Bush Tax Cuts a Fool’s Errand
Is it me, or does anyone else find this constant push for a tax cut a bit wearying, not to mention overwhelmingly foolish? Don’t we have a war to pay for? Aren’t the vast majority of states running in the red? Aren’t there millions of Americans without basic healthcare, and still more unemployed? Is this really the best time to cut the government’s revenue stream?
Looking at my latest pay stub, I would be the first one to stand up and proclaim that I need tax relief, but then sobering reality would slap me in the face like the recent westerly winds hammered my newly built gazebo this past weekend. I, like the rest of my fellow sober, rational thinking, forward-looking, multi-dimensional Americans, must look at the larger picture. And that picture is fuzzy, its colors are starting to run, and fade. But it nonetheless illustrates an undeniable truth: we cannot afford tax relief, not now, nor anywhere in the distant future.
The President claims that the tax relief package—which seeks to significantly cut the dividend tax—will create new jobs, especially new small business jobs. Please, there are not enough small business jobs in America to employee the millions of people who have lost their jobs, let alone replace the income that has left the economy. When held up to the mirror of reality, the Presidents tax cuts are nothing more then a gift to the richest 1 percent of Americans; a thank you card from the President at our (the rest of the 99 percent of Americans) expense.
Consider the numbers: according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, under the President’s original tax relief plan, households with $40,000 to $50,000 in net (taxable) income would receive an average tax cut of $482 and an increase of 1.2 percent to their total after-tax income. For households earning more than $1 million, the average tax cut would be more than $89,500, with an increase in their after-tax income of 4.2 percent.
The $550 billion version of the President’s plan that passed the House of Representatives last week is even more generous to the rich. Those same middle-income households would receive a tax cut of $452 and an income boost of 1.1 percent, while the nation’s upper crust (those making over 1 million dollars) would receive a tax-cut of $93,537, enough to enlarge their after-tax income by 4.4 percent. The more unpretentious $350 billion tax cut that passed the Senate Finance Committee last week would trim the average millionaire's tax cut a smidgen, to $64,431. But it would also trim the middle class tax-cut to $415.
The 10-year, $1.35 trillion tax cut that passed in 2001, and gave us all $600 to spend, also gave the uber-rich a windfall, but it left the relative income tax burden of each income group largely untouched. That is because most of the cuts targeted income, and taxpayers at every income level received virtually the same percentage reduction. In contrast, the centerpiece of the Republican White House and Republican House tax plans—sharp cuts in taxes paid on dividends and capital gains—are aimed at investors, who tend to be very wealthy.
I, like most Americans, do not have large sums of money tied up in individual stocks. If we invest in the Market, our money is more than likely in mutual funds, 401(k)’s, CD’s and IRA’s. Therefore the benefit of the current round of tax-cuts for the vast majority of Americans would be negligible, unless of course you count the job creation angle. Just how does a cut in the dividend tax rate morph into a new job with health care benefits anyway?
This is not leadership; this is cronyism at its unabashed, unadorned, repugnant worst. And it only reinforces my belief that taken as a whole, the Republican Party has no political or social philosophy in which I feel comfortable supporting. The Bush tax cut proposal is a fool’s errand trumpeted by a Party that cares only for the rich conservative few that keep its coffers full, and its agenda at the center of American life, whether we like it or not. The tax-cut proposal is bad for America. At a time when we need bold leadership to see the country through the worst economic and fiscal malady since the end of WWII, we have Bush. Is it just me, or is anyone else looking for a safe place to hide for the next six years?
Source: Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post Online. Bush Blunts 'Fairness Question' on Taxes
< http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47167-2003May12.html>
Friday, May 16, 2003
Thursday, May 15, 2003
Did anyone else see the season ending shocker on The West Wing last night? Even I, an amateur Constitutional scholar, didn’t see that one coming. Last night’s episode is why The West Wing continues to be the best 45 minutes of drama on television, cable or otherwise! Of course the Law & Order series comes in a close second, but the ensemble (writers, directors, and actors) of The West Wing keep me clued to the screen from the opening dramatic theme song (it moves me every time) to the close of the show.
Now the question on everyone mind will be how easy will it be for Bartlett to regain the Oval Office next season. On its face, the wording of the 25th Amendment would seem to suggest that it would be and easy enough task to accomplish, to wit, section 3 & 4 of the Amendment state:
Section 3.
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
Section 4.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. U.S. CONSTITUTION, amend 25, Sections 3 & 4.
All Bartlett need do is sign a piece of paper declaring himself fit for office once again, and the deed is done. But something tells me, that the Republican Speaker of The House, portrayed to perfection by John Goodman will not give up the trapping of the Oval Office that easily. Not to mention that in real life such a scenario has never played itself out; no President has ever faced the choices Bartlett had to face last night.
After the show the spouse and I lamented which past President would have had the character or devotion to duty, honor, and country to do what Bartlett did? I said Kennedy and Carter, and perhaps Ford would; she agreed on Carter. And would Bush faced with a similar situation today have the forethought, courage, and wisdom to invoke the 25th? Neither of us thought Bush capable of such a selfless act; sadly he lacks the character, intelligence, and wisdom.
Next season should be very interesting indeed. And I start Constitutional Process next year in Law School…very interesting indeed.
Now the question on everyone mind will be how easy will it be for Bartlett to regain the Oval Office next season. On its face, the wording of the 25th Amendment would seem to suggest that it would be and easy enough task to accomplish, to wit, section 3 & 4 of the Amendment state:
Section 3.
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
Section 4.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. U.S. CONSTITUTION, amend 25, Sections 3 & 4.
All Bartlett need do is sign a piece of paper declaring himself fit for office once again, and the deed is done. But something tells me, that the Republican Speaker of The House, portrayed to perfection by John Goodman will not give up the trapping of the Oval Office that easily. Not to mention that in real life such a scenario has never played itself out; no President has ever faced the choices Bartlett had to face last night.
After the show the spouse and I lamented which past President would have had the character or devotion to duty, honor, and country to do what Bartlett did? I said Kennedy and Carter, and perhaps Ford would; she agreed on Carter. And would Bush faced with a similar situation today have the forethought, courage, and wisdom to invoke the 25th? Neither of us thought Bush capable of such a selfless act; sadly he lacks the character, intelligence, and wisdom.
Next season should be very interesting indeed. And I start Constitutional Process next year in Law School…very interesting indeed.
Thursday, May 01, 2003
Hi All, sorry I have been away; there was a death in the family. My father passed on Easter Sunday, and I had to fly back east to attend the funeral, and deal with other family issues. As a result my mind hasn't been in the game--so-to-speak--for the last few weeks, but I am recovering. Please enjoy the following editorial I wrote for an upcoming issue of my school newspaper:
Powell v. Rumsfeld
These are troubled times. More troubling one could say than the heyday of the cold war era. At least then, there were sharply defined lines; we knew who the enemy was, and the world’s nations fell on one side of the iron curtain or the other. Life was simple.
Times have changed. The cold war has thawed and the United States stands alone in the superpower arena. We as a nation have no equal in terms of military and economic power. Democracy has proven itself the more resilient form of human governance and capitalism dearer to the human soul then any other economic model. The world is in flux as nations once dominated by the old dynamics of east-west conflict flex their political muscles, and radical Islam gives rise to a different flavor of threat.
At a time in world history when the United States could and should lead the world to a brighter future anchored in democratic principles and built on a foundation of liberty and equality for all, we are failing. We are faltering. The light is dimming and a darker tomorrow is dawning as the Bush administration conducts foreign policy with a school yard bully mentality.
In a skirmish that rivals the fabled War that just was, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld are engaged in a war of words and petty back room maneuvers. The stakes: who will be the voice of American foreign policy; the traditionally dovish Department of State, or the overly conservative and hawkish Department of Defense?
On one side there is Rumsfeld and his people: VP Cheney, Deputy Sect. of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, columnist William Safire, Fox News, the American Enterprise Institute, and the ultra-conservative members of the Defense Policy Board - Richard Perle, James Woolsey, Newt Gingrich, and Ken Adelman.
On the other side there is Powell and his people: Brent Scowcroft, James Baker, Deputy Sect. of State Richard Armitage, Richard Haass, the State Department and the Foreign Service, Senator Joe Biden, and well, the world.
The clash between Powell and Rumsfeld is so noteworthy because it goes beyond mere ego. It is central to whether the U.S. will lead by fear, intimidation, aggression, and force of arms, or by principles, diplomacy, moderation and example.
Conspicuous in his absence and leadership, has been the President. By not reining Rumsfeld in, Bush lends authority to his words and deed, and by not supporting Powell’s positions, he is in effect undermining Powell and the State Department’s credibility before the body politic of the world. At times it appears as though U.S. foreign policy is being conducted from the Department of Defense or worse yet, from the desk of the National Security Advisor.
The discredited former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, fired the latest salvo (most say with Rumsfeld’s blessing), when he personally attacked Powell in a recent speech at the conservative American Enterprise Institute calling the State Department “ineffective and incoherent” for “six months of diplomatic failure” and its “propensity for appeasing dictators and propping up corrupt regimes.” Dissimilarly, he noted that the Defense Department “delivered diplomatically and then the military delivered militarily.” Gingrich went on to rebuke State diplomats for undue deference to the U.N. and for tolerating terrorism in Syrian-occupied Lebanon.
Response from the Powell camp can only be characterized as ad hominem attacking Gingrich personally and not his message. Elizabeth Jones, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said of Newt: “[w]hat he said is garbage…he is an idiot and you can publish that.” Armitage responded by stating that Newt was "off his meds and out of therapy"; Mr. Baker called Mr. Gingrich "someone with no foreign policy or national security experience…who was in effect forced to resign" as House speaker; a Powell aide said it was "inconceivable that Newt could have made this extraordinary attack on his own without running it past Rumsfeld.”
While it is possible that Rumsfeld may merely be the front man for Vice President Cheney, who sparred with Powell for being too cautious in the first Persian Gulf war, and ridiculed Mr. Powell's strategy of going to the U.N. before the second, the outcome is the same; the U.S. Ship of State is adrift between two competing ideological camps. And while the world holds its collective breath wondering where the next MOAB might slide to earth, Bush’s failure to lead his administration past this impasse leaves nine billion people jittery and unsettled.
On a barely positive note, Powell has won support from the President in his ongoing negotiations with Syria of its support of terrorist, North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, and the newly emerging Palestinian leadership. Absent is the President’s support for any of Powell’s initiatives in Iraq, which by and large has been left in Pentagon hands.
We are at a crossroads in human history, and I for one am tired of WAR. The world needs peace, but I fear the course Rumsfeld and company have set for the United States will only lead to more WAR and continued distrust of U.S. motives. Hatred for America is on the rise, and the fear of a once principled nation is so pungent you can smell it on the air. Come next election we have a choice to make: empire building and the constant strife it entails, or a peaceful coexistence rooted in mutual respect and humility.
Powell v. Rumsfeld
These are troubled times. More troubling one could say than the heyday of the cold war era. At least then, there were sharply defined lines; we knew who the enemy was, and the world’s nations fell on one side of the iron curtain or the other. Life was simple.
Times have changed. The cold war has thawed and the United States stands alone in the superpower arena. We as a nation have no equal in terms of military and economic power. Democracy has proven itself the more resilient form of human governance and capitalism dearer to the human soul then any other economic model. The world is in flux as nations once dominated by the old dynamics of east-west conflict flex their political muscles, and radical Islam gives rise to a different flavor of threat.
At a time in world history when the United States could and should lead the world to a brighter future anchored in democratic principles and built on a foundation of liberty and equality for all, we are failing. We are faltering. The light is dimming and a darker tomorrow is dawning as the Bush administration conducts foreign policy with a school yard bully mentality.
In a skirmish that rivals the fabled War that just was, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld are engaged in a war of words and petty back room maneuvers. The stakes: who will be the voice of American foreign policy; the traditionally dovish Department of State, or the overly conservative and hawkish Department of Defense?
On one side there is Rumsfeld and his people: VP Cheney, Deputy Sect. of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, columnist William Safire, Fox News, the American Enterprise Institute, and the ultra-conservative members of the Defense Policy Board - Richard Perle, James Woolsey, Newt Gingrich, and Ken Adelman.
On the other side there is Powell and his people: Brent Scowcroft, James Baker, Deputy Sect. of State Richard Armitage, Richard Haass, the State Department and the Foreign Service, Senator Joe Biden, and well, the world.
The clash between Powell and Rumsfeld is so noteworthy because it goes beyond mere ego. It is central to whether the U.S. will lead by fear, intimidation, aggression, and force of arms, or by principles, diplomacy, moderation and example.
Conspicuous in his absence and leadership, has been the President. By not reining Rumsfeld in, Bush lends authority to his words and deed, and by not supporting Powell’s positions, he is in effect undermining Powell and the State Department’s credibility before the body politic of the world. At times it appears as though U.S. foreign policy is being conducted from the Department of Defense or worse yet, from the desk of the National Security Advisor.
The discredited former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, fired the latest salvo (most say with Rumsfeld’s blessing), when he personally attacked Powell in a recent speech at the conservative American Enterprise Institute calling the State Department “ineffective and incoherent” for “six months of diplomatic failure” and its “propensity for appeasing dictators and propping up corrupt regimes.” Dissimilarly, he noted that the Defense Department “delivered diplomatically and then the military delivered militarily.” Gingrich went on to rebuke State diplomats for undue deference to the U.N. and for tolerating terrorism in Syrian-occupied Lebanon.
Response from the Powell camp can only be characterized as ad hominem attacking Gingrich personally and not his message. Elizabeth Jones, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said of Newt: “[w]hat he said is garbage…he is an idiot and you can publish that.” Armitage responded by stating that Newt was "off his meds and out of therapy"; Mr. Baker called Mr. Gingrich "someone with no foreign policy or national security experience…who was in effect forced to resign" as House speaker; a Powell aide said it was "inconceivable that Newt could have made this extraordinary attack on his own without running it past Rumsfeld.”
While it is possible that Rumsfeld may merely be the front man for Vice President Cheney, who sparred with Powell for being too cautious in the first Persian Gulf war, and ridiculed Mr. Powell's strategy of going to the U.N. before the second, the outcome is the same; the U.S. Ship of State is adrift between two competing ideological camps. And while the world holds its collective breath wondering where the next MOAB might slide to earth, Bush’s failure to lead his administration past this impasse leaves nine billion people jittery and unsettled.
On a barely positive note, Powell has won support from the President in his ongoing negotiations with Syria of its support of terrorist, North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, and the newly emerging Palestinian leadership. Absent is the President’s support for any of Powell’s initiatives in Iraq, which by and large has been left in Pentagon hands.
We are at a crossroads in human history, and I for one am tired of WAR. The world needs peace, but I fear the course Rumsfeld and company have set for the United States will only lead to more WAR and continued distrust of U.S. motives. Hatred for America is on the rise, and the fear of a once principled nation is so pungent you can smell it on the air. Come next election we have a choice to make: empire building and the constant strife it entails, or a peaceful coexistence rooted in mutual respect and humility.
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
War Diary, April 9, 2003: Blitzkrieg 2003 - Baghdad has Fallen
Baghdad had fallen, Baghdad has fallen, and the people of the city are celebrating and looting. Like in Basra, in Baghdad chaos reins. And the people’s jubilation is tempered by anger and frustration. Those who can’t understand it should try for just a moment to walk 50 yards in their shoes.
Ruin, no water, no electricity, ruin, everywhere ruin. Anarchy is the rule of the day, the rule of law can find no purchase…whatever we do, we have to get this one right, we have to prove to the Iraqi people, the Arab community, and indeed the world that democracy can take hold in Iraq. We cannot botch this, we cannot install our own henchman to replace the one(s) we just toppled, we cannot and should not repeat the mistakes of the recent past, but instead look to end of World War II as a guide post of how to proceed.
That being said, this WAR is far from over, on that point I do agree with the Bushies. Three major cities in the north have to be taken and I have feeling that they will not go down as Baghdad did, especially the place of Saddam’s birth, Tikrit. I wonder when the armor will once again roll across the desert to do battle with evil…
Baghdad had fallen, Baghdad has fallen, and the people of the city are celebrating and looting. Like in Basra, in Baghdad chaos reins. And the people’s jubilation is tempered by anger and frustration. Those who can’t understand it should try for just a moment to walk 50 yards in their shoes.
Ruin, no water, no electricity, ruin, everywhere ruin. Anarchy is the rule of the day, the rule of law can find no purchase…whatever we do, we have to get this one right, we have to prove to the Iraqi people, the Arab community, and indeed the world that democracy can take hold in Iraq. We cannot botch this, we cannot install our own henchman to replace the one(s) we just toppled, we cannot and should not repeat the mistakes of the recent past, but instead look to end of World War II as a guide post of how to proceed.
That being said, this WAR is far from over, on that point I do agree with the Bushies. Three major cities in the north have to be taken and I have feeling that they will not go down as Baghdad did, especially the place of Saddam’s birth, Tikrit. I wonder when the armor will once again roll across the desert to do battle with evil…
Sunday, April 06, 2003
Here is another editorial I recently wrote for The DePaulia (http://www.thedepaulia.com/). The editorial is entitled, The Long Slow Painful Decline.
“WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation…” Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence 1776.
There was a time in American public discourse when words of eloquence and principle were the norm; when our political and spiritual leaders, intelligent, well-read, and grounded in philosophical astuteness were undeterred in their speech, and with words painted a vision for the nation. They are words from the minds of men (and women) percolating with intellect and wisdom and speak to a mastery of the English language seldom heard, spoken, or written in these modern times. From the quills of these great orators dripped words, phrases, principles, and ideas which launched a nation that would arguably become one of the greatest mankind had ever envisioned. Their words nurtured by lofty ideas with notable philosophical underpinnings, sprang forth with impassioned vigor, giving birth to speeches that moved the human spirit, and captured the imagination. They were (and are) words that inspired, that motivated, that warmed to such a degree, that men and women would die to see their edict carried to fruition.
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”…Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863.
Fast forward to the here and now and wonder in the age of the sound bite and “Axis of Evil” speeches, where have all our great political leaders gone? Where are the great intellectuals and orators of our age? Our politicians today remind one not of the inspired brilliance and vision that fashioned a nation of principles, and ideas that fueled the imagination of the world, but of insipid, naughty, elementary school children vying for a piece of turf on the playground. Their words do not inspire, they do not motivate, they do not move the soul or swell the heart; they in short leave me wanting and waiting for greatness.
Nothing illustrates this shortcoming more than the recent one year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which felled the World Trade Center. The nation’s political leaders so void of intellectual capital and inspired vision, so mired by the quicksand of modern American politics with it’s increasingly shallow center, could not produce one original or memorable speech for the day; NY Governor George Pataki recited the Gettysburg Address, while NJ Governor Jim McGreevey recited from the Declaration of Independence! As for Mr. Bush, well, no memorable words left his sneering lips that day.
We elected a President whose words tumble from a mouth fed by a befuddled brain, which doesn’t reason, a soul which has no vision, and a heart devoid of meaningful passion. We accept, and in some cases, celebrate the limitations of our Accidental President, while the world looks on in wonder at this sad spectacle we have spawned. How could a nation that bequeathed to the world wondrous institutions of higher learning such as DePaul, UIC, Northwestern, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Grambling and MIT, long suffer the unfocused ramblings of a dullard? How could a society which crafted the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, documents hailed around the globe as enlightened, visionary, and worthy of emulation, suffer long the indignity of a body politic whose intellectual discourse is little above adolescent squabbling.
“Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”…Martin Luther King Jr., Letter From A Birmingham Jail, 1963.
It is said that a nation receives the leadership it deserves. Is that true in our case? Have we started the long slow road to intellectual, moral and ideological decline that has marked the passing of so many great human civilizations? Does our current state of public intellectual malaise signal the closing curtain on the grand experiment that is American (flavored) democracy? Will this nation with its government so ineptly led; this nation founded on the principle of governance of the people, by the people, and for the people, perish from this earth, because the principles that form the foundation of its society, its government, its very way of live, no longer have an inspired voice in its public, private and political discourse? When did idealism and praiseworthy intellect, eloquent prose, and impassioned speech, become character flaws in a nation founded by men who wore all in unapologetically abundance?
“WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation…” Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence 1776.
There was a time in American public discourse when words of eloquence and principle were the norm; when our political and spiritual leaders, intelligent, well-read, and grounded in philosophical astuteness were undeterred in their speech, and with words painted a vision for the nation. They are words from the minds of men (and women) percolating with intellect and wisdom and speak to a mastery of the English language seldom heard, spoken, or written in these modern times. From the quills of these great orators dripped words, phrases, principles, and ideas which launched a nation that would arguably become one of the greatest mankind had ever envisioned. Their words nurtured by lofty ideas with notable philosophical underpinnings, sprang forth with impassioned vigor, giving birth to speeches that moved the human spirit, and captured the imagination. They were (and are) words that inspired, that motivated, that warmed to such a degree, that men and women would die to see their edict carried to fruition.
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”…Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863.
Fast forward to the here and now and wonder in the age of the sound bite and “Axis of Evil” speeches, where have all our great political leaders gone? Where are the great intellectuals and orators of our age? Our politicians today remind one not of the inspired brilliance and vision that fashioned a nation of principles, and ideas that fueled the imagination of the world, but of insipid, naughty, elementary school children vying for a piece of turf on the playground. Their words do not inspire, they do not motivate, they do not move the soul or swell the heart; they in short leave me wanting and waiting for greatness.
Nothing illustrates this shortcoming more than the recent one year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which felled the World Trade Center. The nation’s political leaders so void of intellectual capital and inspired vision, so mired by the quicksand of modern American politics with it’s increasingly shallow center, could not produce one original or memorable speech for the day; NY Governor George Pataki recited the Gettysburg Address, while NJ Governor Jim McGreevey recited from the Declaration of Independence! As for Mr. Bush, well, no memorable words left his sneering lips that day.
We elected a President whose words tumble from a mouth fed by a befuddled brain, which doesn’t reason, a soul which has no vision, and a heart devoid of meaningful passion. We accept, and in some cases, celebrate the limitations of our Accidental President, while the world looks on in wonder at this sad spectacle we have spawned. How could a nation that bequeathed to the world wondrous institutions of higher learning such as DePaul, UIC, Northwestern, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Grambling and MIT, long suffer the unfocused ramblings of a dullard? How could a society which crafted the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, documents hailed around the globe as enlightened, visionary, and worthy of emulation, suffer long the indignity of a body politic whose intellectual discourse is little above adolescent squabbling.
“Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”…Martin Luther King Jr., Letter From A Birmingham Jail, 1963.
It is said that a nation receives the leadership it deserves. Is that true in our case? Have we started the long slow road to intellectual, moral and ideological decline that has marked the passing of so many great human civilizations? Does our current state of public intellectual malaise signal the closing curtain on the grand experiment that is American (flavored) democracy? Will this nation with its government so ineptly led; this nation founded on the principle of governance of the people, by the people, and for the people, perish from this earth, because the principles that form the foundation of its society, its government, its very way of live, no longer have an inspired voice in its public, private and political discourse? When did idealism and praiseworthy intellect, eloquent prose, and impassioned speech, become character flaws in a nation founded by men who wore all in unapologetically abundance?
Friday, April 04, 2003
War Diary, April 4, 2003: Blitzkrieg 2003 and Infidels at the Gate
Thank God it’s Friday! I am so tied, and dare I say irritable? I need sleep! Between work and school I am worn out! I think I will vegetate this weekend, catch up on recorded television programs and watch a couple of movies.
Now on to the WAR.
Saddam International Airport, has been renamed Baghdad International Airport. In less then two weeks, despite setbacks and hiccups, the United States Armed Forces, in a coordinated effort that will re-write the annals of modern warfare, have arrived at the gates of Baghdad with less then 100 dead. And in the process, no less then three Iraqi divisions have been eviscerated, with nary a scratch suffered by the 3rd ID, and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. A recent United Press International (UPI) article characterized it thusly:
“The U.S. military machine is unstoppable and looks set to continue the kind of global dominance that the British enjoyed in the century after their decisive defeat of France's naval power in 1805. A technological generation ahead of any other military on earth, the U.S. armed forces have built on the lessons of the German blitzkrieg of 1940 to pioneer a new style of war. The German panzer divisions integrated tanks, artillery, mobile infantry and close air support with radio communications and consistently defeated larger armies.”
I admit that I was skeptical that this new kind of war—the rolling start—would be effective given the tenacity of the Iraqi irregulars and para-military forces, and their single mined determination to disrupt supply lines and lines of communications stretching hundreds of miles across the desert. But the U.S. military planners adapted to the new conditions, and our troops like the true professionals they are, largely quelled the Iraqi opposition taking the fight to them on the street of their cities. The result: at the end of two weeks the Army has captured Iraq’s international airport some 10 – 12 miles from the center of the Iraqi capital, and the Marines have accepted the surrender of some 2500 Iraqi troops within the last two days. And the Kurds in the north with the help of U.S. Special Forces, have routed Iraqi troops and gained valuable territory. All of this scarce two weeks after the liberation of Iraq got underway. Again the UPI article stated:
"…the U.S. armed forces defeated the best army in the Arab world with one hand tied behind their back. The U.S. Army did not even field its first team. The 4th Division, the most technologically advanced of all, with a computer in every vehicle and TV camera on the helmet of every squad leader sending real-time images back to headquarters, never even arrived on the battlefield.
The tank-heavy Iraqis, trained and equipped according to the Soviet theories of armored warfare, were defeated by an outnumbered U.S. force that did not even contain an armored division. They were beaten by one U.S. mechanized infantry division (the 3rd), one Airborne division (the 101st) and a Marine Expeditionary Force fighting further from shore than any Marine unit before them. They had the backing, on a secondary front, of one reinforced British armored brigade.
This has been a campaign for the history books, an example of modern blitzkrieg that will convince every other military on Earth that there is no future in taking on the Americans…"
But still, the tough battle still remains: the mêlée for Baghdad itself. There is no doubt that if we go in, it will be a bloody and destructive undertaking, and the body count on both sides will climb alarmingly. And the question lingering like storm cloud over the world is will the Army wait for the Marines to catch up (believe it or not the 3rd ID is ahead of schedule), and then enter Baghdad, or will there be a true pause until the 4th ID can take the field?
I say this is a good time to pause, our troops need the rest; they surely must be exhausted and in need of a decent meal. Let’s see what the weekend will bring, hopefully not a chemical attack!
_____________________
Source: Martin Walker, Analysis: Blitzkrieg 2003, United Press International, Apr. 4, 2003 (http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030404-031359-3767r)
Thank God it’s Friday! I am so tied, and dare I say irritable? I need sleep! Between work and school I am worn out! I think I will vegetate this weekend, catch up on recorded television programs and watch a couple of movies.
Now on to the WAR.
Saddam International Airport, has been renamed Baghdad International Airport. In less then two weeks, despite setbacks and hiccups, the United States Armed Forces, in a coordinated effort that will re-write the annals of modern warfare, have arrived at the gates of Baghdad with less then 100 dead. And in the process, no less then three Iraqi divisions have been eviscerated, with nary a scratch suffered by the 3rd ID, and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. A recent United Press International (UPI) article characterized it thusly:
“The U.S. military machine is unstoppable and looks set to continue the kind of global dominance that the British enjoyed in the century after their decisive defeat of France's naval power in 1805. A technological generation ahead of any other military on earth, the U.S. armed forces have built on the lessons of the German blitzkrieg of 1940 to pioneer a new style of war. The German panzer divisions integrated tanks, artillery, mobile infantry and close air support with radio communications and consistently defeated larger armies.”
I admit that I was skeptical that this new kind of war—the rolling start—would be effective given the tenacity of the Iraqi irregulars and para-military forces, and their single mined determination to disrupt supply lines and lines of communications stretching hundreds of miles across the desert. But the U.S. military planners adapted to the new conditions, and our troops like the true professionals they are, largely quelled the Iraqi opposition taking the fight to them on the street of their cities. The result: at the end of two weeks the Army has captured Iraq’s international airport some 10 – 12 miles from the center of the Iraqi capital, and the Marines have accepted the surrender of some 2500 Iraqi troops within the last two days. And the Kurds in the north with the help of U.S. Special Forces, have routed Iraqi troops and gained valuable territory. All of this scarce two weeks after the liberation of Iraq got underway. Again the UPI article stated:
"…the U.S. armed forces defeated the best army in the Arab world with one hand tied behind their back. The U.S. Army did not even field its first team. The 4th Division, the most technologically advanced of all, with a computer in every vehicle and TV camera on the helmet of every squad leader sending real-time images back to headquarters, never even arrived on the battlefield.
The tank-heavy Iraqis, trained and equipped according to the Soviet theories of armored warfare, were defeated by an outnumbered U.S. force that did not even contain an armored division. They were beaten by one U.S. mechanized infantry division (the 3rd), one Airborne division (the 101st) and a Marine Expeditionary Force fighting further from shore than any Marine unit before them. They had the backing, on a secondary front, of one reinforced British armored brigade.
This has been a campaign for the history books, an example of modern blitzkrieg that will convince every other military on Earth that there is no future in taking on the Americans…"
But still, the tough battle still remains: the mêlée for Baghdad itself. There is no doubt that if we go in, it will be a bloody and destructive undertaking, and the body count on both sides will climb alarmingly. And the question lingering like storm cloud over the world is will the Army wait for the Marines to catch up (believe it or not the 3rd ID is ahead of schedule), and then enter Baghdad, or will there be a true pause until the 4th ID can take the field?
I say this is a good time to pause, our troops need the rest; they surely must be exhausted and in need of a decent meal. Let’s see what the weekend will bring, hopefully not a chemical attack!
_____________________
Source: Martin Walker, Analysis: Blitzkrieg 2003, United Press International, Apr. 4, 2003 (http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030404-031359-3767r)
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
WAR Diary:
1043 Hours: School had been taking most of my time of late; Spring Break is over and the grind is on again. As I write this (at work) I am tired, not bone tired, but red-eyed, sore-eyed tired. I need some sleep. I think I will skip class on Friday; I am due to miss a Legal Writing class.
If it is possible, we are getting almost too much information on the war. I find myself reading and listening to far less coverage, but perhaps that can be attributed to school as well.
The push towards Baghdad is on in earnest, and I’m not sure it is a wide thing, without the 1st ID pushing from the north and the 4th ID back up the 3rd. I certainly hope to WAR planner wait until the two extra divisions are ready before the final assault on Baghdad begins. Baghdad is far too large for just two divisions, heavily armed or not, to hold for long. I fear the battle for the capital will be long and bloody; a lot of Iraqi lives will be lost, innocent lives, and far too many martyrs for the cause of Islam and the punishment of the infidels (us) will be created in the process. I implore Franks to wait!
But, it is reported that the Marines have destroyed one Iraqi division near Kut and that the Army had swept aside opposition in Karbala, seized the surrounded the city and were once again on the move north. Not too fast, not too fast, let us learn from the very recent past shall we!
Ever wonder how the Army and Marines are organized? I offer below a simplified snap-shot:
Squad: four to ten soldiers, command usually falls to a non-commissioned officer.
Platoon: includes three to four squads, about 16 to 40 soldiers; usually led a first or second lieutenant.
Company: three or four platoons, about 100 to 200 soldiers; usually led by a captain.
Battalion: three to five company, or 500 to 900 soldiers; usually led by a colonel.
Brigade: three to five battalions 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers; usually led by a colonel.
Division: three brigades, 10,000 to 18,000 soldiers; led by a two-star general.
Corps: two to five divisions, 20,000 to 90,000 soldiers; led by a three-star general.
Field Army: between two and five corps, 100,000 to 250,000 soldiers; led by a four-star general.
The Navy and Air Force are organized differently of course; I’ll touch on their organization tomorrow.
1043 Hours: School had been taking most of my time of late; Spring Break is over and the grind is on again. As I write this (at work) I am tired, not bone tired, but red-eyed, sore-eyed tired. I need some sleep. I think I will skip class on Friday; I am due to miss a Legal Writing class.
If it is possible, we are getting almost too much information on the war. I find myself reading and listening to far less coverage, but perhaps that can be attributed to school as well.
The push towards Baghdad is on in earnest, and I’m not sure it is a wide thing, without the 1st ID pushing from the north and the 4th ID back up the 3rd. I certainly hope to WAR planner wait until the two extra divisions are ready before the final assault on Baghdad begins. Baghdad is far too large for just two divisions, heavily armed or not, to hold for long. I fear the battle for the capital will be long and bloody; a lot of Iraqi lives will be lost, innocent lives, and far too many martyrs for the cause of Islam and the punishment of the infidels (us) will be created in the process. I implore Franks to wait!
But, it is reported that the Marines have destroyed one Iraqi division near Kut and that the Army had swept aside opposition in Karbala, seized the surrounded the city and were once again on the move north. Not too fast, not too fast, let us learn from the very recent past shall we!
Ever wonder how the Army and Marines are organized? I offer below a simplified snap-shot:
Squad: four to ten soldiers, command usually falls to a non-commissioned officer.
Platoon: includes three to four squads, about 16 to 40 soldiers; usually led a first or second lieutenant.
Company: three or four platoons, about 100 to 200 soldiers; usually led by a captain.
Battalion: three to five company, or 500 to 900 soldiers; usually led by a colonel.
Brigade: three to five battalions 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers; usually led by a colonel.
Division: three brigades, 10,000 to 18,000 soldiers; led by a two-star general.
Corps: two to five divisions, 20,000 to 90,000 soldiers; led by a three-star general.
Field Army: between two and five corps, 100,000 to 250,000 soldiers; led by a four-star general.
The Navy and Air Force are organized differently of course; I’ll touch on their organization tomorrow.
Saturday, March 29, 2003
WAR Diary:
1539 Hours: I have not left the house today, I planned it that way. I am drained, mentally and emotionally from this WAR, and it is only a week old. And while I have noticed that I watch the coverage a lot less, I still thirst for the latest news of the carnage. I surfed over to Reuters.com (www.reuters.com) today and read a serious of short story’s about the WAR very different from those found in the American media. I recommend the site.
And I have to admit that I am anxious waiting for the next shoe to drop in the form of a terrorist attack. Where is it? We’ve all heard that it is coming, where is it, bring it on, so we can all stop wondering and waiting. Perhaps the terrorist are playing a mind game with us, much like we continue to play on the Iraqi’s. Get us to forget the horror of 9/11, long enough to pull off a strike that will once again catch us unawares, complacent, normal.
Anger and hatred of America and American is growing across the globe, especially in the Arab world; a quick read of almost any Arab daily will bear out the truth in of the statement. They seem to blame the “West” for all of their ills, spanning the last century, and we (the United States) is now the symbol of the west. But I find myself building up my own animosity towards them, despite my claim to enlightened thought. I wonder what kind of men would blow themselves up for a cause, however fleeting. To know in ones heart that the man I fight for is evil, but to give my life for him nonetheless; I can’t reconcile this in my mind. Or is it that they don’t think he is so bad, that because he is a fellow Muslim and we are the infidels, he is the worth of dying for. What kind of a mind thinks like that? How does one get to such a state of stunted intellectual growth?
The seeds of ignorance grow best in the fertile minds of the uneducated and unenlightened. And an uneducated mind is always easier to control and manipulate with fear and assault, by those with evil intent. And fear breeds mistrust in the proffered hand. Paradoxically, we sowed the seeds of that mistrust of our intentions at the end of Persian I. One need look no further then the strange circumstances in Iraq as proof of the proceeding statements. They say that hindsight is 20/20, but the U.S. government seems to lack this attribute. They keep repeating the mistakes of the past, over and over. We should have helped Iraqi’s when they raised against Saddam us in 1991. If we had, would we be fight this WAR now?
Food for thought…
1539 Hours: I have not left the house today, I planned it that way. I am drained, mentally and emotionally from this WAR, and it is only a week old. And while I have noticed that I watch the coverage a lot less, I still thirst for the latest news of the carnage. I surfed over to Reuters.com (www.reuters.com) today and read a serious of short story’s about the WAR very different from those found in the American media. I recommend the site.
And I have to admit that I am anxious waiting for the next shoe to drop in the form of a terrorist attack. Where is it? We’ve all heard that it is coming, where is it, bring it on, so we can all stop wondering and waiting. Perhaps the terrorist are playing a mind game with us, much like we continue to play on the Iraqi’s. Get us to forget the horror of 9/11, long enough to pull off a strike that will once again catch us unawares, complacent, normal.
Anger and hatred of America and American is growing across the globe, especially in the Arab world; a quick read of almost any Arab daily will bear out the truth in of the statement. They seem to blame the “West” for all of their ills, spanning the last century, and we (the United States) is now the symbol of the west. But I find myself building up my own animosity towards them, despite my claim to enlightened thought. I wonder what kind of men would blow themselves up for a cause, however fleeting. To know in ones heart that the man I fight for is evil, but to give my life for him nonetheless; I can’t reconcile this in my mind. Or is it that they don’t think he is so bad, that because he is a fellow Muslim and we are the infidels, he is the worth of dying for. What kind of a mind thinks like that? How does one get to such a state of stunted intellectual growth?
The seeds of ignorance grow best in the fertile minds of the uneducated and unenlightened. And an uneducated mind is always easier to control and manipulate with fear and assault, by those with evil intent. And fear breeds mistrust in the proffered hand. Paradoxically, we sowed the seeds of that mistrust of our intentions at the end of Persian I. One need look no further then the strange circumstances in Iraq as proof of the proceeding statements. They say that hindsight is 20/20, but the U.S. government seems to lack this attribute. They keep repeating the mistakes of the past, over and over. We should have helped Iraqi’s when they raised against Saddam us in 1991. If we had, would we be fight this WAR now?
Food for thought…
WAR Diary:
1000 Hours: Beginning of Week Two and life for us ordinary Americans goes on, while our soldiers fight, die, and are wounded in an increasingly hospitable foreign land. It all still seems surreal to me despite the fact that I watch, and read, and listen to reports about the WAR almost every waking minute. NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The BCC, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Los Angels Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post; these are just some of the news outlets I drink my daily dose of murder, mayhem, and madness from. I find myself listening to the daily 6:00am est., briefing from CENTCOM (Central Command), and marveling over how truly useless it is. No real information is passed out; the reporters there would gather a broader, more developed picture of the WAR from reading my sources.
But like I said above, life goes on, and I have to try and pull my thoughts from this maddening affair, and turn them instead to work, school, and family. I finally received and offer letter from EDS. I have been waiting forever it seems. Now I can get healthcare, and get my teeth cleaned! My off-spring are straying and like the Shepard I must bring them back into the fold; again! “Why can’t they just act right,” I find myself asking, well, myself, over and over again. I was never, well hardly ever, a problem for my mother when I was a teenager. I did what I was supposed to do when I was supposed to do it. The world I knew owed me nothing, and I expected nothing from it; I had enough disappointments in my life, without expecting the world to come knocking with riches and solutions. Now days it seems, most of the teenagers want to be grown, but want their parent to take care of their needs; i.e. food shelter, transportation, clothing, spending money, etc. In other words, they want to make their own decisions, but want Mom and Dad to back-stop them with they fuck it all up, which invariably they do, because they know only a fifth of what they think they do! And yet, despite the time we (parents) have put in on planet Earth, we know less then nothing about the way it, and life work. Isn’t that amazing!?
Sometimes I become so tired of it all. I want to shout at the top of my lungs, “GET OUT, LEAVE US ALONE, LIVE YOUR LIFE AS YOU WILL, AND DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, EXPECT US TO BE HERE WHEN YOU FALL!” But of course I don’t, I have to keep it together, I’m the father, the man, the rock, a moniker I wear with pride most of the time, but occasionally wish to discard with extreme prejudice. So go on, plodding, one day at a time, repeating the same old mantra into ears that only half listen, and mind that care not at all, about the real world. Did I say I was tired? But I know I cannot rest until the last of my off-spring is out the door for good. Then can I divorce them? But I digress…
2200 Hours: No plan survives its first brush with reality! I said the two days ago, and it is proving very true as the second week of the WAR slides into the timeline. The critics have been blooming on the airwaves like buds on a tree in early spring. All have a problem with the U.S. battle plan, but it was a gamble and we lost! Our venerable and barely tolerable Secretary of Defense distanced himself from the Battle Plan yesterday, laying it formation, and execution at General Tommy Franks doorstep! I wonder if General Franks has removed the considerable shank from his backside yet? Make no mistake; General Franks was following the dictates of his civilian head and his foolhardy quest to open the chapter on a new type of warfare, one which relied too heavily on gee-wiz munitions, and not enough on tried and true stratagems of war fighting. Seeing the writing on the wall Rumsfeld’s mentor in all of this mess, Richard Perle, resigned yesterday as chairman of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board, an independent group that advises Rumsfeld on defense related matters. He says he resigned because of conflicts of interests, but I think he stepped down rather than stand by the plan the two had championed in the considerable months leading up to the war. “Perle, a strong conservative advocate for the Bush administration's hard-line approach to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, said he was resigning because ‘I cannot quickly or easily quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my [business] activities.’ CNN On-line (http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/27/perle.resigns/index.html)
The pieces of the Iraq warfare jigsaw puzzle plan did not all fall into place like a well written Hollywood movie. This is real life, and “shit happens” it was hard to slip the (23?) millions Iraqi’s a copy of the scrip, though we tried hard enough, and harder still to get them to follow it, so that we could have an easy, and clean victory! WAR is never clean and never easy, and it should be, less it become even more commonplace then it already is.
But the U.S. and British forces have adapted to the changing conditions admirable. They are now clearing out the cities little by little, trying to avoid civilian casualties, but they have to be mindful of the seasons…
Email me: thebard62@earthlink.net
1000 Hours: Beginning of Week Two and life for us ordinary Americans goes on, while our soldiers fight, die, and are wounded in an increasingly hospitable foreign land. It all still seems surreal to me despite the fact that I watch, and read, and listen to reports about the WAR almost every waking minute. NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The BCC, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Los Angels Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post; these are just some of the news outlets I drink my daily dose of murder, mayhem, and madness from. I find myself listening to the daily 6:00am est., briefing from CENTCOM (Central Command), and marveling over how truly useless it is. No real information is passed out; the reporters there would gather a broader, more developed picture of the WAR from reading my sources.
But like I said above, life goes on, and I have to try and pull my thoughts from this maddening affair, and turn them instead to work, school, and family. I finally received and offer letter from EDS. I have been waiting forever it seems. Now I can get healthcare, and get my teeth cleaned! My off-spring are straying and like the Shepard I must bring them back into the fold; again! “Why can’t they just act right,” I find myself asking, well, myself, over and over again. I was never, well hardly ever, a problem for my mother when I was a teenager. I did what I was supposed to do when I was supposed to do it. The world I knew owed me nothing, and I expected nothing from it; I had enough disappointments in my life, without expecting the world to come knocking with riches and solutions. Now days it seems, most of the teenagers want to be grown, but want their parent to take care of their needs; i.e. food shelter, transportation, clothing, spending money, etc. In other words, they want to make their own decisions, but want Mom and Dad to back-stop them with they fuck it all up, which invariably they do, because they know only a fifth of what they think they do! And yet, despite the time we (parents) have put in on planet Earth, we know less then nothing about the way it, and life work. Isn’t that amazing!?
Sometimes I become so tired of it all. I want to shout at the top of my lungs, “GET OUT, LEAVE US ALONE, LIVE YOUR LIFE AS YOU WILL, AND DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, EXPECT US TO BE HERE WHEN YOU FALL!” But of course I don’t, I have to keep it together, I’m the father, the man, the rock, a moniker I wear with pride most of the time, but occasionally wish to discard with extreme prejudice. So go on, plodding, one day at a time, repeating the same old mantra into ears that only half listen, and mind that care not at all, about the real world. Did I say I was tired? But I know I cannot rest until the last of my off-spring is out the door for good. Then can I divorce them? But I digress…
2200 Hours: No plan survives its first brush with reality! I said the two days ago, and it is proving very true as the second week of the WAR slides into the timeline. The critics have been blooming on the airwaves like buds on a tree in early spring. All have a problem with the U.S. battle plan, but it was a gamble and we lost! Our venerable and barely tolerable Secretary of Defense distanced himself from the Battle Plan yesterday, laying it formation, and execution at General Tommy Franks doorstep! I wonder if General Franks has removed the considerable shank from his backside yet? Make no mistake; General Franks was following the dictates of his civilian head and his foolhardy quest to open the chapter on a new type of warfare, one which relied too heavily on gee-wiz munitions, and not enough on tried and true stratagems of war fighting. Seeing the writing on the wall Rumsfeld’s mentor in all of this mess, Richard Perle, resigned yesterday as chairman of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board, an independent group that advises Rumsfeld on defense related matters. He says he resigned because of conflicts of interests, but I think he stepped down rather than stand by the plan the two had championed in the considerable months leading up to the war. “Perle, a strong conservative advocate for the Bush administration's hard-line approach to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, said he was resigning because ‘I cannot quickly or easily quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my [business] activities.’ CNN On-line (http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/27/perle.resigns/index.html)
The pieces of the Iraq warfare jigsaw puzzle plan did not all fall into place like a well written Hollywood movie. This is real life, and “shit happens” it was hard to slip the (23?) millions Iraqi’s a copy of the scrip, though we tried hard enough, and harder still to get them to follow it, so that we could have an easy, and clean victory! WAR is never clean and never easy, and it should be, less it become even more commonplace then it already is.
But the U.S. and British forces have adapted to the changing conditions admirable. They are now clearing out the cities little by little, trying to avoid civilian casualties, but they have to be mindful of the seasons…
Email me: thebard62@earthlink.net
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
WAR Diary; End of Week One: no plan survives its first brush with reality! The situation from the outside looking in, look, while certainly not hopeless, or even disastrous, let’s just say troubling. We (the United States), have seemingly put too many eggs in one basket. We relied erroneously on the bulk of the Iraqi forces giving up without a fight—well almost without a fight—as they did in the last Persian Gulf War, now called Persian Gulf I. But then, unlike now, we pounded, assaulted, battered, and mauled the Iraqi Army with bombs and missiles to such a degree, that by the time the land war started in earnest, they had had enough, and gave up in large numbers. Now these Iraqi troops in contrast, are putting up a fierce illegal fight, giving the Army and especially, the Marines, no rest, harassing supply lines and whittling away at the nerves and (confidence?) of our troops.
Then too, we relied on Turkey allowing us to open a second front with the 4th Infantry Division (the 4th ID) to the North. And when that didn’t happen, instead of bringing the 4th ID’s heavy tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and armored personnel carriers, south out of the Mediterranean Sea and into the Persian Gulf, we let them linger close to the Turkish coast for almost a month wasting precious time. Now the ships have sailed, but they will not be able to off-load until at least the end of next week! Adding in time to prepare the vehicles for battle and we’re looking at the middle of April before the 4th ID can contribute to the push towards Baghdad.
Further, the lack of sufficient Human Intelligence (HUMIT), on ground in Iraq in the months leading up to this war has proven fatal, because we were caught unawares vis-à-vis the Iraqi irregulars, and militia or so called Saddam Fedayeen. Accurate and timely HUMIT might have shed considerable light on the numbers and concentrations of these civilian guised thugs and marauders.
Lastly, the strategy of playing leap-frog over heavily populated cities based on the forgoing has proved fool hearty, and is contrary to the stratagems of past wars of this magnitude. And while I can certainly understand the desire by U.S. war planners to want to shun the sort of fighting that would be necessary to secure these cities, not doing so has proved problematical to the long supply lines needed to prosecute this war. That, together with the constant and ongoing threat of the irregulars (paramilitary) and Saddam Fedayeen has slowed the progress of this war considerably.
All of these miscalculations and missteps have led to the current situation: troops from southern to central Iraq under constant attack from roaming bands of guerrilla fighters hell-bent on throwing out the invading infidels; supply lines under constant assault from along roads impossible to quell without a campaign of scoured earth warfare; a lack of true American military presence in Western and Northern Iraq, and the forward advance of the tip of the spear, the 3rd ID stalled fifty miles southwest of Baghdad. Reinforcements to subdue the opposition in the cities along the supply route, and a second front in the North are needed. Bottom line: Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Sec. of Defense Wolfowitz’s rolling start doctrine of ground warfare has serious flaws!
But there is hope; deployment of the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions give me hope that soon the 3rd ID will soon get the reinforcement it needs. And the recent drop of 1,000 U.S. paratroopers from the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade which parachuted into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq under the cover of darkness, in order to secure an airfield so that elements of the 1st Infantry Division, out of Wurburg, Germany, equipped with Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, can be airlifted into Northern Iraq gives me reason to believe that given time we can triumph in a significant way. And let us not forget the 4th ID which already has orders to deploy, albeit from Kuwait, but deploy nonetheless.
Busy day, can’t wait to see what the night has to bring.
Then too, we relied on Turkey allowing us to open a second front with the 4th Infantry Division (the 4th ID) to the North. And when that didn’t happen, instead of bringing the 4th ID’s heavy tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and armored personnel carriers, south out of the Mediterranean Sea and into the Persian Gulf, we let them linger close to the Turkish coast for almost a month wasting precious time. Now the ships have sailed, but they will not be able to off-load until at least the end of next week! Adding in time to prepare the vehicles for battle and we’re looking at the middle of April before the 4th ID can contribute to the push towards Baghdad.
Further, the lack of sufficient Human Intelligence (HUMIT), on ground in Iraq in the months leading up to this war has proven fatal, because we were caught unawares vis-à-vis the Iraqi irregulars, and militia or so called Saddam Fedayeen. Accurate and timely HUMIT might have shed considerable light on the numbers and concentrations of these civilian guised thugs and marauders.
Lastly, the strategy of playing leap-frog over heavily populated cities based on the forgoing has proved fool hearty, and is contrary to the stratagems of past wars of this magnitude. And while I can certainly understand the desire by U.S. war planners to want to shun the sort of fighting that would be necessary to secure these cities, not doing so has proved problematical to the long supply lines needed to prosecute this war. That, together with the constant and ongoing threat of the irregulars (paramilitary) and Saddam Fedayeen has slowed the progress of this war considerably.
All of these miscalculations and missteps have led to the current situation: troops from southern to central Iraq under constant attack from roaming bands of guerrilla fighters hell-bent on throwing out the invading infidels; supply lines under constant assault from along roads impossible to quell without a campaign of scoured earth warfare; a lack of true American military presence in Western and Northern Iraq, and the forward advance of the tip of the spear, the 3rd ID stalled fifty miles southwest of Baghdad. Reinforcements to subdue the opposition in the cities along the supply route, and a second front in the North are needed. Bottom line: Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Sec. of Defense Wolfowitz’s rolling start doctrine of ground warfare has serious flaws!
But there is hope; deployment of the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions give me hope that soon the 3rd ID will soon get the reinforcement it needs. And the recent drop of 1,000 U.S. paratroopers from the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade which parachuted into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq under the cover of darkness, in order to secure an airfield so that elements of the 1st Infantry Division, out of Wurburg, Germany, equipped with Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, can be airlifted into Northern Iraq gives me reason to believe that given time we can triumph in a significant way. And let us not forget the 4th ID which already has orders to deploy, albeit from Kuwait, but deploy nonetheless.
Busy day, can’t wait to see what the night has to bring.
Monday, March 24, 2003
WAR, day seven. My mood is dark! This WAR has darken it considerably, more specifically the death of the Army and Marine soldiers and the capture of the other American serviceman, has cast a cloud over my mood that is almost palatable. I got very little sleep last night. Visions of men in camouflage lying dead in their own blood, a bullet hole through their heads haunted my sleep, chasing my dreams, making sleep almost unbearable.
My dark mood coupled with a lack of sleep, joined with the pure sometimes insanity of work, plus an incident that happened to me and mine a week ago, and life in general made me want to scream at the top of my lungs most of the day. The weight of it all was oppressive! I could think of nothing else but the WAR all day; I have a Legal Writing assignment due, past due as a matter of fact, and I couldn’t write it. I couldn’t form the thoughts, the words, the syntax, the rhyme, the reason, the logic…
I have slid gingerly out from under it now; the late afternoon warmth and an uneventful nap helped dispersed the cloud. This is a feeling I rarely experience, and one I loath to feel again.
I hate this WAR, I want us to win and win overwhelmingly, but I hate the fact that we are there. But there we are, and seemingly for the duration. We are not conducting an all out war as we should and that is what bothers me most. Politics and WAR DO NOT MIX! Lives are lost, honor betrayed, promises and trust broken, and American fight men lied to. It happened in every WAR since Korea, and it’s wrong! I state again, Politics and WAR DO NOT MIX!
No one wants civilians to die in the course of conducting a WAR, but oftentimes to achieve the ends of the pursuit, innocent people will die; it is why the institution of WAR should be avoided at all cost. That being said, we should not allow our fears of civilian fatalities and the ignorance induced backlash from the world at large it would cause, to temper our thirst for overpowering victory, and put our men under arms in undue harm. I know I spoke to this point last night, but it bears repeating for as long as necessary for the message to reach our Accidental Presidents’ feeble mind.
And soon the battle for Baghdad will be joined; the body count will rise…
Email me: Thebard62@earthlink.net
My dark mood coupled with a lack of sleep, joined with the pure sometimes insanity of work, plus an incident that happened to me and mine a week ago, and life in general made me want to scream at the top of my lungs most of the day. The weight of it all was oppressive! I could think of nothing else but the WAR all day; I have a Legal Writing assignment due, past due as a matter of fact, and I couldn’t write it. I couldn’t form the thoughts, the words, the syntax, the rhyme, the reason, the logic…
I have slid gingerly out from under it now; the late afternoon warmth and an uneventful nap helped dispersed the cloud. This is a feeling I rarely experience, and one I loath to feel again.
I hate this WAR, I want us to win and win overwhelmingly, but I hate the fact that we are there. But there we are, and seemingly for the duration. We are not conducting an all out war as we should and that is what bothers me most. Politics and WAR DO NOT MIX! Lives are lost, honor betrayed, promises and trust broken, and American fight men lied to. It happened in every WAR since Korea, and it’s wrong! I state again, Politics and WAR DO NOT MIX!
No one wants civilians to die in the course of conducting a WAR, but oftentimes to achieve the ends of the pursuit, innocent people will die; it is why the institution of WAR should be avoided at all cost. That being said, we should not allow our fears of civilian fatalities and the ignorance induced backlash from the world at large it would cause, to temper our thirst for overpowering victory, and put our men under arms in undue harm. I know I spoke to this point last night, but it bears repeating for as long as necessary for the message to reach our Accidental Presidents’ feeble mind.
And soon the battle for Baghdad will be joined; the body count will rise…
Email me: Thebard62@earthlink.net
Sunday, March 23, 2003
Bad news today my fellow Americans, confirmed 10 American Marines death and an untold number wounded. Tis a dark, dark day, and my heart is heavy. Even though I am no longer in the service, I still feel a deep kinship—that I find hard to explain to my wife—for the men and women in uniform; when they take casualties I morn as well, as I sure millions of veterans across the nation are. And it appears as though the Iraqis are violating the Geneva Convention on Armed Conflict. Parading dead American soldiers on television, possibly executing soldiers who have surrendered…
I knew in my gut that it was a mistake to simply by-pass those cities in our race to Baghdad. I have a feeling that the Bush Administration is playing politics, just as his father did before him, trying limit civilian fatalities, which is laudable, but it is not worth putting those charged with directly prosecuting this WAR, in harms way unnecessarily just because they wear a uniform. They too have families; they too have loved ones; they too have those who will miss them when they are gone; they too have a right to life and the American dream!
And now comes word that the Iraqis at An Nasiriya send women and children out into the street under Marine artillery fire. No doubt they had in their minds to stop the shells. If true, this is a shameful and reprehensible practice. What sort of men under arms sends innocent, defenseless, women and children out to protect them? Certainly, they are not men I would be obligated to respect, or greet as a man! Where is their honor? Have the Iraqi men none to wear? Appears not!
And the battle rolls on…
I knew in my gut that it was a mistake to simply by-pass those cities in our race to Baghdad. I have a feeling that the Bush Administration is playing politics, just as his father did before him, trying limit civilian fatalities, which is laudable, but it is not worth putting those charged with directly prosecuting this WAR, in harms way unnecessarily just because they wear a uniform. They too have families; they too have loved ones; they too have those who will miss them when they are gone; they too have a right to life and the American dream!
And now comes word that the Iraqis at An Nasiriya send women and children out into the street under Marine artillery fire. No doubt they had in their minds to stop the shells. If true, this is a shameful and reprehensible practice. What sort of men under arms sends innocent, defenseless, women and children out to protect them? Certainly, they are not men I would be obligated to respect, or greet as a man! Where is their honor? Have the Iraqi men none to wear? Appears not!
And the battle rolls on…
WAR, fifth day, the ground troops advance towards Baghdad, by way of many, many small and medium sized Iraqi cities. I am watching to around-the-clock coverage of the WAR on MSNBC for the most part; they seem to have the best coverage, certainly since CNN has been summarily relieve of duty in Baghdad. The U.S. Marines and Army continue to advance apace, taking out opposition, sometimes fierce, as they barrel toward Baghdad.
They story of the U.S. soldier tossing hand grenades into tents of the 101st Airborne as it continues to unfold tragic. . The soldier whose actions were cowardly tragic, sad, and treasonous, was identified as Muslim American, who had voiced opposition to the WAR. One has to wonder if this incident will now cause a backlash against other Muslim American in the ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces. Our men and woman arte professionals, and that will help temper their response, but they are after all human. And let us not forget that save two recorded incidence of domestic terrorism all of the terrorist attacks against the U.S. have been perpetrated by peoples of the Islamic faith. It is sad but true happenstance, one which can not be denied or explained away with irrational indignation.
As the WAR progresses and the protest around the world continue apace, my mind is shifting as one solidly against the prosecution of this WAR to one who can see the necessity of its action. The protests stir up emotion and memories. The emotion of indignity is fueled by the staggering hypocrisy of most of the world’s people and governments, many of which would not enjoy the freedom they do if not for the military prowess, mastery and bravery of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Europeans, who have watched as their power waned after the bloodbath of WWII, used to hold sway over most of the worlds trouble spots. Their rule in the 16th – mid 20th centuries was often brutal, self serving, and by no means, democratic. Indeed, they have been responsible for the destruction of more civilizations then any other group of peoples in the history of the world. And yet, they now raise their voices in protest now as America attempt to remove an evil. Yes, they have a right to protest, but perhaps that protestation should be tempered by an acknowledgment of the part they and their governments have historically played in the shaping of the world, and the conflicts and strife that sprang from their disengagement from imperialism.
My memories call into focus the great evil of this man Saddam Hussein, who has in the past gassed in the thousands, his own people, without a single sign being raised in protest. This is a man who started two wars with barley a voice being raised in protest, nor fist in anger, by the European people, even as Saddam again gassed Iranian soldiers and civilians and instigated missile attacks on populace Iranian cities. This is a man who sent his soldiers to rape a country, and not an angry word was uttered by the worlds Muslims, despite the fact—or because—he had invaded a fellow Muslim nation. Times after time this man has proved his evil intent, but the worlds people, have scarcely noticed or given air to protest.
But now, the world’s populace is indignant; now they are angry; now they are taking notice; now they are concerned, even the Americans, most of which drove to their respective protests in SUV’s or other means of transportation that guzzles gas as you and I would consume a bottle of Gatorade after a football game of a hot summers day in Atlanta, GA.
My wife and I had an animated discussion about this very subject last night. She was against the WAR leading up to its commencement, but now she is wavering…more later.
They story of the U.S. soldier tossing hand grenades into tents of the 101st Airborne as it continues to unfold tragic. . The soldier whose actions were cowardly tragic, sad, and treasonous, was identified as Muslim American, who had voiced opposition to the WAR. One has to wonder if this incident will now cause a backlash against other Muslim American in the ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces. Our men and woman arte professionals, and that will help temper their response, but they are after all human. And let us not forget that save two recorded incidence of domestic terrorism all of the terrorist attacks against the U.S. have been perpetrated by peoples of the Islamic faith. It is sad but true happenstance, one which can not be denied or explained away with irrational indignation.
As the WAR progresses and the protest around the world continue apace, my mind is shifting as one solidly against the prosecution of this WAR to one who can see the necessity of its action. The protests stir up emotion and memories. The emotion of indignity is fueled by the staggering hypocrisy of most of the world’s people and governments, many of which would not enjoy the freedom they do if not for the military prowess, mastery and bravery of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Europeans, who have watched as their power waned after the bloodbath of WWII, used to hold sway over most of the worlds trouble spots. Their rule in the 16th – mid 20th centuries was often brutal, self serving, and by no means, democratic. Indeed, they have been responsible for the destruction of more civilizations then any other group of peoples in the history of the world. And yet, they now raise their voices in protest now as America attempt to remove an evil. Yes, they have a right to protest, but perhaps that protestation should be tempered by an acknowledgment of the part they and their governments have historically played in the shaping of the world, and the conflicts and strife that sprang from their disengagement from imperialism.
My memories call into focus the great evil of this man Saddam Hussein, who has in the past gassed in the thousands, his own people, without a single sign being raised in protest. This is a man who started two wars with barley a voice being raised in protest, nor fist in anger, by the European people, even as Saddam again gassed Iranian soldiers and civilians and instigated missile attacks on populace Iranian cities. This is a man who sent his soldiers to rape a country, and not an angry word was uttered by the worlds Muslims, despite the fact—or because—he had invaded a fellow Muslim nation. Times after time this man has proved his evil intent, but the worlds people, have scarcely noticed or given air to protest.
But now, the world’s populace is indignant; now they are angry; now they are taking notice; now they are concerned, even the Americans, most of which drove to their respective protests in SUV’s or other means of transportation that guzzles gas as you and I would consume a bottle of Gatorade after a football game of a hot summers day in Atlanta, GA.
My wife and I had an animated discussion about this very subject last night. She was against the WAR leading up to its commencement, but now she is wavering…more later.
Friday, March 21, 2003
WAR third day, the ground troops advance towards Basra, a key port city on the Persian Gulf. Late word has it that the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has bypassed this city and proceeded up the Tigris River in order to secure a bridge or two. Methinks, Basra will be left to the British to secure.
3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) continues unopposed on it trek to Baghdad, and tonight is actually using headlights! We own the skies over Iraq, so why not? The much ballyhooed awe and wonder (is that right) air campaign started tonight all over Iraq. I fail to understand why rational men would continue to back a losing hand in the guise of Saddam Hussain. He is going down, there is no other plausible outcome What do the men backing him hope to gain by resisting; to coin a phrase from the Borg: “resistance is futile.”
And it is finally sinking in, that this endeavor we are undertaking is for real! The protestors will bout in force again today; their re-appearance today forced me to alter my plans, since I have school tonight. They are set to begin at 5:00pm in front of the Federal Building here in downtown Chicago. It just so happens that the federal building is on the very street I need to turn down to get to school. Ordinarily, I hit Bally’s before class, which puts me in the city at around 5:15, so you see, I could risk getting stuck tonight on the Congress, and then have to go way out of my way! I hate that!
So here I am at 4:30, typing this entry, enjoying the most delectable Teriyaki Chicken from China Express across the street from the school. I am famished, having had soup and crackers at 11:30am! I have this same dish every Friday, my treat to myself! By the end of a long hard week, it hits the spot!
Back to the WAR, the unstoppable, fast advancing WAR. It is interesting how all of these retired generals and admirals come out of the wood work whenever a war starts. How do the networks find them? Do they volunteer themselves as experts; they are all over the airways! Not that I mind all that much, I appreciate the informed commentary.
Much ado about nothing has been made of the President’s going to Camp David over the weekend. Lord knows I can’t stand the man, but I think even he deserves to get away from it all. Hell, I would hat for the stress to drive him to start tipping the bottle again; we do not need that. Slithering Dick Cheney is back whispering word of encouragement into Bush’s crinkled ear. Cheney reminds me of Worm-tongue of Lord of The Rings, The Two Towers fame. The only thin he is missing is the black robes!
Sec. of State Powel has been sadly muted since the start of the WAR, but then again there is little for him to do except insist that the provisional governor of Iraq come from the state department when the volcano that is the U.S. military ceases to erupt. Small chance that happenstance will come to pass, but a Bard can hope…
Like everyone else, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the terrorist attacks to start. That is perhaps the scariest portion of this whole morass, waiting and wondering when and where the first terrorist attack will fall. Of course I hope that it never does, but wishing will not make it so…God help us when it does!
3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) continues unopposed on it trek to Baghdad, and tonight is actually using headlights! We own the skies over Iraq, so why not? The much ballyhooed awe and wonder (is that right) air campaign started tonight all over Iraq. I fail to understand why rational men would continue to back a losing hand in the guise of Saddam Hussain. He is going down, there is no other plausible outcome What do the men backing him hope to gain by resisting; to coin a phrase from the Borg: “resistance is futile.”
And it is finally sinking in, that this endeavor we are undertaking is for real! The protestors will bout in force again today; their re-appearance today forced me to alter my plans, since I have school tonight. They are set to begin at 5:00pm in front of the Federal Building here in downtown Chicago. It just so happens that the federal building is on the very street I need to turn down to get to school. Ordinarily, I hit Bally’s before class, which puts me in the city at around 5:15, so you see, I could risk getting stuck tonight on the Congress, and then have to go way out of my way! I hate that!
So here I am at 4:30, typing this entry, enjoying the most delectable Teriyaki Chicken from China Express across the street from the school. I am famished, having had soup and crackers at 11:30am! I have this same dish every Friday, my treat to myself! By the end of a long hard week, it hits the spot!
Back to the WAR, the unstoppable, fast advancing WAR. It is interesting how all of these retired generals and admirals come out of the wood work whenever a war starts. How do the networks find them? Do they volunteer themselves as experts; they are all over the airways! Not that I mind all that much, I appreciate the informed commentary.
Much ado about nothing has been made of the President’s going to Camp David over the weekend. Lord knows I can’t stand the man, but I think even he deserves to get away from it all. Hell, I would hat for the stress to drive him to start tipping the bottle again; we do not need that. Slithering Dick Cheney is back whispering word of encouragement into Bush’s crinkled ear. Cheney reminds me of Worm-tongue of Lord of The Rings, The Two Towers fame. The only thin he is missing is the black robes!
Sec. of State Powel has been sadly muted since the start of the WAR, but then again there is little for him to do except insist that the provisional governor of Iraq come from the state department when the volcano that is the U.S. military ceases to erupt. Small chance that happenstance will come to pass, but a Bard can hope…
Like everyone else, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the terrorist attacks to start. That is perhaps the scariest portion of this whole morass, waiting and wondering when and where the first terrorist attack will fall. Of course I hope that it never does, but wishing will not make it so…God help us when it does!
This is yesterday’s post:
WAR, second day, the ground troop go in under cover of darkness where the advantage is theirs. It looks like the 1st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the British are heading for Basra while the Army’s Fifth Corp is heading to Baghdad.
I still can escape the question: What are we doing!! This all seems a bit surreal; I got up this morning and watch television while I ate breakfast and then went to work. It was raining lightly and traffic was predictably heavy, but I got to work on time and installed a new anti-virus program on my servers. I had Chunky Soup for lunch with a diet Coke, and a small bag of cookies for dessert. Of course I followed the war via NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, and the BBC, but for the most part my life was the same, nothing has changed. The WAR is a world away and it feels like it. No sacrifice is really being asked of us; my spouse made that point last night; it all so very disturbing…
It’s almost as if the average American—unless they have family in the Gulf, in the thick of the shooting—have no stake in this WAR. We watch it unfold, but there is disconnect that is disconcerting. I feel as though I should be doing something, but what? Is chronicling my thoughts here doing something?
There are reports of demonstrators right down the street from here, I’ll go to the Chicago Tribune on-line and get the scoop. Oh good, it look like they have left the loop and headed to the lake front, I should be able to get home tonight before midnight! Not that I don’t sympathize with the protestors, especially since it is raining out, but I value my sleep….
WAR, second day, the ground troop go in under cover of darkness where the advantage is theirs. It looks like the 1st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the British are heading for Basra while the Army’s Fifth Corp is heading to Baghdad.
I still can escape the question: What are we doing!! This all seems a bit surreal; I got up this morning and watch television while I ate breakfast and then went to work. It was raining lightly and traffic was predictably heavy, but I got to work on time and installed a new anti-virus program on my servers. I had Chunky Soup for lunch with a diet Coke, and a small bag of cookies for dessert. Of course I followed the war via NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, and the BBC, but for the most part my life was the same, nothing has changed. The WAR is a world away and it feels like it. No sacrifice is really being asked of us; my spouse made that point last night; it all so very disturbing…
It’s almost as if the average American—unless they have family in the Gulf, in the thick of the shooting—have no stake in this WAR. We watch it unfold, but there is disconnect that is disconcerting. I feel as though I should be doing something, but what? Is chronicling my thoughts here doing something?
There are reports of demonstrators right down the street from here, I’ll go to the Chicago Tribune on-line and get the scoop. Oh good, it look like they have left the loop and headed to the lake front, I should be able to get home tonight before midnight! Not that I don’t sympathize with the protestors, especially since it is raining out, but I value my sleep….
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
So it has begun; the missiles are flying the motivational music is playing, the hearts are beating, the curtain has lifted on WAR. Let it be swift, let it be as bloodless as possible, and let us not be isolated in the end.
Targets of opportunity they are calling it…40 Tomahawks fired from Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and most likely the Red Sea, and Air Force F117’s launched the attack.
All we can do now is watch as the war plays out like a silent film before us as ex-military generals and admirals become talking heads for the networks. I have asserted that this war is wrong because it violates traditional American principles. We are not an empire, nor do I think we should aspire to such a venture. Freedom for ourselves and others is supposed to be our watch word! We should not seek to hold land and peoples for our own design and benefit.
But now that war is upon us, I will support our fighting MEN & WOMEN (not boys and girls as I had heard them called), insofar as possible from my landlocked perch in Chicago. I consider them my brethren, for I was once among their ranks. When you are deployed in a distant land, the support of those at home means the world to you. So my support they shall have, albeit with a heavy heart and sullen mood. I am tired of war…
On a related note, I heard on the way home this afternoon, that some 35 or more propane canisters have gone missing in and around the Chicago area! The FBI has claimed that the thefts are unrelated, but this pronouncement is a little hard to swallow without thought or reflection. I do not believe these thefts to be just a coincidence, and unhappy happenstance if you will. Something evil, foul, underhanded, frightful, and menacing is afoot. I just hope my own back yard will be free from surge of fire, but since I go to school down town I have to be wary…
Is this the beginning of the end? When will the terrorist shoe drop with fire and destruction upon our unwitting heads?
Targets of opportunity they are calling it…40 Tomahawks fired from Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and most likely the Red Sea, and Air Force F117’s launched the attack.
All we can do now is watch as the war plays out like a silent film before us as ex-military generals and admirals become talking heads for the networks. I have asserted that this war is wrong because it violates traditional American principles. We are not an empire, nor do I think we should aspire to such a venture. Freedom for ourselves and others is supposed to be our watch word! We should not seek to hold land and peoples for our own design and benefit.
But now that war is upon us, I will support our fighting MEN & WOMEN (not boys and girls as I had heard them called), insofar as possible from my landlocked perch in Chicago. I consider them my brethren, for I was once among their ranks. When you are deployed in a distant land, the support of those at home means the world to you. So my support they shall have, albeit with a heavy heart and sullen mood. I am tired of war…
On a related note, I heard on the way home this afternoon, that some 35 or more propane canisters have gone missing in and around the Chicago area! The FBI has claimed that the thefts are unrelated, but this pronouncement is a little hard to swallow without thought or reflection. I do not believe these thefts to be just a coincidence, and unhappy happenstance if you will. Something evil, foul, underhanded, frightful, and menacing is afoot. I just hope my own back yard will be free from surge of fire, but since I go to school down town I have to be wary…
Is this the beginning of the end? When will the terrorist shoe drop with fire and destruction upon our unwitting heads?
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
So it is war then. Twenty-four hours is all we have left of sanity. Now that it is on, I hope it is swift and the American casualties light. And I so hope that Saddam does not use chemical weapons. He has already started sabotaging oil well’s, I hope we can secure the rest before the moron creates yet another environmental disaster.
I am glad that I am no longer in the Navy, but part of me wishes that I was still in and doing something. My life, and the lives of all Americans save those in the gulf, and their families, are so far removed from this war, that it may as well be a long running movie! It just doesn’t affect us. We go about our lives with nary a care, but perhaps with the commencement of hostilities that will change if terrorism comes calling on American soil once again. A terrorist campaign like the one that has become a normal part of Israeli life, visited upon America would paralyze this country. I fear that more then I fear that American forces currently putting themselves in harms way will come to a bad end.
If a terrorist campaign where suicide bombers blow themselves up one after another on the streets of American cities would be devastating, and I fear the Constitution may not survive it! Already, after 9/11 our civil liberties are under assault and the Constitution is burning at the fringes. Ashcroft, I feel, would love nothing better then to declare Marshall Law, and force us all onto our knees to pray for salvation and the American way! Imagine then the assault on the venerable document if terrorist declared all out Israeli war on the U.S. and it populace. With our open society they would be almost impossible to stop without the institution of some sort of Marshall Law doctrine. It is too frightening to even think about in depth.
I couldn’t even envision life I such an America, so use to my freedom am I. I’m not sure I’d want to live through that kind of hell. The uncertainly of where the next bomb would go off, coupled with the governmental constraints would be almost unbearable. And it would be open season on Muslims and anyone perceived to be Arab. Could we see a return to the Japanese style internment camps of 1942? In the name of national security anything seems game.
So it is war! The dogs have been released; their teeth sharpened dripping with fire of revenge, looking for a target neutralize, their path dead reckoned on Baghdad. Lord, I am tired of war. I wonder what peace would look like, how would I taste, smell, and feel like? Would the human race know how handle peace? Probably not, too much evil intent. We do not after all, live in a Star Trek world, yet!
I am glad that I am no longer in the Navy, but part of me wishes that I was still in and doing something. My life, and the lives of all Americans save those in the gulf, and their families, are so far removed from this war, that it may as well be a long running movie! It just doesn’t affect us. We go about our lives with nary a care, but perhaps with the commencement of hostilities that will change if terrorism comes calling on American soil once again. A terrorist campaign like the one that has become a normal part of Israeli life, visited upon America would paralyze this country. I fear that more then I fear that American forces currently putting themselves in harms way will come to a bad end.
If a terrorist campaign where suicide bombers blow themselves up one after another on the streets of American cities would be devastating, and I fear the Constitution may not survive it! Already, after 9/11 our civil liberties are under assault and the Constitution is burning at the fringes. Ashcroft, I feel, would love nothing better then to declare Marshall Law, and force us all onto our knees to pray for salvation and the American way! Imagine then the assault on the venerable document if terrorist declared all out Israeli war on the U.S. and it populace. With our open society they would be almost impossible to stop without the institution of some sort of Marshall Law doctrine. It is too frightening to even think about in depth.
I couldn’t even envision life I such an America, so use to my freedom am I. I’m not sure I’d want to live through that kind of hell. The uncertainly of where the next bomb would go off, coupled with the governmental constraints would be almost unbearable. And it would be open season on Muslims and anyone perceived to be Arab. Could we see a return to the Japanese style internment camps of 1942? In the name of national security anything seems game.
So it is war! The dogs have been released; their teeth sharpened dripping with fire of revenge, looking for a target neutralize, their path dead reckoned on Baghdad. Lord, I am tired of war. I wonder what peace would look like, how would I taste, smell, and feel like? Would the human race know how handle peace? Probably not, too much evil intent. We do not after all, live in a Star Trek world, yet!
Monday, March 17, 2003
So it is WAR! Diplomacy has breathed its last breath, and the God’s of war have taken the field. And now that it has come upon us, and we are powerless to stop it, we have to support it. Our military men and women deserve that much from us at home. I only hope the war will be swift and sure, and that Saddam does not have it in his mind to use chemical weapons. But if he has them at his disposal, what would prevent him from using them. He has, at this point, nothing to lose. His land at the end of this will belong to the United States; to the victor goes the spoils, said spoils in this case running black under the desert.
I fear the fight for Baghdad will be fierce and bloody, if the Iraqis decide it is better to fight the onslaught that is the American Army and Marines, not to mention the British Army, rather then give it up, and save the city. Make no mistake, if the fight for Baghdad comes to a seize of old, the city will be destroyed utterly, of that there can certainly be little debate. How, oh how, did we as a nation come to this. Have we become marauders, the Mongols of the new century?
This is distressing. I will write more after the Presidents speech tonight in 18 minutes…
I fear the fight for Baghdad will be fierce and bloody, if the Iraqis decide it is better to fight the onslaught that is the American Army and Marines, not to mention the British Army, rather then give it up, and save the city. Make no mistake, if the fight for Baghdad comes to a seize of old, the city will be destroyed utterly, of that there can certainly be little debate. How, oh how, did we as a nation come to this. Have we become marauders, the Mongols of the new century?
This is distressing. I will write more after the Presidents speech tonight in 18 minutes…
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Slowly, painfully, inexorably we crawl towards war. A new bomb was tested today. At 21,000lbs, it is by far the largest in the U.S. or anyone else arsenal! Where oh where are we going to drop that? The world is unraveling and I feel powerless to pull tight the string. War is inevitable, unavoidable; it lingers like a dark cloud over everything we seem to do. The stock market is down, the price of gas it up; all bad news seems to have “War with Iraq” stamped up its title page.
I am at the point now—and I know I am not alone—that I wish we would just invade and get it over with already. Invade and let the world implode, and the hatred of American and Americans, spill forth like hot lave from newly awakened volcano. The terrorist will strike and we will strike back, all is lost, all is lost, or so it seems.
The spilt with our Allies continues to grow and I fear for the future of the United Nations, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for that matter. Mired in a sea of poisonous self interest, and no longer united in the quest to end the evil of communism, the nations of the world have once again turned from multilateralism. The bridge over the moot of cooperation and human progression has been raised, and once again the world is hurdling towards world war.
The United States, is acting like a spoiled child and the conservatives blinder firmly attached trumpet the call to arms with unbridled, naked glee. A quick listen to conservative AM talk radio will bear me out. It’s scary really, how many people; mostly white males want to rush to war. They are so maddening in their Pavlovian devotion to the Accidental President. He can do nothing wrong in their eyes, he is the great White leader, who will slay the evil doer in Baghdad, no matter the eventual cost to nation.
More thoughts tomorrow, time to post…
I am at the point now—and I know I am not alone—that I wish we would just invade and get it over with already. Invade and let the world implode, and the hatred of American and Americans, spill forth like hot lave from newly awakened volcano. The terrorist will strike and we will strike back, all is lost, all is lost, or so it seems.
The spilt with our Allies continues to grow and I fear for the future of the United Nations, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for that matter. Mired in a sea of poisonous self interest, and no longer united in the quest to end the evil of communism, the nations of the world have once again turned from multilateralism. The bridge over the moot of cooperation and human progression has been raised, and once again the world is hurdling towards world war.
The United States, is acting like a spoiled child and the conservatives blinder firmly attached trumpet the call to arms with unbridled, naked glee. A quick listen to conservative AM talk radio will bear me out. It’s scary really, how many people; mostly white males want to rush to war. They are so maddening in their Pavlovian devotion to the Accidental President. He can do nothing wrong in their eyes, he is the great White leader, who will slay the evil doer in Baghdad, no matter the eventual cost to nation.
More thoughts tomorrow, time to post…
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