Steve Sailer, the last holdout

Steve Sailer just can't seem to leave Vietnam. He is going to end up like those two Japanese holdouts in the Philipines found decades after the war if he doesn't let it go. Give it up, Steve, we need you here.

Let's look at the last paragraph of his article, What's the opposite of the sunk cost fallacy?,

The NVA tried a tentative offensive in December 1974, following the Democrats midterm election triumphs, found that the US wouldn't provide air support, so launched a massive offensive in March 1975. The South Vietnamese collapsed about as quickly as France in 1940.

Now, if a tentative offensive is begun in December and the crusher launched in March, what was the ARVN doing in between? I don't think they were starved for equipment as I remember all the stuff the NVA captured after the fall of Saigon. If the South was going to survive, it would always be as some kind of welfare case. We are better off gone.

In a prior article, Vietnam, he makes this claim,

Today, with American air power so unchallenged, it seems strange that the Democrats didn't want to allow air support of the South Vietnamese. After all, a couple of decades later, a Democrat President got involved in an internal dispute of negligible significance to America, and bombed Yugoslavia into ceding control of its internationally-recognized Kosovo province, at minimal cost in lost aircraft.

Actually, the FRY had ceded this before the bombing. what caused the war to start was their rejection of this paragraph in the Rambouillet Agreement,

NATO personnel shall enjoy, together with their vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and equipment, free and unrestricted passage and unimpeded access throughout the FRY including associated airspace and territorial waters. This shall include, but not be limited to, the right of bivouac, maneuver, billet, and utilization of any areas or facilities as required for support, training, and operations

The war ended when NATO (i.e. us) surrendered on this point. If anyone thinks being able to stay in occupation in the Balkans, let alone the Middle East is a victory, well, good luck with that.

Also posted at The Neutralist

FREE MICHAEL VICK! Or is this another thing I just don't get?

Okay, I'm not paying much attention to the dog bites man or dog bites dog or whatever story about this fellow. If what is said about hanging animals and all is true, then he should be subject to some punishment if there are state and local statutes. Unfortunately, for this fellow, he happens to have a talent for throwing a football. Had he been a software developer, who would have known or cared.*

But punishment at the federal level? Where in the constitution is this? What next, a federal jaywalking statute?

*the voice of humility on sports. In childhood, I was a talentless baseball fanatic. I practiced and practiced to no good purpose. I followed the Red Sox with a passion when that was really, really stupid. Then, with everybody else, watching TV in a freshman dorm common room, I saw the Sox win the 1967 pennant. It was what I had waited all my life to see and I realized how boring watching other people play a sport was for me. Maybe there is some value to others that I don't understand, but when I have had to sit through a contest, I've either just tried to stay awake out of courtesy or made jokes** out of boredom. Still have my Ted Williams baseball card though, which I'll give up when they pry my cold dead hands off of it or best offer.

**The jokes were not that good. Example, when at a Bruins game, a player went down in a heap and was taken off the ice to the hospital, my comment was, "Just shows you, hockey isn't a white man's game."

Hot Off The Digital Press-Ron Paul Is The Only Candidate Who Can Win The Election

Don't take it from me. In the immortal words of the late Jean Shepherd, "I don't make the news, I just report it." Well, I'm reporting what someone else is reporting. Stratfor, the intelligence service that a lot of the heavy hitters pay big bucks for has a piece today, Gaming the U.S. Elections where they prove that no Democrat or Republican can win the election. Imagine, Ron Paul is not nominated and we have four years without a president. Ooh, that does send cold, sensual chills all up and down my spine and is probably the only thing that one can contemplate better than Ron Paul winning.

Enough digression. Let's look at the relevant passage.

no sitting senator has won the presidency since Kennedy. The reason is, again, simple. Senators make speeches and vote, all of which are carefully recorded in the Congressional record. Governors live in archival obscurity and don't have to address most issues of burning importance to the nation. Johnson came the closest to being a sitting senator but he too had a gap of four years and an assassination before he ran. After him, former Vice President Nixon, Gov. Carter, Gov. Reagan, Vice President Bush, Gov. Clinton and Gov. Bush all won the presidency. The path is strewn with fallen senators.

That being the case, the Democrats appear poised to commit electoral suicide again, with two northern senators (Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama) in the lead, and the one southern contender, John Edwards, well back in the race. The Republicans, however, are not able to play to their strength. There are no potential candidates in Texas or California to draw on. Texas right now just doesn't have players ready for the national scene. California does, but Arnold Schwarzenegger is constitutionally ineligible by birth. In a normal year, a charismatic Republican governor of California would run against a northern Democratic senator and mop the floor. It's not going to happen this time.
Instead, the Republicans appear to be choosing between a Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, and a former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. Unless Texan Ron Paul can pull off a miracle, the Republicans appear to be going with their suicide hand just like the Democrats. Even if Fred Thompson gets the nomination, he comes from Tennessee, and while he can hold the South, he will have to do some heavy lifting elsewhere.

The Edwards hypotheses fails as he is really no different from Thompson. They are essentially the same grade phony. If one has a problem, the other has the same.

Thus, unless the Republicans want to commit suicide and leave the nation executiveless for four years, their only choice is Ronnie.

How come only guys with the name Ron can save that hapless party.

Also posted at The Neutralist.

Plus ça change

Part of Hillary's statement on Libby,

"This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice."

Remember when the Dems called the Bush Père term the Reagan-Bush Administration. That was of course, dumb because they were tying a popular president to a loser and that could only help the loser, though it was hardly enough to overcome his grand mal loserdom.

It would not be unfair to call the current and last presidencies the Clinton-Bush administration for more than just pardons. However, when Madame is enthroned, I am sure she will give us no reason to tie three administrations together. Well, I'm not absolutely sure.

The Casino is Closed

A couple of posts ago, I asked for odds on whether I. Skateboard Libby would be pardoned before Ramos and Compean, The Border Two. Well, though my few readers must not be gamblers, no matter, we have an answer. I. Skateboard Libby will get to skate (or is that scoot?). No pardon, just commutation.

the voice of humility also asked if there was any speculation as to the relative comfort of the skater as opposed to the Border Two would experience during their respective sentences. The question is now moot, as himself will be poolside.

Now, there are whiners out there saying how trivial what he did was. I did not think that Bill Clinton should have suffered legally for his peccadilloes. That was the province of the First Harridan. Once he lied under oath, he deserved to be impeached and removed from office. Anyone who is privileged with high office and can't obey the law when they are part of the executive branch charged with enforcing it, deserves the book thrown at them. As it is, I did not believe there was one law for everyone before this, so I did not have to rush to the emergency room to be treated for shock.

The Pink Swastika and Immigration

About a week and a half ago here in the Peoples' Republic, we saw raw power at work. Opponents of homosexuals marrying had worked to get the question on the ballot. The legislature was required to vote on the measure. Having fulfilled prior requirements, if the referendum advocates had gotten fifty votes in the joint session of the legislature acting as a constitutional convention, the measure would appear on the ballot in the next general election. The day before the vote, the referendum advocates were sure of their reps and senators. The day of the actual ballot, they had lost. Several who had been counted as solid were turned.

In Massachusetts, raw power was unleashed. What promises were made are beyond my knowledge. There were all manner of carrots and sticks available to the gay lobby and its wholly owned subsidiary, Governor Deval Patrick. Many Massachusetts legislators have skeletons in their closet and it would not be without the realm of possibility that their peccadilloes were exploited.* Talk radio mentioned some job offers.

Now, I've stated my view on same sex marriage. I am a get the government out of marriage and anything else they botch. I have no illusions that the greatest beneficiaries of happy or gay marriage will be a corps of attorneys breaking new ground in the specialty of “gay” divorce law.

The basic point here is that if there is something a group, cabal, elite, whatever, wants, they can get it no matter what the constituency wants. They can bring extreme force to bear where it is most effective, while no matter how broad popular resistance is, it can almost never do the same.

Anyone who believes the anti immigration forces have the momentum should think again. I pray the day is won, but, I would not bet on it. Every second, the forces of amnesty are not resting. If there is something in a fence sitters record that can be exploited, it will be. The resistance has little such power except, maybe, a loss of popularity amongst the voters for a Senator who goes against their desire. Depending on the time between the vote and re-election, that has only so much value.

For a more in depth discussion of the issue from an insider (Paul Weyrich), see on immigration and on Massachusetts.

*So many of our solons have had the opportunity for government housing including room and board that Boston columnist, Howie Carr will put in his column when citing such miscreants, Rep. John Smith (D-MCI Norfolk) or for federal offenders Sen Mike Jones (D-Danbury). MCI=Massachusetts Correctional Institution. The two Ds are not because Democrats are inherently more criminal than Republicans. Rather, it is because there are few Republicans in the legislature so there are more members of the Cargo Cult in legal trouble at any one time.

THE CASINO IS OPEN, sort of

First, this is not an offer of, or request for wagers. We comply with all federal laws regarding betting.

I am the son of a man who was a fairly successful small time gambler and I have given much thought as to why he did much better than his friends (and they were his friends, his company being so pleasant, I doubt anyone felt taken). I have given his good fortune a lot of thought and have come to the conclusion, if you wish to win at cards, play with people who are not as smart as you. I would also aver self control is important. Those suggestions are made in the abstract as my mom would have killed him had he taught me the craft.

So is there a point here. I hope so. If anyone has an idea the odds of I. Skateboard Libby being pardoned before Ramos And Compean (The Border Two), The casino would like to hear out of a certain curiosity.

Also, now that Skateboard is going to the slammer, any speculation as to the relative comfort of himself as opposed to the Border Two is welcome.

They Also Serve

Most of the bloggers to the right have commented wisely and well on the immigration bill. Unfortunately, the influence of bloggers is slight.

A couple of writers are on the list who might receive some stipend for their efforts. They, in this, maybe the most important question of my adult life, have not seen fit to comment. I suspect the subject is not cool enough for them to expose how they really feel.

There is one class of commenter on whom I must lavish fulsome praise. They are not my faves and I am not excited in having to shower them with homage. Let's face it, without talk radio, the game would have been up.

So does this make up for all the shilling that was done to get us into war and to keep us there. That is not for me to render an opinion on. There are 3500+ who have the final say on that.

“Jockey of Norfolk, be not too bold, For Dickon, thy master, is bought and sold.”

I thought the fix was in. I thought the chutzpah necessary to even bring forward such a transparently horrible bill meant that the powers that be had it all figured out. I've read a lot on the subject and it is becoming just a big blur as every one speculates on who is behind what. This is the grandest scam in my life. Tonkin gulf, WMD, small potatoes. A few photos of NV torpedo boats and anyone can start a war. No, this is really big. To swindle folks on something so against their interest, that they know to be against their interest, can not be anything but gargantuan. The shock is, with every lie and liar in place, it did not work.

I don't have to discuss the Democrats. Enough of them in any legislature have an antipathy toward their country that they would want to make foreigners who don't want to come here immigrate. No, it is the Republicans who, if I thought they had any honor at all would boggle my mind.

Now, they are all professional politicians and are not to be trusted, but here is something in which GOPers are betraying the base while insulting its intelligence. I am not impressed with my countrymen's choices (granted the choices are not exciting in the main). Still, most of them, I should say us, are smart enough to know we are hearing people trying to put a shine on a sneaker. Still, the senators keep it up even when they know nobody believes it. Oh, the presidential candidates have flipped the flop (other than McCain), though I am not sure anyone is buying it, but the senators are staying with the program even though it antagonizes the homefolk,

Politicians will lie if they have to, but usually when caught, they try to squirm away. Not on this issue. They characterize the bill as not amnesty with tough provisions, blah blah blah. How do I know they are lying? Well, I hope no one believes they have read 300+ pages and formulated their own opinion.

There is a scenario that goes through my mind of a polished oak paneled meeting room. A couple of men in impeccable suits are sitting across from a high solon,

First man, “Senator, we want to both thank you for your support and compliment you on the eloquence of your arguments in favor.”

Senator Toungtied, “Thank you, gentlemen. It is a noble cause and you can count on me.”

Second man, “In a few years you will be up for re-election. Your principled stand on this matter may not help your candidacy.”

Senator Toungtied, “I do understand that and I have to think about that. If my stand on this issue would deny my constituents my service............?

First man, “You know, the chair of the Quisling Institute of Applied Politics at St Hubbins University will be retiring about the time your term ends. Now, your love of the Senate is legendary, but we think you would be a great fit for the Institute and could only hope you would see service there as rewarding. Of course, we can't speak for the University, but, we have heard your name mentioned.”

Senator Toungtied, plays it a little coy, “Sirs, the Senate has been my life since I was first elected and I have a hard time picturing myself any where else.”

Second man, “Bob, may I call you Bob, the perks of being the Chair of the Institute are, not to be crude, enormous. Why the opportunities for travel are as favorable as Senatorial travel. I believe one could spend a good deal of the winter doing research in, oh say, a University in the Caribbean.”

Senator Toungtied, a little indignant, “Just what are you saying?”

First man, “Bob, Bob, We are saying nothing. We know nothing, .......for certain. The rumors of, say a liaison, are just that. What evidence there might be, well I don't know. Besides, since Clinton, voters have been more accepting. You are an adult and she was, well, close to being one.”

Second man, “Almost close to being one.”

Senator Toungtied, less indignant. “I shall never dishonor the Senate, and I am immune to threats. Be assured, gentlemen, my support for this bill is absolutely on principle.”

Second man, “We expected no less.”

The above scenario is rank speculation on my part. What I have to believe is that no one is doing this on their own. What sinecures are being offered, what disclosures of indiscretions are being threatened? Possibly none. There may be some form of pressure so novel and so perfect in it's subtlety that it leaves it victims proud of the betrayal.

The more I think about it, it should be easy enough to get this one over. Handicapping New England Republicans is a breeze. Snow and Collins of Maine are always embarrassed if they can't vote to the left of Teddy. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has always been a go along to get along guy. Sununu, is hard to figure, maybe he hates the Bush family due to the way his old man was hung out to dry. In the South, Old Trent has been a eunuch for a while now. It should have been easy.

The Rhetorician

Okay, so y'all have written off the pres. His sellout of the border has caused Republican talk show creatures to start condemming him to beat the band. Well, I don't sell the man short at all. I admire him. Indeed, he has given me another reason to keep him in high regard.

I was driving home this morning from the not so big city. The radio was playing George Bush's answering of questions. I was vaguely listening when one fellow asked the president in effect, if Osama is so bad in Iraq now, isn't that because we invaded as he was not there before. I'm not too clear, but that is the sense I got.

Now the true answer to that question is, Hell, yeah. George did the only thing he could. He didn't answer the question. His reply, as best I remember it was, "So what you're saying is, the option would have been to let Saddam stay there." He then went on to cite the litany of all the works of evil of the late President.

It was a tour de force of what in another language they call being glich francach caca laca, or, cute as a shithouse rat.

Alright, I grant it is a low sort of cunning, but no matter. He was not talking to the people on the White House lawn or rose garden or wherever. He was talking to the people who hate the guy who asked the question. I am not sure even they are listening anymore, but it was the people he needed to talk to.

It's too bad he can't talk to them about immigration.

Also posted at The Neutralist

Al Fin on war

I enjoy reading the blog Al Fin as I have an interest in science even though I have no real scientific knowledge or ability. Sometimes, though, he goes on to other subjects and there we disagree. Below are a couple of places.

AL FIN I

On May 11, 2007 he quoted approvingly from another blog,

The U.S. military currently possesses command of the global commons. Command of the commons is analogous to command of the sea, or in Paul Kennedy’s words, it is analogous to “naval mastery.” The “commons,” in the case of the sea and space, are areas that belong to no one state and that provide access to much of the globe. Airspace does technically belong to the countries below it, but there are few countries that can deny their airspace above 15,000 feet to U.S. warplanes. Command does not mean that other states cannot use the commons in peacetime. Nor does it mean that others cannot acquire military assets that can move through or even exploit them when unhindered by the United States. Command means that the United States gets vastly more military use out of the sea, space, and air than do others; that it can credibly threaten to deny their use to others; and that others would lose a military contest for the commons if they attempted to deny them to the United States. Having lost such a contest, they could not mount another effort for a very long time, and the United States would preserve, restore, and consolidate its hold after such a fight. ...

The United States enjoys the same command of the sea that Britain once did, and it can also move large and heavy forces around the globe. But command of space allows the United States to see across the surface of the world’s landmasses and to gather vast amounts of information. At least on the matter of medium-to-large-scale military developments, the United States can locate and identify military targets with considerable fidelity and communicate this information to offensive forces in a timely fashion. Air power, ashore and afloat, can reach targets deep inland; and with modern precision-guided weaponry, it can often hit and destroy those targets.

He then writes,

"Most people who comment on the state of the world lack even a basic understanding of the firmer layers of reality beneath the media facade."

Yeah, so what. The last part of the last paragraph tells us


“At least on the matter of medium-to-large-scale military developments, the United States can locate and identify military targets with considerable fidelity and communicate this information to offensive forces in a timely fashion. Air power, ashore and afloat, can reach targets deep inland; and with modern precision-guided weaponry, it can often hit and destroy those targets.”

Well, the rest of the world knows that and there are precious few who are interested in taking us on in that realm. That does not mean no one wishes to take us on. A heck of a lot do. They are just more subtle about it. Those planes and ships don't do us much good against the suicide bombers. Anyway, the great beneficiaries of our world service are the Chinese*, who get to safely send all the exports to us and the oil producers who can ship non Texas Texas Tea here without fear of any piratical mishaps. What are we sending out of the country. The jobs don't travel by tanker.

Some may argue that this trade is win win. I am a free trader, but I think there is an analogy with the US auto industry here. The car makers made deals with the workers that insured future costs would be a drag in competing with foreign competition. As we are the only nation seriously paying for the security of the commons, this is a competitive cost we impose on ourselves that leaves us at a disadvantage. Of course there are many other ways we shoot ourselves in the foot. Will our excessive spending across the board lead us to disaster. That is for another day and for the black magicians of the occult craft of economics to discuss.
*I believe Al is on firmer ground as regards China here.

AL FIN II

In the second Al Fin post he presents a youtube video of Uncle Jimbo. Uncle Jimbo is presenting a rant wherein he explains the difference between a peacetime army and the army in time of war. Now, I know I disagree with Uncle Jimbo on the war. I do feel some sympathy with the lad, though. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin and gets to hang out in a la la land. I know what that is like as I get to spend a good deal of time in the Five Colleges area in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts. I believe our adventure in Iraq is stupid. Still, spend enough time in a university town and even though one can't justify the war, you would almost want to support it in the same way that the moralizing about smoking makes me want to take up cigarettes so I can blow smoke in someones face. Of course, he continues to live there, so he must in some way enjoy it.



UJ's little talk is not bad. It reminds me of de Tocqueville's commentary, Causes Which Render Democratic Armies Weaker than Other Armies at the Outset of a Campaign and More Formidable in Protracted Warfare. He is right, the less adept are replaced by those more competent. People move up to where they belong.

Where he is wrong is that de Tocqueville wrote about how, when the peacetime army goes to war, it is at a disadvantage with all the time servers. As the battle rages and the homeland is threatened and other avenues of advancement in the nation are cut off, the military becomes the only outlet for ambitious people to rise. This is not happening here. The bright lad will not forego the position at the hedge fund to serve in Iraq. Yes, we have good men fighting, but one must doubt that there are going to be a lot more gushing out of the pipeline. In fact, we have even increased the number of cat IVs* we are enlisting.

If anything, time in this respect is on the side of the enemy. Poor, uneducated and with few prospects, there is no dearth of lads who do not see a glorious death as that horrible compared to their current meager existence. Amongst that pool of recruits, there are probably many who are officer material and will rise in their society in the way de Tocqueville outlines for a democratic army facing a foe with the potential to dominate its homeland. These unlucky ones will miss out on Jihadi suicide and will have to make do with all the mundane aspects of gathering intelligence, planning strategy and keeping up the level of mayhem. With us there, they have no reason to ever give up.

All wars are different and doing too much Vietnam analogizing is probably unhelpful. Still, if these guys think that a twenty year field exercise in a desert country is going to be in any way a victory, then they have no right to call anyone else a moonbat. That is simply the truth.

*Low scorers on the qualification exam.

Also posted at The Neutralist.

Newspaper Theft Hits Massachusetts Campus

Usually, campus newspaper theft occurs because a bunch of lefties perceive an article to be racist/sexist/classist or something politically incorrect and they have not sufficiently intimidated the writers and editors so the only righteous path left to them is a form of direct suppression. Often, the crime goes unpunished because the administration understands the highmindedness of the censors.

In the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts, where we love to make fun of things like the Texas cheerleader murders* we have a very recent case of campus newspaper theft. Did someone respond to racist/sexist/classist screed. Not at all. A bevy of campus beauties commandeered the issue because their photograph appeared in the paper. The lassies were wearing halters and low rise shorts and had letters written across their stomachs and had arranged themselves to spell the name of a player at the women's lacrosse game they were attending. The picture is below.


PICTURE REMOVED

As you can see, the women were offended by the objectification obvious in the photo. Ah, actually, no. They were upset that it made them look fat. Now, none of these girls appears corpulent. It is just that they are a season or two past what the outfit calls for in body shape. They were not horribly, for Americans, self conscious, therefore the unsuitabilty of the attire did not register until they saw the paper.

Now stealing the paper is wrong. If it matters to you, take action without resorting to crime. Either dress with some taste, hit the gym, or wear a burqua. I was thinking we need some slogan analogous to "if you don't want to do the time, don't commit the crime." "If you don't like the pictures we take, put down the fork and move away from the cheesecake" was the best I could do. As a full fledged gourmand who has never met a piece of cheescake he didn't like, I have little standing to suggest abstention when it comes to matters of cuisine.

These girls have learned a lesson. The administration is suggesting they be made to pay the cost of the press run. They should have screamed objectification.

*Of course every few years a hockey dad will fly off the handle and kill a ref, but it is an emotional crime of passion, not cold blooded murder.

Salt Lake City in Second Day of Lockdown

Dateline May 9, 2007

Salt Lake City is under lock down for a second day as police and National Guard units try to contain rioting by thousands of young people described as wearing the typical uniform of polo shirts and dockers protested the bigoted remarks of Al Sharpton.

Pundits have observed that there has been nothing like it since the "Hymietown" firestorm that drove Jesse Jackson from public life.

UPDATE-How the boys got to New Jersey

It appears the Jersey Jihadis, or, if you would, the Jerseyhadis did not all come through the airport. Three of them came across the Mexican border.

I know my president, hearing this has ordered the building of the fence post haste.

I thought this wasn't supposed to happen

By now, almost all the arguments for the Iraq adventure have turned to dust. WMD, never were. Democracy, yeah, that's going to happen. One that is still in play is the we are fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here schtick.

Except it is kind of gone now. The Jersey Boys destroyed that. Actually, they are not really from Jersey, but they reside there now. These fellows never understood that according to the rules of the game, they were required to attack us in Iraq. If they attended New Jersey schools, then the heavens cry out for reform. Or, maybe they are just kinda garden variety dumb. What is it that people feel the need to video themselves.

Except for that little Faux Pas, they did seem on their way to producing some mayhem. Now, for there to be any truth to the we must fight them there so we don't have to here, then Fort Dix has to be defined as part of Iraq. Here, I am on fairly solid ground in disagreeing. Fort Dix is my alma mater. I spent eight happy weeks there. Well, I spent eight weeks there preparing to fight all the battles of the Viet Nam war that took place in the continental US.* Not once did I see a sign, either in English or Arabic, stating that the facility was the property of the Iraqi govenment.

So I am guessing that a reasonably intelligent person would say, if you don't want Jihadis here, you don't let people from Jihadi breeding areas into the country. These lads did not come ashore as frogmen. They probably landed at an airport, went through immigration after some documents were presented and disappeared. Obviously, your government does not really care.

So there is no reason to think our troops are going to do any good over there. Come home boys.

Also posted at The Neutralist

*I was particularly stalwart in the campaign against boredom.

Answering a reader and coming out of the closet

In a recent post titled Jihad Ain't What It Used To Be a reader left a comment taking issue with a statement by Clark Stooksbury that I quoted,

"Once you get past aircraft carriers, B-52 bombers and Cruise Missiles, our power is rather ordinary and we have racked up numerous failures to prove it."

The reader, commenting as anonymous, left this,

"Stooksbury is either joking or ignorant. The limiting factor on our power for the last 50 years has been political, not military. A lot has changed since you wore a uniform."

I asked him to be more specific and he was kind enough to answer,

"I'll see what I can do. No, I don't think putting Iraq in same class as Carthage is the answer; it's awfully tempting when considering the "Sunni Triangle" but isn't the answer. That is a broad topic beyond the scope of a comment system, so I'll return to my point.

My first issue with Stooksbury's statement is that it's rather farcical. You might as well say, "Apart from his singing career, Sinatra wasn't much of an entertainer." True, but intellectually dishonest. But even excepting the "big sticks" I don't see a strong case for his statement. Is our Army and Marine Corps second-rate? That’s laughable. That muddle of rejects and dopeheads reformed itself quite thoroughly after 1973 and has plenty of successes to show for it.

By way of demonstrating that I occasionally have moments of insight, I'll consider other ways of looking at the statement. Perhaps he meant, "because we are unwilling to sink to the sort of slaughter which our enemies respect" or a similar statement regarding asymmetric warfare. This is true overall, but is a matter of intentions, not capability.

There are other possibilities. Perhaps we're not very good at interfering with the affairs of other nations. I present recent events in Somalia in answer to this point, where the Ethiopians are having a ball. Would that more of our wars were fought in that matter.

But I think his point is that our power-projection is hampered by lack of political will. This returns to the matter of capabilities and intentions, and perhaps there I can find some common ground with the man. Our leadership has failed to engage the national will, but we've also shown that we're inclined to "cut and run" in the way Bin Laden thought we were.

Lastly, when I referred previously to political limits I had Korea and Vietnam in mind. An old campaigner like yourself is no doubt familiar with those cans of worms. For the record I consider Korea less than a failure and ‘Nam a mistake best laid at LBJ’s feet. But they’re not Iraq.”

To say the least, I disagree. I shall take issue first with the term Political Will.

Anonymous states, “But I think his point is that our power-projection is hampered by lack of political will.” I think I read Mr. Stooksbury enough to believe he does not mean that, but I shall address it anyway.

It is bad taste, of course, to quote myself, but I think my feelings on the idea of “Political Will” are recyclable,

"During a rare moment of lucidity while pretending to be a college student, I remember a professor talking about Helmuth von Moltke. This Prussian general had come to the United States to observe the American Civil War. The lecturer mentioned how von Moltke had observed the railroads in America and went home to invest and make a killing in German trains. Von Moltke also had another observation. He contradicted any idea that the spread of democracy would lead to a more peaceful world. Rather, democracy would lead to mass armies as the whole nation needed to be involved in the war effort and the people propagandized for the national crusade."

Thus the elite (or wannabe elite, the neocons) will progagandize the country to get their way. Of course, the people, not proselytized would never say, “Hey, we gotta show them Persians not to screw with us.”

I take issue with the idea that it is only political will we lack and our military is up to the benefial hegemony thing. If that were so, we would be cutting the length of deployments instead of stretching them to fifteen months.

The last part to address is this,

“I present recent events in Somalia in answer to this point, where the Ethiopians are having a ball. Would that more of our wars were fought in that matter.”

I have read that the Ethiops are buying arms from North Korea with our blessing. As Ethiopia is not known for its treasury, I expect that we are in some roundabout way, paying for said arms. We are a country with a bizzare foreign policy.

Whatever regular readers I have probably understand that I am not a fan of current US foreign policy. It is time for me to come out of the closet. No I’m not gay. Well, I like to think I am happy enough to consider myself gay, but you know what I mean, and I digress.

My disagreement with our foreign policy is near absolute. The Wilsonian experiment is a disaster. I am not however an isolationist. I dislike the term as it is more an epithet than a description. I consider myself a neutralist.

I thus invite readers to look at my other blog, The Neutralist. I have been cross posting articles that touch on foreign policy over there as well.

The Ministry of Comic Relief

In the Monty Python sketch the Piranha Brothers, One of their victims is being interviewed and defends Dinsey as not really wanting to nail his head to the floor, but he had to do it. His last comment is,

“You gotta remember about ol' dinsey, 'e was cruel, but,'e was fair”

A number of years later, on British TV they were interviewing the recruiter of a mercenary force commanded by a certain ex Brit officer named Colonel Callan, notorious for shooting some of his own men in an encourager les autres situation. The ensuing uproar made it necessary for someone to go on the telly and defend the indefensible. The last comment of the recruiter was made with the exact intonation of Dinsey Piranha's defender,

“You gotta understand, Colonel Callan is a maniac. But, 'e's a brilliant officer.”

One could suspect after that, that Monty Python was not parody.

Now let me go out on a limb and suggest the possibility that Mr. Michael Palin, one of the Monty Python crew, has some sinecure in 'er Majesty's government as he is completely in tune with its outlook. Below from Antiwar.com/blog,

Blair’s Britain Beyond Parody

Wednesday, April 4th, 2007 in News by Matt Barganier|

A few days ago, Terry Jones of Monty Python fame penned a funny and insightful piece about the UK-Iran “crisis.” It began as follows:

I share the outrage expressed in the British press over the treatment of our naval personnel accused by Iran of illegally entering their waters. It is a disgrace. We would never dream of treating captives like this - allowing them to smoke cigarettes, for example, even though it has been proven that smoking kills.

The same day Jones’ piece appeared in the Guardian, the following appeared in the UK’s Telegraph:

“It was deplorable,” pronounced our tight-lipped Health Secretary, “that the woman hostage should be shown smoking. This sends completely the wrong message to our young people.”

Well, the hostages are home from their suck up fest in Iran and have changed their tune. What a hell it must have been. It appears they were put in time outs. Picture Steve McQueen in the cooler for.......hours. They have changed their syncophantic tune and are now screaming about the hell they endured and hoping to cadge a few bob out of Fleet Street for their trouble. Hey they are only following
Fewtril#179, one of the maxims of Deogolwulf , the modern La Rochefoucauld,

Rather than simply shirk one’s duty, it appears much more decent to make a principle out of one’s disinclination to perform it.

It may not be the homage of vice to virtue but as Deputy Minister Palin might say, “Close enough for Government work.”

Being from the People's Republic of Massachusetts, I have to put up with a lot of comments about Teddy and Barney and the constant pressure to be politically correct. It is a comfort to know there is a goofier realm and there will always be an England.

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this very large open air insane asylum

Jihad Ain't What It Used To Be

I am glad the Brits got home safely. It was all theater and the Iranians got the Tonys as far as I'm concerned. We don't have TV so other than a few breathless spots on radio, all I know is what I've gotten from the net. I promise that will never stop me from shooting from the hip.

One interesting article from Spiked Online. It seems media outlets in our mummy country were reporting wild Persian mobs calling for blood. The mob turned out to be eleven orderly lads outside the foreign ministry in Teheran.

I did see a picture of angry people calling for something on the Drudge site. What they were calling for, I can't say as it was a still photo. I guess they were Iranian because the caption said so. Just looking at that photo, I could tell that crowd was on something. My guess is Geritol. Maybe they have multiple dependencies and are popping Centrum Silver as well. Clearly the Iranian Revolution as a popular force is spent.

There may be only one thing and one man that can unite that country. A bombing campaign by George Bush. Maybe that is why the mullahs have not backed down. No matter what we threaten they seem to be defiantly yelling back at us, "Yeah, you and what army?" Maybe they think our land forces are so thin now that they can deal with an invasion. I don't think they are fearing a bombing campaign. Surely they have dispersed what needs to be dispersed by now. A lot of bombs constantly falling for a few weeks or months on what? Watever old armament they possess is probably more valuable to a scrap metal dealer than on a battlefield. No, the stuff they need to keep is the stuff that could turn Iran into one big Sunni triangle, except they are Shia.

Clark Stooksbury says it best, "Once you get past aircraft carriers, B-52 bombers and Cruise Missiles, our power is rather ordinary and we have racked up numerous failures to prove it."

BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Kipling, The Young British Soldier


the voice of humility is going out on a limb and speculating that Faye Turney's recruiter never recited Kipling's verse as the proper attitude of the British serviceman or woman facing capture. We speculate the subject of capture never came up at all. Now as Yanks, it is possible that we have the Queen's forces all wrong and the selling point is the danger. Thirty years or so ago, it was different, but some got the wrong impression.


Colonel Come in, what do you want?

Private Watkins enters and salutes.

Watkins I'd like to leave the army please, sir.

Colonel Good heavens man, why?

Watkins It's dangerous.

Colonel What?

Watkins There are people with guns out there, sir.

Colonel What?

Watkins Real guns, sir. Not toy ones, sir. Proper ones, sir. They've all got 'em. All of 'em, sir. And some of 'em have got tanks.

Colonel Watkins, they are on our side.

Watkins And grenades, sir. And machine guns, sir. So I'd like to leave, sir, before I get killed, please.

Colonel Watkins, you've only been in the army a day.

Watkins I know sir but people get killed, properly dead, sir, no barley cross fingers, sir. A bloke was telling me, if you're in the army and there's a war you have to go and fight.

Colonel That's true.

Watkins Well I mean, blimey, I mean if it was a big war somebody could be hurt.

Colonel Watkins why did you join the army?

Watkins For the water-skiing and for the travel, sir. And not for the killing, sir. I asked them to put it on my form, sir - no killing.
From Monty Python


Watkins just did not get it. How kind of his colonel to set him straight that death might occur. Now, no war stories here, but thirty five years ago in the US Army, I would not have seen the colonel. I would have been lucky to see the first sergeant who would have been happy to explain that someone might be killed and by the way, that latrine might need some attention. I have left out some of the nouns and adjectives that he would have flavored the discourse with.

Of course that was all a long time ago and the marine recruiter,who spoke to my high school graduating class in assembly did apprise us of the opportunities, “We lost twenty five men on a hill last night and we need some recruits to replace 'em.”. It was a brave show and we all laughed. I doubt any recruiter is doing that these days, if they even get into a school.

It appears the Brit captives faced overwhelming force and resistance would have been suicidal. You might think that the captured British personnel would have defiantly given only name, rank, serial number and date of birth. I don't know if any did but Faye Turney spoke on TV

“Obviously we trespassed into their waters,” British sailor Faye Turney said on the video broadcast by Al-Alam, an Arabic-language, Iranian state-run television station that is carried across the Middle East.
“They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, nice people. They explained to us why we’ve been arrested, there was no harm, no aggression,” she said.
Turney, 26, was shown eating with sailors and marines. At another point, she was seen sitting in a room with a floral curtains, smoking a cigarette.
“My name is leading sailman Faye Turney. I come from England. I have served in Foxtrot 99. I’ve been in the navy for nine years,”

Now, Sailman Turney I am sure faced duress and may have made statements to mitigate treatment of the other crew members captured with her. Had you or I been there and faced mistreatment I suspect sooner or later we would give in.

This is a problem for us and our Anglo allies (probably soon enough to be our non allies). It looks like it will be more so as time goes on if we wish to fight more of these little foreign adventures. Somehow, a “mum”* writing to her babies won't do much for a government's polling numbers.

The US.Army uses a computer game to recruit. All high tech and antiseptic.My son is a nerd and I went with him to Wired's Next Fest at the Javits Center in Manhattan. We were a bit disappointed as it was mostly just gadgets, but the display by the Army's Natick lab was instructive. They were demonstrating the completely connected soldier. I asked the guy in charge the purpose. His reply was that if someone needed to takeover command it could be approved at higher headquarters and they could keep tabs on the battlefield. Yup, those of you who were worried that there was an impending shortage of bureacracy in your nation's forces, be at ease. Centralize upward. Scene a few years from now: “President Pelosi, Spec 4 Lars Vijayswarti here. ColonelMcSanchez was just killed along with everyone else in the Officers' Club Humvee and I am taking command. Over.” “Spec 4 whoever you are, President Pelosi here. Keep me informed and when you surrender, please observe protocol. You will be liable for any breach of courtesy to your captors. Over”

The Japanese were harsh on their own men in their fight to the death cause your dead if you are captured policy. I don't think it is preferable to honorable internment as a POW, but it beats being part of the Oprah show that went on in Iran.

Thanks to President Ahmadinejad the captives are going home. It was a bright move on his part, reminiscent of Paul Kruger's letting go of Jameson's buffoons. I suspect the Persians knew what they were doing. Brownie points on the world stage and they would not have to put up with whining self absorbed, entitled westerners.

* Text of purported letter from captured British Faye Turney to her family, including husband Adam and daughter Molly:
"We were out in the boats when we were arrested by Iranian forces as we had apparently gone into Iranian waters." "I wish we hadn't because then I would be home with you all right now." "I'm so sorry we did because I know we wouldn't be here now if we hadn't. I want you all to know that I am well and safe." "I am being well looked after, I am fed three meals a day and I'm in constant supply of fluids." "The people are friendly and hospitable, very compassionate and warm." "I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologize for us entering into their waters." "Please don't worry about me. I'm staying strong. Hopefully it won't be long till I'm home to get ready for Molly's birthday party and with a present from the Iranian people." "Look after everyone for me, especially Adam and Molly, I love you all more than you will ever know."

Not wanting to be overly tough on Faye, but is that why are you spend a lot of time on a ship on the other side of the world when you love them more than they will ever know. Not wanting to sound sexist, well not caring all that much if I do, but she does not look like the type one would say, “Yer mother wears combat boot,” about. There was a reason why armies have men with tough guy personnae. Oh well, at least she had her constant supply of fluids.

An Inconvenient Truth

Someday, I plan to write some thoughts on Islam. I have not solidified a position on the matter. I do have issues with it, but I would not say I trust sites like LGF. People are always saying where are the moderates. Well, I think I have found some. This group of Muslims is offering to pay for lawyers to help the John Does being sued by the Flying Imams, which is more than any Christian groups are doing. If anything, the Methodists would be hiring attorneys for the Imams.

Of course, I hardly want this blog to descend into rampant kumbayahism, so I have found a moslem whom I can sink my anti clerical teeth into. Sheik Mohammed Omran has told his followers at an Ozzie mosque that the terrible drought Austtralia suffers from is caused by the displeasure of Allah. I am guessing the implication here is that if the denizens of the land down under convert en masse, the heavens will open.

The Sheik did not have the thinking cap on when he came up with this one. Now, the home of Islam and the most Islamic of nations is in Arabia. When you think of Arabia you think of, let me think here, desert, sand , dry, hot. Enough, I am starting to choke with thirst from my little word assocition. My guess is that Allah must really hate Arabian Muslims. Whereas every now and then Austalia lacks for rain, the drought in the peninsula is never ending.

While we are on the subject of moisture or the lack thereof, the point goes to Jesus on this one,

"the rain falleth upon the just and the unjust"