Research and Essential Reading...
Current mood: awake
Category: News and Politics

One of my main complaints with liberals is that they overwhelmingly refuse to do ANY kind proper research. I point this out all the time and usually get called condescending, a neo-con, in Bush's pocket, brainwashed (because I served in the military), etc. I use words like "empirical" and "thorough", but those words don't matter because I'm apparently an ass and just "don't get it" because I'm stealing oil while killing Iraqi babies and practicing my Nazi salutes to posters of George W. Bush or something.

Then again, maybe it's me. Maybe I'm just not getting my point across correctly.

I read. A lot. Politics and History are passions. I'm going to take a step here and provide a reading list to give some context to my historical takes on issues and give a glimpse into my own personal library I've been building for the past 10 years.

A quick note on the images: That orange arrow on the pics? I snagged all these images on Amazon, then photoshopped them together. You can get these books without even leaving your house.

RYAN'S ESSENTIAL READING LIST

FOR US HISTORY AND POLITICS

People's History: Important book and extremely well researched (was also mentioned by Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting"). I consider it essential because of the research and content, but do not care much for the author. He is an obvious socialist and his bias can clearly be seen here

Patriot's History: Read the other book first, then read this one. It mirrors the first in content (was written that way) but puts everything into a more accurate context.

1776: Tenacity. The war was "lost", the Continentals were "defeated". Sound familiar (*cough*harry reid*cough*)? This book is about true tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds. Most people today would have quit long before going through what these brave men went through.

Blackhawk Down: Like it says, a book about modern warfare.

Polk: How much do you know about Polk? A one-term President, he was a lame-duck going in, yet this frail kid that graduated from UNC actually DID do everything he promised during his presidency.

Wahington Burning: Why Washington D.C.? How did it come about? Put down that book about Masonic conspiracies and read a different take on how our capital came to be.

Art of War: I've quoted and referenced this several times regarding Iraq. It's one of the most important books regarding warfare ever written. Interestingly enough, it never mentions timetables.

Salam Pax: OMG! An Iraqi that wanted to be free of Saddam!?!?!? Real-time blog compilation from 2002-2003. Gives a different view of the invasion.

GW on Leadership: Self explanatory. He had no equal.

America's Victories: Yeah, like I mentioned two blogs ago, America really is that great.

John Adams: It's sad that we will probably never see a politician as intelligent, as tenacious, or with as much integrity as President Adams. The mini-series actually does the book justice too. And for those that have a soft side, it's a really moving love story.

The Great Upheaval: America's destiny has been intertwined with world events since its inception. Read this book and you'll realize why Ron Paul (et. al) is wrong.

Jarhead: I included this because it was a good narrative of a soldier's view during wartime.

What Hath God Wrought: One of the best US History books I've read and covers a crucial period in history. It's essential in knowing what our country went through in the years between our second spat with England and the Civil War.

Looming Tower: Yes, there really are terrorists. Yes, they really want us dead. Even you. This excellently researched book tracks our enemies of today from their beginning up to 9/11.

The Sword and the Shield/The World was Going Our Way: Yes, the Soviets really were trying to take over the world. Yes, there were a lot of them in the US. These books come straight from KGB documents, so their validity is pretty well established. It shows how lacking our intelligence services really were (and still are) and gives context to those arguments about US "imperialism" (i.e., our efforts were to counter the Soviets, not to establish dominion over other countries).

9/11 Commission Report: Conservative, Liberal, or conspiracy moonbat, you really should read this book. Even if you think that Bush and Cheney blew up the twin towers, Building 7, and disappeared the people on those flights, you should at least read the results of the official investigation so you can present a tangible argument. I'm willing to bet that 9 out of every 10 resident conspiracy theorists haven't actually read this important report.

How America Got it Right: Yes, America did get some things right. This book shows some of our better moments.

How Great Generals Win: For those that haven't served or read anything on military history. I'll tell ya one thing, they never won by quitting...or by setting timetables.

How the South Could have Won: They had several opportunities. Interesting study on the Civil War/War of Northern Aggression. You'll come out with a lot more respect for Southerners and the Stars and Bars.

How Hiter Could have Won: Hitler actually did come really close to taking over the world. Something as small as a transfer of two divisions would have eliminated the Soviets, negated Britain's role, and turned the Nazi's holdings into a fortress that America could have never penetrated. Read the book to see how. One of my favorite books of all time.

Declaration/Constitution: Obvious in their relevance. If everyone read these, especially the people in Congress, we wouldn't have many of the problems we have today.

Federalist/Anti-Federalist: Again, obvious in their relevance, but largely ignored to people that don't take the time to ask "Hey, where did our government come from?" or "Do we really want the federal government to have more control over our lives?".

Democracy in America: A Frenchman who saw more good in our country than most registered Democrats do today. Read this book and compare it to Obama's speech at the convention. You'll wonder why Obama was ever selected to run.

Common Sense: Every 8th grader should be made to read this book. It's just as important today as it was when it was written. It was an argument against a large, overbearing government...which is applicable today with all of the social programs some people want to put into place.

Last three: Biographies of essential leaders. They are models for what our leaders should be today.

So that should get you started. It's not a complete list of what I have in my personal library, but it should give one an idea of where I'm coming from. Now that's out of the way, let's move on to the next section.

BOOKS TO AVOID

How many of you have seen these at the bookstore? I have, and somebody decided to erroneously label them "history".

These books are worthless. Time is essential in studying history and you cannot write a HISTORICAL account of something that is CURRENTLY happening, especially in regards to a war because as we've seen time and again throughout history, shit happens. From the fog that allowed Washington to retreat from Long Island to the Awakening Movements in Iraq, we've seen that the situation (and results) can change in an instant. Books like this offend me, as they should anyone that considers themselves historians. The authors should be ashamed of themselves for these incomplete and lacking attempts.

So there ya go. This isn't a complete list by any means, but should get you started in the right direction.

Currently watching : NCIS - The Fifth Season Release date: 2008-08-26

1:57 AM - 17 Comments - 21 Kudos - Add Comment

Obama is really screwed now...
Current mood: hungry
Category: News and Politics

A buddy of mine brought this up to me this morning. He said he caught Obama/Biden out of the corner of his eye and it looked like something else...

Here, let's do an exercise. Look at this picture.

Relax your eyes. Imagine you're driving down the road and seeing those signs out of the corner or your eye.

Now, apparently some study was done (who hasn't received that email yet) that says the human brain forms words by looking at the first and last letters, then making assumptions on what the word is.

As to the above picture, what do you see? Here's another hint:

Osama binLaden

Obama Biden

Osama has been in the media spotlight since 2001. Obama has only held that media attention for maybe a year. Whose name is going to form in people's mind when they drive past that billboard at 70mph?

:waits for the wingnuts to accuse me of comparing Obama to Osama:

Currently playing : Star Wars Empire At War: Forces Of Corruption Release date: 2006-11-21

11:29 AM - 12 Comments - 22 Kudos - Add Comment

Baghdad Blog IV: What are your questions? *UPDATE*
Current mood: curious
Category: News and Politics

So, I'm in a waiting room with some Iraqi soldiers and the closing ceremonies are on the TV. I ask one of the guys when Baghdad will host the Olympics. He's hoping within 50 years.

Anyway, I post-dated this one for a reason and it's mainly directed to those with a curious nature.

What are your questions? Not to me. I talk to Iraqis every day. All age groups, all classes, educated, illiterate, military and civilian. What are your questions for Iraqis that are here, now, living it.

No matter how big or small, I'll ask them. After a week or so I'll post a new blog with answers.

One restriction: No wingnut questions. If your question is a copy/paste from Code Pink, Recreate '68, (insert name of your favorite group here), then forget it.

So, let's hear them.

*****UPDATE*****

After reading some of the comments, I thought I should clarify this: You guys can ask more than one question. Just limit the number to 10.

For those of you that have been to Iraq before, keep in mind that everything has changed. Things are different than they were in '03, '05, '06, etc.

Currently watching : House, M.D. - Season Four Release date: 2008-08-19

11:20 PM - 16 Comments - 28 Kudos - Add Comment

Yeah, America Really is the Best...
Current mood: sore
Category: News and Politics

What? It's true.

This is basically a rant against the anti-America movement that has become entrenched in our society. I skimmed through the Most Popular list and, well, it just pissed me off.

Where does this anti-Americanism come from? I say ignorance. History is a critically neglected subject, made so by teachers that do not give it the proper focus or inject any excitement into it that may make it interesting to the students. And what do we get? We get people rallying for impeachment of the President because they don't know how the branches of government work or how to even read a bill. We get people taking to the streets to oppose taking out a brutal murderous dictator that had stated goals of domination of a region and a history of invading three countries (four, if Scud attacks against Israel count), killing a few hundred thousand of his own people in the process. Those same people demanded sanctions that were killing the people they wanted to help, while demanding more "diplomacy", a tactic that hasn't worked for 12 years. They'll wear trendy T-shirts of South American murderers, Vietnam-era OD green jackets, and berets, while quoting Howard Zinn, as if he's the final authority on the subject. They'll do little to no research on issues and support candidates who offer no real plans. Their candidates don't inspire people. They don't offer real clear-cut plans. For the past 6 years their sole campaign promise was that they're not a certain sitting executive. These are the same people denouncing the federal government for not doing certain things, yet not bothering to read a simple document (Constitution) that says it is illegal (referencing Katrina). They want to hold the President accountable for not doing enough, but then turn around and warn the world that he's the anti-Christ and is intending to turn the country into a dictatorship.

What they need to realize is simple:

America is not the problem. America is the solution.

"America forces its way of life on others!"

Raise your hand if you've heard this. Assuming it was true, then what is bad about that? Freedom. Due Process. Protected speech. A representative government. All bad things, I'm sure.

In America, you can go out and protest. Hold your sign high and walk down the street. Maybe people will join you. In half of the world you'd get arrested. Well, that's all that would happen if you're lucky. If not, you get your head cut off in the public square.

In America, you can be an open atheist. Try being one in most of the Islamic countries and see what happens to you. Try following the teachings of the Prophet Isa (Jesus), who is supposedly revered in Islam, in Saudi Arabia. Or Iran. Or Pakistan.

In America, if you're a woman, you can drive, vote, hold office, lead the country or a corporation, be a judge, or due trivial things that we take for granted, like go to college, drive a car, go outside the house without a male relative, or wear a bikini. You can marry who you want, or not get married, and nobody will look down on you.

In America, you don't have to worry about soldiers walking into your house, shooting your family members, taking over the government, or stealing your property.

Try being a peace protester in China. Emo in the Democratic Republic of The Congo. Punk/Anarchist in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Goth in Sudan. LBGT in Somalia.

In America, you can go as far as you want in life as long as you're willing to work for it, stay the course, and pay your dues. And nobody has the right to the fruits of your hard work.

A thought comes to mind. They say that most people start out liberal in their youth but become conservative as they get older. I contend that it has less to do with religion or growing old. It has to do with realizing one's potential, building up their life/earning potential, and realizing that there is a movement out there seeking to take their money, destroy their hard work, and just give it to others that aren't willing to do so themselves.

America gives more money to the world than any other countries. When disaster strikes, America is there, usually with people on the ground within 24 hours.

America expects its own citizens to do the majority of the work when disaster strikes at home. Compare Iowa/Missouri/Illinois to New Orleans.

America fought a devastating war, whose outcome saw the eradication of slavery…an issue that almost prevented the formation of the country.

America has seen the longest running peaceful transfer of power than any other society in history.

America is the only country that has continuously, in times of war, defeated the enemy, rebuilt the opposing country, and left when they asked us to.

America checked the Nazis and Soviets, preventing them from taking over the planet. Yes, it could have happened. A transfer of two divisions to Rommel in North Africa was all it would have taken during WWII. Tenacity saved us during the Cold War, especially when the KGB continuously handed the CIA its ass to them.

Some movements have wanted the US to pull out of Iraq. Those same movements claim to want what's best for the Iraqi people, often referring to them as victims. Yet they know full well that if we pulled out the terrorists would murder anyone that opposed them. Families would be beheaded as an example. Voting would be abolished. People would be subjected to Sharia law. Women would be stoned and subjected to a life of subservience and relegated to making babies. Schools would be destroyed. If this is their idea of helping out victims...well, you get the point. When we tried this in 2004, all hell broke loose. Yet they've been wanting to do it again, and on a grander scale.

I guess that's sort of like their weak and disproven argument about there never having been a true form of socialism/communism being the reason why it's never worked, despite the historical fact to the contrary. If we pulled out quick enough, maybe the terrorists wouldn't kill people.

(shakes head)

America's inventions have transformed the planet. Imagine the planet without the following: light bulbs, refrigerators, nasal spray, coffee pots, combines, those collapsible metal tubes (for paint, toothpaste, etc.), oil wells, water towers, motorcycles, toilet paper, blue jeans, telephones, cash registers, hearing aids, electric fans, electric irons, skyscrapers, Coca-Cola, tractors, zippers, airplanes, air conditioning, band-aids, frozen food, cell phones, carbon dating, disposable diapers, polio vaccines, "The Pill", lasers, computers, fiber optics, the internet, space shuttles, the artificial heart, and the first cancer vaccine (cervical).

It's ironic, really. A protester will drive his car, which is propelled by gasoline, to a rally where he or she uses their Zippo to burn an American flag, an act that is captured by cell phone cameras and then uploaded to the internet and put on YouTube. It's even more ironic when you see terrorists doing it.

America is supposed to be more like Europe. If you mean we should have billboards advertising orange juice with naked women on them, then I agree. If you mean we shouldn't censor the media if they decide to print an offensive cartoon, then I agree. However, if you mean we should form a union with our neighbors, then sit around and expect another country to come to our backyard to stop a genocide (Yugoslavia), then I disagree. If you mean we should rely solely on diplomacy (as one candidate says now on his website) while another democracy is being overrun and trampled, then I disagree. If you mean we should sit around and continue asking a country to stop with their nuclear program, knowing full well that they have no intention of doing so, then I disagree.

America is a horrible place, yet our "lower class" is 100 times better off that the middle classes of non-western nations. Our lower class is better off than our own middle class was 30 years ago.

America has built the most effective military the planet has ever seen, and done so with an all-volunteer force.

America is a horrible place, yet we lead the world in terms of people seeking to come here. They say that you can judge how good a country is by the amount of people seeking to get in. Cubans take a couple trees and some milk jugs then launch themselves into the open ocean just to get to America. Chinese people come in metal connex containers. Mexicans dodge the border patrol. All to just get into America. Yet we have a movement within this country that sided with the people that flew planes into the WTC. We have people wanting to grant our rights and legal protections on those people that would cut off their heads if given the chance, regardless of how wounded or weak they appear in a 10 minute video leaked by the lawyer.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I grew up on a farm. I grew up hearing the following:

-The only person that can make you happy in life is you.

-You want something, you have to work for it. Nobody is going to give it to you.

-Don't stop until the job is done.

-Study hard and get good grades.

-Pay attention.

There was a time, when I was a kid, when my brother forced me to watch one of the Rocky movies every single day. Seriously. If we didn't, he'd throw the biggest bitch-fit you ever saw. This was back in the time when there was only 1 television/VCR in the house and no cable. Looking back now, having lived some and been out in the world and seeing the message Sylvester Stallone was putting out, I can honestly say I'm glad he did it. I don't listen to people that say "it cannot be done". I go out and do it. I don't rely on others to make me happy. I don't let others define who I am as a person.

Currently watching : Rocky Balboa Release date: 2007-03-20

12:31 AM - 98 Comments - 67 Kudos - Add Comment

The Case Against Bush III: Violating Laws
Current mood: creative
Category: News and Politics

The impeachment case against President Bush is still making waves, even with Congress taking their break. I'm jumping ahead here to Art. 26 because it became a focus on one of the previous blogs.

To recap:

Part 1

Part 2

And, yes, the ENTIRE impeachment "case" is still a huge waste of time and money.

So here we go:

Article XXVI: Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements

First, I want to point out that signing statements by presidents are a good thing. They are basically statements that discuss the thought process behind why they signed a law, as well as the intent of that branch of government. President Monroe was the first to use them and President Bush has published more signing statements than any other president in history. This means that President Bush has been more open than any other President in history in publishing his thoughts and intents regarding his job.

The main arguments against the use of signing statements has to do claiming that the President interpreting laws is "contrary to the rule of law and our constitutional system". Now, think about that for a minute. The President is the head of the executive branch. Bills get passed by Congress and have to run through the executive 'check' before becoming law. How is executive interpretation and determination of constitutionality be AGAINST the constitutional system of checks and balances? The argument against signing statements is a contradiction in and of itself.

-As it relates to the impeachment charges-

The argument that was presented to me relates to the following law:

This is the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005.

Apparently, Rep. Kucinich (et. al) decided to use this as an example without reading it. It says, as you can see, that detainees under DOD custody are only subject to interrogation techniques prescribed in the Army Field Manual.

Translation: People in the military cannot water board terrorists.

What it does NOT say: Intelligence services cannot water board terrorists.

Now, the President in his signing statement says nothing about intending defy this law. It actually lists a past Supreme Court decision (Alexander v. Sandoval) and cites the specific parts of Title X, what they actually say, and how this affects Executive authority. Essentially, he's pointing out that nothing in that law says waterboarding is illegal, just that the military can't do it.

This "article of impeachment", like the others, is baseless.

Further proving this point is the H.R. 2082, which specifically outlaws waterboarding. Ask yourself this: If waterboarding was already declared illegal, and the President was breaking the law by claiming that the intel services can still employ it as a method of interrogation, why was another law needed?

Anyway, it was vetoed by the President and the House failed to garner a 2/3 majority to override it.

I have a question for the people out there wanting these proceedings to happen, salivating at the mere thought of a lame duck president with less than 5 months in office getting impeached: Have any of you actually read these charges and done any research as to their validity?

Thoughts on this post? Logical or intelligent counter-arguments?

Currently watching : Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Release date: 2008-07-22

1:08 AM - 26 Comments - 33 Kudos - Add Comment

Wal-Mart is teh ev0l!
Current mood: refreshed
Category: News and Politics

There is a movement against Wal-Mart. This movement is largely socialist in nature and, for the most part, ignorant. Like most socialist movements, they play on the ignorance and emotions of others. This particular one, which at the time of this writing you can see part of on the front mage of the Most Popular list, consists of a lot of rhetoric and baseless accusations against a great American institution.

You know, there is more to the country than the "D.C. Corridor", NYC, and LA. In the middle of what a lot of people consider "flyover country" sits the headquarters of one of the world's most successful companies in the history of mankind.

What we now know as Wal-Mart started out in 1950 as a small general store that was started by Sam Walton. In the spirit of true capitalism, he realized that he could make MORE money if he worked a little harder at getting good wholesale deals and THEN turn around and pass on savings to the customers. Yes, I know this is a shock to some people, but capitalism doesn't force anything on anyone. I Captialism, business is wholly dependent on the customer (the people). How good a business does is dependent on the product someone sells and the price they sell it for. Many businesses have gone under because they refuse to budge on their prices or continue to sell inferior products that nobody wants.

Wal-Mart didn't even expand outside of Arkansas until 1968. Think about that for a moment. Most of us grew up taking advantage of the fact we could all just go to Wal-Mart. But Wal-Mart has ONLY been around outside of AR for 40 years now. 40 years ago, you couldn't head out and do your shopping at 2AM if you couldn't sleep or were working a weird shift schedule. Now you can find Wal-Marts all over the world.

This is something that should be seen as GOOD. This AMERICAN company that started in the backwoods of Arkansas by one regular joe is now a driving force in the world. If there was any example for the opportunities America and Capitalism has to offer, this is it. It just takes hard work and good business sense.

Among the many charges being levied against Wal-Mart are:

Discrimination: I don't know about that. I've been to quite a few different Wal-Marts and the workers all seem to mirror the local demographics. Go to a few, look around, and see for yourself.

Low Wages: The majority of people that work at Wal-Mart are low-skilled young people that don't deserve more than $14k per year. Since when has it been good business practice to overpay unqualified people? I used to work at a Wal-Mart back before the Army when I was going to college full time. I had a high-school education and no experience. Duh.

Discrimination Against Women: Where? I know for a fact this isn't company policy because about half of the managers I worked for were female. If it was a company policy, you wouldn't see the majority of CSM's as females.

"Wal-Mart can't back diversity claims with numbers": Translation - We don't care about race. Ever notice the people claiming they want an end to racial discrimination are the only ones actually focusing on race?

You don't need official investigations or allegations for charges like these. You can sit there and believe these sorts of things, or you can just go to Wal-Mart yourself and look around. Look at the people wearing vests. Look at their name tags. Note for yourself if they're white/brown/black/yellow/red/purple. Use a mental checklist and note how many women work there.

It's like the current Presidential race. Nobody on the (R) side has made statements about Obama's skin color, yet Obama keeps bringing it up. I guess if you're unqualified, you have no choice but to bring out the race card or victim card.

One of my favorite "charges", mainly because it just screams of jealousy and socialism, is the one that talks about profits of the owners.

Look. Don't be a hater. If you want to make $18 Billion per year, then start your own fucking business. Put YOUR life into it and making it work. Then see how you feel if a bunch of wannabe's or nevergonnabe's come up to you and tell you that you don't deserve what you earn.

Yeah, they have a jet fleet. They also travel all over the world to keep up on their business interests as well as meet with other businesses. Got a supplier in Japan? Ukraine? Dubai? Face to face meetings are a must. It's a global community.

"Wal-Mart made $3.2 Billion in political contributions to conservative candidates". Well, if there is a political party and movement actively wanting to bring you down, wouldn't you fight? Again: Duh.

Based on the copy/paste look of the blog, and the blogger's response to Kelsey, it looks like he is under the impression that people are forced to work at Wal-Mart. He was "glad [Kelsey] made it out of there". EVERYBODY has a choice. If Wal-Mart employees didn't want to work there, they could just quit. If the people that shop there don't like the store, they don't have to shop there. ALL businesses are dependent on the employees and the customers. If you don't believe me, look at ghetto ass K-Mart and how they've been going downhill for years now.

There are basically three points I want to reiterate here:

-Capitalism is good. If you have ambition, go with your dreams. Capitalism allows you to go as far as you want in life as long as you're willing to work for it. Tenacity is key.

-Don't be a hater. Socialists are, essentially, haters that want to bring down people to a certain level. Maybe if they spent their time and effort on becoming successful themselves, there would be more companies like Wal-Mart.

-If you think Wal-Mart is evil, don't fucking shop there. It's as simple as that. If you feel REALLY strongly about it, start your own company and do all the things (policy-wise) you think Wal-Mart should be doing.

Currently reading : Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America By Walter R. Borneman Release date: 2008-04-08

8:24 PM - 47 Comments - 42 Kudos - Add Comment

Baghdad Blog III: The Surge and People That Piss Me Off...
Current mood: vehement
Category: News and Politics

First, I want to pimp a couple bloggers:

Regimental Combat Team 1

Mike

No, those aren't people that piss me off. Mike has a good mind and RCT-1 posts regular updates about what they're doing in Iraq.

So, I finish my mid-term, email my love to my girl/kids/dog back home, and check my blog list to reset my brain so I can sleep. Yeah, I don't stop, even in Iraq. After this class, I have two more before I complete my Master's (MS - Criminal Justice) and look forward to starting my PhD program in US History.

Look to the left. I have a large subscription list. I like to think of it as "balanced". One of the bloggers that constitutes that balance is named Su. I saw she had a blog regarding the Surge, so I decided to check it out. It's basically a repost of some article some History Professor/what the left considers an expert on Iraq wrote.

Here's where I get pissed, and why I have no respect for "left" leaning people.

It's obvious by the article that the author has never been here and has no real fucking clue what is really happening in Baghdad.

I HATE people that claim expertise on a subject WITHOUT having "been there". They sit in their office chairs 7000 miles away and write articles on things they cannot have any possible clue about. I'm in Baghdad. I talk to Iraqis EVERY day. Yet until recently I have been hesitant to write anything about their views/opinions or some of their stories.

The article was basically a hit-piece on the Surge, the Awakening, and made a bunch of assumptions about sectarian violence and ethnic cleansing while adding a pretty map.

So here's my response to that article:

*****

Wow. A lot to discuss.

I would say that Prof. Cole is using a flawed methodology, in that he had a theory, then only looked/referenced things that supported his theory while negating everything else. Reading his essay, mistakes like the name of the Sheikh he referenced (proper name is Sheikh abd-al-Sattar al-Rishawi, there is no such Arabic name as "abdul") show his lack of understanding of the Iraqi/Arabic culture.

I guess I'd like to start with the Awakening. I've seen this viewpoint on a few blogs recently and it's false because it is going by the official announcement of the Surge. The troops began arriving and the troops already here were extended before that official announcement. I was there when it all began. There were also many references made by the administration and certain commanders to a surge strategy being implemented as far back as May 06. There were several different factors that attributed to the Awakening. Three that Prof. Cole negates to discuss are:
-Reassurance that America wasn't going to up and leave like we did in 1991.
-The counter-insurgency methods and their extreme similarities to the Community Policing programs in law enforcement.
-The horrible atrocities that the terrorists committed, which was more of a factor in the start of the Awakening than any "payments" or "bribes". Iraqis, especially in the rural areas, do NOT take kindly to people cutting off their family member's heads or doing drive-by shootings on the houses of sheikhs.

Is this ignorance on his part, or is he trying to promote his own assumptions? Rhetorical question.

"For the first six months of the troop escalation, high rates of violence continued unabated. That is suspicious."

No it's not. A short term spike in violence is exactly what one should expect. To make an analogy, what would you expect if you conducted a Surge of police into South Central Los Angeles? Would you expect more violence and/or arrests or rainbows and candy sprinkles?

His view of the sectarian violence within Baghdad is extemely telling, mainly in that it shows he hasn't been here and is content to get his information from questionable or inadiquate sources. Baghdad was partially divided, but it was due to the terrorst groups kicking people out of their houses. The people have been returning for a year now.

His assumption about the "days of mixed neighborhoods are gone" is completely false. Or maybe not. Maybe the Iraqis that I talk to on a daily basis (I am in Baghdad now, again, for the third time) are the ones lying to me. The ones from Karkh or Rusafa or Baghdad Jadida (New Baghdad) or Hurriyah who say they have always had and continue to have other sect families in their areas may be lying. Or the people that lived or moved to the mostly Christian areas, like al-Ghaylani (next to Sadr City), because those areas don't have violence are lying. Maybe all of the Shia families that live in the abu Ghurayb area (which is mostly Sunni) don't really exist.

The 'ethnic cleansings' that were attempted by the terrorist groups worked in their favor in the short term, but Iraq, especially Baghdad, has been mixed for centuries. There is a large percentage of the population that are only Sunni or Shia on paper or on convenient maps like the one above. The only thing it did was unite the Iraqis against them.

Bottome line: I reject Prof. Cole's false analysis of the situation. His research methods and assertations may be believable to people that already want to believe what he is saying, or to people that have never been to Iraq, but people in my position, that have been here multiple times, interact daily with Iraqis, and have a strategic view of the situation, know better.

*****

I went to Prof. Cole's website. I didn't find the article, though I admit I didn't look that hard. HOWEVER, I did notice that he has a lot of extreme left-wing group links on his site.

*****

Su also referenced an article regarding Iraqi Christians, to which I responded:

Just a note on that link about the Christian protesters: They are in Sweden and have most likely been there for years. The "persecution" going on now is considerably less than at any point in the last 30 years. If it wasn't, you wouldn't have Muslim Iraqis speaking well about the "Christian areas" that don't have any crime. You wouldn't have Muslim Iraqis restoring the churches in Baghdad (story on that ran a few months ago). Their mention of "fundamentalists" (code for 'takfiri' or terrorist) is telling, mostly in that the "fundamentalists" have largely been killed, arrested or fled the country.

*****

For some reason, a lot of Iraqis went to Sweden. I've talked to quite a few that have relatives there.

BTW, I know this hasn't made headlines, but it looks like we're on track to surpass our goal of admitting 12,000 Iraqi refugees that just decided they don't want to go back yet.

End rant...for now.

Currently watching : NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Complete First Season Release date: 2006-06-06

9:48 PM - 43 Comments - 33 Kudos - Add Comment

News, Visiting Troops, and Rape...
Current mood: exhausted
Category: News and Politics

I thought I'd share something from the front page of the "Stars and Stripes" today. What do you see?

The picture is just FULL of irony. An Asian member of the Minuteman Project, who either came here as an immigrant or his family did, is standing there and taking abuse from a hippie white girl. Just look at her face! Where is the compassion? What about that sign in the background? Are they really that retarded?

Also note the Mexican-looking Border Patrol agent.

Also in the news today was this:

(Courtesy Stars & Stripes)

This one kind of struck a nerve. Yeah, what happened to her daughter was fucked up. HOWEVER, having spent numerous years in law enforcement, I feel an obligation to say something here:

The DOD is NOT lax in prosecuting criminal sexual assault. In my experience, they go a little bit overboard. Speaking from an Army CID perspective, every allegation is investigated by the book. Out of the numerous rape cases I investigated, only one of them was actually a rape and there the bad guy went to Leavenworth.

I'm not trying to make light of this situation or say that rape doesn't happen. I'm saying this is a true bipartisan issue that everyone should have an interest in. Bottom line: If you tell your husband you're going to Wal-Mart at 7PM, don't go to a party, sleep with some guy, then come back home at 5AM and tell your husband you got raped. If you're having sex with some guy and tell him to stop, and he DOES, don't let your guilty feelings prompt you to cry rape to the MP's. If you are OFF YOUR MEDS, do not go out and party all the time, get bruised up from doing handstands and falling over (which is on video), then show up at the MP station or CID office and say "I don't know what happened, but I was raped." If you are THREE MONTHS PREGNANT with the baby of some dude you picked up at the local club and your husband has BEEN DEPLOYED FOR SIX MONTHS, do not show up and say you were raped.

I've heard all and more.

Consequently, the one rape case I worked that was real, the girl did exactly what she was supposed to do. She fought the guy off (he then ran), called a friend, went to the hospital, and called us. The police HAVE to be able to collect evidence, and that includes body fluids, hair and saliva you may now have on you. They'll need your clothes. They'll have to take photos of any bruising or marks on the body, both that day and 24-48 hours later.

Just don't cry rape when your lack of morals is to blame. Why? Well, to get back to the original point, the military takes rape very seriously. Here is Art. 120 of the UCMJ:

Note the underlined part. Let's not forget that we have a President that will sign off on that penalty too.

On to other topics:

While Obama couldn't find the time for wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the Iraqi Interior Minister took the time to travel to Walter Reed and thank the troops there for helping Iraq gain freedom.No, it wasn't really covered in the media and I think I only saw one other person on my list mention this. Turns out, the media WAS allowed to cover it after all.

The USMC is leaving Fallujah. The politicians are all jumping on who is going to control the drawdown of troops, but the reality of the situation in Iraq is that the situation is going to dictate the drawdown. And it is happening.

Currently watching : Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (Unrated Two-Disc Special Edition) Release date: 2008-07-29

2:06 PM - 23 Comments - 32 Kudos - Add Comment

Baghdad Blog II: Conversations in Arabic
Current mood: weird
Category: News and Politics

The title is self-explanatory. Specifics have been removed for obvious reasons. Enjoy.

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"'Wallah' (means 'by God'; it's a common term)...I've been working at the university for years now. My daughter and one of my sons work here with me in the biology department. Did you know that last month we developed a new technique for treating kidney stones? We've published three papers on it and have a patent in the process. My other son? He was arrested by the Americans for taking part in a protest that turned violent. He spent 10 months in prison. I think it helped him settle down. He's now a Professor of Engineering."

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"October 22, 2002. I'll never forget that day. I was working at abu Ghraib prison and the order came down from Saddam that all the criminals were to be released. No, not the political prisoners, the real ones. Thugs, terrorists. I couldn't believe it."

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"Zarqawi? He's a dog. I hate him. Look, here's the reason behind those pictures: I'm married, but I also have a girlfriend. My wife doesn't like it, but such is life. My girlfriend is Shia and lives in another part of the city. She got mad at me one day and called me a coward because I didn't want to travel to see her. It was a dangerous route. So I decided to impress her. I had my little brother take some pictures of me dressed up like a Muj (slang term for 'mujahadin', what the terrorists call themselves). I got that (ammo) vest from a guy at the market that was selling them cheap. I dressed in black, put on the vest, and put on a black yashmag, held up my gun and posed for the camera. That picture of me looking through the sniper scope? That's my kid's plastic toy gun. Looks real though, doesn't it?"

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"I hate the Mahdi Militia. These guys were outside my house one day, firing mortars, and I got into this huge argument with them and ran them off. They came back a few days later, kidnapped me, took me to some house and then beat me for days. At some point they must have thought I was dead because they took me and threw me in a dumpster, where I passed out. I woke up in the hospital a day later. I never did find out who brought me there."

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"The American troops are heroes, every single one of them. I love them for what they are doing here and I hope they never leave. None of them care about some of these things like 'who is Sunni/who is Shia'. This one Captain (pauses for a couple minutes trying to remember his name) that set up in my area was great. He stepped out of his vehicle and said "I am the law." He said he didn't care about who is Sunni or who is Shia; if you broke the law, you were going to be arrested. Everyone loved and respected him for that. "

"I'll tell you what, Iran is causing all of the problems here. I hope America invades Iran. If they do, I will follow the US Army there and offer whatever help I can give. I owe them that much."

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"You know why I have that nickname?"

(he gives a wry smile)

"Because I'm always fucked up. I like to drink."

"They killed my brother, the terrorists. I hate them. They're cowards. What do they do? They bully people, set off bombs, shoot random people, then go hide. They make people so scared so they can get what they want."

"My unit (talking about the US military unit he works with)? They're my friends. I owe them my life. Without the training they gave me, I would be dead now. Terrorists would watch and wait as people left and follow them around and threaten them. They did this to me, but they planned on killing me. They followed me in another car and I noticed them. I remembered my training and, as I came to an intersection, I turned right and hit the gas. They chased me and eventually pulled up beside me (passenger side), so I held my arm up between me and them using it as a shield. It worked. They started shooting and one bullet hit my arm. Had I not had it up, it would have hit me in the head. As they started shooting, I hit my brakes and they went on past. I ended up losing them."

"My brother. He wanted to work with the Americans too, but I wouldn't let him. So I set him up with a delivery job with the Iraqi Army. Things were dangerous and my brother was a bit crazy anyway; he carried around an AK everywhere. The terrorists tried killing him at a checkpoint one day. He didn't listen to their instructions and ran over two of them. They caught up with him a few days later and shot him."

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"Do I look like a terrorist? I'm an old man. I saw the convoy and walked out with my AK, so they stopped and arrested me. I wanted to get arrested because of my wife. I can't stand her. I'd rather take care of a dog than take care of her. (this rant about his wife lasted 20 minutes)

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"ALLAHUA ACKBAR! That's what they yell. Over and over again. They came to my area, the 'hab' (slang/short for 'habi'in', which is Arabic for terrorsts). It's small area and only my family lives there. One of my cousins was in the Iraqi Army and they wanted us to hand him over. They came in a car, three of them, and two of my uncles went out to meet them. They said to hand him over or else. My uncle told them to leave and never come back. They started to get out of the car, but my uncle kicked the door shut and told them to leave again. So they did."

"[they went] To the next village down. Everyone there was police or Army and they had weapons, but they just gave up. I don't understand it. For the next week, the 'hab' kept harassing us. They did a couple drive-by's before we shot back at them. We killed one of them. So they just yelled at us, saying they were going to cut off our heads and hang them from the trees."

"Well, they came. About 100 of them. A couple guys took the women and kids to the woods behind the houses and the rest of us (12) grabbed our guns and went to the roof. They came slowly, in cars and on foot, chanting "Allahua Ackbar". They had AK's, RPG's, mortars, and other things."

"My house was destroyed. All of our houses are in a line, so we could move around up there. Mine was on the end and it got hit by an RPG and caught fire. We fought them off for two hours. My cousin, the guy we wouldn't give up, ended up dying in the fight though. He was killed by a sniper. My grandfather was hit by the same bullet, but he is fine. The 'hab' ended up running out of ammunition and at about that time American helicopters showed up, so they ran away."

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"Yeah, I vote. I voted for Allawi. He doesn't care about Sunni/Shia. I think he was the best choice for Iraq. Maliki is good too. The government is finally standing up to the militias."

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"Me and my friends keep up with American politics. We don't want Obama to get elected; no educated (intellectual) Iraqi does. All he's been saying is that he'd pull out the troops, but if he pulled everyone out like he said, the terrorists would return."

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"Yes, I want America to leave. We love them, but we still want them to be gone. But I do know that we still need them. So we accept them here to help us until we can stand on our own. We have to defeat the terrorists and be able to counter Iran...and we simply aren't ready yet."

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Currently watching : The X-Files - The Complete First Season (Slim Set) Release date: 2006-01-31

9:30 PM - 43 Comments - 41 Kudos - Add Comment