I hope it has cable

Warning....This is long winded as I am standing atop my soapbox.

My good buddy Wild Bill of Rednecks Revenge from the great state of Texas brought up an excellent comment to my post on Israel finding their roots and that is, to put it in a nutshell, SO WHAT – Shut the hell up Media! Well, honestly speaking, that is the way I feel. Actually Wild Bill said this, “WHY, should a country HAVE to subscribe to M.E.D.I.A. maneuvers to win a gotdam war anyway ?? Who says that the media should have any other aspect and responsibilty to play in a war, other than to report the F.A.C.T.S. ??”

That is so darn true that it should be written in pure gold. However, ( As I move my soapbox a little closer) the problem is our wonderful world has in that great proverbial phrase, “gone to hell in a hand basket.” As I have been standing on my soapbox shouting loudly to anyone within range, the world is now politically correct, everything we do, say, feel and think has to fall into what “some” people foresee the proper politically correct category of it should be. Personally, I could care less what someone thinks of me, but the world stage, well son, that is a different matter altogether.

The fine art of war falls straight into this area of new age political correctness, but not what other people think, what the media thinks and why is that you ask? Because the media propels the thinking world into the direction of thought it perceives it should be. That is wrong and should never be, but it has come to this and there is nothing we can do. If the media says something is wrong, then by God you can bet the picnic basket that the rest of the world will say it is wrong. It matters not if it was truly right, nope that no longer matters my children, because the media said otherwise, the media God has spoken and the world listens.

Therein lies the current world problems, it is no longer an issue of the Hezbollah committing an act of war upon the state of Israel and the soldier hostage, well, he is no longer an issue either. Look through all the articles condemning Israel and try to find any mention of the return of the hostage or Israel ever being attacked. None, and why is this you wonder, because the media wants to pound the tragedy into our heads, not that Israel was attacked and they have accomplished this.

The Hezbollah manipulated Israel every step of the way, they wanted Israel to begin bombing targets of opportunity within the city and they accomplished this by launching hundreds of rockets into Israel from within the confines of the city and only that location. The only possible recourse available to Israel to effectively combat that situation is to issue warnings to the inhabitants of the city then commence bombing the targets. Which is exactly what transpired and it was accomplished as I wrote, by the Hezbollah walking Israel right into it inch by inch.

That is the course that Israel followed and it was the course laid out by the Hezbollah to trap Israel into bombing an innocent target and bomb they did. Now they are the scorn of the media, consequently the free world must comply with the media, now calls of war crimes are being heard.

It was a total shame that all those women and children perished in the bombing, but even though Israel dropped the bomb it was orchestrated by the Hezbollah every step of the way. Do we hear anyone condemning them, no, and that is the way they set the trap. To the Hezbollah those innocent people were simply the bait in the trap, nothing more. We will not hear anyone condemning them for it either.

This is why many of us have been writing that WWII type bombings would never be permitted in this brave new world of media controlled political correctness. We can only imagine the outrage of the firebombing of Japan or the total bombing of Berlin in this new age thinking. Me, as a soldier I always felt I had the answer to everything, explosives and plenty of them properly placed could solve any problem in combat, but no more. Let’s be honest, if the liberals and the media had their way the entire world would join hands and skip merrily through the countryside doing good deeds for others.

The world’s mind has all gone out to lunch and we are all going to hell for not being politically correct, I hope it has cable.

They need to find their roots

It was a tragedy that Israel targeted a structure occupied with civilians over half being small children, our heart and prayers go out to their families. However, this form of warfare is exactly what the Hezbollah have been striving for; to them this collateral damage is the coupés de grace in their physiological media warfare front, the mortal blow, being accused of war crimes.

Israel may be a major force within the military field of the Middle East, but they vastly underestimated the Hezbollah’s military strength and physiological tactics. The Hezbollah has had a substantial amount of time to prepare for the onslaught of Israeli forces and it is more than evident they put this time to excellent use in honing their physiological tactics. I for one have followed the battles with an eye not on the military objective, but on the true grail, the media repercussions.

For Israel to prevail in a latest conflict they will need a lot more than the military strength they have refined so well since the formation of the Hezbollah, they will need their capabilities to create a publicity event out of devastation. To do this they will need to discover the qualities, which created Israel, the ability to maneuver the media from a devastating event or point of reference to the other side of the spectrum.

The Israeli intelligence unit, the Mossad should have realized what the IDF would be up against, their underestimating the military strength of the Hezbollah was evident, but the fact they did not even realize or understand age-old guerrilla tactics was unforgivable. A guerrilla fighter can create a positive event from a negative, i.e. firing rockets within a city, the IDF targeting the city and destroying it, the guerrilla offering to rebuild gaining the trust and support of the city.

Granted, that is a classic example taken straight from textbooks, but it serves to demonstrate the basic concepts. Israel must learn to create positive media from the negative, but they have become far too Americanized to accomplish this. They too now suffer from the political correctness of the world, but unlike their past, now they subscribe to what their wrath brings forth among the people. They will need to find their roots to overcome what they are now facing and they need to find them soon.

The beautiful people cry too

Why is it that we feel the personal lives of celebrities must be first and foremost in our minds? A question for the ages, I would assume, and one that will never be answered as we search for all of the personal tidbits we can find about our celebrities.

Daily I see headlines pertaining to Hollywood’s beautiful people intermingled with that of world and breaking news. I have often asked myself what this strange hold is that the lives of people we see in the moves has on us and I have yet to figure it out. Even now as I read the latest personal damming news of Mad Max Mel, his fall off the wagon and his walk among the hate of the world as he spewed anti-Semitic trash at the deputy. I happily search for the next link I can find on this tragic turn of events and then it hits me that I am doing the same act that I often question.

I can only assume that it is a feeling within us that seeing the beautiful people fall from grass validates our purpose, that yes, they are only human too and they have the same problems as we mortal humans. They may make more money in one film that we lower mortals will ever see, but they have the same fallacies as we and they can shed the same tears. It is that validation of humanity that keeps us searching for the latest trash headlines of the rich and famous.

As for Mel Gibson, I can understand his problems, his personal demons are similar as most of our own, as far as his anti-Semitic personal tirade he tossed out, well, most of us mere humans have been in that alcoholic stage once or twice and said things that just spewed forth without thought.

His actions, they really do not offend me, what does offend me is the fact the police report that was supposed to be locked in the watch commander’s safe was on the net the next morning. Apparently an employee of the department wanted to get even or make a few bucks, perhaps the female employee Mad Mel referred to as “Sugar T**s wanted to show him a thing or two about being nice, who knows.

What I do know is violating the personal life of anyone is where I draw the line in the sand and that line must be drawn by our legislators enacting laws with teeth to stop it. This line in the sand must be drawn soon or anything of a personal nature will be public Doman.

A turn of events

The sentiment within the Arab has turned from one of open condemnation against the actions of the Hezbollah into one of an understanding. This turn of events is taking place due to the high civilian casualties resulting from the Israeli bombing of military targets created by the Hezbollah. What this means is the Hezbollah have truly mastered the fine art of guerrilla warfare in turning public sentiment towards them when they are the true culprits by initially firing rockets from within the city infrastructure creating the targets of opportunity in the first place.

The Israeli Defense Force, IDF is now involved in a difficult situation along this new turn of sentiment, they are condemned for open destruction and condemned for continuing the war. Present Arab sentiment shows that It no longer matters that the Israelis were the initial targets by the Hezbollah, nor that the Hezbollah entered Israel in an act of war, it only matters to the Arab world that Israel is bombing civilian targets, nothing more.

In the recent case of the bombing of Qana where 60 civilians including children were killed, Israeli newspapers reports that Some 150 rockets were fired from the Lebanese village of Qana over the past 20 days, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. Amir Eshel. The fact that Israel was defending itself has little to do with public opinion, another victory for the Hezbollah in the media and among the Arab community.

Now present Arab thinking is that America is underwriting and supporting Israel in the destruction of the Hezbollah to make them pay for the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in which 241 U.S. service members lost their lives. This is due to comments made a year after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center where Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage when he was asked about the Hezbollah he replied, "Their time will come," he vowed. "There is no question about it. They have a blood debt to us, and we're not going to forget it."

My thoughts to this new line of thinking is if this is truly the case then we need to support Israel even more in their move to destroy the Hezbollah. If this is truly the “pay back” to the Hezbollah for the Marine bombings then I openly support the decision. They outright murdered 241 of our people and they were never brought to bear for their actions, if that is now the case then we need to remember that incident, burn it into our minds and offer even more support for the Israeli Defense Force.

As far as the change in Arab sentiment that too has backfired, it has now created a situation that Israel cannot withdraw without achieving a total victory, for to do so would admit defeat. The Hezbollah may have mastered the art of warfare, but the Israelis have something more, a total dedication to victory now that support is changing, only time will be the judge of the outcome.

Call it what it is

The leadership of America and Britton have purposely avoided the term Crusade for fear of the religious connotations it would have upon a tremendous amount of individuals, both Muslim and Christian. However, the leadership of our enemy, al Qaeda is much attuned to the emotions of their people and fully realizes that by referring to this present action as a Crusade it will stir the minds and imaginations of their people resulting in more joining the fight against us.

In a broader reality, the Muslims do view the present war on terrorism as a Crusade and not a war, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was deeply involved with this line of thinking. He had patterned his life after his idol and role model, Nur ad-Din Zangi, the Syrian leader in the First Crusades as is well overviewed and discussed in this online preview of Zarqawi and His Role Model. He also attempted to pattern his other idol, Saladin, who battled Richard the Lionhearted and recaptured Jerusalem for the Muslims in the Second Crusades.

In a recorded radio broadcast before he met his fitting end at the hands of the U.S. Military, al-Zarqawi asked a question that I will paraphrase that was meant to rally new support for his cause, “Where are the Saladin’s of yesterday?” Again a direct reference to the Crusades and meant to stir emotions and support among the people of Iraq.

We American’s are so deeply entrenched in the new age political correctness of the twenty first century that if we used the word Crusade to describe the present war there would be political fallout of far reaching proportions. I am sure that someone will read this and feel that I have overstepped the bounds of good taste and that in itself is the basic underlying problems we face, political correctness.

I do not feel that the war on terrorism began as a crusade, but it was quickly turned into that term and we need to grasp the broader meanings and ramifications of al Qaeda creating a Crusade reference and fight it accordingly. If we continue with the political correct thinking philosophy of our generation, we will not achieve the victory that is needed. We need to meet their statements and fight the war on the plane of existence they have created to win. If we fail to do so, we will face terrorist attacks far into the coming years.

The question is answered

I wrote earlier that U.S. Republican Newt Gingrich has proclaimed loudly to the news media, "We are in the early stages of what I would describe as the Third World War." In all honesty, Newt always did like a great entrance, but this time he overdid himself and now, Washington and the media are entangled in a firestorm of hand wringing and floor gazing about "threats to civilization" and "out-of-control" conflicts. Thank you very much Mr. Gingrich, what would we do without the calm thinking of a politician such as you.

That statement leads me to contemplating the concept of a World War III and if we look at the individual players, it would defiantly give one the overall concept of a world at war. Then as I was surfing the news feeds an article caught my attention titled, “What would WWIII look like?” written by the Toronto Star featured writer, Olivia Ward and I immediately knew I had found the mother load. Ms. Ward makes that statement,

Written by, Olivia Ward , “World War III.

It has a nice, authoritative ring and politicians and pundits love to proclaim it.

After all, Israel is in that room, along with minor players Hezbollah and Hamas, and heavies Syria and Iran.

Al Qaeda and the Iraqi insurgents are at the centre of the floor. The Taliban are skulking in the corner, and if you look over your shoulder you can see North Korea. And isn't that nuclear-armed Pakistan squaring off with atomic-weaponed India over the recent Mumbai bombings and Kashmir?

In fact, everybody's in the room but Elvis.”

Ms. Ward has defined the entire problems of the world within those five simple statements and they are so true. Yes, to a degree we are a world at war, but I do not believe it is the big one, the big, III, I agree with Ms. Ward when she was defining the question of the big number three, “For some, though, World War Trois is already passé — it passed unseen as the Cold War between America and the former Soviet Union. Now we're on Number 4.”

That’s it, World War IV, it even sounds better and has a twenty first century ring to it, one that science fiction fans everywhere can grasp and sink their teeth into. As to where it all leads us is the big question that has yet to be answered and perhaps will not be until someone sees a mushroom cloud looming over the horizon. We will have to keep that statement and discussion for another day.

They need a united country

I was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions within me this morning as I read the news that 5000 additional troops are being sent to Baghdad to augment the forces already in place. On the one had, I fully understood the reasoning behind the movement and I have total faith in the men and women in our military, their training, weaponry, leadership and support. I have total faith in the ability of our troops to overcome all odds and to prevail in the coming months and I will support them with every fiber of my being.

On the other hand though I was hit with tremendous uncertainty for the future of our country, as it was all too déjà vu to me having served during the Viet Nam era of our history. It brought a sense of foreboding, of the coming troubled times that are sure to manifest within our country as many more citizens begin protesting a war many do not understand or grasp the meaning behind. In addition, the knowledge of the overall physiological affect these protest will have on our troops as they strive to insure their individual and overall unit’s mission’s success.

I have written many times that our country needs to support the men and women of our Armed Forces, that we need to stand behind their actions, supporting each man and woman as if they were our own family members and praying for their safe returns. Some people, including many politicians, celebrities and high profile individuals openly state they do not support the war, but support the men and women in uniform, when in fact this is the furthest from the truth. We have all witnessed or read of incidents, which have shown these statements to be total fabrications by these individuals meant to bolster their public image.

We need a nation united in our goals and speaking in one voice of that common support of the men and women of the military and we need it now more than ever. We need to put our differences and opinions of the war on terrorism behind us and openly support the actions of our armed forces. They need our united support and prayers and they need to have this feeling instilled deeply within them as they face the uncertainty of their future. They need a media openly supporting them in their actions, not working diligently to uncover perceived illegal activities or hidden agendas, but honestly and openly supporting them.

Yes, my thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of our military, but they are also with our nation as their overall actions are what will dictate whether they achieve success or not. Their support will make the difference as these troops face the unknown and put their lives on the line

News from Iraq

Information from CENTCOM this morning on Iraq regarding Iraqi forces being diverted from an original mission to save the life of a man abducted and beaten by unknown assailants. This clearly demonstrates the Iraqis are taking control of their country once more.

BALAD – During a pre-dawn raid in Baghdad on July 26 to capture a ‘death squad’ member, Iraqi forces diverted their mission to free an Iraqi citizen who was abducted and being beaten by two unknown assailants.

As the Iraqi forces moved toward their original objective in the Abu Ghurayb area of Baghdad, they discovered an Iraqi citizen who was bound and being beaten by two men while he lay on the ground.

The Iraqi assault force surprised the kidnappers and an exchange of gunfire ensued. During the gun fight, one of the kidnappers and the hostage were wounded while the second kidnapper fled the scene. Both were treated on the scene by a U.S. Army Special Forces medic who was with the Iraqi forces in an advisory capacity.

The hostage and the kidnapper were evacuated immediately to a nearby U.S. military medical facility for emergency treatment. Both are expected to recover.

The hostage was abducted at approximately 10 p.m. on July 25 as he returned home from work.

No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during this operation.

More on the UN Peacekeepers

There was a point in history that the introduction of multinational United Nations peacekeeping into a world hotspot would solve the majority of countries problems. In the past Peacekeeping forces have given their lives to insure the safety of the areas they are sent to protect and even been the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. They also have been under investigation many times for their unprofessional conduct with allegations running the entire criminal code gauntlet including murder, rape, theft, and so on.

I have mentioned before that their presence in Africa has resulted in charges of rape and assault of hundreds of small female African children. There have been many television news investigations into their actions over the past year with some showing their penchant for trophy photos, photographic evidence of the illegal act.

One story broadcast by Dateline news dwelled into this practice as well as the dark side of the soldiers assigned to these peacekeeping missions. One paragraph stands out among the rest, “Other Italian peacekeepers took photos as they bound a woman to an armored truck and allegedly raped her with a flare gun. Peacekeepers from Belgium were photographed roasting a boy over an open fire. A witness said the boy went into shock after his clothes caught on fire. The soldiers were acquitted of torture after the child could not be located. The peacekeepers claimed it was just a game to discourage the boy from stealing.”

This is the caliber of some of the human being the United Nations sends to safeguard countries and insure the peace is kept. The countries are better off fending for themselves then opening their borders to the criminal acts of these individuals. One other incident which most of you are already aware of was the lack of participation by the peacekeepers when our Ranger and Delta forces were involved in the infamous Blackhawk down incident which took place in the Battle of Mogadishu, part of the U.S. military's 1993 campaign to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Their unwillingness was discussed within the book but portrayed to a small degree in the movie.

The United Nations needs a complete management overhaul, from the leadership all the way down to the soldier on the ground if it is to once more be an effective multinational tool. If that fails to correct the problems then it is high time for America to step away and disassociate itself from its further use in the world.

We must win at any cost

The inherent problem facing America today with our war on terrorism is the liberal mindset of the media and a large percentage of the nation. The concept of waging a total war of attrition, one of winning at all costs which destroys the nation within is no longer a viable option in today’s politically correct charged atmosphere.

President Bush has demonstrated repeatedly that he is more than willing to do what is needed to win a total war. However, he is questioned at every inch the nation’s military travels over the programs he institutes to win. We are living within a nation that no longer condemns or penalizes anyone who openly publishes national secrets, as the recent incidents with the New York Times have clearly demonstrated. If this is truly the case then the nations ability to wage war is not only in question, it is diminished by the events constantly playing out within the media.

We must face an honest question that has been posed by John Podhoretz, a reporter for the New York Post, “WHAT if liberal democracies have now evolved to a point where they can no longer wage war effectively because they have achieved a level of humanitarian concern for others that dwarfs any really cold-eyed pursuit of their own national interests?”

Mr. Podhoretz article is asking a vital question that must be answered if our country is to prevail in its present quest combating terrorism and to establish democracy with Iraq. We must be willing and able to do what is needed to achieve a victory at all costs and to go against the grain of a media and people that have become so entrenched within the liberal mindset that it may no longer be possible, If we are unable to accomplish this feat then the question of a total victory is a moot topic.

The question of this being World War III has been raised recently within the media and if this is truly the case we need to wage a war that is needed to win at any cost. We need to do what needs to be done and deal with the resulting fallout that will surely follow as one nation, not a nation divided by various degrees of liberalism and political correctness, but a nation dedicated to one single goal, victory at any cost.

If we fail to achieve this level of waging war then we have failed in ourselves and in our ability to lead as a nation conceived of liberty and dedicated to this principal of freedom. We cannot lead or govern if we are unable to back up our philosophies with whatever is required when we are confronted with war. We must look into our own history and learn not only from our mistakes but embrace what was needed to win for that is the only way we will survive.

THE UN Redux

Yesterday I brought up my disgust at the United Nations for their condemning Israel and today I see they are now demanding long term needs be addressed in a Middle East cease-fire. Once again, we see a prime example of the lack of understanding within the United Nations. They are entirely out of touch with reality and living in their predefined politically correct worlds where everyone holds hands skipping through the countryside doing good deeds for one another.

That scenario is so far out of touch with present day realities that it borders on humorous, but it is factual to a degree. They do not have any understanding of modern day problems within a modern world. How can they make decisions and provide answers that affect people lives if they do not understand the questions. The United Nations constantly creates more problems then it corrects, it cannot go on in this mode of operation. The question of its usefulness is brought into the picture with the passing of each new day.

The members of this organization have become so involved with their own projects that they can no longer see the forest for the trees. Many years ago, there was a national thought of pulling out of the United Nations, this question is once more on the horizon and this time needs answering before it is too late.

The UN has outlived its purpose

Where does the United Nations get off dictating to Israel and America the manner in which we wage war? How can they sit in their ivory tower gazing down on humanity and tell Israel they cannot use cluster bombs to attack the Hezbollah, the same terrorist’s organization that is standing among the civilian population of Lebanon firing off rockets into the cities of Israel. They have no regard for the sanctity of human life among their own people and the United Nations has the unmitigated gall to dictate to Israel their war manners.

I am very disgusted with the political correctness of those who have yet to face the death and devastation that Israel has faced the past thirteen days through constant rocket attacks in their country. Yet, these self serving, poor excuse for anything, let alone a member of the United Nations which has long since outlived its purpose for existing. The entire world is well aware that the United Nations does not have the teeth to enforce any of its own resolutions, thus it constantly relies upon America to do its dirty work.

The United Nations needs to judge its own house before it can judge another. They presently have UN forces in Africa that are the target of uncounted allegations of child raping, yet they feel they can sit in judgment of other nations. Their governing body has been under investigation for their own malfeasance and misconduct of office, yet they judge the manner of other countries.

The only solution for the entire world is to ignore whatever these sanctimonious idiots are saying and wage war the way it should be, to win at all costs.

Doctors are cool again

Note: I apologize this is completely off my normal political, military or life topics I normally write. It is of a medical issue, specifically related to diseases of the eye. I wanted to share my experiences and success with the sincerest hope should anyone experience any of the symptoms or problems with your eyes you seek medical help immediately. See your eye physician for further information and whatever you do, do not put it off; time can be of the essence.

As some of you are well aware, I have been undergoing treatment for advanced glaucoma the past year and quite honestly, it has been a rough road at times. There was a point that my eye pressure was 59, (normal is 16) I experienced a total loss of vision and the absolute worse headache of my life. The emergency room physician refused to believe the pressure reading the nurse had taken and personally redid the procedure three times before finally believing his own results.

The physician explained this would lead to complete and total vision loss without immediate follow up and treatment, I confess that I was not able to make peace with that proposition. I was fortunate to have excellent eye care with a physician who had been treating me for chronic Iritis flare-ups, (a painful problem that needs immediate treatment) between him and his partner they worked diligently to find a solution.

I have undergone two laser surgeries in an attempt to widen a canal under the iris, as I was diagnosed with open angle glaucoma. The laser surgeries worked as the Doctor had hoped and the vision improved quite a bit. However, my optic nerve is severely damaged which means whatever sight I have lost will not return and any further damage would mean complete loss of vision. The goal now is to control the pressure through a combination of drops without loosing any more eyesight and so far, it is working well.

After that, I awoke one morning and when I looked in the mirror, I could not believe what I saw. My eyes appeared to be actually recessed substantially into my head. I went immediately to the eye Doctor who explained it was yet another ailment, an infection that attacked the eyelids themselves known as Blepharitis. The problem, it will be with me the rest of my life, the goal again is to treat the symptoms, which besides excessive swelling of the lids is severe dry eyes. I never realized just how uncomfortable dry eyes could be until now and I must add they burn so badly at times it drives me insane. Multiple doses of liquid tears help a small bit, but not too much.

I am now the proud owner of Punctal Plugs, small plastic objects that is inserted into the lower tear duct; yes, we have two in each eye, one on top for emotional tears and one on the bottom for tears that cleanse the eye. (Look at the wealth of information I share with you) The concept being to block the flow of the tears allowing them to remain longer in the eye, which will alleviate the dry eye somewhat.

Now, contradictory to my complaints yesterday I am celebrating Doctors once more, I hate getting older, but the Doctors are cool.

The U.N. is out of touch

The United Nations Human Rights commissioner Louise Arbour has issued a strong message to both the Hezbollah and Israel warning them of the wanton violence against civilians in their present engagement. The United Nations needs to get their head out of their proverbial butt and look at the true cause of all the civilian causalities, the Hezbollah. They are the main perpetrators in this field as they are standing in highly populated areas and shooting rockets into Israel.

In a Reuter’s news article this morning, it cited the residents of South Lebanon are angered by the Hezbollah’s actions of hiding within crowded cities. As one citizen stated, "We are all for resistance against Israel but they have no right to fire their rockets and then come and hide between our houses," shouted Nazih Sliqa, a resident of Fardees, his face florid with anger and grief.”

The Hezbollah make it a practice of standing among the crowds and firing their rockets, as the world could plainly see yesterday on any of the news television channels as we all watched the rockets exploding from the cities. How can the U.N. commissioner see any liabilities towards Israel in their actions responding to the attacks. If the population is going to openly support a terrorist organization as the Hezbollah then they must be prepared for the outcome of their actions.

The present conditions of the world never cease to amaze me and this only adds more credence to that statement. The United Nations needs to do many things to begin functioning, as a body of trust within the world and this is not one of them. Their peacekeepers in Africa have been under constant investigations for the raping of hundreds of female children and this is the avenue they take. Me thinks thou doth protest too much.

How did I get here

Is there a specific cosmic or universal law, which dictates that human beings must grow old, or is it something that the medical community conjured up sometime during the Roosevelt administration, (Theodore) to make people spend more money on additional Doctors?

Perhaps this is all a simple joke and truth be told we are all stranded in some type of groundhog day, (movie) scenario forced to repeat, only we get older, become all moldy and what have you, then spend money on Doctors.

When I was a child I recall very specifically that I had one Doctor and that nice old guy used to come to my house, wash his hands in our sink then give me immense pain with shots and other medical nonsense. I also fondly remember that he had a license plate that said he was that as well, so I never doubted for a moment that he was anything other than that. After all, if the state said he was a Doctor and my Father trusted him in the house without shooting him then he was a Doctor, pure and simple.

Now I am a bit older, okay, really older and I no longer have a Doctor that comes to my house, that is really a joke, I have to go to his and then he will see me when he feels like it. However, am I regulated to one and only one single Doctor, nope, not on your life, or mine, as I am the one really complaining about this right now. Nope, I have a primary care, an eye specialist, an eye surgeon, an arthritis specialists, a pulmonary specialist, a skin specialist and ad nauseam.

I am only saying this as I have been balancing the checkbook and going through medical payments and suffice to say now I need depression specialists. I also have two Doctor Appointments tomorrow and I have to pick up prescriptions that my eye Doctor called in. After all that is done, I planned to look for the S.O.B. that stuck me on this aging process and I am going to kick his butt so badly that he has to see a butt Doctor.

Better Idea than Starving

Saddam Hussein has been on a hunger strike for 17 days to protest the killings of his defense attorneys and we move him to a hospital, stick a tube down his throat and force-feed him. It appears to me that he was doing the world a favor; he was slowly killing himself by means of starvation that is a painful process when the body is aware of what is going on. Unlike a coma where the individual’s mind is not really attuned to the concept of starving. Why did we intercede is what I would like to know.

For a man that has lived 69 years and was responsible for quite a lot of deaths we could safely say that he could think of better and faster ways to go visit his sons in hell then starving himself. Of course, we all realize it was for the media attention, he knew he was safe in the starvation act and his American jailors would not allow him to actually starve to death. He was aware that once it was out of hand the good old force-feed tube was not too far off.

I would suggest just turning him over to the Kurds and letting them do with him as they please. I am sure that after all of the wrongs, the gas, the death squads that they could really think up something unique for the old megalomaniac.

Have to wonder

I spent my Sunday morning consuming vast amounts of coffee and watching the news networks. Right now I am either on a severe caffeine high or suffering from too much television, I am not sure. One thing I learned this morning is there is a growing political and military camp that has begun referring to the present conflicts within the Middle East as World War III. When I first heard the term this morning I was taken back for a moment, but the more thought I gave to the wording, the more I tended to agree with them.

My quandary in this is wondering who is it that actually provides the terminology to a conflict that moves it out of an engagement status to one of a world status. In the past, the President would stand before Congress and ask for a declaration of war as was done during the Roosevelt administration with the immortal words, “a day that will live in infamy”.

Since that period of our history we have not had a President take this avenue, instead they are using the war powers given them to engage in limited battle and then going to Congress for further funding and authorization. Of course history has shown the battles they have picked have left a tremendous amount of questions remaining even to this day. If it is the conflict itself that leads to the terminology of a world war then the question is answered, as we can safely say the world is at war.

The war may be limited to terrorist organizations but some of these organizations have assumed control of the country as in Lebanon with the Hezbollah. If that be the case than the forces of the free world are involved in a war with forces of another nation and we can give credence to the term World War III.

Whatever be the case, engagements, battles, World War, it will all be answered if and when the Hezbollah uses the weapons of mass destruction that the world is now assuming they are presently in control of. If the Hezbollah uses either a nuclear or mass chemical device against the state of Israel we will see devastation we have never witnessed when they retaliate in kind and the rest of the world joins in. I told you from the onset, too much caffeine.

The way I see things

America and England brokering a cease-fire between Israel and the Hezbollah would be the worst strategy the Bush and Blair administrations has accomplished. The only possible outcome of a cease-fire is it would give the Hezbollah the time and resources it needs to rebuild their infrastructure the Israelis are presently dismantling.

The only viable solution is to allow the Israelis the freedom needed to complete the dismantling of the terrorist network that has been implemented over the years since they have left Lebanon. That is exactly what they are presently doing and in lieu of a full-scale invasion of Lebanon, which would be costly in casualties, it is the best option available for the Israelis as well as America.

I have stated before that I do not believe the Hezbollah knew the Israelis would respond as they did when they conducted the cross-border raid taking soldiers hostage. The Hezbollah assumed, incorrectly that the Israelis would open a prisoner exchange, as they have done many times in the past. They did not realize the full potential of the current Israeli administration to react in a hostile manner. Once the Hezbollah crossed the proverbial line in the sand, the Israeli government went into full war mode instead of the past peaceful coexistence they once enjoyed.

This left the Hezbollah holding a hostage that they could not barter with, reducing the value of their collateral to nothing, whether that hostage is still alive at this point is anyone’s guess, but his value diminished greatly the moment that Israel responded militarily. I would add that at this point the Hezbollah should insure the soldier is alive and well cared for otherwise they will pay a terrible price for their misunderstanding the present Israeli government.

If we look at the timetable involved in the entire affair then it can lead one to assume someone else orchestrated the events which unfolded, possibly Iran as they coincide with the present G-8 summit. It is highly possible that Iran sent the Hezbollah on the mission, as this would have taken the heat off the present Iran nuclear problem at the summit. Of course, I am not an international security consultant with unlimited resources, but simply looking at the events as they unfolded would lead to that possibility.

Reviewing the timetable does lead me to conclude that one central source is directing terrorism in the Middle East and who better at this stage of the game than Iran. They have the motive and the means by directing the Hezbollah and incorrectly feeding the information that it was a prime time to move. They had everything to gain by directing the attention of the G-8 summit to the Israelis instead of their nuclear program.

What it is to me

Five or six years ago, I was in Las Vegas, NV standing around a shop in a mall waiting to make a purchase. I was watching a salesperson openly argue over the concept of sales tax with a man who from his speech was obviously Russian or from one of the Baltic countries. After quite a long period, I was to the point where I was going to go find another store to shop when they finally reached a detente between them and the Russian customer agreed to pay the sales tax.

I made my purchase and upon leaving, the store walked right into the sales tax customer as I turned the corner of the mall. We both made small talk and began discussing the incident at the store. The shopper did not say where he was from, but explained the concept of sales tax was very abstract to him. He asked me a few questions, and then the big one, when he asked me directly what is was like to be an American.

I consider myself a fairly well traveled person, but in all of my escapades abroad I have never been asked that question before, I had to pause a moment before answering. I told him that to me, being an American could be summed up in one word, freedom that just about puts it all into perspective, the freedom to do whatever you wish, freedom to be whatever you want and freedom to go wherever you desire, pure and unbridled freedom.

He said something about the government forcing sales taxes on you does not sound like freedom to him. I explained that it would be given back to the people of this state through better roads, law enforcement, schooling, etc., and he actually understood what I was trying to get across. We parted ways and as I walked away I actually felt good inside, perhaps we all need a situation such as that once in awhile to remind us of what we are, I know I do.

Who did What

The Jerusalem Post is taking a hard line towards Israeli Defense Forces in their lack of action following the abduction of Israeli soldiers by the Hezbollah. In an article from the editor, David Horovitz writes the following:

“Immediately after the soldiers were abducted, grabbed from their vehicle as they patrolled the northern border inside Israel, the IDF used tank and artillery fire to try and thwart the kidnappers' escape and sent assault helicopters and fighter planes up into the skies over Lebanon. The prime minister, furious, declared that he held Hizbullah, the Lebanese government and the Syrians to blame, and vowed that Israel would not rest until the boys were safely home. Within hours of the attack, the Israeli army had massed a vast array of forces at the northern border, poised to strike.

And then?

And then nothing.

And that was the original sin.”

The Israeli Defense Forces lack of action following the cross-border raid and abduction of Israeli soldiers will be discussed openly and behind closed doors for years to come. Yes, prudence dictates that once the forces had been amassed they should have given chase, caught up to, engaged and brought the kidnapped soldiers back home. I am sure their actions are not only in question but possibly investigation as we speak.

Another article in The Jerusalem Post caught my attention, it was commenting on an exercise conducted by the Israeli Northern Command a month ago. It was released at the time that the forces were practicing for a war with the Hezbollah. In a quote from the article:

“At the time, senior officers claimed that the IDF's working assumption was that the border could flare up at any moment, although it's doubtful anyone believed then that the situation would evolve into an all-out war.”

This falls right into what I have been saying, the IDF has been drooling at the mouth to take on the Hezbollah and the Hamas, well; I guess they will get their chance.

History will be the judge of Israel’s actions following the Hezbollah raid and leading up to the present mode of Israeli troops massed along Lebanon’s borders. As far as the aftermath, what will happen, at this point, we can only guess, much like all the news services are doing, we will have to wait and see what happens.

The Warzone

I came across a site that was recommended by Blackfive called, Welcome to the Warzone and spent quite awhile watching the videos posted. The site was created by Pat Dollard, a Hollywood type who packed his bags, grabbed his camera and paid his own way to Iraq to film the Marines in action in the Triangle of Death. Pat appears to be cut of a different cloth than others who have preceded him, he cares and he wants to tell the truth, not his side, but their side, the Marines side.

Perhaps the best way to describe what Pat did is to read the rational in his own words. Here is a small quote I took from his comments,

Written by Pat Dollard, “A quick summary reminder: I spent 7 months exclusively with Marines in what are widely considered the three nastiest battlefronts of the Iraqi Theater of the War on Terror: Fallujah, The Triangle of Death, and Ramadi. I have come to respect the average US Marine more than the average civilian, and the USMC more than any organization I’ve ever been involved with or studied. These kids are carrying the weight of history’s most important and difficult work on their shoulders - - period.”

The site has a few great videos that were shot in Iraq with the Marines and Pat has promised to post more as his project is edited. You will get a taste of what they are going through and how they are living their lives.

Just a good Old Boy

My brother and I were sitting on the patio enjoying an iced tea and discussing a blog I wrote, Only in America. He made a comment about the President’s actions, which puts everything President Bush does in the proper perspective; “people need to remember that he is just a good old boy from Texas”.

The undeniable truth of his comment hit me, he is a good old boy and it explains his actions perfectly. The President loves God and country, in that order, he is dedicated to freedom and he loves life and loves to laugh, even when it is at his own expense.

President Bush grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. After graduating from college, he spent the rest of his life in Texas and served in the Texas National Guard as an F 102 Fighter Pilot. He served as Governor of Texas from 1994 – 2000 and speaks a mix of Spanish more commonly known as Tex-Mex. The President has a working ranch located in Crawford, Texas and more often than not proudly calls himself a Texan, being the leader of the free world allows him to do just that. By the way, if anyone is interested the President’s biography is available for reading at this link.

Now that we have that out of the way let’s get down to basics, there are three things a Texan loves most, God, Country and Texas, well, we need to throw in freedom too. Texans have a fondness for freedom, they come by it from excellent people too, Sam Houston to name one along with a few more that fought at a place called the Alamo.

If you ever want to know just how seriously a Texan takes his or her freedom just pose that question to Ozzie Osborn, the state of Texas did not appreciate it too much when he urinated on the Alamo, he can tell you all about a Texan’s love for freedom.

Yes, we have had our share of southern Presidents, but none as fun loving as George W. Bush. Our President even brought a Bush look-alike entertainer to a press function; the look-alike stood at an identical podium and would say what was really on the President’s mind. See, fun loving.

All of the people in the rest of the world who love to make snide remarks about our President better remember that he is a Texan and yes, they love fun, but go to far and well, you can imagine the rest.

Get out…Ok, Please

Ethiopia has quietly decided the U.N.-backed government of Somalia, Mogadishu must be overthrown and a new Islamic government implemented.

Redneck’s Revenge posted an AP news item pertaining to this, which said:

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Residents reported hundreds of Ethiopian troops in armored vehicles patrolling the central Somali town of Baidoa on Thursday, less than a day after Islamic militants reached the outskirts of the strategic town that is home to a largely powerless U.N.-backed government.

The humorous portion of this news is the statement made by Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed:

"We will declare Jihad if the Ethiopian government refuses to withdraw their troops from Somalia. They must withdraw as soon as possible ... We will wait for some time to see if they respect our demands," Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed told The Associated Press.

It is very evident in the comment “We will wait for some time to see if they respect our demands” that they can do little if anything about Ethiopian troops patrolling their cities. If they had true power and let us not forget a government and standing army they could throw them out, but no government and no army, well, he can make threats as he is running to another country, nothing more.

Somalia, Mogadishu is best known for their attacks upon our Black Hawk Helicopters and subsequent battle with U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Forces as told in the book and movie, Black Hawk Down.

Only in America

There are those times when I am very surprised by the fortitude and strength of the people of the world or specifically anyone with an Internet connection. Here we are standing on the very precipice of a war of unknown devastation in multiple countries with the gates of hell about to come unhinged any moment. Israel has massed thousands of its troops along the Lebanon border and is currently calling up its reserve military and the national news services are camped on the border waiting for the attack. Iran is underwriting North Korea in long-range rocket research, the Hezbollah, and the Hamas in military aid and terrorism funding. Somalia has been consumed by the fires within and a known terrorists organization is ruling whatever little is left of the country. Iraq and Afghanistan are still loose cannons with foundling governments and insurgent fighting becoming part of the daily way of life.

Throughout all of this one would assume the people of the world would be a tad concerned, especially those living in the locations I listed, one would think they would be stockpiling food or at least moving to another location. However, that assumption would be the furthest from the truth, they are not doing any of that, and they are watching videos.

The number one video on the Internet that is the most watched above any other is that of the President of the United States giving a backrub to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G-8 Summit meeting. This is big news in Germany, they even gave it a nice title, President Bush creeps out German Chancellor with unwelcome massage, wow, they really tend to hold a grudge.

We Americans are well aware that our President has a genuine fondness for those around him and a propensity for assigning quant nicknames to them. Those who have received one of these quant new names often wear them proudly, well, at least until the media gets wind of it then they tend to change their mind. Worse yet is when something happens to put them in the media spotlight, which tends to happen a lot in our country and the world begins using their new nickname. Now we have to worry he will begin giving backrubs at random on top of his propensity for nicknames.

As Don King loves to shout whenever he is within range of a camera, Only in America, but truth be told, I love it and would not want to be anywhere else.

What motivates us all

You can imagine my total surprise this morning when I began reading my mail and discovered I was awarded an Editors Choice Award from Brainwashcafe. After getting over the initial shock I surfed on over to look, low, and behold, it was true. I sent off a thank you email to the editors at the Brainwashcafe and in the event they have not read it yet, Thank you very much for the award, it is an honor.

I have won a few awards and even written about one or two, they are nice to receive because they validate why we write and at times even pour our hearts into an article. I recall a blog that was a daily stop for me, he wrote an article about an award he had recently been given. I could not help but notice the date of the article was approximately a month preceding the date of the article I was reading and I wondered why he would wait so long to write or even follow an article up. I made a note to check back later and I was glad I did. He posted what was probably the best article he had written and it had nothing to do with the premise of the blog, he wrote this one from his heart.

It was later in the day when I checked back and quickly discovered his new post. He was apologizing to his readers for not posting for a while and he appeared very emotional over everything. His rational for not writing was because he feared he would be unable to equal anything he had written that had earned him the award, so to write nothing was something. I felt for him and understood completely what he was saying in his recent article.

I feel that this occurs to all of us, what I refer to as an “Award Block. “ we win an award and can not quite figure out what to write to top that one again. We are not professional writers, we are your everyday people writing our everyday thoughts, or in my case what ticks me off or moves me. I am sure most bloggers can agree with me that the majority of us never had writing or journalism classes, mine was in criminal investigations, believe me, that is no help here folks.

We are recognized by a site or service, something we wrote not only becomes popular, it becomes internationally popular. Something along those circumstances happen to all of us and when it does it makes us each stop and think for a moment if we can ever top that or write something better, or even equal. For the majority of us that moment last but a second or two and it is back to the basics, writing something about what moves us, what we care for or about, we move forward and we grow.

So, again, my thanks to the editors over at Brainwashcafe and by the way, I like your site. One more thing, does that mean I get to use one of those neat little Acadamy Awards? (Smile)

Note: I would like to add that should anyone mosey over to the Brainwashcafe make sure you read the article, "yea but i only drank LIGHT Beer...", you will not believe the photos that are posted to back the claim up.

News as always, unfair and biased

The Fox News Network has an afternoon news show hosted by Shepard Smith, although Fox is one of the news networks I watch I don’t often get a chance to catch Shepard Smith’s show, so it was with wonder that I tuned in this afternoon when I discovered he was televising his show live from Israel. I have a friend who hates Shepard Smith, he has never actually said why, but every time I mention Fox News, he immediately tosses in how much he hates Shepard Smith. I always assumed it was some kind of personality clash, or some form of rare “I hate Shepard Smith” disorder that I never heard about, that is until today when I watched his show, now I hate Shepard Smith.

I need to point out that he is a personable guy, appears to possess the typical news show charm, at least up to the point where he opens his mouth. I have heard many news people discuss their trade, the news and heard many an interview from the very news worthy down to the “I could care less” variety, but until today, I never watched a national newsperson make a complete and total ass of himself.

The show was your average news show, except it was broadcast live from Israel. I watched for a bit and had decided that my friend must truly have a few disorders as I saw nothing wrong with Shepard Smith. That was until he interviewed the Israeli pilot and he changed into the typical “I hate war and everything about it” with only a few sentences and I truly hated the man.

This poor Israeli pilot was standing stage right of Smith and he was actually wearing his helmet with the visor down. I am sure it was due to the glare off the sand and not wanting to destroy his vision prior to a flight, but it looked rather strange. Shepard Smith begins interviewing him and he actually asked the pilot if it bothered him knowing he killed innocent civilians. To the pilots credit he responded without missing a beat explaining his stance on the war and the protection of Israel.

Mr. Smith also asked the pilot if he actually knew he was killing innocent civilians, or something to that affect, I do not totally recall the exact wording as I was in the process of turning the channel over to the History Channel. In hindsight, I should have hit the DVR and recorded the show for later playback so I could get the questions right, but to be honest, I could care less at this point. I saw what I saw and that was enough to turn me off forever.

I swear that when it comes to people or people in or on the news I will never doubt my friend’s personal judgment ever again. I also swear that I will never watch that show again, not unless it is hosted by someone who is not biased and enters the interview with a fair and unbiased mind. You know, exactly what they advertise they already do when it comes to broadcasting the news and could really care less about.

The Middle East is Quicksand

The Hezbollah did not expect the turn of events, which followed their entering Israel and kidnapping a soldier for a hostage exchange. In the past, this was common practice and always worked. This time it was a bit different, Israel did not want to play the game anymore, they were tired of their citizens being kidnapped and murdered and they were going to put a stop to it once and for all.

They also did not expect to be condemned by the Arab world for their actions; on the contrary, they expected to be held as heroes. They did not read the signs, the political climate, and the underlying sentiment within the rest of the world.

The Middle East is a vast bog of quicksand sitting back waiting for the next victim to step on its surface. That sentence is about as close to the truth as one can get to describe what the world has known for centuries, the Middle East will pull you down and suffocate you.

It is a quagmire of politics and Middle Eastern philosophy of multiple organizations, each of which has their own agenda and each agenda involves the destruction of the State of Israel. This particular spot on the globe has been at war with one another for so many years that it is difficult to understand exactly what is going on besides everyone wants to destroy Israel and nothing more.

Organizations such as the Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Islamic group and political party formed primarily to combat Israeli occupation following the 1982 Lebanon war, the Hezbollah is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, nothing more. They are not dedicated to a free anything, religious or otherwise, simply to destroy Israel.

The Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization that currently forms the democratically elected government of the Palestinian people; they exist only for the destruction of the State of Israel and rule from The Gaza Strip.

It should be noted that these two organizations are listed as terrorist organizations by Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel, and the United States, and is banned in Jordan, while others consider it an independence movement. It should also be noted that these two organizations are backed through funding and weapons by Iran and Syria.

With all of the opposition dedicated to the destruction of the Sate of Israel, it is a wonder an Israeli citizen even bothers to walk outside in the morning. However, walk they do and proudly of it. Their military is second to no one and their dedication to the freedom and protection of their citizens needs to be applauded and duplicated by many other countries.

Only time and history will be the judge of the outcome of what has been unleashed. We can only hope that the present turn of events does not spin totally out of control with someone launching a nuclear rocket, which will truly open Pandora’s Box. We will have to wait and see.

Survival of the Fittest

Everyone who reads my blog is well aware that I do not harbor any love for the majority of television news reporters. I have yet to find true and unbiased reporting on any of the news services, even though they go out of their way to advertise they are just that, unbiased

Yesterday, while watching a segment on television, I had an occasion to like them even less. I will not name the show, but there was a reporter in Israel being interviewed by one of the talking heads sitting safely behind a desk on the show. The talking head asked the reporter in Israel a question that I hear asked on every news show, “Is America using Israel to fight their war against the Hezbollah?”

The reporter appeared taken back hearing that question by one of his own fraternity, but he did his best to respond in a truthful manner and explained why his answer was no. The talking head appeared satisfied for the moment, then said “Well, you are there right now, can you tell us how long the Israel war is going to last?” It was quite evident the reporter standing in Israel did not know how to answer this stupid question, as he was silent for a moment before answering. The reporter explained that this was a war initiated by the State of Israel, not America and he could not respond to that question.

So, what does the ever intrepid talking head do now that he has been informed his reporter could not answer the question, why he asked it again, only this time more forcefully as if badgering a union official to open up for the cameras and the reporter responds in the same manner.

I do not know how this ended, I changed the channel in disgust, sometimes it is better to watch the History Channel then it is to listen to talking heads.

This exchange between two reporters for the same network made me realize that the news services are frustrated with the Israeli war, as they are unable to find out any dirt to dish out to their viewers. They cannot find out troop movements, strengths and any other item relating to the military because Israel does not permit it and this is driving them to feed on one another in a true survival of the fittest test of the fittest. In addition, one more thing, I love it, yes, every single moment of it, I love it.

That’s all we can do

Last evening I was sitting on the patio with a friend enjoying a cup of coffee and listening to an oldies channel in the radio. When the next song began playing both of us began to mouth the worlds along with its chorus and we both laughed. Strange, how a song back in the 1960’s can be even more poignant when heard now, the words went like this,

The Eastern WorldIt is explodin'
Violence flarin'
Bullets loadin'
You're old enough to kill
But not for votin'
You don't believe in war
But what's that gun you're totin'
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'
But you tell me over, and over, and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction

Those few words from the song, The Eve of Destruction, written by P. F. Sloan described the mind set of our generation during those turbulent years and the people’s view on a war nobody wanted or cared about, that is everyone except the men fighting for their country a few thousand miles away and that was the problem, they cared, they wanted to win, the people did not. When news of the people’s views, the demonstrations and protest reached the shores of Viet Nam it found America’s sons could not understand why people hated them.

Today we fight a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, our allies are in a war in Lebanon against another enemy, the Hezbollah, at the same time we have two large countries showing their nuclear might against America, Iran and North Korea and where this present course will lead to is anyone’s best guess.

All we can do is support the men and women who are presently serving their country and putting their lives on the line every day of the week. We must have hope the rest of the world falls into political place long before someone gets ticked off and pushes a button that sends nuclear missiles flying to another country. That is all we can do.

The winds of war have turned into a perfect storm

Good day to all, times are getting totally insane in the world, but to those of us who have been the lonely profits of doom standing among the crowds of the “totally without a clue” we knew this was on the horizon. Each of us has known for some time now that the Middle East was standing on the precipice of devastation, teetering on the edge ever so softly in the winds of war. The news reporters have been giving me a great laugh with their comments pertaining to Israel boldly taking a stand to protect their citizens, a reference to the young Israeli soldier taken hostage.

Israel has been salivating over the possibilities of removing the Hamas and Hezbollah from their back yard for some time now. Who in the sane free world can disagree with their desire to not only create a safe buffer zone around their country, but to put an end to the Hamas suicide bombers charging into their children’s schools and buses with C4 strapped to their chest. The Hamas kidnapping Cpl. Gilad Shalit was just the catalyst needed to tell their military to get their yard cleaning equipment out of the shed and make sure they first rake the Gaza Strip.

Yesterday at approximately 0910 hrs I was busy with a project I will be posting soon and Fox News interrupted with breaking news pertaining to the latest developments in the Middle East, suffice to say I was tuned in most of the day, keeping updated from a plethora of news services I have amassed over the years. My fear then as well as now is the Hezbollah will explode a dirty bomb or something with a low yield nuclear payload on Israel initiating a nuclear chain of events the Palestinians and people of Lebanon would deeply regret.

I know that a few of you have just read that last statements and choked on your coffee thinking the Ranter was off his rocker, perhaps, but bear in mind nuclear weapons have been sold by the Russian Mafia for a lengthy period of time now, the chances that terrorists’ organizations are accumulating low yield devices, due to the cost and transpiration factor has had the CIA’s alarms going off constantly, we have to assume the worst case scenarios, you can bet the farm that Israel is as we speak.

The world has known for sometime now that Iran is the major player in all of the current chain of events unfolding in the Middle East, underwriting the Hezbollah in their terrorists’ activities while spoonfeeding it what it wants to hear to fuel their hatred for Israel. The Hezbollah operates in Lebanon with the full support of both Iran and Syria and although Israel is calling upon the government of Lebanon to rid itself of the Hezbollah, once and for all they simply do not have the military power or political muscle to do anything about it.

The Arab League has condemned the current actions of the Hezbollah and is now asking the United Nations to step in and bring all of the military action to a screeching halt before it succeeds in pulling the entire Middle East into a regional war of which their could be little chance of solving.

At this point in time where this present situation may end up is anyone’s call, but, whatever happens the outcome could very well change the Middle East.

I am Disgusted

Al Qaeda has released gruesome footage of their slaying of the two soldiers last month in Iraq and has stated this was done in retaliation for the crimes that had been commented in Iraq. Who the hell made al Qaeda the judge, jury and executioner for the US Military and where does the media get the impression that America should not be outraged at this turn of events?

This morning I read every story that I could possible find, including anything on BBC and Arab affiliates, all the same coverage, different slant. I did not locate one article in the US media where the reporter was showing any outrage at this atrocity against human lives and the murders of two of our soldiers. This is exactly what this is too, murder, pure and simple, not a war death born out of two armies attacking one another on the field of battle, but the kidnapping and murder of two human beings, American human beings.

In the past, I have questioned the response in America to the murder of the three soldiers and specifically the desecration of the bodies of the two servicemen by the hands of the insurgents, now discovered to be yet again, al Qaeda. I have posed the same questions time and time again, where is the outrage at the murder of our soldiers? Where is the battle cry for revenge? Not within the publications or bylines of any media or reporter, that is for certain, and the coverage of this latest release by al Qaeda slants to this being an event that is not an outrage, but something that is justified. No, I did not read these exact words published by one American reporter, but the message is there, hidden in the lack of outrage and the lack of a call to arms.

I am sickened by this and it just leads to additional questions, which I am not going to ask at this time as the blog could take up a few thousand words. I am going to state that the media as well as various factors of our country has passed the line of common sense long ago. I am going to state that I am sure there are some factions within this country that will read this report and feel it is not only justified, but the lives reportedly taken by a few of our military in an act of vengeance are now justified by the murder of three soldiers totally unrelated to that incident. The individuals who reportedly were involved in that reported crime were arrested and pending trial for their actions. This is how we as Americans conduct lawful investigations and subsequent trials should cause be warranted, not by other groups we are at war with conducting their own executions.

As an American citizen, I want revenge for these murders. I want these participating al Qaeda members brought to justice or justice brought to them, either way. As an American citizen, I am outraged and infuriated by the murder and desecration of our soldiers and I am saddened by the lack of outrage within this country. I am sickened by the lack of outrage by our reporters and I am sickened by the events, as they are presently unfolding.

We as Americans must put a stop to these actions; we can do this by letter writing to the newspapers, magazines and television stations as well as a constant outcry of our disgust. We need to do something before it is too late, or perhaps we have already lost the cause on this, perhaps this is how America has become, perhaps it is far too late.

Now more than ever

I have often posted my feelings on supporting the men and women of our military and the citizens of America uniting into a common goal. In retrospect, this was more of an open call to arms to the people of America than a meager attempt at confronting my feelings with Freudian and Jung conceptual rantings and ravings.

Lately I have found myself continuously writing about the actions of North Korea and the affect it may or may not have upon America, not only our way of life, but our very lives itself. Whether this exercise in futility is of a physiological nature or simply born out of my fear of a nuclear devastation scenario of biblical proportions I really cannot answer. One would assume that living through the cold wars of previous years would have desensitized my fears and make this present situation appear as “same news, different day”.

That is simply not the case, the events we are being confronted with daily in this new nuclear confrontation are different than we experienced with the Russian cold war, very different. Yes, it is the same old nuclear confrontation scenario, but emanating from a government gone mad, born out of the ravings of a madman and the thirst and hunger of the people he governs.

This is very different as the people are starving, living in constant fear of a death from malnutrition and starvation, their goal is surviving and this is where the fear enters the picture. We are not only being threatened by insanity gone even madder, but the fact that 22 million souls are starving within the borders of his country. This country is only a parallel away from entering another war, a 38th parallel to be exact and they have nuclear weapons. This is different because it is not just threats, but a reality, the people within the confines of the parallel would gladly give their lives to alleviate their hunger. To these starving people America is the land of milk and honey, store shelves overflowing with food and they would do whatever it takes to stop from starving to death.

Japan is actually contemplating a pre-emptive strike against North Korea, this in itself is difficult to comprehend because they have felt secure under the umbrella of our protection and now they are afraid for their very existence. This situation is not threats, this is real, and this may very well lead to a nuclear war with little if any survivors and now more than ever the people of America do need to unite. Now more than ever we need to survive and we can only accomplish this if we stand behind our leaders and our flag.

Thoughts on North Korea

It is no small wonder that living conditions in North Korea are horrible. According to the results of a few Google searches, International food aid program keep the people from starvation and malnutrition, the dream of most of its citizens is living in a free society where food is readily available. With this in mind, it is readily apparent the majority or all of the monies within their national budget is strictly earmarked for the military.

This of course is no surprise to the international community as they are all acutely aware of North Korea’s total lack of respect for human rights issues. With its citizens arbitrarily arrested in the black of night and assigned to work details wearing leg irons, their respect for rights or even human dignity is evidently non-existent.

This same line of thinking, total lack of respect for human life must be the basic thrust behind their recent war readiness and continuous attempts to join the nuclear community. What can we expect from a country whose only response to the world asking them to discontinue nuclear trials is they will go to war, attacking anyone they deem a threat to their nuclear program.

Religious and human rights groups located outside of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, have reported that members of underground churches have been murdered for their beliefs and suspected contacts with evangelical groups operating in China. Suspected political prisoners are murdered constantly; life in this area of the world means little, if nothing and the people need something to live for beyond a constant search for food.

America has been at odds with North Korea since the war and history has demonstrated this constant argument over territory is still up in the air. Granted, the 38^th parallel is in place to separate the North and South, but the only obstacle standing in the way of Kim Jong-il sending his troops over that invisible line is the presence of our US Marines.

I have often questioned lately what is to become of a dangerous situation that is growing in leaps and bounds, I honestly am unable to answer my own question, as I really cannot comprehend what may transpire. We can only hope and pray that this situation is not answered through nuclear response to a nuclear attack.

Something must be done

I for one am sick and tired of the antics of the New York Times. I am more than that, I am frustrated that they publish National Secrets getting away with not even a “Go stand in the corner”, the realization that they are truly Anti-American has set in to my mind along with the fact they are now on a personal crusade to end the Presidency. In the past, their actions were beyond Anti-American and well beyond “taking a stand against a perceived injustice” as many did in the 1960’s. It is evident they are attempting undermine to the entire war effort and the office of the Presidency in a constant barrage of Anti-American and subversive activity.

It appears that the New York Times has not broken any laws and they are considered absence of malice as they continue their subversive activity and that is what is clearly bothering me. As a soldier in the 1960’s I was in a position where I had a security clearance and I was subjected to various federal laws should I have purposefully or even inadvertently leaked information. Granted, this was and still is limited to the military and those in high public office, but there must be something applicable to the activities of the New York Times.

It is time that America enacts legislation similar to England’s Secrets act, this applies to every citizen in England and we need a similar law when it applies to National Secrets and the present war on terrorism. The fact that they are Anti-American or possible affecting the present war or even possibly the lives of the military simply does not apply to the New York Times. They want to punish President Bush for hollering at them in the media and now they will turn over any rock to do so.

Something effective needs to be done about this even if it involves the people of America boycotting their publication and conducting a letter writing campaign, something.

Getting out of hand

The New York Times has so many reporters working with confidential sources attempting to dig up any information possible that can possibly show the Bush administration in a negative light that it is a miracle any other news is posted in their Anti-American trash magazine.

An article on Political Gateway by Bob Hoffman, says the New York Times published an article Saturday saying a political ally of President Bush had warned him about secret programs. The New York Times wants to not only end the political career of President Bush, it wants to seek out and destroy any secret program, document or article presently in progress by the White House in the war on terrorism.

It is quite evident they will publish anything and everything they can in their attempt to undermine and topple President Bush. This includes publishing National Secrets pertaining to the current war our country is presently engaged in and the men and women of our military are fighting and loosing their lives in. The fact that publishing something that prior to its publication was a secret program that may lead to the death of one single soldier is more than wrong and more than a sin, it should be punishable by imprisonment.

They knew they simply got away with being hollered at for the last Anti-American thing they did and it meant nothing to them, they only became more vindictive than ever and fully intend to show the President in as bad as light as they can.

Concern over North Korea grows

With the tensions in Washington mounting over North Korea’s missile capabilities and the fluffy rabid pot bellied pig, Kim Jong-Il gleefully pressing all the buttons in his attempts to bring America into a direct confrontation, one must wonder just where this may or will lead to.

Presently America has eight Aegis-equipped ships stationed in Japan’s port Yokosuka, the Aegis technology, is geared toward tracking and shooting down enemy missiles. The USS Mustin, a highly advanced 509-foot ship carrying surface-to-air missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles recently joined the 7^th fleet, which makes its home in Yokosuka. In August, the fleet will be joined by the USS Shiloh, which last month demonstrated its ability to shoot down missile warheads in a landmark test off Hawaii.

This growing presence of anti-missile capability must relieve some of the mounting tension and concern within Japan, add to this the unpublished nuclear capabilities of our submarine fleet cruising under the ocean’s waves and they should be more relaxed over this issue.

One would assume that all of this technology would lead any leader of a country to be a bit concerned. Any leader except our fluffy rabid pot bellied pig, Kim Jong-il that is, he is no doubt busy playing the game battleship with his fleet commanders and thinking of new ways to augment his missiles capabilities to reach America.

Published reports and comments coming from the White House demonstrate their desire not to be drawn into a one on one battle with North Korea, while leaning towards an international solution to the current crises. We can only hope that North Korea will play along with this scenario and the pot bellied pig comes to his senses, realizing that yes, he can send a nuclear missile at America, but the devastation that would be launched at North Korea would not worth the effort.

Murtha’s people try to cover up

I often tend to insult idiotic individuals who presently hold a public office in which they represent and supposedly speak as the voice of their constituents. Well, that is not entirely true, I really only insult one official holding public office and that specific politician makes it so damn easy for me to insult him that at times I feel really bad about it. Okay, that is a lie too, the politician is John Murtha and I not only thoroughly enjoy insulting him, I celebrate each moment.

Well, guess what day it is boys and girls, it is “let’s show the world what a lying, deceitful, ignorant human being John Murtha is” day!

I am sure that just about everyone knows and understands just who Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) is by now, in the rare event someone has missed it, Murtha is the one who likes to call our United States Marines cold blooded murderers, even through good old Murtha was once a Marine himself, the pride one would assume would accompany serving in a service with the tradition and spirit of the Marines simply does not apply when it comes to a politician with the mental capabilities of a dung beetle.

Murtha has done more emotional damage to the men and women of the Marines then an army of Taliban could have ever hoped to accomplish. Now he has decided to take on the country that he once served and presently serves in the capacity of a Representative from Pennsylvania. However, that is not the worst of it and when it comes to Murtha that always tends to be the case.

A comment was recently attributed to Murtha when he spoke at a town hall in Miami on June 24, 2006. The original article had a direct quote from Murtha in which he stated, “American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said to an audience of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon.” This comment cut many an American right to the bone and suffice to say it was creating a media firestorm as well as many heated blog postings.

A Few days later an article came out stating that the reporter covering the event actually misquoted Murtha and the comments attributed to him were incorrect. That my fellow Americans turned out to be a total whitewash.

Thanks to the dedicated folks at WizBang, they have not only dug into this and uncovered the truth; they have the video evidence and corresponding documentary to prove it. I would highly recommend everyone stop on over to What Murtha Really Said and see for themselves how this was covered up and whitewashed to allow Murtha to comment that he did not mention that statement. Go now and discover what Murtha really is.

Fluffy Pot Bellied Pig, Oh My.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-il’s brain must have left the building or at the very least is vacationing on a tree stump somewhere in the Land of Oz contemplating the ever-present lollypop twins. Either that or this fluffy haired idiot actually thinks he can threaten America with his misfiring missiles without retaliation if one of them actually works beyond 36 seconds and reaches us. One thing is for sure, he is completely, totally, utterly freaking nuts!

You really cannot miss this guy; hair sprayed fluffed hair, body reminiscent of a rabid pot bellied pig that just ate one too many mushrooms. Often seen standing at a podium making misfiring threats at America. He does all of this while the world, including his favorite Uncle China keeps telling him to stop the nuclear threats and missile testing, but he has his own agenda, he has 22 million people and is not afraid to use them.

If history has taught us anything, it has taught us that it is not a question of “if” North Korea will cross the 38^th parallel attacking South Korea, but a question of “when”. That well learned history lesson is the basic reason we have so many U.S. Marines standing there waiting to send them to hell when they do cross the line.

This Rabid Pot Bellied idiot actually thinks he can threaten America without suffering any consequences should one of those missiles actually work without Viagra added to the fuel and reach our shores. Consequences, such as a few multi-mega nuclear warheads exploding in the middle of North Korea destroying the country, the people and perhaps the tree stump where his brain is hiding.

Perhaps he feels that America would dare not use its nuclear arsenal if nuclear force were used against us, who can really say at this point, but I am sure he will soon discover the truth if this continues.