To all,
May I present the newest member of our family, Judson James, along with Mom & Dad . . .
May I present the newest member of our family, Judson James, along with Mom & Dad . . .
We are proud of our kids. We can all celebrate new life. Everyone is home safe, and Nanni & Poppi are looking forward to spending some time with Judson James . . . oh yeah, and Mom & Dad. ;-)
I thought I would lead with a simple observation of no particular value. The new Washington dollar coin vastly exceeds the two earlier attempts -- the Susan B. Anthony and the Pocahontas versions. The mint code and year along with "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust" are stamped into the edge of the coin. I recount this little factoid not to impress you with my observation skills but to illuminate the metallurgy in the coin itself. The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin has a silvery finish, like a barely upsized quarter. The Pocahontas dollar dulls rapidly to a dirty brown, almost like an upsized penny. Thus, the shiny gold finish of the new Washington dollar sets it apart from all other coins, and frankly looks like a dollar coin should look. I do not know if the new dollar finish will dull with time and usage, but so far it seems to holding its unique shine.
I am a bit surprised no one picked up the banner regarding the travesty of the Maryland National Popular Vote law. [279] Let me add this . . . I used the example that the presidential candidate who won the national popular vote would win ALL of Maryland’s electoral votes even if he received zero votes in Maryland. Conversely, even if a candidate won all the individual votes in Maryland, he might receive none of the electoral votes. Thus, the citizens of Maryland cease to be relevant . . . other than as a very small fraction of the national voting population. Are we still really that angry over the outcome of the 2000 presidential election that we are willing to cast aside the Constitution and one of the few bulwarks standing for state’s rights and against simple majority rule? The current winner-take-all allocation of electors gives an individual state the most leverage or influence on the election of the Executive. Is this really where we are headed . . . to cast aside the wisdom of 200+ years of our constitutional republic?
Guillaume Dasquié wrote an article titled “11 Septembre 2001 - Les Français en savaient long,” [roughly . . . the French knew much about it] published in Le Monde on 16.September.2007, that disclosed a classified, 328-page report produced by the French Direction Générale des Services Extérieurs [General Directorate for Foreign Services] (DGSE) – roughly equivalent to the U.S. CIA, or UK SIS (MI-6). I do not know if the report is getting much Press or political play in Europe, and there has been nary a whisper in the United States. Perhaps our friends in Europe can offer an opinion. Apparently, according to Guillaume, the DGSE reports chronicled the activities, objectives and on-going operations of al-Qaeda from inception to the 9/11 disaster. I have no idea how this information plays against the 9/11 Commission Report or other official compendia, however, the implications are not positive. If anyone has seen quoted excerpts or public release of the DGSE 9/11 report, please send along whatever clues you may have.
After reconciliation in a joint conference committee, the House passed the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007 [H.R. 1591 (S.965)] [277] by a vote of 218-208-2-5, followed the next day by the Senate vote of 51-47-2. The President has threatened a swift veto. Since neither chamber has the votes to override the presidential veto, a compromise will have to be reached. Beyond adding another billion dollars to the emergency appropriations bill, presumably for more pork, two elements extracted from the text are of particular significance:
From Title I, Chapter 2, Section 1315 of this bill:
(a)(3) “United States troops should not be policing a civil war, and the current conflict in Iraq requires principally a political solution,” and
(b)(2) “The President shall commence the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, with the goal of redeploying, by March 31, 2008, all United States combat forces from Iraq except for a limited number that are essential for the following purposes:
(A) Protecting United States and coalition personnel and infrastructure.
(B) Training and equipping Iraqi forces.
(C) Conducting targeted counter-terrorism operations.”
The salient words are “civil war.” If Congress is correct and Iraq is simply embroiled in a civil war, in which American troops are caught in the middle, then this initiative is probably the proper action – leave Iraqis to their internecine bloodletting until they are satiated. However, I find it quite hard to ignore the evil hand of al-Qaeda and other nefarious external groups at the root of violence in Iraq. Thus, the separation of offensive al-Qaeda operations in Iraq from the internal sectarian and criminal violence becomes critical to assessing success. Al-Qaeda is an uninvited external combatant organization. Their interests are to bloody Americans as best they can and to wait out American popular and political support – then, like the DRV, they can declare a resounding victory over the Great Satan. The al-Qaeda objective is well served by attacking both Shia and Sunni communities to incite them to violence on each other, thus compounding the situation for the Americans. This is not to say that Iraq is devoid of revenge and retaliation killings between tribes or competing groups; there are clear examples. Perhaps our image of the Battle for Iraq is being dictated by al-Qaeda, and is thus erroneous; in that, Iraq is yet another victim nation to the radical hegemony of al-Qaeda. If so, then we must help the Iraqis to rid their country of this scourge; we have a shared enemy. If the congressional assessment is correct and al-Qaeda is an insignificant irritant in Iraq, then I must say perhaps the intended action is correct. At this moment, I believe the former state, i.e., I suspect the more horrific and larger or more daring events are al-Qaeda at work. So, what shall be the fate of innocent Iraqis?
On Wednesday's CNN American Morning, Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio explained his decision to file articles of impeachment against the Vice President . . . “If we impeached the President first, the Vice President would become President.” Kucinich sketched out three principle charges alleging that Cheney:
-- "manipulated the intelligence process . . . by fabricating the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction,"
-- intentionally deceived the American People and Congress "about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda," all to justify going to war with Iraq; and
-- that he has "openly threatened aggression against the [Islamic] Republic of Iran, absent any real threat to the United States, and has done so with the United States' proven capability to carry out such threats."
Now, ain't that rich. I have a whole bunch of nasty thoughts runnin' through my little pea-brain, but I shall refrain. Perhaps, we can find some goodness in the insanity. If this absurd initiative gains even a little traction, the process may well divert and distract Congress from spending any more money and making any more silly laws. So, maybe we should ask Dick to take one for the team.
“Army Officer Accuses Generals of ‘Intellectual and Moral Failures’”
by Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post
Friday, April 27, 2007; Page A04
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W3RH02CD8A68A059C0E3930328F8E0
Tom illuminated a scathing indictment of the United States military general officer corps in a rare public article by an active duty, field grade officer. A ‘must read’ . . .
“A failure in generalship”
by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yingling, USA
Armed Forces Journal
May 2007
http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/05/2635198
Lieutenant Colonel Yingling is the deputy commander, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, and has served in Iraq, Bosnia and in Operation DESERT STORM. He recounts the failure of the generals during Vietnam and makes a direct comparison to our current situation. Offering my kudos to Yingling for his courage, insightfulness, and his communications skills seems like trivial recognition in light of the rather extraordinary and rare step he took. I only have a few quibbles; I certainly do not think Tom Ricks’ book “Fiasco” is a tell-all, and Paul concludes with an appeal for Congress to get more involved and hold the general officer corps accountable for their actions. Injecting more politics into the flag rank officer corps hardly seems like an attractive proposition to me. Nonetheless, the bottom-line remains . . . generals have a far higher obligation to the Nation than political loyalty to their civilian minders and the exigencies of their in-uniform careers.
An interesting bill working its way through the congressional review process is the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592) that “amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person.” Normally, assault, battery, and murder are state crimes. Since more than a few states do not find it necessary to protect the well-being of its residents from abuse, based on the social factors, the Federal government apparently feels the need. I would add political affiliation to the list of social factors, but that might eliminate the sport in the silly season.
Monday’s Patriot Post (v.7, no.17) quoted Tom Plate, former editor of the Los Angeles Times, “Not all of us are so proud and triumphant about the gun-guarantee clause. The right to free speech, press, religion and assembly and so on seem to be working well, but the gun part, not so much... [The students at Virginia Tech] were not killed by a Korean, they were killed by a 9 mm handgun and a.22-caliber handgun.” Fallacious reasoning can be so disgusting. None of us are proud of the despicable and obscene murder rate in the United States and especially the tragedy of the VT Massacre. A few individuals choose murder to express their jealousy, resentment, outrage and such. An even fewer number murder for the thrill, notoriety, or pleasure they derive from taking another life. A civilized country should never have to bear the shame of mass murder like the VT Massacre. And yet, to suggest an inanimate object is responsible for these crimes defies rationale thought. I appreciate our collective frustration and perhaps impotence to prevent a disturbed individual like Cho from acquiring firearms, however, penetrating the doctor-patient boundary is wrong and restricting firearms for all citizens because of our frustration will not solve the problem. We may find it convenient to restrict gun ownership, but if we do, we must use the same logic to restrict automobiles, boats, knives, and other lifeless implements that have been used by human beings, intentionally or unintentionally, to kill or injure innocent citizens. Let us take the larger view.
Comments and contributions from Update no.280:
“Very good comments on the VA Tech shooting. Rational, yes. But like so many things, the irrational will surface, gain momentum, and unfortunately prevail. We can only hope this doesn't happen here. But at a minimum, it will certainly fuel the fire.
“Too bad about the loss of one of the Blues on Saturday.”
[NOTE: On Saturday, 21.April.2007, Lieutenant Commander Kevin J. Davis, USN, 32, of Pittsfield, MA, was flying Blue Angels no.6 (solo) – an F/A-18A Hornet airplane – during a scheduled airshow at MCAS Beaufort, SC, and crashed near the end of the aerial routine. The last Blues accident I know of was in 1999.]
My response:
The irrational build-up has begun, but not as fast as I expected. I suspect the crescendo may come in late July, as the congressional summer break nears. I hope we're both wrong, but I think not.
Indeed, a tragic accident with the Blues. They work so hard to fly safe while wow'ing the crowd. I'm waiting on the investigation outcome. Hard say what happened, but based on the fact he did not eject, I suspect he got too low on the merge, clipped the trees, and got dragged down. We shall await the official report.
[NOTE: As more information is made public about the Blues accident, the tragedy is looking more like a G-LOC event (G-induced Loss Of Consciousness). To my knowledge, the Blues have never worn G-suits (don’t want to mess up their fancy, custom, blue, flight suits). At those altitudes and speeds, even a momentary G-LOC could have disastrous consequences. If this was a G-LOC event and there were not other factors, it would still be very rare; these guys are highly trained, experienced pilots who practice their maneuvers incessantly. There may have been other factors involved like a bruised rib that might have prevented him from bearing down properly under high-G loading.]
Another contribution:
“In regard to Kennedy's assassination: As the autopsy shows (and didn't show), since it was not probed, the wound in the back did not connect to the wound in the front. The doctors and nurses at Parkland saw an entry wound in the front of the neck- about 3-6 mm. Some changed their minds after they were shown the autopsy report done later in Bethesda which implied (did not show) the wound in the back was probably related to what they saw in the front. Arlen Spector's careful wording for a question as to a scenario which might have allowed for the possibility of a rear entry shot to have gone through and out the neck and done the rest of the damage to Connally was answered in the affirmative by Drs at their Warren Commission hearings. Unfortunately the fact remains that the wound in the back was only about an inch deep and the wound in the front was smaller than the alleged magic bullet, and the lead in Connally's body was more than the magic bullet could have left behind. At any rate people who think Oswald did it have simply not studied the case- and if they say they have and still believe he did it then they are deluding themselves and the rest of us. It was impossible for him to get down the stairs and have a coke by the time he was seen by Officer Baker and Truit. But more importantly, two witnesses on the stairs at the time never saw him. Do the research and quit repeating official crap. Start with Vincent Salandria's early work and then read Gerald McKnight's Breach of Trust, written more recently. Or watch the History channel and ABC's Peter Jennings Special, and continue to live in La La land.”
My reply:
Wow! I'm not sure what to take from your opinion. As with any analysis of information, each bit must be viewed in terms of accuracy AND credibility; never easy judgments to make. Apparently, I have weighted some of those bits of information differently than you. I have studied the facts, supposition and conjecture. I’ve walked the ground myself and asked one crucial question, could I fire three accurate shots with a 6.5 mm Italian Mannlicher-Carcano M91/38 bolt-action, scoped rifle? I’ve not fired that rifle, but I have fired a 1903 Springfield and a custom [built by my great-uncle BTW], bolt-action rifle with a Mauser action. My answer: yes. And, I have little doubt I could hit a man-sized target at a comparatively close range of approximately 30m -- almost point-blank. I say this not to enter a debate, but only to reflect the questions I asked myself based on my interpretation of the available information – past and present. My opinion remains the same. I am not parroting the “official crap.” And, I do not live in “La La Land.” Let if suffice to say, we disagree on this topic, as we do on TWA 800. Nonetheless, I still appreciate your opinion and view of events.
. . . round two:
“Didn't mean any offense with my comment about ‘crap’ – nor did I mean it to you personally. Just frustration with over 40years of spin. Nobody doubts a good marksman could probably hit a target that Oswald supposedly hit. Even with the Mannlicher-Carcano, even though it is a bolt action that requires pulling away from the target to fire each time. The shots have been duplicated to some degree- but not in the exact way of the assassination. That is not my point- I have walked the ground as well- the point is Kennedy was hit probably by a small calibre in the throat. The wound in the back did not go through the body. One can draw up all kinds of laser tests and calculations til they are blue in the face, but an honest evaluation of the evidence- some of which had to wait decades to come out- shows that Oswald could not have done it. There were two witnesses on the stairs that he supposedly ran down in 90secs- yet they do not appear in the Warren report. They did not see him. I am not interested in whether your opinion changes or not- but for the sake of truth and history, someone with your degree of intelligence should investigate the available evidence thoroughly before you form such a concrete opinion. I do not have an opinion- I have a general impression based on the available evidence that Oswald did not kill Kennedy. For that matter it is the same in regard to TWA800- in order to have an opinion that a terrorist missile, manpad, or whatever hit the plane, one has to disregard the radar data that shows debris leaving the plane toward the south southeast at incredible speed, (as Tom has pointed out repeatedly),one has to disregard the fact that the entire nose was blown off the plane, one has to disregard the vantage points and testimony of Meyer and Bauer, who together suggest two missiles, one has to disregard the fact that Islip picked up the 30 knot track therefore indicating it was a large ship, disregard both eyewitness accounts from US air, Brumley and the kid behind him, who saw both a missile track and a boat wake- the missile track traveling farther than manpads can travel, and the fact that radar shows an unusual array of large boats out at sea at a time when it is accepted that some type of military activity was going on. To put Ramsy Yousef in this mix and suggest that all that hardware was out there to try and catch some terrorists in a cigar boat or something, and then let them get away, and ignore the sheer magnitude of the damage done to the plane seems to me to just force an opinion on the evidence. I don't have an opinion about TWA800, but the weight of the eyewitnesses, debris ejecta, radar data, possible drone activity, military activity, tend to suggest some type of military mishap.”
. . . my reply to round two:
No offense taken. I recognize passion on such things. I’ve seen as much of the autopsy and vector analysis data as I can find. I am not a forensic pathologist, but I have seen enough gunshot wounds to know what I am looking at. From the various sources I have been able to review – both pro & con I must add – I do not agree with your assessment. I have no idea why the government’s supposedly comprehensive investigation, AKA the Warren Commission Report, was so full of holes and anything but comprehensive. The Warren Report reminds me of the significant holes and deficiencies in the NTSB TWA 800 report. One day, I truly hope in my lifetime, government officials and politicians will learn that “the truth shall set you free.” The American People are not stupid. When they withhold information, suspicions are immediately raised, and as is the nature for some of us, we try to connect the dots with the information we have. I could easily construct a case that our societal distrust of government erupted circa 1964. I have an original copy of the Warren Report; I read it shortly after release; I was 16yo at the time, and I knew then that there was so much missing from the report – a very poor attempt at legitimate façade is what I remember thinking on my first reading, and that impression remains today. The same is true for the NTSB TWA 800 report, which is why we have FIRO. Just as we eventually learned of Enigma, Purple JN25, Barking Creek, Dieppe, Slapton Sands, et al, we shall eventually know all the facts associated with the JFK assassination; 2039 is the year the data is due to be released. And, I hope we shall see more of the government’s data on TWA 800 circa 2016. My curiosity remains unquenched.
A different contribution:
“I think your comments on Harry Reid need national press - how do we do that collectively without sounding like a bunch of overly conservative hawks - as opposed to real patriots who know personally the cost of combat and lack of public support from Vietnam?? We as a nation now have a bunch of ‘Jane Fonda’s. I hope their names are remembered in history in the same connotation as Benedict Arnold. None of these "leaders" understand those comments directly just cost additional American lives in the war on terrorism - doesn't sound right to me.”
My reply:
The Update goes to numerous national as well as local journalists I know, and goes to the Kansas congressional delegation. And, of course, the words are accessible by anyone worldwide via the weBlog. We certainly agree . . . too many Harry Reid’s in our political leadership. I suspect I have an unreasonable expectation that our generation can cast aside the deep-rooted distrust of government and the rampant me-ism so bloody common to politicians of our generation. The really sad part is, these yayhoos are contaminating our children’s generation. Easy to get discouraged, but we must press the fight until we are dust . . . or ashes, as the case may be.
And yet, another contribution:
“Good points all around on the VT shooting. There are a bunch of questions as to the timeline of the shooting and the police response, but there has to be some more investigation before we start laying blame. Now, in spite of all of Cho's weird and creepy behavior, who the hell can predict who will become a psycho mass murderer and who won't? That being said, there does need to be some law where if the court deems you a looney toon, that goes into the system and comes up in a background check if you try to by a gun . . . and you do not get said firearm.
“The one point I wanted to mention that was not brought up here is the controversy of airing Cho's rambling, psychotic video. The people who say the media should not have aired the video have very good, very valid points. For me, I believe airing the video was the right thing to do. Not for any sort of shock value, but I feel it is necessary to show the public just how sick and twisted this walking pile of javelina crap was. Why? For one, there are people in this country, hell throughout the world, who have a hard time believing such evil exists. On a slightly different slant, there are those who, for whatever whacked reason, refuse to believe in the concept of evil. Cho was not the only one walking this Earth with these demented thoughts and a will to act on them. The "Ostrich People" need to take their heads out of the sand and realize there are some really evil MFs in this world and we need to do what we can to neutralize them.
“Onto Harry Reid. He makes this stupid comment that the war is lost when there are statistics showing (despite the most recent bombings) terrorist attacks and civilian deaths in Bagdad are declining. Hey Harry, how about give the surge some more time to work? My God, Reid and his ilk make me sick. I list them as ‘the best friends a terrorist can have.’ If they think the war is going so bad, come up with a new strategy to win, instead of running away when things get hard. But their hatred of Bush will never allow that to happen.
“I just started reading a sci-fi novel called "Watch on the Rhine" by John Ringo. It deals with an invasion by an alien race called the Posleen, who plan to add the human race to their diet. Another alien race opposing the Posleen gives humanity technology to rejuvenate elderly former soldiers to their youth, giving us millions of soldiers with immediate combat experience. In Germany, this technology is used to rejuvenate former members of the Waffen-SS (shows you how desperate the situation is). Obviously, members of the Parliament and the public are very upset by this. Anyway, this leads to a great scene between the German Chancellor and an ally alien, where the alien poses this question . . .
“‘Why, when faced with an invasion nearly certain to exterminate your people, does your political opposition resist every attempt to improve your chances of survival? Why, when the [enemy] will extinguish most of your world and pollute the rest with alien life forms, do those most concerned with maintaining the ecological purity of your world do all in their power to undermine your defenses? Why, when the coming enemy is so powerful, are even your military leaders - some of them - so slow to push for rearmament, so almost incredibly incompetent in its execution? Why do those most in love with the notion of state control of your economy, high taxes and centralized planning, resist these very means to assist your people's survival?’
“With some modifications, this is the type of question that should be put before people like Reid and Murtha and Pelosi and all the others who seem to prefer letting terrorists and their supporters run amok in the world.”
My response:
The Cho video. Like you, I disagree with the criticism of NBC and other video news outlets airing the Cho video. While it does play to the psychosis in other disturbed individuals, I think it is important to understand the perpetrator as best we can. The video certainly does that. How can be whine about the public airing of such a disturbing video and at the same time criticize the government for withholding relevant information related to tragic events?
Gun background checks. I have mixed and conflicted views. On one hand, a disturbed person like Cho should have been identified as an individual for whom weapons would not have been appropriate; there were plenty of signs, and we learn more the deeper the investigation goes. Those few individuals close to him, failed him and society in general. Unfortunately, as with so many social aberrations, an individual can only be helped if he recognizes that he has a problem and seeks help; beyond that, our culture is ill-equipped to intervene. On the other hand, allowing the government deeper access into our personal lives to gain information like mental illness further extends the penetration and intrusion . . . taking us yet one more step toward Big Brother. Once again, I turn my wrath on the parents, family and close friends (apparently, very few in number, in Cho’s case), who must have or should have seen the signs; and, if they had cared enough for his well-being, they could have intervened. To protect our privacy and freedom, we must focus our attention on those in the private domain of potential offenders to find the means to prevent tragedies like the VT massacre.
And, our last contribution:
“Regarding no.6 on the VA Tech story – the school security people should have spread out their security and police officers to the entire campus. After the first shooting, there were over 100 uniformed cops around the dormitory. Since they didn't know where the shooter was, they could have been deployed around the campus. That might have stopped him from entering the academic hall where he shot 30--or at least have curtailed him.”
My response:
Yes, there are many things the police could have done in hindsight. Sure, they could have been deployed around campus. However, in the aftermath of the first event, I am having a hard time seeing it as part of some larger action. I have not seen the crime scene in the dormitory or even the data other than the public statements, but it could have easily been interpreted as a tragic love triangle rather than the opening shots of a mass murder disaster. We can always criticize the police, especially under the white-hot illumination of hindsight, but as I try to place myself in the position of the police early that morning, I cannot see the forecast of events that followed; thus, I cannot fault the police response or lack of response.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
I thought I would lead with a simple observation of no particular value. The new Washington dollar coin vastly exceeds the two earlier attempts -- the Susan B. Anthony and the Pocahontas versions. The mint code and year along with "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust" are stamped into the edge of the coin. I recount this little factoid not to impress you with my observation skills but to illuminate the metallurgy in the coin itself. The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin has a silvery finish, like a barely upsized quarter. The Pocahontas dollar dulls rapidly to a dirty brown, almost like an upsized penny. Thus, the shiny gold finish of the new Washington dollar sets it apart from all other coins, and frankly looks like a dollar coin should look. I do not know if the new dollar finish will dull with time and usage, but so far it seems to holding its unique shine.
I am a bit surprised no one picked up the banner regarding the travesty of the Maryland National Popular Vote law. [279] Let me add this . . . I used the example that the presidential candidate who won the national popular vote would win ALL of Maryland’s electoral votes even if he received zero votes in Maryland. Conversely, even if a candidate won all the individual votes in Maryland, he might receive none of the electoral votes. Thus, the citizens of Maryland cease to be relevant . . . other than as a very small fraction of the national voting population. Are we still really that angry over the outcome of the 2000 presidential election that we are willing to cast aside the Constitution and one of the few bulwarks standing for state’s rights and against simple majority rule? The current winner-take-all allocation of electors gives an individual state the most leverage or influence on the election of the Executive. Is this really where we are headed . . . to cast aside the wisdom of 200+ years of our constitutional republic?
Guillaume Dasquié wrote an article titled “11 Septembre 2001 - Les Français en savaient long,” [roughly . . . the French knew much about it] published in Le Monde on 16.September.2007, that disclosed a classified, 328-page report produced by the French Direction Générale des Services Extérieurs [General Directorate for Foreign Services] (DGSE) – roughly equivalent to the U.S. CIA, or UK SIS (MI-6). I do not know if the report is getting much Press or political play in Europe, and there has been nary a whisper in the United States. Perhaps our friends in Europe can offer an opinion. Apparently, according to Guillaume, the DGSE reports chronicled the activities, objectives and on-going operations of al-Qaeda from inception to the 9/11 disaster. I have no idea how this information plays against the 9/11 Commission Report or other official compendia, however, the implications are not positive. If anyone has seen quoted excerpts or public release of the DGSE 9/11 report, please send along whatever clues you may have.
After reconciliation in a joint conference committee, the House passed the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007 [H.R. 1591 (S.965)] [277] by a vote of 218-208-2-5, followed the next day by the Senate vote of 51-47-2. The President has threatened a swift veto. Since neither chamber has the votes to override the presidential veto, a compromise will have to be reached. Beyond adding another billion dollars to the emergency appropriations bill, presumably for more pork, two elements extracted from the text are of particular significance:
From Title I, Chapter 2, Section 1315 of this bill:
(a)(3) “United States troops should not be policing a civil war, and the current conflict in Iraq requires principally a political solution,” and
(b)(2) “The President shall commence the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, with the goal of redeploying, by March 31, 2008, all United States combat forces from Iraq except for a limited number that are essential for the following purposes:
(A) Protecting United States and coalition personnel and infrastructure.
(B) Training and equipping Iraqi forces.
(C) Conducting targeted counter-terrorism operations.”
The salient words are “civil war.” If Congress is correct and Iraq is simply embroiled in a civil war, in which American troops are caught in the middle, then this initiative is probably the proper action – leave Iraqis to their internecine bloodletting until they are satiated. However, I find it quite hard to ignore the evil hand of al-Qaeda and other nefarious external groups at the root of violence in Iraq. Thus, the separation of offensive al-Qaeda operations in Iraq from the internal sectarian and criminal violence becomes critical to assessing success. Al-Qaeda is an uninvited external combatant organization. Their interests are to bloody Americans as best they can and to wait out American popular and political support – then, like the DRV, they can declare a resounding victory over the Great Satan. The al-Qaeda objective is well served by attacking both Shia and Sunni communities to incite them to violence on each other, thus compounding the situation for the Americans. This is not to say that Iraq is devoid of revenge and retaliation killings between tribes or competing groups; there are clear examples. Perhaps our image of the Battle for Iraq is being dictated by al-Qaeda, and is thus erroneous; in that, Iraq is yet another victim nation to the radical hegemony of al-Qaeda. If so, then we must help the Iraqis to rid their country of this scourge; we have a shared enemy. If the congressional assessment is correct and al-Qaeda is an insignificant irritant in Iraq, then I must say perhaps the intended action is correct. At this moment, I believe the former state, i.e., I suspect the more horrific and larger or more daring events are al-Qaeda at work. So, what shall be the fate of innocent Iraqis?
On Wednesday's CNN American Morning, Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio explained his decision to file articles of impeachment against the Vice President . . . “If we impeached the President first, the Vice President would become President.” Kucinich sketched out three principle charges alleging that Cheney:
-- "manipulated the intelligence process . . . by fabricating the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction,"
-- intentionally deceived the American People and Congress "about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda," all to justify going to war with Iraq; and
-- that he has "openly threatened aggression against the [Islamic] Republic of Iran, absent any real threat to the United States, and has done so with the United States' proven capability to carry out such threats."
Now, ain't that rich. I have a whole bunch of nasty thoughts runnin' through my little pea-brain, but I shall refrain. Perhaps, we can find some goodness in the insanity. If this absurd initiative gains even a little traction, the process may well divert and distract Congress from spending any more money and making any more silly laws. So, maybe we should ask Dick to take one for the team.
“Army Officer Accuses Generals of ‘Intellectual and Moral Failures’”
by Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post
Friday, April 27, 2007; Page A04
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W3RH02CD8A68A059C0E3930328F8E0
Tom illuminated a scathing indictment of the United States military general officer corps in a rare public article by an active duty, field grade officer. A ‘must read’ . . .
“A failure in generalship”
by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yingling, USA
Armed Forces Journal
May 2007
http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/05/2635198
Lieutenant Colonel Yingling is the deputy commander, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, and has served in Iraq, Bosnia and in Operation DESERT STORM. He recounts the failure of the generals during Vietnam and makes a direct comparison to our current situation. Offering my kudos to Yingling for his courage, insightfulness, and his communications skills seems like trivial recognition in light of the rather extraordinary and rare step he took. I only have a few quibbles; I certainly do not think Tom Ricks’ book “Fiasco” is a tell-all, and Paul concludes with an appeal for Congress to get more involved and hold the general officer corps accountable for their actions. Injecting more politics into the flag rank officer corps hardly seems like an attractive proposition to me. Nonetheless, the bottom-line remains . . . generals have a far higher obligation to the Nation than political loyalty to their civilian minders and the exigencies of their in-uniform careers.
An interesting bill working its way through the congressional review process is the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592) that “amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person.” Normally, assault, battery, and murder are state crimes. Since more than a few states do not find it necessary to protect the well-being of its residents from abuse, based on the social factors, the Federal government apparently feels the need. I would add political affiliation to the list of social factors, but that might eliminate the sport in the silly season.
Monday’s Patriot Post (v.7, no.17) quoted Tom Plate, former editor of the Los Angeles Times, “Not all of us are so proud and triumphant about the gun-guarantee clause. The right to free speech, press, religion and assembly and so on seem to be working well, but the gun part, not so much... [The students at Virginia Tech] were not killed by a Korean, they were killed by a 9 mm handgun and a.22-caliber handgun.” Fallacious reasoning can be so disgusting. None of us are proud of the despicable and obscene murder rate in the United States and especially the tragedy of the VT Massacre. A few individuals choose murder to express their jealousy, resentment, outrage and such. An even fewer number murder for the thrill, notoriety, or pleasure they derive from taking another life. A civilized country should never have to bear the shame of mass murder like the VT Massacre. And yet, to suggest an inanimate object is responsible for these crimes defies rationale thought. I appreciate our collective frustration and perhaps impotence to prevent a disturbed individual like Cho from acquiring firearms, however, penetrating the doctor-patient boundary is wrong and restricting firearms for all citizens because of our frustration will not solve the problem. We may find it convenient to restrict gun ownership, but if we do, we must use the same logic to restrict automobiles, boats, knives, and other lifeless implements that have been used by human beings, intentionally or unintentionally, to kill or injure innocent citizens. Let us take the larger view.
Comments and contributions from Update no.280:
“Very good comments on the VA Tech shooting. Rational, yes. But like so many things, the irrational will surface, gain momentum, and unfortunately prevail. We can only hope this doesn't happen here. But at a minimum, it will certainly fuel the fire.
“Too bad about the loss of one of the Blues on Saturday.”
[NOTE: On Saturday, 21.April.2007, Lieutenant Commander Kevin J. Davis, USN, 32, of Pittsfield, MA, was flying Blue Angels no.6 (solo) – an F/A-18A Hornet airplane – during a scheduled airshow at MCAS Beaufort, SC, and crashed near the end of the aerial routine. The last Blues accident I know of was in 1999.]
My response:
The irrational build-up has begun, but not as fast as I expected. I suspect the crescendo may come in late July, as the congressional summer break nears. I hope we're both wrong, but I think not.
Indeed, a tragic accident with the Blues. They work so hard to fly safe while wow'ing the crowd. I'm waiting on the investigation outcome. Hard say what happened, but based on the fact he did not eject, I suspect he got too low on the merge, clipped the trees, and got dragged down. We shall await the official report.
[NOTE: As more information is made public about the Blues accident, the tragedy is looking more like a G-LOC event (G-induced Loss Of Consciousness). To my knowledge, the Blues have never worn G-suits (don’t want to mess up their fancy, custom, blue, flight suits). At those altitudes and speeds, even a momentary G-LOC could have disastrous consequences. If this was a G-LOC event and there were not other factors, it would still be very rare; these guys are highly trained, experienced pilots who practice their maneuvers incessantly. There may have been other factors involved like a bruised rib that might have prevented him from bearing down properly under high-G loading.]
Another contribution:
“In regard to Kennedy's assassination: As the autopsy shows (and didn't show), since it was not probed, the wound in the back did not connect to the wound in the front. The doctors and nurses at Parkland saw an entry wound in the front of the neck- about 3-6 mm. Some changed their minds after they were shown the autopsy report done later in Bethesda which implied (did not show) the wound in the back was probably related to what they saw in the front. Arlen Spector's careful wording for a question as to a scenario which might have allowed for the possibility of a rear entry shot to have gone through and out the neck and done the rest of the damage to Connally was answered in the affirmative by Drs at their Warren Commission hearings. Unfortunately the fact remains that the wound in the back was only about an inch deep and the wound in the front was smaller than the alleged magic bullet, and the lead in Connally's body was more than the magic bullet could have left behind. At any rate people who think Oswald did it have simply not studied the case- and if they say they have and still believe he did it then they are deluding themselves and the rest of us. It was impossible for him to get down the stairs and have a coke by the time he was seen by Officer Baker and Truit. But more importantly, two witnesses on the stairs at the time never saw him. Do the research and quit repeating official crap. Start with Vincent Salandria's early work and then read Gerald McKnight's Breach of Trust, written more recently. Or watch the History channel and ABC's Peter Jennings Special, and continue to live in La La land.”
My reply:
Wow! I'm not sure what to take from your opinion. As with any analysis of information, each bit must be viewed in terms of accuracy AND credibility; never easy judgments to make. Apparently, I have weighted some of those bits of information differently than you. I have studied the facts, supposition and conjecture. I’ve walked the ground myself and asked one crucial question, could I fire three accurate shots with a 6.5 mm Italian Mannlicher-Carcano M91/38 bolt-action, scoped rifle? I’ve not fired that rifle, but I have fired a 1903 Springfield and a custom [built by my great-uncle BTW], bolt-action rifle with a Mauser action. My answer: yes. And, I have little doubt I could hit a man-sized target at a comparatively close range of approximately 30m -- almost point-blank. I say this not to enter a debate, but only to reflect the questions I asked myself based on my interpretation of the available information – past and present. My opinion remains the same. I am not parroting the “official crap.” And, I do not live in “La La Land.” Let if suffice to say, we disagree on this topic, as we do on TWA 800. Nonetheless, I still appreciate your opinion and view of events.
. . . round two:
“Didn't mean any offense with my comment about ‘crap’ – nor did I mean it to you personally. Just frustration with over 40years of spin. Nobody doubts a good marksman could probably hit a target that Oswald supposedly hit. Even with the Mannlicher-Carcano, even though it is a bolt action that requires pulling away from the target to fire each time. The shots have been duplicated to some degree- but not in the exact way of the assassination. That is not my point- I have walked the ground as well- the point is Kennedy was hit probably by a small calibre in the throat. The wound in the back did not go through the body. One can draw up all kinds of laser tests and calculations til they are blue in the face, but an honest evaluation of the evidence- some of which had to wait decades to come out- shows that Oswald could not have done it. There were two witnesses on the stairs that he supposedly ran down in 90secs- yet they do not appear in the Warren report. They did not see him. I am not interested in whether your opinion changes or not- but for the sake of truth and history, someone with your degree of intelligence should investigate the available evidence thoroughly before you form such a concrete opinion. I do not have an opinion- I have a general impression based on the available evidence that Oswald did not kill Kennedy. For that matter it is the same in regard to TWA800- in order to have an opinion that a terrorist missile, manpad, or whatever hit the plane, one has to disregard the radar data that shows debris leaving the plane toward the south southeast at incredible speed, (as Tom has pointed out repeatedly),one has to disregard the fact that the entire nose was blown off the plane, one has to disregard the vantage points and testimony of Meyer and Bauer, who together suggest two missiles, one has to disregard the fact that Islip picked up the 30 knot track therefore indicating it was a large ship, disregard both eyewitness accounts from US air, Brumley and the kid behind him, who saw both a missile track and a boat wake- the missile track traveling farther than manpads can travel, and the fact that radar shows an unusual array of large boats out at sea at a time when it is accepted that some type of military activity was going on. To put Ramsy Yousef in this mix and suggest that all that hardware was out there to try and catch some terrorists in a cigar boat or something, and then let them get away, and ignore the sheer magnitude of the damage done to the plane seems to me to just force an opinion on the evidence. I don't have an opinion about TWA800, but the weight of the eyewitnesses, debris ejecta, radar data, possible drone activity, military activity, tend to suggest some type of military mishap.”
. . . my reply to round two:
No offense taken. I recognize passion on such things. I’ve seen as much of the autopsy and vector analysis data as I can find. I am not a forensic pathologist, but I have seen enough gunshot wounds to know what I am looking at. From the various sources I have been able to review – both pro & con I must add – I do not agree with your assessment. I have no idea why the government’s supposedly comprehensive investigation, AKA the Warren Commission Report, was so full of holes and anything but comprehensive. The Warren Report reminds me of the significant holes and deficiencies in the NTSB TWA 800 report. One day, I truly hope in my lifetime, government officials and politicians will learn that “the truth shall set you free.” The American People are not stupid. When they withhold information, suspicions are immediately raised, and as is the nature for some of us, we try to connect the dots with the information we have. I could easily construct a case that our societal distrust of government erupted circa 1964. I have an original copy of the Warren Report; I read it shortly after release; I was 16yo at the time, and I knew then that there was so much missing from the report – a very poor attempt at legitimate façade is what I remember thinking on my first reading, and that impression remains today. The same is true for the NTSB TWA 800 report, which is why we have FIRO. Just as we eventually learned of Enigma, Purple JN25, Barking Creek, Dieppe, Slapton Sands, et al, we shall eventually know all the facts associated with the JFK assassination; 2039 is the year the data is due to be released. And, I hope we shall see more of the government’s data on TWA 800 circa 2016. My curiosity remains unquenched.
A different contribution:
“I think your comments on Harry Reid need national press - how do we do that collectively without sounding like a bunch of overly conservative hawks - as opposed to real patriots who know personally the cost of combat and lack of public support from Vietnam?? We as a nation now have a bunch of ‘Jane Fonda’s. I hope their names are remembered in history in the same connotation as Benedict Arnold. None of these "leaders" understand those comments directly just cost additional American lives in the war on terrorism - doesn't sound right to me.”
My reply:
The Update goes to numerous national as well as local journalists I know, and goes to the Kansas congressional delegation. And, of course, the words are accessible by anyone worldwide via the weBlog. We certainly agree . . . too many Harry Reid’s in our political leadership. I suspect I have an unreasonable expectation that our generation can cast aside the deep-rooted distrust of government and the rampant me-ism so bloody common to politicians of our generation. The really sad part is, these yayhoos are contaminating our children’s generation. Easy to get discouraged, but we must press the fight until we are dust . . . or ashes, as the case may be.
And yet, another contribution:
“Good points all around on the VT shooting. There are a bunch of questions as to the timeline of the shooting and the police response, but there has to be some more investigation before we start laying blame. Now, in spite of all of Cho's weird and creepy behavior, who the hell can predict who will become a psycho mass murderer and who won't? That being said, there does need to be some law where if the court deems you a looney toon, that goes into the system and comes up in a background check if you try to by a gun . . . and you do not get said firearm.
“The one point I wanted to mention that was not brought up here is the controversy of airing Cho's rambling, psychotic video. The people who say the media should not have aired the video have very good, very valid points. For me, I believe airing the video was the right thing to do. Not for any sort of shock value, but I feel it is necessary to show the public just how sick and twisted this walking pile of javelina crap was. Why? For one, there are people in this country, hell throughout the world, who have a hard time believing such evil exists. On a slightly different slant, there are those who, for whatever whacked reason, refuse to believe in the concept of evil. Cho was not the only one walking this Earth with these demented thoughts and a will to act on them. The "Ostrich People" need to take their heads out of the sand and realize there are some really evil MFs in this world and we need to do what we can to neutralize them.
“Onto Harry Reid. He makes this stupid comment that the war is lost when there are statistics showing (despite the most recent bombings) terrorist attacks and civilian deaths in Bagdad are declining. Hey Harry, how about give the surge some more time to work? My God, Reid and his ilk make me sick. I list them as ‘the best friends a terrorist can have.’ If they think the war is going so bad, come up with a new strategy to win, instead of running away when things get hard. But their hatred of Bush will never allow that to happen.
“I just started reading a sci-fi novel called "Watch on the Rhine" by John Ringo. It deals with an invasion by an alien race called the Posleen, who plan to add the human race to their diet. Another alien race opposing the Posleen gives humanity technology to rejuvenate elderly former soldiers to their youth, giving us millions of soldiers with immediate combat experience. In Germany, this technology is used to rejuvenate former members of the Waffen-SS (shows you how desperate the situation is). Obviously, members of the Parliament and the public are very upset by this. Anyway, this leads to a great scene between the German Chancellor and an ally alien, where the alien poses this question . . .
“‘Why, when faced with an invasion nearly certain to exterminate your people, does your political opposition resist every attempt to improve your chances of survival? Why, when the [enemy] will extinguish most of your world and pollute the rest with alien life forms, do those most concerned with maintaining the ecological purity of your world do all in their power to undermine your defenses? Why, when the coming enemy is so powerful, are even your military leaders - some of them - so slow to push for rearmament, so almost incredibly incompetent in its execution? Why do those most in love with the notion of state control of your economy, high taxes and centralized planning, resist these very means to assist your people's survival?’
“With some modifications, this is the type of question that should be put before people like Reid and Murtha and Pelosi and all the others who seem to prefer letting terrorists and their supporters run amok in the world.”
My response:
The Cho video. Like you, I disagree with the criticism of NBC and other video news outlets airing the Cho video. While it does play to the psychosis in other disturbed individuals, I think it is important to understand the perpetrator as best we can. The video certainly does that. How can be whine about the public airing of such a disturbing video and at the same time criticize the government for withholding relevant information related to tragic events?
Gun background checks. I have mixed and conflicted views. On one hand, a disturbed person like Cho should have been identified as an individual for whom weapons would not have been appropriate; there were plenty of signs, and we learn more the deeper the investigation goes. Those few individuals close to him, failed him and society in general. Unfortunately, as with so many social aberrations, an individual can only be helped if he recognizes that he has a problem and seeks help; beyond that, our culture is ill-equipped to intervene. On the other hand, allowing the government deeper access into our personal lives to gain information like mental illness further extends the penetration and intrusion . . . taking us yet one more step toward Big Brother. Once again, I turn my wrath on the parents, family and close friends (apparently, very few in number, in Cho’s case), who must have or should have seen the signs; and, if they had cared enough for his well-being, they could have intervened. To protect our privacy and freedom, we must focus our attention on those in the private domain of potential offenders to find the means to prevent tragedies like the VT massacre.
And, our last contribution:
“Regarding no.6 on the VA Tech story – the school security people should have spread out their security and police officers to the entire campus. After the first shooting, there were over 100 uniformed cops around the dormitory. Since they didn't know where the shooter was, they could have been deployed around the campus. That might have stopped him from entering the academic hall where he shot 30--or at least have curtailed him.”
My response:
Yes, there are many things the police could have done in hindsight. Sure, they could have been deployed around campus. However, in the aftermath of the first event, I am having a hard time seeing it as part of some larger action. I have not seen the crime scene in the dormitory or even the data other than the public statements, but it could have easily been interpreted as a tragic love triangle rather than the opening shots of a mass murder disaster. We can always criticize the police, especially under the white-hot illumination of hindsight, but as I try to place myself in the position of the police early that morning, I cannot see the forecast of events that followed; thus, I cannot fault the police response or lack of response.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
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