Shell Shocked

 

 

"This is no time for PC. This is no time for theory. This is a time for tried and testing measures to save our Marines and turn the tide on ISIL..."

Time for a game changer. Not next week. Now. Today. We have over 300 troops in harm's way. In serious danger. Our battle philosophy of "strategic patience" has worked as well as a bikini in a blizzard. What should we do? I say we go back to the future.

During the View Nam War, the base I was stationed at on Okinawa was next to Kadena Air Force Base. Kadena was one of the hubs for B-52 activity. They would take off every day in a group of three. They were followed shortly by a KC-135A tanker, brimming with much needed fuel. The bombers were so ladened with fuel and bombs, by the time they got to altitude, they consumed half their fuel. Once refueled by the tanker, they were one their way to Viet Nam to drop tons of "dumb iron" bombs. Often times these bombs would be dropped in a "carpet" fashion. To be on the receiving end of one of these bombing raids was not a pleasant experience at all.

In fact after the war was over, I remember reading stories of surviving NVA and Viet Cong who had experienced carpet bombing. Just the concussions alone from 500 bombs hitting close to them took a lot out of them. Some said prolonged bombing destroyed their will to fight. To make matters worse, for a while in the late sixties the Battleship New Jersey was reactivated. It would sit off the coast and lob 16" shells into the DMZ. This along with the carpet bombing was about as bad as it could get for the enemy.

Last night, the town of al-Baghdadi fell to ISIL. Just five miles from the Iraqi air base where our brave Marines are held up. We have B-1s and B-2's just sitting around gathering dust. Time to put them into immediate service. Full of "dumb iron" bombs. Time to call in some AEGIS class Cruisers and Destroyers. Time to use our state of the art VLS system to launch a few dozen (or more) Tomahawk missiles. Time to load a couple of MOABs (Fuel Air Explosive Bombs) on to transports and get them into the area. Then, after we bomb this blood thirsty group of thugs back into the stone ages, send in our First Cavalry, Marine Recon, and whomever else is needed to mop up.

The people have to speak up. I am almost horse from shouting from the rooftops. None of us want another war. Trust me, none of us. But this group of Islamic terrorists want us dead. Our families dead. Our way of life dead. Yesterday Glenn Beck played something that Bono from the group U2 recently said about America. (If I may paraphrase) "America is not just a country, it is an idea. An idea which is now shared with the entire world. Ireland is a great country, but it is not an idea. Only American is an idea, and now it belongs to the world."

And this idea that Bono is talking about, is what freedom loving people everywhere love. And what the Islamic terrorists hate. They hate and fear the American dream. The American idea. The freedom American represents. We need to fight these thugs not just because they are so evil. Not just because of what they are doing to innocent people worldwide. We need to destroy them before they destroy the idea. The dream. Us.

Now what?

 

 

"Just when you thing thinks could not get any worse, they do..."

What now is the right question. ISIS, ISIL, or whatever these murdering thugs want to called this week are on the move again. Actually, their movement has never stopped. Even though the WH Press Secretary, the Valley Girls at the State Department, and even POTUS tell us we have the bad guys on the run. Please, spare me!

So now this group of thugs has the Iraqi air base at al-Baghdadi surrounded. This base is just northwest of Ramadi in the very turbulent Anbar province That area of Iraq is a "ground zero" for the ISIL insurgency. And to make matters a whole lot worse, we have deployed 320 of our brave Marines into that hot zone to help train the Iraqi soldiers at the air base.

For reasons unknown to most thinking people, our current POTUS is bound and determined to practice the antithesis of the Powell Doctrine. For those who cannot remember what then General Powell said about war fighting which led to his doctrine, let me try to paraphrase:
"I hate a fair fight. If you have to go to war, you go in with overwhelming force. You find the head of the snake and kill it."

Our current Commander-in-Chief believes in the "pin-prick" game. Just put your little toe in the water. During the Gulf War, General Powell and his team threw everything at the Iraqis but the kitchen sink. Result - the war was over in a matter of days. If we had used the Powell Doctrine at the start of the ISIL insurgency, I dare say it would have been over months ago. And thousands of innocent lives would have been spared.

To protect our Marines in al-Baghdadi, we are going to have to do something and do it fast. Capturing or killing dozens or hundreds of our Marines would be a sweat prize for ISIL. If I were the Commander-in-Chief, I would saturate the air base at al-Baghdadi with our finest soldiers and equipment. If ISIL wants to fight, bring it on. We can certainly take the fight to them. For far, far too long, we have sat on the sidelines and watch these thugs get their way. We have watched them illegally occupy territory which is not theirs to occupy. We have seen them commit brutality and carnage on a host of innocent people. Enough is enough! (Please excuse my language) It is time to kick some ass!

I am still burned up over the loss of our embassy in Yemen. The fact our Marines were ORDERED by the State Department to surrender their weapons to the invaders. Just a reminder to our State Department - you had no authority to issue that order. Furthermore, (and the State Department should know this by heart), our embassies abroad are sovereign. In other words, what happened in Yemen was an attack on this country. Our response to that attack? Strategic patience - the new term in our Administration for the way we operate. Translated version for the citizens who care about this country - no nothing as Rome continues to burn.

This next week might be very telling. This country is still very capable of unleashing hell on those who deserve it. Bullies need to be stopped, they need to be punished, they need to be killed. To do this, we just need to get the pilot of our plane to man up, get some guts, and take us down the right path.

Once again, only a half a loaf...

 

 

"A new WPA is not that hard to write. It can be very short and to the point. Heck, even I could write one and still be home in time for corn flakes..."

Even though it was not reported this way, I could almost see it. He was dragged kicking and screaming into the West Wing to make the decision. The man who wanted so badly to be remembered as the "war ender" (even if it meant we lost wars), must now ask Congress for war fighting authority under a new WPA (War Powers Act).

As usual, the new WPA is covered in caveats, some of which make no sense at all. I will list what I think is wrong so far:

• Once again, saying what we will not do, rather than what we will do. Ruling out the possibility of using ground troops to fight ISIL is a huge mistake. There are a chorus of voices consisting of former flag officers as well as some former senior level Administration people who say the war against ISIL may be unwinnable without the use of ground forces.
• Limiting the WPA only to ISIL is very short sighted. There are more and more stories about the absolute atrocities Boko Haram is committing in Africa. Many innocent people are being brutalized by Boko Haram, and nobody, I mean nobody, is coming to their rescue. In fact, many of the girls who were kidnapped are still missing. All we could do to for assistance was come up with a "hashtag".  Mr. President, this new WPA should be written to fight Islamic Terrorism worldwide. Period.
• Practice saying the term Islamic Terrorists over and over again Mr. President. Your own intelligence services are now saying the flood of new recruits heading over to Syria keeps increasing. More Europeans and Americans are joining. These are not Methodists, Hindus or Mormons, these are Islamic Terrorists. Pretend you are in a 12 step program Sir, and the first step is saying the name of the threat.
• Hello? Do you see what just happened in Yemen? This is a hot mess getting hotter by the day. We have not only been chased out of Yemen and lost our embassy, the terrorists have also taken our embassy weapons. Heck, they even stole our embassy vehicles! Next potential stop for this newest group of Islamic thugs - the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. Should that happen, the ship is really going to hit the sand!
• Making it for three years instead of two years is another huge boo-boo. Why would you do that to our next President? If these terrorists keep gaining momentum, the next President will need a new WPA they day after being sworn in. He (or she) will need a new one with much more teeth. Having one year to go on this piece of milk toast will only hamper our new leader. 

I know. This is not your cup of tea. You really do hate this. At least President Clinton was truthful about how he felt about the military when he said (before he was President), "I loath the military." Mr. President, we all know you would rather be regulating our freedoms away on the internet as well as doing away with our gun rights. You would rather be granting legal status to uncounted millions of illegal aliens. You would rather keep spending money like a drunken sailor thereby leaving the nation with a $20T debt when you leave office. But no. Now you have to be the Commander-in-Chief. You have to be a war fighter. You have to do the right thing.

We still have 707 days until we get a new President. I am counting down each and every day. So are the terrorists. They will continue to make hay until the sun shines. They will do so until we get a Ronald Reagan type of President who can once again restore order in an increasingly dangerous world. Until that day comes, I will just keep counting down - 707, 706, 705.... 

One happy man...

 

 

"This man has so much to feel bitter about. But he does not. He is consumed by the joy of life and interacting with others..."

I don't know him. I don't know his name. In fact, I don't know much about him at all. He is a new greeter at the local Wal Mart. There are some very distinctive things about him that set him apart from others. The first is his booming voice. I swear when he greets people, half the store can hear him. The other is he is handicapped. He is missing a leg and sits in a wheelchair.

That being said, there is one more thing about this man which really does set him apart from 99% of us. He is without a doubt, one of the happiest people I have met in my life. Period. This man, who I believe has a raft of health problems even deeper than missing one leg, has every right to be dour and sour to people he meets. But he is not. He burns with joy. Pure unadulterated, unrepentant, joy.

If you think you will be able to sneak into Wal Mart without being greeted by this man, good luck to you. He greets everyone with the same genuine smile and warm, booming voice. Whenever we go to Wal Mart and he is working, it adds a little something to my day. First, he always makes me feel better after I talk to him. Second, it humbles me. Why can't I be filled with that much joy each and every day? This man is half my age and probably has over twice the health problems I have. But you would never know it by talking to him. I have shared with my wife something I truly believe. This man is another example on how God puts other people in our lives even for the most subtle, yet important reasons.

So we are back home relaxing from an afternoon of running around. As I sit and reflect on our day's activities, I think back on our nameless friend at Wal Mart. Chances are he is still there, sitting in his wheelchair, laughing and chatting with everyone who enters the store. Until I find out his name, he will be known to me only as "one happy man". He is indeed a blessing to all. 

The VOLAGS of Minnesota

 

 

"VOLAGS have more power and influence than many people realize..."

Many decades ago, in fact over the past couple centuries, Minnesota was settled by immigrants. Most came here legally, and for the most part, settled in land whose topography, climate, and religion were similar to the country they left. In Minnesota, we ended up with quite a few Norwegians, Swedish, Finish, Germans and so on. And that is how the complexion of our state was determined for years. We were the Ole and Lena, "you betcha" state.

That was then and this is now. Anyone who has driven through parts of Minneapolis (who has done so for years), is in for a shock. Minneapolis looks nothing like the way it once did. The same is true for St. Paul, St, Cloud and a host of other smaller cities. However, it is Minneapolis which has become ground zero due to the power and effect of the VOLAGS.

For those who do not know, VOLAGS stands for "voluntary agencies". And Minnesota has some very powerful ones. They were active with the resettlement of the Hmong (mostly in St. Paul) and now the Somalis (mostly in Minneapolis). How does this work? In 1991 civil war breaks out in Somalia. Millions flee the country and go to refugee camps. The United States steps in and voluntarily takes a number of these people into our country. They are assigned to a region. How they are assigned is due primarily to the strength of the VOLAGS.

Minneapolis has the big three VOLAGS - Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Charities and World Relief Minnesota. They help receive the incoming immigrants, and get them "hooked up" with the necessary social services. Most of these services are provided by the local community and the state. Once the immigrants are "into the system", the heavy lifting of the VOLAGS is about over.

What started as a trickle in in the 1990's had turned into a flood today. With the population of Minneapolis being just over 400,000, it is currently estimated the Somali population is about 100,000. In fact, there are so many Somalis living in Minneapolis, it is sometimes referred to as "Little Mogadishu". What was once a Scandinavian city, is rapidly looking more like an Eastern African one.

So what is it that keeps people here who grew up in areas of the world with much a different climate, topography, customs and religion? Certainly there are other safe places in the world which offer more familiar and suitable surroundings. More and more citizens are starting to wonder "why Minneapolis?". Is it the more than generous welfare benefits? Is it the extreme Leftist tolerance? The PC? And is there a "cap" as to how many immigrants (who have very little English and labor skills) cities like Minneapolis will allow in before the output of benefits exceeds the input of tax dollars?

More questions than answers. Don't ask the VOLAGS however - they are on to bigger and better things. Obama's transformation of America is nothing compared to the transformation the VOLAGS are doing on cities like Minneapolis.

Living on the edge....

 

 

"The threats are real, not imaginary. Our President cannot just wish them away..."

Hello? Is anyone awake? Can anyone smell the coffee? Or should I say, can anyone sense the danger? Bebe Netanyahu can. His intelligence agency (Mossad) can. In Israel, people who live there are sitting on the edge of a knife. Hamas, Moslem Brotherhood and Iran are all existential threats to the State of Israel. However, one threat that Prime Minister Netanyahu never thought he would have to face is the benign neglect he is receiving from our Administration.

Soon, negotiations with Iran over their nuclear program are getting ready to conclude. Although tight lipped about the progress, word keeps leaking out the deal being struck is not a good deal for the West. In fact, it is a terrible deal for Israel. You see, Israel is very familiar with Iran. Iran has been an agent provocateur for Hamas and other bad actors for years. Iran does not like the State of Israel. In fact, they hate Israel. They have threatened to annihilate Israel. And now Iran is close to getting a nuke - while meaningless negotiations are concluding with the US.

I trust the Iranians as much as I trust the North Koreans. Let us look back at some history on how this dirt poor nation on the Korean Peninsula has become a clear and present danger to the entire Western Pacific. In the 1990's we had another naïve President named Bill Clinton. While he was focusing on his own libido, the North Koreans were up to some very evil treachery. They were developing a nuclear program right under our noses. The North Koreans knew that under President Clinton we could be "played". Clinton even sent our prized negotiator, Jimmy Carter, over to North Korea to shepherd home a great deal for the civilized world. Turns out Carter got "played" worse than Clinton did.

Fast forward to today. Despite numerous promises and guarantees by the North Koreans, they are now a nuclear power. Not only that, it is now estimated the North Koreans have 1,000 missiles, including the Taepodong-2. That missile has a range long enough to reach Alaska.

As the saying goes, "We got waltzed around the may pole" by North Korea. And many (including myself) see the same thing happening today. We will agree to let Iran build a small nuclear power station just to provide much needed electricity for this "energy poor" country. Meanwhile, the man in Iran who lives behind the curtain is up to something much more sinister. While we are trying to wish the man behind the curtain away - Bebe knows all about this man and what he is doing.

I am fully in support of Bebe coming over here to address a joint session of Congress. I think it sends the wrong message for members of our Looney Left to boycott the Prime Minister. The only thing I would suggest changing is the date of the session. I would schedule it for the day after the Israeli elections. That would remove any doubt about Bebe's motives.

When it was discovered by the Mossad the Iranians were building a long range missile platform outside of Tehran, the Prime Minister said something very straight forward and profound. "The Iranians have had missiles for years that can reach Israel. This new missile they are building is to reach Europe and America." 

It is time to wake up Mr. President. The coffee is brewing and the bad guys are continuing down a truculent path. Danger, clear and present danger, is right around the corner.     

Stolen Valor

 

 

 

"Why did Brian Williams conflate the truth? Why did he want Stolen Valor? Good question with very fuzzy answers right now..."

This is a tale almost as old as time. There is a reason why people do this. However, unless your thinking is a bit off, most of us cannot understand why some do. It is Stolen Valor. Pretending to be in the military when you are not. Or if you are in the military, wearing war decorations which were not earned.

Shortly before I left Okinawa in 1971, someone whom I did not know (he was in a different watch section) rotated out. He took a cab to Kadena Air Force Base to catch a flight back to Travis Air Force Base in California. Before he left the island, he went to the Exchange and bought a bunch of Viet Nam campaign ribbons, including a Purple Heart. Seems when he go back home, he wanted to impress his girlfriend. However, when he landed at Travis, by his bad luck and our good luck, he ran into someone from our command who had just gotten back the night before. Needless to say, the jig was up. The MPs were notified and this guy was suddenly in a world of hurt.

As far as Brian Williams is concerned, I don't know if it was his sole intent to steal other's valor, or if he is just a pathological liar. Or, maybe he has a Walter Middy complex. All I know is this - he is finished. Even if he is able to keep his job (which I find doubtful), few will ever trust him again. Oh, he will still be a darling to some on the Left. They will take him back. However, people on the Right, people in the middle, people who seek the truth, will always have a problem when Williams states anything as fact. Just like when someone is caught cheating on their spouse, Williams was found cheating on the viewing public. Cheating them out of the truth.

I served for 21 years in the Navy and Naval Reserve. I never saw combat. I am neither proud nor ashamed of that fact. It was just how things were in my rating at that time. That being said, I have the utmost respect for my fellow soldiers, sailors and airmen who went into harm's way. Some were killed. Some were physically wounded. Some brought back unseen wounds which are just as serious as physical wounds. Most all that came back, came back changed. The valor these men and women exhibited is the best of the best. Anyone, even a famous newscaster, who would steal this valor, deserves to be besmirched and castigated.

To Brian Williams I say this - try an apology one more time. This time with feeling. Apologize to the troops whose valor you stole. Then apologize to the American people for lying to them. After you do that, resign immediately. After making $10M a year for a while, you should have a nice nest egg. Don't worry about the anchor chair - one of the eager younglings the network will take your place. Life will go on. Trust, after a while, will be restored to some viewers. As for many of us on the Right who have never trusted the Main Stream Media, this is Exhibit "A" on why NOT to watch network news. Agenda driven and truth deprived. Over, and over, and over again.