We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:09:43 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2010 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification I've made no secret of the fact that I was very uncomfortable with invading Iraq. I wasn't blogging *before* the actual event, so there is no googleable record to support that contention, but I've always been uncomfortable with the conduct of what appear to be optional wars. At the same time, as a career soldier, I also know that it isn't my responsibility to choose those wars, that decision is left to the President and Congress. I never fooled myself by thinking we were going to see a nice, tidy, democracy-in-our-style government in the region. I've long made the point... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html Tue, 22 May 2007 14:21:47 -0600 new Senate Immigration Bill will Fail. I'm all for Legal immigration. Let'em in no problem. But this illegal crap and this whole amnesty idea has got to be shut down. I wish I could get amnesty for all of my speeding tickets........it's a law isn't it? *runs and hides from kat ;)*]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60282 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60282 Wed, 23 May 2007 05:00:55 -0600 Yes, we are at war. Yes, I am disgusted by the political manouverings in the face of a media driven war. I think we are at the all famous "tipping point" in Iraq. It either goes our way or goes to the dogs. I feel it leaning our way. After watching the latest political cluck-cluck and the probability that they will pass a funding bill that does not have time lines and will be in time for the June deadline for difficulties with supplying the troops, I have come to a few conclusions: 1) The Democrats know that they will be blamed for problems on the frontlines if they do not fund the troops and that is political disaster. For all the nostalgia for a Vietnam reprisal from certain corners of the political sphere, there is equally (or greater) a memory of what other "mistakes" were made. Such as not funding the troops properly and the return of veterans to rejection and shame. Those vets vote today. 2) I would say that the democrats have received certain intelligence briefings, however they felt compelled to dis Petraeus, that makes them think that the tipping point is also near. There has to be a reason they would risk being called flip-floppers by their base while trying to cover their political butts to be totally backing off the funding issue. I would add that it is apparent to people watching the media as well. Something about al-anbar, the awakening and the driving of Al Qaeda from these territories. All the public needs is a little positive news and they start feeling like its not all lost in the wind. The public has taken a "wait and see" position and that is what the Dems have to play to if they don't want to become the republicans of the previous term. On the home front: No, I don't think we are going to blow up any day. We made it through all these years and did not break apart. Certainly, we were in greater peril many other times. We had plenty of political cronyism, nepotism and corruption. These are not new things. We simply fail to comprehend history and assign it some rosy, through the looking glass, nostalgia. As for immigration, you want it to slow down and be addressed? Start preaching procreation to our existing citizenship so we can off set our decreasing births and aging populace. We can say what we want about the French, but we have similar issues. The difference is that the French are french and Americans are mutts so our mutts assimilate to the idea of America (and dream about it; the streets are still paved with gold for these folks) much better and keep the dream pumping. If we do not have immigration or do not increase our birth rates, we will die the slow, fading death of the French. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Not even the next decade. But, we will change unless we change. Not in revolution or civil war, but slow, as we have ever done. I am one of those people that continue to recall the great immigrations of the past. We're saying the same things they said back then. We changed, but we didn't die. You know who I like? Fred Thompson. I don't know if he is the next president or that I'm rooting for him as such, but I heard a speech he gave at the Lincoln institute. He said we should be working for the future generations. That is what I am worried about for today. that we protect the institutions and ideas of our nation that will see future generations living free and in the idea of democracy that is, at least, a close approximation of what our forefathers and all those who came after, struggled and died for. Not just for them or for us, but for the far reaching future. For the funding bill that did not pass, I am glad. Not just because of the war and our troops, but because I believe the powers that congress was attempting to assimilate onto themselves (not the funding itself, but other aspects like timelines, managing tactics, strategy and even end run foreign relations, etc), would have changed the balance of power between the branches of government and not to the good. Call me an idealist, but I refuse the idea that we are dying. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60279 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60279 Tue, 22 May 2007 23:40:26 -0600 Congress has the duty to address war. It must either say there is war or say there is no war. And be there war, congress must clearly defined the policy level objectives (but not micromanage). Congress should immediately assume this constitutional responsibility. It should immediately make a statement asserting this. The statement should not critique the war, or even say yay or nay at that point. It simply says that congress decides and if it does, then there are clear objectives. I have contacted my representative. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60278 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60278 Tue, 22 May 2007 22:38:05 -0600 I'll forward it to him, BS. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60277 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60277 Tue, 22 May 2007 20:14:19 -0600 Tim, I think you and I may be on the same wavelength Re: La Raza etc, drop me a line if you have my E-mail via the Denizen Hotline. The Armorer has an E-mail I recently sent out (like in the last hour) you may be interested in. I have...ahh...a proposition for you :) *cue hideous laughter* http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60276 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60276 Tue, 22 May 2007 19:16:08 -0600 Very interesting, and I too am intrigued at the thoughts evoked - different reactions for different folks. Strictly on the immigration question - I have to concur that when building our house, I never asked the contractor where the subs came from. Some of them included members who may have been first generation immigrants - legal or otherwise. I didn't check for green cards, either. On the broader front - are we heading to helk in a handbasket? Hmmm ... good question. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60275 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60275 Tue, 22 May 2007 18:12:32 -0600 John, Good post. There are two big "but ifs." If we had a parliamentary system and could replace Bush next week, and the new administration said what you're saying, I'd buy it. But we don't; we've got Bush for another 20 months. Also, there's a fair case to be made that our presence there is serving as an active recruiting and training ground for terrorists; i.e. what we're doing may, perhaps, be counter-productive. Having been wholly wrong on this matter in the past, I cannot claim now to be correct. Consider these points as questions, not answers. Regards, http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60274 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60274 Tue, 22 May 2007 17:21:01 -0600 AW1 Tim, I agree with much of what you're saying, however I would like to pose this thought experiment: Do you do "due diligence" to make sure that your vendors or contractors are using ONLY American or "documented" workers? Recently, I had some flooring installed in my home. Like most people, I got estimates from several sources. I did not go with the lowest, but I definitely did not go with the highest bidder. I suspect that the guys who installed our new carpet were "undocumented" Guatemalans .... the flag on their truck was a clue, and their English skills were limited. But damn, they did a GREAT job .... and quickly, too! I agree that the Federal government ought to do a better job of enforcing the borders, controlling immigration, and penalizing employers who hire illegals. But my question is this: Do we, as American consumers, also have an obligation to use due diligence in making sure that the vendors and contractors that we use are NOT hiring illegals? And are we actually WILLING to pay more if they can prove that they're only using American or "legal" labor? I think most people are answering this question with their wallets! So, we also share this blame. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60273 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60273 Tue, 22 May 2007 15:44:11 -0600 John, I reserve my deepest disgust for those politicians who are trying to make political hay out of this state of affairs, rather than dealing with what it is: An invasion of our sovereign territory by foreign nationals. I will be among the first to step up and welcome new immigrants to our family. I WANT new blood to keep America strong, vibrant and productive. What I detest are those who are unwilling to play by the rules. Who jump in line (or over, under or through it) and say "to hell" with the laws, disregard the rules here. These folks are not doing jobs Americans will not do. They are underbidding jobs so that Americans cannot afford to do them. O also have a huge vessel of vile reserved for those who employ illegals, who use their willingness to work longer for less inorder to maximize profit. Employers who put profit ahead of safety and reliability. Those folks ought to spend a LONG time examining the inside of a cell. No one in America should ever be anti-immigrant. That is turning our scorn upon our own ancestors, our own heritsge. We are a nation of laws, of fair play, and those who flaunt the law(s) have no business, no rights, to enjoy the fruit of the American experience, nor to be able to sheild themselves with the very laws they would ignore. Oh yeah. Nice article. Sorry to hijack the thread. You have a gift for words. I'm greatful to be able to read them. Respects, http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60272 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60272 Tue, 22 May 2007 15:26:26 -0600 Heh. I just want the politicians to get together and work on a clear statement of joint principles to carry forth in our foreign policy and deal with our foreign enemies, and the discussion has turned into the threat of a looming civil war. Just, heh. This immigration bill is really chapping some people, I see. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60271 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60271 Tue, 22 May 2007 15:13:36 -0600 Casca, Count me in. I've got a stock laid in of things required to sustain the family for a few weeks. Longer if needs be. Personally, I see armed conflict starting up in the very near future over the Arizona, New Mexico and SoCal region. Too many illegals flowing in there, taking over areas, and the politicians who are riding that wave as a means to political power. Soon enough, "La Raza" will try a coup of some sorts. Thery already have tax-payer funded public schools that teach only in spanish, that spew the vile, socialist, anti-American diatribes that they are famous for, and are training a whole generation that all that land, the south west, was stolen from them, and is their birthright if they will only rise up and take it back. In fact, La Raza already has a shadow goverment in place, has drafted a constitution and laws and is ready to step up to the plate as soon as the shooting starts. I'm not making a word of this up. A new Civil War is coming, and it's coming soon. It will make the Goth's sack of Rome look like small potatos and we stand a very real chance of losing control over a large area of our nation if we do not act soon to squelch these movements. Respects, http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60270 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60270 Tue, 22 May 2007 13:36:36 -0600 Not to worry John, if the shite hits the fan, well, we're the guys with all the guns. A lot of lawyers and liberals will be hung, but what the hell, the tree of liberty is due a good long drink. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60269 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60269 Tue, 22 May 2007 11:03:29 -0600 >>>>> FUTILITY Personally, I think we're all being conditioned to accept that it's FUTILE to resist the "inevitable" .... fundamental changes that will radically alter not just American society and culture, but which will have profound - and negative - consequences for the rest of the world, as well. We're almost being force-fed this constant stream of negativity and nay-saying, preaching that: humans are a "virus" plaguing the earth and destroying her "fragile" environment; that we can't correct the immigration problem because they're already here and we can't / shouldn't plug the holes in the fence; that we can't protect and defend ourselves because it will only "perpetuate the cycle of violence"; that our culture is no better than others because we're not perfect, either; that we can't trust any intelligence because some of it has been erroneous in the past; that we can't trust any political leaders (of either side) because they're all corrupt and incompetent; ad nauseum. You can determine for yourself who's preaching the majority of this crap. But the overall effect is to create apathy and despair, and an overwhelming sense of futility ... to accept that we can't change anything, and that we simply need to accept the "inevitability" of it all. As the Star Trek Borg mantra goes, we're to accept that "Resistance is futile". And to prepare to be "assimilated" into the Borg collective. Why? To paraphrase the Edmund Burke quote: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Whether by "natural occurrence" or the efforts of a malicious cabal or some other conspiracy, evil will prevail if we allow ourselves to be conditioned into doing nothing because of this sense of futility. We may be nearing the point in Plato's model of cyclical governments, where our "democracy" is heading toward anarchy and chaos, and at which point the masses will look to a charismatic, strong-willed, gilded white knight on a shining horse to save us from ourselves. Therein lies the road to tyranny. And evil.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60268 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60268 Tue, 22 May 2007 10:59:40 -0600 You take my analogy too far, I think. I don't see the dissolution of the Republic, I just see the potential for real, and severe, damage to us and our institutions. I don't think we're *that* fragile that we'd simply shatter. But we are so interconnected and dependent on networked systems that extreme disruptions are possible. And I am concerned about the rise, in whatever guise, of a new Alexander, Xerxes, Saladin, Hitler-equivalent, and all the blood, sweat, toil and tears that would entail. Which should *not* be interpreted that I think the dogs of war should be let loose on Iran at this point. Simply that we have to keep our eyes open and recognize that unlike in the 90's, when everything seemed so fuzzy-bunny-happy, that the world is a different place than we realized it to be - and is lethally dangerous. Which doesn't mean that the old solutions of the last century are the go-to positions. We need to think more cooperatively on how to deal with the foreign threats and opportunities without just reflexive condemnation of the other side's position and the exaltation of our own. In other words, in many ways, politics should meld at the beaches. We can still act with fear and loathing internally. But I despair, sometimes, of adult behavior from adults. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60267 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60267 Tue, 22 May 2007 09:35:57 -0600 It's ironic you say these things boss, as just recently Laughing Wolf and myself had an E-mail exchange regarding the possible dissolution of our fair republic in the next 10 years. The warning signs we used was a comparison of modern day America to previous time Greece. Now you use a similar anecdote with not quite the same outcome but the possibility nonetheless. When it's just me and LW I can think "Ok we're paranoid crazies. No big deal." But when others start on the same wave length I get nervous. That or I need to get some sleep. I'm not sure which is which currently. :) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60266 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/05/httpwwwamerican.html#comment-60266 Tue, 22 May 2007 09:10:17 -0600