Target Shoots First

I'm watching "Target Shoots First", a 1990's documentary film by a philosophy major who gets a job working as a marketing director for Columbia House Music Club right out of college. (I feel a special kinship with all philosophy majors who go on to get jobs doing something completely other than what they studied in college). . . . it's an interesting, honest and yes, very witty portrayal of a morally-conflicted 90's punk-rocker trapped in corporate marketing hell -- and I am astonished at just how much work goes into producing one of those catalogues that I so casually throw away each month.

A Marine sees what defeatists don't

What with all the pessimism and hand-wringing about Iraq, sometimes I'm tempted to turn off the television. Now this breath of fresh air from a marine, writing from the field:

. . . War is inherently ugly and dramatic. I don't blame reporters for focusing on the burning vehicles, the mutilated bodies or the personal tragedies. The editors have little choice but to print the photos from the Abu Ghraib prison and the tales of the insurgency in Fallujah. These things sell news and remind us of the sober reality of our commitment to the Iraqi people. The actions of our armed forces are rightfully subject to scrutiny.

I am not ignorant of the political issues, either. But as a professional, I have the luxury of putting politics aside and focusing on the task at hand. Protecting people from terrorists and criminals while building schools and lasting friendships is a good mission, no matter what brush it's tarred with.

Nothing any talking head will say can deter me or my fellow Marines from caring about the people of Iraq, or take away from the sacrifices of our comrades. Fear in the face of adversity is human nature, and many people who take the counsel of their fears speak today. We are not deaf to their cries; neither do we take heed. All we ask is that Americans stand by us by supporting not just the troops, but also the mission.

We'll take care of the rest.

Maj. Ben Connable, a foreign-area officer and intelligence officer with the 1st Marine Division.
"A Marine sees what defeatists don't", USA Today May 18, 2004.

Good news from Iraq!

Prisoner abuse, Shia uprising, prisoner abuse, Fallujah, prisoner abuse, lost heart and minds, prisoner abuse... Oh, did I mention prisoner abuse?

The news from Iraq has been consistently bad for two month now, with one "quagmire" after another cheering up the media, the left and the "Arab street", and depressing the hell out of most conservatives.

So, for a change, here's some good news from Iraq that you might have missed . . . READ MORE

Blogger Chrenkoff takes it upon himself to give a "fair and balanced" portrayal of Iraq, given the media's lack of emphasis on the positive.

Library of Alexandria discovered.

A Polish-Egyptian team has excavated parts of the Bruchion region of the Mediterranean city and discovered what look like lecture halls or auditoria.

Two thousand years ago, the library housed works by the greatest thinkers and writers of the ancient world.

Works by Plato and Socrates and many others were later destroyed in a fire.

Oldest University

Announcing their discovery at a conference being held at the University of California, Zahi Hawass, president of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the 13 lecture halls uncovered could house as many as 5,000 students in total.

A conspicuous feature of the rooms, he said, was a central elevated podium for the lecturer to stand on.

"It is the first time ever that such a complex of lecture halls has been uncovered on any Greco-Roman site in the whole Mediterranean area," he added.

"It is perhaps the oldest university in the world." . . . READ MORE

Source: Dr. David Whitehouse. BBC Online Science Editor. May 13, 2004.

Call me a geek, but this just made my day.

What's really happening in Iraq . . .

Not that you would hear it from the mainstream press, but here are several positive letters from our troops, here:

The fighting we are engaged in against the uprising of Muqtada Al-Sadr is one that is extremely sensitive and risks catastrophe. Had we entered this previously, it would not have been possible for us to win. Over the months, we have been involved in preparations and much planning. Thus, today we are scoring amazing successes against this would-be tyrant. I ask that the American people be brave. Don't fall for the spin by the weak and timid amongst you that are portraying this battle as a disaster. Such people are always looking for our failure to justify and rescue their constant pessimism. They are raising false flags of defeat in the press and media. It just isn't true. . . . READ MORE

And here:

It would be interesting to see someone track all the dire accounts and predictions that were issued over the past three weeks to see if they've been accurate. I read reports that we were cut off and couldn't get supplies. Reality: Not true, they failed. A popular revolution was taking place in the south and Sadr was leading a new Shia revolt. Reality: Not true. Shia militia are killing Sadr's folks in Najaf because they don't respect him and they're sick of him. He's the same buffoon he was last month. Falloujah would ignite the Arab world (how many times have we heard that one). Reality: Despite the best efforts of Al-Jazira to make us look like Atilla the Hun, there has been no explosion of populist anger. The same problems exist that existed last month - no better, no worse. . . . READ MORE

And here:

. . . As for the Abu Garayb atrocities, that is exactly what they are. I have been inside this prison several times. I never saw anything like what is now on the news but we did see a general lack of discipline among the service members in there when we arrived. We are horribly ashamed that fellow service members would do such a thing. It does not matter that it was Army or National Guard. Most Marines and Sailors in the Regiment have had their hands on detainees. It is a very emotional and taxing situation especially if the guy was just shooting at you. However, these prison guards didn't go out on patrol and capture the Iraqis, nor did they conduct a raid and grab them in a very dangerous operation. They simply failed at every level to maintain even the most basic standards not only of US servicemembers but as human beings. They traded the Nations moral high ground and fueled the extremists message of hate as a result of their weakness. Unfortunately they did it not just to themselves but every where a Marine or Soldier patrols tonight across the globe and even for every American citizen who travels abroad and naturally represents the United States.

What do we do? I can only imagine this is what people must be asking. I can only share what the Marines here believe. We stand and fight. We honestly and absolutely accept responsibility and do our best through out actions to convince the world that those acts were conducted by criminals and are not indicative of our values or intentions. We continue to go on patrol and do our best to kill the terrorists and protect the people. We stay tolerant one second longer. We adjust to a very fluid environment and stay faithful to our values. We live up to what the American people expect of United States Marines and we maintain high expectations of the American people. We share our courage with both the Iraqi people and even our neighbors, fight like hell when the situation dictates and maintain our humanity through it all. . . . READ MORE

Thanks to Instapundit and Citizen Smash for relaying the news.

What would we do without blogs?

Senator Kerry's war buddies critical of his post-war conduct.

Press release from the recently-formed organization 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth':

(May 4-Washington, D.C.)  Today, a group of Swift Boat veterans from the unit in which Senator John Kerry served announced the formation of an organization, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The organization has been formed in order to bring the truth about Kerry to the American people. The organization intends to discuss Kerry’s war crimes charges, Kerry’s record and to request that Kerry authorize the Department of Defense to release the originals and the complete files relating to his military service and medical military records.

The group released a historic letter expressing the overwhelming opposition of those who served with Kerry or in his unit to his misrepresentation of his record and the unit’s record. The letter is signed by Swift Boat veterans at all levels and from the entire political spectrum; the entire chain of command during the period Kerry served in Vietnam; veterans who participated in the engagements resulting in his medals; and the majority of officers who served with him in Coastal Division 11, the unit in which he spent most of his four month tour of duty. Public circulation of the letter began one week ago and collected hundreds of signatures. The signers already make up a majority of the Swift Vets whose addresses can be found. The complete record of signers and comments will be posted on Swiftvets.com.

Lynn Faulkner, his daughter, Ashley, and their neighbor, Linda Prince, eagerly waited to shake the president's hand Tuesday at the Golden Lamb Inn. He worked the line at a steady campaign pace, smiling, nodding and signing autographs until Prince spoke:

"This girl lost her mom in the World Trade Center on 9-11."

Bush stopped and turned back.

"He changed from being the leader of the free world to being a father, a husband and a man," Faulkner said. "He looked right at her and said, 'How are you doing?' He reached out with his hand and pulled her into his chest."

Faulkner snapped one frame with his camera.

"I could hear her say, 'I'm OK,' " he said. "That's more emotion than she has shown in 21/2 years. Then he said, 'I can see you have a father who loves you very much.' "

"And I said, 'I do, Mr. President, but I miss her mother every day.' It was a special moment."

Not Unfamiliar

Writing for NRO (National Review Online), Donna Hughes asks some pertinent questions:

President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have condemned the acts and the abuse of the Iraqis. They said that these acts do not represent American values. I want to believe that is true. Yet, I see the common themes and methods used by other types of perpetrators on different victims. These similar images are what the young American soldiers from the Internet generation have grown up with and learned to call "adult entertainment." Did they become desensitized to the harm of doing such things to people by seeing multiple images of similar abuse to women? Did they learn how to violate someone by being a voyeur to abuse, and in Abu Ghraib they had the chance to become perpetrators — and pornographers? Did they fully comprehend the harm they were doing?

Betrayal.

Regarding the reports of prisoner abuse in Iraq, the complete text of the investigation of which has been made public, and about which blogger Bill Cork has some insightful commentary . . . I hope they take every single person complicit in the affair, from the top all the way to the bottom of the ranks, and throw the book at them.

I was 100% behind the liberation of Iraq and regarded it as completely justified. Those photographs spell the complete betrayal of democracy and the very intent of the mission itself; if every Arab regarded our government's promises with skepticism before, they certainly have a right to do so now.

If we "lose" the war -- and by that I mean if Iraq decides to exchange a representative democracy for some kind of Islamic totalitarian rule after the Taliban -- we will have ourselves to blame.

Completely, utterly disgusted and sickened.

California Falls Into The Pacific Ocean!

NBC is running a great earthquake movie today called "10.5". (My wife finds my interest in such "natural disaster" events very peculiar).

I was personally amused to find the following posted on the official website of the State of California:

"No matter where you live, work, or travel in California, the earthquake risk is there and you must be ready for it," said OES Director Dallas Jones. "The first step in being prepared is understanding that Hollywood's upcoming earthquake miniseries puts myth, fantasy and entertainment before factual science."

Earthquake experts agree that the catastrophic damage depicted in the film is unrealistic. California will not fall into the Pacific Ocean, and huge crevasses will not suddenly open up in the earth. Likewise, there will not be widespread collapse of buildings, bridges other structures. California's building codes ensure that newer structures will not suffer major collapses.

The bottom line for Californians is that there is no sense being frightened by NBC's science fantasy. Earthquakes will occur and we can prepare to protect ourselves and get out safely.

Yeah, right . . . I'm still not moving to California anytime soon!

Update: also posted is a review of the series by the California Department of Conservation. Cute!

Senator Kerry Throws Medals Like A Girl!

Unpublished transcript from Good Morning America:

GIBSON: Did you forget I was there? That was the lamest throw I have ever laid eyes on. You barely cleared…

KERRY: I am not sure why you would say that Charlie, I have quite the manly arm.

GIBSON: I distinctly recall you executing more of a light toss, or a flip.

KERRY: This is ridiculous; a reporter of the "Boston Globe" was there, dozens of photographers were there. I clearly threw those medals over in a manly maneuver.

GIBSON: Medals?

KERRY: I did not say medals.

GIBSON: How do you explain the folding of your right leg? I noticed it, others did to. I believe you also did somewhat of a hop.

KERRY: Absolutely, that's absolutely incorrect Charlie. Both my feet where planted firmly on the ground. A reporter of the "Boston Globe" was there, dozens of photographers were there. I, without a doubt, threw like a man. I was in Vietnam you know. I won a purple heart, I won a bronze star. You do not get those by throwing like a girl.

GIBSON: The reporter from the “Boston Globe” called you Sally. Could it be possible you are unaware of your feminine throw? Is it possible that you cannot make the distinction?

KERRY: We made no distinction back then, Charlie. We made no distinction whether it was a feminine toss. I was in Vietnam.

GIBSON: Senator, are you crying?

From the parody website Broken Newz.