In God we always trusted…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpQOCvthw-o

I knew this was coming…

Well, Obama went to Egypt. He directed a talk at the Muslim ‘world’. In my gut I’ve had the feeling that this ‘talk’ was coming for a good long while.

Is pandering and pacification the leading principles of our foreign policy now? It seems that is the road Obama has chosen for us. We were a shining example to the world… now we must apologize for our being so great?

For an American to say that America is responsible for problems or the poverty of the Middle East is either pandering or outright ignorant. With our help great wealth has been created in that region far far beyond the wildest imaginings of its inhabitants of the past. The fault for poverty in the region lies exclusively with the leadership and governments of the area. America isn’t a perfect country and our actions may not have always been perfect either, but we are far from the villain in that area.

First of all lets be clear, we didn’t start this. America wasn’t even discovered when the roots of this came to be back during the middle ages, and yes that is where the roots lie. We also didn’t bomb the USS Cole, the various embassies, night clubs, restaurants, bazaars, hotels, and the numerous other locations that “Muslim” extremists have set off their bombs in the name of Allah and Islam. And we didn’t bomb the World Trade Center (twice) like some of the wacko fringe on the left want to make people believe. They did.

We didn’t set up the State of Israel, though we surely support it. And we aren’t preventing the Palestinians from having their own state, as it‘s been our policy for years now to support that too. In fact we’ve spent a fairly large amount of money and political capital and a whole lot of years trying to help in the process of developing one for them.

And as far as repressing the people or taking advantage of the resources of the region, what good would those resources be to them without our need and where would their peoples be now anyway without the need for that resource? The money we’ve pumped into the middle east has hugely increased the standard of living for multitudes of people in the region, and those that still worry about those who ‘do without’ need only look to wealth of the state and its leaders to see the source of any repression there.

By and far the biggest problem we have in the middle east, and with the Muslim world for that matter, is misunderstanding. But that misunderstanding isn’t ours. It didn’t come from the Bush administration nor it’s predecessors. That misunderstanding has caused a much misguided hatred for America. And that misunderstanding comes directly from those that want to exert power and influence over the people of the region – the mullahs, and the sheiks, the moneyed, and the political and religious extremists of the region.

How dare they blame America for the troubles of their poor and oppressed while artificial islands and skyscrapers are being built. While his people starved Saddam built palaces, yet we are supposed the bad guy? The middle east has had untold western wealth poured its way, yet in places people beg in the street. No, I accept no responsibility for that as far as America is concerned.

Even in the poorer and less resource rich Asian Islamic areas America has poured vast amounts of money into the welfare and aid to the peoples of those countries. Lifting many out of poverty and bringing much needed infrastructure those countries. Bringing our expertise and aid, be it educational, medical, or military to a people desperate for it. Yet, those that want power preach hatred of us. They exploit their own and then point their finger at us.

Now we have an appeaser as President. Oh, his folks won’t like me saying that, but how else do you describe it? He’s an apologist and an appeaser. Where he should be pointing out our values and what they have meant for THEM, for it’s those very values that created the greatness of America that allowed us to do all we’ve done for them, Obama in turn finds it necessary to kowtow and beg forgiveness of any slight, real or imagined. Even going so far as to try and play a make-believe game that we’re really a Muslim country too. Something that might well be more insulting to a real Muslim than a amend maker.

Sure, America has many Muslims in it. Our country is open to any and all religions, but we are predominantly a Christian nation, and we were founded that way. There may be people that wish it wasn’t so, and hope to change that fact, but to say it isn’t so makes us look foolish to those that know better. And there are many people in the middle east that do know better. I’d think his words only came off even more shallow than they were to them.

Jimmy Carter once tried to appease the people of Iran when their religious ‘leaders’ created a great outcry against the Shaw of Iran by facilitating his removal. But it was Americans taken hostage as soon as he was gone. We are still to this day the great Satan there for not turning a dying old man over to them for the slaughter. That should be a lesson learned. It’s not money, power, knowledge, or prestige from us they seek. It’s blood. And that bloodlust is created, not naturally occurring. It’s preached. And those that could stop that hate from being preached do nothing.

It’s a dangerous world in which we live, and it’s a dangerous game to be playing with your opponent on his turf by his rules, and at the same time denying that the true problems don’t even exist. We can’t make-believe our way through this, nor can we accomplish anything by making accommodations to someone whose ultimate goal is to destroy us. Only a fool would try… Obama seems to be that fool.

-Al

Mislead? Do tell…

It seems since early in the Bush administration, at least as we ran up to war in Iraq, many on the other side of the aisle started to openly express some disagreement with the cause and action. The reasons for that are many, even if many aren’t so valid… but some were I suppose.

However, prior to that, in the days immediately after 9/11 this country was as united as it every was. We came together against what was known to be a common enemy. A universal enemy And an enemy that had attacked us on our soil. Not in some far off location or some embassy somewhere, but right here at home. New York City. The Pentagon. A smoking field showed what was intended for somewhere else in our nations capitol. Perhaps the White House. Perhaps the Capital Building with the leadership of our nation.  We, ourselves were under attack. We knew. We understood.

Now it would seem that many memories of those dark days have gotten, shall I say, fuzzy.

This was a time when we were one – Americans. Not so much Democrat or Republican. Liberal or Conservative. But a nation. Life and Liberty seemed to be on the line. Now we seem to be a house divided.

Back in those dark days our government sought to protect its citizens. We were in virtual total agreement that we needed to do what needed to be done to assure ourselves whatever safety we could. Our intelligence services did what they could to come up with the information it needed to do so. They used what tools that they deemed necessary to do that job, for other acts were known to be planed. Other plots were afoot, other attacks were thought eminent. And they, as is their duty, informed those necessary in the leadership of our country of what they were doing.

Nancy Pelosi was one of those leaders at the time. She was informed of what was happening. Others as well. Now however her memory of it isn’t quite so clear it would seem. Now she even claims to have been mislead.

My question is this – why? During those dark days in the aftermath of 9/11, in the virtual shadow of the smoke rising from the ruins, why would there have been the necessity to mislead ANY American citizen of what needed to be done, and what we were doing, to protect ourselves from another attack? What was it about Ms. Pelosi, that made her untrustworthy in the eyes of the leaders of this country during those days? A person, so high up in the governance of this country that in the few short years afterward has risen to the position of Speaker of the House, that would have been looked upon at the time as incapable of knowing the truth about what almost universally was deemed necessary at the time. I’m baffled.

Is it forgetfulness? Or is it hatred of the past administration, and a willingness to lie to undermine what was done for the noblest of reasons? Is it politics? Or is it foot in mouth disease? What is it Ms. Pelosi? We need to know. After all you’re just a few heartbeats away from the Presidency yourself. Is there something about you we that need to know? Please, do tell… 

-Al

Media Lizzy… must read.

I don’t normally link to others in the body of my blog, but another blogger turned me on to this, and its well worth the read!

http://medializzy.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/american-naivete-the-ugly-truth/

Arlen…

Self preservation is a natural trait with humans, but not a desirable one with a politician. When ones motivations are to serve ones own interest instead of ones constituents hasn’t that politician defrauded those very constituents that elected them in the first place?

Public service means exactly what it says – to serve the public. When you look up and discover that the people that elected you no longer agree with what you are doing, are you doing what you were elected to do by staying in that position? No. That “public” hasn’t changed, after all.

Many people go to Washington for ideas and ideals that are noble in intent. Others, it would seem, are only there to serve their own interest. They modify or change their positions not with any philosophy or core values, but for what serves their own interest best. Shame on them.

One can ponder if you had any real values all along. Or was it just a convenient ride? You talk about change, but look in life’s rear view mirror. Where were you once, and where are you now? 2+2 just doesn’t add up, unless of course it never did in the first place. Perhaps the only thing you ever really stood far was yourself. Or does that much power corrupt the values you had… and you’ve sold yourself out?

Dance with the devil if you must, but don’t go whining when you get burned by your new found friend.

-Al

Oh, and while you’re leaving, do you mind taking that McCain kid with you? Thanks. 

Perfection?

I’m worried. Really. I am. You should be too.

Our last Presidential election brought us a man that said he espoused hope and change and I think everybody took that to mean that he wanted to take the country off into a new direction. I don’t have the quotes right here in front of me but in the back of my mind I seem to remember him talking about looking forward, not back.

I’m pretty sure Barack Obama has said on more than one occasion that he didn’t intend to set forth on some grand inquisition regarding the past administration. I know he said the he sees no need to hold accountable agents that worked on good faith to help guarantee the safety and security of our country, and that would be a wise thing. I hope he remains a man of his word with that.

The past administration, too, worked tirelessly to guarantee that safety and security. And since September 11th set our country on a new course to try and do so, a whole new ballgame if you will, I’m reasonably certain a mistake or two occurred along the way. I can’t think of a time in history that any countries leadership was perfect in their undertakings, and THIS undertaking was a rather large one.

Political sour grapes however seem to be the entrée of the day. Many a hurt feeling on Capitol Hill wants to see heads roll and careers tarnished over perceived affronts of the past. Affronts mostly in the mind in my opinion, but that accounts for naught.

Laying aside everything else there is a danger in establishing the precedent that all past administrations will have their time in office reviewed, not by history, but by first the political opposition, then a court of law. Where would that stop? How deep could that go?

Wouldn’t that only serve to cause this country to be set upon a course of taking the least personal risk to its leadership. A course that might well lead this country to disaster. Ungovernable, as it never possible to please all sides in all things.

But what has me downright scared, to be frank, is that we are setting ourselves up in a position that nobody is going to be willing to take a risk to protect our very country. Paralyzed to act out of fear that what they do may be frowned upon, and prosecuted by, the next power to be.

Right now at this very minute I would speculate that there are people in our intelligence services that are considering leaving for that very fact. And the possibility is real that there might well be nobody willing to replace them. When we really need them nobody will be there. And if we keep changing the rules in the middle of the game who can blame them.

Good men and women doing a hard job did things in the service of our country that needed to be done. We might not like it and we may not need to do it again, but we need to get over it and move on. The state of the world right now is perilous to say the least. They say Pakistan is in real danger of collapse. Collapse to the Taliban who far from wish us well. And the thing is Pakistan is a nuclear power.

Imagine if you will, the Taliban with ‘the’ bomb… let that sink in, for that is a real and present danger.

Is Barack Obama capable of leading this nation to confront that possibility? We can only pray that he is. We can only hope that he has surrounded himself with capable servants to help guide him. I only hope that they do what needs to be done without thought to the second guessing of some future politician.

And what will the rules be with a terrorist with a nuclear bomb and the target is us? Will we still have to make nice?

-Al

 

 

Happy Easter!

He Lives!

Christ Jesus lives today!

 

Bang!

I recently read an article that appeared in one of the nations “leading” newspapers that explored the situation with piracy off the African coast. The jest of the article focus on the growing problem and the lack of a solution to it.

The article talked about how back during the early 19^th century this young nation took up the resolve to put an end to the scourge and sent its young Navy and Marines to do the job. Our Navy, along with the forces of Britain and France, finally brought and end the practice there of seizing and holding for ransom trading vessels and their crew.

The article went on to say that today times were different and that there wasn’t much that the Navies of the world could do but look on… and the vessels owners and insurers keep paying…

I say that is wrong. There are things we can and should do. First is to make the hard choice that we will act. This is something that America has not been very willing to do, for violence isn’t something that we relish. We’d rather shake a big stick then actually crack someone over the head with it. We’d much rather negotiate. Sometimes, however, head cracking speaks a lot louder than words.

Second is that we must send the message that piracy is gonna be a very dangerous game for the pirates to play. These aren’t the streets of one of our local cities and we have to forget that bit about “profiling” people and take the position that if it looks like a duck and it acts like a duck chances are pretty damn good that, off the coast of Africa, it’s a duck. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating blowing every small boat with an outboard motor and three are four guys on board out of the water; what I’m saying is that they are worth the look… and if they are – then blow them out of the water.

We have the technology via aircraft and satellite surveillance to fairly well pinpoint the ships and small craft that are being used for these purposes. Give fair warning to the population that if you are out there, and you act like it, we are gonna put our eyes on you. And if you look the part, well, you should’ve stayed home that day. Sorry.

Say something to the effect “Look guys, if we see a boat that resembles a “mothership” and its towing a bunch of smaller boats out hundreds of miles from shore, we are gonna make artificial reefs out of them.” That’s fairly clear.

Third, this is an area of the world that money talks quite well. Information is everything when you want to get things done. Enough said on that.

Forth, as we proved today, we’ve got some very good special forces that can be brought to bare here. As I mentioned to a fellow in a conversation on Twitter, sometimes the best solution to a problem of this nature is a couple of well placed .308 rounds. And it should be noted that our Navy Seals are just the folks that can make Joe Pirate feel unsafe 24/7 when used correctly just a couple of good times.

Fifth, it wouldn’t hurt a thing to throw some bait in the water and see if we can’t chum up a few incidents with some undercover vessels. Some real live bait and switch. They might not be so prone to board a small yacht or other similar vessel after finding a few of their brethren have mistakenly boarded a craft operated and manned by military personnel.

The main thing is this – are we finally getting fed up with this situation or not?

If we are it’s time we really took action instead of cruising back and forth hoping to scare away the bad guys, then doing little or nothing when they strike. Prevention is always the best defense, and to do that properly sometimes you have to be offensive.

Burying our head in the sand like the writer suggests won’t put and end to this problem, it will only make it worse. Piracy is a crime, and crime shouldn’t pay.

Al

Thirty Days?

A while back I was talking politics with a person on the left and they were making the typical excuses about what was going on with the new administration when he came up with “You haven’t given the man a chance! Y’all have been all over him from day one. Give him a break why don’t you… a chance?”

Well, my reaction was “What kind of chance did Y’ALL give Bush? Talk about being all over someone… even after 9/11 your side even criticized his waiting even a couple of minutes to leave that classroom full of kids knowing full well it took that long of the Secret Service to assess the threat and decide if it was safe to move!” And it’s true, the left hounded and derided Bush from day one about any and everything. So…

I decided, you know, he’s right. I haven’t given him a chance. I needed to sat back and look at the big picture and given him his due. I decided to give Obama thirty days. Thirty days of no blogs criticizing his actions, or foopaas, are even rookie errors that he had, and I surely knew he would make. Give the man a chance he said, so I did.

Well… times up!

This administration began it’s run for the White House based on myths, false hopes and his own personal dreams, we all knew that going in, for even Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden told us so during the campaign. And this administration has tried and tried, without success, to turn those myths and hopes into reality. FAIL

All new Presidents start out trying to fill various cabinet and administration positions with friends and associates from their past. Nothing new there. Trouble here is almost all of Obama’s friends and associates are either crooks or tax cheats, or have some other skeleton in there closet preventing them to serve. That’s the circle he ran in. But even when he’s reached across the aisle to the republicans to try and fill a position, his policies couldn’t be stomached. Obama’s had trouble from day one filling critical positions, and the nation has suffered for it in my opine.

From the get go he’s had an albatross of a Vice President that can’t seem to keep from putting a foot in his mouth on regular occasion and creating controversy out of thin air. Calling Joe Biden a blowhard is letting him off easy. He’s been caught in out and out lies more than once. Thankfully they are usually harmless pats on the back he gives himself for stuff he’s never done.

From the get go Obama himself lacked the experience and leadership qualities to put together a sound foreign policy and it has come back to haunt us. Appeasement was a blunder in the past and it serves no useful purpose now. Appeasing political allies and foreign detractors won’t gain this country anything. And if he thinks he’s gained any measure of foreign respect he’s dreaming. Chavez gloats and calls for him to come over to “his” side. Ahmadinejad thumbs his nose at him and goes on with his business of becoming a nuclear threat to the world. Kim Jong-Il huffs and puffs and launches another missile.

Hillary Clintons been no big help. Running the State Department is a long way from damage controlling her husband Bill. (And she was no big success there either) But, it IS obvious now that Obama could have done much worse.

He gives a joke for a gift to the British Prime Minister and ignores France’s Sarkozy, blowing off a trip to Normandy to pay respect to true hero’s buried there. And he bows down to the Saudi King – and yes that WAS a bow – but claims that it was because he was ‘short‘. Meanwhile he solidifies Bushes plans in Iraq and claims them as his own.

The Obama administration bumbles and stumbles through our current financial situation, trying it seems to turn it into some kind of political advantage and grab all the little trinkets and plums it can as it burns money from the next few generations of taxpayers. No regard for the consequences of their actions. And lies left and right about it all. Hopefully a lot of what they want to do to ‘fix’ the economy will get delayed long enough for it to right itself (which it surely will).

He began his term with lies, both to the left and to the right, about what his plans were. Thought many of them won’t yet admit it, he’s disappointed more than a few of his loyal, supporters on the left (for which I AM grateful, by the way) with not immediately pulling out of Iraq and such other foolishness.

He’s (I’ll be nice) fibbed about taxes. He’s fibbed about gun control. He’s fibbed about healthcare. He’s fibbed about transparency in government. He’s fibbed about a dog and a church and a whole bunch of other things too numerous to mention.

But what hurts me the most and what I’m most ashamed of him for is this need he has of apologizing to the world for our past. There is nothing to apologize for. To America the world owes much, not the other way around. The biggest failure of the past is that the world failed to follow us. With their support, which we should have had, the world would be vastly different, and vastly better. They, however, chose to side with corruption and greed. Those very leaders that criticized us chose their own pockets over right and wrong, and they owe the world an apology, not just us.

The first four months of the Obama administration has shown us his Socialist agenda. His contempt for the Constitution. His disregard for our military and our national defense. His willingness to cow down to foreign leaders. And the actual small value he has for the truth. The Honeymoon is quickly wearing off… reality is setting in. Those “tests” the Biden and everybody else was talking about have begun in earnest.

And my thirty days are up.

-Al

 

Off to a roaring start…

…roaring with laughter.

In a world where appearances can be everything it would appear that Obama and Co. don’t have a clue. First, he can’t make up his mind on policy – saying one thing then going with another, only to revert back to the first position at the first sign of heat from his base. Then dumping that base for positions 100% different from what he staked his campaign on, leaving everybody’s head swimming. Then supporting it again…nor not. I can’t remember.

Second, he seems to be clueless when it comes to appointing both staff and cabinet members alike. If its not tax trouble its investigations, or as we’ve seem in a case or two, his appointees politics just can’t mesh up with his, causing early withdrawals.

Now, in front of the whole world (with the glaring exception of our own country’s press) he embarrasses his country and, at the least, perplexes Great Britain. Muffing maybe to date his most important international meeting of this presidency.

For longer than I can remember we’ve shared a special relationship with the British people. In fact it was well known that they were our number one ally. Someone neglected to tell Obama’s people about all that, so I guess they’ll be blaming Bush, but one would think it was kinda common knowledge. However we now find in the Obama camp that the policy is “What’s so special about Great Britain? They’re just another country, like any other.”

Of course the little press coverage that the incident did receive here at home went more to tongue in cheek posturing, with the New York Post summing up the Brit’s complaint about Obama canceling a joint news conference with the statement that a news conference had never actually been scheduled. Well, perhaps one was never “planned”, but I’d suspect that the Prime Minister was certainly expecting one. After all, that would be the norm.

Besides, we’re told, Mr. Obama is tired. It’s hard work being the King…, I mean the President!

And isn’t anybody there that would fill Obama in on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to such things as how to show proper appreciations between nations that are so close? Certainly there is someone left on staff from some prior administration that knows the etiquette of gifting! Surely there must have been something just left lying around the place that would have had more meaning that a box set of DVD’s! I’m sure the DVD’s were nice, and would have made a fine ‘extra’, but as the main event, that was tacky at best.

Models for the boys? Well, I feel sure they liked them, if they don’t already have them…

Our press hasn’t been reporting much about this but it is getting rather large play in Europe and elsewhere. All that happiness about Obama’s election there has now turned to a bit of head scratching as they try to figure out the man. They, I’m sure, are hoping its just the jitters of newness and all the turmoil that happened over the fall that has exploded since the election. And maybe it is just a failure of focus, and time will tell…, but for now we aren’t winning near the friends that Obama’s supporters had expected.

Meanwhile Hugo Chavez is offering his guidance and direction, even if Iran now questionings Obama’s motives and plans. Most of the world seems to have their head tilted, waiting to see what’s next. Me too.

I see, too, that we gave back the bust of Sir Winston Churchill that England had sent over to us after the tragedy of 9-11, …or did they ask for that back? Oh well, they did offer to knight Ted Kennedy, so there is still that.

Al