Right On!

Do you think either candidate Obama or McCain will recognize the link between the irresponsible Iraq war and the American economy?

It, more than anything else, has caused the 50% drop in value of the U.S. Dollar (against the Euro http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Euro_exchange_rate_to_USD%2C_JPY%2C_and_GBP.png) since the war started, which largely explains why gas prices have increased in America more than they have in Europe.  Then of course there's the mortgage that China and Japan hold on the U.S. government as the largest buyers of our government bonds.

All they would have to do is start selling off our bonds, flood the market, and they could very well achieve what bin Laden's purpose behind 9/11 has been all along: the destruction of the American economy.  He knows our economy is the heart that allows us to do our work.  Without our economy we aren't able to stand tall.  With over $500 billion already "invested" in Iraq, is there anyone who insists this was money well spent?

It's not inconceivable that the Euro would replace the dollar as the world currency.  Unfortunately, many still see this Iraq mess as a "clash of civilizations" and ignore the real consequences of the war between the Euro vs. the Dollar.

If you get a chance, look at the front page of the USA Today today.  http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2008-06-30-wall-street-first-half_N.htm

And, if you get another chance, look at this wikipedia article.  It describes us well.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

Perhaps the most ironic part is that the man who ordered the nation into this tragedy, will get to skeedaddle without an ounce of accountability held against him.  "Ain't that America.....you and me?"

If you recall several months back I wrote about my dilemma in finding a way to get my weight below 200 pounds. 

I achieved that goal.  I am  once again within the tolerance levels of the Army height and weight standards and I intend to never cross that threshold again.  So far I have lost 45 pounds and in a few weeks I will be able to say 50, or as Larry the Cable Guy says:  "I've lost 4 bowling balls!"

I thought there was something wrong with my metabolism.  I exercised, ate less, but never lost weight and just figured it was my "unique" biology.  I had my thyroid tested, but it was just fine.  I came close to thinking:  "Lord, I exercise and eat less now than ever, yet I do not lose weight so it's You tormenting me."  Came to find out it WAS me all along.  To imagine not being happy because I couldn't eat what I wanted  seemed frightful, but now to know that I can be happy without  pizza everyday, or hot wings, or prime rib is the better position.  I can eat those things.  Nothing is denied me; I just no longer look to them for meaningful happiness.

Praised is God our Lord, King of the Universe who brings forth the wine and the day.

Amen

Loyalty and Faithfulness (see entry below) are only noble when aligned with absolute good, intentions being irrelevant.

Little has been reported that charges against one of the Marines involved in the killing of civilians in Haditha has been dropped.  Other Marines remain under scrutiny, including the Lt. Colonel designated to investigate the killings. 

Some might hope that there was no Marine wrongdoing, and will say the press exaggerated the initial story, that Rep. Murtha spoke too soon, and that the American image was tarnished only by reporters eager for a story.   It's easy to hope for something and refuse to look at one's own "logs in their eyes."   I do it... 

We know though, that Iraqi civilians were killed in Haditha, and we know the 19 didn't commit suicide.   There is evidence of a massacre, and evidence of a few Marines conspiring to cover it up.

America is always best served by doing the right thing, and casting off the fear of embarrassment.  The jury isn't over yet and let's just hope the right men will prevail as this trial moves forward.

This entry takes a little detour from the usual, and I reserve my right to reject any misunderstandings about me readers might get as a result.

Max von Schenkendorf wrote a poem in 1814 called "Wenn Alle Untreu Werden".  "When Everyone Else Becomes Untrue".   "Wenn alle untreu werden, so bleiben wir doch treu.."   When everyone else becomes untrue/disloyal/unfaithful, we remain entirely true/loyal/faithful".  It goes on in 4 verses to say that we will be as true as a German Oak, as the moon and sunshine and ends with "when all our brothers remain silent and trust in false gods we  want not to rupture the Word and want to preach and speak about a holy German kingdom."

Loyalty, faithfulness, being true to ideals are noble things.  "He remained faithful, when all those around him were being drawn away." would be a good description of someone's life, especially in the Schenkendorf manner who discusses Good and Evil, being faithful to the Word .  

Who wouldn't like that to be said of themselves?  "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the Crown of Life."

This poem by Schenkendorf is also known as the Loyalty Song.  It was put to music and later shangai'd by Himmler and made the anthem of the SS.

The SS was initially formed in the 1920's as just one company to guard their leaders, like the Praetorians of Rome,  not unlike our own 3rd U.S. Infantry Regimaent, the Old Guard assigned to Washington D.C. to protect the President and guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier  Serving in the 3rd U.S. Infantry is a high honor.  These young men are fit and idealistic and the concept of "dishonoring the tomb" is anathema to them.   We want and need men like these.

The SS grew, and split.  Loyalty for some, twisted and became the SS that committed the war crimes, while the combat SS, the majority of the SS, maintained their ideals of loyalty.  Early in WWII the SS had ballooned to over 250,000 soldiers, and even grew larger in number than that.

It makes me wonder.  Were there any officers and soldiers of the Combat SS, lured by the siren words of Schenkendorf, who felt betrayed by others who sang the same anthem, but committed those crimes and became an agent of evil and trusted a false god, indeed becoming what the anthem itself despises? 

What do you suppose such an officer's response would be?  Would he feel anger that someone in power redirected his desire for goodness and smeared him by association?  The few spoiling the many?  One of the best scenes from the Band of Brothers is when the German General addresses his soldiers right at their surrender.  He  embodies the discussion here (although he wasn't SS).

On HDNet this weekend I saw an interview of Major General (USMC Ret.) Fred Haynes , himself a veteran of Viet Nam, Korea, and Iwo Jima.  He said about waterboarding and torture in general: " It's a blot on the American character.  We're not that way...If we tolerate this kind of torture we leave ourselves open for our soldiers to be treated that way."

Good intentions, made bad by our deeds.

Do you think there are former veterans of our high-ideal military who are disturbed that America is even discussing waterboarding by our Government when the Army Manual (the standard on interrogations) absolutely rejects torture as a worthy technique?

I know there are.

There's much talk this week about the religion of Barak Obama.

I've always held that a candidate's religious beliefs are a meaningful criteria to be considered.  It was this assumption I used to reject Romney as a worthy candidate.  ( One didn't need his religious belief to reject him, the man has more flip-flops than Kerry has ketchup bottles!)

So it's fair game to consider Barak's, Hillary's, John's and Mike's religious beliefs.

What's unprincipled is to claim that Romney's religious beliefs shouldn't matter, but Obama's should.  This is the argument the Romney supporters would have us believe.

But then, who am I to expect Romney supporters to be principled?