Saturday, February 11, 2012

How To Make It Big

Via Don Surber:


No matter who you support this year, you have to admit Mitt Romney went about becoming president the wrong way. Instead of wasting his time learning how business works and building a multi-billion-dollar company that really did save or create hundreds of thousands of jobs, Mitt should have lived off his daddy’s fortune like Jack Kennedy. Chasing skirts and molesting teenage virgin is a lot more fun than figuring out how to revive an old business.

Instead, Mitt Romney gave his inheritance to charity. Who does that anymore?

...
Hard work though. Who does that? Small wonder the public is so suspicious.
Mitt isn't my guy this year.  I'll be voting for Gary Johnson in the Michigan primary.

But I do respect Mitt's business experience and his commitment to the real world.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Violent Solutions II

"Anyone who clings to the historically untrue - and thoroughly immoral - doctrine that "violence never solves anything" I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and of the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee, and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms."

- Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Not A Murderer After All

Marine Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich was accused of leading his squad the slaughter of 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005.

Some may remember of US Representative John Murtha infamously declared that the Marines had overreacted and killed "innocent civilians in cold blood."  In making this pronouncement, Mr. Murtha severely undermined the ability of these Marines to receive a fair trial.

Eight Marines were charged with varying charges that ranged up to unpremeditated murder as well as plain old murder.  The charges against seven Marines were ultimately dropped.

Staff Sergeant Wuterich recently entered into a plea agreement that concluded his case.  He plead guilty to failing to maintain adequate tactical control and making a "negligent verbal order".

In a court martial, only the prosecution may initiate a plea agreement.  Given how poorly the prosecution had fared against SSgt. Wuterich's codefendants, and given the exculpatory evidence presented during his trial, the prosecution was looking at a complete loss on all charges.  They opted to offer an end to the agonizing process that SSgt. Wuterich had been going through.

The facts of the case are that the Marines were attacked by insurgents using an IED.  They further received incoming fire from the houses that they ultimately cleared.

And the "insurgents" were known for employing many tactics that involved secondary attacks following an IED attack, and hiding among the civilian population for the purpose of causing civilian deaths due to American responses.

The Marines at Haditha responded to an obvious ongoing threat in accordance with their training.

This was what war looks like.  It isn't easy, or pleasant, or nice.  It is downright nasty.

People have to make snap decisions.  They get to live with the consequences while the rest of us practice our Monday morning quarterbacking.

Perhaps a bit more appreciation for the perspective of the people we ask to fight for our freedom is in order.

The deaths of those Iraqi civilians remains a horrible tragedy.  The responsibility for that tragedy rests with the "insurgents" that fought using tactics that violated the Geneva Conventions and every decent religious tenet on the face of the planet.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Where Diversions Lead

I had a chance to watch a bit of the movie "Fracture" earlier today.  Anthony Hopkins is one of the stars.  His work is always great.  Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for me to recommend the movie.

However it was enough to cause me to do a little reading about one feature of the movie; a kinetic sculpture. It appears for only a few fleeting seconds, but it is a thing of wonder.


That naturally led to the discovery of some other kinetic sculptures.  I will be sharing some of these nuggets with you in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

If I never grow up, then I'd love to earn my living creating this kind of art.