Category Archives: American Character

May 15, 2015 · 6:13 pm

Aquamarine vs. turquoise

Finally, here is a post on factions, that’s so simple even a 5 year-old can understand the problem. Adults might get stuck in their rigid ideological beliefs. All beliefs are not morally equal – some when carried to extremes have horrific consequences for millions of innocent people, while others can do remarkable good for the entire world. That is the TRUTH.

Let’s say you believe very strongly that a color is aquamarine and I believe equally as strongly that that color is turquoise. Being that we both believe a different thing, many avenues are there for us to choose. We could argue and get so angry that we end up hating each other and never speak to each other again. I could feel so strongly about my belief that I kill you. We might even kill each other fighting over who is right. I could even decide that it’s not enough to just kill you, but because you’ve convinced your whole town that the color is aquamarine, it’s necessary to kill all of them too.

Of course, on the less extreme side we might agree to consult an outside expert on color to settle the matter, perhaps, we could call the Crayola Company, after all they’ve been naming colors since 1885 in Easton, PA, near where I grew up.

We might argue, passionately and often, clinging to our beliefs (as President Obama accused those rural people in PA), but in the American tradition, we could agree to disagree and at some point, shake hands and say, “Let’s go have pizza!” Presented to most 5 year-olds, the vast majority will agree that it’s stupid to kill other people just because we disagree, on the other hand most adults refuse to even listen to differing opinions. Maya Angleou, renowned poet, expressed it exactly right:

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” –
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/26244-hate-it-has-caused-a-lot-of-problems-in-the

So, in America, being a country forged together by a people committed to INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, we have The Declaration of Independence to ensure our God-given, unalienable rights are not infringed upon:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Sadly, in America our political partisanship swirls dangerously to extremes – where hate has swelled to such a level that many Americans choose to receive all of their news from sources that align with their political views. The hate and extremism goes so far that even the President of the United States works to divide Americans into hostile camps. Distrust turns Americans into furtive enemies, partisans avoiding those who hold an opposing view, with ideological walls being girded to lock out all who dare to disagree. Even codes are enacted in our universities to silence opposition.

We must tear down these partisan walls! We must work to find common ground, or we can not face the threats beyond our borders. President George Washington warned about the dangers of extreme partisanship in his Farewell Address:

“I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

So, beyond my stating it is a parental duty in a civil society to train your children to respect the rule of law. George Washington tells you that it’s a duty to discourage extremist politics – the duties are required to be a good citizen. I wrote a post in 2013 titled, “The duty of a wise people”. on this subject.

There was a time, not so long ago, when American school children were routinely taught about this speech and American principles. Sadly, today I suspect many school children don’t even know who George Washington was. And mentioning The Constitution, too often and too loudly, will get your name on a Homeland Security watch list as a right-wing extremist…

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Filed under American Character, American History, Culture Wars, Education, General Interest, Politics, The Constitution, The Media

May 8, 2015 · 9:21 pm

The power of free thinking

To understand the power of free thinking, I recommend reading , “My Bondage and My Freedom” by Frederick Douglass. Here is a free gutenberg.org version, but I have it downloaded on my kindle, so here is the free kindle version too.

Frederick Douglass was born an American slave in 1818 in Maryland and he died a champion of human rights, an abolitionist, a writer, renowned orator, but most of all a FREE man in 1895. (short bio here).

Douglass relates how as a slave, learning to read was forbidden, but a white mistress undertook teaching him to read for a short time, before being reprimanded by her husband. From that point on, Douglass embarked on a secret, dangerous mission to educate himself:

“Seized with a determination to learn to read, at any cost, I hit upon many expedients to accomplish the desired end. The plea which I mainly adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of using my young white playmates, with whom I met in the streets as teachers. I used to carry, almost constantly, a copy of Webster’s spelling book in my pocket; and, when sent of errands, or when play time was allowed me, I would step, with my young friends, aside, and take a lesson in spelling. I generally paid my tuition fee to the boys, with bread, which I also carried in my pocket. For a single biscuit, any of my hungry little comrades would give me a lesson more valuable to me than bread. Not every one, however, demanded this consideration, for there were those who took pleasure in teaching me, whenever I had a chance to be taught by them.”

Douglass, Frederick (2009-10-04). My Bondage and My Freedom (p. 85). Public Domain Books Kindle Edition.

Douglass heard some white boys mention a schoolbook, The Columbian Orator, and determined to acquire a copy. He bought a copy for fifty cents. The Columbian Orator was a popular 19th century schoolbook filled with speeches and essays, geared to promote republican virtues (in other words, good citizenship, if you are living in a republic like the United States of America) and patriotism. To quote Douglass:

“I had now penetrated the secret of all slavery and oppression, and had ascertained their true foundation to be in the pride, the power and the avarice of man. The dialogue and the speeches were all redolent of the principles of liberty, and poured floods of light on the nature and character of slavery. With a book of this kind in my hand, my own human nature, and the facts of my experience, to help me, I was equal to a contest with the religious advocates of slavery, whether among the whites or among the colored people, for blindness, in this matter, is not confined to the former. I have met many religious colored people, at the south, who are under the delusion that God requires them to submit to slavery, and to wear their chains with meekness and humility. I could entertain no such nonsense as this; and I almost lost my patience when I found any colored man weak enough to believe such stuff.”

Douglass, Frederick (2009-10-04). My Bondage and My Freedom (p. 87). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

He continued:

“Once awakened by the silver trump of knowledge, my spirit was roused to eternal wakefulness. Liberty! the inestimable birthright of every man, had, for me, converted every object into an asserter of this great right. It was heard in every sound, and beheld in every object. It was ever present, to torment me with a sense of my wretched condition. The more beautiful and charming were the smiles of nature, the more horrible and desolate was my condition.”

Douglass, Frederick (2009-10-04). My Bondage and My Freedom (pp. 87-88). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

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Filed under American Character, American History, Education, Food for Thought, General Interest

October 14, 2014 · 6:50 pm

America at another crossroads

Gladius forwarded an important Thomas Sowell column, “Local or National Elections?”, which explains the stakes of this year’s battle over control of the Senate. Dr. Sowell, in his inimitable style, reminds us that while Tip O’Neill popularized the “all politics is local” phrase, on some elections in Washington the very course of America’s future rests. In clear, simple terms he explains:

“In 1860, some abolitionists split the anti-slavery vote by running their own candidate — who had no chance of winning — instead of supporting Abraham Lincoln, who was not pure enough for some abolitionists. Lincoln got just 40 percent of the vote, though that turned out to be enough to win in a crowded field.

But what a gamble with the fate of millions of human beings held as slaves! And for what? Symbolic political purity?

This year as well, there are third-party candidates complicating elections that can decide the fate of this nation for years to come. No candidate that irresponsible deserves any vote. With all the cross-currents of political controversies raging today, what is the overriding national issue that makes this year’s Congressional elections so crucial?

That issue is whether, despite all the lawless edicts of President Obama, threatening one-man rule, we can still salvage enough of the Constitution to remain a free, democratic nation.”

Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow, obviously not well-versed on the arguments in “The Federalist Papers”, made headlines extolling President Obama’s brand of lawlessness, stating:

“It would be wonderful if we are able to give this man all the power he needs to accomplish the things he needs to,” Ms. Paltrow said.

The same mindless drivel permeates America, with citizens completely uneducated about The Constitution, American history and more importantly our foundational principles. In country music small remnants of American ideals still linger and Paltrow’s comments brought to mind the lyrics from an old Aaron Tippin song, “You’ve Got To Stand For Something”: “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything!” What Paltrow is preening about is giving one man unchecked power. In her isolated, elitist celebrity bubble, she rubs elbows with movers and shakers of the American political left, but one can only wonder if she has ever read “The Constitution of the United States”.

My friend, Minta, expressed the erosion of American ideals based on our founding principles, in our latest email exchange:

“I think we need to think about two different countries, one called the United States and the other called America. Most people in our country no longer live in America, just the States. It’s a useful way to view it. They can absolutely be un-American, because America is an idea set onto a real country. If that country loses the idea—the ideas and ideals—America will cease to be. This is the fight we are waging: to keep the United States being America too.”

In lieu of fabricated narratives, lame hash-tag campaigns and repeating hollow slogans, it’s time for Americans to do some independent research away from political ideologues on either side of the political aisle. Dr. Sowell feels this election is imperative to check the tide of lawlessness (yes, even some liberal law professors have spoken out against President Obama’s brand of “I’ve got a pen and a phone” governance by executive decree) and I hope a Republican majority can check executive hubris, but our problems, while magnified by high-profile attention to Washington, stem from a lazy, uneducated citizenry, bereft of even a morsel of dedication to civic duty. More than half the country receives some form of hand-outs from Washington, content to believe in what is owed to them rather than what they owe America. We have become a nation of mindless followers and one election, albeit a crucially important one, won’t change America, until, “we the people” can sit down at the dinner table as one nation, united by our American ideals.

President Lincoln, attempting to unite a divided America at the close of the US Civil War, left us with these immortal words:

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

His words remain important, but even more important is how a man from humble origins became one of the most pivotal presidents in American history. “The Eloquent President”, by Ronald C. White, Jr., takes you on a journey of understanding Lincoln through his words and as one of our most gifted writers and orators to ever hold the office of President, plenty of material exists. Lincoln didn’t have access to public libraries or the internet; what he had was the intestinal fortitude to pick himself up and work hard to improve himself. He refused to believe in “insurmountable obstacles” (yes, that ever-recurring LB theme – “faith to move mountains” and a willingness to work hard). A little story from Lincoln’s youth explains how this backwoods lawyer found the words to pen the Gettysburg Address. White writes:

“When Lincoln moved to New Salem he made the decision to master the English language by an intense study of grammar. While living in New Salem, Lincoln heard that a farmer, John Vance, owned a copy of Samuel Kirkham’s English Grammar. Lincoln walked six miles to get it. He was twenty-three years old.” (pages 102-103)

No one handed President Lincoln a free ride to an Ivy league school and likewise Dr. Sowell’s personal biography demonstrates that with hard work anyone can succeed. Lincoln walked six miles to track down a book he thought held the key to improving his grammar; Dr. Sowell, a poor black man from Harlem, worked hard to acquire an education in the 1950s, long before the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964.

A few years ago I wrote a piece, “The Quest For American Leadership In The 21st Century: A Few Home Truths” and I still think my three-step plan is worth considering:

“The quest for our 21st century American leaders starts with you. Step One: Think for yourself; move away from being swayed by political partisans hurling talking points at you. Take the time to study issues, candidates and find your own moral compass. President George Washington, my favorite founding father, wrote a list titled, Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation”, 110 rules covering everything from admonitions not to clean your teeth with the tablecloth to don’t run in the streets. He ended with #110: “Labour to keep alive in your breast that Little Spark of Celestial Fire Called Conscience.” That should be your guide.

Step Two: Be the leader of your own destiny. Don’t be a follower of populist movements. left or right, unless you have completed Step One. Before becoming a political lemming, allowing professional media figures to press your political hot buttons, calmly discuss issues with family and friends. In our 24 hour news cycle, internet-connected world, misinformation, disinformation and outright lies can circle the globe in minutes. Don’t let these control your political reasoning, refer back to Step Two.

Step Three: Follow the rules. President Lincoln’s call for reverence for the laws provides the keystone to rebuilding a stronger America. When political aspirants lack personal integrity, obfuscate on public issues, or find excuses for not following the rules; move on and continue your quest for worthy leaders. To honor those who sacrificed all, to secure our blessings of liberty, at the very least we all have a duty to become informed citizens, who demand men and women of character to lead us in this century.”

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Filed under American Character, American History, Food for Thought, General Interest, Gladius Maximus, Politics, The Constitution

June 15, 2014 · 10:23 pm

Defining a Team of Rivals

We live in a society where idiotic slogans and catchphrases pass for thoughtful ideas, strategies and concepts. Last week the smartest woman in the world, aka Hillary, the longest-mile Secretary of State rolled out her long-awaited (boy, that’s hard to imagine) new autobiography, “Hard Choices”, Clinton compares President Obama’s choice of her for secretary of state to that of President Lincoln choosing William Henry Seward (from a New Republic piece):

“But Hillary Clinton is, and will always be, Hillary Clinton. In Hard Choices, she playfully extends the oft-cited Team of Rivals comparison, likening Abraham Lincoln’s choice of William Henry Seward as secretary of state to Obama’s choice of her. Clinton writes of how she warms to the comparison, citing a contemporary of Seward’s who described him as “ruffled or excited never, astute, keen to perceive a joke, appreciative of a good thing, and fond of ‘good victuals.'” Sound familiar? It does to Clinton. “I could relate to that,” she writes.”

Doris Kearns Goodwin, an author of several historical works, has come under criticism more than once being accused of plagiarism. For a gist of the controversy, here is Eric J. Weiner, from a 2006 Huffington post piece:

“Kudos to the good people at the New York Historical Society for looking beyond the past sins of plagiarism committed by Doris Kearns Goodwin and bestowing on the prolific celebrity historian a prestigious award and $50,000 prize in honor of her recent biography of Abe Lincoln, “Team of Rivals.””

We all know the Clintons’ respect for the truth, so I wanted to give you my take on Ms Goodwin and Hillary’s understanding of military history:

Here are two well-known, oft-used, simple sayings that have stood the test of time:

Let’s start with the Biblical version: “A house divided can not stand”

Next let’s move on to the geopolitical/military strategic realm: “Divide and Conquer”

So, it’s obvious to anyone with a functioning brain cell (that excludes most of American academia) that dividing teams is a way to defeat a team. Thus, in simple language, “a team of rivals” is one the most idiotic things ever uttered and a contradiction in terms. Perhaps, we should offer these two brilliant women a Thelma and Louise road trip to US Civil War cemeteries or the military cemeteries of World War I and let them count the dead, to see how that “team of rivals” pans out. Unluckily for us Hillary seems far from the cliff’s edge and ready to hit the highways trotting out her same tired, old parsed lies, in her floundering book tour.

No better time than the present to remind everyone outside the DC echo chamber of The Gettysburg Address, obtained from the webpage, Our Documents:

Executive Mansion,

Washington, , 186 .

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal”

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow, this ground– The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedica-ted to the great task remaining before us — that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

So, how about we agree to work toward a new American banner:

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!!!

“

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Filed under American Character, American History, General Interest, Military, Politics

June 2, 2014 · 12:49 am

Don’t Back Down From The Sharks!

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May 25, 2014 · 8:06 pm

We here must speak of heroes

Memorial Day serves as a holiday for backyard grilling, first taste of summertime activities and having fun. The actual “memorial” part of it is remembered by a few canned patriotic speeches delivered by political leaders and a flurry of social media graphics thanking those who served. Today, President Obama, in a shallow, face-saving measure to deflect from the VA scandal fall-out, made a surprise trip to Afghanistan to visit US troops, the political motives glaringly obvious. In the scheme of American holidays, Memorial Day fades from our memories quickly, unremembered and afar, most don’t even spare a thought for the sacrifices made to secure their liberty. Do people even think about “liberty”?

Kinnison, in part, commented yesterday:

“Someone once said, “America is better-served by its armed forces than it deserves.” Early in the War on Terror a wounded Marine in the very first “Wounded Warrior” barracks at Camp Lejeune, NC, wrote on the white board in the passageway, “America is not at war. The Marine Corps is at war. America is at the mall…””

Sadly, this seems to be an accurate assessment, with fewer and fewer of our leaders having any military service or interest in learning about those who sacrificed so much. In our culture of self-entitlement and fatuous idolization of shameless, self-promoting celebrities, it’s easy to lose hope for America’s future. Let’s commit to remember our true American heroes as Minta beautifully states:

“A greater gratitude than we can here express.
Here fallen heroes lie.
The ones we’ve come to honor,
And celebrate their lives.
They were the ones who paid –
In Lincoln’s words –
“The last full measure of devotion.””

JK offered a comment yesterday with just a link, no explanation. This link transports you to Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for more than 400,000 of our country’s military heroes. One such hero at Arlington, General John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing, was the most famous American military leader of his generation and yet it’s doubtful more than a very few Americans would even recognize his name.

General Pershing was the most famous American general in World War I. He took a decidedly haphazardly organized US Armed Forces and turned it into a 2 million strong integrated modern fighting force in World War I (further reading, “US Army in the World War 1917-1919, Organization of the American Expeditionary Force”). His accomplishments fill many books written about his remarkable military achievements and he alone received the title “General of the Armies”, the highest rank in the US Army while still alive. General George Washington received that title posthumously. Words like cold, reserved, stubborn appear frequently in descriptions of General Pershing, but beneath that stern mask was a man who sacrificed a great deal to serve his country; a man who cared deeply for his family, his soldiers, his country.

In 1915 while serving in the Army at Fort Bliss, Pershing’s wife and three daughters perished in a house fire at their home at the Presidio of San Francisco. The 1948 NY Times obituary account recounts:

“On Aug. 27, 1915, there came the great tragedy of Pershing’s life. The general was called to the telephone at headquarters.

“Telegram for you, sir,” said the telephone orderly.

“Yes?” responded the General.

“Shall I–shall I–read it to you, sir?” the orderly asked, haltingly.

“Yes,” said General Pershing.

Again the orderly hesitated.

“Go ahead,” said Pershing.

And then the orderly read him the message telling of the death of his wife and three daughters–all his family except his son Warren–in a fire at their quarters in the Presidio. Warren alone had been saved by a maid and was reported to be in serious condition in the Army hospital.

“Is that all–is that everything?” Pershing asked when the orderly had completed the message.

“Yes, sir,” said the orderly.

Pershing left his duties only long enough to see to the burial of his family, left his son Warren with his sister in Lincoln, Neb., and returned, his hair whitened and his face lined, to his post.”

General Pershing could have called it quits on the Army life at this point, because he had acquired a law degree in 1893 and had many other options. He chose to continue serving our country in uniform.

While browsing through a book I purchased recently (“War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars”, Andrew Carroll), a letter written by General Pershing during WWI to his 9-year-old son, living with an aunt in Nebraska, offers a glimpse of the man behind that cold mask. Luckily, the letter was located quickly online here. This excerpt speaks to that higher purpose that so easily gets drowned out by our pop culture:

“I want you to come so that you yourself can see something of the army and see something of France. I want you to know while you are still a boy something of the fine patriotism that inspires the American soldiers who are fighting over here for the cause of liberty. They are fighting as you know against Germany and her Allies to prevent the rulers of Germany from seizing territory that does not belong to them and from extending their rule over the people of other governments who do not wish to be ruled by Germany. I might add that in order to do this the German army, under orders from the Ruler of Germany, has committed most serious crimes, and for that also we are fighting in order to punish them.

I want you to see some of the battlefields of France with me, over which the American soldiers have fought in carrying out the great purpose of our people. It will enable you to realize later in life just what sacrifice means and just what degree of sacrifice our army is called upon to make and which they have made and are making bravely and courageously.”

He promised his young son a trip to France to see the battlefields and in words meant for his son only, General Pershing sums up the larger purpose, simple, poignant and meant to be private, a father trying to teach his son what we hold dear. He kept his promise to his son and here are photos of young Warren Pershing with his father in France.

We should remember all those, who sacrificed so much for our liberty, not only on Memorial Day, but every day:

“We here must speak of things
That give us pause –
Our hesitation comes because some words
When spoken here
Tremble in the air
And voice immortal thoughts.
We here must speak of heroes,
Of loyalty, and love,
Of valor, fear controlled –
And, yes, of death –
That fearful price that those who’re named here paid.”

– Minta Marie Morze

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May 17, 2014 · 5:54 pm

A new American revolution

Planned to write a blog post this morning, but making some braided ribbon bookmarks with one piece of ribbon and watching kumihimo braiding tutorials sidetracked me a bit. Politics vs. crafting, hummm, well, no real competition there. Talented people fill the blogosphere with great tutorials, so it’s like a virtual crafting and sewing circle of creative ideas. I often sew simply hemmed receiving blankets as part of my baby shower gifts and I found this pretty cool self-binding receiving blanket, that I’ll have to try.

Yawn, yawn guys, I know. I shared this, partly because it’s truly how I spent my morning, but moreover to begin this political post about how we’ve lost sight of respecting individuals in our polarized, diversity-crazed, hyper-politicized culture. This cuts across just about every aspect of American culture, where even the most innocuous things like an Easter egg hunt, can turn into a full-throated battle about religious sensitivity/intolerance. No aspect of American life is immune from being targeted as somehow offensive, insensitive or subject to being banned by some politically-motivated idiots. Our daily lives seem confined, coerced, constrained by ever-louder nutty rules, edicts, criticism from fellow citizens caught up in the throes of particular political agendas and we’ve reached the point where commonness curtails any hope of finding common ground.

Watching TV political punditry follows an in the gutter, street-fighting ethos behind perfectly coiffed hair and syrupy smiles, lies partisans liable to hit below the belt and even stab with stiletto-tipped talking points prepared ahead of time. Two incidents this past week made me pause. CNN and FOX offer the “balanced” fights, like the Mother’s Day face-off with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Michele Bachman hosted by Candy Crowley. Even more disgusting was Dana Loesch and Jessica Erhlich going at it on the Kelly File on FOX last night while discussing the Benham Brothers controversy centering on their personal religious beliefs regarding homosexuality impacting their HGTV show deal. No one discusses much of anything. Folks choose a side, memorize the partisan rhetoric and off they go, indoctrinated to the point where objective truth, objective weighing of facts or objectively seeking solutions no longer matter. It’s all about scoring political points and forcing your agenda on the other side.

Admittedly, my political leanings fall far to the right, that’s upfront and obvious on my blog, but I try to keep politics out of my everyday life as much as possible. I prefer to talk to people and learn as much as I can about their lives. You won’t find me holding up a hashtag sign, attending a political rally, protesting, or forcing my political views on anyone. John Schindler, at the XX Committee blog wrote a piece on America today that’s definitely worth a read. I rarely agree with his expert foreign policy and strategy writing, but in this concertedly “even-handed” critique, he hits on the sad shape of American society:

“If you cannot get out of the country, read more. Talk to foreigners, see the world through their eyes for a bit. Get out of your comfort zone. If you think either FoxNews or MSNBC has a monopoly on truth, you need to diversify your mind. If you believe the flaws in our foreign policy can be explained by just one word, and that word is either “Bush” or “Obama,” you’re part of the problem.”

Last year I wrote a piece, “Getting To Know You”, which sums up my view on the problem of living your life “knowing about people” compared to getting “to know” people and our leaders could start by talking to each other rather than sending out political hit squads to annihilate their opponents. I’ll stick to my advice in that piece, for a new American revolution…… getting to know your fellow Americans:

“Americans need to wake up and realize that before they side up against other Americans they had better take the time to walk up to those who hold different views and sit down and talk first. Perhaps by actually getting “to know” other people, we might be able to bridge the gaps and build a stronger nation, where all views from all people get heard at our political kitchen table. And just maybe communities might get back to holding potluck dinners where everyone comes and shares a meal and gets to know his/her neighbors. What an amazing concept that is – getting to know other people, up close and personal. It just might revolutionize America;-)”

Time to get supper finished – stuffed pasta shells tonight and tossed salad….. I like to cook too:-)

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May 14, 2014 · 1:21 pm

You owe them your Freedom

The Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day originated on a crude wooden speakers’ platform at the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg on the 30th of May, 1864.

President Abraham Lincoln, the last speaker in a long line of distinguished orators who had come to speak that day at the dedication of the memorial cemetery to the dead of the Gettysburg battlefield, made a few remarks he had hurriedly scribbled on the back of an envelope on the train from Washington, D.C. His Gettysburg Address is considered one of the finest pieces of tribute ever written to honor any nation’s fallen.

President Lincoln said, in part:

“…From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…Let us never forget that these gallant dead must not have died in vain”.

His words, printed and reprinted in newspapers all over this country, were taken into the nation’s consciousness, and have become an important part of our history.

The Grand Army of the Republic, a group of Union Civil War veterans, was the Nation’s first chartered veterans’ organization. The “GAR” began observing the anniversary of Lincoln’s historic tribute to the gallant dead at Gettysburg by decorating the graves of Civil War veterans in cemeteries all over the country with American flags and flowers.

Begun as a private remembrance of fallen comrades, the American people soon took the day to their hearts, and solemnized the sacrifice of their sons to the preservation of the Union with annual prayers and ceremonies nationwide.

On May 30th, 1868, President James A. Garfield, himself a former Union general, spoke at Gettysburg on the occasion of the first official national memorial observance. Describing the Union’s honored dead of the Civil War, he said:

“…They summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens.”

Until 1882, the day was known as “Decoration Day”. In that year, Congress declared the 30th of May an official national holiday, and re-named it “Memorial Day” to honor the dead of all America’s wars. In the 238 years of U.S. history, there have been 29 wars, major military conflicts and actions, which claimed the lives of 1,343,812 Americans.

At a military funeral, the flag draping the casket is carefully folded by the burial detail, and presented to the wife or mother of the deceased by the escort officer, with the words:

“Accept this flag with the thanks of a grateful nation.”

We as a nation sometimes forget the sacrifices that made us, and keep us, free. The families…the fathers and mothers, the husbands and wives, daughters and sons… never forget the price that has been paid.

Since the Congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971, and Memorial Day was designated as the last Monday in May, the day set aside to honor America’s war dead has become just another three-day weekend to many people. Few bother to pause and honor the fallen. The families, and their living comrades, remember them and their sacrifice.

Pause this Memorial Day for a moment and remember the men who froze in that terrible winter at Valley Forge (and Bastogne, and Chosin Reservoir), the men who fought on Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg (and San Juan Hill in Cuba, Blanc Mont in France, Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal, Monte Casino in Italy, Heartbreak Ridge in Korea, and Hamburger Hill in Vietnam). Remember the men who fought outnumbered at Concord Bridge (and the Peking Legation, and Bataan, and Koto-Ri, Khe Sahn and Fallujah). Remember the sailors and Marines entombed in the U.S.S. Arizona on the bottom of Pearl Harbor, and all those gallant men of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard who have found a watery grave in the world’s seas in the defense of your liberty. Remember the pilots and aircrew who were shot down in flames over France in two world wars, and the graves of those who died over Germany and Japan. Mourn for those who died in the Persian Gulf, and those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Think, for just a moment, of Molly Pitcher, who took her wounded husband’s place at the cannon at the Battle of Trenton. Remember the Army nurses that refused to be evacuated from Corregidor, and the patients who needed them: many of both died in the prison camps of the Philippines and Japan.

Remember that the Vietnam Memorial has inscribed upon it the names of eight women who died serving their country.

Remember those men whose inscriptions on the Vietnam Memorial read simply: “M.I.A.”

Remember them as you drive past the cemeteries in the towns and cities of America this three-day weekend, and see the many small flags on the graves of those who served.

Remember all of them, dressed in ragged uniforms of many eras, in their ghostly ranks. Remember what they sacrificed for their country, their loved ones…and for you.

Remember them. You owe them your freedom.

Respectfully submitted,
Kinnison
Lieutenant Colonel, Armor, AUS (Ret.)
…and former Sgt. & “Mustang”
Capt. of Marines

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Filed under American Character, American History, Food for Thought, General Interest, Military

March 24, 2014 · 4:20 pm

Who will defend our castle?

“No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character”

– John, Viscount Morley

Being sort of squeamish and abhorring violence, I’m not a fan of war movies, but one of my favorite movies, oddly enough, is The Big Red One, the 1980 Sam Fuller WWII epic. Being a lowly private in the Army, stationed in southern Germany in 1980, our movie theater was located across a parking lot, behind my barracks. My kaserne, perched atop a picturesque southern mountaintop, was a vintage German army post and the Germans built their posts in a consistent, orderly fashion, with the companies neatly arranged around a parade field in the center and all the lesser support facilities beyond that tight circle.

There wasn’t much to do on small kasernes, like the one I was at, but being a little country girl, I found everything new and interesting. I could imagine I was Heidi in the Alps (well, okay, the Swabian Alps), following the footpath down the mountain to the town proper or let my imagination run wild, gazing out the large window at the end of the female hallway, where a view to rival the famous Neuschwanstein Castle, greeted me each morning. My view, a lovely old monastery perched upon another mountaintop in the distance, fueled my ever-fluttering flights of fancy. Of course, I took several trips to that old monastery to explore it close-up.

Now, having a movie theater within walking distance seemed a luxury to me, because the nearest movie theater, where I grew-up in the mountains of PA, was 10 miles away. I would always ask a few of the guys to go to the movies with me and first we’d go to the snack bar, next to the movie theater, for ice cream, because I loved eating my vanilla ice cream first. These uncomplaining young men, in gentlemanly fashion, usually insisted on buying my ice cream too.

I met many wonderful young men in that unit and as an aside to this tale, gentlemen were still in plentiful supply in the US Army in those days. Back to my story, the only drawback to our movie theater was the same movie played for weeks on end, until something new arrived from the States. I watched The Big Red One over and over and each time I came away remembering some new details I had missed before.

JK sent me a link to a fascinating WWII story, The Battle for Castle Itter, which reminded me of a line from The Big Red One, that has stuck with me all these years. I’ve spent decades thinking about war and wondering if this endless cycle of human behavior can ever change. I’ve wondered if we’re destined to continually build up human societies, only to demolish them through corruption and then outside conquest. I’ve wondered, as the line in The Big Red One, will we ever find a time when, “der krieg ist vorbei.”

The almost farcical nature of the characters and events in the battle for Castle Itter provides a quirky, yet almost emblematic view of how in the unlikely circumstance of fighting for their lives, this castle’s curious mix of inhabitants, like people everywhere, can put aside national and personal loyalties, to unite in moments, because not much else mattered, except surviving.

The story centers on VIP French prisoners, whom the SS kept imprisoned in Castle Itter during WWII. As the Americans advanced across Europe in the waning days of the war, a young American first lieutenant, John C. “Jack” Lee, Jr., made the mistake of volunteering to go secure the castle, after a surrendering German major arrived to tell the advancing Americans about the VIP prisoners held prisoner in nearby Castle Itter. The young American officer sets off with 8 volunteers, plus 5 soldiers from the African-American Company, along with the surrendering German major and a truckload of his German soldiers. The French VIPs, upon seeing their small rescue force, were unimpressed that such a paltry band of soldiers was sent to rescue their grand personages. But quickly the scene changed as the castle fell under attack from SS troops. The squabbling French VIPs (which included two French generals, who despised each other) and the surrendering Germans all turned to the young American lieutenant to take charge of their castle defense. To get the full impact of the absurdity of the events, read the full story of the battle for Castle Itter (here’s the link again).

In history, certain moments in time become the leitmotif, that subsequent generations warn us identify a bellwether event. Glenn Beck, aside from drawing complex charts, in which he connects the dots, in ever-widening and distant circles, prognosticates often about what he refers to as “the Archduke Ferdinand moment”, harkening back to the assassination of the Austrian heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne in Serbia, which led to the outbreak of World War I. History doesn’t replay like watching old reruns on TV, it’s more nuanced and runs along in patterns that require looking at human history from a wider perspective than awaiting a single, harbinger of doom event.

Times do change and while history is replete with enough strange coincidences to give one pause, it seems more useful to step back and take a big picture view of history, if seeking a more useful predictive model. As events in the world overtake our national security folks in the Obama administration’s collective strategic-thinking ability, America seems adrift in the world. America, with President Obama, leading us from behind, forces his national security team to play defense (rather poorly), reacting in ever-disjointed fits and starts. The US flails about, wantonly widening the decades old strategic-vacuum the US fell into when the infamous “end of history’ mentality took hold after the Soviet Union imploded and we sat on our laurels just floating along in a dangerous world, believing we could bail water faster than anyone else in the world, safe and insulated from the geopolitical waves around the globe. Sadly, our lifeboat went to sea without strategic life-vests, part of the new fly-by-the-seat-of-our pants, not so grand strategy. The always erudite and eloquent, G. Murphy Donovan (here), assessed the Obama administration’s policy,The Brennan Doctrine:

“There is no evidence that the Brennan doctrine supports prudent near or long-term strategy. Strategic appeasement has now produced a generation of catamite tacticians, leaders that assume a defensive crouch after each indignity, hoping that the next atrocity will not hurt as much as the last.”

In numerous past posts, I’ve bloviated on and on and on about this President’s dangerous lack of geopolitical acumen (here, here, here, here), an endless broken record playing the same old tune. To begin to understand history it starts from the little picture human building block – trust. Believe it, because it’s true! No matter how enlightened, how educated, how many fancy degrees and terminology you conjure up, at the end of the day, trust determines our fate, from the smallest human endeavor and interactions to the big picture moves by countries on the world stage. To repeat from my “B.H. Liddell Hart Echoes through time” post last year, (from his short book, “Why We Don’t Learn From History” – free download here):

“Civilization is built on the practice of keeping promises. It may not sound a high attainment, but if trust in its observance be shaken the whole structure cracks and sinks. Any constructive effort and all human relations – personal, political, and commercial – depend on being able to depend on promises.”

Over the weekend, while reading a favorite blog, Diplomad2.0, that’s a regular stop on my blogging routine, I found a link posted in the comments section, by Sundling, obviously an historically-inclined poster, that left me wondering why no one in my history classes had ever mentioned this brilliant paper before: “Fate of Empires and Search For Survival”, by Sir John Glubb. Published in 1976, this 26 page paper blasts away at studying history through a series of memorization of isolated, unconnected events or from a lopsided view from one country’s or time period’s perspective. Glubb implores us to step back and take a long view of history as a study of the human race. A short search of Sir John Glubb’s bio and you will find a man who traveled extensively, read extensively, and a man whose ideas moved beyond the island of his birth to encompass the world and humanity, in its entirety:

“To derive any useful instruction from history, it seems to me essential first of all to grasp the principle that history, to be meaningful, must be the history of the human race. For history is a continuous process, gradually developing, changing and turning back, but in general moving forward in a single mighty stream. Any useful lessons to be derived must be learned by the study of the whole flow of human development, not by the selection of short periods here and there in one country or another. Every age and culture is derived from its predecessors, adds some contribution of its own, and passes it on to its successors. If we boycott various periods of history, the origins of the new cultures which succeeded them cannot be explained.”

Glubb’s short paper breaks down the life of empires as falling into an amazingly similar pattern through history, which he divides into 5 distinct ages of an empire. The last age is the Age of Decadence, which he describes as :

“The Age of Decadence.

(e) Decadence is marked by:

Defensiveness
Pessimism
Materialism
Frivolity
An influx of foreigners
The Welfare State
A weakening of religion.

(f) Decadence is due to:

Too long a period of wealth and power
Selfishness
Love of money
The loss of a sense of duty.

(g) The life histories of great states are amazingly similar, and are due to internal factors.

(h) Their falls are diverse, because they are largely the result of external causes.”

For a fuller understanding of his views, read the short paper. I’m not Glenn Beck and I won’t pretend to be the harbinger of doom, but I must say, at the very least, this paper caused a few ripples of uneasiness as I digested Glubb’s analysis of the life cycle of empires, once again, published in 1976.

Watching the events in recent years play out, with American military adventurism, in pursuit of transplanting democracy in inhospitable arid desert sands during the Bush years, then moving to knee-jerk, reactionary gambits under Obama’s shaky trigger-finger, trying to force regime change on the cheap, with bluster and poorly applied military pressure, it’s clear to see that America desperately needs, if not a grand strategy, at least a coherent strategy. The Battle for Castle Itter serves as the perfect metaphor for how the world understands a calm, strong American taking charge of a dicey situation and even a passel of troublesome French notables, to include two generals, quickly fell into line and followed. A group of surrendering Nazis, likewise sized up their situation and cast their lot with the unflappable young American commander, who without hesitation led from the front. And at the end of day, sadly, 1st Lieutenant Lee, came from another American generation, far removed from the Choom-gang, drug haze of Obama’s youth.

The Battle for Castle Itter also shows how a whole bunch of competing interests can spin wildly out of control and create an international conflagration in moments and sadly we don’t have a calm, collected American commander to defend our castle. We’ve got, leading-from-behind Obama, war-protesting, medal-throwing John Kerry, yes-sir, yes-sir Chuck Hagel and drone kill champ Brennan, nudged by the likes of Samantha the genocide pixie, Susan the ever-faithful political handmaiden, and always hovering nearby, bossy-pants Valerie, keeping watch that none dare stray from her approved narrative (fabrications)…

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Filed under American Character, American History, Foreign Policy, General Interest, History, Military, Politics

February 27, 2014 · 6:00 am

America in need of humility….. a daunting challenge

Dr. David J. Bobb wrote a book, “Humility: An Unlikely Biography Of America’s Greatest Virtue”, which I started reading last week. Admittedly, I haven’t finished it yet, but I am going to recommend it anyway. Browsing late last night, I came across a YouTube video of him, discussing his book. It runs almost an hour, so grab a beverage and nestle down in a comfy chair before clicking play.

His speech was at Hillsdale College (of which he’s an alumnus, hope I got the case right, never having studied Latin…. yet) and I’d like to direct you to their free online, not-for-credit courses. Each lecture, just like Dr. Bobb’s video, runs about an hour, followed by an optional quiz. I’ve listened to several and intend to get back and listen to some more. He talks about Benjamin Franklin’s self-improvement regimen, of which “humility” became his greatest challenge and I remembered reading about that in Franklin’s Autobiography (a must read on our founding fathers)

The Gates Foundation funded a free adult learning endeavor late last year called, The Big History Project, which is worth checking out too.

That’s it for this morning – time to get ready for work 😦