re: "Perspective"

Dave In Texas at Ace of Spades HQ considered the dissimilarities.

Money quote(s):

"Consider the difference between your average life-coddled "occupy" whatever ninny, with his or her apparent dental care, privileges of upbringing, friggin clothes and iPhones (THANKS MOM!), and education, and the American Soldier.

Kurt Schlichter already did this for us."

American soldiers know about field sanitation, for one thing.

"It's kind of difficult for me to give a rat's ass about these incoherent ninnies who are occupying whatever, and down-twinkling, except to note that they are being pushed at us through the media, and the left, in order to advance the leftist agenda. So a little perspective doesn't hurt. Military service isn't for everyone. But working and supporting yourself, and your family if you have one, that kinda is for everyone. It's how life works." (Bold typeface added for emphasis. - CAA.)

I get that there's frustration, about the economy, and anxiety, about the future, but CAA's resume and background didn't have a lot of free time available to spend doing non-income producing stuff for weeks on end.

Even when I was unemployed (and CAA has been, variously, "down-sized," "right-sized", and, my personal favorite, "re-engineered" at different times) I was generally looking for work full-time and working part-time jobs (hello restaurants!) to make my savings last a little longer.

"And another thing: John Adams put us some f'n knowledge, when he said,

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

That quote just can't get re-posted enough.

10/16

re: "Just Shut Up, Moron...."

Deebow at Blackfive ("the paratrooper of love") didn't sugar-coat this much.

Money quote(s):

"This is wrong on so many levels that when I saw it, I had to wrap my head in duct tape to keep it from exploding.

Sure the formal liars in formal wear are important, and I know that to some extent, the circle jerking that goes on during these meetings and confabs and seminars is important on some level to ensuring that we maintain some sort of relations with a country that we liberated from a tyrant and asked for no tribute in return. I am disappointed, but not surprised, at the fact that the eggheads in this administration couldn't negotiate some sort of agreement on troop placement and further security arrangements."

Don't worry; the guy who headed up the unsuccessful negotiation team will now be the next U.S. ambassador there.

(I seem to remember something of Soviet military doctrine about reinforcing success. On the other hand, this may be the Peter Principle's revenge.)

"Are soldiers less important than diplomats? HE double toothpicks no. Diplomats can't do their work without the hard work completed by those on patrol, and the American Soldier is the quintessential diplomat."

This was an optical fail. It goes to unstated, even unconscious, assumptions (i.e., biases) about the military, military members, &tc.

(After all, if they'd been successful in life they wouldn't have had to join, &tc.)

And just to turn Deebow's point on its head, there are certainly those who would claim that without the work of diplomat's, there would be no work for soldiers (to clean up their mistakes).

"Even Bill Clinton didn't say things this galactically retarded. And I will echo the sentiments of others on this blog that have pointed out that Satan's Handmaidens in this administration have the thankless job of going out and defend these retraded (sic) statements from a guy who is out of his depth in a parking lot puddle. We need to put this guy on the rocket sled back to Chicago for his extended presidential retirement soonest."

As someone who has done volunteer work with retarded young people, I take serious exception to Deebow's use of the term, even misspelled, as a pejorative with which to label the president's statement. That's unfair and cruel to the cognitively-challenged. (No, I'm not kidding.)

12/14

re: "We’ll See If The “Perfect” Record Continues"

Robert at Expat Yank ("One American living in the south of England") made a point that seems to be nearly universally overlooked (except by soldiers).

Money quote(s):

"As we know, most in media are perpetually wilting over the fact that the U.S. actually detains enemy who fall into U.S. hands alive. Moreover, they have little to n0thing to say about how nearly all of those the U.S. detains survive to be released."

&

"Insofar as this blog is aware, every single U.S. or coalition soldier captured by the jihadist enemy, has been murdered in captivity. That is a 100 percent record of barbarity unequalled by any enemy in all of human history."

re: "A lefty blogger eyes the Gitmo flip-floppery"

Tigerhawk ("thoughts of the day on international affairs, politics, things that strike us as hilarious and personal observations") remarks on the absurdity of trying Gitmo detainees in federal courts.

Money quote(s):

"There is lots of "information" in the world, but very little admissible evidence, a distinction essential to many politicians and to all courts. The difference is also at the heart of the argument over whether jihadis detained on the battlefield by soldiers ought to be treated as illegal combatants or as criminals. One needs evidence (as opposed to mere information) to detain the latter, but not the former."

&

"Soldiers are not trained, ordered, or even gently encouraged to gather evidence, and if they should happen to come into possession of some their own institution lacks the procedures to maintain a chain of custody suitable to admit that evidence in a United States criminal trial."