Stop teh stoopid

OK Republican types .... let's not do what the Clinton team is doing.

There is plenty of policy items to club the Obama team with, but there are a few things that are just teh stoopid and you simply don't need to roll around in it. A few of them:

- Obama is not a Moooslim. He is a Christian, so that actually makes him, according to Islamic Law, an apostate from Islam. Good. An example to tell all. He has questionable relatives in Kenya - but hey, I don't want people judging me by some of my cousins either.

- Leave the wife alone. Nuff said.

- I don't care what he wrote in Kindergarten or the wife wrote in her early 20s in college after soaking in mid-80s collegiate racial politics. Don't care.

Just don't care. To get more, check out this convergence - Stephen, Allah, and Michelle are roughly on the same sheet of music.

Pound all day on Obama's goofy Leftist polics - but leave the gutter cr@p to Clinton and the NYT.

Take charge and carry out the play of the day.

More NCO wisdom....

I don't think Sen. Obama will be quoting this source from Afghanistan anytime soon.

Thanks to Matt Sanchez for bringing this primary source that - hey - is a 2008 reality, to the front.

I spoke with a buddy of mine, Army Sgt. Anthony McGee, currently stationed in Gardez, Afghanistan. I last saw Sgt. McGee, a former Marine, in November. Anthony had these comments that I have reprinted with the Sergeant's permission.

Anthony: I think Obama's full of sh**or he just doesn't have all the facts right

Anthony: We have enough equipment in my area

8:49 AM me: Have you heard of shortages elsewhere?

Anthony: Just because one captain can't figure out how to use the supply system doesn't mean we're all f**ked

8:50 AM I've heard of people getting short d*cked by outgoing units but all that can be taken care of pretty quickly

9:02 AM Anthony: If it was really to the point where he was scrounging for weapons like he said, I wonder if he went through his chain of command or went straight to the press anyhow man, I got to get out of here so I can get some chow

I got to do some crew serve maintenance in a little while

later man

If you like the cut of SSG McGee's jib, head on over to Matt's place to see a short video of the SSG doing that do that he does so well.

BZ.

Riverine: what is the attraction?

As usual, it takes a Chief to make it all clear and to the point.

For many sailors who had spent years in various billets at sea, the chance to start a new command was irresistible.

What was the attraction?

"The fast boats and the guns," said Pat Gehrke, lead chief petty officer for Werby's squad.

Nice little bit, though thin of details, in the LA Times on the second Riverine deployment.

NYT big McCain boost

Yep, this put a smile on my face.

Conservative radio talk show hosts who had long reviled Mr. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate from Arizona, had rallied to his defense. Bloggers on the right said that this could be the start of a new relationship. Most telling, Mr. McCain’s campaign announced Friday afternoon that it had just recorded its single-best 24 hours in online fund-raising, although it declined to provide numbers.

Hey, even 'ole Phib sent some cash to Sen. McCain last week. What have you done?

Order this book!!!

Since shortly after I started this blog (even before he became Mr. Biggy-pants), CDR Salamander has been a supporter, reader, and fan of Michael Yon. If you have not thrown anything in his tip-jar, but have enjoyed the work he has done, then I recommend you pile on here and pre-order his book coming out in April.

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Regular readers should recognize the picture on the cover. Yes you should.

Sunday Funnies

Don't disrupt my willful ignorance!!!

Some attitudes, like those form your average NPR listener, are universal.

From Radio Netherlands; Hans de Vreij - BEHOLD!

Has Dutch public broadcaster NOS allowed itself to be used as a tool of the 'communications policy' of the country's defence ministry, or was the video material provided by the ministry simply too interesting for the broadcasting organisation to ignore?

Whatever the answer may be, the fact is that public broadcasting's prime-time 8 o'clock news on Wednesday evening was to a large extent filled with footage of Dutch and Afghan troops engaged in real combat with what appear to have been Taliban fighters in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan. A further - and not insignificant - detail regarding this material: it was actually shot in August of this year.

Surprise and consternation were prominent among the reactions to the video footage of a prolonged battle, which took place close to the Afghan village of Chora in Uruzgan province. But the reasons for the surprise and consternation were extremely varied. Never before have such detailed images been shown of real fighting involving Dutch forces in Afghanistan.

It's no secret that such fighting does indeed take place in that country, for the Dutch defence ministry's website publishes a weekly summary of the troops' activities. When fighting or attacks have taken place, that is all duly listed. Such incidents are in most cases also reported at an earlier stage by means of individual press releases.

He is trying so hard to blame one of the world's most open governments for his own ignorance by bringing the truth to their taxpayers. The video he is talking about is here. (BTW, about 2/3 of the way through, you will see the joy that an A-10 can bring to the infantry - and it sounds great in the sub-woofer).

Hans, read; either that or watch 09:11 Zulu.

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UPDATE: Hans weighs in via the comments and fleshed out his argument and purpose for the article. Worth the read in that it will help you gain some appreciation from the Dutch point of view - but read it a few times - as from an American perspective it can be difficult to get your head around.

Where as we live in a Pentagon Channel and Bloggers Roundtable environment with the likes of Totten, Yon, and Sanchez a regular part of the Long War diet - the Dutch just don't have it. In spite of the fact that the Dutch military, both on the ground and in the air, are fighting just as much as the US, Canadian, UK, Danish, Estonian colleagues in the South of Afghanistan, the Dutch ruling elite do not encourage the well rounded knowledge base that Americans would consider the norm.

So, perhaps in reflection "willful ignorance" in the title is best not read as pointed at Hans - as in much of his body of work (for example this article from APR of '07, he is trying to do his part). A better title might be, "Yikes!!! Don't show the truth, I am still trying to keep the Dutch people as ignorant as possible!!!" directed at the Dutch ruling elite.

Then again, if the Dutch people demanded more information about what their soldiers and airmen are doing (...and they have much to be proud of...), then maybe this NOS video would not have the shock that it had.

Thank you Mr. de Vreij for showing up and filling in the gaps. I tilt my Stroopwafle at you - and if you have an article you have written in the last six months or so that might flesh out the Dutch perspective in planning to leave Afghanistan in '10, I would enjoy the chance to share it with my readers. Dank u!