Restitution

Psalm 20

Feel free to download and use this image I created in photoshop - just please don't hotlink it:

Rumsfeld in a parallel universe?

This Week with George Stephanopolis was entertaining.   His guests included Fareed Zacharia, George Will, and two liberals I don't think I've ever seen before.  The topic was, of course, The Mess George W. Bush Has Gotten Us All Into And From Which Only The Democrats Can Save Us.

I nearly threw the remote at the TV when I heard one of the participants suggest that we need to "find out what Hezbollah wants."  George Will has gone completely round the bend now, and actually suggested the Maliki government was "the interior ministry for the terrorists."

George S. and his guests were all in agreement, it seems -- the Republicans are in sad, sad shape and don't really have a prayer; we can't resolve the crisis in Lebanon until we open up "dialogue" with Iran, Syria and Hezbollah; and Iraq is a complete failure and we should either just leave completely or send our troops up to Kurdish north.

Fareed Zacharia had the nerve to suggest that Don Rumsfeld "lives in a parallel universe."  Although, actually, he may have a point.  From Fareed's perspective, that is probably true.

And yet, these people wonder why they keep losing elections ...  it boggles the mind.

"Terrorism" in Seattle

Hugh Hewitt, and evidently many others, think the attack by the Pakistani-American on the Jewish Center in Seattle was an "act of terrorism."

I must respectfully disagree with Hugh, although I understand where he's coming from.  He is right that the media will try to gloss over this event or excuse it as an aberration, but I think it's very important that we use the term "terrorist" very, very carefully.  Used too broadly, and it can quickly become meaningless in this age of the 30-second soundbite.

In a sense, what the man did was an act of terrorism -- he deliberately attacked Jewish people in order to create a sense of fear in the community (and other similar communities all over the country), but this man was pretty clearly acting alone.

I think we need to draw a distinction between people acting alone like this, who head for the nearest target of opportunity in a rush and act out of irrational anger -- and the planned, organized, funded, and calculated operations of terrorist organizations.

Frankly, I don't know how to make that distinction.  Maybe someone will suggest something?  In any case, Hugh is right insofar as we shouldn't allow the media to simply dismiss this as the act of a madman.  However, let's not committ the opposite error of equating it with the acts of Al Queda, Hizbollah or Hamas.

A message for Hezbollah ...

Compare and Contrast

Originally Posted at http://sheepdog.townhall.com on July 28, 2006

I'd like to offer a comparison for you.  These are two young people, roughly the same age, who made the papers recently.  Let's look at them.

The first one is Cecelia Lucas, a Berkeley graduate student who penned an ode to Hezbollah recently, which can be found here.  Her poem has such memorable lines as these:

I am learning to have hope in you
I am learning to see you as so much more
Than those actions I would never want to commit
You amaze me
Born out of death to life in a cage
Raised by Colonialism

Great stuff, huh? 

No, this isn't a joke.  It's really an American college kid writing a love poem to Hezbollah, while claiming to be a supporter of non-violence.  The cognitive dissonance here is nothing short of alarming.

The second one is a 19-year old kid from Phoenix.  Specialist Vilhelm Heerup is an Army Reservist who clerked for his engineer dad while growing up.  Now he's evaluating six-digit civil and structural engineering projects in Iraq.  It's up to this young man to ensure the contractors are meeting deadlines and aren't cutting corners as the Army builds water-treatment plants in the Iraqi north.  They don't get paid until he gives the thumbs-up.

If you could have one of these young people as your son or daughter, which would you pick?

U.S. Navy Sailors have option to serve in ground combat role

Originally Posted at http://sheepdog.townhall.com on July 28, 2006

Sailors ranging from E-3 (Seaman/Airman/Fireman) to 0-6 (Captain), can now volunteer to serve in a ground-combat role as an Individual Augmentee.  Candidates will undergo an intense "immersion" training session where they will learn basic combat techniques, convoy protection, etc.  Then they will ship out to serve in security roles in various Navy installations, as well as to augment the Army and Marines on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have some mixed feelings about this.  First of all, I went through Navy boot camp, and I think it remains a somewhat demanding experience for most young people.  However, the weapons training was minimal (I had to qualify with a 9mm pistol ... that was it), and there was no combat training, as such.  Rather than combat training, Sailors spend most of boot camp learning how to fight the dangers they will face at sea on a ship: electrical and other kinds of fires as well as how to stop flooding.  Every member of a warship's crew is a firefighter of some kind, and everyone is expected to know how to deal with water pouring through a hole in the hull, for example.  This is not easy, mind you ... all of it requires teamwork, mental and physical strength, and the ability to endure hours clothed in firefighting gear and breathing through an OBA, often in cramped, smoke-filled corridors or overheated engine rooms.  Navy Aviation-types also have to deal with dangers like JP-5 fires (not to mention getting sucked into an aircraft intake or sliced in half when an arresting cable snaps).  In other words, it's tough.  I'm proud of the training I went through as a Sailor and I'm proud of all the young men and women out there at sea.  They might not be getting shot at every day,but the dangers they do face are not insignificant, and they do us all proud.

That said ... ground combat is an entirely different animal.  It occurs to me that your average Soldier on the ground in Iraq would be about as happy to see a Sailor fresh from a two-week combat course fumbling with his M-16 and tagging along on patrol, as I would have been to see a Soldier fresh from Iraq fumbling with his firefighting gear and trying to find his battle-station with the 1-MC wailing and multiple Silkworms inbound.

Politics: Israel's Achilles' Heel

Originally Posted at http://sheepdog.townhall.com on July 28, 2006

According to a STRATFOR special report, the Olmert cabinet met yesterday and decided not to "expand" the operation in South Lebanon.  The author of this analysis beleives this might be a feint on the part of the Israeli government:

Israel is likely exaggerating the extent to which the military and Cabinet are divided over how to continue in this military campaign, ...

Well, that may be true, but I fail to see what Israel would gain from such a strategy.  It certainly won't have any effect on Hezbollah's plans besides possibly stepping up the rocket attacks.

The fact is that everyone -- including Yoni -- is trying to make sense of how the Olmert governemnt is running this campaign, and so far there is no consensus on what the Israeli's are up to -- other than clearly failing to meet the objectives they must meet in order to make this entire operation a success.  They are not going to destroy Hezbollah purely by air-power and short incursions of troops, and they are running out of time.

Good news for military members seeking to donate bone marrow

Originally Posted at http://sheepdog.townhall.com on July 27, 2006

In reference to my post from yesterday about Michael Yon and Blackfive's effort to help a Navy Seal in need of a bone marrow transplant, I discovered today that I am eligible to become a bone marrow donor through the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program.  They are sending me a kit which should arrive next week.  If you are in serving on Active Duty, Reserve or in the National Guard, or you are a veteran and/or a DoD civilian (I am both), there is no cost involved other than the postage.

Call 1-800-MARROW-3 and give them your name and address.  Or visit this site for more information.

Wow ... all I can say is ... Wow!

Originally Posted at http://sheepdog.townhall.com on July 27, 2006

I've read plenty of Bill Whittle's stuff, but the first chapter of his book is something to experience.  This man is a national treasure!  Do yourself a HUGE favor, stop whatever it is you are doing, and take a few minutes to read this amazing bit of writing (HT: Blackfive).

I'm getting tested this week ...

Originally Posted at http://sheepdog.townhall.com on July 27, 2006

Blackfive and Michael Yon have teamed up to get the word out about a Navy Seal named Justin who has luekemia and needs a bone marrow transplant.  The marrow he needs is remarkably rare, so the more people get tested, the better chance Justin has to live.

I just found out about this and will be arranging to get tested starting tomorrow morning.  I should know by next week if I'm a match, and I'll post the results. 

Please visit this site to see if you can help save Justin's life.  Few of us will ever be able to have such a direct and positive impact on the life of someone who has served our country so honorably.  Actions speak louder than words.