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Yet another proof that California is the land of fruits, flakes and nuts.

The job of a judge is to apply the LAW, not their own personal views.

One wonders if a clever conservative lawyer (if there is one in California) couldn't find a way to sue the judge for infringing on the Constitutinal right of association and thereby denying this individual their civil rights.

posted by Marine6 on March 8, 2008 12:24 PM

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... And with mixed emotions I look forward to moving to the land of Cocoa Puffs.

posted by Boquisucio on March 8, 2008 1:20 PM

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When I read the article off Blackfive this morning, I couldn't understand the part about not allowing a 17 year old to have a DELAYED ENTRY. Does that mean the only thing she refused him was the $10,000 signing bonus? If he waits for graduation like the recruiter set up, he maybe will have a few months to hang around until his adulthood. Oh well.

posted by Fishmugger on March 8, 2008 6:13 PM

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Fish Mugger, that's my understanding, too--that all she has done is deprive him of his $10,000 delayed-entry signing bonus. In a few months, he'll be able to enlist as an adult... without her approval and without the signing bonus. Really obnoxious.

posted by FbL on March 8, 2008 7:14 PM

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When he's 18, he should turn around and sue said judge for the $10K she just denied him. And that judge needs to be removed from the courts for allowing her personal viewpoints to cloud her interpretation and application of the law.

Hopefully the Marine recruiter might be able to work with the recruiting command and his/her higher ups and get this young man the bonus to which he is entitled.

posted by HomefrontSix on March 8, 2008 8:37 PM

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Isn't there an appeal the young man can make to overrule this overreaching judge? I'm not familiar with the laws in Granola-land but surely she isn't the final say in this, is she?

posted by NevadaDailySteve on March 8, 2008 9:40 PM

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Good Grief. This makes NO sense. The kid is working hard for a good future. You have to be clean with the law and have a passing GPA to get into the DEP (I know, since that's the way the Marine!Goth went in, though his MOS didn't have a signing bonus at the time).

Would she have rather had him be one of those foster kids that ends up in some street gang?

(Glad I don't live in CA!)

posted by Karla (threadbndr) on March 11, 2008 11:56 AM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

*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 (oops, can't call 'em UAVs anymore - they're now Unmanned Aerial Systems... some Colonel got his Legion of Merit for that change...), er, um UAS's 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 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."

� Secure this line!

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101 years and running - the one thing I DON'T miss about the Army. Those who know me understand my obvious jealousy when I say that he still has COLOR (colour for you anglo-philes) in his beard. I'm with him on the pint, don't know about the "fag". Hope he makes it. ML

posted by Mike L on March 7, 2008 10:33 AM

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Wow, that Patton article is amazing. It's so cool to see, through my interviews with 3ID, how the work of Petraeus, Odierno and Crocker has played out on the ground in 3ID's AO.

posted by FbL on March 7, 2008 11:10 AM

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The Royal Logistic Corps Warrant Officer saved the lives of hundreds of Iraqi men, women and children by dismantling the 55kg monster outside Basra’s main civilian hospital.

Modest “Waddie” dug out the half-buried bomb by HAND and hauled it back to base. The device then helped reveal vital bomb-making techniques of Iraqi insurgents.

The married hero of Cambridge was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. He said: “I was aware the bomb was big but I didn’t think about it.

“If it had gone off it would have put a big hole in the hospital and I would have been pink mist. But I only did what any one of the lads would do.”

The typical British understatement (read with English accent) I would have been pink mist. But I only did what any one of the lads would do.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 11:21 AM

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The Mid Atlantic Air Museum holds a World War II weekend around June 6th every year. Re-enactors bivouac, occupy a French village, and battle it out in a field complete with dragon's teeth. Lots and lots of weapons, vehicles, and other gear from a variety of countries. Also, a static air display, real live flying WWII warbirds, and even rides in a B25 (which MAAM owns) and a B17.

posted by Tim on March 7, 2008 12:54 PM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

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8.59mm...sounds like a fancy way to say .338 Lapua Magnum.

posted by Heartless Libertarian on March 7, 2008 4:04 PM

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Indeed. It is. Now that it's been used in a Long Distance Rifle - look to hoplopansies to demand it be banned. Or better yet - all ammo larger than 8mm!

Heh. Regardless of case length and shape.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 4:07 PM

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Like my late to the Castle email closed with:
http://www.mybulgaria.info/modules.php?name=Wiki&title=L115A3
More info than a non-Castle denizen will ever need!
Chuckle
Mike

posted by Mike Daley on March 7, 2008 10:35 PM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

This past Wednesday evening I spoke for nearly an hour with America's senior man in Iraq for economic development: Ambassador Charles Ries, Coordinator for Economic Transition in Iraq and Economics Minister. The focus of the interview was Iraq's readiness to receive foreign investment, but in a very forthcoming manner he covered topics ranging from banking and other infrastructure to labor, agriculture, and the challenges facing attempts to create a modern Iraqi economy.

The most striking message of the interview was how much security and economic development go hand in hand, reinforcing each other. They are completely inter-dependent; each without the other will not result in sustainable peace or success. Over-arching all of this is the legislative factor: full implementation of many plans and activities awaits action by Iraqi governmental leadership.

And so, in listening to Ambassador Ries, one is left with the impression of Iraq as an immensely complicated economic jigsaw puzzle, each part dependent on the other and full of bottled-up potential. The biggest challenge is the bottleneck through which it seems each piece must pass. Not surprisingly, it all comes back to oil. It is oil revenue that will fund Iraq's government, and thus fund almost every project that descends from the government. The problem right now is that because oil revenue-sharing is still not completely resolved, many of the needed improvements to oil production capabilities (which will result in increased production/revenue) can't yet be made. The success of almost all the plans and processes covered in my discussion with Ambassador Ries ultimately hinges on the Iraqis' ability to successfully resolve the revenue-sharing issues.

Despite the bottle-neck over oil revenue, a great deal of economic development is occurring in Iraq, and there is much to be excited about. "Iraq is seeing the economic indications of the successful security surge," says Ambassador Ries. "Since the middle of last year we have seen the revival of markets, more economic activity [and the] very early starts of permanent investment and banking activity. We are quite pleased."

The International Monetary fund predicts 7% growth in Iraq's economy, though predictions have repeatedly fallen flat in the past. However, Ambassador Ries is very optimistic, pointing to several factors that he says will increase growth beyond last year's sluggish rate. According to the ambassador, the lack of security in the first half of 2007 created a strong drag on the economy. "Things that couldn't happen due to the security situation were like a tax on the economy," holding it down. But with the success of the “surge” and its accompanying counter-insurgency tactics, security has improved and removed that “tax.” As an example, Ambassador Ries pointed to oil production and exports. In July (shortly after the "surge" reached full strength and just before it began to show results), Iraq was exporting about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. Today, Iraq is "nudging up against 2 million barrels a day" (total production went from 2 to 2.5 million barrels during that time).

Ambassador Ries predicts this increase in oil production and exports will have a "trickle-down" effect that will fuel the entire economy in the coming year as oil revenue is immediately rolled over into government development projects such as construction sites. Money is already flowing into the provinces and governmental ministries for things like fixing streets, building schools, and dealing with infrastructure problems stemming from war and neglect. This results in greater employment, since people are needed to implement these projects, and the newly-employed workers in turn create demand for products they want to purchase with their earnings... Which creates money-making opportunities for other citizens, etc.

Though specific governmental ministries have been soliciting bids for very narrow projects, it is in many ways a little bit too soon to speak of general foreign investment in Iraq. As of yet, there is no way for a prospective investor to call up a single person in the Iraqi government and say, "I'd like to build a glass factory in your country." However, a highly-regarded Iraqi has been nominated to head the newly-developed National Investment Commission at rank of Minister, and his approval is expected when the legislature returns from its break. Meanwhile, the groundwork is being laid, and like so much in Iraq, is on the edge of bearing fruit.

That groundwork for investment includes not only the creation of a National Investment Commission, but rehabilitation of the energy infrastructure, development of the banking system, and most-importantly, capacity-building--the formation of functional governmental systems to enable development, research, and delivery of services to its citizens, as well as attract and process foreign investment. Over and over again in the interview, Ambassador Ries pointed to coalition efforts to teach basic governmental skills/mechanisms--everything from project management to industrial maintenance to funds distribution. Much is being done in these areas, and in many ways Iraq's economy is on the edge of a boom... a half-finished quilt in which solid and intricate squares await the national government to sew them into a larger and more functional entity.

In the meantime, the Provincial Reconstruction teams are not only reconstructing local infrastructure and business/agriculture, but teaching basic governmental skills and facilitating government functionality at the Province level. Early in the "surge," there were problems with staffing and distribution of the PRTs, but Ambassador Ries now points with obvious pride to the 25 PRTs operating throughout Iraq, "We tried to recast the way we work on civilian side to match/reinforce the strategy of the new way forward [counter-insurgency]." Five of the teams are based with provincial government, teaching and facilitating government function. The rest are called Embedded PRTs (ePRTs), and work hand-in-glove with coalition military forces. All teams are mixed civilian-military, comprised of State Department and USAID personnel, agriculture advisors, engineers, etc.

The province-based PRTs offer "lots of assistance" for local governments to help them effectively use the money they get from the federal government. Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq was a centrally-planned economy, and Ambassador Ries reports that before 2004 no money was allocated to provincial governments. Thus part of the PRTs' effort is focused on teaching project planning, acceptance of contact bids, etc.

Ambassador Ries describes the biggest role of the province-based PRTs as "de-bottlenecking problems." One example he gave was their "instrumental" role in in dealing with a cash-flow problem at the end of last year. Iraq is still a cash economy, and with the economic growth at the end of last year, Diyala Province developed a sudden and severe physical cash-flow problem. Iraqi Dinars are printed in London and must be carried by truck into Diyala. The Diyala PRT was able to use the State Department's connections and expertise to accelerate the printing and delivery of the Dinars. Ambassador Ries said that the PRT members were in constant contact with the treasury personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and "American expertise and connections made a noticeable difference in Diyala."

The cash-flow issue is indicative of what Ambassador Ries describes as "moving out of the bricks and mortar phase and towards capacity-building... trying to help the Iraqi government operate as a government." Efforts to provides services such as power, attract investment, develop banking, etc., is happening from the top-down in Baghdad while the ePRTs are operating with the military from the ground-up (typical counter-insurgency strategy).

The top-down and ground-up efforts meet at the still-jagged edge of foreign investment--of both money and expertise. So far, the economic rehabilitation is being driven by what Ambasssador Ries called "small-scale revival," retail development fueled by micro-grants/loans and the efforts of the ePRTs. Foreign investment and support of the banking sector are "needed to get to the next stage for lasting growth." This includes helping Iraqis tackle the big energy problems: attracting investments and developing more expertise in oil, and catching up with the demand for electricity. "Both are very large, difficult problems," says Ambassador Ries, which will "make a huge difference" once they are solved.

In part two, I’ll report on the groundwork and attempts to solve the "difficult problems" in detail, including energy infrastructure, the banking system, the labor force, sectors that are expected to drive Iraq’s economic growth, and the impressive man who will be the “go-to guy” for foreign investment in Iraq.

UPDATE: Part II

� Secure this line!

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Pretty cool! Both interviews are great.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 9:15 AM

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Thanks, Kat.

This is probably more appropriately mentioned at the end of the reportage (which is obviously extending into several posts), but Kat had a HUGE role in making this interview go as well as it did. While I was left dazed and confused by the flu, Kat was busy researching--feeding me items to read, suggesting topics and potential questions, and helping me master unfamiliar concepts. I can't imagine how things would've gone without her assistance. She was my hero this last week!

posted by FbL on March 7, 2008 9:33 AM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

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The top one looks like a sausage grinder. LOL

posted by fdcol63 on March 7, 2008 8:03 AM

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The top one looks like a sausage grinder. LOL

Ha, first thing I thought of too! I'm going to guess that it's some sort of playback device. The cup-shaped part on the left has a small wire attaching it to the main body, so that's where the signal could be transferred. Shot in the dark, I'm going to say this is WWI era, so comms were probably quite difficult. Hand crank to make it play because batteries weren't terribly effective at all back then. Kind of like a phonograph that can be broken down for easy transport.

Second pic?

Some poor fool is about to have a REALLY bad day when he catches that grenade.

posted by Ninjafluff on March 7, 2008 8:11 AM

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Hand-operated combination device:
sausage grinder and meat slicer.

posted by Erik in Colo on March 7, 2008 8:19 AM

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Um, the guy in the second pic is going to fall on his arse when he pulls the trigger 'cause his stance is not so good for handling the recoil?

posted by ry on March 7, 2008 8:31 AM

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Heh. I guess that *could* be a young Senator Craig, with a "wide stance"...

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 8:44 AM

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The advent of the MOUSE, sure simplified the man/computer interface.

posted by Boquisucio on March 7, 2008 8:49 AM

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First pic looks like some kind of material separator ; something along the lines of a gold wheel.

The second pic? That boy is young and full of optimism. Let him hit forty or so and he'll remember well every single 'nade he fired from the shoulder.

posted by TmjUtah on March 7, 2008 9:13 AM

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First photo, electrical sound device powered by hand crank. I would think it was for signals.

Second photo, .303 Short Magazine Lee Enfield, with a grenade launching capability. The grenade looks more modern than the rest of the outfit, and the soldier is an apparent, "Demonstrator, post!" type individual because of his clean uniform, wall backdrop, and the safety appears to be in the forward or off-safe position.

But what do I know, I'm an old ER nurse.

Airborne, All the Way!

Alan Briley, RN

posted by Alan Briley, RN on March 7, 2008 9:17 AM

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Second picture is the origin of the RPG.

As I recall, they found it to be more dangerous to the user than the enemy. I don't recall the actual make and model of the unit but it was made to keep soldiers from carrying a second device for such purpose.

World War 1 era as I also recall

Feel free to smack me down :)

posted by BloodSpite on March 7, 2008 9:22 AM

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Number1: It looks like an electromechanical device but no batteries no cord it's kind of odd really. It's awfully looking like that dude pulls a ripcord like a mower. Which might make this a signal generator.

Number2: First thing? It looks staged.

posted by Trias on March 7, 2008 11:31 AM

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Trias - there is a cord, it's coiled behind the machine, you can see it there near the crank.

Yes, the photo is staged, it's a picture from a training manual.

This is going better than I expected... on both pics!

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 11:37 AM

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(posting before I scan the comments)

Second picture is WWI era from the uniform (esp the helmet). Early grenade launcher? I'm guessing a plate from a training manual or manufacturer's catalogue? It's obviously a 'studio' shot.

The top one - Hand crank leads me to think about the same vintage - possibly a bit later from the shoe styling, but then men's shoes and trousers don't give as many clues as women's kit.
The photo shoot (casual, not staged) means later - non-box camera, but whatzit has an almost deco styling in the base. It would help if we could see another elevation of the 'face' plate. That cup-shaped appratus to the left is positionable along the vertical axis (hand crank again).

This one has me pretty stumped.

posted by Karla (threadbndr) on March 7, 2008 1:53 PM

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This one has me pretty stumped.

BSEG.

That would be definition #1.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 1:55 PM

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Pic 1: The early model Pinnacup combined both collection and laboratory assessment capabilities. It was the electrical interface that caused it to be dropped in favor of collectors, observers, and additional duty officers.

Pic 2: That is one vertically challenged individual being used as a demonstrator. Perhaps a former Welsh rugby hooker?

posted by Hunter on March 7, 2008 1:55 PM

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Using a rifle grenade (longish-range) and bayonet (short-range) at the same time strikes me as rather odd. Was this a normal thing to do? And then there's the bonus hazard of loading the grenade with that pointy thing attached. And, as others have noted, the whole shoulder-firing business. And he seems to be looking upward, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me; weren't there special grenade-launching sights? What's he looking at up there?
(All of which may tell you that I've never been trained in the use of rifle grenades nor bayonets.)
The contraption in the first photo looks like a diabolical instrument for extracting confessions from coffee beans.

posted by Eric Wilner on March 7, 2008 1:56 PM

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Errr - make that a non-PLATE camera.

And yes, Sir John, you are EVIL (and causing me to waste time at work LOL).

It's nice to see others are baffled, too, and that we have consensus on the era of that "far too well turned out" young man in the second picture. The mind hesitates to think what will happen if the grenade clips the bayonet!

posted by Karla (threadbndr) on March 7, 2008 2:04 PM

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Eric - you are correct, your commentary *does* tell me that...

But to answer some of your questions...

...I just deleted all that - I'll make it part of the post where I do the reveal!

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 2:05 PM

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you sir... are EVIL! :-)

posted by NinjaFluff on March 7, 2008 4:46 PM

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Whut's yer point, Fluffster?

Note - I did put in a "st" so as not to be offensive!

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 4:52 PM

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1st pic. Crude version of an early warning listening device to locate aircraft? Can't tell if the larger disc is a mic or not, but if so, then cup on the side would be the speaker? Handles for making adjustments to pinpoint the source of the noise?

Pic 2, some poor hopeful with a rifle grenade. As stated above.

posted by Kevin on March 7, 2008 6:24 PM

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I'm late to this, but the large egg-shaped housing looks like either a motor or a generator. The operator's right hand may be holding a pull handle or an aiming handle, I'd guess pull handle, as in an earlier mention of a recoil lawnmower starter. The cup to the left has an adjustment, but in one axis only, and it seems pretty beefy for a tuning crank for a sound generator. The slot on the 'starter' mechanism is going to end up being significant, too, but it is too small to be a shotgun trap. This is sort of like 'the blind men and the elephant', each piece looks like something else.

posted by Martin Morehouse on March 7, 2008 8:02 PM

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Fuze setter for anti-aircraft shells.

posted by Justthisguy on March 7, 2008 11:45 PM

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COOL!
Someone invented an anti-aircraft gun directional with a spitoon attached!

posted by WereKitten on March 8, 2008 3:22 PM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

In preparation for the interview, I had scoured the major media for reports from 3rd ID's area of operations over the last two weeks and had come up mostly empty. I opened the interview by mentioning that problem, and BG Huggins confimed that indeed, no news is good news in 3rd ID's case. However, he showed the cautious enthusiasm that is typical for 3rd ID's leadership: "Things are progressing well. I don’t want to give everyone a false impression… [there's] still a lot of hard work to do, but in terms of security things are progressing pretty well."

The facts BG Huggins supplied support his evaluation. For the month of February, 3ID averaged two attacks per day, and with the exception of a single large-scale terrorist act (which I'll cover below), an average of one civilian per day died from violence. Those numbers are less than fifty percent of the already-low numbers reported in the end of January when I began interviewing 3ID leadership.

Right now 3ID's kinetic activity centers around Operation Marne Grand Slam, conducted along the eastern edge of the Tigris River. This is a counterpart to Operation Marne Thunderbolt, which consolidated gains along the western edge of the river in an effort to reduce the flow of "accelerants" of violence into Baghdad. BG Huggins reports that operations are close to wrapping up, and will culminate with the building of another patrol base southeast of Salman Pak. The patrol base will help consolidate Iraqi and Coalition control of the the Tigris river valley from Baghdad to about 50 km south. According to BG Huggins, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have been integrally involved in Operation Marne Grand Slam.

The big event in 3ID's AO in recent weeks was Arbaeen, the end of the yearly ritual mourning for a 7th-century Shiite imam. In the course of a week, six million pilgrims from all over the Middle East arrived in Karbala on foot. According to BG Huggins, "Things went incredibly well." As during Ashura, ISF again took the lead with coalition forces providing aerial overwatch and standing by as ground backup. In an echo of the flood of people for Arbaeen, two million pilgrims are now continuing into Najaf, under the protection of ISF.

BG Huggins exclaimed over the tremendous volume of Arbaeen pilgrims he had seen from his helicopter flyovers conducted to check force positioning, and how well the Iraqi checkpoints handled them. In an effort inspired by the Sisters of Fallujah, the Iraqis planned for and hired women to inspect female pilgrims at each checkpoint, setting up tents to ensure privacy (similar systems exist at the border checkpoints in 3rd ID's AO). All in all, BG Huggins seemed extremely pleased with the Arbaeen holiday, pointing out that the sheer volume of pilgrims was a "strong statement" of Iraqi and regional faith in Iraq's newfound security.

The only major security breach in the AO during Arbaeen was a suicide bomber who attacked near an Iraqi checkpoint in Iskandariyah where many pilgrims were gathered during their trek. According to BG Huggins, the bomber had concealed his explosives vest under his clothing and nobody suspected anything before he blew up, killing over 50 soldiers and pilgrims.

Something that hasn't been greatly publicized is 3ID's detainee-release program. When people are arrested on suspicion of involvement with terrorist or insurgency activities, the brigades screen them and the worst are placed in a "high-risk" category that will not be released under any kind of amnesty. But in an additional process, other detainees are screened to find individuals who might be eligible to re-integrate. Each detainee must have a "guarantor," a sponsor such as a sheik or Sons of Iraq participant, who will accept responsibility for the detainee's actions if he does something wrong. Sponsors then sign Arabic documents making them liable for the detainee's behavior, and the detainee is released into their protection and guidance.

BG Huggins reports that there are no set standards for release, but things are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Evaluations are made all the way up the chain of command, beginning with records of their educational activities and behavior while at Camp Bucca, the coalition prison. Often this process begins when somebody approaches a coalition soldier and says, "This guy is my cousin, he really isn’t that bad a guy. If he comes back, I’ll take care of him--and it’ll help his family." BG Huggins openly acknowledges that there is a risk factor to this, but in practice it has been a mechanism for strengthening communities by returning breadwinners, and giving a second chance to people who may have done paid jobs for the insurgents simply out of desperation. "[They are] folks we can take a little risk with," he says.

I asked BG Huggins about Sunni and Shia interaction and integration within the ISF he works with. He said that successful integration is dependent very much on leadership, pointing to what he called "the best of the ISF," the Iraqi Army's 4th Brigade of the 6th Division. It is about 75% Shia, operating in an area in which cities are largely Shia and rural areas are 99% Sunni. According to BG Higgins, leadership trumps sectarianism: 4th Brigade's commader is a Shia married to a Sunni, with two sons--one carries a Shia name, the other a Sunni one. "The brigade is received well everywhere," he says.

There have been reports of a great deal of resistance at the national level to bringing the Sons of Iraq (local citizen security groups sponsored by the coalition) and Awakening participants into the national government. BG Huggins says, "It's still a little bit slow. We'd like to see it move faster."

One area that has been successful in bringing citizens into the national government is the Iraq police academy. Under a special "test" agreement, selected SOI members are now given two weeks of training at the academy (rather than the typical eight), then hired as provisional police for a 3-month contract at half-pay. "It's a step in the right direction, but we'd like to see a little more effort to go faster at the national government level," BG Huggins says. So far, 1,000 former SOI members are participating in the program, but many Iraqis are very frustrated at the slow pace of the national government's efforts. A lot of coalition effort has been put into establishing relationships between SOI or Awakening leaders and national leadership, and into encouraging them to be patient. Dialogue and meetings are occurring," reports BG Huggins. "If we can continue that drumbeat [of a request to reconcile], then it should improve."

Part of the problem is that many Sunnis and some Shiites refused to participate in the 2006 elections, and so now do not have the representation at the national level that would help them in their efforts. So, the "dialog" is part of an effort to make sure nationally-disenfranchised Iraqis "stay engaged until provincial elections make more opportunities for them."

In fact, BG Huggins describes successful elections as even more important than economic concerns to the Iraqis he talks with. "Sunnis that I deal with (SOI, etc.) are very conscious of the fact that they missed the vote." They're anxious to get themselves back into a position to have a voice. “Iraqis I talk to want to see provincial elections sooner rather than later.” Elections will lead to more opportunity and fair representation in sectors where they don’t have it now, and the pressure is to have elections so that they can take control of things and fix problems they face. BG Huggins allowed that the farmer may be more focused on his own local needs, but there is a great desire to be allowed a voice. Iraqis and coalition forces seem to be putting a lot of hope in having elections this October, but the national government has still not finalized the laws that would make that possible.

Iran has been a somewhat touchy subject in my interviews with 3rd ID's leadership. They have reported no "direct evidence" of Iranian involvement in their AO, but acknowledge uncovering caches of EFPs that are "assumed to be of Iranian provenance." Acknowledging the delicacy of the issue, I pointed to General Odierno's direct comments on the subject, and asked BG Huggins, "Are you seeing direct evidence of Iranian involvement beyond EFPs, and would you tell me if you did?" He laughed, but after pausing a moment, went on to be more open on the subject than his fellow officers so far. He mentioned the checkpoints along the Iranian border in his AO, and other efforts to watch out for Iranian involvement, but "all of that has revealed nothing—and I tell you that honestly. We have intelligence reports of movement through the area, but no engagement--moving through the British area, particularly." He said they are finding a great deal of munitions specifically marked as Iranian, and getting reports of people moving both northward and southward within their AO, but they haven't caught anyone they've been able to directly connect to Iran.

Part II of this interview will be posted on Monday and will focus on 3ID's intensive rebuilding efforts, including "embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams," agriculture redevelopment, and what BG Huggins told me he has learned about fish hatcheries. Update: Part II.

Other 3rd ID interviews in this series: COL McKnight, CSM Andrews, and BG Cardon. Related: Ambassador Charles Ries.

� Secure this line!

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FbL, Great roundup, thanks for putting this together. Vice President Mahdi vetoed the Provincial Elections law, but once the parliament resumes session it should get hashed out in short order. Provincial Elections are supposed to be on October 1st.

posted by LT Nixon on March 7, 2008 1:06 AM

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Yes, that's certainly what everyone's hoping. I've seen some supposed experts say that it's starting to look unlikely that they will be able to have the elections without delaying past October. Let's keep hoping they're wrong! When I asked BG Huggins if he felt there was a limited window of opportunity that the security gains had created and if so, how long he thought it was, it was the elections he pointed to as being something that the people were holding their breath for.

posted by FbL on March 7, 2008 7:23 AM

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Mmm...I keep trying to figure out what was wrong with the provincial law they were trying to pass. It must have given some guarantees of power or seating in the central government that Maliki did not like.

But, wow, isn't democracy from the ground up interesting?

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 9:25 AM

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Yup. Fascinating. From what I've read about it, the biggest problem had something to do with how much power the national government would have over provincial leaders, but I'm not entirely clear on the subject.

But what is exciting to see about the clamor for provincial elections is that after having sat out the 2006 elections, the Sunnis realize how much they erred and are apparently now invested in the idea of representative government. It's another great reason to hope in Iraq's future.

posted by FbL on March 7, 2008 9:38 AM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

I have to say, while I realized what the targets were (finance, defense, government), it took me a while to really understand that, if they could have, if the final attack on the capitol had not been thwarted over a Pennsylvania field, they could have placed the United States in a seriously weakened political and economic position.

I played a game with myself about what the political fallout would have been. Would the states seek more power in the vacuum? Would we "balkanize" or return to some "Articles of Confederation"? Or, would we retain our constitutional concepts of government, adhering to those original principles until such a time as the central government could be re-organized? Would we accept, without question, the order of succession? Even it it meant, as in the Battle Star Galactic, the Secretary of Education? Would we organize immediately for new elections for congress?

Would our military command be capable of re-organizing for defense? Would we draw back forces to defend the "homeland" more closely? Or, would we, as we have done, take the fight to the enemy wherever he was? If we felt the need to deploy the National Guard across the country to maintain order or give assistance on a large scale, how long would we allow any form of martial law to be maintained? Would state governments, a new central government or any political entities be willing to give up any temporary power they might gain?

Who would come to our military and economic aid? Would our NATO allies ban together to defend us? Be willing to go the distance for a nation that had lost some of its formal programs? Who (international states) would seek to take advantage of our potentially confused and weakened state? Would it result in internal revolution or external world war?

As in Jericho, what would day to day life be like in neighborhoods, small towns and cities? Would people band together to form ad hoc security, governance and general assistance? Or, having accepted that most towns have put together an "emergency response" system, would we sit back and expect someone to organize for us, provide for us, food, energy, health and security?

One thing that I recognize is that I don't live in Jericho. Jericho is a small town with people who still live a somewhat "Jacksonian" life of independence and self-reliance. The town of Jericho, with neighboring towns being at least twelve or more miles away, is somewhat insulated from outsiders forming a bit of a buffer. Though, the end of last season certainly showed what could happen if communities would have to fight for or share limited resources.

I live in a suburb, near the city. Communities are much more closely situated, though the people are not so close personally. How much more intense would such a scenario be under those geographic and demographic pressures? What would internal migration look like? Would people migrate to cities where they knew other people were and believed had more supplies? Would others migrate out to escape the demographic pressures?

How would we view our personal assets? Would we see them as mementos? Or as potential currency in an economy that might resort to old style half-currency/half bartering?

What would our nation look like?

In Jericho's recent episode, those who sought political power joined with corporate power entities supported by private security companies to take and consolidate power. They used their power to strip local merchants of their freedom to trade, attempted to limit availability of products, including medicine, in order to control the population. They also attempted to use their "emergency powers" to take out any rivals or threats to their power through extra-judicial killings and imprisonment.

A small group of people got together in the local tavern and began to discuss the costs and benefits of Revolution. They talked about "taxation without representation" and the rights of free people. When someone asked what they were talking about doing, one woman spoke up and said, "Boston Tea Party."

Then the program went "Boston Massacre" with the killing of a deaf girl in her own house, along with her unarmed sister-in-law, by the very same "government" security forces who came into the house without legal writ or reason, violating privacy of the citizen and the legal protections against search and seizure.

Some might see some of the overtones of leftist and libertarian fantasies of a black ops, internal government grab for power shared by corporations and the recently minted "evils" of private security companies from Iraq, as a total detractor against the over all story. Then again, they portray the "citizen soldiers" of the professional army as honorable and still believing in serving and defending the people and the constitutional concepts.

It does portray the average citizen as being re-invigorated to our original ideas.

It is interesting that the town is organizing in a way that resembles our founding. Loyalists and Rebels.

The Revolution Begins

I can't wait for them to tear that "new" flag of the "Allied States of America" down.

� Secure this line!

---

Nicely put.

Anybody who's anybody is a Jericho fan. Madam-at-Arms got me hooked.

And every time I see that sideways-striped flag it's like an itch I can't scratch, except instead of scratching I want to tear that p.o.s. down! I want to reach through the TV screen and hear the satisfying velcro "rrrrrip!" as I pull that "flag" patch right off of MAJ Beck's shoulder!

posted by Consul-At-Arms on March 7, 2008 1:41 AM

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I've linked to you here.

posted by Consul-At-Arms on March 7, 2008 1:48 AM

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There are a lot of Jericho fans, we just don't show up on the Neilsen ratings.

I've put a summary and link to your article in our Jericho blog/news archive.

Gwen
http://www.jericho-kansas.com

posted by Gwen on March 7, 2008 3:04 AM

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I dont think the IRS/Accounant/Sister inlaw was dead at the end of the episode. Look like she was on O2 and will probly recover to help bring down J+R. still this season looks to be another great show.

posted by dagamore on March 7, 2008 3:05 AM

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Hi dagamore,

Mimi is not dead, but she will need an operation. The next episode will show that.

Gwen
http://www.jericho-kansas.com

posted by Gwen on March 7, 2008 3:08 AM

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We've seen "The Postman". We all know what will happen when the central government of the US collapses:

Dedicated US Postal Service employees will run things!

Amid cries of ..... "Death to FedEx"!

LOL

posted by fdcol63 on March 7, 2008 7:19 AM

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Heh. This post brought out some lurkers...!

So, I'm apparently the *only* person here who *doesn't* watch Jericho.

With the current workload, it's blog/read/research or watch TV. Not both.

TV lost.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 7:30 AM

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I have a few shows that I watch every week and only because of TIVO. Jericho and Lost. When they are on NCIS, CIS and Shark on Sunday.

I watch it WHILE I do the research for the internet. But, it's about 1 hour a night for TV. Probably why I haven't drank any one's Kool-aid ;)

But, Jericho, is it.

Yeah, Consul at Arms, I have the same feeling. The first time, I just kept saying "why would they do that?" and "that flag is WRONG!". You know, the Jericho folks flew the American flag all the way through every tribulation and that's what they believed in even when they thought they were the only ones.

I think that's pretty cool of the show to show that kind of American patriotism. But, it was like a needle grinding across a record when they put that other flag up and yes, when I see it on the Soldiers arms, I get the same feeling:

RIP THAT THING OFF!

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 8:10 AM

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Oh, I'm sure that for Hollywood writers, the vertical stripes symbolize the prison bars of fascist Amerikkka created by the jingoistic patriotism and nationalism that flags represent.

posted by fdcol63 on March 7, 2008 8:31 AM

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I have never watched it. I saw the commercials and wasn't interested in a show along the lines of "I for one welcome our new Chinese overlords" or whatever country it was that attacked us. The Allied States of America thing makes me uneasy just from reading it, as does the taking down of Old Glory and replacing it with some writer's contrived thing. If they want to do a show about a revolution brewing in America, set it in Boston in late 1773-1774. I know it's just a TV show, but still....

posted by WS on March 7, 2008 8:31 AM

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Sigh - I miss the simpler times of watching Northern Exposure. No Geopolitical Nefariousness; just a complex tapestry of human interactions.

posted by Boquisucio on March 7, 2008 8:37 AM

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Nope, you're not alone in not watching it, Armorer. Jeopardy is about the only show The Wife and I do religiously. A day we don't get at least 90% of the questions between us is a bad day. Did BSG for a while, but then they moved it to Sun nights at 10pm. Non-starter. We do watch Heroes though, but not religiously, and we may have to start sneaking into the office to use the highspeed connection to watch that online. Don't watch Lost. Don't watch South Park. Jess watches lots of reruns of CSI. We're a video game, anime, and books family.

And now, since we're losing cable(I'm not going to pay a 25 dollar increase in rent and a fifty dollar increase in cable), we'll watch even less tv. I'll have to set up my radio for disaster alerts and stuff instead of using the tv for that. Dang it, now that means having to buy ginourmous rabbit ears.

posted by ry on March 7, 2008 8:43 AM

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You're killing me!!!! My sister was away on business this week so I have to wait until we are together to watch it (saved in the DVR).

posted by Maggie on March 7, 2008 8:54 AM

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You're killing me!!!! My sister was away on business this week so I have to wait until we are together to watch it (saved in the DVR).

TIVO is sometimes your friend and sometimes your worst enemy. LOL

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 9:01 AM

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Ry - a $50 increase in cable? Monthly? That seems steep even for corporate wolves!

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 9:13 AM

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What is "Jericho?" I know where the old one is....

With grandchildren, a wife, hundreds of thousands of books unread and music from hundreds of years not listened to, uh... what's television? ;)

Alan

posted by Alan Briley, RN on March 7, 2008 9:24 AM

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I am afraid that the necessary philosophical underpinnings to necessary reestablish viable constitutional rule are absent in the general population.

This is independent of any fictional calamity situation.

We have abandoned the foundations of a constitutional republic. The governed are ignorant of "inherent rights" and the political classes have been working hard since at least the 1870's to exploit that ignorance, with the real assault beginning with Teddy Roosevelt's trust busting.

You would have to go a long way to find a public high school graduate who had to read "The Federalist Papers", and good luck finding any that can identify John Locke in a line up.

We are a debauched society and it won't be a foreign attack that turns out the lights. Sorry to say. You don't get flush toilets, drinkable water, and a dearth of dungeons by happy accident. It takes principles and hard work to live free, and our ruling class has worked hard to remove both from the mix.

The majority of Western populations increasingly accepts the supposition that "rights" exist at the pleasure of the government. I have read a lot of Jared Diamond, and agree with very little of his conclusions, but I believe he is pretty close to the mark with his "kleptocracy" theory.

posted by TmjUtah on March 7, 2008 9:25 AM

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Oh, I'm sure that for Hollywood writers, the vertical stripes symbolize the prison bars of fascist Amerikkka created by the jingoistic patriotism and nationalism that flags represent.

No...it's the "new direction" of the country.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 9:42 AM

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Well, I've read both the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, as has my son.

I couldn't pick Locke out of a line-up, but I could pick him out of a philosophy line up.

And Boq - yeah, gimme stuff like Northern Exposure again. I liked that enough I bought the DVDs. 'Men in Trees' is a pale imitation.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 9:52 AM

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John -

I believe that "what works best for the most" is what will float to the top in any situation.

Where there is no embarrassment of riches to redistribute, local populations will either stand up and defend themselves and their resources or they will cease to be populations - they will be conquered and assimilated or destroyed.

Oh geeze... I'm trying to give history lessons at Castle Arrrgh.

I have lost thyroid function and the last couple of days my meds have seemingly abandoned their post. Weight is depressing (really pressing) but it's the loss of mental acuity that really sucks.

I think that small town America will fare better in a collapse, at least where body counts are concerned. I believe that of all the states, Utah would function as a state longer than any other state in the nation.

Never watched Jericho, btw. I believe we've got more pressing problems than the scenario they run with there.

posted by TmjUtah on March 7, 2008 10:22 AM

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I am afraid that the necessary philosophical underpinnings to necessary reestablish viable constitutional rule are absent in the general population.

You know, I actually disagree with that. I've been reading considerably about the "Jacksonian" side of our nation and I believe that there does exist some definite strata of our society that comprehends it fairly well, even if many of them haven't read Locke or Smith, etc.

As egregious as it sounds, there is something really fantastic about how far and wide the primaries have been covered for the election this year. I think it at least gives people an idea of the process.

I don't know if a reconstituted United states would look like the old one. Then again, would we want it to? I mean, we would start out in a different position than our founders. We would already have universal suffrage, no slavery and a history of electioneering.

On the other hand, it might not be that we don't have enough people who understand the process, but that we would have too many, comparatively speaking, who would be demanding their voices be heard and believing they understood the process, even slightly. As opposed to our founders who were much smaller in population, had limited representation and based suffrage on property.

Until Jackson that is.

So, I disagree with you. It's not that we don't have enough. It is that we would have too many.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 10:28 AM

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TMJ - with ya on the whole fargin' thyroid thing.

Especially the feeling stupid part.

I hate nukes.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 10:28 AM

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kat -

A pleasure to be so reasonably disagreed with.

And bear with me if I am imprecise; a scholarly knowledge of the founders or the philosophical leading lights of representative self rule is not essential; "what works" ALWAYS transcends "things academics think should work".

Locke, Smith, Jefforson and such didn't create truth so much as chronicle and explain basic principles. Yes, there are a lot of Jacksonians running around out here, and yes, an upheaval would possibly bring them to the forefront and their worth would shine through.

My contention is that we have shifted from a freedom society to a custodial society. We have given up justice and moral in favor of legal and expedient. And the situation that permits such aberration of representative government is fast disappearing; easily exploitable discretionary wealth available for redistribution is ceasing to be one of our problems, and at a pace very few seem to appreciate, or at any rate willing to acknowledge.

I regard the enactment of Castle Doctrine laws, beginning in Florida, as the third shining philosophical moment of my life, with the embrace of the Laffer Curve in economics and Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech being the first two.

The lights are dim, but nowhere near out.

posted by TmjUtah on March 7, 2008 10:56 AM

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My contention is that we have shifted from a freedom society to a custodial society. We have given up justice and moral in favor of legal and expedient.

I would agree only to an extent. Thinking back, having read some historical commentaries, biographies and autobiographies, the idea of the law, justice and morality being three different things was apparent and complained about plenty even at our founding. I think we often like to believe that our founders were more pure of thought or less burdened by "modern morality" than we were, but I don't think that is true. I've argued in the past regarding "inherent right to self defense" that our founders actually confronted the very same ideas that we do today, even if the details of who and what are different.

It didn't make them any more or less moral than we are. thus, I disagree that we have lost anything that we may not have had much of in the first place. Meaning that, we have long understood that the laws that govern us are meant to be "blind" to insure justice, but blind justice isn't always moral. In fact, I think she is the coldest whore on the planet, but extremely effective with her sword.

We built it that way over years even before the revolution. Morality is for the citizen and the preacher, politican and the doctor. Not for the lawyer.

And the situation that permits such aberration of representative government is fast disappearing;

I'm not following you there. ARe you talking about the size of our population? Or something else?

easily exploitable discretionary wealth available for redistribution is ceasing to be one of our problems, and at a pace very few seem to appreciate, or at any rate willing to acknowledge.

that I agree with. I think many people do not understand that you can't simply maintain the distribution system as it is or expand it without it becoming a whole different politico-economic system than that which has sufficed us all these years. Mind you, I am a constant agent for change, but not quite that change. That becomes a different danger.

On the other hand, the problem might be that that population suddenly has the bottom drop out of it at some point and we are like a giant Japan, population wise, if you get my meaning.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 12:06 PM

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Kat, many of your questions were answered to some degree in Pat Frank's Alas Babylon from the 1950's. You are probably too young to have read that yarn.
Jericho is a good watch, but I keep hearing echoes. For me it is a case of catching it when they run a half dozen or so episodes on cable on a weekend.

posted by David on March 7, 2008 12:29 PM

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Pat Frank's Alas Babylon from the 1950's.

I'll see if the local library or e-books has it on stock to read. Thank you for mentioning it. I have not read it before.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 12:50 PM

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Pertinent to this discussion, I think, is the state of what is called the "Gen-Y" demographic, at least here in the US. At a recent conference that my company hosted, we heard a keynote presentation by a noted speaker on this topic, a member himself of the Gen-Y group who's been highlighted on "60 Minutes" and "20/20".

His speech was aimed at educating CEOs and other top management staff about how to hire and retain members of this demographic, but IMHO, it really turned out to be an indictment of the permissive parenting skills of many liberals in the audience as well as their support for many of the trendy educational philosophies of the past 20-30 years.

I know we've seen great examples of the heroism, industriousness, and leadership ability of what I would call "the select few" - the exceptions - among this generation in the military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

But I really worry about what the future holds in store for us as a country and culture when the majority of this age group is running things. Dumbing down America, indeed!

I know every generation traditionally professes little faith in the succeeding generation, but my theory is this:

It's like "half-life". You never really dumb down to zero, but at a certain point the issue becomes moot. You're close enough.

For any who are interested, I'll make the video of this speech available to you in a few weeks when we post it on our website.

It will be educational ... and worrisome.

posted by fdcol63 on March 7, 2008 1:40 PM

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Back from the doc...

kat -

The two phrases you quoted are actually addressing the same idea: we've been so tremendously productive, so wealthy as a society, and and achieved such a high standard of living that we take for granted the amount of debt carried by government, the amount of debt carried by individuals (maybe not so much the latter, lately, eh?), and see the coming Democrat entitlement tsunami without flinching.

We can't afford it. Any of it. Not forever.

Speaking of Gen-Y:

I hope they are better than we were. Their time is NOW, and I hope they have the guts and wisdom to discount the vast majority of "conventional wisdom" and legacy politicians and establish a little sanity.

All speaking on the widest possible scope, of course. There are great and good in every generation; the last two have just been weighted pretty light is all.

posted by TmjUtah on March 7, 2008 2:42 PM

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I'll join the group that has not watched Jericho. I am not opposed to the show, and would probably watch, it's just not on my radar. I haven't had time to work and read and visit my favorite blogs enough lately, so adding new TV shows isn't gonna happen.

Boq & John - Right there with you guys on Northern Exposure. That show was a breath of fresh air, and I miss it !

posted by Barb on March 7, 2008 2:52 PM

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I admit, I liked Northern Exposure and only made it through four episodes of "Men in Trees" before dumping it.

posted by kat-missouri on March 7, 2008 4:40 PM

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I watched a few episodes of "Jericho," but my level of interest never rose high enough to make it a regular part of my TV-watching. There are only two shows on my "don't miss if I can help it" list: "NCIS" and "NUMB3RS". I thought about trying to pick up "Jericho" when it restarted a couple of months ago, but the teasers made every episode look like some variant on "sterling noble townsfolk fighting back against evil outsiders who want to make them part of a New American Empire." End of that idea. Blech.

The most interesting riff I've seen/read on the "rebuilding society after a cataclysm" plotline is the Nantucketers Trilogy by S.M. Stirling: Island in the Sea of Time, On the Oceans of Eternity, and Against the Tide of Years. The basic premise is that one fine spring day in 1998, the island of Nantucket and an area of ocean around it gets transported back in time about three thousand years. Five thousand or so late-twentieth-century humans, a complete cross-section of American culture as of that time, abruptly plopped into the middle of the late Bronze Age.

posted by wolfwalker on March 9, 2008 1:35 PM

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"Ry - a $50 increase in cable? Monthly? That seems steep even for corporate wolves!"
Ja, wohl.
The complex went to all digital cable. To keep the same channels we get now for $5/month we'd have to pay $5/month for the cable box and then $50/month for a package deal that has 90% of channels we never watch. There's cheaper packages, but those packages don't carry the channels (alla 9) that we watch regularly, at all. So, until 2009 we go with rabbit ears for news and broadcast tv shows we like (Heroes, Big Bang Theory), NETFLix for other stuff, and we have about 4 months worth of reading if all I did was read.

posted by ry on March 10, 2008 12:27 PM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

*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 (oops, can't call 'em UAVs anymore - they're now Unmanned Aerial Systems... some Colonel got his Legion of Merit for that change...), er, um UAS's 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 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."

� Secure this line!

---

dou... that's Waffen-Werke, IIRC. Made under German supervision in Czechoslovakia. Amazing that a '42 date has lasted in that shape, given the combat experiences of the Wehrmacht 1942-45. I'll bet that particular rifle never got issued to a combat unit, or was perhaps part of a shipment to Syria... but we'll probably never know.
Nice find.

posted by Neffi on March 6, 2008 8:59 AM

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By disrupting the lawful activities of our military, at a time of war, these "pranksters", are providing comfort and succor to the enemies of The United States. If today's little "fire-cracker", is not a clear demonstration of a Seditious Act, I do not what would qualify.

Today Dave, I'm seeing Red all over Code Pink and their ilk. You stand on notice Little Pinkies - YOU STAND ON NOTICE.

posted by Boquisucio on March 6, 2008 9:55 AM

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Withhold Federal funds from Berkley?

Naaah ... Eject Berkley from the Union. Build a fence around it, and let them join Canada! LOL

My apologies to what few reasonable people may still live in Berkley.

posted by fdcol63 on March 6, 2008 10:59 AM

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Yes, Obama needs to defend his record, if the press ever gets around to doing its job. But odds are that the media's love affair with Sen. McCain will continue despite his very clear record of flip-flopping on conservative issues.

And speaking of McCain, Does the Endorsement of a Retired Military Person Politicize the Military? Or is it okay because Big John is a vet?

posted by Jason on March 6, 2008 11:20 AM

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No thanks, you can keep Berkly. Us guys in Cananda don't need any more (insert other word for cats) up here. We have enough of them already.

Go PPCLI and Van Doo's!

posted by theredsuit on March 6, 2008 11:38 AM

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Heh. I'm not keen, myself, on the Generals and Admirals jumping on political bandwagons, unless they've gone full political like Wesley Clark has. Once you toss your own hat into the ring, I think you get a pass on the "politicizing" the military complaint.

I don't like it, but I don't see how you stop it, especially once it's started. Heh. Usetabe we couldn't even vote. See how much has changed?

And I bet, in his darker moments, Mr. Gore wishes we didn't have the franchise.

Retired Majors, now, well, who gives a flying flip what they think, so that's okay. I don't see why it should be any different after retirement than it was before retirement...

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 1:28 PM

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And speaking of McCain, Does the Endorsement of a Retired Military Person Politicize the Military? Or is it okay because Big John is a vet?

Actually, Jason, the question regarding endorsements of retired personnel was not aimed at Obama as a political snipe, but a serious question to the military folks about how retired personnel are viewed in regards to politics. So you can get your panties out of twist.

Personally, I don't think that it represents any politicization of the military since I can know the difference between active duty and retired, etc. It would be a different question if it was an active duty military person.

However, I was looking for the view of our military guys considering that, yes, John here is a retired military person and speaks his mind about political things.

But, the story made it out as if it was a no-no so I thought I'd ask.

posted by kat-missouri on March 6, 2008 1:29 PM

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It's kind of a cultural taboo, Kat, as the article on the Sergeant Major implies.

And I have no doubt it more often works in the manner that it did with the Sergeant Major endorsing a Democrat than the other way around.

It's not a formal prohibition, except against non-retired officers. There are some restrictions placed on Reserve and Guard officers, even if currently not on active duty, and that has surfaced during the last 8 years, though frankly I can't remember the outcome of those events.

Enlisted soldiers have fewer restrictions, but no one on active duty can actively campaign for anyone, and their ability to support candidates in public fora are also limited.

And then there is the periodic brou-ha-ha that arises when active duty personnel are told they can have a bumper sticker for a non-incumbent candidate for the President, but can't have a bumper sticker for a seated President running for re-election.

Another reason for just staying out of politics while serving, other than to be aware and to vote. That's what I did. And I shut down my officer students when they got political in class, when it was clearly partisan. I brooked no open disrespect to President Clinton nor did I offer any. Were I blogging in that time frame, I just would have eschewed the politics altogether.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 1:41 PM

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Video is, indeed, gone already.

posted by Hunter on March 6, 2008 2:19 PM

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Firkin Tou Yube Weenies....

posted by Boquisucio on March 6, 2008 4:27 PM

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Could be the copyright holder asked 'em to take it down... or not.

I doubt they're really sorry, though.

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 4:33 PM

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That Vid is open sourced. As it was taken by The Colombian Ministry of Defense and released for general use. I saw this morning Colombian newscasts which spliced its footage for their own propriatary usage though.

I'm sure that with enough non-Ludditical supervision, I can root out other copies from the ether.

posted by Boquisucio on March 6, 2008 4:50 PM

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Nice OPSEC, Boq...!

Hey, youse twos goina be this way, or duz ya know yet?

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 6:50 PM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

---

Thanks John!
*hugs and kisses*

fwiw, I'm planning on attending.

posted by WereKitten on March 6, 2008 12:01 PM

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Hey hey hey, boys - a chance to see Werekitty in her natural environment - surrounded by soldiers!

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 12:47 PM

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That's about 45 minutes away, but I hate when everything hits on the same day.

Decisions, decisions.........

Crew this Huey to this event in Indy......

or go for the free JTM's....

Decisions, decisions.......

posted by R Jewell on March 6, 2008 12:48 PM

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purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
mmm "surrounded by Soldiers"
Is there any better way to spend a Saturday evening???

(well, ok, crewing the Huey would be cool too, but hey! Free JTM's, music, games for the kids, a pro-military crowd to hang with, and ME! hehe)

posted by WereKitten on March 6, 2008 8:34 PM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

I agree with Boq that there won't be a real war, but I do not feel like laughing for the Venezuelan people who, I suspect, are about to really suffer some serious government engineered famine.

"We aren't interested in Colombian investments here," Chavez said. Noting that Colombia traditional supplies food to Venezuela, he said that now "we can't depend (on Colombia) not even for a grain of rice."

The standard operating procedure for "socialist" tyrants around the world "submission by starvation":

The government also controls the food. Since other areas will be devoid of food and the new distribution of land is guaranteed to provide subsistant living for the new "tenents", the government will be forced to take food and send it to other areas or will have to use government revenues to purchase food to distribute (particularly since it will have cut off as many ties with free, outside, private markets for import). Since the government will control the food through either of these scenarios, any area that may be considered "rife with opposition" (or, in the speak of totalitarian governments, "traitors"), will have its food supply cut off and the people will be starved into submission just like the Soviet model.

Daniel at News and Views from Venezuela on "The War at Home": Please send me milk, chickens and eggs.

Because thsi is the real mood here, the real war, how to find ALL the basic food staples that you need and that are imported in increasing amounts.[snip]

nother indictment as its veiled implication is whether Chavez is in fact doing war on us

And, agreeing with Boq again:

The president intends to convert the Colombian government in the "enemy" because it desperately needs to appeal to nationalism to divert attention from Venezuelans from the real and urgent domestic problems and seeks to bring all together around him, as a figure of power.

Daniel announces Chavez's announcement that trade will, indeed, be cut off with Colombia. Based on Daniel's near panic, I suspect there will be a run on a lot of commodities.

Gateway posts that FARC blew up a Colombian oil line (driving up oil again?) Pretty much taking a book out of all modern "insurgent"/terrorist organizations that continue to focus on destroying important revenue making infrastructure. From Iraq to Saudi Arabia to Nigeria and places in between, attacks on oil lines and production sites takes revenue out of the hands of the government, energy out of the public sector and raises the price on the market that not only effects the local government's economics, but increases the price to allied nations, weakening the economies that provide financial and military support.

Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador may not go to physical war, but it is "war" none the less.

Update: What Colombia wants from its allies in the "war" - free trade

� Secure this line!

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This is a story that has many "Fruit"-bearing branches. Each branch bringing us a plethora of intrigue and wonder.

Like Chavez's threat to air-raid downtown Bogota late last evening, in an attempt to take out a well known Venezuelan disident. Effectively condemning him to death in a press conference late last night. Talk about a perfect definition of a tyrant.

...Or the unconfirmed reports that a certain U.S. Presidential Candidate has opened back-door channel conversations with the FARC. Thus earning their endorsement.

And on and on.

posted by Boquisucio on March 6, 2008 4:19 PM

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Jefe, what is a 'plethora'?

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 4:41 PM

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At first I thought to use Cornucopia. But since Cornucopia, implies a bounty of sweetness. I thought better of using plethora for such rotten harvest

posted by Boquisucio on March 6, 2008 4:54 PM

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Well, you told me there was a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has *no idea* what it means to have a plethora...

;^ )

posted by John of Argghhh! on March 6, 2008 6:53 PM

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A pantload?

posted by Justthisguy on March 7, 2008 5:52 AM

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� Dismissed, Soldier!

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