1.) "When you have made evil the means of survival, do not expect men to remain good. Do not expect them to stay moral and lose their lives for the purpose of becoming the fodder of the immoral. Do not expect them to produce, when production is punished and looting rewarded. Do not ask, 'Who is destroying the world?' You are." - Ayn Rand
The only Ayn Rand quote that sounds agreeable to me. And that is mostly because I haven't read any of her work. I just haven't had the time.
2.) "There's a reason you separate the military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people." - Commander William Adama, Battlestar Galactica
And this quote was made in one of the early episodes of the reboot series, circa 2004. That was years before the disturbing trend of police departments across America becoming increasingly more militarized.
3.) "The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools." - Thucydides, author of 'The History of the Peloponnesian War' and the Father of "Scientific History"
Looks like the Greeks had a problem with recruiting too many young dumbasses for military service too... Disturbing...
4.) "The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before
you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in
tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and
daughters." - Genghis Khan
^^^And that is why the Mongols...
A.) Menaced China for centuries
B.) Had an empire stretching from Poland to Korea
C.) Left a genetic legacy so vast that one quarter of ALL Human beings on Earth have Mongol DNA.
Temüjin was NOT to be trifled with, folks. Not at all.
5.) "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant." - John Stuart Mill
Sounds like the sort of thing that Libertarians say nowadays, except it came from a 19th century Philosopher.
6.) "I don't trust society to protect us, I have no intention of placing my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they managed to con a block of people to vote for them." - Don Vito Corleone, in the original novel of The Godfather.
Looks like the Don was a Libertarian before such a thing actually existed...
- Lord Publius
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Why I truly despise the music of Adele
I really, really fucking HATE the music of Adele. I really don't ever want to hear another single song from Adele EVER again, with the theme song she did for the 007 movie Skyfall being the only exception. I can't deny a track from a James Bond flick.
Anyway, I hate that woman's music because I once worked in an Army installation that played her music entirely too damned much. The place played XM on the PA system in the halls. They routinely played either a classical station or a channel called 'The Blend'. The classical music was fine. I can't deny beautiful music that has withstood the centuries without losing its power over the Human soul. The Blend, however, played Adele so much you'd think it was their Crack.
Anyway, during a battalion meeting with the Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major, they asked for suggestions on how to improve the work environment. I suggested that they change the radio station to something else. I remember clearly saying 'Would it kill you to put on some Classic Rock or something that DOESN'T suck?'
My co-workers would bring this up in the future as well, claiming that I also stated that NOT changing the radio station could 'cause someone to 55th themselves.' That was a reference to the 55th Combat Camera company, our sister company in the battalion, which just recently had one of its soldiers commit suicide. Pretty fucked up thing to joke about but, a soldier's humor can get VERY twisted.
I don't remember saying this but, it wouldn't surprise me if I did. It's just the sort of sick twisted shit that I was known for among my friends in the unit. There are no sacred cows when it comes to what I will make jokes about, except child molestation and rape NOT involving a clown on the receiving end (*tee hee*) of the punishment. It was also not the last time I'd express a strong opinion at a unit meeting/training session.
I have to admit that I was chuckling while writing this quick little note, even though there is NOTHING funny about suicide at all. I probably need a LOT more help than anyone knows. Pray for me, children...
- Lord Publius
Anyway, I hate that woman's music because I once worked in an Army installation that played her music entirely too damned much. The place played XM on the PA system in the halls. They routinely played either a classical station or a channel called 'The Blend'. The classical music was fine. I can't deny beautiful music that has withstood the centuries without losing its power over the Human soul. The Blend, however, played Adele so much you'd think it was their Crack.
Anyway, during a battalion meeting with the Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major, they asked for suggestions on how to improve the work environment. I suggested that they change the radio station to something else. I remember clearly saying 'Would it kill you to put on some Classic Rock or something that DOESN'T suck?'
My co-workers would bring this up in the future as well, claiming that I also stated that NOT changing the radio station could 'cause someone to 55th themselves.' That was a reference to the 55th Combat Camera company, our sister company in the battalion, which just recently had one of its soldiers commit suicide. Pretty fucked up thing to joke about but, a soldier's humor can get VERY twisted.
I don't remember saying this but, it wouldn't surprise me if I did. It's just the sort of sick twisted shit that I was known for among my friends in the unit. There are no sacred cows when it comes to what I will make jokes about, except child molestation and rape NOT involving a clown on the receiving end (*tee hee*) of the punishment. It was also not the last time I'd express a strong opinion at a unit meeting/training session.
I have to admit that I was chuckling while writing this quick little note, even though there is NOTHING funny about suicide at all. I probably need a LOT more help than anyone knows. Pray for me, children...
- Lord Publius
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
People Skills 101
All the following were taken from a book called How to win friends and influence people, which I read years ago while I was stationed in Korea. Some of the suggestions listed here were edited for grammar or shortened for simplicity and brevity's sake. I will freely admit that I have struggled with living up to many of these suggestions. I'm often too honest for my own good and have had the misfortune of being surrounded by so many very unpleasant individuals. It's hard to maintain a level of civility and professionalism when you're dealing with so many Sierra Bravos and Blue Falcons.
FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE
- People are not Creatures of Logic, no matter how much you wish they were. (A sad fact that leaves all of us Aspies in eternal dismay...)
- Harsh criticism puts people on the defensive. Be constructive in your remarks.
- Speak ill of no one, speak all the good of everyone possible.
- Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an ‘eager want.’ (i.e. Sell your idea to them, make them want to follow your lead wherever it goes, etc.)
SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile. (Not necessarily impossible for Aspies but, also something we need to consciously focus on when the rest of the world does it without a single thought.)
- Remember that someone's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. (I've got this one down...)
- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
- Sincerely make the other person feel important.
HOW TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING
- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid having the argument. (True.)
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say 'You're wrong.'
- Quickly and emphatically admit it if you're wrong.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Immediately get the other person saying 'yes, yes.'
- Let the other person do a lot of the talking and just listen.
- Let the other person think the idea is theirs.
- Sincerely try to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Dramatize your ideas.
- Throw down the proverbial gauntlet and challenge people to better themselves and excel.
BE A LEADER: HOW TO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT GIVING OFFENSE OR AROUSING RESENTMENT
- A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior.
- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
- Call attention to people's mistakes in an indirect manner.
- Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
- Let the other person save face.
- Praise every improvement, no matter how slight.
- Give the other person a fine reputation to emulate.
- Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
- Make the other person enthusiastic to follow your suggestion. (i.e. Sell the idea to them.)
==================
And there you have it... The methods used by politicians and car salesmen to hoodwink people into doing what they want them to do. :P
- Lord Publius
FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE
- People are not Creatures of Logic, no matter how much you wish they were. (A sad fact that leaves all of us Aspies in eternal dismay...)
- Harsh criticism puts people on the defensive. Be constructive in your remarks.
- Speak ill of no one, speak all the good of everyone possible.
- Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an ‘eager want.’ (i.e. Sell your idea to them, make them want to follow your lead wherever it goes, etc.)
SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile. (Not necessarily impossible for Aspies but, also something we need to consciously focus on when the rest of the world does it without a single thought.)
- Remember that someone's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. (I've got this one down...)
- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
- Sincerely make the other person feel important.
HOW TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING
- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid having the argument. (True.)
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say 'You're wrong.'
- Quickly and emphatically admit it if you're wrong.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Immediately get the other person saying 'yes, yes.'
- Let the other person do a lot of the talking and just listen.
- Let the other person think the idea is theirs.
- Sincerely try to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Dramatize your ideas.
- Throw down the proverbial gauntlet and challenge people to better themselves and excel.
BE A LEADER: HOW TO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT GIVING OFFENSE OR AROUSING RESENTMENT
- A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior.
- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
- Call attention to people's mistakes in an indirect manner.
- Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
- Let the other person save face.
- Praise every improvement, no matter how slight.
- Give the other person a fine reputation to emulate.
- Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
- Make the other person enthusiastic to follow your suggestion. (i.e. Sell the idea to them.)
==================
And there you have it... The methods used by politicians and car salesmen to hoodwink people into doing what they want them to do. :P
- Lord Publius
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Porn Star Eufrat Mai visits Fleshlight factory in Spain
Now, here's something you don't see everyday...
And no, I would never buy one of those things. I prefer an actual woman.
- Lord Publius
And no, I would never buy one of those things. I prefer an actual woman.
- Lord Publius
Monday, March 2, 2015
On the passing of Mr. Leonard Nimoy...
There's nothing I can really say that hasn't already been said since Friday. I have been quiet about it here on this blog (but certainly not on my personal Facebook page) because I just haven't been able to function. However, Admiral Kirk already said it best in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan...
We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... Human.
It seems oddly fitting that the eulogy for the character in that movie also works for the actor as well. The world is certainly a much better place for having him here for nearly 84 years. Not only because of his own good works but also in what he inspired in so many others.
It's also interesting to note that the funeral scene in Wrath of Khan was not part of the original story. When Paramount did a screen test with people they pulled off the street, people were literally crying like babies when they saw Spock die. So, in a panic, they added the funeral scene and Spock doing the famous opening monologue from the original series just before the credits rolled. It was meant to give the audience some solace and closure. And now that the actor behind the character has actually passed away, everyone went back to that scene looking for comfort. Looks like the studio's plan to soften the blow actually worked... to a certain extent.
There have still been many tears shed at the news since I first heard on Friday. I found it difficult to function. All of my plans for the weekend were cancelled. I haven't been able to find much solace in anything, either. Life will go on but, it will never really be the same. It feels like a beloved teacher or grandfather just passed away... And I don't know how to process those feelings since I'm one of those rare Humans that is neurologically wired to think and act more like a Vulcan...
RIP, Mr. Spock. Logical or not, you will be greatly missed.
- Lord Publius
We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... Human.
It seems oddly fitting that the eulogy for the character in that movie also works for the actor as well. The world is certainly a much better place for having him here for nearly 84 years. Not only because of his own good works but also in what he inspired in so many others.
It's also interesting to note that the funeral scene in Wrath of Khan was not part of the original story. When Paramount did a screen test with people they pulled off the street, people were literally crying like babies when they saw Spock die. So, in a panic, they added the funeral scene and Spock doing the famous opening monologue from the original series just before the credits rolled. It was meant to give the audience some solace and closure. And now that the actor behind the character has actually passed away, everyone went back to that scene looking for comfort. Looks like the studio's plan to soften the blow actually worked... to a certain extent.
There have still been many tears shed at the news since I first heard on Friday. I found it difficult to function. All of my plans for the weekend were cancelled. I haven't been able to find much solace in anything, either. Life will go on but, it will never really be the same. It feels like a beloved teacher or grandfather just passed away... And I don't know how to process those feelings since I'm one of those rare Humans that is neurologically wired to think and act more like a Vulcan...
RIP, Mr. Spock. Logical or not, you will be greatly missed.
- Lord Publius
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Geekin' out on a meme pic that is WRONG
While reading a Cracked article, I saw a Star Trek pic that was just all kinds of wrong...
This photo is inaccurate. Losing 39 ships in battle against the Borg at Wolf 359 did NOT leave Starfleet without enough ships to defend the Federation. Starfleet just had so many ships spread out across the galaxy that 39 was all they could muster on such short notice.
Also, they probably built more than a few hundred ships between the Borg Incursion of 2366-67 and the Dominion War in the 2370's. If you remember the battle this pic refers to from the DS9 episode 'Sacrifice of Angels', you might remember Sisko referring to 'Galaxy wings 91 and 93.' That means there's at least 93 wings of Starfleet ships being led by a HUGE Galaxy class starship in the fleet at that time.
Considering that, I'd say that Starfleet put themselves on a war-time footing with ship building after the Borg incident in 2366-67. How else would they have so many ships already in service at the start of the Dominion War? And they must have really ramped up production on Galaxy class ships, too. When the Enterprise NCC-1701-D was launched in 2363, there were only going to be 6 of that class in service. It was so powerful that Starfleet decided they only needed that many. And then, the Romulans came out of decades-long seclusion... The Klingons started getting antsy... The Borg show up... And the list just goes on from there.
And how did Starfleet build so many in only a few years? Well, you have a nation-state that spreads out over 8,000 light years of space with trillions of citizens and they're a Type-2 civilization on the Kardashev scale. Quickly building enough ships to defend the Alpha Quadrant from would-be aggressors would not be an insurmountable task to them. It would probably be analogous to the United States ramping up production of war materials during the War on Terror: VERY costly but, also quite doable.
- Lord Publius
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Vladimir Putin is NOT an Aspie. Period.
I read an article on USA Today this morning, describing various research papers written by civilian contractors for the DoD. The papers claimed that Vladimir Putin must have Asperger's Syndrome. This conclusion was based on the way he walked/talked and his tendency to be VERY methodical in making his decisions. Okay...
Or, maybe, he's just being careful. He may very well be, (like most politicians) quite EVIL but, he's no fool. He realizes that he has a lot of responsibility that comes with his power. You can't act too rashly when you have one of the largest nuclear stockpiles on Earth. (And especially not when your country lost track of so many of those nukes after the fall of Communism in 1991.)
Also, I doubt any of you in the Pentagon or the Beltway really understand the Russian mindset. They have a deeply ingrained paranoia about the West. They are always worried that we will attack them, even though that is pretty unlikely to ever occur. They are so paranoid, often militaristic and quite defiant against us as a defense mechanism, both psychological and political. The reason why is because they once signed a non-aggresion pact with a European country you may have heard of called 'Nazi Germany' and then were attacked by that country. They got thrown into an incredibly bloody, years-long war they weren't prepared for because a western country (or, one more geographically Western than they were) stabbed them in the back.
From when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa in 1941 until Germany's surrender in 1945, they fought a terribly destructive conflict, largely on their own soil, and lost twenty million people. They haven't trusted the West since. I think they are being too paranoid for their own good but, I can't say that I blame them, either. If your country suffered that kind of misfortune, wouldn't you be really paranoid about anyone that might be coming from that same direction? No wonder they drink so much Vodka... And why Putin is hellbent on 'protecting ethnic Russians wherever they may be'... And annexing parts of Ukraine to create a buffer zone... And (supposedly) trying to rebuild the old Soviet Empire...
Uncle Sam, you wasted your money. He's not an Aspie.
He's far too athletic to be one of us. He's also a lot more comfortable expressing emotion in public than a real Aspie would. Have you never seen him give a speech or address the Russian equivalent of Congress? I sincerely doubt this twisted individual is anywhere near 'the spectrum', let alone an Aspie. PLEASE, for the love of Christ, DON'T lump me into the same proverbial boat as this guy. It would be so humiliating to be considered in the same league as a politician.
Also, if you want to understand the man, talk to him. World peace does not come from the barrel of a gun. It comes from people talking to one another and working out your issues in a civil way.
I don't expect him to ever like us, nor do I expect Washington to fall in love with him. All I would like is for the political bullshit to stop. Neither side should be using their soldiers like pawns on a chessboard, positioning them here or there. We already played that dangerous game for more than 40 years in the last century. Fortunately, no one freaked out and fired that first shot. The Human race does NOT need to put itself through something like that again.
Take it from someone who would know. Putin is crazy alright but, not like you think. He's more 'crazy like a fox' than he is 'crazy because of his neurological wiring', Washington. He's pretending to be nuts so you will be wary of attacking him. I've used the exact same trick many times in many ways and in many situations all across the world. He plays that mind game because he knows it works on Europeans. I'm not sure if he realizes that it wouldn't work with Americans, though.
If anyone is the Aspie here, it's got to be us. America has a tendency to take anything that foreign leaders say as Gospel truth, even when it should be obvious that it's all a bluff. We assume the world is more dangerous than it really is and act accordingly, which is why we have such a huge military and put it to regular use. Remember all the shit that Saddam Hussein used to say? 'Mother of all wars', and all? He was talking smack but, we thought he was serious. As a result, we not only kicked his ass in the Persian Gulf War, we went out of our way to dismantle his military apparatus too. The media tried to play up that war as being the potential start to World War Three but, it was all over in six weeks. After that, the whole world looked at America in a whole new way. We weren't just a country that emerged from World War Two as a victorious Super Power. We were a nation that was so good at fighting wars that it was fucking scary. We had planes invisible to radar, bombs that went straight through your windows, a dozen aircraft carriers (everyone else with carriers in their navy usually has just 1-3) and enough nukes to vaporize Jupiter. Even our allies were a little nervous. Forget cars, computers, jetliners, finance and/or unparalleled agricultural output. As far as the world could tell, Death and Destruction were America's true business!
Seeing that 'Highway of Death' on TV as a 9 year-old child was rather 'interesting', to say the least. Some say the scenes of carnage from that road to Basra is the reason why Bush the Elder stopped that war the very next day. Not only was it horrific, it was also obvious that we had neutralized the Iraqi threat. Saddam had the fourth largest military on Earth, and we tore him to pieces while making it look much easier than it really was too. I can certainly see why so many countries are afraid of American military might and would want to 'act tough' with us. Seeing the U.S. military in action is a lot like seeing the wrath of God. You're never quite the same man you were after seeing that kind of work. The Reaper also certainly looks on with glee whenever we do go to work. I just wish that we weren't so damned eager to jump into virtually any fight we can find, thinking we'll spread freedom with bombing campaigns and invasions. War can remove despotic regimes but, it doesn't create Peace and Liberty. That's a job for genuine diplomacy and free trade. And I also wish that other countries would learn from History and not do anything to antagonize us or talk any shit. As History clearly shows, we can't really tell the difference.
Washington, for the sake of Peace and Freedom in the world, all I ask from you is that you sit down and talk with him. And I don't mean sending that snotty Masshole John Kerry to speak with him at some summit. Sit down with him man-to-man and ask him what he thinks and feels. Get to know him. Establish a genuine working relationship with him. Who knows, he may be more reasonable than you think. Hopefully, the elected leadership in the District of Columbia will also be more reasonable than anyone else thinks too. And I sure hope that I am not hoping for too much...
- Lord Publius
Or, maybe, he's just being careful. He may very well be, (like most politicians) quite EVIL but, he's no fool. He realizes that he has a lot of responsibility that comes with his power. You can't act too rashly when you have one of the largest nuclear stockpiles on Earth. (And especially not when your country lost track of so many of those nukes after the fall of Communism in 1991.)
Also, I doubt any of you in the Pentagon or the Beltway really understand the Russian mindset. They have a deeply ingrained paranoia about the West. They are always worried that we will attack them, even though that is pretty unlikely to ever occur. They are so paranoid, often militaristic and quite defiant against us as a defense mechanism, both psychological and political. The reason why is because they once signed a non-aggresion pact with a European country you may have heard of called 'Nazi Germany' and then were attacked by that country. They got thrown into an incredibly bloody, years-long war they weren't prepared for because a western country (or, one more geographically Western than they were) stabbed them in the back.
From when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa in 1941 until Germany's surrender in 1945, they fought a terribly destructive conflict, largely on their own soil, and lost twenty million people. They haven't trusted the West since. I think they are being too paranoid for their own good but, I can't say that I blame them, either. If your country suffered that kind of misfortune, wouldn't you be really paranoid about anyone that might be coming from that same direction? No wonder they drink so much Vodka... And why Putin is hellbent on 'protecting ethnic Russians wherever they may be'... And annexing parts of Ukraine to create a buffer zone... And (supposedly) trying to rebuild the old Soviet Empire...
Uncle Sam, you wasted your money. He's not an Aspie.
He's far too athletic to be one of us. He's also a lot more comfortable expressing emotion in public than a real Aspie would. Have you never seen him give a speech or address the Russian equivalent of Congress? I sincerely doubt this twisted individual is anywhere near 'the spectrum', let alone an Aspie. PLEASE, for the love of Christ, DON'T lump me into the same proverbial boat as this guy. It would be so humiliating to be considered in the same league as a politician.
Also, if you want to understand the man, talk to him. World peace does not come from the barrel of a gun. It comes from people talking to one another and working out your issues in a civil way.
I don't expect him to ever like us, nor do I expect Washington to fall in love with him. All I would like is for the political bullshit to stop. Neither side should be using their soldiers like pawns on a chessboard, positioning them here or there. We already played that dangerous game for more than 40 years in the last century. Fortunately, no one freaked out and fired that first shot. The Human race does NOT need to put itself through something like that again.
Take it from someone who would know. Putin is crazy alright but, not like you think. He's more 'crazy like a fox' than he is 'crazy because of his neurological wiring', Washington. He's pretending to be nuts so you will be wary of attacking him. I've used the exact same trick many times in many ways and in many situations all across the world. He plays that mind game because he knows it works on Europeans. I'm not sure if he realizes that it wouldn't work with Americans, though.
If anyone is the Aspie here, it's got to be us. America has a tendency to take anything that foreign leaders say as Gospel truth, even when it should be obvious that it's all a bluff. We assume the world is more dangerous than it really is and act accordingly, which is why we have such a huge military and put it to regular use. Remember all the shit that Saddam Hussein used to say? 'Mother of all wars', and all? He was talking smack but, we thought he was serious. As a result, we not only kicked his ass in the Persian Gulf War, we went out of our way to dismantle his military apparatus too. The media tried to play up that war as being the potential start to World War Three but, it was all over in six weeks. After that, the whole world looked at America in a whole new way. We weren't just a country that emerged from World War Two as a victorious Super Power. We were a nation that was so good at fighting wars that it was fucking scary. We had planes invisible to radar, bombs that went straight through your windows, a dozen aircraft carriers (everyone else with carriers in their navy usually has just 1-3) and enough nukes to vaporize Jupiter. Even our allies were a little nervous. Forget cars, computers, jetliners, finance and/or unparalleled agricultural output. As far as the world could tell, Death and Destruction were America's true business!
Seeing that 'Highway of Death' on TV as a 9 year-old child was rather 'interesting', to say the least. Some say the scenes of carnage from that road to Basra is the reason why Bush the Elder stopped that war the very next day. Not only was it horrific, it was also obvious that we had neutralized the Iraqi threat. Saddam had the fourth largest military on Earth, and we tore him to pieces while making it look much easier than it really was too. I can certainly see why so many countries are afraid of American military might and would want to 'act tough' with us. Seeing the U.S. military in action is a lot like seeing the wrath of God. You're never quite the same man you were after seeing that kind of work. The Reaper also certainly looks on with glee whenever we do go to work. I just wish that we weren't so damned eager to jump into virtually any fight we can find, thinking we'll spread freedom with bombing campaigns and invasions. War can remove despotic regimes but, it doesn't create Peace and Liberty. That's a job for genuine diplomacy and free trade. And I also wish that other countries would learn from History and not do anything to antagonize us or talk any shit. As History clearly shows, we can't really tell the difference.
Washington, for the sake of Peace and Freedom in the world, all I ask from you is that you sit down and talk with him. And I don't mean sending that snotty Masshole John Kerry to speak with him at some summit. Sit down with him man-to-man and ask him what he thinks and feels. Get to know him. Establish a genuine working relationship with him. Who knows, he may be more reasonable than you think. Hopefully, the elected leadership in the District of Columbia will also be more reasonable than anyone else thinks too. And I sure hope that I am not hoping for too much...
- Lord Publius
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