As Wednesday night's final presidential debate so aptly displayed, John F. Kerry's populist rhetoric has reached nearly hysterical proportions. "In the past four years, in nearly every decision that he's made, President George W. Bush has chosen the powerful and the well-connected over middle-class Americans," Kerry said recently. "The only people George Bush's policies are working for are the people that he's chosen to help. They're working for drug companies. They're working for HMOs. And they're certainly working for the big oil companies."
"The powerful and well-connected"? This from the man who has twice married multimillionaire heiresses; a man who has multiple mansions on multiple continents; a man who windsurfs (poorly) off tony Nantucket; a man who rides a bicycle that costs more than some new cars; a man who doesn't blink at spending, oh, maybe $15,000 to jet his hairdresser cross-country for a trim.
But we digress. Where it comes to John Kerry's economic vision for America, The Patriot believes it's time we called a spade a spade. When Kerry spouts this "wealthy-versus-the-middle-class" rhetoric, he's flying a Marxist flag, and many Americans seem to be none the wiser. Are we serious, you ask? Marxism?
[For more on Kerry's collusion with Europe's most dated thinker, read "John Kerry, Useful Idiot..." -- ]http://federalistpatriot.us/alexander/edition.asp?id=275]
Stop for a moment to consider the language he uses (for all his faults, Kerry is no intellectual slouch). In Kerry's view, politics should be interpreted as a conflict between the antithetical interests of the wealthy and the ordinary American. To Kerry, a tax-break for a successful businessman amounts to an attack on a working American. Policies good for big business (as Bush's are) must, by definition, be bad for labor. Kerry is singing the Democrats' same old class-warfare song, designed to divide the country (and the electorate) in their favor. But does he really believe that business owners are diametrically opposed to the workers who make their businesses possible, and that workers are equally opposed to those who provide jobs to support their families?
He must, for this is the divisive picture he paints over and over: 'Bush favors the wealthy, while I'll fight for average Americans.' But if Kerry's premise is correct, then the only solution is to dismantle our economic system in favor of something as time-tested and successful as, say, Soviet socialism. A capitalist system depends fundamentally on the premise that free economic exchange benefits everyone, whether rich or poor. The problem, of course, is that this would mean that Bush's tax cuts really do make sense.
This perspective culminates in the Kerry-Edwards argument that Bush's "tax cuts for the wealthy" have produced a medical coverage nightmare for the middle class. Despite the sheer hilarity of this diagnosis, our concern is their proposed solution. They propose raising taxes on the rich and giving the proceeds to the middle class in the form of "better" health coverage. Incredibly, they don't even try to hide the connection. Kerry shamelessly asks for people's votes in return for his promise to take money from one group and give it to another. To quote one adroit observer, "That isn't waffling -- that's pandering!"
Consider countries that have implemented such policies in the past. Economic stalwarts like North Korea and the Soviet Union certainly ring a bell. Is the erstwhile Evil Empire now our role model? This is where domestic policy meets foreign policy. To be sure, Kerry's fraternizing with the North Vietnamese in 1970-71 is not unrelated to his present collectivist economic views. John Kerry betrayed his country then because he believed socialism offered a better way of life. Given his current rhetoric, it seems not much has changed in 33 years.
President George W. Bush, on the other hand, has consistently pursued a sounder economic policy, even if his articulation is often lacking. Here, he has steadily made his case on two fronts: first, by emphasizing the need for greater productivity as the heart of economic development; and second, by arguing that tax cuts are the best way to encourage productivity. History shows that the best thing the government can do with respect to economic policy is let the people keep their money, and then get out of the way. As the President said Wednesday night, "I believe the role of government is to stand side by side with our citizens to help them realize their dreams, not tell citizens how to live their lives."
Unfortunately, the President's rhetoric sometimes has the unfortunate effect of masking much good in his economic policy; indeed, it often disguises -- and even undermines -- the very strength of this policy. To be fair, the limitations of the various media and debate formats -- 60-second debate responses and 15-second sound bites -- don't allow thorough explanations. In addition, at this late date in the campaign, both candidates are appealing to swing voters and moderating their explication in general.
Still, The Patriot believes the President must more thoroughly elucidate the effectiveness of his economic policy. The bottom line is that when Kerry attacks Bush with his class-warfare rhetoric, Bush must attack the folly of Kerry's position at its foundation. 'Of course the rich benefit from my tax breaks, as do all taxpayers! Beyond that, it only makes sense that a fair tax cut returns the most to the people who pay the most. If we want more jobs in America, we should let the people who create jobs keep their own money!' In the final days of this campaign, The Patriot encourages the Bush campaign to speak the truth boldly to the American people, for we believe that the majority of Americans -- even those curiously undecided voters, bless their hearts -- still prefer economic freedom. Big corporations are not evil. Wealthy people are not evil, nor are pharmaceutical companies, insurance providers, or -- the greatest "menace" of all -- multinational "outsourcers." Big corporations and big investors are in fact America's job and wealth creators. They're the ones among us who encourage productivity. It's Kerry's vision of BIG GOVERNMENT that presents the greatest threat to our national prosperity and liberty.
To wit, when Kerry lectured, "Every plan that I have laid out -- my healthcare plan, my plan for education, my plan for kids to be able to get better college loans -- I've shown exactly how I'm going to pay for those," the President replied in fine style: "I want to remind people listening tonight that a plan is not a litany of complaints, and a plan is not to lay out programs that you can't pay for. ... It's an empty promise. It's called bait-and-switch."
President Bush continued, "It's your money. The way my opponent talks, he said, 'We're going to spend the government's money.' No, we're spending your money. And when you have more money in your pocket, you're able to better afford things you want. ... My opponent talks about fiscal sanity. His record in the United States Senate does not match his rhetoric. He voted to increase taxes 98 times and to bust the budget 277 times." Well said, Mr. President, well said.
The fine moments notwithstanding, in the final days of such a campaign, rhetoric tends to hide many policy differences espoused by the candidates and their parties. We the people must not be lulled into thinking the differences between the parties no longer exist, that they're all in fact Republicrats. In truth, the policy differences are real and important, and underlying the candidates' economic policies -- as with their foreign policies -- is a deep ideological gulf that no bipartisan bridge can span.
In the end, actions can say so much more than words. According to Club for Growth President Stephen Moore, Kerry failed to make public all his tax records from last year, but according to those released, his household income was "$5.5 million last year and [he] paid $704,000 in income taxes. That means their effective tax rate was a whopping 12.8%," Moore wrote. That's right -- Mr. Roll-back-the-Bush-tax-cuts-for-the-rich (himself) is paying less in taxes than most middle class families. George and Laura Bush, on the other hand, paid roughly 30% on one-tenth the income that the Kerry's brought in. Presumably, this was all legal on Kerrys' part, but this is the guy complaining about "Bush's debt" and "tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans," too. If this is any indication of Kerry's real perspective on the surly IRS and inequitable tax code, perhaps he should be voting four more years for W., too...rhetoric aside.
(Emphasis mine)
If you want to be taxed to death, elect Kerry, if you want more of your own money, re-elect President Bush.
Be sure to check out the Battle of the Blogs: Medienkritik vs. George Soros
http://medienkritik.typepad.com/blog/2004/10/medienkritik_vs.html#more
At least Soros had the decency to reply and even post it on his own Blog.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Kerry is a traitor
Once a traitor, always a traitor.
Mr. Kerry is a traitor to the United States of America. When he met with the enemy in Paris, it was illegal in several ways. Title 18 US Code should be applied to Mr. Kerry's activities after his service in Vietnam. The statements he made before congress were false, which is also a crime and his anti-war activities that led to his meeting with the enemy in Paris is treason.
Read Title 18 and pass on to your friends, what the real JF Kerry is about.
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 115--TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES Sec. 2381.
Treason
Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
Sec. 2388. Activities affecting armed forces during war
(a)
Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so-- Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(b)
If two or more persons conspire to violate subsection (a) of this section and one or more such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in said subsection (a).
(c)
Whoever harbors or conceals any person who he knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe or suspect, has committed, or is about to commit, an offense under this section, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(d)
This section shall apply within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, and on the high seas, as well as within the United States.(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 811; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Mr. Kerry should be arrested by the FBI and immediately put on trial for his crimes against the United States, during a time of war. Punishable by death, he should receive the maximum punishment.
If you paid attention to the Code, you will have noticed that these crimes prevent you from runnning for office of any kind in the United States. Mr. Kerry is a fraud and a traitor, and should be treated as such.
Mr. Kerry is a traitor to the United States of America. When he met with the enemy in Paris, it was illegal in several ways. Title 18 US Code should be applied to Mr. Kerry's activities after his service in Vietnam. The statements he made before congress were false, which is also a crime and his anti-war activities that led to his meeting with the enemy in Paris is treason.
Read Title 18 and pass on to your friends, what the real JF Kerry is about.
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 115--TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES Sec. 2381.
Treason
Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
Sec. 2388. Activities affecting armed forces during war
(a)
Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so-- Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(b)
If two or more persons conspire to violate subsection (a) of this section and one or more such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in said subsection (a).
(c)
Whoever harbors or conceals any person who he knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe or suspect, has committed, or is about to commit, an offense under this section, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(d)
This section shall apply within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, and on the high seas, as well as within the United States.(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 811; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Mr. Kerry should be arrested by the FBI and immediately put on trial for his crimes against the United States, during a time of war. Punishable by death, he should receive the maximum punishment.
If you paid attention to the Code, you will have noticed that these crimes prevent you from runnning for office of any kind in the United States. Mr. Kerry is a fraud and a traitor, and should be treated as such.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
The Media
It's been a while since I posted. Some of us have jobs. I do. I also go to college.
The latest spat of BS out of the media has been an interesting one.
It just goes to show you where the media stands in its unadulterated bias.
Bias in the media has been rampant and it is now being seen as a medeler in politics and is heavily slanted towards the left.
It is one thing to have an opinion, it is another when that opinion is offered as the truth in news and is used to influence the elections.
Thank God that there is the internet and a way to check facts that otherwise would not see the light of day at all.
Unfortunately, there are too many people in America that receive their news from one of the "big three" and are completely clueless to the real truth.
It is high time that the media gets exposed for what they really are, a shill for the Democratic party of America.
Too bad most of America won't get clued in to their ways, unless they have a computer and use it to do their own research.
Unfortunately, there is way to much apethy in America and democracy will slowly erode in this great country.
Gotta get back to work.
Wake the hell up America.
The latest spat of BS out of the media has been an interesting one.
It just goes to show you where the media stands in its unadulterated bias.
Bias in the media has been rampant and it is now being seen as a medeler in politics and is heavily slanted towards the left.
It is one thing to have an opinion, it is another when that opinion is offered as the truth in news and is used to influence the elections.
Thank God that there is the internet and a way to check facts that otherwise would not see the light of day at all.
Unfortunately, there are too many people in America that receive their news from one of the "big three" and are completely clueless to the real truth.
It is high time that the media gets exposed for what they really are, a shill for the Democratic party of America.
Too bad most of America won't get clued in to their ways, unless they have a computer and use it to do their own research.
Unfortunately, there is way to much apethy in America and democracy will slowly erode in this great country.
Gotta get back to work.
Wake the hell up America.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Liberal Tolerance or Choosing Sides
Been too busy to write lately, so I am posting an article by J.D. Pendry.
J. D. Pendry
Often I sit here with many random thoughts vying for time. When that happens, I don’t know what I’m gong to write until it’s written. I’ve told you before that these Sunday ponderings are self-chats that I have while trying to get a grasp on our world and my tiny spot in it. When I consider the scope of human history and the vastness of the universe, my time here becomes less than an eye blink and my contribution mostly insignificant. Still, I think I need to try to sort out things so that at least any contribution made during my eye blink represents my best efforts at critical thought. This is one of those essays that might take you somewhere or nowhere, stimulate thought or not or cause anger or not…. It will cause me to get mail from bogus Hotmail accounts. Everything else I write does.
"It's a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Republican or fundamental Christian. It can cloud my enjoyment. I'd rather not know." – Linda Ronstadt
Welcome to America today. Unfortunate isn’t it. A person representing the part of our society that most preaches diversity and tolerance is the antithesis of both. Say what you like about political parties, it’s an unfortunate part of our great experiment. Is it acceptable, though, to belittle an entire group of people because of the lifestyle they choose?
What if Linda said: It's a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Democrat or homosexual. It can cloud my enjoyment. I'd rather not know? Would the media and public reaction have been different? Well, would it? I’ll try not to offend you Linda by buying any concert tickets.
I’m curious about why people such as Linda are so down on Christians. I saw a funny cartoon, Johnny Hart’s B.C, in the Sunday comics. It illustrates Linda’s liberal tolerance. Yes, there is much editorializing in the Sunday comics, but that’s not why I read them. I like comics – they’re often more real than life.
Jake the Ant: Thank you for your creation, providence and grace and thank you for watching over my family.
Friend Ant: Who you talkin’ to Jake?
Jake: God.
Friend: You’re kidding.
Jake: Don’t you ever talk to God?
Friend: I don’t believe in God.
Jake: Who do you think made you?
Friend: Queen Ida.
Jake: He made her too.
Friend: Yeah, yeah, yeah – with all due respect, Jake, I’m mad at your God! He doesn’t even exist!
Jake: Have you ever even tried to talk to him?
Friend: How do you talk to someone you’re mad at?
Jake: How can you be mad at someone who doesn’t exist?
Linda, please spend more time critically examining your lifestyle.
How about the rocker’s for Kerry? Their concert tour is funded by Moveon.org, which is largely financed by billionaire George Soros. Millionaire rock stars on a tour funded by a billionaire, supporting a millionaire candidate with a billionaire wife and a millionaire running mate calls Republicans the party of the rich. Kerry and the rockers do have something else in common. War protests.
What do you think about the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth? I’d truly like to know. The media is trying hard to discredit them and label their ads and book as political dirty tricks. I find it all quite interesting. It’s alright for that great American servant Michael Moore, embraced by DNC chairman Terry McCaulliffe, to produce a feature length political ad and call the President a deserter, but it’s a dirty trick if honorably discharged Vietnam veterans question the service of Senator Kerry. Can we reflect a bit?
I enlisted into the Army in the fall of 1971. By the time I completed training the Army was starting to draw down in Vietnam. I never made it there. I lived through the era though. Imagine how you’d feel as a twenty-something soldier returning from Iraq today and being met at the airport by people holding signs that called you a murderer and baby-killer? That would be your welcome home. Period. Exclamation point! How would you feel if a well-known American movie star met with the enemy in Iraq? Had her picture taken with them while calling our POWs criminals? How would you feel if someone you served with came home, protested the war along with that famous American movie star, and took the Purple Hearts he’s now so proud of and threw them in the dirt. Then, he sat in front of the Senate and told them that you were a murderer and rapist that committed many atrocious acts. Later, you learned that what he said was false and based in part from testimony of people who never served in the war. Then, how would you feel if the same person years later decided that he was actually a war hero now and that you should forget about his antics and make him President because of his stellar war record? Shouldn’t his entire war record be open to critical examination?
What America did to Vietnam veterans is deplorable. All of us who stood by while the Fondas and Kerrys of the country did what they did are complicit. We put young men into a political war with the political deck stacked against them. When they came home, we blamed our failure on them. Folks, my empathy is with the veterans. With any kind of luck, the Democrats will experience a political implosion over their choice to re-fight Vietnam. Maybe then, as a nation, we can finally stop fighting that war.
I find one more item odd. General Tommy Franks wrote a book, American Soldier. This man led us through two wars. If there is anyone with first hand insight on what we faced, what we face now and what we’ve accomplished, I believe it is General Franks. What is odd to me is that (unless it happened in the last day or two) General Franks (unlike Clinton and the lineup of Bush bashing books) has not appeared on any mainstream media talk shows to promote his book. Could it be because it is pro-America, pro-military and pro-Bush?
It’s Sunday afternoon. My dinner is settling. I’m heading for the back porch to take a nap.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read Paul Schneidmill's Weekly Devotional
J.D. Pendry is author of The Three Meter Zone, Random House/Ballantine.
Visit JD's Website
Click here to send you're your feedback to JD. Feedback
or
Post your Feedback at NCO Team.Org NCO Talk, Forums, JDs Bunker
Subscribe to BunkerTalk When the email form appears just send it.
Copyright © JD Pendry, This article may be electronically shared, republished or reprinted if in it's entirety with original credit given.
J. D. Pendry
Often I sit here with many random thoughts vying for time. When that happens, I don’t know what I’m gong to write until it’s written. I’ve told you before that these Sunday ponderings are self-chats that I have while trying to get a grasp on our world and my tiny spot in it. When I consider the scope of human history and the vastness of the universe, my time here becomes less than an eye blink and my contribution mostly insignificant. Still, I think I need to try to sort out things so that at least any contribution made during my eye blink represents my best efforts at critical thought. This is one of those essays that might take you somewhere or nowhere, stimulate thought or not or cause anger or not…. It will cause me to get mail from bogus Hotmail accounts. Everything else I write does.
"It's a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Republican or fundamental Christian. It can cloud my enjoyment. I'd rather not know." – Linda Ronstadt
Welcome to America today. Unfortunate isn’t it. A person representing the part of our society that most preaches diversity and tolerance is the antithesis of both. Say what you like about political parties, it’s an unfortunate part of our great experiment. Is it acceptable, though, to belittle an entire group of people because of the lifestyle they choose?
What if Linda said: It's a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Democrat or homosexual. It can cloud my enjoyment. I'd rather not know? Would the media and public reaction have been different? Well, would it? I’ll try not to offend you Linda by buying any concert tickets.
I’m curious about why people such as Linda are so down on Christians. I saw a funny cartoon, Johnny Hart’s B.C, in the Sunday comics. It illustrates Linda’s liberal tolerance. Yes, there is much editorializing in the Sunday comics, but that’s not why I read them. I like comics – they’re often more real than life.
Jake the Ant: Thank you for your creation, providence and grace and thank you for watching over my family.
Friend Ant: Who you talkin’ to Jake?
Jake: God.
Friend: You’re kidding.
Jake: Don’t you ever talk to God?
Friend: I don’t believe in God.
Jake: Who do you think made you?
Friend: Queen Ida.
Jake: He made her too.
Friend: Yeah, yeah, yeah – with all due respect, Jake, I’m mad at your God! He doesn’t even exist!
Jake: Have you ever even tried to talk to him?
Friend: How do you talk to someone you’re mad at?
Jake: How can you be mad at someone who doesn’t exist?
Linda, please spend more time critically examining your lifestyle.
How about the rocker’s for Kerry? Their concert tour is funded by Moveon.org, which is largely financed by billionaire George Soros. Millionaire rock stars on a tour funded by a billionaire, supporting a millionaire candidate with a billionaire wife and a millionaire running mate calls Republicans the party of the rich. Kerry and the rockers do have something else in common. War protests.
What do you think about the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth? I’d truly like to know. The media is trying hard to discredit them and label their ads and book as political dirty tricks. I find it all quite interesting. It’s alright for that great American servant Michael Moore, embraced by DNC chairman Terry McCaulliffe, to produce a feature length political ad and call the President a deserter, but it’s a dirty trick if honorably discharged Vietnam veterans question the service of Senator Kerry. Can we reflect a bit?
I enlisted into the Army in the fall of 1971. By the time I completed training the Army was starting to draw down in Vietnam. I never made it there. I lived through the era though. Imagine how you’d feel as a twenty-something soldier returning from Iraq today and being met at the airport by people holding signs that called you a murderer and baby-killer? That would be your welcome home. Period. Exclamation point! How would you feel if a well-known American movie star met with the enemy in Iraq? Had her picture taken with them while calling our POWs criminals? How would you feel if someone you served with came home, protested the war along with that famous American movie star, and took the Purple Hearts he’s now so proud of and threw them in the dirt. Then, he sat in front of the Senate and told them that you were a murderer and rapist that committed many atrocious acts. Later, you learned that what he said was false and based in part from testimony of people who never served in the war. Then, how would you feel if the same person years later decided that he was actually a war hero now and that you should forget about his antics and make him President because of his stellar war record? Shouldn’t his entire war record be open to critical examination?
What America did to Vietnam veterans is deplorable. All of us who stood by while the Fondas and Kerrys of the country did what they did are complicit. We put young men into a political war with the political deck stacked against them. When they came home, we blamed our failure on them. Folks, my empathy is with the veterans. With any kind of luck, the Democrats will experience a political implosion over their choice to re-fight Vietnam. Maybe then, as a nation, we can finally stop fighting that war.
I find one more item odd. General Tommy Franks wrote a book, American Soldier. This man led us through two wars. If there is anyone with first hand insight on what we faced, what we face now and what we’ve accomplished, I believe it is General Franks. What is odd to me is that (unless it happened in the last day or two) General Franks (unlike Clinton and the lineup of Bush bashing books) has not appeared on any mainstream media talk shows to promote his book. Could it be because it is pro-America, pro-military and pro-Bush?
It’s Sunday afternoon. My dinner is settling. I’m heading for the back porch to take a nap.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read Paul Schneidmill's Weekly Devotional
J.D. Pendry is author of The Three Meter Zone, Random House/Ballantine.
Visit JD's Website
Click here to send you're your feedback to JD. Feedback
or
Post your Feedback at NCO Team.Org NCO Talk, Forums, JDs Bunker
Subscribe to BunkerTalk When the email form appears just send it.
Copyright © JD Pendry, This article may be electronically shared, republished or reprinted if in it's entirety with original credit given.
Friday, July 30, 2004
Kerry's Lies
Haven't you had enough of this man's lies?
He spouts rhetoric that President Bush lied, right along with the Liberal left.
Let's look at his speech.
"I am John Kerry," he saluted his audience to begin his convention speech, "reporting for duty."
I want to puke everytime I think about it.
This coward wriggled his way out of Vietnam on trumped up wounds that required nothing more than a band-aid to fix and left his brothers in Vietnam. Left his crew. Came home and joined the VVAW. This organization not only protested, but aided and abetted the communist regime of North Vietnam. His actions were directly responsible for the demorilization of POWs and servicemen in combat. Need proof that he is a traitor to this country? Check out the Vietnam War Crimes Museum. He has a place of honor, right along with Hanoi Jane in their dubious museum.
I am too young to have been a victim of his heinous crime, yes it is a crime.
I am a veteran of the Army, 20 years, to include six months in the Gulf War. This man has no honor, and I wouldn't trust him to lead me out of a wet paper bag, never mind leading this country.
As to Kerry's military exploits, or lack there of, if that is all he has to offer in the way of substance, the Democrat Party is in for a rude awakening!
"I know what we have to do in Iraq. We need a President who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, and reduce the risk to American soldiers."
"We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom."
What a lark! This guy is trying to tell the American people that he supports the military and we need more allies in the effort?! Give me a break! This guy has voted against most military aquisitions that were used in the Gulf War and the Global War on Terror.
He voted against the vests for our military! Yet in his speech, he even mentions this, as if he were in favor of it!
There are more examples that I will get to later, I need to settle down a bit, this guy makes me fume!
He spouts rhetoric that President Bush lied, right along with the Liberal left.
Let's look at his speech.
"I am John Kerry," he saluted his audience to begin his convention speech, "reporting for duty."
I want to puke everytime I think about it.
This coward wriggled his way out of Vietnam on trumped up wounds that required nothing more than a band-aid to fix and left his brothers in Vietnam. Left his crew. Came home and joined the VVAW. This organization not only protested, but aided and abetted the communist regime of North Vietnam. His actions were directly responsible for the demorilization of POWs and servicemen in combat. Need proof that he is a traitor to this country? Check out the Vietnam War Crimes Museum. He has a place of honor, right along with Hanoi Jane in their dubious museum.
I am too young to have been a victim of his heinous crime, yes it is a crime.
I am a veteran of the Army, 20 years, to include six months in the Gulf War. This man has no honor, and I wouldn't trust him to lead me out of a wet paper bag, never mind leading this country.
As to Kerry's military exploits, or lack there of, if that is all he has to offer in the way of substance, the Democrat Party is in for a rude awakening!
"I know what we have to do in Iraq. We need a President who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, and reduce the risk to American soldiers."
"We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom."
What a lark! This guy is trying to tell the American people that he supports the military and we need more allies in the effort?! Give me a break! This guy has voted against most military aquisitions that were used in the Gulf War and the Global War on Terror.
He voted against the vests for our military! Yet in his speech, he even mentions this, as if he were in favor of it!
There are more examples that I will get to later, I need to settle down a bit, this guy makes me fume!
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Get Tough America
Get Tough America
J. D. Pendry
Get on your feet America. Stand up straight and wipe that smirk from your face. I’m dead serious and I want to look you in the eye and tell you what the millionaire, socially conscious, politically correct politicians ain’t going to. This is the stump speech you need, but won’t get. Besides, the politicians don’t want you to hear it anyway.
Get off the couch. You’re fat. You’re lazy. You’re looking for handouts. You think someone owes you something. You’re drowning in victim hood. You need patches, drugs and counseling to quit smoking ferchrissakes! Your heroes are shallow actors and athletes, inept politicians that couldn’t even start a lawn mower, and gazillionaires with big stupid looking hair dos. A good Army Private could whip any of them including the juiced up professional athletes and a six-pack of you before breakfast.
You’re hooked on reality TV because you don’t have the drive and gumption to take on a challenge of your own. You can’t fire anybody, so you watch with glee while “the Donald” does it on your TV. Whoops, better him than me. You’re pathetic. You’re soft. You hide from your neighbors behind privacy fences. Your friends are characters in Internet chat rooms. You don’t go to Church anymore. You don’t respect the flag of our country. Your kids are fat and you blame McDonalds. Your 14-year-old daughters dress like hookers and you blame it on MTV and Britney. They expose their belly buttons, are tattooed and wear wonder bras while your sons walk around in a mating ritual with their butts hanging out of their trousers. They resemble a herd of baboons in mating season. Your public schools are a disaster because the people you allow to run them are a disaster. You’ve allowed them to become instruments of indoctrination rather than education. When is the last time you got up off of your broad butt and visited the place where your child goes to learn each day? All of you could give me an update on Scott Peterson, Kobie Bryant, Michael Jackson or Martha Stewart, but couldn’t tell me anything of substance about the political candidates who want to run our country. I’m not sure you deserve America. You sit on your butt and complain about everything, but do not take one single step toward fixing what’s broke. Look in the mirror. Fix that first. Then stop whining. Stand up and do something.
We have people who want to lead our country telling us we need to regain respect from the international community. Crap! I think the international community needs to regain our respect! I don’t care about Germany, France, Russia, China or any other country that you can think of that wishes it was America. I think the United Nations is a bad joke played on the world for too long. I care about Americans. I don’t care about political parties, special interest groups or plastic politicians. I care about soldiers, firemen, policemen, garbage men, teachers, mechanics, factory workers and the cashier at the department store – YOU and ME!
Our Congress is another bad joke played on America. Do you think any corporation could succeed or even survive if half it’s members spent every waking minute trying to ensure that the leadership of the corporation failed – at all costs – even in a war? You need to fire the bunch of them. If they haven’t accomplished something wonderful by their second tour they need to go. Running this country is a team effort. We can’t get anything done with multiple and conflicting game plans. If our elected leader offers a plan the obligation of the rest of the team is to make it work not fail. Imagine how great we could be!
According to the polls that our politicians so highly value, more than 85 percent of Americans favor the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, yet it was killed in the Senate by a vote of 50-48. How did your senator vote and how do you suppose that could happen? Not a clue? Don’t you usually sit there rubbing your big head saying, “Fer the life of me, I don’t know why those politicians do such things.” Then you get another beer, belch and switch the channel. It’s simple, couch butt. They do it because you let them. You don’t vote, and they know it. Take a look at the voting statistics for 1960 - 1996 and the statistics for the 2000 election. They know that on any given General Election Day, more than half of you will find something better to do than decide the direction of our country. You go nuts if someone might infringe on one of your constitutional rights, but you fail to exercise your most important one. It’s pitiful.
You let whacked out Hollywierdos set the tone of debate and morality in this country with their immoral nonsense. And you know what – you’ll stand in line for hours to get tickets to see them make fools of you, but won’t spend 10 minutes in line at the polls to vote. You deserve them. In many countries around the world, people only dream of having a voice in running their country yet you don’t go vote if it’s raining or if it interferes with your favorite episode of reality TV. Do you remember Saddam’s last election? He got 98 percent of the vote. The other 2 percent of voters went into the wood chipper.
I also see you in Church a couple of times each week. You’re always lamenting how the morals of this country are going down the toilet and how sad it is that “they” are systematically removing God from our lives. You’re the foundation of values in this country. You’re bound by your faith to do what’s right. Well here’s a little insight for you my brethren. According to Focus on the Family, more than four million of us who proclaim the Christian faith failed to vote in the last General Election. So, whose fault is the state of our country? I’ll ask you to pray about that.
We have thousands of young men and women putting their lives on the line daily to ensure our continued right to express our desires in the form of a vote. Their job is much tougher than ours is. All we have to do is go to the polls. Are you going to let them down by not voting? In case you’ve forgotten, there was a major issue with their ballots in the 2000 election. Let’s not let them down. You military leaders need to get the troops registered and their absentee ballots in the mail. Don’t wait for the designated Second Lieutenant to get the job done.
I’m tired of unprincipled politicians that will not risk their political standing to do what’s right. I’m tired of people who want to drag my family and me into the moral cesspool with them. I’m tired of people who are more concerned with the seat of power than the safety of our soldiers and our country. I’m tired of American voter apathy. But, you know what. I’m only one guy. I can’t do much about this stuff alone. I’m voting on election day. What are you doing?
Get registered! Go Vote! Any questions?
Your may carry on!
Read Paul Schneidmill's Weekly Devotional
J.D. Pendry is author of The Three Meter Zone, Random House/Ballantine.
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Monday, June 28, 2004
Ted Kennedy Is Michael Moore or Nekkid In Chappaquiddick
I am being lazy this month. I am on vacation and really don't feel like writing. On that note, I am republishing, with permission, an article from J. D. Pendry.
Great minds think alike, as they say.
Without further ado, here's J. D.'s article:
"We will carry on our jihad against the Western infidel and the Arab apostate until Islamic rule is back on Earth," Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
By about midweek, I usually have an idea about my topic for the Sunday afternoon rant. As they say over here in the hills, I waller it around in my head for a few days. I was set to discuss with you in depth the ramifications of the above quote, but I've changed my mind. If today's discussion comes across as disjointed, blame it on the Christian Right. Just for the record, if you do not support killing babies, believe in God, think it's OK to mention God in a public setting, believe that marriage is between a man and woman and attend church on a regular basis liberals define you as a right wing, Christian fanatic that's a danger to the free world. So, blame it on my preacher. Right in the middle of this week's sermon, I experienced an epiphany. No, it wasn't a manifestation of a divine being that I experienced. Instead, it was the sudden manifestation of the essential nature or meaning of something. I figured out the Democrat party. It's so simple it hurts, but maybe I'm the last guy to figure it out. Ted Kennedy is Michael Moore. Shave him, bathe him, give him a haircut, put him in a suit sewn by Omar the tent maker, give him breath that smells of gin and let him speak. Now argue with me that isn't Chappie Ted talking. See, the mouth moves and hate America comes out.
The Democrat party endorsed Michael Moore's "documentary". The guest list at the debut included the Democrat National Party Chairman, Terry McAuliffe who stated it was a factual movie and Americans should see it. Moore's stated purpose for the film is to affect the outcome of the general election. Seems to me like that's the same as a MoveOn.org variety campaign add. Also attending were Daschle, Harkin, Boxer… I don't know if it's factual or not. But, I doubt if it is. I won't go see the movie. I don't intend to put any money in Michael Moore's pocket. Anyone who feels this way about my country and me needs to sell his "art" to the gullible - which, apparently, he is.
"They are possibly the dumbest people on the planet. ...We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance. We don't know about anything that's happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing." - Michael Moore in the London Mirror
Yes Michael, the simple fact that America has made you rich proves your statement. In this regard, our stupidity is embarrassing. I'm betting that your blind liberal followers are not even aware of your description of them - then again, maybe they are.
A vote for John Kerry is a vote for the ideology of Michael Moore. The Democrats also have Al Gore. Have you heard any of his bug-eyed, screaming speeches lately? The liberal media does not usually cover them because they don't want you to know the true face of the Democrat party. Whacked out Al was almost President. If that doesn't cause you to spend some time on your knees giving thanks, I don't know what would. Al Gore is Michael Moore too. Tom Daschle, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi are Michael Moore. Most of the new Democrat party is Michael Moore. That's exactly who I want responsible for the security of America.
I've listened to much news, even from the propaganda networks, since 911. I've heard a lot of talk the past few days about al-Zarqawi and his latest audio message, but very few references to his above quoted statement. Abu Ghraib is still front page on many papers, while stories about the beheadings of innocent non-combatants have all but disappeared. Why do you think that is? Maybe as a nation, we are not willing to face the real threat. al-Zarqawi is a leader with many mindless followers. Their stated goal is earth under Islamic rule. I think I've figured out how we can get the real story of the terror threat into the mainstream media. The title of every story and its lead line must include the words low-carb, gay or, same sex marriage. No, I'm serious. Try this. Two gay terrorists showed up at Baghdad City Hall demanding a marriage license. When denied, they detonated the explosive belts they were wearing killing many workers of the new free Iraqi government. Or. Abdul tried the low-carb diet to lose weight, but was not successful. Even Richard Simmons couldn't help. Desperate to lose weight and regain his self-esteem, Abul tried removing the fat with an explosive belt. Both would be lead stories on CNN and front page of the New York Times.
In my quest for knowledge, I did some research. I know you all love it when I do research. This time however, I used the liberal approach to research. It's superficial and only to the point the information found supports my preconceived notions. I typed Chapaquidick in to Google and it asked me if I meant Chappaquiddick. After sorting that out, I looked at a few of the numerous sites on the topic. I was still in high school in 1969, so all I knew about Chappaquiddick was what I heard over the years. Here is what I discovered. The guest list for Ted's party consisted of a few of his male associates and six women from the Robert Kennedy presidential campaign, one of which was Mary Jo Kopeckne who Ted would leave in his car at the bottom of the river and report 8 hours later (probably after he sobered up). Any regular person under the laws of the state would have been charged with manslaughter or possibly negligent homicide, but not a Massachusetts Kennedy.
I have it figured out. I believe Ted may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. The photographs of intertwined, naked bodies and dog leashes brought back the memories of the stressful events of 1969. The panties on the head picture may have been the one that sent him into a total relapse. Michael Moore for President.
I'm JD and I approved this message.
Read Paul Schneidmill's weekly devotional in the Bunker Chapel
J.D. Pendry is author of The Three Meter Zone, Random House/Ballantine.
Copyright © JD Pendry, This article may be electronically shared, republished or reprinted if in it's entirety with original credit given.
Sometimes regurgitating an opinion that makes sense is the best course of action.
Also, if you would like to be a part of Protest Warrior, please check them out.
Great minds think alike, as they say.
Without further ado, here's J. D.'s article:
"We will carry on our jihad against the Western infidel and the Arab apostate until Islamic rule is back on Earth," Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
By about midweek, I usually have an idea about my topic for the Sunday afternoon rant. As they say over here in the hills, I waller it around in my head for a few days. I was set to discuss with you in depth the ramifications of the above quote, but I've changed my mind. If today's discussion comes across as disjointed, blame it on the Christian Right. Just for the record, if you do not support killing babies, believe in God, think it's OK to mention God in a public setting, believe that marriage is between a man and woman and attend church on a regular basis liberals define you as a right wing, Christian fanatic that's a danger to the free world. So, blame it on my preacher. Right in the middle of this week's sermon, I experienced an epiphany. No, it wasn't a manifestation of a divine being that I experienced. Instead, it was the sudden manifestation of the essential nature or meaning of something. I figured out the Democrat party. It's so simple it hurts, but maybe I'm the last guy to figure it out. Ted Kennedy is Michael Moore. Shave him, bathe him, give him a haircut, put him in a suit sewn by Omar the tent maker, give him breath that smells of gin and let him speak. Now argue with me that isn't Chappie Ted talking. See, the mouth moves and hate America comes out.
The Democrat party endorsed Michael Moore's "documentary". The guest list at the debut included the Democrat National Party Chairman, Terry McAuliffe who stated it was a factual movie and Americans should see it. Moore's stated purpose for the film is to affect the outcome of the general election. Seems to me like that's the same as a MoveOn.org variety campaign add. Also attending were Daschle, Harkin, Boxer… I don't know if it's factual or not. But, I doubt if it is. I won't go see the movie. I don't intend to put any money in Michael Moore's pocket. Anyone who feels this way about my country and me needs to sell his "art" to the gullible - which, apparently, he is.
"They are possibly the dumbest people on the planet. ...We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance. We don't know about anything that's happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing." - Michael Moore in the London Mirror
Yes Michael, the simple fact that America has made you rich proves your statement. In this regard, our stupidity is embarrassing. I'm betting that your blind liberal followers are not even aware of your description of them - then again, maybe they are.
A vote for John Kerry is a vote for the ideology of Michael Moore. The Democrats also have Al Gore. Have you heard any of his bug-eyed, screaming speeches lately? The liberal media does not usually cover them because they don't want you to know the true face of the Democrat party. Whacked out Al was almost President. If that doesn't cause you to spend some time on your knees giving thanks, I don't know what would. Al Gore is Michael Moore too. Tom Daschle, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi are Michael Moore. Most of the new Democrat party is Michael Moore. That's exactly who I want responsible for the security of America.
I've listened to much news, even from the propaganda networks, since 911. I've heard a lot of talk the past few days about al-Zarqawi and his latest audio message, but very few references to his above quoted statement. Abu Ghraib is still front page on many papers, while stories about the beheadings of innocent non-combatants have all but disappeared. Why do you think that is? Maybe as a nation, we are not willing to face the real threat. al-Zarqawi is a leader with many mindless followers. Their stated goal is earth under Islamic rule. I think I've figured out how we can get the real story of the terror threat into the mainstream media. The title of every story and its lead line must include the words low-carb, gay or, same sex marriage. No, I'm serious. Try this. Two gay terrorists showed up at Baghdad City Hall demanding a marriage license. When denied, they detonated the explosive belts they were wearing killing many workers of the new free Iraqi government. Or. Abdul tried the low-carb diet to lose weight, but was not successful. Even Richard Simmons couldn't help. Desperate to lose weight and regain his self-esteem, Abul tried removing the fat with an explosive belt. Both would be lead stories on CNN and front page of the New York Times.
In my quest for knowledge, I did some research. I know you all love it when I do research. This time however, I used the liberal approach to research. It's superficial and only to the point the information found supports my preconceived notions. I typed Chapaquidick in to Google and it asked me if I meant Chappaquiddick. After sorting that out, I looked at a few of the numerous sites on the topic. I was still in high school in 1969, so all I knew about Chappaquiddick was what I heard over the years. Here is what I discovered. The guest list for Ted's party consisted of a few of his male associates and six women from the Robert Kennedy presidential campaign, one of which was Mary Jo Kopeckne who Ted would leave in his car at the bottom of the river and report 8 hours later (probably after he sobered up). Any regular person under the laws of the state would have been charged with manslaughter or possibly negligent homicide, but not a Massachusetts Kennedy.
I have it figured out. I believe Ted may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. The photographs of intertwined, naked bodies and dog leashes brought back the memories of the stressful events of 1969. The panties on the head picture may have been the one that sent him into a total relapse. Michael Moore for President.
I'm JD and I approved this message.
Read Paul Schneidmill's weekly devotional in the Bunker Chapel
J.D. Pendry is author of The Three Meter Zone, Random House/Ballantine.
Copyright © JD Pendry, This article may be electronically shared, republished or reprinted if in it's entirety with original credit given.
Sometimes regurgitating an opinion that makes sense is the best course of action.
Also, if you would like to be a part of Protest Warrior, please check them out.
Friday, June 18, 2004
Islamic Fundamentalist, the Left and America
OK.
I have had enough of the Bs.
Islamic fundamentalists kill another innocent hostage.
When is the left going to wake up to the fact, that Islamic terrorists are the enemy, and not America?
I am completely furious about the liberal attitude that America is to blame for all their woes.
America didn't start a fight with terrorists.
America can't feed the world.
America can't bail out every country that has a disaster.
America can't send troops to every piss hole on the planet.
America can kick butt.
America will kick butt.
America doesn't need liberalism, liberalism sure as hell needs America though!
The left in America just need to shut the hell up. If you don't like our brand of freedom, get the hell out! Move to one of the Islamic countries that you desperately support.
Quit belly aching about Abu Ghraib and get with the program. A terrorist with panties on his head is not torture. Some of you liberal wackos probably pay good money for that service from your local professional.
Beheading an innocent civilian captive is, by all accounts, an atrocity. The shit heads in Abu Ghraib and Gitmo have never had it so good. They are fed, have a roof over their nasty heads and are given all manner of religious items to fullfil their needs.
It is high time that America wake up and smell the coffee.
Islamic terrorists want to kill you. Read it again if it didn't sink in. Islamic terrorists want to kill you (just in case you missed it).
It has become apparent to me that the left would rather see America lose a war.
Guess what moron? If America loses this war, you can forget about your freedom!
I have had enough of the Bs.
Islamic fundamentalists kill another innocent hostage.
When is the left going to wake up to the fact, that Islamic terrorists are the enemy, and not America?
I am completely furious about the liberal attitude that America is to blame for all their woes.
America didn't start a fight with terrorists.
America can't feed the world.
America can't bail out every country that has a disaster.
America can't send troops to every piss hole on the planet.
America can kick butt.
America will kick butt.
America doesn't need liberalism, liberalism sure as hell needs America though!
The left in America just need to shut the hell up. If you don't like our brand of freedom, get the hell out! Move to one of the Islamic countries that you desperately support.
Quit belly aching about Abu Ghraib and get with the program. A terrorist with panties on his head is not torture. Some of you liberal wackos probably pay good money for that service from your local professional.
Beheading an innocent civilian captive is, by all accounts, an atrocity. The shit heads in Abu Ghraib and Gitmo have never had it so good. They are fed, have a roof over their nasty heads and are given all manner of religious items to fullfil their needs.
It is high time that America wake up and smell the coffee.
Islamic terrorists want to kill you. Read it again if it didn't sink in. Islamic terrorists want to kill you (just in case you missed it).
It has become apparent to me that the left would rather see America lose a war.
Guess what moron? If America loses this war, you can forget about your freedom!
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
President Ronald Reagan
This post is for President Ronald Reagan.
I served under President Reagan for my first seven years in service, 1981-1988.
During that time, I saw the Army transform from a Vietnam hold-over to a force to be reconned with.
Our uniforms changed, our equipment and spare parts imoproved, we received more funds for training, and our morale improved steadily throughout his presidency.
If it were not for his support of the military, and the rebuilding of forces that he did, I probably would not have stayed in the Army.
It was my utmost honor and privelage to serve under his command.
In my opinion, he was the best.
God rest his soul.
I salute you Mr. President.
I served under President Reagan for my first seven years in service, 1981-1988.
During that time, I saw the Army transform from a Vietnam hold-over to a force to be reconned with.
Our uniforms changed, our equipment and spare parts imoproved, we received more funds for training, and our morale improved steadily throughout his presidency.
If it were not for his support of the military, and the rebuilding of forces that he did, I probably would not have stayed in the Army.
It was my utmost honor and privelage to serve under his command.
In my opinion, he was the best.
God rest his soul.
I salute you Mr. President.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Commencement by J. D. Pendry
Sometimes, I like to throw out another point of view that I find, hits the mark. This is one of them.
==================================================================
This time of year I keep a speech folded up in the back pocket of my Levis just in case I'm asked to give one. Not surprisingly, I wasn't asked again this year. I may not get another chance, so I'm giving the speech to you. I promise it's a short one. Problem is, the paper is worn out and creased, the ink is faded and there are holes in it. I can't read it, so I'll wing it. Ahem…
Some of you worked hard and achieved much while here. Because of your drive and desire to achieve, you'll probably do well. Don't however, be too full of yourselves. You may be educated, but the guy that picks up your garbage, polices your streets, defends your country and changes the oil in your car knows more about life now than you're likely to learn anytime soon. He or she protects our country and keeps it working and moving. They matter. Keep them in mind while using your education, freedom and talents to make our country better.
Some of you cheated and manipulated your way through school. The party is over; life begins now. Your first employer will discover that you lack the basic skills your credentials imply you have. You'll always be several steps behind those who worked hard while here. If you deal with your shortcomings, you may claw your way up to the lower rung of middle management - maybe mailroom supervisor. You'll be angry most of your life - probably a drunk who binge drinks like a frat boy. You'll blame everyone for your situation. You'll grow kids in your image. There is probably not a reserved parking space in your future.
Some of you are so good at cheating and manipulating that you can convince most anyone that you were responsible for most everything that's good. You've done it and will continue to do it so often that you'll start believing it yourself. You should consider sales or politics.
Now that I have you off and running into your careers, I have some other thoughts to share with you.
Nobody owes you anything. If fact, it is you that owes. You owe your parents, your country and the literal thousands that contributed to you being where you are. You do realize that you had help?
Mom and Dad have given you enough. Leave home. Move out. Earn your own way. Remember Mom on Mother's Day. Call her occasionally and visit at Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's enough. Leave them alone, they need time to remodel your room and spend your inheritance.
Political correctness destroyed candor for your generation. You'll be noticed if you have the courage to call a football bat what it is. Some will dislike you for doing it, but having the courage to be honest and candid feels good.
Appearance counts, but so does character. Unless you're going to be an actor, professional athlete or rock/rap star, tattoos and body piercing may be a problem for you. As is black nail polish, orange hair, split tongues and teeth jewelry.
Don't show up to your first job interview with either your belly-button exposed or half of your butt hanging out of your trousers. The person that's hiring you is hiring a representative of his or her company. Pierced belly-buttons and exposed buttocks probably isn't the image they seek.
And Dude. If you don't speak English now, learn. Hear what I'm sayin'?
Outward appearance is important, but how concerned are you with what's inside you- your moral, ethical and spiritual self? This is what others see more so than your physical appearance. This is your character. Character endures. Outward appearances do not.
Become a citizen of the United States rather than a resident - a participant rather than a benefactor. Understand issues, be informed, and then vote. If you can't do the first two don't do the last. Otherwise, you'll cancel the vote of someone who does understand and is informed.
Everyday requires you to make choices. They're more significant than what you will wear today and what party you'll attend this weekend. Choices come with consequences. Consider the consequences.
Also, question the logic. Smoking is bad. It might kill you and harm innocent others. Aborting babies, however, is freedom of choice. We glorify homosexuality on prime time television, but are horrified at the exposure of a female breast.
You hear a lot of negativism about America. Actually, most of what you read, hear and see about America is negative. Many are quick to point out what is wrong with America rather than what is right with it. Even our friends from other countries blame America for their misfortunes. Before you join the blame America campaign, do something. Pick a country, any country. Then ask: Has this country given more to America than has America to it? How many American citizens live in that country compared to the number of their citizens who choose to live here. If America is so bad, why do people risk their lives everyday just to come here and live?
Today's world is like an episode of Star Wars. It's the good force versus the evil dark side. There is no in between. There is no acceptable compromise. We will either win or lose. Choose sides wisely.
Sixty years ago today, America and its allies invaded German occupied France across the beaches of Normandy. Their task was to liberate Europe and save the world from Nazi tyranny. In that single day, there were more than 4,000 casualties. In the war to save the world from Japanese and Nazi domination, more than 400,000 Americans gave their lives. The surviving veterans of the war came home and built the strongest and freest nation the world has ever known. Because of what they endured and achieved during their lives, they're often called America's Greatest Generation.
Today, we face a treacherous enemy also bent on world domination. It's a much different and more dangerous enemy because we can't fix it to our front and overwhelm it. Since we engaged this war three years ago, we've suffered fewer casualties than in a single day of the last world war. Still at question is American will to continue the fight. The deepest threat to civilization since the Nazis is counting on your lack of will. Your contribution to corporations, grand inventions or political achievements will not define your generation. It's your collective answer to the single question - Is America worth fighting for? - that will. How will history remember your generation?
Copyright © JD Pendry, This article may be electronically shared, republished or reprinted in it's entirety with original credit given and inclusion of all material following the Copyright notification.
JD's Bunker
==================================================================
This time of year I keep a speech folded up in the back pocket of my Levis just in case I'm asked to give one. Not surprisingly, I wasn't asked again this year. I may not get another chance, so I'm giving the speech to you. I promise it's a short one. Problem is, the paper is worn out and creased, the ink is faded and there are holes in it. I can't read it, so I'll wing it. Ahem…
Some of you worked hard and achieved much while here. Because of your drive and desire to achieve, you'll probably do well. Don't however, be too full of yourselves. You may be educated, but the guy that picks up your garbage, polices your streets, defends your country and changes the oil in your car knows more about life now than you're likely to learn anytime soon. He or she protects our country and keeps it working and moving. They matter. Keep them in mind while using your education, freedom and talents to make our country better.
Some of you cheated and manipulated your way through school. The party is over; life begins now. Your first employer will discover that you lack the basic skills your credentials imply you have. You'll always be several steps behind those who worked hard while here. If you deal with your shortcomings, you may claw your way up to the lower rung of middle management - maybe mailroom supervisor. You'll be angry most of your life - probably a drunk who binge drinks like a frat boy. You'll blame everyone for your situation. You'll grow kids in your image. There is probably not a reserved parking space in your future.
Some of you are so good at cheating and manipulating that you can convince most anyone that you were responsible for most everything that's good. You've done it and will continue to do it so often that you'll start believing it yourself. You should consider sales or politics.
Now that I have you off and running into your careers, I have some other thoughts to share with you.
Nobody owes you anything. If fact, it is you that owes. You owe your parents, your country and the literal thousands that contributed to you being where you are. You do realize that you had help?
Mom and Dad have given you enough. Leave home. Move out. Earn your own way. Remember Mom on Mother's Day. Call her occasionally and visit at Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's enough. Leave them alone, they need time to remodel your room and spend your inheritance.
Political correctness destroyed candor for your generation. You'll be noticed if you have the courage to call a football bat what it is. Some will dislike you for doing it, but having the courage to be honest and candid feels good.
Appearance counts, but so does character. Unless you're going to be an actor, professional athlete or rock/rap star, tattoos and body piercing may be a problem for you. As is black nail polish, orange hair, split tongues and teeth jewelry.
Don't show up to your first job interview with either your belly-button exposed or half of your butt hanging out of your trousers. The person that's hiring you is hiring a representative of his or her company. Pierced belly-buttons and exposed buttocks probably isn't the image they seek.
And Dude. If you don't speak English now, learn. Hear what I'm sayin'?
Outward appearance is important, but how concerned are you with what's inside you- your moral, ethical and spiritual self? This is what others see more so than your physical appearance. This is your character. Character endures. Outward appearances do not.
Become a citizen of the United States rather than a resident - a participant rather than a benefactor. Understand issues, be informed, and then vote. If you can't do the first two don't do the last. Otherwise, you'll cancel the vote of someone who does understand and is informed.
Everyday requires you to make choices. They're more significant than what you will wear today and what party you'll attend this weekend. Choices come with consequences. Consider the consequences.
Also, question the logic. Smoking is bad. It might kill you and harm innocent others. Aborting babies, however, is freedom of choice. We glorify homosexuality on prime time television, but are horrified at the exposure of a female breast.
You hear a lot of negativism about America. Actually, most of what you read, hear and see about America is negative. Many are quick to point out what is wrong with America rather than what is right with it. Even our friends from other countries blame America for their misfortunes. Before you join the blame America campaign, do something. Pick a country, any country. Then ask: Has this country given more to America than has America to it? How many American citizens live in that country compared to the number of their citizens who choose to live here. If America is so bad, why do people risk their lives everyday just to come here and live?
Today's world is like an episode of Star Wars. It's the good force versus the evil dark side. There is no in between. There is no acceptable compromise. We will either win or lose. Choose sides wisely.
Sixty years ago today, America and its allies invaded German occupied France across the beaches of Normandy. Their task was to liberate Europe and save the world from Nazi tyranny. In that single day, there were more than 4,000 casualties. In the war to save the world from Japanese and Nazi domination, more than 400,000 Americans gave their lives. The surviving veterans of the war came home and built the strongest and freest nation the world has ever known. Because of what they endured and achieved during their lives, they're often called America's Greatest Generation.
Today, we face a treacherous enemy also bent on world domination. It's a much different and more dangerous enemy because we can't fix it to our front and overwhelm it. Since we engaged this war three years ago, we've suffered fewer casualties than in a single day of the last world war. Still at question is American will to continue the fight. The deepest threat to civilization since the Nazis is counting on your lack of will. Your contribution to corporations, grand inventions or political achievements will not define your generation. It's your collective answer to the single question - Is America worth fighting for? - that will. How will history remember your generation?
Copyright © JD Pendry, This article may be electronically shared, republished or reprinted in it's entirety with original credit given and inclusion of all material following the Copyright notification.
JD's Bunker
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Memorial Day.
This day is not about vacations, or picnics, or just having the day off.
This day is about remembering the veterans that died in the defense of this great nation.
To give you an idea as to how many have given their lives for freedom, please read on.
All gave some. Some gave all.
American Revolution (1775–1783)
Total servicemembers 217,000
Battle deaths 4,435
Nonmortal woundings 6,188
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
Total servicemembers 286,730
Battle deaths 2,260
Nonmortal woundings 4,505
Indian Wars (approx. 1817–1898)
Total servicemembers 106,000(1)
Battle deaths 1,000(1)
Mexican War (1846–1848)
Total servicemembers 78,718
Battle deaths 1,733
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 11,550
Nonmortal woundings 4,152
Civil War (1861–1865)
Total servicemembers (Union) 2,213,363
Battle deaths (Union) 140,414
Other deaths in service (nontheater) (Union) 224,097
Nonmortal woundings (Union) 281,881
Total servicemembers (Conf.) 1,050,000
Battle deaths (Conf.) 74,524
Other deaths in service (nontheater) (Conf.) 59,297(2)
Nonmortal woundings (Conf.) unknown
Spanish-American War (1898–1902)
Total servicemembers 306,760
Battle deaths 385
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 2,061
Nonmortal woundings 1,662
World War I (1917–1918)
Total servicemembers 4,734,991
Battle deaths 53,402
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 63,114
Nonmortal woundings 204,002
Living veterans fewer than 500
World War II (1940–1945)
Total servicemembers 16,112,566
Battle deaths 291,557
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 113,842
Nonmortal woundings 671,846
Living veterans 4,762,000(1)
Korean War (1950–1953)
Total servicemembers 5,720,000
Serving in-theater 1,789,000
Battle deaths 33,741
Other deaths in service (theater) 2,827
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 17,730
Nonmortal woundings 103,284
Living veterans 3,734,000(1)
Vietnam War (1964–1975)
Total servicemembers 8,744,000
Serving in-theater 3,403,000
Battle deaths 47,410
Other deaths in service (theater) 10,789
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 32,000
Nonmortal woundings 153,303
Living veterans 8,295,000(3)
Gulf War (1990–1991)
Total servicemembers 2,183,000
Serving in-theater 665,476
Battle deaths 147
Other deaths in service (theater) 382
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 1,565
Nonmortal woundings 467
Living veterans 1,852,000(1)
1. Veterans Administration estimate as of Sept. 30, 2002.
2. Estimated figure. Does not include 26,000–31,000 who died in Union prisons.
3. Approximately 1,065,000 veterans had service in multiple conflicts. They are counted under each conflict, but only once in the total.
Source: Department of Defense and Veterans Administration.
America's Wars
Total Military service during war 42,348,460
Battle deaths 651,008
Other deaths in service (theater) 13,998
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 525,256
Nonmortal woundings 1,431,290
Living war veterans 17,578,5003
Living veterans 25,038,459
Post-Vietnam Combat Casualties(1)
Place Dates Casualties
Lebanon Aug. 1982–Feb. 1984 254
Grenada Oct.–Nov. 1983 18
Libya April 10–16, 1986 2
Panama Dec. 1989–Jan. 1990 23
Persian Gulf Jan. 16–April 6, 1991 147
Somalia Dec. 1992–May 1993 29
Haiti Sept. 1994–April 1996 4
Yugoslavia March–June 1999 0
Afghanistan Oct. 2001–Jan. 2004(2) 32
Iraq March 20, 2003–May 18, 2004(2) 574
1. Defined as battle deaths. Does not include deaths from accidents.
2. A total of 787 Americans have been killed, including 213 accidental deaths and other deaths not the result of hostile attacks. 4,524 were wounded in combat (May 18); a total of roughly 9,000 were wounded, seriously injured, or evacuated for illness (mid-April).
Don't forget what this day is really for.
Thank a veteran and remember the fallen.
God Bless our troops.
This day is about remembering the veterans that died in the defense of this great nation.
To give you an idea as to how many have given their lives for freedom, please read on.
All gave some. Some gave all.
American Revolution (1775–1783)
Total servicemembers 217,000
Battle deaths 4,435
Nonmortal woundings 6,188
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
Total servicemembers 286,730
Battle deaths 2,260
Nonmortal woundings 4,505
Indian Wars (approx. 1817–1898)
Total servicemembers 106,000(1)
Battle deaths 1,000(1)
Mexican War (1846–1848)
Total servicemembers 78,718
Battle deaths 1,733
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 11,550
Nonmortal woundings 4,152
Civil War (1861–1865)
Total servicemembers (Union) 2,213,363
Battle deaths (Union) 140,414
Other deaths in service (nontheater) (Union) 224,097
Nonmortal woundings (Union) 281,881
Total servicemembers (Conf.) 1,050,000
Battle deaths (Conf.) 74,524
Other deaths in service (nontheater) (Conf.) 59,297(2)
Nonmortal woundings (Conf.) unknown
Spanish-American War (1898–1902)
Total servicemembers 306,760
Battle deaths 385
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 2,061
Nonmortal woundings 1,662
World War I (1917–1918)
Total servicemembers 4,734,991
Battle deaths 53,402
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 63,114
Nonmortal woundings 204,002
Living veterans fewer than 500
World War II (1940–1945)
Total servicemembers 16,112,566
Battle deaths 291,557
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 113,842
Nonmortal woundings 671,846
Living veterans 4,762,000(1)
Korean War (1950–1953)
Total servicemembers 5,720,000
Serving in-theater 1,789,000
Battle deaths 33,741
Other deaths in service (theater) 2,827
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 17,730
Nonmortal woundings 103,284
Living veterans 3,734,000(1)
Vietnam War (1964–1975)
Total servicemembers 8,744,000
Serving in-theater 3,403,000
Battle deaths 47,410
Other deaths in service (theater) 10,789
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 32,000
Nonmortal woundings 153,303
Living veterans 8,295,000(3)
Gulf War (1990–1991)
Total servicemembers 2,183,000
Serving in-theater 665,476
Battle deaths 147
Other deaths in service (theater) 382
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 1,565
Nonmortal woundings 467
Living veterans 1,852,000(1)
1. Veterans Administration estimate as of Sept. 30, 2002.
2. Estimated figure. Does not include 26,000–31,000 who died in Union prisons.
3. Approximately 1,065,000 veterans had service in multiple conflicts. They are counted under each conflict, but only once in the total.
Source: Department of Defense and Veterans Administration.
America's Wars
Total Military service during war 42,348,460
Battle deaths 651,008
Other deaths in service (theater) 13,998
Other deaths in service (nontheater) 525,256
Nonmortal woundings 1,431,290
Living war veterans 17,578,5003
Living veterans 25,038,459
Post-Vietnam Combat Casualties(1)
Place Dates Casualties
Lebanon Aug. 1982–Feb. 1984 254
Grenada Oct.–Nov. 1983 18
Libya April 10–16, 1986 2
Panama Dec. 1989–Jan. 1990 23
Persian Gulf Jan. 16–April 6, 1991 147
Somalia Dec. 1992–May 1993 29
Haiti Sept. 1994–April 1996 4
Yugoslavia March–June 1999 0
Afghanistan Oct. 2001–Jan. 2004(2) 32
Iraq March 20, 2003–May 18, 2004(2) 574
1. Defined as battle deaths. Does not include deaths from accidents.
2. A total of 787 Americans have been killed, including 213 accidental deaths and other deaths not the result of hostile attacks. 4,524 were wounded in combat (May 18); a total of roughly 9,000 were wounded, seriously injured, or evacuated for illness (mid-April).
Don't forget what this day is really for.
Thank a veteran and remember the fallen.
God Bless our troops.
Friday, May 28, 2004
"Baby Killers", the Media has Succeeded in Their Efforts
"Baby Killers", the media has succeeded in their efforts to create a Vietnam like environment at home.
Now military personnel are being called "baby killers", and this goes on at campuses where ROTC is held as well.
This is an utterly abhorrent behavior and is the wrong attitude towards our Armed Forces. Should someone say it to me, in my face, they will be eating their meals through a straw.
How dare anyone out there say this to any service member, past, present, or future!
It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.
This is a war that needs to be fought, anywhere, except on American soil.
If innocents die, it is a fact of war.
Innocent people died in the WTC attack on September 11, 2001. You do remember that, don't you?
Innocent people are not killed by the US Armed Forces purposely. At times, they may be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a fact of war.
However, on that note, the enemy that we are fighting, has no morals, nor do they have any concern over the deaths of innocents that they cause, on a regular basis.
Nick Berg comes to mind. As well as those four contractors that were delivering aid.
But, to label any service member a baby killer out of spite and lack of support for this war, is absolutely asinine.
You have to be a complete idiot to do so.
Take it from me, a retired Army combat veteran; you put your own life in your hands when you do this. If it weren't for the discipline and fortitude that the soldier has, you would at a minimum, be sucking dinner through a straw.
If you don't like the policies of the current administration; so be it, take it out on them at the voting booth.
As for the soldiers, if you can't say: "thank you for your service" and "have a nice day", then shut the hell up. That soldier is there to protect this country and the freedoms that you obviously enjoy, try saying that in a dictatorship, such as the one we just liberated.
To a soldier, it doesn't matter what party holds the office, they still follow the orders of the Commander in Chief.
By calling one a "baby killer", you are not harming the president, you are harming that soldier's pride and lowering his confidence in the American people that may lead to defeat.
Let's not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory here.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! ALWAYS!
Now military personnel are being called "baby killers", and this goes on at campuses where ROTC is held as well.
This is an utterly abhorrent behavior and is the wrong attitude towards our Armed Forces. Should someone say it to me, in my face, they will be eating their meals through a straw.
How dare anyone out there say this to any service member, past, present, or future!
It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.
This is a war that needs to be fought, anywhere, except on American soil.
If innocents die, it is a fact of war.
Innocent people died in the WTC attack on September 11, 2001. You do remember that, don't you?
Innocent people are not killed by the US Armed Forces purposely. At times, they may be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a fact of war.
However, on that note, the enemy that we are fighting, has no morals, nor do they have any concern over the deaths of innocents that they cause, on a regular basis.
Nick Berg comes to mind. As well as those four contractors that were delivering aid.
But, to label any service member a baby killer out of spite and lack of support for this war, is absolutely asinine.
You have to be a complete idiot to do so.
Take it from me, a retired Army combat veteran; you put your own life in your hands when you do this. If it weren't for the discipline and fortitude that the soldier has, you would at a minimum, be sucking dinner through a straw.
If you don't like the policies of the current administration; so be it, take it out on them at the voting booth.
As for the soldiers, if you can't say: "thank you for your service" and "have a nice day", then shut the hell up. That soldier is there to protect this country and the freedoms that you obviously enjoy, try saying that in a dictatorship, such as the one we just liberated.
To a soldier, it doesn't matter what party holds the office, they still follow the orders of the Commander in Chief.
By calling one a "baby killer", you are not harming the president, you are harming that soldier's pride and lowering his confidence in the American people that may lead to defeat.
Let's not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory here.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! ALWAYS!
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Ignored Heroes At My Lai And Abu Ghraib Who Stopped Atrocities
I feel that this needs to be posted as a response to all the negative crap from the media, so here is the story from Conservative Truth:
Mary Mostert
by, Banner of Liberty
Seymour Hersh, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his “exposé” of the My Lai massacre of March 1968, is at it again. His most recent article, “The Gray Zone”, published in the New Yorker Magazine reads like a rerun of some of his Vietnam War era “exposé” articles, such as the one on the My Lai massacre. That article led the American People to demand an end to American military efforts in Vietnam and turned the nation over to the North Vietnamese communists. This time Hersh claims that “according to interviews with several past and present American intelligence officials,” the misbehavior of the picture-taking US Army MPS at Abu Ghraib prison was “approved last year by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.”
And just how does he know that? Because he says so, that’s how. Hersh wants us to take his word for those unnamed and possibly imaginary intelligence officials to undermine the Secretary of Defense and the President and convince us we need to, again, cut and run.
As I have already said, if a bit of humiliation worked to get information out of terrorists planning on slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands of other people, it would not really upset me unduly. However, in this case there is an entirely different issue here. The real issue is Hersh’s inability to tell both sides of the story.
That, after all, is exactly what he did with the My Lai massacre. What was NOT reported by Hersh at that time, and is again NOT being reported, is the heroism of soldiers who tried to stop both events. It was not the media that uncovered either story. In both cases ordinary soldiers who were witnesses to those events stopped the actions and alerted their commanding officers. Then the Army took action.
While even today nearly everyone knows the name of Lt. William Calley, who was court-martialed for the My Lai massacre, few today know the name of Hugh Thompson, the helicopter pilot who stopped the massacre and promptly reported it to his commander. According to Chief My Lai prosecutor William Eckhardt, when Thompson realized what was happening, “He put his helicopter down, put his guns on Americans, and said he would shoot them if they shot another Vietnamese. He then had his people wade in the ditch in gore to their knees, to their hips, took out children, took them to the hospital...flew back [to headquarters], standing in front of people, tears rolling down his cheeks, pounding on the table saying, 'Notice, notice, notice'...then had the courage to testify time after time after time."
Hugh Thompson’s heroism was not considered news during the Vietnam War by the American media and today the heroism of another young soldier who reported the abuse to his commanding officer is not being reported. In fact, the report issued by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba notes that, “Numerous witnesses stated that the 800th MP Brigade S-1, MAJ Hinzman and S-4, MAJ Green, were essentially dysfunctional, but that despite numerous complaints, these officers were not replaced.” You can also read that in spite of the really bad leadership the unit had from its female Brigadier General and a couple of other officers, that Taguba reported there were many in the unit who refused to follow orders they knew were not right. Some of them were mentioned by name:
1. Master-at-Arms First Class William J. Kimbro, US Navy Dog Handler, knew his duties and refused to participate in improper interrogations despite significant pressure from the MI personnel at Abu Ghraib.
SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company discovered evidence of abuse and turned it over to military law enforcement.
1LT David O. Sutton, 229th MP Company, took immediate action and stopped an abuse, then reported the incident to the chain of command.
The issue isn’t that bad things have happened in both wars. After all, bad things happen in all wars. It is the propaganda spin put on the events that is the issue here. It is the fact that the media simply will not report both sides of the Abu Ghraib story. They prefer to try to pin the responsibility on someone who was not there and who was appalled when he found out about it.
Another part of the story, which is hard to find among all the charges that only the lowly soldiers taking orders are being reprimanded, is that the female commanding officer of the unit, Brigidier General Janis L. Karpinski was relieved of her duties for incompetence. Also, six other officers, a colonel, two lieutenant colonels, a major, a captain, and a lst lieutenant, plus a couple of sergeants and a couple of private contractors, were relieved of duty.
One of the reasons they were promptly removed was for lying to the investigators. Made me think of the US Senate that didn’t think a president who had lied to a court of law and the American people should be removed of his duties back in 1999. Obviously, we expect more these days from sergeants and contractors than we did in ’99 from a president.
But the real story here is the really remarkable change that took place when Abu Ghraib, a major torture and murder center for prisoners under Saddam Hussein, fell under the command of an obviously incompetent American female commander. Her incompetent rule of the prison was short-lived, because some under her command, being citizens of a free nation, refused to follow orders they knew were wrong and promptly reported what was happening to a higher command.
Can you imagine that happening under Saddam Hussein or, for that matter, in ANY Muslim nation in the Middle East? Neither can I and neither can the Arab media – if they were honest.
ConservativeTruth.org
Mary Mostert
by, Banner of Liberty
Seymour Hersh, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his “exposé” of the My Lai massacre of March 1968, is at it again. His most recent article, “The Gray Zone”, published in the New Yorker Magazine reads like a rerun of some of his Vietnam War era “exposé” articles, such as the one on the My Lai massacre. That article led the American People to demand an end to American military efforts in Vietnam and turned the nation over to the North Vietnamese communists. This time Hersh claims that “according to interviews with several past and present American intelligence officials,” the misbehavior of the picture-taking US Army MPS at Abu Ghraib prison was “approved last year by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.”
And just how does he know that? Because he says so, that’s how. Hersh wants us to take his word for those unnamed and possibly imaginary intelligence officials to undermine the Secretary of Defense and the President and convince us we need to, again, cut and run.
As I have already said, if a bit of humiliation worked to get information out of terrorists planning on slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands of other people, it would not really upset me unduly. However, in this case there is an entirely different issue here. The real issue is Hersh’s inability to tell both sides of the story.
That, after all, is exactly what he did with the My Lai massacre. What was NOT reported by Hersh at that time, and is again NOT being reported, is the heroism of soldiers who tried to stop both events. It was not the media that uncovered either story. In both cases ordinary soldiers who were witnesses to those events stopped the actions and alerted their commanding officers. Then the Army took action.
While even today nearly everyone knows the name of Lt. William Calley, who was court-martialed for the My Lai massacre, few today know the name of Hugh Thompson, the helicopter pilot who stopped the massacre and promptly reported it to his commander. According to Chief My Lai prosecutor William Eckhardt, when Thompson realized what was happening, “He put his helicopter down, put his guns on Americans, and said he would shoot them if they shot another Vietnamese. He then had his people wade in the ditch in gore to their knees, to their hips, took out children, took them to the hospital...flew back [to headquarters], standing in front of people, tears rolling down his cheeks, pounding on the table saying, 'Notice, notice, notice'...then had the courage to testify time after time after time."
Hugh Thompson’s heroism was not considered news during the Vietnam War by the American media and today the heroism of another young soldier who reported the abuse to his commanding officer is not being reported. In fact, the report issued by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba notes that, “Numerous witnesses stated that the 800th MP Brigade S-1, MAJ Hinzman and S-4, MAJ Green, were essentially dysfunctional, but that despite numerous complaints, these officers were not replaced.” You can also read that in spite of the really bad leadership the unit had from its female Brigadier General and a couple of other officers, that Taguba reported there were many in the unit who refused to follow orders they knew were not right. Some of them were mentioned by name:
1. Master-at-Arms First Class William J. Kimbro, US Navy Dog Handler, knew his duties and refused to participate in improper interrogations despite significant pressure from the MI personnel at Abu Ghraib.
SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company discovered evidence of abuse and turned it over to military law enforcement.
1LT David O. Sutton, 229th MP Company, took immediate action and stopped an abuse, then reported the incident to the chain of command.
The issue isn’t that bad things have happened in both wars. After all, bad things happen in all wars. It is the propaganda spin put on the events that is the issue here. It is the fact that the media simply will not report both sides of the Abu Ghraib story. They prefer to try to pin the responsibility on someone who was not there and who was appalled when he found out about it.
Another part of the story, which is hard to find among all the charges that only the lowly soldiers taking orders are being reprimanded, is that the female commanding officer of the unit, Brigidier General Janis L. Karpinski was relieved of her duties for incompetence. Also, six other officers, a colonel, two lieutenant colonels, a major, a captain, and a lst lieutenant, plus a couple of sergeants and a couple of private contractors, were relieved of duty.
One of the reasons they were promptly removed was for lying to the investigators. Made me think of the US Senate that didn’t think a president who had lied to a court of law and the American people should be removed of his duties back in 1999. Obviously, we expect more these days from sergeants and contractors than we did in ’99 from a president.
But the real story here is the really remarkable change that took place when Abu Ghraib, a major torture and murder center for prisoners under Saddam Hussein, fell under the command of an obviously incompetent American female commander. Her incompetent rule of the prison was short-lived, because some under her command, being citizens of a free nation, refused to follow orders they knew were wrong and promptly reported what was happening to a higher command.
Can you imagine that happening under Saddam Hussein or, for that matter, in ANY Muslim nation in the Middle East? Neither can I and neither can the Arab media – if they were honest.
ConservativeTruth.org
Saturday, May 22, 2004
"Wedding Party" is BS
Again the media jumps all over the terrorist propaganda prior to gaining any facts what so ever.
I don't know about you, but I am certainly getting tired of the liberal, terrorist slant that the media has gone to.
The "wedding party" turned out to be a gathering of terroris insurgents, that actually fired on the US forces prior to getting their collective asses handed to them.
You would think that the media would pick up on the fact that the area that was hit was under surveillance by ground units prior to the air strike.
Maybe that is asking too much though.
I would venture to say that 90% of the media have never been in the military, and wouldn't pick up on such nuances as I've mentioned.
The "wedding party" was investigated by the military and there were no children involved although there were six women killed at the site, I would venture a guess, that they were involved up to their eye balls with the terrorists.
It also appears that the footage of the dead women and children was from a completely different geographical area.
Where are the headlines reporting this?
Where are the Democraps and their apologists on this one?
Here's the story from the Defense Department.
Don't give me this crap that you can't trust what they put out! I trust the military a hell of a lot more than I do the friggin media!
Article
I don't know about you, but I am certainly getting tired of the liberal, terrorist slant that the media has gone to.
The "wedding party" turned out to be a gathering of terroris insurgents, that actually fired on the US forces prior to getting their collective asses handed to them.
You would think that the media would pick up on the fact that the area that was hit was under surveillance by ground units prior to the air strike.
Maybe that is asking too much though.
I would venture to say that 90% of the media have never been in the military, and wouldn't pick up on such nuances as I've mentioned.
The "wedding party" was investigated by the military and there were no children involved although there were six women killed at the site, I would venture a guess, that they were involved up to their eye balls with the terrorists.
It also appears that the footage of the dead women and children was from a completely different geographical area.
Where are the headlines reporting this?
Where are the Democraps and their apologists on this one?
Here's the story from the Defense Department.
Don't give me this crap that you can't trust what they put out! I trust the military a hell of a lot more than I do the friggin media!
Article
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Talking Heads
Again I am inundated with the talking heads in the media and their lackies.
Here is a great letter that was published in USA Today.
The letter comes from a Marine currently in Iraq.
A Marine sees what defeatists don't
By Ben Connable
RAMADI, Iraq — This is my third deployment with the 1st Marine Division to the Middle East.
This is the third time I've heard the quavering cries of the talking heads predicting failure and calling for withdrawal.
This is the third time I find myself shaking my head in disbelief.
Setbacks and tragedy are part and parcel of war and must be accepted on the battlefield. We can and will achieve our goals in Iraq.
Waiting for war in the Saudi Arabian desert as a young corporal in 1991, I recall reading news clippings portending massive tank battles, fiery death from Saddam Hussein's "flame trenches" and bitter defeat at the hands of the fourth-largest army in the world. My platoon was told to expect 75% casualties. Being Marines and, therefore, naturally cocky, we still felt pretty good about our abilities.
The panicky predictions failed to come true. The flame trenches sputtered. Nobody from my platoon died. Strength, ingenuity and willpower won the day. Crushing the fourth-largest army in the world in four days seemed to crush the doubts back home.
Twelve years passed, during which time America was faced with frustrating actions in Somalia and the Balkans. Doubt had begun to creep back into public debate.
In the spring of last year, I was a Marine captain, back with the division for Operation Iraqi Freedom. As I waited for war in the desert, just 100 miles to the north from our stepping-off point in 1991, I was again subjected to the panicky analyses of talking heads. There weren't enough troops to do the job, the oil fields would be destroyed, we couldn't fight in urban terrain, our offensive would grind to a halt, and we should expect more than 10,000 casualties.
Remembering my experience in Desert Storm, I took these assessments with a grain of salt. As a staff officer in the division command post, I was able to follow the larger battle as we moved forward. I knew that our tempo was keeping the enemy on his heels and that our plan would lead us to victory.
But war is never clean and simple. Mourning our losses quietly, the Marines drove to Baghdad, then to Tikrit, liberating the Iraqi people while losing fewer men than were lost in Desert Storm.
In May of last year, I was sitting with some fellow officers back in Diwaniyah, Iraq, the offensive successful and the country liberated from Saddam. I received a copy of a March 30 U.S. newspaper on Iraq in an old package that had finally made its way to the front. The stories: horror in Nasariyah, faltering supply lines and demonstrations in Cairo. The mood of the paper was impenetrably gloomy, and predictions of disaster abounded. The offensive was stalled; everyone was running out of supplies; we would be forced to withdraw.
The Arab world was about to ignite into a fireball of rage, and the Middle East was on the verge of collapse. If I had read those stories on March 30, I would have had a tough time either restraining my laughter or, conversely, falling into a funk. I was concerned about the bizarre kaleidoscope image of Iraq presented to the American people by writers viewing the world through a soda straw.
Returning to Iraq this past February, I knew that the Marines had a tremendous opportunity to follow through on our promises to the Iraqi people.
Believing in the mission, many Marines volunteered to return. I again found myself in the division headquarters.
Just weeks ago, I read that the supply lines were cut, ammunition and food were dwindling, the "Sunni Triangle" was exploding, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was leading a widespread Shiite revolt, and the country was nearing civil war.
As I write this, the supply lines are open, there's plenty of ammunition and food, the Sunni Triangle is back to status quo, and Sadr is marginalized in Najaf. Once again, dire predictions of failure and disaster have been dismissed by American willpower and military professionalism.
War is inherently ugly and dramatic. I don't blame reporters for focusing on the burning vehicles, the mutilated bodies or the personal tragedies. The editors have little choice but to print the photos from the Abu Ghraib prison and the tales of the insurgency in Fallujah. These things sell news and remind us of the sober reality of our commitment to the Iraqi people. The actions of our armed forces are rightfully subject to scrutiny.
I am not ignorant of the political issues, either. But as a professional, I have the luxury of putting politics aside and focusing on the task at hand. Protecting people from terrorists and criminals while building schools and lasting friendships is a good mission, no matter what brush it's tarred with.
Nothing any talking head will say can deter me or my fellow Marines from caring about the people of Iraq, or take away from the sacrifices of our comrades. Fear in the face of adversity is human nature, and many people who take the counsel of their fears speak today. We are not deaf to their cries; neither do we take heed. All we ask is that Americans stand by us by supporting not just the troops, but also the mission.
We'll take care of the rest.
Maj. Ben Connable is serving as a foreign-area officer and intelligence officer with the 1st Marine Division.
------------------------------------------------------------------
This couldn't be stated more eloquently than this.
I salute you sir.
Here is a great letter that was published in USA Today.
The letter comes from a Marine currently in Iraq.
A Marine sees what defeatists don't
By Ben Connable
RAMADI, Iraq — This is my third deployment with the 1st Marine Division to the Middle East.
This is the third time I've heard the quavering cries of the talking heads predicting failure and calling for withdrawal.
This is the third time I find myself shaking my head in disbelief.
Setbacks and tragedy are part and parcel of war and must be accepted on the battlefield. We can and will achieve our goals in Iraq.
Waiting for war in the Saudi Arabian desert as a young corporal in 1991, I recall reading news clippings portending massive tank battles, fiery death from Saddam Hussein's "flame trenches" and bitter defeat at the hands of the fourth-largest army in the world. My platoon was told to expect 75% casualties. Being Marines and, therefore, naturally cocky, we still felt pretty good about our abilities.
The panicky predictions failed to come true. The flame trenches sputtered. Nobody from my platoon died. Strength, ingenuity and willpower won the day. Crushing the fourth-largest army in the world in four days seemed to crush the doubts back home.
Twelve years passed, during which time America was faced with frustrating actions in Somalia and the Balkans. Doubt had begun to creep back into public debate.
In the spring of last year, I was a Marine captain, back with the division for Operation Iraqi Freedom. As I waited for war in the desert, just 100 miles to the north from our stepping-off point in 1991, I was again subjected to the panicky analyses of talking heads. There weren't enough troops to do the job, the oil fields would be destroyed, we couldn't fight in urban terrain, our offensive would grind to a halt, and we should expect more than 10,000 casualties.
Remembering my experience in Desert Storm, I took these assessments with a grain of salt. As a staff officer in the division command post, I was able to follow the larger battle as we moved forward. I knew that our tempo was keeping the enemy on his heels and that our plan would lead us to victory.
But war is never clean and simple. Mourning our losses quietly, the Marines drove to Baghdad, then to Tikrit, liberating the Iraqi people while losing fewer men than were lost in Desert Storm.
In May of last year, I was sitting with some fellow officers back in Diwaniyah, Iraq, the offensive successful and the country liberated from Saddam. I received a copy of a March 30 U.S. newspaper on Iraq in an old package that had finally made its way to the front. The stories: horror in Nasariyah, faltering supply lines and demonstrations in Cairo. The mood of the paper was impenetrably gloomy, and predictions of disaster abounded. The offensive was stalled; everyone was running out of supplies; we would be forced to withdraw.
The Arab world was about to ignite into a fireball of rage, and the Middle East was on the verge of collapse. If I had read those stories on March 30, I would have had a tough time either restraining my laughter or, conversely, falling into a funk. I was concerned about the bizarre kaleidoscope image of Iraq presented to the American people by writers viewing the world through a soda straw.
Returning to Iraq this past February, I knew that the Marines had a tremendous opportunity to follow through on our promises to the Iraqi people.
Believing in the mission, many Marines volunteered to return. I again found myself in the division headquarters.
Just weeks ago, I read that the supply lines were cut, ammunition and food were dwindling, the "Sunni Triangle" was exploding, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was leading a widespread Shiite revolt, and the country was nearing civil war.
As I write this, the supply lines are open, there's plenty of ammunition and food, the Sunni Triangle is back to status quo, and Sadr is marginalized in Najaf. Once again, dire predictions of failure and disaster have been dismissed by American willpower and military professionalism.
War is inherently ugly and dramatic. I don't blame reporters for focusing on the burning vehicles, the mutilated bodies or the personal tragedies. The editors have little choice but to print the photos from the Abu Ghraib prison and the tales of the insurgency in Fallujah. These things sell news and remind us of the sober reality of our commitment to the Iraqi people. The actions of our armed forces are rightfully subject to scrutiny.
I am not ignorant of the political issues, either. But as a professional, I have the luxury of putting politics aside and focusing on the task at hand. Protecting people from terrorists and criminals while building schools and lasting friendships is a good mission, no matter what brush it's tarred with.
Nothing any talking head will say can deter me or my fellow Marines from caring about the people of Iraq, or take away from the sacrifices of our comrades. Fear in the face of adversity is human nature, and many people who take the counsel of their fears speak today. We are not deaf to their cries; neither do we take heed. All we ask is that Americans stand by us by supporting not just the troops, but also the mission.
We'll take care of the rest.
Maj. Ben Connable is serving as a foreign-area officer and intelligence officer with the 1st Marine Division.
------------------------------------------------------------------
This couldn't be stated more eloquently than this.
I salute you sir.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Senator Kennedy
This guy has got to be the biggest asshat in politics today.
This idiot doesn't know when to shut his fat mouth.
In my not so humble opinion, this guy is a traitor.
There is no if, ands, or buts about it.
Traitor.
He should be censured and removed in irons from the Senate floor, never allowed to return.
Here are a few examples of his treason from the Mobile Register.
"Kennedy's calumnies have gone way too far
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Edward Kennedy ought to resign from the U.S. Senate.
Likewise, Sen. Kennedy's protegé John Kerry ought to publicly disassociate himself from, and denounce in no uncertain terms, his mentor's latest inflammatory remarks.
Sen. Kennedy has made a career of verbal attacks so vicious that few other politicians could get away with them. But the frequency and outrageousness of his cheap shots have increased in recent years -- and this past Monday he outdid himself.
His remarks on the Senate floor were so obnoxious, so inexcusable, that no apology can make amends for them. In them, Sen. Kennedy had the gall to assert a moral equivalence between the routine brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime and the humiliating, but exceptional, treatment of some Iraqi prisoners by their American guards.
Consider Mr. Kennedy's statement: "Protection of the Iraqi people from the cruelty of Saddam had become one of the administration's last remaining rationalizations for going to war. All of the other trumped-up rationalizations have collapsed. ... On Dec. 24, 2003 -- the day Saddam was captured -- President Bush said, 'For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.' On March 19, 2004, President Bush asked: 'Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open?' Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management -- U.S. management."
This comes on top of Mr. Kennedy saying last year that the entire war effort was a "fraud" undertaken for political advantage, while accusing President Bush of using "bribery" to secure the support of foreign leaders.
It comes on top of him calling judicial nominees "Neanderthals." And on and on go the examples of his calumnies, including, most famously, when he slandered Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork in 1987 thusly: "Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists would be censored at the whim of government, and the doors of the federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens."
This is all hate speech, pure and simple, coming from a man whose own moral compass has time and again been notoriously skewed.
Is there any doubt that this man should step down from the Senate?
There is no doubt in my mind.
Article
This idiot doesn't know when to shut his fat mouth.
In my not so humble opinion, this guy is a traitor.
There is no if, ands, or buts about it.
Traitor.
He should be censured and removed in irons from the Senate floor, never allowed to return.
Here are a few examples of his treason from the Mobile Register.
"Kennedy's calumnies have gone way too far
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Edward Kennedy ought to resign from the U.S. Senate.
Likewise, Sen. Kennedy's protegé John Kerry ought to publicly disassociate himself from, and denounce in no uncertain terms, his mentor's latest inflammatory remarks.
Sen. Kennedy has made a career of verbal attacks so vicious that few other politicians could get away with them. But the frequency and outrageousness of his cheap shots have increased in recent years -- and this past Monday he outdid himself.
His remarks on the Senate floor were so obnoxious, so inexcusable, that no apology can make amends for them. In them, Sen. Kennedy had the gall to assert a moral equivalence between the routine brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime and the humiliating, but exceptional, treatment of some Iraqi prisoners by their American guards.
Consider Mr. Kennedy's statement: "Protection of the Iraqi people from the cruelty of Saddam had become one of the administration's last remaining rationalizations for going to war. All of the other trumped-up rationalizations have collapsed. ... On Dec. 24, 2003 -- the day Saddam was captured -- President Bush said, 'For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.' On March 19, 2004, President Bush asked: 'Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open?' Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management -- U.S. management."
This comes on top of Mr. Kennedy saying last year that the entire war effort was a "fraud" undertaken for political advantage, while accusing President Bush of using "bribery" to secure the support of foreign leaders.
It comes on top of him calling judicial nominees "Neanderthals." And on and on go the examples of his calumnies, including, most famously, when he slandered Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork in 1987 thusly: "Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists would be censored at the whim of government, and the doors of the federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens."
This is all hate speech, pure and simple, coming from a man whose own moral compass has time and again been notoriously skewed.
Is there any doubt that this man should step down from the Senate?
There is no doubt in my mind.
Article
First Entry
This is my first entry for my Blog.
I will get to more substance in short order.
I am a retired Army Infantryman.
I served from 1981-2001.
I spent a total of six years in Germany, three in Korea, and various US assignments over the years.
I am also a Gulf War 1 Veteran.
I'll add more later.
I will get to more substance in short order.
I am a retired Army Infantryman.
I served from 1981-2001.
I spent a total of six years in Germany, three in Korea, and various US assignments over the years.
I am also a Gulf War 1 Veteran.
I'll add more later.
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