Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
Photo-
A symbol of newspeople not asking questions, and a federal government that is OK with undeclared/unwon wars and telling lies about freedom, then blaming young people and their families when they lose interest in showing up.
Or, a symbol of federal government credibility and followers of both major parties, elected officials, newspeople and school teachers not asking questions.
No offense to President Biden, but there are probably many fast food places in the USA where employees would not react like 1970s winners/audience members on a TV game show if a call from The President came in. This would be true for any POTUS.
A certain amount of show business skill is needed in order for the surprise call to go well.
Jill Biden teamed up with The First Lady back in 2011 to deliver another surprise phone call.
Joining Forces Initiative – Thanksgiving, 2011:
Here is a hand selected lady who was surprised (1:12) to get a phone call of support from The First Lady-even though cameras were rolling in her home when the phone rang. At 2:33 Dr. Jill Biden is thanked.
What about school teachers? Do they have a part in teaching students about government structure and the honest role of the US Armed Forces?
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.
Elementary students grow up and enter the adult world to find out that both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
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.
Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
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.
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 priority parking spots over at the grocery store.
Love to see a student ask: If The Troops fight for your right to sit, stand, kneel, etc.-why were black people still riding at the back of the bus after the big WWII victory?
Love to see a student ask: If the wars aren’t won-how can they protect our freedom?
Love to see a student ask: Whatever happened to lessons about Armistice Day?
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals Re: lessons learned on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.
Not here to say that most of what the Dept. of Defense touches turns to crap, but, if DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
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.
Top generals and politicians have a recruiting crisis on their hands. They will blame young people who are overweight. They will not blame a DOD brand that is known for decades of undeclared/unwon wars.
When do we get to vote our way out of undeclared/unwon wars?
Marketing Partnership Update
We are the very best at militarized pageantry for pro sports events.
TV newspeople perform like paid actors reading a script.
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
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?
Freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
In addition to freedoms possibly enjoyed by all adults, those who are 18-20 years old are placed in a land of the free holding pattern.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
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.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
When the US Armed Forces are sent to Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Vietnam, etc.-how is that defending the US Constitution-or our rights and freedoms, or our physical security?
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks not only shy away from asking questions, they promote urban legends about freedom.
To me, these are the very most interesting people in politics.
Some would say Liz Cheney is an example. Love to see GOP personalities question wasteful and ineffective US Dept of Homeland Security spending during all presidential administrations.
Love to see GOP personalities question wasteful and ineffective US Dept of Defense (nowhere to be found on 911) spending during all presidential administrations.
It feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. It has been this way for decades.
Love to see GOP personalities question why both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
Jimmy Dore
I have no loyalty to one political party or another.
I am attracted to what seems to be the most honest:
I had not been to church in decades. Mom took us to a different brand of church regularly back in the 70s. In that time we clocked in and out at church, but did not really lead a Christian lifestyle during the week. I was in boy scout troops sponsored by churches and they were one of the best parts of my childhood.
I have not been a religious person during my lifetime.
The church I visited recently was well attended with people who were warm and friendly and looked to be happy people.
The sermon set up a choice between going to hell or confessing sins and committing to Jesus to spend forever in paradise.
The part of a Christian life that makes sense to me today is joining a group of a few people to go help a little old lady by mowing her lawn and making a dump run or two.
Playing any role in order to earn everlasting life in paradise seems like a selfish motivation to me.
Presupposing that an unknown person has committed sins to a point that they must confess them or go to hell is a concept I do not feel connected to at this time.
“But as other schools deliberate shutting their doors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some parents may be left to wonder: If schools close, how will my child eat?”
I do not object to public assistance programs. The press should make an effort to keep the public informed on how these programs are working.
Again, I am not against public assistance programs, but did the WWII generation rely heavily on public school districts to feed their kids?
100 years ago, did families rely on school districts to feed their children to such an extent that, if school was shut down, school districts would scramble to fill busses with food and send it out into the neighborhoods?
If school shuts down, does the family still qualify for publicly funded food assistance? If food assistance programs remain in place outside of school-why would children be at risk of going hungry?
If the programs aren’t working-let’s hear all about it.
Both major parties have taken turns in power over a period of decades and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation. A wide variety of political personalities have occupied the White House.
The whole system is run by people who are college educated. Advances in technology have not been able to solve problems in various areas. Wars are common. We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam. Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
There are frequent articles in the news now that reveal concerns about voting rights being restricted. Is this really happening?
Personal history in Washington State:
I moved/returned to WA just over 20 years ago. At that time, voting was done in person at a polling place near the neighborhood where you were living.
A flag was posted outside the building. You checked in at a table, so a little old lady could find your name on her list. I would present my ID and my voter registration card. Cannot remember if this was a requirement.
My understanding was, that by presenting ID and allowing the volunteer to check your name, then hand you a ballot, you were accomplishing two important things:
Making sure that you would not vote twice.
Making sure that no other person would vote using your name.
I never saw this as a restriction of voting rights.
Later, WA went to an all mail in system, and in the several counties where I have lived, it all seemed to work very well.
Over the past 40 years or so, both major parties have taken turns in power and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation. A wide variety of political personalities have occupied the White House.
“But as other schools deliberate shutting their doors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some parents may be left to wonder: If schools close, how will my child eat?”
I do not object to public assistance programs. The press should make an effort to keep the public informed on how these programs are working.
Again, I am not against public assistance programs, but did the WWII generation rely heavily on public school districts to feed their kids?
100 years ago, did families rely on school districts to feed their children to such an extent that, if school was shut down, school districts would scramble to fill busses with food and send it out into the neighborhoods?
If school shuts down, does the family still qualify for publicly funded food assistance? If food assistance programs remain in place outside of school-why would children be at risk of going hungry?
If the programs aren’t working-let’s hear all about it.
I am interested in living in a free and honest society.
Political parties and personalities are not as interesting as what stays the same no matter who is elected to office.
Politics seems to be very much about political personalities and group identities and very little on news reporting and discussion about what the major parties stand for or believe in.
Both major parties seem to be OK with undeclared wars.
Love to see the press find out from elected officials how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
The Dept. of Defense has a truly poor track record with undeclared wars. This record goes back to 1949, the year DOD was established.
Wasteful and ineffective Homeland Security spending
A $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product from showing up in all 50 states.
This may trigger a Trump/Biden debate, but be honest, cartels remain in business no mater who is in the White House. The US Dept. of Homeland Security was created in the aftermath of 911. Is there any President since that time who was able to keep cartel product from arriving all over the US?
Pre-Biden:
Cartel Moves 180 Kilograms Of Meth From Mexico To Canada by Rail
The media seems to be run mostly by the D side of politics, certainly not by constitutional conservatives.
What are some constitutional conservative views on undeclared wars?
What are some constitutional conservative views on federal prohibition of marijuana?
What are some constitutional conservative views on treating 18-20 year old adults as second class citizens?
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
Both major parties promote the idea that US troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Both parties seem to be OK with undeclared wars, wasteful Homeland Security spending, federal prohibition of marijuana, treating 18-20 year old adults as 2nd class citizens and newspeople who play along by not asking questions.
Both major parties are OK with a glorification of military service and this total nonsense:
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
A big election season is very much about political personalities and group identities. Watch for political experts to reach out to latino, black, Asian American, and women voters. Surely, members of a specific group would think, act & vote as one?
The big election season is not very much about discussing and asking questions about things that do not change no matter what political party or personality is in power.
Look for newspeople to avoid asking candidates and elected officials of any party:
What do the major political parties belive in or stand for? Over the past 50 years or so, they have taken turns in power. Plenty of voting has taken place. Things are not better.
Long election seasons are not bringing out answers to these sorts of questions. Have newspeople had time to look into all this?
Newspeople have moved away from asking questions. Has anyone noticed?
Our questions appear in bold type.
Do Americans have an honest relationship with the US Armed Forces?
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
If The Troops defend American rights and freedoms, what becomes of those freedoms when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
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?
Newspeople remain silent.
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.
None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
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.
TV Newspeople Are Lazy – Reporting The News By Press Release
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest event. Newspeople post this statement as is.
Newspeople post whatever press release is handed off.
Was there any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war, linked to this movement of Iowa National Guard troops?
Has there been time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
The press is good for telling everybody to get out and vote.
People could do a better job of voting if they were better informed.
Newspapers are suppressing online comment sections, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Got it.
Life and Death Scenarios
COVID is a life and death situation for some people. Using or abusing cartel-sourced drugs is a life and death situation for some people.
When news/social media posts are created by federal employees, there’s no need to deal with any awkward/real questions from the press.
“The drugs — 1,950 pounds valued at $45 million — were sniffed out by a dog during a traffic stop involving a refrigerated tractor-trailer in Denton County on Oct. 8, the DEA said. They had been stashed inside a secret compartment of the truck.”
Anytime there is a plane crash, a loss at sea, or an industrial accident, a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to save lives by preventing future incidents.
Any investigation to find out how US Troops at the border, the big El Chapo takedown, opioid lawsuits, REAL ID, Homeland Security grant money, CBP social media posts, strict post 911/GWOT security protocols, and a $49.8 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security failed to keep cartel product from showing up in Denton County Texas?
Newspeople remain silent.
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for risking your ass in Iraq & Afghanistan-working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Don’t worry-
The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Both major parties and the press are OK with undeclared/unwon wars that never end.
President Biden has had a long career in politics. Have previous efforts Re: gun control failed to reduce gun crimes?
Random thoughts:
Has any state, ever in history, required proof of membership in a militia to purchase, transport, or carry, guns and ammo/participate in shooting sports, etc.
If enhanced background checks reduce gun crimes, why does the press avoid reporting or providing updates on enhanced background checks years after they have been put in place?
Same country 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.
The primary focus of several federal holidays is freedom.
None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
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.
American culture is big on talk. Not so big on discussion or aking questions. The Troops, Freedom, The Constitution. It’s all good for talk, school assemblies and pregame rituals.
Reality does not match up with the talk. The right time to discuss this never seems to come. A big election season isn’t the time. The talk will be of political parties and personalities. Maybe spouses, maybe dog breeds.
It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine-why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal prohibition of marijuana?
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
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.
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.
Love to see a student ask: If The Troops fight for your right to sit, stand, kneel, etc.-why were black people still riding at the back of the bus after the big WWII victory?
Love to see a student ask: If the wars aren’t won-how can they protect our freedom?
Love to see a student ask: Whatever happened to lessons about Armistice Day?
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
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.
Bruce Springsteen is out looking for freedom in his Jeep. Marketing agencies have not decided on showing masks in TV ads. Bruce wears no mask as he rides through the frozen heartland of America with the top down. Is that a battery powered Jeep? Probably not. Bruce has a newspaper with him and he is writing on a Cold War era spiral notebook.
Bruce,
Years ago, it was understood that some people preferred to smoke. Some preferred to be vegan. Some preferred to eat meat. Some preferred electric cars, some preferred a powerful truck to pull a horse trailer.
We don’t ask voters to pick the two most popular churches and make plans for government to eliminate the rest because they may be spreading misinformation.
A live and let live attitude is fading.
Will the powerful truck to pull a horse trailer still be OK?
Any executive orders aimed at undeclared/unwon wars that never end, federal prohibition of marijuana, and treating 18-20 year old adults as 2nd class citizens?
The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.
It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal prohibition of marijuana?
When the US Armed Forces are sent to Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Vietnam, etc.- how is that defending the US Constitution– or our rights and freedoms, or our physical security?
Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
American culture is good for dividing adults up into groups of first and second-class citizens.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
We’re often told that The Troops are in distant lands fighting for American rights and freedoms, and that we should thank them for defending our freedoms.
The reality is that freedoms may come and go.
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.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20. Can elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
“…LeVine, a 51-year-old former Microsoft and Expedia executive and U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein for three years in the Obama administration, is a longtime player in Democratic politics. She and her husband, Eric LeVine, gave more than $400,000 to the Biden campaign and other Democratic causes in 2019 and 2020, according to federal campaign records.”
Jan 2021
“And despite steady calls for her ouster following the fraud and other ESD problems, LeVine maintained the support of Inslee. LeVine “led the Employment Security Department through an extremely challenging time and I never doubted that she had the best interests of working Washingtonians at the heart of all her endeavors,” Inslee said in a statement Friday.”
“Employment Security Department (ESD) Commissioner Suzi LeVine, who came under fire for delays in unemployment benefit payments and the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars to fraud during the pandemic, is leaving her position to join the administration of President Joe Biden.”
Being on watch for fraud at Washington state’s Employment Security Department seems like it would be a normal part of the job, even if there was no pandemic.
Jan. 22, 2021 The Seattle Times
“Allies say she revived a dysfunctional and demoralized state agency. State Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, said that LeVine, who graduated from Brown University with an engineering degree, used her considerable technical and management expertise to help modernize an agency that had been slow to upgrade its systems.”
“She took an agency that was in the ditch … and I think she did an extraordinary job of turning that ship,” Carlyle said. “And then, [she] ran into the largest global pandemic in world history.”
Why did Governor Inslee allow this agency to struggle prior to July of 2018?
We are honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by forcing people to pay for bombing Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan, then lying and telling them that this is all to protect American rights and freedoms.
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
When the US Armed Forces are sent to Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Vietnam, etc.-how is that defending the US Constitution-or our rights and freedoms, or our physical security?
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Decades of politics and life in America leads us to the realization that both major parties are OK with undeclared/unwon wars that never end, wasteful Homeland Security spending, the drug war, federal prohibition of marijuana, treating 18-20 year old adults as 2nd class citizens, an ongoing glorification of military service, forced charity and newspeople who take a pass on asking questions on these issues.
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals Re: lessons learned on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.
The formal congressional declaration of war would also be the time for a careful review of important issues such as: PTSD, suicide, GTMO/torture, use of contractors, war crimes, a $6.4 trillion price tag, lies about freedom, propaganda, dressing women to look like men, exit strategy, mission creep, nation building, reduction of traditional military benefits offered when people signed up to stay on for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, who should register for the draft, etc.
Wasteful Homeland Security spending
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
What We Have Now
A $51.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product from showing up all over the US.
Billions of dollars spent every 12 months to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest drug bust/federal grant money award, etc. Newspeople post this statement as is.
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.
Freedom Re: marijuana?
Still controversial.
Treating 18-20 year old adults as 2nd class citizens
Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
American culture is good for dividing adults up into groups of first and second-class citizens.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
We’re often told that The Troops are in distant lands fighting for American rights and freedoms, and that we should thank them for defending our freedoms.
The reality is that freedoms may come and go.
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.
None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
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.
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
When the US Armed Forces are sent to Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Vietnam, etc.-how is that defending the US Constitution-or our rights and freedoms, or our physical security?
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Tax money-which some people intend to be used to help others via public assistance programs-also goes for failed wars that never end.
Helping others by donating to churches or private charities, food banks, etc. can avoid these conflicts.
Donors are free to opt out if a charity misbehaves.
People could keep more of their own money to donate to causes of their choosing if the federal government was not taking it to pay for wasteful programs.
Newspeople who take a pass on asking questions on these issues
The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks are welcome to do interviews related to public policy. Unfortunately, they seem to have moved away from asking questions.
Ready to purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper that will show initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
“But the Washington State Patrol looked the other way, even setting up barriers during the nearly three weeks of nighttime protests on the freeway.”
After enabling criminal conduct, WSP will no longer enable criminal conduct:
“Blocking a freeway is a crime and no longer are we going to enable that criminal conduct to continue,” said State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead, who made the decision to no longer close the interstate. “We are not going to be allowing protesters to access the freeway unimpeded, and there are consequences for criminal conduct.”
If the Girl Scouts or the KKK enter the interstate and block traffic/risk public safety people must be able to count on elected officials and LE agencies to do their job.
Maybe there is a minimal terror threat these days.
If suicide bombers with concealed explosives packed on their bodies wanted to disrupt American society at the US Capitol, it looks like there would be no SWAT team to keep them out or to have them show ID and pass through the metal detector.
US Troops at the border, REAL ID, Homeland Security grant money, CBP social media posts, strict post 911/GWOT security protocols, a $51.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security, border wall efforts and the Post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, etc.) appear to have played no role in preventing these crimes:
The War on Terror has prompted law enforcement authorities to calm the public by looking into the future and announcing that no credible threat exists.
“While officials say there are no credible threats following the bombing in Nashville, Long Island residents say they are still concerned.”
Where was the threat forecast before the Nashville event?
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it-surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, mass casualty shootings, etc.
Credibility of LE and elected officials at all levels of government is questionable.
Seattle protests on I-5 go on for 19 nights. Washington State Patrol allows Interstate highway public safety protocols to be suspended until a fatality after dark one night.
I do not favor the ugly side of politics. When I was younger, both major parties took turns in the White House. It was routine. It did not involve the TV making claims that this is the most important election in our lifetimes, etc.
I think the ugly side of politics is a reaction that comes from trying to force a one size fits all society.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20. Can elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
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?
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, Real ID, tracking of cell phones, etc.) appears to have played no role in preventing these crimes.
Good thing these guys were not part of a professional mercenary hit squad or suicide bombers with concealed explosives packed on their bodies. It looks like there would have been no SWAT team to keep them out or to have them show ID and pass through the metal detector.
What failed?
A second grade teacher making small children recite a pledge to a flag?
“Police seized five guns and arrested at least 13 people during the violent protests involving supporters of President Trump at the Capitol on Wednesday…”
Did the sergeant-at-arms and multiple law enforcement agencies fail?
Jimmy Carter at age 96 will not travel to the inauguration ceremony. He is a Navy veteran, known for teaching Sunday school and building houses for the needy. No scandals involving business dealings, cheating on his wife, etc.
Mitt Romney
Respectable politician. No scandals involving business dealings, cheating on his wife, etc.
I do not favor the ugly side of politics. When I was younger, both major parties took turns in the White House. It was routine. It did not involve the TV making claims that this is the most important election in our lifetimes, etc.
I think the ugly side of politics is a reaction that comes from trying to force a one size fits all society.
Suppressing choices
Years ago, it was understood that some people preferred to smoke. Some preferred to be vegan. Some preferred to eat meat. Some preferred electric cars, some preferred a powerful truck to pull a horse trailer.
I’m thinking back to maybe the 1980s. I am thinking of a guy who is a Democrat. He works in an auto plant somewhere in Ohio, Michigan or Indiana. He is a member of a union. His union supports the Democratic Party and the party supports his union.
When he is not at work, he enjoys towing his boat to the lake to go fishing. He enjoys deer hunting, camping, and tailgating at college & pro football games. He is a family man. He likes to fix up old cars.
Sounds like somebody I could get along with.
2020
There is a perception that democrats may be OK with rioting. They may hate police, or maybe they are just OK with a political party where some do. They want to put an end to cars powered by internal combustion engines. They predict worst-case scenarios related to climate change. They believe you should turn in your guns. A bbq grill, like a Weber probably isn’t a good idea because it will add to a carbon footprint. Ditto for campfires.
Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe the people who support the Democratic Party fully reject riots, arson, mob violence, causing personal injuries, blocking traffic, property damage, and destruction of businesses and loss of life during protests.
I would let restaurant people run restaurants. They have an incentive to keep their customers safe and happy.
I would let church people run churches. Dozens of choices for worship would be in place. Each place of worship would be free of any mandates handed down by the Governor’s office. People would be free to attend any church or none at all.
I would let businesspeople run fitness centers.
I would let the owners of bars and taverns decide on indoor smoking, serving times, closing times, etc.
Bars and taverns to allow consumption of marijuana? Yes.
No furnishing to minors. No driving while impaired. Same rules as for alcohol.
Customers would support or walk away from the businesses of their choosing.
A man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment.
Much has changed.
Over the past 50 years or so, both major parties have taken turns in power and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation. A wide variety of political personalities have occupied the White House.
We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam to stay safe.
Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
Even in a big election season, the press avoids digging into issues. Coverage is more about political personalities/teams and telling people to be sure to vote.
People grew tired of standard politicians and a made for TV press that had moved away from asking questions.
Here in WA, protests became mob violence featuring arson, personal injuries, blocking traffic, property damage, destruction of businesses & loss of life.
TV newspeople still called them protests.
The Science
0:29
Here in WA, we were told that COVID-19 is a life and death concern requiring regular people to stay home from work while marijuana and booze sales are essential.
The state took money from some people, and gave it to some other people.
If your construction crew is working on a project based on any sort of voluntary exchange or honest demand for services, you might have to stay home for a while.
Marijuana and telling people they must stay home from work
Governor Inslee went wrong when marijuana shops in WA were declared essential while people with regular jobs were told to stay home because of virus concerns.
The state took money from some people, and gave it to some other people.
If your construction crew is working on a project based on any sort of voluntary exchange or honest demand for services, you might have to stay home for a while.
“But the Washington State Patrol looked the other way, even setting up barriers during the nearly three weeks of nighttime protests on the freeway.”
After enabling criminal conduct, WSP will no longer enable criminal conduct:
“Blocking a freeway is a crime and no longer are we going to enable that criminal conduct to continue,” said State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead, who made the decision to no longer close the interstate. “We are not going to be allowing protesters to access the freeway unimpeded, and there are consequences for criminal conduct.”
People will say there was less voting during the primary, so it was easier to manage. Seems like that was a great time to spot weak areas and make a move to prevent any future problems.
Whatever state you live in, there are 49 others that perform similar government functions Re: DMV, liquor sales laws, voting, etc. Why not pick one of the states that are most efficient at managing voting and go with their methods.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Does the process involve reaching for an honest understanding of what the major political parties believe in?
American popular and political culture insists on dividing people up into groups-then assigning a separate value to each group. Surely, members of a specific group would think, act & vote as one?
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
Went to vote the other day. No hassles about ID, proper postmark, waiting in lines, bad weather, protestors, people wearing shirts with political messages, curfews, people operating video cameras in a public place, flag burning, law enforcement response, surveillance, intimidation, Russian interference, any other sort of interference, or exit interviews.
I live in a location that has had a mail-in voting system for years now. The county’s reputaion for getting the job done is good.
Took some time and filled out the ballot. Drove to a nearby location where a mail drop box and a county ballot drop box are not too far apart. I decided to use the county drop box.
No hassles about ID, proper postmark, waiting in lines, bad weather, protestors, people wearing shirts with political messages, curfews, people operating video cameras in a public place, flag burning, law enforcement response, surveillance, intimidation, Russian interference, any other sort of interference, or exit interviews.
The press is good for telling everybody to get out and vote.
People could do a better job of voting if they were better informed.
Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Newspapers are suppressing online comment sections, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Comments are shut down and we encourage you to keep the conversation going?
Looks like various US newspapers made use of this statement. See them here.
No hate speech, insults, threats, foul language, attacking other commenters, etc. These are rules that make sense.
Eliminating the opportunity for all to follow some basic rules and comment is information suppression.
Over the years, I’ve seen some really good points brought up in the comments section. Manage it, don’t ban it.
Independent/alternative media
We are big fans of Independent/alternative media here at Oak Bay Starfish.
The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks are more welcome to do interviews related to public policy. Unfortunately, they seem to have moved away from asking questions.
Alternative media is also good about keeping an active comment section up & running. There’s always something to learn or think about from the points others make in the comment section.
“Justice for Seattle voters prevailed in today’s Supreme Court ruling on I-976,” Tweeted Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.
Will of the Voters
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture.
Question for newspeople:
How do issues get approved and make it to the ballot if it would not be legal for voters to decide?
Faith in Voting
People may begin to lose faith in voting if it seems they are being pulled into a bait and switch scenario, or something that works like a carnival game.
Glorification of military service / total nonsense:
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
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.
Is there any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war, linked to this movement of troops?
The press is also good for telling everybody to get out and vote.
People could do a better job of voting if they were better informed.
Newspapers are suppressing online comment sections, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Got it.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
