Two freakin' comments? Really, America?
OK.
1. Social Security. Not an easy fix. On the one hand, yes, give us our money back and let us have it to do with as we please...On the other hand, what happens when my generation gets old? They freaking starve, man. Social Security isn't really working, but it will be enough to keep me and the wife in cat food (so we don't starve) in case our kids are too poor, busy, or mean to take care of us when we're old.
I am still researching this issue, so I'm going to wait until I have an intelligent piece to present before I take it too far.
2. Corruption. Simple solution-Hanging...
Corruption in Congress is equal to treason, and so justifies the Death Penalty.
If we pay Congress the median income for a family of four for each district, outlaw lobbyists, and publicly execute those found guilty of treason, to include the taking of bribes, etc., lots of American problems would fix themselves.
This country is rife with corruption. Cops, Judges, Soldiers, reporters, Congressmen, Teachers-You name it. The problem is that there are no set values anymore. Everything is to be tolerated and accepted. Any intolerance is considered "judgmental" or "prejudice". America is turning a blind eye to the worst kind of behavior, all in the name of tolerance. People no longer take the law into their own hands because we believe it to be wrong. In the meantime, in communities like the one I live in, the local political and corporate corruption becomes a sad joke, due largely to the fact that no one feels like they can do anything about it.
So, Anonymous, here's your answer-If you want to stop corruption, you have to stand up to it. Vote out corrupt persons, call the proper authorities, do what has to be done. Looking to politicians ( or self-inflated bloggers) to stop corruption is counter-productive.
The only way to stop something from happening is to take action. Anything else is just a complaint after the fact.
And, see, once again the solution to one of Americas problems is for citizens to get involved and to take action.
...probably too much to ask...
Picture of the Week
Really, America?...
25 July 2007
Shooby Dooby Doo...
Tonight I resume my candidacy for King of North America.
I shall prove my worth to you, my potential subjects, by allowing you to ask of me anything that you wish. Present to me a problem that this great nation faces, and I will give you a practical and economically sound solution.
I dare you...
I shall prove my worth to you, my potential subjects, by allowing you to ask of me anything that you wish. Present to me a problem that this great nation faces, and I will give you a practical and economically sound solution.
I dare you...
22 July 2007
From Deep Inside the Mind of Bulldog23A...
OK, this may disturb you...
Today we are going to talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
PTSD isn't so much about combat as one might think. PTSD is more about what happens after combat. Put a guy in a high-stress, life-threatening situation, and something like 99.1% of all men will respond with the appropriate action. After the battle, when the guys have time to think about things, they often go one of two ways. Some guys will shut down and stop functioning in a normal manner. They won't eat, they won't sleep, and they won't be able to go back into battle. It happens to good guys all the time. The other group will get off on it so much that they will begin to thrive on violence. This is not bad behavior until they get home and continue to act in this manner.
You see, the hardest part of combat is coming home.
I'll use me as an example: I was a fire-team leader in Iraq. I had to supervise three guys in a combat environment. I had to be an example to them, and had to be sure that they would follow me into any situation. At times, I had to maintain my composure even when that was the last thing that I wanted to do...
Anyway, my days went like this:
1. Get out of bed (hopefully not in a hurry).
2. Tell my team to get up.
3. Eat.
4. Go on patrol. Maybe get shot at. Shoot back. Kick in doors. Search houses. Ask questions. Get answers.
5. Go back to base.
6. Clean weapons and equipment.
7. Get ready for next patrol.
8. Play Football on PS2 to unwind.
9. Go to sleep.
You see, my life was very simple over there, and I had the tough job. (Yes, Fire Team Leader is the toughest job, in my opinion). When I was on the street in Iraq, violence of some kind was the answer to every problem that arose. We were the all-powerful presence of the United States. I never had to sweat the light bill, the length of the grass, or the house payment. I never once took out the trash. I just had to keep from getting shot or blown up. It was easy.
Then I came home. Violence was no longer an acceptable answer to every problem. I became the paranoid guy that would snap for no reason. I still felt like I was ten feet tall and bulletproof ('cause I am), but I wasn't allowed to act like it.I had to be tolerant of people. I had to be patient with my wife and kids. I couldn't carry my weapon in the car. No one was trying to kill me. It was just strange. I also had to keep up with a whole lot of stuff, like the house payment, the yard (which I still let go at times), I even had to take out the trash. I wanted to be back in Iraq.
It took me about four months to stop wishing I was in Iraq. It took me about a year to stop jumping at loud noises. I still get paranoid in a crowd. I still have nightmares (the life-long curse of the Infantry Soldier). But I function at a relatively normal level.
Here's the thing; I don't have PTSD. I may have had a lot of the symptoms for awhile, but I don't feel like a victim of the war or anything. I'm not quite right, but then, I never really was.
A guy I know volunteered to go back with another unit. He was buried today. I wish I had the words to convey how strange that I feel about this. I'm sad for his family, but I think he died doing what he wanted to do. We weren't close, but he was a Soldier, so there was a bond. I wish that he had been more comfortable at home. I wish that he had had more time with his children.
On to my point. I've said it before, and I'll say again, I'm sure- Let's kick the crap out of these miscreants or get out. There can be no justifiable compromise at this point. Either we made mistakes and people died, or we plan to win something.
Don't get me wrong, when it comes down to it, Soldiers are in it for their buddies, and the politics don't really matter. But those of you who are "too smart for the Infantry" can surely see why we should end this one way or another.
Today we are going to talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
PTSD isn't so much about combat as one might think. PTSD is more about what happens after combat. Put a guy in a high-stress, life-threatening situation, and something like 99.1% of all men will respond with the appropriate action. After the battle, when the guys have time to think about things, they often go one of two ways. Some guys will shut down and stop functioning in a normal manner. They won't eat, they won't sleep, and they won't be able to go back into battle. It happens to good guys all the time. The other group will get off on it so much that they will begin to thrive on violence. This is not bad behavior until they get home and continue to act in this manner.
You see, the hardest part of combat is coming home.
I'll use me as an example: I was a fire-team leader in Iraq. I had to supervise three guys in a combat environment. I had to be an example to them, and had to be sure that they would follow me into any situation. At times, I had to maintain my composure even when that was the last thing that I wanted to do...
Anyway, my days went like this:
1. Get out of bed (hopefully not in a hurry).
2. Tell my team to get up.
3. Eat.
4. Go on patrol. Maybe get shot at. Shoot back. Kick in doors. Search houses. Ask questions. Get answers.
5. Go back to base.
6. Clean weapons and equipment.
7. Get ready for next patrol.
8. Play Football on PS2 to unwind.
9. Go to sleep.
You see, my life was very simple over there, and I had the tough job. (Yes, Fire Team Leader is the toughest job, in my opinion). When I was on the street in Iraq, violence of some kind was the answer to every problem that arose. We were the all-powerful presence of the United States. I never had to sweat the light bill, the length of the grass, or the house payment. I never once took out the trash. I just had to keep from getting shot or blown up. It was easy.
Then I came home. Violence was no longer an acceptable answer to every problem. I became the paranoid guy that would snap for no reason. I still felt like I was ten feet tall and bulletproof ('cause I am), but I wasn't allowed to act like it.I had to be tolerant of people. I had to be patient with my wife and kids. I couldn't carry my weapon in the car. No one was trying to kill me. It was just strange. I also had to keep up with a whole lot of stuff, like the house payment, the yard (which I still let go at times), I even had to take out the trash. I wanted to be back in Iraq.
It took me about four months to stop wishing I was in Iraq. It took me about a year to stop jumping at loud noises. I still get paranoid in a crowd. I still have nightmares (the life-long curse of the Infantry Soldier). But I function at a relatively normal level.
Here's the thing; I don't have PTSD. I may have had a lot of the symptoms for awhile, but I don't feel like a victim of the war or anything. I'm not quite right, but then, I never really was.
A guy I know volunteered to go back with another unit. He was buried today. I wish I had the words to convey how strange that I feel about this. I'm sad for his family, but I think he died doing what he wanted to do. We weren't close, but he was a Soldier, so there was a bond. I wish that he had been more comfortable at home. I wish that he had had more time with his children.
On to my point. I've said it before, and I'll say again, I'm sure- Let's kick the crap out of these miscreants or get out. There can be no justifiable compromise at this point. Either we made mistakes and people died, or we plan to win something.
Don't get me wrong, when it comes down to it, Soldiers are in it for their buddies, and the politics don't really matter. But those of you who are "too smart for the Infantry" can surely see why we should end this one way or another.
16 July 2007
Its A Freak Country
I am looking at the Sunday paper, and I gotta say, "What the hell?...
One story tells how Nuri Al-Maliki, the president of Iraq, says that we can go home or to hell, or whatever. Another tells of a recent surge in Air Force bombing missions over Iraq.
If they don't want us there, and we don't want to be there, and we have to keep dropping expensive bombs and shooting expensive bullets (and we Soldiers ain't cheap, either, no matter what you may have heard), why don't we just leave Iraq?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking a political side here, because I don't really believe that Congress or the President give a rat's ass what I think, anyway. What I am saying is that, at this point, how can we possibly benefit from continuing in Iraq? What are our long-term goals? We aren't exactly making the world a better place (aside from killing a few wannabe martyrs). We aren't stealing oil (which, I must add, is an exeptionally poor policy). We are just there...
So screw 'em. Let's pull out, let the civil war run hot and heavy, and get on with the business of giving our country to Mexico (is that the plan?) and Ecuador. These nutjob ragheads will get done killing each other (eventually), and then we can bomb the shit out of their terrorist training camps and go back to life as it should be.
In the meantime, I'm watching Congress make a big show of voting for an exit plan, knowing all the while that the Commander-in-Chief gets to make that call. People are on the edge of their seats while yet again our illustrious fat-ass three-piece leaders pontificate and posture their way toward the fantastic day of choice that always ends up about as satisfying as a tiny fart on the toilet after a mad dash to the john due to an anticipated intestinal nuclear event.
I love America. Stupid sells, and, by God, we got plenty. Fags and freaks, wetbacks and dope fiends, we have it all! Yes, sir. Step right up, we'll entertain you with our every move, motive, and attitude! We'll overstate the obvious, understate the extreme, over do and under sell every domestic product, and we'll even dumb down the next generation so you get more long-term stupidity for your hard-earned nine-dollars-an-hour minimum fucking wage!
We have turned America into a sad, stupid clown, and while it may be inconvenient for the likes of you, faithful reader, the whole world is laughing at us, so we can at least go to our grave knowing that we have been, as always, a beacon to the world.
One story tells how Nuri Al-Maliki, the president of Iraq, says that we can go home or to hell, or whatever. Another tells of a recent surge in Air Force bombing missions over Iraq.
If they don't want us there, and we don't want to be there, and we have to keep dropping expensive bombs and shooting expensive bullets (and we Soldiers ain't cheap, either, no matter what you may have heard), why don't we just leave Iraq?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking a political side here, because I don't really believe that Congress or the President give a rat's ass what I think, anyway. What I am saying is that, at this point, how can we possibly benefit from continuing in Iraq? What are our long-term goals? We aren't exactly making the world a better place (aside from killing a few wannabe martyrs). We aren't stealing oil (which, I must add, is an exeptionally poor policy). We are just there...
So screw 'em. Let's pull out, let the civil war run hot and heavy, and get on with the business of giving our country to Mexico (is that the plan?) and Ecuador. These nutjob ragheads will get done killing each other (eventually), and then we can bomb the shit out of their terrorist training camps and go back to life as it should be.
In the meantime, I'm watching Congress make a big show of voting for an exit plan, knowing all the while that the Commander-in-Chief gets to make that call. People are on the edge of their seats while yet again our illustrious fat-ass three-piece leaders pontificate and posture their way toward the fantastic day of choice that always ends up about as satisfying as a tiny fart on the toilet after a mad dash to the john due to an anticipated intestinal nuclear event.
I love America. Stupid sells, and, by God, we got plenty. Fags and freaks, wetbacks and dope fiends, we have it all! Yes, sir. Step right up, we'll entertain you with our every move, motive, and attitude! We'll overstate the obvious, understate the extreme, over do and under sell every domestic product, and we'll even dumb down the next generation so you get more long-term stupidity for your hard-earned nine-dollars-an-hour minimum fucking wage!
We have turned America into a sad, stupid clown, and while it may be inconvenient for the likes of you, faithful reader, the whole world is laughing at us, so we can at least go to our grave knowing that we have been, as always, a beacon to the world.
11 July 2007
Things That Don't Exist
I keep hearing about tolerance and peace and blah, blah, blah.
In the words of Fire Marshall Bill, "Let me tell ya sumthin!"
There is no denying that the world is on the fast track to worse than it already is. This great nation, while still the best, is being chauffeured straight to hades by a handful of mental midgets and a cargo-hold full of "tolerant" people.
Tolerance means I should be accepting that not everyone votes the same way I do (I protest!) or goes to the same church.
Tolerance has been redefined of late as something less benign.
Let's take a look at Islam:
Islamic Fundamentalists are all about killing people. Hard line "moderate" Muslims still treat women like cattle. The religion is spreading like a case of the clap in an Alabama frat house. Anywhere that Muhammed goes, problems are sure to follow. Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, and Brittain are all dealing with civil unrest in their Muslim communities, they are all having to revamp their legal systems, and all have suffered some sort of terrorist attacks from within. But we should be "tolerant" of Islam.
Screw That.
The moderate Muslims aren't burying their heads in the sand...
They don't exist.
In the words of Fire Marshall Bill, "Let me tell ya sumthin!"
There is no denying that the world is on the fast track to worse than it already is. This great nation, while still the best, is being chauffeured straight to hades by a handful of mental midgets and a cargo-hold full of "tolerant" people.
Tolerance means I should be accepting that not everyone votes the same way I do (I protest!) or goes to the same church.
Tolerance has been redefined of late as something less benign.
Let's take a look at Islam:
Islamic Fundamentalists are all about killing people. Hard line "moderate" Muslims still treat women like cattle. The religion is spreading like a case of the clap in an Alabama frat house. Anywhere that Muhammed goes, problems are sure to follow. Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, and Brittain are all dealing with civil unrest in their Muslim communities, they are all having to revamp their legal systems, and all have suffered some sort of terrorist attacks from within. But we should be "tolerant" of Islam.
Screw That.
The moderate Muslims aren't burying their heads in the sand...
They don't exist.
08 July 2007
Every Soldier A Rifleman
I'm watching CNN...
A bunch of Soldiers are whining...
Let me say two things here:
1. I lost friends in Iraq, so understand that this is no easy topic for me. I feel for every Soldier that falls. I feel for every family that loses a loved one. But remember, there are no draftees in Iraq.
2. I just listened to a guy talk about how all these commo and artillery pukes are being "dumbed down" to be Infantry troops. Let me give you a brief job description:
An Infantry Soldier must know all of the "Skill Level 1 and 2" Warrior tasks. These are common tasks that every Soldier in the Army is required to know. An Infantry Soldier also has to know how to maintain and operate all communication equipment, vehicles, weapons systems, and just about anything else that could be considered "Mission Essential". Every Soldier, be they admin clerks, medics, or mechanics, should be proficient at basic combat skills. The job of the Army is, after all, to fight wars.
There is no "Dumbing Down" to Infantry level. Be aware, if you are considering enlistment, that all Soldiers have the potential to be assigned to an "Infantry" type mission. That's just how it is.
That being said, I do want to say "Thank You" to all of the non-infantry troops who are out there fighting the fight without whining to the press every chance they get. Thanks to the Airmen and the Squids who are out there, too.
CNN paints a picture of an incapable Army. That's just not true. What makes us incapable is the presence of TV cameras and reporters with an urge to make Soldiers look like assholes. I say again, War is an ugly thing, and as long as civilized people are watching from civilized places with civilized comforts and civilized ideas in their heads, and as long as those same people have influence on the laws and regulations that guide Soldiers in their fight, Soldiers will seem a little less capable, because we are not nation builders. We are destroyers of armies and killers of men.
By the way, I have a couple of friends who seem to think that they are somehow less worthy of citizenship because they never served in the Armed Forces of these United States. Stop that. Being politically involved makes you more than worthy. We all serve our society in our own way. Some of us are just dumb enough to be in the Infantry.
A bunch of Soldiers are whining...
Let me say two things here:
1. I lost friends in Iraq, so understand that this is no easy topic for me. I feel for every Soldier that falls. I feel for every family that loses a loved one. But remember, there are no draftees in Iraq.
2. I just listened to a guy talk about how all these commo and artillery pukes are being "dumbed down" to be Infantry troops. Let me give you a brief job description:
An Infantry Soldier must know all of the "Skill Level 1 and 2" Warrior tasks. These are common tasks that every Soldier in the Army is required to know. An Infantry Soldier also has to know how to maintain and operate all communication equipment, vehicles, weapons systems, and just about anything else that could be considered "Mission Essential". Every Soldier, be they admin clerks, medics, or mechanics, should be proficient at basic combat skills. The job of the Army is, after all, to fight wars.
There is no "Dumbing Down" to Infantry level. Be aware, if you are considering enlistment, that all Soldiers have the potential to be assigned to an "Infantry" type mission. That's just how it is.
That being said, I do want to say "Thank You" to all of the non-infantry troops who are out there fighting the fight without whining to the press every chance they get. Thanks to the Airmen and the Squids who are out there, too.
CNN paints a picture of an incapable Army. That's just not true. What makes us incapable is the presence of TV cameras and reporters with an urge to make Soldiers look like assholes. I say again, War is an ugly thing, and as long as civilized people are watching from civilized places with civilized comforts and civilized ideas in their heads, and as long as those same people have influence on the laws and regulations that guide Soldiers in their fight, Soldiers will seem a little less capable, because we are not nation builders. We are destroyers of armies and killers of men.
By the way, I have a couple of friends who seem to think that they are somehow less worthy of citizenship because they never served in the Armed Forces of these United States. Stop that. Being politically involved makes you more than worthy. We all serve our society in our own way. Some of us are just dumb enough to be in the Infantry.
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