a quality spread, where even some of the best and brightest are assigned a tour or two in mundane but important tasks such as the mail room or chow hall.
Last, Senator Lincoln…uh…McCain thinks the National Guard and Reserve forces are being over worked. There is one guy that agrees with McCain and has been trying to do something about it, Donald Rumsfed. Since 9-11 Rumsfeld has said over and over that force mix of guard, reserve and active duty is set up for the cold war. A lot of the unique forces required to fight the war on terror, civil affairs, MP, engineers etc. are found predominately in guard and reserve forces. But you cannot simply say to a guard unit, OK you guys who are trained as MPs are now artillerymen. Forces have to be recruited, trained, retrained and reequipped over several years to transform a single unit. Doing it on the scale that is now underway, is a monumental task.
It’s clear to me that given the Babe’s…uh…McCain’s bombastic rhetoric over the last several months, he is better suited to be the next Commissioner of Baseball than the next Commander in Chief. He should take Bud Selig’s job. It’s a win-win situation. He can get the dope out of baseball and America gets one dope out of congress. OK, that’s a bit too cute. I do have great respect for McCain. I think he is wrong for attacking Rumsfeld for the job he’s doing in Iraq with the military McCain and his buddies set up twelve years ago.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Monday, December 13, 2004
What Holiday is it?
I went to a “holiday party”. I have been wished a “happy holiday” over and over. The Scout leader asked us to bring a dozen “holiday cookies” to the Scout meeting. Holiday this and holiday that, I feel like yelling at the top of my lungs, “What holiday is it?”
It is, of course, the Christmas holiday. It’s the Christmas holiday not only because the Pope and religious prelates word wide said so, but also because the U.S. Congress and President Grant said so. It is a federally recognized holiday called Christmas. In that respect it’s no different from the 4th of July, Memorial Day etc.
Today 87% of Americans believe in Christmas. Of the remaining 13%, the vast majority if wished a Merry Christmas will likely say, “Thank you” and go on with their lives. That leaves a tiny minority, probably in the low single digits, that is trying to bring an end to Christmas as we know it in the U.S.
How can a tiny minority dictate to the overwhelming majority how we celebrate Christmas? First and foremost, social positions are like combat positions in that more are simply abandoned to the enemy than overrun. Because the ACLU, and a tiny percentage of hyper-sensitive whackos threaten every tradition of Christmas, you are more likely to be sued for wishing a co-worker or classmate a Merry Christmas than running a Ponzi scheme at the old folks home. So to avoid the hassle, many just give in, like getting whining children what they want just to shut them up.
But most parents know that the more you give in to the whining, the more the child will whine. Sooner or later the cry babies have to be told that enough is enough. So, Merry, Merry Christmas everybody! To the vast majority, take the greeting as it is intended, a message of hope, peace and joy, for a savior has been born. To the lunatic fringe, think of it as nothing more than glad tidings for the federal holiday that is, after all, Christmas.
It is, of course, the Christmas holiday. It’s the Christmas holiday not only because the Pope and religious prelates word wide said so, but also because the U.S. Congress and President Grant said so. It is a federally recognized holiday called Christmas. In that respect it’s no different from the 4th of July, Memorial Day etc.
Today 87% of Americans believe in Christmas. Of the remaining 13%, the vast majority if wished a Merry Christmas will likely say, “Thank you” and go on with their lives. That leaves a tiny minority, probably in the low single digits, that is trying to bring an end to Christmas as we know it in the U.S.
How can a tiny minority dictate to the overwhelming majority how we celebrate Christmas? First and foremost, social positions are like combat positions in that more are simply abandoned to the enemy than overrun. Because the ACLU, and a tiny percentage of hyper-sensitive whackos threaten every tradition of Christmas, you are more likely to be sued for wishing a co-worker or classmate a Merry Christmas than running a Ponzi scheme at the old folks home. So to avoid the hassle, many just give in, like getting whining children what they want just to shut them up.
But most parents know that the more you give in to the whining, the more the child will whine. Sooner or later the cry babies have to be told that enough is enough. So, Merry, Merry Christmas everybody! To the vast majority, take the greeting as it is intended, a message of hope, peace and joy, for a savior has been born. To the lunatic fringe, think of it as nothing more than glad tidings for the federal holiday that is, after all, Christmas.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
No Time for Sergeants
There are soon to be upwards of 150,000 troops on the ground in Iraq. Most of them are patriots. They are serving in the armed forces to serve a cause larger themselves. They are serving to protect America from Islamo-terror-fascist who, given the opportunity, would destroy America overnight. Outside their family and close friends, they will be unremarkable, run of the mill Joes and Janes. Individually they would have little chance of affecting events on their local street corner. Collectively they are changing the world.
Unfortunately, you’ll see more Bush/Cheney bumper stickers in the faculty parking lot at Ivy League schools than mainstream media stories about the average Joes and Janes bearing the load of Iraq’s freedom. When you do see the occasional story, Joe and Jane will be painted as hapless pawns forced into the military by the Bush tax cuts. The American media hoping for an American defeat in Iraq, will give us a steady diet of a few disgruntled whiners and malcontents who wouldn’t be happy at Disneyland. Jeremy Hinzman the deserter from the 82nd Airborne who ran to Canada is the new cause-celeb for the mainstream media because he has alleged war crimes against men and women who are far braver than he. Spc. Thomas Wilson got his 15 minutes of fame by asking a reporter’s question to Secretary Rumsfeld.Our mainstream media heroes will seek out and glorify the Hinzmans and Wilsons and a score or so of others like them while ignoring the 10s of thousands serving proudly and honorably. No doubt Hinzman, who was fine with the Army until actually called upon to earn his pay after 9-11, will convene a Winter Soldier Project in his bid to become the Democrat front-runner in ’08.
Hinzman reminds me of briefing I attended during the first Gulf War. Someone asked the speaker, a very senior officer, about a doctor who refused to ship out with his unit. In answering the question, the speaker waxed eloquently for several minutes and threw around flowery words and concepts like conscience, religion, individual choice, duty, the law, understanding etc. When he was finished, there was a pause and silence long enough to hear a sergeant in the back say what I think everyone was thinking, “Yeah, well all that may be true, but I think he’s just a chicken s@*t coward.” Sometimes the obvious short answer is the best one. But no one wrote a front page article on the sergeant.
Unfortunately, you’ll see more Bush/Cheney bumper stickers in the faculty parking lot at Ivy League schools than mainstream media stories about the average Joes and Janes bearing the load of Iraq’s freedom. When you do see the occasional story, Joe and Jane will be painted as hapless pawns forced into the military by the Bush tax cuts. The American media hoping for an American defeat in Iraq, will give us a steady diet of a few disgruntled whiners and malcontents who wouldn’t be happy at Disneyland. Jeremy Hinzman the deserter from the 82nd Airborne who ran to Canada is the new cause-celeb for the mainstream media because he has alleged war crimes against men and women who are far braver than he. Spc. Thomas Wilson got his 15 minutes of fame by asking a reporter’s question to Secretary Rumsfeld.Our mainstream media heroes will seek out and glorify the Hinzmans and Wilsons and a score or so of others like them while ignoring the 10s of thousands serving proudly and honorably. No doubt Hinzman, who was fine with the Army until actually called upon to earn his pay after 9-11, will convene a Winter Soldier Project in his bid to become the Democrat front-runner in ’08.
Hinzman reminds me of briefing I attended during the first Gulf War. Someone asked the speaker, a very senior officer, about a doctor who refused to ship out with his unit. In answering the question, the speaker waxed eloquently for several minutes and threw around flowery words and concepts like conscience, religion, individual choice, duty, the law, understanding etc. When he was finished, there was a pause and silence long enough to hear a sergeant in the back say what I think everyone was thinking, “Yeah, well all that may be true, but I think he’s just a chicken s@*t coward.” Sometimes the obvious short answer is the best one. But no one wrote a front page article on the sergeant.
Friday, December 10, 2004
Limbaugh to Simulcast Network News
In the, “What planet are you living on?” category Bill Moyers whines, “I'm going out telling the story that I think is the biggest story of our time: how the right-wing media has become a partisan propaganda arm of the Republican National Committee…" Stop the presses!! FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, since last night’s sign off on the six o’clock news read by liberal icons Pete, Brian and Dan, the right-wing has taken over the media. Networks confirm that Rush Limbaugh will simulcast on all three networks tonight at six. Riiiight.
Christmas Fun With Liberals
Hey, it’s Christmas let’s have some fun.
Send a very religious Christmas card to your local ACLU office and tell them that the “normal” contribution is being withheld and sent to the Boy Scouts instead.
Every time you hear someone mention the “holiday party” ask them, “What holiday is it?”
Aggravate your liberal anti-gun, PETA nut friends. Mail them one of those outdoorsy Christmas cards from Cabela’s with rifles and dead game on it.
Give your liberal friend a subscription to the Limbaugh Letter, American Sportsman or Weekly Standard. The truth will set them free.
When some agnostic whacko starts talking about the holiday this and the holiday that, remind them that the word holiday is derived from “holy day” and watch them struggle referring to everything as the winter solstice this and the winter solstice that.
Brag to a liberal friend about your SUV’s gas mileage.
At work, reset the liberal’s computer home page and password protect it to http://www.crushkerry.com/index.php.
Tell a liberal you can’t make his “holiday party” because there’s a Christmas party the same night.
If a liberal asks you out to the “holiday party” say, “Saturday? Oh, I’m sorry there’s a best of Rush on the radio Saturday.”
If you’re the boss, pass out “Christmas bonuses” omitting the weasel who insists on telling everyone in the free world that he doesn’t believe in Christmas and wait for him to bitch or convert.
At the close of business on the 24th assign the same guy some menial tedious task to complete which is due back to you at 0800 on the 26th.
The day after Christmas, when your liberal friend asks, “So what did you get for the winter solstice celebration?” You can say, “Oh, Christmas? I got a brand new 223 hunting rifle, a gun rack for my giant Ford Excursion, a box Dominican cigars, a chain saw to get rid of that damned tree out back and a stuffed Spotted Owl from the old forest in Oregon before it was razed for the new condo complex. What’d you get?”
Send a very religious Christmas card to your local ACLU office and tell them that the “normal” contribution is being withheld and sent to the Boy Scouts instead.
Every time you hear someone mention the “holiday party” ask them, “What holiday is it?”
Aggravate your liberal anti-gun, PETA nut friends. Mail them one of those outdoorsy Christmas cards from Cabela’s with rifles and dead game on it.
Give your liberal friend a subscription to the Limbaugh Letter, American Sportsman or Weekly Standard. The truth will set them free.
When some agnostic whacko starts talking about the holiday this and the holiday that, remind them that the word holiday is derived from “holy day” and watch them struggle referring to everything as the winter solstice this and the winter solstice that.
Brag to a liberal friend about your SUV’s gas mileage.
At work, reset the liberal’s computer home page and password protect it to http://www.crushkerry.com/index.php.
Tell a liberal you can’t make his “holiday party” because there’s a Christmas party the same night.
If a liberal asks you out to the “holiday party” say, “Saturday? Oh, I’m sorry there’s a best of Rush on the radio Saturday.”
If you’re the boss, pass out “Christmas bonuses” omitting the weasel who insists on telling everyone in the free world that he doesn’t believe in Christmas and wait for him to bitch or convert.
At the close of business on the 24th assign the same guy some menial tedious task to complete which is due back to you at 0800 on the 26th.
The day after Christmas, when your liberal friend asks, “So what did you get for the winter solstice celebration?” You can say, “Oh, Christmas? I got a brand new 223 hunting rifle, a gun rack for my giant Ford Excursion, a box Dominican cigars, a chain saw to get rid of that damned tree out back and a stuffed Spotted Owl from the old forest in Oregon before it was razed for the new condo complex. What’d you get?”
Rumsfeld was Right
The media and ever present Democrat opportunist like Senator Chris Dodd are taking great delight, as always, in the tough questions Secretary Rumsfeld fielded yesterday in Kuwait. One soldier, who was prompted by a media embed it turns out, complained they had to dig through the trash to find armor and ballistic glass to upgrade their vehicles. The secretary’s response was, “As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time...”
That was a good response. A better one might have been, “That’s fantastic! You are following in the footsteps of your forefathers who were known for their ‘Yankee ingenuity’ and ‘can-do’ attitude. In July, 1944 when the 2nd Armor Division was bogged down in the hedgerows of France, it was an ordinary soldier like you named Culin that came up with the bright idea of welding a cutter to front of tanks to cut through the hedgerow. It worked! I commend your ingenuity! Carry on. Next question.”
Essentially, Rumsfeld had it right. You go to war with the army you bought and planned around a decade earlier. How else can you do business? You can not wait to see what develops before equipping the force. Once engaged and new requirements are identified, the DoD procurement branch and American industry take over. In 1950, S. L. A. Marshall wrote a book on this subject entitled “The Soldier’s Load and the mobility of a Nation”. Senator Dodd and his media lackeys ought to get a copy.
It’s odd that the press and other opportunists are attacking Rumsfeld. He more than anyone has been trying to drag a 1990s and in some cases 1980s military into the 21st century since he started his second tour as Secretary of Defense. He has been met with less than open arms from the military Bigs who are always fighting the last war and, of course, the press who loath anything connected to George Bush.
That was a good response. A better one might have been, “That’s fantastic! You are following in the footsteps of your forefathers who were known for their ‘Yankee ingenuity’ and ‘can-do’ attitude. In July, 1944 when the 2nd Armor Division was bogged down in the hedgerows of France, it was an ordinary soldier like you named Culin that came up with the bright idea of welding a cutter to front of tanks to cut through the hedgerow. It worked! I commend your ingenuity! Carry on. Next question.”
Essentially, Rumsfeld had it right. You go to war with the army you bought and planned around a decade earlier. How else can you do business? You can not wait to see what develops before equipping the force. Once engaged and new requirements are identified, the DoD procurement branch and American industry take over. In 1950, S. L. A. Marshall wrote a book on this subject entitled “The Soldier’s Load and the mobility of a Nation”. Senator Dodd and his media lackeys ought to get a copy.
It’s odd that the press and other opportunists are attacking Rumsfeld. He more than anyone has been trying to drag a 1990s and in some cases 1980s military into the 21st century since he started his second tour as Secretary of Defense. He has been met with less than open arms from the military Bigs who are always fighting the last war and, of course, the press who loath anything connected to George Bush.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Adding a New Bureaucracy
I’m feeling safer already. Thank goodness that after 30 years of liberals like Frank Church and Bob Torricelli destroying our intelligence agencies congress has acted to restore them. Well, that’s their intention. The proof will take years to show itself.
I’m a bit skeptical for a number of reasons. First I’m skeptical that anything that comes from congress can be “the solution” to anything. Next, the speed with which this legislation came into being makes me wonder. Also, who on the 9-11 commission is the subject matter expert on intelligence gathering? Wouldn’t it have been better to convene a panel of people who make and have made a living gathering, analyzing, disseminating and acting on intelligence to make recommendations for intelligence reform rather than a bunch of washed up politicians? Last, the over riding goal of any D.C. bureaucracy is to sustain and grow the bureaucracy. I don’t see this new bureaucracy being much different.
It doesn’t take a business management guru like Steven Covey to figure out that 15 scattered agencies with separate missions, priorities, and budgets isn’t a great model. But is adding a 16th agency to overlook the other 15 the best fix? Given what we know about government agencies, is adding another one likely to resolve or exasperate the problem? This sounds more like a further growing of the intelligence bureaucracy which will likely lead to a slower more sluggish application of intelligence.
Whatever the flaws with the bill as it now stands, we should thank Duncan Hunter for changing it to better protect our frontline troops. Speed in the intelligence business is crucial. It is most crucial at the tactical level where forces need to get inside the decision cycle of the enemy or what former Air Force Colonel John Boyd called the OODA loop. According to Boyd, decision making occurs in a cycle of Observe-Orient-Decide-Act. Among adversaries, the organization which can consistently complete the cycle quickest can get inside the opponent's decision cycle and gain an advantage. That is a difficult task to accomplish under the best circumstances. Imagine the degree of difficulty when the enemy is a three man terrorist cell, which can act almost on a whim with little planning or coordination.
Hunter’s actions assured the frontline troops immediate access to intelligence without added layers of intervening D.C. bureaucracy. For his efforts, Democrats labeled him an obstructionist. We need more politicians like him in Washington who will not allow principle to be trumped by the emotions four women from New Jersey.
I’m a bit skeptical for a number of reasons. First I’m skeptical that anything that comes from congress can be “the solution” to anything. Next, the speed with which this legislation came into being makes me wonder. Also, who on the 9-11 commission is the subject matter expert on intelligence gathering? Wouldn’t it have been better to convene a panel of people who make and have made a living gathering, analyzing, disseminating and acting on intelligence to make recommendations for intelligence reform rather than a bunch of washed up politicians? Last, the over riding goal of any D.C. bureaucracy is to sustain and grow the bureaucracy. I don’t see this new bureaucracy being much different.
It doesn’t take a business management guru like Steven Covey to figure out that 15 scattered agencies with separate missions, priorities, and budgets isn’t a great model. But is adding a 16th agency to overlook the other 15 the best fix? Given what we know about government agencies, is adding another one likely to resolve or exasperate the problem? This sounds more like a further growing of the intelligence bureaucracy which will likely lead to a slower more sluggish application of intelligence.
Whatever the flaws with the bill as it now stands, we should thank Duncan Hunter for changing it to better protect our frontline troops. Speed in the intelligence business is crucial. It is most crucial at the tactical level where forces need to get inside the decision cycle of the enemy or what former Air Force Colonel John Boyd called the OODA loop. According to Boyd, decision making occurs in a cycle of Observe-Orient-Decide-Act. Among adversaries, the organization which can consistently complete the cycle quickest can get inside the opponent's decision cycle and gain an advantage. That is a difficult task to accomplish under the best circumstances. Imagine the degree of difficulty when the enemy is a three man terrorist cell, which can act almost on a whim with little planning or coordination.
Hunter’s actions assured the frontline troops immediate access to intelligence without added layers of intervening D.C. bureaucracy. For his efforts, Democrats labeled him an obstructionist. We need more politicians like him in Washington who will not allow principle to be trumped by the emotions four women from New Jersey.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Democracy is Hard Work
If you favor a neat and orderly progression of events in government, you probably favor some dictatorial form of government. Kings, emperors, dictators, caliphs, emirs, and other supreme rulers, usually backed by the overwhelming force that only a nation state can bring to bear, need not concern themselves with the differing wills and needs of a diverse people. They simply get up in the morning and tell their ministers, who are in power because of their loyalty or family relationship to the potentate, to enact a certain policy. Those who resist are simply crushed with military force.
Democracy is not so neat. America is the world’s oldest democracy and had some serious problems in its first 100 years. When the opening gavel fell at the Federal Convention in Philadelphia in the spring of 1787 to hammer out a new constitution, only seven states were represented. Eventually, all of the states except Rhode Island attended, but even then the delegates came and went like Christmas shoppers looking for stocking stuffers at a Spencer’s Gift Store.
There were three serious rebellions in the United States between the signing of the peace accords that ended the Revolutionary War in 1783 and 1794. In 1800 the presidential election was a dead heat in the Electoral Collage between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr and was thrown into the House of Representatives for resolution. Jefferson became President and Burr Vice President. Those who think the current vice president was a bit harsh in cussing out a prominent Democrat using the f word, are reminded that in 1804 Burr shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel to settle a political dispute. That’s harsh.
In 1846 President James Polk started a peremptory, unilateral war of aggression against Mexico. Through the first 100 years there were raging Indian wars and an untold number of political and civil battles concerning states rights centered primarily on the slavery question. The question was finally settled through the bloodiest war America has ever fought. All this happened in the first 100 years. How did we ever survive?
By contrast, Iraq is scheduled to become the world’s newest democracy at the end of January, 2005. Our glorious media would have us believe that the entire country is in chaos and that there is no chance of stability in Iraq. This same media no doubt would have given an infant America slim chance of emerging as a stable nation in 1787 let alone becoming world’s lone hyper-power 225 years later.
Iraq faces tough problems, perhaps more difficult problems than those faced by our own founding fathers. They reside in a neighborhood were no government wants their experiment in democracy to succeed. They have a stubborn, foreign led and financed terrorist insurgency. They have a dilapidated infrastructure and no experience with freedom. For sure, the deck is stacked against the Iraqi people.
But what is the alternative? Our media would have us throw up our hands and quit. America’s road to a stable democracy has been anything but a smooth road. Iraq’s road is likely to be rockier yet. But we won’t get where we want to go by sitting in the driveway complaining about all the potholes that we are likely encounter along the way.
Democracy is not so neat. America is the world’s oldest democracy and had some serious problems in its first 100 years. When the opening gavel fell at the Federal Convention in Philadelphia in the spring of 1787 to hammer out a new constitution, only seven states were represented. Eventually, all of the states except Rhode Island attended, but even then the delegates came and went like Christmas shoppers looking for stocking stuffers at a Spencer’s Gift Store.
There were three serious rebellions in the United States between the signing of the peace accords that ended the Revolutionary War in 1783 and 1794. In 1800 the presidential election was a dead heat in the Electoral Collage between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr and was thrown into the House of Representatives for resolution. Jefferson became President and Burr Vice President. Those who think the current vice president was a bit harsh in cussing out a prominent Democrat using the f word, are reminded that in 1804 Burr shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel to settle a political dispute. That’s harsh.
In 1846 President James Polk started a peremptory, unilateral war of aggression against Mexico. Through the first 100 years there were raging Indian wars and an untold number of political and civil battles concerning states rights centered primarily on the slavery question. The question was finally settled through the bloodiest war America has ever fought. All this happened in the first 100 years. How did we ever survive?
By contrast, Iraq is scheduled to become the world’s newest democracy at the end of January, 2005. Our glorious media would have us believe that the entire country is in chaos and that there is no chance of stability in Iraq. This same media no doubt would have given an infant America slim chance of emerging as a stable nation in 1787 let alone becoming world’s lone hyper-power 225 years later.
Iraq faces tough problems, perhaps more difficult problems than those faced by our own founding fathers. They reside in a neighborhood were no government wants their experiment in democracy to succeed. They have a stubborn, foreign led and financed terrorist insurgency. They have a dilapidated infrastructure and no experience with freedom. For sure, the deck is stacked against the Iraqi people.
But what is the alternative? Our media would have us throw up our hands and quit. America’s road to a stable democracy has been anything but a smooth road. Iraq’s road is likely to be rockier yet. But we won’t get where we want to go by sitting in the driveway complaining about all the potholes that we are likely encounter along the way.
Monday, December 06, 2004
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
Have you ever encountered someone who waxed philosophical about supporting the troops but not the war? My only comment to these people has been, “That’s sort of like supporting the police unless they are issuing a ticket or using their clubs to break up a riot.” Well now I have a better comment for these people, “What have you done for the troops? Have sent a note or care package? No? Well if you support them, shouldn’t you be doing something tangible for them? Here take this card. It tells you how to get in touch with the Wounded Warrior Project. How much can I put you down for?” Their response will give you a pretty good idea if they really support the troops.
The Wounded Warrior Project’s Mission Statement:
The Wounded Warrior Project was founded on the principle that veterans are our nation's greatest citizens. The Project seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hot spots around the world. Many of the injuries are traumatic amputations, gunshot wounds, burns and blast injuries that will retire these brave warriors from military service. These wounded soldiers will return to civilian life minus one or more limbs, or with serious wounds or disfiguring scars, and will face greater challenges today obtaining assistance and finding opportunities that would enable them to provide for themselves and their families.The Wounded Warrior Project was founded to give a voice to this new generation of veterans facing unique issues and problems. The Project fills the vital need for a coordinated, united effort to enable wounded veterans to aid and assist each other and to readjust to civilian life.
The Wounded Warrior Project’s Mission Statement:
The Wounded Warrior Project was founded on the principle that veterans are our nation's greatest citizens. The Project seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hot spots around the world. Many of the injuries are traumatic amputations, gunshot wounds, burns and blast injuries that will retire these brave warriors from military service. These wounded soldiers will return to civilian life minus one or more limbs, or with serious wounds or disfiguring scars, and will face greater challenges today obtaining assistance and finding opportunities that would enable them to provide for themselves and their families.The Wounded Warrior Project was founded to give a voice to this new generation of veterans facing unique issues and problems. The Project fills the vital need for a coordinated, united effort to enable wounded veterans to aid and assist each other and to readjust to civilian life.
Friday, December 03, 2004
THE GAME OF LIFE
Sports are filled with out-on-bail, over-paid, over-drugged, over-sexed, over-hyped and over the top personalities - filled almost to the point that you can’t watch anymore. Big bad Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers foregoes a fight with Ben Wallace who pushed him around like an 8th grade bully pushes around 2nd graders on the playground to jump into the stands, rush by a big guy who threw a beer on him to punch some skinny white kid who did nothing. Indianapolis Colts players have taken to wearing Artest jerseys as a sign of support. Good move guys. What’s next, “Free Saddam” T-shirts? I hope New England kicks their butts…again!
Jason Giambi admitted to using steroids. Shocking! Who knew? Barry Bonds is the only person in the world saying that Barry Bonds doesn’t use steroids. Maurice Clarett the under sized over-achieving running back at Ohio State couldn’t finish his freshman season in the Big 10 without serious injury but thought so much of himself he wanted to turn pro. Since the pro gig didn’t pan out and not smart enough to write his own tell-all book, Clarett has taken to telling ESPN about all sorts of shenanigans going on at the OSU athletic department - gifts, car, clothes, jobs etc. Hey Maurice why didn’t you just say, “NO THANK YOU!” Notre Dame fires a good man, Ty Willingham, in the uncertain hope of winning a few more games. There is a perfect time to fire college coaches not involved in criminal or immoral activities, at the end of their contracts.
Just when you think sports couldn’t get any worse than a Saturday night Zamphier “The Master of the Pan Flute” concert with a blind date who “makes her own clothes” something great comes along to restore your faith. That something this weekend is the Army-Navy football game. These are true college student-athletes who play the game for the honor of their school and their military branch of the service. No taunting. No chest pounding. No individual self-indulgent dances for the camera. No disrespect toward the opponents or their fans. Hard play, sportsmanship, and hand shakes all around after the game is what will be on tap Saturday.
Whatever happens on Saturday, the players know that they will eventually end up playing for the same team. What’s at stake in the game will pale by comparison to the stakes that await them. Two years ago JP Blecksmith was engaged in the great American struggle know as the Army-Navy football game. Last month he was killed in a truly great world struggle in Fallujah. If that doesn’t put sports and the “big game” into perspective, nothing will. Go Navy!
Jason Giambi admitted to using steroids. Shocking! Who knew? Barry Bonds is the only person in the world saying that Barry Bonds doesn’t use steroids. Maurice Clarett the under sized over-achieving running back at Ohio State couldn’t finish his freshman season in the Big 10 without serious injury but thought so much of himself he wanted to turn pro. Since the pro gig didn’t pan out and not smart enough to write his own tell-all book, Clarett has taken to telling ESPN about all sorts of shenanigans going on at the OSU athletic department - gifts, car, clothes, jobs etc. Hey Maurice why didn’t you just say, “NO THANK YOU!” Notre Dame fires a good man, Ty Willingham, in the uncertain hope of winning a few more games. There is a perfect time to fire college coaches not involved in criminal or immoral activities, at the end of their contracts.
Just when you think sports couldn’t get any worse than a Saturday night Zamphier “The Master of the Pan Flute” concert with a blind date who “makes her own clothes” something great comes along to restore your faith. That something this weekend is the Army-Navy football game. These are true college student-athletes who play the game for the honor of their school and their military branch of the service. No taunting. No chest pounding. No individual self-indulgent dances for the camera. No disrespect toward the opponents or their fans. Hard play, sportsmanship, and hand shakes all around after the game is what will be on tap Saturday.
Whatever happens on Saturday, the players know that they will eventually end up playing for the same team. What’s at stake in the game will pale by comparison to the stakes that await them. Two years ago JP Blecksmith was engaged in the great American struggle know as the Army-Navy football game. Last month he was killed in a truly great world struggle in Fallujah. If that doesn’t put sports and the “big game” into perspective, nothing will. Go Navy!
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
ANNAN SHOULD TURN HIMSELF IN TO THE HAGUE
John Kerry should use some of the left over money from his failed presidential campaign to issue a public apology for his absurd Iraq war position. Oh yeah, that will take some splanin as to which of his dozen of so Iraq war positions is in need of a public apology. That would be the one where he claimed that the president “rushed to war” without UN approval. It is clear now that Stalin and Hitler would be having a snowball fight in their eternal accommodations before the UN was ever going to seriously consider doing anything to send Saddam Hussein to join them.
Senator Norm Coleman has noted everything anyone needs to know about how corrupt the UN and its Nobel Prize winning Secretary-General has been with regard to Saddam Hussein. Kofi Annan, the French, German and Russian governments have the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis on their hands. Every coalition casualty is also on their collective hands. Had there been one shred of integrity in the UN sanctions program against Saddam and had money from those very programs not been used to bribe UN, French, German and Russian officials, Saddam could have been check-mated without war.
Annan’s Nobel Prize citation reads in part, “While clearly underlining the U.N.'s traditional responsibility for peace and security, he has also emphasized its obligations with regard to human rights. He has risen to such new challenges as HIV/AIDS and international terrorism, and brought about more efficient utilization of the U.N.'s modest resources. In an organization that can hardly become more than its members permit, he has made clear that sovereignty can not be a shield behind which member states conceal their violations.” We now know that there are no “human rights” violations that can not be overlooked if the price is right. We also know that while “sovereignty can not be a shield behind which member states conceal their violations” money can be.
So François Kerry needs to take to the airways and admit, “I was an idiot to have thought that an organization as corrupt as the UN could be made to do the right thing. Kofi Annan, the French, German, and Russian governments as much as murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis and are responsible for every coalition casualty. If they had any honor, they’d turn themselves over to the Hague for trial and a public hanging. Thank God that George Bush was and is President.”
Senator Norm Coleman has noted everything anyone needs to know about how corrupt the UN and its Nobel Prize winning Secretary-General has been with regard to Saddam Hussein. Kofi Annan, the French, German and Russian governments have the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis on their hands. Every coalition casualty is also on their collective hands. Had there been one shred of integrity in the UN sanctions program against Saddam and had money from those very programs not been used to bribe UN, French, German and Russian officials, Saddam could have been check-mated without war.
Annan’s Nobel Prize citation reads in part, “While clearly underlining the U.N.'s traditional responsibility for peace and security, he has also emphasized its obligations with regard to human rights. He has risen to such new challenges as HIV/AIDS and international terrorism, and brought about more efficient utilization of the U.N.'s modest resources. In an organization that can hardly become more than its members permit, he has made clear that sovereignty can not be a shield behind which member states conceal their violations.” We now know that there are no “human rights” violations that can not be overlooked if the price is right. We also know that while “sovereignty can not be a shield behind which member states conceal their violations” money can be.
So François Kerry needs to take to the airways and admit, “I was an idiot to have thought that an organization as corrupt as the UN could be made to do the right thing. Kofi Annan, the French, German, and Russian governments as much as murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis and are responsible for every coalition casualty. If they had any honor, they’d turn themselves over to the Hague for trial and a public hanging. Thank God that George Bush was and is President.”
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
RATHER NOT WATCH NETWORK NEWS
Dan Rather is stepping down at C-B(ull)S(#@*). Who cares? Besides Mrs. Whitley’s cat, for whom the TV set is always left on, who’s watching Dan? In the three man race between evening news readers, Dan has been a distant third for over a decade. He’s dead last in a three man race of networks hemorrhaging viewers like a hemophiliac packaging razor blades at the Gillette factory.
Oddly, Rather is stepping down as the C- BS news reader but staying on at 60 Minutes where he aired obviously fake documents produced by deranged Democrat wacko Bill Burkett. Excuse me but this like an airline pilot who also collects the passengers’ tickets, being forced to stop collecting tickets after he lands at the wrong airport…5 or 6 times. Maybe the guy is better suited to collect tickets than find the right airport. In Dan’s case, maybe he’s better suited to read the news for a ½ hour on weekdays when nobody’s listening than find the truth.
Even after the documents were demonstrated to be fakes by any reasonable standard, Dan stood by the story. He made the “rather” foolish argument that even if the papers were fakes, what they alleged was true. Sort of like the fake letter that has turned up from Dan’s mom that says he has always been a pompous, lying, airhead…right? No such letter exists but the allegations are true.
Even Bill O’Reilly has come to Dan’s defense. O’Reilly claims, “There is no way on this Earth that [Rather] would have knowingly used fake documents on any story.” I don’t believe that, but let’s say it true. Why didn’t Dan interview the widow and the son of Lt Col Jerry Killian, both of whom disputed the story? Why didn’t C-BS include its own document experts, who said the documents were fakes, in the story? Why AFTER the documents were demonstrated to be fakes did Dan rush out to interview Killian’s 86 year old former secretary Marian Carr Knox in an effort to prop up the story? Why hasn’t C-BS and Dan to this day admitted that the story is about as believable as an overweight old man in a red suite with flying reindeer sliding down every chimney in the world on one night to deliver presents to kids?
No, Dan knew the story was crap when he went to air with it. When he got exposed as the BS artist that he is, he tried desperately to save himself. But the truth, as it often is, was overwhelming. Why O’Reilly feels the need to condemn the people who exposed the fraud is puzzling. More puzzling is this little tidbit from O’Reilly, “Unfair freedom of speech did [Rather] in. This is not your grandfather's country anymore.” So we have a guy that tries to perpetrate a fraud on the American people using one of the three major networks and when he gets exposed it’s “unfair freedom of speech”. Think about that one for minute, “unfair freedom of speech”?? Very odd!
You’re right about one thing though Bill, this isn’t grandpa’s America anymore. In grandpa’s day Rather, his producer, writers and anyone who had seen or even heard of this crude and obvious fraud would have been immediately sacked with great fanfare and public humiliation. Only in today’s America is it a given and accepted fact that “news organizations” are in the tank for the Democrat party. In grandpa’s day there was at least an appearance of objectivity.
Oddly, Rather is stepping down as the C- BS news reader but staying on at 60 Minutes where he aired obviously fake documents produced by deranged Democrat wacko Bill Burkett. Excuse me but this like an airline pilot who also collects the passengers’ tickets, being forced to stop collecting tickets after he lands at the wrong airport…5 or 6 times. Maybe the guy is better suited to collect tickets than find the right airport. In Dan’s case, maybe he’s better suited to read the news for a ½ hour on weekdays when nobody’s listening than find the truth.
Even after the documents were demonstrated to be fakes by any reasonable standard, Dan stood by the story. He made the “rather” foolish argument that even if the papers were fakes, what they alleged was true. Sort of like the fake letter that has turned up from Dan’s mom that says he has always been a pompous, lying, airhead…right? No such letter exists but the allegations are true.
Even Bill O’Reilly has come to Dan’s defense. O’Reilly claims, “There is no way on this Earth that [Rather] would have knowingly used fake documents on any story.” I don’t believe that, but let’s say it true. Why didn’t Dan interview the widow and the son of Lt Col Jerry Killian, both of whom disputed the story? Why didn’t C-BS include its own document experts, who said the documents were fakes, in the story? Why AFTER the documents were demonstrated to be fakes did Dan rush out to interview Killian’s 86 year old former secretary Marian Carr Knox in an effort to prop up the story? Why hasn’t C-BS and Dan to this day admitted that the story is about as believable as an overweight old man in a red suite with flying reindeer sliding down every chimney in the world on one night to deliver presents to kids?
No, Dan knew the story was crap when he went to air with it. When he got exposed as the BS artist that he is, he tried desperately to save himself. But the truth, as it often is, was overwhelming. Why O’Reilly feels the need to condemn the people who exposed the fraud is puzzling. More puzzling is this little tidbit from O’Reilly, “Unfair freedom of speech did [Rather] in. This is not your grandfather's country anymore.” So we have a guy that tries to perpetrate a fraud on the American people using one of the three major networks and when he gets exposed it’s “unfair freedom of speech”. Think about that one for minute, “unfair freedom of speech”?? Very odd!
You’re right about one thing though Bill, this isn’t grandpa’s America anymore. In grandpa’s day Rather, his producer, writers and anyone who had seen or even heard of this crude and obvious fraud would have been immediately sacked with great fanfare and public humiliation. Only in today’s America is it a given and accepted fact that “news organizations” are in the tank for the Democrat party. In grandpa’s day there was at least an appearance of objectivity.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
ENEMY OBJECTIVES AND CENTERS OF GRAVITY
In several postings below I looked at what I believe might be our objectives and centers of gravities at the three levels of military planning. I also looked at our media’s willingness to act as the propaganda arm of the terrorist forces. Chief among the propagandists is Kevin Sites. Sites claimed he “didn’t know” how other news agencies would use the video of Marine apparently shooting an unarmed wounded terrorist. This is just plain crap and a kin to an arsonist claiming he “didn’t know” that jet fuel was an accelerant when he tried to dowse a fire with it.
Here are what might be our enemy’s objectives and centers and gravity in Iraq.
Enemy strategic objective: Establish a friendly sympathetic nation state from which to operate world wide Islamo terror fascism. The terrorists want to use a dysfunctional Iraq for that purpose. They also know, as the president knows, that once democracy is established in the Middle East, it will grow and act as a stabilizing force in the region. That is why they are fighting so hard in Iraq. Once Iraq is stabilized, terrorist know that it may signal the beginning of the end for them in the region.
Enemy strategic center of gravity: The terrorists in Iraq are receiving assistance from a plethora of nation states that don’t want the US to succeed in Iraq - Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia to name but a few. The strategic center of gravity for the terrorists in Iraq is to isolate them from their foreign support. Coalition forces need to isolate the battlefield. Like "ten years in prison", it’s easier said than done. We have a great problem securing our own border. Our problem is ten fold in Iraq. The use of more troops on the borders is the answer – not ours – Iraqi troops.
Enemy operational objective: Break the coalition and cause it leave Iraq before stability can be achieved. It’s clear that the terrorists' strategic objective can not be achieved while the coalition is in place in Iraq. They will try to drive the coalition from Iraq using the Vietnam model – drag the war out, employ the useful idiots in our own media as their propaganda arm and wait for popular support of the war to die. But this isn’t Vietnam. The Vietnamese never blew up 3,000 innocent Americans on American soil. Also, there are now any number of information sources outside the MSM who are not quite as useful a bunch of idiots as the MSM.
Enemy operational center of gravity: The terrorist know that the leadership of their various organizations is what holds the effort together. They also know that the leadership is being relentlessly hunted. Protecting the leadership is the terrorist’s operational center of gravity. The seclusion of the leadership is in itself a minor victory. How much more effective could the terrorists be if they could openly communicate and coordinate? Our forces are keeping the terrorists leadership on the run and always in fear and suspicion of their surroundings and any new face. These organizations deep secrecy is in itself a hindrance.
Enemy tactical objective: The terrorist’s tactical objective is to keep the Iraqis from standing up their own security forces before breaking the coalition. Once the Iraqis are capable of providing their own security it will be game over for the terrorists in Iraq. Terrorists have been going after the Iraqi security forces all their energy. Right now it is true test of wills between the provisional government and the terrorists. If there is not a significant increase in the number and quality of Iraqi security forces by spring next year, it may signal an extended stay for coalition forces.
Enemy tactical center of gravity: Maintaining security in their tactical cells is the terrorist’s tactical center of gravity. When we can infiltrate these cells and begin to gather intelligence to break down the organization from within it will be like pulling on the thread of a button on a cheap shirt, it will easily come apart.
Here are what might be our enemy’s objectives and centers and gravity in Iraq.
Enemy strategic objective: Establish a friendly sympathetic nation state from which to operate world wide Islamo terror fascism. The terrorists want to use a dysfunctional Iraq for that purpose. They also know, as the president knows, that once democracy is established in the Middle East, it will grow and act as a stabilizing force in the region. That is why they are fighting so hard in Iraq. Once Iraq is stabilized, terrorist know that it may signal the beginning of the end for them in the region.
Enemy strategic center of gravity: The terrorists in Iraq are receiving assistance from a plethora of nation states that don’t want the US to succeed in Iraq - Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia to name but a few. The strategic center of gravity for the terrorists in Iraq is to isolate them from their foreign support. Coalition forces need to isolate the battlefield. Like "ten years in prison", it’s easier said than done. We have a great problem securing our own border. Our problem is ten fold in Iraq. The use of more troops on the borders is the answer – not ours – Iraqi troops.
Enemy operational objective: Break the coalition and cause it leave Iraq before stability can be achieved. It’s clear that the terrorists' strategic objective can not be achieved while the coalition is in place in Iraq. They will try to drive the coalition from Iraq using the Vietnam model – drag the war out, employ the useful idiots in our own media as their propaganda arm and wait for popular support of the war to die. But this isn’t Vietnam. The Vietnamese never blew up 3,000 innocent Americans on American soil. Also, there are now any number of information sources outside the MSM who are not quite as useful a bunch of idiots as the MSM.
Enemy operational center of gravity: The terrorist know that the leadership of their various organizations is what holds the effort together. They also know that the leadership is being relentlessly hunted. Protecting the leadership is the terrorist’s operational center of gravity. The seclusion of the leadership is in itself a minor victory. How much more effective could the terrorists be if they could openly communicate and coordinate? Our forces are keeping the terrorists leadership on the run and always in fear and suspicion of their surroundings and any new face. These organizations deep secrecy is in itself a hindrance.
Enemy tactical objective: The terrorist’s tactical objective is to keep the Iraqis from standing up their own security forces before breaking the coalition. Once the Iraqis are capable of providing their own security it will be game over for the terrorists in Iraq. Terrorists have been going after the Iraqi security forces all their energy. Right now it is true test of wills between the provisional government and the terrorists. If there is not a significant increase in the number and quality of Iraqi security forces by spring next year, it may signal an extended stay for coalition forces.
Enemy tactical center of gravity: Maintaining security in their tactical cells is the terrorist’s tactical center of gravity. When we can infiltrate these cells and begin to gather intelligence to break down the organization from within it will be like pulling on the thread of a button on a cheap shirt, it will easily come apart.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
JOURNALIST: SERVE THY SELF
Kevin Sites has a self-serving piece on his website about the shooting in the mosque in Fallujah. Why is it self-serving? Here are a few reasons that come to mind:
Sites titles his self-glorifying piece “Open Letter to Devil Dogs of 3.1”. Devil Dog is a nickname given to the Marines by the Germans during WWI. It is now a term of honor for Marines. Coming from Sites’ the use of the term is more a kin to the hangman saying, “Hey ‘buddy’ let me help you with that hood.” right before he pulls the lever to spring the trapdoor.
Sites goes to great lengths to portray himself as a fellow warrior. He is not. He is a journalist who can go where he wants and say no when he wants. Warriors do not have that option. The fact that, by his choice, he is with the mopping up operations instead of the frontline is telling. The fact that he feels compelled to tell us how brave he is, like the loudmouth drunk at the VFW who spent his service time in the rear with the gear and warm beer, tells me he is not. Professor Combat even takes credit for saving Marines when he points out that there are munitions near a fire started by the Marines. Like a rooster taking a bow for the sunrise, I think he gives himself too much credit.
When Sites writes, “I had no idea how our other ‘pool’ partners might use the footage.” he is either dumber than a hoe handle or lying through his teeth. Anybody watching coverage of the Iraq war knows that every story will be used to put Americans in a bad light. Abu Grhaib, the ammo dump story, looted museums were all stories that were sensationalized by the media in an attempt to place the Americans in a bad light. When the facts about these incidents started to trickle out, the stories just went away. NBC and Sites knew damn well that as soon as that tape hit the air al Jazeera would scoop it up, remove any context and play it 24-7 adding commentary on how barbaric the American occupiers are.
Sites goes to note, “So here, ultimately, is how it all plays out: when the Iraqi man in the mosque posed a threat, he was your enemy; when he was subdued he was your responsibility; when he was killed in front of my eyes and my camera -- the story of his death became my responsibility.” And the only way to fulfill that responsibility was to air the story that you knew would be used as propaganda to undermine our strategic objectives in the region, right? This is where I believe that the media are borderline treasonous. If there was any good in this story, it was outweighed 1,000 to 1 by the negative impact. How about turning the tape over to military until the investigation is complete? Once the facts of the case are known go with the story and the results of the investigation.
Prediction: If the Marine receives a courts martial, I can’t see him being him convicted by a panel of his peers. Reasonable doubt? Of course there is. The Marine’s acquittal will give Mr. Sites and his leftist buddies a whole new issue with which to bash the military and America. I can see the headlines, AMERICAN MURDERER FREED – KEVIN SITES WEEPS. But, what really makes these media people weep is American success.
Sites titles his self-glorifying piece “Open Letter to Devil Dogs of 3.1”. Devil Dog is a nickname given to the Marines by the Germans during WWI. It is now a term of honor for Marines. Coming from Sites’ the use of the term is more a kin to the hangman saying, “Hey ‘buddy’ let me help you with that hood.” right before he pulls the lever to spring the trapdoor.
Sites goes to great lengths to portray himself as a fellow warrior. He is not. He is a journalist who can go where he wants and say no when he wants. Warriors do not have that option. The fact that, by his choice, he is with the mopping up operations instead of the frontline is telling. The fact that he feels compelled to tell us how brave he is, like the loudmouth drunk at the VFW who spent his service time in the rear with the gear and warm beer, tells me he is not. Professor Combat even takes credit for saving Marines when he points out that there are munitions near a fire started by the Marines. Like a rooster taking a bow for the sunrise, I think he gives himself too much credit.
When Sites writes, “I had no idea how our other ‘pool’ partners might use the footage.” he is either dumber than a hoe handle or lying through his teeth. Anybody watching coverage of the Iraq war knows that every story will be used to put Americans in a bad light. Abu Grhaib, the ammo dump story, looted museums were all stories that were sensationalized by the media in an attempt to place the Americans in a bad light. When the facts about these incidents started to trickle out, the stories just went away. NBC and Sites knew damn well that as soon as that tape hit the air al Jazeera would scoop it up, remove any context and play it 24-7 adding commentary on how barbaric the American occupiers are.
Sites goes to note, “So here, ultimately, is how it all plays out: when the Iraqi man in the mosque posed a threat, he was your enemy; when he was subdued he was your responsibility; when he was killed in front of my eyes and my camera -- the story of his death became my responsibility.” And the only way to fulfill that responsibility was to air the story that you knew would be used as propaganda to undermine our strategic objectives in the region, right? This is where I believe that the media are borderline treasonous. If there was any good in this story, it was outweighed 1,000 to 1 by the negative impact. How about turning the tape over to military until the investigation is complete? Once the facts of the case are known go with the story and the results of the investigation.
Prediction: If the Marine receives a courts martial, I can’t see him being him convicted by a panel of his peers. Reasonable doubt? Of course there is. The Marine’s acquittal will give Mr. Sites and his leftist buddies a whole new issue with which to bash the military and America. I can see the headlines, AMERICAN MURDERER FREED – KEVIN SITES WEEPS. But, what really makes these media people weep is American success.
Monday, November 22, 2004
OUR OPERATIONAL AND TACTICAL OBJECTIVES AND CENTERS OF GRAVITY
America’s Strategic objective in Iraq is a free and independent state that will not pose a threat to its neighbors or the rest of the world. The strategic center of gravity is the American will to see this project through to completion. So what are our operational and tactical objectives and our center of gravity for each?
Our operational objective is Iraqi security. To achieve this, unless we are willing to stay indefinitely, we need to stand up an Iraqi force capable of securing its own borders, fighting crime and killing terrorists. Our operational center of gravity is the Iraqi security forces. This is why the terrorists are targeting Iraqi police stations and recruiting places. The terrorists know that once Iraqis are largely responsible for their own security, the terrorist have a huge problem. It will no longer be occupying US forces pursing terrorists but the average Iraqi citizen.
That makes a huge difference. Right now Iraqi forces are being portrayed as occupation force collaborators. They are seen as no better than the Coalition forces. Once they gain their strength and confidence, they will begin to operate on their own. This poses three major problems for the terrorists. One, they will be killing more and more Iraqi citizens and fewer and fewer Americans. Two, the Iraqi forces are not likely to be as constrained as American forces in dealing with the terrorists. Three, Iraqi forces will be better able to exploit available human intelligence from the Iraqi people. We will be able to tell that we are winning operationally when Iraqi forces begin to shoulder more of the load, as in Fallujah, and their casualties begin to increase.
Our tactical objective is the terrorist leadership. These terrorists forces tend to center around charismatic leaders. Al Zarqawi and Sadar are two such leaders. While the latter has been somewhat neutered, the former is still at large inciting terrorists activity against coalition forces. Since US forces tried to find Manual Noriega in Panama, we have known the difficulty in finding one man in a city let alone in a country the size of California. Our forces simply cannot go door to looking for Zarqawi. We have to rely on timely actionable intelligence. Intelligence gathering is our tactical center of gravity. Terrorist’s cells are extremely difficult to penetrate. Even if successfully penetrated, the cells are extremely compartmentalized which makes it difficult for even an inside man to see the forest for the trees.
Our operational objective is Iraqi security. To achieve this, unless we are willing to stay indefinitely, we need to stand up an Iraqi force capable of securing its own borders, fighting crime and killing terrorists. Our operational center of gravity is the Iraqi security forces. This is why the terrorists are targeting Iraqi police stations and recruiting places. The terrorists know that once Iraqis are largely responsible for their own security, the terrorist have a huge problem. It will no longer be occupying US forces pursing terrorists but the average Iraqi citizen.
That makes a huge difference. Right now Iraqi forces are being portrayed as occupation force collaborators. They are seen as no better than the Coalition forces. Once they gain their strength and confidence, they will begin to operate on their own. This poses three major problems for the terrorists. One, they will be killing more and more Iraqi citizens and fewer and fewer Americans. Two, the Iraqi forces are not likely to be as constrained as American forces in dealing with the terrorists. Three, Iraqi forces will be better able to exploit available human intelligence from the Iraqi people. We will be able to tell that we are winning operationally when Iraqi forces begin to shoulder more of the load, as in Fallujah, and their casualties begin to increase.
Our tactical objective is the terrorist leadership. These terrorists forces tend to center around charismatic leaders. Al Zarqawi and Sadar are two such leaders. While the latter has been somewhat neutered, the former is still at large inciting terrorists activity against coalition forces. Since US forces tried to find Manual Noriega in Panama, we have known the difficulty in finding one man in a city let alone in a country the size of California. Our forces simply cannot go door to looking for Zarqawi. We have to rely on timely actionable intelligence. Intelligence gathering is our tactical center of gravity. Terrorist’s cells are extremely difficult to penetrate. Even if successfully penetrated, the cells are extremely compartmentalized which makes it difficult for even an inside man to see the forest for the trees.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
STRATEGIC CENTER OF GRAVITY
When the military develops plans they think on three levels. The highest is the strategic level. At the strategic level, military planners consider overarching national objectives. Military strategic planning is subordinate to the national strategy and must consider all elements of national power. The next level is the operational level planning. Operational planning is theater wide planning that links tactical actions to the larger strategic aims or to get “strategically meaningful results from tactical efforts”. (MCDP 1-2 pg 15) The lowest level is the tactical level of planning. This is where the rubber meets the road – combat actions to close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver. To be effective, these tactical actions need to be highly coordinated.
Planners need to think on all three levels simultaneously. During the planning process the planners will identify an enemy “center of gravity” at each level. The center of gravity is the key source of strength at a given level. If not complicated enough already, the planners must also consider the enemies three levels of planning as well as our own centers of gravity at each level. This process allows planners to mass friendly forces against the enemy’s key sources of strength while defending our own vulnerabilities against enemy actions. Of course the enemy is doing the same thing.
As noted below, America’s strategic center of gravity is its national will to see a conflict through to completion when casualties build. Our enemies have identified that if they can draw the conflict out and bloody America, the American people will quickly tire of the effort and begin to clamor for withdrawal of the troops, a la Somalia. They have also identified correctly that the American media will help them to achieve their goals. The military can protect installations from attack and protect troops with body armor and sound tactics, but the military has a much more difficult time defending against an antagonistic press corps.
Were we not a democracy, we could simply sensor the media or turn them into an Al Jazeera type propaganda machine. Left to their own devices, our media are serving the same purpose - for the enemy. The military is hard pressed to deal with a media that is more interested in sensational headlines than waiting to put the story into context. The military strategy for dealing with an irresponsible media intent on undermining its operations is two-fold. First the military quickly makes facts available to debunk much of the media’s sensationalism. Two, where there is wrong doing the military admits it and takes action to correct the problem. Of course the sensationalism travels like a shot while the truth travels like a snail.
Our strategic aims will be achieved in spite of media by holding elections and demonstrating to the people, American and Iraqi, that there is a path to democracy in Iraq. This is problematic as the insurants and our own media will strive to create the appearance of a chaotic environment unsuitable for meaningful elections. Iraqi and American forces will have to tamp down the violence and secure upward of 3,000 polling places. This may require some additional troops for the short term. The irony in this is that the complicit media will portray any troop build up as a defeat.
The military should bite the bullet in the short term and keep their eye on a strategic objective – elections. Whatever happens with the elections, our media will portray them as a failure. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how the Iraqi’s feel about the process. Americans should keep in mind our own elections during the Civil War. A whole region of the country did not participate, but the elections went forward and, as history has shown, where a great success.
Planners need to think on all three levels simultaneously. During the planning process the planners will identify an enemy “center of gravity” at each level. The center of gravity is the key source of strength at a given level. If not complicated enough already, the planners must also consider the enemies three levels of planning as well as our own centers of gravity at each level. This process allows planners to mass friendly forces against the enemy’s key sources of strength while defending our own vulnerabilities against enemy actions. Of course the enemy is doing the same thing.
As noted below, America’s strategic center of gravity is its national will to see a conflict through to completion when casualties build. Our enemies have identified that if they can draw the conflict out and bloody America, the American people will quickly tire of the effort and begin to clamor for withdrawal of the troops, a la Somalia. They have also identified correctly that the American media will help them to achieve their goals. The military can protect installations from attack and protect troops with body armor and sound tactics, but the military has a much more difficult time defending against an antagonistic press corps.
Were we not a democracy, we could simply sensor the media or turn them into an Al Jazeera type propaganda machine. Left to their own devices, our media are serving the same purpose - for the enemy. The military is hard pressed to deal with a media that is more interested in sensational headlines than waiting to put the story into context. The military strategy for dealing with an irresponsible media intent on undermining its operations is two-fold. First the military quickly makes facts available to debunk much of the media’s sensationalism. Two, where there is wrong doing the military admits it and takes action to correct the problem. Of course the sensationalism travels like a shot while the truth travels like a snail.
Our strategic aims will be achieved in spite of media by holding elections and demonstrating to the people, American and Iraqi, that there is a path to democracy in Iraq. This is problematic as the insurants and our own media will strive to create the appearance of a chaotic environment unsuitable for meaningful elections. Iraqi and American forces will have to tamp down the violence and secure upward of 3,000 polling places. This may require some additional troops for the short term. The irony in this is that the complicit media will portray any troop build up as a defeat.
The military should bite the bullet in the short term and keep their eye on a strategic objective – elections. Whatever happens with the elections, our media will portray them as a failure. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how the Iraqi’s feel about the process. Americans should keep in mind our own elections during the Civil War. A whole region of the country did not participate, but the elections went forward and, as history has shown, where a great success.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
US MEDIA ATTACKS AMERICA'S STRATEGIC CENTER OF GRAVITY IN IRAQ
Since John Kerry and similar anti-American anti-war activist chased the US out of Vietnam, America’s strategic center of gravity has correctly been recognized by our enemies as our will to stay engaged. We had quick victories in Granada, Iraq and Panama - too quick for anti-American, anti-war at any cost whackos and their willing accomplices in the press to turn the American people against their best interests. We were not so lucky in Lebanon and Somalia where casualties caused us to lose our nerve before the job was done.
Our current struggle is a bit different. After 3,000 dead Americans, we seem to have a bit more staying power. Terrorists are completely incapable of driving us from the battlefield. What the terrorist in Iraq can not achieve in a battle with US troops, the US media may hand to our enemies on a silver platter. After sensationalized stories about Abu Ghraib and missing explosives, the media are now zeroing in on the actions of one young Marine in Fallujah to help the terrorists to turn American opinion against our efforts in Iraq (See the post under). This is going blow up in their collective faces when the truth becomes known.
Here’s the rest of the story about this young death deifier and hero from Power Line:
This is one story of many that people normally don't hear, and one that everyone does.
This is one most don't hear:
A young Marine and his cover man cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with Ak-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor(doctor)!" He is badly wounded, lying in a pool of his own blood. The Marine and his cover man slowly walk toward the injured man, scanning to make sure no enemies come from behind. In a split second, the pressure in the room greatly exceeds that of the outside, and the concussion seems to be felt before the blast is heard. Marines outside rush to the room, and look in horror as the dust gradually settles. The result is a room filled with the barely recognizable remains of the deceased, caused by an insurgent setting off several pounds of explosives.
The Marines' remains are gathered by teary eyed comrades, brothers in arms, and shipped home in a box. The families can only mourn over a casket and a picture of their loved one, a life cut short by someone who hid behind a white flag.
But no one hears these stories, except those who have lived to carry remains of a friend, and the families who loved the dead. No one hears this, so no one cares.
This is the story everyone hears:
A young Marine and his fire team cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insugent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor(doctor)!" He is badly wounded. Suddenly, he pulls from under his bloody clothes a grenade, without the pin. The explosion rocks the room, killing one Marine, wounding the others. The young Marine catches shrapnel in the face.
The next day, same Marine, same type of situation, a different story. The young Marine and his cover man enter a room with two wounded insurgents. One lies on the floor in puddle of blood, another against the wall. A reporter and his camera survey the wreckage inside, and in the background can be heard the voice of a Marine, "He's moving, he's moving!"
The pop of a rifle is heard, and the insurgent against the wall is now dead. Minutes, hours later, the scene is aired on national television, and the Marine is being held for commiting a war crime. Unlawful killing.
And now, another Marine has the possibility of being burned at the stake for protecting the life of his brethren. His family now wrings their hands in grief, tears streaming down their face. Brother, should I have been in your boots, I too would have done the same.
For those of you who don't know, we Marines, Band of Brothers, Jarheads, Leathernecks, etc., do not fight because we think it is right, or think it is wrong. We are here for the man to our left, and the man to our right. We choose to give our lives so that the man or woman next to us can go home and see their husbands, wives, children, friends and families.
For those of you who sit on your couches in front of your television, and choose to condemn this man's actions, I have but one thing to say to you. Get out of your recliner, lace up my boots, pick up a rifle, leave your family behind and join me. See what I've seen, walk where I have walked. To those of you who support us, my sincerest gratitude. You keep us alive.
I am a Marine currently doing his second tour in Iraq. These are my opinions and mine alone. They do not represent those of the Marine Corps or of the US military, or any other. [end]
At some point we need to hold the media accountable for their efforts to undermine our strategic interests. This is not call for censorship or a lap-dog media. It is a call for getting the whole story in an accurate way the first time. The media are quite happy to obsess over these stories while they seem to put our service people in the worst possible light. When the complete truth becomes know, a truth that demonstrates that the military is competent, after months of sensational reporting, the media response is that of Emily Litella on Saturday Night Live, “Nevermind”.
Our current struggle is a bit different. After 3,000 dead Americans, we seem to have a bit more staying power. Terrorists are completely incapable of driving us from the battlefield. What the terrorist in Iraq can not achieve in a battle with US troops, the US media may hand to our enemies on a silver platter. After sensationalized stories about Abu Ghraib and missing explosives, the media are now zeroing in on the actions of one young Marine in Fallujah to help the terrorists to turn American opinion against our efforts in Iraq (See the post under). This is going blow up in their collective faces when the truth becomes known.
Here’s the rest of the story about this young death deifier and hero from Power Line:
This is one story of many that people normally don't hear, and one that everyone does.
This is one most don't hear:
A young Marine and his cover man cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with Ak-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor(doctor)!" He is badly wounded, lying in a pool of his own blood. The Marine and his cover man slowly walk toward the injured man, scanning to make sure no enemies come from behind. In a split second, the pressure in the room greatly exceeds that of the outside, and the concussion seems to be felt before the blast is heard. Marines outside rush to the room, and look in horror as the dust gradually settles. The result is a room filled with the barely recognizable remains of the deceased, caused by an insurgent setting off several pounds of explosives.
The Marines' remains are gathered by teary eyed comrades, brothers in arms, and shipped home in a box. The families can only mourn over a casket and a picture of their loved one, a life cut short by someone who hid behind a white flag.
But no one hears these stories, except those who have lived to carry remains of a friend, and the families who loved the dead. No one hears this, so no one cares.
This is the story everyone hears:
A young Marine and his fire team cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insugent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor(doctor)!" He is badly wounded. Suddenly, he pulls from under his bloody clothes a grenade, without the pin. The explosion rocks the room, killing one Marine, wounding the others. The young Marine catches shrapnel in the face.
The next day, same Marine, same type of situation, a different story. The young Marine and his cover man enter a room with two wounded insurgents. One lies on the floor in puddle of blood, another against the wall. A reporter and his camera survey the wreckage inside, and in the background can be heard the voice of a Marine, "He's moving, he's moving!"
The pop of a rifle is heard, and the insurgent against the wall is now dead. Minutes, hours later, the scene is aired on national television, and the Marine is being held for commiting a war crime. Unlawful killing.
And now, another Marine has the possibility of being burned at the stake for protecting the life of his brethren. His family now wrings their hands in grief, tears streaming down their face. Brother, should I have been in your boots, I too would have done the same.
For those of you who don't know, we Marines, Band of Brothers, Jarheads, Leathernecks, etc., do not fight because we think it is right, or think it is wrong. We are here for the man to our left, and the man to our right. We choose to give our lives so that the man or woman next to us can go home and see their husbands, wives, children, friends and families.
For those of you who sit on your couches in front of your television, and choose to condemn this man's actions, I have but one thing to say to you. Get out of your recliner, lace up my boots, pick up a rifle, leave your family behind and join me. See what I've seen, walk where I have walked. To those of you who support us, my sincerest gratitude. You keep us alive.
I am a Marine currently doing his second tour in Iraq. These are my opinions and mine alone. They do not represent those of the Marine Corps or of the US military, or any other. [end]
At some point we need to hold the media accountable for their efforts to undermine our strategic interests. This is not call for censorship or a lap-dog media. It is a call for getting the whole story in an accurate way the first time. The media are quite happy to obsess over these stories while they seem to put our service people in the worst possible light. When the complete truth becomes know, a truth that demonstrates that the military is competent, after months of sensational reporting, the media response is that of Emily Litella on Saturday Night Live, “Nevermind”.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
MEDIA HOPES FOR WAR CRIMES
Arabs who are not offended by the occasional hacking off of the head of a woman aid worker or the more frequent hacking off of the heads of foreign workers for no other reason than are “foreign workers” are angered by the oddest things. We know, when given enough over the top coverage by the US media, Arabs anger at the sight of terrorists being photographed naked. People of the peaceful religion of Islam who stand mute when innocent men women and children are blown up by the hundreds and thousands in cafes, buses, airplanes and tall buildings finally find a their voices when a lone wounded terrorist is killed in the heat of battle. (I heard about an American who shot a wounded unarmed Vietcong in the back and got a medal for it. Except for the getting a medal part, the media were not interested in the story. Now what was that guys name? Oh yea, it was that John Kerry guy.)
How do we know the Arabs, presumably every one of them, are angry? Well, our alert conniving media, never ones to miss a story that might put an American serviceman in a bad light, seek out the offended ones and tell us their story over and over. Even before any of the facts are known about this latest media inspired brouhaha, well dressed media elites fresh from dinner or lunch at some high-brow restaurant intone somberly between sips of their double all-natural chocolate-vanilla soy lattes that the Marine MIGHT have committed a war crime. Well hells-bells here are some other news flashes that might be interesting under these strict journalistic standards; The sun MIGHT explode…details at six! Bill Clinton MIGHT tell the truth…our microphones will be there if he does! The mainstream media MIGHT stop making the news up…a special report! CBS has produced (literally) documents that the man who was killed MIGHT have been a Red Crescent worker considered by many to be candidate for the Noble Peace Prize…see the whole story on 60 minutes Wednesday!
I recall years ago my Dad giving me his copy of Ernie Pyle’s book Here’s Your War. In it Pyle tells how people from every walk of life and every section across America fought for victory in North Africa. The book is a compilation of the brave deeds, sacrifices and yes sense of humor of the American fighting man. Pyle writes in detail of the unique personality and good nature of the American fighting man. I don’t believe there was even one war crimes story included. In today’s media Pyle would be shunned, relegated to the social page or an occasional feel good feature about a three legged dog. One could imagine the conversation between today’s media Bigs and Pyle;
“Look, Pyle the last thing we need here are inspirational stories about the war and the people fighting over there. After all, we’re trying get rid of George Bush not prop him up.”
“Yea, but we’re at war with international Islamo terror fascist. Shouldn’t we be trying to win that? Besides, these are Americans putting their lives on the line for us, shouldn’t we try to honor them and their cause?”
“Pyle, Pyle, Pyle there will be plenty of time to win this thing when the Democrats are back in power. Until then I want all war crimes and hopelessness all of the time. We need to turn people against this war and the president. Now get over to Elm Street. The scanner just picked up that Mrs. Crump’s cat Mittens is stuck in the tree again.”
How do we know the Arabs, presumably every one of them, are angry? Well, our alert conniving media, never ones to miss a story that might put an American serviceman in a bad light, seek out the offended ones and tell us their story over and over. Even before any of the facts are known about this latest media inspired brouhaha, well dressed media elites fresh from dinner or lunch at some high-brow restaurant intone somberly between sips of their double all-natural chocolate-vanilla soy lattes that the Marine MIGHT have committed a war crime. Well hells-bells here are some other news flashes that might be interesting under these strict journalistic standards; The sun MIGHT explode…details at six! Bill Clinton MIGHT tell the truth…our microphones will be there if he does! The mainstream media MIGHT stop making the news up…a special report! CBS has produced (literally) documents that the man who was killed MIGHT have been a Red Crescent worker considered by many to be candidate for the Noble Peace Prize…see the whole story on 60 minutes Wednesday!
I recall years ago my Dad giving me his copy of Ernie Pyle’s book Here’s Your War. In it Pyle tells how people from every walk of life and every section across America fought for victory in North Africa. The book is a compilation of the brave deeds, sacrifices and yes sense of humor of the American fighting man. Pyle writes in detail of the unique personality and good nature of the American fighting man. I don’t believe there was even one war crimes story included. In today’s media Pyle would be shunned, relegated to the social page or an occasional feel good feature about a three legged dog. One could imagine the conversation between today’s media Bigs and Pyle;
“Look, Pyle the last thing we need here are inspirational stories about the war and the people fighting over there. After all, we’re trying get rid of George Bush not prop him up.”
“Yea, but we’re at war with international Islamo terror fascist. Shouldn’t we be trying to win that? Besides, these are Americans putting their lives on the line for us, shouldn’t we try to honor them and their cause?”
“Pyle, Pyle, Pyle there will be plenty of time to win this thing when the Democrats are back in power. Until then I want all war crimes and hopelessness all of the time. We need to turn people against this war and the president. Now get over to Elm Street. The scanner just picked up that Mrs. Crump’s cat Mittens is stuck in the tree again.”
Monday, November 15, 2004
RENDERING UNTO GOVERNMENT DEMs IDEA OF VALUES
The post mortem on our last election has Democrats believing that they got their brains bashed in over moral values issues important to Evangelic Christians. Their first instinct was to blame the whole thing on Evangelical’s reaction to gay marriage. Someone must have clued them in that Joe and Mary Six-pack could care less what Steve and Bruce do as long as they aren’t shoving it in their faces and more importantly in their children’s faces. Listening to the latest Democrat talking points it is clear that they are well on their way to another drubbing in 06. Now these Democrat spinners make it clear that their party believes that moral values should translate into more, bigger government programs and taxes.
While Jesus did say, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.” He didn’t say, “Render unto Caesar all that Caesar wants so that Caesar may create a huge wasteful government bureaucracy to do the good deeds that I expect each of you to do on your own.” He didn’t say, “Render unto Caesar even as Caesar uses your renderings to kill the unborn and support ‘art’ and other activities which mock and shun me.” He did not say, “By his taking, Caesar relieves you of your responsibilities to do good works.” How impressed is St. Peter going to be at the Golden Gate when he asks, “What good deeds did you do?” and the only answer is, “Well, let’s see, I’m a life long Democrat, so I paid my taxes and hoped Uncle Sam would cover for me.”
So the Democrats, as is their habit of late, are barking up the wrong tree. For most voters, even leaving aside Evangelical voters, moral values will never equate to supporting wasteful government programs. “Moral issues” are not important only to Evangelicals. I mean in a race between Eddie Haskell and George Bush most voters, irrespective of religious persuasion, will recognize that Eddie is smarmy, conniving dope and vote accordingly. Sadly though, a large number of Democrats, up to 70% by some estimates, would vote for Eddie simply because he was not Bush. To get back into the values game Democrats need to start with something as simple as finding a non-Eddie candidate one that tells the truth most of the time. (See “Why Reds and Blues Are Divided on Values” below.)
While Jesus did say, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.” He didn’t say, “Render unto Caesar all that Caesar wants so that Caesar may create a huge wasteful government bureaucracy to do the good deeds that I expect each of you to do on your own.” He didn’t say, “Render unto Caesar even as Caesar uses your renderings to kill the unborn and support ‘art’ and other activities which mock and shun me.” He did not say, “By his taking, Caesar relieves you of your responsibilities to do good works.” How impressed is St. Peter going to be at the Golden Gate when he asks, “What good deeds did you do?” and the only answer is, “Well, let’s see, I’m a life long Democrat, so I paid my taxes and hoped Uncle Sam would cover for me.”
So the Democrats, as is their habit of late, are barking up the wrong tree. For most voters, even leaving aside Evangelical voters, moral values will never equate to supporting wasteful government programs. “Moral issues” are not important only to Evangelicals. I mean in a race between Eddie Haskell and George Bush most voters, irrespective of religious persuasion, will recognize that Eddie is smarmy, conniving dope and vote accordingly. Sadly though, a large number of Democrats, up to 70% by some estimates, would vote for Eddie simply because he was not Bush. To get back into the values game Democrats need to start with something as simple as finding a non-Eddie candidate one that tells the truth most of the time. (See “Why Reds and Blues Are Divided on Values” below.)
Saturday, November 13, 2004
CIA NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED
The Washington Post is sounding the alarm that there is chaos at the CIA. The Deputy Director has resigned the Deputy Director of Operations and several other top level officials are threatening to resign. The agency is in “turmoil” according to the Post.
I don’t understand why there should be turmoil over the resignations real or threatened of a bunch of people who should have been fired years ago. While the Post runs in circles shouting, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Director Goss is no doubt doing what he was hired to do, clear out the dead wood. When it gets the ax, the dead wood runs to the Post and screams about chaos and turmoil. The post never wanting to miss an opportunity to bash Bush gleefully publishes the story.
Well how could the agency that missed, Saddam’s move into Kuwait, Korea’s, India’s and Pakistan’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, 9-11, and Saddam’s disposal of his WMD be any worse off for cleaning house? It’s not as if the CIA were a well oiled machine, hitting on all cylinders that is now being tinkered with by some shade tree mechanic. It’s a jalopy that hasn’t run right in years. It is now being overhauled in the hope that it can be returned to useful service. The process may require some new parts.
I don’t understand why there should be turmoil over the resignations real or threatened of a bunch of people who should have been fired years ago. While the Post runs in circles shouting, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Director Goss is no doubt doing what he was hired to do, clear out the dead wood. When it gets the ax, the dead wood runs to the Post and screams about chaos and turmoil. The post never wanting to miss an opportunity to bash Bush gleefully publishes the story.
Well how could the agency that missed, Saddam’s move into Kuwait, Korea’s, India’s and Pakistan’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, 9-11, and Saddam’s disposal of his WMD be any worse off for cleaning house? It’s not as if the CIA were a well oiled machine, hitting on all cylinders that is now being tinkered with by some shade tree mechanic. It’s a jalopy that hasn’t run right in years. It is now being overhauled in the hope that it can be returned to useful service. The process may require some new parts.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
The Good
John Ashcroft will step down as Attorney General upon the confirmation of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales. This will be a tremendous disappointment to left-wing kooks who loved to vilify John Ashcroft. The libs don’t get it but this is why they lose elections. They take a fundamentally good man trash him in the most personal way.
When the history of 9-11 is written, John Ashcroft may go down as one of the great unsung heroes. His justice department’s relentless pursuit of domestic terrorists may be cited as the main reasons why Al Qaida was unable to hit us again after 9-11.
But John Ashcroft goes down as “the good” in this piece for his conduct after he lost his senatorial campaign to Mel Carnahan who had died with his son in a plane crash before the election. The Governor of Missouri appointed Carnahan’s widow Jean to the sneate seat. Republicans wanted to mount a legal challenge to the election and the appointment of Mrs. Carnahan. Ashcroft would have none of it. In his concession speech Ashcroft said,
"I will not initiate and I will not participate in any legal challenge, I believe that the will of the people has been expressed with compassion, and that the people's voice should be respected and heard. I hope that the outcome of this election is a matter of comfort to Mrs. Carnahan. ... I hope that she has every success in representing the people of Missouri effectively."
Contrast Ashcroft’s statement to the recent graceless statements of leading Democrats after our last election.
The Bad
I don’t know why but there is a great deal of angst and gnashing of teeth at the fate of Yasser Araft. Now that he’s finally gone, Bill Clinton’s favorite White House slumber party guest will be lionized by a liberal media. A state funeral is being planned in Egypt. Why all of this attention for an unrepentant murdering, Jew hating, thieving terrorist. May the fleas of a 1,000 camels dine on his mangy hide for eternity.
The Ugly
(Sure Yasser could take two out of three but…) Any of the scores of Democrat “thinkers” and “leaders” shooting their mouths off in the most vile manner after the election. Compare these examples to Ashcroft's above:
-- "The Daily Show's" Lewis Black put it last week, Americans remain free to pursue their dreams, "so long as that dream doesn't make Midwesterners feel 'icky.' “Did you ever notice that the people preaching love and tolerance as in, oh I don’t know gay marriage, are the first to start spewing hate and intolerance when they run into someone who does not agree with them?
-- Elizabeth Edwards and Babs Streisand (Female equivalent of Dumb and Dumber?) lifted this tidbit from a Jefferson quote condemning the sedition acts “A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles.”
-- ABCs Carole Simpson held up a map of red states alongside a map of slave states from the 1860s. “See”, she said, “present-day red states are the same states that were pro-slavery!” That’s real nice Carole Red voters the same as slave holders. Hey Carole why didn’t mention that Republicans supported LBJ’s Civil Right Bill in greater proportions than the Democrats? Why didn’t you mention that every segregationist and bigot worth mentioning in the South from Bull Connor to George Wallace to Bob Byrd was/is a Democrat?
-- "The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry," writes Jane Smiley. Yes, yes, I’m sure the election was the result of the ignorance of over half of the voting population. What does that say about the public school system? Vouchers anyone?
-- The ever self-absorbed Michael Moore who wrote at his web cite “the first thing that comes to mind after George Bush’s reelection” and goes on to list all of the names those killed in Iraq. Then he uses these heroes’ photos to create a mosaic of Bush. Let’s face it, the ONLY time Michael Moore gives a damn about any of these people is when he is figuring out how to exploit their deaths.
John Ashcroft will step down as Attorney General upon the confirmation of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales. This will be a tremendous disappointment to left-wing kooks who loved to vilify John Ashcroft. The libs don’t get it but this is why they lose elections. They take a fundamentally good man trash him in the most personal way.
When the history of 9-11 is written, John Ashcroft may go down as one of the great unsung heroes. His justice department’s relentless pursuit of domestic terrorists may be cited as the main reasons why Al Qaida was unable to hit us again after 9-11.
But John Ashcroft goes down as “the good” in this piece for his conduct after he lost his senatorial campaign to Mel Carnahan who had died with his son in a plane crash before the election. The Governor of Missouri appointed Carnahan’s widow Jean to the sneate seat. Republicans wanted to mount a legal challenge to the election and the appointment of Mrs. Carnahan. Ashcroft would have none of it. In his concession speech Ashcroft said,
"I will not initiate and I will not participate in any legal challenge, I believe that the will of the people has been expressed with compassion, and that the people's voice should be respected and heard. I hope that the outcome of this election is a matter of comfort to Mrs. Carnahan. ... I hope that she has every success in representing the people of Missouri effectively."
Contrast Ashcroft’s statement to the recent graceless statements of leading Democrats after our last election.
The Bad
I don’t know why but there is a great deal of angst and gnashing of teeth at the fate of Yasser Araft. Now that he’s finally gone, Bill Clinton’s favorite White House slumber party guest will be lionized by a liberal media. A state funeral is being planned in Egypt. Why all of this attention for an unrepentant murdering, Jew hating, thieving terrorist. May the fleas of a 1,000 camels dine on his mangy hide for eternity.
The Ugly
(Sure Yasser could take two out of three but…) Any of the scores of Democrat “thinkers” and “leaders” shooting their mouths off in the most vile manner after the election. Compare these examples to Ashcroft's above:
-- "The Daily Show's" Lewis Black put it last week, Americans remain free to pursue their dreams, "so long as that dream doesn't make Midwesterners feel 'icky.' “Did you ever notice that the people preaching love and tolerance as in, oh I don’t know gay marriage, are the first to start spewing hate and intolerance when they run into someone who does not agree with them?
-- Elizabeth Edwards and Babs Streisand (Female equivalent of Dumb and Dumber?) lifted this tidbit from a Jefferson quote condemning the sedition acts “A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles.”
-- ABCs Carole Simpson held up a map of red states alongside a map of slave states from the 1860s. “See”, she said, “present-day red states are the same states that were pro-slavery!” That’s real nice Carole Red voters the same as slave holders. Hey Carole why didn’t mention that Republicans supported LBJ’s Civil Right Bill in greater proportions than the Democrats? Why didn’t you mention that every segregationist and bigot worth mentioning in the South from Bull Connor to George Wallace to Bob Byrd was/is a Democrat?
-- "The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry," writes Jane Smiley. Yes, yes, I’m sure the election was the result of the ignorance of over half of the voting population. What does that say about the public school system? Vouchers anyone?
-- The ever self-absorbed Michael Moore who wrote at his web cite “the first thing that comes to mind after George Bush’s reelection” and goes on to list all of the names those killed in Iraq. Then he uses these heroes’ photos to create a mosaic of Bush. Let’s face it, the ONLY time Michael Moore gives a damn about any of these people is when he is figuring out how to exploit their deaths.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
MARINES CELEBRATE 229 YEARS OF HISTORY
My dad says Texans, Notre Dame Graduates and Marines all have one thing in common; you cannot talk to any of them for more than ten seconds without them mentioning that they are from Texas, graduated from Notre Dame or was/is a Marine. Today marks the 229th birthday of the United states Marine Corps. As the saying goes, “Once a Marine, always a Marine!” If you know anyone who served as a Marine, regardless of how long ago, give ‘em a call and wish them a Happy Birthday! If you see one of today’s Marines, wish him/her a Happy Birthday! Read on and learn about the history, mission and esprit of the U.S. Marine Corps.
On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, PA adopted a secret resolution that formally established a military organization whose fame and tradition was destined to achieve prominence in the annals of American warfare. The resolution reads:Resolved--That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, two majors and officers as usual in other regiments; That they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to office or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with Maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea, when required. That they be enlisted and commissioned for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: That they be distinguished by the names of the 1st and 2d Battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number, which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of.
Mission
The Marine Corps, within the Department of the Navy, shall be so organized as to include not less than three combat divisions and three air wings, and such other land combat, aviation and other services as may be organic therein.
The Marines Corps shall be organized, trained, and equipped to provide fleet marine forces of combined arms, together with supporting air components, for service with the fleet in the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and for the conduct of such land operations as may be essential to the prosecution of a naval campaign.
In addition, the Marine Corps shall provide detachments and organizations for service on armed vessels of the Navy, shall provide security detachments for the protection of naval property at naval stations and bases, and shall perform such other duties as the President may direct. However, these additional duties may not detract from or interfere with the operations for which the Marine Corps is primarily organized.
The Marine Corps shall develop, in coordination with the Army and the Air Force, those phases of amphibious operations that pertain to the tactics, techniques, and equipment used by landing forces.
The Marine Corps is responsible, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of peacetime components of the Marine Corps to meet the needs of war.
LEJEUNE'S MESSAGE
10 November 1921: This date marked the first formal commemoration of the birthday of the Marine Corps as 10 November. On 21 October 1921, Maj Edwin McClellan, OIC of the Historical Section, HQMC, sent a memo to MajGen Commandant John A. Lejeune, suggesting that the original birthday of 10 November 1775 be declared a Marine Corps holiday to be celebrated throughout the Corps. Accordingly, on 1 Nov 1921, Gen Lejeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47 summarizing the history, mission, and tradition of the Corps, and directed that it be read to every command each 10 November. In keeping with the wishes of the 13th Commandant Marine Corps Order #47 is republished today.
”On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Since that date, many thousand men have borne the name Marine. In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the Birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history.
During 90 of the 146 years of its existence the Marine Corps has been in action against the nations foes. From the battle of Trenton to the Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home. Generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.
In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term Marine has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.
This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the Corps. With it we also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will e found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.”
The inspiring message of the 13th Commandant has left its mark in the hearts and minds of all Marines. By deed and act from Trenton to the shores of Tripoli to the Argonne Forest, to Iwo Jima, in interventions from Lebanon, Grenada, and Panama, and from the opening battles in Vietnam, the Gulf War and today in America’s new war on terrorism in Afghanistan, Marines have continued to epitomize those qualities which are their legacy. The success which they have achieved in combat and the faith they have borne in peace will continue - Happy birthday to Marines, former Marines and friends of Marines.
A MESSAGE FROM M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (No, he’s not shouting. This text was lifted from a military electronic message which requires all caps.)
1. TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS AGO, THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS ESTABLISHED A CORPS OF MARINES TO FIGHT FOR A DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S INDEPENDENCE. SINCE THEN COUNTLESS MARINES HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND AND SWORN TO DEFEND OUR NATION'S FREEDOMS AND PRESERVE ITS LIBERTIES. THIS YEAR'S ANNIVERSARY AGAIN FINDS MARINES ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE FOR THE SAME NOBLE PURPOSES. THE BRAVERY, HEROISM, AND SELFLESSNESS OF ALL MARINES - WHEREVER THEY ARE SERVING - HAVE ADDED SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR RICH LEGACY AND MEASURED UP TO THE HIGH STANDARDS THAT HAVE COME TO EPITOMIZE ALL WHO WEAR THE EAGLE, GLOBE, AND ANCHOR.
2. THE CURRENT BATTLEFIELDS OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR ARE LINKED TO THE STORIED CAMPAIGNS OF OUR PAST BY AN UNBROKEN TRADITION OF PROUD AND LOYAL SERVICE. AT NEW PROVIDENCE, CHAPULTEPEC, BELLEAU WOOD, TARAWA, IWO JIMA, THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR, CON THIEN, KUWAIT, AND NOW IN PLACES LIKE FALLUJAH, MARINES HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A DEDICATION TO DUTY, A COMMITMENT TO WARFIGHTING EXCELLENCE, AND A DEVOTION TO EACH OTHER THAT HAS INSTILLED A FIERCE DETERMINATION TO OVERCOME SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGES. OUR WARRIOR ETHOS IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CORPS' HALLMARK.
3. THE FORTITUDE AND SACRIFICES OF MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN VITAL IN PROTECTING OUR NATION FROM THOSE WHO WOULD DO US HARM. WHETHER PREPARING AND SUSTAINING OUR AGILE FORCE OR ENGAGED IN BATTLE, THE ESPRIT DE CORPS, TIRELESS ENERGY, CALM COURAGE, AND INSPIRED LEADERSHIP OF MARINES CONTINUE TO MAKE A MONUMENTAL DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD. YOUR UNSELFISH DEDICATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS - DEMONSTRATED REPEATEDLY OVER THIS PAST YEAR IN NUMEROUS PLACES SUCH AS THE ANBAR PROVINCE OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, THE HORN OF AFRICA, HAITI, AND IN THE CRUCIAL JOB HERE AT HOME SUPPORTING OUR DEPLOYED FORCES - ARE DEEPLY RESPECTED AND VALUED BY YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS.
4. MARINES, AS WE CELEBRATE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILIES THE FOUNDING OF OUR BELOVED CORPS, YOU SHOULD TAKE PRIDE IN OUR LONG HISTORY OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THIS GREAT NATION AND ITS CITIZENS. I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER ESPECIALLY THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FALLEN AND WOUNDED COMRADES. FINALLY, REDEDICATE YOURSELVES TO TAKING CARE OF ONE ANOTHER AND ENSURING WE REMAIN THE FINEST WARFIGHTING ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD.
5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES, SEMPER FIDELIS, AND KEEP ATTACKING!
On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, PA adopted a secret resolution that formally established a military organization whose fame and tradition was destined to achieve prominence in the annals of American warfare. The resolution reads:Resolved--That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, two majors and officers as usual in other regiments; That they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to office or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with Maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea, when required. That they be enlisted and commissioned for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: That they be distinguished by the names of the 1st and 2d Battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number, which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of.
Mission
The Marine Corps, within the Department of the Navy, shall be so organized as to include not less than three combat divisions and three air wings, and such other land combat, aviation and other services as may be organic therein.
The Marines Corps shall be organized, trained, and equipped to provide fleet marine forces of combined arms, together with supporting air components, for service with the fleet in the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and for the conduct of such land operations as may be essential to the prosecution of a naval campaign.
In addition, the Marine Corps shall provide detachments and organizations for service on armed vessels of the Navy, shall provide security detachments for the protection of naval property at naval stations and bases, and shall perform such other duties as the President may direct. However, these additional duties may not detract from or interfere with the operations for which the Marine Corps is primarily organized.
The Marine Corps shall develop, in coordination with the Army and the Air Force, those phases of amphibious operations that pertain to the tactics, techniques, and equipment used by landing forces.
The Marine Corps is responsible, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of peacetime components of the Marine Corps to meet the needs of war.
LEJEUNE'S MESSAGE
10 November 1921: This date marked the first formal commemoration of the birthday of the Marine Corps as 10 November. On 21 October 1921, Maj Edwin McClellan, OIC of the Historical Section, HQMC, sent a memo to MajGen Commandant John A. Lejeune, suggesting that the original birthday of 10 November 1775 be declared a Marine Corps holiday to be celebrated throughout the Corps. Accordingly, on 1 Nov 1921, Gen Lejeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47 summarizing the history, mission, and tradition of the Corps, and directed that it be read to every command each 10 November. In keeping with the wishes of the 13th Commandant Marine Corps Order #47 is republished today.
”On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Since that date, many thousand men have borne the name Marine. In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the Birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history.
During 90 of the 146 years of its existence the Marine Corps has been in action against the nations foes. From the battle of Trenton to the Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home. Generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.
In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term Marine has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.
This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the Corps. With it we also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will e found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.”
The inspiring message of the 13th Commandant has left its mark in the hearts and minds of all Marines. By deed and act from Trenton to the shores of Tripoli to the Argonne Forest, to Iwo Jima, in interventions from Lebanon, Grenada, and Panama, and from the opening battles in Vietnam, the Gulf War and today in America’s new war on terrorism in Afghanistan, Marines have continued to epitomize those qualities which are their legacy. The success which they have achieved in combat and the faith they have borne in peace will continue - Happy birthday to Marines, former Marines and friends of Marines.
A MESSAGE FROM M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (No, he’s not shouting. This text was lifted from a military electronic message which requires all caps.)
1. TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS AGO, THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS ESTABLISHED A CORPS OF MARINES TO FIGHT FOR A DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S INDEPENDENCE. SINCE THEN COUNTLESS MARINES HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND AND SWORN TO DEFEND OUR NATION'S FREEDOMS AND PRESERVE ITS LIBERTIES. THIS YEAR'S ANNIVERSARY AGAIN FINDS MARINES ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE FOR THE SAME NOBLE PURPOSES. THE BRAVERY, HEROISM, AND SELFLESSNESS OF ALL MARINES - WHEREVER THEY ARE SERVING - HAVE ADDED SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR RICH LEGACY AND MEASURED UP TO THE HIGH STANDARDS THAT HAVE COME TO EPITOMIZE ALL WHO WEAR THE EAGLE, GLOBE, AND ANCHOR.
2. THE CURRENT BATTLEFIELDS OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR ARE LINKED TO THE STORIED CAMPAIGNS OF OUR PAST BY AN UNBROKEN TRADITION OF PROUD AND LOYAL SERVICE. AT NEW PROVIDENCE, CHAPULTEPEC, BELLEAU WOOD, TARAWA, IWO JIMA, THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR, CON THIEN, KUWAIT, AND NOW IN PLACES LIKE FALLUJAH, MARINES HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A DEDICATION TO DUTY, A COMMITMENT TO WARFIGHTING EXCELLENCE, AND A DEVOTION TO EACH OTHER THAT HAS INSTILLED A FIERCE DETERMINATION TO OVERCOME SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGES. OUR WARRIOR ETHOS IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CORPS' HALLMARK.
3. THE FORTITUDE AND SACRIFICES OF MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN VITAL IN PROTECTING OUR NATION FROM THOSE WHO WOULD DO US HARM. WHETHER PREPARING AND SUSTAINING OUR AGILE FORCE OR ENGAGED IN BATTLE, THE ESPRIT DE CORPS, TIRELESS ENERGY, CALM COURAGE, AND INSPIRED LEADERSHIP OF MARINES CONTINUE TO MAKE A MONUMENTAL DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD. YOUR UNSELFISH DEDICATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS - DEMONSTRATED REPEATEDLY OVER THIS PAST YEAR IN NUMEROUS PLACES SUCH AS THE ANBAR PROVINCE OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, THE HORN OF AFRICA, HAITI, AND IN THE CRUCIAL JOB HERE AT HOME SUPPORTING OUR DEPLOYED FORCES - ARE DEEPLY RESPECTED AND VALUED BY YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS.
4. MARINES, AS WE CELEBRATE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILIES THE FOUNDING OF OUR BELOVED CORPS, YOU SHOULD TAKE PRIDE IN OUR LONG HISTORY OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THIS GREAT NATION AND ITS CITIZENS. I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER ESPECIALLY THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FALLEN AND WOUNDED COMRADES. FINALLY, REDEDICATE YOURSELVES TO TAKING CARE OF ONE ANOTHER AND ENSURING WE REMAIN THE FINEST WARFIGHTING ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD.
5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES, SEMPER FIDELIS, AND KEEP ATTACKING!
THE MARINES IN FALLUJAH
The U.S. Marines and their Army brothers are storming Fallujah. This is good news for Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and the Iraqi people who wish to govern themselves. This is bad news for any terrorist who lacked the good sense to get out of Fallujah while the getting was good. Johnny jihad has no idea what he’s going to be up against. As a result, the jihadists will be killed by the bushel basket.
The jihadists are going to run into guys like Lance Corporal Anthony Orsini. Orsini was a typical Marine, if there is such a thing, a member of unit in which I served. He was nearly as wide as he was tall, not in a Buddy Hackett way but rather in an athletic way. He had short powerful legs, a barrel chest and that kind of linebacker neck where you cannot tell where the shoulders end and the neck begins. Orsini hailed from Illinois, somewhere close to Chicago but too far South for him to say that he was actually from there. But after looking at him and listening to him for a while you might think, if he’s not from Chicago he ought to be.
Orsini had a tattoo the size of a bath mat on his left arm, which itself seemed as big around as the tube of the 155mm howitzer he helped to man. The tattoo had the eagle, globe and anchor, the Marine Corps’ emblem. It had a skull with a combat knife smashed through it and a snake with huge fangs twisting around both the skull and the knife. Underneath all of it in a neat semicircle were the words “Death Before Dishonor”. One hot day, I saw the tattoo and commented, “Nice tattoo Orsini.” He replied, “Thanks sir. I told my brother if anything ever happened to me he should cut it off and make a lampshade out of it.”
He carried the biggest hunting knife made slung low from his web belt. The knife was so big that on his short frame it more like a sword than a knife. One day I asked him why he carried that knife. His perfect answer was, “You never know when you might need to cut something.”
We were doing cold weather training one year. We divide up into six man groups. Each group was given its cold weather equipment weighing well over 100 pounds. The equipment was loaded onto an Akio sled. The Akio was designed to be pulled by four men across the snow. The other two men in the team could rest, provide security etc. Every time looked over I’d see the unmistakable profile of Orsini dragging his team’s sled by himself. It seemed he could drag it forever, only requiring help on the steepest of hills. I told him the other guys ought to be helping out. He said that they would. When we got to where we going, the others would have to set everything up, cook and take his fire watch.
While Orsini could drag the Akio to hell and back again, because of his stature he had a great deal of trouble with the three mile run. Twice a year Marines are required to perform a physical fitness test which consists of pull ups, sit ups and a three mile run. Each event has to be performed to a certain standard. Try as he might, Orsini was always on the ragged edge of failing the run. One day after a particularly poor showing, even by his standards, I looked at him and said, “Damn Orsini, my sister can run faster than that.” To which his only reply between mad gasps for air was, “Sign her up, sir!” I had to turn quickly to keep from laughing out loud and giving away that I wasn’t mad anymore.
I don’t know what happened to Orsini. One of us got orders and moved on and I’ve never seen him again. He might be in Fallujah. But if he’s not, there are thousands and thousands of Marines like him who are. The jihadists are just beginning to learn of the hell that they have brought down on themselves. The unbearably sad part of this is that some of our heroes will be lost in the process of killing the people who desperately need to be killed.
The jihadists are going to run into guys like Lance Corporal Anthony Orsini. Orsini was a typical Marine, if there is such a thing, a member of unit in which I served. He was nearly as wide as he was tall, not in a Buddy Hackett way but rather in an athletic way. He had short powerful legs, a barrel chest and that kind of linebacker neck where you cannot tell where the shoulders end and the neck begins. Orsini hailed from Illinois, somewhere close to Chicago but too far South for him to say that he was actually from there. But after looking at him and listening to him for a while you might think, if he’s not from Chicago he ought to be.
Orsini had a tattoo the size of a bath mat on his left arm, which itself seemed as big around as the tube of the 155mm howitzer he helped to man. The tattoo had the eagle, globe and anchor, the Marine Corps’ emblem. It had a skull with a combat knife smashed through it and a snake with huge fangs twisting around both the skull and the knife. Underneath all of it in a neat semicircle were the words “Death Before Dishonor”. One hot day, I saw the tattoo and commented, “Nice tattoo Orsini.” He replied, “Thanks sir. I told my brother if anything ever happened to me he should cut it off and make a lampshade out of it.”
He carried the biggest hunting knife made slung low from his web belt. The knife was so big that on his short frame it more like a sword than a knife. One day I asked him why he carried that knife. His perfect answer was, “You never know when you might need to cut something.”
We were doing cold weather training one year. We divide up into six man groups. Each group was given its cold weather equipment weighing well over 100 pounds. The equipment was loaded onto an Akio sled. The Akio was designed to be pulled by four men across the snow. The other two men in the team could rest, provide security etc. Every time looked over I’d see the unmistakable profile of Orsini dragging his team’s sled by himself. It seemed he could drag it forever, only requiring help on the steepest of hills. I told him the other guys ought to be helping out. He said that they would. When we got to where we going, the others would have to set everything up, cook and take his fire watch.
While Orsini could drag the Akio to hell and back again, because of his stature he had a great deal of trouble with the three mile run. Twice a year Marines are required to perform a physical fitness test which consists of pull ups, sit ups and a three mile run. Each event has to be performed to a certain standard. Try as he might, Orsini was always on the ragged edge of failing the run. One day after a particularly poor showing, even by his standards, I looked at him and said, “Damn Orsini, my sister can run faster than that.” To which his only reply between mad gasps for air was, “Sign her up, sir!” I had to turn quickly to keep from laughing out loud and giving away that I wasn’t mad anymore.
I don’t know what happened to Orsini. One of us got orders and moved on and I’ve never seen him again. He might be in Fallujah. But if he’s not, there are thousands and thousands of Marines like him who are. The jihadists are just beginning to learn of the hell that they have brought down on themselves. The unbearably sad part of this is that some of our heroes will be lost in the process of killing the people who desperately need to be killed.
Monday, November 08, 2004
WHY RED AND BLUE ARE DIVIDED ON VALUES
If there is a red herring in the post 2004 election analysis it’s when Libs and the media try to tell us that moral values equals gay marriage. The fact that they still don’t get is good news for conservatives. This silly notion espoused over and over by the know-it-alls goes something like, “George Bush won the election because Evangelical homophobic fascist gun toting pickup driving catfish eating rednecks turned out in droves to oppose gay marriage.”
While I’m sure a good number Americans resented four dopes in robes on the Massachusetts Supreme Court and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome’s attempt to rewrite 5,000 years of civil law, the problem for Libs goes much deeper. Besides if that caricature of Bush voters is true there is likely an opposite caricature of Kerry supporters that must also be true and goes something like, “Those Godless homo-loving communist Gucci wearing Volvo driving tofu eating elites turned out in droves to support gay marriage.” So let’s just say the caricature votes cancelled each other out.
Where does that leave us? Well, I think the values issue is much simpler and deeper than gay marriage. For the fourth presidential election cycle in a row Democrats have run a truth challenged candidate. There is no need to rehash Bill Clinton’s remarkable talent at lying straight faced. Everyone knows about Al Gore’s whoppers from 2000. Democrats, it seems, learned nothing from 2000 and ran a candidate that lied:
About being in Cambodia
About US servicemen’s honorable service in Vietnam
About conspiring with the enemy in Paris
About attending VVAW meeting when assassination of US Senators was discussed
About releasing ALL of his military records
About having the support of world leaders (Turns out he did have Arafat, Osama, and Kim Jung Il in his corner)
About meeting with the UN Security Council before the Iraq war
About not falling down on the ski slopes (The SOB Secret Service man “cut me off”)
About owning a fleet of SUVs
About dribbling a pitch from the base of the mound at Fenway (Blamed it on the catcher)
About spray painting himself orange before the first debate
About being a hunter
About being Catholic
OK, the last two are kind of subjective. “Integrity, integrity, integrity.” Kerry’s mom had to remind him on her death bed. Lying is a much easier concept for the average voter to get his hands around than gay marriage. If the Libs and media want to lay the blame for this election debacle on values i.e. the gays, that’s fine. But maybe they should start with the candidate. If the guy can’t get through one news cycle without fibbing maybe they should just find someone else. But why look at yourself when you can blame it on the gays and in the process call Republicans homophobic bigots?
Then there is this last bit on the values question and gays. Which candidate was it who got into trouble for his answer on the gay marriage issue? Oh, that’s right it was Francois. His idiotic injection of the Vice President’s daughter into the debate caused Lynn Cheney to refer to him as “not a good man”. Bad moral judgment on that issue may have caused more than a few of the Volvo drivers to come over to the Bush side.
While I’m sure a good number Americans resented four dopes in robes on the Massachusetts Supreme Court and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome’s attempt to rewrite 5,000 years of civil law, the problem for Libs goes much deeper. Besides if that caricature of Bush voters is true there is likely an opposite caricature of Kerry supporters that must also be true and goes something like, “Those Godless homo-loving communist Gucci wearing Volvo driving tofu eating elites turned out in droves to support gay marriage.” So let’s just say the caricature votes cancelled each other out.
Where does that leave us? Well, I think the values issue is much simpler and deeper than gay marriage. For the fourth presidential election cycle in a row Democrats have run a truth challenged candidate. There is no need to rehash Bill Clinton’s remarkable talent at lying straight faced. Everyone knows about Al Gore’s whoppers from 2000. Democrats, it seems, learned nothing from 2000 and ran a candidate that lied:
About being in Cambodia
About US servicemen’s honorable service in Vietnam
About conspiring with the enemy in Paris
About attending VVAW meeting when assassination of US Senators was discussed
About releasing ALL of his military records
About having the support of world leaders (Turns out he did have Arafat, Osama, and Kim Jung Il in his corner)
About meeting with the UN Security Council before the Iraq war
About not falling down on the ski slopes (The SOB Secret Service man “cut me off”)
About owning a fleet of SUVs
About dribbling a pitch from the base of the mound at Fenway (Blamed it on the catcher)
About spray painting himself orange before the first debate
About being a hunter
About being Catholic
OK, the last two are kind of subjective. “Integrity, integrity, integrity.” Kerry’s mom had to remind him on her death bed. Lying is a much easier concept for the average voter to get his hands around than gay marriage. If the Libs and media want to lay the blame for this election debacle on values i.e. the gays, that’s fine. But maybe they should start with the candidate. If the guy can’t get through one news cycle without fibbing maybe they should just find someone else. But why look at yourself when you can blame it on the gays and in the process call Republicans homophobic bigots?
Then there is this last bit on the values question and gays. Which candidate was it who got into trouble for his answer on the gay marriage issue? Oh, that’s right it was Francois. His idiotic injection of the Vice President’s daughter into the debate caused Lynn Cheney to refer to him as “not a good man”. Bad moral judgment on that issue may have caused more than a few of the Volvo drivers to come over to the Bush side.
WHY RED AND BLUE ARE DIVIDED ON GUNS
- Blue voters live in urban areas where they can reasonably expect prompt protection from the police. Barring that, they live in areas where if they are in trouble and call for help, someone is likely to hear them. Thus the Blue voter is likely to have scant understanding of a Red voter’s almost religious support of the 2nd amendment – never mind that it is clearly spelled out in our Constitution.
- Red voters live in the hinter lands where even if they did manage to get a call off to the sheriff, his arrival at their property would likely be too late to do anything other than take a report. Thus this Red voter is likely to understand that his security is mainly his own responsibility and arms himself accordingly.
- Since most of the nation’s crime occurs in the Blue areas, Red voters remain baffled at why Blue voters don’t protect themselves from predators by passing right to carry firearms laws. Professor John Lott notes in his book, More Guns Less Crime, that there is no quicker, cheaper and more effective way to reduce crime than to arm responsible citizens.
- Because they have gotten their brains beaten out on this issue (not to mention 4 million voting NRA members), Blue pols’ position on the 2nd amendment has evolved from; “The only good firearm is banned firearm”; to “I’ve always been hunter. I’ve hunted all my life, and I am willing to be photographed once every four years dressed as a hunter as proof.”
- Red pols’ understand that the 2nd amendment means what it says. They know that bans on certain guns because of how the guns look rather than how they function is not only stupid but a violation of the Constitution.
- Blue pols’ desire to grab Red voter’s guns demonstrates the Blue’s intolerance for the Constitution and the Red voter’s right to keep and bear arms. Blues near hysteria about guns and gun owners paints them as intolerant elitist snobs who think that they know what is best for the rest of us, Constitution be damned, while they protect themselves from us rif-raf with their own... you guessed it...armed body guards.
- Red voters live in the hinter lands where even if they did manage to get a call off to the sheriff, his arrival at their property would likely be too late to do anything other than take a report. Thus this Red voter is likely to understand that his security is mainly his own responsibility and arms himself accordingly.
- Since most of the nation’s crime occurs in the Blue areas, Red voters remain baffled at why Blue voters don’t protect themselves from predators by passing right to carry firearms laws. Professor John Lott notes in his book, More Guns Less Crime, that there is no quicker, cheaper and more effective way to reduce crime than to arm responsible citizens.
- Because they have gotten their brains beaten out on this issue (not to mention 4 million voting NRA members), Blue pols’ position on the 2nd amendment has evolved from; “The only good firearm is banned firearm”; to “I’ve always been hunter. I’ve hunted all my life, and I am willing to be photographed once every four years dressed as a hunter as proof.”
- Red pols’ understand that the 2nd amendment means what it says. They know that bans on certain guns because of how the guns look rather than how they function is not only stupid but a violation of the Constitution.
- Blue pols’ desire to grab Red voter’s guns demonstrates the Blue’s intolerance for the Constitution and the Red voter’s right to keep and bear arms. Blues near hysteria about guns and gun owners paints them as intolerant elitist snobs who think that they know what is best for the rest of us, Constitution be damned, while they protect themselves from us rif-raf with their own... you guessed it...armed body guards.
ELECTIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO DIVIDE US
Surprisingly, this CNN website tells you about everything you need to know about Red Vs. Blue America. Look here to see where the blue vote is concentrated. This data confirms that we are a nation divided. But not as divided as the Libs and media would like us to believe. Besides, call me crazy but isn’t that what elections are for? Aren’t elections SUPPOSED to divide us between those who support the ideas of one candidate and those who support the ideas of another candidate?
If the Democrats are so concerned about unity, why didn’t they forego the 2004 elections in the name of national unity? If unity were soooo important to the Libs they could have simply said, “Because we are interested in national unity we choose to not further divide the American people with a contentious election. We cede the control of the nation to the Republicans until such a time as we are more united.” The ONLY time unity means anything to these people is when they have had their butts kicked in an election. Libs are perfectly happy to have a divided nation as long as they are in charge of it.
If the Democrats are so concerned about unity, why didn’t they forego the 2004 elections in the name of national unity? If unity were soooo important to the Libs they could have simply said, “Because we are interested in national unity we choose to not further divide the American people with a contentious election. We cede the control of the nation to the Republicans until such a time as we are more united.” The ONLY time unity means anything to these people is when they have had their butts kicked in an election. Libs are perfectly happy to have a divided nation as long as they are in charge of it.
Friday, November 05, 2004
THE WEDNESDAY KABUKI DANCE
For two years the candidates called each other every conceivable name and made every conceivable charge against each other, then on the Wednesday after the election, all is forgotten. Well I’m not so much of a turn the other cheeker. With that in mind, here is what I would have liked to hear W say on Wednesday.
“Well I finally got the call from Frenchy. He has been convinced he’s a looser. And they call me dumb. Well, I figured it out at about 12:30 this morning. It took Mr. Genius another eight hours. He even sent his girl friend out last night to try to give lefties some hope. Well, only the libs educated in the public schools couldn’t add it up.
“Frenchy tried to lecture me on the need to compromise to 'bring the country together'. I told him to get bent, I won. I told him the train was leaving the station. If he and the Democrat girly men wanted to get on board and share some credit for moving America forward, fine. If not, I told him I’d be traveling to their states before the mid-terms to talk about their obstructionism. The seats are filling up. Anyone standing in front of the train trying to stop it will be run over.
“Before I let him go I reminded him of the vicious attacks that I had endured for two years from whackos like Michael Moore and George Sorors without so much as a ‘knock it off’ from him. I also reminded him that Lynn Cheney referred to him as ‘not a good man’. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I agreed totally with her assessment. I advised him to stay away from the Vice President, unless he wanted to get his scrawny butt kicked by a heart patient. Last, I told him that if his punk stepson Chris ever called me a 'cokehead' again I would personally snatch him up by the short hairs and push his face into a pile of Barney droppings on the East Lawn of the White House.
“Well, I’ve got work to do. God Bless America.”
“Well I finally got the call from Frenchy. He has been convinced he’s a looser. And they call me dumb. Well, I figured it out at about 12:30 this morning. It took Mr. Genius another eight hours. He even sent his girl friend out last night to try to give lefties some hope. Well, only the libs educated in the public schools couldn’t add it up.
“Frenchy tried to lecture me on the need to compromise to 'bring the country together'. I told him to get bent, I won. I told him the train was leaving the station. If he and the Democrat girly men wanted to get on board and share some credit for moving America forward, fine. If not, I told him I’d be traveling to their states before the mid-terms to talk about their obstructionism. The seats are filling up. Anyone standing in front of the train trying to stop it will be run over.
“Before I let him go I reminded him of the vicious attacks that I had endured for two years from whackos like Michael Moore and George Sorors without so much as a ‘knock it off’ from him. I also reminded him that Lynn Cheney referred to him as ‘not a good man’. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I agreed totally with her assessment. I advised him to stay away from the Vice President, unless he wanted to get his scrawny butt kicked by a heart patient. Last, I told him that if his punk stepson Chris ever called me a 'cokehead' again I would personally snatch him up by the short hairs and push his face into a pile of Barney droppings on the East Lawn of the White House.
“Well, I’ve got work to do. God Bless America.”
FRANCOIS HAD 30 YEARS TO WIN THE ELECTION
Senator Francois Kerry is probably headed off for a three week vacation, or as they call it in the Senate a fact-finding tour, to some obscure stylish location, maybe one of his wife’s five multi-million dollar mansions that he’d forgotten about. He’ll probably try to figure out where it all went wrong for him. He’ll blame the staffers. He’ll blame the girl he named as his running mate. He’ll blame the press, the American people, the state of Ohio, and his limo driver. The last thing that will ever cross Francois’ mind is that he is totally to blame for his drubbing. Francois had thirty years to win this election but he was too vain and arrogant to understand.
Francois had thirty years to make peace with his Vietnam band of brothers. His arrogance wouldn’t allow him to entertain the thought that his post-war activities hurt the men who served honorably in an unpopular conflict. After all he’s Francois Kerry American war hero who married a multi-millionaires and then a multi-billionaires. Why should he have to apologize for the lies that advanced his career? Don’t these pesky little people understand? Francois shouldn’t be judged by his actions but rather by his intentions. As always Francois put himself before everything else. He hitched his wagon early to the rising star of antiwar activities when it was most popular. Francois told the lies so many times with such conviction that he no doubt began to believe what he saying.
Remember, we know Francois always thought of himself as the second coming of John Kennedy. He never once looked into the mirror without seeing “President Kerry”. Why didn’t he see that somewhere during Reagan’s first term that it had became cool to be patriotic again? Francois should have seized the moment and repented for his antiwar activities and apologized to Vietnam vets. Had he done so the whole SWIFTVET debacle would have been avoided or mitigated to a great extent. But, Francois is NEVER wrong and Francois never apologizes. In fact he will destroy anyone who attempts to tell the truth, if it doesn’t square with his own high opinion of himself.
Had Francois displayed a bit of humility somewhere along the way over the last thirty years and simply apologized for his anti-American activities and for saying things he had to know were untrue, he might have avoided the fury of the SWIFTVET. But he didn’t. For that perhaps we can thank Mrs. Kerry for reminding her son that he lacked integrity three times on her death bed. One can only imagine what might have happened had she reminded him that he was a pompous arrogant a$$ by whispering to him “Humility, Humility, Humility”.
Francois had thirty years to make peace with his Vietnam band of brothers. His arrogance wouldn’t allow him to entertain the thought that his post-war activities hurt the men who served honorably in an unpopular conflict. After all he’s Francois Kerry American war hero who married a multi-millionaires and then a multi-billionaires. Why should he have to apologize for the lies that advanced his career? Don’t these pesky little people understand? Francois shouldn’t be judged by his actions but rather by his intentions. As always Francois put himself before everything else. He hitched his wagon early to the rising star of antiwar activities when it was most popular. Francois told the lies so many times with such conviction that he no doubt began to believe what he saying.
Remember, we know Francois always thought of himself as the second coming of John Kennedy. He never once looked into the mirror without seeing “President Kerry”. Why didn’t he see that somewhere during Reagan’s first term that it had became cool to be patriotic again? Francois should have seized the moment and repented for his antiwar activities and apologized to Vietnam vets. Had he done so the whole SWIFTVET debacle would have been avoided or mitigated to a great extent. But, Francois is NEVER wrong and Francois never apologizes. In fact he will destroy anyone who attempts to tell the truth, if it doesn’t square with his own high opinion of himself.
Had Francois displayed a bit of humility somewhere along the way over the last thirty years and simply apologized for his anti-American activities and for saying things he had to know were untrue, he might have avoided the fury of the SWIFTVET. But he didn’t. For that perhaps we can thank Mrs. Kerry for reminding her son that he lacked integrity three times on her death bed. One can only imagine what might have happened had she reminded him that he was a pompous arrogant a$$ by whispering to him “Humility, Humility, Humility”.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
BUSH WILL COMMAND
There is an adage in the Marine Corps, “When in command, command”. Given George W. Bush’s victory speech yesterday, that is what he plans to do. The media continues to live in the Land of Oz. Ignoring Bush’s nearly four million vote victory margin, ignoring the fact that Bush is the first president in 16 years to achieve a majority of the popular vote, ignoring the Republican sweep of vacated Democrat Senate seats, ignoring Republican gains in the House of Representatives, the media are harping on how deeply divided America has become. Well excuse me for pointing out that it would seem we are less divided today than we were in 2000 or 1996 or 1992. None of those presidential elections produced anywhere near the unity of the 2004 election.
So the new media template is that we are deeply divided. And who do they blame? Do they blame Michael Moore, for producing anti-American propaganda? Do they blame George Soros, for dumping obscene amounts of money into the election system, money spent not to advocate FOR a position, money spent solely to trash our president? Do they blame liberal pols for never missing an opportunity to attack the president in the most vicious and personal manner – as Joe Biden calling the president brain dead? Do they blame themselves for driving wedges between the American people on every conceivable issue? No, we’re divided because George Bush has stood on principle. We’re divided because George Bush has told us what he was going to do and then set about doing it.
And what do the media expect George Bush to do to “bring the country together”? They expect him to abandon his principle. They expect him to abandon his agenda. They expect the winner to move toward the loser. Well, it isn’t going to happen. The best evidence that it will not happen is Bush’s first term. Having lost the popular vote and holding a bare Electoral College margin, George Bush did not waver and set about to do what he said he would do. Today, he has a clear mandate but the media expect him to start backtracking on his campaign promises. It will not happen.
If anything Bush will move more quickly in a second term than in the first. Bush knows that soon after the 2006 mid-term election he will be viewed as a lame-duck. Democrats will know that they don’t have to fear Bush showing up in their state to talk about their voting records and obstructionism. In the 2006 mid-term elections, Democrats will be defending senate seats in five red states (WV Byrd [Oh yes he is! He’s 88!], FL Bill Nelson, NB Ben Nelson, NM Bingaham, ND Conrad). No doubt Carl Rove has anonymously sent each of these senators news clipping of Tom Daschel’s demise in SD. Three other senators are running in states that, while not yet red, are moving in that direction (MI Stabenow, MN Dayton [See Brave Sir Robin below], WI Kohl). After the mid-terms, Bush knows he will have little leverage against any senator.
So Bush will put the big ticket items up front. Those items will include, tax relief, tax reform, Social Security reform and if you’re a conservative Supreme Court justice who wants to retire, do it before the mid-terms. Bush will step out boldly even before the inauguration. This will infuriate the media and libs who will howl about how Bush is further dividing an already fractured nation. Moderates lament in Rodney King fashion, can’t we all just get along. Conservatives will complain about the cost of everything. But in the face of it all, George Bush will command.
So the new media template is that we are deeply divided. And who do they blame? Do they blame Michael Moore, for producing anti-American propaganda? Do they blame George Soros, for dumping obscene amounts of money into the election system, money spent not to advocate FOR a position, money spent solely to trash our president? Do they blame liberal pols for never missing an opportunity to attack the president in the most vicious and personal manner – as Joe Biden calling the president brain dead? Do they blame themselves for driving wedges between the American people on every conceivable issue? No, we’re divided because George Bush has stood on principle. We’re divided because George Bush has told us what he was going to do and then set about doing it.
And what do the media expect George Bush to do to “bring the country together”? They expect him to abandon his principle. They expect him to abandon his agenda. They expect the winner to move toward the loser. Well, it isn’t going to happen. The best evidence that it will not happen is Bush’s first term. Having lost the popular vote and holding a bare Electoral College margin, George Bush did not waver and set about to do what he said he would do. Today, he has a clear mandate but the media expect him to start backtracking on his campaign promises. It will not happen.
If anything Bush will move more quickly in a second term than in the first. Bush knows that soon after the 2006 mid-term election he will be viewed as a lame-duck. Democrats will know that they don’t have to fear Bush showing up in their state to talk about their voting records and obstructionism. In the 2006 mid-term elections, Democrats will be defending senate seats in five red states (WV Byrd [Oh yes he is! He’s 88!], FL Bill Nelson, NB Ben Nelson, NM Bingaham, ND Conrad). No doubt Carl Rove has anonymously sent each of these senators news clipping of Tom Daschel’s demise in SD. Three other senators are running in states that, while not yet red, are moving in that direction (MI Stabenow, MN Dayton [See Brave Sir Robin below], WI Kohl). After the mid-terms, Bush knows he will have little leverage against any senator.
So Bush will put the big ticket items up front. Those items will include, tax relief, tax reform, Social Security reform and if you’re a conservative Supreme Court justice who wants to retire, do it before the mid-terms. Bush will step out boldly even before the inauguration. This will infuriate the media and libs who will howl about how Bush is further dividing an already fractured nation. Moderates lament in Rodney King fashion, can’t we all just get along. Conservatives will complain about the cost of everything. But in the face of it all, George Bush will command.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT - BUSH WINS!!!
When history is written, Al Gore will go down as the man who single handedly destroyed confidence in the American election system. Think about trailing in the popular vote by 3% or 3.5 million votes and trailing in Ohio by at least 133,000 votes, a pick up of 5 Senate seats for the GOP, a pick up of at least 5 seats in the House for the GOP, only John Kerry or a pompous, arrogant, conceited, egotistical, supercilious pinhead (but I repeat myself) would believe that he is still in contention for holding power in America after a drubbing like that. Kerry is now considering putting himself ahead of the good of the nation so he sends his girly boy VP out to mumble something about counting votes. Well gee, it looks as if the votes have been counted. When the graceless John Kerry confronts reality this morning, he will reach the only possible conclusion – he and the DNC got whipped, but good.
Big Winners
The world: America will continue to lead the war terror without regard for French and German appeals for appeasement. As a result the world will be a safer place in spite of itself.
SWIFTVET: These brave men answered the call to duty one more time. They suffered outrageous character assassination and ridicule for telling the truth. They can now return to the peace and quite of private life.
Afghans & Iraqis: They will continue to have a steadfast partner in the rebuilding of their country.
Israel: They will have four more years of an administration that recognizes Arafat for the pig that he is "Peace Prize" and all.
Hillary: John Edwards proved himself to be totally inadequate to hold any public office let alone Commander in Chief. If the “John Kerry will make the lame walk” wasn’t stupid enough, look at this for a good laugh at Ms. Edwards.
John Kerry: Oh yea, he can go back to spending his wife’s dead husband’s money while working half days for half the week half the year in the senate while pretending to be a war hero. He won’t go down in history as the president who lost Iraq, Afghanistan and lengthened the war on terror. The president that reinstituted the draft, raised taxes to the point of destroying the economy and bending over every time Kofi Annan or Jacques Chirac demanded.
NOTE: Because George Bush & family get four more years of unimaginable pressure, unbearable responsibility and unrelenting criticism they are NOT a big winners.
Big losers
Terrorists: You can run but you’ll just die tired.
Terry McAuliffe: A bigger loser their never was. The Democrats have lost steadily under his…oh what…no not leadership, not stewardship, not direction…what, silliness, stupidity, idiocy.
Chuck Hagel: John Kerry invoked Hagel’s name more often in criticizing the president than any Democrat. Hagle never objected. It’s time for Tom Osborne to challenge Hagel and send him packing.
McCain Feingold: No doubt the dolts who came up with this pig will try to put lipstick on it before the mid-term election. My idea for reforming campaign finance, how about any American citizen of voting age can give however much they want to whomever they want with full disclosure within 24 hours of the donation. McCain Feingold tried limiting freedom and free speech now let’s try more.
The main steam media: Their circulations are dying. Their viewer ship is in decline. The new media are growing by leaps and bounds. The old media were caught over and over during the election cycle peddling outright lies and distortions. Throwing anything they thought would hurt the president against the wall hoping something would stick.
Big Winners
The world: America will continue to lead the war terror without regard for French and German appeals for appeasement. As a result the world will be a safer place in spite of itself.
SWIFTVET: These brave men answered the call to duty one more time. They suffered outrageous character assassination and ridicule for telling the truth. They can now return to the peace and quite of private life.
Afghans & Iraqis: They will continue to have a steadfast partner in the rebuilding of their country.
Israel: They will have four more years of an administration that recognizes Arafat for the pig that he is "Peace Prize" and all.
Hillary: John Edwards proved himself to be totally inadequate to hold any public office let alone Commander in Chief. If the “John Kerry will make the lame walk” wasn’t stupid enough, look at this for a good laugh at Ms. Edwards.
John Kerry: Oh yea, he can go back to spending his wife’s dead husband’s money while working half days for half the week half the year in the senate while pretending to be a war hero. He won’t go down in history as the president who lost Iraq, Afghanistan and lengthened the war on terror. The president that reinstituted the draft, raised taxes to the point of destroying the economy and bending over every time Kofi Annan or Jacques Chirac demanded.
NOTE: Because George Bush & family get four more years of unimaginable pressure, unbearable responsibility and unrelenting criticism they are NOT a big winners.
Big losers
Terrorists: You can run but you’ll just die tired.
Terry McAuliffe: A bigger loser their never was. The Democrats have lost steadily under his…oh what…no not leadership, not stewardship, not direction…what, silliness, stupidity, idiocy.
Chuck Hagel: John Kerry invoked Hagel’s name more often in criticizing the president than any Democrat. Hagle never objected. It’s time for Tom Osborne to challenge Hagel and send him packing.
McCain Feingold: No doubt the dolts who came up with this pig will try to put lipstick on it before the mid-term election. My idea for reforming campaign finance, how about any American citizen of voting age can give however much they want to whomever they want with full disclosure within 24 hours of the donation. McCain Feingold tried limiting freedom and free speech now let’s try more.
The main steam media: Their circulations are dying. Their viewer ship is in decline. The new media are growing by leaps and bounds. The old media were caught over and over during the election cycle peddling outright lies and distortions. Throwing anything they thought would hurt the president against the wall hoping something would stick.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
KERRY WILL FOLLOW FRENCH MODEL
During the campaign John Kerry said that he would scrap the color coded alert system now in use by the department of Homeland Security. In Last ditch effort to win over voters Kerry announced that his administration would follow the French model.
AP and UPI reported that the French Government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "run" to "hide." The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaborate." The raise was precipitated by the recent fire which destroyed one of Frances' white flag factories, disabling their military.
AP and UPI reported that the French Government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "run" to "hide." The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaborate." The raise was precipitated by the recent fire which destroyed one of Frances' white flag factories, disabling their military.
VOTER FRAUD A.K.A. THE DEMOCRAT BASE
I don’t know about you but, when I hear “voter fraud”, I think Democrat. I know Republicans get accused of it as well. Have you ever noticed how the cases differ though. Republicans get accused of trying to disenfranchise voters by doing nit-picky things like asking if the voter happens to be a citizen of the US or asking if the voter lives in the precinct and has not yet voted in any other precinct. Only in the bizzaro world of liberals is following the law considered disenfranchisement or intimidation.
Democrats on the other hand do all sorts of weird things. Union thugs hang out at polling places to harass old ladies waiting to vote. Lib legal pimps mount law suites against anyone who demands that voters be screened for eligibility. Libs engage in ballot box stuffing on Indian Reservations and Philly and who knows where else. Libs Record messages to seniors telling them to stay home because they are not registered. Libs record other messages supposedly from a military hero saying he supports Kerry when nothing could be further from the truth. Libs record messages saying they are Pastor so-and-so and go on with a deceitful message about Republicans.
In their small minds Libs see nothing wrong with any of this if it helps them win. After all, we know that the Libs know what’s best for us, don’t we. They have only good intentions and if they must lie, cheat and steal to affect their programs, well that’s not too high a price to pay. If they have to destroy public confidence in the election system, well really, that’s just too bad. This whole thing lies squarely on the rounded, sloped and stooped shoulders of a bloated pasty, slack jawed Al Gore and to a lesser extent Joe Lieberman. Voter fraud and stealing instead of winning elections is their legacy.
Democrats on the other hand do all sorts of weird things. Union thugs hang out at polling places to harass old ladies waiting to vote. Lib legal pimps mount law suites against anyone who demands that voters be screened for eligibility. Libs engage in ballot box stuffing on Indian Reservations and Philly and who knows where else. Libs Record messages to seniors telling them to stay home because they are not registered. Libs record other messages supposedly from a military hero saying he supports Kerry when nothing could be further from the truth. Libs record messages saying they are Pastor so-and-so and go on with a deceitful message about Republicans.
In their small minds Libs see nothing wrong with any of this if it helps them win. After all, we know that the Libs know what’s best for us, don’t we. They have only good intentions and if they must lie, cheat and steal to affect their programs, well that’s not too high a price to pay. If they have to destroy public confidence in the election system, well really, that’s just too bad. This whole thing lies squarely on the rounded, sloped and stooped shoulders of a bloated pasty, slack jawed Al Gore and to a lesser extent Joe Lieberman. Voter fraud and stealing instead of winning elections is their legacy.
Monday, November 01, 2004
WILL OSAMA WIN THE ELECTION?
I see on Drudge that Michael Moore sound alike Osama bin Laden (not quite as dead as I had thought and hoped) has said that he will only target red states after the election. That’s right. Taking the idea from The Guardian no doubt, Osama wants to influence our election his campaign slogan, “Don’t vote red or you’ll be dead”. Oh sure, voters can take the word of mad man Osama that he won’t hurt them if the state just votes Kerry. Well given Kerry’s record of appeasement, Kerry would probably cede those unimportant square red states to Osama as a gesture of good faith and peace in our time. Only one problem with the whole scenario, think about 9-11. Where did we get hit - NY, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. What do all of those places have in common? Class? Bueler? Anyone? That’s right boys and girls, they all went blue in 2000 by at least 4%. So, it’s pretty certain that Osama will target us where he can irrespective of how we vote.
KERRY PRESIDENCY WOULD REFLECT CLINTON's SECOND TERM
What do you do when someone steals your hit piece? Well, you do an alternate hit piece. After the NYT ran with CBS’s bogus munitions story that was slated for Sunday’s 60 Minutes, DNCBS scrambled to put together another hit piece just before the election. They ran with a pathetic attempt to smear the president with an accusation that National Guard troops were not sufficiently equipped for duty in Iraq. Did 60 Minutes mention, as the president did during the debates, that whatever the troops have it is more than if John Kerry had gotten his way when he voted against the 87 billion dollar supplemental for funding operations in Iraq and Afghanistan? Naw, that’s not important.
And what did Fran̤oise Kerry do when the NYT piece hit? What Mr. self-serving opportunist has always done, use it for his own political gain Рtruth be damned. Even when the story quickly fell apart Kerry and his surrogates continued riding the lie. Then when the whole thing appeared futile, Francoise just he moved on to something else as if nothing untoward had happened. Compare that with what the president did. First, he resisted the urge to point out that Kerry is a grandstanding know-nothing, do-nothing, be-nothing, BS artist. Only after the story developed more holes than the sphere at a planetarium did Bush note the obvious; Fran̤oise was shooting off his mouth without knowing the facts.
One could also imagine a call between the bigs at DNCBS and the bigs at the NYT. The CBS bigs complaining that their plan would have worked had the NYT bigs not rushed the story out. The DNCBS hit piece on 60 Minutes would have come too late for the pesky truth to catch up with it before the election. When the truth finally did come to light, the election would have been over and whatever the damage to the president would have been final. But NYT was over eager and perhaps wanted the credit for breaking the story that finally did the president in. But it was released too soon and the truth caught up to it before the election leaving egg on the faces of the NYT, DNCBS and Francoise.
If Francoise should win, the media will have done him and the nation a great disservice. By leaving the Kerry record a complete mystery while obsessing on Bush’s, the press has ensured that if elected, Kerry will spend much of his four years in scandal not unlike the second Clinton term. The SWIFTVETs will not go away if Kerry wins. All of the questions will remain about, military recors, tax records, anti-war activities etc. and the answers will dribble out over the four years a Kerry presidency. Kerry, as arrogant as anyone who has ever lived, will be defending himself daily from the truth that the voters deserved before this election.
And what did Fran̤oise Kerry do when the NYT piece hit? What Mr. self-serving opportunist has always done, use it for his own political gain Рtruth be damned. Even when the story quickly fell apart Kerry and his surrogates continued riding the lie. Then when the whole thing appeared futile, Francoise just he moved on to something else as if nothing untoward had happened. Compare that with what the president did. First, he resisted the urge to point out that Kerry is a grandstanding know-nothing, do-nothing, be-nothing, BS artist. Only after the story developed more holes than the sphere at a planetarium did Bush note the obvious; Fran̤oise was shooting off his mouth without knowing the facts.
One could also imagine a call between the bigs at DNCBS and the bigs at the NYT. The CBS bigs complaining that their plan would have worked had the NYT bigs not rushed the story out. The DNCBS hit piece on 60 Minutes would have come too late for the pesky truth to catch up with it before the election. When the truth finally did come to light, the election would have been over and whatever the damage to the president would have been final. But NYT was over eager and perhaps wanted the credit for breaking the story that finally did the president in. But it was released too soon and the truth caught up to it before the election leaving egg on the faces of the NYT, DNCBS and Francoise.
If Francoise should win, the media will have done him and the nation a great disservice. By leaving the Kerry record a complete mystery while obsessing on Bush’s, the press has ensured that if elected, Kerry will spend much of his four years in scandal not unlike the second Clinton term. The SWIFTVETs will not go away if Kerry wins. All of the questions will remain about, military recors, tax records, anti-war activities etc. and the answers will dribble out over the four years a Kerry presidency. Kerry, as arrogant as anyone who has ever lived, will be defending himself daily from the truth that the voters deserved before this election.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
KERRY HAILS OSAMA's ENDORSMENT
Well first Kerry got the Yasir Arafat endorsement and yesterday he picked up the Osama bin Laden endorsement. This no doubt will energize his base of Michael Moore type lunatics. How embarrassed are Moore and the Democrat lunatic fringe that OBL has chosen to lift any number their insane talking points for his own? Sadly they are probably not embarrassed at all. In fact, they will probably trumpet the OBL tape as vindication of everything they have been saying.
It’s too late in the campaign for Kerry and the media to come up with new lies so they have been forced to hammer away at the old debunked ones. In light of the OBL tape, Kerry continues to harp on the out sourcing of military ops in Tora Bora. Gen. Franks has told the Kerry camp, without calling them liars, that they are mistaken and don’t know the facts. Well, the first time you make a charge absent the facts, it’s a mistake. When you repeat the same charge after being informed of facts that do not support your charge, it becomes a lie.
Kerry is not the only one criticizing Gen. Franks’ Afghan war plan. Joe Lockhart all but called Franks a liar and shill for the Bush campaign. Prissy little Gen. Wes Clark also criticized Franks, at a safe distance of course. No doubt Franks would like to get the three of these Monday morning carping powder puff military geniuses in a locked room. I can hear Franks’ slow deep voice as he takes off his watch and shirt, “OK, what’s it going to be girls, one at a time or all once?”
If OBL’s endorsement wasn’t enough for Kerry, earlier in theday a US Army ordinance officer briefed at the Pentagon that he personally had destroyed in excess 7,000 tons of explosives while in Iraq – 250 tons from the Al Qaqaa facility. Clueless media dopes zeroed in the fact that the Major could not guarantee that the explosives he destroyed in Al Qaqaa were part of the 377 tons noted in the debunked NYT story. What they had no interest in understanding was that the Major’s presentation shot huge holes in Kerry’s claim that there was no plan to deal with Al Qaqaa. Obviously there was a plan to round up lose munitions. Also, these Kerry surrogates kept the NYTrogate story on life support by ignoring what a tiny % of the total the missing munitions represented. In a country awash with tons of munitions, the US military has destroyed or secured 400,000 tons. But our heroes in the press are only concerned about the tiny % that is supposedly missing – that nobody really knows if it’s missing or not. This is like the 6 year old that gets 50 birthday presents but spends the day crying because he didn’t get a red balloon.
Kerry is most at home criticizing the military. In the closing days of his campaign he decided to return to his strength. And just as in 1971 when he falsely accused the American fighting man of being a war criminal, he will not let facts get in the way of his trashing our military this time around either.
It’s too late in the campaign for Kerry and the media to come up with new lies so they have been forced to hammer away at the old debunked ones. In light of the OBL tape, Kerry continues to harp on the out sourcing of military ops in Tora Bora. Gen. Franks has told the Kerry camp, without calling them liars, that they are mistaken and don’t know the facts. Well, the first time you make a charge absent the facts, it’s a mistake. When you repeat the same charge after being informed of facts that do not support your charge, it becomes a lie.
Kerry is not the only one criticizing Gen. Franks’ Afghan war plan. Joe Lockhart all but called Franks a liar and shill for the Bush campaign. Prissy little Gen. Wes Clark also criticized Franks, at a safe distance of course. No doubt Franks would like to get the three of these Monday morning carping powder puff military geniuses in a locked room. I can hear Franks’ slow deep voice as he takes off his watch and shirt, “OK, what’s it going to be girls, one at a time or all once?”
If OBL’s endorsement wasn’t enough for Kerry, earlier in theday a US Army ordinance officer briefed at the Pentagon that he personally had destroyed in excess 7,000 tons of explosives while in Iraq – 250 tons from the Al Qaqaa facility. Clueless media dopes zeroed in the fact that the Major could not guarantee that the explosives he destroyed in Al Qaqaa were part of the 377 tons noted in the debunked NYT story. What they had no interest in understanding was that the Major’s presentation shot huge holes in Kerry’s claim that there was no plan to deal with Al Qaqaa. Obviously there was a plan to round up lose munitions. Also, these Kerry surrogates kept the NYTrogate story on life support by ignoring what a tiny % of the total the missing munitions represented. In a country awash with tons of munitions, the US military has destroyed or secured 400,000 tons. But our heroes in the press are only concerned about the tiny % that is supposedly missing – that nobody really knows if it’s missing or not. This is like the 6 year old that gets 50 birthday presents but spends the day crying because he didn’t get a red balloon.
Kerry is most at home criticizing the military. In the closing days of his campaign he decided to return to his strength. And just as in 1971 when he falsely accused the American fighting man of being a war criminal, he will not let facts get in the way of his trashing our military this time around either.
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