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?
Any questions from newspeople?
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks
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?
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.
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.”
“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.”
“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.”
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?
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.
“The cases were filed as King County continued to see hundreds of fatal overdoses. Public Health — Seattle & King County recorded 446 confirmed fatal overdoses from January through July 2026, the same period covered by the prosecution data.”
As always, zero questions on how the federal War on Drugs plays into this.
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?
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?
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?
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.
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:
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
To me, this would come off as more respectful, thoughtful and meaningful. It could lead to discussions people might learn from.
Veteran With A Sign
Why I Left the Marines
Nation-Building – Troops In Camo On The Street
“I don’t want to think about the National Guard. I don’t want to necessarily discuss my affiliation with the National Guard. I don’t want to fulfill my normal National Guard duties just because of the abuses of the National Guard in this D.C. mission,” the guard member said, noting that isn’t how he’s felt after previous domestic deployments.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
Trump collects big cash to maintain the US Dept. of Homeland Security. 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?
ICE agents gun down people at traffic stops and on the street inside the US. This takes place away from border crossings and ports of entry.
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.
Is the Seattle fentanyl situation any different today than it was under Biden?
By John J. Duncan Jr.
The Duncan Dispatch
August 6, 2026
“Consider the Pentagon’s recent assassinations of more than 200 people in boats on the high seas near Venezuela Those assassinations are ostensibly based on supposed violations of U.S. drug laws, even though any evidence of incrimination is kept top secret.”
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Newspeople asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Homeland Security Is A Scam
All federal efforts fail to keep cartel product from arriving in Seattle:
KIRO 7 News
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.
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. 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?
The US Dept. of Defense Era began way back in 1949. The Pentagon has a long history with undeclared/unwon wars and trying to get healthcare to work properly for people who have done time in uniform.
Now this:
“…an unauthorized person gained limited, unauthorized access to TriWest information and downloaded it.”
“The unauthorized person obtained health-related and other personal information, specifically names, Department of Defense Benefits Numbers and beneficiaries’ ZIP codes. Officials said that in fewer than five instances, the information also included Social Security numbers, addresses and dates of birth.”
We are seeing mixed messages from different levels of government.
Try this over at the State Park: Skip the reservation and fee for an assigned space. Pick your own spot when you are ready. If anyone asks you to move, refuse to interact with them.
Have Park Rangers try to reassign people who paid for a reserved spot months in advance. See if you can be a squatter for weeks at a time.
Maintain your Discover Pass in plain view at all times while parking on public lands. Always permanently record license plate on pass before use.
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?
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
What did the founders think of a powerful, centralized federal government and militarized pageantry for public events?
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
“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.”
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.
NORAD Santa Tracker
Here at Oak Bay Starfish, our commentary rolls on, no matter who has been elected to office.
A giant agency created to prevent Soviet attacks, with almost unlimited resources to defend N. America in 2021, is unable to keep crank call from going out live during big public relations event.
“…found at the homeless encampment known as “The Jungle” in Olympia…”
“The agency described the area as having high rates of violence and community safety concerns. Back in 2023, a woman was found dead at the homeless encampment.”
We visited a small town recently. Over city sidewalks were individual banners posted to honor several new high school graduates with name and photo.
A few generations back, people would drop out of high school and lie about their age to go into WWII or maybe they would work on a boat in some part of the maritime or fishing industry. They would go on to have productive lives. Today, just making it to high school graduation is worthy of individual public praise away from graduation ceremonies.
Today, showing up for the US Armed Forces can be “Protecting Our Freedom” and rates public recognition.
You can be recognized as a hero by enlisting. Never mind that the US Armed Forces recognize individuals with personal awards not a bulk form of group identity.
You don’t have to look too far to find comments that refer to the troops as “heroes.”
Some are.
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.
Reaching for an honest understanding of US foreign policy makes more sense than “Thanks for your service.”
Superstar performers, average workers and slackers. All paid the same. The government says so.
As a new hire, before you demonstrate that you are a reliable, trainable worker, you are already making more than $20.00 per hour. Experience doesn’t matter.
John Stossel
We recently went for a routine checkup at a local clinic. It was our first time there. Several text messages arrived to remind of the appointment. They continued to arrive even after I confirmed. A phone call also arrived to advise of the appointment. I finally entered STOP to be dropped from reminders.
We had first time patient agreement forms to fill out. The lady at the counter was very careful to point out the legal paragraphs required to explain the no show fee.
It is irritating to be reminded as if you have caused or are about to cause a problem for the people who run the office.
Not one, but several signs posted in the office waiting area advised that copay fees must be paid on the date of arrival.
We get the idea that basic adult responsibilities like showing up on time or canceling on time have been a problem in the past.
“For years, community leaders and business owners have lamented the area as a hotspot for open-air drug activity, public disorder, shootings, and other criminal behavior.”
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.
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
The Department of Defense was established in 1949. What part of DOD history involved US troops sent to locations where the constitution was threatened?
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
