Major Mike
***Update 4.0: Question...is a confession a confession when it is secured under duress? Usually not. Is a conversion to Islam a conversion to Islam when it is done under the threat of death? Uh, ...no. Is an apology and apology when it is made to keep one's political career from going down the toilet? Not hardly. John...you had your chance, now ...buh, bye.
As any leader (not you, John) knows, as Napoleon said..."If an order can be misunderstood, it will be misunderstood," and this should already be known to decorated combat vet Kerry. His feeble attempts to blame the listeners yesterday, coupled with his refusal to apologize, only highlight his lack of ability as a leader, for his reaction is one of a leader who would blame others for his failings...which he did in this case. His late and feeble apology does not begin to cover the personal weaknesses he demonstrated as a leader(not) yesterday and well into today. Again...what part didn't you get ...the buh, or the bye?***
***Update 3.0: VDH goes yard. Are boyz en Irak harpoon the wail.*** (dueler and Atos finds)
***Update 2.1: Welcome American Thinker readers!!!***
***Update 2.0: The paper edition of the Oregonian this morning supports the argument that the MSM is a biased shill for the DNC. This story, and the fact that a Senator, party leader, and former Presidential candidate, cancelled all of his campaign appearances from now til the election...is relegated to a sidebar, in fine-ish print, in the lower right corner, of page A11. The "un" reporting of news is as blatant attempt to manipulate the truth as outright lying. If Trent Lott's oblique compliment to a retiring Senator can be twisted and manipulated into a resignation hammer by the MSM, then certainly the MSM can find the intestinal fortitude to give Kerry the coverage he deserves...if not, the MSM has cemented its demise through its attachments to, and advocacy for, the Democrat Party. Shame, but no surprise***
***Update: Great find on Anti-liberal Zone Blog, Gunny G highlights Kerry's "Ouuuuutstanding" college performance...dug ALZ out in the Hugh Hewitt comment sections. Check 'em out.***
"Pander : to act as a pander; especially : to provide gratification for others' desires."
John Kerry is the master Panderer. He has pandered to Congress… he has pandered in Congress…he panders on the road…he panders to toads. He is the master. He is incapable of resisting the temptation to pander. He is a pathological panderer.
And his pandering often gets in into un-navigable waters…like the Mekong at Christmas…I suppose.
Yesterday’s crass, thoughtless, and elitist slam against those is the military, while pandereing to a college audience, will be the end of him. From the Pasadena Star-News…
“Kerry then told the students that if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs - "If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq," he said to a mixture of laughter and gasps.” (my emphasis)
Let me interpret that for you… "Enjoy yourself in college, drink beer, have a good time…use your connections to get you a job…don’t work too hard…and some other dumb schmo will defend this nation, and your comfortable life for you. Too bad they were all too stooopid to do anything else but go into the service, but hey…it will work out for you. Another round of shooters!!!"
I have reached my limit on the number of times I will let others diminish my service, or the service of those now risking their lives for our freedoms. John Kerry is a pompous, elitist, affluent, snobbish ass. And it is going to get awful lonely out there on the campaign trail when 99.9999% of the population comes to the inevitable conclusion, that they have nothing in common with a self-centered, hugely egotistical, spoiled, east-coast elitist, who views the rest of us in serfdom as ants in support of his affluent and cushy lifestyle.
I notice that he refuses to apologize… "I apologize to no one for my criticisms of President Bush…" …even if I did manage to insult every member of our Armed Forces, and all of the nation’s veterans…evidence enough of his elitist, snobbish disdain for the rest of us unwashed.
Webster backs me up…
“Snob- 3 a : one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior b : one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste” (my emphasis)
This is what I have come expect of John Kerry, but now we should knock him out for the count…not just knock him around. Swifties…renew your operations. Veterans…demand he release ALL of his service records…unedited, and via the Pentagon, not via his staff. All veterans groups…hound him on this until he does apologize, and don’t relent…he is a dog, and deserves to be hounded.
Pandering snob…is there a lower form of life?
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Reject Peace in Our Time
Major Mike
Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.” In business, this meme is used over and over by process improvement engineers to drive change, improve the product, and ensure success.
The key is …changing the formula in a way that can affect the results. There are many moving parts to a manufacturing process, some process changes will affect the results, some will not. Some factors are key drivers, and some remain relatively stable regardless of how they are manipulated. The essence for true change-agents is making adjustments that affect the results, and leaving the stable processes alone.
Mort Kondracke has an excellent post today entitled… “Vietnam-like Defeat in Iraq Will Have Far Worse Consequences.” Morton’s take is excellent and the key paragraphs are quietly hidden in the middle of the piece.
“I think history shows that the United States and South Vietnam might have prevailed against the North but for the flagging will of the American people and opposition from the media and Congress.
For sure, as recent commentary has reminded us, the 1968 Tet offensive was a colossal military defeat for the communists -- 58,000 killed in two months -- even though it convinced Walter Cronkite and American elites that the war was unwinnable.
And so, it became unwinnable. Once Gen. Creighton Abrams took over as U.S. commander in Vietnam in 1968 and instituted new tactics, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces began winning battle after battle, but, as Abrams complained to his staff, "we never get a break from the umpires" in the media or Congress.” (my emphasis)
As I pointed out in my third post ever on my retired Major Mike site… “Iraq is Not Another Vietnam.” Not in the ways that would make a difference militarily…terrain, equipment, tactics, firepower…all even more in our troops’ favor than in Vietnam. As in Vietnam, we have yet to suffer a military defeat, yet again we find ourselves on the precipice of a national humiliation…and why? Which parts have changed…which parts are being manipulated in the same way as during Vietnam? Which part of the process is delivering the same results?
As in Vietnam, some strategic and tactical miscalculations have been made on the ground in Iraq, but they are not severe enough to warrant throwing in the towel. Our strategic and operational planners have the ability, and the resources to solve the difficult military and political issues in Iraq, and produce satisfactory results…results that would look, smell, feel, and taste like victory.
Abrams was right, and Kondracke is on the verge of being right. There are only two groups advocating a policy that ensures defeat in Iraq…the press, and those political animals that feel that an anti-war stance will give them a better chance to get elected in this, and possibly the next, election cycle. These are the insane ones. They are the ones driving home a defeat. A defeat they are engineering via, their biased reporting, their defeatist interpretations and their narrow reporting of the actual events on the ground in Iraq, their wholesale rejection of the views of the American fighting men on the ground, and their continual hammering away at the will of the American people for their own, short-term goals.
Each war needs to fought in the manner that it takes to win. The Napoleonic stalemate of World War One was finally breached with the onset of mechanically driven, maneuver warfare. World War Two was won the through massive supply and logistics effort this country was able to muster to support troops on two disparate and massive fronts. Korea was stabilized by the efforts of determined and experienced WWII vets, and it taught us a lesson about malaise and complacency. Vietnam was lost at home…as Kondracke aptly points out…by politicians and by the press.
We won Desert Strom through superior firepower and brilliant strategic thought. We won the invasion of Afghanistan through righteousness of cause, and tactical superiority. We overcame serious geo-political obstacles to free 25 million people from tyranny, and eliminate the production (proven) of WMDs that were being developed by a sworn enemy of the US, a dictator who had previously used them.
Yet we find ourselves in a phase of war, in both Afghanistan and in Iraq, that we, as a country seem incapable of fighting. Our military is more than willing, and more than capable of fighting this phase. This is the pacification and democratization phase, and it will not be short lived. It will be long and arduous. And it will cost, daily, American and Iraqi lives. And it will be continual fodder for opportunistic politicians and the pathetically anti-American press…running the defeatist plays of the Vietnam era. The duration of this phase will not be clearly understood by the uneducated, and it will be exploited by the opportunists. This is the similarity with Vietnam that Kondracke notes…Congressional opportunists, fueled by an anti-government (anti-Bush in this case) press, will consciously, or sub-consciously conspire to undermine the will of the American public, for their own, selfish purposes. We seem powerless to win wars that extend beyond two election cycles. It is ominous.
And in the end, our military will be saddled with another “defeat,” brought on, not by the enemy, but by forces within our country that are integral pieces to our very democracy. In essence, we will be defeating ourselves. And once done, we will replicate the finger pointing and blaming that occurred post-Vietnam, but in truth, as Kondracke points out…the defeat will need to be blamed on the intangible erosion of the American will to pursue and fight a determined enemy…a will eroded by our press and our politicians.
The major difference between this defeat, and the defeat in Vietnam, however will not be the overrunning of a single fledgling democracy, but this defeat will result in a wave of assaults on democracies across the globe. Emboldened Islamacists, and indeed, anti-democratic forces worldwide, will recognize that will is the Achilles’ heel of democracy, and they will exploit that fact ad infinitum.
The struggle for peace in Northern Ireland came at a great cost, and after nearly 30 years, but the results are overwhelming worth the price. True, sustainable peace, can only be won through the lengthy and determined efforts of a society that has the wisdom to do what is right, and the will to see it through.
Have the will to see the right course of action through to its just end. Reject peace in our time; support peace in your children’s time… Vote Republican
© Michael McBride 2006
Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.” In business, this meme is used over and over by process improvement engineers to drive change, improve the product, and ensure success.
The key is …changing the formula in a way that can affect the results. There are many moving parts to a manufacturing process, some process changes will affect the results, some will not. Some factors are key drivers, and some remain relatively stable regardless of how they are manipulated. The essence for true change-agents is making adjustments that affect the results, and leaving the stable processes alone.
Mort Kondracke has an excellent post today entitled… “Vietnam-like Defeat in Iraq Will Have Far Worse Consequences.” Morton’s take is excellent and the key paragraphs are quietly hidden in the middle of the piece.
“I think history shows that the United States and South Vietnam might have prevailed against the North but for the flagging will of the American people and opposition from the media and Congress.
For sure, as recent commentary has reminded us, the 1968 Tet offensive was a colossal military defeat for the communists -- 58,000 killed in two months -- even though it convinced Walter Cronkite and American elites that the war was unwinnable.
And so, it became unwinnable. Once Gen. Creighton Abrams took over as U.S. commander in Vietnam in 1968 and instituted new tactics, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces began winning battle after battle, but, as Abrams complained to his staff, "we never get a break from the umpires" in the media or Congress.” (my emphasis)
As I pointed out in my third post ever on my retired Major Mike site… “Iraq is Not Another Vietnam.” Not in the ways that would make a difference militarily…terrain, equipment, tactics, firepower…all even more in our troops’ favor than in Vietnam. As in Vietnam, we have yet to suffer a military defeat, yet again we find ourselves on the precipice of a national humiliation…and why? Which parts have changed…which parts are being manipulated in the same way as during Vietnam? Which part of the process is delivering the same results?
As in Vietnam, some strategic and tactical miscalculations have been made on the ground in Iraq, but they are not severe enough to warrant throwing in the towel. Our strategic and operational planners have the ability, and the resources to solve the difficult military and political issues in Iraq, and produce satisfactory results…results that would look, smell, feel, and taste like victory.
Abrams was right, and Kondracke is on the verge of being right. There are only two groups advocating a policy that ensures defeat in Iraq…the press, and those political animals that feel that an anti-war stance will give them a better chance to get elected in this, and possibly the next, election cycle. These are the insane ones. They are the ones driving home a defeat. A defeat they are engineering via, their biased reporting, their defeatist interpretations and their narrow reporting of the actual events on the ground in Iraq, their wholesale rejection of the views of the American fighting men on the ground, and their continual hammering away at the will of the American people for their own, short-term goals.
Each war needs to fought in the manner that it takes to win. The Napoleonic stalemate of World War One was finally breached with the onset of mechanically driven, maneuver warfare. World War Two was won the through massive supply and logistics effort this country was able to muster to support troops on two disparate and massive fronts. Korea was stabilized by the efforts of determined and experienced WWII vets, and it taught us a lesson about malaise and complacency. Vietnam was lost at home…as Kondracke aptly points out…by politicians and by the press.
We won Desert Strom through superior firepower and brilliant strategic thought. We won the invasion of Afghanistan through righteousness of cause, and tactical superiority. We overcame serious geo-political obstacles to free 25 million people from tyranny, and eliminate the production (proven) of WMDs that were being developed by a sworn enemy of the US, a dictator who had previously used them.
Yet we find ourselves in a phase of war, in both Afghanistan and in Iraq, that we, as a country seem incapable of fighting. Our military is more than willing, and more than capable of fighting this phase. This is the pacification and democratization phase, and it will not be short lived. It will be long and arduous. And it will cost, daily, American and Iraqi lives. And it will be continual fodder for opportunistic politicians and the pathetically anti-American press…running the defeatist plays of the Vietnam era. The duration of this phase will not be clearly understood by the uneducated, and it will be exploited by the opportunists. This is the similarity with Vietnam that Kondracke notes…Congressional opportunists, fueled by an anti-government (anti-Bush in this case) press, will consciously, or sub-consciously conspire to undermine the will of the American public, for their own, selfish purposes. We seem powerless to win wars that extend beyond two election cycles. It is ominous.
And in the end, our military will be saddled with another “defeat,” brought on, not by the enemy, but by forces within our country that are integral pieces to our very democracy. In essence, we will be defeating ourselves. And once done, we will replicate the finger pointing and blaming that occurred post-Vietnam, but in truth, as Kondracke points out…the defeat will need to be blamed on the intangible erosion of the American will to pursue and fight a determined enemy…a will eroded by our press and our politicians.
The major difference between this defeat, and the defeat in Vietnam, however will not be the overrunning of a single fledgling democracy, but this defeat will result in a wave of assaults on democracies across the globe. Emboldened Islamacists, and indeed, anti-democratic forces worldwide, will recognize that will is the Achilles’ heel of democracy, and they will exploit that fact ad infinitum.
The struggle for peace in Northern Ireland came at a great cost, and after nearly 30 years, but the results are overwhelming worth the price. True, sustainable peace, can only be won through the lengthy and determined efforts of a society that has the wisdom to do what is right, and the will to see it through.
Have the will to see the right course of action through to its just end. Reject peace in our time; support peace in your children’s time… Vote Republican
© Michael McBride 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
AP Shills For The Big Lib-Oski...
Mr.Atos
As the Associated Press suddenly realizes the forecasts and predictions of Republican Dooooom in November may not be so. AP writer, Brad Cain strikes up the AP's Get Out The Vote effort in the Oregon Governor's race...
Read: Kulongoski, the former Marine vs. Saxton the inexperience lawyer. And of course, Governor K is respected on a personal level by voters, notes the AP... with the exception, it overlooks, of those 50 percent who hold him in disdain, and the other 25 who don't respect him at any level, but would vote for a diseased baboon if it ran as a Democrat.
So, here is where it comes down to the wire. The Press and Polsters have spent their long-range artillery with the news that the Republicans nationwide are going down to humiliating defeat. But, have you read about Michael Steele in the Maryland Senate Race? Or Menendez troubles in New Jersey? Harold Ford crumbles on air in Tennessee. And John Podhortez has some sobering insights for gleeful Democrats.
As the November election approaches, and with the artillery spent, the MSM will take to their bayonettes against Republican candidates. AP stories like Cain's will multiply to fill the media in favor of Democrats and against their opponents. It will get worse. But, understand this Republicans...
... the only votes that count in the end, are those cast.
Just vote!
As the Associated Press suddenly realizes the forecasts and predictions of Republican Dooooom in November may not be so. AP writer, Brad Cain strikes up the AP's Get Out The Vote effort in the Oregon Governor's race...
In this season of bleak election forecasts for the Republicans, one bright spot has emerged from an unlikely state: left-leaning Oregon.But, with the next paragraph, Cain still attempts the strategy of MSM Republican vote suppression, aka, the Democrat Delusion,
This traditionally blue state represents one of the Republicans' best shots at picking up a governorship held by the Democrats, with polls showing Gov. Ted Kulongoski and GOP challenger Ron Saxton virtually tied.
Elsewhere, the Democrats are on a roll this year, appearing likely to pick up governors' seats in powerful states like Ohio, New York and Massachusetts.Note that, 30-50 seat pick up thing, with a full turnover of Congressional leadership mantra, is a little absent from this AP report. Nevertheless, realizing the political impact of gubernatorial snatch in another DNC 'so-called' stronghold like Oregon, panick seems to have produced a degree of sobriety in the MSM. So, the AP goes on the attack...
Ted Kulongoski ... is locked in a tight race with Ron Saxton at a time when by all rights he should be the favorite to win re-election.
After all, Democrats hold a 60,000-voter registration edge over Republicans in Oregon, and lay claim to all but one of the statewide elected offices. The state's economy has been on an upswing over the past two years, after a recession forced serious budget cutbacks during the first years of Kulongoski's tenure.
A former Marine who has attended the funeral of nearly every Oregonian killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, the 65-year-old Kulongoski is respected on a personal level by voters. But he has chagrined even his supporters with unscripted comments suggesting Oregon should look at instituting a sales tax and canceling a refund of excess revenue to taxpayers next year.
Saxton, the 52-year-old co-founder of a Portland law firm, has little political experience — he served one term on the Portland school board.
Read: Kulongoski, the former Marine vs. Saxton the inexperience lawyer. And of course, Governor K is respected on a personal level by voters, notes the AP... with the exception, it overlooks, of those 50 percent who hold him in disdain, and the other 25 who don't respect him at any level, but would vote for a diseased baboon if it ran as a Democrat.
So, here is where it comes down to the wire. The Press and Polsters have spent their long-range artillery with the news that the Republicans nationwide are going down to humiliating defeat. But, have you read about Michael Steele in the Maryland Senate Race? Or Menendez troubles in New Jersey? Harold Ford crumbles on air in Tennessee. And John Podhortez has some sobering insights for gleeful Democrats.
As the November election approaches, and with the artillery spent, the MSM will take to their bayonettes against Republican candidates. AP stories like Cain's will multiply to fill the media in favor of Democrats and against their opponents. It will get worse. But, understand this Republicans...
... the only votes that count in the end, are those cast.
Just vote!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Pirate!!!...
Mr.Atos
Last week, the Investor's Business Daily clobbered Harry Reid and his scurilous Democrats... and appropriately so, (HT FReeper, bitt)
We may complain to no end or avail about the double standard in Washington and its counterclockwise (read, backward) circus media. But, complaining is no replacement for engaging. There's a great scene in Pirates of the Carribean where Will Turner chides Jack Sparrow for not fighting fair. Sparrow replies..."Pirate!"
We're dealing with Pirates, Scoundrels, and Scalliwags in the form of Democrats and what is being Left. So far there has been little made by the MSM (go figure) nor the Congressional leadership regarding Reid's malfeasance. When will Republicans learn to fight with appropriate ruthlessness and resolve?! The Right may mostly prevail with its typical neurotic politeness, but someday it won't. And when a ship loses a fight like that it is plundered and scuttled and sinks to the bottom.
It does not come back.
Last week, the Investor's Business Daily clobbered Harry Reid and his scurilous Democrats... and appropriately so, (HT FReeper, bitt)
So much for that Republican culture of corruption thing, eh Harry?!Reid It And Weep: As the FBI raids Curt Weldon's daughter's house, Harry Reid's sons have benefited from their father's influence undisturbed. Meanwhile, Reid puts campaign funds to personal use and seeks a do-over on his ethics statements.
We never cease to be amazed at the double standard applied to the morals and ethics of Democrats and Republicans in Congress. We've already commented on how Republican Mark Foley was forced to resign for sending lewd e-mails to congressional pages, while Democrat Gerry Studds received mere censure and standing ovations after actually having sex with one, being allowed to serve until he decided to retire.
But the case of Senate Minority Leader Reid is a double standard on steroids. The latest episode is his request to file an "amended" ethics statement after the Associated Press revealed he made $1.1 million on a $400,000 investment on property he hadn't owned for three years; it was the subject of an earlier editorial on these pages.
In a statement issued after the AP story, Reid said: "I directed my staff to file amended financial disclosure forms noting that in 2001 I transferred title to the land to a Limited Liability Corporation."
Reid said he agreed to file the amended reports because, "I believe in ensuring all facts come to light." And if you believe that, the senator probably has some oceanfront property in Nevada to sell you.
We've also reported on Reid's questionable involvement and compensation in another Nevada real-estate deal involving lobbyist and developer Harvey Whittemore, who plied Reid with campaign contributions and employed Reid family members. In return, Reid greased the skids for Whittemore, who made millions in profits once inconvenient environmental obstacles were overcome.
We may complain to no end or avail about the double standard in Washington and its counterclockwise (read, backward) circus media. But, complaining is no replacement for engaging. There's a great scene in Pirates of the Carribean where Will Turner chides Jack Sparrow for not fighting fair. Sparrow replies..."Pirate!"
We're dealing with Pirates, Scoundrels, and Scalliwags in the form of Democrats and what is being Left. So far there has been little made by the MSM (go figure) nor the Congressional leadership regarding Reid's malfeasance. When will Republicans learn to fight with appropriate ruthlessness and resolve?! The Right may mostly prevail with its typical neurotic politeness, but someday it won't. And when a ship loses a fight like that it is plundered and scuttled and sinks to the bottom.
It does not come back.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Portland Surrenders...
Mr.Atos
Portland prepares to surrender to the fascists... or maybe join their cause officially. Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard intends to introduce a resolution to the City Council calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
From Saturday's Oregonian,
Portland Mayor Tom Potter is reported to agree with the resolution.
Do we understand the stakes of the upcoming mid-term elections? Its not just a Federal matter. Every political office at every civic level must considered with great care with regard to the consequences. Ask yourselves, if you fail to speak with your vote, who will speak for you and in your stead?
I submit to you, if Republicans fail to turn out to vote this November, the enemies of the United States will prevail... city by city.
Portland prepares to surrender to the fascists... or maybe join their cause officially. Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard intends to introduce a resolution to the City Council calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
From Saturday's Oregonian,
Leonard voted against a measure in January 2003, put forth by Commissioner Erik Sten, condemning a pre-emptive strike on Iraq. But that was when he, like many Americans, believed Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction, developing nuclear weapons and that Saddam Hussein was a threat to Israel and the Middle East.
On Friday, Leonard said the Bush administration squandered his trust by manipulating intelligence about Iraq's weapons capabilities.
Portland Mayor Tom Potter is reported to agree with the resolution.
Peace activists hope that it's a new Portland council at a different time. The 2003 measure failed 2-2 with Sten and then-Mayor Vera Katz voting in favor and Jim Francesconi and Leonard voting against. Commissioner Dan Saltzman was absent but said he would not support the measure. Katz and Francesconi are gone, replaced by Mayor Tom Potter and Commissioner Sam Adams.
Potter supports Leonard's idea, his spokesman, John Doussard, said Friday. The other council members were either unavailable or not ready to talk publicly about the subject.
Do we understand the stakes of the upcoming mid-term elections? Its not just a Federal matter. Every political office at every civic level must considered with great care with regard to the consequences. Ask yourselves, if you fail to speak with your vote, who will speak for you and in your stead?
Portland area peace and social service groups have been discussing the idea of another city resolution since last winter, said Kelly Campbell, peace director for the American Friends Service Committee. She said she and other activists were surprised when they approached Leonard on Monday and learned that he would not only support the idea, but also wanted to champion it.
"People across the country are realizing there is a local cost to the war in Iraq," Campbell said. "If we can have our City Council make a statement, we hope that our congress people, senators and our state Legislature step up and take notice and do what they can to bring the troops home."
Leonard said he is not sure when he'll bring the issue to the council but said he has spoken with most of his colleagues about the idea. Leonard said he is working on the language and will consult with Oregon's federal delegation before he calls for a vote. Last week, Gov. Ted Kulongoski called for a strict timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq.
I submit to you, if Republicans fail to turn out to vote this November, the enemies of the United States will prevail... city by city.
Change Begins...
Mr.Atos
"Change Begins At The Top", began the Oregonian's endorsement of Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate, Ron Saxton... Republican.
Yes, you read that right!
Wow! The moonbats of Portland must have forgotten to spike the Oregonian water fountains that morning.
Suffice it to say, change happens incrementally with steps (even crawls) in the right direction. I come from a State where politics is sane... on both sides of the aisle. So I may be too optimistic at times that Oregon might some day be a little more like Texas. Only just a little. Even with this striking endorsement, and a slight lead in the polls, Saxton still faces the battle of his political life. Where Oregon is red, it is deep red. And many Conservative voters simply cannot stomach another moderate in leadership, even if it is a Republican. They may well stay home this election...again. They may well let the hardcore Marxists Democrats of Portland and Eugene paint this Red State, Blue... again. And, in the end, Oregon will be counting votes like Washington State. The State cannot afford to have any Republicans sit silent this November. Every single voice will be needed to overcome the opposition's efforts.
As it stands, I will do anything that I can for those men and women standing to our defense on the frontier of chaos. With Portland Council prepared to vote for immediate surrender in Iraq, competent or not (and in most cases not) no Democrat deserves the trust and power bestowed on them by the people of these United States. The Democrat party does not merely need to be defeated. It must be thoroughly destroyed and the insane Left, ostricized from American politics. As you know, there is plenty of liberalism and loyal opposition on the Right for two new parties... Afterward.
Besides, can you just imagine the apoplexy in Portland and Eugene when the State wakes up with an elephant in Salem on Wednesday morning?
Change begins... with one step in the Right direction.
"Change Begins At The Top", began the Oregonian's endorsement of Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate, Ron Saxton... Republican.
Yes, you read that right!
Ron Saxton opens many of his campaign appearances with a question: Are you satisfied with Oregon and its state government?
We're not.
This state has slipped and fallen. School funding is below the national average. Oregon is near the bottom in public support of universities. The number of troopers patrolling highways is only half of what the state mustered 30 years ago. Oregon's system of public finance is a mess, and Oregon, virtually alone among states, has no rainy day fund.
Worse, many Oregonians seem unwilling to lift a finger, or spend another dime, to remedy these problems. There is a weariness in Oregon and a deep cynicism of government. It seems there is nothing constructive voters would agree to right now, not more money for schools or health care, and certainly not reform of the state's flawed tax system.
Oregon cannot go on this way. This state must change, and the change must begin at the top: Voters should elect Ron Saxton as the next governor.
Wow! The moonbats of Portland must have forgotten to spike the Oregonian water fountains that morning.
Suffice it to say, change happens incrementally with steps (even crawls) in the right direction. I come from a State where politics is sane... on both sides of the aisle. So I may be too optimistic at times that Oregon might some day be a little more like Texas. Only just a little. Even with this striking endorsement, and a slight lead in the polls, Saxton still faces the battle of his political life. Where Oregon is red, it is deep red. And many Conservative voters simply cannot stomach another moderate in leadership, even if it is a Republican. They may well stay home this election...again. They may well let the hardcore Marxists Democrats of Portland and Eugene paint this Red State, Blue... again. And, in the end, Oregon will be counting votes like Washington State. The State cannot afford to have any Republicans sit silent this November. Every single voice will be needed to overcome the opposition's efforts.
As it stands, I will do anything that I can for those men and women standing to our defense on the frontier of chaos. With Portland Council prepared to vote for immediate surrender in Iraq, competent or not (and in most cases not) no Democrat deserves the trust and power bestowed on them by the people of these United States. The Democrat party does not merely need to be defeated. It must be thoroughly destroyed and the insane Left, ostricized from American politics. As you know, there is plenty of liberalism and loyal opposition on the Right for two new parties... Afterward.
Besides, can you just imagine the apoplexy in Portland and Eugene when the State wakes up with an elephant in Salem on Wednesday morning?
Change begins... with one step in the Right direction.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Sandcastle...One Cosmos Discussion...Deconstruct This!
Major Mike/Dueler88
A discussion stemming from one of many great posts at One Cosmos blog, by Gagdad Bob. GB gives a great take on being Right, and being in the psychology business. Dueler and I extend his logic a bit.
Major Mike to Dueler and Atos: You HAVE to read one cosmos today (October 11, post)…this guy is my new hero…Mr. A…we have to get him blogrolled…he is the ace of the base.
Dueler to MM: good stuff. thanks for the ping. my favorite "does not compute" moment from the piece:
"And what if having impulsive anonymous unprotected sex is the whole point of the subculture? Shouldn't we be sensitive to that?"
perhaps you actually DID spend a decent amount of time outside of History classes and the NROTC building! perhaps a career change to philosopher or psychologist is in your future.
MM to Dueler: Man, I am not anywhere near this guy’s league…being a Marine AND a History major…I have to read most of his stuff more than twice…
Dueler to MM: i also wonder howzit this guy hasn't been completely ostracized by his peers, or had his license revoked. in certain contexts, it pays to remain anonymous.
on the other side of it though - is it any wonder that therapists like dr. laura or dr. phil, who are known specifically for making clear moral judgements in their advice, are so popular?
MM to Dueler: I guess the issue is…if you are pushing a morally ambiguous “analysis,” what is your patient suppose to anchor to, to find his way…the double speak and tiptoeing around individual sensitivities is not a path to finding oneself, but more a trip through the looking glass.
Dueler to MM: absolutely. the anchor is whatever each person defines it to be. in a broad sense, that's just fine, because it's what our society is based upon. but if the anchor really is a result of something that is not based in reality, that's where the damage begins. which i think was his point.
what sorta scares me is that the nature of my own education and the creative (and political) environment i surround myself in allows me to actually understand, and perhaps be able to argue, the concept of Liberty being based on illogical presumptions. call it Victimization by Deconstructivism. granted, deconstructivism was an easy target for us in my rational-based architectural theory class. but i can still, perhaps too easily, walk the walk and talk the talk of political correctness and contextual meaning. yikes.
MM to Dueler: OK…now you got me worked up…here I go…If the left is bent on deconstruction as a methodology for democratic improvement…I say prove it.
I deconstruct processes and preventive maintenance tasks all of the time…the usual weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, PM pyramid scheme, usually yields an annual PM of brobdingnagian proportions…in order to fit this into something that the production departments can swallow…the essential elements are shuffled across the weekly PMs, so that the annual/semi-annual is amortized over the entire year, and hence, no large block of down time…smaller more manageable pieces…the annual/semi-annual have been…deconstructed, and…key word, reassembled, in a different form…they have not been…by the lefty definition of “deconstructed,” violently removed, rejected, reconstructed in another form, destroyed beyond recognition…in my case, the essential elements have simply been shuffled, and the goodness of the work package has been preserved.
Not so in their case. What is more liberal than the idea of one man one vote? In Spinal Tap terms…none, none more liberal…yet the left is constantly subverting this idea with cheating at the polls. They are taking the basis of all liberal thought and smashing it beyond recognition…each and every time they do it…and they don’t care…they will sell this idea out, simply to gain the power it yields.
In that regard…what is there to deconstruct in democracy? The idea of rule by the people, via the one man/one vote concept, yields an imperfect form of government, but one that, while necessarily slow to evolve, does indeed reflect the desires of the majority, while protecting the rights (through slowness and separation of power) of the minority. What is left to deconstruct? Trying to have majority AND minority “rules,” via some physcobabble idea of protecting or preserving some manufactured, sub-cultural “rights”, bestowed upon various “victims” groups is not an incremental improvement on democracy, but a sure-fire recipe for making Moses’ walk in the desert seem short. Without the “majority rules” anchor, democracy would flop around like a flounder on the floor.
Deconstruct the imperfections of democracy…what are you left with? How would you re-assemble? Mess with the capitalistic underpinnings of democracy, via redistribution of wealth, planned economies, community-centric medicine/welfare/retirement programs, and haven’t you greatly diluted, even undermined, the one man/one vote basis for our democracy. Of course.
Our democracy, and our execution of our democracy is WHOLLY imperfect…but choose a replacement…soviet communism, Marxism, Islamic oligarchy, monarchy, fascism, sino-socialism…which is better? None…none more better. We MUST guard against going overboard in protecting or granting unfounded or un-based ”rights.” Each and every time we overstep the Constitution to do so, we really do put our democracy in jeopardy. Respect people, respect their rights as a/the minority, but do not create special classes of minorities in favor of the Jello that is political correctness…it is not deconstruction…it is demolition.
There…now I can read VDH…
I guess we think that being well anchored in Democarcy is as important as being well anchored in life, and we think the Right holds the truer path to both longevity and clarity, for our goevernment, and for us as individuals.
A discussion stemming from one of many great posts at One Cosmos blog, by Gagdad Bob. GB gives a great take on being Right, and being in the psychology business. Dueler and I extend his logic a bit.
Major Mike to Dueler and Atos: You HAVE to read one cosmos today (October 11, post)…this guy is my new hero…Mr. A…we have to get him blogrolled…he is the ace of the base.
Dueler to MM: good stuff. thanks for the ping. my favorite "does not compute" moment from the piece:
"And what if having impulsive anonymous unprotected sex is the whole point of the subculture? Shouldn't we be sensitive to that?"
perhaps you actually DID spend a decent amount of time outside of History classes and the NROTC building! perhaps a career change to philosopher or psychologist is in your future.
MM to Dueler: Man, I am not anywhere near this guy’s league…being a Marine AND a History major…I have to read most of his stuff more than twice…
Dueler to MM: i also wonder howzit this guy hasn't been completely ostracized by his peers, or had his license revoked. in certain contexts, it pays to remain anonymous.
on the other side of it though - is it any wonder that therapists like dr. laura or dr. phil, who are known specifically for making clear moral judgements in their advice, are so popular?
MM to Dueler: I guess the issue is…if you are pushing a morally ambiguous “analysis,” what is your patient suppose to anchor to, to find his way…the double speak and tiptoeing around individual sensitivities is not a path to finding oneself, but more a trip through the looking glass.
Dueler to MM: absolutely. the anchor is whatever each person defines it to be. in a broad sense, that's just fine, because it's what our society is based upon. but if the anchor really is a result of something that is not based in reality, that's where the damage begins. which i think was his point.
what sorta scares me is that the nature of my own education and the creative (and political) environment i surround myself in allows me to actually understand, and perhaps be able to argue, the concept of Liberty being based on illogical presumptions. call it Victimization by Deconstructivism. granted, deconstructivism was an easy target for us in my rational-based architectural theory class. but i can still, perhaps too easily, walk the walk and talk the talk of political correctness and contextual meaning. yikes.
MM to Dueler: OK…now you got me worked up…here I go…If the left is bent on deconstruction as a methodology for democratic improvement…I say prove it.
I deconstruct processes and preventive maintenance tasks all of the time…the usual weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, PM pyramid scheme, usually yields an annual PM of brobdingnagian proportions…in order to fit this into something that the production departments can swallow…the essential elements are shuffled across the weekly PMs, so that the annual/semi-annual is amortized over the entire year, and hence, no large block of down time…smaller more manageable pieces…the annual/semi-annual have been…deconstructed, and…key word, reassembled, in a different form…they have not been…by the lefty definition of “deconstructed,” violently removed, rejected, reconstructed in another form, destroyed beyond recognition…in my case, the essential elements have simply been shuffled, and the goodness of the work package has been preserved.
Not so in their case. What is more liberal than the idea of one man one vote? In Spinal Tap terms…none, none more liberal…yet the left is constantly subverting this idea with cheating at the polls. They are taking the basis of all liberal thought and smashing it beyond recognition…each and every time they do it…and they don’t care…they will sell this idea out, simply to gain the power it yields.
In that regard…what is there to deconstruct in democracy? The idea of rule by the people, via the one man/one vote concept, yields an imperfect form of government, but one that, while necessarily slow to evolve, does indeed reflect the desires of the majority, while protecting the rights (through slowness and separation of power) of the minority. What is left to deconstruct? Trying to have majority AND minority “rules,” via some physcobabble idea of protecting or preserving some manufactured, sub-cultural “rights”, bestowed upon various “victims” groups is not an incremental improvement on democracy, but a sure-fire recipe for making Moses’ walk in the desert seem short. Without the “majority rules” anchor, democracy would flop around like a flounder on the floor.
Deconstruct the imperfections of democracy…what are you left with? How would you re-assemble? Mess with the capitalistic underpinnings of democracy, via redistribution of wealth, planned economies, community-centric medicine/welfare/retirement programs, and haven’t you greatly diluted, even undermined, the one man/one vote basis for our democracy. Of course.
Our democracy, and our execution of our democracy is WHOLLY imperfect…but choose a replacement…soviet communism, Marxism, Islamic oligarchy, monarchy, fascism, sino-socialism…which is better? None…none more better. We MUST guard against going overboard in protecting or granting unfounded or un-based ”rights.” Each and every time we overstep the Constitution to do so, we really do put our democracy in jeopardy. Respect people, respect their rights as a/the minority, but do not create special classes of minorities in favor of the Jello that is political correctness…it is not deconstruction…it is demolition.
There…now I can read VDH…
I guess we think that being well anchored in Democarcy is as important as being well anchored in life, and we think the Right holds the truer path to both longevity and clarity, for our goevernment, and for us as individuals.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Foley Who? Dems Begin To Implode
Major Mike (Hat Tip Mr. Atos)
Harry Reid continues a long standing Dem tradition of profiting from land deals.
Ouch, that might leave a mark in the November elections, as the Dems can no longer claim to live in their scandal-free bubble.
Seems Reid isn't exactly sure of the meaning behind the phrase...Culture of Corruption...maybe this is one that the GOP may agree with the Dems on. We should file this in the "Abuse of Power/Corruption" folder (here), I don't think The Democratic Party, in their altruistc effort to uncover corruption in politics, would mind. I think his picture would fit on the folder cover nicely.
Let's get past Foley, Reid and others...the GWOT is the most important issue...not some MSM boosted "scandal" that takes the focus off of peril we face out into the future.
Vote Republican.
Harry Reid continues a long standing Dem tradition of profiting from land deals.
Ooops...I forgot."Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid collected a $1.1 million windfall on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't personally owned the property for three years, property deeds show.
"In the process, Reid did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company, according to records and interviews."
"Kent Cooper, a former Federal Election Commission official who oversaw government disclosure reports for federal candidates for two decades, said Reid's failure to report the 2001 sale and his ties to Brown's company violated Senate rules"
Ouch, that might leave a mark in the November elections, as the Dems can no longer claim to live in their scandal-free bubble.
Seems Reid isn't exactly sure of the meaning behind the phrase...Culture of Corruption...maybe this is one that the GOP may agree with the Dems on. We should file this in the "Abuse of Power/Corruption" folder (here), I don't think The Democratic Party, in their altruistc effort to uncover corruption in politics, would mind. I think his picture would fit on the folder cover nicely.
Let's get past Foley, Reid and others...the GWOT is the most important issue...not some MSM boosted "scandal" that takes the focus off of peril we face out into the future.
Vote Republican.
Monday, October 09, 2006
The REAL Bill Clinton Legacy
Major Mike
(Updates below)
North Korea's nuclear test last night is the proverbial icing on the William Jefferson Clinton Legacy Cake.
Let's review...Paula Jones.
"Paula Jones agreed to drop her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton on Nov. 13 in return for $850,000 – but no apology or admission of guilt from the president.
Read the whole article and its many links...you'll probbably come to the Clintonian conclusion that nothing happened here...he just felt like giving Paula $850,000 because he is a generous man.
What else? ...Monica Lewinsky.
"Aug. 17, 1998: President Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury investigating his conduct. After the questioning at the White House is finished, Clinton goes on national TV to admit he had an inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky."
It took a year of Clintonian Testimonials about his truth telling, to finally unravel that, he did have sexual relations with that woman. Perjury charges, obfuscation, and major quibbling, followed by disbarment.
And there were fund raising issues...
"Clinton has said he does not remember making any fund-raising calls from the White House. But former White House official Harold Ickes has told Senate investigators that Clinton made several fund-raising calls at his request.
Gore admits making 46 fund-raising calls. But White House officials maintain that Clinton and Gore are exempt from a federal law prohibiting fund raising in government buildings."
More memory loss and obfuscation.
His effective Anti-terror campaign...
"What haunted me more than anything else was that [President Clinton] refused to make a decision. Human lives were at stake – the lives of American service members and the lives of our allies who opposed Saddam at our behest and were now under attack. At a time when America’s honor and grander principles were being challenged and the world was watching our every move… the president was watching golf."
Punctuated and aggressively defended by his spittle lace tirade against Chris Wallace on Fox News.
And now North Korean nukes...best captured here. Highlighted by the October 2000 agreement between the Clinton Administration and North Korea...
"Concluding an unprecedented visit to Pyongyang on October 24, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il had apparently signaled a willingness to end testing of the Taepo Dong-1 ballistic missile. Albright and Kim met for two days of discussions covering North Korea's missile program, nuclear transparency, normalization of relations, and a possible trip to Pyongyang by President Bill Clinton. Albright is the highest-level U.S. official ever to travel to North Korea and the first U.S. government representative to meet with Kim."
I think this pretty much cements the Clinton legacy as an...woefully inept, money gurbbing, internationally feckless, lying, womanizing, license-less lawyer, oh...and former President. I guess I can see why he got upset with Chris Wallace...that is a lot to protect.
Thanks WJC, you have made the world infinitely more dangerous, and getting red in the face, bulging your eyes, blaming others, and spttling on Chris Wallace won't change that. I guess you will blame the "vast right-wing conspiracy" when North Korea sells their nukes for cash. Of course, none of it will have been your fault. You were too busy building your true legacy.
Update. CNN cements their legacy of idiocy by not getting that this is not the World Series of Poker.
"North Korea's announcement of a successful underground detonation of a nuclear weapon has called Washington's bluff."
It is the MSM's flippant attitude towards this grave matter that diminishes the impact this should have on our citizenry. This is not Texas Hold-em, strip poker, or stud, this is NUCLEAR poker, and it is serious. Kim Jong-Il has no regard for international convention, and as such, and in combination of his now possessing a nuclear weapon, he HAS to be viewed as dangerous...not just looney. To treat this as some game, almost assures that we will wake up some morning reading that he, or his customers, have detonated a nuke somewhere in the free world. It won't be so funny then.
(Updates below)
North Korea's nuclear test last night is the proverbial icing on the William Jefferson Clinton Legacy Cake.
Let's review...Paula Jones.
"Paula Jones agreed to drop her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton on Nov. 13 in return for $850,000 – but no apology or admission of guilt from the president.
Read the whole article and its many links...you'll probbably come to the Clintonian conclusion that nothing happened here...he just felt like giving Paula $850,000 because he is a generous man.
What else? ...Monica Lewinsky.
"Aug. 17, 1998: President Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury investigating his conduct. After the questioning at the White House is finished, Clinton goes on national TV to admit he had an inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky."
It took a year of Clintonian Testimonials about his truth telling, to finally unravel that, he did have sexual relations with that woman. Perjury charges, obfuscation, and major quibbling, followed by disbarment.
And there were fund raising issues...
"Clinton has said he does not remember making any fund-raising calls from the White House. But former White House official Harold Ickes has told Senate investigators that Clinton made several fund-raising calls at his request.
Gore admits making 46 fund-raising calls. But White House officials maintain that Clinton and Gore are exempt from a federal law prohibiting fund raising in government buildings."
More memory loss and obfuscation.
His effective Anti-terror campaign...
"What haunted me more than anything else was that [President Clinton] refused to make a decision. Human lives were at stake – the lives of American service members and the lives of our allies who opposed Saddam at our behest and were now under attack. At a time when America’s honor and grander principles were being challenged and the world was watching our every move… the president was watching golf."
Punctuated and aggressively defended by his spittle lace tirade against Chris Wallace on Fox News.
And now North Korean nukes...best captured here. Highlighted by the October 2000 agreement between the Clinton Administration and North Korea...
"Concluding an unprecedented visit to Pyongyang on October 24, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il had apparently signaled a willingness to end testing of the Taepo Dong-1 ballistic missile. Albright and Kim met for two days of discussions covering North Korea's missile program, nuclear transparency, normalization of relations, and a possible trip to Pyongyang by President Bill Clinton. Albright is the highest-level U.S. official ever to travel to North Korea and the first U.S. government representative to meet with Kim."
I think this pretty much cements the Clinton legacy as an...woefully inept, money gurbbing, internationally feckless, lying, womanizing, license-less lawyer, oh...and former President. I guess I can see why he got upset with Chris Wallace...that is a lot to protect.
Thanks WJC, you have made the world infinitely more dangerous, and getting red in the face, bulging your eyes, blaming others, and spttling on Chris Wallace won't change that. I guess you will blame the "vast right-wing conspiracy" when North Korea sells their nukes for cash. Of course, none of it will have been your fault. You were too busy building your true legacy.
Update. CNN cements their legacy of idiocy by not getting that this is not the World Series of Poker.
"North Korea's announcement of a successful underground detonation of a nuclear weapon has called Washington's bluff."
It is the MSM's flippant attitude towards this grave matter that diminishes the impact this should have on our citizenry. This is not Texas Hold-em, strip poker, or stud, this is NUCLEAR poker, and it is serious. Kim Jong-Il has no regard for international convention, and as such, and in combination of his now possessing a nuclear weapon, he HAS to be viewed as dangerous...not just looney. To treat this as some game, almost assures that we will wake up some morning reading that he, or his customers, have detonated a nuke somewhere in the free world. It won't be so funny then.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Portland Welcomes Sheehan...
Maggiecakes
You know Portland, Oregon?... it’s a suburb of Berkeley, California. Our Mayor rides bikes with the anarchists and spends federal tax money, i.e., your money, on light rail trains and skyway trams. Although a dangerously oppressive place for conservatives, it has its amusing moments of ironical hypocrisy. It is very common to see both of the following bumpers stickers: “War is not the answer” and “Trees are the answer” stuck on the same car, preferably a hybrid.
Ms. Cindy Sheehan will be in Portland Oregon tomorrow evening for a book signing. Sponsoring Cindy is two of the largest home-grown Portland businesses: Powell’s City of Books and the McMenamins Brothers. Powell’s has the local market on books – the downtown bookstore boasts itself to be the largest bookstore in the United States (I think) and the McMenamins brothers were pioneers in crafting microbrew beer.
My daughter went to elementary school with Emily Powell, Michael Powell’s daughter. When the girls hit middle school age, Michael, being the exemplary leftist elitist he is, hauled Emily out of the Portland Public School system and sent her to the most expensive private school in Oregon.
The McMenamins have made their fortune by purchasing and refurbishing run-down, local landmarks and turning the properties into brew pubs. The last time I went to a McMenamins, the price of a small salsa and chips ran about $7.00.
I find it darn interesting that a couple of fat cat capitalists, like Michael Powell and the McMenamin brothers would sponsor a Marxist like Sheehan, who along with her girlfriend, the sulphurous Hugo Chavez, exchange chit-chat with their girlfriend, Iran's Achmenidoodiehead, who happens to be flooding Iraq with the insurgents who are probably the same devils who killed Cindy's son. Cindy and Hugo like to talk about evil conservative Christians and the ‘end times”, but they bed down with the one man in the world who guarantees that he is going to make it happen. Sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode.
I would not be surprised at all to find “No Blood for Oil” bumper stickers on the cars of Michael Powell, Emily Powell, the McMenamin brothers, and all of the Code Pink sisters who will be attending tomorrow evening’s book signing.
You know, every single right-leaning event and lecture I have attending in Portland has ALWAYS been interrupted in one form or another by the lefties. I would have more sympathy for Ms. Sheehan if she wasn't using her son's death as her own profit-producing platform. Powells and McMenamins will be more than happy to sell beer and books tomorrow, but as far as I know, these guys do squat for the military families, who protect their rights to participate in the Capitalist system.
As long as we have carpet-bagging profiteers like the Powells and the McMenimin brothers, people like Cindy Sheehan will stretch out their 15 minutes of fame. They feed off each other and they cause great harm with their greed. Their appeasement is our suicide.
Can we please give them a dose of their own medicine? The email addresses and websites for Powell’s Books and McMenamins Brew Pubs are:
Powell’s Books
McMenamins Brew Pubs
Thanks for the rant.
You know Portland, Oregon?... it’s a suburb of Berkeley, California. Our Mayor rides bikes with the anarchists and spends federal tax money, i.e., your money, on light rail trains and skyway trams. Although a dangerously oppressive place for conservatives, it has its amusing moments of ironical hypocrisy. It is very common to see both of the following bumpers stickers: “War is not the answer” and “Trees are the answer” stuck on the same car, preferably a hybrid.
Ms. Cindy Sheehan will be in Portland Oregon tomorrow evening for a book signing. Sponsoring Cindy is two of the largest home-grown Portland businesses: Powell’s City of Books and the McMenamins Brothers. Powell’s has the local market on books – the downtown bookstore boasts itself to be the largest bookstore in the United States (I think) and the McMenamins brothers were pioneers in crafting microbrew beer.
My daughter went to elementary school with Emily Powell, Michael Powell’s daughter. When the girls hit middle school age, Michael, being the exemplary leftist elitist he is, hauled Emily out of the Portland Public School system and sent her to the most expensive private school in Oregon.
The McMenamins have made their fortune by purchasing and refurbishing run-down, local landmarks and turning the properties into brew pubs. The last time I went to a McMenamins, the price of a small salsa and chips ran about $7.00.
I find it darn interesting that a couple of fat cat capitalists, like Michael Powell and the McMenamin brothers would sponsor a Marxist like Sheehan, who along with her girlfriend, the sulphurous Hugo Chavez, exchange chit-chat with their girlfriend, Iran's Achmenidoodiehead, who happens to be flooding Iraq with the insurgents who are probably the same devils who killed Cindy's son. Cindy and Hugo like to talk about evil conservative Christians and the ‘end times”, but they bed down with the one man in the world who guarantees that he is going to make it happen. Sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode.
I would not be surprised at all to find “No Blood for Oil” bumper stickers on the cars of Michael Powell, Emily Powell, the McMenamin brothers, and all of the Code Pink sisters who will be attending tomorrow evening’s book signing.
You know, every single right-leaning event and lecture I have attending in Portland has ALWAYS been interrupted in one form or another by the lefties. I would have more sympathy for Ms. Sheehan if she wasn't using her son's death as her own profit-producing platform. Powells and McMenamins will be more than happy to sell beer and books tomorrow, but as far as I know, these guys do squat for the military families, who protect their rights to participate in the Capitalist system.
As long as we have carpet-bagging profiteers like the Powells and the McMenimin brothers, people like Cindy Sheehan will stretch out their 15 minutes of fame. They feed off each other and they cause great harm with their greed. Their appeasement is our suicide.
Can we please give them a dose of their own medicine? The email addresses and websites for Powell’s Books and McMenamins Brew Pubs are:
Powell’s Books
McMenamins Brew Pubs
Thanks for the rant.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Suffering Fools...
Mr.Atos
Suffering the malevolence of what is being Left, has become something of a rite in the passing of citizens of what is Right to champions of Reason; idiocy being a bump in the road to real human progress. But, suffering the obstinance of one's own fools on the Right is virtually insufferable given the political disasters their short-sided, myopic, irresponsible, indignation stands to unleash. Does anyone remember, Perot? It only takes 10% stupidity to yield 8 years of deterioration. Now is not the time to test a unified theory, of righteous abandon. Too much is at stake, to risk an error in judgment. And four years is far to long to wait for a fix that may never arrive.
Being an Objectivist, I recognize that the tree of Reason bears more fruits of virtue than the tangled vines of Passion. So I urge my Republican brethren to recognize one simple objective for the upcoming election. There is but one issue for which to vote, regardless of all other misgivings. And this one, does not even require you to hold your nose. Resolve yourselves to this truth...
Suffering the malevolence of what is being Left, has become something of a rite in the passing of citizens of what is Right to champions of Reason; idiocy being a bump in the road to real human progress. But, suffering the obstinance of one's own fools on the Right is virtually insufferable given the political disasters their short-sided, myopic, irresponsible, indignation stands to unleash. Does anyone remember, Perot? It only takes 10% stupidity to yield 8 years of deterioration. Now is not the time to test a unified theory, of righteous abandon. Too much is at stake, to risk an error in judgment. And four years is far to long to wait for a fix that may never arrive.
Being an Objectivist, I recognize that the tree of Reason bears more fruits of virtue than the tangled vines of Passion. So I urge my Republican brethren to recognize one simple objective for the upcoming election. There is but one issue for which to vote, regardless of all other misgivings. And this one, does not even require you to hold your nose. Resolve yourselves to this truth...
... and share it with everyone that you know.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Supporting Our Troops...Oregon Fifth District Style
Major Mike
Oregon politics is quite a different animal from the other places I have lived. Although I have only voted in two states, (Michigan…my home of record during my service years, and Oregon, my home since my retirement) I have lived in Michigan, Louisiana, California, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, and observed election cycles in each of those states. By far, Oregon is the most benign election environment I have witnessed to date. With the exception of a few, scattered posters, near a few major intersections (at least in my outings around Portland), there is very little evidence that we are 30+ days away from a mid-term election.
This lack of energy lulls one to sleep about the upcoming election. I barely heard the Darlene Hooley ad the other day espousing her wonderful accomplishments while in office. As the Representative of Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District, I heard a reference, in her ad, to her securing improved helmets for our troops.
My ears perked up.
Was Ms. Hooley cut from the same cloth as most liberal Dems, or maybe she was different? Maybe she had a voting record that placed her clearly in support of our troops in the field. I decided to look. I went to her campaign site and validated that she, “ …is fighting for proper equipment for our troops,” a somewhat larger claim than I heard on the commercial…when she claimed to be fighting for “better helmets” specifically.
Next I went to Project Vote Smart and the Washington Post Congressional vote tracking site, and I looked at her record. And here is what I found…
Here is where she does not support our troops in the field or their efforts to ensure that this country remains safe from attacks out into the future…
NO…HR Resolution 1064…against enhanced, layered security for Maritime cargo.
NO…S 3930/HR 6166 …Military Commissions Act…against implementing a tribunal system, as prompted by the USSC Hamdam decision, to grant authority for the US military to try captured combatants, and to have their cases resolved their cases in military courts.
NO…HR 5825 …against electronic surveillance of potential enemies within our borders that receive electronic communications from overseas.
YES…S418…for protection of military personnel from financial institutions.
NO…House Resolution 895… against supporting Intelligence and Law Enforcement Programs to Track Terrorists and Terrorist Finances Conducted Consistent With Federal Law and With Appropriate Congressional Consultation and Specifically Condemning the Disclosure and Publication of Classified Information That Impairs the International Fight Against, Etc.
NO…House Resolution 861… against Declaring That the United States Will Prevail in the Global War on Terror, the Struggle to Protect Freedom From the Terrorist Adversary.
NO…House Resolution 868… against Providing for Consideration of the Resolution (H. Res. 861) Declaring That the United States Will Prevail in the Global War on Terror, the Struggle to Protect Freedom From the Terrorist Adversary.
My summary…Darlene Hooley wants to protect the checkbooks of our servicemen and women in the GWOT, but she doesn’t really support the aggressive, offensive action necessary to win the GWOT…in fact her non-support of House Resolution 861 underscores this point.
It is not enough to say that you “support the troops,” by throwing upgraded helmet suspension systems as bones to the troops, while you are undermining the sincere efforts of the military and civilian leadership to actually win in Iraq, stabilize Afghanistan, and continue to thwart attacks in this country. The thousands of deployed troops deserve a non-partisan approach to fighting the enemy on these battlefields, and this includes breaking ranks with your party when your district…as it does…has troops in the field.
Courage Darlene…a few shots from the Kos Kids, is a small price to pay to truly support our troops, and their commanders, with all of the weapons they need to fight across the globe…not just to protect their noggins and their checkbooks.
Oregon politics is quite a different animal from the other places I have lived. Although I have only voted in two states, (Michigan…my home of record during my service years, and Oregon, my home since my retirement) I have lived in Michigan, Louisiana, California, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, and observed election cycles in each of those states. By far, Oregon is the most benign election environment I have witnessed to date. With the exception of a few, scattered posters, near a few major intersections (at least in my outings around Portland), there is very little evidence that we are 30+ days away from a mid-term election.
This lack of energy lulls one to sleep about the upcoming election. I barely heard the Darlene Hooley ad the other day espousing her wonderful accomplishments while in office. As the Representative of Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District, I heard a reference, in her ad, to her securing improved helmets for our troops.
My ears perked up.
Was Ms. Hooley cut from the same cloth as most liberal Dems, or maybe she was different? Maybe she had a voting record that placed her clearly in support of our troops in the field. I decided to look. I went to her campaign site and validated that she, “ …is fighting for proper equipment for our troops,” a somewhat larger claim than I heard on the commercial…when she claimed to be fighting for “better helmets” specifically.
Next I went to Project Vote Smart and the Washington Post Congressional vote tracking site, and I looked at her record. And here is what I found…
Here is where she does not support our troops in the field or their efforts to ensure that this country remains safe from attacks out into the future…
NO…HR Resolution 1064…against enhanced, layered security for Maritime cargo.
NO…S 3930/HR 6166 …Military Commissions Act…against implementing a tribunal system, as prompted by the USSC Hamdam decision, to grant authority for the US military to try captured combatants, and to have their cases resolved their cases in military courts.
NO…HR 5825 …against electronic surveillance of potential enemies within our borders that receive electronic communications from overseas.
YES…S418…for protection of military personnel from financial institutions.
NO…House Resolution 895… against supporting Intelligence and Law Enforcement Programs to Track Terrorists and Terrorist Finances Conducted Consistent With Federal Law and With Appropriate Congressional Consultation and Specifically Condemning the Disclosure and Publication of Classified Information That Impairs the International Fight Against, Etc.
NO…House Resolution 861… against Declaring That the United States Will Prevail in the Global War on Terror, the Struggle to Protect Freedom From the Terrorist Adversary.
NO…House Resolution 868… against Providing for Consideration of the Resolution (H. Res. 861) Declaring That the United States Will Prevail in the Global War on Terror, the Struggle to Protect Freedom From the Terrorist Adversary.
My summary…Darlene Hooley wants to protect the checkbooks of our servicemen and women in the GWOT, but she doesn’t really support the aggressive, offensive action necessary to win the GWOT…in fact her non-support of House Resolution 861 underscores this point.
It is not enough to say that you “support the troops,” by throwing upgraded helmet suspension systems as bones to the troops, while you are undermining the sincere efforts of the military and civilian leadership to actually win in Iraq, stabilize Afghanistan, and continue to thwart attacks in this country. The thousands of deployed troops deserve a non-partisan approach to fighting the enemy on these battlefields, and this includes breaking ranks with your party when your district…as it does…has troops in the field.
Courage Darlene…a few shots from the Kos Kids, is a small price to pay to truly support our troops, and their commanders, with all of the weapons they need to fight across the globe…not just to protect their noggins and their checkbooks.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
The Gravity of Unpleasantville...
Mr. Atos
As no doubt planned, the drive-by media is no completely engaged with the seemingly lurid story of an allegedy innappropriate relationship of sorts between a Congressman and his paige. Understandable. Situations of this sort, in which adult men (or women), court underage boys (or girls), by means of emotional manipulation via their mentoring relationships, beget an appropriate degree of concern, especially among parents. Mary Kay Letourneau comes to mind. Gerry Studds also rings a bell, as does a recent former President. Would that these matters were taken more seriously by the mainstream media and certain Congressional blowhards, when their impact could not in itself be molested for political effect. We might avoid the parallel cultural phenomenon of seemingly less importance (weigh against the alternate coverage) of three school shootings in one week. The most recent and tragic of these occurred yesterday when a man walked into an Amish Elementary school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania and executed, by firing a pistol point blank to the back of their heads, 5 young girls, ages 6-13.
At point blank to the back of the head... their parents were never afforded the dignity of staring into the beautiful faces of their innocent daughters one last time, before submitting them to the darkness of the Earth.
Do you now feel the gravity here? Were that we were begging the questions of our culture with the same furor that the MSM is quizzing House leaders regarding a relatively innocuous scandal by comparison, we might demand to know what is causing this wave of insane violence perpetrated against our children? We would demand to know the agent of the social rot that has infested our civilization and devoured the fibers of human decency such that predation, the likes of which animals are averse to commit, is now perpetrated at whim and in the name of nihilistic self-aggrandizement. Yet the roots of infection are surrepticiously overlooked by commentators and statesman alike, bandaged instead like a severed limb with scotch tape by some meaningless crusade against the objects of mischief instead of the subjects of violence and the concepts that motivate their human malevolence. If we as a society would dare to look closely, in fact, with the courage and clarity, and indeed the sanction to condemn, the answers would all be quite clear; as would be a remedy for the putrifaction of Western Civilization as a whole and American society in particular.
Dueler touched on the root cause in his previous post. "Hippies!" Ridiculous right?! Perhaps it is a bit flip to suggest such a thing, because Hippies were not the cause for the culture's ill-fated plunge into septic abyss of self-destructive nihilism. They were merely its first converts to the consumption of cultural sewerage. They fed on the slime of Progressive Humanism. They purchased socialism's manifestos without question. They worshipped its clerics like Noam Chomsky. They knighted their champions like John Kerry and Ted Kennedy who are now its leadership. And in the dawn of the 21st century, their vision has bestowed on us all, the demonic visages of both Osama Bin Laden and Charles Carl Roberts. It is they the Left, progressive humanistm, modern liberalism, and their surrogates in media, education, government, and the Democrat party that have given us is Nickel Mines, Columbine and 9/11 alike.
Progressive Humanism is the religion of the Left. And by its own century's long Inquisition, it crucified Aristotle (destroying Reason, Ethics and Virtue) even before it began to attack God and religion in the latter half of the last century. Remove both philosophies from the psyche of Man, and he easily slips into insanity, bred of cosmic loneliness and insufferable moral confusion. Human’s have no instinct guiding survival. Unlike animals, humans must choose to live. And in order to survive, they must decide that survival is moral, then institute a programming free of contradiction that renders its continuation. Virtue can be attributed to the programming that is most conducive to that end. And yet it is a word and an idea, rejected outright by the Left.
Their's is personal wretchedness bred of perpetual and collective self-loathing. They despise anything good and decent for the shame it cast upon them by comparison. Tossing aside those glowing jewels of virtue that do shine among us, they grope instead for the miserable and the wretched like sodden feces as their cherished treasure. They consume the poison of moral relativism for nourishment and spread anger, fear, hate, confusion, doubt, purposelessness, and malevolence like a virus infecting the soul of humanity and disintegrating mankind from the inside outward. The Left are like termites chewing the foundations out from beneath the structure of civilization. They have peddled their loathing for this nation and all that it stands for aggressively and consistently for nearly 4 decades, such that the chickens of thier discontent have indeed come home to roost, both with our most mortal enemies, and in the presence of our most cherished posessions... our progeny. America's children have become the sacrificial goats of a political party and ideological movement committed to misery and suffering as the noblest achievement of human virtue. What then do we expected to get as the highest reward for the attainment of such perfection, if not the most brutal of consecrations.
To which gravity dare we respond in November, when working to shore up the foundations of Western Civilization?
As no doubt planned, the drive-by media is no completely engaged with the seemingly lurid story of an allegedy innappropriate relationship of sorts between a Congressman and his paige. Understandable. Situations of this sort, in which adult men (or women), court underage boys (or girls), by means of emotional manipulation via their mentoring relationships, beget an appropriate degree of concern, especially among parents. Mary Kay Letourneau comes to mind. Gerry Studds also rings a bell, as does a recent former President. Would that these matters were taken more seriously by the mainstream media and certain Congressional blowhards, when their impact could not in itself be molested for political effect. We might avoid the parallel cultural phenomenon of seemingly less importance (weigh against the alternate coverage) of three school shootings in one week. The most recent and tragic of these occurred yesterday when a man walked into an Amish Elementary school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania and executed, by firing a pistol point blank to the back of their heads, 5 young girls, ages 6-13.
"The gunman, identified as Charles Carl Roberts, 32, killed himself after lining his victims against the wall and shooting them execution-style in the head."Let that sink in for a bit... weighed against the relative moon-like gravity of the Foley situation. Then take a breath and step back with me onto Jupiter.
At point blank to the back of the head... their parents were never afforded the dignity of staring into the beautiful faces of their innocent daughters one last time, before submitting them to the darkness of the Earth.
Do you now feel the gravity here? Were that we were begging the questions of our culture with the same furor that the MSM is quizzing House leaders regarding a relatively innocuous scandal by comparison, we might demand to know what is causing this wave of insane violence perpetrated against our children? We would demand to know the agent of the social rot that has infested our civilization and devoured the fibers of human decency such that predation, the likes of which animals are averse to commit, is now perpetrated at whim and in the name of nihilistic self-aggrandizement. Yet the roots of infection are surrepticiously overlooked by commentators and statesman alike, bandaged instead like a severed limb with scotch tape by some meaningless crusade against the objects of mischief instead of the subjects of violence and the concepts that motivate their human malevolence. If we as a society would dare to look closely, in fact, with the courage and clarity, and indeed the sanction to condemn, the answers would all be quite clear; as would be a remedy for the putrifaction of Western Civilization as a whole and American society in particular.
Dueler touched on the root cause in his previous post. "Hippies!" Ridiculous right?! Perhaps it is a bit flip to suggest such a thing, because Hippies were not the cause for the culture's ill-fated plunge into septic abyss of self-destructive nihilism. They were merely its first converts to the consumption of cultural sewerage. They fed on the slime of Progressive Humanism. They purchased socialism's manifestos without question. They worshipped its clerics like Noam Chomsky. They knighted their champions like John Kerry and Ted Kennedy who are now its leadership. And in the dawn of the 21st century, their vision has bestowed on us all, the demonic visages of both Osama Bin Laden and Charles Carl Roberts. It is they the Left, progressive humanistm, modern liberalism, and their surrogates in media, education, government, and the Democrat party that have given us is Nickel Mines, Columbine and 9/11 alike.
Progressive Humanism is the religion of the Left. And by its own century's long Inquisition, it crucified Aristotle (destroying Reason, Ethics and Virtue) even before it began to attack God and religion in the latter half of the last century. Remove both philosophies from the psyche of Man, and he easily slips into insanity, bred of cosmic loneliness and insufferable moral confusion. Human’s have no instinct guiding survival. Unlike animals, humans must choose to live. And in order to survive, they must decide that survival is moral, then institute a programming free of contradiction that renders its continuation. Virtue can be attributed to the programming that is most conducive to that end. And yet it is a word and an idea, rejected outright by the Left.
Their's is personal wretchedness bred of perpetual and collective self-loathing. They despise anything good and decent for the shame it cast upon them by comparison. Tossing aside those glowing jewels of virtue that do shine among us, they grope instead for the miserable and the wretched like sodden feces as their cherished treasure. They consume the poison of moral relativism for nourishment and spread anger, fear, hate, confusion, doubt, purposelessness, and malevolence like a virus infecting the soul of humanity and disintegrating mankind from the inside outward. The Left are like termites chewing the foundations out from beneath the structure of civilization. They have peddled their loathing for this nation and all that it stands for aggressively and consistently for nearly 4 decades, such that the chickens of thier discontent have indeed come home to roost, both with our most mortal enemies, and in the presence of our most cherished posessions... our progeny. America's children have become the sacrificial goats of a political party and ideological movement committed to misery and suffering as the noblest achievement of human virtue. What then do we expected to get as the highest reward for the attainment of such perfection, if not the most brutal of consecrations.
To which gravity dare we respond in November, when working to shore up the foundations of Western Civilization?
(edited for clarity, 10.04.06)
Monday, October 02, 2006
Pleasantville
dueler88
The news continues to roll in about the Amish school shootings. As a father of two young girls, I find it particularly disturbing. Without much surprise, I predict in the coming hours and days much punditry regarding gun control, psychology/psychiatry, the importance of valuing and supporting boys, the dangers of anti-depressants, etc. The fact is, however, we really don’t know anything other than WHAT happened at this point, and perhaps we will never know WHY. Nonetheless (you knew this was coming), I’ll offer a little bit of social commentary that might help explain the WHY.
In short, I blame the Hippies. But seriously, though – think about the cultural changes that occurred from the 1950’s through the 1970’s.
The 1950’s was the time where most U.S. citizens were acutely aware of the real possibility of threats to the nation’s survival. The threat-conscious communities of WWII and the Cold War caused communities, and especially parents and other civil authority figures (in general) to demand “acceptable” behavior from their children and their citizens, lest any non-acceptable behavior begin to dissolve and/or fracture their communities, or the nation as a whole. Communities were *mostly* idyllic; any transgressions were either immediately publicized in order to reinforce the shamefulness of the act (such as theft, vandalism, etc.), or they were secrets kept closely-guarded in order to avoid such shame (such as teen pregnancy, etc.).
With this rigidity also came the overzealousness brought on by fear, whether it be in expressions of horror regarding the evils of Rock ‘n Roll, or in racially-motivated prejudice and tyranny. But the oppressiveness, brought about by the sacrifices whose intent was to maintain societal comfort and stability, had to be confronted at some point. Free-thinking and rebellious Americans, especially teenagers, would not stand for such lack of Liberty.
So we come to the explosion of unbounded Liberty of the 60’s and 70’s, which has since been taken for granted as the natural “progression” of our society. Without a threat to its survival, America could afford to reap the fruits of liberty and forget what it had taken to sow the seeds.
Perhaps the best representation of these changes is the 1998 Reese Witherspoon/Tobey Maguire movie Pleasantville. The plot goes something like this [SPOILER ALERT]: a brother and sister, teenagers of the 1990’s, are transported back to a magical, black-and-white TV world of the 50’s. Their post-modern, post-1960’s ideas about freedom immediately bring about profound changes in the idyllic society they encounter. Some citizens of Pleasantville, as a metaphor for their freedom-inspired transformation of enlightenment, begin appearing in color to those around them. While they are elated with their liberation, they also feel guilty and ostracized because they appear differently than most everybody else in the community. Ultimately, and after a great deal of stress to the community, this notion of unbridled emotion and freedom takes over the whole town, and it becomes a kaleidoscope of color in metaphor.
IMO, the filmmakers’ lesson is that the 50’s were bad and that we should never go back. That’s all well and good, because there were things about the 50's that we shouldn't return to. But we shouldn't forget, as parents of subsequent generations, to teach our children the good values of community that were taught to those who lived before us.
But American societal values always change, so we don’t necessarily teach our children the things that were important to our parents and grandparents. We cycle from having borderline-tyrannical social norms to a live-and-let-live overload and back. What was once a cherished value of citizenship – keeping track of your neighbors, making sure that they’re okay (both that they are safe and that they are complying with the rules of society) - somehow became a violation of privacy and a repression of freedom.
Would a more rigid society have prevented the tragedy at the Amish schoolhouse? Perhaps. Perhaps “keeping an eye on each other” does really have some value. From our privacy-conscious contemporary times, it is easy to say that it would be an infringement upon this truck-driver’s civil liberties to monitor his supposed anti-social behavior. But what if we had concentrated on the more supportive side of “keeping an eye on each other?” What if there was a community in place where people actively cared about the safety of others and considered the thoughts and feelings of others in their everyday acts? Would that have helped?
Perhaps . . .
The news continues to roll in about the Amish school shootings. As a father of two young girls, I find it particularly disturbing. Without much surprise, I predict in the coming hours and days much punditry regarding gun control, psychology/psychiatry, the importance of valuing and supporting boys, the dangers of anti-depressants, etc. The fact is, however, we really don’t know anything other than WHAT happened at this point, and perhaps we will never know WHY. Nonetheless (you knew this was coming), I’ll offer a little bit of social commentary that might help explain the WHY.
In short, I blame the Hippies. But seriously, though – think about the cultural changes that occurred from the 1950’s through the 1970’s.
The 1950’s was the time where most U.S. citizens were acutely aware of the real possibility of threats to the nation’s survival. The threat-conscious communities of WWII and the Cold War caused communities, and especially parents and other civil authority figures (in general) to demand “acceptable” behavior from their children and their citizens, lest any non-acceptable behavior begin to dissolve and/or fracture their communities, or the nation as a whole. Communities were *mostly* idyllic; any transgressions were either immediately publicized in order to reinforce the shamefulness of the act (such as theft, vandalism, etc.), or they were secrets kept closely-guarded in order to avoid such shame (such as teen pregnancy, etc.).
With this rigidity also came the overzealousness brought on by fear, whether it be in expressions of horror regarding the evils of Rock ‘n Roll, or in racially-motivated prejudice and tyranny. But the oppressiveness, brought about by the sacrifices whose intent was to maintain societal comfort and stability, had to be confronted at some point. Free-thinking and rebellious Americans, especially teenagers, would not stand for such lack of Liberty.
So we come to the explosion of unbounded Liberty of the 60’s and 70’s, which has since been taken for granted as the natural “progression” of our society. Without a threat to its survival, America could afford to reap the fruits of liberty and forget what it had taken to sow the seeds.
Perhaps the best representation of these changes is the 1998 Reese Witherspoon/Tobey Maguire movie Pleasantville. The plot goes something like this [SPOILER ALERT]: a brother and sister, teenagers of the 1990’s, are transported back to a magical, black-and-white TV world of the 50’s. Their post-modern, post-1960’s ideas about freedom immediately bring about profound changes in the idyllic society they encounter. Some citizens of Pleasantville, as a metaphor for their freedom-inspired transformation of enlightenment, begin appearing in color to those around them. While they are elated with their liberation, they also feel guilty and ostracized because they appear differently than most everybody else in the community. Ultimately, and after a great deal of stress to the community, this notion of unbridled emotion and freedom takes over the whole town, and it becomes a kaleidoscope of color in metaphor.
IMO, the filmmakers’ lesson is that the 50’s were bad and that we should never go back. That’s all well and good, because there were things about the 50's that we shouldn't return to. But we shouldn't forget, as parents of subsequent generations, to teach our children the good values of community that were taught to those who lived before us.
But American societal values always change, so we don’t necessarily teach our children the things that were important to our parents and grandparents. We cycle from having borderline-tyrannical social norms to a live-and-let-live overload and back. What was once a cherished value of citizenship – keeping track of your neighbors, making sure that they’re okay (both that they are safe and that they are complying with the rules of society) - somehow became a violation of privacy and a repression of freedom.
Would a more rigid society have prevented the tragedy at the Amish schoolhouse? Perhaps. Perhaps “keeping an eye on each other” does really have some value. From our privacy-conscious contemporary times, it is easy to say that it would be an infringement upon this truck-driver’s civil liberties to monitor his supposed anti-social behavior. But what if we had concentrated on the more supportive side of “keeping an eye on each other?” What if there was a community in place where people actively cared about the safety of others and considered the thoughts and feelings of others in their everyday acts? Would that have helped?
Perhaps . . .
"The Guardian"...A Review.
Major Mike
I have to be pulled into a “cold water” movie by a twenty mule team.
On January 29, 1991, as Dash-2 of a six plane from South Carolina to Spain, the worst imaginable thing happened to my pilot and me. In less time than it takes to clear your throat, our F/A-18D was engulfed in fire. The hose had broken on the tanker, pouring fuel down both our intakes. We had both red fire lights illuminated and smoke was pouring into the cockpit. We were 400 miles due east of McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey with a 120 knot headwind component, or 400 miles due south of Naval Air Station Brunswick with a 120 knot left crosswind component. In seconds we were headed north.
Over the boom operator’s screams of “Hornet on fire,” I got out a few radio calls…
“Dual fire lights.” “Smoke in the cockpit.” “Squawking emergency.” “Divert Brunswick.”
My pilot and I exchanged a few Intercom (ICS) calls…
“Get away from this guy.” “Left turn, three-six-zero Brunswick” “Smoke in the back (cockpit).” “We need to think about getting out of this thing…..”
Hanging pause…the pre-flight weather brief included water temperature…37 degrees F. We would be good for 5 minutes in the water without our “poopy suits (dry suits),” and 15 minutes with them…we had ours on, but 15 minutes didn’t seem like much of a lifetime. We stared at the water below as we continued to struggle with the orange glow that our Hornet had evolved into.
Radar into surface search mode…looking for ships to eject next to, in case we went in, we might actually get picked up before turning into human Good Humor bars. Then from the front…
“I got it.” “Right fire light out.” “Left engine is coming off.” “Left fire light out.”
At this point, an instantaneous explosion seemed a better option than freezing to death in the Atlantic Ocean at night, so I was all for riding it out. Only an hour and twenty minutes til we get to Brunswick…that is IF, we could hold altitude…we weren’t having any luck.
We had started our ordeal at 27,000 feet and with the right throttle fully forward to military power (100% rpm without afterburner), we were not getting a grip on the cold night air…25,000…20,000…15,000…and still we could not get the jet to hold altitude. We were flying level, but the thrust available in the right engine could not sustain any of the altitudes we had seen thus far…10,000…we were quickly running out of room, and I was frantically scanning the radar for a ship near our path. 9,000 feet we finally grabbed enough air to hold altitude. Only fifty minutes to go, and we would avoid being popsicles. The longest fifty minutes of my life, but we eventually made it…not without some further trials, but those can wait for a different time.
Thank god for the beer machine in the BOQ lobby…three for me, three for my pilot…tasted pretty good at 0630 after our flight physicals…didn’t help me sleep like I thought it would. Thoughts of the vastness and chill of the North Atlantic easily overpowerd the beers and kept me awake until I showered and dressed at 0930. Cold water and me would not go well together from then on.
I skipped “Titanic” when it was in the theaters, and turn it off right after it hits the iceberg if it is playing in the house. I had to be pulled into the “Perfect Storm” by my wife and daughter…each manning an arm…my hands were freezing when we left the theater. I had the similar experience when I read the book. I don’t like cold water. I don’t like movies about people in cold water…I did not want to see “The Guardian.”
Although by movie’s end, my finger temp was a brisk 50 degrees F, this movie was worth the price of admission and more. I am not going to give you a Hollywoodesque thrashing of this movie…I’ll save that for those who don’t get it like Lisa Schwarzbaum, who trashes everything about this movie in her CNN review. Yeah, it is a bit cliché, but that is not the point.
The viewer should take a couple of things away from this movie…first, thousands of our sons and daughters are enduring the rigors of aggressive training to make us safe at night…whether in the military, the Coast Guard, or in our police and fire academies. This movie is captivating because of the hardships these trainees endure, just to get to the point where they can then go out and risk their lives to save others…that is the point…not how artistically this movie is made.
Just like “TopGun,” this movie is not meant to finitely document the lives of Coastie rescue swimmers, but to give the viewer the sense of the seriousness of their business, and the dangers involved in simply showing up to work everyday. Anyone who watched the first five minutes of “TopGun” was treated to the “feel” of what deck ops is like on a carrier. The first thirty minutes of “Saving Private Ryan” replicates better than any film, the dangers, rigors, and abject brutality of ground combat. This movie is the equal of those in getting its simple message across…this is a tough business, conducted by determined, well trained professionals, and their story needs to be told…simple as that.
Sorry Lisa didn’t really get that. Sorry that she thinks all of those “clichés” detract from that message, but considering how cold my hands got, it wasn’t too hard to get the point.
And lastly, for all those who “support our troops”…How about skipping your next sailing/surfing/ocean kayaking for kicks during the next hurricane/typhoon? For you fishing skippers…how about you make sure you, your boats, and your crew are ship shape, and worthy of the risks that a Coastie may have to take when your negligence becomes life threatening. Same to all you shipping lines…take care of your equipment, train your crews and sail professionally…your profits are not worth the life of one rescue swimmer.
It is not a fair trade, regardless of how motivated they are to do their duty, for one Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer to be put in jeopardy, because of laziness, ineptitude, abject stupidity, profit margins, getting “the big catch,” or getting one’s kicks. In a perfect world, brave men would not be called on time and again to save the stupid, but it seems that there are thousands of selfless heroes ready to pull knuckleheads out of the water night and day.
This is their movie. They deserve it, and far more, from the nation they serve.
Lisa should stick reviewing avant-garde cine, for it seems in her review, her contempt is not truly directed at the movie, but at a genre of films that have helped celebrate the quiet heroism that is so routine in our services. A heroism that might "seem" cliche to those who have come to expect others to do their serious bidding, but it is a heroism that is highly respected by those who understand what it takes to make heroic sacrifice seem the norm.
Skip the reviews...see the movie.
I have to be pulled into a “cold water” movie by a twenty mule team.
On January 29, 1991, as Dash-2 of a six plane from South Carolina to Spain, the worst imaginable thing happened to my pilot and me. In less time than it takes to clear your throat, our F/A-18D was engulfed in fire. The hose had broken on the tanker, pouring fuel down both our intakes. We had both red fire lights illuminated and smoke was pouring into the cockpit. We were 400 miles due east of McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey with a 120 knot headwind component, or 400 miles due south of Naval Air Station Brunswick with a 120 knot left crosswind component. In seconds we were headed north.
Over the boom operator’s screams of “Hornet on fire,” I got out a few radio calls…
“Dual fire lights.” “Smoke in the cockpit.” “Squawking emergency.” “Divert Brunswick.”
My pilot and I exchanged a few Intercom (ICS) calls…
“Get away from this guy.” “Left turn, three-six-zero Brunswick” “Smoke in the back (cockpit).” “We need to think about getting out of this thing…..”
Hanging pause…the pre-flight weather brief included water temperature…37 degrees F. We would be good for 5 minutes in the water without our “poopy suits (dry suits),” and 15 minutes with them…we had ours on, but 15 minutes didn’t seem like much of a lifetime. We stared at the water below as we continued to struggle with the orange glow that our Hornet had evolved into.
Radar into surface search mode…looking for ships to eject next to, in case we went in, we might actually get picked up before turning into human Good Humor bars. Then from the front…
“I got it.” “Right fire light out.” “Left engine is coming off.” “Left fire light out.”
At this point, an instantaneous explosion seemed a better option than freezing to death in the Atlantic Ocean at night, so I was all for riding it out. Only an hour and twenty minutes til we get to Brunswick…that is IF, we could hold altitude…we weren’t having any luck.
We had started our ordeal at 27,000 feet and with the right throttle fully forward to military power (100% rpm without afterburner), we were not getting a grip on the cold night air…25,000…20,000…15,000…and still we could not get the jet to hold altitude. We were flying level, but the thrust available in the right engine could not sustain any of the altitudes we had seen thus far…10,000…we were quickly running out of room, and I was frantically scanning the radar for a ship near our path. 9,000 feet we finally grabbed enough air to hold altitude. Only fifty minutes to go, and we would avoid being popsicles. The longest fifty minutes of my life, but we eventually made it…not without some further trials, but those can wait for a different time.
Thank god for the beer machine in the BOQ lobby…three for me, three for my pilot…tasted pretty good at 0630 after our flight physicals…didn’t help me sleep like I thought it would. Thoughts of the vastness and chill of the North Atlantic easily overpowerd the beers and kept me awake until I showered and dressed at 0930. Cold water and me would not go well together from then on.
I skipped “Titanic” when it was in the theaters, and turn it off right after it hits the iceberg if it is playing in the house. I had to be pulled into the “Perfect Storm” by my wife and daughter…each manning an arm…my hands were freezing when we left the theater. I had the similar experience when I read the book. I don’t like cold water. I don’t like movies about people in cold water…I did not want to see “The Guardian.”
Although by movie’s end, my finger temp was a brisk 50 degrees F, this movie was worth the price of admission and more. I am not going to give you a Hollywoodesque thrashing of this movie…I’ll save that for those who don’t get it like Lisa Schwarzbaum, who trashes everything about this movie in her CNN review. Yeah, it is a bit cliché, but that is not the point.
The viewer should take a couple of things away from this movie…first, thousands of our sons and daughters are enduring the rigors of aggressive training to make us safe at night…whether in the military, the Coast Guard, or in our police and fire academies. This movie is captivating because of the hardships these trainees endure, just to get to the point where they can then go out and risk their lives to save others…that is the point…not how artistically this movie is made.
Just like “TopGun,” this movie is not meant to finitely document the lives of Coastie rescue swimmers, but to give the viewer the sense of the seriousness of their business, and the dangers involved in simply showing up to work everyday. Anyone who watched the first five minutes of “TopGun” was treated to the “feel” of what deck ops is like on a carrier. The first thirty minutes of “Saving Private Ryan” replicates better than any film, the dangers, rigors, and abject brutality of ground combat. This movie is the equal of those in getting its simple message across…this is a tough business, conducted by determined, well trained professionals, and their story needs to be told…simple as that.
Sorry Lisa didn’t really get that. Sorry that she thinks all of those “clichés” detract from that message, but considering how cold my hands got, it wasn’t too hard to get the point.
And lastly, for all those who “support our troops”…How about skipping your next sailing/surfing/ocean kayaking for kicks during the next hurricane/typhoon? For you fishing skippers…how about you make sure you, your boats, and your crew are ship shape, and worthy of the risks that a Coastie may have to take when your negligence becomes life threatening. Same to all you shipping lines…take care of your equipment, train your crews and sail professionally…your profits are not worth the life of one rescue swimmer.
It is not a fair trade, regardless of how motivated they are to do their duty, for one Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer to be put in jeopardy, because of laziness, ineptitude, abject stupidity, profit margins, getting “the big catch,” or getting one’s kicks. In a perfect world, brave men would not be called on time and again to save the stupid, but it seems that there are thousands of selfless heroes ready to pull knuckleheads out of the water night and day.
This is their movie. They deserve it, and far more, from the nation they serve.
Lisa should stick reviewing avant-garde cine, for it seems in her review, her contempt is not truly directed at the movie, but at a genre of films that have helped celebrate the quiet heroism that is so routine in our services. A heroism that might "seem" cliche to those who have come to expect others to do their serious bidding, but it is a heroism that is highly respected by those who understand what it takes to make heroic sacrifice seem the norm.
Skip the reviews...see the movie.
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