Posts Tagged ‘history’

A tale of two men…

Posted: July 5, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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…who both died by the hand of the Taliban. One was a soldier Aaron Faibairn:

It appears that Aaron was one of the two soldiers killed in a large Taliban attack on a base in Paktika

This young man willing put his life on the line for his country and died on the 4th of July. Per his father’s request I will be using the tag thankyouaaron on this post.

Taken from his beheading video by Reuters.

Photo taken from his beheading video via Reuters.

The second person you likely haven’t heard of. His name was Piotr Stanczak and the Taliban beheaded him on film back in February. He wasn’t a soldier he was a geologist but died just as bravely:

Piotr Stanczak did not exhibit the slightest hint of hesitation when the Pakistani Taliban asked him to choose between execution and conversion to Islam.

Whether the Polish geologist acted out of pride or religious conviction, he decided to pay through his blood to save his faith, a choice that bewildered his killers and keep them talking about him with respect after his murder.

I would very much like to consider myself a faithful Catholic but I honestly can’t say if in the same situation I would have the same courage.

Via Tim Blair who notes:

An earlier item on Stanczak’s murder:

The video is so horrifying that some news wire agencies chose not to distribute the images.

If they’d been from Abu Ghraib, however …

For our own sakes these men need to be remembered. Both died defending beliefs and principles dear to Americans. Keep this in mind when people try to explain why radical Islam in general and the Taliban in particular should not be resisted.

The article you might miss if you don’t look

Posted: July 5, 2009 by datechguy in war
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Glenn links to an article in the Times of London suggesting the Saudis have given an ok for an Israel overflight to take out Iranian Nukes.

It is important and Ambassador Bolton must be pleased but if you don’t look at the entire page you might miss something significant.

The Times’ archive has been scanned and there is a link to a story concerning Khomeini from 1981. It is worth a read to see what a British reporter had to say about the man who would fuel Islamic Terror for decades.

A perceptive on what people actually thought and said at the time is invaluable. The Times has their archive available back to 1785. It is an amateur historians dream, and the price ranges from $9 for a day to $130 a year. Do a search for example for “Guerriere” during the period of war of 1812 and you’ll get the idea.

Palin using the LBJ strategy?

Posted: July 4, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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Back in the late 30’s early 40 a young congressman named Lyndon Johnson used Texas oil money to get elected decided to expand it’s use to the entire democratic congressional campaign.

In bits and pieces he produced the funds that saved and/or elected many a democrat congressman. These people remembered who they owed their election to.

Over the next 15 months there are going to be many congressional candidates all over the country who will be looking for exposure and funds. Imagine if these candidates held A fund-raising dinner featuring the most famous former vice presidential candidate there has ever been. Picture the local/national media coverage, the large crowds and the money raised.

Let’s say that scenario is repeated in 100-150 districts all over the country coupled with short interviews with local media, unfiltered by the national press. Picture building an organizational base in each district from the crowds. Imagine the DNC having to spend money to play defense in all of those districts. Finally picture congressmen and woman from different states and their political allies farther down the ticket in your political debt by the start of 2011.

If Sarah Palin is picturing that then our democratic friends will have a lot of worrying to do.

How things change but stay the same

Posted: June 27, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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One more oddity concerning the rather bad vote yesterday.

Did you note this from Redstate?

His office STILL wouldn’t say which way he was voting on it, so I called them on it, and said that he’s just waiting to see if there are enough votes so he can oppose the bill for political purposes.

This is Rep. Thomas Perriello of Va.

One of the thing that Sam Rayburn used to always say is “A congressman’s first duty is to get re-elected.” There are and were times when a vote that an administration would want or demand might be against the interests of a particular congressman. Rayburn being Rayburn could command a certain amount of votes and loyalty but he never forgot the first duty of a congressman. So he would line up extra votes on controversial measures so he could if necessary release members of his caucus that a particular vote would hurt.

The purpose of those 8 republicans who voted for that bill wasn’t to make it a “bi-partisan” measure. It was to give a large enough margin for Pelosi and company to let a few of their people vote the other way.

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