Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite. [Admittedly, I'm fibbing. Trackbacks are still broken]
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I have it on good authority that Darryl Worley's new song, "I Just Came Back From War", tells it like it is. Go watch and listen to the video for yourself. Then go read the thoughts of America's Son.
-Barb / Proud blogmom
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Doing a little poking around to find reactions to the Pres last night/The Surge I found worth the look. So, I give to you:
a) TPM Barnett�s reaction (gollum�s take: I�ve always had dwell to deploy ratio and op-tempo issues with further plus ups. There�s good reasoning behind many of the arguments behind doing it, but in the back of my mind there�s always �what are we gonna� do about tomorrow?�
I also think Tom�s gone a bit too far with his big list of nations to include in the discussion for regional security. Yeah, there�s good reason to bring in Russia and China---economics of the region--- but I think you have to worry about how the people in the region will react to you saying Russia and China�s interests matter as much as theirs. That might not play so well.
Basically, I hope The Surge works. It better work.)
b) Dan Froomkin of the WaPo. (gollum�s take: Found this to be the rather rational and representative of the �don�t do the surge� from the anti-war side. Not so screechy.
A bit of wisdom Herr Low Intensity Conflict, him being an Intel Officer who saw trigger time, passed on to me once:, �Take what the opposition says seriously, believe that they believe what they say they do because if you act as if they don�t actually DO you�re bound for trouble in your created fantasy world. Now get me a gingerbrew before I kick your @55 all over the game board.�
Moving on.
Max Boot has something I love and hate going on with this piece. True, the MSM isn�t the enemy. They aren�t even purposeful enemy enablers (though I�m sure someone will tell me I�m on crack for saying that. The purposeful element should be taken note of, if you please.). They just make the enemy�s informational campaigned aimed at the most fruitful ground of all (that between your ears) job a whole lot easier by playing by the scripts they have been.
In the end, if Iraq is eventually and irredeemably lost, the MSM will have played a part in it, which they will deny forever (just as they do about the impact and role that reportage had on the ultimate loss of Vietnam. It wasn�t the sole cause, and maybe not a major element, since Johnson made a deal out of worries that China might get involved like they did in Korea that really had a serious effect on the conduct of te Vietnam War, but when the enemy�s most famous general, Giap, says it played a role and they build a shrine to the MSM�s influence in their War Memerial in Ho Chi Minh City you best believe it did.).
This from TNR shows how far Barnett�s idea of a �SysAdmin� force idea has spread. Wild.
ry(scurries for hidey hole)
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Adding a c) to the round up from above: Mark, the ZenPundit, has a good roundup of his own and some pretty choice commentary about what the domestic political game is. Won't ruin this with my own take.
ry(rescurries for hidey hole)
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Interesting news from Iran - FbL
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OK, here are my two questions of the day:
First, what does this mean? What are we looking for? I heard this on the BBC World Service and have been thinking about it a lot.
Second question.........I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand intelligence-sharing and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies. Where are these Patriot missile batteries going?.......Maggie
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There's no denying that the success of much of what the President outlined last night is dependent upon the courage and activities of Iraq's Prime Minister. So, let's hope this report is true. - FbL
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Jim Baen, SciFi publisher, culture warrior, all 'round Good Guy. H/t, JTG. - the Armorer
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Oh-oh! Alan, what's your lot up to? Dang Maple-syrup-swilling swine! H/t, CAPT H. -the Armorer
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Polls as "manufactured" news... on a whole new level.
Wow. "Fourteen members of an advisory board to Jimmy Carter's human rights organization resigned on Thursday to protest his new book, which criticizes Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories." Is there any rationality to Carter on Israel, or has he really gone senile?
And one more thing: Isn't anybody else disturbed that the "loyal opposition" wants and gets official rebuttal time during war after the CINC announces a new military policy/strategy? And Dick Durbin is the one who gets to do it??!! The same guy who 18 months ago compared American soldiers to Nazis, the minions of Pol Pot, etc? - FbL
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*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.
Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.
Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*
The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.
I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".
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