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Does This Boy Need U.S. Military Oversight ?
No, Michael Blaine, but these folks might
Below, a man named Michael Blaine commented on one of the posts. Blaine has a blog that he linked to, so I thought I’d check it out. In a truly egregious post, he posts this picture of a smiling African boy and then laments the American efforts to have a forward military base in Africa. The picture, by the way, is of a South African boy, as westernized an African country as there is, and one helped immensely by the US military. Or see here, for example, as S. Africa’s defense minister raves about the US/S. African military partnership. So it’s not surprising that S. Africa is also the most prosperous African nation, and also the freest. After all, that’s what tends to follow US military involvement. It also tends to produce smiling African children like those above, instead of the stacked corpses in areas of Africa left untouched by American intervention.
Just don’t tell that to Michael Blaine.
Dave - the Infidel Sage
gurusteve
E the Wise
Andre the Defiant
hairybeast
thompaine
Just responded to the ignorant meathead. I love people who have never been to Africa worrying that America may somehow be a menace over there. What a laugh! After two trips over, I know a single marine brigade in two months could hunt down and eliminate Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army commanders. That would end 20 years of fighting in Uganda that has taken 300,000 lives through some of the worst barbarism you can imagine. But, not our business, as much of a humanitarian boon as it would be.
Mike, I have a question. If we sent int that brigade and killed that Ugandan warlord, wouldn’t another just fill the void? It seems the minute one is disposed of, another comes in and the violence continues unabated. I wished we could break that cycle. The stories the folks I knew who were mercs in Africa told me turned my stomach. The inhumanity and disregard for life was beyond belief.
I saw a film about the boy soldiers in Africa (maybe Liberia?), I can’t remember the name. It was heart wrenching seeing 10 year olds with AK-47s and tear stains on their cheeks. Some looked so hardened and battle weary. I just wanted to cry knowing that quite a few will never make it to adulthood and not know real peace in their lifetimes.
I know for many that it’s probably the only life they have ever known, and ever will know. That is so sad.
Bless you and the work you do over there.
The film you likely saw was ‘Blood Africa’ about Sierre Leone. Same situation and that war was ended almost instantly when a few Americans (I believe it was a Marine company)and the British joined the U.N. landing force. That country just had their second democratic election. Leftists no longer talk about Sierre Leone; it’s a ‘bad example’.
In the case of the LRA, it is a cult of Kony; more in the Castro model than the Islamic jihad type. The group would end with Kony and a lieutenent or two (he just whacked his second-in-command himself).
Those child-soldier can be deprogrammed and many have been in Uganda, though they continue to have problems. One of my girl’s best friends in college was one of their porters/sex slaves.
There are some things that can be fixed in Africa with the right intervention; there are many things that cannot.
I always love how leftists think charity, sweetness and light are all that is needed there. What is happening in the stable areas, like most of Uganda, is a dependency/corruption culture has developed. What is needed is hard-headed business investment.
‘Action liberals’- those that actually walk the walk- make up most of the effort there and just don’t have the right knowhow. Mind you, I love those ‘action liberals’ dearly because of what they do; I just know not to talk about certain subjects with them.
The reset of the workers there are religious ones, more interested in the soul than the body. Some of the orphans I know there can sing every hymn in the book; I just wish they knew as much about vegetable gardening on all the good available land there.
My knowledge of all of this is mainly based on things like you’ll find here. I’m a believer in the Nike motto; ‘Just do it’.
‘Meet the Press’ transcript for Dec. 23, 2007
REP. PAUL: Because I represent what Republicanism used to be.
Mike “Just Do It” is Just Wonderful. In your context you are entirely correct. For the record, Dr. Paul should recall that the Republican party is the party of Abe Lincoln. Everyone should read the “Meet The Press” transcript, it is quite telling. If Paul tries to run independently they will cut him to shreds with his own words.
OH, OH, OH, Mr. Scribe, will I get extra credit for using that ‘East of Eden’ quote in context?
impressive stuff by Mike O
Not that impressive; the KIDS are impressive. They have character and strength that you wouldn’t believe; I’m honored to be a bit of help to them.
Let’s just say, I find very little to complain about in my own life these days
Life does find ways to help you with perspective dont it?
My father will be heading to Uganda for his third visit in the middle of January. He will be conduction the marriage ceremony for an ex-Udandan soldier turned missionary who we have worked quite closely with for the last several years. There is currently a shaky truce that has held for the last year or so in the North, but there is a lot of humanitarian work to be done to help clean up the mess. My father has been working in the prisons over there and will be revisiting some on his trip as well. He has launched the first ever Christian ministry with local ministers that reaches into the prisons providing both practical and spiritual help to the inmates. To be put in prison in Uganda is basically a death sentence. The average life expectancy is about a year or so. My friend Matt also recently returned from a trip to Uganda that focused on providing help to the displaced and orphaned from the civil war there. Our church is also helping to fund a proposed orphanage and well drilling equipment with the native missionary to help with the situation.
The harvest is ripe but the workers are few.
Cain asked: Am I my brother’s keeper? God said: Yeah, duh! For thousands of years we have been missing that point.
Here is to Mike, Dave’s Pop, his friend Matt, and all who have not forgotten that continent.
I agree with you PG, Dr Paul is not a Republican cut from the Lincoln cloth. He needs to run as an independent and distance himself from the party. It is a mistake to run under the GOP banner.
Lincoln’s stance (and his chosen General’s stances) was very much in line with the Isreal of today, and I don’t agree with Isreal’s stance with the Palestinians, but I do not live there and do not have the experience to make a judgement. Below is some info on Lincoln and his generals:
“Sherman’s (and Lincoln’s) strategy (which McPherson calls “brilliant”) was to terrorize the civilian population. For example, in 1864 Sherman wrote to a subordinate, General Louis D. Watkins: “Send over about Fairmount and Adairsville [Georgia], burn ten or twelve houses of known secessionists, kill a few at random, and let it be known that it will be repeated every time a train is fired upon ….”
Lincoln’s, Grants’ and Sherman’s strategy to “crush the Confederacy” at all costs used a scorched earth policy that decimated the South and caused much despair and suffering. It did win the war, I will give them that. But it was a very inhumane tactic especially with winter coming on when they burned through Georgia. Sherman said it best, “War is Hell”.
http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/sherman/sherman-to-burn-atlanta.html
I am adamantly anti-war(no secret), and although I got carried away the other day with my “rattle some teeth” stance if we do have to fight. After much soul searching and meditation, I have to admit to myself, and to you guys that the garbage I was spewing was exactly that, garbage. It was idiocy on my part. I think “petulant” was the term PG used.
One of my teachers told me this upon us discussing what I had written:”There is no way to peace, Peace is the way.” That’s a bold statement, one that I think Christ would have endorsed, I know Buddha, MLK and Ghandi did. I am going to try and wrap my head around it.
I want the US to help countries in humanitarian missions such as Africa/Dafur, but I wish we would avoid conflicts like Iraq. I’m not so prejudiced to see that progress has been made there, but I distrust the government and media so much I really don’t know who to believe.
Once again, not to stray to far from the subject, I feel Dr Paul is not a Republican and I feel he should run as an independent. If he gets shredded by the media and pundits, so be it. I still support his policy of non-intervention for now.
and I know grasshopper still has much to learn
Gandhi, MLK and Christ were NOT involved in a war. Gandhi and MLK marched against the British Empire and the USA respectively. People who marched against Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, The Soviet Union and Communist China we shot. The Hungarians and East Germans had their quest for freedom brutally put down.
Besides, Paul does not advocate nonviolence. To listen to him it is really not clear if he knows what he advocates. The man is all over the place. Paul is defined by what he is against. This is not meant as an insult, it is an observation. A casual reading of his “Meet The Press” transcript shows this. It is unfortunate, but I have not seen anyone this seemingly ignorant and unprepared for an interview since Markos humiliated himself on “Charlie Rose” a few months back. The difference is Kos is not trying to be a serious candidate for president.
We do need to keep in mind that all this is beside Paul’s point. His weird point is that Lincoln forced a war on the South due to his…
That just DID not happen at all. Lincoln said he was not going to attack the South.
War is war.
Dr. Paul, who started the Civil War? Dr. Paul’s problem is that he does not recall who did what, and in what order. I am from Texas and I know about the “The War of Northern Aggression” and the specious “States Rights” arguments. Southern states started to secede when Lincoln was elected, before he was in office. They declared war first. They attacked the north.
Northern generals were no different in their practice than their southern counter parts. In WWII we firebombed Dresden and Tokyo. Like I said, war is war. I am not uninformed regarding the Civil War.
I would argue that his Civil War stance is more pernicious than his appeal to 600,000 deaths. He offers that slavery would have ended on its own. He proffers that slavery ended in other places in the world after this, and without the need for war. I have no idea what he is talking about, as I can find nothing to support that in the historical record. Even if true, how would Lincoln have known that? He was a lawyer by training, not a clairvoyant after all.
This man wants to repeal all civil rights laws, all of them. He believes that we can handle things without help. Sure, history bears that out doesn’t it? Your state and my native of state Texas have NEVER executed a white man for the murder of a black. Texas did hang a white man for killing a man’s slave and there by stealing his property in 1854. I think you would agree with me that is to our everlasting shame. Dr. Paul thinks the “Better Angels of our Nature” will take care of things like that. History again does not support him.
I chose to put this detail about Paul’s views on this thread to contrast with Mike O’s views. They are diametrically opposed to each other. Mike’s views, as well as Dave’s father (who is a minister btw), are centered upon what is Christ’s message to us. Yes we are our brother’s keeper. That message is 180 degrees from the libertarian message. That message is a selfish one that is based on the individual.
Many people confuse the libertarian message with the conservative. While conservatives share many principles, such as the western concept of private property, the building block for them is the family and the community.
Israel will have to wait.
Check mate…..good points all the way around PG. You touched on issues of the points that I disagree with Paul on. I wasn’t trying to school you on the history of the Civil war as I’m sure that you guys are well learned on the subject. I was just pointing out the similarities in the Israeli and Union stance on how to conduct war. I’m sure there is more to it than what I pointed out and I’m sure you will point it out to me
” Paul is defined by what he is against. ” That is the truest statement I have ever heard on Paul. Great point.
And yes, Paul was extremely unprepared for the Meet the Press interview. It was like a deer caught in headlights. I was embarrassed for him. The Beck interview was much better, but then Beck was fawning over him. I don’t think the good Doctor handles morning interviews so well.
The one thing I do find interesting is on the part of the Paul lunatic fringe thinking that when he becomes president that his stances will become the law of the land. That’s nuts, but I get the feeling that some are so ignorant as to the way the system works they actually believe it. You and I both know that will not be the case as some his radical stances will be dead in the water i.e. the civil rights issues, and will never see the light of day. He may just be a monkey wrench in the system that gets chewed up and spit back out.
The fact you stated about Libertarians being selfish and centered on the individual is the exact reason I left the party. I believe in individual rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but we survive and prosper as a group. we are connected and whether we like it or not dependent on one another. My libertarian stance involves wanting the government reigned in and out of my private life.
Interesting times…thanks for the great response.
OK, back to my printing press….I got a rush job to deliver.
Usually PG doesn’t stray from the thread topic so I was wondering where he was going with the Cain and Abel and Ron Paul stuff. Nice tie in and good discussion.
I can’t imagine having a “peace at all costs” viewpoint like Jeff does. I don’t think history has been too kind to anyone with this view (except the Swiss) but more power to him.
• PGW does indeed get extra credit for the adept use of the East of Eden quote, Steinbeck’s most underrated work, INHO.
• He also said “my native of state Texas [has] NEVER executed a white man for the murder of a black.” I thought that this can’t possibly be true, what with TX being the preeminent practitioner of execution. Well, it didn’t take thirty seconds to confirm the fact, and I agree with Mr. Warner that this is shocking and shameful.
• The invocation of the Civil War in this debate is a clever one, and speaks well of the readers and writers of ConClub. For some time, I have responded to the base arguments against the Iraq War by asking how the arguer feels about Lincoln, FDR, and Churchill. Because to oppose in retrospect Lincoln’s decisions leading up to the Civil War is a very defensible position. It is a serious, moral, and defensible opinion to hold, as Dr. Paul apparently does.
Likewise, to advocate the view that by 1944, the Germans had no shot to win WWII and that any further US land battles in Europe were a foolish bloodbath, can be defended on the merits. This is a view that Pat Buchanan shares.
And Churchill has often been portrayed as a warmonger, though usually only in private or among the fringe personalities like Paul and Buchanan.
It is a sign of intellectual coherence that men like Jeff, Ron Paul, and Pat Buchanan oppose the Iraq War, and also hold conflicted or hostile views toward the men above. I happen to believe that in each case they are wrong, but defensibly so. What is harder to square, is the idea that those men were historical giants, while today’s neo-cons are immoral butchers. This is precisely the position held by the vast majority of liberal commentators, and it shows why they are so unable to understand their dissenters like Joe Lieberman and Christopher Hitchens. It is because their own views are so muddled and ill-informed.
I have to admit that I’ve never been a fan of Lincoln or his Generals. Now don’t go thinking I’m some Stars and Bars waving Redneck thinking “Think South’s Gonna Rise Again”. I just don’t agree with the “scorched earth” policy the North practiced at the end of the war.
I think the fact that these men are “giants” now is that history is written by the victors. Would they be considered icons if they had been defeated? Who knows?
I don’t fully particpate in “peace at all costs” either, sometimes we must stand and fight. John Lennon said it best in a line from “Revolution” where the lyrics go– You say you want a revolution, well, you know, we all want to change the world… But when you talk about destruction, don’t you know that you can count me out — in.
* “Revolution 1″ - The Beatles [White Album] version (in this recorded performance of the song, Lennon interjects “in”, after saying “count me out”).
He was also torn being someone who practiced and preached peace, but understood that sometimes that can be impossible when you and your loved ones life is at stake.
My Buddhist teachers tell me to practice peace, yet I watched in horror as Burmese Monks marched peacefully in the face of certain death a few months ago and were slaughtered. The peaceful revolt was crushed and I’m sure many are still be tortured and killed as I write this. They had the populace behind them and if they had been armed to teeth (and not pacifist) they probably could have given the Myanmar regime a run for it’s money.
Understand, I do know when there is a time to fight, I have a loaded Glock in my nightstand as a weapon for defense. There’s been three violent home invasions in my community in the past couple years. I’m sure as hell not going to try and practice peace when someone sticks a gun in my face. Thusly, I will never be a “true” Buddhist because of those beliefs.
Practicing peace is harder than waging war. It takes more patience and willingness to compromise. I’m a afraid far to often pride, religious ideology and nationalism often overshadows the peace process when a peaceful solution could have been reached instead of armed conflict.
“Can’t we all just get a long?” I wish we could, but know we never will. I am a realist when it comes to that.
A pistol packing Buddhist. There is hope for Jeff yet.
by the way, this is a great discussion.
My teachers give me that raised eye look and utter “so troublesome” over my gun stance, but they do not think less of me for those beliefs.
I think they understand (but would never admit) that sometimes violence has to be met with violence. They too witnessed the death in Myanmar. I think the only that country will ever see freedom and peace is armed revolt. Unlike Ghandi’s situation in India with Britain, Myanmar is controlled by vicious thugs who live and die by the gun. They have no problem killing unarmed civilians who are peacefully protesting.
“I don’t think history has been too kind to anyone with this view (except the Swiss) but more power to him.”
The Swiss make practice Nuetrality, but don’t they require every household to have military rifle an ammunition in each home?
here is a interstoing tidbit from a WAPO article–
Switzerland, a country of 7.5 million people with an estimated 2 million or more guns in circulation, sits as a heavily armed exception in the heart of Europe, where most countries have strict gun-control laws. Virtually all able-bodied Swiss men are required to serve in the military, which issues them assault rifles or pistols, or both, which they store at home and keep when they leave the service.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR2007042900133_pf.html
AH, the much misunderstood “Swiss Neutrality”! The Swiss as a nation took neutral positions for economic reasons, not moral ones. They were an agrarian society that had a surplus of male labor. In seeking to further their GNP they rented out this surplus labor as mercenaries. They took a neutral stance so that they could keep their markets open. This is the same reason why they charged everyone same rate. This practice is common with mountain peoples through the world.
Well, I guess so. If you don’t mind the morality that even more Soviet troops would have had to die. That Soviet control would have extended to the Pyrenees. That communism would have extended over all of Germany, France, the Low Countries, and Austria, sure, great idea. Also, how were they supposed to know that? Was Pat gonna take his Irish ass back in time and tell them the Nazis were toast?
Not to mention zero help in the future with Japan from the Soviets. Of course FDR and Winston should have known we would get the bomb as they were clairvoyant. We established that above. Alternate history scenarios are entertaining. But they are just that, entertainment.
Just for my FYI please explain what those “decisions” were and how their opposition is defensible?
Isolationism has never been America’s position. It has never been workable. It is beyond stupid now. Paul’s views on the Civil War and Israel are INSANE. They are just as insane as his 911 Truther views.
Buchanan is a racist self-promoter who is only about himself. Keep in mind that he is a Nixon man. Nixon was a noninterventionist? Pardon me? Pat came up with this act after his he left CNN. He is an anti-Semite and an ass.
I want to know who all the neocons are/were. Sorry, but Ron and Pat throw that word out like it means something.
It will have to wait for another day; but the only thing defensible about Paul’s and Buchanan’s positions is that they arise out of racism. I think what I will do is create a series of posts that take a subject that Paul addressed in his ‘Meet The Press’ interview, and list what is a lie, a misrepresentation and what is just plain made up. His real views represent less than 5% of this population. Of that 5%, only about 25% of them vote. Most “Paul” people have no real idea of who he is. What he is is dangerous.
I look forward to your Paul posts. I do not think Dr Paul is a racist, but I look forward to your justification.
On rereading #24 my tone seems strident, I didn’t mean it to.
The quickest and surest way to not beat Hillary in the general election would be to nominate Ron Paul as the GOP candidate. Despite the ‘buzz’ and the zealotry of his followers, he’s not a viable candidate by any stretch of the imagination. I’m interested in nominating the most electable conservative candidate that has the best chance of capturing the white house.
Sorry, Paul is not making it out of the GOP primary; a few decades in the trenches tells me that. He’ll have to make the run as an independent if he wants to continue.
Not a reason to abandon a candidate; heck, I’m a FredHead and I only give him maybe a 25-30% shot at best.
BTW, Jeff: my weapon of choice is a CZ 40p; the all metal build handles the heavier .40 S&W round better. I have a conceal carry license, but rarely utilize it. Considering some of the shootings lately, that may change.
The second amendment is the final assurance of all the others.
As for the Ugandan LRA peace stuff, I’d frankly prefer somebody whack Kony. With all he’s done, buying him out (which is how it would really have to be done; it’s the Ugandan way) is a miscarriage of justice.
Dave, I know your dad would not approve but do thank him for me for his work; maybe we can touch base some time. I’ve promising myself a trip up North this time if I get back in the summer.
A lot of us who support Paul know that the GOP would NEVER give Paul the nomination. I have stated earlier that I think he should run as an independent and think that will be the case. I have a feeling many disenfranchised voters on both sides that do not agree with their parties nominees may jump to Paul strictly as protest votes.
I didn’t think Bushl was a viable candidate either, but that is just a personal opinion. I think he is a disgrace of a politician that has abused the constitution on many levels. His excessive signing statements and expansion of the Federal Bureaucracy, spending far more money than many of our previous administrations combined, are reasons alone for me to realize that he is not cut from republican cloth. Then again, this is just my opinion. I can dig up the numbers, but I’m sure you all are already aware of those abuses also. If I’m wrong please correct me.
I do find it amusing to see Republicans hand wringing over Paul splitting vote like Nader taking votes from Gore in 2000. I didn’t like or Gore,Nader or Bush. I voted for Harry Brown knowing he had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.
The Republicans are in trouble over present day Republican policy. Paul is a symptom of that. I’m not bashing the GOP, the Dems are no better and actually worse.
Hillary in office makes me shudder. I can’t vote for someone who will carry on “business as usual” in Washington from either party. It may be a wasted vote, like voting for Brown, but I can will live with my decision.
Instead of calling us whackos or lunatic fringe, I think the Republican leadership needs to take a look at themselves and their policies then try to understand why a man like Paul is garnering all the attention he is. Some of us just want to see change in Washington. A fringe candidate does not raise 18mil in one quarter $100 at a time and not send up alarms that something is amiss.
OK, let the flaming begin, and please, I’m not trying to argue for Paul, just stating my opinions and the feelings of many voting for Paul. Neither party is representing these voters concerns in Washington right now.
Mike, I own 40S&W Glock and SA XD 9mm subcompact. I pick my Taurus Judge .410/45 Colt up next week. That home invasion that happened about 1/4 mile down the road from me last month really made me take a hard look at my home security since we live about back off the road a ways. The Taurus Judge is a devastating weapon at close range, where most civilian defensive gun use would take place. The XD is my CCW.
No flaming necessary; the GOP definitely lost their way after 1994. They need to get back to the ideals of Reagan, squash earmarking, take on the Social Security crises, and quit pandering. They need to go unconventional, tell the MSM to go screw themselves and take it to real people. Sadly, I think the majority of people refuse to face what we need to face; but someone needs to try.
Worse comes to worst, I’ve got my choices; moving to Taiwan (my wife’s home country) or Uganda/Tanzania, where my ‘kids’ hang out.
My friends have bought an island off the coast of Mexico/Costa Rica and invited my wife and I to move on down. The thought has crossed my mind.
Of course I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for Pat Buchanan. Especially in the early nineties. I disagree with him on Israel and probably even more so in a post 9-11 world. I will always appreciate him speaking out stridently in the culture wars and on the engulfing waves of illegal and legal immigration. He’ll always have my appreciation for the having the guts to do that.
How come I don’t know people who live on islands in tropical paradises? Dang it.
Dave I can sell you a tropical island. Just send me your bank information so I can verify your income and run a credit check and we’re in business.
You can just go ahead and post it on this blog. I don’t see how any harm could come of that. Don’t forget your SS# as well as your mother’s maiden name.
[...] and Hitler Filed under: Uncategorized — DFV the Scribe @ 5:28 pm Let me clarify my views on the revisionist opinions of WWII and the Civil War. I think PGW’s analysis of WWII is [...]