The Party of Oh… Crap

I am a Cowboys fan… Dallas Cowboys.  Let me give you a quick synopsis of what that meant this past year:

Dallas Cowboys start season as Super Bowl contenders, and Jerry Jones hints constantly at looking forward to the Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl at the brand new Texas Stadium (which, of course, is bigger than YOUR stadium).

Dallas Cowboys go 0-2… win 1 game, then lose the next 5.

1-7 for the team that had high hopes.  Many wept, Redskins fans rejoiced; we crumbled.

HOWEVER,

I now get to see what it felt like to be a Skins fan, and watch your rivals crumble under the weight of their own egos and expectations (Well, I got to twice, when the University of Texas precipitously fell to the bottom of the Big 12 South; below Baylor!).  Did anyone pay attention to the events of tonight on Capitol Hill?

I am watching the Democratic Party collapse tonight.  I’m popping popcorn, drinking a Shiner, and laughing at what I am hearing and reading.  Democrats were short of the 60 votes they needed to try and pass the DREAM Act in the Senate, so they shelved it.  Bear in mind, it is being placed on hold temporarily because the democrats have before the end of the year to try and legislate themselves some-million votes nation-wide.  Nevertheless, a victory for Republicans.  Next, Democrats failed to get the 60 votes needed for a procedural motion on the 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, which included the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell provision.  Since that failed, Senators have promised to re-introduce a free-standing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell bill on the floor; but this is not exactly a morale booster for Senate Democrats today.  Finally, Democrats are none-too-pleased with the President and his reaching across the aisle on the issue of tax cuts.  How mad could they be?  Well, Rep. Shelley Berkley acknowledged that someone in the Democratic Caucus hissed “F*** the President” as they debated the bill.  As Ron White says: there’s some good news.  The outcome is that the Democratic Caucus came out and announced their stance on the bill, which follows what was said inside the caucus in the end.

Democrats seemed poised to enter into the wilderness as they relinquish control of the House.  Perhaps Sam Tannenhaus will write a book about the death of legislative liberalism?  But for right now, kick back and enjoy the new “Best Show on Earth,” because in two years, that might be us again…

-rj

Operation: Just Cause

In December of 1989, George H.W. Bush (or Bush Senior for the liberals who do not know the proper application of a generational?suffix) sent the XVII Airborne Corps, Joint Special Operations Command and numerous other Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force units into the country of Panama.? The operation was launched in an effort by then-President Bush to depose of Manuel Noriega (the de facto leader of the Panamanian government at the time) and rescue Americans who had been trapped in the country during those turbulent times.? The operation was named Operation Just Cause, leaving some critics of the engagement to quip that the operation’s name was the only argument H.W. Bush had to justify the action (I will leave the conspiracy theories about Skulls and Bones, Mena Airport, Bush, the CIA and aliens out for the sake of time, much to the chagrin of Alex Jones supporters).

What makes a war “just”?? Surely this is a topic that has been debated and mulled over for as long as men have been around on this earth (because women do not go to war, of course; war is a bi-product if irrational manliness).? Can anyone truly justify a war to every one’s liking?? Is the nature of the state to do what is right for the population of that state, no matter what that means for other states (as the term state is understood post-Machiavelli) as we see with the realists?? Or can a state only be justified in going to war if such an engagement is for the benefit of humanity as a whole (by asking “pretty please” from the UN)?? Then again, it was once said that “those who invoke humanity on their side mean to cheat” (Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political).?

Apparently, Americans are having a sort of crisis of conscience.? According to a recent Rasmussen Poll, only 50% percent of our fellow countrymen and women feel that the War in Afghanistan is a “Just” war.? This goes along with the Quinnipiac University poll that came out about a week and a half ago, which nearly reaches the exact same conclusion.? Support for the war in the first year preceding the September 11th attacks of 2001 was close to near unanimous approval, with Gallup showing 89-93% stating that Afghanistan was not a mistake in January of 2002.? So it appears that Americans (Democrats and Republicans mind you) are waning on their support for a war that they felt was necessary in 2001 and 2002.? What has changed?

If the Afghan War was justified then, what makes it less so now?? Surely we are there for the same reason, since we did not go over and overthrow the Taliban and then leave only to return as “occupiers”.? What is it that makes this war “unjust” then?? What is “justice” to these people who?have decided that it is no more than a mere term to be thrown around in the height of passion following an attack on 3,000 innocent people?? Was it only then just because we went in and overthrew a tyrannical regime that was directly tied to forces responsible for bloodshed on our own soil?? Now is it “unjust” solely for the reason that we are being told by the news and liberal (and libertarian and some conservative) influences that we have overstayed our welcome?? Which is the more justified action: going in and sacking the regime of a country to leave it in anarchy and decay; or staying and building it up to the point that their government can run effectively and more justly than before?? Who are the 21% of voters that have obtained this retroactive prescience? and decided they are against it after they were for it?? I can understand those people who were against it from the beginning, and that is because they feel that no war is ever justified.? They should be acknowledged and applauded for their principled stand, but let us not forget the ignorance that must be evident in such a dogmatic stance.?

I must admit that it is polls like these that create a feeling of futility in the pit of my stomach.? Perhaps a majority of Americans should not be asked a question about wars and their relation to justice until they better understand what justice is.? The slow decay of support for this necessary war is a sad barometer of the fortitude possessed by the American people to support the men and women overseas, their families at home, and the mission we sent them to do eight years ago.? In the end, those 50% of Americans who now question the mission and its necessity, are not doing those soldiers or their families justice.?

-rj

Tom Coburn for President?

I’m saying it after reading this piece about Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Coburn might just be the guy who kills the health care reform bill in the Senate.

Coburn, as I understand it, is a pain to everyone on both sides. It’s awesome to see. Coburn even killed a guardrail in his own state that he considered waste, and held up paying for some veterans’ benefits because he wanted the money to come out of unspent stimulus funds. (This last one is controversial, for obvious reasons, but I blame the other senators for not initially wanting the funding to come from the stimulus funds. I think an argument could be made they were playing politics, not Coburn…) He has also put forth a health care bill, albeit one that misses the boat on payment reform and other issues, in addition to decrying the Democratic bill.

This is a guy I can like. Anyone else?

Update: Daily Kos had a very fair criticism of Coburn’s holding up voting on military funding that ends tomorrow evening. However, it looks like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has dropped his single-payer amendment, and Coburn’s demand to read the entire amendment through is no more. This should lead to a normalization of Senate business, and get the military funding issue done.

Update: The military bill was passed.

Update: A buddy sent me a link with this article showing Coburn really standing up for the troops and provide them the best rifle around. This also shows his true dedication to the free market and how competition improves quality.

Following in the Steps of Geithner…

Okay, not really. But it’s pretty darn close, and a good headline.

Apparently over three billion dollars in unpaid taxes are owed by federal employees and retired employees. Military retirees make up one-third of owed monies, and the Postal Service has the worst non-compliance rate.

Granted, the 2.8% average non-compliance rate among federal workers isn’t that bad- but it’s somewhat newsworthy, and easy to poke fun at.

Not “Obama’s War,” But OUR War…

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” – G.K. Chesterton

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There has been considerable analysis laid out by much more cognitively endowed people than I regarding President Obama?s Tuesday night West Point speech.? Any attempt to separate reactions based solely on ideological grounds (or the traditional ?right?/?left? spectrum) seems fairly futile.? It seems to me that those who are more middle-of-the-road are inclined to favor the President?s recent decision regarding troop levels in Afghanistan and subsequent policy; while those who are considered on the more outer fringes (of both the left and right) ?are none too pleased with the outcome.?

Those who have been critical of President Obama?s speech tend to be critical on two matters.? One is the length of time it took President Obama to come up with a decision, and the second being the substance of his speech.? On the former point, I will refrain from commenting.? This is not an article for me to be a polemicist.? On the latter point, I do not see the importance as it pertains to the policy announcement.? People seemed disappointed in our rhetorically gifted President?s lack of rhetorical flair.? I only mention this briefly, because there is a greater meaning to his delivery.? He may not feel it necessarily, but it was the vibe collectively felt by many who watched: uncertainty.? He was at the ?enemy camp? according to Chris Matthews, a la the symbol of the military class: West Point, our miniature Spartan community.? With all of the pomp and circumstance, postulating and analyzing, and finally, the postponement of A Charlie Brown Christmas; he stood before America and her warriors to announce the direction of a policy that didn?t merely affect numbers and graphs and charts.? This affects people and families and communities and countries far greater than any other markers in history.?

Don?t let this fool you.? The delivery was poor, and perhaps unenthusiastic.? What President Obama did, however, was make the right decision.? He will take shots from people within his ranks, and there are some particulars that many of us Conservatives?may disagree with.? However, it is at this moment that President Obama was asked to make the life altering decision for hundreds of thousands of Americans attached to the military, about whether or not their sacrifices were to have been made in vain.? He chose not.? He chose a step toward a victorious end instead of a mild defeat.? He came out and gave our men and women in uniform an opportunity to win a battle nearly a decade in the making.? We may not agree with much that President Obama does, but at this turbulent moment in our nation?s history, with regard to this specific circumstance that defines our Nation?s ability to combat those who threaten our being, our President faced a choice and he chose to support our troops and their cause: now we must support him in this endeavor.

-rj

The ‘Will’ to Power in Afghanistan

The hallways and tunnels of the federal government echo the clatter of everyday life very well.? When it comes to the Senate and House Office buildings, this is just the product of the acoustics of the hallways teaming with the hardened floors coupled with the soles of expensive shoes and the muffled talk of staffers and passers by.? When someone walks through the Capitol, there is something sacred about the forced penitence encumbered by everyone who graces the halls of that hollowed building.? When the mason guilds of Europe built the great cathedrals, they did so in a manner that amplified every minute sound that came to being.? One could not tread heavily or even speak softly without everyone else in the cathedral knowing, which served to promote silent reverence in the house of God.? There is a feeling that someone gets, an added burden of weight dropped upon the shoulders of someone who enters into such a room, be it a cathedral, hallway, or what have you.? There is something subliminally transcendent that one feels; we like this feeling because it is our connection with that which we respect on a separate plane.?

Within these halls, and outside as well, George Will?s column yesterday has encouraged an increase in muffled debate amongst conservatives.? Mr. Will has called for a pull-out in essence.? With his typical erudition, he lays out history and fact before making his prognostication:

So, instead, forces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy: America should do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, airstrikes and small, potent Special Forces units, concentrating on the porous 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, a nation that actually matters.

Conservatives have been regarded as the avant-gardefor the status-quo; we choose the ?devil we know? over ?the devil we do not know.?? These days, I believe it is safe to say that Conservatives are the ones more inclined to point out that strategy in Afghanistan needs to change.? Max Boot, not even a week prior to George Will?s bombshell, mentioned on Commentary?s website?that it is ?only by adding more resources can Obama offer the prospect of long-term victory in a war effort that he himself has deemed a ?war of necessity.??? It is no longer the conservative population harking ?stay the course,? especially following the success of ?the surge? in Iraq.? Iraq saw dwindling public support, increased violence, and looked to be a situation worth second-guessing: only second guessing does not act as a reset button.? Few people supported the surge at the beginning, even President Bush was skeptical.? In the end, he decided to do what should have been done since the beginning which was to populate the country with boots on the ground and create a catalyst for growth and development through security.? Should President Obama accompany the present troop surge in Afghanistan with the proper counter-insurgency plan with the help of Gen. McChrystal, he can orchestrate a turn-around for the better which deserves bipartisan support like nothing else could.?

Mr. Will?s column advocating that everyone see the glass for what it is to him, which is half-empty, does not help the war effort, the conservative movement, or his own image.? While the ashes in New York were still smoldering, and cheeks of loved ones who lost that September day were still damp; Mr. Will wrote at the beginning of the Afghan excursion: ?When advocates of merely minor objectives are praised as ?cooler heads,? the pertinent attribute may be cold feet.?? His support, along with some 80% of all Americans at the time, of the war in Afghanistan was supposed to stand the test of time.? The public support for Enduring Freedom has fallen precipitously since then; in July, 36% of respondents in a Gallup poll said that going to Afghanistan was a mistake.? It was not the highest we have had, but those in the mistake camp have multiplied their numbers from 6% in 2002 to what it is today.? Mr. Will may not be in the mistake camp, but his words give them fodder.? What?s more depressing, is the number of elected officials who are questioning the mission their.? Fortunately, many refrain from doing so publicly, but their venomous pessimism spreads covertly into the mainstream American consciousness.?

Mr. Will?s article calling for pulling out is scant in comparison to many of his verbose narratives; but like many other concise exercises of thought and word (the Gettysburg Address for example) his article packs a mighty punch to the establishment.? There was one reflection that struck me in particular; it was how he ended the article:

?Genius, said de Gaulle, recalling Bismarck’s decision to halt German forces short of Paris in 1870, sometimes consists of knowing when to stop. Genius is not required to recognize that in Afghanistan, when means now, before more American valor, such as Allen’s, is squandered.

The esoteric now in the word knowing was an interesting touch.? His final point regards squandering valor.? Now I am quick to admit, with great humility, that I do not serve and have not served in the armed forces, despite coming from a family that did and continues to.? I remember my Senior year in high school when my father served bravely in Afghanistan, and I watched news reports and dreaded word of fatalities.? I remember being in AP US History with Mr. Lube (shortened version of his very long, Polish name) and my cell phone had gone off in class on my birthday.? I looked down in embarrassment and saw the scrambled number or the word Private or something that made me realize that my dad was calling during one of the rare times he could grab a satellite phone.? I gave Mr. Lube a look and he told me I could leave the class to take the call outside.? Dad and I spoke briefly, he wished me happy birthday over the delayed line and then we hung up.? I stood in the locker bank for a minute and stared at my phone.? Tears welled up in my eyes, and in a shameless display of weakness and futility I cried.? Nobody with friends or family overseas wishes to have more people to share their worries with in the end, because that means more people feel the cocktail of uncontrollable emotions and living with a loved one overseas.? There is something that would feel worse to anyone with a family member or friend who is overseas; and that is thinking that their sacrifice, their blood, your tears or their life went in vain.? American valor cannot be squandered unless we take the route the Mr. Will prescribes.? American valor will not be squandered when we take the route that secures the freedoms of a people, the security of our country, and sanctifies the mission for which so many gave their lives.

-rj

Secretary Gates… I Disagree Sir

There is a scene in the movie Clear and Present Danger after Admiral Greer passes of cancer, and they are holding his funeral at Arlington complete with flag-draped coffin and honor guard. In the background, the Jupiter movement?s sorrowful minor notes from Holst?s The Planets symphony float through the air while friends and family pay homage. The entire scene elicits a plethora of emotions that include humble sadness but subtle adulation for the dead; a fine example of gesamtkunstwerk. Scenes like this are common in modern media, depicting the fallen soldier in his weakest, as well as strongest, moment. It is the truest testament of man?s mortality, and as a warrior, invincibility is a virtue. The strength of the phenomena lies in how the flag draped coffin is a symbol; it symbolizes immortality as well. The warrior has passed, but there is something greater, whatever you want to believe whether it is a noble cause justified in God?s eyes, or for your country and in that, your countrymen. We are fortunate enough to have people willing to wager the biggest bet possible in an effort to ensure the freedom or security of his or her friends, family or even strangers.

I am a strong supporter of Secretary Gates. I must part ways with him on his recent announcement to allow the media to utilize this powerful symbol for whatever purpose they may. There is a stipulation, of course. Sec. Gates stated that members of the family have to allow the media to do so. Sadly, these images will be used for political purposes and whatever the family?s intent may have been in allowing these pictures, what is to stop many of the malicious media (not all media of course) from doling them out to be used as propaganda? The precession of coffins off the C-17 onto an air strip is a hollowed moment. It is the return of the fallen to the land for which they fell. Revoking President George H. W. Bush?s policy banning the media from exploiting these deaths is a step in the wrong direction, and whatever the intent may be, opens the door to bastardize the reasons why any of those men and women laid down their life.

rj