Has a new book, all about the NSA surveiling us. At least that is the only aspect the media has brought to my attention. (I'll fill in details later)
Oh gee; More proof of the importance of understanding the sociology of organizations, they do what they know.
As serious as these allegations of assaults on our civil liberties are, how likely is intercepting English language communications to uncover serious terrorist plots?
THAT should be our serious concern. Yes, what they (NSA) are "really" doing on these issues should be some of our most closely guarded secrets. (White House leaks about cell phone intercept capabilities anyone?) Programs and problems like this divert attention from the real issues and threats, and NO ONE in the "National Security" leadership seems to have noticed and quashed the kind of fishing expedition that gets the attention of the Media.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Agrestic
OK, I've been remiss; This insight happened about three weeks ago....
Watching Weeds Season 1, (HBO), I noticed that the military was played strictly as a minor plot point. This accurately reflects the upper middle class setting of the series. Military service is something for other people.
Admittedly, the Andy Botwin character is described (accurately) in a second season episode as an "Irresponsible Morally Bankrupt Degenerate." But that is the point of my complaint, in the alternate universe of Hollywood, only useless shits (The military does teach a more economical use of language) like him are even considered "suitable" for Military service.
I'll admit, this is in accord with the Anglo Saxon military tradition, Wellington's "Scum of the Earth, who enlisted for drink." (Gee, maybe we should try that ;).
But, it represents an important social divide in our supposedly classless society. And an explanation of the apathy and unreality in the upper echelons of both parties.
That is one of my biggest personal issues, the inability of many veterans even recognize how intellectually handicapped and oblivious most Republican apparatchiks are about the military; All those chicken hawks on the White House staff are not any better (or more interested/qualified) on the real issues than your average Democratic staffer. There are exceptions, but they just prove the rules. Even John McCain; Sure, the service academies are an important part of our Military tradition, but that background handicaps people like him who have no real grasp of the issue of immediate concern to National Guard junior enlisted. They literally live in a different world than ANY he has ever experienced.
Watching Weeds Season 1, (HBO), I noticed that the military was played strictly as a minor plot point. This accurately reflects the upper middle class setting of the series. Military service is something for other people.
Admittedly, the Andy Botwin character is described (accurately) in a second season episode as an "Irresponsible Morally Bankrupt Degenerate." But that is the point of my complaint, in the alternate universe of Hollywood, only useless shits (The military does teach a more economical use of language) like him are even considered "suitable" for Military service.
I'll admit, this is in accord with the Anglo Saxon military tradition, Wellington's "Scum of the Earth, who enlisted for drink." (Gee, maybe we should try that ;).
But, it represents an important social divide in our supposedly classless society. And an explanation of the apathy and unreality in the upper echelons of both parties.
That is one of my biggest personal issues, the inability of many veterans even recognize how intellectually handicapped and oblivious most Republican apparatchiks are about the military; All those chicken hawks on the White House staff are not any better (or more interested/qualified) on the real issues than your average Democratic staffer. There are exceptions, but they just prove the rules. Even John McCain; Sure, the service academies are an important part of our Military tradition, but that background handicaps people like him who have no real grasp of the issue of immediate concern to National Guard junior enlisted. They literally live in a different world than ANY he has ever experienced.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Sudan & Darfur
My opportunity to vent in public on this. The only way to "stop" this is to put someones ass out there on the line (Just like in Iraq & Afghanistan); I'm really tired of the liberal whines about how we should "do something."
The locals are just practicing their traditional culture. Only a well equipped (and funded) First world military presence could stop the tragedy. Er, all the Anglo-Saxon armed forces are kind of busy right now, and I don't even see the French or Germans stepping up to the plate in Afghanistan.
Besides, real "peacekeepers" would just provide them with foreign targets- another traditional activity, whinging about how it is all the colonial oppressors fault (See Zimbabwe). So encouraging the underemployed young men to attack them (The Alleged Colonial Oppressors), rather than engaging them in constructive activities.
As for "Local Traditions" (Customs?); One of the inspirations to found this blog was the death of Charlton Heston. The 1966 Movie, Khartoum, even got a passing mention in a couple of the obituaries. Go rent it, The Sudan has been a problem for "Western" culture since we first linked it to the wider world in the 19th Century.
You can't "negotiate" with them.
The locals are just practicing their traditional culture. Only a well equipped (and funded) First world military presence could stop the tragedy. Er, all the Anglo-Saxon armed forces are kind of busy right now, and I don't even see the French or Germans stepping up to the plate in Afghanistan.
Besides, real "peacekeepers" would just provide them with foreign targets- another traditional activity, whinging about how it is all the colonial oppressors fault (See Zimbabwe). So encouraging the underemployed young men to attack them (The Alleged Colonial Oppressors), rather than engaging them in constructive activities.
As for "Local Traditions" (Customs?); One of the inspirations to found this blog was the death of Charlton Heston. The 1966 Movie, Khartoum, even got a passing mention in a couple of the obituaries. Go rent it, The Sudan has been a problem for "Western" culture since we first linked it to the wider world in the 19th Century.
You can't "negotiate" with them.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Red Moon Rising by Matthew Brzezinski
One of my purposes here is to write about some of the books I read, at least the ones related to the main topic. This is a decent account of the beginnings of the Space Race. It is amazing how much cold war history is related to it. Khrushchev and the Secret Speech, the 1956/7 cutbacks in Soviet conventional Forces, etc, etc.
Did General LeMay actually send bombers to violate Soviet (Arctic?) Air Space in 1957? ("Operation Power House"?).
I enjoyed it, not sure how illuminating it is. One of the biggest lessons is how large a role internal (Bureaucratic) politics played on both sides in the decision making. And how important, the domestic US issue of School Integration, was perceived to be at the time. It certainly seems to loom as large in terms of the attention of he Eisenhower administation, and the long term effects on US domestic politics are still ripling though our system today.
Did General LeMay actually send bombers to violate Soviet (Arctic?) Air Space in 1957? ("Operation Power House"?).
I enjoyed it, not sure how illuminating it is. One of the biggest lessons is how large a role internal (Bureaucratic) politics played on both sides in the decision making. And how important, the domestic US issue of School Integration, was perceived to be at the time. It certainly seems to loom as large in terms of the attention of he Eisenhower administation, and the long term effects on US domestic politics are still ripling though our system today.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The New GI Bill
Lot's of references to this subject in connection with the Memorial Day Weekend; Well, unfortunately, no one has analyzed the real problem. Yes, I agree, VA Education benefits should be more generous. BUT, at one point in the 1980's the eminent sociologist Charles Moskos pointed out that our society has created the GI Bill without the GI. How often do you hear a local politicians promise that every one is entitled to a college eduction?
NOT a good idea (Letting everyone go to college). One problem veterans have NOW, too many of the good jobs that don't require a degree have been destroyed over the past generation. I personally know National Guard and Reserve members people who volunteered to return to Iraq because they could not find a decent job that would support their families.
One of my problems with the "Greatest Generation," they all have nice retirements but when they were middle managers, the current corporate trends of shedding the pension plans, shipping the factory to China, or at best, a two tier wage structure, developed and flourished.
Sure, some of our new veterans will benefit from the opportunity for a University Education. But too many of the corporate first line managers and supervisors are the children (or grandchildren) of people who DID NOT SERVE. They haven't got a clue. And are often (actively) disinterested in learning. They graduated HS, went straight to College, and have continued to march up their career ladder.
I speak from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I well remember a job interview in 1980 where I was asked why I had not avoided Vietnam by going to college. (Obviously, that was not a successful job interview). It's more subtle, but just as pervasive as the anti-military bias in the Liberal Arts faculties in academia. Find me the Vietnam era equivalent of E. B. Sledge. And the people with that corporate attitude have set the tone and made the majority of corporate hiring decision since then.
Military Service is seen as a separate (and inferior) choice from the Middle Class career path.
There is a growing literature on BOTH these points. Not everyone is capable of college level work, our society needs to work on creating an economy that provides careers (Not just jobs) for people who don't earn degrees. And make sure this job market is open to veterans, a subject for another post.
The really talented and well prepared working class students are already well provided for by our eduction system. It's the middle tier of potential students, for whom Army Reserve or National Guard service was already part of the college process.
NOT a good idea (Letting everyone go to college). One problem veterans have NOW, too many of the good jobs that don't require a degree have been destroyed over the past generation. I personally know National Guard and Reserve members people who volunteered to return to Iraq because they could not find a decent job that would support their families.
One of my problems with the "Greatest Generation," they all have nice retirements but when they were middle managers, the current corporate trends of shedding the pension plans, shipping the factory to China, or at best, a two tier wage structure, developed and flourished.
Sure, some of our new veterans will benefit from the opportunity for a University Education. But too many of the corporate first line managers and supervisors are the children (or grandchildren) of people who DID NOT SERVE. They haven't got a clue. And are often (actively) disinterested in learning. They graduated HS, went straight to College, and have continued to march up their career ladder.
I speak from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I well remember a job interview in 1980 where I was asked why I had not avoided Vietnam by going to college. (Obviously, that was not a successful job interview). It's more subtle, but just as pervasive as the anti-military bias in the Liberal Arts faculties in academia. Find me the Vietnam era equivalent of E. B. Sledge. And the people with that corporate attitude have set the tone and made the majority of corporate hiring decision since then.
Military Service is seen as a separate (and inferior) choice from the Middle Class career path.
There is a growing literature on BOTH these points. Not everyone is capable of college level work, our society needs to work on creating an economy that provides careers (Not just jobs) for people who don't earn degrees. And make sure this job market is open to veterans, a subject for another post.
The really talented and well prepared working class students are already well provided for by our eduction system. It's the middle tier of potential students, for whom Army Reserve or National Guard service was already part of the college process.
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Battle of Algiers
That Movie has become a cult (?) requirement (Available from Netflix!) among officers deploying to Iraq, the first Muslim Urban Insurgency. Well, every now and then my local Public Library buys something interesting, todays book is:
My Battle of Algiers by Ted Morgan. (Smithsonian Books, 2005); Cool stuff, he was a French Officer in Algeria in 1957.
(Got to love these unhelpful blog stuff; The Text editior won't let me underline a book title; I guess I am supposed to provide a link to Amazon or something; But only If I can get paid)
For the audience this blog is aimed at, it doesn't get much better than this, trust me. A "Street Level" westerern Journalist's memoir of the campaign. (After a brief stint of troop duty, he was working PSYOPS/Propaganda). Very well written (He is a journalist), an account of events from a different world, with background information to illuminate events for the non-specialist interested in the subject.
My Battle of Algiers by Ted Morgan. (Smithsonian Books, 2005); Cool stuff, he was a French Officer in Algeria in 1957.
(Got to love these unhelpful blog stuff; The Text editior won't let me underline a book title; I guess I am supposed to provide a link to Amazon or something; But only If I can get paid)
For the audience this blog is aimed at, it doesn't get much better than this, trust me. A "Street Level" westerern Journalist's memoir of the campaign. (After a brief stint of troop duty, he was working PSYOPS/Propaganda). Very well written (He is a journalist), an account of events from a different world, with background information to illuminate events for the non-specialist interested in the subject.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Battle of Pea Ridge (ACW)
I attended a talk today at the local public library by the head (and until recently only) Park Ranger.
Pea Ridge National Military Park is one of the best preserved American Civil War Battlefields, and unfortunately one of the least visited. It was a well prepared and informative presentation, major changes are underway in the parks presentation.
The Battle should be of particular interest to Wargamers because of the Command and Control problems experienced by the Confederate Army. The kind of thing that when it happens in a game, people complain about. Briefly, the Commander of one wing (half) the Confederate Army moved forward to make a Personal Reconnaissance and was promptly KIA, While his deputy was off leading a cavalry Charge, also promptly KIA. Thus leaving half of the army leaderless and inert for the rest of the day. (No staff paying attention to the succession plan either, and Hebert, the fourth in line was already a POW). When that kind of thing happens in a game, players complain, loudly.
Anyone with an interest in the American Civil War who is passing through the area should consider visiting. What was shocking was that at least half the (local) audience had not visited, possibly never.
Pea Ridge National Military Park is one of the best preserved American Civil War Battlefields, and unfortunately one of the least visited. It was a well prepared and informative presentation, major changes are underway in the parks presentation.
The Battle should be of particular interest to Wargamers because of the Command and Control problems experienced by the Confederate Army. The kind of thing that when it happens in a game, people complain about. Briefly, the Commander of one wing (half) the Confederate Army moved forward to make a Personal Reconnaissance and was promptly KIA, While his deputy was off leading a cavalry Charge, also promptly KIA. Thus leaving half of the army leaderless and inert for the rest of the day. (No staff paying attention to the succession plan either, and Hebert, the fourth in line was already a POW). When that kind of thing happens in a game, players complain, loudly.
Anyone with an interest in the American Civil War who is passing through the area should consider visiting. What was shocking was that at least half the (local) audience had not visited, possibly never.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)