HEROES

The term heroes is mostly semantics. And, I think there is some histrionics in the idea that there is a "cult of the uniform" as the Sunday "Times" article,  "An Empty Regard" suggests. I think there is another explanation why the majority of Americams express appreciation of the military. Americans who care and not all do have somehow in their psyche decided that they are never again going to treat soldiers as badly as they did Vietnam vets. As Vietnam vets of that sorry war, if we have any legacy, blaming the soldier for our misadventures will not happen again.  Our own emotional well being is still tied up with that awful treatment. We not only fought in Vietnam but had another battle at home. And, those battles have persisted through recognition on health issues like Agent Orange and PTSD. For a good ten years or more, Vietnam vets were basically silent. The literature coming from us was scant and even the movies that showed up only reinforced what most Americans thought: crazed Vietnam vets who are whack jobs.

Anybody can apply any term--heroes is as good as any. Many soldiers are serving multiple tours, families barely scraping by and the soldier themselves engaged in a warfare that is lethal: deadly outposts, a srtategy that, if workable, in nation building would take years, not to mention a populace that is ambivalent, not through lack of desire but unable in taking charge of their own destiny once we're gone. The present soldier has done every single thing that has been asked of him or her and more. If that isn't heroism, I don't know what is.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

"Thank you very much." When I was a teenager I use to stand in front of the mirror and practice my Elvis impression. "Thank you very much." Elvis left us way too early.

I've never been one of those celebrity worshipping types. They seek fame and when they get it, all they can do is gripe about paparazzi hounding them because they are famous. Elvis seemed a little different. Timing, lots of things, some outrageous behavior, mostly generosity if myth stands for anything. Did Elvis go to buy a Cadillac and in asking the salesman how it did on gas, only to be told that if he had to asked that question, a Cadillac was not for him. Elvis bought the entire dealership of Cadillacs to give to his friends and oh by the way, fired the salesman. Myth? Probably!  But, it was Elvis and it was OK  

As a junior or senior in High School, I remember with much fondness, waiting in my 52 Chevy for early morning football practice. School had not even started and my enthsiasm for practicing football was not at razor pitch. It was about this time of year, August. "Don't Be Cruel" blaring over the radio. Elvis was my psych for pushing through.  Yesterday was the anniversary of his death.

TOO MUCH INFO

I've never really like Mullen, the outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. It's nothing personal. A Navy weinie can't really grasp what it means to be an infantry soldier but all that BS is beside the point. What I think amounts to something akin to whale manure is the fact that watching him talk to young soldiers in Afghanistan about the debt ceiling--translated that they might not get paid was beyond the pale. What stupid MF would stand up in front of combat soldiers and talk about a subject like the debt ceiling. Damn if anybody I know would do it.  Give me a break! Soldiers whose lives are on the line constantly and living from paycheck to paycheck, away from home, worried already and Mullen suggests a possible "no payday." If those bumbling idiots in Washington don't get it together, soldiers will still be paid, plain and simple.

STANDARD AND POOR ARE CLASSIC HTPOCRITES

Glad you are not spending your time on Fox News. I say what I have been saying about the deficit: bringing it down with a scalpel, not an ax. In our recent history, let us not forget Bill Clinton gave us a surplus. Our system is such and this isn't my thinking but mostly democrats and the Economist magazine: our system is unique, we can relieve suffering in the immediate term, i. e., jobs with federal programs while reducing the deficit. Taxing the rich is just part of it. Guys like Warren Bufettt say, do it.

I don't think for a minute that I can out argue or convince the 10 chaps. I listen to Brien Williams and Lester every night and they are my favorites, followed by the News Hour. And, hauling the Grandkids around, I listen to NPR lots. All the news outlets do what I hate and this is something I have said before and will continue to say: In attempting to be fair, they always let their guests do their spin without correction or hard questions. Consequently the facts get obscured and those Americans who care get confused. An example: guess who was a big culprit in the housing crisis, Standard and Poor in giving AAA ratings to those who were selling subprime mortgages. And, we should listen to them.

{{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}}

REPUBLICAN RECALCITRANTS GOT WHAT THEY WANTED

Since the markets have done exactly what Standard and Poor's wanted, I guess the f..king hypocrites are happy. Plus, I think NPR must be in cahoots with them, especially "Talk of the Nation." I have never in my life heard so much negativism and what I would consider pandering to the Republicans. Standard and Poor's hypocrisy started with giving Triple A ratings to crooks who brought about the disastrous economic crisis. But, I must admit, they've got a gigantic "pair" of them as they are probably laying around gloating on how finally they called it. Payback time and the investors bought it.

Who the f..k are these investors is what I want to know? The guest of "Talk" had a big article in the Sunday NY Times, also: What Happened To Obama? What the f..k! I could hardly believe this bigoted asshole got this much ink. I am probably a little too hard on him but when I saw he was from Georgia. Really. He's author of a book called The Political Brain: The role of emotion I'n deciding the fate of a nation. This f..ker is a Rwpublican spokesman if I've ever heard one. In the article in The Times, he actually criticized the president who had actually made speeches already that this guy was saying je should do.

The best thing that I heard today was a caller to "Talk" who defended the President as a possible best president in history who has had to deal with Republicans who have taken a blood oath to bring him down. I agee with one caveat: I also think much of it is racial.

DEATHS BY "HOOK"

The loss of a single life in our two present wars is sad beyond words. But, the loss of this group of elite soldiers is incalculable. These guys are the best of the best. Having taken a brief (what they called it in those days, the gentleman's prefix 3 course), I can say inequitably, these guys can truly scale any building, climb any mountain. They are Superman.

With only 1% of Americans with any involvement in the two questionable wars, to be proud of these elite soldiers goes beyond what any might say. To die in a "hook" which is like flying a small house is questionable. Under any circumstances, these things are targets. I'n Vietnam, we use to say about helicopters, "any little old lady" with a WWl Springfield rifle could knock them out of the sky. And, from it appears, they were brought down by a rocket propelled grenade. Even a rebel fighter from Libya couldn't miss.

It is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback second guessing this decision but it doesn't make any sense. From what I read, everybody knew the Taliban were everywhere. Why would they take a chance? Relying on luck won't hack it. I'm not going tp say anymore. Just wait and see. For now, like any American who care, I'm just going to be sad or angry. I'm grieving.

DEATHS BY "HOOK"

The loss of a single life in our two present wars is sad beyond words. But, the loss of this group of elite soldiers is incalculable. These guys are the best of the best. Having taken a brief (what they called it in those days, the gentleman's prefix 3 course), I can say inequitably, these guys can truly scale any building, climb any mountain. They are Superman.

With only 1% of Americans with any involvement in the two questionable wars, to be proud of these elite soldiers goes beyond what any might say. To die in a "hook" which is like flying a small house is questionable. Under any circumstances, these things are targets. I'n Vietnam, we use to say about helicopters, "any little old lady" with a WWl Springfield rifle could knock them out of the sky. And, from it appears, they were brought down by a rocket propelled grenade. Even a rebel fighter from Libya couldn't miss.

It is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback second guessing this decision but it doesn't make any sense. From what I read, everybody knew the Taliban were everywhere. Why would they take a chance? Relying on luck won't hack it. I'm not going tp say anymore. Just wait and see. For now, like any American who care, I'm just going to be sad or angry. I'm grieving.

FAST TRAIN TO NOWHERE

On an NPR program a day or so ago, a reporter went to Virginia, home of many of the Navy Seals or Special Ops troops. The reporter made a note of the lack of fanfare, no flowers, ribbons, very subdued, much like the lives of the fallen soldiers: no fanfare, speeches, just do the job. The reporter also talked to ex military, mostly retired. They were sobering in their comments about getting out of Afghanistan. What is pretty remarkable is that as a rule military people are reluctant to even give a hint that they don't support the war efforts. This is different. What any of us who care have come to realize: Afghanistan is a "fast train to nowhere." There is absolutely no area that is not f..ked up. And, the death of these soldiers make us realize it with a palpable sadness. Villagers protect the Taliban either out of fear or sympathy and in reading various analysis, the simple calculation is clear: if we stay in Afghanistan ten more years, guess where we'll be? ABOUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

DRESS BLUES

Last night on NBC news, they showed a letter from the pilot of the "hook" that went down in Afghanistan. It showed a picture of the pilot and his 10 year old son. The son was wearing a set of dress blues that obviously the dad had had made for him. It was unbelieably sad