Visitors over the past 4 years:
Occasional Visitors/Still Looking for Bigfoot
Visiting
0
The era of newspeople not asking questions brings on private citizens who go out and ask questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
These guys were also never waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of any other bad guy in distant lands, as DOD defends the constitution, etc.
Maybe they are tired of being lied to.
I.A.M. Free – Inland Auditing Media
Public Records Request
It is very common that public offices in various states will say something like: Go to our website to submit your public records request online.
They would prefer the person with the camera leave the office as soon as possible.
It is common in various states that open records laws allow the public records request to be submitted in person orally or in writing and that the public records request may be made anonymously.
Public records laws set up an open door policy for people to go and interact in person with government offices and agencies during normal business hours at public offices.
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!! is a favorite channel where he has explained all this over and again in public offices.
More here:
Operating A Camera In A Public Place
Photo: One I took a few years back.
A symbol of operating a camera in a public place.
Salmon Season – Whidbey Island – Driftwood Park
Looking to see when any shortage of cartel product develops in the Puget Sound area.
Looking to see when any newsperson asks questions related to Port Angeles Homeland Security funding and performance.
Top of page: An old photo I took. Symbol of a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence at Port Angeles that came together more than a decade ago.
Have Port Angeles based Homeland Security/CBP units been able to create any shortage of cartel product/fentanyl in the Puget Sound area?
Has any newsperson ever asked questions on this?
Above:
South entrance- Port Townsend Ship Canal
More here-
History of a post 911 CBP buildup at Port Angeles:
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Port Angeles Homeland Security funding and performance?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
In The News
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Cheerful TV reporters ask zero questions and play the role of federal public affairs staff instead.
At 3:49 below:
US Dept. of Homeland Security – The people who fail to keep cartel product away from local communities will be keeping Lumen Field safe.
KOMO News
Related:
Port Angeles Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol
Throwback Thursday – Port Angeles Drug War
Federal Drug War Scam Rolls On
Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 80s and 90s.
The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
Look the other way and get ready to celebrate USA 250.
WA State Ferries
Coupeville/Penn Cove is on the eastern shore of Whidbey Island-no ferry link to Port Townsend exists there.
Washington State ferry passengers are advised via PA system not to leave backpacks or packages unattended during ferry crossings.
Meanwhile-on the car deck-cars, trucks, vans, commercial vehicles, etc. are left unattended during ferry crossings.
Dozens of round trip ferry crossings over the past 20 years indicate that in many cases, there has been no security screening at either WSF terminal.
On occasion, the press will do a story about a ferry security drill.
If the Oklahoma City bomber rolls onto the ferry-how does the SWAT team help out an hour later?
More here:
Any Security at Washington State Ferry Terminals?
Newspeople Avoid Questions – WSF Security
Washington State Ferries Security
Above: A moment away from Seattle sex trafficking and shootouts.
Nordland Transit Center
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq, Afghanistan and other distant locations while working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
In The News
KOMO News:
All is well.
KING 5 News
Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 80s and 90s.
The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
Look the other way and get ready to celebrate USA 250.
Several years back, I started the Old Man Blog category. It involves thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
Original Old Man Blog here: https://oldmanblogdotcom.wordpress.com
New updates here: https://oakbaystarfish.com/category/old-man-blog/
Related:
1976 Was A Bad Time For The US?
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.
Unlike many cities of its size, Port Angeles maintains a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Port Angeles Homeland Security funding and performance?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
New Port Angeles USBP Station opened more than a decade ago. Has the new station been able to prevent cartel drugs from entering the Olympic Peninsula?
After a Port Angeles CBP buildup that took place more than a decade ago, is there any follow up made by the press to inform the public on whatever results have been achieved?
If you run a government operation-these are the reporters you want to see on interview day:
In The News
Former Clallam County Drug Court coordinator pleads not guilty to federal drug charges
Radio Pacific, Inc
June 5, 2026
“…a search warrant obtained by OPNET investigators turned up fentanyl, cocaine, meth, heroin, guns and other items tied to Watts and another man, Patrick Nelson.”
“…Watts later confessed that the drugs and contraband found in his bedroom were his. He also confessed to buying drugs from a dealer at the 7 Cedars Casino Hotel, which led to further arrests.”
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
When is the last time the Port Angeles Border Patrol made an arrest of any kind?
When is the last time the Port Angeles Border Patrol made an arrest linked in any way to the US/Canada border?
Has massing US Border Patrol agents at the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca played any role in reducing Clallam County drug overdose numbers?
Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?
How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
When is the last time the Port Angeles Border Patrol made any seizure that kept any amount of fentanyl, heroin or any opioid from entering Clallam County?
Were Clallam County drug overdose death numbers higher before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established (2002) or are the numbers higher with a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security in place? This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Over in Island County
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Newspeople remain silent.
Whidbey Homeland Security Grant Money- Newspeople Remain Silent
Love to see newspeople out asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is. A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Related:
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Throwback Thursday – Port Angeles Drug War
In The News
Neighbors in North Seattle to march for peace, call for National Guard to combat shootings
MyNorthwest.com – June 06, 2026
Would Any Newsperson Ever Ask
Has any WA gun control measure or public policy effort of the past 20 years slowed down the gunfire between say, Everett and Tacoma?
What works? What fails?
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Newspeople remain silent.
2026 – Homeland Security Making A Difference
The post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, best advances in REAL ID and AI technologies, etc.) appears to have played no role in preventing the crimes described above.
Look the other way and get ready to celebrate USA 250.
Several years back, I started the Old Man Blog category. It involves thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
Original Old Man Blog here: https://oldmanblogdotcom.wordpress.com
New updates here: https://oakbaystarfish.com/category/old-man-blog/
Related:
1976 Was A Bad Time For The US?
Above:
Symbol of the American mainstream press over the past 30 years.
Welcome Visitors
Rent yourself a State Parks buoy at Fort Worden
Voted best consumer value in weekend recreation.
The era of newspeople not asking questions brings on private citizens who go out and ask questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
These guys were also never waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of any other bad guy in distant lands, as DOD defends the constitution, etc.
Maybe they are tired of being lied to.
KULT NEWS
Long Island Audit Clips
Public Records Request
It is very common that public offices in various states will say something like: Go to our website to submit your public records request online.
They would prefer the person with the camera leave the office as soon as possible.
It is common in various states that open records laws allow the public records request to be submitted in person orally or in writing and that the public records request may be made anonymously.
Public records laws set up an open door policy for people to go and interact in person with government offices and agencies during normal business hours at public offices.
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!! is a favorite channel where he has explained all this over and again in public offices.
More here:
Operating A Camera In A Public Place
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.
Sealed Borders Fail To Keep Drugs Out
In the news:
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
DEA Seattle chases after cartel product not stopped at the border by Kristi Noem or the new boss. Cheerful newspeople ask zero questions and play the role of federal public affairs staff instead.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
Did the advantage of designating cartels as terrorist organizations back on Feb 20, 2025 reduce the availability of fentanyl in the Puget Sound area?
If Kristi Noem tells us on Feb 4, 2026 that the border is secure, how are drugs still coming in?
Standard newspeople remain silent.
Blowing up suspected drug boat crews, bold PR statements from Kristi Noem, sealed borders, designating cartels as terrorist organizations, DHS guarding Super Bowls, US troops at the border, massing US Border Patrol agents at the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, best advances in REAL ID and AI technologies, etc.) fail to keep fentanyl from arriving in Seattle?
The Seattle drug situation appears to be no different in June of 2026 than it was under Biden. WTF?
Under Kristi Noem And The New Boss
Cartels move product into all 50 states.
DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas:
“…HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states…”
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq, Afghanistan and other distant locations while working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Related:
Sealed Borders Fail to Keep Drugs Out
Federal Drug War Scam Rolls On
Investigation Took Nearly 3 Years – Drug War Scam Update
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Yesterday was the first time we saw new baby deer near our place this season.
Visitors over the past 4 years:
Occasional Visitors/Still Looking for Bigfoot
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq, Afghanistan and other distant locations while working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Puget Sound Area
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count
Death toll from US strikes on suspected drug boats passes 200
Nicholas Slayton – Task & Purpose
May 31, 2026
Back home:
Oak Harbor woman accused in death of toddler who was allegedly exposed to fentanyl, cocaine
Below:
Common flashlight batteries remain locked up like diamond jewelry to keep drug addicts out.
The drug addicts that were not cut off by Kristi Noem and her giant and expensive Dept. of Homeland Security.
Seattle Scene
choeshow
Sealed Borders Fail to Keep Drugs Out
The big drug bust is always reported as a success after drug traffickers defeat all federal efforts to prevent cartel product from arriving inside the US.
Anytime there is a plane crash, a loss at sea, or an industrial accident, a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future accidents.
No regard for who holds political power. No buddy system. No trading favors. No scolding or shaming of those who seek to expose the truth. A sense of urgency is in place in order to reveal the truth.
Any investigation after a giant and expensive DHS fails to keep cartel product form arriving in US communities?
Any questions from newspeople?
In the news:
Mexican woman who led meth ring, plotted to kill Centralia police officer gets 15 years
KOMO News
June 2, 2026
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
More here:
Sealed Borders Fail to Keep Drugs Out
Related:
1976 Was A Bad Time For The US?
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Island County
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Newspeople remain silent.
Whidbey Homeland Security Grant Money- Newspeople Remain Silent
More here:
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
I enjoy the Breaking Points channel.
At 4:05 they speak of 1976 as a difficult time for the US.
Here is why I disagree:
In 1976, Moms and Dads were in charge of families. You and your friends had 3 or 4 siblings and maybe a stay at home Mom.
A dollar was worth more then.
The first moon landing was still not that far in the past.
Some still worked a 40 hour week.
The WWII generation was still very much a part of what went on. Take a look at Hollywood celebrities of the time.
Take a look at small business owners.
The Thanks for Your Service phrase was not yet in style. The decades of undeclared/unwon wars that came after the lessons of Vietnam would make the phrase commonplace.
More products were made in the US. Cool, US made cars were still on the road.
We were in a period of Cold War Era peacetime stability. The US Armed Forces were on the back burner-right where they are supposed to be.
Politics was less toxic. Whatever US President was elected, your life still went on.
A gallon of gas was more affordable and it was less likely to destroy a small engine.
People fixed and repaired home related items. Remember TV repair shops?
The hardware store was not Home Depot.
The small delis and bakeries that came before Subway were up and running.
More of a law and order way of life was in place. The cartel drug situation may have been better without a giant and expensive US Dept. of Homeland Security in place.
No special ID was required to go have lunch in Canada.
No federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
Still no such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
Bicycle paper routes for kids were not seen as unsafe or controversial. Halloween was similar at the time.
Kids were more physically fit.
Ads for meds on TV had less in the way of gruesome side effects.
People were less haunted by healthcare payment concerns.
People were less haunted by student loans.
People worked minimum wage jobs as entry level teens. They earned their promotions up and away from minimum wage as they put in their time and took on more responsibility.
Gun violence seemed to happen less often. For sure this was true in the Seattle area.
Less homelessness back then.
Newspeople seemed to be more about asking questions.
Radio stations and personalities seemed to be of better quality. Much of what we have now seems automated.
Reality TV was The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
Feeling The Energy – USA 250
Back home:
Several years back, I started the Old Man Blog category. It involves thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
Original Old Man Blog here: https://oldmanblogdotcom.wordpress.com
New updates here: https://oakbaystarfish.com/category/old-man-blog/
Photo-
Ruby Beach
Out to Green Lantern State Park for a 3 hour walk with a short break. We made a loop out to Copalis River Spit & back.
Conner Creek:
On the trail:
Above: Part of an old 7 Up bottle.
Some sort of history here:
Breezy out there:
Big driftwood:
Several years of beachcombing:
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Both major parties push things to the extreme.
People get burnt the fuck out on politics after a while.
Look the other way and get ready to celebrate USA 250.
Armed Forces Recruiting – 1980s
Part of what made it work:
In past decades, people could do time in uniform, then return to the US with a feeling that they were living in the best country on the planet.
They believed it and their parents and grandparents believed it.
Those who did may have wished to hand down a better version of the modern American society to their kids and grandkids.
Today-
Standards have deteriorated. The troops return to an ongoing breakdown of society.
Both major parties have taken turns in power over the past 40 years or so. For sure, there is a chunk of public policy that has become worse, not better.
Emergency/crisis/chaos mode is what we get now.
Possibly of interest:
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms, the Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Concerns here are much less about WWII and before. Much more about the US Dept. of Defense era.
The US Dept. of Defense was created in the late 1940s.
DOD has a long history with undeclared wars.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. The DOD brand has been wrecked.
Democracy Nonsense
If we live in a democracy (many people say so), when do we vote on decades of undeclared/unwon DOD wars?
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Department of War/DOD & Armistice Day
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea to children that The Troops are in distant lands-fighting for American rights and freedoms-as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
In Washington State, these assemblies are mandatory.
The VA tells teachers that The Troops are Defending Liberty and Freedom.
In the 60s & 70s I never attended a Veterans Day assembly at school.
There were none.
Probably enough veterans around to remove most of the mystique, or maybe those veterans thought it was all just an average thing and did not want to be seen as a separate part of American society, or get head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store. Maybe the concept of Armistice Day had not gone completely extinct.
Growing up in the 60s & 70s- veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
No such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Why do elected officials and high level DOD civilians speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
Any elected official or retired elected official who tells us The Troops were sent to protect American rights and freedoms needs to explain how those rights and freedoms are any different today because US troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Macho Swagger
Watch Secretary of War Pete Hegseth takes thrilling fighter jet ride with ‘Top-Gun’ pilots:
Since 1986 Top Gun:
The US Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911.
We haven’t won a war since.
Related:
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
National Military Appreciation Month
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
Take An Oath To The Constitution
No one who has done time in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have done time over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.
Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.
Fantasy: Honor the troops in honest, respectful and proper ways.
It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.
For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.
Is The Freedom Talk Just For Federal Holidays & Overseas Military Operations?
I.A.M. Free – Inland Auditing Media
Long Island Audit Clips
Flex Your Freedoms
Operating A Camera In A Public Place
Amagansett Press
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!!
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!!
Public Records Request
It is very common that public offices in various states will say something like: Go to our website to submit your public records request online.
They would prefer the person with the camera leave the office as soon as possible.
It is common in various states that open records laws allow the public records request to be submitted in person orally or in writing and that the public records request may be made anonymously.
Public records laws set up an open door policy for people to go and interact in person with government offices and agencies during normal business hours at public offices.
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!! is a favorite channel where he has explained all this over and again in public offices.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Legal marijuana, concealed carry of handguns, semi automatic rifle sales, federal minimum drinking age, federal toilet regulations, sports betting, federal gas can regulations/free enterprise system, web censorship, voting rights, bump stock ban, interracial marriage, gay marriage, tobacco sales, open container laws, etc.
American freedoms come and go.
None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their lawn mower.
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
No such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Why do elected officials and high level DOD civilians speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
More here:
Operating A Camera In A Public Place
Various big companies will remind us that they support veterans and The Troops. Always wonder if any of those companies advocate for less in the way of undeclared/unwon wars. Maybe these big companies are more about expanding their marketing footprint.
Do traditional veterans organizations advocate for less in the way of undeclared/unwon wars? Would a move in this direction attract more new members?
Have any newspeople ever asked about this?
Recent Email
“Together, let’s remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. We honor their courage and give thanks for their sacrifice.”
The marketing department left out the word freedom. This is a good thing.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Now, get on down to visit your local loan officer to see what sort of new loan contract you can qualify for.
Possibly of interest:
New Patriotism
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
February Patriotism
Growing Up In The Cold War Era
National Military Appreciation Month
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
Take An Oath To The Constitution
No one who has done time in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have done time over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.
Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.
Fantasy: Honor the troops in honest, respectful and proper ways.
It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.
For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.
US flag is out. Monday is a stormy day here.
Ribs are on the Weber at 0836.
Armistice Day is on our mind all year here.
Time for the lighter side now.
My BBQ reputation would have been better if I was doing this style some years back:
Serving suggestion:
Possibly of interest:
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Photo:
Washington Coast – The North Beach
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Patriotism for me is about what went on in the last century.
I plan to fly the flag on Sunday & Monday.
I finished my time in the Marines in 1999 with a solid attitude and a patriotic spirit. The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
It all seems a bit meaningless now.
Played no role in preventing the catastrophic military failure of 911.
Played no role in preventing the undeclared/unwon wars that followed.
Democracy Nonsense
If we live in a democracy (many people say so), when do we vote on decades of undeclared/unwon DOD wars?
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Department of War/DOD & Armistice Day
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea to children that The Troops are in distant lands-fighting for American rights and freedoms-as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
In Washington State, these assemblies are mandatory.
The VA tells teachers that The Troops are Defending Liberty and Freedom.
“…U.S. soldiers who have died in America’s foreign wars and foreign interventions have done so in defense of our rights and freedoms. It is a message that can be heard at sporting events, memorial services, airports, churches, and everywhere else that anyone will listen.”
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. The DOD brand has been wrecked.
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
No such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
In the 60s & 70s I never attended a Veterans Day assembly at school.
There were none.
Probably enough veterans around to remove most of the mystique, or maybe those veterans thought it was all just an average thing and did not want to be seen as a separate part of American society, or get head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store. Maybe the concept of Armistice Day had not gone completely extinct.
Growing up in the 60s & 70s- veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Several years back, I started the Old Man Blog category. It involves thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
Original Old Man Blog here: https://oldmanblogdotcom.wordpress.com
New updates here: https://oakbaystarfish.com/category/old-man-blog/
Related:
Growing Up In The Cold War Era
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
National Military Appreciation Month
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
Take An Oath To The Constitution
No one who has done time in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have done time over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.
Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.
Fantasy: Honor the troops in honest, respectful and proper ways.
It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.
For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.
“We’re supposed to believe that any commitment of troops to a battlefield constitutes protection of freedom and that’s all there is to it. It’s considered ungrateful, if not disloyal, to even wonder if a particular war really had anything to do with protecting freedom.”
May 31, 2013
From Reddit:
Elected officials and high level DOD civilians speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
Again, look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
About a two hour walk in wet fog.
Washington Coast – The North Beach
When the time is right, the top of Mount Rainier is visible from this cam:
Westport – coastal weather cam here.
Looking over the jetty that connects to the former Damon Point recreation area:
Never collect or burn driftwood.
The era of newspeople not asking questions brings on private citizens who go out and ask questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
These guys were also never waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of any other bad guy in distant lands, as DOD defends the constitution, etc.
Maybe they are tired of being lied to.
I.A.M. Free – Inland Auditing Media
Public Records Request
It is very common that public offices in various states will say something like: Go to our website to submit your public records request online.
They would prefer the person with the camera leave the office as soon as possible.
It is common in various states that open records laws allow the public records request to be submitted in person orally or in writing and that the public records request may be made anonymously.
Public records laws set up an open door policy for people to go and interact in person with government offices and agencies during normal business hours at public offices.
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!! is a favorite channel where he has explained all this over and again in public offices.
Tyrant Terminator Audits!!!
More here:
Operating A Camera In A Public Place
Photo-
Symbol of the American mainstream press over the past 30 years.
Welcome Visitors
Rent yourself a State Parks buoy at Fort Worden
Voted best consumer value in weekend recreation.
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Democracy Now!
We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam. Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Some may have become skeptical along the way.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
What makes elected officials believe we have some sort of 1950s crop of citizens now who would comply with a draft?
Has the US ever won an undeclared war using a draft?
Armed Forces Day
“The first observance took place May 20, 1950…”
At about this time, the US Dept. of Defense began a decades long tradition of not being able to stay out of or win undeclared wars in distant lands.
Related:
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
National Military Appreciation Month
“…Gen Z is the least likely generation to enlist…”
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Vortex IPA – Fort George Brewery
Astoria, Oregon
The beer photo fetish page features a true grab bag of different beer styles and brands. We’ve been at it since 2012.
Possibly of interest:
Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?
Part Two – Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?
They can be seen on the Westport waterfront cam here.