28 September 2009
I know that some will accuse me of racism, because that is the only way the Lunatic Left and the anti-American establishment seems to be labeling anything these days.
To that accusation, my dear Liberals, I just say one thing: shove it!
Obama is quickly descending to the level of the two-bit image that his buddy Hugo Chavez has. The Presidency of the United States, once revered and feared, has been reduced to the level of a low budget 1970s eastern European circus. The only difference is that this incompetent and dangerous buffoon is bankrolling his charade with American taxpayers’ money.
The latest WTF moment from America’s fearless leader is the decision to travel to Denmark this week with his lovely bride and the usual entourage, to pressure the City of Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Really! No Shit!
Air Force One, and associated fleet, will be subsidized by the already overtaxed American people to get the Obamas and some other useless group of blood suckers on a vacation to Denmark. For the first time in history, the most powerful man in the world is taking the time out of what should be a really busy schedule, to fly to Europe and pander for the Olympic games.
I wonder who run the business plan for the venture and what the cut will be if Chicago is awarded the games for the President. And Obama got his marching orders from the Chicago political machine!
In total honesty, I could care less if Obama spent most of his time abroad, as he would probably have less of a chance to damage America, but considering the current state of the economy and the increasing number of unemployed, the galloping inflation and the Dollar loss of value, Iranian missile tests and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I would hope that the President would just spend some time actually doing his job.
The most worrisome demonstration of total narcissistic incompetence is his handling of the situation in Afghanistan, where the same General he appointed to lead our Military in that theater has delivered his report on the conditions on the ground over a month ago. But I guess that the Commander-in-Chief has been too busy with his appearances at the UN, with his media tour-de-force and appearances on late night shows to pay much attention to the needs of the American troops in Afghanistan.
I also guess that when Obama uses the word “change” he means that he will change the concept of the President actually being in the White House doing the people’s work.
So, to put it in a shell, Gen. McChrystal presents his report over a month ago requesting additional troops for Afghanistan, but Obama is too busy with his kill-America agenda to take the time to make the right decision for our Military effort in that conflict and give his general what he needs. And with all the uproar that his moronic inaction is generating in the country, he does not appear to be perturbed at all, instead delays the decision even further by coming up with this brilliant idea about traveling to Denmark to pitch for Chicago hosting of the 2016 Olympic Games.
Here are my thoughts: President Obama is the worst kind of narcissist possible, one with power. He is completely transfixed by the opportunity of having his face shown on television sets around the world, reminiscing of his friend Hugo Chavez. I expect any day that there will be an Obamathon on MSNBC: 5 to 10 hours of uninterrupted Obama indoctrination destined to become mandatory curriculum for all school children in America, a la Chavez.Obama is not really worried about any terror attack against America, because such an event would quickly become one of those fortuitous crisis that Rahm Emanuel hopes to be able to exploit and not letting it go to waste. And the sacrifice of few Americans, especially if from a “red” state, would be more than acceptable for this regime to justify the total grab of power, the suspension of the Constitution and the dismissal of Congress.
I know my Liberal friends may accuse me of conspiracy theorizing, of being out in left field, but I am just looking at the facts. Obama’s actions are speaking for him, even at a time when we cannot get his face off the television sets of America, not even long enough to actually confer with his own General McChrystal, with whom he spoke only once in the last seventy days.
So while Obama and Co. are gallivanting around Denmark lobbying for a deal that will further sweeten the cronyism in his home town and capturing the spotlights of the European morons, while Gheddafi pitches his tent in Venezuela, while Iran tests missiles that can easily be a threat for our forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, while Venezuela searches for uranium sources with the help of an increasingly bullish Russia, and while al Qaeda cells within the US thrive, the American Military sacrifices, fights, bleeds and dies in Afghanistan, continuously wondering if their Commander-in-Chief will eventually make a decision, allowing them to march to victory or rendering all the blood spilled irrelevant.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Half Century, Wow!
26 September 2009
It is a reality that life is a journey and like a journey it has a sequence of peeks and valleys we must negotiate in pursuit of greater knowledge and understanding. Each peek and each valley represents an experience that enriches our life. Peeks appear, at times, much fewer than valleys, but I believe that is due mostly to our perception and outlook.
I reached a milestone in my life, as I am officially half century old. “Half century” sure sounds a lot worst than “50” but again that is depending on the way we look at our life. In my case, I am happy to say that I am fonder of the “half century” definition, as it adds, in my mind, a historical tone to the whole thing.
Fifty years are really a miniscule portion of time in comparison to the Universe, but they are significant to me. I can still remember the day when, at the tender age of twenty, I had the indescribable fortune to move to the United States. At the time, that was the best day of my life, one of those peeks that, when reached, makes one feel as if it just cannot get any better. Truthfully, even today I consider December 7, 1979, the best day of my life, mostly because it represents the beginning of a new life, a life of freedom and self reliance that allowed me to experience so many more peeks for the last thirty years.
Without that day, I would have not met Adriana and married her; and I would have not had my daughter Jaclyn and my son Frank; and I would not have my son-in-law Brian and my daughter-in-law Jessica; and without that day I would not have my precious grandson Noah.
Without that day I would have not enjoy thirty years of liberty, of opportunities for hard work and improvement, both social and financial.
Half century is enough time to be witness to some historical moments. One of the earlier moments that I will never forget was in 1969, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. If I think back I can still feel the excitement of a 10 year old boy, glued to the television in the middle of the night, completely in awe of what I was seeing, dreaming of the day when maybe I could be the next man to walk on another planet.
One of the events that I would have never thought to be witnessing in my life time was the fall of the Soviet Union. Having been born and raised in a European country, Italy, where the threat of Soviet tanks rolling into our streets had been a real concern, the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, the lifting of the Iron Curtain came as a welcomed change, even if I was already living in the safety of the United States. Witnessing eastern European countries longing and achieving their own freedom from Soviet oppression and Soviet republics gaining independence was a real moment of hope in my life.
There have been many valleys in my half century journey.
I can still remember the tension when in March 1978 former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped by the Red Brigades in Rome. I was in my last year of High School and I can still see vividly the Military and Police in the streets and all the schools in lock down, as the government was trying to get a handle on the extent of the attack it was under.
I remember hearing the news of the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in October 1983 and just couple of months later, just before Christmas the terrorist attack on PanAm 103 over Lockerby, Scotland.
And in February 1993, the first World Trade Center bombing, followed two years later by the Oklahoma City bombing, started to open my eyes to the reality that, even here in the United States, we were not safe from the scourge of terrorism, whatever source it came from. In my mind, it became all to clear that there was a price to pay for our openness as a society.
And the absolute worst day was September 11, 2001 when I finally felt that complacency and misguided sense of security, combined with a patient and resourceful enemy, extolled a grave toll in human lives on America. I will never forget that day, regardless of the attempts on the part of our current political leadership to diminish its historical significance. Those who died on 9-11-01 were innocent people. They deserve to be remembered and avenged.
On a personal level, I can say, with some degree of ambiguity that right now is probably one of my lowest valleys, as I await with trepidation my Marine son deployment to Afghanistan. I am so very proud of him for his service to our country, for stepping up of his own accord to wear the uniform of the Marine Corps. It is understood that as a Marine, in a country in middle of two wars, deployment in a combat zone is a reality to deal with, but actually having to see your own son getting on that bus is a definite low point of my life.
With all this, I must say that I am convinced that the blessings I have received from God outweigh the challenges He has placed on this half century voyage. I may falter in properly express my gratitude to Him for all the fortune he has bestowed upon me, but I know He can read my heart better than I could ever express. He has given me the gift of those people around me that I love do much, that mean so much to me and I could never repay Him enough for it.
And I am ready to face whatever time He has planned for me with the hope that He will continue to bless me as much.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
It is a reality that life is a journey and like a journey it has a sequence of peeks and valleys we must negotiate in pursuit of greater knowledge and understanding. Each peek and each valley represents an experience that enriches our life. Peeks appear, at times, much fewer than valleys, but I believe that is due mostly to our perception and outlook.
I reached a milestone in my life, as I am officially half century old. “Half century” sure sounds a lot worst than “50” but again that is depending on the way we look at our life. In my case, I am happy to say that I am fonder of the “half century” definition, as it adds, in my mind, a historical tone to the whole thing.
Fifty years are really a miniscule portion of time in comparison to the Universe, but they are significant to me. I can still remember the day when, at the tender age of twenty, I had the indescribable fortune to move to the United States. At the time, that was the best day of my life, one of those peeks that, when reached, makes one feel as if it just cannot get any better. Truthfully, even today I consider December 7, 1979, the best day of my life, mostly because it represents the beginning of a new life, a life of freedom and self reliance that allowed me to experience so many more peeks for the last thirty years.
Without that day, I would have not met Adriana and married her; and I would have not had my daughter Jaclyn and my son Frank; and I would not have my son-in-law Brian and my daughter-in-law Jessica; and without that day I would not have my precious grandson Noah.
Without that day I would have not enjoy thirty years of liberty, of opportunities for hard work and improvement, both social and financial.
Half century is enough time to be witness to some historical moments. One of the earlier moments that I will never forget was in 1969, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. If I think back I can still feel the excitement of a 10 year old boy, glued to the television in the middle of the night, completely in awe of what I was seeing, dreaming of the day when maybe I could be the next man to walk on another planet.
One of the events that I would have never thought to be witnessing in my life time was the fall of the Soviet Union. Having been born and raised in a European country, Italy, where the threat of Soviet tanks rolling into our streets had been a real concern, the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, the lifting of the Iron Curtain came as a welcomed change, even if I was already living in the safety of the United States. Witnessing eastern European countries longing and achieving their own freedom from Soviet oppression and Soviet republics gaining independence was a real moment of hope in my life.
There have been many valleys in my half century journey.
I can still remember the tension when in March 1978 former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped by the Red Brigades in Rome. I was in my last year of High School and I can still see vividly the Military and Police in the streets and all the schools in lock down, as the government was trying to get a handle on the extent of the attack it was under.
I remember hearing the news of the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in October 1983 and just couple of months later, just before Christmas the terrorist attack on PanAm 103 over Lockerby, Scotland.
And in February 1993, the first World Trade Center bombing, followed two years later by the Oklahoma City bombing, started to open my eyes to the reality that, even here in the United States, we were not safe from the scourge of terrorism, whatever source it came from. In my mind, it became all to clear that there was a price to pay for our openness as a society.
And the absolute worst day was September 11, 2001 when I finally felt that complacency and misguided sense of security, combined with a patient and resourceful enemy, extolled a grave toll in human lives on America. I will never forget that day, regardless of the attempts on the part of our current political leadership to diminish its historical significance. Those who died on 9-11-01 were innocent people. They deserve to be remembered and avenged.
On a personal level, I can say, with some degree of ambiguity that right now is probably one of my lowest valleys, as I await with trepidation my Marine son deployment to Afghanistan. I am so very proud of him for his service to our country, for stepping up of his own accord to wear the uniform of the Marine Corps. It is understood that as a Marine, in a country in middle of two wars, deployment in a combat zone is a reality to deal with, but actually having to see your own son getting on that bus is a definite low point of my life.
With all this, I must say that I am convinced that the blessings I have received from God outweigh the challenges He has placed on this half century voyage. I may falter in properly express my gratitude to Him for all the fortune he has bestowed upon me, but I know He can read my heart better than I could ever express. He has given me the gift of those people around me that I love do much, that mean so much to me and I could never repay Him enough for it.
And I am ready to face whatever time He has planned for me with the hope that He will continue to bless me as much.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Zbigniew Brzezinski
20 September 2009
For many people today, this name means nothing, but for those who take some time to learn some history, the name is synonymous with Jimmy Carter.
From 1977 to 1981 Zbigniew Brzezinski was then President Carter National Security advisor. Today the man is a professor of American foreign policies studies at John Hopkins University and appears as an expert on MSNBC and PBS, which sort of explains why not too many people know this guy.
I am not going to speak of this man as anyone who is interested can find plenty of on line information on him. The subject of this rant is an interview he gave to a blog called The Daily Beast. The following appeared on the Weekly Standard web site:
DB: How aggressive can Obama be in insisting to the Israelis that a military strike might be in America’s worst interest?
Brzezinski: We are not exactly impotent little babies. They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch?
DB: What if they fly over anyway?
Brzezinski: Well, we have to be serious about denying them that right. That means a denial where you aren’t just saying it. If they fly over, you go up and confront them. They have the choice of turning back or not. No one wishes for this but it could be a Liberty in reverse.
So, what this man is advocating is that if Israel should decide that it is in their national survival interest to launch an attack against Iran nuclear facilities, Obama should order the United States Air Force to shoot down the Israeli airplanes as they cross the Iraqi air space.
This is the foreign policy opinion of a man who had the ear of the famous anti-Semite Carter, a man who has access to public ears, as small and insignificant as MSNBC might be, as a so-called expert and, most disturbing of all, a man that has influence on the brainwashing of young minds in the already hyper corrupted higher education arena.
And we still wander why the hatred for our country is so prevalent among the Liberal Left?
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
For many people today, this name means nothing, but for those who take some time to learn some history, the name is synonymous with Jimmy Carter.
From 1977 to 1981 Zbigniew Brzezinski was then President Carter National Security advisor. Today the man is a professor of American foreign policies studies at John Hopkins University and appears as an expert on MSNBC and PBS, which sort of explains why not too many people know this guy.
I am not going to speak of this man as anyone who is interested can find plenty of on line information on him. The subject of this rant is an interview he gave to a blog called The Daily Beast. The following appeared on the Weekly Standard web site:
DB: How aggressive can Obama be in insisting to the Israelis that a military strike might be in America’s worst interest?
Brzezinski: We are not exactly impotent little babies. They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch?
DB: What if they fly over anyway?
Brzezinski: Well, we have to be serious about denying them that right. That means a denial where you aren’t just saying it. If they fly over, you go up and confront them. They have the choice of turning back or not. No one wishes for this but it could be a Liberty in reverse.
So, what this man is advocating is that if Israel should decide that it is in their national survival interest to launch an attack against Iran nuclear facilities, Obama should order the United States Air Force to shoot down the Israeli airplanes as they cross the Iraqi air space.
This is the foreign policy opinion of a man who had the ear of the famous anti-Semite Carter, a man who has access to public ears, as small and insignificant as MSNBC might be, as a so-called expert and, most disturbing of all, a man that has influence on the brainwashing of young minds in the already hyper corrupted higher education arena.
And we still wander why the hatred for our country is so prevalent among the Liberal Left?
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Saturday, September 19, 2009
My Thoughts On Afghanistan
19 September 2009
President Obama stated not too long ago that the goal in Afghanistan was not to achieve victory. Paraphrasing his remarks on the subject, it appears that Mr. Obama sees an uncomfortable imagery in the word “victory” as it reminds him of the Japanese emperor Hiroito signing the unconditional surrender of Japan on the deck of the USS Missouri.
Even if we want to forgive Obama apparent ignorance of American history (after all it is not really his fault if he attended Columbia and Harvard), I am not ready to give the man a pass when it comes to his rejection of the concept of US victory in Afghanistan.
If the Commander-in-Chief is not inclined to seek and achieve victory as our Military bleeds and dies in the desolation of the Afghani mountains and deserts, why is our Military asked to sacrifice in that land? If not victory, what would he call the purpose of their mission?
I must have been wrong in believing that the purpose for sending American troops in harm’s way was for the purpose of achieving victory. So what is it, Mr. Obama?
General McCrystal, commander of our troops in theater, is preparing a report that he is going to present to the civilian leadership on his assessment of what is needed for our country to achieve the objective in Afghanistan, provided that we have an objective. It is almost sure that the general will be asking for additional troops to improve security on the ground and to train the local police and army.
Speaker Pelosi, in her inexorable pursuit of personal gain even if it means America’s interests are violated, came out warning Obama that she may oppose any additional funding and troops for Afghanistan. Her justification is based on the polls that are telling her that the American people are not supporting the war effort any longer, and that an escalation may become a political liability, which really means that it may be costly when the next elections come around. Once again, the San Francisco madam is more preoccupied about her re-election than about doing the right thing for America and our troops. It is my take that she must have her finger on the pulse of her hippies constituents back on the Left coast and that she may be somewhat challenged in November 2010.
And in a typical example of “you are judged by the company you keep” situation, she is supported by Rep. John Murtha, the ex-Marine who is always ready to dump on the Military. As the chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, Murtha described himself very “nervous” about an Afghani version of a troop surge. It is obvious that he feels politically vulnerable for his chances of re-election in 2010 (by the way, his challenger last November, retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell, gave him a good scare even without much of a campaign, to the point that George Soros had to pour millions in Murtha’s campaign), but Murtha remains uncommitted as he must not feel sure about the polls as Nancy is.
Then there is Senate Majority Harry Reid, who is basically in the fight of his life for his political future in Nevada. He trails against just about everybody, including the city of Phoenix dog catcher. The cadaverous Reid is keeping a very low profile and on the subject as he cautions everyone to hold judgment until Obama has spoken.
Besides the mentally ill Russ Feingold, who wants Obama to take all the troops out right now, there is Michigan Sen. Carl Levin who took the opportunity of the 8th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to regurgitate the same call to more training of Afghani forces, but also saying that without a similar to Iraq troop surge, he does not see any possibility to success in Afghanistan.
I can understand the conundrum the wanna-look-like-Benjamin Franklin Levin is in as he is senator of a state with the largest population of Middle Easterners in the country. Surely we do not want to upset the Muslims!
Arizona Sen. John McCain expressed his disapproval of the Democrats’ resistance to the need of more troops in Afghanistan. And this is a rare occasion where I actually agree with McCain, when he calls for a doubling of American troops in theater. It is only by having a greater presence that the Afghani population will, just as it happened in Iraq, feel that there are other alternatives to the Taliban. It is certain that the road to security is a long one in that country, where the presence of the central government has been mostly inexistent for years, especially in the most remote corners of the country.
So I would definitely agree with the proponents of a robust increase of troops in Afghanistan, also agreeing with Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mullen.
Few days back I watched a C-Span program where Mullen and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates were responding the questions of a group of journalists. As I watched, one of the answers Gates gave about a troop surge made me want to scream at him. I have respect for Mr. Gates, but I was disappointed by his reasoning behind his reluctance to increase troop level in Afghanistan.
His reasoning was that in his view, there is a blurred line between having enough troops on the ground to inspire the locals about security, and having too many troops alienating the population. He mentioned a comparison with the British presence of the last century and the Soviet occupation of the 1980s and 1990s.
I know Mr. Gates is a smart man and he sure is more informed than I could ever be, but comparing our current efforts in the remote areas of that country with British colonialism and especially with the brutal occupation directed by the Kremlin is really inconceivable.
And again the voices of defeatism resound from the halls of Congress with people like the Senator from California Dianne Feinstein, who expects a time limit on our mission in Afghanistan. Even if a classified answer is given to the proper entities in Congress regarding the strategic planning of our Military, it has been proven before that classified info is such only in name and leaks are the common operational occurrence in Washington. Mrs. Feinstein herself divulged a piece of classified information few months ago when she admitted that CIA and Special Forces UAV’s were operating from Pakistani soil in attacking the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Just like so many liberals were eager to point out to any complacent media outlet they could find only few years ago about Iraq, Feinstein does not believe that our efforts in Afghanistan can be successful. Just as the Military families of those who served in Iraq were treated to such a level of defeatism, they are now treated to the same rhetoric about Afghanistan.
Moreover, from the Senate, Maine’s Susan Collins, the Republican Senator that never saw a liberal bill she did not like, stated that she is not sure that more troops are the solution in Afghanistan, and she said so after a whole two days spent in that country. The knowledge Sen. Collins gained from her two days visit will stump the assertions of McCrystal and Patreaus, Michael Yon and Bing West, and countless of officers and NCOs from the field who are hoping for more troops to get the job done. What these politicians are missing is that those personally involved in the conflict, those who fight it and those who personally cover it, and their families here at home, support the maximum effort possible because that is the only way to accomplish the mission and to shorten the times of our involvement. But these knowledgeable people in the field do not have a re-election problem.
And speaking of getting the mission accomplished, at times the strategic view overshadows the tactical one. And that is the case regarding the ROE (Rules Of Engagement) as they have been delineated by McCrystal, doubtless under direction from his superiors. From a strategic point of view, the current ROE are very sensible and heart warming: limit the civilian casualties and collateral damages at any cost. Sure this approach will sway some portion of the population, but the cost is potentially too high at the tactical level.
The NATO Military Command is investigating an incident early in the month when it appears that the new ROEs have cost the lives of four Marines in the Helmand Province. According to the allegations that gave thrust to the investigation, a group of Marines who were training Afghani troops was ambushed by a superior Taliban force. The Marines requested an artillery mission which was denied citing the risk of inflicting civilian casualties. The request, which appears to have been made several times, was also denied because air cover for these troops was supposed to be only five minutes away. In actuality, the helicopter gunships that rushed to the scene, took about one hour to reach the location and provide the air support needed. The refusal of artillery support and the delay of air cover resulted fatal for 4 Marines and 8 Afghani soldiers.
So yes the strategic side of the current ROE is positive and gives all the always important “feel good” sensation, but I personally find it hard to see that silver lining if my thoughts go to the families of those Marines who lost their lives and the families of all the Fallen.
My feeling of frustration is shared by many around the country and around the world. in the aftermath of the attack conducted by the Taliban against an Italian convoy in Kabul last week, a horrible suicide car bomb that took the lives of six Italian troopers and many more Afghani army and civilians, I recently found an editorial on the Italian Newspaper Corriere della Sera that basically delineated the feeling many of us in the US have. The author of the editorial, Sergio Romano, properly titled it The Cost of Ambiguity. In the article, Mr. Romano is asking the question of what is the real purpose of the presence of the Italian troops in Afghanistan. He is alluding to the Italian Constitution provision that renounces war, provision that was introduced just following the disastrous Italian adventure and defeat of WWII. Ever since the post-war era, Italy only deployed its Military as “peace troops” in locations like Lebanon and Kosovo and Iraq after America’s invasion. The point Mr. Romano is making is that national prestige may be enhanced by the military participation of Italian troops, but does not make good common sense to have “peace keeping troops” in a combat zone. If the troops are sent in hostile areas, where they can expect to be subjected to hostile activities, such troops should be trained, prepared and especially equipped for combat, regardless of the prevailing anti-war liberal sentiment of the country. In Sergio Romano’s view, doing anything less for the deployed soldiers, having a ambiguous approach to war is an insult to the nation and its fallen. And I could not agree more with the man.
I still support our mission in Afghanistan, but what I see in our pseudo leadership in Washington is an increasing ambiguity of intent. We don’t want to call it victory. We don’t want to call the enemy terrorist. We are suspending offensive operations on the UN Day of Peace. We are diluting our mission to the point that even the mission objective has become blurred. The politicians grandstand, using our Military as a political tool, while the families of those in harm’s way still live every day with the anxiety and concern. The last thing we want to witness from elected officials in Washington is defeatism and abuse of our sons and daughters in the name of re-election, and our wish, actually a demand, is that politicians stop playing politics with our children.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
President Obama stated not too long ago that the goal in Afghanistan was not to achieve victory. Paraphrasing his remarks on the subject, it appears that Mr. Obama sees an uncomfortable imagery in the word “victory” as it reminds him of the Japanese emperor Hiroito signing the unconditional surrender of Japan on the deck of the USS Missouri.
Even if we want to forgive Obama apparent ignorance of American history (after all it is not really his fault if he attended Columbia and Harvard), I am not ready to give the man a pass when it comes to his rejection of the concept of US victory in Afghanistan.
If the Commander-in-Chief is not inclined to seek and achieve victory as our Military bleeds and dies in the desolation of the Afghani mountains and deserts, why is our Military asked to sacrifice in that land? If not victory, what would he call the purpose of their mission?
I must have been wrong in believing that the purpose for sending American troops in harm’s way was for the purpose of achieving victory. So what is it, Mr. Obama?
General McCrystal, commander of our troops in theater, is preparing a report that he is going to present to the civilian leadership on his assessment of what is needed for our country to achieve the objective in Afghanistan, provided that we have an objective. It is almost sure that the general will be asking for additional troops to improve security on the ground and to train the local police and army.
Speaker Pelosi, in her inexorable pursuit of personal gain even if it means America’s interests are violated, came out warning Obama that she may oppose any additional funding and troops for Afghanistan. Her justification is based on the polls that are telling her that the American people are not supporting the war effort any longer, and that an escalation may become a political liability, which really means that it may be costly when the next elections come around. Once again, the San Francisco madam is more preoccupied about her re-election than about doing the right thing for America and our troops. It is my take that she must have her finger on the pulse of her hippies constituents back on the Left coast and that she may be somewhat challenged in November 2010.
And in a typical example of “you are judged by the company you keep” situation, she is supported by Rep. John Murtha, the ex-Marine who is always ready to dump on the Military. As the chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, Murtha described himself very “nervous” about an Afghani version of a troop surge. It is obvious that he feels politically vulnerable for his chances of re-election in 2010 (by the way, his challenger last November, retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell, gave him a good scare even without much of a campaign, to the point that George Soros had to pour millions in Murtha’s campaign), but Murtha remains uncommitted as he must not feel sure about the polls as Nancy is.
Then there is Senate Majority Harry Reid, who is basically in the fight of his life for his political future in Nevada. He trails against just about everybody, including the city of Phoenix dog catcher. The cadaverous Reid is keeping a very low profile and on the subject as he cautions everyone to hold judgment until Obama has spoken.
Besides the mentally ill Russ Feingold, who wants Obama to take all the troops out right now, there is Michigan Sen. Carl Levin who took the opportunity of the 8th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to regurgitate the same call to more training of Afghani forces, but also saying that without a similar to Iraq troop surge, he does not see any possibility to success in Afghanistan.
I can understand the conundrum the wanna-look-like-Benjamin Franklin Levin is in as he is senator of a state with the largest population of Middle Easterners in the country. Surely we do not want to upset the Muslims!
Arizona Sen. John McCain expressed his disapproval of the Democrats’ resistance to the need of more troops in Afghanistan. And this is a rare occasion where I actually agree with McCain, when he calls for a doubling of American troops in theater. It is only by having a greater presence that the Afghani population will, just as it happened in Iraq, feel that there are other alternatives to the Taliban. It is certain that the road to security is a long one in that country, where the presence of the central government has been mostly inexistent for years, especially in the most remote corners of the country.
So I would definitely agree with the proponents of a robust increase of troops in Afghanistan, also agreeing with Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mullen.
Few days back I watched a C-Span program where Mullen and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates were responding the questions of a group of journalists. As I watched, one of the answers Gates gave about a troop surge made me want to scream at him. I have respect for Mr. Gates, but I was disappointed by his reasoning behind his reluctance to increase troop level in Afghanistan.
His reasoning was that in his view, there is a blurred line between having enough troops on the ground to inspire the locals about security, and having too many troops alienating the population. He mentioned a comparison with the British presence of the last century and the Soviet occupation of the 1980s and 1990s.
I know Mr. Gates is a smart man and he sure is more informed than I could ever be, but comparing our current efforts in the remote areas of that country with British colonialism and especially with the brutal occupation directed by the Kremlin is really inconceivable.
And again the voices of defeatism resound from the halls of Congress with people like the Senator from California Dianne Feinstein, who expects a time limit on our mission in Afghanistan. Even if a classified answer is given to the proper entities in Congress regarding the strategic planning of our Military, it has been proven before that classified info is such only in name and leaks are the common operational occurrence in Washington. Mrs. Feinstein herself divulged a piece of classified information few months ago when she admitted that CIA and Special Forces UAV’s were operating from Pakistani soil in attacking the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Just like so many liberals were eager to point out to any complacent media outlet they could find only few years ago about Iraq, Feinstein does not believe that our efforts in Afghanistan can be successful. Just as the Military families of those who served in Iraq were treated to such a level of defeatism, they are now treated to the same rhetoric about Afghanistan.
Moreover, from the Senate, Maine’s Susan Collins, the Republican Senator that never saw a liberal bill she did not like, stated that she is not sure that more troops are the solution in Afghanistan, and she said so after a whole two days spent in that country. The knowledge Sen. Collins gained from her two days visit will stump the assertions of McCrystal and Patreaus, Michael Yon and Bing West, and countless of officers and NCOs from the field who are hoping for more troops to get the job done. What these politicians are missing is that those personally involved in the conflict, those who fight it and those who personally cover it, and their families here at home, support the maximum effort possible because that is the only way to accomplish the mission and to shorten the times of our involvement. But these knowledgeable people in the field do not have a re-election problem.
And speaking of getting the mission accomplished, at times the strategic view overshadows the tactical one. And that is the case regarding the ROE (Rules Of Engagement) as they have been delineated by McCrystal, doubtless under direction from his superiors. From a strategic point of view, the current ROE are very sensible and heart warming: limit the civilian casualties and collateral damages at any cost. Sure this approach will sway some portion of the population, but the cost is potentially too high at the tactical level.
The NATO Military Command is investigating an incident early in the month when it appears that the new ROEs have cost the lives of four Marines in the Helmand Province. According to the allegations that gave thrust to the investigation, a group of Marines who were training Afghani troops was ambushed by a superior Taliban force. The Marines requested an artillery mission which was denied citing the risk of inflicting civilian casualties. The request, which appears to have been made several times, was also denied because air cover for these troops was supposed to be only five minutes away. In actuality, the helicopter gunships that rushed to the scene, took about one hour to reach the location and provide the air support needed. The refusal of artillery support and the delay of air cover resulted fatal for 4 Marines and 8 Afghani soldiers.
So yes the strategic side of the current ROE is positive and gives all the always important “feel good” sensation, but I personally find it hard to see that silver lining if my thoughts go to the families of those Marines who lost their lives and the families of all the Fallen.
My feeling of frustration is shared by many around the country and around the world. in the aftermath of the attack conducted by the Taliban against an Italian convoy in Kabul last week, a horrible suicide car bomb that took the lives of six Italian troopers and many more Afghani army and civilians, I recently found an editorial on the Italian Newspaper Corriere della Sera that basically delineated the feeling many of us in the US have. The author of the editorial, Sergio Romano, properly titled it The Cost of Ambiguity. In the article, Mr. Romano is asking the question of what is the real purpose of the presence of the Italian troops in Afghanistan. He is alluding to the Italian Constitution provision that renounces war, provision that was introduced just following the disastrous Italian adventure and defeat of WWII. Ever since the post-war era, Italy only deployed its Military as “peace troops” in locations like Lebanon and Kosovo and Iraq after America’s invasion. The point Mr. Romano is making is that national prestige may be enhanced by the military participation of Italian troops, but does not make good common sense to have “peace keeping troops” in a combat zone. If the troops are sent in hostile areas, where they can expect to be subjected to hostile activities, such troops should be trained, prepared and especially equipped for combat, regardless of the prevailing anti-war liberal sentiment of the country. In Sergio Romano’s view, doing anything less for the deployed soldiers, having a ambiguous approach to war is an insult to the nation and its fallen. And I could not agree more with the man.
I still support our mission in Afghanistan, but what I see in our pseudo leadership in Washington is an increasing ambiguity of intent. We don’t want to call it victory. We don’t want to call the enemy terrorist. We are suspending offensive operations on the UN Day of Peace. We are diluting our mission to the point that even the mission objective has become blurred. The politicians grandstand, using our Military as a political tool, while the families of those in harm’s way still live every day with the anxiety and concern. The last thing we want to witness from elected officials in Washington is defeatism and abuse of our sons and daughters in the name of re-election, and our wish, actually a demand, is that politicians stop playing politics with our children.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Happy Anniversary, Poland!
17 September 2009
Seventy Years ago today, the Soviet Union invaded Poland, in accordance to the secret non-aggression pact that had been signed by Molotov for Stalin and Ribbentrop for Hitler. Today is the anniversary of the disappearance of a nation, as the Third Reich forces had already been advancing through the Polish country since September 1.
Today, to celebrate that horrible day for the Polish country, Obama killed the planned installation of missile defense equipment in Poland, kneeling to the powers and demands of the Kremlin.
Obama did so in his flowery style eloquence, which surely will give a tingle up the leg of so many of his cult followers. What remains a reality is that the Polish coutry, who has always looked up to the United States as a sample of freedom and justice, will now have a reason to resent us.
Job well done, Mr. President. Another of our allies dumped! Another nail in the coffin of international freedom.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank Semperpapa
Seventy Years ago today, the Soviet Union invaded Poland, in accordance to the secret non-aggression pact that had been signed by Molotov for Stalin and Ribbentrop for Hitler. Today is the anniversary of the disappearance of a nation, as the Third Reich forces had already been advancing through the Polish country since September 1.
Today, to celebrate that horrible day for the Polish country, Obama killed the planned installation of missile defense equipment in Poland, kneeling to the powers and demands of the Kremlin.
Obama did so in his flowery style eloquence, which surely will give a tingle up the leg of so many of his cult followers. What remains a reality is that the Polish coutry, who has always looked up to the United States as a sample of freedom and justice, will now have a reason to resent us.
Job well done, Mr. President. Another of our allies dumped! Another nail in the coffin of international freedom.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank Semperpapa
Good Morning!
17 September 2009
Love to wake up to disturbing news, and they are always there waiting for me.
According to a report from Afghanistan, General McCrystal has declared that on September 21, the Coalition forces in country will suspend offensive operations to observe the annual United Nation Day of Peace.
No, really, I am not bullshitting you. Afghani president Karzai ordered all his forces to suspend offensive operations and McCrystal followed suit.
Of course, McCrystal statement added, Coalition forces will retain the right to self defense. Should we say thank you?
I pinched myself this morning as I read this, first thing in the morning, as I could not believe what I was seeing.
My question is very simple: who was the frigging genius who came up with this? Was it McCrystal or did he get his marching orders from the Pentagon? Maybe the State Department? The White House?
Whoever was, wherever this bad move came from, the American people, especially the American Military families have the right to know, so that we can hold these morons responsible for the casualties that will occur on 21 September.
And according to the new ROE it appears that if Bin Laden himself will be seen roaming the countryside, we will not be able to do anything about, as it would be an offensive action. Moreover, publicly advertising such a travesty will give the enemy a way, a whole day to further plan attacks and IEDs in perfect safety.
Fucking geniuses!
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Love to wake up to disturbing news, and they are always there waiting for me.
According to a report from Afghanistan, General McCrystal has declared that on September 21, the Coalition forces in country will suspend offensive operations to observe the annual United Nation Day of Peace.
No, really, I am not bullshitting you. Afghani president Karzai ordered all his forces to suspend offensive operations and McCrystal followed suit.
Of course, McCrystal statement added, Coalition forces will retain the right to self defense. Should we say thank you?
I pinched myself this morning as I read this, first thing in the morning, as I could not believe what I was seeing.
My question is very simple: who was the frigging genius who came up with this? Was it McCrystal or did he get his marching orders from the Pentagon? Maybe the State Department? The White House?
Whoever was, wherever this bad move came from, the American people, especially the American Military families have the right to know, so that we can hold these morons responsible for the casualties that will occur on 21 September.
And according to the new ROE it appears that if Bin Laden himself will be seen roaming the countryside, we will not be able to do anything about, as it would be an offensive action. Moreover, publicly advertising such a travesty will give the enemy a way, a whole day to further plan attacks and IEDs in perfect safety.
Fucking geniuses!
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Incovenienced Driver
13 September 2009
I have seen this before: a funeral procession for a fallen Hero from the Military, the obvious congestion it creates and drivers who just don’t get it and have no respect. This is from BlackFive.net.
First is the letter of complaint.
I tried to call you earlier this morning, but was unable to obtain your extension from the voice mail system as I was not sure of your first name or correct spelling of your last.
I was inadvertently in this procession as I was leaving work on 270 from Creve Coeur and proceeding on Hwy. 30 West. I have some issues and complaints. I called the Sheriff's office last night, but the officer in charge would not speak with me. His name was Corp. Curtis. I am in no way complaining about your officers. I, however, was not treated very fairly when I called last evening because I wanted a ticket/complaint/or at least a slap on wrist for the people involved. Let me explain: 1) This procession should never have been held during rush hour traffic! Hwy. 270 is dangerous and people drive way too fast and there is too much traffic. This soldier's certainly would not have want his family hurt on the interstate taking him to Cedar Hill. People were dead-stopping on the interstate even though the procession was in the far right lane, the other three lanes just stopped. There were many near accidents and possibly were after I drove through. I was in the 2nd to left lane, no way obstructing the funeral procession. 2) I exited off on Gravois (30 W), far right lane. Your police officers went in the left lane to stop any additional on-coming traffic so the procession could exit off 270 into the LEFT lane of 30. Again, I was in the right lane. The St. Louis County officer stopped and turned around at Weber Hill to return on 270 after the procession passed. 3) The road was not closed. (Only for president as far as I know.) Again, the road was not closed. Your officers only had the left lane blocked/closed for the funeral. All other traffic by MO law can proceed as long as they do not interfere (weave in and out )with funeral procession. Let me say, that I did not know what was happening. I knew the did not have Kennedy coming to STL, at least not yesterday. I was at work all day. No news. Nothing reported on the traffic on the radio driving home. Anyway, two of these dirty, nasty, renegade, who knows what motorcycle men that were escorting the procession proceeded to stop in front of me in the right lane on Gravois. I had to stop in the middle of an intersection. They proceeded to scream and yell at me about respecting this soldier, etc. One of them climbed off his motorcycle and came over to me and stuck his head in my car continuing to scream at me. I asked him what this was for and he told me I needed to stop as the officers had the road blocked and show some dang respect. #1, the road was not blocked, the funeral was in the other lane. #2, I am proud of our country and sorry for the family, but they had no idea where I was going or anything else. I could have a child at day-care, I could have been sick and racing to the bathroom, I could have a sick parent waiting for me, etc., etc. #3, They are not law enforcement and had no right to stop in the lane on Gravois and they had no right to scream at me and intimidate and threaten me. If I would have had my pepper spray, I would have used it on this nasty man! He is just a big hoo ha that is not even related to this soldier. The other man did not get off his scooter, but was along side of my passenger window screaming. I left an abusive husband 1 1/2 years ago and I did not need this intimidation. I was livid and shaking!! My son is a deputy sheriff in another MO county. I respect police officers. It was not their fault as they were busy with traffic, but I called to make them aware of what was going on during this thing. The St. Louis County officer saw it but of course he was out of jurisdiction. However, I called last night and your office asked me if I knew about this soldier. Again, I am sorry about him, but I am a taxpayer. I got a speeding ticket a few months ago and paid the fine. I do not deserve to be treated like this. I wanted to let the officer know how these men were acting. Also, they were driving into the turnarounds on Hwy. 30 and then back onto the road. the funeral was much further ahead. One of them nearly got hit by me and other people almost hit him and another as well. I wanted to lodge a complaint about them why they were still there, but no one in your office would take any information or do anything. This was not a military funeral, even though it was a soldier. There were not military vehicles. It was a funeral and the road was not closed, the lane was closed, I was in the other lane and again, these nasty men had no right to do this and I would have liked them to get a ticket! I am sorry for the soldier and his family but you cannot let these motorcycle renegades do this. They could have caused several accidents and I really wanted them arrested. If they had any respect for the soldier they would have dressed better and not looked and acted so scuzzy.
Thank you.
I have seen this before: a funeral procession for a fallen Hero from the Military, the obvious congestion it creates and drivers who just don’t get it and have no respect. This is from BlackFive.net.
First is the letter of complaint.
I tried to call you earlier this morning, but was unable to obtain your extension from the voice mail system as I was not sure of your first name or correct spelling of your last.
I was inadvertently in this procession as I was leaving work on 270 from Creve Coeur and proceeding on Hwy. 30 West. I have some issues and complaints. I called the Sheriff's office last night, but the officer in charge would not speak with me. His name was Corp. Curtis. I am in no way complaining about your officers. I, however, was not treated very fairly when I called last evening because I wanted a ticket/complaint/or at least a slap on wrist for the people involved. Let me explain: 1) This procession should never have been held during rush hour traffic! Hwy. 270 is dangerous and people drive way too fast and there is too much traffic. This soldier's certainly would not have want his family hurt on the interstate taking him to Cedar Hill. People were dead-stopping on the interstate even though the procession was in the far right lane, the other three lanes just stopped. There were many near accidents and possibly were after I drove through. I was in the 2nd to left lane, no way obstructing the funeral procession. 2) I exited off on Gravois (30 W), far right lane. Your police officers went in the left lane to stop any additional on-coming traffic so the procession could exit off 270 into the LEFT lane of 30. Again, I was in the right lane. The St. Louis County officer stopped and turned around at Weber Hill to return on 270 after the procession passed. 3) The road was not closed. (Only for president as far as I know.) Again, the road was not closed. Your officers only had the left lane blocked/closed for the funeral. All other traffic by MO law can proceed as long as they do not interfere (weave in and out )with funeral procession. Let me say, that I did not know what was happening. I knew the did not have Kennedy coming to STL, at least not yesterday. I was at work all day. No news. Nothing reported on the traffic on the radio driving home. Anyway, two of these dirty, nasty, renegade, who knows what motorcycle men that were escorting the procession proceeded to stop in front of me in the right lane on Gravois. I had to stop in the middle of an intersection. They proceeded to scream and yell at me about respecting this soldier, etc. One of them climbed off his motorcycle and came over to me and stuck his head in my car continuing to scream at me. I asked him what this was for and he told me I needed to stop as the officers had the road blocked and show some dang respect. #1, the road was not blocked, the funeral was in the other lane. #2, I am proud of our country and sorry for the family, but they had no idea where I was going or anything else. I could have a child at day-care, I could have been sick and racing to the bathroom, I could have a sick parent waiting for me, etc., etc. #3, They are not law enforcement and had no right to stop in the lane on Gravois and they had no right to scream at me and intimidate and threaten me. If I would have had my pepper spray, I would have used it on this nasty man! He is just a big hoo ha that is not even related to this soldier. The other man did not get off his scooter, but was along side of my passenger window screaming. I left an abusive husband 1 1/2 years ago and I did not need this intimidation. I was livid and shaking!! My son is a deputy sheriff in another MO county. I respect police officers. It was not their fault as they were busy with traffic, but I called to make them aware of what was going on during this thing. The St. Louis County officer saw it but of course he was out of jurisdiction. However, I called last night and your office asked me if I knew about this soldier. Again, I am sorry about him, but I am a taxpayer. I got a speeding ticket a few months ago and paid the fine. I do not deserve to be treated like this. I wanted to let the officer know how these men were acting. Also, they were driving into the turnarounds on Hwy. 30 and then back onto the road. the funeral was much further ahead. One of them nearly got hit by me and other people almost hit him and another as well. I wanted to lodge a complaint about them why they were still there, but no one in your office would take any information or do anything. This was not a military funeral, even though it was a soldier. There were not military vehicles. It was a funeral and the road was not closed, the lane was closed, I was in the other lane and again, these nasty men had no right to do this and I would have liked them to get a ticket! I am sorry for the soldier and his family but you cannot let these motorcycle renegades do this. They could have caused several accidents and I really wanted them arrested. If they had any respect for the soldier they would have dressed better and not looked and acted so scuzzy.
Thank you.
And this is the response from the Sheriff’s Office. Love it when I read of good, old fashion lawmen!
From: Glenn Boyer/JEFFCO Date: 08/31/2009 02:05 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Re: Funeral Procession - Yesterday p.m.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear XXXXX:
Yes, you do deserve a response and I am willing to give you one.
I would like to say that I am sorry for the inconvenience we caused you during the funeral procession of Sergeant 1st Class William B. Woods, but I cannot do so. I would ask instead that you take a moment of your time to take into consideration the scope of the event. Your very right to complain was the reason Sgt. Woods fought for his country and ultimately gave his life; thus making the ultimate sacrifice for you and your family.
Let me introduce you to him. After high school, Sergeant Woods entered the Marine Corps. After his contract was up, he joined the Army, where he became a Green Beret. He comes from a long line of military members in his family. His Uncle is a Vietnam Veteran and two of his grandfathers were World War II Veterans. His job in the Army was one of the most dangerous jobs - he was a sniper looking for the bad guys to stop before they killed or injured one of our soldiers. He has numerous decorations to include the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
He grew up in Catawissa and was best known by his middle name, Brian. He enjoyed the outdoors, playing sports, and skydiving. He had a wife, Elizabeth, and two daughters, whom he loved dearly. He was a soft-spoken, level-headed young man who was proud to serve his country no matter what the risk. Now, I did not know him, but I wish I did. I am quoting from newspaper articles written about him.
At the young age of 31, he was shot during an engagement with Taliban forces in Ghanzi , Afghanistan . He died of his wounds in Germany on August 16, with his family by his side. He did not choose the time of his death, nor did he choose the time his remains would be brought back to his home in Catawissa. He just did his duty. He was quite a young man.
While you were being inconvenienced in your car on your way home, there were soldiers just like Sergeant Woods carrying 100+ pounds of equipment in 120 degree heat, up some mountain or in the middle of some desert. They will shower out of a helmet liner if they get the chance. They will eat a cold meal of MRE's; something most people would consider garbage. They cannot text their family or friends, or go to McDonalds, or watch TV. They can only continue the mission and look out after the guy to the left and right of them. They don't complain because they know they volunteered. The only thing they ask is that we do not forget the sacrifices they have made.
One of the dirty "big hoo ha" bikers, as you call them, was Brian's uncle, a Vietnam Veteran, like myself. We were not treated with a homecoming. We were spit on and called baby killers by a misguided public. Brian's uncle was giving him the respect that he, himself, never received when he came back and I, for one, am proud of him for doing so.
You say that your brother is a deputy in another Missouri county. I am sure he would be proud to escort the casket of a fallen solder, the same as he would that of a fallen officer. I am also sure he would not agree with your complaint about being inconvenienced.
My mother recently passed away. She was a World War II Veteran, serving the U.S. Army. She would say, maybe you should pick up Sergeant Woods' ruck sack and carry on where he left off. Then you could see first hand what it really is to be inconvenienced.
Per your request, I will forward your complaint to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for his review. It is my personal opinion that your complaint is self-serving and without merit.
Sheriff Oliver "Glenn" Boyer
This is Sgt. First Class William “Brian” Woods, 32. May he Rest in Peace and may God be with his wife and his two little girls. As for the complainer, well, ma’am, happy trails to you.
Sgt. First Class William "Brian" Woods, KIA August 2009, Afghanistan.
Rest In Peace
There is not much I can add to Sheriff Boyer's words. Here is a video of the news report.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
History Lesson
13 September 2009
This was written by David Kaiser. Who is Mr. Kaiser?
David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C. , Albany , New York , and Dakar , Senegal .. He attended Harvard University , graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University . Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.
Dr. David Kaiser
History Unfolding
I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years.
The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it?
I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy.. Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska .. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)
Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.And that is only the beginning..As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.
How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ... change. And the people surely got what they voted for. If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books. So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to. Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me..I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.
David Kaiser
Jamestown , Rhode Island
United States
Unfortunately, I saw the same trend even before the 2008 elections. And my knowledge of History does not even come close to Dr. Kaiser’s. This is truly frightening.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
This was written by David Kaiser. Who is Mr. Kaiser?
David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C. , Albany , New York , and Dakar , Senegal .. He attended Harvard University , graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University . Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.
Dr. David Kaiser
History Unfolding
I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years.
The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it?
I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy.. Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska .. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)
Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.And that is only the beginning..As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.
How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ... change. And the people surely got what they voted for. If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books. So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to. Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me..I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.
David Kaiser
Jamestown , Rhode Island
United States
Unfortunately, I saw the same trend even before the 2008 elections. And my knowledge of History does not even come close to Dr. Kaiser’s. This is truly frightening.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Friday, September 11, 2009
Eight Years Ago
United Flight 175 just crushed into South Tower
Firetruck attempts to fight flames at the Pentagon
Authorities examine the crater where United Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, PA
11 September 2009
Since that faithful crispy day of September when America changed, life in our Nation has continued pretty much unaltered, at least for the majority of the American people.
The push has been to maintain as normal a life as possible, with the excuse that any disruption to our way of life could be considered a victory for the enemy.
Images and writing about that horrible day in September have subsided, almost as if the general consensus was that we, as a Nation, did not need to concentrate, and some people called it obsess, over the tragedy we experienced.
One of the disturbing trends I have noticed is the increasing tendency on the part of the population in America to remain distant from any event that does not directly impact their everyday life. We have become a country of noticeable indifference, more preoccupied about our little sliver of existence than the National ideals that used to be so dear and important to us.
For decades after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the mood of American remained set that another incident like that was not going to repeat itself. The Day of Infamy, as precisely called by Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, was going to be avenged and never forgotten. To this day and in spite of the fast diminishing population of survivors of that day, we still remember and commemorate the events of that Sunday morning so long ago. To this day millions every year visit the Arizona Memorial and silently, respectfully pay tribute to the memory of those who perished.
And even after more than six decades, the grainy images of the attack occasionally appear on the television in documentaries and news reports.
Commemorating Pearl Harbor day is not just a measure of respect and gratitude for those who were there that day, but it is also the marking of the beginning of the era when the United States became an international Superpower, surpassing every other country in the world.
American entry in WWII that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor unleashed two major capabilities of our country. One was the economic potential that the Nation possessed thanks to the natural resources, the industrial development and ingenuity. The second, and most important, was the unity that the American people re-discovered as a foreign threat became apparent. Everyone in the country united behind its leadership and especially behind the Military. The vast majority of American families had someone fighting overseas, either in the European theater or in the Pacific. And those who remained stateside were mostly involved in the production of the necessary tools needed to support our Military in their efforts.
Ultimately it was these circumstances that brought victory to America, and freedom to Europe and countless territories in the Pacific and across the globe.
But even after Japan had been defeated, December 7 1941 remained a “Day of Infamy” and was, and still is, memorialized as such.
But the Day of Infamy was amply surpassed in its tragedy but a crisp, sunny September morning in 2001. In one major aspect, the attacks against America on 9-11-01 were greatly more infamous than Pearl Harbor: the installations attacked by the Japanese were military sites, the attackers wore a country’s military uniform and had strategic reasoning behind it. The attacks perpetrated by the Islamic terrorists on 9-11 were, with the exception of the Pentagon, directed against civilian targets by animals who, at least some of the 19 terrorist, had lived in the United States and who wore no uniforms. There was no strategic value attached to the Twin Towers. And even the Pentagon, crushing one plane into the massive building was surely not going to have any valuable strategic return for the terrorists.
The only strategic value in the attack could have been if the terrorists would have been able to steer Flight 77 into the White House, instead of the Pentagon, and killed the President.
So, in my opinion, the infamy of 9-11-01 was greater that that of 12-7-41, as it was aimed at simply inflicting as many civilian casualties as possible and creating the highest level of popular terror. It is also my opinion that the collapse of the WTC was a premium result of the attack, a unpredicted fortune that Osama bin Laden could have not dreamt of.
The aftermath of the attacks of September 11 were documented extensively by the Media. Countless hours of heart-wrenching stories of people now gone, of relatives looking for their loved ones who will never go home, of firefighters and policemen and emergency personnel who died in the service of others. There were poignant pictures and videos of the planes hitting the towers and blood-chilling images of poor souls jumping from the towers, exercising their last measure of control by selecting to crush hundreds of feet below rather than burn alive. And the Media was prompt in showing these dramatic images.
Since that faithful crispy day of September when America changed, life in our Nation has continued pretty much unaltered, at least for the majority of the American people.
The push has been to maintain as normal a life as possible, with the excuse that any disruption to our way of life could be considered a victory for the enemy.
Images and writing about that horrible day in September have subsided, almost as if the general consensus was that we, as a Nation, did not need to concentrate, and some people called it obsess, over the tragedy we experienced.
One of the disturbing trends I have noticed is the increasing tendency on the part of the population in America to remain distant from any event that does not directly impact their everyday life. We have become a country of noticeable indifference, more preoccupied about our little sliver of existence than the National ideals that used to be so dear and important to us.
For decades after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the mood of American remained set that another incident like that was not going to repeat itself. The Day of Infamy, as precisely called by Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, was going to be avenged and never forgotten. To this day and in spite of the fast diminishing population of survivors of that day, we still remember and commemorate the events of that Sunday morning so long ago. To this day millions every year visit the Arizona Memorial and silently, respectfully pay tribute to the memory of those who perished.
And even after more than six decades, the grainy images of the attack occasionally appear on the television in documentaries and news reports.
Commemorating Pearl Harbor day is not just a measure of respect and gratitude for those who were there that day, but it is also the marking of the beginning of the era when the United States became an international Superpower, surpassing every other country in the world.
American entry in WWII that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor unleashed two major capabilities of our country. One was the economic potential that the Nation possessed thanks to the natural resources, the industrial development and ingenuity. The second, and most important, was the unity that the American people re-discovered as a foreign threat became apparent. Everyone in the country united behind its leadership and especially behind the Military. The vast majority of American families had someone fighting overseas, either in the European theater or in the Pacific. And those who remained stateside were mostly involved in the production of the necessary tools needed to support our Military in their efforts.
Ultimately it was these circumstances that brought victory to America, and freedom to Europe and countless territories in the Pacific and across the globe.
But even after Japan had been defeated, December 7 1941 remained a “Day of Infamy” and was, and still is, memorialized as such.
But the Day of Infamy was amply surpassed in its tragedy but a crisp, sunny September morning in 2001. In one major aspect, the attacks against America on 9-11-01 were greatly more infamous than Pearl Harbor: the installations attacked by the Japanese were military sites, the attackers wore a country’s military uniform and had strategic reasoning behind it. The attacks perpetrated by the Islamic terrorists on 9-11 were, with the exception of the Pentagon, directed against civilian targets by animals who, at least some of the 19 terrorist, had lived in the United States and who wore no uniforms. There was no strategic value attached to the Twin Towers. And even the Pentagon, crushing one plane into the massive building was surely not going to have any valuable strategic return for the terrorists.
The only strategic value in the attack could have been if the terrorists would have been able to steer Flight 77 into the White House, instead of the Pentagon, and killed the President.
So, in my opinion, the infamy of 9-11-01 was greater that that of 12-7-41, as it was aimed at simply inflicting as many civilian casualties as possible and creating the highest level of popular terror. It is also my opinion that the collapse of the WTC was a premium result of the attack, a unpredicted fortune that Osama bin Laden could have not dreamt of.
The aftermath of the attacks of September 11 were documented extensively by the Media. Countless hours of heart-wrenching stories of people now gone, of relatives looking for their loved ones who will never go home, of firefighters and policemen and emergency personnel who died in the service of others. There were poignant pictures and videos of the planes hitting the towers and blood-chilling images of poor souls jumping from the towers, exercising their last measure of control by selecting to crush hundreds of feet below rather than burn alive. And the Media was prompt in showing these dramatic images.
United Flight 175 about to strike the South Tower
Making the ultimate choice: jumping instead of burning alive.
Then almost overnight, political correctness took hold of America again. Even as the stories and images continued to be shown, the most revealing pictures of that day begun to disappear. Images of falling bodies, of the planes flying into the towers, of bloody wounded and dead stopped being shown in fear that the American people would backlash against the Muslim population in America. The pressure from Islamic groups placed upon American leadership, including President Bush, created a process of sanitizing aimed at making sure that people across America would not go out of their homes and take their frustration and growing hatred out on the innocent Muslims living among us.
Interestingly enough, incidents of violence against such people was surprisingly minimal, even before the ban on graphic images was self-inflicted by the news organizations. Even more interestingly, the same Islamic groups, C.A.I.R. comes to mind, never actually came out and openly express their outrage about the attacks. Sure they denounced violence and the death of innocents, but always in the context of protecting themselves. I do not recall any prominent Imam from an American mosque actually come out on national television and denounce the actions of the al-Qaeda terrorist as an insult to the religion of Islam.
The American people were also treated to images coming from outside the country. Scenes of disbelief and condolences from places like Great Britain and France and Australia, but also images from the Palestinian territories, where people were dancing in the streets and passing out candies in celebration. Well the images of condolence continued to appear, but the vile, offensive images of Muslims celebrating also were removed and sanitized.
FDNY Chaplain's body being taken away after being struck and killed by a jumper
Cameras immortalized images of the horror and destruction, of people who died helping others, only to be relegated to the hidden archives of history, where they remain hidden so to cater to the small minority crying for protection from a nonexistent enemy. But the images are there and so is the indignation of many Americans.
In the aftermath of the attacks, thousands of young men and women rushed to the recruiting offices of the Armed Forces in a fashion reminiscing, on a small scale, of the same rush experience after Pearl Harbor. It was obvious, to the majority of the American people, that war had been declared against our country by the obscure forces of evil Islamic terrorism. What the average American did not realize was that the 9-11 attacks were just another battle our enemy engaged us, as the war had been going on for years already. Suddenly, on that day, the average American felt vulnerable. Rumors of impending similar attacks in Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Luis and many other urban centers in the States, made people uneasy and almost every American realized, just as Americans on Dec 7 1941 that such an infamous act of belligerence had to be responded to.
People react in shock to the view of the carnage at the WTC
I say almost, because by 2001 the American spirit of self-preservation, of national rage was so diluted that there were people walking our streets that just did not get it. I cannot forget one of my co-workers at the time. As we were watching the images on the cafeteria television, the South tower begun collapsing, and the couple dozen people assembled in the room gasped loudly. I was standing incredulous next to this man and muttered the words “this is war!” at which point he proceeded to chastise me: “war, war why you have to think about war right away!”
I was truly dumbfounded. Here we are watching the same images of the WTC crumbling down, knowing so well that thousands of people inside would have no chance of surviving, just after we witnessed a deliberate act of terrorism, of war, perpetrated against our country, and this moron is admonishing me regarding my use of the word “war”. I only had two ways I saw fit to respond as I was not in the mood to have a rational debate: one was to punch him right in his face or to ignore him. So I ignored him.
With the exception of those who fundamentally hate America and those whose only reason for living in our Nation is to take advantage of its opportunities, the rest of America, regardless of political affiliation, was completely appalled by the horror they witnessed in New York, Washington and Shanksville. It was mainly the sense of defenselessness we felt as the idea of 19 terrorists armed with box cutters could inflict such a heavy toll in casualties was beyond our comfort zone, our comprehension.
But it took only few hours before the resolution that the American people had shown in times past sparked a sense of patriotism, a sense of unity, a feeling of rejection for such indiscriminate carnage that united the people in the desire for those who masterminded the attack to be eliminated. The country rallied around President Bush and its administration in search of, for lack of better word, revenge. Once again it appeared as if the giant had been awoken.
Unfortunately, those sentiments were destined to be short lived, as the traditional principles that had guided Americans from the time of the Revolution through the years, those principles of love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it, those principles of rejection of indiscriminate violence against our citizens had been diluted by a current of thought that saw America as an Imperialistic nation bent on controlling the world. A new generation of young people had had their minds altered by an academic system controlled by those who in the 1960s had been the pillars of the cultural revolution against America. Those hippies who were the butt of derision as pot smoking, free love morons were now part of most Universities faculties, flanked by countless Middle Eastern immigrants that had come to America to conduct their studies. These people, whom I consider to be moles in our system, received financial support from the governments of countries that are our enemies, openly or covertly. And after completing their studies they became professors, patiently instilling a sense of rejection, a sense of hatred for America in the minds of the students.
That is where we are today as a Nation. A country where on the eighth anniversary of the worst attack perpetrated against our safety and security, we have lost the sense of mourning and remembrance that we experienced in the weeks following the attacks. Old Glory was adorning the majority of the homes in America, the common person supported the Military that was called in to execute the directives of their Commander in Chief as he was duty-bound to insure that the safety of the American people was outmost on his agenda. Today Old Glory has been replaced by Lakers flags, Angels flags and other sport teams, even as our sons and daughters sacrifice and die in the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq pursuing the idea of safeguarding our country.
No person with the slightest brain function would believe, on September 12 2001, that further attacks would not be following, especially as the lax attitude of our national security apparatus became apparent and as the lack of communication between our various intelligence agencies clearly contributed to the freedom that Mohamed Atta and his terrorist cell enjoyed in their movements around the country. And to add insult to injury, America has an Attorney General who appears relentless in persecuting those intelligence officers that were greatly successful in keeping America safe following September 2001.
And the forgetfulness of the American people, strongly fostered by the new Liberal political leadership in Washington, has today reached what I consider the point of disgrace. Not only people have “moved on” from the somberness of the memories of that day, but even the government is taking the necessary steps to further remove all reminders of that day. Obama and his cronies have decided, with the help of some Republicans who I can only describe as either traitors or just plain morons, to change September 11 from being a day to remember the victims of terrorism to the National Day of Service and Remembrance. The greater emphasis has been placed on the “service” portion of the celebration by no other than the now “defunct” Van Jones, green jobs czar for Obama who just recently was forced to resign after his radicalism became known and became a political liability. The emeritus Mr. Jones in August had stated that he wanted 9-11 to be the day when America gets together and plant trees and clean up streams.
"A whole day of service is happening on Sept. 11," he added, "… that is a great place for people to connect, to find other people in your peer group who are also passionate about re-powering America, but also about greening up America and cleaning up America”
Since September 11 was called Patriot Day, the Liberals have had a problem with it, as they saw it as a Republican day. So it is time now to remove that stigma and make it into a environmental celebration day. Why not!
Personally, it really does not matter what Obama calls September 11, I don’t care what his cult followers try to change it to. To me, as an American, it will for ever remain the day when 3,000 innocent people were sacrificed by the forces of evil Islam to the altar of terror and suffering. But also the day when, even for a short while, America had again been One Nation Under God, regardless what God it was.
I commemorate that day in somber reflection, feeling reinvigorated in my fight for my country, the United States of America, to return to those principles of patriotic sacrifice our Founding Fathers and millions of Military members over the past two centuries, lived and died for.
May God have mercy for all who perished on that day and their families.
And these are my thoughts
Frank “Semperpapa”
Thursday, September 10, 2009
In The Meantime
I have been working on a special post in Remembrance of 9-11-01, which will hopefully go up by tonight.
In the meantime, just few words about the two people who died in Afghanistan couple of days ago during the rescue of NY Times reporter Stephen Farrell.
One man was Farrell's interpreter Sultan Munadi, who was killed during the rescue operation. Munadi, also employed by the Times, was one of those Afghan people who we are in that country to encourage. He could have been anywhere else pursuing a much safer life, but instead returned to his country to help it in its slow, painfully slow, progress into the 21st century. It was love of country that brought him to work for the people and the nation, and the same love that fostered his death.
The second casualty was a British Commando. He also could have been anywhere else living a safer life, but instead he participated in the operation to save the lives of two men and in turn paid with his own for it.
Not to place value on human life, as it is almost all invaluable, but the British soldier gave his life for the cause of freedom for people very far away from his own home, and for the cause of defeating terror and protecting his country. Munadi had a very personal stake in his fight.
Who is the real winner of this whole thing? Well, Stephen Farrell of course. This was his second abduction from the Taliban. He was taken as he and Munadi were "covering" the alleged civilian casualties caused by the bombing of stolen fuel trucks. He is a winner because he came out alive from the ordeal and because he will probably, at some point, write a book depicting how terrible the actions of the British Commandos were which resulted in the death of his friend.
And by the way, his abduction had been kept under wrap by the Media for his safety, including the Associated Press who just few days earlier had splattered the picture of the dying Marine LCpl Bernard all over the world against the wishes of the Bernard family and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates. As usual, the Media dogs take good care of their own and screw everyone else, especially the Military and their families.
Sure I am glad Farrell made it out alive. The question is: what will he do with the gift that the British Commando gave him? As Captain Miller's (Tom Hanks) last line from "Saving Private Ryan" muttered as he was dying to Private Ryan (Matt Demon) goes: Earn This!
And these are my thoughts!
Frank Semperpapa
In the meantime, just few words about the two people who died in Afghanistan couple of days ago during the rescue of NY Times reporter Stephen Farrell.
One man was Farrell's interpreter Sultan Munadi, who was killed during the rescue operation. Munadi, also employed by the Times, was one of those Afghan people who we are in that country to encourage. He could have been anywhere else pursuing a much safer life, but instead returned to his country to help it in its slow, painfully slow, progress into the 21st century. It was love of country that brought him to work for the people and the nation, and the same love that fostered his death.
The second casualty was a British Commando. He also could have been anywhere else living a safer life, but instead he participated in the operation to save the lives of two men and in turn paid with his own for it.
Not to place value on human life, as it is almost all invaluable, but the British soldier gave his life for the cause of freedom for people very far away from his own home, and for the cause of defeating terror and protecting his country. Munadi had a very personal stake in his fight.
Who is the real winner of this whole thing? Well, Stephen Farrell of course. This was his second abduction from the Taliban. He was taken as he and Munadi were "covering" the alleged civilian casualties caused by the bombing of stolen fuel trucks. He is a winner because he came out alive from the ordeal and because he will probably, at some point, write a book depicting how terrible the actions of the British Commandos were which resulted in the death of his friend.
And by the way, his abduction had been kept under wrap by the Media for his safety, including the Associated Press who just few days earlier had splattered the picture of the dying Marine LCpl Bernard all over the world against the wishes of the Bernard family and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates. As usual, the Media dogs take good care of their own and screw everyone else, especially the Military and their families.
Sure I am glad Farrell made it out alive. The question is: what will he do with the gift that the British Commando gave him? As Captain Miller's (Tom Hanks) last line from "Saving Private Ryan" muttered as he was dying to Private Ryan (Matt Demon) goes: Earn This!
And these are my thoughts!
Frank Semperpapa
Sunday, September 6, 2009
See Ya, Van!
6 September 2009
A small victory for what is left of the principle of common sense in America. Mr. Van Jones, Obama’s “green jobs” commissioner/czar has resigned his position.
I would like to express my gratitude to all those who applied pressure for this to happen, as the radical nature of this individual was unmasked and brought up to the attention of the American people.
I am now fully expecting the backlash from the Liberals across the Nation, and I cannot care less about the accusations that will surely come forward, starting with the “racist” one.
Mr. Jones was a dangerous character with powers that were going to be used to change America in a “revolutionary way”, his words. For one, I am sick and tired of the changes that Obama and his cronies have already and still try to impose on the American people and our Nation. At least we will not have to contend and endure the “radical changes” that Van Jones had in mind, at least not on a National scale. He will go back to try to instigate anti-American rhetoric at the local level, which is bad enough.
Regardless of the complete, complacent silence the MSM has kept over the open radicalism of Mr. Jones, the clear nature of his Liberal/Communist ideology was divulged to those who still care for America. And the pressure on Obama became unsustainable, so Jones had to go, and I say from the bottom of my heart, good riddance!
I read the resignation letter that Mr. Jones sent to Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and I find it interesting in a revolting kind of way, beacause I am also tired of Liberals being caught with their hands in the cookie jar, videos and writings, and using the defense that their statements and comments were taken out of context, everything they are confronted with is taken out of context.
In his letter, Mr. Jones states that;
“On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide”
Ok, let me look at this statement. He professed to be a Communist in his own words. He professes to seek a radical reform of America in his own words. He signed a petition of support for those nutcases who believe Bush was involved in the 9-11-01 attacks (he claimed he did not know what the petition was about. Yeah right, Mr. Jones and pigs fly too!). He claimed that white polluters purposely poison black neighboroods, in his own words. He refereed to those who reject his radical views as “ass holes”. His own words.
All the above were recorded on video and the petition has his name on it (and he never denied signing it), so my question is what context these actions were taken out of?
This is the Liberal mantra. Who can forget D.C mayor Marion Berry being on video purchasing cocaine, and he still pleaded not guilty and was defended by his constituency. Of Rep. John Murtha caught on tape accepting bribes, and he is still in Congress.
He continues in his letter:
“I have been inundated with calls – from across the political spectrum – urging me to “stay and fight””
What political spectrum, Mr. Jones? The Huffington Post, the Daily Kos, Nancy Pelosi? Your idea of a political spectrum is from the Left to the Marxist.
“But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future.”
His idea of a future for America is one where blacks control whites, where dissent is punished and his power is absolute. That is why he was chosen by Obama, who tries to foment this kind of cancer in our Nation. Jones was found out and revealed, others need to be also.
In the end, at least in the case of Van Jones, the public outcry, sparked by few people sounding the alarm about his level of radicalism, forced the hand of Obama to get rid of him, always mindful of political liabilities. Another one under the Obama bus, and thankfully so. Now on to the next one and every single member of Congress. Time to clean OUR House and Senate.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
A small victory for what is left of the principle of common sense in America. Mr. Van Jones, Obama’s “green jobs” commissioner/czar has resigned his position.
I would like to express my gratitude to all those who applied pressure for this to happen, as the radical nature of this individual was unmasked and brought up to the attention of the American people.
I am now fully expecting the backlash from the Liberals across the Nation, and I cannot care less about the accusations that will surely come forward, starting with the “racist” one.
Mr. Jones was a dangerous character with powers that were going to be used to change America in a “revolutionary way”, his words. For one, I am sick and tired of the changes that Obama and his cronies have already and still try to impose on the American people and our Nation. At least we will not have to contend and endure the “radical changes” that Van Jones had in mind, at least not on a National scale. He will go back to try to instigate anti-American rhetoric at the local level, which is bad enough.
Regardless of the complete, complacent silence the MSM has kept over the open radicalism of Mr. Jones, the clear nature of his Liberal/Communist ideology was divulged to those who still care for America. And the pressure on Obama became unsustainable, so Jones had to go, and I say from the bottom of my heart, good riddance!
I read the resignation letter that Mr. Jones sent to Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and I find it interesting in a revolting kind of way, beacause I am also tired of Liberals being caught with their hands in the cookie jar, videos and writings, and using the defense that their statements and comments were taken out of context, everything they are confronted with is taken out of context.
In his letter, Mr. Jones states that;
“On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide”
Ok, let me look at this statement. He professed to be a Communist in his own words. He professes to seek a radical reform of America in his own words. He signed a petition of support for those nutcases who believe Bush was involved in the 9-11-01 attacks (he claimed he did not know what the petition was about. Yeah right, Mr. Jones and pigs fly too!). He claimed that white polluters purposely poison black neighboroods, in his own words. He refereed to those who reject his radical views as “ass holes”. His own words.
All the above were recorded on video and the petition has his name on it (and he never denied signing it), so my question is what context these actions were taken out of?
This is the Liberal mantra. Who can forget D.C mayor Marion Berry being on video purchasing cocaine, and he still pleaded not guilty and was defended by his constituency. Of Rep. John Murtha caught on tape accepting bribes, and he is still in Congress.
He continues in his letter:
“I have been inundated with calls – from across the political spectrum – urging me to “stay and fight””
What political spectrum, Mr. Jones? The Huffington Post, the Daily Kos, Nancy Pelosi? Your idea of a political spectrum is from the Left to the Marxist.
“But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future.”
His idea of a future for America is one where blacks control whites, where dissent is punished and his power is absolute. That is why he was chosen by Obama, who tries to foment this kind of cancer in our Nation. Jones was found out and revealed, others need to be also.
In the end, at least in the case of Van Jones, the public outcry, sparked by few people sounding the alarm about his level of radicalism, forced the hand of Obama to get rid of him, always mindful of political liabilities. Another one under the Obama bus, and thankfully so. Now on to the next one and every single member of Congress. Time to clean OUR House and Senate.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Friday, September 4, 2009
Joshua Bernard, 21
4 September 2009
LCpl. Joshua Bernard
Not too long ago, the Pentagon lifted the ban on pictures of KIAs returning to the US from Iraq and Afghanistan. The poignant images of the flag draped coffins have always been a somber and painful reminder that the cost of war goes beyond a news headline about another casualty.
As much as I was opposed to the lifting of the ban, I could almost see the reasoning behind it.
And as our Military was unleashed against the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, I found myself glued to the television as I hunger for news about our Military, as it was reported by the embedded journalists.
The new Pentagon policy of embedding had its negative side also, as the enemy was able to watch too, and when the Media begun to openly use the Military, casualties and the horrors of combat to build the opposition to President Bush’s policies.
It has been some time now that I have lost all credence into the garbage the Media feeds the American people, and the following does nothing to change my mind, instead it reinforces my already lugubrious opinion of these bottom feeders.
Here are the facts. On August 14, 2009, a Marine patrol in Helmand province of Afghanistan was ambushed by a Taliban force. The Marines were attacked with small arms and RPGs and in the ensuing battle LCpl. Joshua L. Bernard was hit by an RPG. Joshua was gravely wounded, but made it to the medical facility where he unfortunately died of his injuries.
Upon his return to the States and his funeral services, someone from the Associated Press showed his parents pictures of the battle, including one that showed their son mortally wounded. Joshua’s father, John Bernard, a retired Marine, asked the Associated Press not to publish the picture of his son, as it would induce further pain and suffering upon the family.
The Associated Press, in a show of true journalistic compassion, raised the metaphorical middle finger to the grieving family and published the photo anyway, citing they wanted to show their admiration for the Military and honor their services and sacrifices. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also had urged the AP to grant the John Bernard’s wish and refrain from publishing the photo, but even his plea was unsuccessful.
These are the facts, now my thoughts.
During the Vietnam War, there was a unofficial term called “fragging” which derived by fragmentation grenades (mostly known as hand grenades). But in some instances the term was used to describe the way some soldiers felt about their officers, meaning that they were so incensed by the behavior of some of their superiors, who were placing their lives in unnecessary danger, that they refer to the use of the weapon to take out such officers.
The reason I am mentioning this is because as soon as I read the article regarding the actions of the Associated Press in the case of LCpl. Bernard, I immediately hoped that the next time Julie Jacobson or any other AP reporter is embedded, maybe someone would think of fragging. But that was only my initial reaction. Very seldom I write my rants upon an initial reaction, because I rather use logic than emotion.
During WWII, the Media was highly censored in what they were allowed to show the American people at home. And there was a reason for it, as almost every family in the country had someone serving somewhere in the world. The first pictures of dead soldiers published were from the Tarawa campaign in the Pacific. The horrible images of the beaches littered by bodies of Marines had a shocking effect on the American people, who reacted by supporting FDR and the war effort even more, following the logic that the harder they worked, the sooner the war would be over. This was the America of the time. Today, the pictures like Joshua’s are glanced over by individuals who are busy packing for their next vacation or temporarily distracted from the tabloid depiction of the latest Hollywood breakup. And the reaction is that we must end this useless war.
As I am writing this, my feeling about the actions of AP remain agitated, mostly because I place myself, as I try to do as much as possible in every situation I write about, in the shoes of the Bernard family. I try to imagine the pain and suffering they must have been going through while gazing at the picture of their son in his last moments of his life. And to top this off, they had to endure the cold blooded rejection on the part of the Ass_ociated Press to abide by the decent request to keep the picture private. In my humble opinion, these actions are inexcusable and revolting.
I remember when the game of the day was to paint the war in Iraq as America’s doomsday in the Media relentless effort to attack Bush. Most of those reports were filed by so-called journalists who never left the relative safety of their hotels in Baghdad’s Green Zone, never once venturing out in the field with the 19 and 20 years old soldiers who were doing all the heavy lifting. And I can recall how the Media completely ignored our Military efforts in Afghanistan as it did not fit their agenda. Today it does.
Their declared support for our troops is a total fabrication, a façade to cover up their true feelings of loathing for the Military.
But the falsehood of their agenda is so apparent. As they used the picture of Joshua Bernard to claim a false support for what is now called Obama’s War, they would have used the same picture five years ago to bring the horrors of war into the American living rooms to boast John Kerry candidacy and his desire to retreat and abandon Iraq. Nothing is the MSM is by chance!
So, although I do not wish for the fragging of reporters embedded, I do wish there was more decency and compassion among the media prostitutes. Hope against hope.
Certainly, was I a CO for a combat unit, I would not accept the embedding of Ms. Jacobson or anyone else from AP on the grounds that I could not insure their safety.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
LCpl. Joshua Bernard
Not too long ago, the Pentagon lifted the ban on pictures of KIAs returning to the US from Iraq and Afghanistan. The poignant images of the flag draped coffins have always been a somber and painful reminder that the cost of war goes beyond a news headline about another casualty.
As much as I was opposed to the lifting of the ban, I could almost see the reasoning behind it.
And as our Military was unleashed against the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, I found myself glued to the television as I hunger for news about our Military, as it was reported by the embedded journalists.
The new Pentagon policy of embedding had its negative side also, as the enemy was able to watch too, and when the Media begun to openly use the Military, casualties and the horrors of combat to build the opposition to President Bush’s policies.
It has been some time now that I have lost all credence into the garbage the Media feeds the American people, and the following does nothing to change my mind, instead it reinforces my already lugubrious opinion of these bottom feeders.
Here are the facts. On August 14, 2009, a Marine patrol in Helmand province of Afghanistan was ambushed by a Taliban force. The Marines were attacked with small arms and RPGs and in the ensuing battle LCpl. Joshua L. Bernard was hit by an RPG. Joshua was gravely wounded, but made it to the medical facility where he unfortunately died of his injuries.
Upon his return to the States and his funeral services, someone from the Associated Press showed his parents pictures of the battle, including one that showed their son mortally wounded. Joshua’s father, John Bernard, a retired Marine, asked the Associated Press not to publish the picture of his son, as it would induce further pain and suffering upon the family.
The Associated Press, in a show of true journalistic compassion, raised the metaphorical middle finger to the grieving family and published the photo anyway, citing they wanted to show their admiration for the Military and honor their services and sacrifices. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also had urged the AP to grant the John Bernard’s wish and refrain from publishing the photo, but even his plea was unsuccessful.
These are the facts, now my thoughts.
During the Vietnam War, there was a unofficial term called “fragging” which derived by fragmentation grenades (mostly known as hand grenades). But in some instances the term was used to describe the way some soldiers felt about their officers, meaning that they were so incensed by the behavior of some of their superiors, who were placing their lives in unnecessary danger, that they refer to the use of the weapon to take out such officers.
The reason I am mentioning this is because as soon as I read the article regarding the actions of the Associated Press in the case of LCpl. Bernard, I immediately hoped that the next time Julie Jacobson or any other AP reporter is embedded, maybe someone would think of fragging. But that was only my initial reaction. Very seldom I write my rants upon an initial reaction, because I rather use logic than emotion.
During WWII, the Media was highly censored in what they were allowed to show the American people at home. And there was a reason for it, as almost every family in the country had someone serving somewhere in the world. The first pictures of dead soldiers published were from the Tarawa campaign in the Pacific. The horrible images of the beaches littered by bodies of Marines had a shocking effect on the American people, who reacted by supporting FDR and the war effort even more, following the logic that the harder they worked, the sooner the war would be over. This was the America of the time. Today, the pictures like Joshua’s are glanced over by individuals who are busy packing for their next vacation or temporarily distracted from the tabloid depiction of the latest Hollywood breakup. And the reaction is that we must end this useless war.
As I am writing this, my feeling about the actions of AP remain agitated, mostly because I place myself, as I try to do as much as possible in every situation I write about, in the shoes of the Bernard family. I try to imagine the pain and suffering they must have been going through while gazing at the picture of their son in his last moments of his life. And to top this off, they had to endure the cold blooded rejection on the part of the Ass_ociated Press to abide by the decent request to keep the picture private. In my humble opinion, these actions are inexcusable and revolting.
I remember when the game of the day was to paint the war in Iraq as America’s doomsday in the Media relentless effort to attack Bush. Most of those reports were filed by so-called journalists who never left the relative safety of their hotels in Baghdad’s Green Zone, never once venturing out in the field with the 19 and 20 years old soldiers who were doing all the heavy lifting. And I can recall how the Media completely ignored our Military efforts in Afghanistan as it did not fit their agenda. Today it does.
Their declared support for our troops is a total fabrication, a façade to cover up their true feelings of loathing for the Military.
But the falsehood of their agenda is so apparent. As they used the picture of Joshua Bernard to claim a false support for what is now called Obama’s War, they would have used the same picture five years ago to bring the horrors of war into the American living rooms to boast John Kerry candidacy and his desire to retreat and abandon Iraq. Nothing is the MSM is by chance!
So, although I do not wish for the fragging of reporters embedded, I do wish there was more decency and compassion among the media prostitutes. Hope against hope.
Certainly, was I a CO for a combat unit, I would not accept the embedding of Ms. Jacobson or anyone else from AP on the grounds that I could not insure their safety.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Van Jones
4 September 2009
Who is this man that Glenn Beck has been unmasking for a while now?
Mr. Jones is Obama ‘green jobs’ czar/commissioner or whatever. A man who really has nobody but Obama to answer to for whatever actions and policies he comes up with.
What are the qualifications of this man is kind of a source of concern for me.
He is a self-proclaimed Communist community organizer, and one that stated his philosophical leanings some time in the mid 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union.
He is a man who goes in front of an audience at, of course, Berkeley University and calls Republicans “ass holes”. During this charade, he stated that he does not believe Obama is an ass hole, but that he, Van Jones, can be an ass hole. Stating the obvious, Mr. Jones?
This is the man who has been a ‘community organizer’ most of his adult life, with a touch of revolutionary twist to it, a fairly large ‘touch’. It appears that in the Obama regime, community organizing is a sure way to get to the President ear, bypassing all the controls that anyone with the power of influencing policy affecting the entire country, should be subjected to. Another useless community organizer!
Mr. Jones is the man who in 2002 signed a petition supporting the Left lunatic fringe who underwrote the notion that the Bush administration was involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against America. He signed a petition demanding investigation in the Government role in the murder of 3,000 innocent people, most of them Americans.
This is also the same man who has vowed to “radically change America”. I have two simple questions for Mr. Jones: one, what’s wrong with America to need a ‘radical’ change? and two, who the hell do you think you are, Mr. Jones, to believe you have the power or ability to do so?
And Mr. Jones is the man who stated that white polluters are steering their poisons toward black communities, basically accusing the white people of purposely wanting to poison black people. Well, Obama, so much for your lie about being everyone's President! Is it under that desire that you place this scum bag in a position of power?
I guess the misguided Van is under the impression that just being black and a community organizer gives him the power to undertake such a task as changing a whole country, riding the wave of political correctness that has all but destroyed the very fabric of our country.
Now, if anyone had any doubts about the intent of the new regime in Washington to silence the political opposition to Obama, one only has to look at the whole picture. If it was not for those members of the public discourse to look into the shenanigans of the Liberal Emperor, a lot of the truths regarding the scum that Obama is surrounding himself with would just go unnoticed and unchecked. If the Marxist/Fascist regime would succeed in silencing the opposition, the true image of the level of radicalism presented by Van Jones and the other scum like him, would remain a hidden danger that the American people would come to find out too late to do anything about.
No wonder the Left is so in love with dirt bags like Hugo Chavez. The Venezuelan pig has succeeded in the effort that Obama is attempting in the US. House Representatives like Diane Watson in Los Angeles can feel the wetness of excitement when they feel they have a chance of benefiting from the Castro-like revolution they hope Obama will bring to America.
And I will never stop to heed this warning to all True Americans: Obama’s weakening of our Military and Intelligence services is a way to facilitate some horrible “man-made-event” that would allow him to suspend the Constitution and take full power. His cronies, from Rahm Emanuel to Diane Watson and Maxine Waters, are just waiting for a crisis so that their complete take over can be achieved.
Maybe Van Jones was the Che Guevara the Left was looking for, but thanks to Right Wing Extremists like Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin, the American people are now more aware of the looming danger Obama and his thugs present to an entire country.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Who is this man that Glenn Beck has been unmasking for a while now?
Mr. Jones is Obama ‘green jobs’ czar/commissioner or whatever. A man who really has nobody but Obama to answer to for whatever actions and policies he comes up with.
What are the qualifications of this man is kind of a source of concern for me.
He is a self-proclaimed Communist community organizer, and one that stated his philosophical leanings some time in the mid 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union.
He is a man who goes in front of an audience at, of course, Berkeley University and calls Republicans “ass holes”. During this charade, he stated that he does not believe Obama is an ass hole, but that he, Van Jones, can be an ass hole. Stating the obvious, Mr. Jones?
This is the man who has been a ‘community organizer’ most of his adult life, with a touch of revolutionary twist to it, a fairly large ‘touch’. It appears that in the Obama regime, community organizing is a sure way to get to the President ear, bypassing all the controls that anyone with the power of influencing policy affecting the entire country, should be subjected to. Another useless community organizer!
Mr. Jones is the man who in 2002 signed a petition supporting the Left lunatic fringe who underwrote the notion that the Bush administration was involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against America. He signed a petition demanding investigation in the Government role in the murder of 3,000 innocent people, most of them Americans.
This is also the same man who has vowed to “radically change America”. I have two simple questions for Mr. Jones: one, what’s wrong with America to need a ‘radical’ change? and two, who the hell do you think you are, Mr. Jones, to believe you have the power or ability to do so?
And Mr. Jones is the man who stated that white polluters are steering their poisons toward black communities, basically accusing the white people of purposely wanting to poison black people. Well, Obama, so much for your lie about being everyone's President! Is it under that desire that you place this scum bag in a position of power?
I guess the misguided Van is under the impression that just being black and a community organizer gives him the power to undertake such a task as changing a whole country, riding the wave of political correctness that has all but destroyed the very fabric of our country.
Now, if anyone had any doubts about the intent of the new regime in Washington to silence the political opposition to Obama, one only has to look at the whole picture. If it was not for those members of the public discourse to look into the shenanigans of the Liberal Emperor, a lot of the truths regarding the scum that Obama is surrounding himself with would just go unnoticed and unchecked. If the Marxist/Fascist regime would succeed in silencing the opposition, the true image of the level of radicalism presented by Van Jones and the other scum like him, would remain a hidden danger that the American people would come to find out too late to do anything about.
No wonder the Left is so in love with dirt bags like Hugo Chavez. The Venezuelan pig has succeeded in the effort that Obama is attempting in the US. House Representatives like Diane Watson in Los Angeles can feel the wetness of excitement when they feel they have a chance of benefiting from the Castro-like revolution they hope Obama will bring to America.
And I will never stop to heed this warning to all True Americans: Obama’s weakening of our Military and Intelligence services is a way to facilitate some horrible “man-made-event” that would allow him to suspend the Constitution and take full power. His cronies, from Rahm Emanuel to Diane Watson and Maxine Waters, are just waiting for a crisis so that their complete take over can be achieved.
Maybe Van Jones was the Che Guevara the Left was looking for, but thanks to Right Wing Extremists like Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin, the American people are now more aware of the looming danger Obama and his thugs present to an entire country.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Code Pink In Burqa
2 September 2009
The ‘famous’ anti-war, anti-Military, anti-American group Code Pink is planning a fact-finding trip to Kabul, Afghanistan. They are advertising on their web site the trip as a way for these participants to find out what the conditions REALLY are in the war-thorn country and to check on the conditions of Afghani women and children.
Considering the historic opposition that the group has been conducting against anything related to our Military (remember them vandalizing the Marine Corps recruiting office in Berkeley?), it is not a big stretch to believe that if these exemplary models of American society will, given the chance, attempt to participate in some form of Taliban propaganda stunt.
This whole thing conjures up some not so fond memories:
Hanoi Jane manning NVA anti-aircraft battery during Vietnam War
I see some major issues developing from this action on the part of the Pinkos.
First of all, how will they be received by a society, the Taliban, which stones a woman for leaving the house without the proper chaperon. This is the same society that also keeps their women covered by burqas. Wonder how will they handle this kind of characters.
Sample of Code Pink characters, ambassadors of America
I am sure especially the guy on the left would be a real success
Looking at these people, I think the burqa thing at times should be enforced in America too.
Moreover, I am concerned about the imagery of America our enemy is going to have upon feasting their eyes on people like those above shown. Hopefully, they will regard our brave Military as sample of the mainstream American society, and not these whacked out poor excuses for oxygen consumers.
One thing is for sure in my mind: the Pinkos will definitely feel at home with the poppy harvesting, as they will probably feel as if back home on the hills of San Francisco.
On the serious side, I don’t know if the wacko excursion is really going to happen, as the groups is asking for people to actually pay their way to Kabul, I guess George Soros is too busy saving the planet by profiting from offshore drilling off the coast of Brazil to sponsor the Pinkos’ trip, but I just want to pray that if these morons really make it to Afghanistan, that at no time their security will be in the hands of our Military. It would be really terrible if the safety of even one soldier would be jeopardized by the actions of these anti-American humans.
In conclusion, I hope they really make it to Afghanistan and that they are allowed to ‘tour’ the countryside. I don’t wish for any harm to come to these people, as I consider them as being extremely deficient in their mental abilities, but it would be funny for some Taliban character to give them the scare of a lifetime. Call me evil!
Wonder if, should the stuff hit the fan, they would refuse the help of a platoon of soldiers to save their ungrateful asses. For some reason I feel that they would be more than happy to have the Military there.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
The ‘famous’ anti-war, anti-Military, anti-American group Code Pink is planning a fact-finding trip to Kabul, Afghanistan. They are advertising on their web site the trip as a way for these participants to find out what the conditions REALLY are in the war-thorn country and to check on the conditions of Afghani women and children.
Considering the historic opposition that the group has been conducting against anything related to our Military (remember them vandalizing the Marine Corps recruiting office in Berkeley?), it is not a big stretch to believe that if these exemplary models of American society will, given the chance, attempt to participate in some form of Taliban propaganda stunt.
This whole thing conjures up some not so fond memories:
Hanoi Jane manning NVA anti-aircraft battery during Vietnam War
I see some major issues developing from this action on the part of the Pinkos.
First of all, how will they be received by a society, the Taliban, which stones a woman for leaving the house without the proper chaperon. This is the same society that also keeps their women covered by burqas. Wonder how will they handle this kind of characters.
Sample of Code Pink characters, ambassadors of America
I am sure especially the guy on the left would be a real success
Looking at these people, I think the burqa thing at times should be enforced in America too.
Moreover, I am concerned about the imagery of America our enemy is going to have upon feasting their eyes on people like those above shown. Hopefully, they will regard our brave Military as sample of the mainstream American society, and not these whacked out poor excuses for oxygen consumers.
One thing is for sure in my mind: the Pinkos will definitely feel at home with the poppy harvesting, as they will probably feel as if back home on the hills of San Francisco.
On the serious side, I don’t know if the wacko excursion is really going to happen, as the groups is asking for people to actually pay their way to Kabul, I guess George Soros is too busy saving the planet by profiting from offshore drilling off the coast of Brazil to sponsor the Pinkos’ trip, but I just want to pray that if these morons really make it to Afghanistan, that at no time their security will be in the hands of our Military. It would be really terrible if the safety of even one soldier would be jeopardized by the actions of these anti-American humans.
In conclusion, I hope they really make it to Afghanistan and that they are allowed to ‘tour’ the countryside. I don’t wish for any harm to come to these people, as I consider them as being extremely deficient in their mental abilities, but it would be funny for some Taliban character to give them the scare of a lifetime. Call me evil!
Wonder if, should the stuff hit the fan, they would refuse the help of a platoon of soldiers to save their ungrateful asses. For some reason I feel that they would be more than happy to have the Military there.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Seventy Years Ago
1 September 2009
It was seventy years ago today when the Panzer units of the Third Reich thundered across the border separating German from Polish territory. It was on the 17th of September that Stalin unleashed the Red Army across the border between the Soviet Union and Poland.
The courageous but ill prepared and equipped Polish Army was hit from the front and the rear, victim of the secret Non-Aggression Pact between Stalin and Hitler and a lame, spineless posture on the part of France and Great Britain that had allowed the German dictator to expand his territory with impunity. The price for Neville Chamberlain peace-at-any-cost approach to Hitler will be felt across the globe for the following six years directly and consequentially for decades to come. When it was all said and done, over 25 million people had perished of which 6.5 millions had died because they were Jews.
In just over a month, a country just plainly disappeared, devoured by the Nazi wolf and the Soviet bear. The Polish Army defeated in battle and exterminated in surrender by both the Nazi and the Soviet occupiers. The Polish Jews some of the first to test Heinrich Himmler new theoretical approach to achieve Hitler’s obsession for a pure race, called “the Final Solution”.
Of the remaining Polish Army, 100,000 escaped to England to join the Allies in the fight to resist first and eventually defeat the Nazi regime.
Poland is the country that probably suffered the most by the hands of Hitler and Stalin. At the end of the war in 1945, Stalin halted the Red Army advance into Warsaw purposely to allow the retreating German Army and SS forces the time to annihilate the so called Polish Home Army which was openly pro-West. Once that military force was all but destroyed, the Soviet dictator, who had his plans already set for the post war repartition of Eastern Europe, unleashed his army for the final push against the Third Reich.
Following the end of WWII, Poland hard days were not over, as they exchanged one tyrant for another. Forced to accept the booth of the Soviet regime on their necks, the Polish people never lost hope for one day to achieve freedom. It was in 1980 that the Solidarity movement started in the shipyards of Gdansk. This independent labor union will become instrumental in mobilizing the Polish people against the corrupted, pro-Soviet government, evolving from a labor union into a full blown freedom movement. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Solidarity played a huge role in the eventual fall of the entire Soviet Empire.
Today Poland is a free country, basking in the tribulations of self-determination, even if their neighbors to the East, Russia, still remains a source of concern and motivation for vigilance.
They have progressed into a democracy close to the rest of Europe and the United States, even deploying their Military to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They have suffered casualties, bled and sacrifice for the same ideals our Military has, and they have endured the opposition of their Russian neighbors when President Bush announced that Poland would accept and deploy short range anti-ballistic missile batteries within their borders as a protective posture for the whole Europe against the possibility of a rouge nation like Iran launching their ICBMs.
Today, September 1st is a very important date for the Polish nation, as it marks the seventieth anniversary of that faithful day when their struggle for survival as a nation begun. A struggle that would last over four decades before freedom would finally triumph.
And on such a solemn anniversary, heads of states including Germany, will be present for the commemorative celebrations.
The Polish struggle for liberty should make Poland an unchallenged friend of the United States, but the attitude of the Obama administration toward the Baltic country has been everything but friendly.
Poland, as every other country that had been under the Steel Curtain control of the Soviet Union, always looked at America as the beacon of hope for freedom and self-determination. But really what do they see today?
They see a country where the leadership is clearly eroding the freedoms its citizens enjoyed and fought for.
They see a country that was once the symbol of individualism, where people had the ability to be and achieve everything they wanted if they were willing to work for, becoming increasingly dependent of a government that will agreeably do everything possible to take the reins of the people lives. Basically they see an America that is clearly moving toward the same ugly place the Polish people bled to get away from.
And they see a country that was an outward friend of the Polish people and of all those people struggling for liberty, but today does not even have the courtesy to send a representative of the current administration to the memorial celebrations of the beginning of World War Two.
Surely the Polish leadership is somewhat disappointed by what appears to be a snubbing on the part of the White House for such a solemn date in the history of not only Poland but the whole world.
The disappointment is shared by American of common sense, who incredulously witnesses a President who is more inclined to apologize to our sworn enemies than to show gratitude toward our allies.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
It was seventy years ago today when the Panzer units of the Third Reich thundered across the border separating German from Polish territory. It was on the 17th of September that Stalin unleashed the Red Army across the border between the Soviet Union and Poland.
The courageous but ill prepared and equipped Polish Army was hit from the front and the rear, victim of the secret Non-Aggression Pact between Stalin and Hitler and a lame, spineless posture on the part of France and Great Britain that had allowed the German dictator to expand his territory with impunity. The price for Neville Chamberlain peace-at-any-cost approach to Hitler will be felt across the globe for the following six years directly and consequentially for decades to come. When it was all said and done, over 25 million people had perished of which 6.5 millions had died because they were Jews.
In just over a month, a country just plainly disappeared, devoured by the Nazi wolf and the Soviet bear. The Polish Army defeated in battle and exterminated in surrender by both the Nazi and the Soviet occupiers. The Polish Jews some of the first to test Heinrich Himmler new theoretical approach to achieve Hitler’s obsession for a pure race, called “the Final Solution”.
Of the remaining Polish Army, 100,000 escaped to England to join the Allies in the fight to resist first and eventually defeat the Nazi regime.
Poland is the country that probably suffered the most by the hands of Hitler and Stalin. At the end of the war in 1945, Stalin halted the Red Army advance into Warsaw purposely to allow the retreating German Army and SS forces the time to annihilate the so called Polish Home Army which was openly pro-West. Once that military force was all but destroyed, the Soviet dictator, who had his plans already set for the post war repartition of Eastern Europe, unleashed his army for the final push against the Third Reich.
Following the end of WWII, Poland hard days were not over, as they exchanged one tyrant for another. Forced to accept the booth of the Soviet regime on their necks, the Polish people never lost hope for one day to achieve freedom. It was in 1980 that the Solidarity movement started in the shipyards of Gdansk. This independent labor union will become instrumental in mobilizing the Polish people against the corrupted, pro-Soviet government, evolving from a labor union into a full blown freedom movement. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Solidarity played a huge role in the eventual fall of the entire Soviet Empire.
Today Poland is a free country, basking in the tribulations of self-determination, even if their neighbors to the East, Russia, still remains a source of concern and motivation for vigilance.
They have progressed into a democracy close to the rest of Europe and the United States, even deploying their Military to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They have suffered casualties, bled and sacrifice for the same ideals our Military has, and they have endured the opposition of their Russian neighbors when President Bush announced that Poland would accept and deploy short range anti-ballistic missile batteries within their borders as a protective posture for the whole Europe against the possibility of a rouge nation like Iran launching their ICBMs.
Today, September 1st is a very important date for the Polish nation, as it marks the seventieth anniversary of that faithful day when their struggle for survival as a nation begun. A struggle that would last over four decades before freedom would finally triumph.
And on such a solemn anniversary, heads of states including Germany, will be present for the commemorative celebrations.
The Polish struggle for liberty should make Poland an unchallenged friend of the United States, but the attitude of the Obama administration toward the Baltic country has been everything but friendly.
Poland, as every other country that had been under the Steel Curtain control of the Soviet Union, always looked at America as the beacon of hope for freedom and self-determination. But really what do they see today?
They see a country where the leadership is clearly eroding the freedoms its citizens enjoyed and fought for.
They see a country that was once the symbol of individualism, where people had the ability to be and achieve everything they wanted if they were willing to work for, becoming increasingly dependent of a government that will agreeably do everything possible to take the reins of the people lives. Basically they see an America that is clearly moving toward the same ugly place the Polish people bled to get away from.
And they see a country that was an outward friend of the Polish people and of all those people struggling for liberty, but today does not even have the courtesy to send a representative of the current administration to the memorial celebrations of the beginning of World War Two.
Surely the Polish leadership is somewhat disappointed by what appears to be a snubbing on the part of the White House for such a solemn date in the history of not only Poland but the whole world.
The disappointment is shared by American of common sense, who incredulously witnesses a President who is more inclined to apologize to our sworn enemies than to show gratitude toward our allies.
And these are my thoughts!
Frank “Semperpapa”
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