This Vet’s Memorial Day Memories

I don’t come from what would be considered a military family, yet my father and I both served this country in distant lands. My Dad was a cook in the Army Air Corps (Later the Air Force) and I was an avionics/photo tech in the Marine Corps Air Wing.

Dad’s tour of duty lasted from 1941 to 1945. Most of it was overseas. After training to be a cook at Craig Air Force base in Selma, Alabama he was put on a ship to India. During this voyage he worked in the ship’s galley and helped prepare three meals a day for 5000 troops. He never spoke about battles, wounded or anything really warlike when recounting his time in the service; instead he would talk about the huge kettles on the ship used to make mashed potatoes. He told me how they made bread every day for the troops and the massive ovens used to bake the loaves. He came back home in one piece and married my Mom and that was the end of that. However the war affected him was never told to me or to my Mom as far as I know.

Part of that is generational I believe. His has been called the "greatest generation" because of the task they undertook and achieved. Literally saving the planet from global tyranny and subjugation is no small accomplishment. So these guys knew they had a job to do and just went out and did it. Period! We all have a lot to thank their generation for and most of us my age do that.

I wonder about some of the others though. Do my kids and grandkids understand that the only reason they enjoy the freedoms they have today is due to the tremendous sacrifices made by an entire generation of the world’s population. It may be too big an idea for them to believe. Certainly in their lifetimes' there have been no similar examples of sacrifice and cooperation on a worldwide scale.

Today wouldn’t be a bad day to remind them that their grandparents payed a heavy price for their current well being. That’s the reason we celebrate Memorial Day. Please use this day to give thanks and honor those who have made and continue to make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our country and our way of life.

Unlike my father, I went into the Marines without a clear understanding of what or who I would be fighting. I joined in 1967, right out of high school with two high school friends, Russel and Buddy. We went through boot camp at Paris Island, SC and then to Camp Lejeune for infantry training. After that we were separated. I went on to technical schools for several months and they went into stateside units and then to Viet Nam. Both served with distinction while in country and one of them was awarded the Bronze star.

I ran in to Buddy in Da Nang at the Freedom Hill USO when I first got to Nam. He had changed radically from the pudgy, jolly friend with whom I went to high school. At least he was alive, and that was miraculous. He had taken an AK round through his steel pot helmet. The bullet circled around outside the plastic inner liner and exited the rear of the outer helmet without touching his head. Of course it knocked him on his ass and gave him a hell of a headache, but he stayed alive. In Viet Nam that was the name of the game; stay alive and make it back home. We were without the motivation of our father’s generation. And once in country, many wondered what we were doing there at all.

Now people my age have sons, daughters, nephews and nieces in harm’s way again, in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. You and they should know two very important things.

1: We honor and respect the service and sacrifice you are giving and making. While many of us oppose the current effort in Iraq as wasteful and wrong-headed, we do not oppose you. We know you are serving your country, even when your country’s leaders are wrong. Stay strong, come home alive and we will help you adjust to civilian life.

2: Learn from what you are seeing and experiencing as soldiers and civilians. Understand that this is what happens to a country, an army, and an electorate when we fail to pay attention to what our leaders are doing. We all bear the burden of this country’s actions. It’s not just the leaders, the military or the greedy industrialists who have gotten us where we are. We, the citizens of America, have allowed this to happen and only we can correct it.

On this day when we take the time to honor our fallen soldiers; let’s take time to honor our fallen country as well. The United States of America has lived through many trials in its brief history. This current push to militarism and intolerance is but one of many stumbling blocks put in the path of our mutual success as a people, a culture and a country. Take a minute today to say thanks to all who have allowed us this moment to contemplate our future and have a hand in deciding our destiny.

Till Next Time, Remember those who have sacrificed so much!

The Endless Democratic Prmary Summer Part 46

OK, OK..... I'm not sure if this is part 46 or 56 or even 106. I just know it's part "way more than it should be." I took the time before posting to familiarize myself with the real delegate numbers. They can be found at the Washington Post site that has been up from the start.

Barack Obama has 1970 delegates. Hillary Clinton has 1779 delegates. The amount needed has been bumped by 1 delegate for some reason to 2026. (up from 2025 that was the number the last time I checked)

Whatever the reason; Barack needs 56 delegates to win the nomination and Hillary needs 247 delegates. There are 250 delegates up for grabs in the 4 remaining states. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mrs. Clinton would have to get all but 3 delegates in the remaining primaries. It does not seem likely.

I have heard that Michigan and Florida will be brought back in to the picture somehow and this might be to her advantage. Let's hope our Dems don't allow this to get too crazy.

It would be nice if Hillary would implement a healing and effective exit strategy. I would like to see the party get its act together and start campaigning for the white house in a serious manner. Yes, it is a lot to wish for and yes, I know better. Be generous with me and let me keep the fantasy over the Memorial Day weekend, will ya?

In spite of knowing better, I watched the political pundits on PBS ponder, prevaricate and posture on the coming election. I came away wondering why I had watched it.

The know-it-alls were busy talking strategy, talking points and funding. The most pompous pundit posited that Barack must stay away from the experience issue and McCain must stay away from the McSame issue. WOW..... Thanks for the insight.

When and if experience comes up in a serious context, I hope that Obama will point out that George Bush's cabinet was full to the brim of so-called experienced members. They turned out to be colossal incompetents and failures. Does anyone who has listened to Obama speak not get that he is thoughtful and intelligent? Are they clueless to his vision of a very different way of doing things?

Perhaps McCain and Obama will hold as many as three televised debates. How about a domestic policies debate? Then a foreign policy debate. Then one on the future of our country and the world. Let's hear from the candidates on their vision for America.

If Hillary will stop before she becomes an embarrassment to herself and her party; (by the end of the primaries seems appropriate) then we can get on with picking Veeps and fighting it out with the republicans for the future welfare of our country.

Till Next time, Get in the fight!

America A to Z - the letter "D"

Editorial Note: I start back to work today and this may be my last post for a while. I will be busy learning some new things, training and re-training in some others and even spending a week in a distant city in school.

That being said, I wanted this post to be in a positive vein, as it shall stand alone for a time before I’m able to post again.

So in today’s America A to Z we’ll being dealing with the letter ‘D". I chose democracy for this letter.

Democracy:

Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos + -kratia -cracy

Date: 1576

1 a: government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

2: a political unit that has a democratic government

3capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States

4: the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority

5: the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges

Though I have asked the question if our democracy is an illusion in a previous post, I believe we do indeed have a democratic government. By that definition we are indeed a democracy. And just because things have gotten crazy in the last few years, it does not condemn our form of government.

The concept and theory of democracy is a great thing. It allows for government to hear the voice of its constituents and at some point be answerable to the electorate. That is the strength of democracy, the point where government is directed by the will of the people for the betterment of the majority of the people.

We have strayed from one side to the other in our quest to perfect our democracy. We now find ourselves in a period where our government has become secretive and unresponsive to the electorate. That is destined to change. We have also been governed by politicians who seemed slaves to minority interests and so-called populace causes. These folks were voted out of office as well.

The most redeeming quality of our (America’s) democracy is its ability to handle the change of power from one group of individuals to another; especially when these groups are in opposition to one another on substantial issues of policy and governance. We will be witnessing such an event this November I pray, when we once again will have the opportunity to have our say in the course our national leaders take.

If you ever get to thinking there’s a better way, you may be right. We just haven’t found it yet. This system, our democratic form of government, is still in its infancy. Momentous accomplishments, both good and bad, have come out of this country. There lies before us a future filled with promise and challenge. I believe our government, backed by an informed electorate, has as good a chance as any of performing better with each election cycle.

It’s up to us, the people, to live up to our responsibility as citizens of our democracy, and vote. We are duty bound to inform ourselves on the relevant issues, pick a candidate, position or issue that we feel strongly about and get involved. If we do not, we allow choices to be made for us by activists and fanatics from both sides.

Democracy is a vital and important part of our country’s heritage and future. Our democracy will ultimately be what we take the time, energy and intelligence to make of it.

I am hopeful we will do well.

Till Next Time, Be Thankful You Live In a Democracy!

Don't watch Rendition

Don't want the movie Rendition if you have any feelings for our constitution. Don't watch it if the idea of a paranoid, fascist police state alive and well in our own country troubles you. Don't watch this cinematic drama if you think there are complex reasons for terrorism, torture, losing our civil rights, our disastrous foreign policy and the general malaise that has infected our political thinking.


This movie will make you wonder what the heck your country thinks it's doing and why. The plot doesn't preach, there's very little geo-political speechifying and no one saying what's wrong and what's right. No, just a personal look at peoples' lives as they're caught up in events beyond their control.

As I watched this flick I couldn't help but wonder why we would want to be in some of these places. In order to have a presence in the middle east we have aligned ourselves with governments and organizations that have nothing in common with what we believe our country is about. We have done this in order to fight terrorism; with acts clearly illegal and acts that clearly hurt the innocent.

It made me sad to be confronted with this one instance of one innocent person's plight, knowing that the real number of illegal acts by our government is unknown.

I watched a clip of George Bush telling an interviewer that he had given up golf during the Iraq war out of respect for the troops. How about a little respect for our constitution and the rule of law. You know, like the law he used to get elected in 2000. Like the laws he ignored to tap our phone lines and look at our E-mails. How about some respect for the soldiers sent on multiple tours and forced to stay in the service past their release dates.

How about a little respect for the little people in this country and not sucking up to his rich buddies with tax breaks, military contracts, and loosening irritating federal regulations. Will this guy ever get out of my sight, off my TEE VEE set, off the front page and back to Crawford?

Till Next Time, Watch what you government's up to!

Rocking Chair Philosophy

My friend in Phoenix sent me this video the other day. He's a republican, but even he is starting to doubt his party's president. I'm thinking he's been doubting for a while and just sends me republican crap to wind me up. This is a little different. See what you think.



Well, how does it sound to you?

Remember; we went to war because of terrorism, right? Except of course we invaded the wrong country, killed a bunch of the wrong people, and messed up our economy in the process. Oops.

Aren't we special? Bless our little hearts.

Liberal Media? Not Hardly

How many times have you heard righties complain about the leftist liberal media? It's sounds like a broken record, yet like George Bush Jr on the campaign trail in 2000 and 2004, they have stayed on message for years now. The result has been a capitulation by the media and the public to the fraud of media leftiness. If it exists, where is it?

Our so-called independent media has been as big a failure during the BushCo reign of infamy as BushCo itself. They have not only failed to be unbiased and critical observers of the War in Iraq and attendant issues, but have been complicit in helping the administration perpetrate what amounts to treason and fraud. The fifth estate has become little more than a fifth wheel, just along for the ride, being towed by the gargantuan diesel fume belching BS machine of the BushCo extra cab 4 x 4. (token RV metaphor in honor of our gas crisis)

And these are the alleged legitimate Networks and Newspapers. I do not count the multitude of Murdoch owned stations and publications and certainly not the oxymoron Fox news. At some point people will either have to wise up to being propagandized 24/7 or remain misinformed and ignorant. How thinking adults are able to watch that garbage and not pick up on what's going on eludes me.

The cable networks have, as I have heard it referred to recently, jumped the shark, time and again. Witness the recent Reverend Wright orgy of inanity. Or how about some serious discussion on patriotism and flag pins? Sad isn't it?

So it should not come as a shock that even those who shun the known republican/neocon authored media have fallen prey to the other media vendors who had a reputation of more critical and fair minded reporting. Revelations appear daily about media complicity, laziness and ineffectiveness. The result has been a loss of trust by the public for what they find printed in their daily newspapers and for what they see broadcast on the network's nightly news shows.

It's almost as if our government and the media were one big propaganda machine churning out pap and spoon feeding it to the unwary masses. That would explain how we let ourselves get where we are, wouldn't it?

Read this article at TruthOut and listen to video below. If you haven't noticed how lame and ineffective our reporters, newspapers, commentators, and the media in general have become, this should open your eyes. The gist of the video is that the head of CNN went to the Pentagon and asked them who he should use as military analysts; not considering they might be stacking the deck.





Where are the cynics when you need them?


Till Next Time, Don't you Believe It!

Our Opponent in November

Just for a minute, let's forget about the Democratic primary and focus on the opposition. I think some amount of forward planning is called for and I am frankly worried at how cocky some Democratic pundits are about the election. So many have been saying that whoever is the Dem's candidate will mop the floor with McCain. I wish it were so. But I think not.

John McCain is 71 years old and still vigorous and active. In spite of war wounds and brutalities suffered in years in a Vietnamese prison camp he clearly has the stamina to campaign to win his party's nomination. Let's give the guy some credit where credit is due. Nothing could be worse for our party than to underestimate the republican candidate. You know what I mean, like we did in 2000 and 2004.

I have included a video below that shows McCain on the Daily Show being interviewed by Jon Stewart. He (McCain) can be very personable, humble and approachable, in spite of his reputation as being hard nosed and grumpy. People will see him in at least two very disparate ways.




One way, from the issues point of view, will remind folks that a McCain presidency will continue the war in Iraq indefinitely and keep the war hungry Neocons in power. For these folks the issue will be clear. I hope you find yourself among them.

The other way (yes there will be millions of views, I'm just giving the two most likely) is that McCain will be seen as a venerated War veteran, a wise elder, and someone to keep the good parts of conservatism (what they are confounds me) without the idiocy of Bush. These folks scare the hell out of me. Because they are living in denial. These are our fellow citizens who for reasons unknown to me think everything is just hunky dory.

These poor blind citizens of our republic believe what we're doing in Iraq is a good thing. They are comfortable with the warlike posture our country maintains and don't care about the loss of their civil rights and privacy. They are able to ignore the blatant greed and thievery of BuchCo's buddies. To them, massive war profits, the weakening of our regulatory agency's powers to abet the corruption, and the outright lies used to perpetuate our foreign policy, are all part and parcel of good conservative politics.

These people dear reader are the ones we need to wake up and get on our side. They have been and will be swayed by the politics of fear, prejudice and pandering. If Rove and Bush were successful in fooling them once, then it is not unreasonable to think they might do it again.

Inform yourself about what a McCain presidency will mean. Glenn Greenwald has a great article on Neocon fabrications as well as a good link to an interesting peek into what McCain thinks of presidential powers. Food for thought and ammunition when you have the chance to change a mind or make a convert.

And let's not forget to aid the Democratic candidate (whom we shall eventually choose) in fighting for the white house. We must continue to remind the public of BushCo's criminal and negligent administration of our country. In spite of McCain's pledge last night to run an honorable campaign, I am cynical of that actually happening. We will see what strategy they employ to discredit our candidate and promote theirs.

Till Next Time, Keep Fighting!