New American Socialism--it's a Red and Blue issue

Friends,

If you listen to what we now call "news" in America, with the various pundits and talking heads all espousing their opinions as "news", chances are you will hear about why we are in the economic state we are in.

The Occupy folks, the no more taxes folks, the tax the rich folks, the outrageous government spending folks, the unfair economic policy folks, the Socialists, Marxists, Capitalists, etc. It makes it difficult for a regular citizen to figure out who really is at fault when it comes to the state of our economy.

So, who is to blame? Yes...they all are.

At least according to the authors of this essay.


You may have opinions about the source of the essay, but I found it to be pretty compelling on all sides. It's pretty direct in poking a finger in the chest of Socialists and Capitalists, Republicans and Democrats. From the essay:

We have lost our sense of honor, humility, and the dedication to personal responsibility that, for more than 200 years, made our country the greatest hope for mankind. I want to detail some of the factors that gave rise to the current entitlement society. We have become a country of people who believe their well-being is someone else's responsibility.

Folks, we have got to get our house in order. Yes, this does have to do with individual Values...and National Character. We've lost it. Plain and simple we've allowed our own desires and self interests to separate ourselves from the greatness that is the United States.

All I can say is, God bless the 2nd Amendment and those who exercise that right. Read the essay...you'll understand.

What kind of Army do you want?

This academic paper makes interesting work of the questions surrounding the developement of a "Warrior Class" that may be forming within the U.S. military. It's an academic work, so if you're going to read it, set aside about 30 minutes in your schedule.

However, it makes for an interesting read. The conclusion summation makes the point that we (the big "we", as in Americans) need to think about the kind of military we want to have defending us. Right now the military seems to be trending towards a self-selecting group of citizens, influenced by heritage and familial ties, who have born the burden of defending the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. The latest numbers I've seen bandied about was something like <1% of American citizens have servied in the Armed Forces. Our experience as Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines is foreign to most Americans.

Is that good? Is it bad? The author makes some conclusions about it, and offers some recommendations in how to "fix" the possible problem.

Good food for thought...

A Question of Legitimacy

Max Boot- Obama's Tragic Iraq Withdrawal

CFR.org - Obama's Tragic Iraq Withdrawal

In an Oct. 31 Wall Street Journal article, Max Boot lays out exactly what I said last week. If we don't gain the strategic victory in Iraq, it is because our leaders did not make the effort to meet with, and communicate with, al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials. From the article:

So why was it possible for the Bush administration to reach a deal with the Iraqis but not for the Obama administration?

Quite simply it was a matter of will: President Bush really wanted to get a deal done, whereas Mr. Obama did not. Mr. Bush spoke weekly with Mr. Maliki by video teleconference. Mr. Obama had not spoken with Mr. Maliki for months before calling him in late October to announce the end of negotiations. Mr. Obama and his senior aides did not even bother to meet with Iraqi officials at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Incompetence or indifference, I don't know for certain, but it appears that they just didn't want to do the messy work of relationship building. Withdrawal from Iraq, despite the risk of overall failure there, is the primary concern of the administration.

I still believe strategic victory is possible, and I believe that the military leaders now in place will do everything they can to make it so, but the administration's negligence in Iraq is disappointing.

Your Army Values/Character/Ethics valuable to business

According to the Wall Street Journal, the values system Soldiers have is a valuable commodity in the workplace. Specifically, companies like Chesapeake Energy Corp. want to hire Soldiers because of the values, ethics, and character we bring to the table.

Our Army Values may seem like a trite anachronism of a bygone era to some, but reality tells us that society is hungry for people with these same values.

Be a man or woman of character...live out your values...encourage others to do the same. We all benefit.

FAIL MODE: How NOT to form strategic relationships in Iraq

While visiting with family over the weekend, I was asked over and over again if I thought it was a good thing or a bad thing that we were leaving Iraq (largely) on 31 DEC.

I repeated my opinion--the same I've said here previously--that as long as we maintain a strategic relationship with Iraq, getting the troops out is a good thing. We need to be able to train, visit, share, rely on, and provide for the Iraqi people through an open and mutual friendship forged on the personal relationships that have been made over the past 7-8 years.

Nothing would make me happier than to have a regular REFORGER or Cobra Gold-type exercise with Iraq on a regular basis. That would be awesome. It would be equally great to have their officers attend our CGSC or other officer training classes.

Instead, this is the kind of senior leadership our nation has to rely on to form these relationships. Our leaders have have completely FAILED to see the importance of our relationship with Iraq. Not just from a strategic standpoint, but also from a psychological aspect.

There are hundreds of thousands of servicemembers who have spent years of personal capital in that country, and they deserve to know that the U.S. government (read: Pres and VP) are willing to do what it takes to make their efforts worthwhile.

You didn't agree with the Iraq campaign...OK, we got it. But you're the leaders! Do something grown up for a change! At least play the diplomat and do what's right for the nation, our stature amongst nations, and the Soldiers who defend the people who call themselves Americans.

Disgusting.

Chandler considers tighter grooming regs - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Chandler considers tighter grooming regs - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

This is an interesting article--sort of a clashing of cultures. You can make the argument that the genie is out of the bottle, so to speak, when it comes to tattoos. We have so many Soldiers in the Army right now with neck, hand, and "sleeve" tattoos it would be hard to really clamp down on them. I can't see kicking out tattooed Soldiers now when the tattoos were acceptable at the time of their enlistment.

My personal opinion is that they do look unprofessional, and don't present the best appearance to those outside the organization. I'm not tlaking about here in the U.S., either. When deployed overseas we deal with cultures that are easily offended by tattoos, let alone the tattooed images themselves--skulls, monsters, blood, gore, and sexual imagery are common themes for tattoos.

If you want a tattoo--fine. Just keep it out of sight while wearing the uniform. Any uniform. ACU, ASU, APFU...all of it.

As for piercings: none in uniform.

Let's keep the Army uniform in appearance, and represent the Army and our nation in the best way possible.

You are, of course, free to disagree and I would love to hear about your opinions (submit you comments below...wink, wink).

COB Speicher in Iraq's hands!!

The base where I spent 25 months of my life in Northern Iraq, just outside of Tikrit, was turned over to the Iraqi Army in a ceremony held yesterday.

Contingency Operating Base Speicher was a flat, dusty, worthless plot of land to the casual observer. But to the Army, it was a great place to operate out of since it was positioned along the nation's primary north-south running highway, had an airfield capable of landing any aircraft in the inventory, and was centrally positioned in the volatile north.

It will remain a vivid part of my memory. I can clearly recall the times when rocket and mortar fire would fall on us--including the time when Jimi Hendrix literally saved my life (ask me about it some time). I can remember the acrid smell of the garbage pit, and the continuous burning that would go on day and night; reminiscent of Gehenna.

I also remember the CHUs (containerized housing unit) where I lived, and the shower trailers that I'd visit regularly. By the way, don't shower in the mid-day when the local nationals are refilling the generators with fuel. I did that once, and stood there naked in the dark for 15 minutes with a head full of lather, as I waited for the power to return.

I remember the chapel services, the internet cafe, the dining facility, and the people. All the good stuff.

That place was certainly no garden spot--nothing you'd want to visit on vacation, but for me it's loaded with rich memories.

Iraq--congratulations on another step forward! I hope we can continue to have a strong strategic partnership even after the majority of US forces are gone. It's been a long struggle.