Posts Tagged ‘datechguy's magnificent seven’

The U.S. and the Middle East: A record of failure

Posted: April 16, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

As the U.S. government muddles its way through the current crisis in Israel, I am reminded how American involvement in Middle East affairs usually turns out badly for almost everyone involved.

Here’s a quick review of past mistakes:

–In 1953, the CIA helped launch the overthrow of duly elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and helped return the shah to power. Ultimately, the coup fueled religious discontent and led to the rule of mullahs in Teheran.

–In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower launched a plan of economic and military aid to the Middle East. Lebanon was the only country to embrace the doctrine, which eventually led the U.S. Navy to send ships and troops to Beirut when the pro-Western regime was threatened. The Lebanese president, Camille Chamoun, was a Christian, and his critics were Muslims. The Christian-Muslim divide eventually broke out into a civil war in the 1970s, which continued for nearly two decades, with the United States seen as supporting the Christians over the Muslims.

–In 1982, the United States sent ‘peacekeeping forces” to Beirut after Israel invaded Lebanon. Again, the United States did not appear as a neutral play, leading Muslim extremists to launch attacks against American Marines, leaving more than 200 soldiers dead in 1983.

–In 1978-9, the Carter Administration helped create the Camp David Accords, intended to bring peace between Egypt and Israel. Ultimately, Egypt became isolated in the Arab world, leading to deeper divisions in the Middle East.

–In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the U.S. government launched several ill-advised policies. First, the United States provided weapons to Islamic groups fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Eventually, these groups fought U.S. troops after the 2001 attacks. Second, the United States asked Egypt to supply weapons to Iraqi troops fighting Iran in the 1980s. That program encouraged Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who sent his troops to Kuwait in 1990. After that, the administration launched Operation Desert Storm to drive out the Iraqi military.

–More recently, the U.S. military invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, leading to more chaos and anti-American sentiment throughout the Middle East.

All told, the United States has an abysmal record in bringing stability to the region. So far, the Biden administration has vacillated between support for Israel and concern for the Palestinians in Gaza.

Given the U.S. government’s history of mistakes, I think we are unlikely to help resolve the current crisis.

Style vs Substance in the Navy

Posted: April 13, 2024 by navygrade36bureaucrat in Blame Biden Administration
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When I reported to my first submarine, the torpedo division was responsible for the maintenance of all the small arms onboard. Despite having grown up in a hunting and shooting family, they took me to the range to show me how to shoot both pistols and shotguns in their style, since they needed small arms qualified people to stand watch. A few years later on shore detail, a group of us would regularly visit the nearby rifle range on “Warrior Wednesday” to keep our shooting skills sharp.

Since then it’s become harder and harder to find ranges where you can practice shooting, and there is less “gun culture” in the military now then even 5 to 10 years ago. That’s why this headline didn’t surprise me one bit:

My torpedomen would have never let me do this, at least not without cracking a joke at my expense. There’s even a rumor that the shell casings are photoshopped in, although at a minimum the scope and handguard are mounted incorrectly, plus he’s holding the weapon really high, like uncomfortably high, in his shoulder. Plus, why is there a hand on his shoulder? I don’t normally touch people that are firing automatic weapons.

Sadly, here’s the bigger problem: he’s probably my age. The folks like me that grew up with guns, love our country and care about being technically competent at their jobs have been run out of the Navy, replaced by those that care about climbing a corporate ladder and looking good. This picture captures this beautifully. We see a Navy DDG Commanding Officer, someone who should be technically savvy and have our respect, firing a weapon in what should be an awesome picture, but the minute we look deeper we see someone who has no clue about weapons posing for a cool photo, likely to move on to something else a few seconds later. Those that can do are replaced by those that look good doing and toe the party line.

The next time the DoD cries about money, remember this and start demanding that our Admirals get replaced by real warfighters.

This post represents the views of the author and not those of the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, or any other government agency.

President Trump’s Abortion Statement was strategically sound and constitutionally correct

Posted: April 11, 2024 by Jon Fournier in Uncategorized
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I firmly believe that abortion is murder.  No one has a right to commit murder therefore there can be no right to an abortion.   For the past 50 years we have witnessed the most heinous genocide ever perpetrated, the slaughter of hundreds of millions of unborn children worldwide. 

Because abortion is murder it should never have been legalized here in the United States.  Roe v Wade was a particularly monstrous decision because it overturned abortion bans that 46 states had enacted.  This I learned from Google.

Prior to Roe v. Wade, 30 states prohibited abortion without exception, 16 states banned abortion except in certain special circumstances (e.g. rape, incest, and health threat to mother), 3 states allowed residents to obtain abortions, and New York allowed abortions generally.

Roe v. Wade was profoundly unconstitutional because the Constitution did not grant any branch of the federal government the authority to overturn state abortion bans.

Thanks to the Marxists who call themselves Progressives, abortion has polarized the United States like no other issues.  This past Monday President Trump issued a major policy statement on this most thorny issue: Read Trump abortion statement | The Hill

Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights, especially since I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v. Wade. They wanted it ended.

“It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. The concept of having an abortion in the later months, and even execution after birth — and that’s exactly what it is. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth — is unacceptable, and almost everyone agrees with that.”

Pointing out just how radical the Democrats’ position on abortion is was a strategically sound decision by President Trump.

“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be.”

“At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or your faith. Do what’s right for your family and do what’s right for yourself, do what’s for your children, do what’s right for our country, and vote. So important to vote.”

At the end of the day it’s all about will of the people. That’s where we are right now, and that’s what we want. The will of the people.”

I believe taking the middle ground was a strategically wise decision by President Trump.  Taking a hard line on this issue would have been a major turn off for moderates and would have energized the left.

“Like Ronald Reagan, I am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.”

“You must follow your heart on this issue, but remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and in fact to have our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline. Our nation needs help. It needs unity, it needs all of us to work closely together. Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, everyone. We have to work together. We have to bring our nation back from the brink, and that’s where it is. It’s at the brink. And we will. We will do it. I promise you, we will do it.”

“Always go by your heart, but we must win. We have to win. We are a failing nation, but we can be a failing nation no longer. We will make our nation great. We will make our nation greater than ever before. Thank you very much.”

Taking a hard line on abortion would have made it easier for the Democrats to steal another election because it would have shifted a significant number of votes to Biden.

President Trump is Constitutionally correct when he stated that abortion is an issue that must be left in the hands of the states.  The Constitution does not grant federal government the authority to define or punish the crime of murder.

The reviews of President Trump’s abortion speech were mixed. Check out these two articles:

Trump nailed it with his statement today about abortion – American Thinker

Today, Donald Trump issued his statement on abortion, disavowing federal involvement. It was both a correct decision and a politically smart one. Democrats have always used abortion to bring voters into its fold. Now, it cannot do that anymore.

Everything Wrong With Trump’s 2024 Abortion And IVF Messaging (thefederalist.com)

The Republican once hailed as the most successful pro-life president in American history made clear on Monday that he is softening his position on abortion and beefing up his support for in vitro fertilization ahead of the 2024 general election.

“Saying the issue is ‘back to the states’ cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If successful, they will wipe out states’ rights,” Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in her response statement.

Easter is rapidly becoming another Holiday That Must Not Be Named

Posted: April 4, 2024 by Jon Fournier in Uncategorized
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After more than two decades of their War on Christmas, Progressives have now set their sights on Easter.  The library in my town proudly announced an Egg Hunt for children.  Easter was not mentioned in that announcement at all.  My local school system, like far too many others, replaced Good Friday with Spring Holiday. 

As you can see from this Breitbart Article, the Marxists who identify as Damocrats may be attempting to replace Easter with a sacred Progressive holiday.

On Good Friday, Joe Biden proclaimed that March 31, 2024 — which is Easter Sunday this year — to be the “Transgender Day of Visibility.” On top of that, Biden continued the unfortunate tradition of no religious-themed art allowed in the Easter egg art contest.

“Selected designs representing the unique experience and stories of National Guard children will be brought to life on real hen eggs by talented egg artists from across the country and displayed at the White House this Easter and Passover season,” the flyer reads before listing off restrictions for the contest.

It states in part that the submission must not include “any questionable content” before specifically listing “religious symbols, overtly religious themes, or partisan political statements.”

The text of Joe Biden’s Transgender Day of Visibility Proclamation is as delusional as you would expect from a radical leftist who suffers from a severe case of dementia.

Transgender Americans are part of the fabric of our Nation.  Whether serving their communities or in the military, raising families or running businesses, they help America thrive.  They deserve, and are entitled to, the same rights and freedoms as every other American, including the most fundamental freedom to be their true selves.  But extremists are proposing hundreds of hateful laws that target and terrify transgender kids and their families — silencing teachers; banning books; and even threatening parents, doctors, and nurses with prison for helping parents get care for their children.  These bills attack our most basic American values:  the freedom to be yourself, the freedom to make your own health care decisions, and even the right to raise your own child.  It is no surprise that the bullying and discrimination that transgender Americans face is worsening our Nation’s mental health crisis, leading half of transgender youth to consider suicide in the past year.

At the same time, an epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, especially women and girls of color, continues to take too many lives.  Let me be clear:  All of these attacks are un-American and must end.  No one should have to be brave just to be themselves.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility.  I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.

Joe Biden’s dementia is so advanced he probably does not remember issuing his Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation.

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