So, I was sitting in the PSP airport yesterday, waiting for our delayed Alaska Airlines flight to make it into port and there was a fellow sitting two seats (one open seat between them) from an older man and his 35 to 40 year old son.  I am not sure exactly how it started, but the guy sitting two seats away started talking to the old man.  The old man was clearly trying to be polite and supportive as the un-related fellow stated that he was in the military right out of the gates.

Now, let’s get a few things straight, I am 100% supportive of the men and women that serve in our country’s armed forces.  Unfortunately, I think that means different things to different people.  I am a firm believer that this country would be better off if EVERYONE served in the military for 2 years, like they do in many other countries around the world. I think that would give people a lot more respect for a lot of things and more perspective. Anyone who is willing to serve in our nation’s military is willing to sacrifice many things, including the possibility of losing their life.  If you don’t think that is a big deal, then you are a donkey.  However, I don’t think that supporting our troops means that one has to support everything someone who serves in the military says or does. Not does it mean you are a traitor if you do not agree with something someone like the President says or does.  It just means that you have an opinion and last time I checked that is what freedom is all about. Now, back to our regularly scheduled story.

So, this military chap starts to talk.  About 2 minutes into his talking, I don’t remember anyone asking him a question, he says, “Sand &igger” and then another term that I am not going to mention…that was even worse.  Then he proceeds to tell the old man that it is ok for him to say this because he is of Middle Eastern discent.  His mother is Armenian and something else, Christian Armenian he said.  WELL, that makes it ok.  Apparently this guy is a supply sargeant for the Army or the Marines, not sure which as he said he served in both.  I am not going to go into all of the detail of this guy’s rant, because it was about 40 minutes long.  I thought that it was really sad that this guy decided he needed to talk openly and loudly about all of his thoughts on everything from Iraq, the news media, arabs, muslims, and everyone who lives in San Francisco among other things.  He would have done himself and the people that serve in our military a big service by shutting his mouth.

After about 20 minutes an older woman got up from her chair and moved to a different area in the lounge. Then after another 20 minutes, the son of the old man, disgusted, asked the military guy, “And, when are we going to find the weapons of mass dustruction.” He went on to say, “I am against the war, I am against President Bush, and I am minding my own business trying to read but I can’t because you won’t stop talking.”  The military guy surprised me a bit and responded with, “I am sorry sir” and that was it.

It was a pretty bizarre encounter to be honest.  I think it sucks for so many reasons and I don’t have time to write them all down. But, I think that people in this country should to things like thank service men and women when they see them in public. Thank them for serving in our country’s armed forces.  However, people like this guy should not be serving in the military as I don’t think he serves our country well.  He reminds me of a guy I saw at one of my best friend’s graduation from the LAPD at the LAPD academy about 10 years ago.  I was sitting there with my then-girlfriend, his family and his future wife when I saw this guy come walking up the aisle in jeans and the tightest t-shirt I have seen any male wearing in my lifetime.  But, the t-shirt was not the funniest part, the revolver tucked into the front of his waistband was.  Now, the LAPD goes to great lengths, from what I have been told, to eliminate certain personality profiles from the academy pools as well as people that psychologically are not likely to be able to function well as a police officer.  I am not sure how this guy got through the screening.  What exactly was the reason to stuff a revolver into his pants so that everyone can see it other than looking like a cool-ass and a tough guy?  We were in the middle of the LAPD academy, where there are more cops per square foot than there probably is anywhere else in the world. The image of this guy is fresh in my head until this day…comedy.

My point is pretty simple.  This guy should just shut his trap or not identify himself as someone serving in the Army or the Marines.  If he wants to call people names and make it sound like the city of San Francisco is home to traitors, then do it as a civilian.  I am sure there are plenty of people serving in the military who share his views on arabs, muslims, San Franciscans and all of the other people this guy talked trash about and called names, but he loses any street cred he got from me the second he started talking smack.

tags: arabs, armed forces, credibility, iraq, military, smack

Iran is expected to give the U.N. its “formal answer” to the U.N. “demand” to halting their Uranium enrichment program today.  Sorry, I meant to say, “Iran says F U AGAIN to U.N.”

tags: iran, nukes, u.n., uranium

Over two years until Geroge W. Bush will be out of office and I just listened to him say, “We’re not leaving as long as I am President.”  The rest we have all heard before. One of the talking points and apparently one of the things we are supposed to admire most about our President is that we know exactly where he stands on issues. I can see why that is the case for two simple reasons.  One, he only says about 3 words in about 40 that are different from the previous 40.  And, he only talks about one or two issues. I guess there is something to be said for keeping things simple. Anyway, clearly he is putting his and his administration’s position is on Iraq and where they are planning on taking us. Now it is up to other people to put something else on the table.

tags: bush, foreign policy, iraq, president

I have to laugh. This “cease fire” or should I say Cease Fire #1,214 should last all of about 2 weeks. Does anyone really believe that there is not going to be any shots fired? Nobody killed? Better yet, does anyone believe that the “United Nations” is going to send troops into southern Lebanon to actually do something other than get in the way?  One of my favorite video clips from the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah was (and I am not poking fun at the fact that someone was injured) after a U.N. “observation post” was struck by artillery from Hezbollah or the IDF. The video showed 5 U.N. “troops” carrrying a sixth on a makeshift stretcher.  One of the 5 men carrying the stretcher had the light blue U.N. combat helmet on. The other four had on light blue turbans.  I am not sure if the U.N. was short combat helmets or if these four guys did not get the memo, but it pretty much summed up the United Nations’ involvement in observing the southern border in Lebanon for nearly 10 years. Unreal.

Not to be 100% cynical, but I am giving this cease fire about 14 days to hold until someone gets shot or a Katyusha rocket is sent over the border to their friends down south.

tags: cease fire, hezbollah, israel, joke, katyusha, lebanon

I have to say, I am not one to buy into the conspiracy theories much these days.  But, with that said, I had dinner with some friends this past weekend and they surprised me with their thoughts that after seeing the new 9/11 movie, that if asked today, they would say it was most likely a conspiracy.  Now, these are people that I would really think would be close to last on the list of people that I know that would say something like that.  He just forwarded this video called, Loose Change, that pretty much scares the hell out of me. Something I think everyone should see no matter what you believe.

tags: 9/11, bush, cheney, conspiracy, loose change, video

Ok, whatever you think about how WE, the people, have arrived at the current position we find ourselves in, I think we all have to think about what needs to be done from this point forward. There are two schools of thought. One, withdraw, re-deploy, rotate out, or whatever you want to label removing US troops, from Iraq. Two, is to leave Iraq in a stable environment and self-sufficient.  The latter is something that is incredibly difficult and something that is going to take at least a decade from this point forward and one that I am not completely opposed to. BUT, here is the thing.  In my opinion, it is very clear, that we are under staffed for the job at hand in Iraq.  Moving troops around in order to accomplish something in the short-term, like “securing” Baghdad, doesn’t seem to make much sense to me when we are looking to secure the whole country.  So, what do we do? If we, as a country, decide that we are going to “stay the course” in Iraq then I think it is time to do the job right.  I used to get scolded by my grandfather a lot as a child to be sure to do things the right way…and not half-assed. Translation = Draft.  President Bush and Team Bush were very adamant about the fact that the forces deployed worldwide are an “all volunteer” force. Well, in my view, if we are going to do the job then let’s do it right.
I have heard generals and the like talk about using “overwhelming force” to accomplish our goals in just about every successful military campaign the US has been involved in in the past 20 years. Electricity and running water are not a fact of life in the capital city of Baghdad so let’s forget about paying for the war with oil revenues like we were promised. Let’s just get in there and kick some ass so that we can get out of there with something better than what it started as.  Otherwise, we may witness the second coming of Persia in our lifetimes.

tags: baghdad, draft, iraq, middle east, politics, war