Raylrode Daze 2007 Finale

"I Hate Snakes"

A strange watering trough!

The South Rises Again

Looks more like a hotel.

The Business End of the Cal Smoak Special.

Good News from the Border

The long-promised Border Fence is finally getting built! So says the LA Times:

The Department of Homeland Security reached its goal of completing 70 miles of new fencing by the end of this month, nearly doubling the length of barriers on the border to about 145 miles...Whether the new fencing slows illegal immigration remains to be seen, but the project is a milestone in another way. Once limited mainly to cities, fencing along the 1,952-mile border is now going up in rural areas, where much of the illegal immigration traffic has shifted in recent years...
The Secure Fence Act, which President Bush signed into law last fall, called for 700 miles of new fencing. The administration set a goal of completing nearly 300 miles by the end of 2008.

Here's a prediction: the new fence constructed in just part of the border will be so effective at stemming the invasion form the South, that Americans will demand the barrier stretch along the entire border with Mexico.

Honest News

MSM not reporting US Casualties is good news.

A Quiet Triumph May be Brewing.

Al Qaeda in Iraq losing thanks to concerned local citizens.

The Neglected Story on General Petraeus.

Senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader killed in airstrike.

Coalition Forces kill likely successor to Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

Democrats Changing Their Tune on Iraq?

Official: Iran Ordered Terrorist Bombing in the Americas.

Secret Bush-Aznar Memo Sparks Controversy.

Diyala Governor: Attack "will not weaken good people".

"The Iranians are in a state of total panic."

Why We're Winning Now in Iraq.

House Votes to Tighten Sanctions on Iran.

U.S.: Iran Smuggling Advanced Weapons Into Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Says That Civil War Has Been Prevented.

Violent incidents down; Al Qaeda 'off balance' in Iraq.

Their son believed in Iraq mission, and they do too.

Iraq Anbar tribal leader vows to fight al Qaeda.

2007 Annual Raylrode Daze Parade

As promised, here are todays photos of the annual celebration from Branchville, SC:

Branchville's Mayor Tim Cooner

Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams

Miss Raylrode Daze and her entourage giving me the cold shoulder!

Old Cars

Strange Cars

Cool Cars

Tractors

Cool Trucks!

Honoring the Past

And the Future

Why We Are Winning

With even the overly negative MSM admitting there's been a change on the ground in Iraq, it may be a good time to take stock on why there's been success in the war, for future reference. Fred Kagan, who along with Generals Keene, and Petraeus, (not to mention a consistently stubborn George Bush) plus a few others, may be considered the architects of the turnaround, compares good counter-insurgency versus bad.

First, why we were losing:

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the consensus of American strategists has been that the best way to fight a cellular terrorist organization like al Qaeda is through a combination of targeted strikes against key leaders and efforts to discredit al Qaeda's takfiri ideology in the Muslim community. Precision-guided munitions and special forces have been touted as the ideal weapons against this sort of group, because they require a minimal presence on the ground and therefore do not create the image of American invasion or occupation of a Muslim country.

This was the nice, neat and popular way, but it wasn't successful, says Kagan. The low visibility which many on the Left want to return to created the problems we now have:

This strategy failed in Iraq for four years--skilled U.S. special-forces teams killed a succession of al Qaeda in Iraq leaders, but the organization was able to replace them faster than we could kill them. A counterterrorism strategy that did not secure the population from terrorist attacks led to consistent increases in terrorist violence and exposed Sunni leaders disenchanted with the terrorists to brutal death whenever they tried to resist. It emerged that "winning the hearts and minds" of the local population is not enough when the terrorists are able to torture and kill anyone who tries to stand up against them.

And this they did with a vengeance. Sure, it woke ordinary Iraqi's to the truth about Al Qaeda's brutality, but at too great a price:

The Sunni Arabs in Iraq lost their enthusiasm for al Qaeda very quickly after their initial embrace of the movement. By 2005, currents of resistance had begun to flow in Anbar, expanding in 2006. Al Qaeda responded to this rising resistance with unspeakable brutality--beheading young children, executing Sunni leaders and preventing their bodies from being buried within the time required by Muslim law, torturing resisters by gouging out their eyes, electrocuting them, crushing their heads in vices, and so on. This brutality naturally inflamed the desire to resist in the Sunni Arab community--but actual resistance in 2006 remained fitful and ineffective.

This is where the Surge came in, with real change:

When American forces entered al Qaeda strongholds like Arab Jabour, the first question the locals asked is: Are you going to stay this time? They wanted to know if the U.S. would commit to protecting them against al Qaeda retribution. U.S. soldiers have done so, in Anbar, Baghdad, Baqubah, Arab Jabour and elsewhere. They have established joint security stations with Iraqi soldiers and police throughout urban areas and in villages. They have worked with former insurgents and local people to form "concerned citizens" groups to protect their own neighborhoods. Their presence among the people has generated confidence that al Qaeda will be defeated, resulting in increased information about the movements of al Qaeda operatives and local support for capturing or killing them.

This is the age-old solution to an effective counter-insurgency. I heard so many in the MSM declare after we entered Iraq that "It is impossible to defeat a guerrilla campaign". Nonsense! America has done so many times, most notably in the Philippines, and the British did a text-book example with the Malaya Insurgency in the 50's, a lesson we should have studied in Vietnam. Before that lost cause, the Army pleaded with President Kennedy to let them handle the initial conflict, declaring "any well trained army troops can defeat an insurgency", but Jack was too enamored with his new Special Forces, and this mistake lingers in US military and political thinking to this day.

Bottom Line, says Kagan:

It is not enough to persuade a Muslim population to reject al Qaeda's ideology and practice. Someone must also be willing and able to protect that population against the terrorists they had been harboring, something that special forces and long-range missiles alone can't do.

But the boots on the ground can! Special Forces and Precision Strikes certainly have their place, but in the end that can't give consistent presence to make the people fell safe, and the need to change sides against their oppressors.

Goose Creek Suspect Admits to Terror Video

Do we have to keep calling these guys suspects? From the Post & Courier:

One of the men facing federal charges for illegally transporting bomb materials through Goose Creek last month told authorities he filmed a how-to video on making bomb detonators to help Arabic countries defend against American troops and other "infidels."

Ahmed Mohamed told authorities that he made the Internet video to "assist those persons in Arabic countries to defend themselves against the infidels invading their countries" and that he "considered American troops, and those military forces fighting with the American military, to be invaders of Arab countries."

The admission is one of several new details about the Aug. 4 arrest contained in a recently released federal search warrant application. The 12-minute video was discovered on a laptop computer belonging to Mohamed. Other files on the computer indicated that the video had been posted to the video-sharing web site YouTube under keywords such as "martyrdooms" and "suiciders."

Funny, we didn't start invading Arab countries until after they started bombing us. It's the old victim mentality "you made us into bad people". And what's up with the "martyrdooms" and "suiciders" categories on YouTube? You'd think someone in charge over at the new owners Google might think "maybe this isn't a very family friendly thing that we'd want on on our site". You think?

Raylrode Daze A'Bloggin

Look for more photos all weekend of the Branchville, SC Raylrode Daze Festival!

Mmmm...Alligator Ka-bobs!

Sea Links

Guided missile destroyer USS Halsey tested the Navy's latest version of the Tomahawk cruise missile recently. US Navy Photo

Navy’s Barracks Looks Like Giant Swastika from the Air.

China's strategic post in the Persian Gulf.

Forrest Sherman Exercises With South African Navy.

Navy to Unveil New Maritime Strategy.

Dutch Release Details of Their New OPVs.

Boeing Delivers First Production EA-18G Growler to US Navy.

USS Zumwalt contract goes to Maine.

Students win Sikorsky Prize for submarine helicopter.

USS Halsey Tests Block IV Tomahawk.

LCS Mission Package Attacks Small Boat Threat.

Northrop Grumman carrier said to face cost overruns.

Iranian Underwater Warfare Capabilities.

Navy looks at SC site for anti-submarine training range.

America-The Original UN

Mark Steyn blasts Katie Couric's recent anti-American speech saying she was reluctant to say "we" when referring to the country of her birth:

It does help explain one of Katie's sillier comments, a few years back when the space shuttle Columbia crashed. On the Today show, she saluted the fallen crew as follows: "They were an airborne United Nations - men, women, an African-American, an Indian woman, an Israeli…."

No, they weren't an "airborne UN". They were an airborne America. For a start, if there was such a thing as a UN rocket, the Israeli guy wouldn't get anywhere near it, except on a one-way ticket to establish the viability of Ahmadinejad's new designated homeland for the Jews on Planet Zongo. I doubt even an EU space shuttle would be eager to admit any astronauts from the Zionist Entity. As for the "Indian woman", Kalpana Chawla was the American Dream writ large upon the stars: she emigrated to the US in the Eighties and was an astronaut within a decade. There's no other country on earth where you can do that. And I'll bet she had no qualms about using the dread "we" word

Well, earlier this month's she was America's sweetheart for one brief, shining moment. Those were the days...

More outrage at Katy-Frank J declares "We Don't Like People Who Don't Take Pride in Our Country".

5 Largest Battleships Ever Built

Here is the list, not including vessels of the same class, of the greatest Dreadnoughts ever to sail the seas:

1). Japanese Yamato-72,809 tons

This massive behemoth was built in such secrecy, the Allies knew little of her specifications until after the war. Yamato actually saw little action during the war; her most notable achievement being a suicide run against the US invasion force off Okinawa in 1945. The final tragic demise of the Battleship Era.

2). American New Jersey-55,710 tons

Likely the most famous version of the 4 Iowa class, this was the largest American dreadnought ever constructed and also the fastest. At 33 knots she could keep pace with the new aircraft carriers that now dominated warfare at sea.

3). Germany's Bismarck-50,153 tons

The most feared Nazi surface ship of World War 2, she had a short life span from her monumental sinking of the HMS Hood in May of 1941, to her own demise just 3 days later.

4). French Richelieu-47,500 tons

This unique design also holds the singular record of fighting for both the Axis and the Allies. While in service with the Vichy government, she fought duels with British and American battleships, when she was only partly operational. After the French rejoined the allies after Operation Torch, Richelieu served with the British Fleet in the Far East.

5). British Hood-46,200 tons

Technically a thinly armored battle cruiser, Hood was never used in this capacity but as a front line dreadnought. This error in judgment by the Royal Navy eventually led to her destruction when she met the battleship Bismarck. Yet, between the wars she was universally renowned as the mightiest warship afloat!

The most heavily armed battleship for her size was the HMS Agincourt of the Great War. This 30,000 ton titan carried a total of 14x12 inch cannon in an amazing 7 gun turrets!

Obey Links MoveOn to McCarthyism

That's Democrat Congressman David Obey, who was speaking during a House vote to condemn the Liberal MoveOn.org for its recent NY Times ad attacking General David Petraeus. Via GovExec:

Born into a Republican family "in the state of Joe McCarthy," Obey said one reason he switched parties was one of his teachers was impugned as a "Bolshevik" during the Red Scare. "To this day there's nothing that gets my dander up more than someone having their patriotism questioned," Obey said.

Just as he opposed McCarthyite tactics from the right, "I've got an obligation to be equally upset when that kind of juvenile attack emanates from the left," Obey said.

The vote was a crushing 341-79 in favor of condemning MoveOn, with many Democrats striking the death blow to the radical activists.

Thuggish Quote of the Day

Comes from the Clinton Campaign, via Ann Althouse. This concerns the story of how the Clinton lawyers forced an Italian Restaurant owner to remove a picture of Chelsea:

"We reserve the right to exercise any and all options available to us."

The statement comes from Douglas J. Band who says he's a "Counselor to President Clinton,". Now if they were saying this to say, the Terrorists, or against Iranian President "ImaJihad", I could understand. But an Italian Albanian restaurant owner?

They bullied ABC over the Path to 9/11 movie, because it detailed what went on in the White House during the 90's while Bin Laden was scheming. More recently they forced GQ magazine to tank an article critical of Bill, and now more thuggery from the Clinton Machine. Is a Police State any better if its run by the Left?

Update-commenter informed me Nino Selimaj is an Albanian, but he also runs an Italian restaurant. The picture taker is also holding his ground, declaring "The picture stays - unless I hear from Chelsea directly".

Truth Poll-President 16%, Congress 3%

Here are the exact numbers via Powerline for this trustworthiness poll conducted by the Media Research Center:

• The President- 15.8
• Members of Congress- 2.6
• Members of the Senate- 2.5
• Media- 4.7
• Bloggers- 5.4
• None of the Above- 69.0

I included just the highest numbers from the "Male Category". Apparently we bloggers aren't doing so well in winning over the public, but kudos to the President!

Moderate Dems Make a Comeback

My editorial this week at Opeds.com was an earlier posting here which I described the need to rescue Democrats from the Radicals which had seized hold of their Party. To an extent, this turnaround has been ongoing since the Clinton's took office in the 90's, but after Bush was elected, the old ugly anti-Americanism took hold of the Left, with even Al Gore returning to his flower child semblance.

Now, in the New York Times, David Brooks has stolen my thunder by declaring "The Center Holds":

In the beginning of August, liberal bloggers met at the YearlyKos convention while centrist Democrats met at the Democratic Leadership Council’s National Conversation. Almost every Democratic presidential candidate attended YearlyKos, and none visited the D.L.C.

At the time, that seemed a sign that the left was gaining the upper hand in its perpetual struggle with the center over the soul of the Democratic Party. But now it’s clear that was only cosmetic.

Now it’s evident that if you want to understand the future of the Democratic Party you can learn almost nothing from the bloggers, billionaires and activists on the left who make up the “netroots.” You can learn most of what you need to know by paying attention to two different groups — high school educated women in the Midwest, and the old Clinton establishment in Washington.

Personally, I am repelled at the notion of another Clinton White House, especially after Hillary's bizarre appeasing of these Netroots over the summer, by criticizing General Petraeus and resisting the Surge. Still, the Clinton's have always known which way the political winds are blowing, and will likely adapt accordingly. Of all the Democrat's candidates, I feel that Hillary would at least protect this country.

Anything is possible. If France, Germany, and Canada can create center/right governments, surely the Democrat Party can return to its Roosevelt-Truman-Kennedy roots of standing for freedom and promoting democracy overseas.

5 Signs You Might be a Liberal

Borrowed liberally from Wally's Joke Mail:

1. You are against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.
2. You believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens
   are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.
3. You believe that hunters don't care about nature, but PETA
   activists do.
4. You believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are
   more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Edison.
5. You believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked
   anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in
   charge.

Even more good stuff at Wally's Joke Mail.

MiLinks

A pilot checks his bomb placement after dropping a "flour bomb" during a target competition Sept. 22 at the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous World War I Fly-In on the grounds of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. USAF Photo

Russia's Wonder weapons -- Part 1.

US Air Force discloses big-ticket wish list.

Air Force Mulls Small Gunship.

Armed JCA Could Replace Aging Puffs.

Ancient B-52s get 21st Century Upgrade.

Gunners have eagle eyes with CROWS.

China's Plan To Destroy American Air Superiority.

How Precision Weapons Revolutionized Warfare.

Iran Shows Off New Fighter Jet.

Italian Typhoon "Shot Down".

Senate Calls for Early Fielding of Fire Scout UAV.

Yeehah!! The General Lee is Back!

Not the car, silly, but a beloved Stryker vehicle wrecked by an IED in Iraq. From Michael Yon:

By sea and by land, one of the Army’s war-battered Stryker vehicles known to its unit as the General Lee is coming home to Anniston Army Depot, Ala., where it was built, to be repaired and sent on to a unit in ready-to-fight condition.

Time after time in Iraq, General Lee saved soldiers from improvised explosive devices, but an explosion in April left it unrepairable in Iraq and declared a battle loss.

General Lee is known far and wide from writer Michael Yon’s dispatch titled “Superman,” which recounts some Army unit activities in Iraq that left soldiers virtually unscathed while riding in General Lee.

Here is some awesome footage, actually filmed by the insurgents who planted the IED:

5 Cold War "Defeats into Victory"

I once wrote "America lost every battle of the Cold War, except the one that counted: the last". Here are 5 Conflicts during that 40+ year standoff in which some might have declared "the war is lost", but this wasn't the whole story:

1. Korea 1950-Much like the Iraq War 53 years later, this struggle began with a brilliant US military campaign that soon regressed into a seemingly endless war of attrition. On the positive side, the surprise North Korean and later Chinese invasions of the South shook America out of 2 centuries of isolation to stand firm against communist expansionism.
2. Suez 1956-When President Eisenhower balked at supporting Franco/British attempts to preempt Arab nationalism, these fading colonial powers swiftly retreated from the Middle East, placing the problem squarely in our laps to this day. Another front was opened in the Cold War, but democratic Israel swiftly became our staunchest ally in the region.
3. Cuban Missile Crisis 1962-One of the few that can be considered a clear-cut US victory, except that failure by the Soviets emboldened them to take the lead in the Arms Race, a competition in which we increasingly fell behind. Yet, the massive buildup would soon bankrupt the barely industrialized Russians, and spur the Americans to attempt creative measures to regain their superiority.
   
4. Tet 1968-This battlefield victory by US General Westmoreland was a morale destroyer at home, and ended in our complete withdrawal in a few years. Yet, the humiliating defeat impelled American soldiers and politicians to take strenuous efforts at ending the Cold War. Some failed (detente) and some succeeded wildly(rollback).
5. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan 1979-In concert with the Iran Hostage Crisis, this was the nadir of the East/West standoff. Yet, it incited America and her allies to take a tougher stand with the communists in arms negotiations, rebuild their militaries, and push for democratic change behind the Iron Curtain.

Checkmate! Later of, course, came the final battle I mentioned, Operation Desert Storm in 1991. I consider this the last battle of the Cold War because it was won with late Cold War tactics by the US, against the traditional Russian style defenses of the Iraqi's. It can also be considered the first battle of the War on Terror.

MoveOn attacks Free Speech

Welcome Lowcountry Blogs! Updates on the bottom.

This time they are targeting custom T-shirt maker Cafe Press. From the LA Times:

...it's amazing that MoveOn would try to squelch political speech. That's another clear purpose of the targeted items. Take, for example, this message on a t-shirt designed by a lifelong Democrat from Southern California:

General Petraeus has done more for this country than MoveOn.org. MoveOn.org, the worst friend a Democrat could have! Move Away from Move On!

To its credit, CafePress refused to take down five bumper stickers, and it reinstated a t-shirt that it had taken down briefly in response to MoveOn's initial request.

More proof of McCarthyism from the Radical Left. Apparently they were for Free Speech, before they were against it!

More censorship-From Politico, Clinton campaign kills negative story.

Update-I can't believe this! Even more Clinton crackdowns: Eatery Owner Forced to Remove Picture of Chelsea Clinton From Window.

The Return of Mob Justice?

I was waiting for this article from Thomas Sowell, who weighs in on the Jena 6 controversy. Sowell is a black professor and writer who is also very conservative in his views:

The last thing the South needs is a return to lynch-mob justice, whatever the color of whoever is promoting it.

Back in the 1950s, when the federal courts began striking down the Jim Crow laws in the South, one of the rising demands across the country was that the discriminators and segregationists obey "the law of the land."

But, somewhere along the way, the idea also arose and spread that not everybody was supposed to obey "the law of the land."

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the AP story I posted over the weekend which debunked many myths of the so-called "white tree". Guess their talking points are already too well established.

Where is the Navy's Petraeus?

Super cruisers like the USS Gettysburg were built at enormous cost to combat a hi-tech threat from Soviet cruise missile carrying attack subs and bombers, but instead are now used to track low tech insurgent smugglers and modern day pirates.

I would dearly love to see a Navy admiral with the courage to stand up to the status quo, as the Army's new commander in Iraq General David Petraeus has done, to answer the real challenges of modern war at sea. These challenges include intercepting pirate terrorists and WMDs at sea, the threat from AIP submarines in littoral waters, and supporting operations in coastal and inland waterways. Instead, we continue to receive vessels little changed save in size and cost from their World War 2 forebears, forced to fight a 21st Century antagonist. New hull designs (like the Littoral Combat Ship which is under siege by budget cutters) to combat cruise missiles at sea are desperately needed, but instead we get massive targets like Ford Class super carriers, and the LHD-17 class of amphibious ships. The latter ship has been criticized by Congress for being $400 million over budget, and is for ferrying troops to seize beachheads on a hostile shore, something the Marines haven't done since the Korean War. Wouldn't a leased cargo ship do just as well? Here is the current Navy Secretary Donald Winter on his plans for "Business as usual" during his tenure (via Defense Industry Daily):

"In the past, the Navy has had shipbuilding production plans that included 34 Spruance class destroyers, 30 Aegis Cruisers, 62 Arleigh Burke class destroyers, and 54 Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates – very large production runs over relatively short periods of time. Needless to say, those production rates are just not feasible with ships like DD (X), CG (X), CVN21, and Virginia class submarines. We need a new shipbuilding model that can cost-effectively provide significant increases in capability at low rates of production."

In my own opinion, the less capable and cheaper vessels he mentions at the start are more capable than our current crop of whiz-bang and technically uncertain dinosaurs at sea. My reasoning for this is a large fleet can be many places at once, showing the flag still being the most effective deterrent of aggression, and can maintain itself better in a war of attrition. The latter type operation is the kind the Army wasn't prepared to fight before General Petraeus. The old Cold War Military felt it needed only a small, hi-tech force to counter the blitzkrieg tactics of the last century, but after Desert Storm our enemies knew better than to fight such a massive and quick slug fest with the US. Instead, they hit us where we are weakest, and a type of warfare we had avoided since Vietnam, an insurgency conflict.

Though some navies are still obsessed with building massive US style aircraft carrier fleets, and we expect the Chinese to produce theirs any day now, the most likely style of fighting our enemies would choose would be one we faced numerous times before, a submarine campaign against our merchant and surface fleets. I contend that the submarine is the Insurgent at Sea, and for such an attrition type warfare in the last 2 World Wars massive spending on aircraft and escort ships were required to combat it. The irony of it all, is the Navy continues to purchase ships, in the words of Mr. Winter with "increases in capability at low rates of production". In other words, a massive construction capability is increasingly out of their plans, and likely soon out of their capability.

Bottom line: we are not ready for a war of attrition at sea, the kind the Army had forced on them in Iraq and perhaps is just barely now turning around. Our enemies know better than to match us carrier for carrier, destroyer for destroyer, but have no qualms in hitting us where we are weakest.

More-Information Dissemination reveals Iranian Underwater Warfare Capabilities.

5 Movies I'd Love To See

During World War 2 and throughout the Cold War, Hollywood reported for duty in chronicling the heroic exploits of our brave military holding the front lines against Nazi, then Communist tyranny. Regrettably, the days of supporting the troops in Tinsel Town are over, with a whole slew of anti-war, anti-American films currently in the works. It looks like we can no longer count on actors to actually entertain us, so here is my own wish list of must-see movies:

1. The H.R. McMaster Story-A real American hero in the mold of George Patton, McMaster led the Tiger Brigade during Desert Storm that fought the largest US tank battle since World War 2. Later, he became renowned as "The Tamer of tal Afar, even mentioned in a speech by the President. He is currently an advisor to General Petraeus, our top commander in Iraq.
2. It Doesn't Take a Hero-More than any other American soldier in modern times, "Stormin Norman" Schwarzkopf personifies the transformation of the military after the Vetnam debacle. His actions as the architect of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, restored public confidence in the US armed forces which continues to this day. A story worth retelling.
3. The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister-From the book of the same name, how 3 unlikely world leaders joined forces to end the Cold War, without a shot being fired.
4. Solidarity-How Lech Walesa and the infant Polish Labor Union, through much persecution, defied communism and helped bring down the Warsaw Pact.
5. Strategery-From the book by Bill Sammon, the amazing story of how George Bush ignored the political pundits and dodged media slander to win the 2004 Election.

Hollywood can feel free to steal my ideas, or just anything positive for a change!

Join the protest!

Via HonestReporting.com

I received this from HonestReporting by email:

Ahmadinejad is appearing via videolink at a National Press Club luncheon and is being given a platform at Columbia University where a dean says Columbia would issue a similar invite to Hitler under the same circumstances.

Giving Ahmadinejad a credible platform gives a degree of legitimacy to the crimes of the Iranian regime - why should he be given the opportunity to defend Iran's criminal support for terror, Holocaust denial, calls for the destruction of Israel and the killing of American troops in Iraq?

My own thoughts are-Free Speech, Yes! Hate Speech, No! Columbia shouldn't give a forum to the Klan, nor should they this racist anti-semitic!

Best Show Ever!

New Wars Mike's favorite comedy show is the 1/2 Hour News Hour, 10:00 PM Sundays on Fox News Channel. In cased you didn't see last night's show, you missed it's funniest episode yet! Co-anchors Kurt McNally and Jennifer Lange reminisced in fake flashbacks their show through several decades, from the Cuban Missile Crisis, to the "Global Cooling" fears of the 1970's (with flower children Kurt and Jen!), to a 1980's interview with the author of "Mr. Gorbachev, Don't Tear Down This Wall!"

Oh, and I'm ordering my Do Nothing Congress Commemorative Plates now!

Funny stuff guys! Looks like the news of your cancellation has been greatly exaggerated (I hope).

61 % of Americans Favor Petraeus

Some telling poll numbers via Gallop and Cliff May:

A Gallup poll reports that 61 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of General Petraeus, up 9 percent in just one week.

Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they believe Petraeus' plan for removing troops is the right pace or too quick. By contrast, only 33 percent view the withdrawal as moving too slowly.
Pew reports that nationally “57 percent of Americans who read or heard about Petraeus' testimony approved of his recommendations for Iraq, while only 28 percent of respondents said they disapprove.

You don't hear much of these numbers on the news, but there they are. This is more proof that a majority of Americans now support winning the war.

Worse Quote Ever!

This comes from Daily Kos (via Hugh Hewitt), a post titled Why I Have A Little Crush on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

I know I'm a Jewish lesbian and he'd probably have me killed. But still, the guy speaks some blunt truths about the Bush Administration that make me swoon...

Yep, Hillary's got some election-winning supporters there.

5 Myths of the Jena 6 Story

An extremely informative article by the AP clears up most myths currently being reported about the racial controversy in Louisiana:

1. The so-called "white tree" at Jena High, often reported to be the domain of only white students, was nothing of the sort, according to teachers and school administrators; students of all races, they say, congregated under it at one time or another.
2. Two nooses -- not three -- were found dangling from the tree. Beyond being offensive to blacks, the nooses were cut down because black and white students "were playing with them, pulling on them, jump-swinging from them, and putting their heads through them," according to a black teacher who witnessed the scene.
3. There was no connection between the September noose incident and December attack, according to Donald Washington, an attorney for the U.S. Justice Department in western Louisiana, who investigated claims that these events might be race-related hate crimes.
4. The three youths accused of hanging the nooses were not suspended for just three days -- they were isolated at an alternative school for about a month, and then given an in-school suspension for two weeks.
5. The six-member jury that convicted Bell was, indeed, all white. However, only one in 10 people in LaSalle Parish is African American, and though black residents were selected randomly by computer and summoned for jury selection, none showed up.

The AP story also reveals that one of the black students, Mychal Bell, held for the attack on a white student actually had a previous criminal record, and was "on probation for at least two counts of battery and a count of criminal damage to property". My own question is, which is worse, someone actually thinking about a lynching, or someone actually committing a lynching, as in the December attack?

Honest News

A Soldier from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, exchanges greetings with an Iraqi family during a routine foot patrol in the village of Mukisa. Photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair

TONIGHT: A Look at the Life and Times of Gen. David Petraeus. (4:00 PM Eastern on Fox)

Iraq violence lowest since '06 mosque attack.

'Grassroots' will be catalyst for change in Baghdad, commander says.

U.N. to Open Baghdad Office Despite Security Concerns.

Israeli Forces Seized Nuclear Material During Syrian Raid.

U.S. AND FRANCE agree on new sanctions against Iran.

Iranian Qods Force agent captured in northern Iraq.

These Are Marines!

Troop surge turns momentum against terrorists, official says.

Cleaning up Baghdad streets, one IED at a time.

Empty wards in Baghdad hospital offer hope.

Al Qaeda Losing the War of Ideas.

Afghanistan Six Years on.

U.S. airstrike Kills Taliban leader behind South Korean kidnapping.

Michael Yon: Summoning Fire Without Flint.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq slowly finds itself with no future.

Why I Won't be Watching "The War"

Ken Burn's long awaited epic documentary on World War 2 airs tonight on PBS, but Jules Crittenden's review settles it for me:

“The War” is a death-obsessed dirge, dwelling on the ugliest parts of war, more interested in folly than success. Even extraordinary heroism gets short shrift. “The War” is about the meat grinder and the dutiful submission of good citizens to their fate. Victory is presented as an almost foregone conclusion, threatened only by the foolish mistakes of generals. Victory is only a death-ridden slog away, as long as Americans are willing to make that slog, despite their leaders’ shortcomings. The brief references to those leaders, their maneuvers and deceptions, their calculations and adjustments in strategy, are just a backdrop to the common man’s tale … which in “The War’’ fails to include the contributions of thousands upon thousands who toiled in other places than the factories and the front lines to which Burns limits his view.

When I think of WW 2, I think of the heroes, from Jimmy Doolittle, Audie Murphy, Douglas MacArthur, to Patton, plus the great battles of Alamein, the Battle of Britain, and the Normandy Invasion, all of which made the world safe for Democracy. Today's revisionists historians, and most of your school textbooks, like to focus only on the mistakes made, especially the Racism. In fact, the war destroyed racism as we know it.

Top 5 Starship Captains

I blame Star Trek for getting me interested in all things military. When I discovered that the fictional USS Enterprise was named for a World War 2 aircraft carrier, my naturally inquiring mind took over and I continue to study and read about military history to this day. Below is my list of the all-time great captains of TV and Film:

1) Captain James T Kirk- No contest! Kirk is the preeminent Cold Warrior in space, a little James Bond and Horatio Hornblower rolled into one. Never fails to beat the bad guys and get the girl in the end.

2). Commander Adama (original)-More Ronald Reagan than Jim Kirk, Adama led the original Battlestar Galactica from a hopeless genocide by the evil Cylons to a "shining new planet called Earth"!

3) Han Solo-Throughout the 3 original Star Wars films, his shoot first and blow-them-to-heck-later mentality helped turn the tiny Rebellion into a Empire shattering juggernaut! For his generation he was Dirty Harry with a starship, but like Kirk, he also had time for the ladies, and one in particular.

4). Captain John Sheridan-The 2nd Captain of the Babylon 5 space station, he left an exciting job commanding the heavy cruiser Agamemnon to whip this UN in outer space into shape to battle the sinister Shadows. Later, he managed to get another starship, a sleek vessel built with alien technology called the White Star, to lead the greatest armada seen in space outside of Star Wars!

5). Captain John J. Adams-Future comedic actor Leslie Nielson led the United Planets' Cruiser C-57D to the Forbidden Planet of Altair 7 to battle the evil Monster from the Id, a creature which oddly resembled a cross between a lion and Winston Churchill! Adams was the fore runner of Jim Kirk in that he beat the bad guys and won the girl, in this surprisingly good movie from the 1950's.

Inspired by an article titled The Top 20 Starship Captains.

TV Alert!

Don't miss the Fox News Special on Our Man in Iraq, American Commander: Gen. David Petraeus, airing this weekend!

Sat., Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. ET
Hosted by Jon Scott
Today's conflicts require that a modern American general be a student of history. Join us for this special look at the life and times of General David Petraeus from his childhood in Cornwall, New York to his historic mission in Iraq

5 Comments Heard at John Kerry's Taser Speech

Stolen blatantly borrowed liberally from Frank J at IMAO:

1). "Can I get a purple heart for this, bro?"'

2). "Don't taser him yet! I have a plan!"

3). "That's what you get for not serving in Vietnam like me!"

4). "Pipe Down Son, I am John Kerry and I am reporting for Duty!"

5). "This is all Bush's fault!"

I think tasers are mandatory at a John Kerry Speech, to keep the crowd awake!

McCain: We Won't Choose to Lose!

Breaking: Suspicious Package Removed from Downtown Charleston

(Updates below)As reported by Charleston.net:

Charleston police around noon today removed a "highly suspicious" package found in the bushes between the sidewalk and the parking lot at the Bell South building at 180 Calhoun St.

The package was described as a small bag attached by wires to a cell phone with its antenna raised.

A dog trained to detect explosives examined the package and didn't detect anything unusual. The bomb squad's robot was sent in afterward. Police then took the device to an undisclosed location.

Police closed a section of Calhoun along with Bull and Pitt streets as well as parts of Vanderhorst, George and King streets and Rutledge Avenue.

Just before noon, police ordered onlookers to take cover

.

Is this a hoax? One can only hope...

Update-Appears to have been a hoax, according to the Post & Courier:

Authorities said Friday night that they had determined there was no explosive incendiary device and that the public was in no danger. They would not elaborate.The experience left some students shaken.

While I'm glad it wasn't a real bomb, this should be a wake-up call for Charleston First Responders, if the recent Goose Creek Incident isn't enough. We've been mostly spared any attacks or threats like some of the larger cities up north, but dare not be complacent. In this new globalised war, no one is safe.

Update 2-A local blogger writes "This is on the same block where I work every day. I work in the Bellsouth Building that they are talking about. Just the other day we received an e-mail about how people are now sending in e-mail bomb threats."

Former Hostage Taker Wants to Visits Ground Zero

We're speaking of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or as Mitt Romney calls him, "ImaJihad". From the NY Times:

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said yesterday that he would not allow Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, anywhere near ground zero during his trip to New York next week, but the chance of a diplomatic showdown appeared to lessen when Mr. Ahmadinejad said he would abide by the decision.

The focus of protest over the visit by Mr. Ahmadinejad, who is to attend the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, then shifted uptown to Columbia University, where he is scheduled to participate in a World Leaders Forum on Monday.

Also, John McCain blasts Columbia University with

"A man who is directing the maiming and killing of Americans troops should not be given an invitation to speak at an American university. Rather than rolling out the red carpet for the leader of a terrorist-sponsoring regime, Columbia should be welcoming the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) back on campus to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line every day defending our freedom."

Irony from Michael Barone (via Instapundit):

Columbia doesn't host ROTC or (I think) military recruiters on campus, because it would be just too offensive to do so, because the military obeys the law passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by Bill Clinton which bars open homosexuals from serving in the military. OK.

But Columbia does host Ahmedinejad who heads a government which executes homosexuals for the crime of being homosexuals.

I guess Columbia considers the Iran dictator's War on Freedom as "a diverse viewpoint".

Sea Links

An MV-22 Osprey prepares to land aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in July. The plane is currently headed to the Persian Gulf on the USS Wasp (LHD-1).

U.S. Study Panel Eyes New Nuclear Weapons Submarine.

India passes on using sub as fox for US Maneuvers.

Top Russian Admiral Vladimir Masorin Dismissed.

Farewell HMS Gotland, We Don't Need Ya Anymore.

MV-22 Osprey Deploys to the Gulf.

Fire on Cruiser USS Leyte Gulf in Drydock.

Latest Army Vessel Honors Black American Hero.

First LCS Mission Package Delivered.

Chinese, British warships hold drill in E. China.

A Mothership Design for the Royal Navy.

How to Kill a Diesel Electric Boat.

Also, some recent Top 5s:

5 Evolutions of the Submarine

5 Signs the Modern Submarine Rules the Waves

5 Reasons the Aircraft Carrier is Obsolete

Senate Condemns MoveON for Petraeus Ad

Sans Hillary and Obama, however. This is from Fox News:

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a measure condemning MoveOn.org for a newspaper ad it ran last week attacking Gen. David Petraeus. The move came as President Bush accused Democrats of cowering to the liberal political action group.

The measure passed in a 72-25 vote, with none of the Democratic presidential candidates supporting it. Sponsored by Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, never one to shy away from forcing Democrats to go on record on politically sticky issues, the amendment to the defense authorization bill did win the backing of 23 Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell launched the most scathing attack against the rogue liberal group:

"Who would have ever expected anybody to go after a general in the field at a time of war, launch a smear campaign against a man we've entrusted with our mission in Iraq?... "Any group that does this sort of thing ought to be condemned. Let's take sides. General Petraeus or MoveOn.org. Which one are we going to believe? Which one are we going to condemn?"

And President Bush weighed in:

"I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military. And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org — or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military. That was a sorry deal. It's one thing to attack me; it's another thing to attack somebody like General Petraeus"

A little surprised this passed, but I'm glad the politicians are actually supporting the troops, instead of talking out of both sides of their mouths for a change. As for MoveOn, sometimes they can defeat their own cause. As seen here, they have actually helped General Petraeus and the war effort, which may not have been their intent.

5 Evolutions of the Submarine

The submarine is a unique and amazing invention in that after its modern incarnation a little over 100 years ago, it continues to evolve, while surface warships such as aircraft carriers, cruisers, and destroyers have changed little ( save in size, cost, and weaponry) since World War 2, and in some cases have regressed. The following are 5 examples of how the roles of the Undersea Boat have changed the in last Century, and continues to do so:

1). Pre-World War 1: Torpedo Boat-The latter craft never lived up to expectations (save for at least one notable exception) though there were built in the hundreds by France and Russia.This was the original mission envisioned by the early submarine theorists, to surprise and attack bigger warships, using its stealthy diving ability.

2). World War 1: Commerce Raider: The surface commerce raider was never the threat imagined by pre-war theorists, the few German examples were soon swept from the seas, after several headline-making battles. In contrast, the submarine sank more merchant ships in all history up to that time.

3). World War 2: The Cruiser-When the war began, the larger navies possessed so-called "cruiser submarines", some with ranges of 10,000 miles or more and loading aircraft! The Americans used these vessels much like their namesakes, as long-range scouts, to attack enemy merchant and warships. As the war entered its final stages, with airpower predominant, the old surface cruisers were forced into the new carrier task forces for mutual self-protection, while the subs continued to sail on independent missions.

4). Early Cold War: The Destroyer-Streamline hulls and nuclear power in the 1950's provided the submarines with speeds to match their primary antagonist, the anti-sub destroyer. Armed with torpedoes, the new boats are a greater threat to other warships, and advanced underwater sensors give it a renewed capability to defeat submarines, once the prime function of the old "greyhounds" of the Navy.

5). Late Cold War and the Future: The Aircraft Carrier?-Armed with cruise missiles, they now possessed the extended reach of the carrier's naval bombers. Increasingly, the cruise missiles can loiter like the manned planes, as well as ferry separate payloads as do the bombers. Experiments are also being conducted in launching unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which themselves are improving in range, payload, and capability.

Congress fails in stealth attempt to end Iraq War

This was the so-called Web Amendment, which was meant to give troops as much time at home as they spend in the field. It is also an example of Congressional micromanaging, which helped lose Vietnam. Senator John Warner who previously supported the measure, bailed on the Democrats. From the NY Times:

Mr. Webb’s proposal, an amendment to the annual defense policy
bill, is being strongly opposed by the Pentagon as an intrusion in complex troop
deployment schedules. Mr. Warner, during a Republican Party luncheon, said he
was rethinking his support given President Bush’s plan to withdraw at least some
troops from Iraq this year.Republican officials said that after extensive
conversations with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Mr. Warner had concluded
that he could not support Mr. Webb’s plan in its current form.

It was Senator Harry Reid who once said "Listen to the generals". Apparently he meant in the MoveOn army!

By the way, the vote was 56-44 in favor, 4 votes shy of being veto proof. Chicago Tribune has more coverage.

Thanks to Susan at Wake Up America for the Tip!

Chuck Norris in Iraq!

I love this guy's movies! From World Net Daily:

Norris said in an e-mail from Iraq two things have become very
apparent as he has traveled from base to base: The "surge is working" and
"morale is up – way up!" ..."It is so much safer and more relaxed, particularly
in the Al Anbar province," Norris said. "It is so much better than often
conveyed by the liberal media." ..."These young men and women are making a
difference here, and they believe they can win the day and the war, and give the
Iraqi people full ownership of their land," Norris said. "The question is: Will
Americans lose their patience before we expand the safety into other regions of
Iraq the way our military has in most of Al Anbar province?"

I know the troops really appreciate this, from a True Hollywood Star!

Update-Welcome Lowcountry Blogosphere and Chuck Norris fans!