A call to arms for NOW equivalents, this time from someone in Europe

As a regular reader of Little Green Footballs, I regularly noticed comments from someone using the nickname “Norwegian Kafir.” More often than not, he was making “OT” (off topic) posts, with links to articles about what was going on in Europe in reference to the influence of the Islamic religion on European culture. I chased a few of those links, and the reading was always quite illuminating. Good news! He has begun his own blog, Fjord Man. His first post discusses the growing problem with sexual assaults and crime increase in Sweden. The horrifying situation is that about 80% of the rapists are muslim immigrants, and about 80% of the victims are native Swedish women. Law enforcement has refused to make the issue of the “profiles” up in bright lights, for some PC reason. That’s scary. Your native society is being preyed on by an identifiable group with in the population, and no one wants to say that’s a problem. His second article is relating the adoption of Shari’a law principles by European courts in recent cases. That’s another scary thought, where the laws of your native culture, which are pretty “people friendly” as they are are being overrun by those of immigrants, and they are in conflict with the gender equality of the existing laws. So, how about it NOW members? When will it get so bad that you will stir from your complacency and get into the fight? I’ll assume I’m correct in saying your “foremothers,” who got out to get the right to vote, and secured so many other rights for you by their campaigning, would be ashamed of you right now.

Idea Men and How I Learned to Not Love Them

Idea people. I dislike them. These are people who have lots of ideas, many of them absolutely wonderful, yet they can’t seem to take on the “fix” for the very problem their idea addresses. I really learned to dislike one in particular, a Master Chief Petty Officer (the highest ranking enlisted rank in the Navy (or Coast Guard)), because he’d wander about all day, thinking up great ideas, then he’d nonchalantly wander into CDR Pat Gruase’s office (my division head at a major shore command) and lay them out. Here’s what got under my skin: CDR Grause would assign these idea to the Lieutenants that worked for him (I was one, of course). All of us has shops to run, involving training crews from the ships, or replacements, so our schedule was fixed at an upper level for when the classes met. Given that, it was hard to do “extra,” regardless of the merits. In the meantime, the Master Chief wandered about, in search of other problems to fix. By the way, big problems we fixed, because that was the right thing to do, but the Master Chief wasn’t looking for big stuff. After that lead in, I have to honestly say Master Chief Flack had a degree of honor in his “idea” making. I say this in contrast to the society of today in the political world. Today, we have people who escaped being taught, or played hooky the day it was discussed in class, the concept and skills for a valuable skill: Problem Solving. Take for example the counter-battery fire to the opening salvos of President Bush’s State of The Union Address regarding the reform of Social Security. We’re barely out of the starting blocks, and before the evening was over, the Democratic Congress members had done something not done before: They booed the President in front of the World, and sat like spoiled little school children who were told they couldn’t have a cookie after school. Yes, that’s the sort of adult leadership I’d like making long term decisions for me. Forget that President Clinton proposed changes in one of his addresses, and he got a round of applause (from both sides of the isle). Now, President Bush does know about "problem solving." He’s demonstrated it. Not only that, he knows that there is a time you ask others to join in the planning, knowing you aren’t smart enough to do it yourself. Guess what? The "other side" can’t even muster up the guts to even be "idea people." They say it won’t work, and I have yet to hear how they would solve the problem, even if the plan is pretty sketchy at the beginning. Things in this country would sure get done sooner and better, if was just saw a problem and rolled up our sleeves, mental and physical, and got to work planning and carrying out a solution. In the meantime, for anyone who figures as part of humankind that they have no responsibility to do this, I say (SU)3!

We’re all in this together – Part I A

I don’t think I wrapped up Part I of this unstructured multi-post, but here’s what the final issue should have been: Disrespect runs rampant, from the minor to the major demonstration. When I grew up, I wasn’t bludgeoned into submission, but I was taught those who went before me had some valuable life experiences that may be something I didn’t understand just yet, so I was to bite my tongue. It certainly has proven to be a valuable thing over the years of my life. The message also was there are “offices” that are worthy of respect, and sometimes the person in there isn’t the most respectable, but the submission to that position, and not the person was appropriate. This, of course includes that of the President of the United States. I did have the occasion to work with and for some people who really either didn’t care what they were ding, or actually didn’t know what they were doing. In particular, these people would demand things that were wrong, out of ignorance, or laziness, but the net result was things would go off the tra.cks. Then it was time to jump in and properly disagree. I had to do that in a few occasions. After an upbringing that taught me respect for my elders/seniors, it was a difficult set of emotions to deal with, but it had to be done. By approaching them in the correct forum, and providing a coherent argument, unemotionally stated, things got better, or when I was mistaken, things got explained. Facts carried the day many times, instead of emotional appeals, particularly ones with a lot of “I feel” statements. My point? Where has this level of respect gone to? If someone doesn’t think the President is doing the right thing, they grab the ear of a local media outlet and do a lot of ad homonym attacks, generally devoid of any substance, or alternative solution. The media, having been perverted, quickly trots the videos/sound bites out, and off we go. We need to get back to teaching basic civility to a wide age range of many of us, since the problem has been percolating for several decades already.

And just when you think the Pledge was on the way out....

I found a new blog tonight, by Major K, a National Guard Officer recently deployed to Iraq. From his work so far, it should be another "boots on the gound" feed for those interested in keeping up with real current events. This section of one post caught my eye as it carries a powerful message:

I was standing in the foyer of one of the Cavalry Battalion’s headquarters waiting for a friend to finish up in the latrine so that we could go to the chow hall. The battalion colors were posted next to Old Glory (That’s the American Flag for those of you on the Westside.) in the foyer not far from the entrance. As I was standing there waiting, a squad (9-12 men) of cavalry soldiers walked into the room wearing full gear and gathered around the two flags. They removed their helmets, faced the American Flag, placed their hands on their hearts and recited the pledge of allegiance. After that, they closed into a tight circle and each man put a hand in the center. A Sergeant from the group, presumably the Squad Leader, then led them in a prayer. He prayed for a successful and safe patrol, a successful time while remaining in country, blessings upon the soldiers, upon their replacements, upon all of their families at home and upon the Iraqi people. At the conclusion of the prayer, they all shouted their battalion motto in unison as if starting a football game, put their helmets back on, walked out the door, climbed into their vehicles and drove away. I was awe-struck and humbled to be in the same room.

I can't add more than to say our future has possibilities if this is happening....

Synergism in Simulation

I’m a computer game fan. I’ve played plenty of flight simulators and first person shooters over a few decades. The more realistic the simulation, the happier I am. I like as real as it can get. Now, a “your tax dollars at work story.” In the Mid-90’s I was sent to a command where we were maintaining various computer programs, mostly all for Navy combatant (Crusiers, destroyers and frigates). We also had some tasking for development of new programs, but that wasn’t the main mission of the command. We had 60 military and 300 civil servants working there. One of the projects that was in development, different from the vast array of ones being maintained was Battle Force Tactical Trainer (BFTT). The goal of this program was to allow ships, planes, submarines and shore bases to run realistic training scenarios. It was a unique project for its time, as the program manager had a the foresight to find out what other developed, or in development, programs were around that contained parts that could be woven together in order to save funds by not re-inventing the wheel, as it were. That was unusual at the time, as program managers for just about anything else being developed, jealously guarded their developments, and their funds, being afraid that they would have to admit a weakness in their organization, if they couldn’t do it themselves. I’m also convinced that they were scared that if they showed some of the working details, someone else may tell them (or worse yet show them) a better way, which would make them not look all knowledgeable. Anyhow, BFTT was an ambitious project, in funding and schedule, and I watched, at close range, some incredible innovation to make it happen. The project has been absorbed at the joint level, so all services can share in the technology development, and subsequently, save lots of money (and that’s a good thing that has been done for us taxpayers, in the name of reason). The BFTT was essentially a central control system, that would interface with simulators and real equipment to present a coherent picture to operators, so their reactions would be properly developed. In this scheme, units could be connected via the Defense Simulation Internet (DSI) and live radio signals, while BFTT managed the responses of the many training modules, imbedded in various systems. The way information was conveyed between units was via data “packets” which were in the Distributed Information System (DIS) format. The “packet” would define an entity in the battle space, to include the characteristics to allow the training systems portray it properly to the operators. An entity could be a .50 caliber machine gun bullet, a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier, or a SCUD missile. The idea was to put sufficient information in a format that a sensor display would show the operator what he may see if the entity would have been real. Pretty innovative, and complex engineering went into this, all in the name of creating a virtual reality to train war fighters. Somehow, and I’m not sure how the connection came to be, the console game developers caught wind of the work the Department of Defense was doing in this “virtual reality” modeling. Since they were also trying to replicate the real world in their game consoles and computer games, they ended up at the DIS protocol meetings and became active players in helping design the standards for the DIS data packets. This interaction between game developers and the military training simulating community has helped to provide us with the richness of the games we see in the Xbox, Play Stations and PCs today. The military training is superior as a result as well, resulting in tremendous reduction in training costs, and an increase in realism. To take the synergism a bit further, after I completed the tour with the software development command, I reported to the Navy Operational Test Force, where the mission was to design and run test programs to make sure the top level procurement programs had in fact created systems that did what the military contracted them to do. As systems were becoming more complex, and budgets getting tighter, I walked into the early stages of the development of the use of modeling and simulation to verify equipment met the design specifications. The prior work of the BFTT and associated training programs became a building block to leverage from to help move more testing from the real world ranges to the internals of computers, at a quality to assure systems worked. The next time you load up your simulation games, know some far sighted military and civil servants helped put your tax dollars to use to make your games really rock.

We’re all in this together – Part I

This is a real stream of consciousness issue with me. I sort of have no clue where it will lead, but it can be somewhat coherent (well, at least from my point of view). Possibly you may agree with me, and if you do or you don’t there is a link below each post for comments, so feel free to take advantage to voice your opinion. For several years, I’ve thought about the influences we have had on at least two generations, and how that relates to events of today. One recurring thought has been how the differences in how “authority figures” have been portrayed. My perception, and it’s certainly not from rigorous application of statistical methods, is that we have been through a long period where the leadership and authority positions have been directly or indirectly portrayed as, at the least, inept, and at the worst, just overtly criminal. This “attitude” is promulgated by TV shows, commercials, and movies. Simply put, take something like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Wildly popular, still much a part of the current cultural memory, but it said 1) It’s OK to blow off authority and 2) the authorities, in particular, the principal, were oppressive, and stupid as well, and therefore the object of ridicule and disdain. Movies like “Spy Kids,” “War Games,” and so many others provide us with a regular feed of the message that people in government are lazy and uncommitted to doing their job. Since this is the perceived case, then the follow on message is it’s OK to go around them, or, better yet, take things into your own hands, as kids, teenagers, and young adults are immanently more knowledgeable and experienced. They then take on dangerous tasks, and win, showing that the stupid “authorities” would never have been able to solve the problem, or better yet,, they were so corrupted, they were actually hiding the bad guys. Then come Michael Moore, trying to feed us some story about how the President really knew about all that went into the current war, and he invaded Iraq just for the oil. There are many sources that can factually refute portions of what “Fahrenheit 911” said, to include showing how images were graphically manipulated, then presented as the reality. I have pointed out a few examples to support my conjecture, but there is “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and many others. In music, rappers want to kill police, as well as many others around them and Green Day gets a Grammy for “American Idiot.” So, what does this several decades long assault on authority and basic decent interpersonal behavior get us? We elect a president and a substantial portion of the country wants to deny he is the president. School children disrupt classes, denying learning opportunities to those who want to learn, and parents come down on the school administrators. The rule of one offended becomes the loudest voice, regardless of how wrong they may be. Lawyers are eager to jump in and take on the authorities. Maybe I’m off base, but the lack of basic civility we experience today seems to be the natural outgrowth of the message that those in authority deserve to be mistrusted, and are all out to take advantage of us for their own gain, regardless of the cost. The “reflective result” (that’s a new term I just thought of) is authority becomes calloused and distrustful of the youthful, and even well intentioned things are turned aside, which, in turn, fuels this fire, and none of it to our benefit. As the son of a career federal civil servant, and as one who spent 20 years supported by and working with many federal civilians, yes, there are the lazy and stupid ones who help make for good jokes. In the grand scheme, and the far more likely case, they were (and still are) hard working people, who are prone to make the same mistakes and omissions as many of us do. We expect sometimes impossible performance, and knowledge that approaches omniscience, yet we would never want to be held to the same standards. For most of my career, I didn’t work directly with the civil servants, but a few times I did. Several gave us more than our money’s worth, most al of them gave us a fair days work for a day’s pay, and a few were “skating” when they could, and only a handful were approaching the criminal aspect of performance. Enough for one post. We’re in this together for many things, but it’s a “hot button” with me to see how it’s culturally Ok to be disrespectful of those who have been charged to help the next generations to grow and thrive.

"Driver carries no cash..."

The art and psychology of those making bumper stickers seems to provide me with some moments of bliss. After all, you have to pack a few powerful words on a small piece of vinyl....and it still be large enough to be readable by someone in a moving vehicle. Anyhow, after a few posts about those bumper stickers from the left(one is here, here's one many of us can grasp and understand, and if not crack a smile, maybe even laugh out loud. It needs no commentary, and what I have said is already too much: Seen on the back of a really big duallie pickup truck on I-75: "Driver carries no cash. He's Married"

A voice in the wilderness…well, almost….

I generally figure the editorialist Ellen Goodman is good to help my cardiovascular system with spikes of blood pressure, but today I have to tell you she wrote something today that almost lent her support to her sisters half a world away. Her opinion seems to be clouded with a negative feeling about the issue (could it be driven by a severe dislike of the President?), but she managed to quote an expert that presents the reality of what has happened. “Constitution Will Unveil Status of Iraqi Women” is the title of her piece today (2/17/2005). Just a few days ago, I was thinking that not only is the Islamic world of the terrorists threatened because of democracy, but the “one person, one vote” means for the first time, Muslim women will have a voice within the culture. In most cultures, the women comprise about half of the population, so therefore, a potentially significant voice that will reflect a female view is going to emerge. That alone is exceptionally significant. It’s overpowering to witness a country being able to speak clearly through its votes, where before it may cost their life, but in a male dominated society, now the women will be able to stand up and be counted. The fruition of this may take some time, but it’s been set loose, and, in military terms, a beachhead has been established. I only expect it do nothing less than gain traction and will aid in moderating politics in that region of the world. It’s a reflection of Normandy for the women of Iraq, with the coalition forces being the allies that have been with them crossing the sand. It’s a shame that we can actually agree that NOW, and the Ellen Goodmans of the world failed to show at the ports of embarkation for the invasion. The quote from a UCLA Law professor, Khaled Abou El Fadi says “Iraqi women have been very persistent in terms of their rights. I’m skeptical that anyone will be successful in rolling back their rights. The population is too diverse, and the women too educated.” That’s exactly right. I suspect any referendum to make them relinquish their voting rights, now they have had the chance, will result in the men being rightly admonished for trying to take it away. That commentary feels like the truth to me. Back to Ellen’s opinion: “Questions about Iraqi women rumble across an America that has sent its daughters as well as its sons to battle. They echo in the words of the president who has promised that ‘young women across the Middle East will hear the message that their day of equality and justice is coming.’ But will they?” Nice, Ellen. It certainly looked like a good topic to take a shot at President Bush, didn’t it? Yes, we did send our sons and daughters to battle. First I ask, isn’t this remarkable in the course of women’s rights? Yes, it’s a cliché, but, “You’ve come a long way…” It’s true, the options of women in the military, which have been lobbied for for decades have resulted in a culture that now accepts women as pretty well equal. Isn’t that worth commenting on in a personal way, after all the passion that wanted this to happen? On one hand, the feminist movement wants the complete access to every profession and every level of the workforce, and this swipe has a sour tone. Is it because she doesn’t believe in the mission? In addition, there seems to be a question in her mind that what the sons and daughters did somehow isn’t going to result in the Middle Eastern women having equality and justice. If Bill Clinton had led the charge, would the Iraqi women’s voting right, which they exercised on January 30th, 2005 have then been hailed by her as some great historic moment? Well, I have news: It was a great and historic moment, regardless of who is president. Ellen goes on to say it’s hard to know what shari’a law really means, since different Muslim run nations interpret it differently. She lists examples of polygamy vs no polygamy, burkas vs blouses, but never does she says the open to interpretation debate on the Koran encompasses equality of women vs the subjugation of women. How strange she might leave that out. The reality is that is not open to debate, and yet, that is the fundamental issue at hand. “No less a woman’s advocate than Zainab Salbi, head of Women for Woman International,, says Iraqi women have to be prepared to follow the lead of other Muslim women in other countries and argue their rights in the language of shari’a” says the editorial. Great idea. Can you imagine a former slave, after the Civil War and the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln, making a public statement that told other slaves, whose freedom had just been bought by the blood of a divided nation, to be prepared to follow the lead of slaves in other countries that maybe had found some degree of freedom? Might not a better course of action be to find an example of women who have made great leaps forward and can offer many lessons learned and follow their lead? Once again, where is NOW when other women need them? “Women are the barometer of society. If women’s rights are pushed back into their homes, they will pull back the whole society” says Salbi. I concur. That quote ended the editorial, and there was no comment from the editorialist. That was a perfect line to lead into a battle cry for the American women to do the right thing, to stand in solidarity with the women of Iraq, to ensure their right to speak and take part in the reconstruction of a society was guaranteed. It also is a telling statement about human kind. Salbi has it right, the lack of the balanced influence in a society denies its own constituency the benefit of that very moderating influence, and they only take from themselves. So, when I first scanned the article, I was pretty pumped at the opportunity to make a positive remark, but when I really read it, it became clear Ellen let her bias get in the way of rejoicing over the fact that more of humanity was allowed freedom. I tried, why didn’t she?

America Supports You Website

If you're either curious about what is being done to help support our troops, or not sure what you can do, I recommend this site, America Supports You. It's great stuff, including the posts from those who have been the recipients of your time, energy and money.

It's our turn to defend those who have defended us!

In the prior post to this one, I commented on a bumper sticker that read "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." Speaking of that, it seems it's become politically correct to charge military members operating in a war zone with murder. I can't say people wearing uniforms and properly belonging to an establihed military of a soverign nation have not ever committed murder in the history of warfare, but the particular case right now seems to be a pretty clear cut case of proper military action, in concert with effective rules of engagement. It seems a Marine 2nd Lieutenant has been charged with pre-meditated murder, months after he reported the action he took during a raid on a house full of insurgents last April. While listening the the Tony Snow show this morning on the radio, a reporter from the Washington Times was on, and indicated Lt Pantano has also been charged with destruction of property over $500 (he shot the tires of a SUV that two men ran and got into during the raid). Just as a point of reference, Lt Ilario Pantano left his 6 figure job to join the Marines after 9/11. Hmmmmm...could he believes in what he does, or was he a closet psychopath, in a stockbroker's job, hoping for a chance to kill someone? Not likely. Here's what his peers, subordinates and seniors have had to say about the character of this junior officer. The report is a disgruntled subordinate registered the complaint. Not to say the enlisted don't see what happens and tend to actually be a good "BS" filter more often than not, once in a great while, one of them has a bad attitude and have a propensity to take out their "displeasure" on their seniors with allegations they full well know will end the careers, even if the person being accused is found innocent. The military rarely returns a person that is exonerated to any position of respect. There's a "well, there must have been something to it for it to have gotten that far" aura that follows that person around to the day they depart. When women at sea was still a fairly new thing, one of the Destroyer Tenders in Norfolk had a substantial sized female crew component. One of the female 1st class petty officers (E-6) was turned in for being a lesbian (this was in the later 80's), and that pretty much ended her career. The result of the investigation was the junior sailors she had working for her objected to being told to "turn to" (get to work), so they made up a false statements to hand into Naval Investigative Service. The planned conspiracy to get back at someone asking them to do what they committed to do in return for the paycheck from American taxpayers left a good Petty Officer behind. One day I'll get to a post on my thoughts on how this has come about via the themes from the TV and movies of the last few decades. I think this is part of what we are seeing here. Another part of this is the "delayed fusing" attibutes of it all. When ever I see that long time lag between an event and the accusation, there seems to be more to the story, and not in a good way for the accusers. While all of this may seem like fun to the ACLU type crowd, it will cause our service members in a combat zone to think a few milliseconds longer than they should. Will any American lives be lost as a result? There is some merit to "Shoot first and let God sort them out" in the tactics of staying alive in a combat zone. On top of that, will this trend continue to law enforcement within our borders? The truth needs to come out, no question on that. I'm confident that the military justice system will do that for us. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is well written, and years ago, F. Lee Bailey (a former Marine, btw) said he'd rather defend someone under the UCMJ than US law, as it granted more rights to the accused. It's sad that this situation will run it's course on the back (and emotions) of a combat Marine, now saddled with the doubts of the correctness of his action in a combat mission by those who have not experienced the same world. However, this may also be the forum to "put to bed" future attempts to hold warriors to a standard that is attainable only by complete withdrawal from World affairs and dismantling of the US Military. Both actions would not result in a safer world for anyone, least of all, us. There is something you can do to help. Lt Pantano's mother has put a site up, Defend the Defenders. It's not a registered non-profit right now, but who cares? It's important we stand behind the troops, in the combat zone, and where ever else they are called to serve, and as this situation points out, when they are accused and in need of being defended, as they have defended our freedom. It's ridiculous, at the least, and, as the bumper sticker exhorts us, outrageous at best. I'm outraged and I have been paying attention.

Hurtling towards Utopia without any traction in reality

Life is interesting. Today I was behind a car adorned with the following bumper sticker: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” Sharing the rear surface area of the car were also a peace sign and one of those cute little fish outlines with legs and “Darwin” in the middle. The driver was a female, maybe late 20s. Is that too old for unfettered (with truth) passion? Maybe not, I’d say. Anyhow, I saw no stickers about women’s rights, any with anti-beheading slogans, nor anything about the massacre in Sudan, or the Food-for-Oil debacle. Yes, she’s right, we should be outraged. The MSM, whose senior level leaders executives seem to have learned nothing from Dan Rather’s recent “fact checking” experience, feel they can make recorded statements, then, in the very era where the speed of delivery of reports on world-wide events from their own reporting staffs (have the guys at the top ever heard of “file footage?” Sorry, I digress.) confound National Command Authority (That’s the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff), and never be held accountable. It’s actually kind of funny, since their own technology seals their own fate. This is analogous to the Internet becoming a world-wide forum, where the major news outlets can be “scooped” by regular people, being the bane of the existence of the Democrats in 2004, when groups such as the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” were able to mount a “low budget” campaign, that had its toll on John Kerry. Is it any wonder that you never hear anything about Al Gore anymore? If he just hadn’t invented the Internet, John Kerry might be President today. I’m sure the entire Democratic Party will never find it in them to forgive Al for his initiative. He’ll be a marginal, backwater guy the rest of his life as a result. Ok, so the drive looking for Utopia. Peace, yes, we want some of that. Somehow, if you manage to sit down with the various groups around the world, such as al-Queda, the Shining Path, the drug cartel bosses, Kim Jong Il, etc, etc, etc, could you please offer them a latte and ask if they’d be so kind as to give up their power and just buy a nice house in your neighborhood? Offer them a moving in present of a bundt cake. I’m sure they’ll ask for the number of a realtor you’d recommend. Problem solved! I spent in excess of 24 years directly serving “the Beast” of war. Due to my misfortune, partly due to the time I was born and the rest to the assignments I was given in my service time, I only got close to combat one late night in the Mediterranean Ocean, and then it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, and it wasn’t a couple of Libyan Osa Boats bearing down on the Battle Group. Did I want war? If it was to happen I wanted to be there to use the training the American public paid for, but I had no visions of provoking it. Actually, in one large scale war game, I was put in charge. When you are now the last one, for practical purposes, in the chain of command to have to make almost instantaneous decisions, you do, in fact, come to an entirely new understanding of what “accountable” and “rules of engagement” (ROE) really mean in application. I had the opportunity to play the Naval equivalent of “Dirty Harry” that day, and I chose to stick with the ROE. We still pounded them soundly, thanks to a good plan, and we created no simulated “international incidents” as a result. I left that experience with a new appreciation for those in command at any level. War has been with us, with varying levels of damage infliction and “team size,” since Cain wanted something his brother had. Pick up just about any history book, about any culture, and yes, they almost all have that component of bad interpersonal behavior in their background. The solution? Actually, it’s quite simple: Love that person next to you the way you want to be loved. When you can “feel the love” all around, there’s no reason to hate and covet the other person’s stuff, or situation. At a pragmatic level, it is like the Communism, Marx and Engels thought we could have, but they were almost 2000 years late proposing their ideas. On those grounds, you’d think the liberal left would be the biggest supporters of Christianity, but they are juxtapositioned now. What irony. Oh, and by the way, the historical record says it’s not democratic societies that attack their neighbors, it’s the theocracies, the monarchies, and the others. Democracies take the first blow in most cases, so I ask how intelligent it is to oppose the democratization of other parts of the World, let alone to try to damage the one we are so blessed to have where we live in the US? As far as the walking fish thing, I ask this: If the Darwin model of every organism vying the become the best in terms of survival, why have not all forms of life, many of which have been around millions of years prior to humanity appearing on the scene, all as smart, if not smarter, than we are? I think Darwin left that piece out of his mechanism. Could anyone reasonable argue that the development of a highly refined thinking capacity would not offer superior opportunities for survival? I’ve yet to run into a talking lizard, either in my yard or out in the woods. My cat is kind of smart, but I never have been able to get her to take dictation and type up my rambling thoughts while I’m at work. And, let me toss this one out: If I dig a pit and put in quantities of copper, plastic, aluminum, transistors, paint and various other components for a plane, can I have someone go look about 2 million years from now for a Boeing 727 assembled there? I’d admit Darwin was right if a 727 was there, but I’d personally hope for a F-22 Raptor, myself. That’s a machine that certainly could assure its survival. Now, I just realized that maybe we’d first see a 727, and later, when it found out carrying passengers around wasn’t keeping it alive, then it would start evolving to be an F-22. I’d argue that everything has been designed to fill a certain niche, and a controlling mechanism has been put in place in each species to make it fit, much like you put a governor on a public school bus engine, to keep the drivers from driving it at a speed that makes no sense for its intended purpose. Outraged? Yes, we should be. At those who would keep the World on the edge of their seats through the mechanism of fear. More often than not, these days, the planned outrage is at George W. Bush, which ignores the fact that 290 million some of us are all part of the equation, and that’s not even considering the other about 5,710,000,000 people on the rest of the planet. They are players, too. Now, if you’re outraged, just what are you doing about it? I have a suggestion: (SU)³. Find something you can have a positive effect on and “git ‘er done!’

The run for 2008 is upon us or why the fuss over Condi?

We’ve just inaugurated the President. The next election is 3 ½ years away, but much like retailers having the gall to advertise for Christmas before we get to Thanksgiving, the Democrats have already put the overt Presidential Campaign for 2008 in the public view. Why do I say this? Polls out this past week “testing the waters” amongst Democrats, asking who do you favor to win in 2008? John Kerry, as if he hasn’t been beaten once in the past few months, is many points behind Hillary, and IT’S THREE YEARS AWAY! Hillary has moved to the Armed Services committee and visits bases now. She gives a speech, listing many of the horrible statistics of abortion (yet never really says what her position is – call it plausible forgetfulness when the topic comes up in the future and she still is in favor of it), and generally is trying to make us believe she is moving towards the center. That’s a long, hard drive from the far left, but IT’S THREE YEARS AWAY! (so maybe she’ll make it look good by then). Now, what does this have to do with Condoleezza Rice? I think it’s simple: The Democrats are scared senseless, that the party that is for both Women’s Rights, and Civil Rights in their rhetoric, see there may be a black woman who has what it takes to make a run for the Presidency, and SHE’S NOT A DEMOCRAT! It’s bad enough that it has taken both the Bush Presidents to put minorities in places of esteem and authority, while Bill Clinton didn’t and Howard Dean claimed since there were few black people in his home state, he shouldn’t be held accountable for preaching equality, just never seems to practice it. Just how are they going to stand in front of the US constituency, let alone the World and tell us once more, this time with even more passionate words, that they are the party of the oppressed and the mis-treated, while the Republicans present a real person of substance, who is not only a minority, but a woman? Sorry, it just doesn’t play well when what you say and what you do are so far apart. Oh, the votes that will shift….they cried because 2000 was close, they tried when they thought they could toss out the votes of enough hard working citizens, via the courts, to take over the popular vote in 2004, but I envision the word “LANDSLIDE” for 2008. How could they possibly pull out of this power dive in time to avoid a virtual “crash?” And this is why they are taking every means available to criticize and vilify Condi. They have to try and push some really big lies long and hard to hope they can keep people from voting for her. It’s simple. They want back in, not because they have any agenda, but because they just want to wield the power. Ask Golem what that means, or just re-read the Lord of the Rings once more. In all fairness, I did hear a report that Howard Dean, after being elected as the DNC Chairman (Hey! What’s with the sexist title?) did say they would have to start working towards some other agenda than to beat George Bush. Yes, I think he’s got it. In the coming months, as the attack poodle Dems nip at Condi’s heels, know it’s only because they are going to try and bring her down early, so they have a shot at it later on. Honestly, I’m looking forward to a well experienced, forthright Secretary of State making the planet a safer place for everyone, and the record that comes with that, as well as a “ticket punch” in the international relations field that Hillary has no hope of getting. Condi will be one formidable candidate.

A tribute to the US Navy

There's an enjoyable post on Villanous Company and the writer's tribute to the Navy. In the comments, I found this little movie clip of an FA-18 pilot "at the office." He sure looks like it's no big deal, and the sound track is "Magic Carpet Ride." Check it out!

See what they do to feminists in a theocracy?

Once again, a wake up call for the NOW crowd: I just found this site tonight. I like the name "The Big Picture." Before I get to the article, a quick side track: While I was a merely a young ensign, at my basic surface warfare training, we would go to the ship simulators and practice maneuvering drills, where no paint was ever scraped, and no metal bent. Courts of Inquiry, and especially Courts Martials were avoid many times whe the dreaded "Loss of Big Picture Accident" occured. Being as how the Navy loves acronyms, we had to and shorten this to "LOBPA." In context, you'd say something like: "Yep, Mickey was doing OK just before the LOBPA and his tin can got sliced in half by the CV!" I mention that, because the MSM has been having an LOBPA for some time now. Back to the main point of this post: This link is to a post about an Iranian female blogger, and her experience with the "system." Read it and weep, NOW members, and change your tune before this comes to a neighborhood near you....or, alternatively, if you can't stand up for Women's Rights around the world, come up with a new title for your organization, such as "Greedy, Rich, Whiny, American Women Who Want Everything Their Way, at the Expense of Everyone Else." Makes for an ugly acronym: "GRWAWWWETWEEE." If I have some time this weekend, I'll work on that, no charge, just so we can tag you appropriately.

Another report from Fallujah - This one from Jan 30th, 2005 - Election Day

I picked up on LtCol Bellon's emails to his Dad when they had been posted on Black Five, and here's another one. I'm actually surprised I found it before it was linked on several other sites, such as Black Five. Dave Bellon's Battalion of Marines fought in Fallujah. this email talks about how his Marines took the city, then helped the rightful residents come home. On the day of the election, these Marines saw freedom in action. I did note, that after the Iraqi National Guardsmen voted, the first Fallujah resident he saw walking into the polls to exercise her new opportunity was a woman. Let's pray the women of Iraq will gain their independence as well.

A new "acronym" for general use....

Many times I have talked to or read stuff written by people who fall into the "Yeah? And what about BUSH-HITLER?" when you comment on problems. Only complaints, never a plan, liberally laced with constant negativism. I regularly think they just can't see they also have the option to solve problems.... So...I have decided to come up an abbreviation to toss in their face: "Shut Up, Suit Up, and Step Up!" is the long form. Shortened, it's just "(SU)³." I put up a post last month speaking my piece on how I feel about the current lack of concern about the National Organization of Women. I'd just love to see these complainers put their actions in line with their complaining, and to realize they can be agents of change. Thoughts? I need no royalties, nor credit, but just the faith that will get a few of them thinking.....

Doesn't this guy watch "24?"

Two afternoons ago, whilst I sat and listened to the semi-local Todd Schnitt afternoon talkshow, some "mucadoo" (thanks for the appropriate title to Frank J. of IMAO) called in to the host and began to talk around, but not very throughly, his anger at some unnamed major companies, and how he was planning to do something very big, and very dramatic to teach them something. Wow, telephonic threats, which were illegal before 9/11/2001, and here he is making them on a radio show that plays in Tampa, San Antonio and Miami, and is also on a webcast from 970AM WFLA. It gets better: After the host kept him on the line for several minutes and skillfully tried to extract lots of information, Todd just tried *69. Guess what? It gave the number and it turned out to be a pay phone in TX somewhere. Next caller in, was a man claiming to be the brother of the muckaoo, saying his brother had it in for Monsanto, was a was a long haul truck driver, and currently out of town. He was all for his brother being called to be accountable for his actions. Todd called the local FBI office and yesterday he reported they came over, talked at length and then left, with CDs with the audio tracks of the phone calls. Somehow this person has failed to comprehend call tracing, or even modern audio recording technology. And, he sure never heard of the Patriot Act..... Feeling like a few minutes of "stupid criminal" sound tracks? Here are Part 1 and part 2 of the actual phone calls...enjoy!

Gunner Palace - My Review

What a wonderful movie....I saw the preview in Tampa, now yesterday evening. Michael Tucker has done a masterful job of making a real life documentary of the real world. The words of the junior enlisted, and sometimes the Battalion Commander were unrehersed and right from the heart. It is a movie that shows you just who these young men and women are, and not in any puffed up way. I don't recall every seeing anything this captivating, because of it's "inside" view. The movie neither glorifies the war, nor denigrates it. It reports on humanity, and also gives you a view of the life of the Americans and Iraqis I suspect you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else. The website is here...do yourselves a favor: sign up for the newsletter and ask when the show will be in your area, and then clear your schedule to get there to see it. I heard him say it opens March 11th. Warning: The troops do what people do when they are in those types of environments, they liberally use all sorts of words, but I can attest it's part of the culture, not only in the service sometimes, but it shows you real people.

"I can't thank you enough..."

I found this while wandering about the web yesterday. It is a confirmation of what a good leader does, he takes care of the people who do the hard work. He may have not been in their chain of command, but an O-5 "in the rear" knew when it was time to give the baptized with blood warriors a break and some ice cream, and he knew it wasn't very much, but it was what he could do right now. Like RDC "Mac" taught me: Take care of your troops first and foremost, as he had taught many others..... Here's the email from CDR Kurt Storey that tells an important story:

I was going to the gym tonight ( really just a huge tent with weights and treadmills), and we had heard that one of the MEUs (Marine Exp Units) that had come out of service in the "triangle" was reploying (leaving country). We saw their convoy roll in to the Kuwait Naval Base as the desert sun was setting. I have never seen anything like this. Trucks and humvees that looked like they had just come through a shredder. Their equipment was full of shrapnel blast holes, and missing entire major pieces that you could tell had been blasted by IEDs. These kids looked bad too! I mean, sunken eyes, thin as rails, and that 1000 yd stare they talk about after direct combat. Made me pretty damn embarrassed to be a "rear area warrior". All people could do was stop in their tracks and stare... and feel like me...like I wanted to bow my head in reverence. A Marine Captain stationed with me, was standing next to me also headed to the gym. He said, "part of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 8th Marines sir. Took the heaviest losses of any single unit up north as part of Task Force Danger, sir." As the convoy rolled up, all of us watching just slowly crept toward these kids as they dismounted the hummers and 5 tons. Of course, we were all shiny and clean compared to these warriors. These kids looked like they had just crawled from Iraq. I had my security badge and id around my neck, and started to help them unload some of their duffle bags. A crusty Gunny came up to me and said "sir, you don’t have to do that..." "Gunny... yes I do..." They all looked like they were in high school, or younger!! All held themselves sharply and confident, despite the extreme fatigue you could tell they had endured. "You guys out of the triangle?" I asked. "Yes, sir". 14 months, and twice into the grinder sir" (both fights for Fallujah and ). All I could do was throw my arm around their shoulders and say "thanks Marine, for taking the fight to the bad guys...we love you man". I looked at these young kids, not one of them complaining or showing signs of anything but focus, and good humor. 'Sir, they got ice cream at the DFAC sir?" "I haven't had real ice cream since we got here..." They continued to unload... and after I had done my hand shakes and shoulder hugs, the Captain and I looked at each other... They want ice cream, we'll get them ice cream. You see a squid O-5 and a focused Marine O-3 can get just about anything, even if the mess is closed. Needless to say, we raided the closed DFAC (mess tent), much to the chagrin of one very pissed off Mess SGT. and grabbed boxes of ice cream sandwiches (as many as we could carry), and hustled back to the convoy. I felt like Santa Claus. "Thank you sir.." again and again from each troop as we tossed up the bars to the guys in the trucks. "Son, what the hell are you thanking me for...? I can't thank you enough..." and they are so damn young....

Too much time on the net this morning......

"Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance." --Sam Brown I like it...Maybe I should forward this to Dan Rather... If you like interesting toys and T's, try this link.... This anonymous quote is priceless: "Now that the electoral college has elected George Bush as president, I hereby admit that I was part of a vast conspiracy to steal the 2004 election from John Kerry. I don’t have all the conspirators’ names, but there were 61 million of us in on it." News of the Wierd...'nuf said here

Is that "old" digital camera sitting gathering dust?

I'm sure there's more than a few older digital cameras kicking around in bags and on book shelves, feeling lonely from non-use, when the new 4 mega pixel version came this past Christmas... Here's a link to an organization who is taking the older ones as donations to provide to military families....sounds good to me! Pass it along, please!

The first Operation Iraqi Freedom Congressional Medal of Honor winner - SFC Paul Smith, U.S. Army

The CMOH will be awarded to a man who gave his life in order to save 100. I believe by reviewing this link to a multimedia tribute to SFC Paul Smith, you will see the story of a man who lived for this moment. He didn't live to die in the moment, he lived in a way to ensure his men had victory. I noted throughout the tribute, there is a significant thread about SFC Smith's philosophy, one that rang true with my own service: Train, train, train and then train like you mean it. The short term result is the men he was responsible for, his peers and his superiors gurglingly went along, while complaining about it. The significant meaningful measure of effectiveness of the ideals of SFC Smith is when one of his men, who survived said he had trained them to work as a team and that was what saved them that day. Morale of the story: Train for the worst day, it will make a difference.

Hillary: Abortions have risen in 8 states during the 4 years Bush has been in office

Source: Time, February 7, 2005 issue, pg 30, “Trying a More Soulful Tone” by Perry Bacon, Jr. discussed Hillary’s speech “a few days after the Democrat’s November defeat.” A “Dean Scream” seems appropriate, yet that’s not a very mature reaction, so I’ll just furrow my brow and contemplate just how you might construct a rationalization that can connect President Bush as a causal agent in that situation. Was it something he said, or maybe some states he purposely ensured any anti-abortion messages (in 8 to be exact) were skillfully extracted from his speeches and campaign ads? Did he drive by high schools in the Presidential limo, offering a free ride and funding to go to the nearest Planned Parenthood office? Was it because of President Bush’s anti-abortion stance that couples got pregnant in order to exercise their legal right, based on the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973, to be able to have an abortion before it became illegal (chalk this one up to fearing strict Constitutionalists being appointed to the benches)? My brow is still furrowed even after considering these possibilities. Could it have been that couples (comprised of a male-female pair, as biology would have it) engaged in a union that resulted in an “unwanted” pregnancy with absolutely no regard with who was the President? While Hillary inhabited the White House, might there have been an increase in abortions in any of the 50 states or U.S. Territories? If so, as I suspect was the case (albeit without doing my homework), would she accept anyone making a similar statement about her husband’s influence on life in general? Maybe it depends on what “is” means….. I further suspect that the abortions increased in more than just 8 states in the eight years President Clinton was in office. Regardless of what happened in those years, I refuse to try to pin the blame on President Clinton. It was fairly the choice and responsibility of the women who made the choice, whether or not they sought outside advice. Hillary is trying to mask her support for abortion on demand, in order to begin to woo “conservative” voters for her 2008 run. She is good at pandering; but the veneer she glues on is very thin indeed. I just need to file this under the heading “Egad! It makes the ganglia twitch!” (and we’re not even talking about acceleration over-thrusters).

Hillary spoke on how she is a “praying person.”

Source: Time Magazine, February 7th, 2005 issue, page 30. And? What does she view as the “higher power” where she forwards her requests? While it is a matter of personal conviction, once she has made herself a “public official,” we rightly can ask questions to ascertain how suited she is to represent us. I say this, not as a New York voting resident (but since I live in Florida, maybe I can vote there, too), but as someone who anticipates being around to vote for president in the next election. I’m sorry, the rush to the nearest churches by Democrats causes me to think hypocrisy. On the other hand, I’m hopeful that those who elect to work their way into the social circles of the segment of society they label “evangelicals,” will find there is more the fabric of the Church than they have been led to believe by the media, their po1ls, and Saturday Night Live skits. As they come to cultivate their relationships with those church attendees, they will see the "warts" and hypocrites, but they will see those that are humble and graced with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Then lives will he forever changed. If their experiences are anything like mine, they will see those who will welcome a gay person into their midst, and lovingly care for them. They will see support for the poor at levels they never knew existed. They will witness divorces being prevented, and strong, emotionally healthy families as the outcome. They will find out that almost all of the support, whether it is a helping hand, cash, food, a listening ear, or a prayer partner, is done without any PR campaign and therefore invisible to those who aren’t so blessed to be present to see the work done by so many, in the true modeling of the life of Christ. That brings up another point: Jesus often performed miracles, and many times, instructed the recipient of the miracle to not tell anyone. As we are human, and therefore imperfect, in each of these cases, the people exercised free will and were disobedient to the direction of the Lord, and they ran right off to tell others. Just as much as I dislike statements being attributed to Christians, in particular to the Bible, using out of context meaning from without, I equally dislike it when Christians throw out a single verse, that seems to fit, but is out of context as well. The Bible is an intricate document, full of wisdom, in single verses, and larger pieces, but should always be studied before flippantly quoting single verses. If you need to share it, be mindful of being faithful to “the Source,” just as any of us who have had to write a paper in school were. I certainly don’t mean to imply one in their “newness” shouldn’t learn scriptures hang on to. Why should we not apply the same rules in these circumstances? If you led and so inclined, I’d ask for your prayers for these politicians seeking to find out more about “evangelicals" that God will send the messages they need to hear, or things they need to experience. Romans 8:28 comes to mind as an underpinning for this time.

Was it really fair to count 44 as dead?

Just a quick mid-day post: Rush Limbaugh reported that in the count of 44 dead on January 30, 2005 in the Iraqi Elections, 8 of the 44 were suicide bombers. I believe it would be fair to reduce the count of those who died, not of their own volition, as they tried to vote as a more meaningful "measure of effectiveness" to 36. Add to the situation that of the 8 suicide bombers, 7 were Saudi citizens. How can people hang on to the thought that it's the Iraqis that didn't want us there. I think it's more the case of the neighboring countries, that hang onto power through heavy handed religitcs, are shaking in their boots at the thought that the people may gain a voice and strive to make things, including the distribution of wealth, a real thing. Who could really oppose that happening in the grand scheme of things?

You're welcome, Ward Churchill

If you haven't heard or read anything about this professor from Colorado, his long standing hate of his own country (the United States) is stunning. I'd just like to say, in this public forum: Mr. Churchill, you're welcome for the thanks you owe myself and the millions of others now and before me, that have spent time in the United Sates Military, defending the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, so you may hold these personally abhorrent view points. Don't bother to say "thank you" for I know, deep inside you, you must appreciate all of us for doing what you cannot stomach, but only take advantage of. I am, however, saddened that you share a name with one of the great men in the history of the world, who not only led a nation in desparate times, but also wore a uniform in the service of his own nation.

Thank you to all those who sacrificed

Just a quick post to say a heart felt "THANK YOU!" for those still in Iraq and Afghanistan, military and civilian workers alike, and to those who have been and returned from those areas. To the families who have to know their sons, daughters, husbands and wives are far away, thank you, too. To the families who have lost a loved one, I have no words, but I'm certain you know I'm forever indebted to you and the one who will not return. For all mentioned above, yesterday was possible because many individuals chose to step up to the challenge and be part of something bigger than themselves, and we all will reap the rewards of thier sacrifices.

They're out of gas, so let's get on with life....

I'm impressed, and a little stunned that there is overall positive reaction to the history that occured yesterday. "Ballot not Bullets" graced the above the fold story on the front of the Tampa Tribune. Good job! Blackfive has two stories that show the desperation of the terrorists. Here's one from an Air Force photographer and this is the other, which discusses how the terrorists have apparantly run out of young boys and woman to volunteer to kill themselves, but now use children with Downs Syndrome. We're talking real losers, who are running on fumes. After just reading those two stories, how can any thinking person give any credibility to these people who hide behind ski masks, disembowel women peace workers and behead truck drivers? The tide is turned. History is in the making. The world will become safer. The MSM and the left wingers will be left scratching their heads, making some illogical rationaliztions.

The "birthday" of a Nation

Today is the day. The news will be full of stories on the Iraqi elections....well, let me reconsider that. If it's a disater, and many people are killed, the process disrupted and the goal of uncoerced voting occurs, we will be completely overwhelmed by "NEWS." On the other hand, if a nation decides to step up to the plate, as reports indicate, and begin to make a place of thier own, with women freely voting, right next to the men, and every citizen of legal age even having the right to vote, or not vote, as is their own personal choice, then the news will give us a few brief remarks, most likely with an over tone of "it was rigged." I'm not prophet, but by using the past (Afghani elections), I'm making this prediction of the future. This is a historic day. It is also a day that will not reward us with its goodness until many years from now. My evidence you ask? Simple. Japan and Germany. Poland, and a host of other formerly Soviet Block controlled countries. I spent 6 years developing, distributing and supporting a PC based computer program that took the time requirements out of keeping up to date records on qualification in the wake to the gun turret explosion aboard USS IOWA (BB-62). As a result, the administrative offices actually started keeping the records up to date, and watchbills were more accurately prepared, and the process of planning how to get someone qualified was better managed. I bring this up because it is like the case of these elections in that I can never prove how many lives may have been saved, or dollars not spent to repair damage, when an under- or unqualified sailor or officer attempted to do something outside of their capabilities, but I inherently know it must have. The program made it's way to over 120 ships, from mine countermeasure ships and hydrofoils, and all the way up to aircraft carriers. When this election process reaches fruition, and the candiates are put in place with a mandate (yes, that's what happens when you are elected, ask Bill Clinton) to make a safe and peaceful country, we'll not be able to count the lives that are not snuffed out because the hatred dies down. I've often thought it would be illuminating to sit down and do some population math. If you begin by computing the annual death rate under Saddam Hussien, you can simply project that since his ousting from power, the people who would have been killed for sport and political expediency, are still here. Each day, more people survive as a result of the freeing of Iraq. The harder math comes when I'd have to study the process of population growth, in order to predict how many births will now occur, how many marriages will do like-wise, and also result in a following generation, etc, etc, etc, to help us get a handle on just how important this entire process of this war has been. Even if you're one stuck in the "WHERE ARE THE WMDs?" world, can you honestly tell me you hate the fact that the dignity of human life has been enhanced, or might you be so calloused to have allowed Saddam Hussien to continue his fratricidal ambitions? Greyhawk of the The Mudville Gazette has some excellent reading on reports from different cities in Iraq, complete with comments from those who will risk their lives to vote, becasue they see this as something special.

A view from a service members child

The guy behind Mudville Gazette is fortunate enough to have a daughter who can step up to the plate and let the world know what she thinks about the situation in Iraq.

“We’re gonna flood the VA”

I met a man who just came back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I met him for the first time two nights ago. He is a reservist in the Navy, rated as an equipment operator in the SEABEES. He is also the Command Master Chief for his unit, so he was the senior enlisted man in his unit, and therefore the one responsible for the morale and welfare of the enlisted men in a very direct way. What was striking were his few comments about what he had had to do, and some of the things that have happened as a result. His unit was assigned to some “digs.” What this entailed was being guided to a place and then digging to see what they could find. They were searching for the mass graves. His unit found one. While I didn’t hear a number, it was plenty of people who hade been killed, as he spoke briefly about how about 40 of the people had been shot in the temple, yet the others must have been buried alive, as there wasn’t evidence of any similar type of wounding to the other remains. He then, not in a complaining manner, matter of factly discussed going to some appointments, which most certainly were some type of group therapy sessions for those who had been assigned to recover the bodies. He had some spare time before making it all the way back to the States, and commented about going to the base hospital as much as possible for “appointments.” Then he remarked the military medical system here can’t handle the demand for counseling, and he has been told to go to the VA. He has once and saw about 100 people in line before him for all sorts of appointments. When we wrapped up this part of the discussion, he said: “We’re going to flood the VA.” I’d ask that you pray for the peace these men and women will need to get on with life, after having to have been a part of details to help heal another nation in the aftermath of so much evil. And, if you get the chance, lobby for making sure the services take care of them at the professional level.

“US Bloodied in Iraq”

What a wonderfully deceptive headline to greet you the day after a helicopter crashes in Iraqi killing 30 Marines and one Sailor. It was on the front of the Tampa Tribune in the driveway this morning. The article is about the crash, not some ambush, or firefight casualty situation. There is no indication of hostile action, but it seems the press won’t pass up an opportunity to blame commonplace accidents on what they believe is a failed geo-political policy of the President they love to hate. Amazingly enough, just a few weeks back, there was no similar story when the Navy’s SEAHAWK crashed in Indonesia while coming in to land and deliver aid to the tsunami victims. Based on the reporting this morning, I’m sure they could have somehow linked the SH-60s problem to the stinginess of the United States, but thankfully, they didn’t. An unfortunate, yet well understood fact by just about anyone with any understanding of aircraft, is that helicopters are incredibly complex marvels of modern engineering. In simplistic terms, it’s thousands of vibrating parts, all trying to head one way under the direction of a human pilot. In addition to this degree of complexity, add the complexity of the human mind, then add some bad flying conditions. Yes, there it is, a recipe for disaster. More often than not, the helo pilots carry the day and achieve success, but sometimes, they are on the other end of the statistics and become the subject of the next aviation safety report. I really wanted to fly, and while my idea of flying was to have been the real life pilot that they used to model the character of Maverick in “Top Gun,” I did grab stick time whenever I could. I managed to actually get about an hour at the controls of a CH-46 SEA KNIGHT, which is a large aircraft, with two main rotors, so I have a little idea about what it’s like to fly one of those. I have more time in the pilot’s seat of fixed wing stuff, from Cessnas to TA-4 SKYHAWKs, so I can compare and contrast the fixed versus rotary wing experience. In addition to actual control time, I spent a few hours sitting between the pilot and co-pilot of CH-46s, while they practiced vertical replenishment (VERTREP) work at sea. On top of all of that, I have hundreds of rides in Army and Navy helicopters as a passenger behind me, many of which I only rode up in them, then took care of the landing myself. I hung around with the “zoomies” at every chance I got. What I know about flight is this: There isn’t any such thing as a “perfectly good airplane.” Stop anyone on the street with any life experience and they will have to admit they have heard news reports of those “perfectly good airplanes” falling out of the sky with little or no notice to the flight crew. Here’s the salient point: Aviation accidents happen. Lives are lost and property is damaged and lawyers make lots of money as a result. What I know about flying helicopters is this: It’s hard and dangerous work. This is not to say flying fixed wing stuff isn’t dangerous, but when you do that hover thing, it’s an incredible load on the pilots mental capacity. I’m sure it’s right up there with night carrier landings. I’ve not had the opportunity to land aboard an aircraft carrier at night, but from all accounts, that’s the most intense flying experience in the world, as pretty much any pilot will attest to. For some “I was there” material on this subject, Neptunus Lex has written about it on his blog. Regardless as to how much fun it was to give the embarked helicopter pilots a hard time during my shipboard assignments, I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. I worked as a fight deck tower officer and landing signal officer on several ships, which was where I got my flight time in. It was especially eye opening to ride during VERTEP practice, and being able to listen to the flight crew coordinating the pick up and dropping off of externally slung loads over the deck of a moving ship. The pilot had three people talking to him, feeding him information, as he had his eyes locked on the ship, so he could gauge how to fly sideways and maintain a zero relative motion condition for extended periods. Based on the life experience I have and with the comments above, I submit the cause of the crash may well have been just a flight accident; it may have been a mechanical or electrical/electronic problem, or it may have been pilot error. It could have been enemy action, but the initial reports don’t provide any indication of that. Trust me, as with accident of this nature, a very through investigation will follow, with the thrust of it to ascertain the cause, so that any problems found can be corrected before there is another case such as this. That process of accident investigation is highly refined and a seriously undertaken task, as much for preventing the loss of expensive equipment, as it is to prevent the loss of life. Both are of the utmost importance to the investigative team. I wish the MSM would get on with real reporting, and quit playing the same “I should have won” cards that are the staple of Senators Kerry and Boxer. That attitude won’t restore any life, but it sure can raise the anxiety level for no logical reason.

Calling all NOW members

I continue to be baffled by the lack of the participation of NOW in the current world situation. I would think with all the news of the mistreatment of the sisters of the American women from other parts of the world, most notably the Middle East, we would have seen women “suiting up” by the thousands, demanding slots at Parris Island and Fort Bragg. I would think any way they could get into the fight, now that we have functionally acquiesced to women in combat, they would be demanding. So, what’s up with the lack of concern? Are there too many important glass ceilings in corporate America, that are oppressing women on a world-wide level for them to leave their executive suites they have worked so hard to gain? Must they stay put in order to protect the right of women, or can they just keep their sisters in Africa and the Middle East, and even now, parts of Europe, better protected from where they are? I could go one for a while and provide plenty of links to stories about honor killings, stonings and multilations, but they have been ignored so far. What about me you may wonder? In case you think I’m speaking from some ivory tower, demanding someone do something I’m not willing to do, I did my time, and would still be in, had it not been for the reasonable and required downsizing of the US Military after the Cold War ended. I’d love a chance to get a piece of those who are preventing the basic human right of freedom. Along the way, equal rights for everyone would be a cause good enough for me to fight for. If you’re a feminist at heart, I’d challenge you to step up to the plate and do something, besides figure out if you can get that next promotion, while your sisters are being brutalized at the hands of men who think they are property, and not worthy of respect. Any of the services will take you, but I’d suggest the Marines, because in the Corps, everyone is a rifleman first.

A story of a Saudi suicide bomber, who is still with us

I found a very interesting story via Mudville Gazette. It came from USA Today, but I'm not sure much farther this has been propagated. Anyhow, this is a report from an 18 year old Saudi man who became a suicide bomber, and we betrayed. Read it. It will put a face to those who do this type of thing, and how it cnaged his life.

A view from the deckplates...

Here's a link to a first person report from a Naval Officer on the LINCOLN. He simply states what he sees with all the people "getting in on the act" in the disater relief, and adds a few emotional comments. I can attest to the proplem of "strap hangers," or, as my first Executive Officer, CDR Dave Martin, used to call them: Trolls. Just so as not to confuse you, that was back in 1977-78, before blogging, where we have a similar type of uninvited, rude, insensitive, and generally all around selfish people. In March, 89, I had the "pleasure" of having Bob Zelnick and crew, from ABC, riding us during a training day at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Not only where they constantly in the way of the drills, I had to assign ship's company, who should have been training, to escort them around. That was one experience where I came to dislike the Public Affairs Officers, because they were ashore, drinking coffee....that's a topic for another post. The officer who wrote this ends by making some cogent comments about the decreased readiness of the pilots. One thing the aviation community takes seriously is the maintenance of training for those who fly on and off things at sea. Besides being an issue of life and death, quite pragmatically, a cost-benefit analysis tells you after paying that much for a fancy airplane, and that much more to train the aircrew, it dings the budget quite a bit when one goes in the drink. It's an all around losing scenario. I may have been a "shoe," but I worked enough time on the helo decks to know those aviators need the experience to maintain their proficiency.

How passionate are you about America?

Sarah at Trying to Grok (don't ask me what it means, I haven't read enough of her blog), posted this about a man who loves America.

The short view versus the long haul – Part I

Over the last few years, the various random and seemingly chaotic thoughts of where we are going in this society have occasionally rambled through my grey matter. The results, while the judges and jury both are out, show some alarming patterns, that all link back to short term thinking. Once again, I’ll call on a quote from Patrick Henry to preface what follows: “There is but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.” I’ll start with the nay saying about Iraq. Yes, I’m biased about not losing the advantage after losing 1300 lives of our military. Having volunteered in 1972, the year after the draft was abolished, I was one of the many who began the “volunteer” force. There have been millions of volunteers before me, but upon my entry, there were no more men being absorbed into the service against their will. I spent the next 23 years and 9 months sewing this country. I‘m biased in my thoughts that the U.S. Military has been well used in keeping the level of violence down on the face of the planet. Why is there so much resistance to establishing a democracy in Iraq? I’m baffled by all at this effort to derail an opportunity for another sovereign nation to taste what so often we now take for granted. On one hand, I can comprehend why a small group of individuals (their religious connection not even really being factored in in my opinion) who have made their overly posh lifestyle by taking advantage of the masses, are so desperate to stop this move towards individual freedom. They do not want to be held accountable for suppressing the basic dignity of people. From that stand point, I can almost give them some degree of respect, in that they have some logic to support their actions, flawed as it may be. On the other hand, those who consider themselves “liberals,” are the very ones who will be quick to tell anyone how they are for supporting human rights, both real, perceived and even concocted ones. They claim a party name of “Democrats.” They are also the ones to demand that we abandon the Iraqi people the few who have held positions of power in a very brutal manner, and even as I write this, are demonstrating they are willing to continue to retain this form of oppression of the masses. Where are the voices of these who decry the abuse of the proletariat? Is it just because the Islamic rulers claim their power of control is due to a religious foundation, and not due to economics? Can they not see it is the same selfish desire at the core of the issue? We are at a point in time, where it is much like 1945. It takes little mental agility to survey history and realize two brutal dictatorships, full of aggression and national selfishness, were defeated and are now peaceful and democratic as a result of the shedding of blood on both sides. Did this happen over might? No. Did this happen because as soon as the instruments of surrender were signed, we instantly brought all our troops home? No. So you’d like to say we got lucky? What do you have to say about the aftermath of the end of the Cold War, effectively in 1989? If memory serves me correctly, a great deal of peace broke out in Eastern Europe since then. Not only did it happen in the former Soviet buffer states, who regained their national identities, but within Russia, as well. While Ruskin has some military power, they no longer are the threat to World peace they were for about 49 years. In addition to being peaceful, they are also democratic, where the citizens now have a voice. We left the 20th Century with about 160 democracies; we entered it with about 100. Applying statistical analysis at a very basic level says that’s a 60% increase. In this century, Afghanistan has been added to the list. From a standpoint of a “vote count,” I’d say the majority chooses democracy. Who are we to presume the Iraqis don’t want it? Notice how quiet it has been in Afghanistan? To finalize this post, I ask rhetorically, why can’t we use our experience of the past, specifically the aftermath of WWII and the Cold War, to see the expansion of democracy is a move that is for the betterment of all mankind?

"there is but one light..."

To my faithful few: Sorry for the light blogging, just had a job change and have some admin issues getting in the way or more coherent thoughts (of course, that's my opinion of the material posted here - feel free to disagree). I have consummed many cups of coffee at the "pay for library" in the neighborhood. Tonight, I was reading the current Naval History magazine and came across this jewel of a quote: “There is but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.” – Patrick Henry This comment is so timely. With all the things going on in the country and the world right now, the study of history will tell us not much is new, yet many proclaim it to be. Something to ponder in the light of Patrick Henry's words and, if you're got some time on your hands to read a speech, wander to this address and see what Alexander Solzhenitsyn had to say at Harvard in 1978.

Is it time to raise benefits?

Matt at Black Five has a post regarding an new bill being sponsered by Joe Lieberman (D - Conn) and Jeff Sessions (R - Ala) to increase the death benefits of service members. When you see some of the payouts, you'll see they are pretty outdated in todays economy, and I would ask you to lend your support to this cause by contacting your representatives in Congress. Please pass this along to your freinds, family and co-workers...

When you quit referring to us as the "Great Satan"...

It seems the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is upset that the terrorists in the new season of the Fox suspense show "24" are being stereotyped as Islamic. For the short notes on this, I found the article on Little Green Footballs in this post. Somehow, and correct me if I'm wrong (particulaly in the post Bay of Bengal tsunami disaster days), but haven't we regularly seen the American Flag burned by Palestians, Iraqis, Egyptian, Afgani, etc, etc, etc Muslims in the news over the last few years? I may have been hallucinating, but I also recall the burning of manequins labled George Bush by the same fervent crowds, while they shot rifles and pistols in the air, all of this while proclaiming Americans are completely evil. Toss in the lies about planting nuclear weapons in the sea floor to cause tidal waves, purposely planning 9/11, and a plethora of other completely out to lunch accusations with no foundation in fact by the same crowds.... I think we most certainly can remove references to Islamic terrorists, when some other group commits 51% of the terrorist attacks against Americans, and also when Al Jazerra stops "stereotyping" Americans as oppressors and imperialists. Notice CAIR doesn't say who should be the terrorsts, just they shouldn't be represented by those who are actually committing most every terrorist act in the world in the last few years.....

An artist retires in order to make portraits for fallen military members

Once more, a daily read of Black Five yields a story worth passing along: Artist retires so he can make portraits of fallen military members There's just something special about people who will listen to the leading of God and do something so very compassionate. Please follow the link to Matt's site and then follow the links to the Stryker Brigade's stories of this man at work. My prior post about Captain Greenawalt, a Vietnam Vet who will do memorial photo collages, is here. I urge you to pass this information around to the families you know who have sacrificed their loved ones.

What is happening in Iraq because of the Vietnam experience – Part II

In Part 1, I laid a foundation for what I see going on around the world from us... The restructuring of the American Military gave us a connection, as a society to the warfighter/warfighting. In Iraq, it is now doing a third, most likely unintended benefit: With the mix of reservisits and National Guardsman who are operating far from home, they are able to share with the local population a variety of skills required for a nation not at war. Nation building, done by those prepared for war. Pretty cool. I just don't believe anyone in the planning in the 70's and 80's foresaw this. I've seen stories about a Guard lawyer who was tasked to help draft the Iraqi Constitution. There are stories of police officers, reservisits and Guard, who are working with the local fledging law enforement organizations, bringing them modern techniques and tactics. I'm sure there are countless stories that we will never hear, where someone's full time profession in the States, was used to assist in either social or business dimensions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Military personnel of this Nation have done us proud. They have set up schools, women's centers, parks and playgrounds. They have engaged the local populations in their sport of choice (soccer) and I read one story where a unit sent home asking for old bats, gloves and balls to set up a Little League league. Instead, they got all new equipment to hand over the Iraqi children to teach them baseball. Units have handed out school supplies, sent by a foundation set up by actor Gary Sinese. A multitude of other items have been sent from the US and donated to the children. In Afghanistan, one Army Soldier (Regular Army, but with a heart of gold), collected shoes to distribute. I could go on, but you get the point. As with the tsnami disaster, the American population opened it's wallets to do something we can because of our prosperity: give from our excess. The Iraqis and Afghanis who have benefited from these personal relationships, with our men and women who gave of themselves, and helped funnel even more compassion from our citizens who could not be there, will forever be changed. I'd venture for the good. This war, while maybe no different than the times of rebuilding Europe and Japan after WWII (which I must admit, I have not taken the time yet to see if there are parallels to this topic), it certainly will reap benefits in a more peaceful part of the world in years to come...and that's good for everyone, both here and there.

What is happening in Iraq because of the Vietnam experience – Part I

I wrote an earlier post on the winning of hearts and minds, and it included some information about some small “nation building” efforts at the village level by some Marines. There was also some references to the way the composition of the makeup of regular versus reserve/national guard units was modified in the period between Vietnam and Gulf War I. This afternoon, I was toying with the thought that something very unique is going on a half a world east of me, but I believe it is more off cycle, that I hope becomes a trend. My basic thought is we have, quite by accident, built a military well suited to nation building. The concept of the re-mixing of logistics to combat unit ratios between active duty and the “citizen soldier” components after Vietnam is described by Col. Harry Summers, Jr. in “On Strategy: Gulf War.” Harry describes how the middle grade combat leaders from that War moved into assignments where they had the opportunity to recompose how we manned our armed forces, to ensure they, and their juniors marched to the next war with “the will of the people” in their corner. The concept of having an active duty organization that could march quickly into battle, but only for short periods, needed rapid augmentation by reserve and National Guard units right away, if there was a sustained conflict. “Round out” units, such as the 2/263rd Armored Battalion from the South Carolina National Guard would provide the 3rd battalion to bring the 2nd Armored Division to full strength. Military police, engineer, chemical and quartermaster corps units would have to come along to provide vital logistical and combat support functions. People in these units would be your banker, lawyer, sheriff, hardware store owners, etc, from cities and towns all across the nation. In other words, just about every one of us would have a personal connection to someone who would be sent out in the name of the people of this United States. It was, quite frankly, pure genius. This concept was to solve a problem real warfighters in the late 60’s and 70‘s had to contend with. From their pain and anguish, a plan was conceived and executed. Not only was this idea right on target to tie our military to the general civilian population for support for a war, it has the added, and I would argue, subconscious, benefit of placing a “governor “ on the emotions of this Nation. The mere fact we may consider entering our military into a conflict, they are not as they were during the Vietnam era, a sub-class of people who were poor or too stupid to hold a real job, but they are who we live alongside. It was too easy to emotionally discard the people who defended us when they were drafted into service. With this new force makeup, it is our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, friends and neighbors at stake. If the cause is important, we will acquiesce to their deployment, and most unfortunately, the death and injury to some of them. Conversely, if that’s too great a risk for what is at stake, then our voices will be raised in protest. In Gulf War I, the designed benefit of connection to the will of the people played out. “We” went forward and pushed an invader out of a sovereign nation. Not only did the country rally behind the troops, when some of them were killed by “friendly fire” (most people who have been in combat will argue that there is no such thing- any fire is unfriendly when it’s coming at you!) It was the public sentiment that helped spur on the budgeting and development of better communications and identification equipment and procedures. I’ll stop here, and soon post my analysis of an added, third benefit of this force structure I'm sure wasn't foreseen decades ago, as this plan was forming.

"When the World Dials 911" by Russ Vaughn

I'm honored to share this poem with you, from a man who "gets it." A Vietnam vet, with a keen mind, has "penned" another great one... Pulled from The Mudville Gazette (a "paper" you should make a habit of reading), here's Russ:

When the World Dials 911 Disaster strikes a world away We get the call, what do we say? We move at once, to ease their plight, To aid them through their darkest night. But come shrill cries from carping Press, That’s not enough to fix this mess. We know that, fools, but give us room, To counter Mother Nature’s doom. America gives to those in need, With no regard to faith or creed. We’re there for all when need is great A helping hand to any state, That’s fallen under Nature’s wrath And needs a lift back to the path. So what they may have mocked our ways? We’ll turn our cheek ‘til better days. But there are those who hate us so, They’ll carp and snipe and hit us low, Who’ll bend disaster to their needs, And try to choke us on our deeds. They’ll play their dirty liberal tricks, For them it’s only politics. In the face of massive human pain, They only think of their own gain. But the world knows sure whom it must call, When disaster strikes, when nations fall. America is the beaming light That fades, dispels disaster’s night, And standing firm provides relief To salve the pain, allay the grief. So to Hell with what our critics say, America’s fine, still leads the way. Russ Vaughn

Russ; Thank you!

How your tax dollars are making the World a safer place

News about relationships and how the American soldier does what is good... National Guard 133rd Engineer Battalion's "Farewell" Tour Take a peek and see anohter story that most likely will get about no coverage, for once again, it might show something positive...

And the MSM wonders why we question them

It certainly appears that the MSM just hates bloggers. I have come to understand when you have a strong emotional reaction to anything (usually in the negative direction), it's good to sit back and examine just why you feel that way. Many times, I have come to the conclusion (properly so) that I have a problem, not the person who "set me off." I'd invite the MSM to seriously consider what has put the burr under their saddle, and possibly see if there's something they can do to help amend the current "divide." Also, I was lead to believe that "jounalists" were to report the news, not to set out to "change the world." Idealism is fine, but being deceitful is wrong, and that, I believe is at the core of the problem. If you want to change the world, say so and get on with it. You'll get respect points for telling it straight. If not, you loose points for lying. Call that a "DUH!" moment, but maybe too many jounalists have grown up under the post-Dr. Spock days, and had no leadership at home. Enough rambling. Taka a click on this article about press "cheerleading". At least it highlights the problem internally. We can only hope it takes root.

Words from the Tsunami Assistance Front Lines...

Update: And pictures of the relief effort by the US Navy... I picked up this report in the comments section on a post at Little Greeen Footballs. A Navy helipcopter pilot sent these remarkable words from the operations. Please note, for the uninitited, that "crew rest" for Naval Aviators is a big deal and the NATOPS Manuals require they get "eight hours of sleep" a day. While often this is a point of reference for barbed comments between the "shoes" ("ship drivers" or "black shoes") and the aviators, this post indicates someone has locally modified that requirement in order to help out at a level of effort necessary (and I'm sure some of those crews feel they aren't doing enough, even with 4 hours off a day). Here's the post:

Village Idiot's Apprentice 1/4/2005 10:58AM PST Just a quick copy of something one of the officers here at the Academy sent me. These guys are amazing. Here's a great story about the US Navy helping out the tsunami victims. "Just spoke with one of my helo buds about what is going on on the flight deck here in Aceh. The devistation is much greater than can be described. This morning, there were dead bodies face down floating all around the ship. We have since moved position. My helo bud was working till 0130 AM and had to brief at 0430 AM. Every helo crew is working from sunrise to sunset (9 hours straight in helo) bringing food and supplies to villages all over the northern part of Indonesia. USS Lincoln was first on seen I am told. He said that he counted 15 bodies floating in water on his short few mile trip to the shore line. Thousands of bodies are in mass graves all over the country and in one town, population 50,000, only 1000 people are still alive. Most large several story concrete buildings now have no concrete on them - just the metal frame of building remains. One bridge was completely displaced from its original location several miles inland and has been flopped upside down. A huge tanker ship was overturned by the Tsunami and displaced over land. He said it looks like a bulldozer several miles wide has run its steel edge across the landscape, leveling everything. He is doing flights about 100nm away from ship taking supplies to make shift landing zones near leveled villages. On the way there are people with flags waiving for him to stop to give them food and water. His copilot logs the lat longs so that supplies can be brought to the people on a future mission. The people are now dying from exposure, lack of water and food. The medical team predicts many people will die in 3 days. My friend says that there are about 300 helos (he describes the sky as "grey with Navy helos") working the effort but it doesn't even come close to what is needed to even dent what needs to be done. He said that even if every aircraft on the flight deck was able to bring supplies - it wouldn't be enough. When CAG went flying with him, he got out of the helo to off load supplies. The people flocked to CAG, trying to hug him but he had to direct them to the boxes of food, water and supplies to not be run over. The destruction is especially bad where the surge wave was funneled in between two areas of rising terrain. The water surged and picked up speed as it was squeezed into valleys between the mountains. When listening to my bud, I could see that he could not fully describe how bad things really are. He was tired too. Please pray for the people in desparation over here and pray for helo pilots. I am getting my final medical screening and chaiplain brief today and should be one of the teams going in in the next week or so. The security is not good enough for us to stay over night so we are limited to 6 helos bringing 8 people each morning and we have to come home each night. I am on team 36 so don't know when I will get off to help out. It is frustrating to not be able to help out. God Bless,

I agree, praying would be a good thing, for the deck and flight crews who are putting in the herculean effort, just as much as if they were supporting a war, but in this case, in the name of humanity.

More good news: Another Iraqi child helping our Soldiers

Today I followed a link to this story about a 14 year old boy working as a translator. I find it simply amazing that stories such as this don't seem to appear in the MSM. Why not, you ask? Once again....God forbid we show that democracy works, that the country of Iraq is worth our effort.

An analysis of Osama bin Laden's words to the world

Papa Doc at Winds of Change has posted an article that takes apart the December 16th, 2004 audio tapes from Osama bin Laden. There were actually two tapes. One for the Iraqis and one for the Saudis. The analyst, Dan Darling, sees three audiences in the Saudi tape: The Americans, the Saudis and the Iraqis. I'm going to find some time to really read this. It's long, yet it lays out some things we will need to consider in the days and years ahead, and for the following generations.

Fallujah is out of the news, but the Marines are still at work

LCOL Dave Belsan sent the following email to his Father. It paints a picture of the aftermath of wresting the city from a a band of terrorists, and what has been done to help the residents get back to their homes. God forbid the MSM actually goes out of their way to actually report that something good is being done by the US Military, it might make people believe these men and women they "support" aren't really evil..... The Green Side is Dave's Father's blog to post the reports he receives from his son. I, for one, am glad men like Dave Belsan are on the front lines. Having read many of his reports, he sounds like a great leader, and a compassionate man, working hard to balance the use of force with the need to help.