Apple Wants to Make Your Life Worse! (Cringy Worst Ad Ever)
JP Reacts
Possibly of interest:
Generation Jones 1954 to 1965
Archives for category: Old Man Blog
Together We Stand Strong – Veterans Day Photo Contest!
He was never in a war. His time in uniform wrapped up during the last century. He was the average guy in the average unit.
He played no role in preventing the catastrophic military failure of 911.
He played no role in the undeclared/unwon wars that followed.
He avoids using head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store, thinking that little old ladies should get the best parking. He bears no grudge towards those who make use of these spaces.
He avoids free chow for Armistice Day events. He bears no grudge towards those who enjoy showing up.
He prefers to avoid the Thanks for Your Service phrase.
Possibly of interest:
Ongoing Breakdown of Society – USA 250
Above: Westport scene
Dainan Bright
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/
Possibly of interest:
Generation Jones 1954 to 1965
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.
KOMO News
2 men killed, woman injured during downtown Tacoma shooting; residents beg for more police presence
Many comments are posted with the video above.
Welcome Home Troops
KING 5 Seattle
FOX 13 Seattle
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
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.
From KOMO News comments:
“there is no morning in seattle without shooting, stabbing, etc.
it’s never boring in seattle.”
Vietnam-Style Suspected Drug Boat Body Count Is Now At 238
Any shortage of cartel product in Seattle?
Any questions from newspeople?
KOMO News
After ‘no tolerance’ promise, drugs and stolen goods persist in Little Saigon
Nick Shirley Interviews
KIRO 7 News
Is local copper wire theft related to cash for purchasing cartel drugs?
Any questions from newspeople?
KING 5 News
‘Imminent threat to public safety’ sparked emergency order to get encampment cleared
The Hill
Investigators eye Somali gang violence in Minnesota homecoming shooting
Trouble on Okinawa
Young Americans growing up in the post 911 era may witness and experience the ongoing breakdown of society.
How does life back home relate to adult life/behavior in distant lands?
In The News
US Marine is arrested over the killing of a woman on Okinawa. More here.
“Our nation was founded with a limited-government republic, one with a relatively small military force. That’s because our American ancestors knew that an enormous standing army would be the greatest threat to their freedom and well-being. It’s time to dismantle the old Cold War-era national-security state and restore our founding governmental system of a limited-government republic.”
Source: American Soul-Searching after the Iraq Withdrawal
by Jacob G. Hornberger
October 1, 2026
“There has been anger over increasing crime linked to the U.S. military on the island. The number of U.S. military-related criminal cases rose to 101 last year from about 40 in 2020, according to prefectural police.”
“After the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. service members, huge crowds protested the heavy U.S. troop presence on Okinawa. There was also anger over the rape of a teenage girl by a U.S. service member in 2024 and the delayed disclosure of the crime.”
Source: Anger in Japan grows after US Marine is arrested over the killing of a woman on Okinawa
Okinawa memories:
USMC Birthday and Veterans Day Memories
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 back home have deteriorated. The troops return to an ongoing breakdown of society.
Emergency/crisis/chaos mode is what we get now.
From 2004
“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”
“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”
Source:
By Casey Khan
February 14, 2004
Related:
Does the US Dept. of Homeland Security prevent cartel product from entering Seattle? 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?
If OD numbers are lower, is this because DHS is able to keep cartel product from arriving in US communities, or because drug addicts are now fogged down with Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, etc. to combat overdoses?
“…King County continued to see hundreds of fatal overdoses.”
Seattle Blue Tarp City – Drug War Scam Rolls On
Seattle drug situation any different today than it was under Biden?
1960s and 70s
The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running. Seattle was a world-class city in the last century.
2026:
Seattle Street Scenes – USA 250
WA State Ferries
KOMO News
Local Oddities & Funding Priorities
In the news:
$6.3 million in federal cash for a used Ocean Shores hotel.
Any questions from newspeople?
December 8, 2022 The Daily World
Dept. of Ag invests $6.3M to purchase Ocean Shores hotel
$6.3 million “to fund the acquisition of an existing hotel. Marathon Enterprises Inc. is located in Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor County, Washington. The project is expected to result in saving eight jobs and creating one full time job.”
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
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/
Possibly of interest:
Generation Jones 1954 to 1965
Above: Salt Creek area- Vancouver Island on the right horizon.
5 Corporate Rituals Gen X Refuses to Fake Anymore.
Dainan Bright
Possibly of interest:
Generation Jones 1954 to 1965
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
I signed up for the USMC in 1978 after growing up in the Cold War era. I went to boot camp right after high school. The commandant of the Marine Corps was a WWII veteran who wore the Medal of Honor.
Vietnam veterans ran the Marine Corps at the time. I had good years working for them.
I disavow what has gone on with the US Armed Forces in this century.
Growing Up In The Cold War Era
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, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
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.
From 2004
“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”
“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”
Source:
By Casey Khan
February 14, 2004
Did you serve?
I did some time in the Marines during a part of the last century.
It did not serve to prevent 911 or the undeclared wars that came later.
Alternative response:
Did you serve?
I am not making that claim.
Related:
911 Observance Relates To Freedom?
Verbal Bumper Sticker – Thanks For Your Service
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
Leaving Iraq after working to stabilize the region since 1990 Operation Desert Shield
The Troops Protect Our Freedoms
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Can I take my 20 year old girlfriend (a responsible adult) down to the bar to order up a few beers for freedom?
Should we check with the Joint Chiefs of Staff first?
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.
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, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
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.
Related:
911 Observance Relates To Freedom?
Verbal Bumper Sticker – Thanks For Your Service
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
We start by going back to the 1960s and 70s.
The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running. Seattle was a world-class city in the last century.
Image source: HappyFeet S – Pinterest
USA 250
choeshow
Sept 7, 2026
CRIMINALS, MENTALLY ILL, AND HOMELESS DRUG ADDICTS HAVE CONQUERED SEATTLE
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:
Drug War Scam Rolls On
Vietnam-Style Suspected Drug Boat Body Count Now At 231
Kristi Noem tells us on Feb 4, 2026 that the border is secure:
Cartels were designated as terrorist organizations back on Feb 20, 2025.
REAL ID is fully in place.
Your cellphone may be searched at the border.
With all this working as an advantage to the US federal government, is there any shortage of meth, fentanyl or any cartel drug between say, Everett and Tacoma?
Has any newsperson ever asked about this?
What part of the drug war is working? What part is failing?
Standard newspeople remain silent.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
Is local copper theft related to cartel drugs?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on suspected narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?
How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
Any questions from newspeople?
Does the US Dept. of Homeland Security prevent cartel product from entering Seattle? 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?
If OD numbers are lower, is this because DHS is able to keep cartel product from arriving in US communities, or because drug addicts are now fogged down with Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, etc. to combat overdoses?
2026 Seattle street scenes:
2026 – Cartels Move Product Into All 50 States
DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas:
“…HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states…”
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.
Seattle Gunfire – The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
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.
Related:
Seattle Blue Tarp City – Drug War Scam Rolls On
Seattle drug situation any different today than it was under Biden?
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Throwback Thursday – Port Angeles Drug War
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/
Above: Approved Flag Images
Decades Gone By
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Today – Government decides what the press reports and publishes?
TV networks refuse White House pool coverage after CNN barred from assignment
KOMO News
Sept 21, 2026
Image credit source: WallpaperCave
We recently had a nice visit to Canada. We visited Victoria, B.C. and the greater Sooke area.
Our family has been enjoying visits to Canada since the early 1970s. For my parents, the visits go way back before that.
We found warm and friendly people on our visit.
In Victoria, people of all ages were out and about on foot. People are happy, well adjusted and enjoying life. Many people are walking in parks. Many are walking with dogs. Many are riding traditional pedal bikes. We saw young school students walking or riding bikes to and from school.
People who work in shops and restaurants are an example of the best of hospitality and friendly personalities. The service at restaurants and cafes is just right. It reminds me of a time gone by in the U.S.
Also:
Somewhere in the US, a small town 911 observance is scheduled and it uses the word freedom to describe some part of the event.
The word freedom seems to have less and less meaning as time goes on. Sometimes it comes off as a term used for marketing.
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.
Memorial Day Marketing Strategy
Celebrate your freedoms with our made for TV camo beer bottle:
It feels like the USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era. Seems like Lessons Learned might be an appropriate theme for a 911 observance.
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?
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
One lesson: Newspeople need to ask questions no matter who is elected to office. The press should provide some measure of checks and balances. The press should work to keep people properly informed.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Related:
Been Getting Away From Flying The Flag
Possibly of interest:
Senior citizen driver license must be scanned for a six pack of beer
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
Verbal Bumper Sticker – Thanks For Your Service
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Seattle Blue Tarp City – Drug War Scam Rolls On
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
If the borders are sealed, how are drugs still coming in?
Aberdeen International Overdose Awareness Day
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/
Here in WA, that’s how it goes for some retailers.
Odd to know that fentanyl is probably available around the corner.
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
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.
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/
I was never in a war. My time in uniform wrapped up during the last century. The post 911 era slowly killed my spirit for patriotism and my enthusiasm for politics.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Related:
Aberdeen International Overdose Awareness Day
Seattle Blue Tarp City – Drug War Scam Rolls On
If the borders are sealed, how are drugs still coming in?
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
Above: Walking the trails – Whidbey Island
75 minutes ago or 75 years ago?
Respect for entertainers not headed out to do a Super Bowl halftime show sponsored by some fucking version of official light beer:
Wolfgang’s Classic Rock
ghostryder8567
2 Meter Sessions
Rounder Records
Allman Brothers Band
Gregg Allman
Count von Helldorf
PettyYou007
Rounder Records
PatongTed
Mario Leviste (Sanny / Slice)
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/
I was never in a war. My time in uniform wrapped up during the last century. The post 911 era slowly killed my spirit for patriotism and my enthusiasm for politics.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Possibly of interest:
911 Observance Relates To Freedom?
Seattle Blue Tarp City – Drug War Scam Rolls On
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
These beers became popular in the last century. They don’t have much flavor and several are similar.
American breweries took this style and then added light beers which would have even less flavor. Maybe not the beers you’d be proud to show off to visitors from other countries. Or maybe the best beers are the ones you enjoy most and they would be enjoyed outside the US too.
I like to enjoy these while sipping a quality shot of Bourbon or Tequila.
Not tossing down shots like I’m in a cowboy movie or frat party, spring break outing, etc. Just sipping.
What Others Are Saying
Memory Trails
robatsea2009
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/
The beer photo fetish page features a true grab bag of different beer styles and brands. We’ve been at it since 2012.
Also:
Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?
Part Two – Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?
Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Celebrate USA 250 and reflect on how Seattle has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
In The News
Highest gas prices in Seattle over $6/gallon, average price $1 more than national average
KOMO News
Aug31, 2026
Possibly of interest:
Seattle Blue Tarp City – Drug War Scam Rolls On
I was never in a war. My time in uniform wrapped up during the last century. The post 911 era slowly killed my spirit for patriotism and my enthusiasm for politics.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Johnny Westside
More than 4000 comments have been posted with the video above.
From comments:
I once thanked a veteran for his service and he said “It’s all bullshit.”
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.
From 2004
“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”
“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”
Source:
By Casey Khan
February 14, 2004
Freedom In The News
“We very much recognize that our freedoms and our ability to do the jobs that we do is because of y’all, and we don’t take that for granted,” Schneider said.
Source:
Seahawks host sailors, Coast Guard members for annual Salute to Service event
by Steve Soliz – KOMO News
Aug 26, 2026
As the decades of undeclared/unwon wars stack up (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.) the greater the cultural urge to glorify people who do, or did time in uniform.
If there is an honest reason to send people away into decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas let’s hear all about it.
Why do we pretend that the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
More here: Military Town – Hometown Pride
Made For TV – We Need More Customers Update:
Do any giant corporations advocate for less in the way of undeclared/unwon wars?
Newspeople remain silent.
Interesting that the Traveling Vietnam Wall refers to itself as the “Cost of Freedom Tribute” and not something related to lessons learned.
Possibly of interest:
Veterans Day
One of the very most meaningful federal holidays for some. Stolen from Armistice Day in the 1950s. At that time, the US Dept. of Defense had started a decades long tradition of not being able to stay out of or win undeclared wars in distant lands.
It’s all about freedom folks.
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
Mr President,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
The federal government loves to tell us that The Troops are sent to distant lands to protect our freedoms.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
How would American freedoms be any different today if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
The weak-minded culture listens when told it’s for our freedoms and has zero questions to ask.
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.
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.
It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
Love to see newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
TV newspeople avoid asking:
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
These questions do not need to be asked on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Blue Angels day or Armed Forces Day. Sometime during the year, please ask these questions.
How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
1967
Did the Joint Chiefs of Staff send The Troops to safeguard American freedoms?
Was it the Viet Cong that set up laws in 16 US states to prohibit interracial marriage?
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.
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.
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.
Made For TV
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?
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:
Verbal Bumper Sticker – Thanks For Your Service
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
1976 US Bicentennial – 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 bring the phrase into commonplace use.
Photo-
Something from the last century
Post-Vietnam guilt
The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards staying out of undeclared/unwon wars.
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Celebrate USA 250 and reflect on how Seattle has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
In The News
KOMO News
choeshow
KOMO News
Aug 27, 2026
Video shows ‘bounty hunters’ firing into RV near Sandel Park amid safety, drug concerns
Aug 27, 2026
Seattle woman arrested after alleged road rage gun threat; meth, cocaine found in car
Aug 26, 2026
Seattle mom charged after 1-year-old dies in suspected fentanyl exposure
South Seattle encampment:
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:
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.
Homeland Security Is A Scam
Big surveillance is constantly in the news. Kristi Noem tells us: The borders are sealed. Cartels are designated as terrorist organizations.
Trump sends ICE agents to gun down people at traffic stops and on the street inside the US. This takes place away from border crossings and ports of entry.
Trump blows up suspected drug boats in distant waters.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
Is the Seattle fentanyl situation any different today than it was under Biden?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on suspected narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Has the big Homeland Security spending spree at Port Angeles been able to create any shortage of cartel product/fentanyl in the Puget Sound area?
Does the US Dept. of Homeland Security prevent cartel product from entering Seattle? 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?
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?
If OD numbers are lower, is this because DHS is able to keep cartel product from arriving in US communities, or because drug addicts are now fogged down with Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, etc. to combat overdoses?
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
2026 – Cartels Move Product Into All 50 States
DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas:
“…HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states…”
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.
Seattle Gunfire – The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
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.
Related:
Seattle drug situation any different today than it was under Biden?
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Throwback Thursday – Port Angeles Drug War
Above: Celebrate USA 250 and reflect on how Seattle has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
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.
KOMO News
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
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.
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 back home have deteriorated. The troops return to an ongoing breakdown of society.
Both major parties are OK with a giant and expensive US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product out of Seattle:
KOMO News
This 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?
If OD numbers are lower, is this because DHS is able to keep cartel product from arriving in US communities, or because drug addicts are now fogged down with Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, ect. to combat overdoses?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on suspected narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Any questions from newspeople?
Possibly of interest:
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/
Also:
Sentinel
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.
From 2004
“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”
“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”
Source:
By Casey Khan
February 14, 2004
Photo-
Something from the last century
Post-Vietnam guilt
The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards staying out of undeclared/unwon wars.
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
In The News
Gulf States Accept a New Normal in Hormuz: Iran Is in Control
By Summer Said and Benoit Faucon – The Wall Street Journal
Aug 10, 2026
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
Troops on the street in camo is the new norm?
Armed troops have patrolled D.C. for 1 year now. It’s challenging democratic norms
By Kat Lonsdorf – NPR
Aug 11, 2026
The failings of one extreme political party bring on the next extreme political party.
1 Year Later, Why Is the National Guard Still in D.C.?
Autumn Billings – Reason
Aug 11, 2026
Celebrating USA 250 includes acknowledging the post 911 era.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
The US Armed Forces have been elevated during this time.
The post 911 era has been a time to tell the American people that US troops are sent to distant lands to defend American freedoms.
Thanks For Your Service is a phrase that is now common.
Veterans Day assemblies at public schools are common.
Free meals provided to veterans by major restaurant chains on what used to be Armistice Day has become a tradition.
Veterans parking spots have been put in place at various retail locations.
More here:
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.
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.
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.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
Top TV military analysts, currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
Has blowing up suspected drug boat crews led to any shortage of cartel product in Seattle?
Is the Puget Sound drug situation any different today than it was under Biden?
2026 Seattle street scenes:
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Fox Business
Paid to say the right things:
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.
Made For TV
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?
Related:
Working to stabilize the region since 1990 Operation Desert Shield
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Which DOD Military Operations Were For Defense Of The Constitution?
Image source:
History no longer kind to Wilkes
Nov 4, 2022
By Nancy Treder Bainbridge Island Review
Went to Wilkes in the early 70s.
Trivia report:
Wilkes was never referred to as Captain as far as I remember.
Commodore was the common name for Commodore Bainbridge Middle School in the early 70s.
A naval rank sometimes in common use – sometimes not?
We must have lived near a boundary line, because I had siblings that were sent to another elementary school nowhere near Wilkes.
These were the days of 3 or 4 brothers and sisters, married parents and maybe a stay at home Mom.
Also attended Hunter Elementary School in Fairbanks, AK and Great Falls Elementary School in Great Falls, VA.
Possibly of interest:
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/
Also:
Above: Did these guys pose for a record album cover?
More here.
For the first time, we found Vance Creek County Park at Elma, WA.
Very nice for walking.
We found people who were very friendly. People of all ages and generations.
Want to visit or live in a friendly place? This is important. We enjoyed it.
Dogs were very well behaved.
The area was tidy. Plenty of trash cans.
Like many others, I graduated from high school in the greater Seattle area in the late 1970s.
Back in those days, Seattle was a place to visit for day or night activities such as shopping, movies, concerts, sightseeing, Seattle Center, dining, sports events, etc.
None of these activities were seen as unsafe or controversial for teens at the time.
Seattle was a world-class city in the last century. The WWII Generation had a modern society up and running in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
What Has Changed
Today we have homelessness, drug addiction and overdoses, frequent gunfire and concerns related to gang activity.
To be fair, The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
KOMO News
FOX 13 Seattle
Zero Mention Of Needing Cash To Pay For Drugs
KIRO 7 News
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Seattle street scenes:
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.) seems to be irrelevant in shutting down Seattle area gang activity:
KIRO 7 News
This video seems to show a roll into action after the shootings take place protocol:
Related:
Seattle Fentanyl – Any Different Today Than Under Biden?
The Kristi Noem Ass Kicking Road Show Skips Seattle
Seattle – Drug War Show Business
Seattle – Rampant Drug Activity
Drug War Show Business & The Puget Sound Area
Investigation Took Nearly 3 Years – Drug War Scam Update
Seattle Drug Scene – Welcome Home Troops
Seattle Open-Air Drug Use Rolls On
Possibly of interest:
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/
Also:
We blogged about it back on July 23rd:
It hasn’t improved since then.
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.
Welcome Home Troops.
KOMO News
More than 100 comments are posted with the video above.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
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.
Possibly of interest:
Above: Big Driftwood Near Point Partridge
Recent conversations with various people reveal their favorite political tribes.
This comes out even without asking. Maybe some people out there are done with politics. Not the people I have been speaking with.
My take:
The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era. Both major parties have taken turns in power for decades.
If I met a new person today, and they asked:
Did you serve?
My response would be: I am not making that claim.
Alternative response:
I did some time in the Marines during a part of the last century.
It did not serve to prevent 911 or the undeclared wars that came later.
People love militarized air shows.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Today, when my voter guide and ballot arrive in the mail, they are destroyed and thrown into recycling.
What we are thinking:
The failings of one extreme political party bring on the next extreme political party.
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.
From 2004
“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”
“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”
Source:
By Casey Khan
February 14, 2004
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.
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.
Homeland Security Is A Scam
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
If anyone claims lower OD numbers, is this because DHS is able to keep cartel product from arriving in US communities, or because drug addicts are now fogged down with Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, ect. to combat overdoses?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on suspected narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Any questions from newspeople?
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.
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:
A Land Of Make Believe – USA 250
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
196.37 Grams Of Fentanyl – Clallam County
Seattle Drug Scene – Welcome Home Troops
Seattle Open-Air Drug Use Rolls On
Federal Drug War Scam Rolls On
A Fake War On Terror Features A DEA That Thrives On Borders That Are Not Sealed
Sub Pop
Robin Slater
The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
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.
Even if we celebrate the best of American culture during the last century, that time is gone now.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
Possibly of interest:
Photo-
Something from the last century
Post-Vietnam guilt
The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards staying out of undeclared/unwon wars.
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Here is a nice video about tattoos over time:
Retired Frank
I am part of Generation Jones (1954 to 1965).
I never got a tattoo.
When I was a kid they were not popular.
Maybe Popeye the Sailor Man (a WWII veteran) had one.
Maybe a member of a motorcycle club had one.
Maybe a gang member had one. Maybe an ex-con had one.
Women never seemed to have one.
Those tattoos meant something.
After while, it seemed that tattoos became so common that they didn’t mean much any more.
I don’t feel better than anyone else. It’s just a preference.
Saturday Night Live
Completely Unrelated
Survivor Band
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:
Above: Morning road trip – Hood Canal
The USA has taken a dive in the post 911 era.
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.
Even if we celebrate the best of American culture during the last century, that time is gone now.
What are we celebrating that still exists today?
Pick your favorite sport. Dozens of teams compete. Only one will win the championship.
After the championship, a big celebration will take place in the town where the winning team plays.
We don’t celebrate any given team all over the US on a date scheduled months/years in advance because the calendar tells us to.
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
It feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
The Dept. of Defense is the very best at militarized pageantry for pro sports events.
They are able to get the press to play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
TV newspeople perform like paid actors reading a script.
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
Love to see newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
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
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Related:
A Land Of Make Believe – USA 250
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
As time goes on, the consumer choices we have are becoming more restricted by a combination of government and big business policies, not Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden or the next bad guy DOD will be going after in distant lands.
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
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.
Even if we celebrate the best of American culture during the last century, that time is gone now.
What are we celebrating that still exists today?
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.
From 2004
“Today, however, the Congress has relinquished its delegated powers, giving the President license to do whatever he and his office determine that they can get away with. Consequentially, the presidential and legislative oaths to the Constitution have just turned into a great photo op on inauguration day.”
“It is a sad and hard realization for a grunt who loves the Marine Corps to admit that the organization is not used in the preservation of liberty, and has not been used toward that end for a very long time.”
Source:
By Casey Khan
February 14, 2004
A 20 year old today has a much bigger hill to climb than I did at age 20.
Look the other way and get ready to celebrate USA 250.
The Future of Freedom Foundation
The Make Believe
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.
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.
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.
Made For TV
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?
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 – 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 bring the phrase into commonplace use.
1976 Was A Bad Time For The US?
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
As time goes on, the consumer choices we have are becoming more restricted by a combination of government and big business policies, not Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden or the next bad guy DOD will be going after in distant lands.
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
Photo-
Washington Coast
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.
choeshow
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?