Dagney's Rant

Couple of Things About Our Military...

...Are Bugging Me. You know those little things that sit in the back of your mind and bug you for days, until finally you have to either talk them out, or write them out? Well that is what I have to do today, to get them out in the open. If you hadn't figured out by now, the Clintons and the damage they have done to my country, rankle me on a fairly regular basis. One of the reasons it bugs me, is that the first time he ran, I voted for him. I blame it on temporary dementia, but it's true nonetheless, and I hate to admit it! Thank God I recovered.

Recently I heard a former DoD insider, a retired general, talking about how the military was about to "back door" women into combat, and it was being accomplished by generals that were raised to their rank under her direction. That started me thinking about the military, and the jeopardy it might be in, thanks to the evil duo.

Then I heard that the flags were ordered taken off our soldiers' uniforms and our armament prior to going into Iraq. Why? So it wouldn't "upset" the Muslims? Bull! Let them know who are coming to their rescue! I am of the belief that everything that leaves our country to help another country should have our flag on it! Aid, medicines for disaster survivors, food for starving countries, all should arrive proudly bearing the flag of the country that sends it. I'd say the same thing if I were an Aussie! Call me a flag waver, and I'll tell you, "Thank You!"

And then something else I noticed, and have heard from alot of military personnel, even from their parents, is how they "fight for the man next to them", "for their platoon", for "their company", for "their squad", "their guys". While that is all fine and good, I note that the training used to be, militarily, that you were "Fighting for God and country", or "fighting for our loved ones back home". When did that stop being true?

Here is why all of that bothers me, and you can call me crazy, call me whacko, but it does. One characteristic that Islamofacists and socialists have in common is that they both tend to think over centuries, while we freedom loving Americans just lie about happy and content thinking in terms of what we're going to do next weekend. If we have a military that fights for the guy next to them, instead of the country they serve, and if their uniforms do not signify the country...and if they are willing to allow women to fight on the front lines...how long before whoever is in charge of their orders....Are you getting my train of thought? That is the nightmare that woke me this morning.

Clintonistas Caught Again...Why Hasn't the MSM Noticed?

I know, silly question! Franklin Raines, the newly ousted CEO of Fannie Mae, was the former Budget Director for the Clinton Administration.

"Flaherty said, "Let me get this straight. Raines apparently cooks the books, brings disgrace to the company, and imperils Fannie Mae's standing with regulators, the Congress and administration. So for his punishment he is made wealthy for the rest of his life?"

Mr. Raines' Vice Chair was Jamie Gorelik, who bailed out of Fannie Mae at the first sign of heat. I don't need to add, do I, that she was Janet Reno's puppeteer, and wrote the memo that disallowed the communication between FBI, CIA, et al, yet somehow wrangled a job on the 9/11 commission? A friend told me, during that ongoing debacle, that she should have recused herself from the commission because of that, wherein I made the comment to my Republican friend, "You have to have a basic value system and some honor to do that...she doesn't know the meaning of the words!"

And then there is Ramsey Clark, who is the former Attorney General under Carter. What a success Carter was at being president! Remember the misery index?. He, Mr. Clark, is now going to be an attorney on the team of Saddam Hussein's defenders. Wonder how he'll try to trash America with that gig? You know he will, just a matter of "how".

Does it not continue to amaze you, the depth of corruption and depravity that seems to permeate that whole group of people? What a viper pit my parents' party, the once great Democrats, have become! Keeping Shrillary out of the White House, and Slick Willie out of the UN should be our primary focus!

Happy New Year, y'all!

Bernie's Troubles

New York press just won't give up! They have a former employee under Bernie Kerik's Corrections Dept. administration who apparently crawled out from under a rock, making allegations of corruption.

"The man he is talking about is Terrence Skinner, 43, a former Department of Correction official, who claims Kerik turned the agency into "the Department of Corruption."

Bernie doesn't think he's the real reason for all of this hullabaloo.

"I have this terrible feeling that nobody wants to hurt me, but wants to try and hurt Rudy Giuliani, one of the most decent, most loyal, most brave, most honest men in this city. I'm a nobody. A humble nobody."

Let me see...2006....Rudy vs.....*sniff* *sniff*....do I smell Shrillary's fine hand in any of this? It certainly seems to fit her MO!

United Nations and Tragedies

I was not going to blog on the Tsunamis and their devastation in southern Asia because it was being covered so masterfully elsewhere. But the comments from a UN talking head, by the name of Jan Egeland sent me over the edge! I immediately wanted to pinch off his head! The deaths are reaching perilously close to 60,000, an unheard of deathtoll, and this moron is putting down our president by suggesting that we should be taxed more so that our government could be more generous! Not once did he say what the UN would be doing...but with their track record, hopefully nothing! Granted, after Secretary of State Colin Powell chewed on him a bit, he recanted, but with little sincerity! He still hates Bush!

"There are several donors who are less generous than before in a growing world economy," he said, adding that politicians in the United States and Europe "believe that they are really burdening the taxpayers too much, and the taxpayers want to give less. It's not true. They want to give more."

And we do give more, Sir. Of our own volition! And by the way, "yoo hoo, Mr. Egeland, we're at war, ya know? The government is stretched a bit! Our government helps in ways other governments cannot! They simply do not have the technology."

Typically, this socialist thinks our money should belong to the government so they can decide where it goes. He never gives a thought to check out the enormous sums we ordinary Americans are donating to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, et al! A cursory glance at most libs' tax returns showing their deductible donations will inform you of the truth of that statement! Or you can look at the charitable donations from the blue states vs. the red states. Republicans overwhelmingly donate more money than Democrats!

In the meantime, the totals of the dead are climbing higher than we ever thought possible. The survivors are in danger of horrendous illness from a lack of safe drinking water, and rotting carcasses. There are reports that the oceans could threaten beaches elsewhere in the world, according to Roger Hedgecock on Rush Limbaugh's show today. I will do a bit of research, and update the blog if I find anything.

Bottom line; our hearts and prayers go out to those people living in the stricken areas. The earth's power is phenomenal, and we are but tiny Lilliputions on its surface. Thank You, God for putting us on this beautiful planet, but beware its ability to make its power known.

Turning Up The Heat!

UPDATE: "The GOP's four-seat gain in the Senate in November's election has emboldened Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) to limit the Democrats' influence by reworking the appropriations for Senate committee in hopes of giving Republicans a two-thirds-to-one-third advantage in resources. " [hat tip: Blogs for Bush]

The essential affect of this would be that the donks would have less staff to drum up problems for the President, and their threatened minority senate panel inquiry into "questions about the administration" would be hog tied, with the result that there would be less of our tax dollars to create pap for the MSM to suck up!

Looks like we're in for a long hard slog in the Senate Judicial Committee. I wrote, via e-mail to GOP Senators a few weeks ago, and have heard back from most of them. All of those I've heard from seem to want to justify the "senate tradition" that will allow Arlen Specter to step into that job automatically. After all, he promised to be a good boy. His assurances do not convince me. That does the President, and the voters who voted outstandingly conservative, a disservice! My husband and I have responded to them with the following fax;

"We are sorry, Senator, but you cannot believe anything Arlen Specter tells you. We have family and friends who live in PA, and they will tell you that he will say whatever he needs to say, to get the job, and promptly vote the opposite of his promises! It is a mistake to allow this man to take on the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. The left doesn’t seem to realize they lost! Here is a quote from a recent news story,

“Sen.-elect Ken Salazar on Sunday predicted a "bloody fight" if the Senate's Republican leadership tries to change rules that allowed minority Democrats to block votes on judicial nominees they considered unacceptable."I think it's going to be a bloody fight and I would hope that it could be avoided," Salazar said. "I think that the best thing to do is for the president to have consultation both with Republicans and with Democrats prior to making the appointments."

As you can read for yourself, even this freshman senator from Colorado thinks his side won, just because the Colorado RNC was too stupid to ask Ben Nighthorse Campbell to campaign for Coors! We Republicans will continue to remind you folks on Capital Hill; WE WON THIS ELECTION, NOW ACT LIKE IT!
Thank you for your time."

It is time we got tough with those folks we spent time going to the polls to elect, not to mention the time and money we spent in other endeavors in order to get them elected. They OWE us to do the job we hired them to do!

The GOP are making sounds like they are actually going to do that job,

"Senate rules allow a minority of the chamber to filibuster a measure to death by refusing to allow it to come up for a vote. It takes 60 votes to end a filibuster. Republicans will have 55 of the 100 Senate seats when the new Congress meets Jan. 4, up from 51 during the last session. Last month, Frist called the filibustering of judges "tyranny by the minority" and said, "We must leave this obstruction behind."

But that is not enough. We want to see them stand up to these loud-mouth losers who still haven't figured out that their side LOST....BIG TIME! So we must keep reminding them, until they grow a new set of attitudes, "oh yeah, we're in charge now", after years of NOT being in charge!

Oh, and by the way, if the donks who pose as "moderate" don't figure out that their job is in danger, ala Puff Daschle, we might end up with 60+ GOPers in '06! Get a clue, people!

Ukraine's New President and First Lady are Capitalists!

With over 90% of the votes counted, Viktor Yushchenko is the clear winner. We have all heard about their attempt to get him out of the running. The "they" appears to be the old Red Guard who want to re-build the old USSR. It will be the new pro-capitalists who will prove that to be impossible. Remember your history; communism's mandate was to end capitalism. So many of our own lefties hold out hope that they can "bring down the capitalists". The capitalists would be you and me; folks who own our own businesses, own stocks, own our own homes, etc. Of course, the left would have you believe they only want to bring down the huge corporations. Who are you employed by? Litton Industries? Dow Chemical? Exxon Oil? Halliburton? Sears? Wal-Mart? Think about it. It is apparent they do not! They would have government take over those industries, and we know how well that worked in Soviet Russia, don't we?

Yushchenko and his wife Kathy, an American-born Ukrainian, know first hand that capitalism works, and socialism doesn't. The outgoing President Kuchma was a very pro-Russian president, and was very unpopular:

"Opinion polls show outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to be deeply unpopular, widely blamed for corrupt management of the economy during a decade in power that has left most Ukrainians mired in poverty while a few prospered."

The hope for a prosperous future in Ukraine is furthered by the knowledge that the new President-elect Yushchenko is married to a Conservative American (the old regime has blocked her request to become Ukrainian) who is a former Reagan appointee to State Department, and George H. W. Bush's adviser. Her colleagues in State say that her life's dream was to see a free and democratic Ukraine, and has worked much of her life to that end.

"Now the challenge facing Ukraine is to make the leap towards becoming a democratic society truly governed by the rule of law. Mrs. Yushchenko is realistic about the obstacles facing her husband and his team. "[Some] people are making a lot of money off the current system," she told ABC News. "The last thing they want is for the system to change and for the economy to be a free market economy where the general population benefits rather than a small group of people at the top."

Our American and European left cannot be happy about the rise of capitalism in a country with much in the way of resources becoming pro-capitalist, and anti-socialist. In the days to come, it will be interesting to see how MSM world-wide will handle this story. The disgraceful way that Mr. Yushchecko was treated by those in Ukraine during the campaign should make for an instant bond between Mr. Yushchenko and Mr. Bush. There was a substantial "disinformation" campaign there, as well.

"After he was poisoned, the state prosecutor opened an investigation into the incident and then tried smearing Mr. Yushchenko by claiming he had a disfiguring case of herpes.
Tape recordings made by a disgruntled bodyguard for President Leonid Kuchma show that the president personally ordered a disinformation campaign against the Yushchenkos. Mr. Yushchenko was portrayed as a fascist puppet of Western bankers and Kateryna as an active CIA agent. She responded by winning a libel judgment against a Russian television station that accused her of disloyalty to Ukraine. "

As usual, the people saw through it, and spoke with their votes, as we did here in America!

UPDATE: Looks like the rats are deserting the sinking ship already, in Ukraine that was the old Ukraine!

Christmas in Iraq

In keeping my posts brief during my absence from home, I rely heavily on outside assistance. This post is courtesy of a link I found at Iraq the Model. A Baghdad lady who blogs as "Rose";

"The Iraqis have strong bonds between them, in spite of religion or ethnic differences, we all work together, have neighbors from other religions, visit each other and respect our differences. my neighbors are shias, my best friends are Christians and Kurds and I’m Sunni, but we all have good relations between us. I’m afraid of those who are trying hard to tear us a part, for me I don’t think they will succeed but I’m sure they are from outside Iraq, and they want Iraq to separate into several parts or maybe drag it to civil war. "

Rose is correct in her concerns for her country, for the extremists are trying to drive a wedge between the factions. But I agree with her that their efforts will fail. Every Iraqi blog you find has one thing in common, education. Iraqis are a very educated people, and their many skills combined will help them to build a strong nation.

Now, once we help them rid themselves of terrorists, we just need to keep the ACLUnatics out of Iraq! They have a better than average chance of showing the world all they've learned about democracy! Maybe we could learn a little something from them in the meantime? Merry Christmas y'all!

UPDATE: We're home! After screaming kids on two flights, I couldn't be happier to be home! Appeasement doesn't work with despots or kids! It just encourages them!

Merry CHRISTmas

In keeping with the season, I offer another great entry from the Mudville Gazette;

"The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why.
No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think the most likely reason of all
Was his heart (or something) was two sizes too small.
But, Whatever the reason, His heart or his shoes,
When Hanukah came he hated the Jews,
On Christmas his hate spread throughout his views
to Christians, Republicans, and right wingers too! "

Read the rest, then answer this question; Great explanation for libs, isn't it?

Hugs to you all, and a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Defending Rumsfeld; Homespun Bloggers VI Question of the Week

In answer to this week's question at Homespun Bloggers, I offer a recent post. I am working on someone else's computer, while I'm on my Christmas trip, and I didn't want to wear out my welcome. When I read the question,
"Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld now finds himself in the midst of the bitter and often cruel politics which have become a hallmark of the D.C. political landscape. In the past few weeks Rumsfeld has weathered criticism over his handling of the ambush-like question planted by a reporter during a question and answer session with the troops, the defense secretary has received harsh indictments from the likes of John McCain and Trent Lott, and Rumsfeld has endured embarassing exposés fueled by Pentagon leaks.Is all the controversy surrounding Rumsfeld justified? In your opinion, are these attacks on the defense secretary fair? And finally - borrowing a slightly modified line from The Clash - should he (Rumsfield) stay or should he go now?", I thought, "Hey, I've already addressed that!"

So forgive me for running a post twice, but see if this works! It worked for me:

I rarely post twice in a day, but I have had it up to my eyeballs with the Rumsfeld bashing! The mini-memories belonging to the likes of Trent Lott & John "never saw a camera he didn't like" McCain, et al, need to be enlarged to include their culpability in any short-comings the military may be facing. I offer this as a memory jog, gentlemen:

"The Facts About Military Readiness
by Jack SpencerBackgrounder #1394
The Heritage Foundation
September 15, 2000

....The reduction in forces of the U.S. armed forces began in the early 1990s. After the end of the Cold War, the Bush Administration began to reduce the size of the military so that it would be consistent with post-Cold War threats. 12 Under the Clinton Administration, however, that reduction in forces escalated too rapidly at the same time that U.S. forces were deployed too often with too little funding. The result was decreased readiness as personnel, equipment, training, and location suffered."

Now, who is responsible for that? Constitutionally, that would be the Congress. Was Secretary Rumsfeld in the U.S. Congress during those years, gentlemen? No. Were YOU in the Congress during that time, gentlemen? YES!

For Trent Lott to say Secretary Rumsfeld does not listen to his uniformed experts is patently ridiculous. Ask any of the top brass, and they will refute it. I have heard them tell such folks as Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity that he is the most hands-on Secretary of Defense any of them have ever worked with. And have you gentlemen noticed that this is a man who goes to the troops, meets with them OFTEN? Did the fact that Afghanistan has a duly elected President, escape you? Did you realize the Iraqis are lining up to vote their new government in to office? Or the tiny fact that 50 million people have been rescued from despotic regimes escape your notice?

I might also ask, gentlemen, if any of you has recently looked at WWII; the planning, the adjustments, the time involved to accomplish the task, not to mention the casualties, and compared it to Afghanistan and Iraq?

Now please, sit down, shut up, and do YOUR jobs, not his!

Other Homespun Responses:

Little Red Blog

Being Thomas Luongo

The Redhunter

Major Dad 1984

Esoteric * Diatribe

Ogre's Politics and Views

The Commons at Paulie World

In Keeping With This Seasonal Trend

I couldn't resist. Everyone is just barely stirring around here, and in perusing my usual morning reading so far from home, I come across yet another brilliant piece of poetry from Greyhawk, reporting from Mudville;

"So few minutes to spare out of each busy day,
but so many things cry for attentionthere's no time for issues that seem far away,
so most of them get not a mention

While sometimes in our vehicles politicians ride,
'round V-beds and mortars detected
I still think we GIs can help them decide,
how much armor could keep us protected

And reporters with pens that kill us the same,
as things in Iraq or a 'Stan and enemies here with unpronounceable names,
will get a few words when I can"

When you read the brilliant prose, written in response to a reader who only wanted to read about the blood and guts of war, and not the politics behind it, you realize the severe spanking given to the MSM is more than earned, but is required of all of us in the blogosphere; the media has prolonged this war. They have given succor to the enemy. They have gotten our men killed, and then shown blown up pictures of it, further encouraging our enemies. When will we put a stop, not to the freedom of the press, but to the lies and distortions being portrayed by the MSM on a daily, hourly, minute by minute dose? Enough is enough! They are supposed to be Americans!

And Yet Another!

Continuing the trend, I offer this Cajun Christmas poem. It's loads of fun, but if you are unfamiliar with the rhythm of a Cajun's patois, it may be a bit difficult to follow. It's still fun! [hat tip: Barking Moonbat]

There was actually several things I could rant about, like Janeane Garofalo's opinion about our flag, but given the fact that it is the Christmas season, and I don't want to spoil the mood, I'll leave that until I return from my trip. We fly out today so that I can spend Christmas with my grandsons.

Wanted to add some good news, it appears the Brits are sick and tired of the Scrooges robbing them of Christmas too! Read about it here.

"READERS have thrown their support behind The Sun’s campaign to save Christmas by turning back the tide of politically correct meddling that threatens to destroy it. "

Maybe the tide is changing in the UK as well as here. Let's hope we have them on the run!
May you have the Merriest and most Blessed Christmas ever. And remember the Reason for the season.

Another Christmas Poem

I found another Christmas poem to share today. This one was doubly special to me, as anyone who read about my Thanksgiving will understand. This one explains the military reverence for those special soldiers known as Medics! Here's a taste of it:

"As I stood there in wonder and gazed into his eyes,
the words that he spoke took me quite by surprise.
"What's wrong Santa, haven't you ever seen a Medic before?"
I sensed something special and longed to know more.

"To be honest, this field thing wasn't part of my plan,
but the Army didn't give me a hospital or garrison."
"The words he spoke next surprised me all the more,
"But I'm as proud of my Unit as I am of the Army!"

Merry Christmas! [Imagine that, I used the "C" word in two consecutive posts! ;-) Ho Ho Ho]

Sharing a Christmas Poem

My friend, Major Dad, has written a poem to honor his friend, Mike, who was killed when his plane crashed in Afghanistan. Ladies, if you are not wearing water-proof mascara, be aware, you are going to have black streaks down your cheeks! And after looking at my husband after he read it, you fellows may want to read it in private. Not only is this work poignant, and indicative of the Major's character, it is also instructional for all of us non-military types. It points out the "mind-set" of those who have chosen the military as their life's work. It also makes us remember that there are those few, the "10%" who join the military for ulterior motives, such as John sKerry, and Smash's pal Pablo, which is why I say it is instructional.

Here is a taste of it, but read it all for yourself;

"Our Dad died doing what was just, what was right.
His nation had called him, to head off to the fight.
To free the oppressed and protect us all here,
He went with a smile, a heart without fear.

One month ago, we had gotten the news
An airplane was missing, along with its crew.
Up in the mountains with weather so cold,
One of the missing, our daddy…a pilot, so bold."

The price of freedom....it isn't free!

More Troop Appreciation!

Ya gotta love these stories, folks. Especially if you are a boomer! We remember how the ragged left treated our soldiers returning from Nam, and most of us are determined to insure that it never happens to our soldiers again. Here is another example of the appreciation we have for our guys and gals in uniform;

"Neal Hawks, a Mavericks season ticketholder the last five seasons, is organizing "Seats for Soldiers," where about 140 military personnel who are rehabilitating from injuries will get front-row seats at the Mavs' home game Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks."

Mr. Hawks first did this last season, inviting 8 troops to join him. He was so delighted to see 20,000 fans give them a standing ovation that he decided to see if other season ticket holders would want to give up their seats. He figured 50-60, but 140? WOW! And American Airlines is sending a jet to BAMC in San Antonio to fly them to Dallas for the game.

"Cpl. J.R. Martinez has had 28 surgeries because of burns over 40% of his body, including his face, arms and legs, when he was wounded in Karbala, Iraq. He was one of the soldiers from BAMC who went to a game with Hawks last year.

"They brought us on the court at halftime and gave us a standing ovation," Martinez said. "It was priceless. It helps with your recovery because it allows you to realize there are a lot of people out there who appreciate what you do."

Mr. Hawks, I want to add my hearty Thank You to the rest of the accolades! (((((((hug))))))))

I love Texans!

The Heart of America At Work In Iraq

Go read about the bravery of one little girl with her teddy bear clutched at BLACKFIVE, and what the heart of America is achieving in Iraq. Here is a taste of a soldier's e-mail,

"It was the heart of an American that sent that toy. It was the heart of an American that gave that toy to that little girl. It was the heart of an American that protected that convoy from that mine. Sure, she was a little Iraqi girl and she had no knowledge of purple mountain's majesty or fruited plains. It was a heart of acceptance, of tolerance, of peace and grace, even through the inconveniences of conflict that saved that convoy from hitting that mine. Those attributes are what keep Americans hearts beating. She may have no affiliation at all with the United States, but she knows what it is to be brave and if we can continue to support her and her new government, she will know what it is to be free. Isn't that what Americans are, the free and the brave?
If you sent over a toy or a Marine (US Service member) you took part in this. You are a reason that Iraq has to believe in a better future. Thank you so much for supporting us and for supporting our cause over here."

Thank you, America! Thank you, Troops! We are so proud of you.

Update: Another reason to thank you, my readers!

I just got this from my adopted son in Iraq:

"Hey mom,
I got your card and thanks, I believe I recieved some others as well because they were addressed to any soldier but hey, how's life? Counting down the days is correct. I'll be 21 on Feb.26. Then soon after we start to head home. 2005 seems like it's going to be a great year. Plus I just reenlisted to go to Germany for 4 years. But hey, thank you for the card and I'll be seeing you soon!"

I wanted to let you, who sent him cards, know that he got them! God Bless you, one and all!

What Happens When PC Runs Amok

Here in the United States, we still have the right to protect our property. But in the socialist countries in the EU, you would spend time in jail if you shot someone breaking into your home! The criminals are apparently running the show over there, because they know they are "protected". In fact, this is what a Scottish doctor recommends, should you have a home intruder;

"When individuals are confronted by intruders there are some actions they should follow. Direct contact should be avoided whenever possible. If unavoidable, the victim should adopt a state of active passivity. In most cases the best form of defence is always avoidance. If this isn’t possible, act passively, be careful what you say or do and give up valuables without a struggle. This allows the victim to take charge of the situation, without the intruder’s awareness, through subtle and non-confrontational means. People can cooperate but initiate nothing. By doing nothing there is no chance of inadvertently initiating violence by saying something such as "Please don’t hurt me".

In a situation involving housebreaking it is also important to remember that many common burglars are adolescents, most likely starting out on the first rung of the criminal ladder, and they are therefore prone to lashing out if confronted and in the worst case scenarios killing out of panic and fear.

Sometimes the perpetrator of a burglary is even more terrified than the victim and in many cases when things go wrong it is the perpetrator of the crime who panics. Although they sometimes go equipped with weapons, in most cases they probably don’t intend to use them but in the heat of the moment, and the fear of either getting caught or attacked themselves, they use them. They don’t expect the person they are trying to hold up to retaliate or react. Mostly the knife is there simply for intimidation rather than intent to use it and they finish up killing somebody by accident rather than design. "

Have you ever heard anything more stupid than that? [hat tip: Baldilocks] You see, folks, why the left is losing in America? They want Americans to adopt this attitude. "The poor criminal" or "the misunderstood perpetrator" is their attitude, but Americans are just not built that way! You come into my house, your a$$ is grass! We shoot intruders!

Our founders wouldn't have built our country, if they'd had this attitude! They'd have stayed put in the EU, rather than go through the hardships of fighting and dying for freedom and democracy. We are made from sterner stock. With our friends in Australia, we fought and are fighting to keep our freedom. Our freedom to protect our homes, the freedom to protect our country is ours!! No wonder we keep having to fight their wars for them!

Remember the Battle of the Bulge, 60 years ago today!

"Allied intelligence had collected reports of a transfer of German troops from the Eastern to the Western front in the fall of 1944, and there was ample evidence that they were being reassembled in the Ardennes, but word never filtered up to headquarters. No one had connected the dots. (Sound familiar?)"

The crybabies of today apparently forget the sacrifices of our troops in that great battle, during WWII, losing troops at a rate of 500 per day! Faced by a HUGE German army, 256 divisions, were defeated by 31 divisions of American and Allied troops. As I said, we're made of sterner stuff! Now shut up, and let Rumsfeld do his job, McCain, et al.

Mixed Emotions

On the one hand, the knowledge that two of the three brothers at Iraq the Model met with the President in the Oval Office makes me tear up with joy and happiness for them. What a change their life has taken, since our troops invaded their country. Their gratitude softens the blow of having lost so many of our troops.

On the other hand, the knowledge that I cannot meet them while they're here, though I was invited to attend any one of the sites at which they will be appearing, makes me want to weep with frustration. I mentioned it to my husband, who asked me where they would be holding the venues; San Francisco (lots of supporters there...NOT!), and other sites on either of the left coasts, one in New Orleans, but none anywhere near us! His countenance in response to my query would have suggested I had suddenly become unhinged, and was perhaps to be considered dangerous. With four airline tickets purchased in a couple of months, it was illogical to expect.

During the past year or more of reading their blog, e-mailing back and forth, and getting to "know" them, make my inability to go meet them in person particularly saddening. I had come to think of them as cherished friends. I am just happy that a major mover and shaker in getting them here, Jeff Jarvis, was able to meet them. He has been a strong defender and proponent of the Iraqi bloggers, and has helped them to bring the real story, ignored by the MSM, to the world!

As Jeff Jarvis, of the BuzzMachine puts it, "...I also stand in awe of these two men. They have tremendous courage doing what they are doing: They grab onto free speech like men dying of thirst who finally come upon the oasis. They use their free speech with a gusto we should all admire and aspire to. They use it improve their nation and their future.

And it does take courage to do what they do. There are terrorists lurking around the corner of every world today. But these brothers keep doing what they are doing. And they come here to share their story with us. They are meeting with reporters and with others."

The brothers cannot have their pictures out there in the media, so don't expect to hear alot about their trip, except via the internet or perhaps radio programs. There is still danger in Iraq, especially for the champions of freedom!

The free speech they enjoy, we are now enjoying with this new media as well. What did we ever do without the internet? It has allowed us to get to "know" people all over the world! It has given us an outlet for our frustrations, in that we've been lied to and misled for many years by our MSM. It has given voice to people in countries that have never allowed free expression! Viva la Libertad! (Mr. Strahan, if I got that wrong, it's too late to give me a failing grade!)

Homespun Symposium V

"*What do you believe is necessary for true racial reconciliation to take place in American society?
*Does your solution involve coercive governmental remedies?
*Do you believe that Churches have an important role to play in this process?"

It took me some deep thought before I decided that I had perhaps a unique view to offer in answering any of these. As a short blonde female, some would say "what do you know?", but as an alum from a school with a rich mixture of races, and over a half century of living with friends from all "minorities"...well, we'll see.

I was born "color blind", i.e., I am not one to care what "color" a person is, and have been known to rather champion anyone with darker skin tones. My father was always grateful that I did not marry a black man, which was entirely possible. When I was 7, I went missing from a family picnic, and was found smack in the middle of a black family's picnic, holding their youngest family member.

I now live in a city, San Antonio, TX, where the racial mix is wide and varied. Because we have so much military, both Air Force and Army, there are large amounts of mixed racial marriages. Not only black and white, but servicemen who have married while on duty; Korean, Japanese, Chinese brides, at the forefront. And that doesn't even take into account the huge Hispanic population here, which have greatly intermarried with both whites and blacks. My church is populated with every possible racial mix including the Native American population, in fact our minister is a white woman who is married to a black man. They've raised two great kids who are both gorgeous, talented, and accomplished.

So when you ask me about "racial reconciliation", my first reaction is "what reconciliation?". Am I missing something?

"Does your solution involve coercive governmental remedies?" Solution? Let people live, love, and learn about one another. Stop letting the media make an issue where none would exist without their help. Stop telling a particular segment of the population that they "can't", and give them handouts to prove it. Start encouraging families to stay together, not avoid marriage for fear of losing their welfare ADC checks. Start allowing parents to teach "accountability"! Stop telling them they can't listen in to their child's conversation for fear of their losing their "reasonable expectation of privacy"! When they buy their own phones, pay their own rent, clothe themselves, then they can expect privacy. Return the courts to judges, and fire the activists!

"Do you believe that Churches have an important role to play in this process?" I have never been to an "all black" church, so I cannot speak to their teachings. But I do believe that the Bible teaches the loving, living principles which forbid our judging others by their skin color. But then, my church is as color-blind as I am.

UPDATE: For a more scholarly and well-researched opinion, check out MuD &PHuD. And for a variation on a similar view, check out A Physicist's Perspective. And last, but not least, is a perenial favorite of mine, Bunker Mulligan. Whew, I'm in some heady company!

Additions to the list:
Ogre's View
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Slarrow
The Commons at Paulie World
Major Dad 1984
The Redhunter
Little Red Blog
Every one is a great read!

Back Home!

I really need a laptop! It's not in the cards this Christmas (from Santa's own lips), but hoping by next year....fingers crossed! Why? We have Wi-Fi at our beach place. When I heard about Bernie Kerik, all I could think of was blog blog blog blog blog blog blog blog blog blog ! ARGGH! This man is the best, most capable, most qualified man to head up our nation's Homeland Security! How dare the moral reprobates in D.C. be a reason for this man to back down from this job? What is their "track record", collectively? I forget the exact quote from the Bible, but it basically says that any of us who is without sin should shut up and sit down, and keep your "rocks" to yourself!

Other than that, it was a fun trip for a change. No landscape nightmares at our new place, clear gorgeous blues skies, and for being on an island, was almost wind-free for a couple of days! We finally got to go fishing, even! Didn't catch anything, but a wise man would quip, "A day spent fishing is never a waste of time." Or, "God does not subtract the hours from his life, man spends fishing." What is wonderful about the South Texas Gulf Coast is the plethora of migrating birds! We found one neck on the flats between Corpus Christi and Port Aransas that must have contained 40+ varieties, including pink spoonbills, great herons and 4 species of the beloved pelicans. The dolphins are in close to shore this time of year, they're right next to the boat, and quite friendly. We learned that if you pound on the side of the boat, they will gently come up under water, belly side up, and accept your fresh live shrimp (our bait!)! What a delight! That's more fun than Sea World!

Just Headed Out, but...

Who says we shouldn't gloat? Just had to share this from Blogs for Bush, as I head to the beach;

"The South, which helped elect every Democratic president in history, hasn't given us a single electoral vote in the 21st century. In the 23 ultimately uncontested red states, Bush held Kerry to 40 percent and ran up a nearly 8 million-vote margin. That's 202 electoral votes Republicans now win without breaking a sweat, in states where they now hold 39 out of 46 Senate seats.

Of America's 3,114 counties, Bush won 2,532 -- or 81.1 percent -- covering 78 percent of our country's land mass. In only 162 of those counties -- just over 6 percent -- was Bush's margin of victory less than 5 points. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Bush won 97 of the nation's 100 fastest-growing counties -- Kerry won just three."

The fun part of this quote? It came from the Donks! See you in a few days!

They Still Don't Have a Clue!

Professor Lakoff knows why the donks keep losing,

"The background for Rockridge is that conservatives, especially conservative think tanks, have framed virtually every issue from their perspective. They have put a huge amount of money into creating the language for their worldview and getting it out there. Progressives have done virtually nothing. Even the new Center for American Progress, the think tank that John Podesta [former chief of staff for the Clinton administration] is setting up, is not dedicated to this at all. I asked Podesta who was going to do the Center's framing. He got a blank look, thought for a second and then said, "You!" Which meant they haven't thought about it at all. And that's the problem. Liberals don't get it. They don't understand what it is they have to be doing. "

The 2nd to last sentence is the only one that made any sense! They think it is the way the GOP frames "words"! REALLY!?! This from a man who calls the war on terror as "conservative catch phrase"! WHAT? They actually believe that? Yep, they sure do! And they've even formed a "think tank" called the Rockridge Institute, so stand by for their remaking of the donks' methods. As in, "how to word our message better, so the American people understand"? Think that'll work? I don't, because they still do not have a clue! No surprise that he teaches at Berkeley, was it?

Laura Ingraham is going to be interviewing Professor Lakoff on her radio show this morning. That should be interesting. If he says anything of note, I'll update. The following paragraph are some questions I'm hoping she asks this guy, who is reportedly making the rounds of Donk leadership to convince them that he can save their bacon, so to speak.

Could it be, Professor, that libs, or should I say "progressives",that Americans of both parties remember 9/11? And countless attacks prior to 9/11? Could it be, sir, that Americans of both parties, are more concerned with tax relief and their own pocket books, that your folks want to grab everytime you're in power? Could it be, Professor, that we're sick and tired of your buds at ACLU taking our rights AWAY? Could it be SUBSTANCE over VERBIAGE? Could it be the threat our country faces, and NOT nuance? And how do you propose to change the message of the left so that it is palatable to these same Americans?

Question of the Day

Homespun Bloggers has offered a question for participating bloggers. This week's question was posed by Arthur Chrenkoff. The question:

The war on terror and the war in Iraq have caused deep fissures through the international political landscape, but arguably not simply and predictably "left" versus "right"; after all, President Bush is allied with a social democrat Tony Blair and ex-communists of Eastern Europe, while the anti-war coalition is also a motley crew of American and British paleo-conservatives, European right (France) and left (Germany) and many others.

So what does it all mean? What is the new divide in international politics?
And will it last?"

The left, in America today, is more and more being represented by fringe groups. At the top of that list, is the American communist party and the Socialist parties. France and Germany are both countries that have become more and more socialistic in their political nature and policies. Tony Blair is only hanging on by a thread politically, as the UK has become more and more socialistic.

By socialistic, I mean programs to take care of the "peoples needs" at the expense of those who actually produce and earn. As a result, their economies are spiraling downwards. As Dagney Taggart, Ayn Rand's female heroine in "Atlas Shrugged" noticed; those who produce carry the burden of their less capable or hardworking counterparts, and either give up and leave, or stop working themselves. This is the bottom line in why socialism does not work. Ask most union workers how they like it when one of their counterparts is a slacker, but still gets paid the same?

Formerly Communist countries, such as Ukraine, have had a taste of democracy and self-determination. As we have seen in the past week, the people of Ukraine are not willing to give that up to become dominated again by a USSR that Putin seems to be attempting to revive.

Americans are just waking up to the slide we have been taking toward a more socialist attitude and policies, and as the last few elections seem to show, are trying to take the country back, kicking and screaming, from the Socialists [they call themselves progressives]. Their policies are anti-business and pro-government. They want to tax the rich into oblivion to level the playing field, rather than allow more people to become rich. They want to punish companies & individuals for their success.

Those of us on the right or our political spectrum, have a strong belief in the American ability to take a sow's ear and turn it into a money making silk purse, and when someone comes up with a better mousetrap, we say GREAT! Make lots of money on it! It matters not, to our side, what your religious affiliation, or your skin color, or your country of origin. We have an intrinsic belief in the ability of the human spirit to raise to the occasion and create that which is needed. We also are more generous in supporting charities, donating money, time and goods to anyone who is needy.

A capitalist democracy may not be perfect, but until a utopian alternative is developed, it's still the better than the communistic/socialistic government taking our money and spending it themselves "for the good of the people"!

As long as the fire of democracy is alive in America, and the rest of the world relies on our economy, the resentment will continue to build. I do not see any political change on the horizon. More democracies will be created, but more countries with historic democracy will forget that hard work got them where they were at, and not the government. So it is simply a matter of which stage countries are in...with the resultant lack of strength and unity that the REAL enemy, Islamic extremists, have been exploiting against both sides for 30+ years.

Contribution to Culture?

Yep, that is what they were being awarded for at the Kennedy Center gala [hat tip: Drudge Report] in D.C. last night;

"[Elton} John, opera diva Joan Sutherland, conductor John Williams and actors Warren Beatty (news), Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were honored Sunday with a star-studded tribute at The Kennedy Center. The six recipients of the 27th annual Kennedy Center Honors were saluted for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts."

That culture would be American, and their contributions are things like homosexuality is just hunky-dory, four letter obsenities are just a manner of expressing oneself, and if you don't vote Democrat, you're a stupid hick. And for this they're being honored? I know nothing about Joan Sutherland or John Williams, but Warren Beatty et al, can be poster children for all that is wrong with the so-called entertainment industry!

And they wonder why the animated films are outselling all their star power?

And to further prove my point, I offer Michael Mooreon's crapumentary's assertion that no legislators' family members fight in this war;

"Rep. Joe Wilson (news, bio, voting record) gets regular progress reports on the Iraq (news - web sites) war from generals and Pentagon (news - web sites) officials as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. But since February, the most meaningful battlefield updates have come from his son Alan, an Army National Guard intelligence officer in Iraq. "

Hollywood's irrelevance to the rest of America is so apparent to the rest of us, but they still don't get it!

Yes, Bunker! I Joined Homespun Bloggers!

First an invitation to join, then a campaign of nagging, until I finally joined the ranks of Homespun Bloggers. (Thanks Tom!) Little did I know the extent of the members of this remarkable blogroll! That is a pretty impressive club I've joined. I'll try hard to be worthy. Note the new Homespun Bloggers button on the sidebar, not to mention the impressive members of the blogroll that I've added as well. Even Chrenkoff, my personal favorite for his "Good News" segments from Iraq and Afghanistan, is a member. This is going to be fun!

As soon as I can figure out how, I'm going to add a button for Homespun Blogger's Radio. I'm listening to it now. Doug is discussing the monumental failure of the Daily Kos' efforts to get 15 candidates elected, and the fact that every single one of them lost, with Dr. Bill Bennett on his radio program! It's quite interesting, and just in the beginning stages.

So now you have a whole new blogging world to explore with me! Happy Blogging!

Thought I Would Share This from Iraq

Recently, I sent the following to my "adopted" son, an Army PFC in Iraq. He has been fighting the scumbags in Sadr City. Now, before you read it, let me qualify the "adopted" part. I've never met this young man. We just happened to have attended the same high school, some 40 years apart. He had posted on the school's bulletin board hoping for someone to write to him, which I did nearly a year ago. I promptly "adopted" him.

"Hello Son, thought I'd pop in and share something with you. This is from an Iraqi blogger who lives in Baghdad. Sarmad doesn't speak the greatest English, but it's getting better.

"Monday, November 29, 2004
Hi
Hi guys …I am now lisining to a song for "startship" called "Sara" I love the 80's hits so much I am in my office in monuments of peace and quite ,very happy feeling inside me thought to shear these monuments with you guys ,and thank you all for what you did for us ,and please say thank you to the all brave mans ,who are there, out side helping us ,and told them that we support them .Regards.
posted by sarmad zangna at 3:36 PM"

So, My "Brave Mans" Son, how is it going there? Is there anything you or your buddies need? What would you like for Christmas? Send me a wish list, okay?

Love & Hugs,
Mom

Here is his response;

"Yep trust me it's even worst to try and listen to them but they try. All I could want for Christmas is a greetings card. That's it mother. We should start rotating out in Feb. Be complete by April. "

If you would like to join me in sending him and his company a card, here is his company's address; Just add To A Soldier where you'd put the name;

Co. HHC 2-5 Cav
1st Cavalry Division
Camp Eagle (war)
APO, AE 09373

Send a Merry Merry [politically incorrect] CHRISTMAS CARD!! And don't forget to add a "thank you" to it!

Oil for Food Scandal, and How Iraqis Feel About UN!

If you think we in the U.S. and Israel are upset at learning about the UN and the oil for food scandal and our tax dollars, via the UN, being used to pay off families whose family members had become suicidal murder-bombers, wait until you read what an Iraqi has to say about these scumbags! According to Sam at Hammorabi;

"Does the World need the UN?

No one can give a simple answer for the above question other than an Iraqi newborn baby who was killed by the effect of the UN sanction from 1990-2003. On the same time while the pale, anaemic and malnourished mothers dying during their labours or pregnancies the UN arrogant inspectors used to burn the books in the Iraqi universities and schools."

The President needs to rescind the immunity of these examples of human refuse so that they can be tried for their crimes against humanity! Then we need to reclaim that valuable real estate they're occupying in NYC, and kick their butts over to the EU to be with their pals who helped them kill so many innocents in Iraq!

And Now a Word from Our Military

Did you ever wonder what kind of support our military is getting from their homebase in America? I have a couple of stories on that front. I'll start with the BAD news! [hat tip: Greyhawk at The Mudville Gazette]

"I've mentioned before a young Mike Moore fan I'm stationed with over here. He's written a letter in Jabba's book and had at least one other published on Moore's web site. Recently this young troop started receiving packages from one of the fairly well-known letters-to-troops outfits back in the states, acting as his unit's POC and distributing some to the other guys. Being familiar with most such organizations I asked him where he'd discovered them.

"Michael Moore's web page." He replied.

I should have known. This caused me a little concern, as I imagined various anti-war propaganda being sent over via an unwitting agency sincerely wanting to help the troops." Read it all, and counter with all the support you can offer!"

Even Michael Mooreon cannot stamp out the goodness of the American people!

Now on the Good News side! I didn't recognize the songwriter's name, but I do know Toby Keith. [hat tip: American Soldier in Iraq]

An American's Awakening in Europe

I added a link to my sidebar today. I've quoted The Mudville Gazette [hat tip!] many times, but this is so classic I couldn't resist! The author is someone who lived in EU for a considerable time. Initially, he was impressed with their intellectual "superiority", but stayed long enough to learn what a ruse it was, and the true root of the problem Europe has with America.

"This experience was only part of a larger process of edification. Living in Europe, I gradually came to appreciate American virtues I’d always taken for granted, or even disdained—among them a lack of self-seriousness, a grasp of irony and self-deprecating humor, a friendly informality with strangers, an unashamed curiosity, an openness to new experience, an innate optimism, a willingness to think for oneself and speak one’s mind and question the accepted way of doing things. (One reason why Euro- peans view Americans as ignorant is that when we don’t know something, we’re more likely to admit it freely and ask questions.) While Americans, I saw, cherished liberty, Europeans tended to take it for granted or dismiss it as a naïve or cynical, and somehow vaguely embarrassing, American fiction."

I have always wondered why our "elitists" and our military can both travel to Europe, and come back with totally different impressions. This article seems to answer that question. You go with an appreciation of America: Military. Or you go with a hatred for it: Left wing elitists. Those who are astute, as this author, actually learn an appreciation and understanding of the difference in the two experienes! Perhaps if some of those who threatened to leave the US actually spent considerable time there, they might get smart.

hmmmm.....naaaaah! You have to have a brain to do that!