Thanks for the article. I avoided reading it this morning in the Times, as I thought it was pretty much what we are hearing and true. I'm not sure you can equate radical muslims to what happened with the Irish or any we discriminated against. The level of violence simply didn't exist. I don't care one way or another about the Mosque, other than they are damn insensitive. It is like a Jews for Jesus building next to the synagogue. Even that, however, in this enlighten world, they wouldn't be trying to kill the Jews. Conversion but not anything else. And, let's face it, you and others can make the argument anytime you want of our intolerance but the facts exist: 9-11; those who are trying to zap us now aren't named John, Bill, and Mary.
OK, that BS aside here is something to really hang your hat on, taken from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 12:1; and this is not somebody trying to zap us but the reason why we hang out at the gym, exercise, have plenty of sex, etc.-I am not sending this to Andy before his trip as it is too encouraging. LOL.
Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living. It will be too late then to remember him, when the light of sun and moon and stars is dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among the clouds. Your limbs will tremble with age, and your strong legs will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to do their work, and you will be blind, too. And, when your teeth are gone, keep your lips tightly closed when you eat! Even the chirping of birds will wake you up. But you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with a quavering voice. You will be afraid of heights and of falling, white hair and withered, dragging along toward any death's door. And as you near your everlasting home, the mourners will walk along the streets.Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
F...ING Insensitive--Dialogue
Dang, Adam, you said it ten times better than me. The only comment I would add is that it doesn't have to be put in a Christian context but simply the way it is in America. An atheist, a Jew, a Baptist, a Hindu, a Buddhist, etc is free to believe or act how they want and the radical Muslim has to be held accountable as much as anybody. They do not get a free pass just because they threatened violence. And I am damn embarrassed and not a little pissed that the president and others, especially the military puts out a "could hurt the troops" bullshit because they are worried that some preacher has gotten the news media to give him his 15 minutes of fame and the radical Muslims will be violent which they will. Just because they will doesn't mean they get a free pass.
I personally have enough faith In Americans of every stripe who care when they wake up and realize how ridiculous that our leaders take this time for such bullshit, there will be a backlash. It won't be violent but will probably be at the ballot box which will even be worst for the Democrats. Damn. I have other things to do. Thanks Adam. {{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}
There is a big differece between burning some books because you find them "ungodly" and murdering people because they do not agree with you. Radical muslims are NOT the same as us. They do NOT countenance dissent. They do NOT believe in free speech. And if you turn the other cheek they will break your jaw. They believe thet the penalty of apostasy is death. The penalty of insulting the prophet is death. The penalty for adultery is death (oh..only if you are a woman). For these reasons we should NOT treat radical muslims (if we know they are radical muslims) the same as us. We should NOT assume that thay have the same values and are just misunderstood. Worst of all we should not allow double standards to prevail and freely allow any insult to the Christian religion while suppressing the same behavior directed at Islam. This is pure hypocrisy. At some point we have to stand up for what we believe in and not be ashamed of being a Christian-based nation with judeo-Christian ethics - or more importantly New Testament ethics. We should not be ashamed or afraid of wanting to keep our society the way it is and wanting to live in a society that we understand with people who think the same way. I am sick to death of moral relativism. At some point you have to grow a pair of balls and stand up for your own people, your own society and your own values.
I have seen what happens when you do not stick up for your values - even in this wonderfully even tempered country of England. There is a difference between tolerance and total capitulation to another culture - a culture that does not have your welfare at heart, but wishes to destroy it. Yes. destroy it. Sharia is not our law, neither is Leviticus. The old world - the books of Abraham etc - these are not the basis of the world we have created and that we want to live in. The New Testamant laid down the principles for a world where compassion tempered the rod of absolute power and the merciless application of religious law. If we do not stand up for these principles we could end up, by default, with a system of governments and laws that very few prople in the Western world would be happy with.
And it starts with little things. Here is a very small exmaple - hallal meals all round (and do you know how 'hallal' animals are killed?...) :
New Testament Christianity may be a flawed system but it is better than islam. So if it's them and us - then I vote for us!
I don't know if anybody has told you lately but this is America which means that anybody can be stupid and a certifiable nut if they choose. Any American can get on the rooftops and call the prez or anybody most anything and if they don't threaten, no sweat. Everyday in this City I see nutsos of various sorts. They would be happy to burn a Koran if they knew what it was. Every time some nut decides to anger the Muslims, we are suppose to lock them up. Bullshit, they didn't like the cartoons, they rioted. Then this radical Muslim killed Theo Van Gogh because his movie bad mouthed Mohammed. What is next? And, the idea that some unhinged preacher in Fl with 50 members of a church can spark this outcry should make us all take notice. Are these people like Petraeus, Gates, the Canadians. Even Sarah Palin, what have they been smoking? What and who is next. It might be you because you say some pretty outrageous things which border on bad mouthing America but thus far you have stayed clear of the Muslims which is pretty smart as they would be after your ass. This is f...ing crazy.
I personally have enough faith In Americans of every stripe who care when they wake up and realize how ridiculous that our leaders take this time for such bullshit, there will be a backlash. It won't be violent but will probably be at the ballot box which will even be worst for the Democrats. Damn. I have other things to do. Thanks Adam. {{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}
There is a big differece between burning some books because you find them "ungodly" and murdering people because they do not agree with you. Radical muslims are NOT the same as us. They do NOT countenance dissent. They do NOT believe in free speech. And if you turn the other cheek they will break your jaw. They believe thet the penalty of apostasy is death. The penalty of insulting the prophet is death. The penalty for adultery is death (oh..only if you are a woman). For these reasons we should NOT treat radical muslims (if we know they are radical muslims) the same as us. We should NOT assume that thay have the same values and are just misunderstood. Worst of all we should not allow double standards to prevail and freely allow any insult to the Christian religion while suppressing the same behavior directed at Islam. This is pure hypocrisy. At some point we have to stand up for what we believe in and not be ashamed of being a Christian-based nation with judeo-Christian ethics - or more importantly New Testament ethics. We should not be ashamed or afraid of wanting to keep our society the way it is and wanting to live in a society that we understand with people who think the same way. I am sick to death of moral relativism. At some point you have to grow a pair of balls and stand up for your own people, your own society and your own values.
I have seen what happens when you do not stick up for your values - even in this wonderfully even tempered country of England. There is a difference between tolerance and total capitulation to another culture - a culture that does not have your welfare at heart, but wishes to destroy it. Yes. destroy it. Sharia is not our law, neither is Leviticus. The old world - the books of Abraham etc - these are not the basis of the world we have created and that we want to live in. The New Testamant laid down the principles for a world where compassion tempered the rod of absolute power and the merciless application of religious law. If we do not stand up for these principles we could end up, by default, with a system of governments and laws that very few prople in the Western world would be happy with.
And it starts with little things. Here is a very small exmaple - hallal meals all round (and do you know how 'hallal' animals are killed?...) :
New Testament Christianity may be a flawed system but it is better than islam. So if it's them and us - then I vote for us!
I don't know if anybody has told you lately but this is America which means that anybody can be stupid and a certifiable nut if they choose. Any American can get on the rooftops and call the prez or anybody most anything and if they don't threaten, no sweat. Everyday in this City I see nutsos of various sorts. They would be happy to burn a Koran if they knew what it was. Every time some nut decides to anger the Muslims, we are suppose to lock them up. Bullshit, they didn't like the cartoons, they rioted. Then this radical Muslim killed Theo Van Gogh because his movie bad mouthed Mohammed. What is next? And, the idea that some unhinged preacher in Fl with 50 members of a church can spark this outcry should make us all take notice. Are these people like Petraeus, Gates, the Canadians. Even Sarah Palin, what have they been smoking? What and who is next. It might be you because you say some pretty outrageous things which border on bad mouthing America but thus far you have stayed clear of the Muslims which is pretty smart as they would be after your ass. This is f...ing crazy.
This Is Why Soldiers Get Disillusioned
A note from a retired friend. This is from my high school retired gunny friend-- this one I do believe. I simply don't trust the gov't who on Iraq and Afghanistan try and BS the American Public who care. love red***
From a soldier on the ground in Iraq.
Hey, everybody! I just want to send a quick update and give y'all the REAL story on what's going on over here with the troop withdrawal. The reason I'm sending this out is because a few people asked if I left Iraq. They're told that all of the combat troops are out. I want to let everyone know the real deal. It's kind of ridiculous how the news is saying that the last of the "combat" troops are out of Iraq because of President Osama's campaign promise. Take our Brigade for example. We were originally called a HBCT (Heavy Brigade Combat Team). Well, since Obama said he would pull all of the "combat" troops out by Aug, all they did was change our name from HBCT to AAB (Advise and Assist Brigade). We have the same personnel/equipment layout as before and are doing the same missions. The ONLY difference is that they changed our name. That's how he is getting away with saying that he has pulled all of the "combat" troops out. It is really ridiculous what he's doing and he has ticked a lot of people off. And it's funny how the media is buying all of it, too. So no, the last combat troops are not out of Iraq. We are still here. There are other Brigades just like ours that are doing the same missions that are still over here. Sorry for going on about it but we are just sitting over here watching, and are like "You've got to be kidding !" So anyway now you know the REAL story. That's why I'm not coming back early. You have to watch those creeps, they're sneaky! Anyways I hope everyone is doing well and that I'll stay alive.
A Disillusioned Soldier
***Note: Assuming this young soldier is "right on" and soldiers sometimes see, as we all do, things from their perspective and vantage point. To me, this is pretty straight forward. Soldiers aren't stupid, they see what is happening and in this case, I blame the military. To me, this is an ethical situation: the military leadership involved in politics. The flip side of the coin is that this might be a soldier's perception and his perception is his reality. I'm not sure. I would surely hate to think that the media would be complicity in this ruse. Stay tuned.
From a soldier on the ground in Iraq.
Hey, everybody! I just want to send a quick update and give y'all the REAL story on what's going on over here with the troop withdrawal. The reason I'm sending this out is because a few people asked if I left Iraq. They're told that all of the combat troops are out. I want to let everyone know the real deal. It's kind of ridiculous how the news is saying that the last of the "combat" troops are out of Iraq because of President Osama's campaign promise. Take our Brigade for example. We were originally called a HBCT (Heavy Brigade Combat Team). Well, since Obama said he would pull all of the "combat" troops out by Aug, all they did was change our name from HBCT to AAB (Advise and Assist Brigade). We have the same personnel/equipment layout as before and are doing the same missions. The ONLY difference is that they changed our name. That's how he is getting away with saying that he has pulled all of the "combat" troops out. It is really ridiculous what he's doing and he has ticked a lot of people off. And it's funny how the media is buying all of it, too. So no, the last combat troops are not out of Iraq. We are still here. There are other Brigades just like ours that are doing the same missions that are still over here. Sorry for going on about it but we are just sitting over here watching, and are like "You've got to be kidding !" So anyway now you know the REAL story. That's why I'm not coming back early. You have to watch those creeps, they're sneaky! Anyways I hope everyone is doing well and that I'll stay alive.
A Disillusioned Soldier
***Note: Assuming this young soldier is "right on" and soldiers sometimes see, as we all do, things from their perspective and vantage point. To me, this is pretty straight forward. Soldiers aren't stupid, they see what is happening and in this case, I blame the military. To me, this is an ethical situation: the military leadership involved in politics. The flip side of the coin is that this might be a soldier's perception and his perception is his reality. I'm not sure. I would surely hate to think that the media would be complicity in this ruse. Stay tuned.
The Tea Partiers or Hypocrites--take your pick
Which brings me to the tea partyiers. What the heck are they so riled up about? Seems like a lot of them are people our age. What the squat do they have to complain about? Medicare? Social Security? I mean I hate to break the news to them but that's where a lot of our tax dollars go. Oh, and did I mention national defense? It seems to be that a lot of these people want the country to go back to "where it used to be." One of my conservative friends said something to that effect and I replied that if that were the case then we'd all be wearing powdered wigs and long white stockings, the NRA would be backing the ownership of muzzle loaders and some of us would own slaves. He said I was being a smart ass and that what he meant was people want the country to go back like it was when we were kids. Well, I said that just isn't going to happen. I mean the technology isn't the same for starters. Then there's the demographics. And so on. Things do not remain the same - ever.
Will You Hear My Confession
Here's a good one. I know you guys are right on the edge of your seat. I'm up at UC yesterday to drive this patient who is still taking chemo so I am waiting at the Infusion Center. I start talking to this lady and she says, "I understand you are a Priest." Before I could say anything, she said, "Father Jerry, I have met a great priest here and am going to mass everyday." I am looking for an opening to tell her that I'm not a priest. She keeps talking. She is from San Diego but came here at the rec of her doctor as he thought this was best Treatment Center in the country. She made her Mom a special rosary out of pearls. She is going to make the Priest one but he believes all rosaries should be black. It is her birthday. She is sixty. Very attractive but emotionally has the look of all breast cancer victims: "a deer caught in the headlights."
I finally decide that I have to confess. I tell her that I am not a Priest but a Presbyterian and am sorry we went on for so long but she was telling good stories. We laughed. She wanted to know if she could still call me "Father Jerry." Of course. I launched into a war story: "in Vietnam, guys would come to me all the time and want me to hear their confession. I would say to them that I am not a Priest. It would be like they didn't hear me, made no difference. I can't tell you the numbers of times I heard confession.
I finally decide that I have to confess. I tell her that I am not a Priest but a Presbyterian and am sorry we went on for so long but she was telling good stories. We laughed. She wanted to know if she could still call me "Father Jerry." Of course. I launched into a war story: "in Vietnam, guys would come to me all the time and want me to hear their confession. I would say to them that I am not a Priest. It would be like they didn't hear me, made no difference. I can't tell you the numbers of times I heard confession.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
HEALTH
Jackie and I were recently discussing health issues as I was fondling a bottle of fish oil and she posed this question: at what age is it OK to forget taking fish oil, any supplement, eating right, exercise, etc, based on the idea that with the number of years left, you are not going to substantially be adding years to your life anyway. For example, the flax seed that Michael pours over his cereal--at this stage of his life, assuming that it is keeping his arteries unplugged, how much time is he really adding to his life span anyway. Take exercise, whatever. Stud muffin Larry, four hours a day working out: how much is he really adding to his life span? What if he stopped doing it? Started eating bacon and eggs, etc. At this stage, how much difference does it make? It might be different if pain is involved but the things we are doing that are hard to measure or if we can, it is only slight: cholesterol was 200, now 170, in terms of life span, at this age, what difference does it make?
Will all of the things we are doing substantially add to our number of years is a question. Does it make us feel better? A guy who is 90 and loves to smoke. Why not? Or, 82 and still smoking pot. Why not? One day this week I went to this gourmet restaurant in the City: the Lucky Penny and ate pancakes smothered in enough syrup to give me a sugar high for a week or the time Steve and I went to Haight and Fillmore and ate a cheeseburger to die for but if it didn't plug up our last arteries, we are safe forever. What if we did that stuff every day, would it make ant difference, shortened our years.
The essence of what I am saying: is what we are doing appreciably increasing our quality of life? We surely don't want fat bellies and we know that it appears that being overweight like fat Bob increases the chances of a heart attack. Many questions. Let's have some answers. Amen. {{{{{{{LP}}}}}}
Will all of the things we are doing substantially add to our number of years is a question. Does it make us feel better? A guy who is 90 and loves to smoke. Why not? Or, 82 and still smoking pot. Why not? One day this week I went to this gourmet restaurant in the City: the Lucky Penny and ate pancakes smothered in enough syrup to give me a sugar high for a week or the time Steve and I went to Haight and Fillmore and ate a cheeseburger to die for but if it didn't plug up our last arteries, we are safe forever. What if we did that stuff every day, would it make ant difference, shortened our years.
The essence of what I am saying: is what we are doing appreciably increasing our quality of life? We surely don't want fat bellies and we know that it appears that being overweight like fat Bob increases the chances of a heart attack. Many questions. Let's have some answers. Amen. {{{{{{{LP}}}}}}
Saturday, September 11, 2010
SHOULD I EXPECT A CALL FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
I'm on the Muni and there are three crazies on here. This is true. All three of them are talking in a galaxy that the rest of us don't share. One has a beard down to his waist that he keeps stroking and is whispering to someone that we can't see. I think it could be mohammed (oh no, I've spelled mohammed with a small "c" and they might be angry and it is going to possibly cause rioting and they might come after me) or the Gujew or BuJew.
Then there is a woman screaming obscenities. It could be "tourets", and should I arrange stoning since the person might not be perfect but we can't take any chances, less we offend the radical Muslims. At the very least, we should contact the Secdef, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Centcom Command, and Gen Petreaus as this could hurt the troops. Then, there's a black, sometimes called, African American, staring menacingly at us. Quick, alert the press and the president as I definitely see anti Muslim potential. Our only hope is a crafty "eyetalion
Then there is a woman screaming obscenities. It could be "tourets", and should I arrange stoning since the person might not be perfect but we can't take any chances, less we offend the radical Muslims. At the very least, we should contact the Secdef, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Centcom Command, and Gen Petreaus as this could hurt the troops. Then, there's a black, sometimes called, African American, staring menacingly at us. Quick, alert the press and the president as I definitely see anti Muslim potential. Our only hope is a crafty "eyetalion
Thursday, September 09, 2010
DIALOGUE ON RELIGION, BIGOTRY, PATRIOTISM
Immo, I don't know if anybody has told you lately but this is America which means that anybody can be stupid and a certifiable nut if they choose. Any American can get on the rooftops and call the prez or anybody most anything and if they don't threaten, no sweat. Everyday in this City I see nutsos of various sorts. They would be happy to burn a Koran if they knew what it was. Every time some nut decides to anger the Muslims, we are suppose to lock them up. Bullshit, they didn't like the cartoons, they rioted. Then this radical Muslim killed Theo Van Gogh because his movie bad mouthed Mohammed. What is next? And, the idea that some unhinged preacher in Forida with 50 members of a church can spark this outcry should make us all take notice. Are these people like Petraeus, Gates, the Canadians. Even Sarah Palin, what have they been smoking? What and who is next. It might be you because you say some pretty outrageous things which border on bad mouthing America but thus far you have stayed clear of the Muslims which is pretty smart as they would be after your ass. This is f...ing crazy.
moi, bad mouthing america? where and when? not in my last email. i know that this is america where everyone can say pretty much what they want. i did not say that the lunatic should be stopped. i just remarked on the fact that nobody from the teaparty seems to be upset about it or taking a stand about it, much less calling the preacher unamerican. no, that sort of name-calling they reserve for others.
also, i am not defending radical muslims or radical anythings, just the opposite.
finally, your last sentence, this is fucking crazy, seems to have no target. what is crazy?
please clarify
immo
There is a big differece between burning some books beCuase you find them "ungodly" and murdering people because they do not agree with you.
Radical muslims are NOT the same as us. They do NOT countenance dissent. They do NOT believe in free speech. And if you turn the other cheek they will break your jaw. They believe thet the penalty of apostasy is death. The penalty of insulting the prophet is death. The penalty for adultery is death (oh..only if you are a woman). For these reasons we should NOT treat radical muslims (if we know they are radical muslims) the same as us. We should NOT assume that thay have the same values and are just misunderstood. Worst of all we should not allow double standards to prevail and freely allow any insult to the Christian religion while suppressing the same behavior directed at Islam. This is pure hypocrisy. At some point we have to stand up for what we believe in and not be ashamed of being a Christian-based nation with judeo-Christian ethics - or more importantly New Testament ethics. We should not be ashamed or afraid of wanting to keep our society the way it is and wanting to live in a society that we understand with people who think the same way. I am sick to death of moral relativism. At some point you have to grow a pair of balls and stand up for your own people, your own society and your own values.
I have seen what happens when you do not stick up for your values - even in this wonderfully even tempered country of England. There is a difference between tolerance and total capitulation to another culture - a culture that does not have your welfare at heart, but wishes to destroy it. Yes. destroy it. Sharia is not our law, neither is Leviticus. The old world - the books of Abraham etc - these are not the basis of the world we have created and that we want to live in. The New Testamant laid down the principles for a world where compassion tempered the rod of absolute power and the merciless application of religious law. If we do not stand up for these principles we could end up, by default, with a system of governments and laws that very few prople in the Western world would be happy with.
And it starts with little things. Here is a very small exmaple - hallal meals all round (and do you know how 'hallal' animals are killed?...) :
New Testament Christianity may be a flawed system but it is better than islam. So if it's them and us - then I vote for us!
Immo, I don't know if anybody has told you lately but this is America which means that anybody can be stupid and a certifiable nut if they choose. Any American can get on the rooftops and call the prez or anybody most anything and if they don't threaten, no sweat. Everyday in this City I see nutsos of various sorts. They would be happy to burn a Koran if they knew what it was. Every time some nut decides to anger the Muslims, we are suppose to lock them up. Bullshit, they didn't like the cartoons, they rioted. Then this radical Muslim killed Theo Van Gogh because his movie bad mouthed Mohammed. What is next? And, the idea that some unhinged preacher in Fl with 50 members of a church can spark this outcry should make us all take notice. Are these people like Petraeus, Gates, the Canadians. Even Sarah Palin, what have they been smoking? What and who is next. It might be you because you say some pretty outrageous things which border on bad mouthing America but thus far you have stayed clear of the Muslims which is pretty smart as they would be after your ass. This is f...ing crazy.
Sent from my iPhone
Preach,
I'll be with you. Do we have to go to Pats'? Why not Mama's? Besides, aren't there Chinese cooks at Pats? Why not La Rocca's Corner? We could just drink shots for breakfast and talk about what a German/Floridian Nut is going to do and why is the Media giving Nuts so much prime time. There in lies the problem: nut threatens outrageous act; semi-nuts express outrage; wider community whines and whines that it is offensive to (fill in blank); Generals, Presidents, etc. take the bait and comment. We live in the theater of the absurd. Do you think the EYETALIANS give a rusty fuck about Islam and Ben Laden? I doubt it.
Since you guys are already up, why not join me at 0645 at the firehouse on Stockton to commemorate those lost on Sat, 9-11. After breakfast on me at my favorite place, Pat's on Powell.
If any takers, will send directions. You can sleep when you are dead. Gary, Ray and I did it at his old firehouse one year. We could hardly meet the minimal requirements: where two or three are gathered together in my name. {{{LP}}}
Sunday, September 05, 2010
If we can't have a victory parade, we at least ought to be able to draw some definitive conclusions. And, it just doesn't seem that we are going to do so. We want to just move on, sadly.
Andrew Bacevich, who lost a son in Iraq and has authored a book, Washington Rules: America's Path To Permanent War
Where are these people? What Country are they in? This fascinates me. Government officials, to even include, on occasion, the military, when they talk about our wars, etc, I think "what galaxy are these people in." Terrorists have blown up half of Baghdad, figuratively speaking and the government spokesperson says something like, "We have secured the country, given the Iraqis democracy, life is good here, God is in his heavens and all is right with the world. But, the lights are out, about four hours of electricity a day, generally living conditions spotty at best. I would hate to do a big time survey of Iraqis and asked, "Would you like to have Saddam back?"
We really haven't left Iraq: 50,000 American soldiers still present for duty. Mission accomplished? The military has done its job but Mission Accomplished? We've been here before. Hmmmm!!!!!
Saturday, September 04, 2010
LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE ECONOMIST
The following is the complete letter to the Economist. They only printed a portion.
"A losing cause doesn't automatically have to become a lost cause. Iraq showed that." So says my favorite magazine, The Economist. While I am far from convinced that we'll get out of Iraq cleanly, it is absolutely absurd to keep comparing and talking about the surge. It has become some kind of formula for success. Nothing could be further from the truth. All we did in Iraq is separate the factions and pay off the insurgents.
By any objective opinion, Afghanistan is not Iraq and a "fast train to nowhere." I basically think the counter insurgency strategy could possibly work but it would take us years. I mean years, like 20. And, McChrystal as a Special Forces trained officer knew it better than any man on the planet.
General Petraeus is surely equal and maybe better than McChrystal. He is certainly more media saavy. However, he is no magic bullit for Afghanistan. If we think such, we might as well believe Afghanie corruption is ended, Karzai is a credible leader, his brother is the epitome of honesty, drug Lords have beaten their swords into plow shares, and women are now full partners in the country.
"A losing cause doesn't automatically have to become a lost cause. Iraq showed that." So says my favorite magazine, The Economist. While I am far from convinced that we'll get out of Iraq cleanly, it is absolutely absurd to keep comparing and talking about the surge. It has become some kind of formula for success. Nothing could be further from the truth. All we did in Iraq is separate the factions and pay off the insurgents.
By any objective opinion, Afghanistan is not Iraq and a "fast train to nowhere." I basically think the counter insurgency strategy could possibly work but it would take us years. I mean years, like 20. And, McChrystal as a Special Forces trained officer knew it better than any man on the planet.
General Petraeus is surely equal and maybe better than McChrystal. He is certainly more media saavy. However, he is no magic bullit for Afghanistan. If we think such, we might as well believe Afghanie corruption is ended, Karzai is a credible leader, his brother is the epitome of honesty, drug Lords have beaten their swords into plow shares, and women are now full partners in the country.
RUTH'S VIEW
Ruth Lakkari's brother was killed in Vietnam. She and some others are authors of a wonderful coffee table book, The Names Behind The Faces. It tells the story of every soldier from MN killed in that useless war. A few comments from Ruth.
I had to run some errands today and while I was sitting in my car at a stop sign I noticed the truck in front of me was from Florida but had a Purple Heart on his license plate. I honked my horn at him a couple of times and he stuck his head out of his truck window. I yelled at him "Thank You For Being a Vietnam Vet!" He then waved me to pull over in the parking lot. He got out of his truck and walked over to me. He told me he appreciated my thank you. We got to talking and he told me he did two tours in Vietnam. He got shot in the leg and also shot in the back. He told me he was in terrible health and suffered from agent orange. He also had several other illnesses. He was wearing a hat that had Vietnam Veteran on it and when he was shopping he accidentally bumped into a lady with her son. He said he was sorry and hoped the little boy was okay. The lady looked at his hat and said "hummm...Vietnam Veteran....baby killer." I apologized for that lady's ignorance and there are many of us out there who are indebted for what he did for his country. He started telling me about the nightmares he has and how he has buried too many Vietnam veterans friends. He told me he was 67 years old and knew he didn't have much longer on this earth but he didn't care as he wanted out of this world as it has become so ugly. I told him about Tim and he told me he was sorry but that he was in a much better world. We both sat there talking and crying and feeling the affects of how ugly war really is. We talked about how no one cares about our troops over seas fighting a war we didn't need to be a part of. He gave me his business card and is the Post Adjutant of American Legion Post 255 but after talking some more he asked me for his business card back and wrote on the back of it his personal email address and gave it back to me. We ended our conversation with saying "Peace."
There are a ton of war veterans walking out there and the last talley of suicide from our soldiers fighting over in Iraq and Afganastan was in the year 2005 and the total was over 6000!! It is a sad world when it is more important to hear about Lindsey Lohan then it is to hear of our troops fighting over seas. Before you close you eyes at night please think of our troops fighting over seas and pray for them to come back unharmed and to be able to find peace in their minds and hearts so they may lead a normal life after war.
Thanks
Ruth
I had to run some errands today and while I was sitting in my car at a stop sign I noticed the truck in front of me was from Florida but had a Purple Heart on his license plate. I honked my horn at him a couple of times and he stuck his head out of his truck window. I yelled at him "Thank You For Being a Vietnam Vet!" He then waved me to pull over in the parking lot. He got out of his truck and walked over to me. He told me he appreciated my thank you. We got to talking and he told me he did two tours in Vietnam. He got shot in the leg and also shot in the back. He told me he was in terrible health and suffered from agent orange. He also had several other illnesses. He was wearing a hat that had Vietnam Veteran on it and when he was shopping he accidentally bumped into a lady with her son. He said he was sorry and hoped the little boy was okay. The lady looked at his hat and said "hummm...Vietnam Veteran....baby killer." I apologized for that lady's ignorance and there are many of us out there who are indebted for what he did for his country. He started telling me about the nightmares he has and how he has buried too many Vietnam veterans friends. He told me he was 67 years old and knew he didn't have much longer on this earth but he didn't care as he wanted out of this world as it has become so ugly. I told him about Tim and he told me he was sorry but that he was in a much better world. We both sat there talking and crying and feeling the affects of how ugly war really is. We talked about how no one cares about our troops over seas fighting a war we didn't need to be a part of. He gave me his business card and is the Post Adjutant of American Legion Post 255 but after talking some more he asked me for his business card back and wrote on the back of it his personal email address and gave it back to me. We ended our conversation with saying "Peace."
There are a ton of war veterans walking out there and the last talley of suicide from our soldiers fighting over in Iraq and Afganastan was in the year 2005 and the total was over 6000!! It is a sad world when it is more important to hear about Lindsey Lohan then it is to hear of our troops fighting over seas. Before you close you eyes at night please think of our troops fighting over seas and pray for them to come back unharmed and to be able to find peace in their minds and hearts so they may lead a normal life after war.
Thanks
Ruth
JOBS
Really sad, talking about jobs. Sad, people unemployed. One guy said that he lost his job in 2001, had sent out thousands of resumes, finally started his own business. Said, do whatever he needed to do to make a buck. And, frankly he said, "he was tired of all this whining." Then this other guy comes on and he goes on and on and on mainly blaming the government for everything. This guy is very inconsistent, blames the government for sending jobs overseas, not approving unemployment benefits.
Why can't he buy shoes his daughter's asked him. Listening, it is more the frustration than anything.
Why can't he buy shoes his daughter's asked him. Listening, it is more the frustration than anything.
PAT TILLMAN
I feel so badly for Pat Tillman's Mom in her grief. However, it is time to let this go. From the very beginning and this is about the third time I've written about it: in Vietnam, we would sit around and talk about what we would want said if we got hit by friendly fire. To a man, the answer: killed by the enemy. I am the last one in the world to defend the Army as the bureaucracy can often screw up a two car funeral procession but my suspicion is that Pat Tillman's buddies were merely trying to make him look like a hero. The fact that he was Pat Tillman was beside the point. And, now we have a movie. Damned if it isn't time to be "at ease" with this and let the poor guy rest. In anybody's view with one eye and half sense, the guy is an extraordinary hero: giving up a NFL career and millions of dollars to fight for his country. Any combat soldier would have been proud to serve with him. And, trust me on this, that is the highest compliment.
Two times in Vietnam, I remember friendly fire. One happened with a Lieutenant, an artillery FO (forward observer) who literally had a short round drop on him and blew him away. The other was a young cherry, (soldier who was brand new to war) who was pulling guard duty and heard noises and panicked and fired his weapon, killing his squad leader who had come out to check on him. How were both of these incidents reported by soldiers? Killed by the enemy. Any soldier and I have talked to several of my buddies and all sing the same chorus, rather be thought to have been killed by the enemy than by my buds in arms. So, come on, it's time to let Corporal Tillman rest. And, a last thing, unless you've been in combat, you don't know shit about what goes on. Combat ain't no day at the beach and it doesn't help the loved ones of soldiers to keep thinking that some reporter or movie maker knows what happens out on the battlefield, whether it be in WW ll or Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan. As my departed poet soldier buddy, Phil Woodall, use to say, They may have died in vain (what he was referring to was the sorry war of Vietnam and we'd now add, Iraq and Afghanistan) but they lived in honor.
STUPIDITY
Two things are an absolute scourge to me. Stupidity and Obesity. The latter is simply sad to see someone let themselves go. Getting back is hard but can be done. Stupidity on the other hand is often self inflicted. Afghanistan's President is a typical example. As I have said before, he is corrupt and doesn't even try to hide it. His latest thing is apparently firing one of the few honest people in his government. The now fired prosecutor who has been investigating at least two dozen of Karzai's senior officials. Earlier this month Karzai blocked prosecution of the 72 year old prosecutor who has opened cases on 25 current Karzai officials, including 17 members of Karzai's cabinet, five provential governments, and at least three ambassadors. Awash in US taxpayer dollars, Karzai's government is believed to be utterly corrupt. This makes the Taliban a viable alternative. What in the f... Is wrong with us, specifically the Congress. Are we simply idiots? How can we be this f...ing asleep at the wheel. The next thing we hear is Gen Petreus telling what good progress we are making. How many more years are we going to be this stupid?
Monday, August 30, 2010
THE MOSQUE ETC
I still cannot make up my mind how I feel about that bloody mosque in NYC.
My constitutional, liberal (small L - and very happy to be called liberal in that sense - socially liberal), side says - hey! Freedom of religion is their (our) right and it's just fear and perhaps a bit of biggotry on my part that makes me want to oppose it. The fact that it offends me is not an argument of any validity. In fact it is a damned good reason to be very careful about opposing this building. The last thing I want to to sound like those bigoted Tea-party hate-mongers you hear on AM radio. But the proud America-loving side of me remembers those terrible images of 9-11, and it makes me afraid, and also make me think of what I would do if a British or US person, let's say a catholic or a Jew, hijacked a plane full of innocent people, cut the throats of the pilots and flew it into the business center of Rhyad, And then the catholic/jewish community wanted to build a church/synagogue two blocks from teh site. What would I think? I would think that they are murderous psychopathic lunatics to have done it in the first place, and that the people who wanted to build the church/synagogue need their heads (and hearts) examined because it it preposterously offensive and provocative. Would I oppose it. Certainly. Yes. It is an intentionally offensive and provocative gesture, and calling it to Cordova center - with all the meaning of that word - is utterly outrageous.
I do not expect a clear answer from anyone, but it's driving me crazy, not knowing whether I am loosing my sense of compassion or just being a reasonable sensible person seeing a threat where there is one.
Anyway, here is a very interesting article with some fascinating statistics such as 40% of Muslims want Sharia law in the UK.
http://thecountuk.blogspot.com/2010/06/islam-in-britain-polls-apart.html
Hope you all have a good week.
Adam (still confused!)
Adam,understand your ambiguity about the Mosque scene. Because of the radical nature of, at least by one estimate, 5 million Muslims, we find ourselves in a box. For those of us who want to be open about things, this is very hard. The best example I know is this: if a Christian, to include right wing fundamentalists, try to convert the non believer and the person says, "get lost". The evangelical/fundamentalist (and, they are not always the same) will say, "I'm praying for you" or leave you some literature. The radical Muslim will try to kill you. This is not extreme, based on evidence obviously.
I would not worry about it although I think as a country, the UK should. America is a big country and we can absorb a lot of people but the UK cannot. My belief. To be perfectly honest, philosophically, I think I like the French approach.
Adam:
They changed the name of the mosque from "Cordoba" to something else out of respect for the sensitivity of those opposed to the mosque's building at the proposed site. So that is a non-issue now. As for your other examples, an entire religion cannot be shunned, vilified or made illegitimate by the acts of a small number of extremists.....as for your fear of a muslim takeover and the instilling of Sharia as the law of the land, I have to think that it is paranoia.....I believe that Britain should enforce quotas on emigres from Muslim countries, as well as the U.S. should, to protect against allowing the population to reach a point where that would become an existential threat......Britain should now somehow find a way to enforce assimilation on the mulims currently within their borders......and the laws as they exist now should and would deal with those horrific acts which are sanctioned under Sharia but are totally illegal and prosecutable under British law. Those convicted of breaking the law in the name of Sharia should be sent back to their country of origin after they have served their time for their unlawful acts......This should have a chilling effect on those who woud advocate the practice of Sharia over the law of the land. That would be a perfectly permissable way of weeding out the extremists that you now fear......Take a deep breath Adam.....What you fear can be controlled .....and there will be a general will to do so ..... Sam D.
I want to stay around the center - socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and realistic, but continually positive and hopeful. I do not have great faith in the masses, but I like the individuals. It does not mean I do not believe in a society, but I think that en-mass many people tend to take the path of least resistance and need to be encourages to be pretty lazy and feckless. There are plenty of individual exceptions of course. Immo seems to think that the path to fairness is a cradle to grave welfare state, and that's just not the American way. Safety net, yes. National health, absolutely, yes. But allowing people (and corporations!) to be life-long recipients of welfare is not sustainable given our shrinking tax payer population.
You are right about the US. it still has room for people to build and grow and be free. The UK is a lovely country but we are like rats in a cage - all squashed together. England has a population density of about 400 people per square km. (Scotland and Wales are much lower). USA: 33 average. NH: 56. CA: 90 per sq Km. Mongolia has about 3 ! It makes a big difference when a person can go to Ohio, buy or rent a perfectly nice house in the suburbs, and support his family. That is almost impossible in the UK.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1306213/England-populated-country-EU.html
France has 99 people per square km and thay have a strong sense of beinf French. They are pretty liberal, but first and foremost, you are French. That's the rule. And it seems to work. They have the North African issue, which is tricky, but most of those guys just want to be french!
AB
My constitutional, liberal (small L - and very happy to be called liberal in that sense - socially liberal), side says - hey! Freedom of religion is their (our) right and it's just fear and perhaps a bit of biggotry on my part that makes me want to oppose it. The fact that it offends me is not an argument of any validity. In fact it is a damned good reason to be very careful about opposing this building. The last thing I want to to sound like those bigoted Tea-party hate-mongers you hear on AM radio. But the proud America-loving side of me remembers those terrible images of 9-11, and it makes me afraid, and also make me think of what I would do if a British or US person, let's say a catholic or a Jew, hijacked a plane full of innocent people, cut the throats of the pilots and flew it into the business center of Rhyad, And then the catholic/jewish community wanted to build a church/synagogue two blocks from teh site. What would I think? I would think that they are murderous psychopathic lunatics to have done it in the first place, and that the people who wanted to build the church/synagogue need their heads (and hearts) examined because it it preposterously offensive and provocative. Would I oppose it. Certainly. Yes. It is an intentionally offensive and provocative gesture, and calling it to Cordova center - with all the meaning of that word - is utterly outrageous.
I do not expect a clear answer from anyone, but it's driving me crazy, not knowing whether I am loosing my sense of compassion or just being a reasonable sensible person seeing a threat where there is one.
Anyway, here is a very interesting article with some fascinating statistics such as 40% of Muslims want Sharia law in the UK.
http://thecountuk.blogspot.com/2010/06/islam-in-britain-polls-apart.html
Hope you all have a good week.
Adam (still confused!)
Adam,understand your ambiguity about the Mosque scene. Because of the radical nature of, at least by one estimate, 5 million Muslims, we find ourselves in a box. For those of us who want to be open about things, this is very hard. The best example I know is this: if a Christian, to include right wing fundamentalists, try to convert the non believer and the person says, "get lost". The evangelical/fundamentalist (and, they are not always the same) will say, "I'm praying for you" or leave you some literature. The radical Muslim will try to kill you. This is not extreme, based on evidence obviously.
I would not worry about it although I think as a country, the UK should. America is a big country and we can absorb a lot of people but the UK cannot. My belief. To be perfectly honest, philosophically, I think I like the French approach.
Adam:
They changed the name of the mosque from "Cordoba" to something else out of respect for the sensitivity of those opposed to the mosque's building at the proposed site. So that is a non-issue now. As for your other examples, an entire religion cannot be shunned, vilified or made illegitimate by the acts of a small number of extremists.....as for your fear of a muslim takeover and the instilling of Sharia as the law of the land, I have to think that it is paranoia.....I believe that Britain should enforce quotas on emigres from Muslim countries, as well as the U.S. should, to protect against allowing the population to reach a point where that would become an existential threat......Britain should now somehow find a way to enforce assimilation on the mulims currently within their borders......and the laws as they exist now should and would deal with those horrific acts which are sanctioned under Sharia but are totally illegal and prosecutable under British law. Those convicted of breaking the law in the name of Sharia should be sent back to their country of origin after they have served their time for their unlawful acts......This should have a chilling effect on those who woud advocate the practice of Sharia over the law of the land. That would be a perfectly permissable way of weeding out the extremists that you now fear......Take a deep breath Adam.....What you fear can be controlled .....and there will be a general will to do so ..... Sam D.
I want to stay around the center - socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and realistic, but continually positive and hopeful. I do not have great faith in the masses, but I like the individuals. It does not mean I do not believe in a society, but I think that en-mass many people tend to take the path of least resistance and need to be encourages to be pretty lazy and feckless. There are plenty of individual exceptions of course. Immo seems to think that the path to fairness is a cradle to grave welfare state, and that's just not the American way. Safety net, yes. National health, absolutely, yes. But allowing people (and corporations!) to be life-long recipients of welfare is not sustainable given our shrinking tax payer population.
You are right about the US. it still has room for people to build and grow and be free. The UK is a lovely country but we are like rats in a cage - all squashed together. England has a population density of about 400 people per square km. (Scotland and Wales are much lower). USA: 33 average. NH: 56. CA: 90 per sq Km. Mongolia has about 3 ! It makes a big difference when a person can go to Ohio, buy or rent a perfectly nice house in the suburbs, and support his family. That is almost impossible in the UK.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1306213/England-populated-country-EU.html
France has 99 people per square km and thay have a strong sense of beinf French. They are pretty liberal, but first and foremost, you are French. That's the rule. And it seems to work. They have the North African issue, which is tricky, but most of those guys just want to be french!
AB
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Chaplains and MARINES
Here's a good one. I know you guys are right on the edge of your seat. I'm up at UC yesterday to drive this patient who is still taking chemo so I am waiting at the Infusion Center. I start talking to this lady and she says, "I understand you are a Priest." Before I could say anything, she said, "Father Jerry, I have met a great priest here and am going to mass everyday." I am looking for an opening to tell her that I'm not a priest. She keeps talking. She is from San Diego but came here at the rec of her doctor as he thought this was best Treatment Center in the country. She made her Mom a special rosary out of pearls. She is going to make the Priest one but he believes all rosaries should be black. It is her birthday. She is sixty. Very attractive but emotionally has the look of all breast cancer victims: "a deer caught in the headlights."
I finally decide that I have to confess. I tell her that I am not a Priest but a Presbyterian and am sorry we went on for so long but she was telling good stories. We laughed. She wanted to know if she could still call me "Father Jerry." Of course. I launched into a war story: "in Vietnam, guys would come to me all the time and want me to hear their confession. I would say to them that I am not a Priest. It would be like they didn't hear me, made no difference. I can't tell you the numbers of times I heard confession.
I have a confession to make. I know you're not a priest, but you're the closest to one that I know. My confession: I agree with this quote from a chaplain!
"You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of
arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth- and the
amusing thing about it is that they are."
Father Kevin Keaney, 1st MarDiv Chaplain, Korean War
The Marines are the last vestige of true discipline in our society. And, I am fan. PBS had a big special on the Marines Sunday night. It was like an hour and a half commercial. There is a young segment in our society looking for a challenge and the Marines are providing it. HooAhhhhhhhhhhh
I finally decide that I have to confess. I tell her that I am not a Priest but a Presbyterian and am sorry we went on for so long but she was telling good stories. We laughed. She wanted to know if she could still call me "Father Jerry." Of course. I launched into a war story: "in Vietnam, guys would come to me all the time and want me to hear their confession. I would say to them that I am not a Priest. It would be like they didn't hear me, made no difference. I can't tell you the numbers of times I heard confession.
I have a confession to make. I know you're not a priest, but you're the closest to one that I know. My confession: I agree with this quote from a chaplain!
"You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of
arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth- and the
amusing thing about it is that they are."
Father Kevin Keaney, 1st MarDiv Chaplain, Korean War
The Marines are the last vestige of true discipline in our society. And, I am fan. PBS had a big special on the Marines Sunday night. It was like an hour and a half commercial. There is a young segment in our society looking for a challenge and the Marines are providing it. HooAhhhhhhhhhhh
POT! Stories Too Good To Keep To Ourselves
Listening to a news spot on TV concerning the mental health of our soldiers and especially the idea that a soldier could have two positive drug tests and still stay in the military, reminded me when I was a soldier in Germany during the early seventies. Soldiers were smoking hashish (stronger and purer pot) with great regularity and I didn't even know it. A couple of them recently told me and we had a laugh, especially how they would come to see me, go to church-feeling good. Then, we turned serious since both are outstanding citizens, (one, retired cop, now a PI; the other, an economics prof at Ohio State) The question I had for them: do all drug users start with marihuana. Answer from them, They think: YES!!!!
As Californians will soon vote whether to legalize or not is a big issue. To be honest, I haven't had much personal experience with pot. I tried a little in Vietnam but nothing. For one thing, I've never smoked and think you have to have been a smoker to be good at it. I was "Bill" as in Clinton, didn't inhale. Then a couple of dozen years ago, I ran into an old high school buddy and he was into it. I tried a puff. Nothing.
So after a healthy discussion with some of my buds, one was convinced that a "brownie" was the answer. Since my buddy was pro legalizing, his thinking, "if you just try it, realize it merely relaxes, you'll see the benefits." So, what the hell! So, here I am with this brownie. Let's just relax, take a little bite, it's not going to kill you. So, a little chunk. An hour or so, nothing. OK, here's another chunk, bigger one this time. I'm sitting on the couch, suddenly, my head begins to hurt, my ears are burning. I stumble to the bathroom. My ears are blood red. I make it back to the couch and pretend to watch TV. The TV looks a little blurry, maybe I just think it is. I seem a little nauseous, where is the relaxing. Maybe the brownie was tainted or bad or something. No, it came from a marihuana dispensary. This is weird. I'm really feeling weird. Maybe I should call 911. What am I going to tell them, "I had a brownie." Dang! The feelings finally passed. I never relaxed. I flushed the rest of it down the toilet. Well, I can tell you this: I KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO VOTE ON THE POT ISSUE.
Was that really your experience of something you forwarded?
It reminded me exactly of my own experience. But mine was worse. You know I'm totally socially liberal and would let anyone do anything so long as it does not harm other people. But in the case of legalizing pot I would vote NO, for two reasons.
Reason 1 - A couple of years ago when I lived on Funston ave, I went to a party that some of my gay friends were having. They are all very decent normal guys, people I know and like and respect. One of them had made pot brownies. Now, I am not into pot or any other drugs (unless you count beer and wine, which perhaps I should). I had tried all sorts of drugs when I was in high school, just to try. They seemed like a complete waste of time and money and none made me feel particularly happy or interested or excited (except LSD - and I stopped that immediately because I actually liked it and I could tell it was pretty wacky stuff). I was offered a pot brownie at this party. My reasoning was this.... I am an intelligent adult person with good self control. I am with people I trust. Now what is this thing?... It is pot and a brownie. The brownie part is fairly innocuous. OK. And as for the pot, well, it seems like every high school student in the US seems to be smoking the stuff all the time, so how bad can it be? I had a nibble. Nothing. I had some more. Nothing. It tasted good though. I just thought I was immune. So I finished the thing. About 30 minutes passed. Suddenly I felt dizzy and my eyesight and hearing were wobbly. Then I started to feel anxious. I was taken home by Stacy (who was living with me at the time). I drank some water and sat on the bed and then I knew I was feeling very anxious. Then scared. Then very scared. My heart was beating wildly. I was doing everything I could to be quiet and look normal. I tried to tell Stacy what was going on. I tried to tell her I was scared. I could either not talk or only a whisper came out. Apparently I looked very funny because I was sitting bolt upright in bed with my eyes wide open clearly trying to smile but just looking very worried. I new what I wanted to say but I could not make my mouth say the words. It was just like being in a nightmare where you need to move but you are paralyzed. I believed at the time that I had permanently damaged my brain, that I would be able to think like a normal person but that I was forever trapped in this body not being able to talk or communicate. It was absolutely TERRIFYING. I eventually was sick and projectile vomited all over the bathroom. I swear the next day there were green chunks of marijuana vomit all over the bathroom, on the walls and the ceiling. And it absolutely reeked of pot. The next day I was fine again. Just weak and shattered. It was a very frightening experience. Now, when your brain is swamped with unusual foreign chemicals that alter the way you perceive reality, subvert your ability to talk and even to reason, that's a pretty serious physiological event. It's not something that I feel I would ever want to experiment with again. The brain is a pretty tough piece of hardware, but it is not indestructible, and if you damage it enough it will not recover. The lethargy, paranoia, and inability to focus, concentrate, or truly be engaged in life that I see in habitual marijuana users is a powerful deterrent to me. And the experience I had makes me think that any brain, including mine, could be vulnerable.
Reason 2 - I used to live on Funston and Geary, just around the corner from a marajuana dispensary, next to the electronic music shop. I got to see the people who used marajuana. They were not old people with glaucoma or people going through chemo. They were almost 80% young punks in souped-up BMWs and kids in Escalades. None older than about 25 and all clearly disafected, agressive and insecure looking - clearly not nice people. Aaout 20% were just stoners, between 25 and 40. Just long term drug users. Hopeless flotsem and jetsom of society. I would see some of them sleeping in the buishes along Park Presidio. This is not the sort of character development we want to encourage.
I think this stuff should be illegal. It's bad for the people who use it. It's bad for society that has to deal with these people, and it enriches people who are parasites.
Adam
From your experience, pot would not have to be illegal.....people who would try it the way you did and experienced the same effects, would be" innoculated" from further use......and those who found pot to be enjoyable would be able to do so without penalty.... so far, I have not heard of even ONE DEATH from the use of pot.....but we have heard of many deaths attributable to other legal drugs like alcohol...... Accordingly, pot should be legalized......
As Californians will soon vote whether to legalize or not is a big issue. To be honest, I haven't had much personal experience with pot. I tried a little in Vietnam but nothing. For one thing, I've never smoked and think you have to have been a smoker to be good at it. I was "Bill" as in Clinton, didn't inhale. Then a couple of dozen years ago, I ran into an old high school buddy and he was into it. I tried a puff. Nothing.
So after a healthy discussion with some of my buds, one was convinced that a "brownie" was the answer. Since my buddy was pro legalizing, his thinking, "if you just try it, realize it merely relaxes, you'll see the benefits." So, what the hell! So, here I am with this brownie. Let's just relax, take a little bite, it's not going to kill you. So, a little chunk. An hour or so, nothing. OK, here's another chunk, bigger one this time. I'm sitting on the couch, suddenly, my head begins to hurt, my ears are burning. I stumble to the bathroom. My ears are blood red. I make it back to the couch and pretend to watch TV. The TV looks a little blurry, maybe I just think it is. I seem a little nauseous, where is the relaxing. Maybe the brownie was tainted or bad or something. No, it came from a marihuana dispensary. This is weird. I'm really feeling weird. Maybe I should call 911. What am I going to tell them, "I had a brownie." Dang! The feelings finally passed. I never relaxed. I flushed the rest of it down the toilet. Well, I can tell you this: I KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO VOTE ON THE POT ISSUE.
Was that really your experience of something you forwarded?
It reminded me exactly of my own experience. But mine was worse. You know I'm totally socially liberal and would let anyone do anything so long as it does not harm other people. But in the case of legalizing pot I would vote NO, for two reasons.
Reason 1 - A couple of years ago when I lived on Funston ave, I went to a party that some of my gay friends were having. They are all very decent normal guys, people I know and like and respect. One of them had made pot brownies. Now, I am not into pot or any other drugs (unless you count beer and wine, which perhaps I should). I had tried all sorts of drugs when I was in high school, just to try. They seemed like a complete waste of time and money and none made me feel particularly happy or interested or excited (except LSD - and I stopped that immediately because I actually liked it and I could tell it was pretty wacky stuff). I was offered a pot brownie at this party. My reasoning was this.... I am an intelligent adult person with good self control. I am with people I trust. Now what is this thing?... It is pot and a brownie. The brownie part is fairly innocuous. OK. And as for the pot, well, it seems like every high school student in the US seems to be smoking the stuff all the time, so how bad can it be? I had a nibble. Nothing. I had some more. Nothing. It tasted good though. I just thought I was immune. So I finished the thing. About 30 minutes passed. Suddenly I felt dizzy and my eyesight and hearing were wobbly. Then I started to feel anxious. I was taken home by Stacy (who was living with me at the time). I drank some water and sat on the bed and then I knew I was feeling very anxious. Then scared. Then very scared. My heart was beating wildly. I was doing everything I could to be quiet and look normal. I tried to tell Stacy what was going on. I tried to tell her I was scared. I could either not talk or only a whisper came out. Apparently I looked very funny because I was sitting bolt upright in bed with my eyes wide open clearly trying to smile but just looking very worried. I new what I wanted to say but I could not make my mouth say the words. It was just like being in a nightmare where you need to move but you are paralyzed. I believed at the time that I had permanently damaged my brain, that I would be able to think like a normal person but that I was forever trapped in this body not being able to talk or communicate. It was absolutely TERRIFYING. I eventually was sick and projectile vomited all over the bathroom. I swear the next day there were green chunks of marijuana vomit all over the bathroom, on the walls and the ceiling. And it absolutely reeked of pot. The next day I was fine again. Just weak and shattered. It was a very frightening experience. Now, when your brain is swamped with unusual foreign chemicals that alter the way you perceive reality, subvert your ability to talk and even to reason, that's a pretty serious physiological event. It's not something that I feel I would ever want to experiment with again. The brain is a pretty tough piece of hardware, but it is not indestructible, and if you damage it enough it will not recover. The lethargy, paranoia, and inability to focus, concentrate, or truly be engaged in life that I see in habitual marijuana users is a powerful deterrent to me. And the experience I had makes me think that any brain, including mine, could be vulnerable.
Reason 2 - I used to live on Funston and Geary, just around the corner from a marajuana dispensary, next to the electronic music shop. I got to see the people who used marajuana. They were not old people with glaucoma or people going through chemo. They were almost 80% young punks in souped-up BMWs and kids in Escalades. None older than about 25 and all clearly disafected, agressive and insecure looking - clearly not nice people. Aaout 20% were just stoners, between 25 and 40. Just long term drug users. Hopeless flotsem and jetsom of society. I would see some of them sleeping in the buishes along Park Presidio. This is not the sort of character development we want to encourage.
I think this stuff should be illegal. It's bad for the people who use it. It's bad for society that has to deal with these people, and it enriches people who are parasites.
Adam
From your experience, pot would not have to be illegal.....people who would try it the way you did and experienced the same effects, would be" innoculated" from further use......and those who found pot to be enjoyable would be able to do so without penalty.... so far, I have not heard of even ONE DEATH from the use of pot.....but we have heard of many deaths attributable to other legal drugs like alcohol...... Accordingly, pot should be legalized......
Afghanistan and Vietnam: Sorry Wars
"We will continue to face huge challenges in Afghanistan, but it's important that the American people know that we are making progress and we are focused on goals that are clear and achievable." The President
What American people is he talking about? I would say, "the American people who care." Here's one who cares and I trust his comments.
I've been to Afghanistan more than 35 times; mostly in secure areas but on the borders a few times. It is all tribal in the worst sense of the word. 85% can't even read or write. However, we have done more for women in these years than ever before and from what I understand, except for the Taliban, the fathers in the villages want their daughters to be educated. If we stay it will be a 25 year odyssey, a generation of struggle. The whole country and Pakistan too in these areas lives in the 10th century.
The latest "Time" is pretty dismal about the prospects for women in Afghanistan if we leave. I don't think we should leave,relatively speaking, just get the conventional forces out of there. Leave Special Ops. We've got drones, protect the population centers and just keep fighting the Taliban. And give the women a chance.
I doubt it can happen because our political system won't allow it. Think Vietnam. In Vietnam, the South at least had the semblance of a legitimate democratic government. But , we couldn't see it through and who knows, as it has worked out, maybe the best thing. I don't see that in Afghanistan. For instance, in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh only had nationalism as his goal. In Afghanistan, we don't know what the hell is Karzai's agenda, his brother, tribes, clans: who is on who's side. It is a colossal mess as we have tried to make sense of it. We can't!
At the very least we ought to allow for a very liberal immigration program for women. The picture of the 18 year old on the cover of Time is pretty disturbing. To give the country back to a ruthless, ignorant bunch of fanatics mired in the 15th Century or earlier, is unthinkable. And, now we have had 10 Aid Workers killed by the Taliban. We don't know the circumstances yet but whatever they are, such a loss.
WHY HISTORY MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Even if it doesn't teach anything: think Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was on this day in 1964 during a speech in Congress that Senator Ernest Gruening of Alaska said, "All Vietnam is not worth the life of a single American boy."
Senator Gruening gave an impassioned plea before the House on this day, urging them to oppose further escalation. But the next day, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing expanded military action in Vietnam. Ernest Gruening was one of only two senators to oppose the resolution; the other one was Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon.
POIGNANT COMMENT FROM ONE OF THE GIRLFRIENDS
I'm heading South, to the land of Huey Long, aka The Kingfish! I'll be eating oysters, shrimp po'boys, and pecan pie, might even try some white lightnin'. New Orleans will be hotter than a $20 pistol on Saturday night and the humidity will make a gator wilt. We're leavin' Thurs early am. Thanks to United's great service, we're flyin' thru LAX,changing planes, arr. NOLA midafternoon. Jan and Lauren will be doing wedding dresses, deciding,etc,etc.
Capt will be visiting folks, Austin's kin folks,etc. I'll be jogging only in the early am. I haven't found a swimming pool yet in all of NOLA, and that's after 11 years of looking, no less. So much for a healthy city. No wonder everybody is 50lbs. over the limit. I'll ret. Monday, but, won't make breakfast until WEdnesday.
Y'all take care, say a prayer for the late Senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens, lost in a small plane crash on the way to a fishing lodge with a few pals. Not easy in bad weather, as we know.
Got a call today from an old USMC classmate from OCS. He's published a book telling the story of all our classmates who were KIA in RVN: 42 out of about 400 who served there. He researched all the records and it seems to be a creditable job as a tribute to those who didn't return. One of our class who is in the group was an Australian citizen, born an raised. Seems he was the most difficult to profile, not much family. He was shot down and MIA. He told me a story that cleared up a mystery: on Christmas night, '67, our company hit the bush to look for a missing Marine Pfc. who didn't return from a night patrol w/ his squad. Evidently he was captured and held a prisoner in Cambodia only to die there 2 years later! Sad. That was a long night for us, in the rain, in the paddies, in the dark: Vietnam.
See you soon,
Capt.
TRIP TO North Carolina
Thought you guys might like this. The South is still the South but what the hay. The best example of the overt difference of the the trip yesterday on the way from NC to Spartanburg, SC. I went through a stretch where I took a little toll road. I was handing my buck to the little blond toll taker and she said in that sweet syrupy southern voice, "Thank you very much. We appreciate it." This has lost a little in translation but imagine the GG or Bay Bridge toll taker. We are talking the finger. God bless and God bless "'Merica."
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
F...THE TRUTH
The media is always interested a story and not the truth. And, for the life of me, I don't see why we can't get it. Well, yes I do: most who watch TV or even read print media don't take the time to be discerning with questions like, like "where is the truth here?"
The latest bruhaha about the USDA female fired over remarks made 20 years ago, now discovered to be taken out of context and video doctored. An example of how media outlets will do or say anything for a story. They don't give a damn about truth and they never apologize. Assholes and sorry MFers is all I can say.
The latest bruhaha about the USDA female fired over remarks made 20 years ago, now discovered to be taken out of context and video doctored. An example of how media outlets will do or say anything for a story. They don't give a damn about truth and they never apologize. Assholes and sorry MFers is all I can say.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A REAL HERO
In life, rarely do we find ourselves in the presence of someone that we can genuinely call hero. Hero is so banied about in our culture that it is downgraded somewhat. Still, I give it special meaning. I think I get what most are meaning. Most often we hear hero as related to soldiers and rightly so. Why not? But there are heroes and then there are heroes. Warren Chan is a true hero. He didn't just do his duty, he personified his duty by soldiering in a rare way.
I've read somewhere that the WWll combat soldier was in actual combat seventy days. The average for Vietnam combat soldiers was something like 200days. For Warren, it was like 365 days. If he ever came out of the field, I don't know when it was. Let me just kind of spell itout. Warren goes into the Army during Vietnam, is assigned to an infantry unit in the 101st Airborne Division. One would almost have to get into the psyche of the 101st and the country to understand what this means. Vietnam is building up. The generals want more troops. The 101st is training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They are a proud Division (about 16,000troops). At that time, one of two Airborne Divisions in the Army, the other being, the 82d Airborne. Warren, possibly the only Asian American in the entire Division, surely in our Battalion (1/501sr Infantry)He is sent to jump school. He's a paratrooper.
The 101st deploys to Vietnam. The 1st Brigade is already over there. It is just before Christmas and of course as we now know, just before the 1968 TET offensive which many believe was the turning point of the war. Warren, of course, is thrust into this. He becomes the RTO (radio telephone operator) for the D (Delta) Company Commander of the 1/501st Airborne Infantry battalion. From that time forward, Warren never leaves the field. He is essentially in combat every day. During that period, he sees his platoon leaders wounded or killed, to include his company commander. At one point because he is the ranking person alive, a Sergeant E5, he literally is in charge.
Here's a good story. All his life, Warren has had a speech impediment. In elementary school, through High School, he goes for therapy. Slurring his rrrs according to him, hard for people to understand him. And, of course, this brings me to something that makes me smile. Here you have Warren, hard to understand, what does the Army do? You got it! He is given a job where he talks on the radio constantly. I guess saying "over, out here," maybe doesn't require oratory but there are times... Anyway, his commander, Captain Holland, multi-toured Vietnam leader is his CO (commanding officer). It is a 24/7 thing as they are together, Warren is monitoring radio traffic. They are operating in the AO (area of operations) when they have contact. The Artillery FO (forward observer) calls in for the 105s (artillery guns) to fire. They catch a "short round." (a round that falls on their position, rather than the target). Captain Holland gets hit, a sucking chest wound. Warren realizes what happens and calls for a cease fire. Theys say at first, they can't understand him. Of course they can't. He is excited and this makes his impediment worse. He prays according to him, "please God, I have got to do this. His speech impediment disappears. "Cease fire, cease fire." They understand him." The firing stops. He calls for a medivac. In the meantime, he is on top of Captain Holland applying pressure to his chest wound as the blood is pumping out. The medivac can't come as they have been taking fire, (VC shooting at them and the Medivac is worried that they will get shot down) Suddenly, a General in a Command and Control helicopter who has been monitoring the radio traffic tells them to "pop smoke" he's coming in. He does and they load Captain Holland aboard. He lives.
NOW, WARREN CHAN IS CAN BE CALLED A HERO.
VIETNAM WILL NEVER BE OVER
The Vietnam war ends. 39 year anniversary. I don't think so. In a real sense, it isn't over. On PBS, Jeffrey Brown interviewed the author of
The Things They Carried. It wasn't very satisfactory to me. No
comments would have been comforting, however. I don't know exactly
why. Tim O'Brian gave some innocuous answers about war. This isn't
criticism of him although it sounds like it. He actually is going
around talking to kids in schools about war, his book. It sounds like
some good responses from the kids.
The sour grapes are mostly my fault. I want someone to raise hell, to
say what war is all about. How governments make stupid decisions and
then try to justify them. It is not that war in Afghanistan or Iraq is
not a noble effort at least in theory but it is stupid. And, without
going into a rant, let us lament the fact that we lost 58,000 plus
Americans in Vietnam and accomplished nothing but the scars we still
live with. Let me hear the argument that we have accomplished
something in Iraq. There's almost as much chaos as when we invaded.
American deaths are way down as we have moved out of the cities but
with great regularity, thr people are being killed. They are
struggling with the government after no clear cut winner in the recent
election. I'm still skeptical that we'll be able to get out clean. In
Afjghanistan, we are operating with the best strategy to be successful
I think. The only caveat: in Afghanistan 20 years for it to possibly
work. No way. So, this ex soldier ain't celebrating the anniversary of
the ending of the Vietnam war.
The Things They Carried. It wasn't very satisfactory to me. No
comments would have been comforting, however. I don't know exactly
why. Tim O'Brian gave some innocuous answers about war. This isn't
criticism of him although it sounds like it. He actually is going
around talking to kids in schools about war, his book. It sounds like
some good responses from the kids.
The sour grapes are mostly my fault. I want someone to raise hell, to
say what war is all about. How governments make stupid decisions and
then try to justify them. It is not that war in Afghanistan or Iraq is
not a noble effort at least in theory but it is stupid. And, without
going into a rant, let us lament the fact that we lost 58,000 plus
Americans in Vietnam and accomplished nothing but the scars we still
live with. Let me hear the argument that we have accomplished
something in Iraq. There's almost as much chaos as when we invaded.
American deaths are way down as we have moved out of the cities but
with great regularity, thr people are being killed. They are
struggling with the government after no clear cut winner in the recent
election. I'm still skeptical that we'll be able to get out clean. In
Afjghanistan, we are operating with the best strategy to be successful
I think. The only caveat: in Afghanistan 20 years for it to possibly
work. No way. So, this ex soldier ain't celebrating the anniversary of
the ending of the Vietnam war.
PTRAEOUS AS MAGICIAN
Give me a break! If there has ever been any idea that Congress is a
bunch of brainless politicians in denial of any semblance of reality,
the 100% confirmation so quickly of General Petraeus has got to be it.
After listening to his statements about the future of Afghanistan, I
am personally aghast. He could not make it any plainer. There is no
end in sight for Afghanistan. And, to think that reasonably smart men
seize on something like, "artificial deadlines."
This is bpth stupid and weird. Petraeus says things like, going to get
worse before it gets better, expect more deaths, going to take years.
WHAT! We are locked into a strategy that with just a rudimentary
understanding of the difficulties, makes the idea of winning so much
worse than even Vietnam, I shutter. You have to be kidding me.
I don't even want to sound out my "crying in the wilderness" views of
Afghanistan but any way you look at it: a fast tract to nowhere. I
hope and pray that Petraeus is not believing his press releases already.
bunch of brainless politicians in denial of any semblance of reality,
the 100% confirmation so quickly of General Petraeus has got to be it.
After listening to his statements about the future of Afghanistan, I
am personally aghast. He could not make it any plainer. There is no
end in sight for Afghanistan. And, to think that reasonably smart men
seize on something like, "artificial deadlines."
This is bpth stupid and weird. Petraeus says things like, going to get
worse before it gets better, expect more deaths, going to take years.
WHAT! We are locked into a strategy that with just a rudimentary
understanding of the difficulties, makes the idea of winning so much
worse than even Vietnam, I shutter. You have to be kidding me.
I don't even want to sound out my "crying in the wilderness" views of
Afghanistan but any way you look at it: a fast tract to nowhere. I
hope and pray that Petraeus is not believing his press releases already.
SELF FULFILLING PROPHESY
I sure as hell hope not. I am no apologist for the president but admit upfront that I am a Democrat. Mostly out of honoring my Dad. He would turn over in his grave if he thought any of his boys were Republicans. This from a man convinced that FDR saved the world. really consider myself more of an Independent.
So, these polls predicting the demise of the Democrats fit in that self fulfilling prophesy. You say something long enough, then it becomes true. The polls, which I hate, are predicting a takeover of the Congress. What! Where the f... are peoples' heads. Don't they remember the Bush years: (I voted for George W. The first time): two wars, an economy
in shambles. Where are the heads of this crowd polled. I'VE NEVER BEEN POLLED.
I do think that for some odd reason, polls are more true than not but here is a time when individual Democrats need to turn this "mother" around. Those of us who try to be objective, the kids and others who elected Obama need to get off our asses. And, keep guys like the president's press guy, Gibbs, from almost conceding defeat. Who in the f... wants to return to where we were.
Personally, I think we expect too much out of a president. He is our leader but most of what goes on in the country is out of his hands, i. e., Unemployment is high. It is hard to know why, indicators are that we are recovering. We want to think the jobs will be back. Maybe, maybe not but it isn't the president's fault.
What is baffling to me is why would people turn to yesteryear which was disastrous. HERE'S A VIEW, people who have these really entrenched views, mostly the Fox News types. Even when presented with the facts,
i. e., jobs created through the stimulus, they can see construction work being done, statistics back it up, they still stick to their views. There is nothing the President can do to turn them around. A University of Michigan study says essential the same thing. What I would like to see happen will never do it. The Individual Democrats should make their mantra: our first priority was that we did what was good for the country, i. e., a stimulus package to get people working, health care for all Americans, etc. And, if that is not good enough for you, f... you very much.
So, these polls predicting the demise of the Democrats fit in that self fulfilling prophesy. You say something long enough, then it becomes true. The polls, which I hate, are predicting a takeover of the Congress. What! Where the f... are peoples' heads. Don't they remember the Bush years: (I voted for George W. The first time): two wars, an economy
in shambles. Where are the heads of this crowd polled. I'VE NEVER BEEN POLLED.
I do think that for some odd reason, polls are more true than not but here is a time when individual Democrats need to turn this "mother" around. Those of us who try to be objective, the kids and others who elected Obama need to get off our asses. And, keep guys like the president's press guy, Gibbs, from almost conceding defeat. Who in the f... wants to return to where we were.
Personally, I think we expect too much out of a president. He is our leader but most of what goes on in the country is out of his hands, i. e., Unemployment is high. It is hard to know why, indicators are that we are recovering. We want to think the jobs will be back. Maybe, maybe not but it isn't the president's fault.
What is baffling to me is why would people turn to yesteryear which was disastrous. HERE'S A VIEW, people who have these really entrenched views, mostly the Fox News types. Even when presented with the facts,
i. e., jobs created through the stimulus, they can see construction work being done, statistics back it up, they still stick to their views. There is nothing the President can do to turn them around. A University of Michigan study says essential the same thing. What I would like to see happen will never do it. The Individual Democrats should make their mantra: our first priority was that we did what was good for the country, i. e., a stimulus package to get people working, health care for all Americans, etc. And, if that is not good enough for you, f... you very much.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Actually, Afghanistan is a war of choice
By Ian Welsh
Michael Steele's comments on Afghanistan remind me of my favorite definition of a gaffe: "saying the truth in the worst way possible." To wit, Steele said that Afghanistan is a war of Obama's choosing, and that everyone who's occupied Afghanistan has come to grief over it. Now one can quibble a bit over the details of who came to grief and who didn't, but basically he's right. Afghanistan went badly for the Russians and the British, most recently. There's a reason Afghanistan is called the "graveyard of Empires" and if the US isn't careful it'll be the graveyard of the US empire.
Likewise, yes, this is a war of choice for Obama. He could have done his review, said, "Hey, there are almost no al-Q'aeda fighters in Afghanistan anymore, so we won, let's go home." He could have said, "Fighting in Afghanistan is seriously destabilizing Pakistan, which is far more important than Afghanistan, so let's go home." He could have said, "Yes, if we leave, some al-Q'aeda camps might spring up but we can always bomb them and anyway there are plenty of failed states where al-Q'aeda can set up camps and we can't occupy all of them."
The point is that continuing in Afghanistan was a choice. Obama could have chosen otherwise. Not being in Afghanistan will not create an existential threat to the US.
So yeah, Steele was right. Of course, being the RNC chairman, Steele isn't allowed to say things that make sense and contradict Republican warmongering. Now here's a truth that Steele didn't tell.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY REACTION TO THE ABOVE ARTICLE
I like this. And, I think there is much truth. I've had what I have believed is a solution all along, that fits politics (which cannot be escaped); Steele should have been pushing it: leave 20-30,000 Special Forces troops in Afghanistan, fight for the population centers, use it as a training ground. (We spend millions of dollars a year training all the Armed Forces in desert warfare at the National Training Center in the deserts of California) Allow for a very liberal immigration policy to the US, especially for women. You'd have to do that to satisfy the politics of it. Guys like John McCain have gone "round the bend" I think and sound exactly like Vietnam but not much choice as politics go. And, unfortunately, Steel is no MLK who had the moral ground to publicly condemn the Vietnam war. Fortunately, too, he had all these draft dodgers (and this isn't negative but the draft obviously made it easier to protest--dodging bullets in Vietnam is not the same as protesting in Berzerkly). I hope Steele doesn't resign and he has "color" on his side. The guy has withstood financial scandal and so hang in with this. Make them fire him and he can be a martyr.
By Ian Welsh
Michael Steele's comments on Afghanistan remind me of my favorite definition of a gaffe: "saying the truth in the worst way possible." To wit, Steele said that Afghanistan is a war of Obama's choosing, and that everyone who's occupied Afghanistan has come to grief over it. Now one can quibble a bit over the details of who came to grief and who didn't, but basically he's right. Afghanistan went badly for the Russians and the British, most recently. There's a reason Afghanistan is called the "graveyard of Empires" and if the US isn't careful it'll be the graveyard of the US empire.
Likewise, yes, this is a war of choice for Obama. He could have done his review, said, "Hey, there are almost no al-Q'aeda fighters in Afghanistan anymore, so we won, let's go home." He could have said, "Fighting in Afghanistan is seriously destabilizing Pakistan, which is far more important than Afghanistan, so let's go home." He could have said, "Yes, if we leave, some al-Q'aeda camps might spring up but we can always bomb them and anyway there are plenty of failed states where al-Q'aeda can set up camps and we can't occupy all of them."
The point is that continuing in Afghanistan was a choice. Obama could have chosen otherwise. Not being in Afghanistan will not create an existential threat to the US.
So yeah, Steele was right. Of course, being the RNC chairman, Steele isn't allowed to say things that make sense and contradict Republican warmongering. Now here's a truth that Steele didn't tell.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY REACTION TO THE ABOVE ARTICLE
I like this. And, I think there is much truth. I've had what I have believed is a solution all along, that fits politics (which cannot be escaped); Steele should have been pushing it: leave 20-30,000 Special Forces troops in Afghanistan, fight for the population centers, use it as a training ground. (We spend millions of dollars a year training all the Armed Forces in desert warfare at the National Training Center in the deserts of California) Allow for a very liberal immigration policy to the US, especially for women. You'd have to do that to satisfy the politics of it. Guys like John McCain have gone "round the bend" I think and sound exactly like Vietnam but not much choice as politics go. And, unfortunately, Steel is no MLK who had the moral ground to publicly condemn the Vietnam war. Fortunately, too, he had all these draft dodgers (and this isn't negative but the draft obviously made it easier to protest--dodging bullets in Vietnam is not the same as protesting in Berzerkly). I hope Steele doesn't resign and he has "color" on his side. The guy has withstood financial scandal and so hang in with this. Make them fire him and he can be a martyr.
Monday, June 28, 2010
A PACEMAKER RUINED THEIR LIVES
A really good article, written by writer who lives in Mill Valley,California was recently in the New York Times. The basic gist of the piece had to do with an issue that faces so many: declining health in later life and the sometimes intransigence of the Medical Community. The writer told how a pacemaker ruined the lives of her Mom, herself and two brothers. The pacemaker had a 10 year battery life while her dad had strokes, dementia, would nor die and docs would not remove it. Heart kept ticking. Sad but most difficult thing and implied in this article was the profit motive for the doctor and the medical community. It showed the importance of having a well thought out and specific Medical Directive and a physician that would agree to abide by it.
VICTORIA AND A MEDICAL DIRECTIVE
Victoria had a simple faith and philosophy which was wrapped around
being reunited with her brother Fred, who died in a plane crash on his
last flight before receiving his aviator wings; her beloved retired
military father (WWl) and her devoted mother. Toward the end,
Victoria's life was linked to this goal. Consequently, she was
determined not to remain on this earth longer than neccessary. To her,
as her body gave out and her activity level decreased, i. e., she had to
give up driving--time to go. At this point of her life, having every possible
contingency in a Medical Directive was beyond important. She made sure her physician would adhere to her wishes and he agreed. And, when it
was time for her journey, Victoria met her goal. God bless her.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
A WAR STORY
Our unit in Nam was operating in a free fire zone, (nobody suppose to be there, meaning, Vietnamese). Along beside this stream was a few little huts. It had been raining like if you ever saw Forest Gump, rained so hard it was sideways, about as miserable as you can imagine. So, at night, it was quite a treat to slip inside one of these huts and get a little sleep. The huts had almost no roof and so the rain poured in but still, something. Some straw was on the floor. It was about three in the morning and I was awaken by something on me, you guessed it: a rat and not a field mouse either, something like a small cat. For whatever reason, I was calm as a cucumber and remembered that several of our guys had been bitten and had to take these gosh awful tetanus shots or whatever they give you for possible ravenous rat bites: had to take them in the belly. I turned my head to the side and there was a platoon of rats, they were in a line to walk across me. Would you believe that I lay there and they all walked across and I didn't get bitten. Should I put this in the miracle category.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
On Talk of the Nation on NPR (National Public Radio), I listened to a
program about Muslim Women wearing the habib I think it's called,
covering the head. They had some women on who heads (no pun intended)
some organization of supporting women who cover, etc, then some twenty
something Muslim who was covered, very conservative and wearing it was
a great dedication to God she allowed. Then we had all these women
calling in. Some Mormon types wearing a special type of underwear,
both men and women. Then some young Pentecostal female called in
telling about her devotion to God by justifying it all with Scripture.
She wore long dresses
I was doing OK listening till all this "prooftexting" of the Bible
started. Prooftexing is taking a small portion of something and
applying it to a broad princrple. The "prooftexer refuses to accept
the whole scripture: that which comes before and after.
As a person of faith, this proof texting doesn't do a thing for me.
Religious people can do anything they please but for goodness sakes
don't try to justify what you are doing by prooftexting the Bible. The
radical Muslims do it by the use of the Koran. I don't know the Koran
but I do know the Bible. One big difference in radical Muslims, I
guess, is they have moved to violence. Christians in modern times,
other than the occasional abortion idiot, are not running around
trying to kill people. Sorry, I digress.
Prooftexting the Bible shows people's ignorance I think. The Bible is
a wonderful book and I believe it. And, as my seminary professor, Dr
Boyce, use to say, treat the Old Testament, as Wisdom literature,
meaning great stories. But, arguing the Bible is mostly a waste of
time for thinking people unless you simply agree to disagree. My
advice, stick to the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are
about what Jesus said and did.
program about Muslim Women wearing the habib I think it's called,
covering the head. They had some women on who heads (no pun intended)
some organization of supporting women who cover, etc, then some twenty
something Muslim who was covered, very conservative and wearing it was
a great dedication to God she allowed. Then we had all these women
calling in. Some Mormon types wearing a special type of underwear,
both men and women. Then some young Pentecostal female called in
telling about her devotion to God by justifying it all with Scripture.
She wore long dresses
I was doing OK listening till all this "prooftexting" of the Bible
started. Prooftexing is taking a small portion of something and
applying it to a broad princrple. The "prooftexer refuses to accept
the whole scripture: that which comes before and after.
As a person of faith, this proof texting doesn't do a thing for me.
Religious people can do anything they please but for goodness sakes
don't try to justify what you are doing by prooftexting the Bible. The
radical Muslims do it by the use of the Koran. I don't know the Koran
but I do know the Bible. One big difference in radical Muslims, I
guess, is they have moved to violence. Christians in modern times,
other than the occasional abortion idiot, are not running around
trying to kill people. Sorry, I digress.
Prooftexting the Bible shows people's ignorance I think. The Bible is
a wonderful book and I believe it. And, as my seminary professor, Dr
Boyce, use to say, treat the Old Testament, as Wisdom literature,
meaning great stories. But, arguing the Bible is mostly a waste of
time for thinking people unless you simply agree to disagree. My
advice, stick to the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are
about what Jesus said and did.
HELEN THOMAS-An I con
What the f...Helen Thomas, 89, is authorized to say what she wants.
Just kidding. Nobody really is! But, talk about an over reaction. Give
me a break! If her remarks are the worse thing ever said about Israel,
they are damn blessed and that is saying it mildly. I support Israel.
Us Southern types are raised with the adage, anybody who f...s With
the Jews are eventually going to get it. But what the hell. Helen
Thomas is a news icon and this a piss poor approach by the political
correct police. Robert Gibbs calling it reprehensible is taking himself way too serious. And, the rest of the press. Talk about Hull Defolade (couldn't be found). Are they scared of Israel? Nobody is immune or should be from taking a few hits. Helen, over the top but come on! The Prez ought to have said, "Helen, this is a bit much and you know better." She is 89 for God's sake. What the hell, lighten up.
Just kidding. Nobody really is! But, talk about an over reaction. Give
me a break! If her remarks are the worse thing ever said about Israel,
they are damn blessed and that is saying it mildly. I support Israel.
Us Southern types are raised with the adage, anybody who f...s With
the Jews are eventually going to get it. But what the hell. Helen
Thomas is a news icon and this a piss poor approach by the political
correct police. Robert Gibbs calling it reprehensible is taking himself way too serious. And, the rest of the press. Talk about Hull Defolade (couldn't be found). Are they scared of Israel? Nobody is immune or should be from taking a few hits. Helen, over the top but come on! The Prez ought to have said, "Helen, this is a bit much and you know better." She is 89 for God's sake. What the hell, lighten up.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
A FAST TRAIN TO NOWHERE
As we begin to apply the Counter Insurgency Strategy to ridding the
Taliban in what most believe is the most important spot in
Afghanistan, Kandahar, I've become more and more convinced that very
simply we need a Soviet style solution. Get the hell out.
Talk about a long shot! F...here is just one little piece taken from a
great article in NY Times, titled, Kandahar--a better title would have
been, Back To The Future. And the reason?--the reporter arrives in
Kandahar to witness, "a young widow forced into marriage with an
elderly man is being taken to the main mosque and stoned to death, by
one of her own children, among others, for alleged adultery with her
husband's 38 year old son."
And, does any thinking person, outside the "can do" military generals
labor under any illusion that we can reconcile our culture with one
mired in the 15th century. PLEASE. Give me a break. Evidence after evidence indicates that under the best scenario, Afghanistan is a "fast train to nowhere." Forget all that bullshit about embarrassed/shamed if we get the hell out. If we
continue to be this stupid, we might be the mext to get stoned.
THE NON VIETNAM VET
It is always a little HUMOROUS to me when someone claims to have served
in Vietnam but didn't. For at least ten years after Vietnam, we didn't
talk about Vietnam. It wasn't that we were ashamed of what we did but
we weren't stupid either. For almost some inexplicable reason, the
general public somehow identified us with the ills of the country,
made worse by Vietnam. So, what did we do? Kept our mouths shut.
To be honest, we simply did our duty. Next case. And, time does some
crazy things, at least in my view. Serving in Vietnam has become a
kind of badge of honor. "I am a Vietnam vet" became in vogue.
I was absolutely intrigued. Vets were coming out of the woodwork. And,
suddenly I would see guys claiming to be vets that simply made me
smile. The homeless guys who were drugged out were putting Vietnam vet
on their signs--Please help. Vietnam vet. Many were too young to be
Vietnam vets and, the old guys were getting mileage out of it.
Now, of course, we are getting guys like Blumenthal, a politician from
Connecticut embellishing his resume. He went from a six month Marine
Reservist to a combat vet. Now, trust me, that is a leap. What do vets
think about it? We are all over the map. For me, I could care less. I
did my duty, served my country, survived. Other vets are not so kind.
They range from calling Blumenthal a sorry MF to lying SOB to typical
politician.
Here's what I've noticed about non vets. When I talk to them,
regardless of what they say, there appears to be some sort of
underlying feeling--a major singular event of their lives happened and
they missed it. In a sense, maybe this "missing this singular event,"
regardless of the reason, is behind the "wanna be" types like
Blumenthals' lying. Let me give Blumenthal a little comfort. Vietnam
was a "sorry" war and you didn't miss a f...... thing! Still, you
shouldn't lie.
BRAVEST WOMAN IN AMERICA
The World Affairs Council is a forum for various individuals of note
to speak and promote their positions, usually with an accompanying
book. Recently, my wife and I, along with friends, attended to hear
Hersi Ally. Here's the short version of who she is. She wrote a book,
Infidel, a very good memoir, where she confronted radical Islam
attitudes toward women. When I read it, I thought "this is going to
get her killed." She has now written one called, Nomad, which I
haven't read but will. From Somalia, she escaped a forced marriage,
went to the Netherlands, eventually became a member of paliarment.
Made a movie, condemning Muslim treatment of women. Gus Van Gogh who
produced movie was killed by crazed Muslim for insulting Mohammed.
Eventually, she resigned from parliment, mainly due to politics and
eventually made her way to U. S. primarily because we could protect
her. Good for us.
To me, Ally has become a singular voice for facing up to radical
Islamists throughout she world. She made several points in her talk:
one had to do with our failure to confront and condemn Islam
radicalism. For instance, we have no trouble condemning Christianity
and she used the Catholic Church as an example. The press has been
merciless toward the Church whereas they tread lightly in condemning
Islam for their various practices centered in the 15th century, i. e.,
stoning, beheadings, mostly centered on the various interpretations of
the Koran. No trials, hearings, nothing. We look the other way. She
called it a type of naiviety. I would say, it is more of the American
"political correctness." Very complicated in a sense and often wrapped
up in our insane and stupid politics. Ali also zeroed in on American
Muslims who are untiring in their efforts to defend Islam as opposed
to honestly discussing the faith.
I've become a big fan of Hersi Ally's bravery in speaking out. I
didn't feel that she got the chance to be as honest and forthright as
she wanted to be at the WAC. The moderator appeared to be way
overboard in wallowing in PC herself.
It was obvious from the audience that we were a friendly and
appreciative crowd as we gave her a standing ovation. To me, she is
now an American treasure. I hope we are protecting her with an
intention that befits her.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
**Ruth, this is beyond sad. Talk about Vietnam revisited. I get so frustrated because to me Iraq and Afghanistan remains two parrellel stupidities that make us realize over and over that we learned nothing from Vietnam. And, this young family as well as your own sacrifice made me know that noway can we say it is worth it. And, yet our pain seems to be oblivious to the powers that be. I read just today something I already knew but brought it back again. Nixon became the president on the idea that he would get us out of Vietnam. At that time we had about 17000 dead. Four years later, there were 58,000 dead. So much for keeping promises.
You know I feel so sorry for the families who are losing their sons, husbands, uncle, cousin...who ever to this war because they will get a certain amount of sympathy, care, concern and attention to distract from the fact that their loved one is never coming home. But after the pom and circumstances they are going to be alone, very alone and they will be confused as to why no one else cares while they are still during with that pain. That pain will soon turn into anger and eventually they will learn the truth that our government only sees their loved one as an acceptional loss of war and soon people will stop coming around and calling as they need to get back to their own lives, something the family will never be able to do. Yes...when it is suddenly all silent again the realization will set in.....your loved one is gone and no matter how much you wish.....he is not coming back. Then many years from now they will pull out of these countries like they did in Vietnam and you will have to search for a good reason your loved one give their lives to their country. There is no closure in losing loved ones to a death so violent in war.....there is just a very small amount of acceptance. Those of us who appreciate those who have lost their lives or have been wounded or have half their heads still partially at war and partially at home, we are so few that it is hard for them to see us. The glory to sacrificing for a war is short!!
Today I was just talking to my sister how Irag and Afghanistan is a repeat of Vietnam and how our government has learned nothing from it, only the families have. I was also disappointed to see the story of this killed soldier was number four on the news list and it did not even make the ten most read stories. How can we teach others what war is truly like, where is the media when all these soldiers are coming back with missing limbs, post tramatic syndrome and the large suicide rate. Bottom line....how do you make people care!!!
Ruth
And, Ruth as usual, I would like to use them. Afterall, in a sense, that is the eccense of where we are in our country, how do we make people care? Well, let's face it: we can't when less than one percent of our population's making the sacrifices. Sad. Plus, there are many, regardless, don't give a damn for anybody but themselves.
**Ruth's brother was killed in Vietnam
The Things They Carried
This is one question from Tim O'Brien's, author of The Things They Carried, interview in the book section of the SF Chronicle.
Chronicle. If one updated the contents of their rucksacks-the things they carried--it seems the soldiers you wrote about could in many ways be serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. What parallels. would you draw?
Tim O'Brien's Answer. They're carrying cell phones, and they're in much greater contact with the outside world than we ever were. I felt utterly isolated from anything having to do with family, civility, decency, events in America. However, the soldiers' combat experience in Vietnam seems eerily similar to what the men and women are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq. They're civil wars, who's your enemy, who do you shoot at, who do you kill? No front, no rear, no uniforms, inanimate land mines blowing you up. And then there are the echoes that are more meaningful to a fiction writer, the echoes of some mom In Dubuque holding her dead kid's clothes in her arms as she watches him go into the grave. Is it worth that? What is being accomplished that is worth that Mom's grief?
Sunday, April 04, 2010
WINGNUTS
The latest bunch of "Wingnuts" are some group of idiots demonstrating at fallen service members funerals. They are upset that gays are not universally condemned. What insensitive MFers. Their asses should be kicked till their noses bleed. Now a group of motorcycle types want to show up at the funerals and do just that: "kick some insensitive butt." Have at it is my view. Then apparently some judge in a free speech sense, said the father of the slain Marine who sued and lost had to pay legal feels of 19 thou. to the idiot group interrupting his son's funeral. Bill O'Reilly is paying. I've never liked O'Reilly mainly because he invites people on his show and then insults them, I thought. However, with me, he's now won bigtime points. I'm taking him off the "Wingnut" watch lists.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
IN AFGHANISTAN FOREVER
On NPR recently, I heard a Twitter type talk to several GIs in the
101st Airborne who are about to deploy to Afghanistan. They are
playing soldier in a mock situation, probably back at Fort Campbell
where part of the exercise means playing an Afghan soldier. We had the
same thing during Vietnam. These mock villages where we were suppose
to kind of "get" the process of war. It didn't happen for us as we
viewed the mission as search and destroy always. It is what war is.
It was almost comical listening to young soldiers from the 101st.
Soldiers acting out what they thought Afghans would do. I think they
"get" it--at least what they are suppose to be doing. However, even
in these "play like" situations, making this work is like impossible,
not to mention stupid. Soldiers have rules before they can fire, etc.
For instance, they can't go into a suspected insurgent house where
possibly civilians are without an Afghan soldier with them. I can
understand in a way: the military wants to avoid what happened with
the 101st in Iraq, now a book called, Death Squad, where soldiers
experience a massive breakdown of the chain of command and killed an
innocent family. Sad and could have been prevented, possibly. War is
hell.
What the powers that be simply either don't get themselves or are in
denial. A strategy of unconventional warfare and in this case, counter
insurgency will work, given enough time. How much time? Years and years. In Afghanistan, I would say ten more years minimally. Are we willing? No, I don't think so. Our political system will not allow for it.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
VA IS A PUBLIC OPTION
I still don't understand some of our retired military brethren. I mean here we are, you and I and all of them, the recipients of free health care, and as far as I'm concerned it's socialized medicine. And some of them are recipients three times over - Tricare, Medicare and VA. Well, that's a pretty neat deal. And frankly I'm glad I have access to all that health care. But you know what, it ain't free. All of us taxpayers are paying for it; those who served and those who didn't. I think that's socialized medicine. Of course our brethern will say, "but I served, I earned it, it's been promised to me." I don't deny that. But what's wrong with extending these benefits to all citizens in some way or another? To me it's a very selfish attitude. I've got mine and screw you. I don't want to have to run the risk of paying more taxes to include you in a universal health care system. Oh yes, and especially a universal system in which a few undocumented aliens might slip in. WR, Col., Ret
BRAIN WASHING OUR TROOPS
Just can't seem to overcome this feeling of dread I have. I mean it's not ruining my life of anything but I just can't escape the feeling that things are not well here in the US of A. People are too polarized and some people have way too violent tendencies and some of them are totally wacko to boot. And then you got Palin stirring the pot and Limbaugh and the other guy on Fox whipping the throngs to a frenzy. Those guys make me so mad. They have nothing invested, no responsibility, no requirement to get anything done for the good of the country and yet people, many of them apparently, think the sun shines out of their butts. Did I mention that Limbaugh is a druggie (I'm sure he still is) and Palin is a quitter? Why anyone would take any of these people seriously is beyond me.
You don't spend any time around military facilities but I do. Disturbing. You can't go to any public place that has a TV set on Fort Rich or Elmendorf without seeing Fox News. It's everywhere - BX, commissary, medical clinic, hospital, gas station, food court etc. Our military members are getting brain washed. I need to figure out a way to do something about it. The other day I was stuck in a clinic for some reason and the guy from Fox News was on (I hope you know who I mean; just can't think of his name right now). He's nuts; stark raving mad foaming at the mouth nuts. wr, Col, Ret.
Friday, March 19, 2010
A BROTHER REMEMBERS A BROTHER
When Danny finished high school and left for the army, we were still paddling pirouges in the bayou. Danny and I helped my daddy make a living, fishing, hunting and trapping. We were poor and didn't even know it. We all knew how to work hard.
My life paths has took me to places I didn't know I would ever be at. I went to work for the Desoto Parish Tax Assessor about 26 years ago. When he retired, I was elected, and have never had an opponent since. The Lord has richly blessed me.
Retirement is coming up in the next year or so.
About 3-4 years ago, I started trying to find out what happened to Danny. It probably took that long before I could even talk about it. Until then, all I knew was that he was in the 101st airborne. Didn't know what unit he was in. I have found several men that did remember Danny. One of them was injured the same day, with AK47 fire to his shoulder that left him permanently disabled. Brother, Steven
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Vietnam
What I remember about Vietnam that hits me right away. After an operation, we would come into our FSB (fire support base) and would have these great barbeques. It was a great bonding time. Of course, we didn't call it bonding. They were guys that were watching your back and you were watching theirs. My main bonding buddies were my squad members, about ten of us. I remember one especially from Texas. We called him Mex. I don't know why. Everybody had a nickname. One of my buddies died not long ago. He was one crazy mf. Did you see,The Hurt Locker? Reminded me of the guy from that. To think that I made it through is sometimes overwhelming. I was just a nineteen year old kid when I went into the Marines. After High School, I had beat around, trying things. Nothing clicked. I had a low number in the draft and knew I was going to get drafted. It was in my future and I kept thinking, I've got to deal with this. And, to be honest, think about it. I'm a kid just out of High School going to City College, mainly to look at the skirts. I'm in San Francisco, the most exciting city in the hemisphere. Gays were just beginning to show up in the City then but I could have my pickings and was having the time of my life. My Mom and Dad and sisters were always after me to settle down. They didn't want me going to Vietnam. I kept trying to tell them that I'd probably stay right in San Diego or something. Right!!!! LG
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
THE TWO WARS WILL BE A LONG TIME HEALING
The returning vets of our two present wars are going to be vastly different that what we've seen. Just being in the country is probably enough for PTSD. The flip side of the coin is that lifestyle in Iraq is so different too, living
conditions, that sort of thing.
I talked to a psychiatric nurse for VA one day this week and she laid
out a scenario like I had not heard. She said that VA has to try and
authenticate claims like PTSD while at the same time provide support
and that these guys are so on top of tweeter, social networking things that literally, they can spell out their needs and entitlements more
than those like herself who work for VA. It is estimated, at least I
read this: one out of every two Iraqi/Afghanistan vets will require
some kind of assistance from VA.
conditions, that sort of thing.
I talked to a psychiatric nurse for VA one day this week and she laid
out a scenario like I had not heard. She said that VA has to try and
authenticate claims like PTSD while at the same time provide support
and that these guys are so on top of tweeter, social networking things that literally, they can spell out their needs and entitlements more
than those like herself who work for VA. It is estimated, at least I
read this: one out of every two Iraqi/Afghanistan vets will require
some kind of assistance from VA.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
I get my health care at the VA and often question my decision because it is a choice. I do like to "smell soldiers" is my figurative line. The vet population is quite interesting to say the least. First of all, many of them are simply screwed up--various reasons. For instance, I think combat solders all suffer some degree of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). In fact, everything I hear and read about the present crop of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is that they will be the worst ever for PTSD. Not that they literally have experienced more combat but they are more aware; with constant media, an assess to all sorts of information, it is a kind of fulfilling prophecy: you are going to have problems and so consequently you have problems.
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