Defending Freedom in Cyberspace
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First, I just love Trace Adkins. Second, I love the song. Third, you can't miss all that paired up with some great photos of our Medal of Honor winners that tells a story you can't forget.
Fighting words
The last part says it all: First Amendment? First Amendment protects you from the government not from me. You can say what you want out there, but you come within 15 feet of me and I'll give ya' a good ol' fashion a$$ whoopin'.
Lots going on at the moment. Ruminating on many points of Information War.
In the mean time, just want to remind anyone that reads here that I am with Kansas City Soldiers' Angels and we will be doing our first meeting on Tuesday to discuss our Snake Saturday Float.
Lot's of thoughts on how we can bring recognition and support to our troops.
If you're in Kansas City and want to help out, go on over to Soldiers' Angels and get involved.
I was published in our local paper. It was the letter I addressed here.
Of course, you have your usual suspects posting comments though several people did try to educate them with reports and graphs (visuals are everything in presentation), but they refused to read.
I answered several comments back, but typepad seemed to be acting up, so I don't know if it will be posted. So, I post the comment here (because I am educated enough to know to "save"):
As the author of this letter, let me clear up a few things:
1)The point of my comment is that you all seem to think there are two militaries - one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq
Apparently, either the soldiers in Afghanistan are all well educated specimens of the middle class or you think it's okay that they are stupid and poor dying in Afghanistan because you believe that war to be justified.
So, it's okay for them to be young, poor, stupid and dying in Afghanistan because they serve they national interest. You just object to them being allegedly young, poor, stupid and dying in Iraq.
They are the same troops. Many units that have served in both theaters. So, my question remains:
Are you fine with the stupid and poor dying for you in Afghanistan?
Either the answer is yes, or you are being hypocritical in casting your aspersions because of your opinions on the war in Iraq.
How much more succinct can I make that?
2) I doubt that anyone that writes such things about the "poor and uneducated" actually knows anyone in the military or knows much about the modern military at all. It's obvious that you refuse to read the reports that were sited to you above either because you are afraid it will undermind your prejudices or you think that it's from the government and thus cannot be trusted.
If you knew people in the military, had any interaction with the military and read the report, you would be disabused of such notions.
The person that talked about the NCOs is correct. In our modern military there are limited slots for NCOs (that would be corporals, sergeants and above Non-Commissioned Officers). You don't just get promoted because you are the next senior guy and have X many years in the military. Not even in our current push to increase the military.
NCOs are expected to have at least an Associates degree or have additional technical training that would serve in the outside world as CEUs (that's continuing education units for those who are "uneducated"). They are being trusted to lead men, make complex plans and operate complex, expensive equipment. It's the best man for the job, not the next idiot in line.
Furthermore, check your local universities because most of them accept time served in the military in certain jobs or capacities (I don't mean just officers, accountants and lawyers) as "real life" credits towards completing a degree.
If you think this is dumbing down the universities, then you would have to accept that all other students in the university are equally "dumbed down" and thus are equally "uneducated" (you know, they accept "real life" experience from civilians towards credits as well). Making the military on-par with the general population.
3) This is no naive patriotism or "uber" militarism that I speak from. It is because I have family and friends, both active duty and national guard, who serve. Through them and through many other organizations that put me in contact with the military, I have met what I would call a "cross section" of the military and these men and women do not support your theories on the common "poor" and "uneducated" myth. They are, as I said in the letter, policemen, accountants, the manager of your local grocery store, the mechanic, the nurse, the doctor and yes, even the guy that asks you if he can take your order.
Certainly, I am not going to tell you that EVERY member of the military is a brilliant, socio-economic specimen of our nation. If I did, then I would be equally as uneducated as you and ignoring all statistics to the contrary.
Of course, don't let my personal experiences sway you. I am a heretic. Just like once upon a time it was a commonly held belief that the sun orbited the earth and all those who opposed such beliefs were called heretics and persecuted until the "educated" leaders of the church agreed otherwise (that would be Galileo for the uneducated), so shall I remain a heretic and you will not change your beliefs until the "clergy" that feed you your beliefs tell you otherwise, all evidence to the contrary.
4) And finally, I do not believe we need "required" national service, draft or otherwise, and neither do I find such arguments of "if you believe 'this' then you should sign up for the military" to be particularly intelligent arguments regarding this debate. It is simply hyperbole meant to shut down the discussion because you cannot make your point with any facts, but rather silly assumptions we are supposed to swallow without a murmur.
But, if we must go there, let me turn the question back to you and ask, what does it say about the importance you give national defense if you believe and are willing to have serve the "poor and uneducated" while you, do what exactly besides make "uneducated" comments?
Oh, I know, you want "higher standards". Then who among you will fill the ranks of this "higher standard" military?
Disregard that question because asking it, as well as demanding others serve, makes the assumption that those reading here or posting comments would be of the appropriate age, economic and educational background required in this new, upgraded military.
As I've said previously, assumptions are poor substitutes for actual knowledge.
The video can be seen here: Taser Torture.
According to the report, Ashley Abbott, Iraq war veteran with 4 1/2 years in the Marines, was detained by police and shocked with 50,000 volts twelve times, many of which occured when he was already handcuffed with five officers kneeling or otherwise restraining him. He was also beaten with a baton and punched in the face several times.
According to police, Ashley Abbott was involved in a fight at the Fox and Hound Bar and Grille on 39th Street in Independence, MO. He was later pulled over by the Independence Police. Police reports indicate that Abbott did not respond to verbal commands, resisted arrest and seemed "impervious to pain".
It is unclear by the video what occurred prior to the taser incident. However, a young woman who witnessed and video recorded the incident insisted that he was not involved in the fight, that he had not threatened the officers in anyway and was clearly in pain because he yelled several times for the officers to stop shocking him, he was not moving. The video clearly shows that, after the officers had restrained him with his hands cuffed behind his back, he was punched and tasered.
The Independence police have been previously investigated by KCTV 5 along with several other police departments around the city regarding following policies on taking and resolving citizen complaints. The Duty Sergeant insisted that the undercover reporter had to speak to him first before being given the complaint form. The reporter refused, continued to ask for the report and pointed out the department's posted policy. The Duty Sergeant told the undercover reporter to leave. When the reporter refused to leave without the form, the Sergeant threw him against the wall, cutting his face, cuffed him and charged him with "disorderly conduct" and "causing a crowd to form".
The officer was not reprimanded though the Independence Police department did offer an apology and changed their complaint policy.
Unfortunately, I don't think that changed the culture of the Independence Police. The tasering incident occured in November 2006. The Independence Police refuse to comment indicating it was still under investigation.
You can make a comment on TV 5 here.
Personal Commentary
It is a practice of many police departments to have at least a second car back them up even on a regular traffic stop. There are too many incidents where suspects have pulled a gun, shot at police, wrestled with an officer, tried to run them over or evolved into some other incident that puts the police and the public in danger.
In some cases, when an officer calls in a stop or incident and reviews the person's history, he or she can ask for additional back up. This is usually done when the person/suspect has a history of criminal violence, is registered to carry a concealed weapon, has been involved in a recent violent altercation and/or has a personal history as a law enforcement officer or military personnel.
Again, this is a policy that is supposed to protect the police, the public AND the suspect from harm. The expectations of the police department when stopping or arresting a suspect is that the suspect says nothing and does nothing except follow the explicit directions of the officer. Any words, including denial of actions, refusing to turn around to be cuffed or searched ON THE FIRST COMMAND, can be construed as disobeying verbal commands and resisting arrest.
Whether or not Ashley Abbott did anything that could be construed as "resisting" is not apparent on the video. The real problem here is that after he was clearly constrained and even handcuffed, the officers continued to use the taser on Abbott who was clearly not moving and was screaming in pain. Another problem is that the use of classifications indicating possible violent behavior is clearly a problem when it results in an over-reaction by the police and assault on a citizen. In this case, an Iraq war veteran.
It would be easy to identify Ashley Abbott as a former Marine. It would be on any public records the police accessed to identify him during their stop. Maybe too easy. My local police source who spoke on condition of anonymity indicates that it is policy to treat any stop that involves a current or former military member as a "felony stop" or potentially dangerous requiring additional back up and special measures.
This is the sad effect of Rambo. While many watch the film and see it as a finger to authority, others, including police departments the country over, may have embibed the idea that veterans are simply too dangerous because they are "trained to kill".
The officers also wrote in their report that Abbott seemed "impervious to pain". This is usually written when above normal force is used to quail a suspect. Often it refers to suspects who are on an illegal substance and does not respond to normal efforts to subdue them. In this case, it was clearly written on the report (falsely) in order to justify the abuse of the taser.
Another problem is clearly the breakdown of training in the face of anger or "mob mentality". I suspect that these officers will be reprimanded, placed on leave and possibly fired for falsifying their report. I also suspect that there may be investigations into violating Abbot's civil rights along with the civil suit Abbott will be pressing on them.
Finally, as a daughter of a retired police officer with several relations who are currently officers, it pains me to relate this event that clearly tarnishes the reputation of many police officers who have and continue to serve in a dangerous job protecting the public. But, when officers clearly violate their oaths to protect, policies that control the use of force and the civil rights of a citizen, I cannot turn away and pretend it didn't happen.
Worse yet, when it involves a veteran. In any case, the Independence Police Department has problems that need to be addressed.
Related: Senior Airman Elio Carrion Shot by San Bernadino Deputy Sheriff.
Cross referenced at the Castle
No, it isn't an al Qaida affiliate. It's the order that recognizes the sacrifice of Iraq Police and Military along the lines of the American Purple Heart or "Order of George Washington".
BAGHDAD – More than 30 Iraqi Police officers were formally recognized for their dedication and personal sacrifice during a ceremony held in their honor at the 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division Headquarters in Baghdad recently.
This first-ever ceremony made the honorees a member of a new order known as the “Knights of Iraq.”[snip]
“I feel great on this great day because I’m recognizing my great soldiers, my best guys who were wounded, and the guys who sacrificed their lives in action,” said Iraqi Police Col. Ali Mohammed, who is the assistant commander. “These [policemen] work hard and put everything, even their lives in danger, for fighting the terrorist and even the bad people.
Al Qaida in Iraq - Islamic State of Iraq downs helicopter:
The Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida-linked group, claimed on Friday that it shot down the Apache near Taji in a statement posted on an extremist Web site.
"We tell the enemies of God that the airspace of the Islamic State in Iraq is prohibited to your aircraft just like its lands are," the statement said. "God has granted new ways for the soldiers of the State of Iraq to confront your aircraft."
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Two Americans were among at least 10 foreigners caught by Kenyan police at the Somali border after allegedly fighting with Somalia's ousted Islamic movement, an official said Friday. [snip]
Among the foreigners in Kenyan custody were four Britons, a Frenchman, a Tunisian woman, Syrians and other Arabs, said the Kenyan official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. The date of their deportation was not yet known.
The trial court found a Syrian man guilty of illegal possession of special weapons in violation of Order 3/2003 and Article 10/First/A of the Passport Law and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment. [snip]
The trial court found a Tunisian man guilty of Article 194 of the Iraqi Penal Code for Joining Armed Groups to Unsettle the Stability and Security of Iraq. [snip]
Those convicted of passport violations, illegal possession of special weapons and entering the country illegally were sentenced from between one to ten years imprisonment. Those convicted include 11 Iraqis and one each from Tunisia, Jordan, Sudan and Syria.
Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines are holding Manila's military chief, the head of the government's truce panel, a colonel and an undetermined number of soldiers hostage, senior military sources said on Saturday.
Members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were refusing to let Brigadier-General Ben Dolorfino, the commander of military forces in the capital, and Ramon Santos, government undersecretary for the peace process with the MNLF, leave their camp until their jailed founder was released.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) New York, at a DNC meeting said, "If I had been President in 2002, I would not have started this war." Yet, she voted for authorization to use force, she has supported previous troop rotations and voted in favor of the budgets and other monetary expenditures for the war. She publicly stated many times that she did not regret her vote, only the way the authorization was used, in an attempt to split hairs and maintain the centrist position that reflects the majority opinion of American citizens: Iraq War was okay to start, but is not going well and they'd like to see a different approach.
The Senator is on record as supporting a "non-binding" resolution to cap troops and set a time table for withdrawal. However, she has not supported any resolution to stop funding the operations and, has stated publicly that she would not damage the troops ability to fight by withholding critical funds to finance their safety and security.
She, and many Democrats, are desperately trying to hold on to a shaky position straddling both sides of the aisle while keeping the fiery "anti-war" base firmly in their camp. Without the two halves of the Democrat base, "anti-war" and "security" Democrats along with the "centrist" public that has decided the last two Presidential races, no Democrat can hope to be assured election.
The "centrist" public may still believe that Saddam had to go, but don't like the fact that the US is in a protracted guerilla war that doesn't appear to be resolvable. Some may feel that, after the death of Zarqawi in June of 2006, Al Qaida is not as big a factor or part of the fight as is the "sectarian violence" they are bombarded with every night. Add to that a general feeling that the Iraqi people have squandered the opportunity to be free, peaceful and prosperous at the cost of young American lives.
For the Republicans, the insistence on continuing the war for an increasingly blurry purpose, as well as scandals regarding corruption, uncontrolled spending and a general sense that little or nothing has been accomplished, will have a killing effect on any candidate running. The only thing going for them is the economy and even that has been overshadowed by the Iraq war and escalating oil prices.
Republicans cannot base their hopes on "victory" in Iraq. History has shown that the American public does not necessarily see the party that led them through the war as the party they want in peace.
Adding to the question of Iraq is the latest NEI report that, giving a wink towards the upcoming campaigning and election years, states:
Unless efforts to reverse these conditions show measurable progress during the term of this Estimate, the coming 12 to 18 months, we assess that the overall security situation will continue to deteriorate at rates comparable to the latter part of 2006.
Triangulation, premature pronouncements from Democrats along with "non-binding" resolutions and the upcoming budget that includes $354 billion in spending for defense and expected requests for $120 billion supplemental spending for Afghanistan and Iraq may yet force a split in the Democrat party. This is where the rubber meets the road. The Democrat early campaigners are desperately trying to ignore the increasing calls for Congressional Democrats to stand by their anti-war rhetoric by refusing funding to the war.Mr. Feingold's reward for honesty was to preside over what might have been the least-attended hearing so far in the Iraq debate. And those of his Senate colleagues who did bother to show up looked like they couldn't wait to hit an exit door. "If Congress doesn't stop this war, it's not because it doesn't have the power. It's because it doesn't have the will," declared Mr. Feingold. Ted Kennedy--one of two Democrats who put in an appearance--could be seen shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Watching from the sidelines, it's hard to tell exactly how or why we are losing the information war. Depending on one's perspective, the American Media (often referred to as "Main Stream Media) is thought to be "anti-military/anti-war". Not surprisingly, people point to polls regarding how journalists and other media staff identify themselves politically as to the reason the war is not being covered "favorably" or why soldiers are not portrayed succeeding in their every day efforts.
In between this is trying to balance operational secrecy (opsec), public's "right to know", protecting the public from government information programs (propaganda) and winning the information war.
There was the infamous incident with Geraldo Rivera who was with the US forces and doing a pretty good job of presenting their operations in an upbeat and pretty supportive manner. Then he made the mistake of stooping down and drawing a little map in the sand on live TV. All the good work in reporting and representing the troops efforts went up in smoke.
Geraldo was eventually allowed back with the troops, but he was limited in his interactions. For the military, this highlighted the first concern of embedded reporters: operational security.
However, the embed program was, overall, successful. Millions of Americans (and probably the enemy) were glued to their television sets watching the war unfold. Some worried that the images were being treated "like a video game" and would numb the public to war. But that was soon unfounded by controversial images after. For the most part, whether because the war was "going well" or because people could see real time actions of the military, support for the war was high.
That presents the first nexus of operational security, information war and public opinion.
The second controversy came on April 9th: the day that Baghdad fell to US forces. The world watched, over and over, as Iraqis came into the streets to celebrate. They gathered in the square and attempted to pull down Saddam's statue. US forces at first, keen on keeping with the over all vision of the mission, "Iraqi Freedom", stood back and didn't interfere. For sometime, the Iraqis worked, but couldn't pull it down. Finally, an officer gave his forces the go ahead to help the Iraqis.
A sergeant jumped up on the boom of a tank tower and wrapped a chain around the statue. As he stood at the top, he pulled out an American flag and covered Saddam's face. It seemed, above all the dancing and the later joy when the statue came down, that one moment stood out above the rest. For some, it was the final honesty: not Iraqi Freedom, but American Hegemony.
A short time later, an Iraqi handed up an Iraqi flag. The American flag was quickly taken down and the Iraqi flag went up. The breaths held back at Centcom came out in a big sigh of relief, then the statue came down and Iraqis beat it with their shoes and danced in the streets.
Still, the minute damage to the information war had been done and there was rumbling in the foreign press and in the US. That image did not jive with the political message and gave people around the world cause to believe that this one moment when the soldiers were celebrating their victory, represented the true American intent.
However, the question can be asked, did this do any real damage to the over all information war? Did it so over shadow the live images of the fall of Baghdad and the joy of the Iraqis that the presence of reporters was now, once again, a liability? Or, were all the other images up to that moment more than worth those few seconds.
Then there was Kevin Sites. The infamous incident where a marine entered a room in Fallujah with several insurgents lying around. Some were dead. One was apparently "pretending" to be dead. A marine walked up and kicked him and yelled in his face. He yelled that the man was breathing and, in a split second decision, he put several rounds in him, on film, right in front of the reporter.
Before that moment, Kevin Sites videos were the "video to watch" on the internet. It caused a huge controversy. Kevin Sites was verbally attacked for everything from anti-Americanism to Anti-Military to sedition. The real story may be something entirely different. In this one case, the military may have waived off the opportunity to review and comment before hand. Then again, maybe they weren't give the time to re-act. Then again, maybe "military time" is too slow in the age of instant media.
Other arguments ensued about whether the marine had acted correctly. Some thought he had murdered an unarmed man. Others thought he was doing what was necessary to stay alive in an atmosphere of fake surrenders, suicide bombers wearing vests or booby trapped dead bodies.
But the real issue here was that it high-lighted the very problem the military had been concerned about all along: how would the public react to real war in real time? It was bad enough in Vietnam. The military experience showed that real war, the killing, the set backs, even the "successes" that were messy and didn't look a John Wayne film, gave the public a negative perception of the war.
This one incident high-lighted that concern and once again showed the military that there was a danger in allowing "too much" coverage of the war. The public's right to know ran smack into the biggest fear of the military and the need to win the "information war". At the same time this was occuring, a "doctor" inside Fallujah was reporting about severe civilian casualties from the bombing. It was being aired around the world. There were misrepresentations of military activities inside Fallujah, though it was true civilians were dying, either from air-strikes or by fire fights; US military bullets or the bullets and knives of the terrorists who had declared Fallujah "an emirate" and proceeded to enforce their version of Islamic Law.
From the military perspective, the embed program was a bust. It seemed, from that moment on, embedding reporters began to dwindle. Was it because "major battle" had ended and everything after that was the "boring" everyday work of soldiering in a "reconstruction period"? Or, was it equally because, to the military, it was too damaging to their attempts to win "hearts and minds?" Had it confirmed, in the minds of the enemy or would be supporters or even the "neutral" citizens they hoped to sway, that the reports from inside Fallujah were accurate?
Or, had the military looked at it from the wrong perspective? Not allowing certain images or not getting these images, like soldier's being attacked by "surrendering" forces or booby trapped bodies left out a major part of the story that may have presented a different perspective on the marine's actions?
What about the story that existed before the assault on Fallujah? There were many reports about the Islamists torturing and killing people, but few images appeared before the assault. Images of Iraqis escaping Fallujah and being put into "camps" prior to the assault seemed to give the aura of "concentration camps".
Yet, one marine captain, reporting via his blog from an FOB outside of Fallujah told the stories of people escaping Fallujah and begging the marines to go in and save the city, save them from the murderous mujihadeen. He told stories of bodies being dumped outside of the city, headless, bullet riddled and tortured. This included men, women and children. Yet, few images were broadcast.
Was this about the public's "sensibilities"? Was this because the military and politicos did not want to be pressured into action before they were ready by an outraged public? Was this because they did not want the build up of forces for the assault to be broadcast?
What ever the reason, while stories existed about the attrocities, the images to go along with it, were missing. This meant that a major part of the story of Fallujah was missing. This meant that the actions of the marine were judged without the appropriate context. Thus, the fickle opinion of the public was formed through half information and ideas.
After the fall of Fallujah, there were many images available of dead bodies, torture chambers, some tortured and dead victims (it seemed that the same bodies were shown over and over again), blood on the walls and huge caches of weapons and enemy propaganda. Very few of the "thousands" of dead enemy fighters were shown. At the same time, images of the refugees in camps were being broadcasted along with plaintive cries from the populace about damaged homes and dead relatives. There were images of burnt out, destroyed homes with clothes, toys and other household items strewn around, seeming to imply, again, that the only thing really dying in Fallujah were the regular citizens.
This again seemed to bring back memories of Vietnam body counts and destroyed villages with dead villagers. The information war once again swung in favor of the enemy and the military, once again, saw this as a vindication of their lack of trust in the media for telling "their story".
But, whose fault is that? Is it the media? Was it the military's concern for operational security and negative images? Was it because, as a signatory to the Genieva conventions and, as a country that prided itself on certain concepts of battle (such as not showing the dead from respect or from needing to notify family or from some over all concept of decency that prevents us from showing the ugliness of death?) Was it because the public was not capable of understanding the images of war without losing perspective or withdrawing its support?
The truth is, information is going to come out of the battlefield. The enemy has the capability of creating their own news programs, videos, letters, CDs, music and everything else. They use hand held digital cameras and cell phone images. There are foreign press that are invited to "embed" with the insurgents/terrorists. The enemy delivers their own images and reports straight to news organizations around the world, including, straight into the homes of the American populace.
A recent controversy over the potential use of video footage from the battle for Haifa Street highlights this problem. The video has appeared on Al Qaeda websites as proof of the "attrocities" against the Sunni as well as the "courage and triumph" of the fighters, showing images of dead Iraqi soldiers.
Demands were made that the media do a better job at vetting the sources for their material. But, that is only a small part of the over all problem. The real problem that was highlighted is that the enemy is much better at and much faster at obtaining images of their war as well as distributing those images. Thus, shaping the image of the over all war once again.
The military released its own short video of the actions: American and Iraqi soldiers firing from a window, talking about seeing the enemy and firing out them. But, what was missing, as any citizen who has seen a war movie will tell you, is the "bad guy". He never makes an appearance on this video. Once again, leaving the impression of the "invisible enemy" or, the question, who was being killed on Haifa Street?
Was it fast enough? Complete enough?
The military has learned many concepts of war and translated them into operations complete with its own jargon. It often speaks of "getting inside the enemy's decision making cycle". In otherwords, knowing how the enemy will react in advance and acting faster than he can decide how to react to your actions. This causes confusion, a melt down of command and, if done correctly (with a little bit of luck), defeat of the enemy.
The military has developed new and faster ways of collecting, coalating and desiminating intelligence on the where abouts and activities of the enemy. Information that allows the military to "get inside" the enemy's "cycle".
Yet, a lesson it has not learned or has dragged its feet in learning or, better yet, refuses to learn, is how to "get inside the enemy's information cycle". In a globalized, networked, intranet world with 24 hour news cycles, international flights and overnight delivery closely entertwined with and used by the enemy as, paraphrasing Zawahiri, half the battlefield, the inability to wage war effectively on this front means that "half the battlefield" is already ceded to the enemy.
When you've lost half the battle field, unless you can call up re-enforcements or a miracle occurs, you've lost the battle. That is why the American people believe that Iraq is lost and US forces should be withdrawn. That is why the enemy continues to be able to recruit from a base that should be largely leary of supporting or tacitly agreeing with any part of the Islamists program that would most likely result in even worse restrictions, repressions and reprisals.
That is why people like Mr. William Arkin of the Washington Post can write "mercenaries", "murder" and "rape" in regards to the American soldier asking for support from back home without being shouted down from every corner of the American public except for those who are intricately related to or directly supporting soldiers.
It's a lesson they could not learn in Vietnam and, thirty five years later, they still haven't learned. While we invest in million dollar UAVs or "non-lethal" laser weapons, the enemy is beating us to death with $150 digital camera, $500 laptop and a few minutes of internet time.
Marine Corps Commandant Conway recently said:
"We have, frankly, talked with the president some about maybe changing his message," Conway said. "You know, after 9/11 he said the best thing you can do, America, is live your lives normal. . . . And we think today that it may be time to rally the country to war."
Whatever is happening in the big strategic picture, in places on the ground, some guys in Ramadi are making progress and a local Sheihk takes an unprecedented and dangerous stance to try to bring the violence to an end.
RAMADI, IRAQ — At 35, he is younger than many sheiks. And his Sunni Arab tribe is not one of the largest in Al Anbar province. But Sheik Sattar Bazeaa Fatikhan projects the aura of power and seriousness that comes to a man who has taken a stand.
After Sunni insurgents killed his father and four of his brothers last year, Fatikhan declared war against the insurgency.
He convened a summit of about a dozen prominent sheiks. From that meeting came a document called "The Awakening," in which Fatikhan persuaded all but one sheik to join him in opposition to the insurgency.
The sheiks pledged to encourage young men to join the police force and even the Shiite-led army. The document states that killing an American is the same as killing a member of their tribes. Since the gathering, Fatikhan said, the sheiks have "eliminated" a number of insurgents.[spin]
Drinking tea and smoking Marlboros, Fatikhan listened to questions and then gave an unvarying response: The U.S. military and Iraqi tribes must unite to rid Sunni-dominated Al Anbar province of men who would "try to engineer our future with mortars and roadside bombs."
For U.S. forces, Fatikhan's stand is a significant boost in a bitter fight with insurgents who, until recently, controlled large segments of Ramadi, the provincial capital.
Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, credits Fatikhan and other sheiks for an increase in police enrollment, a decrease in insurgent recruitment and new courage among Iraqi forces.
A year ago, insurgents blew up every police station in Ramadi, and officers were afraid to return to duty. The U.S. military rebuilt many of the stations. During a recent attack, Iraqi police officers stood their ground.
"They would not be intimidated," MacFarland said. "Why? Because their sheik, whom they respect, told them, 'You must do this.' "
...and nobody came to the funeral?
Convening in a downtown plaza in a session that resembled a political rally, lawmakers unanimously gave Chavez sweeping powers to legislate by decree and impose his radical vision of a more egalitarian socialist state.
"Long live the sovereign people! Long live President Hugo Chavez! Long live socialism!" said National Assembly President Cilia Flores as she proclaimed the "enabling law" approved by a show of hands. "Fatherland, socialism or death! We will prevail!"
But the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, Thomas Shannon, said the enabling law isn't anything new in Venezuela.
"It's something valid under the constitution," said Shannon, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told reporters in Colombia. "As with any tool of democracy, it depends how it is used," he added. "At the end of the day, it's not a question for the United States or for other countries, but for Venezuela."
The people who read me regularly and know me personally know that I am a believer that the next war in the middle-east won't be fought between the arabs and the jews, but rather between the Sunnis and the Shia. Iran seems to be overstepping its influence in the region, with meddeling in Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain, which is freaking Saudi and the other sunni gulf states out, and for some reason Egypt's as well. It makes sense that the gulf states would want Mubarak to join the effort, since Egypt is the only country in the region wih population to equal Iran's and a military in par with it (What is Egypt now if not a big ,yet not very efficient, military structure?). The Egyptian government (i.e. Mubarak), for its part, has been very big on persecuting the Shia in Egypt
My fellow egyptians, you will so be psychologicaly prepped for a war with Iran by the end of this year, it's not even funny.
Over the past year, a chorus of voices has called for Saudi Arabia to protect the Sunni community in Iraq and thwart Iranian influence there. Senior Iraqi tribal and religious figures, along with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and other Arab and Muslim countries, have petitioned the Saudi leadership to provide Iraqi Sunnis with weapons and financial support. Moreover, domestic pressure to intervene is intense. Major Saudi tribal confederations, which have extremely close historical and communal ties with their counterparts in Iraq, are demanding action. They are supported by a new generation of Saudi royals in strategic government positions who are eager to see the kingdom play a more muscular role in the region[snip]
If Saudi Arabia boosted production and cut the price of oil in half, the kingdom could still finance its current spending. But it would be devastating to Iran, which is facing economic difficulties even with today's high prices. The result would be to limit Tehran's ability to continue funneling hundreds of millions each year to Shiite militias in Iraq and elsewhere.
Pity those men now hunkered down in Baghdad as they walk a fine, thin line between the yearning for justice and retribution in their land, and the scrutiny of the outside world. In the annals of Arab history, the Shia have been strangers to power, rebels and dissidents and men on the run hunted down by official power. Now the ground has shifted in Baghdad, and an Arab world steeped in tyranny reproaches a Shia-led government sitting atop a volcano. America's "regional diplomacy"--the name for our earnest but futile entreaties to the Arab rulers--will not reconcile the Arab regimes to the rise of the Shia outcasts.
As I said in a letter to the editor...
I have it up to my eyeballs with the whole "poor youths duped into war to serve the Military/Republican/Oil conglomerate and turning Iraq into Vietnam". I may have to puke. Frankly, I think anyone that repeats such nonsense should be whipped through town, tarred and feathered and rode out of town on a rail.
Or, at least protect us from having to read such idiotic garbage in the letters to the editor section of my local paper.
I tried to leave a comment there, but for some reason, typepad wouldn't let me sign in. So, I opted for a letter to the editor. A toned down letter to the editor, edited down for print and certainly did not contain all the other thoughts I had about the short, but ignorant letter by a fellow Kansas Citian.
If you've read me at all, you know that making it "short and to the point" was very painful. Let's see if it gets printed. If not, here it is for your edification:
I've had it up to my eye balls with the whole "American Soldiers are uneducated rubes escaping poverty by joining the military" meme. Usually these remarks are directed at soldiers who are serving in Iraq because this is the controversial war. No one seems to mention Afghanistan and this alledged mass of poor idiots that are serving there. I suppose soldiers in Afghanistan are somehow immune to this disease because they are fighting on the popular front in response to the 9/11 attack.
George Baggett wrote in a letter titled "What we’re doing to Iraq" -"President Bush continues to justify bizarre adventures to control Iraqi oil at the expense of a volunteer force that includes many poor youths seeking escape from poverty. "
Mr Baggett fails to recognize that many of these same troops have had tours in Afghanistan. They are poor and stupid in Iraq, "parading around", but apparently wise and capable everywhere else.
Let's be clear, American Soldiers are us. They are the policeman who patrols our streets, they are the accountant the does our taxes, they are the mechanic that fixes our cars, the neighbor across the street, and, yes, they are even high school graduates that may have never held a job before. They are from every walk of life, every ethnicity, every religion, every economic background and every educational level. They are a cross section of America.
To portray them as uneducated and poor victims because they are currently serving on a front that people see as unpopular is, well, ignorant.
Sgt Ian Anderson
Just another ordinary day
The TV's on while the children play
The phone rings, I'm on my way
I know I can't be late
On the other side of town
The Patriot Riders gather round
Ride Captain said a little prayer
Reminded us why we were there
No time at all we were on our way
The bikes roared to life
On this ordinary day
A mile long we travelled down the road
Flashing lights let the people know
There's a reason for our parade
One of ours came home today
Traffic stopped and the people stared
For a moment they might have cared
Just a little break away
From their ordinary day
The wind blew cold as I stepped outside
But it wasn't just the wind
That brought the tears to my eyes
I was standing in a cemetary
One hundred flags flying o'er me
Taps echoed in the wind
As the buglers played a final hymn
Men saluted as his widow cried
A captain knelt down by her side
Drew close and whispered in her ear
As the young wife dried her tears
On behalf of a grateful nation
Please accept this flag and citation
Thank you for your sacrifice
Freedom called and he paid the price
I listened to the words he had to say
And I was proud to be a part
Of this ordinary day
In the car on my way home
I turned on the radio
Nothing new for me to hear
Same old same, a different year
People marching in the streets
Carrying signs demanding peace
I turned off the radio
I'd been somewhere they would never go
I was standing in a cemetary
One hundred flags flying o'er me
Taps echoed in the wind
As the buglers played a final hymn
Men saluted as his widow cried
A captain knelt down by her side
Drew close and whispered in her ear
As the young wife dried her tears
On behalf of a greatful nation
Please accept this flag and citation
Thank you for your sacrifice
Freedom called and he paid the price
Just another ordinary day
The phone rings, I'm on my way
In memory of Sgt. Ian Anderson and all those who have paid the price. A special thank you to his family for allowing the Patriot Guard Riders to stand for him as he stood for us.
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Join Soldier's Angels and Support the Troops
This was originally written as a song which may explain some of the odd cadences. If I can record it, I'll post it here.
Before you can understand the strategy, you have to know a few things beyond the nightly sqawks on either side of the aisle peppered with sloganistic jingoism. None of which really indicates what either party sees as the defining purpose, direction and outcome of said plans.
Before Iraq, read about the Eqyptian propaganda war against the Shia and what an Egyptian blogger calls "the coming war between Sunni and Shia": That Train Won't Be Late
The people who read me regularly and know me personally know that I am a believer that the next war in the middle-east won't be fought between the arabs and the jews, but rather between the Sunnis and the Shia. Iran seems to be overstepping its influence in the region, with meddeling in Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain, which is freaking Saudi and the other sunni gulf states out, and for some reason Egypt's as well. It makes sense that the gulf states would want Mubarak to join the effort, since Egypt is the only country in the region wih population to equal Iran's and a military in par with it (What is Egypt now if not a big ,yet not very efficient, military structure?). The Egyptian government (i.e. Mubarak), for its part, has been very big on persecuting the Shia in Egypt.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the United States Tuesday of stirring up conflict between rival Muslim sects to maintain U.S. influence in the Middle East.
"The U.S. intends to cause insecurity and dispute and weaken independent governments in the region to continue with its dominance over the Middle East and achieve its arrogant goals," Ahmadinejad said during a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.
"The U.S. and Zionist regime have a conspiracy to stir up conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in order to plunder the wealth of the regional nations," the president said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, or IRNA.[snip]
Some among the audience of Dubai-based diplomats and analysts complained that American wars in the Middle East were already threatening the region's stability and asked Burns to sort out Iraq and the Israel-Palestinian conflict before turning attention to Iran.
"What we are not interested in is another war in the region," Mohammed al-Naqbi, who heads the Gulf Negotiations Center, told Burns. "Iraq is your problem, not the problem of the Arabs. You destroyed a country that had institutions. You handed that country to Iran. Now you are crying to Europe and the Arabs to help you out of this mess."
While it is too early to say if Tehran will be ready to alter its nuclear course or is simply concerned about Ahmadinejad's extremist image, some experts say it is equally unclear how Mr. Bush will interpret the events in Tehran – and whether or not he will see them as the fruit of diplomacy.
"What we are seeing is the success of American and European pressure. It is not American pressure on its own," says Anatol Lieven, a foreign-policy expert at the New America Foundation in Washington. He sees growing Iranian isolation in the region "as a result of Iran's overambitious and menacing stance."
The turn of events is "an example of multilateralism, not of America working on its own," he says.
This may be avoided if we actually listen to the voices coming out of Iran. Iranians are overwhelmingly in favor of normalizing relations with the US, but oppose any intervention in their nation's internal affairs. Forces seem to be aligning in favor of direct dialogue between the two estranged governments.
Pragmatic voices are wresting control from both neoconservatives in the US and their fundamentalist counterparts in Iran. Let's hope they win out. Opening up relations with Iran is not appeasement; it's necessary because it allows home-grown demo cratic forces to work on their own terms.
He also called for doubling the number of elite US special forces, who have been particularly active in those war zones.[snip]
The new special forces units would be part of a 40,000-troop expansion that Kerry called for last year and would come about through more aggressive recruiting, aides said, although there would be no new financial incentives to help the military fill its ranks.
America should lead by extending a hand, not a fist. (Aug 2004)
American power comes from respect, not weapons. (May 2004)
Excluding other nations in rebuilding Iraq is dumb. (Dec 2003)
Cast a global net for terrorists. (Aug 2004)
Improve intelligence capabilities to counter terrorism. (Aug 2004)
Cut off terrorists funds. (Aug 2004)
Prevent Afghanistan & others from becoming terrorist havens. (Aug 2004)
Add 40,000 troops and double anti-terrorism special forces. (Jul 2004)
Four new imperatives: alliances, modernize, end Mideast oil. (May 2004)
Focus more on human intelligence gathering. (Nov 2003)
Ending Iraq war requires summit including Iran & Syria. (Jun 2006)
Focus on the real war on terror and find bin Laden.
When President Bush talked about the "Axis of Evil" (Iraq, Iran and North Korea), he missed Venezuela and Hugo's Mini-me in Bolivia. Not only is Chavez continuing to erode freedom in his own country with Mini-me in hot pursuit, he continues to meet and, put it bluntly, connive with the Iranians.
At home, to their supporters, they pretend to be the leaders of the new social justice revolution, standing against greedy capitalist nations that exploit their people while thugs in all countries, both elected and brown shirt followers, beat down the population. Hugo Chavez rules by decree. He threw out the constitution and desolved parliament. And they let him. Voted to do it.
For those who compare Bush to Hitler or tend to see his actions as tending towards autocratic rule eroding American civil liberties please come back to reality. While every citizen of a democratic nation that prides itself on freedom should be wary of growing government power and reduction of individual liberties, there is simply no comparison to the acts of people like Chavez or Ahmadinejad.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan is using his recent election victory to consolidate his grip on the economy. A week ago, he announced he would nationalize the country's electricity and telephone companies; he already controls the oil business. His goal here is to redistribute income but especially to shrink the private economy in order to reduce the space in which any political opposition can operate.
[snip] He's moving to withdraw the license of a prominent independent television network, and he has asked Congress to grant him temporary executive power to rule by decree. "The world should know: Our revolution is not turning back," he said. "This is the path our boat is on: socialism. Country, socialism, or death."
The Caracas Stock Exchange Index fell 16% last week, but that didn't phase Señor Chávez.
Aug 18, 2006 - ``These numbers should be analyzed more over the long-term and not solely in the short-term. Venezuela is spending all its oil earnings and it isn't saving or investing at all. We have huge GDP growth today, but it isn't going to be sustainable,'' said Alberto Ramos, senior Latin America economist at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in New York.
Vulnerable
Ramos said government spending is climbing at a pace of about 50 percent annually, a move which makes the country vulnerable to a possible drop in oil prices. Ramos today raised his forecast for Venezuela's GDP growth this year to 8 percent, from an earlier forecast of as much as 7 percent.
Ahmadinejad has been under criticism for abrupt decisions during his provincial tours where he promises lofty sums from the budget regardless of pre-planned macroeconomic outlines.
One hundred and fifty deputies have already issued a public statement warning the government over next year's budget, setting out "eight conditions for a favourable budget law".
"The government's efforts must be focused on decreasing spending and cutting its dependence on oil revenues," the Sarmayeh newspaper quoted the statement as saying.[snip]
Open letters from academics and experts have over the past year accused the government's economic policies of being expansionist and "lacking a scientific and expert basis" which risked fuelling "persistent inflation".
I should have provided a big FYI on this earlier, but I wanted to report that I was with Soldiers' Angels on Saturday for a donation drive at the Hy Vee at 87th and Pflumm in Lenexa, KS. It was a fantastic experience. Hy Vee was very nice to let us do our first KC chapter donation drive there. The people of Lenexa were very generous and the Soldiers' Angels of our chapter were very enthusiastic. We had over ten people show up I believe (waiting for the After Action Report for details on people and success).
I know that we had two vans full of snacks and toiletries when we left and some nice cash donations. We will be working on the next drive and on a packing party. We had several ladies from civic groups stop and ask how their organizations could get involved. We also had four gentlemen stop by who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. One young marine had two tours under his belt and talked to us for at least thirty minutes. Several people stopped and said they had people deployed that they knew and we told them how to get involved with the organization and get their people signed up for some care packages.
I really can't emphasize enough how great the community response was to our requests for donations. All I can say is "wow"!
Thank you Hy Vee and thank you the people of Lenexa.
Marcia Conley had organized our endeavors and she was really prepared with signs and poster boards. Two ladies brought their children. Aaron was very helpful carrying bags and supplies out to the vans. The young marine who had stopped towards the last of our drive helped us carry the supplies to the vans.
The whole time, he kept saying "Thank you" to us.
First, I can barely write that without getting a little watery around the eyes. Second, that one young man made it all worth while even if I never hear another "thank you". Third, it's not we who deserve the thanks.
It was great. I just can't say that enough.
Anyone in the KC area who wants to get involved, drop me an email. The computer is still dead, but I have access to check the email and the blog every few days. We're having a packing party this weekend and looking for people to help man the booth at Settler's Days in September.
We are looking to do several other drives this summer and fall if anyone is interested.
It's very rewarding.
PS..we were on channel 9 and 41 in KC and we will most likely appear in the Olathe Sun with pictures sometime this week.
Stand by for more details of our donation drives and the outcome of Saturday's efforts.
It was just that quick. One minute I'm typing away, the next it just shuts off. Several attempts to reboot and resuscitate were to no avail.
RIP
Ry..please keep posting while I try to come up with an alternative method of communication. Sorry readers...another short hiatus.
Katu
First, I want to thank Ry (Gollum) for keeping the blog alive while I was away. He wrote several posts that I have read and am looking forward to adding my commentary to. Ry, this doesn't mean your posting priveleges are over. Please feel free to keep posting whatever you want whenever you want. I really appreciate your commentary. It fits right in with the blog.
It may take me a day to get back to substantive postings as I try to pull the strings of my day to day life back together after my little vacation.
I just spent a week at my dad's in the Ozarks. We went fishing several days. I have a "big fish that got away" story while we were trolling and it starts out with me yelling, "Holy Sh*t! Back up, back up! Back up!" as my pole was nearly jerked out of my hand. I have pictures (at least of me sprawled back in the rear chair of the bass boat). Later, I was yelling, "Holy Sh*t! Get to the dock!" as we noted the rear of the boat riding low and upon picking up the lid of the rear compartment with gas can and battery, noticing a spouting leak that the bilge pump could not keep up with.
Yes, we did make it back and loaded the boat before it sank.
I spent several days after that working on the boat with my dad trying to repair the leak in the transom only to discover that the transom (that's the rear of the boat where the main engine is connected for you non-boaters out there) had several cracks in places that we could not reach to repair and required much more expertise than that had between my dad and I. I spent several more days fishing from the dock catching several small fish and playing tag all night with what I believe was a very smart, large cat fish that hit my line at least five times and took my bait every time regardless of what nifty hooking procedure I came up with.
I finally conceded defeat to the fish (and the mosquitos).
In a strange twist of fate, after discovering the condition of the transom was beyond our abilities and professional repair was beyond the pocket book, friends of my dad and stepmom invited us on their brand new pontoon boat to enjoy the fire works on Lake of the Ozarks. The twist came when dad discovered that these friends had not yet sold their old pontoon boat because the engine was not running. My dad made a deal for 900 dollars on the boat. A steal by most means and, if you saw the boat, you'd say my dad committed grand theft larceny. It's in great shape. However, if you have bought a boat with an outboard motor before then you know the motor is almost half the value of the boat (sometimes more). Thus the non working engine had a great deal to do with the price that was paid.
This kind of deal was the kind of deal that rarely gets made and kept anymore. It was a handshake deal. My dad needed to sell his boat, motor and trailor before he could buy the pontoon boat. The motor on his boat was quite a bit larger than the one on the pontoon and was running, but my dad knew he couldn't get any money out of the broken transom boat if the motor did not go with it.
The next day, the man showed up with the pontoon boat before my dad even paid him a dime. Because he trusted him to follow up on his word and handshake. You don't find that much in this world anymore.
We spent two days working the engine over. Mostly the work consisted of checking compression, checking loose wires, following them back to switches or motor components and determining problems. I think my dad almost felt bad for the deal he made with his friend on the 900 dollars because, once we got a wiring diagram and reconnected the wires correctly, the motor turned over and purred with barely a flick of the wrist.
I have to say that I found the physical work really satisfying. You learn a lot when you are hands on, eyes on with your old man explaining things. It was also about doing something that ended with a finished working product. It was great.
Finally, to earn some of the money on the pontoon boat, my dad may a deal with the 94 year old lady who runs the local marina to sand and paint one of her boat trailers. I helped dad do part of it today before I left. Once again I was crudy and sweaty, but it felt great to do it and to help him out.
There really is nothing like getting away to a world that you hardly see and barely read about except in some novel or movie with Harrie Connick Jr and Sandra Bullock. This is a world with little diners, small grocers and gas stations that let you run a tab. All you can eat cat fish for 5.99 (including baked potato, salad and drink - Painted Pony, Gravois Mills, Mo; Highway 5 - band thursday through Saturday). A small mom and pop diner in an old grain elevator that serves home made hot roast beef, real mashed potatoes and fresh green beans pulled from the garden in the back, snapped and cooked that day for 5.49 (Sweet's Inn, Barnett, Mo; Highway AA & Highway 52).
The "Family Center" has no video games. It is a one stop hardware/tractor/clothing/tack store that is open on the fourth of July until 5pm when they go get ready for the local fair and fire works. It's a place where you can look out in the field and see cattle for miles, horses in every yard, horse and buggies going down the road and a cowboy in the drive thru at McDonald's.
If I'd had a camera, I could have made me, the cowboy and McDonald's in Versailles a few large bills in licensing fees for the advertisement.
Unfortunately, it's also a place with satellite dishes where I had to find out that Kim Jong nutball decided to launch six missiles on the fourth of July. Sentiments there were either quiet waiting to see what else the news would bring or simple sentences about somebody needing to do something about that guy. The somebody in question was pretty evident.
For most up here in the city and in the blog world, what that "something" should be seems very complicated. There are questions of other world powers, economics, the toll of war and the issue of military capability. It may seem that the simple comments from simple people is just too simple. However, I think the folks down in Versailles (pronounced Ver-sales) or Gravois Mills and places in between recognize that when your neighbor across the street makes a habit of yelling that he is going to get his gun and shoot you, then stands at the edge of his property with his gun pointing it over your fence line and making shooting motions, finally progressing to firing the weapon in the air, your neighbor constitutes a threat to you and yours. You either call the police and they take care of it or the next time you go out to your fence line you go armed and ready to take care of it yourself.
There is no mistaking a dangerously insane person that is just as likely to shoot you as to look at you. Sound to simple? Sometimes I think we make it too complicated. I mean, what are you going to do to an already starving, economically deprived nation?
As I started the drive home, after all that great relaxation, realizing I was coming back to bills, the daily insanity of the city and the reality of this political world, I felt a little depressed. I had the sinking feeling that, as Ry said, Francis Fukuyama was dead wrong. History was not over, the players had simply changed names. For a few moments, I was reminded when I was in school and we watched movies like "The Day After" about nuclear holocaust. I was reminded of those silly "air raid" drills we did in school where you got under your desk, tucked your head between your knees and waited for the all clear that, as an adult you know would never come. I felt the cold war return with a vengence and I thought how much I wanted to refuse it for the future of my nieces and nephews, for the future of all those other children growing up and yet to be born.
Maybe I am a warmongerer. I don't know, but the simple answers of simple people keep going through my mind. Do we, should we trust nuclear weapons in the hands of people who don't believe they have anything left to lose? Those people who are in such dire economic conditions that proliferating arms to every tin pot dictator or any non-state actor (yes, terrorists) seems like a good way to earn money? That, Hitler-esque they figure if their country men are so inferior they are worthless as well and might as well be dead with whatever bizarre political scheme in place? Or, worse, that it would be good for their own people to die and create martyrs to some nefarious concept of God as opposed to living in a world with temptations?
Call me a Christian Fundamentalist or a rightwing nutjob or even a Chickenhawk, but I don't want to see that world and I pray that we don't every see that world again. Yes, Pray. Probably wouldn't hurt if few more people got on the prayer train. Or good karma; whatever you want to call it - I simply don't believe there are many people that truly believe ol' Kimmy has any "nuclear rights". Ahmenejid and Iran either. The saddest language ever used was "nuclear rights". Truman, Eisenhower, whoever used it first, it was a fould deed that came back to haunt us.
Still, as I drove home Tuesday evening, the sun setting as I contemplated these things, I saw a sky that movie makers could only dream of capturing or recreating. It was beautiful blue with a few wispy white clouds around a setting orange sun. Pinks and yellows painted the sky like the background from the closing scenes of "Gone With the Wind"; only better because this was real and not painted on a giant, back lit canvas. Seeing that sky, I felt optimism return because I knew that we had traversed many more difficult paths in our past.
The sun finally setting and dark descending, I could see fire works from the little town parks to the county and state fair gorunds. Major displays were every where including smaller displays at local fire works stands. The sky was beautifully lit up for miles upon miles.
I popped in my classical CD starting with Beethoven's 5th on through Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Dias Iraes, Royal Fire Works, and on and on. Ode to Joy was the finale as I swept through Kansas City on to my home, catching the final fire works of so many displays. I felt my spirits lift even higher. This is America. When will you ever stop long enough to see it?
The other day, I read Bill Whittle's "Raft" and he lamented what he thought was the demise of our great society. I wanted to write then what points I disagreed with but I have to disagree with the main point: we aren't dying and neither are our ideas. You simply don't know where to look for them.
Speaking of that, I received my book, "Home of the Brave" while I was away on vacation. I can't wait to start reading it. While on hiatus, I also read, "the Far Enemy" and part of the "Guests of the Ayatollah" (which I plan to get out of the library later this week to finish). I have somethings to say about both books. I learned quite a bit from "The Far Enemy" and recommend it as important reading for understanding our modern terrorist foes.
I'll make comments on it later this week.
In the meantime, I thank Ry again for his wonderful posts and hope he continues to post commentary here whenever he wants.
Thank you for your continued reading and look forward to reading about everyone's fourth of July.
PS...Ry, in the next day or two I will fix the links that are making mince meat of the format.
This sign is found on the barriers just inside the gates at Camp Fallujah. A reminder to all that go "outside the wire" not to forget their training, keep their eyes open and their blades sharpened.
