Maybe It Won't Be So Bad

Maybe we should be number 2 in the world. No, stop and think about that. I have a buddy who fixes things. People always glad-hand him when he fixes their things and says "You're the man!", where as he responds with "Nope, I'm the Guy, the Man has too many responsibilities and rules. Everybody wants to have a Guy." Perhaps this should be our national strategy. Lets be "The Guy", not "The Man".

What has our status really done for us lately? Pretty much nothing. Some shithole gets a flood and what do the cameras show, some guy yelling about "Where is the Americans?" Nobody asks where the chicoms are or when the chicoms are sending aid. We have shed blood, sweat, and tears for the world. No nation or collection of nations has sacrificed so much for others as has America and what has it gotten us? Not a damn thing but a validation of Murphy's Laws of Combat, Law #1, "If you take more then your fair share of objectives, you'll have more then your fair share to take." I have become so hardened by the rest of the planet that my passport would be better used as a coaster for my drink then for travel right now.

So maybe, being Number 2 wouldn't be so bad. We could get a rest and maybe get our own house in order. Let someone else send its son's and daughters to far away lands to die for some group that hates you anyway. Let someone else spend billions on flood relief for a bunch of folks who refer to you as "The Great Satan". Yeah, I wanna be the "The Guy", everybody wants to have a Guy. That way you can always say, "Relax, I know this Guy."

Ita is ends ut totus res operor

DADT ends and I feel so much sorrow for what is about to happen to my Army. To all the gay soldiers who placed their needs and wishes above the nation's, I hope your happy. Reap what you have sown because now its going to get really bad.

The Tao Continues

"Hate or scorn are not linear. The true man has options when he has had a major wrong done to him. You may enter into "conflict" with the offending party or you may choose to declare them "persona non Grata". The choice is yours to make, but take care in your choice. Weigh your courses of action, but know that you must choose."

You have to repay someone who has done you wrong, its just that simple. That is what this part of the Tao really boils down to. People who screw you, will do it again unless you make it uncomfortable for them.

The Tao of Finrod

I am a peculiar fellow at the best of times. I laugh when it isn't really appropriate and I don't laugh when everyone else is laughing. Over time I've learned to recognize what you think is funny and laugh on queue but I miss it sometimes. I don't really get emotional or weepy. I'm a bit of a stoic you might say. Over time I've written, in my head, rules that I live by and generally I stick by them. Lately though, I've had this odd desire to write the rules down on paper and even to share them. A moment of weakness I suppose but it even happens to me. I am going to post some of these rules here, the Tao of Finrod if you will. So, here is the first of the Tao of Finrod:

When wrong is done to you, an assessment must be done. You must do this quickly and clearly.Was the wrong done by accident or was it purposefully done? Once the assessment is done you must choose a course of action. Minor wrongs, those done by accident or lacking purpose may be overlooked. Major or great wrongs, those done with purpose, poor intent and deliberate effect cannot be overlooked. Major wrongs must be repaid with scorn and hate. Major wrongs cannot be forgiven lest they come from kith or kin and then only rarely.

On Matters of Math

It seems likely that DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) will be repealed, if not now then in the near future. When that day comes, everyone will pat themselves on the back in an effort to acknowledge their incredible coolness. All will shout to the world that America is now officially cool and open and accepting and stuff. The world will then sing songs to America's greatness and ... no they won't, the world will still hate us but that's another post for another time. I think repealing DADT is a bad idea and let me explain why.

Math is a cruel bitch at the best of times and this is one of those times. One of the arguments used by the left for this repeal is the loss of skilled service members from the military because of their sexual orientation. Many numbers are batted about with a good center mass number somewhere in the 2000 range. I'm cool with that number, I think its probably too high but whatever, we'll use it. There you go, 2000 it will be. I am going to use the Army for our example here because the Army is what I know about, sorry jarheads, deck apes, and zoomies. There are 241 recruiting companies in the US Army Recruiting Command. They cover the entire nation to include Germany and American protectorates in the Pacific rim. Let us speculate a little. Lets say that each recruiting company looses 1 enlistment each month because of the repeal of DADT. One enlistment is not much is it? I see you grabbing your calculator, let me help, that is nearly 3000 lost enlistments each year. Oh my, that's 1000 more then our 2000 lost folks isn't it? This is just the Army. I assure you, people are already saying they plan on leaving the service and are definitely not recommending it to others. Some are talking out the side of their necks, but if even 10% are not, we have a problem. If math is your argument, you've lost, repeal will cost too damn much.

I don't give 2 bits about who you put your junk into after duty hours and in the privacy of your home. But I do care about the body I dedicated 22 years of my life to. People have no right to serve in the Armed Forces, none whatsoever. So what, you want to serve, goody for you, I want to be a porn star but we must all live with disappointment.

Say what?

I am mystified. Really, I am. It is the equivalent of throwing 6 interceptions in a game that the opposing team scores on each time and the coach blaming the kicking team. How can you be that clueless? How can something so simple be so badly misinterpreted? Well, you will have to ask the democrats because they have some serious comprehension issues going on right now.

Tuesday was simple. The voters don't like what your doing. It had nothing to do with messaging or the comprehension level of the electorate. It was and is entirely the feeling among the peoples that what you did was bad and needs to be corrected. The simplicity of this is hard to miss. But, the left seems to believe that the core problem was one of salesmanship and message. While I enjoy watching this slow motion train wreck, the constant whining about messaging is getting on my nerves.

If the democrats continue this tact then 2012 is going to be another blood bath with the white house also being a victim. I do want them to loose but I value the strength of my enemies. If my enemy is week and powerless, then my victory is meaningless. I need the left to get their crap together so we can smash them again and drive them before us and listen to the lamentations of their women.

Black Tuesday

Here we are, at the cusp of change. Tomorrow is the day we've been waiting for, the mid term elections are upon us and I am happy as hell. The left is going to get its ass handed to it and I am looking forward to spending Tuesday evening in a state of joy. I want to see democrats crying in the streets and committing some sort of grief ritual that includes moving out of the country, but I know that's probably a bit much to hope for or expect.
No, instead we'll hear all about how this is just people being unreasonable, because that whole, your stupid tactic always works. I am constantly amazed by the left, their complete inability to look long and hard at their own numbers and realize that the tactic of "If you were intelligent, you'd vote for us." just doesn't frakking work and just pisses people off. Pissed off people don't really like being treated like slightly retarded children, and that is the democrats biggest problem, how they view most of John Q. Public. Americans are not stupid, they like to ask questions and they like answers even more. No one is seriously against health-care in America. Everyone wants the system to be fixed and tweeked, but folks want you to close the loop and explain how your plan fixes things and how your going to pay for your plan.
I'll be at the polls first thing in the morning and you should be too.