Perspectives

Yon "Fears a Fobbit"

Michael Yon has made a lot of claims of feats and fame, but fear hasn't been something he's readily admitted.  He claims to have been one of "the youngest green berets" ever minted without explaining why he left the military at the rank of E5, which is unheard of in the Special Forces world.  He has admitted to having killed a man in a bar with his bare hands, without explaining how the court dismissed the case.

But his nemesis is a man he calls a "fobbit" and "crazy."  That man is MSG CJ Grisham, who has been bold enough to admit that he fights PTSD.  CJ has documented his struggles, not so the world around him will feel pity, but to encourage other Troops struggling with it to accept the help that is available.  CJ readily tells the world he doesn't want pity. 

Yon, so distorts the picture of "his fears" that one of his fans alerted the Secret Service.  The fan thought the threat was to the President, not some low-level yapper "reporting" from the confines of a FOB in Afghanistan.  But what was the threat that scares Yon so much?

“I want to rip his head off and piss down his windpipe!” CJ Grisham in response to a verbally graphic description by Yon of a Soldier's death.

Such a statement would likely shock a civilian, as it is designed to do, but be remembered by every Soldier that ever went through Basic Training.  To date, no basic trainee's neck has literally been ripped off, nor necks pissed down, nor have any of the more nasty threats normally associated with this line been executed.  Why? Because the "threat" represents hyperbole, and a sense of disgust fully appreciated by the Drill Sergeant and the Basic Trainee that hears it.  And drill sergeants don't say it as if it's a mere desire, but that it is an event that will happen.

In reading Yon's account, some came to the conclusion that CJ had raped Iraqis, murdered Iraqis, or threatened the President.  CJ has done none of those things, but one of Yon's readers alerted the Secret Service in response.

Yon went through basic training, though he doesn't seem to have learned much there.  In other words, Yon knows this is not a threat to his life.  But Yon is a "green beret," a green wooly hat, according to his story and he has criticized CJ as being a "fobbit" though the record shows CJ has been in combat more than Yon has taken pictures of it. 

Does the "green beret" Yon really fear death from the "fobbit" CJ?  No.  Yon may be afraid to go outside the wire or he may fear that his paypal account will dry up, but he's not really afraid of CJ becoming violent.  He may be afraid that CJ will provide the final nail in his coffin of his embedding career, and more importantly his paypal donations, but if you believe any account from Yon, of his exploits, you can not realistically believe he fears "some fobbit" many miles away from him.  This is just more drama from the drama queen.

CJ's pen is mightier than his sword.  And CJ has demonstrated Yon's OPSEC violations.  In response, Yon has a long history of attempting to get CJ thrown out of the Military.

Am I a member of the "CJ cult?"  No, but I do have respect for a Warrior, who has gone through the trials of combat (unlike Yon), the trials of PTSD, and provided the example to his Troops of how to deal with these things.  I have however, been banned by Yon, from providing any alternate side of any story.  Yon may complain about censorship, but the record shows Yon's very prolific with it.  CJ and I don't always agree, but when we don't, we disagree in a mature manner and discuss the issues as adults.

The Tarnak Saga:
1)  The Bridge Over the River Tarnak Looking at Fact and Fiction of the incident
2)  From Tarnak Bridge to Bruhaha Looking at Yon's obsession for Menard
3)  The Tarnak Scalp That Wasn't  Looking at Yon's claims of scalping Menard
4)  The Yon Conspiracy Over Tarnak: Looking at Yon's Conspiracy Theory Origins

Deviant Behavior
1)  Yon OPSEC Violations: It can't be more blatant but some are in disbelief
2)  Yon Publicizes Video of American Soldier Losing Legs.
3) Banned By Yon!
4) Yon's Attack on PTSD as insanity
5) The Banning of an Angel

Chuck Z Makes Peace with Yon

More Links  (and far from comprehensive but I may add to the list as I can):

Diplomacy of Doves has Failed for Arrogance and Weakness

Politicians are often labeled Hawks or Doves, preferring calls for "negotiations" and/or diplomacy to resolve conflicts, or a strong National Defense and expressed willingness to use those forces to reduce threats to National Security, and deter misbehavors from acting on their desires.

The same parties known as Doves, focus on domestic spending programs, while the party of Hawks has traditionally protected the DoD budget from unacceptable cuts.  The Doves seem to envy the DoD budget, seeing it as money they could use instead to buy Chinese Solar Panels, Chinese made Black Berets, to build Turtle Tunnels, and Multi-Million dollar Monkey Pagodas so 7 monkeys can live in captivated style.  The Doves may claim to be "strong on Defense" but even "The One" who campaigned to place Afghanistan as his top priority, to put diplomacy ahead of the use of force, has done the opposite.

But does the party of diplomacy live up to its slogans?  Have Our Alliances been strengthened and Our Enemies weakened during the era of purported Diplomacy?  Is America more respected now than it was 4 years ago?  Are we safer?  Have our enemies fled the field of battle to negotiate peace and reconciliation?  Or are old allies turning to alliances and friendships with our old enemies?

Not Paying Their Fair Share! Troops & Veterans!?!

Well, the POTUS has declared that he has a plan to reduce the deficit by $1Trillion to $4 Trillion over the next 10 years, depending on what part of his marketing you're reading.  He has said that it's time for all of us to pay our "fair share," and pointed to the words of one of his biggest contributors: Warren Buffett.  Buffett is an astute investor who was able to put together a few million in campaign donations for Obama (and for Hillary) in 2008, ensuring they backed TARP which netted Buffett a few billion more in net worth.

Buffett has campaigned for higher taxes on the rich, for as long as he's been an Obama supporter.  To hear the spin, Buffett is paying less in taxes than his secretary, but Buffett doesn't say that being rich, he doesn't need (and likely doesn't take much of) an income.  He doesn't say how much he pays his secretary, but evidently, this translates into needing to raise taxes on those that make $250k/year, as opposed to the tens of billions that Buffett has in wealth.  At any rate, the reported increase in taxes on the small segment of America would supposedly increase tax revenue by $35 Billion, less than the worth of Warren Buffett, and a small part of the total claimed deficit reduction.  At best, it's a token (<1% to 3.5% of the claimed savings) and a slogan, to politicians, but a helluva cut in takehome pay for the people that employee others.

So, who are these miscreants that aren't paying their fair share?  The ones that will pay to balance the budget deficit?  Well, Military Retirees are evidently a big part of those not paying their fair share.  While the POTUS and his SecDef talk out of both sides of their mouths, the POTUS plans to slash military retirement pay and benefits.  Evidently, Twenty years of risking life and limb, of sacrificing comfort, and time with family, is insufficient to earn a full retirement.  He wants an "independent" commission to rubber stamp his idea of cutting up to 44 years of retirement pay($21 Billion).  And he wants those that do retire to pay for it themselves, with a 401k plan, instead of a retirement plan.

And those health benefits, earned by wounds, injuries, and constantly beating up their bodies?  To get those, the military retirees should pay $200 more in the first year (and increasing every year) to get those treated.  That's $7 Billion more Obama sees in new taxes, er, "savings."  He also wants to increase, again, the amount Combat Veterans pay for their prescriptions to get another $20.6 Billion out of our Veterans.  It seems our Veterans will pay more than the "evil" rich people that sign our checks.

And the $500 Billion he's already asked to be cut from the Department of Defense?  Oh, that's only part of what he thinks should be cut.  He wants to cut another $260 Billion cut and claims another $1 Trillion will be saved by retreating from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Nevermind that he's already planned to retreat from both, and already claimed those savings from doing so.  Nevermind that we're talking about a 10 year plan in a city where only the budget for next year is sometimes approved.

He also wants to cut Medicare ($248 Billion) and Medicaid (and TriCare for Troops and Veterans).  These are likely as much smoke and mirrors as the rest, but he claims his plan will cut $320 Billion over 10 years, beginning in 2017, when someone else would take the blame, if it ever got passed by the 2017 Congress, and it won't.  Oh, yeah, he'll veto it, if he doesn't get to tax the rich, but the 2017 budget won't be passed until at least 2016, so this isn't going to happen.

So, evidently, the biggest portion of people that Obama thinks are not paying their fair share are the Troops, Veterans, the Elderly, Farmers($2Billion), and the poor.  Those are the people from whom he expects to extract 96+% of his budget savings ($965 Billion to $3.65 Trillion), not those "evil" rich people like Warren Buffett and the guy that signs your paycheck($35 Billion).

And, yeah, a portion of that money he's claiming is based on his speculation that the economy will grow over the next 10 years, increasing the taxes we all pay.  Supposedly, the way that will happen is that by increasing our debt, we'll get more tax revenue.  We all saw the signs for that in 2009.  He told us then that if we didn't spend twice as much as he wants to charge us now, unemployment would be 8+%.  When he got his party to pass that, unemployment jumped from 7% to 10% and we haven't seen less than 9% since. 

So, when Obama and Panetta, look the Troops in the eyes, and say "We can't break faith"  with those fighting Our "contingency operations," that's called a poker face.  When they say they will fight to preserve the DoD Budget, now that they've already cut it by $500 Billion?  That's a bald-faced lie.

So, per his claims:
$1 Trillion from retreat from Iraq/Afghanistan.
$320 Billion from Medicare/Medicaid ($248 Billion Medicare)
$260 Billion more from the DoD Budget (on top of the other $500 Billion he already cut)
$47.5+ Billion from Military Retirees
$35 Billion from taxing employers (i.e. the "evil" rich)

And with all that, (or the bigger $4Trillion), he still won't have cut as much in 10 years, as he has increased the debt in 3 years. ($5 Trillion) while cutting the DoD by $500 Billion.

The Plan?

September 17th is Constitution Day

Educational institutions are charged with instructing the youth of America about the Constitution on this day.  It is an appropriate day, for Americans to take pause, to read and review the US Constitution, to consider what it is and what it is not, to consider the reasons why Our Founding Fathers used plain English to write the 4 pages they did.

"It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.  There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." Daniel Webster

They used words like shall and shall not.  They wrote in a language that does not need "interpretation" but in interpretation has been misused.  That simple, strong language clearly outlines the authorities, responsibilities, and restrictions imposed on each of the branches and elements of government.  And yes, it is a living document, but not in the way that the "interpreters" would pretend. 

Cutting Generals to Save Money?

Many ideas sound better in concept than in the way they are implemented.  When Secretary of Defense Gates suggested that one way we could streamline the way we spend money on Defense by cutting the number of Generals we pay, there was little opposition.  In many ways, cutting back a General or two, represents longer term savings and less detriment to readiness than cutting say F-22's and F-35's or Future Army Weapon Systems, which he also cut at the behest of the current POTUS.

Unfortunately, politics is omni-present in Washington DC, and Secretary Gates, like Secretary Panetta, are political appointees.  The cuts are shell games in some respects and dangerous in others.  According to the marketing, the DoD is cutting 103 Generals, but that doesn't represent the savings of 103 fewer Generals on the payroll.  Many of these positions are simply being transferred into civilian positions, which means it will cost just as much, possibly more, to get the same job filled, but these new "Senior Executives" won't be deployable to combat.

The Generals that are actually being cut, aren't the logistics guys that fill seats in the Pentagon.  The Army and Marines are being cut in far greater numbers and proportions than the Air Force and Navy and the cuts are coming from those positions fighting our wars, not the guys chatting it up with politicians in Washington.  The Marines are losing 20% of their authorized Generals, while the Navy is increasing its portion of joint command positions, at the cost to the Army.

A Veteran's Voice for the Warrior's Honor

People often note a candor about Veterans.  Sometimes it's interpreted as crankiness.  Sometimes it comes across as righteous indignation.  Some find it as a refreshing quality while others envy the authority with which Veterans speak about matters of National Defense, necessity of sacrifice to maintain Freedom, and the recognition that evil exists in the world.

The military will change a man.  Combat gives a man experiences that will alter his tolerances for everyday life.  Clear, concise communication isn't just a luxury, but a necessity in a life that changes from intense boredom to life piercing adrenaline in split seconds.  One must learn vigilance in details at points of both boredom and excitement, while preventing tunnel vision, if one is to protect those that he relies on to protect him.

To protect Our Citizens from atrocious enemies, a Soldier sacrifices luxury, sleep, and time with his kids, wife, and family.  To protect Our Nation & Our Freedoms, he sacrifices a tiny bit of his Soul.  He gives away the comfort of innocence, of the naivete of never having stared evil in its eyes.  A Combat Veteran has walked boldly into the very gates of Hell, to prevent as many demons as possible from visiting Our Citizens in their lives of luxury.

To "Remember 9/11" is Not Enough

Ten Years of a promise to "never forget" and I must ask if just remembering is enough.  Sixty-four years of the promise to "never forget" the holocaust hasn't steeled the world against smaller scale versions of similar atrocities and has not prevented "tolerance" of those that still call for the eradication of the very same race.  For too many, 9/11 anniversaries and Memorials to the Fallen are simply an opportunity for publicity or a task that must be undertaken.  For too many, it seems that it is enough, or even too much, to acknowledge the loss of life, but it is beyond their capacity to understand what is done to prevent a repeat, beyond their abilities to Support Our Troops in their actions, in their sacrifices, and in their risks to do so.

For weeks, leading up to 9/11/11, politicians have taken the podium, newscasts have interviewed celebrities, and newspapers have sought out specific demographics to tell their story.  The stage at Ground Zero is to be so packed with politicians on 9/11/11, that there is no room for the Heroes that rushed in on 9/11/01 to preserve as many lives as every fiber of their bodies could save.

Obama's Pet Solar Corporation Lays off 1,100, Shuts Doors

VoA: FBI agents have swarmed the headquarters of the recently-bankrupted solar energy firm Solyndra as part of a joint investigation by the justice and energy departments.

The agents executed search warrants Thursday at the facility in Fremont, California, but declined to say what specifically they were looking for.

Solyndra spokesman Dave Miller said the company was unaware of the search warrants and that he was surprised when he arrived at work and saw the agents.

Solyndra was once praised by President Barack Obama as a “testament to American ingenuity and dynamism” and received more than $500 million in federal loans.

Last week, the clean energy manufacturer said it was bankrupt, shutting its operations, and laying off 1,100 workers. The firm said it could not cut costs fast enough to keep up with Chinese solar panel makers.

Some U.S. members of Congress are calling for Solyndra's CEO to testify about what went wrong. One California representative, Democrat Henry Waxman, said the CEO had told Congress just two months ago that his company was in a strong financial position.

Republicans have also questioned whether Solyndra received the loans unfairly because one of its key investors was also a major donor to the 2008 Obama presidential campaign.

Creating Jobs: Role of Citizens, Corporations, & Politicians

Remember the "Economic Stimulus" bill?  Americans were told that if they didn't get their politicians to pass it, that unemployment would be 8%.  It was supposed to be "shovel ready" projects, that had been planned and was only awaiting money to enact.  It was supposed to repair our infrastructure.  It turned out to be a massive pork project that funded everything from monkey houses for 7 to turtle tunnels to condom research and research on the washing of foreskin PR campaigns to South African men.  It tore up good highways and boosted the roadsign industry.  Politicians paid for signs advertising their deeds everywhere they tore up a good road, out of OUR pockets.

Unemployment soared from 7.8% when the POTUS took office to 9.7% a year later.  It helped fuel the deficit that tripled the record set the year before.  It was supposed to be that tripled record that the POTUS would cut in half, creating a deficit by 2012 that was only 50% higher than the previous record.  One thing it didn't do was: create jobs.  The current resident at the White House blamed his predecessor.  He continues to blame his predecessor.   Since then, many have stopped searching for work, and fallen out of the statistics.

Soon the POTUS will propose that new jobs creation legislation be enacted.  Supposedly, the new proposal will be what the last was claimed to be: Infrastructure repairs.  Perhaps, it would replace the decrepit bridge 8 miles south of the section of I-40 that was needlessly torn up.  Perhaps, it would recycle the signs advertising the old pork projects.

But what is the role of government in "creating jobs?"  Sure, they can expand government and hire more bureaucrats, but more bureaucrats means a need for more taxpayers.  Bureaucrats don't create products.  For every bureaucrat, we need 10-20 taxpayers to pay their salaries.  And it seems we never fire bureaucrats.  Even when we "shrink" government, it is only through the natural attrition of old age.

And swallowing up GM and Chrysler didn't work so well either.  Neither did taking over decision making of the financials.  Both endeavors resulted in a loss to the average Americans who owned shares and bonds in the companies, and to the taxpayers who were forced to buy in to losing corporations, and then forced to sell at the bottom to foreign entities, through the actions of the Executive Branch of government.

Then came "Quantitative Easing" 1 and 2.  Big fancy words for printing more dollars, meaning that all dollars were worth less.  They did it so they buy the debts that the Deficit needed to sell.  The effect is inflation.  It's one reason why it costs more dollars for gasoline, bread, and milk.  Printing money is more normally seen in 3rd World countries ahead of rampant inflation to deal with runaway debt.  It never has seemed to work out the way the rulers hoped.

The politicians also like to blame corporations and businesses for not hiring with the money they've put in the bank.  But companies hire people when they need workers to create the products they sell.  Companies that hire workers they don't need going into debt, bankruptcy, and out of business, putting more people in the unemployment lines, than they took out of it.  The fewer workers there are, the fewer consumers there are, the fewer products are needed, the less profits there are to expand those businesses, and the fewer taxpayers and taxes there are.  And the more bureaucrats there are, the more taxpayers that are needed to pay for the bureaucrats and the buildings to house them.

There were certainly economic challenges under the previous administration.  The Tech bubble burst shortly before he took office.  9/11 happened just after he took office.  Everyone saw or should have seen the housing bubble.  There were challenges in 2003, 2005, and 2007.  The world economy was suffering for years, while the US economy maintained slow growth for most of those years.  Oil prices soared.  The average unemployment rate under the prior office holder was 5.3%.  The average unemployment rate under the current office holder is 9.3%.

So, how do we get out of this mess?  Individual citizens need to buy American products.  Buying Chinese products may save you a dime or more, but it pays for jobs in China and takes jobs away from America.  As long as American Consumers are buying products made in China, instead of those made in the US, they are telling the corporations to move to the cheap labor and products the American people will buy.  In other words, we, American individuals are buying our way out of a job.  Don't blame the corporations for selling you the products you want.  When you buy the products they make here, they'll hire more American workers to make those products here.  When you buy the products made there, they'll hire the workers there to make the products you buy.

Deport the illegal aliens that are taking the jobs.  If there are 14 Million citizens out of work and 18 Million illegal aliens in the country, the math speaks for itself.  Immigration to the United States is NOT a right.  Immigration should be tied to America's needs for workers and specialities we don't have.

What can the politicians do?  Create a legislative framework that is conducive to employers hiring people.  Get rid of the excessive bureaucracies and red tape.  Make the laws readable and compilable without the necessity of hiring lawyers and accountants to figure it out.  Stop demonizing the very people you want to hire.  Success is a good thing.  As many millionaires as there are in Congress (and the White House), you'd think they'd be more appreciative of those that have joined their financial ranks.  The Constitution is written in plain English and is more powerful than the codes Congress writes today.  Try it.

Stop playing footsie with countries that are taking advantage of us.  If China isn't going to play on a level playing field, end their "most favored nation" status.  Impose the same tariffs on their goods as they impose on ours.

Stop paying off your campaign donors on our dime.  How does GE get away with selling dual use technology to Iran, paying no taxes, AND getting our green energy tax dollars, while moving their factories to China?  Oh yeah, the CEO helped put you in office.

"Government is NOT the solution.  Government is THE PROBLEM!"  Ronald Reagan, the President who brought this country back to greatness, after his predecessor put us in a similar situation.  Yeah, he ran deficits too, but his deficits won the Cold War and were spent on creating a strong National Defense, instead of cutting the equipment and size of the military in a time of TWO wars.