Monday, 19 January 2009
 

Bill Faith; My Buddy
Contributed by The Gray Dog

The following was forwarded to me from Russ Vaughn.  It is difficult to separate, Bill and Russ, as to  who did what first to give birth to Old War Dogs.

By Russ Vaughn

Bill Faith was my buddy, a term that has particular meaning for those who have worn a uniform in service to this country. And though I never met him, nor even heard his voice a single time, that’s how I will remember Bill, as my buddy, someone who served alongside me through victory and defeat, through thick and thin, but who always could be counted on to stand up and be counted when it counted most.

I must first apologize to Bill’s family and all of you out there for being tardy in posting my thoughts on Bill’s passing. Two months ago my wife and I were abruptly thrust into the role of primary caregivers for her almost ninety-year-old parents, a responsibility which has kept both of us away from our computers and me from my blogging efforts. It was only through an email from The Gray Dog, Mike Connelly, that I learned belatedly of Bill’s death.

I don’t even remember precisely when Bill and I became acquainted, just that it was sometime after John Kerry became the Democrat frontrunner in 2004 and this old Vietnam vet, like millions of my brothers, swore to do everything in my power to prevent that traitor from ever becoming commander in chief. Scott Swett, at Wintersoldier blog, first began posting my anti-Kerry rants, which were then picked up by the Freepers and spread to other like-minded sites. Shortly thereafter I received an email from Bill, telling me he would like to post my pieces at his Small Town Veteran blog. As soon as I visited the site, I knew I had found an ally, one who quickly became a long-distance friend and a valued editor of my sometimes rough expositions.

When Kerry was defeated in November 2004, Bill and I, like all our Vietnam veteran brothers who had fought to keep Kerry out of the presidency, were exhilarated and felt that at last we had been exonerated. In sharing that victory, we became buddies, and the bond became even stronger in the summer of 2006 when Bill became webmaster of our new blog, Old War Dogs, which may have been my brainstorm but was Bill’s baby from the outset. He built the pen and the doghouse from scratch and fed and watered that pup every day. And like most proud papas, he could get quickly cantankerous if he felt like someone was mistreating his dog, including me.

Bill kept OWD up and running all through this last election fiasco even though, like me, he was never more than lukewarm to the idea of John McCain as our candidate. But, good soldier that he was, Bill fought the good fight right up until the bitter end. And as bitter as it was for the rest of us, his email telling me that he was going to back away from daily blogging at OWD, made me aware that my buddy was battle weary and in need of some respite. I regret not then realizing just how badly needed it was.

Michelle Malkin’s farewell post to Bill includes my poem, The Sheepdogs, and I thank her for that because there was never a more dedicated Sheepdog than Bill Faith. He loved his flock, both the immediate, his family, especially his new grandbaby, and that much larger flock, his countrymen.

Bill, I’m gonna miss you, Buddy.

Russ Vaughn

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

Saturday, 17 January 2009
 

Bill Faith - "Aim High" My Friend
Contributed by The Gray Dog

*** 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:

The Rude News

Illusion or reality

WizBang

Another Voice

Confedrate Yankee

The Radio Patriot

Brutally Honest

Bookworm Room

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
The Gray Dog

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

Monday, 01 September 2008
 

Palin Teen Pregnant; So What Kind of Country Are We, America? Maybe Obama Can Tell Us
Contributed by Ron Winter

The news first came out during the height of the coverage over Hurricane Gustav coming ashore on the Louisiana coast. Gustav had dwindled down to a Category 2 storm, far less intense than the Cat 5 some forecasters had predicted, but was still dangerous.

As Geraldo Rivera and his camera crew windsurfed their auto to the New Orleans levees and then walked to the top of them to show the effects of wind and storm surge, an item was inserted into the non-stop storm coverage - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

An official statement from the Palin family, out on the campaign trail, said the teen intends to have the baby and will marry the father.

John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee, said he knew of the situation before selecting Palin to be his vice presidential running mate, and considers it to be a family matter that doesn't affect his choice nor Gov. Palin's capabilities. The pregnancy was on the news long before it was common knowledge at the GOP convention where formal activities had been suspended due to the hurricane.

I agree with McCain, but I can guarantee you that many Americans will not. Why?

Well, first off, the left has been looking for something with which to attack Palin, other than false claims about her stances on various issues, and her alleged "inexperience."

So, having a teenage daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock is the perfect issue for the left, especially if those pushing the issue are hypocrites. But let's not stop there, we can expect exactly the same from some holier-than-thou types on the right.

The question is, will we as Americans allow this to be become the defining issue in the campaign for the presidency? We shouldn't if we are half the country we claim to be, but will we?

The media is certain to drive it. There probably already are dozens of "I-teams" spreading out across the Alaskan wilderness to find the father, and get as detailed a story on the when and how of this pregnancy as is possible with an unlimited budget.

Let's face it, teenage girls have getting pregnant out of wedlock ever since there were teenage girls and wedlock. And you can bet your vote in November that for all of recorded history there have been elitist prigs who have looked down their noses at families who have had to deal with the issue, while keeping their own priggish skeletons safely locked in their basement closets.

That is a matter of human nature far more than political persuasion. But still, there will be unlimited, caustic, and horribly personal comments made and the attack dogs on the left have to be drooling over this.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama came out immediately saying the issue is off limits for the campaign. Chalk one up for him. I give Obama plenty of shots in this column so I have no qualms about giving him credit where it is due also.

But he has to go further. Obama has to make the point that attacks on the Palin family, and especially the young lady who, when all is said and done is the one bearing the heaviest burden, are off limits across the board. I know he can't stop the news and he can't stop the bloggers, but he sure can put the clamp down on a wide range of mainstream pundits, MoveOn.Org, and others who see this as an opportunity.

Personally, I think most people who either are solidly on, or leaning to the GOP side of the campaign, first responded with a sense of letdown, and "Oh, S**t," when they heard the news. We were all so happy, and so pumped over hearing that Sarah Palin was the VP nominee, and it certainly let some of the wind out of our sails.

But now that we have had a little time to digest this, what does it tell us? Well, first and foremost the Palin family practices what it preaches, as far as abortion is concerned, and they are loving people who have rallied around their daughter and sister.

It many ways it just shows they are more like typical Americans than the political elite that often dictates who will run and on what platforms. Maybe we will actually be talking about real life issues for the next two months.

Personally, this won't change my vote. But in the final analysis my thoughts are with Bristol Palin, the young lady who several months ago looked in her mirror and realized that there truly is a heavy price to pay for taking on adult actions before you really are an adult.

Her irresponsibility has put this issue on center stage, and while I don't think it should be condoned, or brushed off as inconsequential, I also don't believe it is right to punish her unborn child by making her an outcast and her life any more difficult than it already is certain to be. However many times this has happened in the past, this apparently is the first time it has happened to the child of a Republican woman who only three days ago was the first woman to be chosen as the GOP Vice Presidential nominee.

Parenting is not to be taken lightly and Bristol Palin's life will never be the same, nor what it could have been.

Bristol Palin probably could have done something to hide the pregnancy from her family, and at 17 she probably could have secretly gotten an abortion. But like millions of other women, and no men that I am aware of, she came to the realization that she and she alone was responsible for her actions, and either decision she made would stay with her for the rest of her life.

I applaud her for choosing life, and I applaud the Palin family for standing by her. There will be vicious, heartless things said about this young lady and her family in the coming months. I hope she will be shielded from them, and I hope America is grown up enough to let this stay where it should - inside the home, to be dealt with there.

Contributed by Ron Winter on September 1, 2008 at 06:55 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Thursday, 28 August 2008
 

What If McCain Picks A Woman VP?
Contributed by Ron Winter

Well, what if McCain does select a woman as his running mate? Personally, I think it would be the death knell for the Democratic campaign, based of course on the assumption that his selection is a good one and can stand up to campaign scrutiny.

I've heard the same point made by quite a few of my veteran friends - male veterans - and if you can convince that crowd, I think the American voter is more than ready for a woman in one of the top executive posts.

There are at least two Republican women, and one business Chief Executive Officer whose names have been mentioned as possible VP selections, but the MainStream Media, well, actually, all the media, have given them short shrift.

They are Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and former eBay Ceo Meg Whitman.

All are pragmatic, accomplished leaders who have set firsts with their elections and careers. They have shown they have a tremendous grasp of the issues, aren't afraid to step up when the going gets tough, and all could step into the president's role should anything happen to McCain.

On a purely political level they also would certainly draw large numbers of Democratic women voters to the GOP in response to Barack Obama's disrespectful treatment of Hillary Clinton. Then there's the stage-managed sham called the Democratic Convention that was engineered to cloak the closeness of the Democratic race between Obama and Clinton.

But there is another issue that should be addressed regarding the Republican Party and its relationship to the voters. An esteemed colleague spoke with me about this issue just this morning and I have learned to heed her advice.

The fact is, she said, the GOP looks old, stodgy, stuck in its ways. Even though Obama has close relationships with a convicted felon, and an anarchist with a history of bombing the US Capitol, the mainstream media has made sure that most Americans don't know this unless they are Internet savvy.

Thus Obama comes across as young, fresh and energetic, even though he is simply another political hack, produced by the Chicago Democratic political machine operated by the Daley family for decades. It helps the GOP somewhat that he selected Joe Biden as his running mate, another Democratic politician who hid out in college and law school during the Vietnam War, but now acts like a bad ass.

Biden's just another career Washington insider with a lot to answer for regarding his relationships with lobbyists, not to mention taking credit for other people's work.

But that still doesn't alter the fact that many people don't take time to really study a candidate's background before deciding who they will support. Unless the opposing campaign can get sufficiently detailed, yet sufficiently brief, materials into voters hands with a reasonable assurance they will be read, it is difficult to offset the duplicity of the media.

So let's take a minute to look at our Republican women and see what they have to offer.

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON

Hutchison was first elected to the US Senate in 1993 in a special election, making her the first woman Senator from Texas. In 1994 she was re-elected to a full six-year term.

In 2000, Hutchison received more votes for her re-election to a second full term than any other statewide candidate had ever received. Voters overwhelmingly returned her to office in 2006.

In the Senate she was elected as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, making her the fourth-highest ranking Republican senator and the highest ranking Republican woman. Hutchison also serves on the Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA) National Advisory Committee.

She is former Chairman and now Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

On immigration she supported funding for an additional 1,500 Border Patrol agents to strengthen enforcement of immigration laws. In 2004, she helped pass the National Intelligence Reform Act, which included provisions she authored to ensure greater screening of air cargo.

Senator Hutchison's great-great-grandfather, Charles S. Taylor, was friends with Thomas Rusk of Nacogdoches, the first Texan to hold the Senate seat she currently occupies. Taylor and Rusk both signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Senator Hutchison graduated from the University of Texas and UT Law School. She was twice elected to the Texas House of Representatives and in 1990, she was elected Texas State Treasurer.

SARAH PALIN

Sarah Palin made history on Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office as the 11th governor of Alaska, the first woman to hold the office.
Since taking office, her top priorities have been resource development, education and workforce development, public health and safety, and transportation and infrastructure development.

She created Alaska's Petroleum Systems Integrity Office and created a Climate Change Subcabinet office to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska.

Governor Palin is chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and was recently named chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) Natural Resources Committee. She has served as chair of the Alaska Conservation Commission, and as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.

Palin has lived in Alaska since 1964. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism at the University of Idaho in 1987.

MEG WHITMAN

Margaret Cushing Whitman, known as "Meg" was President and CEO of eBay from March 1998 to March 2008. She also has worked in politics and is known to have political aspirations of her own.

Forbes magazine estimated her worth at $1.4 billion in 2007. She is one of only seven women to have been repeatedly ranked among the world's most influential people by Time magazine.

Whitman was born in Long Island, N.Y., and attended Cold Spring Harbor High School in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. She earned her Bachelor of Economics from Princeton University and her MBA from Harvard Business School in 1979.

Prior to eBay Whitman was in charge of global management and marketing of Playskool and Mr. Potato Head at Hasbro Inc. She also was president and CEO of Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD), and was an executive at the Stride Rite Corporation and the Walt Disney Company.

Whitman was a supporter of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, and after Romney left the race, Whitman joined McCain's campaign as a national co-chair.

Now, when we consider a vice-presidential nominee, one of the things we have to determine is whether they will be able to fill the president's shoes in a national emergency and can they be an effective commander-in-chief?

I'd say that any lady who grew up in Texas, is a descendant of one of the founders of the state, and set a number of firsts in a previously all-male environment such as Kay Bailey Hutchison can probably handle the role. Anyone who can stand tall in corporate America and succeed as Meg Whitman has should not have a problem in D.C.

And, Sarah Palin, who grew up in a state as remote and wild as Alaska, and also set firsts through her election, certainly should be able to look Vladimir Putin dead in the eye and not blink. Palin likes the outdoors, runs marathons and enjoys hunting and fishing. But there is a better barometer of the strength of her backbone.

When the federal government announced it was going to enact regulations declaring the polar bear, which has a growing population, as endangered due to some unproven and futuristic claims about global warming, Palin filed a lawsuit telling the feds to back off.

Oh, and Governor Palin is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Yeah, she can handle Putin.

I don't know what is in John McCain's mind regarding his vice presidential choice. But the Republican Party is light years behind the Democrats who first put Geraldine Ferraro up for the post in 1984.

Women have been showing they can handle leadership posts around the world for centuries, but still haven't broken the glass ceiling in presidential politics here in the good old US of A. I believe it is high time that we stop being a stodgy old, "we do it this way because we've always done it this way" party and stop conceding that portion of the battlefield to the Dems.

We are falsely portrayed as not accessible to younger voters, many of whom are agree with our basic tenets of smaller government, less regulation and lower taxes. We also haven't done much to show the female voters that we really do believe in what we preach - equality.

John McCain projects a certain image. It is what he is. Some believe it is an image of knowledge and strength while others will try to make his age a negative issue.

We don't need two John McCain's on the same ticket - he is certainly capable of carrying his own share of the load.

But imagine what it would do, not just image-wise but in reality, for our party, and certainly for our presidential campaign team, if McCain was standing side-by-side with a Senator like Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Governor like Sarah Palin, or a CEO like Meg Whitman as his running mate and vice-presidential nominee.

Contributed by Ron Winter on August 28, 2008 at 07:38 PM in Current Affairs, Politics, Ron Winter | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 14 August 2008
 

Putin: Latter Day Stalin, or Hitler?
Georgian President is NOT Saddam!
Contributed by Ron Winter

I asked in my last column what Russia's true intent might be regarding its invasion of Georgia, appropriating portions of that country, taking over at least one port city, then allowing looting and murder of civilians, all based on trumped-up claims of protecting its citizens from rampaging Georgians.

Other than using Georgia as a military practice round for its next expansion effort, it seems that Russia didn't really get much from the invasion, unless it was a prelude to something larger.

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer had an answer right away: the next target is the Ukraine, the gateway to western Europe.

Since Krauthammer is one of America's premier commentators on both foreign and domestic affairs, his ability to discern where Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is headed next is well worth considering.

(Yes, I know that Putin has a title other than dictator, but we're dealing in reality here. Putin and Putin alone is in charge in Russia which makes him a dictator. Argue with Putin, the former head of the communist secret police and you'll end up dead, which pretty much defines him.)

The Ukraine is an historic target of Russian communists. An estimated 10 million residents of that country were starved to death in the 1930s in late communist murderer Joseph Stalin's drive to take over all of Europe. Stalin created a fake famine by drastically increasing the amount of grain the Ukraine farmers were required to donate to the Soviet system, insuring that there would not be sufficient food stores to feed the Ukrainian populace.

He enforced that decree using troops and secret police to ferret all who attempted to horde enough to feed their families, killing them when they were discovered. It even was a crime to not be losing weight.

Russian communists downplayed the results of the famine, maintaining that "only" six to seven million people died slow, horrible deaths from starvation in 1932-1933, but independent sources have put the ultimate death toll at 10 million. Regardless of the extent of the holocaust that engulfed the Ukraine, the communists gloried in its effects on the population, because it ended resistance to communism.

Western news organizations at the time all but ignored the famine in their unceasing drive to portray communism as the one form of government that would truly make everyone equal.

The comparison to journalists today is obvious, since many of them are trying to portray the Russian invasion of Georgia as analogous to the US response to Saddam Hussein supporting terrorists building bases in Iraq from which to attack the US. The comments in the mainstream media are so ludicrous they would be laughable if it wasn't for the fact that people are dying.

Here are a few comparisons to consider. Georgia did not invade a neighboring country as Iraq did when it attacked Kuwait and subjected its citizens to pillage, rape and murder until driven out by an international coalition.

Georgia did not attack its own indigenous population with guns, armor and poison gas as Saddam did to his own people. Georgia did not invite known terrorists into its country to build training camps to attack Russia. Georgia did not provide sanctuary, security and assistance to known terrorist mass murderers such as Abu Nidal and Abu Al Zarqawi as Saddam Hussein did.

Georgia did not violate dozens of United Nations resolutions aimed at preventing development of a nuclear weapons program, nor did it violate an oil-for-food program by paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to heads of state and high level officials in countries across the world - including Russia!

The truth is, except for those of the communist mindset, there is very little real comparison between Russia's invasion of Georgia and the United States' intervention in Iraq. Not that the truth stops Barack Hussein Obama's spokespeople from again claiming the US was wrong in Iraq - the war we are winning, which he also said was not possible - not does the truth have any relevance to many in the mainstream media.

But for all the talk in the past eight years about Vladimir Putin and his goals for Russia under his dominance, the truth is in his actions, which thus far are mimicking Stalin - or Hitler for that matter, who attacked the same eastern European countries from his base in Germany.

Rather than being a devout nationalist who merely wants Russia to take is rightful place on the world stage following the fall of the Soviet empire, it is obvious that Putin wants to re-establish that empire, with him in charge. To the people of Eastern Europe who have suffered under both Nazi and communist systems in the recent past, it probably doesn't make much difference which political system's label most appropriately defines their attackers.

The differences between Nazi and communist philosophies are hard to discern anywhere except in a classroom. In practice, they both rely on murder, forced labor, mind control, propaganda and concentration camps to enforce their will on the populace.

Putin's lies are no different from Stalin's lies that were no different from Hitler's lies or Mao Tse Tung's lies or Ho Chi Minh's lies or Pol Pot's lies or Fidel Castro's lies or Hugo Chavez's lies. They all claim they are going to change the status quo for the benefit of the weak, the poor and the downtrodden. But all they really do is take control by force of arms, renege on the promises they made to their supporters, and then murder those who object to being used as dupes and puppets.

That is not opinion. That is historically documented fact.

So, what are we going to do about this? The world stood by and did nothing when Stalin's communist armies took over the countries of Eastern Europe one by one. Journalists of that time lied and produced propaganda for the communists, who murdered millions upon millions of innocents, just as today's alleged journalists are producing propaganda for Islamo-fascist terrorists and Putin's thugs.

Are we going to stand by and let history repeat itself? Are we soon going to be in another cold war with millions of people once again subjected to the excesses of communist debauchery as we were from the 1930s to 1990?

So far we've seen little in the way of direct response to the Russians except for some relief shipments. There has been a lot of talk from various world leaders, but that is eerily reminiscent of the talks that European leaders had with Hitler in the 1930s.

Back then entire countries were swallowed up first by the Nazis and then by the communists as the fortunes of war shifted away from Hitler. Listening to the commentary from that time and comparing it to the modern commentary reveals that both have a similar definition: appeasement.

Vladimir Putin knows this and is milking it for all it is worth. When he went fishing with his shirt off a while back he was sending a message to the other leaders on the world stage - they are golfers and country club members, he is a street fighter.

They may look down on Putin and think he has no means of effectively hurting them, but he knows better. He was flexing his muscles to let them know he believes he can beat them, but they just smirked and saw him as a classless, ineffective buffoon.

Nonetheless, Putin will land a series of shots that individually don't amount to much, but as they continue to pile up will hobble the west and bring its leaders down to his level. Then, just as the realization dawns that they are hurting and in danger of losing to him, Putin will hit them low and dirty with a shot that effectively will take the prima donna western countries right out of the fight.

And as the west grovels in pain, its effete diplomats bad mouthing Putin for being "a dirty fighter," he'll stare down at them from the winner's circle, his face the picture of contempt, and sneer "Da! But I won!"

Contributed by Ron Winter on August 14, 2008 at 08:46 PM in Current Affairs, Ron Winter, Russia | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 12 August 2008
 

McCain Was Right About Putin;
And Russia Is Just Warming Up!
Contributed by Ron Winter

When President Bush met Vladimir Putin for the first time in 2001, Bush said, "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue.

"I was able to get a sense of his soul."

Obviously when he looked into the window on Putin's soul the shades were pulled down and Bush saw only what Putin wanted him to see.

John McCain on the other hand, said he looked into Putin's eyes and saw the letters KGB, the Russian secret police and terror organization Putin headed until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990.

Now Russia, under Putin, has invaded the sovereign land of Georgia, one of those former Soviet republics that went independent as fast as it could in the 90s. Georgia became a US ally, and has been petitioning to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Unfortunately, membership did not come fast enough.

Putin travelled to China last week for the opening of the Olympics, as did Bush, and while the cat (Bush) was away the mouse (Putin) revealed that it was never a mouse, but rather a mountain lion and pounced.

Initial reports from China said Bush and (Ras)Putin had a very testy exchange of words before Putin headed home to cheer on his troops as they smashed through Georgia's outer defenses. The mad Russian initially claimed he was sending in troops to support people in Georgian provinces who really wanted to be part of Russia but were being restricted by the Georgian government.

But by mid-morning Monday - east coast US time - Russia had continued its offensive and fighting was reported in portions of Georgia that were not in dispute a week ago.

This shouldn't surprise anyone. Putin has been planning this move for years, McCain has been warning about it, and Putin's feigned friendship with Bush was just the starting point to throw him off guard. There is a major pipeline for oil and natural gas running through the disputed territory. Putin has long shown he wants control over energy sources.

Why do you think Russia made such a big deal of the US talking with former Soviet republics about installing anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe to guard against a potential attack from Iran? I'd say it had much more to do with Putin worrying that Eastern Europe would be able to protect itself from Russia.

Putin has been working step by step for most of this decade to reinvent the old Soviet Union and the attack on Georgia is proof. Commentators have said Putin is no longer a communist, but rather a nationalist who was merely consolidating his power in Russia and had no intent of reinventing the old Soviet Union.

I disagree. People who are communists in their hearts and souls never stop being communists. They believe that communism is the only true and proper form of government for all humanity and their belief in the Communist Manifesto requires that they continue the struggle for their entire lives.

We have known for decades, going back to the 1930s and 1940s, that we have had communists in our Congress, in our State Department and in our military, and we still do. We have domestic communist organizations agitating against the war in Iraq, against our military and against democracy.

Do you see the leaders of Code Pink preparing to fly to Georgia to stand in front of invading Russian tanks? No you don't. Do you know why? In the first place, communists world wide support Russian expansionism.

In the second place despite all the rhetoric that domestic communists throw at US forces, they know the Russian military will roll over anything and anyone that stands in its way, and it doesn't give a damn about human rights violations, nor does Putin.

There will be no consequences for Russian commanders who level towns, villages and cities and every living thing in them, unless they fail to level said communities and every living thing in them.

Why do you think Russia has been arming Iran, supplying it with nuclear fuel and highly sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems? It sure looks like a diversion to me. Keep the US focused on the War on Terror and the possibility that Iran's nutcase leader will develop a nuclear weapon, then hit somewhere else.

But here is another thought. Georgia is just a minor piece of Russia and RasPutin's overall puzzle.

Georgia is in fact, practice. Why? Because unlike the United States the Russian Army has not had much real combat experience since it left Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago. It has fought against the Islamic rebels in Chechnya, but that isn't a big enough war to get sufficient combat experience for a large segment of troops.

The United States, Great Britain, and other countries that have been helping us in the War on Terror, including Georgia by the way, have what is called a "blooded" army. In other words, we have in-depth combat experience and a huge pool of combat veterans if they are ever needed.

By invading a couple of Georgian provinces, the Russians get a couple of quick and relatively easy victories. By continuing their attack into Georgia, even though Georgian authorities have called for a cease-fire, the Russians are giving their troops a stiffer challenge, which they will gladly embrace since they still are riding a combat high after their victories of the past two days.

Meanwhile, George Bush dallied in China, Vice President Dick Cheney issued a strongly worded warning, and Condoleezza Rice has been told to make it clear that if the Russians don't stop this and stop it this instant there will be consequences.

All of which Putin is laughing off as his tanks, ships, bombers and troops continue the slaughter in Georgia.

On the American presidential campaign scene Barack Obama is on vacation in Hawaii and issued a position paper. One of his advisers told Fox News on Monday morning that the US has no right to say anything about Russia invading Georgia, because after all we invaded Iraq when its leaders didn't want us there.

Wow! Talk about no clue whatsoever. The same Obama spokesman then claimed that both McCain and Bush are responsible for Bush's foreign relations policies. In the Obama campaign rhetoric the presence of a murderous despot, Saddam Hussein, who invited terrorists into his country to rebuild their terrorist network to launch further attacks against the United States after 9-11 corresponds to a peaceful country that hasn't harmed anyone.

I think Obama wants to use appeasement as a reason to sit down and be the next American leader to look into Putin's soul. That has to be the definition of clueless.

McCain on the other hand accurately defined Russia's invasion of Georgia as a moral and strategic crisis. He wants Russia isolated, the invasion halted, and Russia punished.

McCain can't do much about it right now, and won't be able to do anything unless he becomes Commander in Chief.

Meanwhile, what we should be determining, is what Putin really is up to. Georgia is practice. Just practice. It gives Putin a little more land, it gives his troops some limited combat experience, but just enough to make them willing to go for more.

The question is where? And when? And what the hell are we going to do about it? This is just the first step, and for anyone who was not alive or has forgotten the brinksmanship that went on for decades during the Cold War, I guarantee you, we do not want to go back to that era.

The communists murdered an estimated 100,000,000 (that's one-hundred million) people from 1917 to the end of the Soviet Union, and state sponsored deaths continue in China and the remaining communist countries to this day.

Believe me, we don't want to turn back the clock.

Contributed by Ron Winter on August 12, 2008 at 07:44 AM in Current Affairs, John McCain, Ron Winter, Russia | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Thursday, 10 July 2008
 

He's What?
Contributed by The Gray Dog

I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you just how damn smart I am. I mean, if you ignore most of the blog articles I have ever written, and omit my predictions of John McCain being dead in the water for the 2008 presidential nomination, I would like to point back to my December 2006 article, American Idol Mystique. That is where, months before a majority of the country had ever heard the name Barack Obama and well before this witless shoe shine and a smile declared for the presidency, I, The Gray Dog, spelled out exactly how and why Obama would ascend not only to the Democrat nomination but to the presidency itself. I even accurately foretold of the influence and role the Oprah would play.

Fast forward to today. What brilliance, what prescience, what clairvoyance!

But, now my position as Oracle of the dogoshphere is being challenged. With memories of Jeremiah Wright still lingering, Obama flip-flopping as he stretches his scrawny pencil neck toward the center, Michelle snarling and snapping at everyone, a trait quadrupeds such as myself find very attractive and now, the Reverend Jesse Jackson accusing Obama of talking down to black people and threatening to cut his … well you’ve probably watched the tape by now, conventional wisdom tells us this could be a close race and McCain might pull this out in a squeaker.

Now, personally, I like to buck conventional wisdom, (which may play a small part with why I live in a dog house,) and would have been willing to bet on Obama’s ability to overcome these minor distractions. But when you add to all of this, the threat that Hillary’s supporters may break ranks and flock to McCain coupled with the fact that the Oprah has cooled her overt support of Obama due to the backlash of angry female fans who felt betrayed by the daytime Queen of Estrogen, and Obama’s presumed November miracle seems less certain.

But, I believe in the Oprah. Or should I say, I believe in the power of the Oprah. She hasn’t backed a loser since Dr. Phil, and she’s not gong to make that mistake again. She also has powerful friends. In fact it is a very powerful and close friend of Oprah, one who may have provided Bill Clinton with the only thread of a legacy that has nothing to do with a blue dress, who could be called upon to resuscitate Obama’s faltering campaign.

What will it take to make large West Virginian women in sensible shoes switch allegiance from Hillary to Obama? Who can influence the Stepford Wives of Oprahland to become adoring Obama-nuts? Perhaps a bad choice of terms if the secret service doesn’t apprehend Jesse pretty soon. None other than the Oprah’s close friend, author Toni Morrison.

For those who are unaware, Ms. Morrison is very powerful. She won a Pulitzer Prize. But her real powers, just like the powers possessed by the Oprah, are derived from being both black and female. So, just as Toni salvaged Bill Clinton’s image by declaring him to be America’s First Black President, I predict that this very influential FOO (Friend of Oprah) will appear on the Oprah’s show before the end of this month to declare Obama, when elected, shall become America’s First Woman President!

Think of the exquisite ironies. Will Michelle be shocked or surprised. I don’t think so, as she has all of the testosterone in the Obama family to begin with. On the other hand, the double slap in the face to Hillary has to leave her wondering why Toni Morrison has it in for her, again. (Clue: Toni’s just like the rest of us; she hates you too.) Finally, on this last point I’m torn. While it might have been entertaining to watch, Ms. Morrison’s declaration is certainly going to thwart any of Reverend Jackson’s recent plans. Although, I've heard rumors this has already been handled.

Is this prescience or just another dog dream?

Contributed by The Gray Dog on July 10, 2008 at 11:02 AM in Current Affairs, Decision '08, Dem Dumbness, John McCain, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Monday, 09 July 2007
 

The Conservative’s Quick Curative Coup
Contributed by The Gray Dog

I’ve been thinking back to October 2006. It already seems like a lifetime ago. The Democrat’s October Surprise, Mark Foley, was dominating every twenty-four hour news cycle. Republicans recoiled in horror, Democrats drooled with insidious delight, Independents…. well Independents do what they always do and jumped onto what they perceived to be the winning bandwagon. In the end, the conservatives stayed home on Election Day and taught those pesky RINOs a lesson. And the lesson was… I’m not sure, but there was a lesson somewhere.

Now, I’m hearing much the same rhetoric from conservatives; that perhaps America hasn’t learned its lesson yet. That lesson being… I’m still not sure, but even fellow VAV contributor, Zero Ponsdorf, recently posited in his post “Death by a Thousand Cuts, or Just Vote Democratic,” a concern America was in the beginning stages of an unavoidable collapse.

Zero sets up his thesis with:

“For nearly 20 years I have found myself voting for the lesser of two evils when faced with the choices in Presidential candidates. Those in DC just keep taking us closer and closer to the abyss.”

Whew! Don’t get me started. C’mon, Bush v. Gore? Bush v. Kerry? Where was the choice? I did what I felt had to be done: I voted for Bush twice, yet now all I have for my effort is this strange dichotomy of emotions known by almost anyone who has ever experienced a divorce. You know - one moment a wistful melancholy that pervades your senses allowing you to remember your ex (or president) with fondness, then after you sober up, you can’t for the life of you remember what you ever saw in that bitch (sonofabitch or president.) In fact you can’t believe you were ever married and spent evenings propagating the species with this subhuman slime.

Continue Reading "The Conservative's Quick Curative Coup."

Contributed by The Gray Dog on July 9, 2007 at 10:00 AM in [W]itch Hillary, Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, G W Bush, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 03 July 2007
 

Independence Day Comes Early for Scooter
Contributed by The Gray Dog

On a day when President Bush was otherwise busy gazing into Putin’s eyes still searching for a soul, he delivered a commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence with the same boldness and passion as a kiss from your sister. “I respect the jury’s verdict,” Mr. Bush said in a statement. “But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive.” Wow George! How about the entire persecution prosecution being excessive?

The president had an opportunity to take bold action and give Libby the full pardon he deserved. Instead, Bush gave the very least he could, to a patriot who has given total dedication and loyalty to the president and his administration. In an article from March 8, 2007 at FrontPage.com, Ann Coulter wrote, “Criminal prosecution is a surrogate for political warfare, but in this war, Republicans are gutless appeasers. Bush has got to pardon Libby.”

In this case, not only does the President appear to be a gutless appeaser, I would have to amend that to stupid gutless appeaser. With approval ratings below freezing, Bush still appears to be afraid of losing some political capital that has been squandered and disbursed long ago. Even if there were a dime’s worth of this mystery capital left, did the President believe the Democrats would be any less excessive in their criticism of his commutation of sentence than they might have been over a full pardon? I don’t think so. John Conyers, Harry Reid and special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald wasted no time in vilifying the president’s decision to thwart their persecution of Libby. I’m sure the piling on will continue today. So, if you know you’re going to be pummeled, why not fire your best shot? Why this half-hearted effort?

Perhaps Bush is just weary from being such an easy punching bag for the Democrats for six and a half years. He looks as tired and worn down as his old man did near the end of just one term. I fear the president is punch drunk, and as such, is no longer capable of coherent thought. I know I am weary of this president. I have an answer to this problem in my next post; till then.

Contributed by The Gray Dog on July 3, 2007 at 11:21 AM in Current Affairs, G W Bush, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 30 June 2007
 

Independence Day
Contributed by The Gray Dog

This year, as the death throes of the Shamnesty Bill still rattle, I would like for everyone to simply consider a phrase that has become as trite as “thank you for your service.”  It’s a phrase I had come to detest until I considered it in a more appropriate context.  Like Rurik’s brilliant recasting of hyphenated citizenship which allowed us to proudly proclaim ourselves Proud Veteran-Americans, I now lay claim on behalf of all Veteran-Americans, that phrase which is rightfully ours:

'Nuff said!

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 30, 2007 at 11:41 AM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, Patriotism, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 20 June 2007
 

CH!CKEN SH!T
Contributed by The Gray Dog

The Gray Dog’s Note: The following is inspired by a flurry of links I found in my email today, courtesy of Rurik, and today’s post, “I Guess Our Only Leaders Now Are In Uniform,” at one of my favorite BLOGS, Seaspook’s Rants.

I am not pretentious enough to believe I am an authority on all matters military. I certainly have no expertise or specific knowledge which would allow me to formulate judgments about our top command structure as it pertains to such characteristics as leadership, strategic thinking or performance. I can only offer my less than expert opinions based upon anecdotal reporting and my less than perfect ability to gauge character based upon observing someone on a television screen. Having never let personal limitations prevent me from opining in the past, I am loathe to begin now, so here goes:

FIRE ROBERT GATES NOW!!

How in the hell can we expect this man to prosecute a global war on terror if he doesn’t have the stomach to mix it up with Carl Levin. Of course I’m referring to Gate’s feckless decision to withdraw Peter Pace’s re-nomination for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs last week because Sen. Levin, D-MI, threatened that the confirmation process for Pace would be contentious. What an absolute crock. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Gates asked Levin for his pick to replace Pace.

Continue Reading "CH!CKEN SH!T"

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 20, 2007 at 07:03 PM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, G W Bush, Politics, The Gray Dog, US Marine Corps, US Navy, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 19 June 2007
 

RE: "Death by a Thousand..."
Contributed by The Gray Dog

I know I haven’t contributed as prolifically in the past few months to the BLOGS I am a member of, as is my normal wont to do.  Not only was I suffering from a serious case of the mopes (otherwise known in the Gray Dog household as the “poor me(s)”,) but I also fell victim to a severe bout of writer’s block, a malady for which I’m sure more than a few visitors to any of these otherwise respectable sites would like to be revisited upon me soon.

Yeah, I know, I haven’t exactly been a beacon of optimism and positive thinking since returning to the saddle in the past week or two.  No, instead I’ve been whining and taking a lot of pot shots at Bush. (BTW, y’all ought to give it a try. I’ve found that thumpin’ ole ‘W’ is easier than swatting a watermelon with an ironing board. No wonder the Dhimmiwits have been piling on for so long.)  But, I digress.

The point I’m trying to get around to is that I feel for and empathize with zero ponsdorf in his latest missive, “Death By a Thousand Cuts: or Just Vote Democratic,”  where he takes the position that we could and should hurry the inevitable demise of the U.S. by voting for Democrats next year.  What is the aim of his strategy?

Continue reading RE: "Death by a Thousand..."

***

Webmaster's note: The above link doesn't seem to be working right now, possibly due to some sort of technical glitch. If it doesn't work for you please click here instead.

Gray Dog's Note: Some times my paws just hit the wrong keys. Thanks Bill! All links are now AOK.

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 19, 2007 at 02:06 PM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, Decision '08, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Petraeus Unleashes the Dogs of War
Contributed by 72nd TCS

Yep.  Now that the final contingent of the surge is in place as of last week, it seems that Harry Reid was a bit off in his announcement that Gen. Petraeus is "out of touch."  Evidently, while awaiting the full buildup, the man in command has been palpating the worst tumors in the patient's belly, and is now going in with axe and hacksaw.

The story of the first major offensive of the new campaign is front page, above the fold, in the NYT of Tuesday June 19, 2007.  Big stuff.  The sequel presents a brief excerpt, but the article must be read in full.  It needs no comment here, except to point out that the report is sober and factual.  There are no ripe clusters of adjectives such as "misguided, reckless, indiscriminate, appalling" and the like selected from the Gray  Lady's thesaurus of condemnation. Is "editorial judgment" no longer an oxymoron? Excerpt follows, with the standard admonition.

The report begins as follows:

June 19, 2007

Military Strikes Insurgents’ Positions East of Baghdad 

By MICHAEL R. GORDON and DAMIEN CAVE

BAQUBA, Iraq, Tuesday, June 19 — The American military began a major attack against Sunni insurgent positions here in the capital of Diyala Province overnight, part of a larger operation aimed at blunting the persistent car and suicide bombings that have terrorized Iraqis and thwarted political reconciliation.

The assault — by more than 2,000 American troops in Baquba and more than 10,000 in the overall operation — is unusual in its scope and ambition, representing a more aggressive strategy of attacking several insurgent strongholds simultaneously to tamp down violence throughout the country.

It reflects an acknowledgment that as fresh infusions of American troops focused on Baghdad in recent months, insurgents moved their bases outside the city. Commanders said the goal of the operation, which is called Arrowhead Ripper, was to break the cycle of sectarian killings and retribution that has swept Iraq.

The fighting is expected to be hard. By daylight today, attack helicopters and ground forces had killed 22 suspected insurgents in and around Baquba, the military said in a statement.

You already know the admonition: RTWT.

Webmaster's note: It looks like John was the victim of a bait 'n' switch at the Times. If you go to the URL he linked and scroll down far enough the text he quoted is still there but it looks like someone decided the original article was far too positive and did a major rewrite. I guess those multiple layers of editors have to justify their existence somehow.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on June 19, 2007 at 01:18 PM in Current Affairs, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, John "72nd TCS" Werntz | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Sunday, 17 June 2007
 

A Charlie Brown President
Contributed by The Gray Dog

“From the AP:  SEOUL, South Korea —  North Korea on Friday warned it may strengthen its "self-defense deterrent," a term it usually uses to refer to its nuclear program, despite news that millions in frozen funds the country had sought as a condition to disarm was en route to its accounts.”

Kim Jong-il is just the latest in a long succession of World leaders and Domestic Democrats to play the role of Lucy Van Pelt opposite the hapless, but lovable Charlie Brown as portrayed by a real-life hapless president.  It really doesn’t matter who does it or how many times it occurs, it’s just natural to laugh each time someone snatches the football up at the last second.  Poor Bush Charlie.

After donning my “Sore/Loserman 2000” t-shirt this morning, I poured a steaming cup ‘o’ Joe into my www.IHateJohnKerry.net mug and spent an hour or so, ruminating and pondering just why I had voted for Bush on two occasions.  I’m sorry, but the only conclusion I could arrive at was, “if God had wanted man to vote, He would have given us candidates.”

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 17, 2007 at 05:31 PM in Current Affairs, G W Bush, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 15 June 2007
 

Hilarious?
Contributed by 72nd TCS

The Dissident Frogman's new blog has a very funny cartoon.  Go here .

Contributed by 72nd TCS on June 15, 2007 at 10:43 PM in Current Affairs, Islamism Delenda Est, John "72nd TCS" Werntz | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 13 June 2007
 

Victory? What Victory?
Contributed by 72nd TCS

The Jewish World Review has picked up the latest issue of Professor Daniel Pipes' newsletter--normally available to subscribers only. Find it here .  His column deals with a burning question, namely--

Can the Israel Defense Forces in fact disrupt Iran's nuclear program?

The lead sentence hints strongly that Israel is on its own in confronting the near-term prospect of the Iranian Holocaust Bomb.

Barring a 'catastrophic development,' Middle East Newsline reports, George Bush has decided not to attack Iran. An administration source explains that Washington deems Iran's cooperation 'needed for a withdrawal [of U.S. forces] from Iraq.'

If this unnamed administration source is anywhere near the Sec Def or Condi level, it would seem that the primary emphasis  has shifted from victory in the Middle East to withdrawal.  Has the message to Iran evolved from "Make nice, not nukes" to "Pretty please, just let us go quietly?"  Wiser heads than mine are needed to decrypt that sibylline utterance.  Even so, it is safe to conclude that the White House appetite for pre-emption has subsided to somewhere below the level of wishful thinking.

The main body of the Pipes offering concentrates on summarizing and analyzing a think-piece by a pair of MIT scholars who examine Israel's capabilities in depth.  Can the Israelis actually do it?  The short answer is "Yes," provided the government can steel themselves to face the kind of outcry that followed their attack on the Osirak reactor.  Their argument is well worth reading.

At the end, Dr. Pipes speculates on feasibility, and sees a fly in the ointment, a daunting question that planners  of such an operation must face and somehow resolve.

In the author's words, without serious comment here--

The great question mark hanging over the operation, one which the authors do not speculate about, is whether any of the Turkish, Jordanian, American, or Saudi governments would acquiesce to Israeli penetration of their air spaces. (Iraq, recall, is under American control). Unless the Israelis win advance permission to cross these territories, their jets might have to fight their way to Iran. More than any other factor, this one imperils the entire project. (The IDF could reduce this problem by flying along borders, for example, the Turkey-Syria one, permitting both countries en route to claim Israeli planes were in the other fellow's air space.)

Is he kidding, or what?  Your call.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on June 13, 2007 at 07:59 PM in Coming home, Current Affairs, G W Bush, Iran, Iraq, John "72nd TCS" Werntz | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 11 June 2007
 

Evil Requires No Master; Just a Few Willing Accomplices.
Contributed by The Gray Dog

The Gray Dog’s Note: I’m writing this to follow up on issues raised and responded to from my last post, “There Is No Us in U.S.” My discussion of evil is strictly confined to mere mortal men. I will leave any spiritual discussion of evil to theologians and others more competent than I to offer judgments.

In my last article I discussed a couple of loosely defined demographic groups I hastily labeled “them” and “us.” Even without a detailed description, I don’t think anyone was mislead or mistaken as to the fact that I was simply identifying two groups of mere mortals whose major differences were rooted in moral, political and philosophical opposition. I, The Gray Dog and most of my cohorts, both bipeds and quadrupeds, are part of the group referred to as “us.” Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary and all other crustaceans and slithering reptiles belong to the group known as “them.” However, a number of respondents to my article “There Is No Us in U.S.” in private emails and phone calls, referred to a more mystical group known simply as “They.” Unlike “us” and “them,” “They” appear to possess prescience and omnipotence close to a ten rating on the TDS (True Deity Scale,) therefore affording “They” the honor of capitalization.

In my article, I expressed anguish over feelings of frustration, helplessness and betrayal. Responses to my rant ranged from “So, you’re having a bad day?” to “’They’, have been planning and plotting this for years! ‘We’ are so glad you have finally awakened.” I think “we” may be the subject of yet another post, but back to “They” for now.

Now, as a BLOGGER, Forum Administrator and all around well heeled eDog, I find myself on a lot of strange email lists. One of the real odd-balls is a tax-evading, self-proclaimed Libertarian of a Conservative persuasion, who agrees with Rosie O’Donnell that Bush blew up the World Trade Center. Hat-Tip to my buddy Bill Faith for getting me on that list. How ya’ doin’ Harry?

Continue reading "Evil Requires No Master; Just a Few Willing Accomplices."

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 11, 2007 at 10:15 PM in Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, G W Bush, Patriotism, Politics, The American Warrior, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 09 June 2007
 

There Is No Us in U.S.
Contributed by The Gray Dog

The Gray Dog’s Note: At least one or two people have noticed I have not written much in the past few months.  I have tried to.  I have started and stopped dozens of times.  I’m not sure there is a point in it any longer.  I’m not sure how often I will continue to post at my BLOG or any other.  I feel the need to take some form of direct action instead of writing to a handful of readers.  I’m just not sure what that activity may be.  Any suggestions?  I thought that participating in GOE in March would provide a much needed outlet.  In that regard, I was both wrong and disappointed.  But, that’s another story.  No, what follows is a bedtime story for the 21st Century.  Sweet Dreams.

Did you ever have nightmares as a child?  You know, perhaps some beastly nocturnal visage that would scare the bejeebers out of you? Or perhaps you were simply falling helplessly through air waiting for the inevitable impact.  Awakening with a scream that prompted a late night bedside visit from your mom, sleep would not come easy for the rest of the night.

Between the ages of three and six, I was plagued by a recurring nightmare in which I was being abducted by a stranger I never saw.  This nameless, faceless creature would always approach from behind, whisking me into the air, away from the comfort and security of my bed and begin walking through my family’s small basement apartment toward the front door. As we passed by my parents I would cry out but the sound would stick in my throat.  The more I tried unsuccessfully to scream the more panicked I became.  My mother would look in my direction and smile. The dream always ended with our passing through the front door as my parents seemingly unaware or unconcerned that I was gone, went about their business.  Then I would awaken with a start.  Sweaty, rapid pulse, panicked.  After a short while, the panic would subside, but the feelings of despair, frustration and hopelessness would linger throughout the day. 

Nearly five decades have passed since that disturbing nighttime phantasm was conjuring unimaginable horror in a six year old boy.  It was merely a childhood apparition to simply outgrow and be forgotten.  Yet, fifty years later, it has returned. No longer content to simply manifest itself as an occasional nocturnal disturbance, that old familiar sense of despair has crept back into my life to become my constant companion.  Hopelessness has replaced optimism as a way of life and a pervasive sense of dread enshrouds me as I wander aimlessly through a surreality that finds me rapidly vacillating between morbid despondency and irrational rage.      

Remnants of that childhood nightmare began to resurface last October, as Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos were convicted and sentenced to prison for simply doing their job as border patrol agents.

Continue reading, "There Is No Us in U.S."

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 9, 2007 at 11:43 AM in Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, G W Bush, Islamism Delenda Est, Patriotism, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 03 June 2007
 

A Modest Proposal II
Contributed by 72nd TCS

The front page of the WaPo for Sunday, 6-3-07, has a story regarding the dismaying increase of killings of Americans in Iraq that has accompanied the recent surge.  Aspects of the article are equally applicable to the Afghan theater.  It begins like this--

Attacks on U.S. Troops in Iraq Grow in Lethality, Complexity
Bigger Bombs a Key Cause of May's High Death Toll

By Ann Scott Tyson and John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 3, 2007; A01

As U.S. troops push more deeply into Baghdad and its volatile outskirts, Iraqi insurgents are using increasingly sophisticated and lethal means of attack, including bigger roadside bombs that are resulting in greater numbers of American fatalities relative to the number of wounded.

The article correctly points to the armor-piercing weapons known as explosively formed projectiles as a major factor in the new killing spree.  As mighrt be expected, there is no mention of Iran, which has been identified as the source of these deadly new IEDs.  Let it be known that--in the right circumstances--the MSM can bow to administration policy in the way it  presents the news.  It would seem that the Department of State has ditched the Bush Doctrine in favor of creating the appearance of reaching out to the main state-sponsors of terrorism, Iran and its lackey, Syria.  For the time being, at least, aggressive action to protect the lives of American troops is on the back burner.

This has to change, and the current modest proposal is intended to suggest a possible mode of defense, which might be termed "Operation Bellwether."  The basic technology of robotically-controlled vehicles is already well developed as, for example, in the popular spectacles called demolition derbys.  Why not create robotic unarmored Humvees that could precede military convoys by, say, fifty yards or so? To make them irresistible to the IED crowd, they could have generals' stars painted on the sides, and fly flag-rank pennants on the front fenders.  Visible personnel could be realistic rifle-toting dummies.

On the other hand, why not dress up prisoners in US Army uniforms, and let them serve as decoys?  We have an ample supply of Al-Qaeda types in military detention centers.  We hear constantly of how badly mistreated they are.  Why not put them out of their misery by letting their comrades dispatch them to Paradise?  There is ample precedent for this sort of thing.  The Red Army in World War II regularly marched Gulag prisoners through German minefields in front of their armed troops.  If that practice ever led to prosecution of Russian officers as war criminals, it is a well-kept secret.

Admittedly, prisoners captured in combat are different from common criminals.  Questions regarding Geneva Conventions--however irrelevant they may be in the light of the actual status of detainees--are sure to arise if the details became known.  Strict secrecy would have to be maintained. Operation Bellwether would be a natural for detachments of Special Forces, who are not renowned for blabbing to reporters.

The story merits careful reading.  It ends with a quotation from a British expert on Iraq, Toby Dodge:

Military officials and analysts say the factors contributing to the increased deaths will likely not ease soon. "We are looking at a very nasty summer," Dodge said.

Wouldn't it be nice if these officials and analysts were less resigned to the prospect of losing lots of lives, and  more disposed towards the "creative destruction" for which the capitalist world is justly famous?

Contributed by 72nd TCS on June 3, 2007 at 02:35 PM in Afghanistan, Current Affairs, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 21 May 2007
 

N.Z. Bear Makes Monkeys of the MSM
Contributed by 72nd TCS

Glenn Reynolds has earned a hearty "Thank you" from the public in this post , in which he links to a remarkable achievement by N.Z. Bear.  The latter has broken out the monstrous draft immigration bill--over 300 pages--in a form that makes it readily available to any citizen who has access to the internet.  He provides a table of contents, listing topics by subsections, complete with links to every subsection and to individual pages.  The beauty of it is that the right-hand sidebar has space for comments.  The visitor can read existing comments and append commentary ad lib. 

At the present writing, one sees only a handful of comments, led off by a link to a scathing example from Mickey Kaus.  That must change, and swiftly.  Let your imagination run wild for a moment.  The Senate Majority Leader wants to ram the bill through in the absence of any serious debate.  It is unlikely that other senators will let him get away with that.  If not, the public has an unparalleled opportunity--and a unique challenge--to be heard.  Picture it: a few days into the debate, the blogosphere dumps on every senator's desk a copy of N.Z. Bear's version, marked up by us The Great Unwashed, acting as a committee of the whole, and bearing hundreds or possibly thousands of heartfelt critiques.  The Bear's achievement in making this possible is unprecedented, even world-changing.

We must buckle down to it, citizens.  It's a patriotic duty. First, go here, to benefit from N.Z. Bear's guidance on how to get the most from his effort.  Then, go there to read the bill and mark it up. Absent that effort on our part, we'll have only ourselves to blame when the D.C. sausage factory serves up a rotten, stinking mess.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on May 21, 2007 at 02:57 AM in Current Affairs, G W Bush, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, John McCain, Remember the Alamo, Unclear on the concept | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 12 May 2007
 

This Is Really Too Much
Contributed by 72nd TCS

Believe it or not, the Fantasy Factory in Langley, Virginia is about to waste its time and our money on a National Intelligence Estimate assessing the impact of climate change on national security. They did it once at the  behest of Al Gore, back when he was Veep.  Now they are going to reprise the farce at the instigation of Rep. Eshoo [D., Caliifornia].  Readallabahdit, in the Washington Post .

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 12, 2007; A09

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell believes it is "appropriate" for global climate change to be considered in a future National Intelligence Estimate, according to a letter he sent Wednesday to Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The story continues...

The letter arrived yesterday, one day after senior Republicans on the House intelligence panel criticized a provision in the fiscal 2008 intelligence authorization bill, co-authored by Eshoo, that requires the production of an NIE dealing with the impact climate change would have on U.S. national security.

After a vigorous exchange late Thursday night, the House voted 230 to 185 to defeat a motion to remove the provision from the bill. The motion was offered by Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), ranking minority member and former committee chairman.

In the letter, made available to The Washington Post by Eshoo's office, McConnell wrote, "I believe it is entirely appropriate for the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to prepare an assessment on the geopolitical and security implications of global climate change." The NIC supervises national intelligence estimates.

Yes, indeed.  The world's oldest institution of representative government--in continuous existence, that is--solemnly voted to enshrine the thoroughly discredited "hockey stick"  as a major strategic guideline, and the boss of all our intelligence agencies heartily agrees. Don't they have anything better to do?

In the opinion of one disgruntled curmudgeon, it is high time that the Joint Chiefs met to debate a question of grave import: Is the attempt to rescue this nation from the consequences of the frivolity and stupidity of its elected rulers a game that is worth the candle? Or should we simply dissolve the defense establishment and all go fishing?

Contributed by 72nd TCS on May 12, 2007 at 01:02 PM in Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 10 May 2007
 

Republicans for Bugout
Contributed by 72nd TCS

The NYT of Thursday, May 10 ran a story by  Carl Hulse and Jeff Zeleny entitled "G.O.P. Moderates Warn Bush Iraq Must Show Gains ."  The lead paragraphs tell the sad tale --

WASHINGTON, May 9 — Moderate Republicans gave President Bush a blunt warning on his Iraq policy at a private White House meeting this week, telling the president that conditions needed to improve markedly by fall or more Republicans would desert him on the war.

The White House session demonstrated the grave unease many Republicans are feeling about the war, even as they continue to stand with the president against Democratic efforts to force a withdrawal of forces through a spending measure that has been a flash point for weeks.

The eleven participants included Rep. John Boehner, the House Minority Leader, who came along as an observer. Prominent among the other six named in the article were three who joined Democrats to vote in favor of the infamous H. Con. Res. 63 [February 16, 2007], expressing disapproval of the Bush-Petraeus surge policy.  Just for the record, those three were Tom Davis [VA], Mark Kirk [IL], and James T. Walsh [NY]. The reporters tell us that Tom Davis distinguished himself by informing President Bush that his approval rating had fallen to 5% in one section of his district, the Virginia 11th, a D.C. bedroom community.  Would that section perchance be inhabited by swarms of government drones and paid-up members of the AFSCME?  (Sheer invidious speculation, that.--Ed.)

The reporters also note that three of the seven named refused to be interviewed after the meeting. The silent three--consigned to historical oblivion along with the anonymous four--included Mark Kirk, plus Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and Ray Lahood of Illinois.  What's the problem, valiant tribunes of the people? Don't you want the folks at home to know how you stood up to Bush?

This story provides little to cheer supporters of the war on jihad.  At best, one can smile wanly at the thought that three of the eleven--being notorious doves--are atypical of the Republican party, and four others were so obscure as to be deemed unworthy of mention by the Newspaper of Record.  The tenor of the meeting, on the White House side, conformed to the Beltway consensus that the coming summer is make-or-break time. Secretary of Defense Gates made that quite clear--

Mr. Gates, who also attended the White House meeting on Tuesday, told lawmakers that the Pentagon would evaluate the violence in Iraq and the progress of the administration’s troop buildup plan by early September to determine the next phase of the military strategy.

'I think if we see some very positive progress and it looks like things are headed in the right direction,' Mr. Gates said, 'then that’s the point at which I think we can begin to consider reducing some of these forces.'

Senators vigorously questioned Mr. Gates and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the Pentagon’s announcement on Tuesday of potentially mobilizing 35,000 more troops by December. Mr. Gates said the decision to send those forces to Iraq was not 'foreordained,' adding that a decision would be made after the September review.

Message: If things go well by September, we may get really serious about winning and send another 10 brigades.  If not, we'll begin to extricate.  To venture a prophecy: it is now carved in granite that the Sunni insurgents and Al-Q in Iraq will treat us in late summer to a spectacular display of fireworks, slaughtering Iraqis by the hundreds.

The moving finger writes...

Webmaster's note: I have some related links, and will be adding more soon, in my 2007.05.10 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on May 10, 2007 at 12:06 PM in Current Affairs, Iraq, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 02 May 2007
 

Too Darn Dumb to Win?
Contributed by 72nd TCS

It hurts to say this.  Harry Reid may be wrong when he says we have lost the war, but he's very nearly right.  We are on the verge of losing it. Not for any of the reasons cited by war opponents. We are losing quite simply because the PR efforts of this administration, from the White House through the State Department and Pentagon all the way down to the bottom--the CIA I mean--are hopelessly inept.

Consider first President Bush, who consistently blows it.  The latest example is the statement he issued to accompany his veto of the Dems' "slow bleed" Supplemental Appropriations Bill.  He had a wonderful opportunity to really  lay into them.  He had a golden chance to hold them up to the public scorn and ridicule that they richly deserve.  Instead, he settled for a brief, smirking, namby-pamby statement to the effect that the Dem bill was a "recipe for chaos and confusion."  I have a message for you, Mr. President: The typical mouth-breathing couch potato [i.e. the typical American citizen] sees and knows nothing about the war we are in except chaos and confusion.  Whose fault is that, Mr. President? Yours.  You consistently fail to identify the real enemy, a worldwide resurgence of expansionist Islamic jihadism that began in Lebanon in the early 80's after three hundred years of somnolence. You have failed utterly the test of wartime leadership--to alert the public to the mortal danger that confronts them. Just yesterday, the Bush administration stumbled into stifling the last, best hope of mobilizing public support.

Bill Faith has the full story here. No need for me to elaborate. Read it and weep.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on May 2, 2007 at 07:30 PM in Current Affairs, Dem Perfidy, G W Bush, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 19 April 2007
 

Heroism at Virginia Tech (Updated and bumped)
Contributed by 72nd TCS

James Taranto, writing in Best of the Web for the WSJ's Opinion Journal of April 17, tells a gripping story of heroism at Virginia Tech. The story relates how a Rumanian-born Holocaust survivor interposed his body between the shooter and his students, giving the students time to escape out the windows.  Let him tell it:

He Died Saving His Class
By James Taranto

For those of us whose job it is to have opinions, an event like yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech is a bigger challenge than, say, a terrorist attack. The murder of 32 people by South Korea native Cho Seung-hui is no less evil than massacres carried out by suicide bombers or hijackers, but it is harder to comprehend. Terrorism is carried out by an organized enemy with a political agenda; we can rally to defeat the enemy. The Virginia Tech shooter seems to have been a lone nut. He murdered all those people only to render his own life a nullity by committing suicide in the end.

So let's just note one act of heroism amid the horror, as reported by the Jerusalem Post:

Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, threw himself in front of the shooter when the [murderer] attempted to enter his classroom. The Israeli mechanics and engineering lecturer was shot to death, "but all the students lived--because of him," Virginia Tech student Asael Arad--also an Israeli--told Army Radio.

Several of Librescu's other students sent e-mails to his wife, Marlena, telling of how he had blocked the gunman's way and saved their lives, said Librescu's son, Joe.

"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," Joe Librescu said in a telephone interview from his home outside of Tel Aviv. "Students started opening windows and jumping out."

Librescu was a Holocaust survivor who escaped communist Romania for Israel in 1978 and moved to Virginia in 1986. By coincidence, he was murdered on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Some coincidence.  Professor Librescu's exploit--though deserving of the highest civilian honor at the disposal of President Bush [time will tell if he is cognizant]--failed to attract the attention of The New York Times. He is barely mentioned here [third paragraph from the bottom] as one of the two faculty victims named:

Some of the professors who were killed were named. Among them were Prof. Liviu Librescu, a Romanian Israeli who has lived in the United States for several years, and Dr. G.V. Loknathan, who was originally from India and became an American citizen after arriving in the United States in 1977.

It is not as if Professor Librescu was some academic mediocrity. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and had enjoyed international repute for his contributions to aeronautical engineering. In the welter of calls for "healing," not to mention the predictable yawps about gun control, it is heartening to learn of the heroism of this man.  Doubtless there were other heroes of that awful day, equally consigned to media indifference.  CBS, at least, gave us his photo.

Add his name to your list of unsung heroes.

Urge the White House to award him the national honors he deserves.

***

Webmaster's addendum, 2007.04:19:

To honor Professor Liviu Librescu
Michelle Malkin

Here's a petition to memorialize VTech hero, Dr. Liviu Librescu, by renaming Norris Hall in his honor. ...

Contributed by 72nd TCS on April 19, 2007 at 01:51 PM in Current Affairs, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, The American Warrior | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 08 April 2007
 

McCain Channels Hercules,
The War You're Not Reading About
Contributed by 72nd TCS

What's all this about Hercules? Well, if we can believe a front-page item in the WaPo of Saturday, April 7, Senator John McCain, in his to-be-announced campaign for the presidency, plans to wade all alone into the fever-swamp of the MSM crusade to discredit the war effort and--like Hercules in the Augean Stables--to clear up the whole foul, stinking mess.

The article linked to bears the title "McCain to Stake Bid On Need to Win in Iraq," and is bylined Michael D. Shear, who kicks off with this:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will launch a high-profile effort next week to convince Americans that the Iraq war is winnable, embracing the unpopular conflict with renewed vigor as he attempts to reignite his stalling bid for the presidency.

With the Virginia Military Institute as a backdrop, McCain plans to argue in a speech on Wednesday that victory in Iraq is essential to American security and that President Bush's war machine is finally getting on track after four years, aides and advisers said.

McCain's rosy assessment of safety on Iraq's streets after his recent visit to a Baghdad marketplace was mocked by many, prompting him to tell a television reporter that he 'misspoke' and now regrets the comments. But, in the interview to be broadcast tomorrow, the senator sticks by his defense of the overall war effort, predicting that failure in Iraq would be 'catastrophic.'

Why on earth, if the senator hopes to convince a skeptical public that there is visible progress in Iraq, did he step on his own message by admitting that he "misspoke" when he proclaimed the good news in Baghdad? [ed. note: The reference above to "a television reporter" points to a McCain interview to be broadcast Sunday evening on "60 Minutes" and perhaps watched by millions.] Are his "aides and advisors" asleep at the switch?

Michael Shear dilates upon the generally negative response of the media to the Baghdad press conference:

Wearing a bulletproof vest and surrounded by 100 soldiers in Baghdad's central market, McCain said: 'Never have I been able to go out into the city as I was today.' Headlines soon after called his statements 'propaganda' and a 'magic-carpet ride.' The Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., declared: 'Brainwashed McCain is a straight-talker no more.'

One GOP consultant said of the incident: 'That strikes right at the heart of who people thought he was-- a truth teller.'

Poor John McCain. The Salem, Oregon broadsheet calls him brainwashed and laments the derailing of the Straight Talk Express. An anonymous "GOP consultant" [working for Chuck Hagel?] chimes in. Has the Arizona Republican got a prayer of winning the GOP nomination? At this moment, it would be foolish to speculate. Recent polling results, however, indicate that a solid majority of Republican voters--the only folks who count in a primary, outside of crossover states--remains loyal to the president and his new policy in Iraq. They are unlikely to punish McCain for standing firm.

There are plenty of other reasons why conservatives might want to shun McCain. Like him or not, one has to admire his courage. The man is no weathervane.

*** Webmaster's update: 72nd TCS just sent me a link to this with a suggestion that mention it in a Bill's Bites post. I responded that Senator McCain may not be an "Old War Dog" but he definitely qualifies as an "old war dog" and I think what he wrote qualifies for mention on this site as well:

The War You're Not Reading About
By John McCain

I just returned from my fifth visit to Iraq since 2003 -- and my first since Gen. David Petraeus's new strategy has started taking effect. For the first time, our delegation was able to drive, not use helicopters, from the airport to downtown Baghdad. For the first time, we met with Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province who are working with American and Iraqi forces to combat al-Qaeda. For the first time, we visited Iraqi and American forces deployed in a joint security station in Baghdad -- an integral part of the new strategy. We held a news conference to discuss what we saw: positive signs, underreported in the United States, that are reason for cautious optimism.

I observed that our delegation "stopped at a local market, where we spent well over an hour, shopping and talking with the local people, getting their views and ideas about different issues of the day." Markets in Baghdad have faced devastating terrorist attacks. A car bombing at Shorja in February, for example, killed 137 people. Today the market still faces occasional sniper attacks, but it is safer than it used to be. One innovation of the new strategy is closing markets to vehicles, thereby precluding car bombs that kill so many and garner so much media attention. Petraeus understandably wanted us to see this development.

I went to Iraq to gain a firsthand view of the progress in this difficult war, not to celebrate any victories. No one has been more critical of sunny progress reports that defied realities in Iraq. In 2003, after my first visit, I argued for more troops to provide the security necessary for political development. I disagreed with statements characterizing the insurgency as a "few dead-enders" or being in its "last throes." I repeatedly criticized the previous search-and-destroy strategy and argued for a counterinsurgency approach: separating the reconcilable population from the irreconcilable and creating enough security to facilitate the political and economic solutions that are the only way to defeat insurgents. This is exactly the course that Petraeus and the brave men and women of the American military are pursuing.

The new political-military strategy is beginning to show results. But most Americans are not aware because much of the media are not reporting it or devote far more attention to car bombs and mortar attacks that reveal little about the strategic direction of the war. I am not saying that bad news should not be reported or that horrific terrorist attacks are not newsworthy. But news coverage should also include evidence of progress. Whether Americans choose to support or oppose our efforts in Iraq, I hope they could make their decision based on as complete a picture of the situation in Iraq as is possible to report. A few examples: ...

[Read the whole thing.]

Contributed by 72nd TCS on April 8, 2007 at 12:05 AM in Current Affairs, Iran, Iraq, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, John McCain, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 05 April 2007
 

Introducing David Hazony
Contributed by 72nd TCS

The "Opinion Journal" newsletter of the Wall Street Journal for Wednesday, April 4 had a long article by guest-author David Hazony. Mr. Hazony, who deserves to be better-known to American readers, is the Editor-in-Chief of AZURE, which originally published his column here. AZURE is a quarterly produced in Israel and bears a strong resemblance to the American monthly Commentary. Like Commentary, AZURE specializes in solid, well-written think-pieces. The right-hand sidebar of its home page [cf. initial link above] links to authors covering the entire spectrum of reasoned commentary, ranging from George Soros by way of Fouad Ajami and Bernard Lewis to Mark Steyn. It offers the think-piece maven just the intellectual fare needed to turn many a night of insomnia into brilliant day.

Mr. Hazony's article, in particular, makes the startling case that the Iranian mullahs have been and are waging a Cold War against the West, comparable to the Soviet pressures that kept us on tenterhooks for four decades. Given the huge discrepancy in size, population, and military might beween the former Soviet Union and Iran, anyone who lived through that era is bound to regard the analogy at first as more than a bit strained.  Even so, the most skeptical reader cannot fail to be impressed by the cogency of  the author's arguments in favor of his thesis. The mere excerpts that follow cannot hope to do justice to this presentation.  They are presented simply as bait, to entice the reader to Read The Whole Thing..

Mr. Hazony comes on strong right at the outset: NOTE: in what follows, block quotes are taken directly from the Hazony article. Intercalated text, aligned flush left, are comments and other asides from 72nd TCS.

A new Cold War is upon us. Though there is no Soviet Union today, the enemies of Western democracy, supported by a conglomerate of Islamic states, terror groups and insurgents, have begun to work together with a unity of purpose reminiscent of the Soviet menace: not only in funding, training and arming those who seek democracy's demise; not only in mounting attacks against Israel, America and their allies around the world; not only in seeking technological advances that will enable them to threaten the life of every Western citizen; but also in advancing a clear vision of a permanent, intractable and ultimately victorious struggle against the West--an idea they convey articulately, consistently and with brutal efficiency.

The term "clear vision" crops up again and again as this article progresses. Sadly, in the context of the response of Western leaders to the Islamic extremist onslaught, the author mentions it only to stress its absence among the elites of our world. Continuing, he writes...

It is this conceptual strategic clarity that gives the West's enemies a leg up, even if they are far inferior in number, wealth, and weaponry. From Tehran to Tyre, from Chechnya to the Philippines, from southern Iraq to the Afghan mountains to the madrassas of London and Paris and Cairo, these forces are unified in their aim to defeat the West, its way of life, its political forms and its cause of freedom. And every day, because of this clarity, their power and resources grow, as they attract allies outside the Islamic world: In Venezuela, in South Africa, in North Korea.

At the center of all this, of course, is Iran. A once-friendly state has embarked on an unflinching campaign, at considerable cost to its own economy, to attain the status of a global power: through the massive infusion of money, matériel, training and personnel to the anti-Western forces in Lebanon (Hezbollah), the Palestinian Authority (Hamas and Islamic Jihad), and the Sunni and Shi'ite insurgencies of Iraq; through its relentless pursuit of nuclear arms, long-range missiles and a space program; through its outsized armed forces and huge stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons; through its diplomatic initiatives around the world; and through its ideological battle against democracy, Zionism and the memory of the Holocaust. For the forces of Islamic extremism and political jihad, Iran has become the cutting edge of clarity.

Muddled thinking, by contrast, is the Order of the Day in Israel, the EU, and the United States...

The West, on the other hand, enjoys no such clarity. In America, Iraq has become the overriding concern, widely seen as a Vietnam-style "quagmire" claiming thousands of American lives with no clear way either to win or to lose. (As the bells of the 2006 congressional elections continue tolling in American ears, it is hard to hear the muezzins of the Middle East calling upon the faithful to capitalize on Western malaise.) Europeans continue to seek "diplomatic solutions" even as they contend with powerful and well-funded Islamists in their midst and their friends among the media and intellectual elites--forces that stir public opinion not against Iran and Syria, who seek their destruction, but against their natural allies, America and Israel.

Throughout the West we now hear increasingly that a nuclear Iran is something one has to "learn to live with," that Iraq needs an "exit strategy," and that the real key to peace lies not in victory but in brokering agreements between Israel and the Palestinians and "engaging" Syria and Iran. The Israelis, too, suffer from a lack of clarity: By separating the Palestinian question from the struggle with Hezbollah and Iran, and by shifting the debate back to territorial concession and prisoner exchange, Israelis incentivize aggression and terror, ignore the role Hamas plays in the broader conflict, and send conciliatory signals to the Syrians. Like the Americans with Iraq, Israelis have allowed themselves to lose sight of who their enemies are, how determined they are, and what will be required to defeat them.

At this point, one thing is eminently clear--Mr. Hazony knows exactly what he thinks, and never permits political correctness or pious sentiment to fuzz his message.  We now skip past many lines of closely reasoned discourse, to the bottom line.  Those who take up and read, and learn how he gets from here to there, will find the effort exceedingly rewarding.

Yet there can be no question that today, it is Iran that has earned the greatest admiration, given the global jihad its greatest source of hope and funds, and racked up the most impressive victories, taking on the West and its allies throughout the Middle East--and especially in Iraq, where its proxy insurgencies have frustrated American efforts and even brought about a shift in the internal politics of the United States. Iran is not the only foe, but it is the leader among them. It is only through Iran's defeat that the tide of the Second Cold War will be turned.

There you have it--clear, cold and bracing--like a shot of vodka taken in the classic Russian manner.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on April 5, 2007 at 12:22 PM in Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, Hezbollah, Iran, Iraq, Israel, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 02 April 2007
 

Straight Talk Express Derailed--by straight talk
Contributed by 72nd TCS

On Sunday, Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Indiana's Representative Mike Pence strolled through a Baghdad marketplace as a show of confidence in the improved security resulting from the "clear and hold" tactics introduced there by General Petraeus.  Afterwards, these members of Congress held a press conference at which McCain expressed cautious optimism about the progress made so far. The  AP account was picked up by some newspapers.  As with yesterday's story about the imminent exhaustion of funds to pursue the war, the Washington Post did not deem the press conference newsworthy. The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and others treated it in the lackluster fashion that customarily greets any favorable news or comment regarding  the war in Iraq. The citation that follows is taken from the major Phoenix outlet, The Arizona Republic:

Iraq strategy is working, McCain says
Senator visits Baghdad; 6 U.S. soldiers are killed

Associated Press
Apr. 2, 2007 12:00 AM

BAGHDAD - After a heavily guarded trip to a Baghdad market, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., insisted Sunday that a U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown in the capital was working and said Americans lacked a "full picture" of the progress.

The U.S. military later reported that six soldiers were killed in roadside bombings.

McCain, a presidential hopeful, acknowledged that a difficult task lies ahead in Iraq but criticized the media for not giving Americans enough information about the recent drop in sectarian killings, the establishment of security posts and efforts against al-Qaida.

"These and other indicators are reason for cautious, very cautious optimism about the effects of the new strategy," McCain said.

This is typical of the objective reporting that one sees: a brief, flat, recital of the bare facts.  The New York Times, by contrast,, weighs in at the outset with a resounding "But," setting the story in the context of the daily horrors generated by the enemy’s all-too-effective media campaign:

4 G.I.’s Among Dead in Iraq; McCain Cites Progress
By KIRK SEMPLE

BAGHDAD, April 1 — Mortar attacks, suicide car bombs, roadside bombs, ambushes and gun battles killed at least two dozen people on Sunday, including four American soldiers, the authorities said.

The American military command said the soldiers were killed southwest of Baghdad just after midnight as they responded to an earlier bombing that had killed two other American soldiers. The insurgents have frequently tried to reap greater death tolls by carrying out attacks against rescue crews rushing to bomb sites.

The attacks coincided with a visit to Iraq by a Republican Congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain, who declared at a news conference that the new American security plan was “making progress” and that there was cause for “very cautious optimism.”

In sometimes testy comments to reporters in the heavily fortified Green Zone, Mr. McCain said the American public was not receiving “the full picture about what’s happening,” and he described the delegation’s visit to a downtown market where scores of people have died this year in multiple car bombings and other attacks. There, the members of Congress said, they strolled around, haggled with merchants and drank tea.

But the outing was far from carefree. The delegation traveled in a convoy of armored military vehicles and was accompanied by a large contingent of heavily armed soldiers. The politicians wore body armor while they shopped.

“We had protection today,” Mr. McCain acknowledged when pressed by reporters.

The technique is not the least bit subtle, but highly effective. The Newspaper of Record conveys the strong impression that Senator McCain and his colleagues are a bunch of fakers, donning body armor and surrounding themselves with an impenetrable military cordon in order to create an artificial impression of progress in Baghdad.

On the left-leaning side of the blogosphere, McCain’s remarks unleashed a storm of sneers, jeers, and vilification, with epithets such as Neverland, delusions and pandering [to wingnuts] rife in the telling. [Too many examples for links. Just GOOGLE "McCain Baghdad" and slog through the muck.]

The senator certainly knew what he was in for, and even invited it by taunting the media to their faces, as reported by CNN:

‘The American people are not getting the full picture of what’s happening here. They are not getting the full picture of the drop in murders, the establishment of security outposts throughout the city, the situation in Anbar, the deployment of additional Iraqi brigades who are performing well, and other signs of progress,’ he said.

No gift of prophecy is needed to foresee the end of the McCain-Media honeymoon.  In truth, it’s here. As a serious candidate for the presidency, he has chosen to speak his mind on the central and most controversial issue of our time. Whatever the impact on his ambitions may be, he has vouchsafed an admirable embrace of principle. He deserves our respect, whether or not he gets our vote.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on April 2, 2007 at 02:31 PM in 1st Amendment, Current Affairs, Iraq, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, John McCain, Media Perfidy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 31 March 2007
 

Happy Days Are Here...
Contributed by 72nd TCS

NOTE: About 72nd TCS

Among those on the inside of both blogs, it is no secret that "72nd TCS" is the screen name in Veteran-American Voices, VAV for short, of former Old War Dog John Werntz. Bill Faith has generously offered to John the opportunity to cross-post [subject to Bill's prior approval] on OWD. The grizzled old mutt, 72nd TCS, is proud and happy to hang around on the fringes of the pack. He greets his former mates with a cheery yip, and looks forward to sniffing out friendships among the recent arrivals. That said...

I very nearly choked on this one. From The New York Times of 3-31,  the story bears the title "Army's War Funds Can Last Through July, Report Says" and is written by Carl Hulse and Thom Shanker. Please relax and read on. I am not about to launch into my standard rant: "Thank you, NYT, for telling the Dems exactly how long they need to stall, plus informing the Sunni insurgents and Al-Q jihadists how long they have to hold out in order to win big." The reporters are doing their job--informing the public about the probable consequences of a presidential veto of the supplemental military appropriations bill now headed into a House-Senate conference. Parenthetically, I note that the editors of the Washington Post appear not to have deemed the prospect of imminent exhaustion of funds to support the troops to be at all newsworthy. No trace on the front page, nor in the editorials. "Ho hum, lookee here, Georgetown basketball is going great guns."

The reporters discuss those consequences at some length, and the prospects may be bright for political opponents of President Bush, who seem to be rubbing their hands in glee, anticipating an American defeat that will be heard 'round the world. But they are exceedingly gloomy for any level-headed patriot who awaits with dread a country sickened by an epidemic of Carterite malaise that, comparatively, would make the post-Vietnam trauma look like robust health. The return to these shores of defense forces,  justifiably convinced that they have been robbed of the victory they earned by their magnificent efforts, does not inspire complacency.

Some relevant passages from the Hulse-Shanker article follow.

WASHINGTON, March 30 — The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has estimated that the Army has enough budget flexibility to pay for its military operations through July in the event that a standoff between the White House and Congress over Iraq holds up the money the administration says it needs for the war effort. ...

Actually, the July target is a best-case scenario. It rests upon congressional approval of various gimmicks of budget sleight-of-hand, shifting funds between accounts and skimping on important purchases and maintenance expenditures to free up additional money. Strictly speaking, existing funds will run out by June 1.

The document, dated Wednesday, said that based on Pentagon figures and estimates, the Army now has enough money to last through May. ...

Meanwhile, the Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid, is still stuck on stupid,taking partisan shots at Bush:

'This study confirms that the president is once again attempting to mislead the public and create an artificial atmosphere of anxiety,' Mr. Reid said. 'He is using scare tactics to defeat bipartisan legislation that would change course in Iraq.' ...

Hagel of Nebraska and Smith of Oregon make it bipartisan?  Note that if those two had not defected, the roll-call would have ended in a 49-49 tie, leaving Vice President Cheney to decide the issue.

Two brief notes in closing, both dealing with the sad state of DC politics. First, hearing the word "bipartisan" is enough to make the well-informed and even moderately well-heeled citizen fear for the country and clutch wallet and checkbook.  Second, the toxic atmosphere chokes us all but our troops -- and the nation's future -- are the main victims.

Contributed by 72nd TCS on March 31, 2007 at 01:18 PM in Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, G W Bush, Iraq, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, Politics, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 27 March 2007
 

An Inconvenient Ass
Contributed by The Gray Dog

Al Gore has spoken:  The world must embrace a “calorie-neutral lifestyle.”  To do otherwise, he says, will result in a cataclysmic catastrophe.  “Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb,” warns the website for his film, An Inconvenient Ass.  “We have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe that could send my entire ass into a tailspin.”

Graciously, Gore tells consumers how to change their calorie-gobbling ways: “Take that incandescent bulb out of your refrigerator.  Don’t replace it. You don’t need to be going there in the middle of the night.  Drive your hybrid car.  Drive it right on past the McDonald’s drive-thru.  Cut back on consumption.”  In the meantime, scientists at the U.N. have documented the steady rise in girth of Gore’s derriere over the past two decades. 

For someone who says the sky is falling, he does very little.  He says he eats tofu with soy milk at lunch, when in reality he purchases renewable calorie-credits to offset the three sausage pizzas consumed while traveling on his private jet to promote his film.

Continue reading, "An Inconvenient Ass"

Contributed by The Gray Dog on March 27, 2007 at 09:04 PM in Current Affairs, Dem Dumbness, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 01 March 2007
 

The Silenced Majority
Contributed by The Gray Dog

Gray Dog’s Note: This article is a continuation of thoughts inspired by Rurik’s essay titled “Veterans as an Ethnic Minority,” originally posted at Old War Dogs in September 2006, and more recently holding its own page of honor at Veteran-American Voices.   Actually, this article might be more appropriately deemed a variation on a theme or themes, as it also addresses Rurik’s sentiments in his post titled, “A Gathering of Eagles Against a Gathering of Vultures.” In either case, I hope that Rurik’s inspiration has been duly noted and appropriately attributed.

If history is written by the victors, then image is assigned by the vocal.  On February 22, 2007, Richard "Dick" Becker attended a press conference for "A Gathering of Eagles."  Becker, the brother of Brian Becker, National Coordinator for the ANSWER Coalition, characterized past Conservative and veteran’s counter-protests of ANSWER rallies, as "pathetic."  On March 17, 2007 we have both the opportunity and the obligation to dispel that charge.  It is the moment to rise above the damning legacy of a “Silenced Majority.”  In so doing, we will fulfill the obligation to ourselves and our fallen brothers and sisters to reclaim the honor the “Beckers” of this world would take from us.

For too long, our silence has allowed our foes to establish a national agenda without opposition. We have ceded control of the media and allowed the socialist liberal enemies of America to mold an image of her defenders as the ignoble and ignorant peasantry of our society.  We allow them to deny us the respect we deserve, because they tell us it is their right as Americans to do so. And, when a few of us speak or act in opposition to these pretend Americans, whose grandiose marches and displays of hatred and disdain for  the very beliefs and institutions for which we have shed our blood, they call us pathetic. 

Continue reading, "The Silenced Majority"

[Original timestamp 2007.03.01.13:20]

Contributed by The Gray Dog on March 1, 2007 at 01:20 PM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, Gathering of Eagles, Patriotism, Politics, The American Warrior, The Gray Dog, Viet Nam, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack