Monday, October 31, 2005
A Lie is a Lie is a Lie
This morning we hear that Mr. Libby is too smart to have made such mistakes in the Plamegate case and is falling on his sword for Mr. Cheney. I say whether that is true or not it just serves to confirm that this Bush administration is willing to sacrifice all to continue to maintain power. It is my fervent hope that the Democratic Party will finally step forward and become the true voice of the American people. It is time to stand up and say we won’t be manipulated. We won’t continue to be lied to. We were misled into war and we need to get out of Iraq and start doing the right thing.
Let me say this as plainly as possible. We were lied to about the reasons for going to war in Iraq. They (The Bush administration.) said there were weapons of mass destruction. They knew there were not any based on intelligence. They warped the intelligence to meet their ends. (LIED) There was no connection between the 9/11 attacks and Iraq. They warped the intelligence to meet their ends. (LIED)
This administration must present a plan to the American people for leaving Iraq. Yes we (actually Bush) broke it and now we own it. Now develop a plan to extricate our forces from this gross mistake and turn this nation back over to the people who are its citizens.
No more lying Mr. Bush. And while you’re at it fire Karl Rove and any other administration official who was involved in outing Valerie Plame Wilson as you said you would do in the beginning. Or was that a lie to Mr. Bush?
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
A Fallen Hero
Staff Sergeant George Alexander, 34, Kileen, Texas
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
What Price For Political Folly? (Or How To Lie Your Way To The Top And Down Again.)
As I thought about these questions I also began to notice real similarities between the Oil for Food Program run by the United Nations and the Oil for War Program run by the Bush administration. For instance in neither case were there weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In both cases innocent people have died and in the later case are still dying. In both cases there was and is corruption and cronyism within the operations. But then the similarities end. During the Oil for Food Program Iraq had nothing to do with al Qaeda but now in the Oil for War Program al Qaeda uses Iraq as a training ground for terrorist. During the Oil for Food Program American Soldiers weren’t dying daily in Iraq and now we are approaching 2,000 killed and 15,220 wounded and more are killed or wounded every day.
To me these facts and events point out one thing very clearly. This administration is not honest. It’s really as simple as that. The Bush administration entered the conflict in Iraq with the support of most of the American people (excluding me) after they presented blatantly false information to the American people and Congress. The Valerie Plame Wilson case clearly demonstrates that the administration planned and executed a propaganda campaign to convince Congress and the American people that Iraq first, had something to do with 9/11 and second that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States by virtue of possessing weapons of mass destruction. Both of these ‘lies’ have since been proven to be untrue and now the Plame Wilson case shows that the administration, with malice of for thought set out to assassinate the reputation of anyone who assisted in exposing them as the liars that they are or for that matter even disagreed with their policies or ‘intelligence information’. Now it’s coming unraveled. I believe that in the next days or weeks the truth will come out (if any more were needed) and the American people will see even more clearly the deceit employed by the Bush administration in manipulating the public and Congress.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Friday, October 21, 2005
And Then There Is(are) The Borg
Now some folks think we shouldn'’t focus on these events and they even say that the same sorts of things occurred during the Clinton years. Well you'’re wrong on that and wrong (sort of) on that.
In reverse order first, if you go back to the newspapers of the Clinton years what you will find will not be the broad spectrum of corruption and graft within that administration that is so apparent in this one. What you will find is a focus on a relative few such incidents and the Republican members of Congress and the Federal Government spending $67 million dollars on a Special Prosecutor to try to find something and finding nothing because there never was anything to find. What you will also find is a President who let his raging testosterone get the better of him and who disgraced and horribly damaged his own family. I'’m also not so sure that such conduct is any worse than snorting cocaine and driving drunk and I know it isn'’t as offensive as lying to the American people to take them to war. Additionally what you won'’t see in those newspapers is the gross incompetence that is so obvious in this Bush administration.
Now why we should talk about these headlines is pretty obvious in my mind. Our country is headed in the wrong direction and the reason for that is sitting in the oval office and presiding over the House and Senate. In my experience with leadership I have found that there is one leadership '‘constant'’. Organizations assume the attitude and traits of their leaders. This administration and Congress have assumed the attitude and traits of their leaders. Dishonesty begets dishonesty (ala Rove and Libby) and corruption begets corruption (ala Delay and Frist). This country needs to move back to the reason of the center. We are not a Theocracy even though the extreme right would like us to be. We are also not the great Satan that the Muslim world sees us as. Our nation was built on a foundation of fair play and right now the game is rigged. Instead of fair taxes and true tax reform this administration is locked in a pattern of using the current tax code to reward the wealthy at the expense of the poor. They are fighting a wrong war, in a wrong place, at a wrong time and at the expense of thousands of innocent people and yes I mean American and Iraqi.
These are just a few of the reason we need/must talk about what'’s going on in our country. These are the reasons we need a press that is not liberal or conservative but independent and honest to a mortal pain. Right now, unfortunately, our press in general kowtows to big money and the NeoCons are controlling the purse strings.
One last thing. WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS?
Special note: Delays Face
My first reaction was to be angry but it never actually came to fruition. As I looked at Tom Delays face the swell of anger just dissipated before it could ever form and was immediately replaced by complete amazement. I was amazed because there, plastered on the front page, was the face of absolute and complete contempt. There was the contempt for the American justice system which he has so often demonstrated. And there was the face of a man (?) who was contemplating how he could best manipulate the system once more to his advantage. It became clear to me that here was someone who does not care for any one or anything that is not inseparably associated with making money for and garnering more power for Tom Delay. It is my fervent hope and belief that justice will be served in this case as well as in Plame Gate.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Hurricane Turns and Political Parties
To take just one more moment and expand a little on one of my earlier remarks and that is that the Republican Party has made an extreme right turn. Our nation was built on a system of checks and balances but unfortunately we have allowed and elected the Republican Party into every nook, crack, and cranny of our government and they are now moving even the Judicial Branch farther to the right. I believe that much of our hope of steering the nation back into the mainstream hangs on Mr. Fitzgerald. This administration is imploding as a result of its own corruption and our only hope is that they be held accountable for their actions and that through the next election cycle the American people bring sanity and the center back to our government.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Monday, October 17, 2005
How Many Can Say This Today
- I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty.
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Count Diodati, 1803
Feeding the Rich to Starve the Poor
THE REAL BLOG STARTS HERE.
Something that is very close to my heart is social welfare programs. These Programs are close to me, not because I ever took advantage of them but because poverty was close to me because I lived on the edge of it and because I have worked with many of today’s social welfare programs. I hate to shock a certain segment of our citizenry but I’m here to tell you that there are people in America; right here in the land of plenty, today, that don’t earn enough to feed their families not because they are lazy but because circumstances have never favored them. Because in this great country people can still be born into poverty and opportunity can still elude them and their families. Unfortunately our conservative friends just don’t seem to get it even after watching New Orleans go underwater before their eyes.
You know the shame of what I’m talking about here is that some years back we started, and I mean “started”, getting it right when we implemented welfare reform. We began targeting a population that needed a hand up by really giving them a hand up and not a hand out. One of the key building blocks in that hand up program was the food stamp program. Through food stamps we made sure that the working, that’s right working, poor received food even if they didn’t make enough money to buy all they may have needed to feed themselves and their children. Through this program we lessened the chances of some very poor children going to bed hungry and increased the chance of some of the poor working their way out of poverty. So now in the shadow of those successes our conservative friends in Congress and the Senate want to continue the “welfare” tax cuts to the very wealthy while cutting programs for the poor. And to add insult to injury they want to put it in the guise of helping hurricane Katrina victims.
I may become violently ill. No really, I may become ill. Why? Please tell me why you would cut something as basic as food stamps when you just witnessed the very poor being drowned and washed from their homes. Why? Please tell me why you would cut Medicaid right after you saw the very poor being injured, drowned and washed from their homes? Where exactly is the logic in this? Wait, wait now I get it. It’s because we wasted millions giving out $2,000.00 debit cards with little or no controls. It’s because we sent truck loads of very expensive ice off to never, never land instead of to where it was needed. It was because we bought thousands of travel trailers that we didn’t need because we failed to prepare ahead of time. So now we’ll arrange to starve the poor to make up the money we threw away. Are there any more bright ideas coming out of Washington? If there are I’m running as fast as I can.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Unsettled Saturday
As I perused the headlines this morning I continued to see some pretty dramatic, devastating and heart wrenching events. No, I’m not talking about in Washington or the Grand Jury room. I know that was what you were thinking. I’m talking about the earthquakes in
I believe that this catastrophe is where a large part of our focus and energy should be right now. Unfortunately I don’t believe that is where it is for many if not most of us. We Americans are blessed beyond the wildest dreams of most of the people on this planet but I must say that as I look around I fear that a huge number of Americans have no clue. I have noticed over the last week as this tragedy has unfolded that I have heard very few people even mention
So let me sum this up. If we just showed how much we really do care about the rest of the world and as a nation acted responsibly in concert with the rest of the world we could actually win our fight against the pestilence called terrorism and we could simultaneously fulfill the Christian, Islamic, Jewish etc. etc.... belief in charity, love and forgiveness. What a novel concept. Quick someone call Jerry and that Dobson guy we’ve got a great idea.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Incompetent Or Traitorous
So today I wanted to just chat about Plamegate. You remember the outing of a covert CIA operative. Tired of that too huh? Well I'm going to talk about it anyway. You see this issue is close to my heart for two reasons. First, because while I was in the military, (That would be the United States Army) I was in fact a Top Secret Control Officer. Yep, I'm talking about it right here on the Internet. NOT! And second, I understand deeply what horrendous damage to our nation the divulging of classified information can do. So let's get on with my thoughts on this. What I want to share with you is that at the time that I was a Top Secret Control Officer I was a somewhat junior Non-commissioned Officer. Now what I want to express to you at this point is that when I took that position I was promptly and thoroughly educated on the control of "classified" information. That is educated and briefed on how to handle and what to say and not say about everything from sensitive material all the way up to Top Secret (NOFORN). Now that last part means, No FOReign Nationals were allowed to possess or have any knowledge of the information. When I completed that little education and briefing period I possessed a clear understanding of classified information and how to control and communicate the information. I also had to sign a document acknowledging that I understood these things. One other note here. The entire time (27 years) that I was in the military I was briefed at each change in duty on the control of classified documents up to the level of security I "“needed to know about"”.
Having given you that little background let me get down to the point. It is obvious, based on the information we have received from the news media that at least two members of the Bush administration discussed classified information with people who did not have clearances or a need to know. Both of these individuals occupy positions within the government that would, should, could, and did require them to be "“educated"” and briefed on the control of classified information up to and far beyond that level of security access which even I had in my position as a Top Secret Control Officer. (Last time I checked the Chief of Staff to the Vice President and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President were higher positions than a Top Secret Control Officer in the Army.) And they were required to sign documents acknowledging that they understood the laws and rules and that they would comply in the active sense. One other thing I would point out is that when occupying these positions you are also educated to not even acknowledge conversations that discuss "“possible"” classified information because that too can be divulging classified information.
Having said all of that I must say that one thing is perfectly clear to me. If Karl Rove and Roller Skate (Is that his name?) Libby did not break a law, which I find very, very difficult to believe, they should still be fired for shear incompetence. Now don'’t get me wrong. These are very bright if not brilliant men but they are if not incompetent then simply malicious to the point of being "traitors"” to their country. Yes I said "“traitors"”. Bear in mind that according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a traitor is "one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty"”. These two bright if not brilliant men discussed classified information with persons who not only did not have a need to know but whom they knew full well would publish the information to the "“world"”.
The Sergeant Majors thoughts are that these two should be indicted tried and sentenced to 40 years in the Fort Leavenworth prison. If not then just fire the SOB'’s.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Emerging Religion
Today I read an article on how the role of religion has “emerged” as an issue in the Miers Supreme Court nomination. Well, hello. Is this really news? Sorry if I sound sarcastic. I do have to admit though that this did make me think about how my own religion has played a role in my view of the world. I have never been a devout person because my religious upbringing was some what dysfunctional. Born to a Methodist father, attended the Baptist church as a child, educated in a Catholic school and baptized a Presbyterian. Okay, I know, but it goes along with my biological pedigree, you know. Anyway, though not Catholic, my tendency through life has been to lean toward the Catholic Church and so consequently I do have some issues with abortion. Other than that however I have always strived to try to look at the world as objectively as possible without the prism of mine or any other religion. I have always believed that this is what everyone should do. I just jumped to that conclusion. Curses upon me. The other conclusion I jumped to is that all judges and especially Supreme Court Judges should leave their religion at home when they go to the court house. Now you might ask why? Simple, because…. the people involved and impacted by the rulings they make in the court room are citizens of this country and members of every religion on earth. I believe the number of official religious denomination in this country is around 700. When you think about this it should become obvious why a secular court is important. Did you know that in an Islamic court the punishment for theft is to cut off the hand of the convicted thief? Now this might not be an issue if the person loosing the hand is an actual thief. Justice served and all that. The problem I think is that they might make a mistake. They might just arrest me for shoplifting and after the punishment find out they had made a mistake. Oops! Oh judge do you mind giving me back my hand. This of course could also take us into the realm of the death penalty where we make way to many mistakes as it is but we’ll leave that for another day. Did you also know that in the bibles of many of the Christian denominations in our country there is a passage that reads “an eye for an eye”? Suppose the new Supreme Court Judge took that as literally as some readers of the bible do. Oops! Oh judge do you mind giving me back my eye? I’m not really a peeping tom.
You might conclude by my comments that I’m a little wary of Ms. Miers nomination to the Supreme Court. You’re right. I am in fact very nervous but even more so since, the role of religion has “emerged” as an issue in her Supreme Court nomination. Let me simply give you my thoughts on this out front. If religion is the litmus test for Miers nomination to the Supreme Court and her being an evangelical Christian is the prerequisite then I don’t want her on the Supreme Court and the President should withdraw her nomination now. Other than that after reviewing her bio I do not believe she is qualified and therefore not the candidate I want to see on the court.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Magic Mr. Keith
Take heart my friends because there is a flicker of hope as demonstrated in the most recent poll numbers released last night. Mr. Bush is at an all time low in approval ratings (39%) and the rest of the poll numbers would indicate that America is not happy with the direction the nation is going or the performance of Congress. I’m not sure that bodes well for liberals though if they don’t come up off that plan they keep talking about.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
An Early Morning Rant
Oh and by the way I did not recommend a cut and run policy in Iraq. You might note that I said leave the Iraqi people in charge of their destiny. What that means and what I believe is needed is a clear plan to leave. Cut and Run is a tired worn disingenuous Republican/Conservative term they use to make Democrats/Liberals look weak on defense. I'm liberal and I'm damn sure not weak on defense. The reality is that Draft Dodging Bill (and I mean that in the nicest way) did a better job with the military than the swaggering yahoo now in the office is doing. One last question. Why do you keep excusing the criminal and immoral behavior of the members of this administration? You don't blatantly do it but you just casually brush it aside rather like a politician answering a question he or she doesn't like. Is a tax break worth the price that's being paid? Soldiers dying. Intelligence agents AND their contacts compromised and I am sure some have died as a result. Incompetent crony's being put in office which has caused untold suffering. I don't know why I ask that question because I believe every conservative I know thinks anything is worth the money (or most of them anyway). By the way I don't brush liberals behavior aside, I call them on it and write and tell them when I think they are being idiots and I don't vote for them either. Rant ended.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
After a long day
Unfortunately it is just as clear that the Democratic Party is not stepping forward with the good ideas that I know they have or would have if they’d wake up. I keep hoping that they will come out with a plan to extract us from Iraq or outline the steps they plan to take to reduce the budget deficit and just what is the plan for gaining energy independence. But as you and I know it is just silence. Deafening silence is all I hear. Okay let’s at least prime the pump. Here are a couple of ideas I’ve been throwing around.
First let's deal with Iraq. Here is what I proposed in an earlier blog. "Our first steps as a nation must be to exercise good judgment and leadership in laying out a clear plan of withdrawal from Iraq as quickly as possible while leaving the Iraqi people in charge of their own destiny. This first step is urgent because the longer we are there the more like and occupation it becomes to the Islamic world and the more training real terrorist will get at our and the Iraqi peoples expense. The second and most crucial step we must take is to simultaneously form meaningful coalitions and alliances of truly willing nations and begin real action to eliminate the terror threat to all the nations of this world."
Next let's take on the gross budget deficit created by the Bush administration. I think we should start by rolling back all of those gifts to the very wealthy called tax cuts that the Bush administration has rammed through Congress with the help of Mr. (Broken Hammer) Delay and Dr. (Blind Trust) Bill Frist.
Let’s see if the Democratic Party leadership meeting in California this week at those little fund raisers can get it off the ground now and release that top secret plan they have been leaking rumors about for weeks.
These are a few of my thoughts and I’m looking for my died in the wool liberal friends to step forward with some more.
Well that’s my thoughts for tonight.
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
The Dirt Gets Dirtier or How I Got Inspired
To stay true to my mission and message here are the latest casualty figures out of Iraq.
1,963 KIA and 14,755 WIA
Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Letter to my friend
Why are we really there.
Recently as I read several articles on the Presidents speech to the National Endowment for Democracy and read how he likened the war on terror to a global struggle like that of the Cold War, I had to shake my head. If that is the case then I think we can and should draw a distinct parallel to the war in Iraq with that in Vietnam.
Mr. President we did not win the Cold War in Vietnam nor are we going to win the war on terror in Iraq.
Terror is not a war to be won. Terror is not the Soviet Union, terror is a pestilence to be fought and hopefully eradicated through the use of a true international coalition and alliances of partners and with the aid and use of intelligence, law enforcement, meaningful relations with Islamic people and Nations and when absolutely necessary violent military force exercised with surgical precision.
Our first steps as a nation must be to exercise good judgment leadership in laying out a clear plan of withdrawal from Iraq as quickly as possible while leaving the Iraqi people in charge of their own destiny. This first step is urgent because the longer we are there the more like and occupation it becomes to the Islamic world and the more training real terrorist will get at our and the Iraqi peoples expense. The second and most crucial step we must take is to simultaneously form meaningful coalition and alliances of truly willing nations and begin real action to eliminate the terror threat to all the nations of this world.
This I believe is the real solution to the crisis this nation faces in Iraq and around the world.
Sergeant Major Larry A. Myers
United States Army Retired)