Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts.
Within the last two weeks, I’ve read two Navy SEAL books: Marcus Luttrell’s Service: A Navy SEAL at War and Chris Kyle’s American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. The books have a lot of similarities, separate from the fact that both are books
Continue readingI promise that this post will be a review of Marcus Luttrell’s Service: A Navy SEAL at War. First, though, I have to start with the ridiculous, before I can give proper context, not to the sublime (because war isn’t sublime), but to the important and meaningful. The ridiculous is,
Continue readingA few days ago, the New York Times ran an article assuring everyone that Barack Obama isn’t a wuss, he’s a warrior. I have only a couple of points. First, considering that Obama has been and is such an aggressive President, one who has seen more troops die on his
Continue readingBoys are born equipped with this neat little toy. Amongst its many enjoyable attributes, you can write your name in the snow with it. There are lots of other things you can do with it. Long hikes without pit stops? No problem. Use a tree or, if you’re adventurous, see
Continue readingA friend sent me a link to an editorial bemoaning the fact that, by abruptly pulling out from Iraq and, soon, Afghanistan, the Obama administration is ensuring that we’re leaving a job undone — something that invariably means one has to do it again. If history is going to keep
Continue readingWas it a surprise to you that Egypt went Islamist? It wasn’t to me. Was it a surprise to you that Libya went Islamist? It wasn’t to me. Was it a surprise to you that Tunisia went Islamist? It wasn’t to me. Has it been a surprise to you over
Continue readingI was very surprised to see an AP wire story reporting that Islamic militants (as opposed to mere “militants” or “insurgents”) were holding “Christians” (as opposed to mere “people”) hostage. Even more surprising, the AP reported that the Islamic militants were probably affiliated with Al Qaeda in Iraq, an entity
Continue reading“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” — attr. to various generals at the Battle of Bunker Hill (although it has a longer pedigree than that). Liberals have been orgasmically excited by a video that Wikileak published showing a 2007 shootout in Baghdad, during which two Reuters
Continue readingHere’s our Commander in Chief speaking of the situation in Afghanistan while he was running for office: “We’ve got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we’re not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there.”
Continue readingMovie review one: The movie is a viscerally exciting, adrenaline-soaked tour de force of suspense and surprise, full of explosions and hectic scenes of combat, but it blows a hole in the condescending assumption that such effects are just empty spectacle or mindless noise. [snip] Ms. Bigelow, practicing a kind
Continue readingI’ve always loved that quintessential little kid excuse: “But, Mommy, he hit me back first….” Even kids understand, although they don’t always appreciate, the notion of a preemptive strike. Lately, there’s more and more talk about Israel engaging in a preemptive strike against Iran (cheered by friends, feared by foes).
Continue readingGreyhawk is trying to put the pieces together in Iraq and Afghanistan when it comes to troop rotation. Right now, on the information available, it looks as if their’s some sleight of hand going on with regarding to troop movements and the American public. What do you think? In the
Continue readingThe head of the UN General Assembly just called Israel an “apartheid” state. In other words, Israel is emblematic of evil in the world. I’ve finally realized what the problem is: Israel has a mixed population. Think about it: Iraq expelled her Jews and hounded her Christians into obscurity. Saudi
Continue readingWe all know that in the news world, “man bites dog” gets the front page, while “dog bites man” is ignored. In a twisted way, then, one could say that the wall-to-wall Abu Ghraib coverage reflected the media’s horror that the American military had morphed from honor to dishonor. (Or
Continue readingThere’s a good news article in the SF Chronicle today, and one that also has a one interesting point and one missing point. First, the good news: A local Marine battalion just returned home yesterday, safe and sound, from its fifth tour of duty: Number five was relatively easy. The
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