Sick

Been sick. Sucks, be back soon.

Kalroy

Gotta Wonder

Some say the country has never been this divided; this polarized. I think it has been this divided before, but conservatives have, historically, rarely been as vocal about it as liberals. Today they're beginning to come out of the closet, they've learned the tactics of groups such as ANSWER (Act Now Stop War End Racism) and adopted some of them to further their own agenda. The advent of talk radio and the internet has allowed many more conservatives to voice their own opinion and frustrations. Like the liberals they've learned to use the internet to mobilize, organize, and to get their own message out.

How this will all play out should John Kerry be elected is anyone's guess. Looking back on the Clinton years I think (though times have changed) that attacks on the CiC and demeaning his position in the face of our enemies is a win/win situation for the Democrats because they may not have to worry about the same kind of hate from the right as comes from the left. Even at the height of Kosovo and Mogadishu few would have compared Clinton to Hitler, but such is pretty mainstream among "peace activists" today.

Kalroy

Chemical weapons in Iraq and the US

They destroyed a rocket at UMCADS on Wednesday. An M55 sarin gas filled rocket. It was just one rocket among 100,000 stored in the Oregon desert countryside. You’d never know what was there when driving down the freeway, but it’s there. It’s not hidden, not secret, and not forgotten about, it’s simply lost in the minds of most people who don’t know about it, or can’t be bothered about it. But not everyone is oblivious to it. Several hundred make their living in the quest to destroy all of it. To rid their country of a heinous weapon made necessary by our country’s enemies.

It was only one rocket, and a few more the next day. But each and every one makes a difference. Each and every rocket destroyed is one less piece of chemical weaponry on the face of this planet.

One rocket among thousands. Not a big deal, but it’s a start. This got me to thinking about Iraq where several dozen chemical weapons have been destroyed. Each and every one of them brings the world just that much closer to having all of it gone. Unlike the American stockpiles no one knows how much chemical agent weapons are in Iraq. All we know for sure is that there was once a lot of it. Other than the several dozens that have been destroyed by Coalition forces, only a few know what happened to it all, and they aren’t telling anyone. Whether because it was moved to another terror-enabling country, or whether because they have their own plans for it is known only to them.

What is known is that it existed and there is no sign that it was ever destroyed. These several dozen are the first steps. So far in Iraq more chemical weapons have been destroyed than at UMCADS and UMCADS has been in the works for a decade. The situations are not analogous, however, as at UMCADS it is all accounted for and the decade has been devoted to construction and continuing to progress despite Environmentalists opposition (those who can’t see any way but their experimental way).

It may be decades before Saddam’s stockpiles of chemical weapons are ever accounted for, it took half a century to find the weapon and fighter stockpile under the Berlin airport, and there are likely hundreds of chemical weapons off the coast of the US that haven’t been found. It doesn’t mean none of it existed while we knew nothing about it. A young airman found that out the hard way.

We know it has been over a decade under UN authority and none of it was accounted for. Under Coalition authority we have found more than the UN ever did, and as a pleasant side-effect the Coalition has prevented the future murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis whereas under UN authority hundreds of thousands were murdered.

The Coalition is doing something useful in the world, just like the chem. Demil workers at UMCADS, one piece at a time.

Kalroy

Democrats on Defense?

The Democrats have an image problem where defense and war are concerned. They’re seen as week on defense, weak on the War on Terror, and weak on attacking America’s enemies. I think it is. Ed Schultz, on Scarborough Country just said (from memory), “John Kerry is solid on military issues.” So he seems to think the opposite.

Problem is that a majority of military folk, my opinion, based on nine years AD, and bunches of vet friends and family (even the Democrats among them), believe the Democrats are weak on matters pertaining to defense, war, the military and terrorism. The most damning, however, is that Democrat strategists, Kerry’s advisors, and the mainstream media seem to agree with that view. Look at their actions not their words. They are constantly urging Kerry to run on the economy and to get away from Iraq, the military, Vietnam, and the War on Terror. Susan Estrich and other Democrat strategists have even come out and stated that Democrats are weak on these points and need to concentrate on their strengths, namely the economy and appealing to those of us who are struggling, and to those who can’t be bothered to even struggle.

It seems to me that the Democrats are not only weak on the most important topics this country faces today, but readily admit it in their actions.

Kalroy

SwiftVets

The SwiftVets have brought up some very serious questions about John Kerry, most of which he has refused to answer. They're not some kind of Michael Moore wackos. I believe in them enough that I had donated $25 dollars to "kokua to da cause." I received a thank you e-mail, and last night I received a very eloquent e-mail asking for more help by matching the amount I first donated. I would love to, but can't. So I fired back an e-mail explaining why, an expressing my support for their position. Yeah, I know it's probably a bot and no one will ever actually read it, but I needed to write it to express myself. So I'm also posting it on this blog.
Here goes.

I want to match my contribution but I can't. The truth is I really couldn't afford the small amount I did contribute. Right now things are very hard for me and my family, we're struggling to make ends meet. I'm working away from home, and though I have the opportunity to go home once a month we don't have the money for me to visit my family except every other or every third month.

Be that as it is, as a veteran and the son of a Vietnam veteran who was spat upon by people who supported his cause, and who was villified by John Kerry, his compatriots, and supporters I cannot sit idly by while someone like that tries to become commander in chief of the very kind of people he has shown such a disparaging attitude towards.

I don't know whether the Democrats or the Republicans could foster an environment that would make me more financially secure. I do know which party has managed to bring the pride back to veterans and active duty GIs. I do know which party has never villified and demonized american servicemen and women. I do know which party has shown a greater propensity to keeping this nation able to defend itself, and to project power overseas to fight our enemies on their turf.

By the time our finances allow much besides bills and food the election will be done. Until then I will wish you well.

Most sincerest regards,
Kalroy (real name on e-mail, nickname on post)

French enemies

Rantburg, has a post that references this Bill Gertz article in the Washington Times regarding our "friends, and traditional allies" the French. Evidence of France's actions have been trickling out for years. Until recently John Gibson's book, Hating America : The New World Sport, was one of the few sources that documented any of the French perfidy, and this article, and the Rantburg post, go even farther than that.

On April 8 came the downing of Air Force Maj. Jim Ewald’s A-10 Thunderbolt fighter over Baghdad and the discovery that it was a French-made Roland missile that brought down the American pilot and destroyed a $13 million aircraft.

Not damning, until you read the next line:

Army intelligence concluded that the French had sold the missile to the Iraqis within the past year, despite French denials.

So you've got to wonder why this article doesn't seem to have any traction in the MSM (Mainstream Media). Okay, you don't actually have to wonder, we know why. This makes America's "traditional allies" not just look bad, but points out collusion with America's enemies, and puts lie to the French claim that they're our friends and shows that they're friends with America's enemies. Obviously their actions show their words to be a lie, but not according to those whose politics, agenda, or progressive beliefs require that they not acknowledge the falacy of aligning with France.

France has been shown to have great interest in stopping the war in Iraq from happening, and in Saddam Hussein winning. There are the $70 billion plus oil contracts with government owned TotalfinaElf (french oil company) and now the multi-million, if not multi-billion, dollar armaments trade that the French had with Saddam Hussein.

Now France has been opposing any action in Darfur. Turns out they again have money and oil interests that require the genocidal regime remain in power. Of course they've been acting against saving lives, yet again.

Turns out it's all about oil and money for France, more so than it could ever be with the US.

Kalroy

Whoops. Rantburg doesn't seem to reference the article, my bad.

Kalroy Was Here

Kalroy Was Here I'm having problems getting my last posts to publish from the blogger site. I'm going to try to see if this will publish from the "blog this" window.

Nope didn't work. Oddly what ended up working was shutting down my IMs. Could be coincidental. Either way, pretty much peeved me off.


Kalroy

When did this happen?

Omar, over at IRAQ THE MODEL has a post on the goings on in Iraq, Zeyad has posts over at Healing Iraq, both bring some information to the table about events that give one hope for the future of Iraq. Hell, hearing about it almost makes one think we might eventually win there. Of course that's a silly thought, after all The Baltimore Sun and USA Today make it perfectly clear that we are in the worse "quagmire" ever. It's all gone to hell, and there is no hope. Good thing we have MSM like they and CNN to choose what we find out, and what tone our news takes we'd never be able to "figger things out ourselves, since we're jus' iggerant working stiffs."

If not for the Iraqi blogs and the Milblogs, we'd never know what the hell was happening in Iraq beyond the death toll. Mind you, that's more than we get to find out about the happenings in Afghanistan, and try finding about the death toll in Kosovo (I found one article from Jan 2004). The death toll in all three are horrible in that any death is horrible, and American deaths more so (for me). But the successes show hope, they scream that so long as we keep our resolve we can win this dang thing. But God forbid the US should win, at least that seems to be the attitude I get from some.

Kalroy

Update: I chopped and re-wrote the start of the article. One day I'll go ahead and actually write drafts, re-write, proof-read, blah, blah, blah...

Hollywood Republican Documentary?

AMC is doing a special on Republicans in Hollywood. The promo looks good. It premeires on September 14, and I plan to watch it.

I am curious as to why former policy aid and Democratic speechwriter Jesse Moss was chosen. After doing a google search I don't find any other political work by him than Right Wing Hollywood and I don't know what that movie is like.

Should I expect the show to be biased and predjudicial in a leftward direction? Would a Republican be biased and predjudicial in the other direction? Maybe they should've had a libertarian do it, they can't stand either party.

I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt.

Kalroy

Euro-Insult?

via QandO. Kerry Calls Bush "All Hat, No Cattle" In Ohio Speech. It's odd. Kerry has a reputation for being European in attitude. I don't recall him using the word cowboy as an insult, but I would not be surprised if he had, since the aura he exudes is one in which cowboy is an insult. So why would he be using an actual cowboy insult? It's an insult I've heard applied to a lot of people in both California and Oregon. It basically implies that the person is a dimestore cowboy, a wannabe. It's like the old picture of a shitkicker commenting on a dimestore cowboy with, "I can see by your clothes that you must be a cowboy." Only thing is Kerry wouldn't be caught dead dressed for hard cowboy work, or being as filthy as they can get after a hard day.

I find it irritating that someone like Kerry would commandeer an insult that he probably learned from one of his cronies, and had never heard himself, and probably doesn't really understand.

Kalroy

Beslan's Children

Mac tells us how we can help those who were brutalized by Islamic terrorists in Beslan Russia, in his post What You Can Do for Beslan's Children. Consider it.

Kalroy

Kerry Questions Veteran's Service

Politicalities: Disaster at Midnight is a post I reached from Polipundit.

I watched the GOP convention fairly closely, and I don't recall hearing Kerry's patriotism attacked. In fact, I heard several speakers explicitly praise Kerry for his service to his country. On the other hand, blasting those who received student deferments as "refusing to serve when they could have" does strike me as an attack on their patriotism.

I agree. I also watched Kerry's speech right after the convention and I got kinda pissed that he would attack President Bush's service when all Bush has done is praise Kerry's service. It's Kerry's peers from Vietnam who question Kerry's record. I don't remember anyone questioning Kerry's patriotism. Granted perhaps the Bush Girls (still not tired of that phrase) attacked his patriotism, I wouldn't know, I couldn't stand to watch them anymore than a I could a tv commercial; BORING. So if they did I would have missed it.

Perhaps Kerry used a Lapham machine and reviewed the text of the speeches that way, rather than studying them himself. Perhaps Michael Moore wrote the speech for him. I'm thinking that what is likeliest is the kind of projection I've been seeing from the left for a while now. It's the kind of thing Kerry and the Democrat Coalition would say, so they assume that's what Bush would say. Perhaps that explains Boston Democrat strategist Mary Anne Marsh's attack. I have friends who, unlike Bush, Kerry, Edwards or Cheney, volunteered for the active duty army, and during Vietnam, who ended up serving his whole stint in Germany. She thinks he betrayed his country.

The purple heart band-aid thing at the Republican National Convention was in poor taste, it was stopped very quickly by the RNC chairman. I noticed most news outlets utterly failed (or chose not) to mention that part. Myself, I'm not as classy as Bush, or the RNC Chairman. I thought the band aid was pretty funny. Especially since I removed a metal splinter, a jagged bit of steel, from my hand just the other day, whose dimensions matched the one Kerry got a purple heart for. Certainly it's nothing compared to the shrapnel that ripped my father's kidney out in Vietnam.

Kerry attacking Bush's military service brings up another point. You'd never know without the blogosphere, that Kerry wanted to have more in common with Bush and Cheney regarding military service, but his luck in those days didn't seem very good. He wanted to get yet another education deferment, like Cheney did, after getting a couple others so he could leave the US to study. When that didn't come through he joined the Reserves, kinda like Bush. When he got stationed in Vietnam he volunteered for the least dangerous service he could find there, but once again his bad luck kicked him in the butt, and after he volunteered the swiftboat mission changed and became a dangerous line. I guess that was the point he decided to stop trusting on his luck and trusting more in his subterfuge and lack of honor.

Kalroy

I'm Mad as Zell and I'm NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

Sorry. Just couldn't help myself.

Kalroy

Instapundit.com -

Instapundit Comments on Zell Miller. This line:

ZELL MILLER: It's funny that the purest voice of Jacksonian America at this Republican convention -- in fact, at either convention -- comes from a Democrat. There was a time when it wouldn't have been surprising at all.

meshes nicely with what I thought of Zell Miller. Steve den Beste writes about Mead's Jacksonianism in America. A must read.

Kalroy

Update: Some idiot came to my site looking for Zell Miller Hate Monger. Idgit.

Zell Miller

If the Democrats used his speech for their platform I'd almost certainly still be a Democrat. I've listened to Democrat pundits (and read) claiming that the GOP is putting on a moderate facade to hide their conservative (even extremist) real face. I doubt it for one reason, these moderates are not marginalized. They're not denied a voice, in fact they were/are key speakers at the convention. Some of their beliefs conflict with the party platform. Pro-choice and pro-gay marriage speakers. One of the most popular members of the GOP and one of the most powerful. Yet from the Democrat National Convention I get the opposite.

From the Democrats I get a party platform which, like the Republicans, is not talked about much during the convention. Unlike the Republicans, however, the Democrat platform is the antithesis to what the movers and shakers believe, support and endorse. The Democrats don't have room for a pro-life key speaker at their convention. They don't have room for Democrats who argainst racial quotas.

What I see from the Republicans is their "big tent" in action. What I see from the Democrats is their "big tent" in words only. Actions speak louder than words, and watching the Democrats claim tolerance but practice bigotry does not go unnoticed by me. It has been this attitude by them that pushed me out of the party.

Kalroy