I had occasion last night to play poker with a World War II Marine.
There isn't much to say about it, even thought I thought it was a remarkable experience. The fellow is now nearly eighty, and still a good poker player though he had a bad night. As a consequence, I also had a bad night -- I was damned if I was going to leave the table having made money off a World War II Marine. I ended up playing to lose until he left for the evening. I won my stake back on the last few hands, but I barely came out better than even for the evening.
I asked if he was a Marine because he was, nearly sixty years after having left the Corps, still wearing a cap with the USMC emblem on it. He allowed that he was, and said nothing more about it. Others at the table filled me in on his record with enthusiasm, but he only growled about it and insisted that somebody cut the #$@!ing cards.
Once a Marine, always a Marine.
It made me remember that it was time to change the charity linked behind the Leatherneck Tartan at the top right of the blog. I've set it to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Those of you in a giving mood, etc.
MC WWII
The Courier-Mail: Cleric Bashir gets 2� years [03mar05]
Well, he didn't walk. Not exactly. The death-penalty prosecution, in the most important terror trial in Asia, did manage to find a charge that pinned 2 1/2 years on the fellow. He was, however, cleared of most of the charges.
The trial is telling. At the end, supporters from the Indonesian Holy Warrior's Council (Majelis Mujahedeen Indonesia) cried aloud, dominating the courtroom and the streets beyond. "Allah Akbar!
The judges, meanwhile, immediately vacated the court, and vanished behind the protection of the state.
signandsight
That is the name of a new website, devoted to European thinking. It is to be published in English, which Arts & Letters Daily describes as 'the only pan-European language.'
Curiously, S&S has an article on just that topic: Manifesto. It begins with the death of a famous French writer, who hated the French press, but loved the German one. So, he stipulated that his final work could only be published in France after it had been published in Germany:
What happened was nothing. Several months after Bourdieu's death, Suhrkamp published "Esquisse pour une auto-analyse" as a slim volume. Utter silence. The German media failed to understand this as a scoop, a text that was awaited elsewhere, a gift from Bourdieu to what he considered a qualified German public. Months later the press published a few obligatory reviews. The French didn't bat an eyelid. While a small excerpt had provoked a scandal only a few months before, the full text went unnoticed. No one in the French media reads the German papers thoroughly, and no scouts are keeping track of cultural trends in Germany. Only when the volume was published in France did the usual brouhaha begin.The author of this piece asks, "Is there a Europe beyond milk quotas?" If the cultures are that disconnected and disinterested, to what degree is there a Europe at all? Not only are the cultures disconnected, but their understanding of core symbols is often reversed:
The Bourdieu effect is not uncommon. When Jürgen Habermas launched his "Core Europe" initiative, no one joined the debate. Who outside the Netherlands had heard of Theo van Gogh before he was murdered? And when everybody in Paris was celebrating the 60th anniversary of the city's liberation in August last year, no one was aware of what was happening in Warsaw at the same time. While a few streets in Paris were being named after members of the communist resistance, whose valour is indisputable, Warsaw was fixated on the enduring memory of Stalin's icy smile as he watched Hitler bomb the Polish resistance into the ground. The end of liberation.The piece then turns to the case for, and against, English; and by extension, for and against America. It's an interesting read, but it finishes with this conclusion: "Let's talk European!"
By which they mean English.
Mudville Gazette
The Mudville Gazette has a photo essay on the breaking of chains. De Oppresso Liber.
Al Basrah.net invites US military men to break their own chains:
If you are united states military personnel and a conscientious objector to the war in Iraq, don’t wait any longer! As soon as you get back to America, pack your bags and head north.What are the advantages of desertion? There's a list:
You can go to the Canadian embassy in Washington D.C. for more information however, in order to make a clean escape, it is recommended that you tell as few people as possible of your plans and just make a break for the boarder.
When you arrive in Canada, head for the first government building you see, and tell them that you are in the united states military and that you would like to seek asylum in Canada.
CANADA IS THE CLEAR CHOICE AND THIS IS WHY:So really, we're all on the same side here. We just want to free people. Just some of us are vicious about it.
CANADA OFFERS:
* HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE. YOUR LIFE IN CANADA WILL BE JUST AS FUN AND EXCITING AS IT IS IN THE UNITED STATES; WITHOUT ALL THE HEADACHE!
* CANADIAN COLLEGES ARE TOP NOTCH AND THEY ARE FREE! NO INFLATED COST OF TUITION OR BOOKS - LIKE IN THE UNITED STATES.
* HEALTH CARE IN CANADA IS FREE! NO MORE HAVING TO PUT YOUR LIFE IN DANGER TO HAVE MEDICAL COVERAGE!
* THE PEOPLE IN CANADA ARE NICE - NOT VICIOUS LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES!
ONCE YOU MOVE TO CANADA, YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE AGAIN.
Pacific Currents: Gore draws Chinese to animal parks
Via the Best of the Web today, I saw this article on Chinese animal parks:
While some of these visitors may be animal lovers, they have not paid $7 apiece merely to drive around and admire the huge felines lounging about in their snowy compounds.But there is an innate sort of fairness at work:
They are here to see some action. But first, they must pay.
"You can buy a domesticated chicken for 40 yuan ($4.80) or for 100 yuan ($12.10) you can buy a wild one, which flies," the driver announces. "The effect is much different; it's exceptionally thrilling."
In their hourlong tour of this park, tourists will watch ravenous tigers chasing down live chickens, sheep and cows. Feathers will be plucked and limbs torn by the 300-pound cats while the tourists gasp, scream, cheer and recoil at the carnage.
Like many new industries in China, this one grew quickly without government oversight. Several people have been mauled to death at parks.Well, sometimes:
One park put a turtle in a glass box and allowed people to throw coins at it so they could try to hit its shell. At another, a tiger's head was chained down so that children could climb on its back for photos.This all reminds me of my time in China. In the city of HangZhou, once capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, there is a place called "the HangZhou Bird's Paradise."
A few parks even allow visitors to pay extra to watch a live horse get devoured by lions and tigers.
The chief attraction? Daily Cockfights, noon and three.
There are some photos from HangZhou here, which look enough like mine that I won't bother to upload the things.
Times Online - Sunday Times
Yeah, okay. But I'm still planning on eating one now and then.
The Blue Bus is calling us...: Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 110
It's things like this that have spurred me to teach the military science classes online. It isn't enough to be horrified; you have to go the next step, and realize that these things are probably going to come to America sooner or later. Many military scientists think that in "Fourth Generation" warfare, the distinction between civilian and military will largely disappear: the enemy will attack civilian targets so often that it will no longer be possible to rely on professional forces -- military or police -- as the primary defense of targets.
In broad terms, fourth generation warfare seems likely to be widely dispersed and largely undefined; the distinction between war and peace will be blurred to the vanishing point. It will be nonlinear, possibly to the point of having no definable battlefields or fronts. The distinction between "civilian" and "military" may disappear.The car bomb (or VBIED/SVBIED, in military-lingo) is by far the most deadly weapon in the hands of modern insurgents -- in Iraq or otherwise. Unless they get their hands on radiological / nuclear material, that will probably remain true; and even the radiological material is most effective when combined with a car bomb.
Car bombs can't be controlled by restricting access to explosives; the ones in Iraq often use tank or artillery shells just because there were so many weapons depots in Iraq, but it's just as easy to make them out of common household or farm chemicals. For the same reasons -- power and access to explosives -- they have been the most popular weapons for serious terrorists. The IRA's long-argued-over surrender of its guns is purely symbolic; the successes of the movement have been won with bombs, not guns.
There isn't a good way of countering these things. The standard way is to create checkpoints where you can stop and search every vehicle that passes, but these are so manpower intensive that you can't set up very many. As a consequence, the best you can usually do is to set them up randomly in the hope of catching the car bomber by surprise. Even then, a suicide car bomber will probably just detonate at the checkpoint, still managing to kill quite a few people. It is possible that in the future, technology solutions may arise to aid these problems: robots to man checkpoints, chemical sniffers to search cars (though again, the wide variety of potential explosives hampers the effort to develop such sniffers).
The other option is to erect barriers and create no-vehicle zones. There are some notable side benefits to doing so -- they create pleasant areas for families and children, a kind of "main street" feel for small-business friendly districts, etc.
However, their size is limited by pratical considerations (e.g., how do you get food to restaurants/grocery stores in these zones? Well, you have to carry it in, which you can only do over so much distance; therefore, the zone can only be so big). They end up being practical for small popular concentrations, such as small towns, but not for large cities (imagine trying to subdivide Manhattan into a series of no-vehicle zones). However, large cities are where they are needed most, b/c of the population concentration that makes it easiest to kill lots of people there.
The logical consequence is the finality of a trend that started fifty years ago: the death of big American cities. America is large enough, and rich, enough to redistribute its population into a series of no-vehicle exurb-style towns if the business becomes important. There is some indication that Americans would prefer that lifestyle anyway, and it's consistent with the service-based economy and increasing telecommunication. In fact, life in or near such a zone could be relatively more pleasant than in current, vehicle-based suburbs.
It won't work for nations whose economic base is manufacturing, however, where there has to be concentration of manpower in zones easy to reach by transportation. Technology solutions will have to serve there; but, of course, these relatively poorer nations are the least well-suited to developing those solutions.
From the Halls to the Shores
Mike the Marine has some movie reviews for you:
Regardless of all that, "Gung Ho!" is a film for the ages. It lets us see what America saw during a time of crisis sixty years ago. It clues us into the mindset required to win a war. And it lets us know just how far the Hollywood elites have removed themselves from their country in the sixty years since.Sometime Grim's Hall poster Daniel has book reviews.
And Doc Russia has (in addition to his take on the Tyler shooting) a few firearm reviews.
There you go: performance art, literature, and physical education. We aim for the well rounded man here at Grim's Hall.
BLACKFIVE
BlackFive links to this column from the Tennessean. The land of Davy Crockett continues to produce men who volunteer their services in the cause of liberty. That, we expect. But what shall we say to these children of Mesopotamia?
GruntDoc
This story from GruntDoc tells the whole tale. What these guys did is harder than anything I've ever been asked to do, or want to do. We often think of the serviceman, the armed citizen, and the policeman who confronts evil directly. But the medics are the ones who pick up the pieces, and start putting it all back together.
Sharp Knife
Noel at Sharp Knife has secret details from the exchange of letters between Ted Rall and David Horowitz. He has the on the record details too, of course.
MECHA WARRIORS: Turning Soldiers into Armored
That's the title of this article on efforts to build giant robots for the Army. One reservist has built one in his backyard that can shoot spikes and spit fire. Can't walk yet, but... one thing at a time.
Things like this and the TRAP make me think that the military is thinking ahead. What I imagine they are thinking is this: "We used to have the best marksmen in the world, because they all grew up shooting squirrel in the backwoods. What are we going to do when all our potential volunteers have only Xbox shooting skills?"
Well, we'll have the best giant robot warriors around, no doubt.
DriveWerks.com - 7" Straight Jaw Locking Pliers
Why, oh why, must these manufacturers of automobiles make battery terminals out of such poor quality steel?
Battery died in the truck today, so I hiked into town, got a new one, and carried it back. (An aside: these things are not feathers. My son, who is two, was deeply impressed. He kept trying to lift it after we got back home,and then pointing it out to his mother, and saying, "Daddy do!")
I have exactly the right size ratchet socket for the business of replacing the battery: 7/32. (For some reason, however, other bolts in the engine are metric; parts I have to take off to get at the battery are 12mm.) Fits like a glove; but no matter. The negative terminal came off with no problem, but add a little corrosion, and it's no go on the positive. The "steel" bolt stripped away like butter.
I ended up having to pry the thing loose with a pair of these. What a pain.
So, that's how I spent my afternoon. How was yours?
On the upside, the wife did compose a new song in honor of the occasion. She calls it "the Daddy Hero song." That's a bit much, but it is nice to hear her praise me to the boy, and it is nice to know I made her day.
Musings of The GeekWithA.45
The GeekWithA.45 has a story today that is both proud and tragic. It is tragic because it involves the death of a good, brave man acting in his proper role as a citizen: a defender of the common peace. It is proud for the same reason.
This law abiding fellow found himself outgunned by the criminal who killed him. He had armed himself with a 9mm handgun, to carry on his daily business. The fellow who came looking for trouble came with a Kalishnikov rifle, plus a bulletproof vest overtop of which he was wearing a flack jacket.
The armed citizen wasn't the only one outgunned; the police suffered three casualties as well. Mr. Mark Wilson, the armed citizen, is credited with saving the life of one of the intended victims, at the high cost of his own.
Another citizen, Ron Martell, followed the fleeing criminal by car in order to point him out to police. Between the two citizens, enough time was purchased for the police to coordinate their response and kill the criminal.
The Geek comments:
We must also remember that the problem of the armored opponent is solveable, and can occur at any time.Indeed, it is, and it can. There's enough body armor out there to pose a threat to police and citizens alike; we see it popping up just now and then among the more vicious criminals, the ones who set out to cause mayhem rather than just make money at their crime.
One of the easiest ways to solve the problem of body armor is with a rifle. Only the very best body armors can stop even one rifle round, though some of those can stop multiple hits of small-caliber rifle rounds. In addition to a vastly increased ability to overpower body armor, though, the rifle has the advantage of increased accuracy. At the short ranges at which gunfights are likely to take place, a rifle is almost pinpoint accurate. Striking areas not protected by the armor becomes much easier.
When I was growing up, it was entirely usual for people to carry a rifle or two in their truck, in town as in the country, mounted in a gun rack. I never heard of any of those weapons being used in a crime, and they provide a much improved capacity for a citizen called upon by Fate to do his duty for the common peace. In many states, there is no need for a permit to carry such a rifle, so long as it is openly displayed and/or carried without ammunition in the chamber.
There is an old adage: "Never take a handgun to a gunfight." Of course, we don't go looking for gunfights. But if you're going to prepare for the possibility that one might find you, a rifle can make a big difference.
China e-Lobby
China e-Lobby has a piece that points to an interesting fact: Huawei Technologies is a "principle supplier of Iraqi communications hardware for the current cellular contract."
Why is that interesting? Because Huawei has experience working with Iraq. They are "the Communist Chinese firm that integrated Saddam’s air defenses in 2001."
Good job, too. It's almost enough to make you wonder if they were on our payroll the whole time; indeed, I expect the topic to pop up any time on DU.
Setting aside conspiracy theorizing, however, I do wonder about this business. There was a great deal of moaning and whining about the CPA keeping French companies out of Iraq; but Communist Chinese ones, ones that actually participated in Saddam's defenses, are OK? Or has Iraq's interim government decided that they care more about integration into the world economy than they do about punishing bad actors? That would be an understandable sentiment, though I am always sad to see anyone doing trade with China's defense industry.
Speaking of which, here is a Xinhua piece on US-Japanese military integration. The Chinese have been feeling a bit sour since... well since about 1930, where Japan is concerned. But they've been especially irritable since this joint US/Japan statement on Taiwan. There are attempts to play it down, but there's no doubt that it's big news. I expect to see, in the next year or two, a Japanese amendment removing the pacifist language from their Constitution.
The Daily Collegian - No yellow ribbons here
I suppose a man writing from a publication called "The Daily Collegian" must desire an education, and I think he's going to get one. JHD points out that he's earned the wrath of a particularly fearsome bunch: The Marine Corps Moms.
Although I have no use for the fellow at all, I can only pity him a bit. Still, it should be a learning experience indeed. In a few years, when the bruises heal and he's old enough to understand what he's about to be hit with, he should have ample fodder for reflection and edification.
What is Snow Cream?
It's snowing -- again -- and has been all day. However, this time I don't mind so much. The last time it snowed, I went out and bought some Eagle brand condensed milk, and so this time I was kitted out to make snow cream.
1. Start with 6 to 8 cups of CLEAN, FRESH snow.I haven't had the stuff since I was a little boy. It's very good, just as I remember. To make sure the snow is clean enough, wait until it's been snowing for at least two hours. That should draw down all the pollution from the air. Go and clean off a place outside -- the hood of a truck, say -- and then wait for snow to build there. That snow should be perfectly clean, assuming no animals have gotten at it.
2. Gradually add condensed milk (not evaporated). Continue mixing, adding more snow and milk until desired consistency is reached.
3. 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla can be added if desired.
4. Best if eaten immediately, but can be frozen (the consistency will be hard, more like popsicles).
Great stuff.
Bangkok Post Thursday 24 February 2005 - Unrest fails to deter Chinese shrine faithful
Never let it be said that the Chinese people are cowards. Chinese culture may have little use for soldiers or warrior virtue, but there is a native heedlessness of violence: the spirit of the famous man who stood down the tanks at Tiananmen.
The celebration of the Chinese New Year (Year of the Rooster, this year) is ongoing across Asia, including southern Thailand. Despite a massive car bomb set off there last week, celebrants flocked to this famous temple. And no wonder! Anyone who will turn up to participate in that ritual isn't worried about a little thing like a car bomb.
INTEL DUMP -
INTEL DUMP has a piece on the rise of militias and private regiments in Iraq:
Greg Jaffe had an exceptional piece in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal (subscription required) describing the rise of 'irregular' Iraqi units around the country, which were popping up on their own, raised by individual officers, funded privately, with little connection to the U.S.-led effort to raise an Iraqi army. Surprisingly (or maybe not so), these ad hoc units appear to be better led, better equipped, and more combat effective than their 'official' brethren. And, perhaps more importantly, some U.S. officers are recognizing this, and figuring out how they might co-opt or work together with these Iraqi forces.Hat tip Chester. The militia, I belive, is an idea which has come again -- or which is, rather, coming again quickly. Nothing says "defense in depth" like an armed citizenry, which complicates the planning for hostage-takers and other terrorists immeasurably.
bloodletting.blog-city.com
Doc Russia is playing Deguello to CNN. He's not the only one:
The Geek with a .45
War On Guns
The Smallest Minority
Freedom Sight
Trigger Finger
Smallest Minority reports that the BATFE is investigating.
Channelnewsasia.com
In case you are not familiar with the fellow, Abu Bakir Bashir stands accused of being the most important terror-supporting religious leader in Asia. He is accused of being the "spiritual leader" of Jemaah Islamiyah, and is currently standing trial for alleged involvement in various bombings across Indonesia. Although it's largely passed below radar in the US, his is the biggest terror trial in the world just now.
He's going to walk, too.
And not only that, he deserves to walk. This trial has been a joke from start to finish. A prosecution that can't do better than this does not deserve a conviction. The prosecution, which started off pursuing capital punishment, is today reduced to stridently repeating its "demand that Bashir be sentenced to eight years in jail." This trial has seen convicted bombers -- themselves under death sentences -- walk across the stage to kiss Bashir on the cheeks, before testifying that of course Bashir knew nothing about anything at all. It's seen a former US State Department official testify that the whole prosecution was cooked up by evil George Bush.
The only good thing that's come out of the business has been that Bashir condemned terrorism against civilians, although in the same breath he urged Indonesians to go fight Americans in Afghanistan.
This is the problem with the law enforcement approach to terrorism. It just doesn't work real well.
My Way News
Still slogging my way through a bout of what al-Reuters calls "garden-variety influenza," count me a believer on this Avian flu thing. Whatever we have to do to avoid a worse version of this, let's do it. Oof.
Grim's Hall
The only person ever to cheat me in a financial transaction was a minister, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by bad behavior from the pulpit. Still, this use of a common prayer to sneer at political opponents is ugly, low behavior.
Of course, it was ugly last year, too. I'll point this year's offender in the same direction.
Kim du Toit - Daily Rant
Those of you who have given, from time to time and as asked, to the Walter & Adam Fund know that it was providing resources to a pair of young American snipers in Iraq. Together, we bought them the best of scopes, laser rangefinders, and body armor. But no armor is ever quite good enough.
I have terrible news to relate. A car bomb exploded in Mosul on Wednesday Feb 17, 2005, killing this young man:Kim links to this piece by Rivrdog, who came from the same hometown. Doc Russia has something as well.U.S. Army Sergeant Adam J. Plumondore
Age: 22
From: Gresham, Oregon
Assigned to: 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regt., out of Fort Lewis, WA.I regret to tell you that Sgt. Plumondore is the “Adam” of the Walter-Adam Fund.
Recruitment drive for Iraqi Army draws thousands
Via Central Command, two stories you may not have otherwise encountered. First, this: Recruitment Drive for Iraqi Army Draws Thousands:
An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 men arrived by foot, bus, and other vehicles by sun up Feb. 14, at an airfield outside an Iraqi Army base in an effort to join Iraq’s army, officials said.Then, some news about American Combat Engineers from down Tennessee way:
Of that, approximately 5,000 made it through a screening process that led them onto the base, which is home to several thousand Iraqi Soldiers and a contingent of U.S. service members, officials said. Most will be transferred to other bases in Iraq to supplement existing units.
The process was a result of the largest recruitment effort for the Iraqi Army to date, said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Woodley of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq.
During the screening process, potential recruits were given a literacy test, physical condition check and questioned about prior military service. Once inside the base, they went through a medical screening and received uniforms, boots and other military-related clothing.
Of those who were turned back, or did not make it through the screening, leaders told them to return for another recruitment drive.
In an effort to make Iraqi roads safer for fellow Soldiers, a U.S Army Reserve company of combat engineers patrol selected roads near Baqubah, searching for "trouble" in a mission called Operation Trailblazer.There's more, in both cases.
Soldiers from Company A, 467th Engineer Battalion, Memphis, Tenn., took over operations from the 141st Engineer Battalion, North Dakota National Guard, at Forward Operating Base Warhorse.
Their mission is focused on searching pre-determined supply routes in the Baqubah area for improvised explosive devices planted by terrorists.
"Our job is to go out and look for trouble in the form of IEDs planted near the sides of roads," said Sgt. 1st Class Dallas Bryan, combat engineer.
With teams of 18 Soldiers or more, the "Trailblazers" set out on convoys of several supporting vehicles and one "Buffalo," scouring the road-side for signs of terrorist activity.
The Buffalo, a ground mine detection system, uses a hydraulic arm to sift through trash piles or probe areas where IEDs are thought to have been hidden.
Tactics
Finally, I would like to disclose that I am by no means a master tactician, I have a modicum of skill and experience in utilizing small unit tactics; beyond the platoon level I would feel like a fish out of water.
Strategy and tactics are interesting bed-fellows… strategy is your overall plan for the winning of the war… loosely, tactics is the means by which you accomplish your operational plan. The best way to begin is by defining what, exactly, tactics are:
“Tactics is ‘the art and science of winning engagements and battles. It includes the use of firepower and maneuver, the integration of different arms and the immediate exploitation of success to defeat the enemy’” MCDP1-3 pg. 3
The first striking feature is the reference to tactics being an ‘art and science’. This is not solely a modern martial reference to an old 16th century treatise on warfare (reminiscent of the old ‘fechtbuchs’ reference to science), it is a quantifiable truth.
Art:
1. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value. 2. A nonscientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts.
Science:
1. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. 2. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study. 3. Methodological activity, discipline, or study.
The art is best expressed in the intuitive factors involved in the decision making process and also manifests in the fluidity of utilizing combat power. The science is best expressed in the quantifiable skills such as land navigation, marksmanship, and so forth.
Breaking down the definition further, we see some things that, hopefully, should engage our brains from the Strategy lesson.
1. That is that there is a marked emphasis on ‘engagements and battles’; the distinction being that an engagement is a singular occurrence, whereas a battle may include a series of engagements,
2. The re-emphasis on the ‘fire and maneuver’ doctrine, and
3. The integration of combined arms, which is somewhat unique to the Corps in application.
For those who have neglected their Carl von Clausewitz, Patton, Sun Tzu, etc... let me say that from reading 'MCDP 1-1 Strategy' and the three points above... you should begin to realize that within military science, synthesis is the key. As we saw in Strategy, the synthesis lay in recognizing the needfull 'ends and means' and understanding the strategic environment of ones forces and the state. On the tactical level, that synthesis is the melding of the artistic and scientific concepts and then utilizing them from that point forward.
I invite folks to read the publication, and utilize the comments section to discuss the text. Again, as I said above, I am by no stretch a master tactician... it's my hope that others far wiser and more capable glance through the comments and help out where I fall short.
Finally, I leave you with the words of General Patton:
"There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."
See ya next month,
Daniel
Grim's Hall
In case anything I'm posting the last little while seems incoherent, it might be. I could feel a deep cough taking hold of me yesterday, and am now down with the worst flu I can remember. Please be sympathetic readers in the meanwhile; I may need the benefit of the doubt.
Law
Southern Appeal today links to this opinion which treats the nature of "substantive due process violations." Since this is my objection to the case against our Marine, as well as the other case mentioned in the comments, I thought I would post the link for those of you who enjoy reading legal documents.
Well, it's enlightening, even if not enjoyable. In this case, the government was found to have acted properly, but the author clarifies the lines around a violation of this type.
Substantive due processNow the military system works differently from the civilian system, and those of you unfamiliar with the way it works will find a thorough explanation in the comments at BlackFive's site. I think that this principle, because it is Constitutional law, applies to the UCMJ as well as to the civilian code. Even if it does not, though, it explains my objection. I find the charges to be shocking and unconscionable.
involves the exercise of governmental power without
reasonable justification. Dunn. It is most often described as
an abuse of government power which "shocks the conscience."
Rochin v. California, 342 U.S. 165 (1952).
I have no objection to charging someone in a case like this, so long as the charges filed are restrained to reflect an honest reading of the facts. I object to the attempt to "gun up" charges, which is not the way the system is supposed to work. It seems to me an abuse of the power entrusted by the government. It's not clear from the articles on the topic whether the abuse is the fault of the Art 32 officer, or of the Marine who made the charges originally, or both. It's also true, again, that this principle may not apply to the UCMJ for techincal reasons of which I'm not aware. As a general principle, however, it explains my anger and sense of unfairness.
On another topic, Reason magazine explores the roots of gun control laws in America. This is a particularly fascinating article, as it deals with a remarkable period of American history -- Reconstruction -- when a lot of things were happening that we've largely forgotten. By coincidence, it also deals with a number of "substantive due process violations," when government officials were using their power in shocking ways.
Hat tip for the last: the Geek with a .45.
Marine's lawyer: Corps changed story on charges - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - February 16, 2005
JHD sends a story from the Washington Times contending that the Corps is conflicted in this case.
My Way News
I've heard ofMulligan's:
The dish, a specialty of Mulligan's, a suburban bar, is a hot dog wrapped by a beef patty that's deep fried, covered with chili, cheese and onions and served on a hoagie bun. Oh yeah, it's also topped with a fried egg and two fistfuls of fries.The name of the article is "Southern Food Frustrates Health Officials." Yeah, I guess.
'The owner says I'm the only girl who can eat a whole one without flinching,' Cleaveland said proudly.
The Alliance: New Precision Guided Humor Assignment: Cheering Up A Marine
In case you weren't following the submissions to the "Cheering Up A Marine" contest, here are some of the best ones:
1) If you tell the Navy to secure a building, they will turn out the lights and lock the door.Yeah, I heard that too.If you tell the Army to secure a building, they will set up a perimeter and forbid entry to those without a pass.
If you tell the Marines to secure a building, they assault with heavy fire, capture the building, fortify it and call for an air strike.
If you tell the Air Force to secure a building, they will negotiate a three year lease with an option to buy...
When WE went to boot camp we didn't HAVE jokes. Or mail!
I hear they have ropes on the rappel tower now....
BLACKFIVE
BlackFive has the story. An officer of Marines is facing capital charges, for doing a thing I can't think I wouldn't have done myself.
The main problem with this story is the effect that the legal wrangling will have on combat - this will cause Marines to either second guess their options/hesitate around suspects or to not get engaged in the area of operations at all. Why would you take a risk if you knew that you might be charged for making a legitimate mistake?The charges are a scandal. Follow the link. Support our man.How can the Marine Corps make a case without Criminal Intent? Premeditated murder in a combat zone?
Military.com
I love the idea of cutting the budget. I'm from the rural South, and yet I have no problem at all with the idea of cutting farming subsidies. Fine and dandy with me: I look forward to a future free of federal subsidy, which means federal control.
But there are debts of honor which the government has no business touching. Shame on them for even considering this.
DefenseLINK News: 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Ends Ops in Iraq
Via DefenseLINK, I see that the 31st MEU has formally turned over its part of Al-Anbar to RCT 7, 1MARDIV. They are on their way...
...back to Okinawa. The insurgents there are less deadly, but it is within easy range of those NoDong missiles the DPRK promises to use to produce a "sea of fire."
We've become used to seeing Marines and soldiers at the airport, on their way here or there, usually Iraq. Probably most of you have taken time to shake hands, talk to the lads, and congratulate them on work well done, or wish them well in coming days.
But there are others you won't see, because they don't get to come home. They go on to stand another watch, elsewhere, at the corners of the world.
SteynOnline
If you haven't already found out yourself, SteynOnline is back! Well, mostly. Still, it's a banner day.
The Alliance: New Precision Guided Humor Assignment: Cheering Up A Marine
I admit that I've fallen down in my duties to the Alliance of Free Blogs. However, I see this week that they've got a contest going on that warms my heart. It's called "Cheering Up A Marine," although properly speaking it's "Cheering up a Recruit."
It seems that one of our Alliance members - Chris of FlashBang - has joined the Marines and is currently enjoying the delights that boot camp has to offer.Being a monster, I once sent a postcard to a friend in Boot Camp addressed to:
It's a tough row to hoe, but perhaps we can do something to lighten his load.
General [Recruit's Name], "The Pushup King"
PLT XXXX, Echo Company
2nd Battallion
MCRD P.I., SC
But let's try to come up with something nicer for our fellow blogger. The Alliance suggests jokes. Jokes are nice.
The Nations Gun Show
I'll be heading to The Nation's Gun Show tomorrow, up at the Dulles Expo center. I'm given to understand that two of the candidates for governor of Virginia will be there, getting to know the public. Virginia is the only state with a gubernatorial election this year, and it happens to be the state in which I reside, so I'm interested in what they have to say.
If any of you are planning to drop in, and would like to have a beer with Grim, drop me an email.
BLACKFIVE
If you want to hear a real story about an American fighting man and an Iraqi child, check out BlackFive. Some of you may remember it, as this is a followup post. There is new information, however:
BTW, and this is an important message, to the twenty-two reporters who routinely visit this site and requested the contact information for Gunny Francis, but, when it took me too long to get back to you, you couldn't believe the story...refused to believe it based on the word of a Colonel...and sent your skepticism along with some nasty remarks...I put the Gunny in contact with the ONLY journalist who wasn't a total @#$% about it.So: bad news about soldiers and children, run without checking the facts; good news about soldiers and children, don't run even after verifying the details with an O-6, and be nasty about it to boot.
Mudville Gazette
The Mudville Gazette links to a terrible story from The Grand Junction Sentinel:
The 31-year-old soldier who liked to tinker with cars and recently moved to Grand Junction left behind his family to serve in Iraq. It wouldn't be a quick fix, but the man who loved to fix things died trying.This story is a complete fraud, one that was used to collect donations from the community. There are two details in the quoted passage that should have raised questions for any journalist who knew anything about the military; but almost none of them do.
On Saturday, he stepped in front of a young Iraqi girl, one of many children caught in a crossfire in Baqouba, Iraq. A bullet struck his heart, killing him instantly. He was less than two months into his deployment.
Kenney, a posthumous recipient of the Purple Heart, will be buried Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
He and his wife, Amber, recently purchased a home in the Grand Valley. The couple met at Metro Church of Denver and would have celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day.
Their last communication, according to family spokesperson and Homefront Heroes president Phyllis Derby, was a voice message Amber left for her husband: "And if this is you, Jonathan, I love you." ...
He served with the 1-44 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, the same unit his wife would have served with. She was finishing up her training at Fort Bliss, Texas, when she learned of her husband's death. As sole surviving parent of Joshua, she was honorably discharged, Derby said.
Can you spot them? Check your answers against Greyhawk's.
Eason Jordan has resigned. (hat tip: Instapundit).
Wow.
I was not expecting that. So soon anyway. As is typical with these things, it really isn't the original action that is so troublesome, its the attempted stonewalling and cover-up.
What is really interesting is what Ed Morrisey pointed out, which was repeated by Instapundit, and bears repeating here:
The major news organizations now have to report the resignation of the head of a major news organization for a scandal they never reported to their viewers.
I thought Rathergate was a fluke. I guess it was not. It is a whole new ball game, folks. Wow.
So. When Brill's Content went and folded, I was presented with some options for the balance of my subscription. One of them was the Atlantic Monthly. Everyone is probably generally aware of the magazine. Since it's senior editor, Michael Kelly, was killed in Iraq, the magazine has been circling in a downward spiral of hackery that is making the magazine unreadable.
The March 2005 issue is the straw that has broken the camel's back as far as I am concerned. In an article entitled "The Accuser" (subscription only for the entire article) by William Langewiesche, who I thought was better than this, I read, in a quote very boldly set off in a side bar, this:
"For twenty years Hania Mufti was the most persistent investigator of the Iraqi regime's crimes. It is because of the efforts of people like her that Saddam and his lieutenants will now be brought to trial."
What. The. Fuck. Over.
And here I thought it was because 140,000 soldiers from the United States, Britian, and Austrailia invaded the place, defeated Hussien's army and captured him and his cronies. (Those that weren't killed that is).
Whatever other virtues Mufti may have, apparently she is against the plans to try Hussien, along with such groups as Human Rights Watch, because, they assert, Justice cannot be served by the Iraqis.
Langeweische himself says in the article, "A nation court in Iraq is simply incapable of delivering the sort of justice required."
I think the Iraqis know just what sort of justice is required.
So here again, we see the goal posts being moved once more, together with absurd attempts at rewriting history. This irritates me so much I think I'm acutally going to go through the bother of cancelling my subscription rather than just let it run out.
Look for more of this from the usual suspects in the future.
David Yeagley's BadEagle.com
I haven't had anything to say about our Mr. Churchill, whose behavior is self explanatory. However, Bad Eagle does have something to say which I hadn't heard before. Apparently, Mr. Churchill's ties to the American Indian Movement go back to to the 1973 Wounded Knee incident, about which you may have heard.
During the course of my education, I have met two of the principles of that incident. They claimed that they bore rifles for AIM during that brief period when it felt bold enough to take on the US Army. The sentiments expressed by Mr. Churchill would not have been out of place in their own mouths. They were Lakota, which falls under the Sioux side of the feud Bad Eagle cites as the one that once supported Churchill.
All this makes me think that Mr. Churchill -- whatever the facts of his genetics -- is a more authentic member of AIM than their disavowal of him would suggest.
Asia Times Online :: Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam
Unremarked, but remarkable, are the results from this week's elections in Thailand. Thailand is a "major non-NATO ally" of the United States, a diplomatic category inviting Thai purchases of some of our most advanced weapons. Thailand also faces a native, Muslim insurgency in its southernmost provinces. The Asia Times shows how poorly the government did in those provinces.
Those provinces aside, however, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government did extraordinarily well. Thaksin is now the first Thai prime minister ever reelected. Not only that, but his party did so well as to be able to set aside any coalition government, and rule as a single party. Thaksin came under fire for his handling of the insurgency in the south, which opponents charge has been managed with unnecessary violence -- a charge, I think, which isn't entirely without merit.
Regardless, Thai voters returned him with an increased majority. In doing so, Thailand follows precisely in the footsteps of Australia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United States' electorates. There is a lesson here, and I think it is this: democratic bodies around the world are starting to look toward the challenge to democracy posed by Islamist extremism. There is forming a global, democratic reply. Only Spain, so far, has fallen outside this general trend: and, in their defense, they went first.
This is no small matter. What is being measured is the conglomeration of millions upon millions of individual wills. That is a terrible, an awe inspiring force. What comes next has all that force behind it.
Miami's Mad Max Marines - Page 1
Soldier of Fortune has a piece out there now called "Miami's Mad Max Marines." SOF knows how to write, I'll give them that.
Marine Corps News> Hawaii Marines take fight to enemy in Afghanistan mountains
While Snowbird Sovay plays on the beach, Hawaii Marines are playing in the snow -- in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Leaping from CH-47 Chinook helicopters hovering just above the jagged, snow-covered mountains that ring the Korangal Valley, Marines from both India and Lima Companies inserted into different parts of the valley; they quickly cordoned and searched several houses believed to be hideouts for mid-level Taliban and HIG leaders and fighters.There are photos, too.
“We flew in fast and low and jumped off just outside one of our main target’s house,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Weiss, a Lima Company platoon commander. “They couldn’t have had more than a few moments to react to having entire platoons dropped on their heads.”
The Marines charged into the village and quickly established a presence, preventing the possibility of their targets escaping. The Marines then detained several men suspected of being members or supporters of anti-government forces without having to fire a single shot.
The Korea Times : US to Dispatch 690,000 Troops to Korea in Crisis
If the Korea Times is to be believed... well, to be honest, I find them a bit hard to believe:
About 690,000 U.S. troops along with 2,000 military aircraft and 160 warships would be mobilized to defend South Korea in the event of a war on the Korean peninsula, according to a document released by the Ministry of National Defense Friday.Those are astonishing numbers. But here's some background.
The Defense White Paper said the U.S.' contingency plan included the deployment of 70 percent of its Marine Corps. The remaining forces consisted of 50 percent of the U.S. Air Force and 40 percent of the U.S. Navy.
The US is pulling 12,500 servicemen from US Forces Korea, to reassign to other duties. The ROK citizenry has mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, they're glad to see us go; large scale military basings (and even large-scale shore leaves) are always friction points, in Korea as in Okinawa and elsewhere. Welcomed after the ravages of the Japanese occupation, Americans have come to be regarded as a mixed blessing.
On the other hand, just over the border are 700,000 starving DPRK soldiers, backed with 13,500 artillery pieces and probably two to six nukes. Seoul, capital and megacity, is within range of the guns and missiles.
There are three possibilities arising from this story, assuming that it is correctly reporting US information.
1) The US expects to defeat the DPRK without substantial loss of life, but feels it is likely to need 70% of the USMC to stabilize and rebuild the place. In this case, much of the initial fighting would be standoff fire from the USAF/Naval elements, with the Marines advancing to engage the enemy once it was already substantially degraded.
2) The US believes the DPRK could effectively force a Marine engagement with their lines before those lines could be substantially degraded, perhaps by bringing Seoul under fire at a level our political culture couldn't tolerate. If the Marines had to fight against dug-in DPRK positions, in the face of guns and unknowable nuclear power, very severe loss rates are possible.
3) The US is bluffing, and expects never to have to put up the 690,000 troops. The DPRK military suffers from a combination of logistical poverty and the inability to advance off static lines of defense without creating massive vunerability. Thus, it is safe to reassure the ROK populace about our troop drawdown by promising massive reinforcements if there is an attack, while also giving the DPRK official notice that an attack would be doomed to failure.
If I had to, I'd bet on position 3 being the true one. If I were correct about that, it explains what is otherwise a little baffling -- why the US would permit its contingency plans to be described in detail by the ROK Defense Ministry. It is not otherwise clear either why the US DOD would permit its plan to be made public, nor why it would have the ROK DM do it instead of releasing the plans themselves. If the white paper is an information operation, however, it becomes clear: the release is permitted because we want the enemy to know this information; and ROK DM is doing it rather than DOD because US information operations must take pains to target foreign rather than domestic audiences. A statement by Rumsfeld would draw US eyes; this paper may not draw so many.
Hat tip: China E-Lobby.
'Intimate killing' - The Washington Times: Editorials/OP-ED - February 07, 2005
Thanks to JHD, who sends this piece by a retired commander of the Army War College. It concerns General Mattis:
For those of you who might have the image of a knuckle-dragging troglodyte, let me assure you that he is one of the most urbane and polished men I have known. He can quote Homer as well as Sun Tzu and has over 7,000 books in his personal library.One of the enduring cultural myths in America is the notion that the military is filled with uneducated, or undereducated, lackwits. This has most to do with Hollywood, I think, which seems to love to portray the military as filled with people who are largely disinterested in, if not hostile to, education and the cultured pleasures of life.
I think that the recent thread on orchestral music here at Grim's Hall demonstrates the untruth of that myth. This article about General Mattis does likewise. People forget that a substantial percentage of servicemen join the military precisely because they are interested in education, and want help paying for college, or advanced technical training that the military in many cases can provide. People are unaware of how much of the life of an officer -- whether commissioned or NCO -- is spent in school.
The military is one of the last bastions where at least a smattering of Latin is usually understood. The Army has a school of heraldry. The Navy and especially the Marine Corps have their own traditions, some building on foundations inherited from the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Corps. The effect is to foster a felt, a lived connection to the sweep of Western civilization: back through our American history to British roots, back from there through the Middle Ages, to Rome, and to Athens.
Marine Corps University at Quantico, VA (motto: Ductus Exemplo!) maintains a professional reading list for all Marines. Marine Corps HQ maintains another, large enough to be broken out into sections: Commandant's favorites, Heritage series, Leadership & Biography, Theory, Nature & History, Strategy, Policy, Operations, and on and on. Headquarters also posts lists to "over 2,500 free e-books" on the same page: classics, poetry, drama, literature.
Late last year, I argued that the military exists as a parallel structure to academia for the life of the mind. At its best, it is at least the equal of the Ivy Leagues at the real business of education -- the creation of capable men and women, schooled in both the liberal and the practical arts. I've known a fair number of both sorts of alumni, both Harvard men and servicemen. I've known plenty of military men who could discuss Homer and opera, as well as the pleasures of good whisky and a fine cigar. I've met one whose training enabled him to serve successfully as the provisional governor of an Iraqi province suffering from the ravages of war. I've yet to meet a Harvard man who was a decent shot with a rifle or a pistol, and Harvard is running in the opposite direction:
In fact, MIT claims to have 42 varsity sports, one more than even Harvard. Of course, Harvard scoffed snootily, "Hearing that MIT was claiming 42 varsity teams, officials at Harvard, which has 41, chafed. They point to MIT's varsity pistol and rifle teams as evidence of MIT's skewed vision of varsity sports."Time was, the Ivy Leagues -- whose alumni now cannot match the services' officer and NCO corps in demonstrating a real, liberal education -- were competition even for West Point and Annapolis. Harvard produced Francis Parkman, one of the finest historians in American history, who wrote:
Hey, wait a minute! I was ON the Harvard Rifle Team in 1973! The team capitan, a member of my "freak fraternity" and now owner of a software company in Houston, had the key to the Harvard rifle range and we would go down there in the wee hours under the effects of whatnot and invent weird games like hanging tootsie roll pops from shoelaces tied to the mechanized target holders. When we rolled 'em back down the range, the lollypops swung around wildly and were wicked hard to hit. Or even see, for that matter.
We lost all 12 matches that season. Most of the guys we were shooting against were steely-eyed vets with thousand-yard stares just back form Nam and trying to finish college on Uncle Sam, while we were just a bunch of Ivy freaks who liked to play with guns.
[I]f any pale student glued to his desk here seek an apology for a way of life whose natural fruit is that pallid and emasculate scholarship, of which New England has had too many examples, it will be far better that this sketch had not been written. For the student there is, in its season, no better place than the saddle, and no better companion than the rifle or the oar.There stands an indictment of the modern Ivy League from one of her own; but there also stands, unspoken, praise for the American serviceman.