Credo
"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones
"Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra"
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche
"A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier
"Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas
"Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex
They have never been civilized, are not now civilized and never will be civilized. Accept it and move on.
Mr. Spock in a Star Trek episode opined that “It’s easier for civilized men to act as barbarians than it is for barbarians to act as civilized men”.
After 1400 years on inbreeding, what other actions could you expect?
Having spent a significant amount of time in AFGHN, I can say not ALL Afghans should be painted with the same brush.
Yes, many as we have seen act as barbarians and have very little regards for the rights of others or what we would consider the common courtesies of civilized men. The majority of these Afghans live in locations where they are still in the 12th century. Once you leave the city of Kabul or Kandahar, the people live like the Middle Ages.
The sentiments and actions of those who oppose our efforts are those who want to keep it that way. Many others are trying ( and dying) trying to make something out of their country.
I had to be the representative for my company as we turned over the remains of an Afghan employee who was killed while on the job. He was on patrol with our military when he stepped on a mine and was killed. His brother claimed his remains, and he also had stepped on a mine while working with our military. He had only lost a leg and told me that he & his brother were committed to a free Afghanistan. It was Easter Sunday and he told me that he appreciated all we did for his brother.
Yes, there are stupid, ignorant, disgusting, immoral people in all lands. I am upset when I see Americans cast as uncaring or ignorant but I am also upset when all Afghans are treated as represented by the lowest common denommenator found by a member of the press.
AFGHN has a long way to go to move from the 12th century to the 21st century. IF we walk away, there is no future for those who are trying to move it forward. WITH our help, there is a slim chance of hope for a better future….time will tell where things go.
SK1, I understand your point, and to a large extent I agree with you. But I am coming to the conclusion that the benefits we receive from being in Afghanistan do not outweigh the costs. I think we screwed the pooch when we handed it over to NATO, and we gave up on victory when we didn’t go into Iran. We are no longer fighting to win, simply to maintain a stalemate until we can claim “peace with honor.” Maybe it’s time to write off our sunk costs, focus on Iran and Pakistan, and when those are dealt with go back into Afghanistan.
“Many others are trying ( and dying) trying to make something out of their country.”
Not enough are trying, and not enough are dying.
“AFGHN has a long way to go to move from the 12th century to the 21st century. IF we walk away, there is no future for those who are trying to move it forward. WITH our help, there is a slim chance of hope for a better future….time will tell where things go.”
Neither the US government or the Afghan government would commit to this. Karzai sides with the taliban in an non-gamesmanship way? It sure is hard to see people suffer, especially when you’ve been there putting in the effort, but there isn’t any support left for this. Sad for those who will be tortured by radical islam. Maybe we can arm them but we tried that before.
Poor little Af’s caught in the middle. Frak ‘em. I feel sorry for OUR guys, not them. Get our guys out of the AF and back home. Af doesn’t behave, bomb them back to the Bronze Age and specifically target all of the leaders of groups that intend to do us harm.
What war has ever occurred where ALL inhabitants were bad? None, zero, nada, zilch, null set. The country is “misbehaving”, and you live in the country and do not change it? Too friggin bad.
Just made that same Spock comment on another blog/post regards Breitbart’s passing.
I’ve said it here many times until I’m the proverbial “blue-in-the-face” that LOTS of bribes and provisioning of selected tribal chieftains (and thus tribes) with copious amounts of guns is the only way to go…just take care to keep ‘em bought, is all and let them keep their tribal ways…tough luck for the wimmins & chilluns I know–but thats NOT our problem…we ain’t gonna remake their society anytime in the next 1000 years anyway…unless we use the “orbit” option and repopulate with the Amish..
I doubt the Amish would want the place, quite frankly.
Agreed VX, and the Brits learned this lesson last century.
And the Russians just about 4 decades ago, eh?
I’m certain, our overly apologetic behavior has nothing to do with, while being armed and armored, looking like weak horses, knowing our military is controlled by civilian “leadership.”
I asked Bill Tuttle how things were over there in his AO, and got the following over two posts over at the Castle:
“It’s actually kinda business-as-usual over here, QM. The attitude among the Afghans I mingle with is ‘It’s the usual gang of idiots who riot at the drop of a hat.’”
“One of the Afghani Majors opines it’s the same syndrome as the ‘Occupy’ crowds, except US cops are generally better at fragmenting crowds to keep them from getting too far out of hand.”
So things aren’t too bad over there for us. I’d like to hang some one, however, for letting our guys get killed by those savages. Frankly, I like a variation of Darth Vader’s response to a Captain Needa who apologized for losing the Millennium Falcon in the asteroid belt. Apologize to Karzai just before you trip the drop before the short drop with the sudden stop.
Napoleon had it right with his “whiff of grape.” Modern GPMGs would do wonders in such situations if they refuse to disperse.
GPMGs? Is that like cluster bombs, napalm and mini-guns?
General Purpose Machine Gun
I could live with a minigun too. A couple GPMGs, however, would be more sparing of ammo, however.
One of Samuel L. Jackson’s mistakes.
Obviously he should have gone with a Ma Duce instead.
Be fair, Lex.
Under Obama and Holder, Michael Vick would not have gone to jail because Holder doesn’t believe in prosecuting “his people”.
What’s he mean? Mike Vick is “his people”. Jesse Jackson too. Ditto Al Sharpton. Almost all of the NBA. “His people”.
You? Me? NOT “his people”.
So you can’t say for sure that we would send a professional athlete to prison for dogfighting. Unless he looked like Wayne Gretzky or, say, Larry Bird. You know. Not “his people”.
Sources/citations for this racist drivel?
You struck a nerve there Rhino. There was the poor white cop who was actually trying to protect the rich famous black perfessor’s home who “acted stupidly”. There was the New Black Panthers intimidating voters at a polling booth with clubs who never got charged with anything. There was what Holder actually said on the matter (ie source of the “his people” comment). There was the Pigford settlement where all us taxpayers got ripped off by a bunch of “farmers” who never grew a weed and who wouldn’t be caught dead on a tractor. There was the rich black woman who had a $350k a year patronage job doing nothing because she was the right color and the right political persuasion who was never proud of her country until she lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. There was a talented rich black guy who had everything, who went to jail for a most despicable crime of torturing helpless animals, who is once again a one percenter with a hundred million dollar contract, and gets a shout out from the President and tongue baths from a compliant media. So there are a couple of examples for you.
My family fought in Mr. Lincoln’s Army when they could barely speak English. I have been a willing and contributing citizen in America’s noble attempt to overhaul its society and re-frame its laws in order to live up to the ideals of our Declaration, and to ensure the opportunity and acknowledgement of all of our citizens, no matter what color they happen to be. I have known and served with many fine Americans who happen to be black and I hold them in the highest regard. So I am no racist, and I sure as hell don’t feel guilty about anything, but I am not so naive as to fail to recognize a pattern of racist behavior and recognize true racism when I see it.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0311/Eric_Holder_Black_Panther_case_focus_demeans_my_people.html
http://www.saveyourrights.com/obama/pro-minority-policies-practice-by-the-justice-dept/
http://www.sodahead.com/living/obama-and-holder-make-racism-government-policy-political-correctness-or-pay-back-for-whitey/question-1244037/
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2011/12/13/attorney-general-who-wont-prosecute-voter-intimidation-to-speak-against-voter-id/
http://www.rationalpublicradio.com/eric-holder-defends-his-stance-on-black-panthers.html
http://www.tnr.com/article/put-differently/98535/holder-voting-rights-id-sham
Racist drivel for sure, RhinoCone, but not MY racist drivel.
Picky, picky, picky..
VX,
Ain’t it the truth?
When the Left stands accused, massive and incontrovertible evidence is not proof enough. When it is the Right, mere innuendo is enough for a conviction and sentence.
Think that’s bad? Look what those crazy Rotarians are up to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l9WkrEo1O6k
Application of fissionable materials is in order.
A few CBU’s and all would be right with the world. Napalm would be fine also. Fracking Islamic Radicals.
The video clearly shows the mob-minded, tribally testosterone laden children of allah, the moon god. Too bad the cross didn’t fall on them. Would have seemed right, somehow. Wonder how many of the boys broke their toes kicking marble grave markers.
On second thought….they’re just playing with their food!
Just sayin’
MikeyB
Greetings:
Lissen, it ain’t watchya tink. Them Talibunnies is nice people. The dogfighting is what they do to let them “Bachi (dancing) Boyz get some ZZZZZZ.
The game plan should have been shock and awe, trash the place and root out the teliban and naff off at the high point pointing figue at them saying – dont make us come back here again. Anything else is a fools errand.
What I’ve been saying for years.
That course of action would savae national Treasure and also be done within the laws of armed conflict. Also wag the dog publicity / media managed as to ensure justification
Our recent “difficulties” with our Afghan “Allies” reminds me of the old French saying: “plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.” when thinking of that old joke about our S. Vietnamese “allies” and our frustration with them, to wit: “How do you solve the problem in Vietnam? Well, first you take the most highly educated, intelligent and motivated top 50% and put ‘em all on ships in the S. China Sea, then you bomb, strafe and nape the remaining 50% until there’s not a soul living and you’ve taken the top six inches off the top-soil leaving nothing but blackened earth.” “Sooo then” the bystander offered, “you re-populate with the top 50%, right?” “No.” came the reply, “then you sink all the ships.”
Deja vu. A number of those that were/are in AF are using the same analogy that many did back in SEA: “I know some people who are great and wonderful, don’t paint all VN w/the same brush…” Well, go look at that wall in DC w/50K names, and take a stroll in Arlington, and then tell me the same BS. Frak the AF’s -they have chosen their bed.
The only exception I make in Iraq and Af, are the Kurds (who remind me an awful lot of the Montagnards), frak ‘em. Israel also of course. Any trouble caused to us, make the rubble of the entire bloody country bounce, or make it glow.
To `win hearts and minds` there needs to be a majority of both these commodities, doesn’t there? As SK1 intimates, those who are willing can be found to be most amenable and worth the effort, but is there a majority of them? I have a nephew invalided out of the Guards, an altered man, because of this war and a cousin’s grandson about to ship out. I’m struggling to be positive.
We should send them a “gift” of 999,999,999 korans. Let them expend their energy in peaceful ways, trying to keep the sacred volumes safe from exposure to the elements, off the ground, sufficiently respected. In fact, we should send several million, tens of millions, of korans every year all around the country, with our “deepest regrets” for the inadvertant burning. “We’ve decided to give you aid (money) in the form of korans. We’ve come to understand this is you most treasured thing. Might be a cold winter…”
Liz, I can’t tell you how much I like this idea.
That is a nasty, underhanded trick. I love it!
Liz has once again demonstrated that she has a sick, deliciously devious and thoroughly dangerous mind–a very sick, deliciously devious and thoroughly dangerous mind–with the emphasis on thoroughly.
.
Hi all:
NEW TOPIC:
I received this as part of an email from a friend. The things that he forwards are not always as accurate as may be wished. Has anyone else heard of this or have any information as to how true it is? The beginning of his email follows:
“When I received this email, I could not believe it…
So, I checked with Snopes… I learned that it is TRUE:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/funeral.asp
There has been a change in U.S. military burial protocol!
This is a letter that my good friend’s husband wrote today after his uncle’s funeral yesterday. If Obama does not want his name associated with our military, he does not deserve to be “The President of the United States”. – Alice Frankovitch
REMEMBER THIS on NOVEMBER 6, 2012
Dear Sean,
Today I was incensed at the conclusion of a traditional Serbian-Orthodox funeral for my beloved 85-year-old uncle, Daniel Martich, who proudly served in the US Army during the Korean conflict. During the committal service at a Pittsburgh cemetery the local military detachment performed their ritual, then folded and presented the American Flag to my aunt. As I’m sure you have witnessed during military funerals, a soldier bends to one knee and recites a scripted message to a surviving relative that begins ‘On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, I wish to present you with this flag in appreciation for your husband’s service …’
However, today the dialogue was ‘On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and a grateful nation…’
However, today the dialogue was ‘On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and a grateful nation…’
After the service, I approached the soldier who presented the flag to my aunt to inquire about the change in language. His response was: “The White House notified all military funeral service detachments to immediately remove ‘the President’ and insert ‘the Secretary of Defense’.
I couldn’t believe what I heard! The soldier just smiled and said, “You can draw your own conclusion, Sir, but that was the order”.
I shall be ever so happy to hear from anyone who can enlighten me.
Paul
With respect, Paul, the article at Snopes that you kindly provided a link to arrives at a conclusion which is strongly contrary to the impression seemingly intended by the text of the forwarded email.
In short, the email is self-negating.
Alarm or outrage does not seem to be warranted by this particular issue.
Best regards, Peter Warner.
Peter W.
Thank you for your reply. I didn’t even look at it because I have found Snopes’ bias so repulsive that I stopped visiting their site.
My basic questions are: did the office of the federal government from which thanks to the departed are sent recently change from the office of the President to the office of the Secretary of Defense? If so, why?
Paul