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Contributed by The Gray Dog on January 19, 2009 at 05:19 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Bill Faith, Bill's Bites, Coming home, Current Affairs, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack |
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Bill Faith - "Aim High" My Friend
*** Update Sunday January 18, 2009 *** I should have added this link to Michelle Malkin's article. Also to Uncle Jimbo's post at BlackFive. Here are a whole bunch more:
Also, Bill's sister has requested donations be made to Soldier's Angels in lieu of flowers. Finally, I am unable to approve any comments left for Bill at other posts. Some of you already have posted elsewhere. If you wish to leave a comment for Bill please do so at this article, for which I am able to approve comments for. Thank You. ********************************************** It is with a saddened heart that I just heard from another Old War Dog, Zero Ponsdorf, that Michelle Malkin reported the death of Old War Dog founder and webmaster Bill Faith. I missed a couple of opportunities this year as I traveled through Southern Illinois, to stop and meet Bill in person. This is a mistake I will regret for the rest of my life. Through an electronic introduction from another Old War Dog, Jim Bartimus, I was introduced to Bill in July of 2005. It was then that Bill extended the invitation to join the Old War Dogs Blog, and it was the first type of anything in my adult lifetime I had ever joined. Bill could be cantankerous at times, often causing a bit of dissent among the ranks. But, I know that Bill’s life centered around two things: Old War Dogs and his Grandson. His Blogging and love of America, I can speak to. His abundant love for his daughter and grandson I will leave for others. Many years later, Bill and I discovered that I had preceded him into the Air Force by a mere week back in the summer of 1970, and that most of our time at Lackland AFB and afterward at Sheppard AFB, had overlapped. That’s where the similarity ended. Bill went on to serve in Vietnam, while I defended America from the frozen moonscapes of Alaska. I think it was our same age, military branch, and the fact that we were both Illinoisans, that caused Bill to always favor my writing and give it a little boost in the Blog position each day. In fact I was often embarrassed by the favoritism. Others, such as Russ Vaughn, JD Pendry, George “Rurik” Mellinger, William “1st Cav” Page and Zero Ponsdorf knew Bill longer and perhaps better than I, although most of us have been strangers to Old War Dogs for a couple of years now. A couple of years ago, Bill had entrusted the “keys” to the Old War Dogs Site with me and Russ Vaughn. I haven’t been in contact with Russ for some time, and I’m not sure how to proceed. Old War Dogs and Small Town Veteran were 100% Bill Faith. There is a part of me that says we should keep OWD going as a tribute to Bill, yet another that says it would only be a cheap imitation. As mentioned before, Russ and JD and perhaps a few others will have more to say on the topic. In closing, I simply want to say that Bill was a patriot, a loving father and grandfather, and a clear voice for veteran’s causes throughout the blogosphere. And for me personally, he was a friend and fellow Old War Dog. I will miss him. Mike Connelly |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on January 17, 2009 at 07:12 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Bill Faith, Current Affairs, Patriotism, The Gray Dog, US Air Force | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack |
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Semper I
[Webmaster's note: I'm backdating this to keep it near the top of the site for a while. Newer posts will appear below it. Actually posted 2006.07.18.12:30.] Semper I
[Webmaster's note 2006.07.18.23:30: Murtha portrait added, courtesy of BootMurtha.com. Click it to see their post, where they have a larger version. Now's a perfect time to visit Irey.com.] |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on February 17, 2007 at 01:05 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Mad Jack Murtha, Poetry, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack |
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In through the out door
H/T Supe I've been predicting this for quite a while. I ain't proud or prescient, just observant.
See this post for my view of the future/present. I have an admittedly myopic view of such things. We allowed this to happen by concentrating on trivial, but fun, crap like Kerry. Yeah, I know, I know... 'closing the barn door after the horse got out' and all that. We bloggers write page after page about 'what is wrong', we highlight a few possible fixes, and the obvious goes unnoticed by most. Just now we have a lame-duck President who seems to have lost his way. There is a single issue that surpasses everything else and it continues to fall through the cracks of our busy lives. The battle over whether we will become a Spanish speaking Islamic world/nation trumps every other issue! Gays ignore it, Feminists ignore it, the global warming folks ignore it... and the anti-Kerry folks ignore it. The list of folks who spent huge amounts of energy and time on issues that simply will not matter (or worse) is scary. Every single issue is important, mind you, but context matters, and the context has been lost. |
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Contributed by Zero Ponsdorf on January 17, 2007 at 06:44 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, Peacenik Stupidity, War? What war?, Zero Ponsdorf | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack |
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"The Blog Of War"
Matthew Currier Burden is the one and only Blackfive. This is the "best from the MilBlogs" book that he's devoted several months of effort to, and it's everything you'd expect from a writer of his caliber. Why does it not surprise me that he'd give it away to our current generation of warriors? I've been enjoying my copy a few pages at a time, making it last, enjoying every page. Enlisted military: Email from a .mil address or find some other way to convince me you're legit and I'll email back with the password for your free copy. Thank you for your service. |
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Contributed by Bill Faith on September 25, 2006 at 02:20 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, Books, Caring about our troops, The American Warrior | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack |
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A Turkish Memory
Webmaster's note: Mike Connelly's home site, The Gray Dog, was recently put out of business by a Turkish hacker. Since none of the Dogs reads Turkish, or Arabic, or Martian, or whatever the hell that was they put on his site, it isn't clear exactly who he offended or how. I am sorry to hear of Gray Dog's CP being overrun by a bunch of Turks. Like Rurik I once knew a little Turkish but that was more than forty years ago and the phrases I knew were mostly bar talk and bartering with the ladies who displayed their exotic charms in the windows of their business establishments in the red light districts of Istanbul. I was there on a NATO operation in 1962. We jumped in with our NATO allies, a small contingent of Turkish and Greek paratroopers and that was quite the experience. The Turks all looked like Sad Sacks in their baggy, heavy woolen uniforms, worn even in the heat of summer. The Greek paratroopers, on the other hand, all looked like Errol Flynn in their tailored jump uniforms and stylish berets. We suspected they had been hand picked for this operation because they were all simply too dashing and handsome, each bearing a thin, Flynn moustache, to be ordinary troops. In fact, some of us suspected they were all officers, wearing enlisted uniforms, selected by their superiors to make the Turks look especially bad by comparison. As it turned out, the most difficult part of the operation, involving a forced march up to the Bulgarian border, was keeping the golden boy Greeks and the Sad Sack Turks from each others' throats. The Greeks all brandished deadly looking jump knives and the Turks, we discovered much to our surprise, were all locked and cocked, their weapons and ammo pouches bearing a full basic load. It got a little hairy a couple of times and I must say that the Greeks weren't just pretty boys. They were ready to take on the Turks at any moment. And the Turks, who for the most part had all the dash and pizzazz of peasant goatherders weren't intimidated in the least. Fortunately, although there were some fistfights, we were able to prevent any lethal confrontations. However, when alcohol was involved, there was no way to prevent the exuberant Turks from firing their pieces off into the starry sky just like the later Saddam Hussein and other Muslim celebrants. The most interesting experience I had on this particular operation was in Istanbul following the field exercise. We were turned loose in Class A's to see this city before flying home. Walking down a boulevard with a couple of buddies, I noticed we were suddenly the object of attention of three gentlemen sitting in a sidewalk cafe, one of whom became very agitated, pointing to us and jabbering excitedly. We stopped, thinking as all young paratroopers do, "Hey, these Turkish assholes lookin' for a fight?" One of them stood and approached us and enquired if we spoke Turkish. My roommate back at Fort Campbell, SP4 Charley Turbeville, replied that we did not and asked if they spoke French, which Turbeville, whose father was a foreign service officer with the state department, had learned at Portsmouth Priory. The fellow did and quickly asked us in French to join them. We seated ourselves at the table and a waiter was called to take our order, with it made clear that we were their honored guests. As we waited for the drinks, the excited fellow explained through our mutual translators that he was German, had been in the Wehrmacht in WWII. During an American airborne operation, his squad had been captured by the fierce American paratroopers wearing the eagle on their shoulders. Much to their amazement, he and his kamerads had been treated better and fed better by their American captors than their own officers and NCO's. He fervently believed he had survived that great war due entirely to the beneficence of those men who wore that screaming eagle. Following the war, he had made his way to Turkey and taken up residence in Istanbul. From the day he had been dropped at the POW camp by his paratrooper captors he had never again seen that shoulder patch, which explained the astonishment we had first seen registered on his face as we approached the sidewalk cafe. So it turned into a jolly time with us drinking away the afternoon on this gentlemen's tab and only extricating ourselves by firmly explaining we had plans for an evening engagement with some fair Turkish damsels. We parted with much hand-shaking, back-slapping and even hugs, something young, American males were not really comfortable with back in those days. As we walked away, I looked back, waved and then reflected that it was a good thing some of our senior NCO's who were WWII vets weren't with us; they might have spit in his drink and then killed the poor bastard. It was only eighteen years from the last European battles and there were still old vets who harbored harsh feelings against the Germans. I mentioned that to my buddies and we agreed that it might be prudent not to share this little vignette with any of those tough old birds. He may have gotten good treatment from those who had captured him but I couldn't help but think he had been lucky not to fall into the hands of some of the senior NCO's I was familiar with. Sorry, Gray Dog, I'm sure this doesn't help your anger at your Turkish malefactors, but you never know what memories will be triggered in an Old War Dog's foggy brain by a current event. Russ Vaughn |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on September 12, 2006 at 11:50 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Russ Vaughn, Turkey | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by Shane Briscoe on September 11, 2006 at 02:35 PM in 9/11, Best of Old War Dogs, Islamism Delenda Est, Shane Briscoe | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on September 9, 2006 at 05:17 PM in 9/11, Best of Old War Dogs, Islamism Delenda Est, Remember the Alamo, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on September 9, 2006 at 03:08 PM in 9/11, Best of Old War Dogs, Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, DisUnited Nations, G W Bush, Iran, Israel, Politics, The Gray Dog, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack |
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Eric Bogomolny: What year is it?
Another excellent essay from frequent contributor Eric Bogomolny
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Contributed by Bill Faith on September 7, 2006 at 05:53 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Bill Faith, Eric Bogomolny, Islamism Delenda Est, Peacenik Stupidity, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack |
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How Long Do We Wait?
Well, well. Isn't that special? There was never a consensus among Bill Clinton's advisors to support decisive action against Osama bin Laden. And since Clinton made most decisions after taking a poll of public opinion, he doesn't want the American public to know the truth. Long before 9/11 happened, Osama bin Laden declared a jihad on America but the Clinton Administration never took his words seriously. Now evil genies, the likes of the presidents of Iran and Venezuela, are out of the bottle. They feel free to stoke the flames of hatred aginst America and Israel and have a forum in the U.N. to spew their despicable propaganda. The U.N. is an organization best suited for humanitarian aid programs, not one which can resolve critical issues involving weapons of mass destruction and the fate of nations. There's no doubt in my mind that the Iranian government is bent on developing nuclear weapons. They have already had sufficient time and the necessary resources to build a crude device. It's beyond my comprehension that a majority of other governments who treasure their national interests haven't recognized Iran's intent to hold the Middle-East hostage. China and Russia continue to thwart the efforts of America and its allies. Many of our so-called allies prefer to hide their heads in the sand rather than actively support us over Iran. With a country awash in pacifism during the rise of Hitler and Tojo, it took an attack on Pearl Harbor to galvanize the nation and defeat fascism. Today, the stakes are a lot higher. Do we wait for Iran to declare that they have the 'bomb' or ones that they provided to terrorists are detonated near the capital in Washington DC or on Wall Street in New York City? Or do we continue to engage in an endless, fruitless debate within an organization like the UN that long ago proved it was impotent. I am beginning to agree with retired Air Force General Tom McInerney's plan for massive airstrikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure if a suitable diplomatic solution continues to elude us. Airstrikes combined with clandestine support of an internal Iranian insurrection to overthrow this oppressive regime would go a long way toward keeping America safe.In a 1903 speech, Teddy Roosevelt said, "Speak softly but carry a big stick." The time to take out the big stick and use it wisely is closer at hand than we think. |
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Contributed by Karl Bossi on September 7, 2006 at 02:41 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Iran, Islamism Delenda Est, Karl Bossi | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack |
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Veterans as an Ethnic Minority
[Webmaster's note: Please see first: Defensive Misgivings, which inspired this post.] For at least fifty years now ethnic identity has been at the head of the American agenda. African-American, Hispanic-American or Mexican-American, Asian-American, and gradually Jewish-American, Polish-, Italian-, Irish-, and other Hyphenated-Americans. The rule is, we must never notice these differences, while remaining always carefully aware of them. We must remember which group is the "group of the month" and appreciate its unique contributions and specialness, while simultaneously denying that it is in any way different, or that its members can even be detected by appearance, accent, or name. More recently we have discovered Gay-Americans, and even deaf-mutes, and others with congenital disabilities are demanding to be treated as hyphenated minorities. Even women. Women who are neither "disabled" nor in any sense a minority often demand their Hyphenated recognition. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the desire of everyone for a special identity, and to have it recognized, just so long as it does not become self-satirizing. But what is an ethic group? It is not race or skin color, nor is it language, though these features may form a significant part of the formula. Essentially it is a uniquely defining background and shared experience which sets the members of the group apart. Frequently a part of this experience involves being stigmatized. Essential is a sense of self-identity. Gradually, I came to realize that I am a Veteran-American. Am I kidding? Veterans as an ethnic group? How can that be, when they’re all sorts of colors, have all sorts of weird accents? True. But there is something else. For over half a century, we have been singled out by society, and while once upon a time we were not a minority, but the majority, like the American Indian we have gone from being a majority to a minority in our own land. Special bond and experience? Of course. Its called war, though even those who served in peacetime share the experiences of training and barracks life. We have our own special language. Even if our language has dialects special to the World War, Korean, Viet Nam, and Gulf generations, we still understand each other as civilians cannot. We can understand military terms and make sense out of news reports as even the reporters cannot. And we have an understanding of what war is all about, and what is at stake in politics. There is a mindset which seems to be peculiar to Veterans, characterized by greater sense of self-discipline, and duty, of attention to detail and thoroughness, more attention to old-timey virtues. Like a number of the acknowledged minorities we have seen our members mistreated because of our identity. And called ethnic names. "Dago"? "Nigger"? "Kike"? Use those names at your peril. But "Babykiller", "Warmonger", "Fascist", they seem to be socially quite acceptable. Veterans are scorned, both by society and by government. Government budgets for caring for wounded and disabled Veterans is always limited, but budgets for the needs of other, civilian ethnics always seem to be limitless. And what company would deny a contribution to an Aids project or to a Rainbow Coalition shakedown? But when Military Veteran and Family Asistance came begging a few corporate contributions for programs to help our newest veterans readjust, the CEOs of major companies such as IBM, EDS And now I hear about the National Guardsman in Pierce County, Wa., attacked by a gang of civilians for being military. and other incidents also have happened in the recent past. Other ethnics have sometimes tried to conceal their identities, changing their accents, and sometimes even trying to modify their skin color or hair. And then, every so often a few will try to emphasize their ethnic identity for political purposes. For how many decades have Veterans been concealing their status, not mentioning that of which they are most proud, trying to explain "two missing years" on their resumes, as if it were time spent in prison. And if Blacks have Rev’run Al and Jessie, we’ve got Kerry, McCain, and Murtha. Blacks hear "I don’t date outside my race", we hear "I don’t date babykillers". And yes, we also have Veterans whom we consider traitors to our ethnicity. See the above list for a few examples. The big difference is, we tend to disown those who would self-anoint themselves as our spokesmen. So of course, I am not speaking for you, I am speaking to you, urging you, us all, to stand up and demand our own share of recognition. I’ve got a case of the ass. A big one. I’m not impressed with "Thank you for your service" which is becoming almost a cliche as "Have a nice day", or "welcome home" about forty years too late. It is appropriate for greeting someone at the airport dressed in DCUs. But to an old guy who’s been called a babykiller for forty years, its just rubbing in the salt. In January 1977, Jimmie Carter amnestied all the draft dodgers, deserters and other swine, proclaimed them my, our equals. That is a whistle which, like an ex-president, cannot be unblown. Then they elected a draft-dodger as president. Twice! Now they wish to honor us, equally with those who spat upon us?! No, not really. They’re willing, finally, not to honor, but to to forgive us for our service, forty years after the fact. And only if we become penitents and supplicants, meekly standing in line to beg a pittance from some bureaucrat who "served" in Canada from 1968 to 1977. Then I observe the hedonistic slackers around me, those who do not, and will not serve. Those with no self-discipline or any willingness even to wipe their own lardbutts. Who demand, but do not give, who seek to cash in on the colors of their hides or their choice of sexual oddity, who worship only the Eternal ME. I say to myself, these are NOT my people. I do not care what the color of your skin, or of your uniform. If you served honorably, you are my brother or sister. By the Grace of God and the US Congress, I am a Veteran-American. And proud. And you WILL NOT make me hide in the closet. -Rurik Webmaster's notes: Check out http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1696722/posts and http://www.bootmurtha.com/MurthaUpdates/SEP2006/09-06-06.htm! BZs, Rurik. It's going to take a few days to make it happen but as soon as we can we'll start selling Veteran-American bumper stickers, tees, etc in our CafePress shop. (Click the hat on the sidebar to learn about our shop.) Ross Perot sold EDS to GM years ago and has, in fact, been very supportive of Military Veteran and Family Assistance and The Phoenix Project. It's the current management of EDS that sucks. |
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Contributed by George Mellinger on September 6, 2006 at 12:48 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Caring about our troops, George Mellinger, Jean Fraud Kerry, Mad Jack Murtha, Patriotism, Peacenik Stupidity, Politics, Viet Nam, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on September 6, 2006 at 09:46 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, Dem Dumbness, Peacenik Stupidity, Poetry, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack |
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Defensive Misgivings
Recently at the Army’s annual Force Protection Conference I had the honor of speaking with a soldier who earned my immediate respect and admiration for the unique way in which he is continuing to serve his nation’s needs long after retiring from active duty. This soldier, COL Michael J. Wagner, USAR, Ret, PhD, has been working at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for three years in a program to provide assistance to warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan bearing wounds of war, both physical and psychological. Dr. Wagner’s experiences there have convinced him and many others involved in caring for these veterans that these wounds of war affect not just the warriors but their families as well, and by extension their home communities. As Dr. Wagner put it to me,
An ex-paratrooper of the ‘70’s, Dr. Wagner is keenly aware of the many problems so many veterans of our war encountered in their reintegration into their communities. He is determined that America will not fail our current warriors as it did those of that earlier era. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, already faced with budget constraints and mission limits, are ill equipped to deal with this societal mission creep. Recognizing that reality, Dr. Wagner and other concerned citizens and professionals have formed an organization called MVFA, Military Veteran and Family Assistance, www.mvfa.org to take up this slack by providing needed services in a family based program that seeks to combine the support and resources of community, corporate, military and government agencies. One program, the aptly named Phoenix Project, provides community-based retreats for warriors and their families. In tranquil, pastoral settings such as the Heart of the Hills Camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, soldiers and spouses spend a week relaxing with such activities as hiking, fishing, canoeing, riding horses, or if they choose, just lounging around. But there are also group sessions where couples can freely discuss the problems they face and learn how others just like them are coping with similar difficulties. But MVFA has encountered a problem not anticipated in its formative stages. Thinking that the huge military contracting corporations who take in hundreds of billions of dollars from manufacturing every conceivable item our warriors take into combat and use to fight on our nation’s behalf, the organization sent letters soliciting contributions to support their unique programs to all the leading American defense contractors. To his utter astonishment, Dr. Wagner received refusal after refusal, some with explanations that such programs do not fit within the guidelines of their gifting programs. When he related this amazing situation to me, I was as astonished as the doctor and quickly remarked that if these veterans and their families were dealing with AIDS or sexual identity issues, contributions would be rolling in. Sure enough, according to the good doctor, that is exactly the response MVFA received from IBM, which has lucrative contracts with our military: “Sorry, AIDS research is our priority.” May I suggest to the CEO’s of IBM and EDS, United Technologies, and Raytheon, who also are on record as refusing to support these wounded warrior programs that perhaps you should reconsider your corporate “gifting” guidelines to reflect that you have at least as much concern for those harmed in the application of your weapons systems as you do for gender-challenged San Franciscans seeking funding for those ever so essential sex-change operations. Somehow, I think that most American voters and taxpayers, and their elected representatives wouldn’t mind a moderate redirection of corporate gifting away from pet programs like providing safe sex warning posters for gay bathhouses and healthy nutrition programs for inner city crack junkies, to something a little more mainstream America; like, hey, assistance programs for wounded American warriors. What say you CEO’s of Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman, General Dynamics, Boeing, ITT Industries, and all the rest of you titans of the defense industry? How about you Michael Dell? Everywhere I travel to military installations in my little consulting business, I see Dell computers. Surely out of the hundreds of millions in revenue generated by those computer sales you should be able to shake loose with a million or so for the troops who come to harm while using them. You know, gentlemen, it suddenly occurred to me that, offhand, I simply can’t recall the last time I heard of an AIDS infected, trans-gendered, crack head buying a multi-billion dollar computer or weapons system. Can any of you guys? Actually, I’m willing to be more charitable than these corporations apparently are, by giving their CEO’s the benefit of the doubt that these refusals don’t come from the top but from some tunnel-visioned, third-tiered functionaries far down the corporate ladder. At least for now I am. Russ Vaughn *** Webmaster's note: Please see also: Veterans as an Ethnic Minority, which was inspired by this post. |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on September 4, 2006 at 04:46 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Caring about our troops, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on September 3, 2006 at 12:16 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, DisUnited Nations, Iran, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack |
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Next year - Next Door - Too Late?
I can't vouch for the veracity of this source. While Ms. Mansfield has a web site here I'm at a disadvantage since I DON'T speak or read Arabic.
I find myself in tanglefoot territory. Fred Phelps and his 'church' at least do their damage in English, and I do accept that dissent has a place in this country, and there's little doubt many politicians talk out of both sides of their mouths. But how do we deal with efforts like those in the article? Burn the Mosques and the liberal/left would use that to take us even faster into Dhimmitude. I feel like I'm spitting into the wind. |
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Contributed by Zero Ponsdorf on August 28, 2006 at 12:37 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, Islamism Delenda Est, Zero Ponsdorf | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack |
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Re: The Media Stripped Naked. Part 1.
I’ve been watching a lot of cable news and searching the blogosphere the past few days in search of an inspirational idea that might provide a cure for writer’s block. Well, like Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.” So it was upon returning to my OWD home that I read an excellent post submitted by Bill Faith and recommended by R. J. Del Vecchio. The post is a reprint of a speech delivered by well known conservative Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard and Fox News host and contributor. As I read the speech, which was a dissertation on the liberal bias of the mainstream media, I found little to disagree with. Of course this was no surprise since I generally agree with Fred most of the time, in spite of his occasional bone head statements that cause a hind paw to reflexively snap up to my ear for a prolonged scratch. Yes, I generally agree with and like Fred, much the same way I generally agree with and like all of the conservative personalities at Fox News. After all, what’s not to like about “fair and balanced?” However, I would suggest that “fair and balanced” is in the eye of the beholder and not necessarily a completely accurate slogan for FNC. Fair, yes. Balanced, no! But, I admit, I wouldn’t want it any other way. In the wake of Rush Limbaugh’s success, Rupert Murdoch simply recognized a market demand that wasn’t being fulfilled by the mainstream media or the Clinton News Network. Murdoch’s brilliant packaging of strong conservative hosts with stunningly beautiful news babes has led FNC’s ascendancy to cable news primacy. Of course FNC supports their “balanced” claims by pointing to a number of liberal regulars. But let’s face it, Juan Williams and Alan Colmes are merely props to be teed up and whacked out of the park by the likes of Britt Hume and Sean Hannity. Hell, that’s half the fun! And then there's Bill O’Reilly’s continuous protestations that he is an Independent. C’mon Bill. Who’s spinning whom? O’Reilly may truly be the victim of his own delusions, yet he is lucid enough to understand where his bread is buttered, and it isn’t from the liberal left scarfing up all of his “Factor Gear.” I fear that conservatives waste too much of their time whining about a “vast left-wing conspiracy of the drive-by media” and instead, should recognize that the MSM only exist for the benefit of those predisposed to lap up it’s drivel, much the same as we conservatives tune in to Rush Limbaugh and FNC as a source of daily affirmations. Conservatives should see things as they are, then adapt and conquer. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Savage, G. Gordon Liddy and FNC are a small but significant beginning to obtaining that goal. They represent a demographic once described as the “silent majority”, a group that has only recently begun to find their voice. Traditionally, The Fourth Estate has been a reflection of our society functioning much the same as congress. While Congress relies on individual voters for election and lobbyists for funds, likewise, the same relationships exist in the media with readers, viewers and listeners providing the base that allows the NYT, CBS, CNN or FNC to attract advertisers with deep pockets. Both pander to their constituents while competing for your vote and dollars. In other words, we are paying them to give us exactly what we want. What else could explain twenty-four hour coverage of alleged child murder John Mark Carr’s flight from Thailand to California? I don’t believe that Ted Kennedy, The New York Times or CNN are the architects of an evil liberal plot any more than I believe Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich or Fox News to be the salvation of our collective soul. Each is just a mere reflection of their specific constituency, feeding back exactly what we want to see and hear. If we don’t like what we see in the media or government we need to understand that they are just symptomatic of greater societal issues. Of course real change in our media, government and society begins within each one of us. Perhaps most importantly, how involved or not we are in our children’s education. That I will leave for Part 2. For now, I close with a quote form the great American thinker, philosopher and writer, Theodor Geisel: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss. *** Bill Faith adds: I've posted an excerpt from and a link to this post at Love America First and in the comments on Captain Ed's post on the subject, and a link in the comments at Hot Air. |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on August 27, 2006 at 08:41 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, Media Perfidy, Television, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack |
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FLASH: Isikoff Tells All...Aww shucks, it's nothing.
So, what have we here? Essentially, a big, fat, Greek nothing [more apologies to Joel Zwick & Nia Vardalos]. No serious person, not even Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, no one not afflicted with Bush Derangement Syndrome believes that there was a crime here. Isikoff is careful to exonerate Mr. Armitage of any intention to "smear" Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson.
Just in passing: exposing falsehoods disseminated by present or former government officials, such as those of Ambassador Wilson, used to be known as setting the record straight, not as smearing someone. The delicate nuances of goring oxen must be observed. Isikoff's article reveals other interesting tidbits, such as that Robert Woodward got the word from Mr.Armitage a couple of weeks before Robert Novak did. Woodward's mature judgment that the Plame-Wilson saga was a nonstory has earned him a chorus of Bronx cheers from the herd of independent minds in the media. Woodward is a big boy, and has had no problem brushing that sort of lint off of his well-tailored blazer. The final paragraph offers an insight into the vicious, witch-hunting mentality of the White House inner circle. Secretary Powell, Mr. Armitage, and William Howard Taft IV, legal counsel to the State Department were concerned lest news of Armitage's action might leak and damage the Department. So Mr. Taft took the precaution of alerting the White House:
Get the implication. The White House, which has been repeatedly flayed in the media for "outing" Valerie Plame, learned of the story from the State Department. President Bush's hit-man, Gonzales, apparently never breathed a word to anyone in the media. So much for the "first draft of history." One final note: poor Valerie Plame did not even get a cover photo out of this story. Heartless, soulless Newsweek devotes its September 4 cover to an inanimate chunk of orbiting space junk call Pluto or some such thing. Shameful. *** The webmaster adds: John, there's more coverage, not as good as yours, at Hot Air and Captain's Quarters. I've posted an excerpt and a link to this post at Love America First. |
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Contributed by John Werntz on August 27, 2006 at 07:48 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, Books, Current Affairs, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, Politics | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack |
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Dreams 'n stuff
This isn't a generic OWD post. A young friend is having trouble dealing with coming home from Iraq this past January.
Anyone here that hasn't felt similar? The older I get the more the memory of dreams merge with real memories. What can one say other than she's not alone? One of the things about Viet Nam and past conflicts is the way most vets have been able to compartmentalize and move on, others are still struggling. So I can't tell her it'll certainly get better. I met WWII vets who still have nightmares, even helped a few with PTSD claims. It comes down to this, I think, most (a huge majority) do get over it and move on. The overall experience most certainly will continue to shape our lives, but it's unlikely to be the prime mover for most. Any thoughts? [update] I wrestled with it, saved it as draft and fiddled some more. I just couldn't hit the nail on the head. Finally I gave up and posted it as is, with the question at the end. *** Bill Faith adds: Zero, please forgive me for hitching a ride on your post instead of doing something separate; I promise not to do this sort of thing often. You hit me where I live and maybe I'm not thinking real clear right now. I'm also fixin' to violate a copyright law. What're they gonna do, draft me and send me to Nam? Maybe since all I have is a poor quality 3rd-generation monaural copy of something I originally bought on vinyl they won't hang me too high. F**k 'em if they can't take a joke. You know how sometimes a song gets stuck in your head and you just can't quit replaying it in your mind? For me that song is "Still in Saigon." I doubt I'm alone, but some days it sure as hell feels like it. Give your friend a hug for me. |
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Contributed by Zero Ponsdorf on August 26, 2006 at 02:46 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Bill Faith, Caring about our troops, Coming home, The American Warrior, Zero Ponsdorf | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack |
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Saudi Arabia no longer largest oil producer
Russia has surpassed Saudi Arabian production. This has major long term implications on a wide variety of fronts, both political and for energy production. I've been saying for some time that we've been focusing our anger and angst upon the Saudis in error. For the foreseeable future we're going to have to deal with the fact that Russia likes high oil prices. Russia will do their best to keep the price of oil high, as high as they can manage, for the foreseeable future. This may have something to do with their leaders' resentment of our global status and a desire to see us cut back in size. It also has a lot to do with their own economic interest. Essentially, oil and modern weapons are, have been, and will be Russia's two major exports and sources of foreign currency. For about 15 years the Russian military has been unable to buy new military equipment, except for testing purposes, and unable to train its troops. Pilots got almost no flying time and were leaving the air forces. Last year for the first time, really, in its existence, the Russian Republic was able to start buying tanks, aircraft and other weapons for field units. And I don't think they're likely to stop just so we can operate our jet skis. One of the problems which has negatively influenced Russia's evolution since 1991 is the fact that they have never understood enlightened, modern free enterprise. They have adopted Marxian-style capitalism instead of Western free enterprise. Capitalism is a fantasy misinterpretation of free enterprise as misunderstood by Marx and Lenin, something inherently rapacious and dissimulating. Unfortunately, in 1991 the Russians, with a very few exceptions knew nothing about Western economic systems, save what they'd inadvertently absorbed while dozing through their political indoctrination classes. So suddenly, when they rejected Marxism, and decided to adopt the opposite, they adopted a caricature version instead of the real thing. In an analogous way, when their gangsters emerged as "Russian Mafiya" initially they decided to be Mafia, and they did their best to dress and look the part, as garnered from movies. During my first visits, I saw a lot of guys dressed in heavy pinstripe suits, with black shirts and wide hats, stubble and all the rest. Gradually, they seemed to have learned that real mafia do not look like mafia. And so Russian Mafiya began to dress a bit less obviously. Or similarly, imagine some guy from new York's East Village who goes out to Wyoming to become a cowboy - you can guess what he's going to look like upon arrival - Hopalong! Bottom line is, We have to deal with Russia differently than with the Saudis... or for that matter than we dealt with the Soviets. IMHO, one of the best ways to start would be to start exploiting all our capacities. ANWR and coastal drilling, oil sands, the works. If a few Watermelons (green on the outside but red on the inside) can't deal with it, then we'd better deal with them. Conservation? Cease wasting gas on frivolities? Definitely. Even recognizing that "what is frivolous" is open to debate. But conserve is the core of conservatism. And I am as much against waste as I am in favor of careful use. But that also implies using. As for Russia and its new wealth. What they will choose to do with their wealth remains to be seen. Some of it will gratingly go to their military, but not all. A lot is already going to refurbishing of national landmarks and treasures; something for which I am grateful. Some of it may be used on solving other problems. But on what? -Rurik |
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Contributed by George Mellinger on August 24, 2006 at 02:37 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, George Mellinger, Islamism Delenda Est, Russia | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack |
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A Modest Proposal
When the distinguished commentator Victor Davis Hanson publishes a downbeat column deploring our seeming inability to cope with jihadist terrorism, attention must be paid, above all by our leaders. Professor Hanson's column appears in the Jewish World Review today, Thursday August 24, 2006. He lists seven points where our response fails to match or overcome our enemy. Among them:
I want to call attention to his bottom line:
For everyone, this column is a must-read. Those who have the stomach to contemplate civilian casualties on the scale of Hamburg and Dresden and the fire-bombing of Tokyo may want to read on and consider a "Modest Proposal" that deals with how we might benefit tactically from what we have learned about our enemies. One thing we have learned about our enemies is that they respond vociferously to provocation. Who can forget the hundreds of thousands who thronged the streets, from London to Southeast Asia, in reponse to a few "offensive but accurate" cartoons published in a Danish newspaper? The proposal: Provoke and Provoke, again and again. In anticipation, have a fleet of war-weary old A-10 Warthogs and AC-47 Magic Dragons at the ready, all gassed up and munitioned. Not being an expert on weaponry, this writer sought the sage counsel of a former USMC gunnery sergeant of his acquaintance, who answered "Five words: daisy cutters, cluster bombs, MOAB." With all due humility, this writer would add fuel-air [thermobaric] weapons to the arsenal, on the grounds that they--although nominally conventional--are spectacularly lethal when the target is massed humanity. First, kill them by the boulevard-full. Then use cluster bombs and the like to fragment the corpses, As a final touch, to get their attention, use precision-guided napalm bombs dropped from B-52s to quick-roast the massed corpses into the thick, charred gelatinous mass that filled the basements of Dresden in 1945. What is the point of all this horror? It would serve admirably to concentrate the minds of radical imams and mullahs on religious affairs, to the detriment of preaching jihad to disaffected Muslim youth. Of course, reducing the size of their congregations would be a net plus in and of itself. But the main benefit would flow from forcing them to consider, with all devotional reverence, how Mohammed [pbuh] would solve the problem of providing an honorable, duly Koranic martyrs' burial to tons of bone fragments embedded in a revolting mass of raspberry JELL-O™. The ensuing theological discussions might consume vast imam-hours of pious disputation, at grave cost to the intrinsically political activity of preaching Jihad. Who knows? It might even direct their minds to the notion that the path to Jihad leads only to the grave, not to establishing the umpteenth caliphate. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are those of its author alone. They do not reflect any policy or position taken by the Old War Dogs as a group. |
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Contributed by John Werntz on August 24, 2006 at 12:02 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, Islamism Delenda Est, John "72nd TCS" Werntz | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on August 24, 2006 at 11:59 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, Islamism Delenda Est, Music, Patriotism, Politics, Religion, The Gray Dog, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack |
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Islam Is Not What You Think
An early morning fog drifts slowly across the Hudson River, near the place once called the Battery, where early European immigrants once embarked from sailing ships to a land of freedom. As the heat from the rising sun slowly dissolves the moisture in the air, a huge golden dome and four tall minarets can be seen on the old site of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The year is 2101, the hundred year anniversary of 9/11, the horrific day Muslim terrorists destroyed a proud symbol of American strength. In Washington DC, a major renovation had converted the capitol building into an imposing mosque. All across the 50 states where Christian cathedrals and Jewish temples once dotted the landscape, wailing calls to prayers resound from mosques. The faithful arrive in droves and remove their shoes and bow to the East towards Mecca. Years before anyone who failed to convert to Islam was cruelly executed in public. Not by a firing squad, but as dictated by the Koran. Each of them had a hand and their opposite foot cut off. They bled to death on the cold concrete sidewalks in the country once known as the United States of America. The scenes described above are not a figment of a runaway imagination. Ideas are more powerful than any modern weapons, including the nuclear variety. During the American Revolution, Thomas Paine understood the power of ideas. Ideas, like his, resulted in a new nation where freedom of religion existed. And whenever religious fanaticism is involved, how can the free world defeat an enemy bent on destroying Western ideals? Radicals whose ultimate goal is to fulfill the prophecy in the Koran, a world where only Islam rules? The media and national governments across the globe have yet to confront the perilous teachings of Islam. Voices of those who try to sound alarms about the truth of Islam are stifled. Yet, even a cursory review of the life of Mohammed and the Koran, the book of Islam, reveals a troubling picture. Unlike Jesus, Mohammed gained notoriety through death and destruction of his opponents and their way of life. He is depicted in the Koran as a brutal warrior. Un-believers and those who had turned against their faith were hunted down and killed. Muslims believe that the Koran is based upon the direct word of God or Allah, through the angel, Gabriel. Sunnis and Shiites generally take the same approach against un-believers. Interestingly, the Koran also instructs the faithful to practice deceit, to lull un-believers into thinking that Islam is a religion of peace and it poses no threat from radicals. Today, Iran continues to deny an existence of a nuclear weapons program, a living example of this philosophy. Jews are described in the Koran as apes and pigs and the mortal enemy of Islam, a description radical mullahs use to dehumanize them. Children from an early age are taught to memorize the Koran word-for-word and an increasing number grow up seeking martyrdom. Not long ago in Holland, a film producer who made a documentary about the plight of women in the Muslim world died on the streets. An Islamic fanatic shot him several times, then cut his throat as the producer pleaded for his life. Few Muslims have the courage to step forward and decry despicable acts for fear of retribution. The festering malaise of the Palestinian and Israeli problem certainly has to be resolved in conjunction with defusing the ambitions of Iran to turn the entire Islamic world against us. The Iranian leader acts in a way reminiscent of Adolph Hitler and enthralls many of the Muslim faithful across the globe into believing that Israel, America, and Great Britain are a plague against humanity. And yet, even though the Koran is compared in some quarters to Hitler's book, "Mein Kampf," a blueprint for 'the struggle,' the media and Western governments continue to turn a blind eye to the threat radical Islam poses. Like a potent acid, the hateful ideas spread by radical Islam are slowly eating its way throughout the hearts and minds of the faithful. Islamic fascists have confronted the free, secular world. Are we to sit idly by and wait until it's too late or do we compel our leaders to dispel the myth? BF: Adding a link to the latest Beltway Traffic Jam. |
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Contributed by Karl Bossi on August 23, 2006 at 12:01 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Islamism Delenda Est, Karl Bossi | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on August 21, 2006 at 12:01 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Islamism Delenda Est, Poetry, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack |
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RE:
In a post written at Big Lizards by Dafydd, and excerpted here at OWD by Bill Faith, the author summarizes that the blogosphere and news media divided neatly into two groups:
Both the author and my OWD colleague align themselves in Camp 1, with Dafydd asserting,” The fact that we are still, today, championing Israel's right to conduct this commando raid while the ceasefire is in effect, that we refuse to characterize it as a violation, speaks volumes about which camp is correct.” Dafydd ends his analysis with the following summary: The United States still backs Israel in its actual warfare against Hezbollah (contrary to those folks in Camp 2, who cannot let go their charming fantasies about almighty Israel) -- and the mainstream media still supports the other side. This old dog would take exception to the “two camp” argument as being an over simplification of past six week’s events, but first, I will state two areas of agreement with the author: 1. Israel did run a feckless and infantile “pseudo-war”. It has been reported that Olmert had initially wanted to enter into Lebanon with a significant ground force, only to accede to intelligence assessments that proved to be grossly incorrect in their estimation of Hezbollah’s missile stockpile as well as their ability to relocate and avoid detection. This occurred not only before Israel’s initial strike, but continued to be their Achilles’ heel throughout the first several weeks. Day after day, reports from the Israeli government predicted that Hezbollah had been pushed far enough north to eliminate the threat to their cities. No sooner would such statements be released when a new volley of Katyusha’s would reign down on Haifa. Unfortunately for the Olmert government, world opinion had rapidly shifted from its initial condemnation of Hezbollah to one that repudiated Israel’s disproportionate response. In hind sight it becomes obvious that Olmert’s initial instincts were correct. But I wonder if his late change in heart was a result of placing too much trust in Aman (Military Intelligence) or if it was the common weakness found in most western democratic leaders who must attempt to balance internal political realities with external strategic goals. In the end, does it matter? Many might say that the reason is unimportant in light of the fact that the result still remains an unsatisfactory standoff that leaves a ticking bomb set to announce the commencement of round two in the very near future. These are the people set to toss the baby out with the bath water. I personally want to believe that Olmert has learned a valuable lesson and will trust his gut and establish a firmer hand when the next round begins. One way to ensure that is to have America provide more than tepid back channel support. George Bush and Condi have given plenty of lip service in support of Israel, but in practice have engaged in the type of nuanced diplomacy one might have expected from a Kerry administration. The fact that a resolution was agreed upon with France, no matter how fleeting their support was, ensured a solution that lacked soundness or enforceability. It has been only a few short years since America acted in defiance of the UN and began an assault on Iraq. What has changed in three years to make us engage this august body as the ultimate arbiter of dispute? America’s support of Israel in this latest conflict is reminiscent of a playground skirmish between a persecuted kid and the school bully. With nervous anticipation, America gathered around the contestants with the rest of its classmates ready to cheer on and “stand behind” their buddy. And while their friend is taking all the punishment, everyone else criticizes the little guy’s tactics and his inability to dispose of the bully. In the end, America and its classmates dutifully report to the principal’s office to await a proper punishment to be dispensed by the higher authority. Yes, I agree with Dafydd and Bill Faith that there is plenty of room for second guessing Israel’s half-hearted response to Hezbollah, but I still maintain that America and George Bush have offered no support of substance. Instead we have smugly sat back and turned allies into surrogates in the War on Terror. This was a bad tactic used by several presidents during the cold war and certainly not something I would have expected from that same man that said “You’re either with us or you’re against us.” |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on August 21, 2006 at 12:00 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Bill Faith, Current Affairs, DisUnited Nations, G W Bush, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack |
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A New Willy
A New Willy (Willy, British slang for the male sexual appendage; also a diminutive form of William, e.g. Slick Willy) Now don’t think me foolish, or just being silly, The Left wants a Willy to take on the Right; Yep Willy’s turned sixty, for Dems a sad day, Dems need a firm Willy for the coming election, But who wants our country run by such sillies, Russ Vaughn Webmaster's note: If you came here via a link from another site you might also appreciate My birthday gift to President Clinton. |
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Contributed by Russ Vaughn on August 20, 2006 at 12:01 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Poetry, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by George Mellinger on August 20, 2006 at 11:59 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, George Mellinger, Russia | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack |
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Our REAL 'Cold' Civil War
We've been through 'The Cold War' and we've been though at least one 'Civil War'. [N.B: I used Wikipedia as a resource out of sheer laziness, it's accurate enough for my purposes.] I'm about to suggest that we really need to start using labels that more accurately reflect reality. Also I'm treading lightly because OWD includes some genuine experts where I'm simply a layman forced to pose questions. I posit that we are, and have been, in a Civil War since the 60's that has many of the earmarks of The Cold War. Why is it important to accurately label such things? [Updated] We've had two 'hot' Civil Wars in this country (I include the War of Independence) both were clashes of ideologies and cultures. Both resulted in a new self identity for our country. This Cold Civil War is no less important in shaping what we will become for all it's lack of major bloodshed. We have the liberal/left and the conservative/right, each with the ideal of burying the other, but that set of labels misses a larger point. The analogy works on so many levels I'm surprised the label hasn't been explored by name by real experts. But the imperative is that it is a WAR! I rather wish there were a stronger word, but, in fact, I'd call it anything to raise the awareness of those being used to fight it. Yep! One of the analogous elements is that many are being used as proxies by both sides and don't even realize it, or maybe don't care? There is, at least, one major flaw in the analogy... The 'mutually assured destruction' element works backwards. Probably because it is a Cold Civil War. By avoiding a clear resolution we are heading for destruction. I did a Google search before I began to see what others might offered about America's Cold Civil War and all I found was this book review from a year ago. The reviewer used a liberal/left frame of reference, but actually captured much of the idea, only to head off into hyperbole. And Rurik's comment:
presents a more realistic approach, but I don't think we really have the number of genuine anarchists to stir the pot, let alone bring it to a boil. What we have in vast numbers (and on both sides) are those who are insulated from reality by the very circumstances they rail against. Said another way - I'll rock YOUR boat, but don't you dare rock mine. Which leads me to the second major flaw in the analogy, closely related to the first flaw I mentioned above. I suspect we will be witness to a sort of entropy. Entropy (also known as 'The Heat Death of the Universe') basically states that eventually the temperature of the universe will reach an average, and very low, temperature that can not sustain life. The American Spirit is being diluted, or cooled down (if you will), by our own behaviors. We can no longer 'go west' to seek adventure. The American Dream, if it ever really existed as a single thing, is no longer a focus for most of our youth. Political correctness and multiculturalism have helped dampen the fire in our belly. There seems to be no cause to unite us, nor causes powerful enough to stir us even to genuine action against each other. It isn't even the 'decadence' outsiders have been fussing about for generations, although there is an element of that. [edit] Prompted by Russ' post I'll add Spiro Agnew's now infamous quote:
And wield a broader brush to include many, if not most, on both side of the political spectrum. Our Cold Civil War seems likely to end without even the proverbial whimper let alone the bang. |
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Contributed by Zero Ponsdorf on August 19, 2006 at 02:01 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, Zero Ponsdorf | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by The Gray Dog on August 19, 2006 at 12:01 PM in Best of Old War Dogs, Current Affairs, G W Bush, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack |
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Contributed by Shane Briscoe on August 19, 2006 at 11:59 AM in Best of Old War Dogs, Hezbollah, Iran, Islamism Delenda Est, Israel, Lebanon, Shane Briscoe, Syria | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack |
