Over the last few years, the various random and seemingly chaotic thoughts of where we are going in this society have occasionally rambled through my grey matter. The results, while the judges and jury both are out, show some alarming patterns, that all link back to short term thinking.

Once again, I’ll call on a quote from Patrick Henry to preface what follows: “There is but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.”

I’ll start with the nay saying about Iraq. Yes, I’m biased about not losing the advantage after losing 1300 lives of our military. Having volunteered in 1972, the year after the draft was abolished, I was one of the many who began the “volunteer” force. There have been millions of volunteers before me, but upon my entry, there were no more men being absorbed into the service against their will. I spent the next 23 years and 9 months sewing this country. I‘m biased in my thoughts that the U.S. Military has been well used in keeping the level of violence down on the face of the planet.

Why is there so much resistance to establishing a democracy in Iraq? I’m baffled by all at this effort to derail an opportunity for another sovereign nation to taste what so often we now take for granted. On one hand, I can comprehend why a small group of individuals (their religious connection not even really being factored in in my opinion) who have made their overly posh lifestyle by taking advantage of the masses, are so desperate to stop this move towards individual freedom. They do not want to be held accountable for suppressing the basic dignity of people. From that stand point, I can almost give them some degree of respect, in that they have some logic to support their actions, flawed as it may be.

On the other hand, those who consider themselves “liberals,” are the very ones who will be quick to tell anyone how they are for supporting human rights, both real, perceived and even concocted ones. They claim a party name of “Democrats.” They are also the ones to demand that we abandon the Iraqi people the few who have held positions of power in a very brutal manner, and even as I write this, are demonstrating they are willing to continue to retain this form of oppression of the masses. Where are the voices of these who decry the abuse of the proletariat? Is it just because the Islamic rulers claim their power of control is due to a religious foundation, and not due to economics? Can they not see it is the same selfish desire at the core of the issue?

We are at a point in time, where it is much like 1945. It takes little mental agility to survey history and realize two brutal dictatorships, full of aggression and national selfishness, were defeated and are now peaceful and democratic as a result of the shedding of blood on both sides. Did this happen over might? No. Did this happen because as soon as the instruments of surrender were signed, we instantly brought all our troops home? No.

So you’d like to say we got lucky? What do you have to say about the aftermath of the end of the Cold War, effectively in 1989? If memory serves me correctly, a great deal of peace broke out in Eastern Europe since then. Not only did it happen in the former Soviet buffer states, who regained their national identities, but within Russia, as well. While Ruskin has some military power, they no longer are the threat to World peace they were for about 49 years. In addition to being peaceful, they are also democratic, where the citizens now have a voice.

We left the 20th Century with about 160 democracies; we entered it with about 100. Applying statistical analysis at a very basic level says that’s a 60% increase. In this century, Afghanistan has been added to the list.

From a standpoint of a “vote count,” I’d say the majority chooses democracy. Who are we to presume the Iraqis don’t want it? Notice how quiet it has been in Afghanistan?

To finalize this post, I ask rhetorically, why can’t we use our experience of the past, specifically the aftermath of WWII and the Cold War, to see the expansion of democracy is a move that is for the betterment of all mankind?

To my faithful few: Sorry for the light blogging, just had a job change and have some admin issues getting in the way or more coherent thoughts (of course, that’s my opinion of the material posted here – feel free to disagree).

I have consummed many cups of coffee at the “pay for library” in the neighborhood. Tonight, I was reading the current Naval History magazine and came across this jewel of a quote:

“There is but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.” – Patrick Henry

This comment is so timely. With all the things going on in the country and the world right now, the study of history will tell us not much is new, yet many proclaim it to be.

Something to ponder in the light of Patrick Henry’s words and, if you’re got some time on your hands to read a speech, wander to this address and see what Alexander Solzhenitsyn had to say at Harvard in 1978.

Matt at Black Five has a post regarding an new bill being sponsered by Joe Lieberman (D – Conn) and Jeff Sessions (R – Ala) to increase the death benefits of service members. When you see some of the payouts, you’ll see they are pretty outdated in todays economy, and I would ask you to lend your support to this cause by contacting your representatives in Congress.

Please pass this along to your freinds, family and co-workers…

It seems the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is upset that the terrorists in the new season of the Fox suspense show “24” are being stereotyped as Islamic. For the short notes on this, I found the article on Little Green Footballs in this post.

Somehow, and correct me if I’m wrong (particulaly in the post Bay of Bengal tsunami disaster days), but haven’t we regularly seen the American Flag burned by Palestians, Iraqis, Egyptian, Afgani, etc, etc, etc Muslims in the news over the last few years? I may have been hallucinating, but I also recall the burning of manequins labled George Bush by the same fervent crowds, while they shot rifles and pistols in the air, all of this while proclaiming Americans are completely evil. Toss in the lies about planting nuclear weapons in the sea floor to cause tidal waves, purposely planning 9/11, and a plethora of other completely out to lunch accusations with no foundation in fact by the same crowds….

I think we most certainly can remove references to Islamic terrorists, when some other group commits 51% of the terrorist attacks against Americans, and also when Al Jazerra stops “stereotyping” Americans as oppressors and imperialists.

Notice CAIR doesn’t say who should be the terrorsts, just they shouldn’t be represented by those who are actually committing most every terrorist act in the world in the last few years…..

Once more, a daily read of Black Five yields a story worth passing along:

Artist retires so he can make portraits of fallen military members

There’s just something special about people who will listen to the leading of God and do something so very compassionate. Please follow the link to Matt’s site and then follow the links to the Stryker Brigade’s stories of this man at work.

My prior post about Captain Greenawalt, a Vietnam Vet who will do memorial photo collages, is here.

I urge you to pass this information around to the families you know who have sacrificed their loved ones.

In Part 1, I laid a foundation for what I see going on around the world from us…

The restructuring of the American Military gave us a connection, as a society to the warfighter/warfighting. In Iraq, it is now doing a third, most likely unintended benefit: With the mix of reservisits and National Guardsman who are operating far from home, they are able to share with the local population a variety of skills required for a nation not at war.

Nation building, done by those prepared for war. Pretty cool. I just don’t believe anyone in the planning in the 70’s and 80’s foresaw this.

I’ve seen stories about a Guard lawyer who was tasked to help draft the Iraqi Constitution. There are stories of police officers, reservisits and Guard, who are working with the local fledging law enforement organizations, bringing them modern techniques and tactics. I’m sure there are countless stories that we will never hear, where someone’s full time profession in the States, was used to assist in either social or business dimensions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Military personnel of this Nation have done us proud. They have set up schools, women’s centers, parks and playgrounds. They have engaged the local populations in their sport of choice (soccer) and I read one story where a unit sent home asking for old bats, gloves and balls to set up a Little League league. Instead, they got all new equipment to hand over the Iraqi children to teach them baseball. Units have handed out school supplies, sent by a foundation set up by actor Gary Sinese. A multitude of other items have been sent from the US and donated to the children. In Afghanistan, one Army Soldier (Regular Army, but with a heart of gold), collected shoes to distribute. I could go on, but you get the point. As with the tsnami disaster, the American population opened it’s wallets to do something we can because of our prosperity: give from our excess.

The Iraqis and Afghanis who have benefited from these personal relationships, with our men and women who gave of themselves, and helped funnel even more compassion from our citizens who could not be there, will forever be changed. I’d venture for the good.

This war, while maybe no different than the times of rebuilding Europe and Japan after WWII (which I must admit, I have not taken the time yet to see if there are parallels to this topic), it certainly will reap benefits in a more peaceful part of the world in years to come…and that’s good for everyone, both here and there.

I wrote an earlier post on the winning of hearts and minds, and it included some information about some small “nation building” efforts at the village level by some Marines. There was also some references to the way the composition of the makeup of regular versus reserve/national guard units was modified in the period between Vietnam and Gulf War I.

This afternoon, I was toying with the thought that something very unique is going on a half a world east of me, but I believe it is more off cycle, that I hope becomes a trend.

My basic thought is we have, quite by accident, built a military well suited to nation building. The concept of the re-mixing of logistics to combat unit ratios between active duty and the “citizen soldier” components after Vietnam is described by Col. Harry Summers, Jr. in “On Strategy: Gulf War.” Harry describes how the middle grade combat leaders from that War moved into assignments where they had the opportunity to recompose how we manned our armed forces, to ensure they, and their juniors marched to the next war with “the will of the people” in their corner.

The concept of having an active duty organization that could march quickly into battle, but only for short periods, needed rapid augmentation by reserve and National Guard units right away, if there was a sustained conflict. “Round out” units, such as the 2/263rd Armored Battalion from the South Carolina National Guard would provide the 3rd battalion to bring the 2nd Armored Division to full strength. Military police, engineer, chemical and quartermaster corps units would have to come along to provide vital logistical and combat support functions. People in these units would be your banker, lawyer, sheriff, hardware store owners, etc, from cities and towns all across the nation. In other words, just about every one of us would have a personal connection to someone who would be sent out in the name of the people of this United States. It was, quite frankly, pure genius. This concept was to solve a problem real warfighters in the late 60’s and 70‘s had to contend with. From their pain and anguish, a plan was conceived and executed.

Not only was this idea right on target to tie our military to the general civilian population for support for a war, it has the added, and I would argue, subconscious, benefit of placing a “governor “ on the emotions of this Nation. The mere fact we may consider entering our military into a conflict, they are not as they were during the Vietnam era, a sub-class of people who were poor or too stupid to hold a real job, but they are who we live alongside. It was too easy to emotionally discard the people who defended us when they were drafted into service. With this new force makeup, it is our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, friends and neighbors at stake. If the cause is important, we will acquiesce to their deployment, and most unfortunately, the death and injury to some of them. Conversely, if that’s too great a risk for what is at stake, then our voices will be raised in protest.

In Gulf War I, the designed benefit of connection to the will of the people played out. “We” went forward and pushed an invader out of a sovereign nation. Not only did the country rally behind the troops, when some of them were killed by “friendly fire” (most people who have been in combat will argue that there is no such thing- any fire is unfriendly when it’s coming at you!) It was the public sentiment that helped spur on the budgeting and development of better communications and identification equipment and procedures.

I’ll stop here, and soon post my analysis of an added, third benefit of this force structure I’m sure wasn’t foreseen decades ago, as this plan was forming.

Part II is here.

I’m honored to share this poem with you, from a man who “gets it.” A Vietnam vet, with a keen mind, has “penned” another great one…

Pulled from The Mudville Gazette (a “paper” you should make a habit of reading), here’s Russ:

When the World Dials 911

Disaster strikes a world away
We get the call, what do we say?
We move at once, to ease their plight,
To aid them through their darkest night.
But come shrill cries from carping Press,
That’s not enough to fix this mess.
We know that, fools, but give us room,
To counter Mother Nature’s doom.

America gives to those in need,
With no regard to faith or creed.
We’re there for all when need is great
A helping hand to any state,
That’s fallen under Nature’s wrath
And needs a lift back to the path.
So what they may have mocked our ways?
We’ll turn our cheek ‘til better days.

But there are those who hate us so,
They’ll carp and snipe and hit us low,
Who’ll bend disaster to their needs,
And try to choke us on our deeds.
They’ll play their dirty liberal tricks,
For them it’s only politics.
In the face of massive human pain,
They only think of their own gain.

But the world knows sure whom it must call,
When disaster strikes, when nations fall.
America is the beaming light
That fades, dispels disaster’s night,
And standing firm provides relief
To salve the pain, allay the grief.
So to Hell with what our critics say,
America’s fine, still leads the way.

Russ Vaughn

Russ; Thank you!

News about relationships and how the American soldier does what is good…

National Guard 133rd Engineer Battalion’s “Farewell” Tour

Take a peek and see anohter story that most likely will get about no coverage, for once again, it might show something positive…

It certainly appears that the MSM just hates bloggers. I have come to understand when you have a strong emotional reaction to anything (usually in the negative direction), it’s good to sit back and examine just why you feel that way. Many times, I have come to the conclusion (properly so) that I have a problem, not the person who “set me off.” I’d invite the MSM to seriously consider what has put the burr under their saddle, and possibly see if there’s something they can do to help amend the current “divide.”

Also, I was lead to believe that “jounalists” were to report the news, not to set out to “change the world.” Idealism is fine, but being deceitful is wrong, and that, I believe is at the core of the problem. If you want to change the world, say so and get on with it. You’ll get respect points for telling it straight. If not, you loose points for lying. Call that a “DUH!” moment, but maybe too many jounalists have grown up under the post-Dr. Spock days, and had no leadership at home.

Enough rambling. Taka a click on this article about press “cheerleading”. At least it highlights the problem internally. We can only hope it takes root.