Category Archives: Military

They must first desire to be free…

Posted on 2012/03/11 by

The aim of the Taliban is as it has been for generations, to drag a superior opponent into a protracted engagement that has rules for only that opponent. In doing so, time and

Not much about this picture has changed in a thousand years.

perception become their friends. The longer our fighting forces remain in theater, the more likely we are to see these types of horrific anomalies. Military personnel are human beings and thereby affected in very human ways by traumatic events. Granted the fighting soldier is unique in that his training mitigates some of the horrors of war, but never entirely. Eventually, and in relation to the sheer number of boots on the ground, something is bound to crack.

I want to be clear here in that I whole heartedly support our brave men and women in harms away. I believe unequivocally that you can’t support the troops and not support their mission. With that said, we now find ourselves in the position of having achieved somewhat of the objective sought after 9/11 by smashing al-Qaeda and killing bin-Laden. Unfortunately, the mission has slowly become one of nation building in a country that seems to collectively want none of it. Consequently I see only two choices.

  1. Saturate the battlefield and terminate with extreme prejudice everyone and/or thing that stands in the way of complete and total victory, at which point we may save the next generation of Afghans for freedom sake. Or-
  2. Pull up our tents pegs and get our troops home to their families as quickly as possible, and leave these people to their own devices.

If there is a lesson to be learned from the great wars, it was that full throttle warfare very often results in a timelier end to hostilities, thereby saving lives. It is important that we not now snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on this one, if for no other reason but to reward our Soldiers for their efforts and accomplishments in the name of free people everywhere.

The events in Afghanistan of the last day are a tragedy to be sure. However it is important for our leaders to send the right message. Condolences, prayers and whatever help is necessary for those left behind, but with a tag of urgency rooted in the reality of their living in a war ravaged country for far too long. It is becoming increasingly obvious that if the Afghan people truly desire to be masters of their own fate, and join with the international community in civility and peace, then help in facilitating the proper and expeditious transition of an appropriate national posture is of the utmost importance.  (Translation) – step up and take back your own country. The alternatives are listed above. One way or another, it’s time to end this thing.

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What is “Acceptable”???

Posted on 2012/03/10 by

The U.S. created 227,000 jobs in the month of February. Once again, anytime we see job creation as opposed to job losses, it is a good thing. People are finding work and going about the business of making their way through these difficult times, and it is right that we recognize any betterment in terms of the job market. Now for some qualifying news:

Unemployment remains at 8.3% and has been above 8% for three years now. Almost 45% of those unemployed have collected benefits for longer than at any time in U.S. history. Approximately 13 million Americans are still without work and we have lost 2 million tangible and “countable” jobs since 2007. The number of jobs added is now trending down and those jobs are mainly service sector (temporary) positions and lower paying, which is never a very good sign for long-term growth. Consequently, when you hold up these numbers against a devastating foreclosure rate and skyrocketing gas prices/inflation, it’s hard to jump that “recovery” train with any real enthusiasm.

Look, I have said and will say again, do not be lulled into the “new norm” where 7.5% unemployment will somehow be  viewed as “acceptable”, and $4.25 gasoline along a $6.50 box of corn flakes are our economic future. By and large this may very well be our short-term future based on inflationary trending numbers, but our actions this year will determine whether that will be $5.75 gasoline and $7.00 Cheerios moving forward.

Free market economic recovery after a down turn comes in many forms and at varying degrees of speed. It can be affected only at certain times by the policies of a representative government. That is to say there is usually a very small window for politics to have an effect on free market economics. We must also take into account that there will always be a certain amount of what I like to call “natural” recovery, that being the strength of the free market to advance in spite of every effort made by an incumbent Administration or Congress, (and which they will take credit for, you can be sure). With this in mind I submit to my readers that while it does my heart good that anyone benefits from any upswing in the economy, this particular Administration has been nothing but a hindrance to real recovery. Furthermore, until he is either removed from the WH by vote or term limit, President Barack Obama will continue to govern outside and around everything necessary to bring about that real recovery.

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Talk is cheap…

Posted on 2012/03/01 by

I do agree that with many of our fighting men and women still in harm’s way, it would be premature to celebrate by way of a nationally recognized event such as a ticker-tape parade. I am happy to see however, that the President has decided to hold an event at the White House which will at least mark the occasion of some of our soldiers returning from both theaters, and acknowledge them for their immense sacrifice and bravery. Now let’s take a look at what the reality is for many Veterans and active duty Soldiers during the Obama Presidency 2012.

The President’s new budget is calling for cuts to Veterans medical benefits by as much as 30 – 70% in 2013 depending on the individual package, and a graduated 90 – 345% increase within 5 years. Co-Pays for active duty personnel will triple within the same period. Administration spokespeople are touting these cuts as a necessary burden applied through an overall military cut back. Ok, so let me understand this. At a time when United States interests are threatened on the broadest front in our history, we will not only cut funding for the means by which our defenders “bring it” to the enemy, but we will also cut their means of making a living and supporting their families?

An all-volunteer army that goes in harm’s way in our stead is now left to muddle through on an actual and applicable living wage barely at the poverty line, and it gets worse. All this comes as our domestic entitlement spending is at its highest level in the last 10 years and shows no sign of slowing. (Note) – As a bonus slap in the face, the United States Government will spend nearly $750,000.00 on a new soccer field for the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Yes, you heard right, the same Guantanamo Bay President Obama promised to have had closed 3 years ago.

Once again the glaring political hypocrisy of this Administration is nothing short of insulting. Where are our priorities?

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Popular vs. Legal…

Posted on 2012/02/25 by

On the matter of Constitutionality, I read recently of the divide with regard to interpretation of this unique and special document. The words “popular and legal” come up quite a bit with a good segment of the judicial community coming down on the side of legal interpretation. Once again I will defer to the “popular” reading of the document and the emotional tone and time in which it was written. Never in recorded history, have so many sacrificed their lives and fortunes to provide for the survival of that which is framed in the Constitution of the United States. And while there is no doubt the Founders themselves acknowledged a need of legal definition for posterity sake, it was never to come at the expense of the basic ideals and principles which are its foundation. One only need put down any legal briefs or modern definitions as put forth by agenda driven judicial ideologues, and pick up the letters and writings of the men who actually wrote the Constitution to understand this. No symposium/seminar chaired by the so-called scholars on the matter can match the feeling and fervor of group of individuals pledging everything in this life for a cause greater than self. Think about that…

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Karzai is a criminal…

Posted on 2012/02/25 by

Why is it that our President is compelled to apologize at the drop of a hat when Muslims are “allegedly” wronged, yet walks away from an opportunity to set the record straight with regard to the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the fact that they are responsible for 70% of all civilian casualties in country? Why is it that while Christians are being shot and burned in their churches he is silent? And why does he not draw the distinction between how these Taliban animals react to events such as the Koran burning, and how a “civilized people” should voice their anger. Two more Americans are shot dead today and we are left to wonder what the heck we are defending these people for? If we can’t get this right by God, what can we get right??

Death to America? Really? It’s time clean house or get out!

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The way we were…

Posted on 2012/02/25 by

I seem to remember a lot of discussion about “diplomacy” in the Middle East, and how it would be preferable to the so-called “Bush Doctrine”. Since that time the current Administration has actually been operating on both sides of the proverbial fence.

On the one hand they have been ventilating al-Qaeda types over the Pakistani Boarder to the tune of about a one or two a week. And they wasted no time “double tappin” Osama’s sorry ass when the opportunity presented itself. On the other side of that coin however, their gun shy approach to Egypt, Iran, Libya and now Syria has left few options on the table in the face of some of the most critical and pivotal international events in recent memory. Our current standing in the world is no longer one of peace through strength, but rather more likely we are perceived as weak and indecisive, as well as hobbled by enormous debt and other economic woes.

America’s place within the international community has always had its foundational roots in superpower status, (and) the fact we would walk the walk if need be for that sake of sound principles and ideals. Indeed millions have died along the way to do just that. Today it appears we will pick and choose our battles in terms of some sort of perceived or classroom diplomacy, and to heck with what we stand for. In the meantime we have allowed windows of opportunity which may have saved lives on both sides to close.

I am not advocating for additional boots on the ground to be sure. But it’s the reason I’m not that bothers me. Simply put, our moral compass as a nation is off kilter and we’re broke… Sad but true…

 

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Projo rocks!!!

Posted on 2012/02/18 by

Every so often I will print a response to one of my articles or “letters to the editor” of the newspapers I write to, and then my rebuttal. They are interesting and sometimes even funny.  In this case it is my home state of Rhode Island and the Providence Journal. I simply can’t respond to all of them, but some just beg to be educated. Read on: (Last names omitted)

Anthony xxxxxxxx: Comella’s vendetta

Anthony xxxxxxxx: Comella’s vendetta

Comments 14 | Recommend 0

February 15, 2012 9:33 am


The tone and content of recent letters by Fred Comella suggest he has a vendetta against President Obama. He whines about about a whole litany of tribulations that include our financial woes and our soldiers fighting and dying. It wasn’t President Obama who started two illegal wars based on lies that will carry a price tag of over $1 trillion before they are finished, besides the tragic loss of life and suffering resulting from these conflicts.

It wasn’t President Obama who gave a $700 billion tax break that mostly helped the top 1 percent. These events along with others sent our economy into a free fall. I wonder if the name George W. Bush rings a bell with Mr. Comella? President Obama did accomplish what Bush couldn’t: the extermination of Osama Bin Laden, who must have been Comella’s worst nightmare.

Comella seems to exist in a state of constant terror. With Bin Laden gone, his imagination appears to conjure other demons to dread.

Anthony xxxxxxxx
West Warwick

Now while I have been told that contributors letters to the Providence Journal should not attack the author but rather the content of his/her writing, it seems the Journal has made an exception in my case. Nonetheless, they have always been fair with me and printed many of my letters so I bear no ill will.

Regarding the content of Anthony’s letter, let me respond in kind and for the record. George W. bush enforced UN Resolution 1441, and subsequent resolutions with majority support of the Security Council and the U.S. Congress. Additionally, the Afghan War was initiated to seek out and destroy the forces which launched the attacks of 9/11. Once again facts are cast aside and replaced with (Bush hatred) and Left wing Rhetoric. Moreover, for all the Lefty vitriol concerning President Bush’s intelligence, he must have been pretty damn smart to fool all those Democrats of superior intellect in Congress. And I won’t even begin to address how many of those “lies” are now being vetted and proved correct. Frankly, the notion that our brave men and women have died in vain, as it seems Anthony is suggesting, is outrageous. I would add here that Seal Team 6 killed bin-Laden after receiving the “proceed” order from President Obama, and as initiated by yes, President Bush.

And would those tax breaks Anthony mentions be the ones President Obama has signed off on yet again this past year?

I am not asking that The Projo print this as simply a rebuttal, but rather in the vein which they have done so in the past, that of fairness. This is America and we are all entitled to our opinions, hence the Op-Ed page. And while I’m certainly not frazzled by the volume of email I receive, some of which can be “very negative”, sometimes the discussion begs both sides. I do not live in a “constant state of terror” Anthony, but I do fear my son’s America will look very different if this President’s policies are allowed to take root unchecked by our Republic, that’s all…

 

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There is a right way…

Posted on 2012/02/09 by

Evil x 3

As much as Ron Paul would tell you “it doesn’t matter” when looking at world events and how they relate to our own status, most intelligent folks would beg to differ. Now there is certainly something to be said for the U.S. acting as policeman for the world, and I would not argue the point that our overseas expenditures are excessive to say the least. But I do believe there is money well spent in other nations and that money can make a difference if allocated and used appropriately.

Setting aside the United States as a free and compassionate nation which feeds the world in many respects, what do we do about the violence in Syria? As a matter of fact, what do we do about the Middle East period? Now there are those who advocate for a complete “hands off” policy, and still others who are firmly affixed to the screwy notion that we created the entire mess, so we must now step aside and let the world descend into chaos and anarchy as punishment for our sins. (What troubles me is there is even anyone who supports this view). That said, the question remains where do we go from here? In the broadest of terms, a war in the Middle East should be avoided at all costs. However, the world having allowed the likes of Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to metastasize like malignant rectal cancer, has put our collective backs to the proverbial wall. There is I believe, a way out though.

In both Iran and Syria, there are real folks fighting for freedom, literally sometimes with sticks and stones. As I know the comparison email will flow, these are not Hezbollah and Hamas folks, who are terrorists and kill innocents in the name of their sadistic and twisted ideology. No, these are people who have lived under established and murderous regimes, in some cases for generations. I believe we have an opportunity to use the clandestine skills of our intelligence agencies, along with some muscle in the form of (weaponry only), to rid these nations of the cancer that is killing them and threatening world peace. In essence, provide these people who are fighting and dying in the streets, with the means to free their own country from the clutches of evil. Not in the way that the Obama Administration did so in Egypt, as we can see what’s happening there. We must see it through and frame the argument in a simple and obvious truth. And that is in order for any nation to engage in the discourse of legitimate international diplomacy, that nation must first have a foundation which acknowledges basic human rights and freedom first. What is so wrong with celebrating that? What is so wrong with associating with and promoting that? Who other than the most ardent Socialist/Communist would say, “Well maybe human rights are just not their way”, I’m sorry??

My thought process on the matter of Syria, and frankly all the Middle East at this point, is that I support standing with our allies and supporting those who truly want freedom. And don’t tell me, that with all of our capabilities there is not a way to legitimately do this without American boots on the ground to do the heavy lifting. Freedom is never free, and this should always be the first lesson.

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“Congressman” Allen West vs. Big Bad Bob Beckel…

Posted on 2012/01/31 by

Wanting to jump through the flat screen and school Bob Beckel in reality is something I live with every day. So when I hear Congressman and retired Army Lt. Colonel Allen West square away the portly pundit, my heart swells. Beckel is the poster child for the clueless Liberals out there who literally make it up as they go along. Ideology replaces common sense regularly and facts are cast off as obstacles to the Progressive agenda when he speaks. All things bad are the products of 43’s time in office, and Barack Obama was dispatched from the hallowed halls of academia to save us from ourselves. All this is often served up with heaping loads of condescension and disdain for all who disagree.

I actually watched the episode of “The Five” in question and truthfully I wasn’t taken back by Beckel’s “commentary” on a speech West made stating how he felt the message of the Progressives belongs in Europe and not the U.S. What really got me was how Beckel became incensed during the discussion and even refused to refer to West as Congressman or Lt. Colonel. God help us if the tables were turned and West was a Democrat. The cries of racism and disrespect would have been blood curdling.

In the end, Congressman West is asking for but will not receive an apology from Beckel. Not because of Beckel’s politics, but for the blatant and angry way he stated he would not even call him by his hard-earned military rank. It is always ironic but expected when we see the Left’s true colors regarding the military. Appropriately, Lt. Colonel West fell in with his soldiers as he has many times before, and reminded the “FOX & FRIENDS” cast this morning that he had spent 22 years of his life defending Beckel’s right to say the things he does and live in freedom.

In the end Congressman West said it best in a phone interview with FOX: “The days of the Liberal Left using Republicans as punching bags are over”.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-18B13yEUUg&feature=related’]

 

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More of the same…

Posted on 2012/01/26 by

The State of the Union address was a campaign speech. I knew it would be so I was not compelled to respond with an immediate salvo of criticism. The President struck an uncharacteristic and populous tone with much of the usual lofty rhetoric short on facts and substance. He was content to frame his argument in the form of questions most would answer “of course” too, but as usual left out key components of the debate which make that answer wholly inadequate. For instance, his rhetoric on taxes was particularly amusing considering the facts. But it sure sounded good in the context of his overall approach to the speech. Obviously, class warfare and the politics of division will be the Presidents weapons of choice this campaign cycle, and he made it very clear Tuesday evening he would not hesitate to use those weapons at every possible juncture.

Not unlike the Liberal playbook of old, Mr. Obama will put all of his marbles on the notion that most folks won’t fact check his assertions and that emotion will drive the vote. That may in fact work against him this time. There seems to be an equal amount of emotion with folks looking very carefully at his record. And running on a record is very different from running on simply “hope and change”.

In the end I found the speech to be no different from other SOTU’s from Presidents on both sides of the aisle. Lofty rhetoric with little substance and boat loads of political satire, are usually the jumping off points for politicians running for re-election.

I did take exception with one thing he mentioned regarding to the “Situation Room”. I think this POTUS has to some degree “declassified” the office of President. There are just things better left off the table as a matter of respect for the high office. Americans want there to be a kind of hands off notion about the President when he acts on our behalf militarily. We don’t necessarily need to know the gory details. Just the fact he is doing his Constitutional duty to protect the nation will do. With the precisely timed release of the first S/R photos taken as “Operation Neptune Spear” unfolded, it was clear this Administration meant to capitalize in every way they could when President Obama carried out President Bush’s standing executive order to neutralize Osama bin-Laden. I think the fact he flew that flag again Tuesday night was regrettable. It wasn’t he or Bush who killed the terrorist leader but rather Seal Team Six, and I feel their role is diminished when the Commander-in-Chief attempts to emphasize his part by way of dramatizing what goes on behind the closed doors of a clandestine military operation. It just seems to trivialize a truly heroic and significant moment in our nation’s history.

With that said, I will not expand beyond these few observations, as it will ultimately be the collective Electorate who will decide if the POTUS was grandstanding, campaigning or if he was truly sincere beyond the politics of the moment.

 

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