Rights and Bailouts

"If I knew for a certainly that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life, as from that dry and parching wind of the African deserts called the simoom, which fills the mouth and nose and ears and eyes with dust till you are suffocated, for fear that I should get some of his good done to me,-some of its virus mingled with my blood"

- Thoreau

As I consider the ultimate effects of our governments continuing bailout of various business interests in the country I am disheartened by a few facts. One, We have no idea what it will ultimately cost. Two, we have been convinced that is imminently necessary. Leaving aside the economic arguments for and against for a moment let us consider the ominous effects of ceding so much of our rights to the government. We Americans guard are right jealousy, in times of peace and prosperity no one can generally shake us from an understanding of what is our due as citizens. It is only in times of trouble, when the mass of people is frothing at some nameless fear, can the government, with all the best reasons, rapidly grow in size and potency. In the infancy of our Republic the threat of war with France gave us the Alien and Sedition Acts. Our Civil War brought about the rise of a grand bureaucracy, the draft, and the first income tax in the victorious North. World War I gave us a modern standing army and the Sedition Acts With the Great Depression, which the government  and prolonged through tariffs and interference, we saw an attempt to pack the Supreme Court and a massive expansion of Government power which brought us everything from redlining to the Farm bill. During this same period the crime wave that came with government enforced prohibition was used to justify the creation of the FBI headed by Mr. J. Edgar Hoover. This dreary list continues on to present day, and I would continue, but who wants to get a file started at Carnivore? The point is that the consequences of these programs and infringements generally far outstrip the urgency with which they were called for. What will be the consequences of large portions of the banking world remaining under government control?  (Some of these banks, it should be noted, accepted Government funding against their will.)  Who can say with any certainty? But mark well where the benign hand of our government flits and tarries in these days of panic. 

School Choice

The news recently has been that the President-Elect and his wife have decided to a send their two children to the exclusive Sidwell school in Washington D.C. The future first couple have acted prudently, in a manner not dissimilar to how the rest of the transition has been run. The children will undoubtedly receive a fine education and Sidwell seems well equipped to deal with the special needs that will arise regarding the daughters of the most powerful man in the world. One question though remains, if the Obamas recognise the superiority of private education, why then do they deny that choice to thousands in our nations capital and millions around the country by going against school choice vouchers. Vouchers  would allow parents to take the total or a large portion of what it costs for the state to educate their child and apply that money to a private institution. They are currently being tested in the capital, and for every one child who has applied for the program, three are denied. The average income of the families these children come from is 23,000 dollars. The state has failed these families, D.C. public schools rank at the bottom of  11 major city school systems. The same article notes that half of the children attend schools that are described as "persistently dangerous", and that the cost per pupil is among the highest among major cities at close to 13,000 dollars a year. That parents line up to receive a check for a little more then half of that is certainly telling. I may just be naive, but I can't see any reasonable argument for not extending this program across the country and giving the gift of hope and decent education to the most impoverished of our citizens. this would not only help to level the playing field between public and private education, the worst public schools would simply cease to exist, but it would give poorer families a far greater choice as to how their children are educated. Wouldn't that be change we could believe in?

Justice and Law

Great nations, it is said, are not destroyed from without until they are weakened from within. With the myriad of topics and grave national discussions this country is engaged in the most far reaching effect of this next election has been obscured. The opinion of the judges appointed during the coming presidency, particularly those placed on the Supreme Court, will shape the way our constitution is understood and enacted upon well into the next century. The effects of which will be felt long after the next president, with all his promises and hopes, passes into history.
The basic stability of our country is based on the simple not overly long document, ratified by the states, known as the United States Constitution. It enumerates ways which laws can be enacted and repealed; defines the rights of its citizen; and lays out a system of checks and balances which have brought this country, in the span of roughly two hundred years, from a new world back water to unarguably the greatest power on earth. The continued belief in and protection of the Constitution is an integral part of ensuring that our Republic remains the potent force and garuntee of freedom that it has become. As Thomas Jefferson said, "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. "

The major candidates presented two stark interpretations of the judges necessary to maintain our rights and check any unlawful usurpation of power. Senator Obama believed in a "living constitution" that is a constitution whose interpretation changes over time. Senator Mccain believed in strict constitutionalism or in a "dead constitution" that is an interpretation where the founders "original intent" is given heavy weight. Now the idea of a living constitution is on the surface an atractive one. It allows a judge to take present mores into account and allows him or her greater leeway in correcting wrongs that are not specifically noted in the constitution. It is this changing understanding of the prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment" that evolves the methods by which we execute our prisoners, from strait forward hanging and firing squads to the use of more ingenous gases and injections. Of course, there is a great danger in this method, because just as such leeway can be used to do good above and beyond the letter of the law, it can just as easily be used to commit evil. The proper role of Judges is to interpet the laws that are passed by the legislative branch, not create new rights or penalties based on their own opinions. Some judges have begun to site the rulings of foreign courts, like those in Zimbabwe, as a justification for their decisions, this is completely wrong. The temptation is great to cheer the appointment of those judges that will act in accord with one's political persuasion, but Democrat and Republican alike should fear the increasing power that is placed in the hands of these unelected officals. If new rights are needed or old laws are wanting, the best place for change is in the ballot box.

Deterrence, Terrorism...Raskolnikov

Todd brought up an interesting point in one of his comments, the West has yet to come up with an adequate form of deterrence against terrorist assaults that is both effective and morally acceptable. The idea that a strong well prepared armed forces is the best guarantee to peace, and as an extension of that, that a balance of power makes War too awful to contemplate ( An idea that came to the fore with the ghastly result of World War I but was then refined and simplified to produce the horrific "Mutually Assured Destruction", where the certainty of a global nuclear holocaust was meant to chasten those among the super powers who hoped for a first strike. ) is an idea that has no power against a stateless terrorist entity. This is particularly true to a group which is dedicated to giving their lives for their cause. What threat is potent enough to stay such determination? Adolf Hitler wrote that in regards to partisan attacks in the territories his armies occupied "whatever worked" was what was to be done. This evolved in France, but even more violently in the East, into a system of hostages held in certain townships who would be shot in many multiples for every German killed or act of sabotage perpetrated. While surely monstrous, one wonders if it was even effective, for it doesn't seem to have appreciably slowed partisan activity and assuredly turned the populace more heavily against the occupying armies. Echos of this extreme response exist in present day. Seven years ago Thomas Friedman wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times describing the father of the current Syrian "President's" method in dealing with terrorist attacks emanating from a certain city, Hama. He ringed the city with troops, and then shelled it into submission, 15,000 to 20,000 Syrians are estimated to have died. The Op-Ed went on to note that Terrorist attacks from that city ceased. A few years later a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed tackled the problem more squarely and finished by considering the idea that the United States should publicly state that if a terrorist attack involving WMD occurs on American soil the response would be a Nuclear strike on the Muslim holy city of Mecca. It would seem to me that such a declaration would not be believed, but if it was would create such fear and loathing in the Muslim world as to completely negate the statements purpose.
There is something in the human psyche, perhaps particularly in the West, that craves the simplicity of the action unhampered by morality and law, as if such limits inherently impede just accomplishment. In our future considerations of how best to protect ourselves from terrorist attacks and in our responses to attacks here and abroad, we should not be so quick to accept policies which go against our country's understanding of morality and justice in hopes of greater safety. It would cheapen what we fight to save. Still, the problem of deterring those men and women who would do us harm and die for it will not fade quick, as the somber, bloodied hotels of Mumbai unfortunately reveal.

New York Times Finally Endorses Welles Position

In another example of our blog's reach, the New York Times yesterday made its support known for the Colombian Free Trade Agreement. It did so by using a line of reasoning very similar to a post I made about a month ago. While you might think that I would be angry at the New York Times's poaching, I'm just happy that they've seen the light. Now if only President-Elect Obama can be convinced...

Happy Birthday Marines

On this day in 1775 the United States Marine Corps was founded by an act of the Continental Congress. Thanks to a change in regulations by the Marine Commandant, under aged Marines will be able to drink at on base birthday celebrations. They've certainly earned it.

Casualties: U. S. Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Wounded in Wars, Conflicts, Terrorist Acts, and Other Hostile Incidents

NAVY MARINE CORPS
ACTION KIA WIA KIA WIA

Revolutionary War,
19 Apr.1775 - 11 Apr. 1783 342 114 49 70

Naval War with France,
July 1798 - 3 Feb. 1801 14 31 6 11

Barbary Wars, Mediterranean
Sea, 10 Jun. 1801 -
4 Jun. 1805 31 54 4 10

USS Chesapeake attacked by
HMS Leopard, off Cape Henry,
Virginia, 22 Jun. 1807 3 18 0 0

War of 1812,
18 Jun. 1812 - 17 Feb. 1815 265 439 45 66

Marines escorting a convoy of
supply wagons ambushed by an
irregular force of Native
Americans and African Americans
in Twelve Mile Swamp near
St.John's, East Florida,
11 Sep. 1812 0 0 2 7

USS Nonsuch captured pirate
ship Caledonia off Savannah,
Georgia, 9 Apr. 1813 0 3 0 0

USS Essex crewmembers battle
with Taipis Tribe, Nuka Hiva,
Marquesas Islands, 29 Nov. 1813 1 2 0 0

USS Essex crewmembers battle
with Taii Tribe, Nuka Hiva,
Marquesas Islands, 27 May 1814 4 1 0 0

Ambush of Navy personnel on
Apalachicola River, Spanish
Florida, during reconnaissance of
fort and settlement occupied by
free African Americans and
escaped slaves, 17 Jul. 1816 4 0 0 0

USS Macedonian shore party
fired on by mob during Peruvian
War of Independence, Callao,
Peru, 6 Nov. 1820 2 6 0 0

Suppression of Piracy in
West Indies, 1822-1825 4 5 0 0

USS Fox fired on from Spanish
castle El Moro, St. Johns,
Puerto Rico, 5 Mar. 1823 1 0 0 0

USS Porpoise skirmish with
Greek pirates, near Andros
Island, Aegean Sea,
23 Oct. 1827 1 0 0 0

USS Potomac punitive Landing at
Qualah Battoo, Sumatra,
6 Feb. 1832 2 7 0 4

Seminole War, Florida,
1835 - 1842 8 12 3 5

USS Natchez Sailor's dispute
with fisherman led to bayonet
attack by Mexican guard,
Vera Cruz, 25 Oct. 1836 0 2 0 0

Wilkes Expedition, skirmish
with natives at Malolo, Fiji,
24 Jul. 1840 2 2 0 0

Mexican War,
24 Apr. 1846 - 30 May 1848 13 3 11 47

USS Plymouth landing party
skirmish with Chinese Imperial
troops during Taiping Rebellion,
5 Jun. 1855 1 1 0 2

USS Water Witch engagement with
a Paraguayan fort at Itapiru,
1 Feb. 1855 1 0 0 0

USS Powhatan engagement
with Chinese pirates
near Hong Kong, China,
4 Aug 1855 3 6 2 0

USS John Adams punitive
expedition to Viti Levu, Fiji,
28-31 Oct. 1855 1 0 0 2

Operations against Native
Americans, Puget Sound,
Washington Territory, 1855 3 1 0 0

USS Portsmouth, USS San Jacinto
and USS Levant reduction of the
Barrier Forts, Canton, China,
16-22 Nov. 1856 7 15 0 6

USS Massachusetts Coxswain Gustave
Englebrecht killed in skirmish with
Native American at Port Gamble,
Washington, 22 Nov. 1856 1 0 0 0

Confrontation with mob during
election violence outside
City Hall, Washington DC,
1 June 1857 0 0 0 2

USS Vandalia, punitive
expedition to Waya, Fiji,
9 Oct. 1858 0 3 0 2

Chartered river steamer
Toey-Wan supported English
and French attack on Chinese
forts at mouth of Peiho River,
China, 25 Jun. 1859 1 1 0 0

Marine assault on building
occupied by abolitionist John
Brown and followers, Harper's
Ferry, Virginia, 18 Oct. 1859 0 0 1 1

USS Saratoga and chartered
steamers Indianola and Wave,
gun battle and boarding of
Mexican armed steamer General
Miramon, near Vera Cruz,
Mexico, 6 Mar. 1860 1 3 0 0

Civil War (Union forces only),
15 Apr. 1861 - 26 May 1865 2,112 1,710 148 131

USS Wyoming battle with naval
forces of Japanese feudal
warlord off Shimonoseki,
13 Jul. 1863 3 6 1 0

USS Hartford and USS Wyoming,
landing party skirmish with
natives near Taka, Formosa,
13 Jun. 1867 1 0 0 0

USS Oneida Sailor wounded
during attack on foreign
residents by Japanese troops
during Meiji Restoration,
Hiogo, Japan, 4 Feb. 1868 0 1 0 0

USS Mohican battle with
Mexican pirate steamer
Forward in Teacapan River,
Mexico, 17 Jun. 1870 2 7 0 1

USS Monocacy, USS Palos
and steam launches from USS
Colorado and USS Alaska,
attack on Korean fort along
Salee River, June 1871 2 12 1 1

Marines from Brooklyn Navy
Yard guarding revenue officers
engaged in destroying
illegal distilleries in
Brooklyn, New York,
14 July and 17 Oct. 1871 0 0 1 3

USS Baltimore Sailors
fight with Chilean Sailors;
mobs subsequently attacked
US Sailors, Valparaiso,
16 Oct. 1891 2 18 0 0

USS Maine sunk in Havana Harbor,
Cuba, 15 Feb. 1898. (Sometimes
attributed to hostile action.) 266 54 0 0

Spanish American War,
15 Feb. 1898 - 10 Dec. 1898 10 47 6 21

Philippine Islands Insurrection,
4 Feb. 1899 - 25 Apr. 1901 9 0 7 19

USS Philadelphia punitive
expedition to Apia, Samoa,
1 Apr. 1899 4 4 0 1

Boxer Rebellion, China,
20 Jun. 1900 - 12 May 1901 4 26 9 17

Seaman Johnson shot by insurgents
while in a small boat from USS
Yankee at Santo Domingo,Dominican
Republic, 1 Feb. 1904 1 0 0 0

Apprentice 2d class Charles Doctor
from USS Columbia landing party
wounded by insurgents at Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic,
11 Feb. 1904 0 1 0 0

While taking supplies to
US Army Camp Tabla, USS
Pambanga shore party
attacked by Moro rebels,
Basilian Island, Philippines,
24 Sep. 1911 1 3 0 0

Pacification of Nicaragua,
4 Aug. 1912 - 31 Jan. 1913 2 0 5 16

Occupation of Vera Cruz,
Mexico, 21-23 Nov. 1914 17 57 5 13

Pacification of Haiti,
25 Jul. 1915 - 6 Apr. 1917 2 0 7 29

Small boat from USS Annapolis
fired on by Mexican soldiers
at Mazatlan, 18 Jun. 1916 1 0 0 0

Pacification of Dominican
Republic, 1916 - 1924 0 0 17 50

SS Aztec sunk by German
submarine off Island of
Ushant, France, resulting
in death of Boatswain's Mate
1/c John I. Eopolucci,
1 Apr. 1917 1 0 0 0

World War I, 6 Apr. 1917 -
11 Nov. 1918 431 819 2,461 9,520

USS Monocacy fired on by
Chinese bandits, taking 80
bullet hits, north of Chenglin,
Yangtze River, China. Chief
Yeoman H. L. O'Brien killed
and Seaman W. W. Donnelly
wounded during firefight.
17 Jan. 1918 1 1 0 0

USS Olympia shore party operated
with British, French, Serbian
and White Russian troops in
skirmishes with Bolshevik forces
along the Dvina River near
Archangel during the Allied
intervention in northern Russia,
15 Aug. - 6 Sep. 1918 0 3 0 0

Armed guard detachment from
USS Monocacy defended oil
barge from bandit attack,
north of Ichang, Yangtze
River, China, 17 May 1921 0 1 0 0

USS Stewart (DD-224) fired on
by Chinese troops near Wuchang,
Yangtze River, China,
5 Sep. 1926 0 2 0 0

USS Pigeon (AM-47) fired on
Chinese below Hanyang,
China, 19 Sep 1926 0 3 0 0

Nicaragua Pacification,
1927 - 1933 1 2 47 66

USS Noa landing force
fired on by Chinese
warlord's troops, Nanking,
China, 24 Mar. 1927 0 1 0 0

USS Penquin (AM-33) fired on
by Chinese below Kiangyin
forts, China 25 Apr 1927 0 5 0 0

Armed guard detachment on
SS Chi Ping fired on by
bandits, north of Wanhsien,
Yangtze River, China,
14 Mar. 1930 0 1 0 0

USS Guam came under fire
from bandits while
attempting to rescue
missionaries near Yochow,
Yangtze River, China,
4 Jul. 1930 1 0 0 0

USS Palos fired on by
bandits at Changsha,
Yangtze River, China,
31 Jul. 1930 0 1 0 0

Marine 2d Brigade guarding
International Settlement,
during fighting between
Japanese and Chinese forces,
Shanghai, China,
Aug.-Oct. 1937 0 1 0 3

USS Augusta struck by
Nationalist Chinese anti-
aircraft shell, Shanghai,
China, 20 Aug. 1937 1 18 0 0

USS Augusta hit by shrapnel
during fighting in Shanghai,
China, 14 Oct. 1937 0 1 0 0

USS Panay sunk by Japanese
air attack, near Nanking,
Yangtze River, China,
12 Dec. 1937 2 43 0 0

USS Kearny damaged by German
submarine, Atlantic Ocean,
17 Oct. 1941 11 22 0 0

USS Salinas damaged by German
submarine, Atlantic Ocean,
30 Oct. 1941 0 1 0 0

USS Reuben James sunk by
German submarine, Atlantic
Ocean, 31 Oct. 1941 115 8 0 0

World War II, 7 Dec. 1941 -
31 Dec. 1946 36,950 37,778 19,733 68,207

1st Marines reconnaissance
patrol fired on by 40-50
Chinese communist guerillas
northwest of Tientsin, China,
6 Oct. 1945 0 0 0 3

7th Marines jeep patrol fired
on by Chinese communist snipers
near Tangshan, China
19 Oct 1945 0 0 0 2

Ambush of 5th Marines jeep patrol
by Chinese communist snipers
outside of Peiping, China
26 Oct 1945 0 0 0 1

Two marines hunting near 7th
Marines railroad outpost shot by
two Chinese west of Anshan, China,
4 Dec 1945 0 0 1 1

One marine attacked while on
liberty in Tientsin, China,
9 Dec 1945 0 0 0 1

Two 7th Marines supply trucks
ambushed by Chinese communist
guerillas near Tangshan, China,
15 Jan 1946 0 0 0 2

Marine hunting party attacked by
irregular forces in the vicinity
of Lutai, China, 7 Apr 1946 0 0 1 0

5th Marines bridge guards attacked
by Chinese communists firing
mortars, near Tangku, China,
5 May 1946 0 0 0 1

7th Marines sentry attacked by
guerillas in Lutai, China,
7 May 1946 0 0 0 1

1st Marines reconnaissance patrol
ambushed by 50-75 armed Chinese
in village 10 miles south of
Tientsin, China, 21 May 1946 0 0 1 1

Marine sentry attacked in Tangku,
China, 2 Jul 1946 0 0 0 1

Supply convoy, protected by 11th
Marines detachment, ambushed by
Chinese communist forces at Anping,
China, 29 July 1946 0 0 4 11

Chinese communist raid on 1st
Marine Division ammunition supply
point at Hsin Ho, northwest of
Tangku, China 3 Oct 1946 0 0 0 1

Two Chinese communist companies
about 350 men, attack 1st Marine
Division ammunition supply point
at Hsin Ho, northwest of Tangku,
China, 4-5 Apr 1947 0 0 5 17

Marine hunting party ambushed
by Chinese communists outside
of Tientsin, China,
25 Dec. 1947 0 0 1 0

PB4Y2 from VP-26, Det A,
shot down by Soviet
aircraft, over Baltic Sea
off coast of Latvia,
8 Apr. 1950 10 0 0 0

Korean War, 25 Jun. 1950 -
31 Jan. 1955 505 1,576 4,267 23,744

P2V-3W from VP-6 shot down
by Soviet aircraft, over Sea
of Japan off Vladivostok,
Siberia, 6 Nov. 1951 10 0 0 0

PBM-5S2 from VP-731 attacked by
Chinese fighters over the
Yellow Sea, 31 Jul. 1952 2 2 0 0

P2V-5 from VP-22 shot down by
anti-aircraft fire near Swatow,
China, 18 Jan. 1953 9 0 0 0

P2V from VP-19 shot down
by Soviet aircraft, over Sea
of Japan near Siberian coast,
4 Sep. 1954 1 0 0 0

P2V from VP-9 shot down
by Soviet aircraft, St. Lawrence
Island in the Bering Sea,
22 Jun. 1955 0 10 0 0

P4M-1Q from VQ-1 shot down
by hostile aircraft near
Wenchow, China, 22 Aug. 1956 16 0 0 0

P4M-1Q from VQ-1 attacked by
North Korean fighters near the
Korean Demilitarized Zone,
over Sea of Japan, 16 Jun. 1959 0 1 0 0

Vietnam War, 4 Aug. 1964 -
27 Jan. 1973 1,631 4,178 13,091 51,392

Intervention in the
Dominican Republic,
28 Apr. 1965 - 21 Sep. 1966 1 0 9 25

USS Liberty, attacked by
Israeli forces in the
Eastern Mediterranean,
8 Jun. 1967 31 168 2 1

LCDR Ernest A. Munro killed and
RMCS Harry L. Greene wounded by
communist terrorists, Guatemala,
16 Jan 1968 1 1 0 0

USS Pueblo, captured by
North Korean forces in the
Sea of Japan, 23 Jan. 1968 1 8 0 1
[All crew members, 79 Navy and 2
Marines, subsequently awarded the
purple heart for the period of
their captivity]

A-1H from VA-25 on a ferry flight
from the Philippines to an aircraft
carrier in the Tonkin Gulf shot
down by MIG interceptor after
accidently violating airspace of
Hainan Island, China
14 Feb. 1968 1 0 0 0

P3B from VP-26 on a coastal
surveillance photo-reconnaissance
mission, shot down, possibly by
a Cambodian naval vessel, crashing
in the Gulf of Thailand,
1 Apr. 1968 12 0 0 0

Sailors from USS Independence and
accompanying destroyers injured by
students during anti-American
riots in Istanbul, Turkey,
16-23 Jul. 1968 0 19 0 0

Sailors from USS Columbus and
accompanying destroyers injured by
students during anti-American
riots in Izmir, Turkey,
19-22 Dec. 1968 0 14 0 0

EC-121M from VQ-1 shot down
by North Korean aircraft over
the Sea of Japan, 14 Apr. 1969 30 0 1 0

Two UH-1Bs from HAL-3 Detachment
3 shot down in Svay Rieng
Province, Cambodia, by Cambodian
anti-aircraft fire, 28 Apr. 1969 4 4 0 0

Seabee wounded and Marine
Security Guards killed and
wounded during Terrorist
attack on US Embassy softball
game,Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
26 Sep. 1971 0 1 1 3

Marine Security Guard Sidney T.
James wounded during an attack
by a radical communist group,
U.S. Embassy, Manila,
Philippines, 1972 0 0 0 1

LCDR Franklin G. West wounded by
North Korean forces, Panmunjun,
Korea, 3 Mar 1974 0 1 0 0

CDR Robert M. Ballinger killed
by dynamite explosion during
investigation of tunnel built by
North Koreans in the southern
portion of the demilitarized
zone, Korea, 20 Nov 1974 1 0 0 0

Seabees killed by gunfire during
terrorist ambush of jeep on
northeast edge of US Naval Base
at Subic Bay, Philippines,
3 Feb. 1975 3 0 0 0

Two Marines from Marine Security
Detachment, Saigon, killed during
artillery attack while providing
security for Defense Attache
Office, at Tan Son Nhut Airport,
Saigon, Republic of Vietnam,
29 April 1975 0 0 2 0

"Mayaguez Incident," battle with
Khmer Rouge forces, Koh Tang
Island, Cambodia, 14 May 1975 2 3 14 41

Sailor wounded during attack by
unidentified gunman against U.S.
Air Force Bus, 14 miles north of
Clark Air Bus, Philippines,
11 Dec. 1976 0 1 0 0

LT Robert E. Nelson serving with
UN observers in the Lebanese
village of Maroun Al Ras wounded
during attack by Israeli Defense
Forces, night of 14-15 Mar 1978 0 1 0 0

U.S. Embassy Marine security
guard wounded, Kabul,
Afghanistan, 7 Aug 1978 0 0 0 1

U.S. Embassy Marine security
guard wounded, Beirut, Lebanon,
6 Oct 1978 0 0 0 1

SGT Garry Downey and SGT Kraus
wounded by Iranian guerillas during
attacks on U.S. Embassy, Tehran,
Iran, 11 and 14 Feb. 1979 0 0 0 2

Marine security guards injured
when leftist protesters attempted
to storm U.S. Embassy, San Salvador,
El Salvador, 30 Oct. 1979 0 0 0 2

Marine Security Guard CPL
Steven Crowley killed by
sniper fire during attack by
mob on US Embassy, Islamabad,
Pakistan, 21 Nov. 1979 0 0 1 0

Puerto Rican nationalists armed
with automatic weapons ambushed
a Navy bus driving to Sabana Seca
Naval Communication Center near
San Juan, 3 Dec 1979 2 10 0 0

BMCM Sam Novello killed by
Turkish leftists at his home in
Istanbul, Turkey, 16 April 1980 1 0 0 0

Marines wounded in terrorist
attack, Costa Rica, 17 Mar 1981 0 0 0 3

Crewmen from USS Pensacola
(LSD-38) attacked by terrorists
in San Juan, Puerto Rico,
16 May 1982. 1 3 0 0

U.S. Embassy Marine security
guard wounded, Beirut
Lebanon, 7 Jun 1982 0 0 0 1

Lebanon Peacekeeping,
25 Aug. 1982 - 26 Feb. 1984 19 8 234 151

Terrorist bombing of US
Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon.
Casualties included IS1 Daniel
J. Pellegrino and eight Marine
Security Guards, 18 Apr. 1983 0 1 1 7

Lieutenant Commander Albert A.
Schaufelberger killed by
terrorists, San Salvador,
El Salvador, 25 May 1983 1 0 0 0

CPL Guillermo Sanpedro killed
in terrorist attack, Cyprus,
23 Oct. 1983 0 0 1 0

Operation Urgent Fury,
invasion of Grenada, West Indies
23 Oct.1983 - 21 Nov. 1983 4 1 3 15

Capt. George Tsantes shot by
terrorists near Athens, Greece
15 Nov. 1983 1 0 0 0

Lt. Mark A. Lang killed and LT
Robert O. Goodman wounded when
A-6 Intruder from VA-85 shot down
while attacking Syrian antiaircraft
batteries at Hammana, east of
Beirut, Lebanon, 4 Dec. 1983 1 1 0 0

Commander, Carrier Air Wing Six
(CVW-6) CDR Edward K. Andrews
flying an A-7 Corsair II, shot
down by aircraft fire, near
Beirut, Lebanon, 4 Dec 1983 0 1 0 0

LCPL Rudolfo Hernandez killed
in terrorist attack, Germany,
7 Feb. 1984 0 0 1 0

HN Carl P. Englund wounded,
Beruit, Lebanon, 29 Feb 1984 0 1 0 0

PO1 Michael R. Wagner
assigned to Defense Attache
Office, killed; CEC Harvey L.
Whitaker and BU1 Stephen E.
Haycock and four Marine security
guards wounded in terrorist bombing
of US Embassy Annex, East Beirut,
Lebanon, 20 Sep. 1984 1 2 0 4

Seabee Steelworker 2nd Class
Robert Dean Stethem of Underwater
Construction Team ONE was killed
by terrorists in Athens, Greece,
on TWA Flight 847,
14 Jun. 1985 1 0 0 0

Off-duty Marines assigned to
Marine Security Guard Detachment,
San Salvador, El Salvador,
killed by terrorists armed with
automatic weapons at a cafe in
the Zona Rosa district of San
Salvador, 19 June 1985 0 0 4 0

USS Stark struck by Iraqi
missiles, Persian Gulf,
17 May 1987 37 5 0 0

Terrorist grenade attack on
USO club in Barcelona, Spain,
27 Dec. 1987 1 5 0 0

Col. Rich Higgins, killed by
pro-Iranian terrorists.
Captured on 17 Feb. 1988 in
Lebanon and declared dead on
6 Jul. 1990. 0 0 1 0

USS Samuel B. Roberts struck
Iranian mine, Persian Gulf,
14 Apr. 1988 0 10 0 0

Japanese Red Army terrorist
bombing of USO club in Naples,
Italy, 14 Apr. 1988 1 4 0 0

Loss of AH-1T helicopter during
operations against Iranian naval
forces, possibly to hostile
action, Persian Gulf,
18 Apr. 1988 0 0 2 0

Capt. William E. Nordeen,
Defense and Naval Attache,
killed by terrorist car bomb
in Kifissia, the suburb of
Athens, Greece,
28 Jun. 1988 1 0 0 0

Lt. Robert Paz,USMC shot and
witnesses, Navy LT and his wife,
beaten by Panamanian forces at
a road block in Panama City,
16 Dec. 1989 0 1 1 0

Operation Just Cause, Panama,
20 - 24 Dec. 1989 4 9 1 3

Persian Gulf War,
2 Aug. 1990 - 3 Mar. 1991 5 12 24 92

Operation Restore Hope,
Somalia, 9 Dec. 1992 -
4 May 1994 0 0 2 15

Bombing of Federal Building,
Oklahoma City, 19 Apr. 1995 0 0 2 0

Khobar Towers in Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia bombed by
terrorists, 25 Jun. 1996 0 1 0 0

Terrorist bombing of US Embassy
in Nairobi, Kenya, 7 August 1998
Marine security guard Sgt. Jesse
Aliganga killed, one Marine
guarded wounded 0 0 1 1

USS Cole (DDG 67) hit on port
side near forward stack by
explosive-laden suicide boat
while refueling, Aden,
Yemen, 12 October 2000. 17 39 0 0

American Flight 77 hijacked by
terrorists struck the Pentagon.
Casualties include 33 sailors,
6 Department of the Navy civilians,
and 3 Navy civilian contractors
killed and 4 sailors and 2
Department of the Navy civilians
wounded.
Arlington, VA, 11 Sep 2001. 33 4 0 0

Operation Enduring Freedom,
Afghanistan,
7 Oct 2001 through 16 July 2005. 15 6 9 84

Lance Corporal Antonio Sledd
killed, and another Marine wounded
by terrorists during Exercise
Eager Mace in Kuwait, 8 Oct 2002. 0 0 1 1

Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq,
19 Mar 2003 through 16 Jul 2005. 26 320 522 5,049

Intolerant Accusations

As we lurch closer to the final 24 hours before the election it seems important to correct a few misunderstandings that have developed. There has been some talk in class regarding the idea that the McCain campaign has, perhaps unwittingly, stirring up racial animosity in an all out effort to win the election. Two specific examples have been pointed to: First, that during a Palin Rally some one shouted out "Kill him" in reference to either Ayers or Obama, most likely Obama; second, that during another Palin Rally someone yelled out a racial epitaph and Palin continued to speak on, unconcerned by this bilious slur. Both of these, particularly the second, seem to have been proven false. On the first count an investigation by the secret service which included interviews with an undisclosed number of undercover law enforcement officials who were stationed among the crowd has found nothing that backs up the story. On the second even a member of the Daily Kos was forced to admit, and provides the relevant tape, that shows clearly that the word shouted was "redistributor". Below I also include a video of McCain supporters, including Muslims, at a rally telling off a kook who was trying to hand out stickers that implied that Obama was a secret Muslim and consequently that being a Muslim was a something shameful.

This contrasts with the recent news that a 53 year old Obama supporter hospitalized a 75 year old McCain fan. The older gentleman was displaying a Pro McCain sign and was shoved into a fire hydrant for his efforts. The photograph at the beginning of this post is one found in a Halloween display in California, showing a Palin like mannequin in a noose.

This is not to say that their are not extremists on both sides of the election, only to point out that we shouldn't be so quick to take the first reports of Republican intolerance as fact or believe that the unhinged exist only on one side of the aisle. Elections, as Tocqueville noted, are apt to stir Americans into a feverish state,  which, luckily, soon afterwords disipates.

"'Long before the appointed moment arrives, the election becomes the greatest and so to speak sole business preoccupying minds. The factions at that time redouble their ardor; in that moment all the factitious passion that the imagination can create in a happy and tranquil country become agitated in broad daylight. . . . The entire nation falls into a feverish state; the election is then the daily text of the public papers, the subject of particular conversations, the goal of all reasoning, the object of all thoughts, the sole interest of the present.'

"And then? 'As soon as fortune has pronounced . . . this ardor is dissipated, everything becomes calm, and the river, one moment overflowed, returns peacefully to its bed.'"

Mornings, and the Smell of Naplam

As the election approaches, it seems clear that the Bush doctrine, whatever that is, is dead. The thought that either of the next two candidates could consider military preemption or unilateral action on the scale of Iraq and Afghanistan and hope to have any support in Congress seems very unlikely. With that in mind, it got me thinking about what sort of regimes America and the west should tolerate in the world,and which, if any, we should actively seek to change, and what force, if any, we could, or should, employ to achieve those ends. this reminded me of an essay which got the attention of President Reagan and ultimately got the writer, Melanie Kirkpatrick, appointed ambassador to the UN. In it she argues that it is preferable to support conservative autocrats rather than revolutionary ones, because the revolutionary ones are generally more damaging then the regimes they replace. Of course some would argue with that thesis, and with good reason. The point is that while we would prefer every country to have a stable democracy, such forms of government are notoriously difficult to impose, create or sustain. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, "the price of democracy is eternal vigilance". If we agree then that we must tolerate some countries whose democratic standards, and whose records, are less rigid then our own, as is the de facto case at present, then when does a country reach a level of malfeasance that it becomes either duty or good sense to intervene? Strategically many find the idea of a nuclear armed Iran unacceptable. America will not get UN approval to destroy Iran's nuclear program, in light of President Ahmadinejad comments about wiping Israel off the map do we have a duty to ourselves and the world to prevent that country from gaining access to nuclear weapons or at least look the other way if Israel makes an attempt? On the humanitarian side, all things being equal the Chinese will continue to block any meaningful action in Darfur. When does the situation become so dire there, if it hasn't already, that the United States or other countries are justified in taking unilateral action? Or, if the great powers lack the will, as it seems is the case , to do anything about Darfur, an idea has been bandied about over the years, a targeted mercenary force could be sent to the country and either train the African Union forces or act as the pointy tip of the spear in moving against the militias. Recently Mr. Prince of Blackwater has offered his services at cost to deal with the problem.

Aid workers and villagers would be equipped with satellite telephones that include Global Positioning Systems. When they call in, the troops would respond.

"I'm so sick of hearing that nothing can be done," he says. "The Janjaweed is a truly unfettered bully. No one has stood up to them. If they were met by a mobile quick reaction force of African Union soldiers, the Janjaweed would quickly learn their habits were not sustainable." And to ensure accountability, he says, the U.S. could send 25 military officers to observe how Blackwater is doing and serve as liaisons.

Of course Darfur isnt the place where chaos or oppression has caused the most deaths. For that we would have to go to the literal "Heart of Darkness", the Congo where, "3.9 million people had died since 1998, arguably making DR Congo the world’s deadliest crisis since World War II". The country is held in an increasingly fragile quasi ceasefire by a few thousand UN troops.

There is just one reason this war keeps going: Congo is one of the best-endowed countries in the world, with rich reserves of gold, cobalt, zinc, uranium, copper, and yes, oil. The former Belgian colonizers, the current Congolese government, the Rwandan government, the Ugandan government, and all the rebel groups that each party supports are funded and motivated by that wealth.

It seems that absent some stabilizing force in the Congo that these atrocities will continue as long as there is natural wealth to draw those whose interest in plunder far outweighs any thoughts of humanity. Unfortunately there are no shortage of such people in Africa or abroad. The question then for both candidates and citizens is when should the United States intervene in other countries and does it need the justification of the United Nations to do so? And if one's country can not or will not come to the aid of a tortured people does a citizen's obligation consist of simply attempting to convince its government to do otherwise or is there something more that is needed?

This also returns us to essay noted in the beginning of my post. When is it better to support an undemocratic government if it prevents the country from reverting to chaos? When, if ever, is it preferable to encourage an enlightened strongman (or woman) to take control of a failed state rather then let slaughter and malnutrition continue? Of course those who might consider another White Raj for the Congo would do well to remember that it was another mad European, King Leopold of Belgium, whose personal administration of the country at the turn of the century formed a basis for Conrad's novel and set a standard for amorality that even the current warlords might struggle to match. Have the West's previous interventions in this and other parts of the world simply created more reasons for us to return? If that is the case then what is our obligation, should we simply abandon these countries to their fate?

Ayers and Obama: CNN Reports, You Decide

New Dangers in Speaking Truth to Power

Imagine you are sitting at home minding your own business. There is a knock at the door, a presidential candidate is there, asking for your vote. In return for this privilege you ask him a question that reveals, to many in the country, a new perspective on his candidacy. For this you are subject to myriad of investigations,insults, your livelihood is threatened,and your dreams are belittled. This is the story of Joe Wurzelbacher, a regular citizen whose attentive questioning brought into question the nature of Senator Obama's tax plan.



No he doesn't yet make 250,000 dollars, he hopes too. No he doesn't have a plumbing license, he does residential work so he doesn't need one. Yes has a tax lien, but so does Obama's treasurer, a fact which has never been trumpeted with such vigor by the media as all of the little pecadillos of poor Mr.Wurzelbacher, an ordinary citizen whose only crime was to question Orthodox political thought. Here is a man who hopes to work hard, save, and achieve, slandered.

p.s. the idea that McCain's campaign needs to vet people who ask Obama tough but illuminating questions strikes me as a trifle absurd.

Also, Another American paying the price for his Heterodoxy.



Update, Quotes from the Plumber in Question:

"Hopefully they'll have me to thank for it as far as telling people to get out and find their own answers," Mr. Wurzelbacher said. "That's where I hope they go with it."

"It actually upsets me," Mr. Wurzelbacher said. "I am a plumber, and just a plumber, and here Barack Obama or John McCain, I mean these guys are going to deal with some serious issues coming up shortly. The media's worried about whether I paid my taxes, they're worried about any number of silly things that have nothing to do with America. They really don't. I asked a question. When you can't ask a question to your leaders anymore, that gets scary. That bothers me."

Notes from the Debate: Facts on Colombian Free Trade

Congress, oh mighty home of the ineffectual part two, Colombian Lobbyists have put the full court press on Congress to approve a free trade agreement that would eliminate tariffs and normalize trade relations between that Andean Republic and ourselves. Businesses here look to benefit far more than their Colombian brethren as our tariffs on Colombian exports are significantly lower then Colombian’s tariffs on our exports. Congress seems to oppose the deal on human rights grounds, which would at least be a legitimate base for discussion except we are supplying the country with billions of dollars of munitions, financial aid, and we have special forces in country training their soldiers. This is akin to Congress and Senator Obama saying, “here’s large pistol and a box of explosives, Let me show you how to use them. But, no, we don’t trust you to sell us guava juice. “ If the Colombian regime is so egregious that it would be criminal to trade with them then it seems beyond belief that we should be arming them. If instead, as our strongest ally in South America and a country which has made great strides in ending its own civil war with our aid, we deny them a trading deal they want that would in the short term benefit our producers more then theirs, well, it seems a gross inconsistency bordering on madness. Oh, and naturally they have exportable oil. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friendly country close by with oil to sell now that Chavez is drifting into cloud coocoo land? Oh well… perhaps just another example of Senator Obama’s habit of voting present when the tough issues come up.

Warm Up for the Last Debate: Thoughts from the First

Thoughts from the first debate or
"Between the idea and the reality ...lies the shadow. " - T.S. Elliot

Just around the point when Obama was fumbling with that mystic talisman that would seemingly prove his righteousness in demanding his form of peace, the bracelet of sergeant Jopek, the Senator from Illinois said "No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they’re carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they’ve provided." It was an odd turn of phrase, perhaps the fault of a man unused to speaking in terms appropriate to military service, but did the Senator mean to suggest that the value of our soldier’s sacrifices was proportional to their fealty to the orders of their ultimate commander? That sort of sentiment seems more at home in an autocracy, where, as a representative of the will of the people or as a reflection of personal over institutional loyalty, soldiers swear their allegiance to their leader rather then to their homeland. American soldiers fight for "their country", for “the republic”, for “freedom”, or more simply, for the "folks back home" or "for the man next to them." They do not fight for the whim, or desires, of their leader, not as the legions fought for Caesar, and not even as the British fight for their Queen. Ours is a republic, our soldiers fight, or are said to fight, for the maintenance of our democratic institutions and our freedom. And the "we" used in the second sentence, does Senator Obama presume to speak as the embodiment of the nation, in the monarchicial plural, as a prince would?
Now, I would have left these phrases alone (one doesn't like to parse, and it should be said that the words of any man can be taken out of context) if they didn't speak to the duality of the Obama phenomenon. On the one hand we have Obama the avatar of change, the light worker, the capsule of hope for a nation that yearns to end division, to bring about righteous change and to be loved, again, among the countries; On the other their is the man, of flesh and blood; the enigma, the sphinx, a community organizer who accomplished nothing, a lecturer who never wrote, and a Senator who never voted. His plans are ever shifting, ephemeral; does anyone soberly imagine that he can bring his health care through? Some of his plans are at best at best cheap bribes, 500 dollars to each taxpayer. But then there is that awesome pride, the fake presidential seal, the acceptance among roman columns looming out over 60,000 eager acolytes, and the already placed transition team. "We are the change we have been waiting for" meaningless, except if "he" is that change. One of the great dangers democracies have always faced is that of the demagogue, whose paltry record, clear voice and deep charisma lacerate the people into believing that they are electing more then simply a politician.
Remember, you may vote for the dream on November 4th but it will be the man who takes office on January 20th.

To Follow Shortly: More sober reflections on the third debate. The second one need not be spoken of.

Personality Cult?

In what would seem more at home in totalitarian states of past and present, "Sing for Change" presents a medley of Obama songs sung by earnest uniformed youths. Until recently the videos were noted on the Senator's website, but it appears that they are on their way down the memory hole. Also, anyone who questions the pro Obama bias the mainstream media has should note the involvement of NBC president Jeff Zucker. The second video is a portion of a somewhat similar slightly creeper "Dear Leader" Birthday song.

Fake News and Former Prime Ministers

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair explains his support for the war in Iraq and his relationship with President Bush on the Daily Show. Equal parts satire and substance, The Daily Show under John Stewart is a unique television animal, especially considering it's purportedly the place where most college age voters get their news.

Oil Drilling and Ignorance

The House of Representatives, in what seems to represent the present, and many previous, congresses’ quest to prove the unique unobservant nature of the American voter; and in their general desire to confuse the appearance of action with the weight of decision, voted on a oil drilling bill today. It would allow drilling 50 miles off the coast and make states the licensing agency for drilling in their areas while taking away any royalties that the state might receive from the oil found. Naturally the great majority of proven reserves, in California 95%,  are less then 50 miles off the coast and equally unsurprising is that a state would have far less interest in licensing something that is to receive far less revenue from. The bill also includes various stipulations, which, regardless of ecological design or earth friendly intention, seem likely to raise the cost of energy for the average consumer with dubious gains to the environment as a whole. Perhaps if Congress returned to its far more frequent and benign activity of naming schools, stadiums and rest stops after its members instead of engaging in these baffling attempts at serious legislation we would be far better off. Of course maybe we shouldn't be so hard on them, as Micheal Moore illuminated in his movie Fahrenheit 9/11, they don't read most of the bills they pass. 

Two Articles on Wall Street

Here are links to two articles about finance and Wall Street from the past few days that may prove useful in considering who to pick for the coming election. The first, an editorial in the Investors Business Daily, has an interesting take on how troubles began in the mortgage market, with a particular look at Freddie and Fannie. The second, from the Wall Street Journal, reminds us that for things to get better market wise, they must be allowed to get worse. Both to some degree or another remind me of Reagan's quote: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

Update: The government steps in to take over AIG and an answer to the question, why haven't hedge funds suffered to the same extent?

News from Iraq

There is an article in the New York Post this morning suggesting that Obama, while visiting Iraq, tried to get both members of the Iraq government and high ranking officers of our army to delay the removal of U.S. troops until after the U.S. election.

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

"However, as an Iraqi, I prefer to have a security agreement that regulates the activities of foreign troops, rather than keeping the matter open." Zebari says.

Though Obama claims the US presence is "illegal," he suddenly remembered that Americans troops were in Iraq within the legal framework of a UN mandate. His advice was that, rather than reach an accord with the "weakened Bush administration," Iraq should seek an extension of the UN mandate.

While in Iraq, Obama also tried to persuade the US commanders, including Gen. David Petraeus, to suggest a "realistic withdrawal date." They declined.


Obama has made many contradictory statements with regard to Iraq. His latest position is that US combat troops should be out by 2010. Yet his effort to delay an agreement would make that withdrawal deadline impossible to meet.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09152008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/obama_tried_to_stall_gis_iraq_withdrawal_129150.htm?&page=0

Even with the greatest of allowances, its difficult to come away from this story with a favorable feeling towards Obama. If true, the best that can be said is that in contrary to his stated goal of returning U.S. Forces in Iraq to America as soon as possible, he intends keep them there for some indeterminate purpose, but this narrative would have Obama as more gung-ho then both the American military and the Iraq government. A far more sinister, though it would seem more likely, desire would be to delay any good news from the Iraq until after it can be of no use in the presidential campaign, even at the cost of leaving American soldiers in the Middle East for longer then is needed. One hopes that the senator isn't so callous.

One of those officers who the article states was encouraged to delay withdrawals was General Petraeus, who leaves his post as Commander of Multi-National Forces to head up Central Command. The surge of troops and accompanying change in tactics that occurred on his watch seem likely to be much discussed in the coming years for the breadth of their achievement. He took Iraq from increasing violence and the threat of a dishonored retreat proceeding a drawn out genocide to an apparently increasingly stable country far better placed to continue along on the virtuous circle towards good government and prosperity, all this in less then two years. His farewell letter can be read at the link below:

http://miserabledonuts.blogspot.com/2008/09/gen-petreaus-farewell-letter.html