A key revelation of the Wikileaks doc dump confirms what some of us have long believed:
“U.S. servicemen and -women are being dispatched to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan where they are fighting Iranian soldiers and assets in a regional war with the Islamic Republic that our officials dare not discuss, lest they have to do something about it.”
An analysis of the dump that’s worth a look.
I would not especially care to see the return of the Draft, which was inequitable before and likely would be again, but it would at least spread the burden among more of the educated than volunteering does now, to the detriment of all:
“The loss of the martial virtues weakens an entire culture. Whole generations begin to rate themselves too special, ‘with a special kind of hide to be saved,’ as Gen. Savage puts it in Twelve O’Clock High, to risk their careers, let alone their lives, for their country.”
Insight from an academic blogger who burned his draft card back in the day and now regrets his youthful arrogance. At least he’s not a wannabee lying about serving when he didn’t.
Comments Off on The disappearance of military service
Posted in Blogosphere, Infantry OCS, Scribbles, Troops
Tagged A Commonplace Blog, all-volunteer military, the disappearance of military service, the draft
The best reason of all to vote the bums out in November. They whined about Bush’s deficit spending on Iraq and Afghanistan, then look what happened to the deficit when they took over the budget process in 2008. Va-va-voom!
Via Instapundit.
Comments Off on Democrat deficits
Posted in Blogosphere, Obamalot, The War, Troops
Tagged American Thinker, deficits with and without Iraq, Democrat deficits, Instapundit
Invited, at least. Hope Michael does embed in Afghanistan again. Maybe we can find out what’s really going on out there.
Comments Off on McChrystal out, Yon back in
Posted in Afghanistan, The War, Troops
Tagged Gen. McChrystal, Michael Yon
Looks like he has been. This is what I meant by bickering generals.
With this funny observation about the legacy media from Instapundit: “Under a Republican President, it’s listen to the generals. Under a Democratic President, it’s all about civilian control of the military.”
UPDATE: The most amazing thing about the McChrystal affair is how dumb the general was. Really, really dumb, as VDH notes:
“Is it smart to be in Paris within a mile of any creep from Rolling Stone? How dumb is that? Such tag-along groupie folk exist to trash the military, and only get close to officers by being disingenuous in a manner that most teenagers would not fall for — much less a four-star general supposedly adept in insurgency trickery.”
Comments Off on Yon vindicated?
Posted in Afghanistan, Obamalot, The War, Troops
Tagged Gen. McChrystal, Michael Yon
Events keep dragging me back to my earlier conclusion: we need to get out of Afghanistan. Where the indigenous president is a crook, our generals bicker, and our good troops, like Sgt. R., die young, leaving behind small children. All for gains that are increasingly hard to see. Even Gen. Petraeus is stressed.
UPDATE: Sgt. R.’s remains arrive home in Smithville.
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Posted in Afghanistan, Texana, The War, Troops
As always. “Rage” screamed the daily’s lede headline this morning. Rage over the “raid.” Turned out to be a truncated NYTimes story. As always. In which the UN was treated like a reasonable, deliberative body instead of a gang of human rights-denying dictators in humanitarian drag. As always. And the armed terrorists on the Turkey-sponsored, blockade-challenging ship are called “peace activists.” As always.
And in my email a few hours later comes a “chin-up” letter from the Jewish Federation of Greater Austin reminding that “experience has shown us that whenever there is additional tension in the Middle East or military action involving Israel, we tend to see an increase in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish attitudes, expressions and activity as well as an added risk to Jewish communal institutions.”
It was not always like that. Only lately. Now that we have a lefty president more interested in coddling Muslims than leading the free world. Who sends out his cuckolded secretary of state to, what else, condemn Israel. It is, however, a good reminder that this “rage” isn’t really about Israel. It’s about something much older, and, once more, the old clouds seem to be gathering for a new storm.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, one brave high school kid parades an Israeli flag through a chest-thumping Muslim mob. Could be this storm won’t end like the others.
UPDATE: Spengler on the attack on Israel. The “attack”? Yes, the attack. And what are we doing? Joining the attackers: “For the first time in modern history the United States has cast its vote against Israel in the United Nations—in a resolution singling Israel out as the Middle East’s nuclear-arms miscreant and in a second resolution to condemn Israel over the Gaza flotilla charade.” G-d help Israel. G-d help us all.
Comments Off on Israel stands alone
Posted in Israel, Obamalot, The War, Troops
Tagged "peace activists, Hamas, Jewish Federation of Greater Austin, Jihad, martyrdom operation, Mavi Marmara, Shiloh Musings, Spengler, Turkey, Yid With Lid
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 