If President Barack Obama wins reelection, I would like everyone to print this out and put it away for safe-keeping.
Why? You may ask.
Simply this:
1. If he is reelected you will be soon unable to read this due to the onrush of censorship that will engulf the nation.
2. Our 2nd Amendment rights will be curtailed.
3. We will quickly move into a second recession that will see OFFICIAL unemployment stay around 8%, though actual unemployment will move to levels unseen America since the Great Depression.
4. The military will be gutted.
5. America’s energy dependence will increase dramatically, and gas prices will explode.
6. General Motors will collapse.
7. America will renounce its alliance with Israel and war will engulf the Middle East again.
8. Iran will produce and PUBLICLY detonate a nuclear bomb, perhaps over Israel.
These are my predictions. Print them out, file them away, and in four years look at them again. If I’m wrong, I will admit it and produce a mea culpa for you. But I won’t have to.
“If America reelects Barack Obama to a second term, we deserve all the misery that will ensue. “
Representative Allen West,
Republican-Florida
27 October 2012
Truth and Prejudice
"Bullshit," he proclaimed. "Everyone is prejudiced about SOMEthing. It might be lawyers, or truck drivers, or another race.” And it was true. He then made the profound argument that where we will make a difference is how hard we work to fight that prejudice.
During that same period, there was another colleagues of mine who stunned me with a comment I always try to keep in perspective to this day. And I remember the shock I felt, and STILL do, when this colleague looked me in the eye and told me that he didn’t trust “really dark-skinned (black) folk.” You see, he was also black, just like my first colleague.
So, yeah, I am prejudiced.
I am so grateful for that period in my life. I worked for nearly three years in a sawmill in the deep south of the United States. Many of the men who worked there were the fathers, uncles and brothers of people I had gone to high school with, played football and ran track with, and one in particular sticks out. He was the father of a classmate and fellow football teammate. He worked hard and saw all of his half-dozen-or-so children attend college. And he was a completely illiterate black man. To this day I have the utmost respect for that man. He married and had children, and worked to provide for them. He didn't want help or handouts from anyone or anything. He helped to show me what life and the world and the people who live in it are all about.
What brought all this on? It was an NBC news poll (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/27/14740413-ap-poll-majority-harbor-prejudice-against-blacks?threadId=3598754&commentId=71479014#c71479014) that gauged racial attitudes between 2008 and 2012. It found that “a slight majority of Americans now express prejudice toward blacks…”
Well, we ARE all prejudiced in some way. Think about it. Is it lawyers you have a bad attitude about? Or barristas at Starbucks? How about cops? Maybe anorexic-looking supermodels? Or overweight people? Or maybe the homeless? Seriously, you know what your prejudices are. We all do. But, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW THAT WANT TO BE PREJUDICED? I would wager that it is darned few.
If you're a friend of mine, you that I'm one of that group. But, my former colleague was right. We do all have prejudices.
I have spent all my adult life working hard to see past and through race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sexual preference, class, etc., and try equally as hard to understand people. I want to see through other’s eyes. And I refuse to allow others to classify ME by what they THINK they see. Clearly, it is how we contol, and how affective we are at controlling and defeating our prejudices that make us “color blind,” to use a more pointed term.
In the past six years I have been accused because of my political views of being a racist, a mysoginist, a sexist, a homophobe, and so-on-and-so-forth. And it hurts. Not so much because I am one or all of these things (remember, I am prejudiced), but rather because of the effort I have expended over the years to try to ensure I was NOT any of those things. It hasn’t been easy.
But, because of my efforts, I have cherished and dear friends, colleagues and acquaintances who are black, white, oriental and Hispanic. They are men and women, homosexual and heterosexual. They are corporate CEOs and presidents, and dirt-poor and in-between. They are lawyers and cops, fat and thin, short and tall, warriors (of at least a dozen nations) and draft dodgers, and they are smart and, well, dumb. They include Christians, Jews, Druids, pagans and Muslims, and complex combinations of all. They are all my friends, my colleagues, my acquaintances and I cherish them all, though admittedly some more than others. Interestingly, most of the people I see as enemies are the same race as I! But, as I have been taught by Jesus and my Christian upbringing, I love them all. Though, admittedly, I do love some more than others.
So it was with more than a little interest I read the NBC News article and the comments that followed. In the end, what I wonder most is just how much of this negative attitude, this prejudice, covered in the poll has to do with the gross mismanagement, corruption, and policies of division that have been practiced by the First Black President? A president I love as a human and a man.
But whose policies I deplore.
I guess that's ANOTHER prejudice I'll have to work on.
19 September 2012
Muslim Rage Against America is Because of Israel?
On one of my groups the question was asked, "Why do muslims hate the US?"
I answered, "Six letters: I-S-R-A-E-L. Israel is 4/10 of 1% of the total area of the Middle East, but the problem is that Israel demonstrates and magnifies everything that is wrong with the Arab culture and the other 99.6% of the Middle East."
Then the site administrator asked for a clarification, "What do you mean by this? Why is it Israel's fault?" He asked this because he had received five-or-six anti-semitic replies and wanted to make sure of the direction of my comments. I replied,
"It's not Israel's fault, unless you want to blame the existence of Israel itself. Israel occupies all of 4/10 of 1% of the Middle East. They have no oil and almost no natural resources. The Arabs have 99.6% of the territory, huge amounts of oil and more natural resources than Israel. We also know that BOTH Israel and an Arab state were mandated by the UN. And, of course, the Arabs did everything to destroy the mandate in 1948 and lost spectacularly to a nation that had no real armed forces, and what they did have was mostly obsolescent or pieced together. And Arabs have been angry ever since. NOW, we (the US) are the only TRUE supporter of Israel and because of that support, NO MATTER what we do for or against muslims, they will hate us simply because of our support for Israel, the one and only, true, liberal, democratic government in the region.
"Romney was right. Israel's culture, democracy and immigrant polpulation is the reason for Israel's success. The success of the society - tolerance, wealth, military prowess, equality, etc. - are anathema to muslim mores and ideals.
"The US has fought seven wars/military actions/policing operations since 1980 in efforts to assist muslims. Somalia was an effort to save muslims from starvation. Bosnia and Kosovo were efforts to save muslims from CHRISTIAN genocide. Kuwait and Iraq were to save muslims from MUSLIM genocide. Afghanistan was an effort to assist muslims fighting communism in the 1980's, and later to assist them in throwing off the yoke of a genocidal and injust muslim "theocracy."
"We've spent trillions in support of muslim nations. So, it comes down to Israel. It doesn't make sense, but that's it.
"Our support of Israel is the only reason that muslims dislike us."
I answered, "Six letters: I-S-R-A-E-L. Israel is 4/10 of 1% of the total area of the Middle East, but the problem is that Israel demonstrates and magnifies everything that is wrong with the Arab culture and the other 99.6% of the Middle East."
Then the site administrator asked for a clarification, "What do you mean by this? Why is it Israel's fault?" He asked this because he had received five-or-six anti-semitic replies and wanted to make sure of the direction of my comments. I replied,
"It's not Israel's fault, unless you want to blame the existence of Israel itself. Israel occupies all of 4/10 of 1% of the Middle East. They have no oil and almost no natural resources. The Arabs have 99.6% of the territory, huge amounts of oil and more natural resources than Israel. We also know that BOTH Israel and an Arab state were mandated by the UN. And, of course, the Arabs did everything to destroy the mandate in 1948 and lost spectacularly to a nation that had no real armed forces, and what they did have was mostly obsolescent or pieced together. And Arabs have been angry ever since. NOW, we (the US) are the only TRUE supporter of Israel and because of that support, NO MATTER what we do for or against muslims, they will hate us simply because of our support for Israel, the one and only, true, liberal, democratic government in the region.
"Romney was right. Israel's culture, democracy and immigrant polpulation is the reason for Israel's success. The success of the society - tolerance, wealth, military prowess, equality, etc. - are anathema to muslim mores and ideals.
"The US has fought seven wars/military actions/policing operations since 1980 in efforts to assist muslims. Somalia was an effort to save muslims from starvation. Bosnia and Kosovo were efforts to save muslims from CHRISTIAN genocide. Kuwait and Iraq were to save muslims from MUSLIM genocide. Afghanistan was an effort to assist muslims fighting communism in the 1980's, and later to assist them in throwing off the yoke of a genocidal and injust muslim "theocracy."
"We've spent trillions in support of muslim nations. So, it comes down to Israel. It doesn't make sense, but that's it.
"Our support of Israel is the only reason that muslims dislike us."
15 September 2012
The Liberal View
I read a letter to the editor the other day in North Carolina’s Fayetteville Observer newspaper that made me roll my eyes. The point of the letter, by a liberal writer, was ‘why do conservatives vote against their own self-interest?’ His point, of course, was that voting Democrat was better for you personally.
And I now believe he is right. He is right in that he was unknowingly pointing out the very stark differences between liberals and conservatives. Liberals vote in their own self interest. Conservatives vote for what they believe is in the best interest of the nation as a whole.
I believe that is why you see more conservatives in the military. Soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsman and airmen clearly serve for a higher cause – that of the nation and of the people. Conservatives consistently vote, promote and use their money to help others. Statistics show that if liberals gave to charity in the same amounts as conservatives, that charitable giving would increase 40%.
Clearly, giving away one’s money is not in one’s own interest, yet conservatives do it. A lot more than liberals.
Clearly, putting one’s self in harm’s way, with bullets flying, bombs and rockets dropping, and mortars falling, and roadside bombs exploding, is not in one’s own interest. Yet conservatives do it. A lot more than liberals.
I heard a commentary some years back, shockingly on National Public Radio, that concerned the commentator’s son, who had joined the US Marines in a time of war. This young man had knowingly joined what is and was arguably America’s most elite regular military force with the knowledge that he would serve in one of two places, and likely both – Iraq and Afghanistan. The commentator was stunned as friends, colleagues and acquaintances acted shocked that this man’s son would “waste his life” by serving them and the nation!
“Couldn’t he get into college?”
“Why would he do such a thing?”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
These were typical comments he received. When in Liberal America did serving your country become a mistake?
So clearly, the letter writer was right, especially in the viewpoint of the American liberal. Conservatives do act, vote and give against their own self interest. That’s because they know that their own self interest is not as important as the interest of the nation.
And conservatives act accordingly.
And I now believe he is right. He is right in that he was unknowingly pointing out the very stark differences between liberals and conservatives. Liberals vote in their own self interest. Conservatives vote for what they believe is in the best interest of the nation as a whole.
I believe that is why you see more conservatives in the military. Soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsman and airmen clearly serve for a higher cause – that of the nation and of the people. Conservatives consistently vote, promote and use their money to help others. Statistics show that if liberals gave to charity in the same amounts as conservatives, that charitable giving would increase 40%.
Clearly, giving away one’s money is not in one’s own interest, yet conservatives do it. A lot more than liberals.
Clearly, putting one’s self in harm’s way, with bullets flying, bombs and rockets dropping, and mortars falling, and roadside bombs exploding, is not in one’s own interest. Yet conservatives do it. A lot more than liberals.
I heard a commentary some years back, shockingly on National Public Radio, that concerned the commentator’s son, who had joined the US Marines in a time of war. This young man had knowingly joined what is and was arguably America’s most elite regular military force with the knowledge that he would serve in one of two places, and likely both – Iraq and Afghanistan. The commentator was stunned as friends, colleagues and acquaintances acted shocked that this man’s son would “waste his life” by serving them and the nation!
“Couldn’t he get into college?”
“Why would he do such a thing?”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
These were typical comments he received. When in Liberal America did serving your country become a mistake?
So clearly, the letter writer was right, especially in the viewpoint of the American liberal. Conservatives do act, vote and give against their own self interest. That’s because they know that their own self interest is not as important as the interest of the nation.
And conservatives act accordingly.
29 July 2012
The Final Straw
I am not, nor have I ever been a racist, a sexist, or any other "ist." I am an American.
I refuse to see color, or race, or religion, or national origin. I have had, and continue to have, dear, close, wonderful friends who are white, black, yellow, red, brown, mixed, men, women, straight and homosexual, Asian, European, South and Latin American, African, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, Christian of numerous denominations, wealthy, poor, blue collar, white collar, retired, veterans, and others too numerous to mention. I consider them all friends and colleagues. Okay folks, I'm sayin' it here. I am venting. Why?
I am a TEA Party Patriot. And I am just beginning to tire of the unwarranted and unverified accusations and attacks on me, my family, my friends and fellow Americans who oppose what we see as government-out-of-control. But because we feel that our Federal Government and our current president have overstepped the bounds of the Founder's intent, and on many occasions our Constitution, we are "haters."
I do not hate. I may not LIKE you, but I love you as commanded by Jesus. Nevertheless, opposition to our current government brings out the accusers, calling me and others racists, homophobes, haters, et al. And if you haven't already noticed, EVERY time some psycho in America attempts, or performs, a violent attack, every pundit out there jumps to link them to the TEA Party. But, it never holds. To date, not a SINGLE violent act has been linked to the TEA Party. Not one. None. Zero. That can't be said about the Occupy movement or their liberal cohorts.
And I am just tired and fed up with it all.
I'm sorry, folks, but if you have only the hate card to defend your view versus mine, I would have to say your view is indefensible. I do NOT need to prove my credentials. I've already proven them by who I choose to associate with, who I chose to be my friends, and how I treat all those around me - with kindness, deference, and respect. I do not need to justify a position based on my life experience and historical fact. And I certainly shouldn't have to justify my association with a group that has no history of violence, racism, sexism, or any other "ism." I'm tired of it. I'm fed up with it. I've had it. And the gloves are off.
Starting now, I will call names, be ugly, make accusations, just like all those on the left (except my accusations will be based on fact). Just a warning liberal America. I'm pretty sure I won't be the only one.
09 February 2012
Back in the USA
Well, I’m home from Germany. It was snowing the day I left, the first time in over a month. Ironically, I was in Southern Germany six days earlier and saw quite a bit of snow in Stuttgart.
A week earlier I had gone with a friend, Corwin Gal, north to Gothenburg, Sweden. He was picking up his new Volvo at the factory and asked if I would like to go along as his co-driver. Gothenburg was bare of snow! Sweden was really interesting. What I found surprising was that everyone I met there spoke excellent English. When we arrived at the hotel, I asked whether they spoke English, fully prepared to ask if they spoke German if the answer was “no.” The young woman behind the desk looked and said, “Of course I speak English!” In my mind I was thinking, ‘Of course? Hey, I’m in Sweden. What else would you speak?’ Much of the television programming, like most of Europe, is American and British English language shows. For instance, I watched NCIS in English on Swedish TV, with Swedish subtitles. There are less than ten million Swedes, so it’s not cost effective to dub over the shows in Swedish.
Denmark, like Sweden, was incredibly expensive. Our meal in Copenhagen cost us $70 each! I would leave Europe with Euros, Swedish Kroner and Danish Kronor, and US dollars in my wallet. Most interestingly, to me, were the differences between the close Scandinavian neighbors. Sweden was easily the most “American” European nation I saw. Large autos predominate, and the streets, despite the age of the cities, were wide. Additionally, outside the cities were wide open spaces and large homes. The terrain reminded me a great deal of the Delmarva Peninsula.
Copenhagen, on the other hand, was a more typical European city. Their difference was the MASSIVE use of bicycles, even in the dead of winter. Every street in Copenhagen had bike lanes and everyone, it seemed, was riding a bike in the January cold. Bicycle racks were more common than auto parking spaces, and to be honest, it was a good thing. If all the people in Copenhagen had cars instead of bicycles, Corwin and I would STILL be stuck in Danish traffic!
So, I made it through the clearing process, mailed home my tools, and packed my bags. Clearing German Customs and the normal hassle through security were surprisingly easy. The flight wasn’t uneventful, as the Delta Air Lines Boeing 777 was improperly loaded and out of CG, so as we began taxiing away from the gate at Frankfurt Main Airport were quickly diverted to another spot on the ramp and a pallet was unloaded from the aircraft. As we pulled up to have the pallet unloaded the pilot announced that he anticipated a ten-minute delay. 57 minutes later we finally taxied out to the runway. As a result, we took off an hour late. Happily, the airplane was nowhere near full so I and everyone else were able to stretch out in their own row. Nice.
The flight was smooth, but there was cloud cover all over Europe. It began to break up at the Western Irish coast, but was spotty over the Atlantic. I tried hard to spot icebergs, Iceland and Greenland from 30,000 feet, but all I saw was occasional whitecaps. Thankfully, the clouds cleared completely just before Labrador, Canada. Watching the ice pack and bare coast of the Canadian Shield, covered in snow was amazing. I observed a small town (maybe 30-to-40 buildings) below on the Northeast Canadian coast with an airstrip above on the hilltop, and a single road leading out of town to literally nowhere. And I think I spied a famous ice road.
Since arriving in South Carolina, I’ve been to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (now THERE’S an awkward title), and I’ve called and gone online to the Texas Workforce Commission. I bought a new sink and plumbing items, began to tear out our second bathroom, and have had to begin training my daughter’s dog to stay off the furniture and the bed, and the cats to stay off the kitchen table and counters (yuck!), as the wife will not discipline the animals.
Additionally, I bought a new 18-inch Husqvarna chain saw, and I’ve cut and cleared some trees and stumps in the yard, pulled up some vines, and burned it all in the backyard. We threw a party the week after I arrived and had a wonderful time with friends and family. AND there’s the unpacking. Clothes, books, magazines, tools, etcetera. On the upside, everyone loved their gifts.
So far, what I miss about Europe is the incredible food and the history. I also miss responsible, educated drivers and the laws and law enforcement enforcing those laws. I DON’T miss the traffic cameras.
A week earlier I had gone with a friend, Corwin Gal, north to Gothenburg, Sweden. He was picking up his new Volvo at the factory and asked if I would like to go along as his co-driver. Gothenburg was bare of snow! Sweden was really interesting. What I found surprising was that everyone I met there spoke excellent English. When we arrived at the hotel, I asked whether they spoke English, fully prepared to ask if they spoke German if the answer was “no.” The young woman behind the desk looked and said, “Of course I speak English!” In my mind I was thinking, ‘Of course? Hey, I’m in Sweden. What else would you speak?’ Much of the television programming, like most of Europe, is American and British English language shows. For instance, I watched NCIS in English on Swedish TV, with Swedish subtitles. There are less than ten million Swedes, so it’s not cost effective to dub over the shows in Swedish.
Denmark, like Sweden, was incredibly expensive. Our meal in Copenhagen cost us $70 each! I would leave Europe with Euros, Swedish Kroner and Danish Kronor, and US dollars in my wallet. Most interestingly, to me, were the differences between the close Scandinavian neighbors. Sweden was easily the most “American” European nation I saw. Large autos predominate, and the streets, despite the age of the cities, were wide. Additionally, outside the cities were wide open spaces and large homes. The terrain reminded me a great deal of the Delmarva Peninsula.
Copenhagen, on the other hand, was a more typical European city. Their difference was the MASSIVE use of bicycles, even in the dead of winter. Every street in Copenhagen had bike lanes and everyone, it seemed, was riding a bike in the January cold. Bicycle racks were more common than auto parking spaces, and to be honest, it was a good thing. If all the people in Copenhagen had cars instead of bicycles, Corwin and I would STILL be stuck in Danish traffic!
So, I made it through the clearing process, mailed home my tools, and packed my bags. Clearing German Customs and the normal hassle through security were surprisingly easy. The flight wasn’t uneventful, as the Delta Air Lines Boeing 777 was improperly loaded and out of CG, so as we began taxiing away from the gate at Frankfurt Main Airport were quickly diverted to another spot on the ramp and a pallet was unloaded from the aircraft. As we pulled up to have the pallet unloaded the pilot announced that he anticipated a ten-minute delay. 57 minutes later we finally taxied out to the runway. As a result, we took off an hour late. Happily, the airplane was nowhere near full so I and everyone else were able to stretch out in their own row. Nice.
The flight was smooth, but there was cloud cover all over Europe. It began to break up at the Western Irish coast, but was spotty over the Atlantic. I tried hard to spot icebergs, Iceland and Greenland from 30,000 feet, but all I saw was occasional whitecaps. Thankfully, the clouds cleared completely just before Labrador, Canada. Watching the ice pack and bare coast of the Canadian Shield, covered in snow was amazing. I observed a small town (maybe 30-to-40 buildings) below on the Northeast Canadian coast with an airstrip above on the hilltop, and a single road leading out of town to literally nowhere. And I think I spied a famous ice road.
Since arriving in South Carolina, I’ve been to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (now THERE’S an awkward title), and I’ve called and gone online to the Texas Workforce Commission. I bought a new sink and plumbing items, began to tear out our second bathroom, and have had to begin training my daughter’s dog to stay off the furniture and the bed, and the cats to stay off the kitchen table and counters (yuck!), as the wife will not discipline the animals.
Additionally, I bought a new 18-inch Husqvarna chain saw, and I’ve cut and cleared some trees and stumps in the yard, pulled up some vines, and burned it all in the backyard. We threw a party the week after I arrived and had a wonderful time with friends and family. AND there’s the unpacking. Clothes, books, magazines, tools, etcetera. On the upside, everyone loved their gifts.
So far, what I miss about Europe is the incredible food and the history. I also miss responsible, educated drivers and the laws and law enforcement enforcing those laws. I DON’T miss the traffic cameras.
01 January 2012
Thoughts on Leaving the Old World
As you likely know, I am an aviation contractor living in Germany working for a defense contractor on US Army, and other allies, helicopters. It has been an exciting time for me as I learned quite a bit from a variety of people whose experiences run the gamut from the armed services of the US, Great Britain, South Africa, the former-Rhodesia, Germany and others, to manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing, to people have have contracted nearly all their careers. It has been a really wonderful experience professionally.
And, of course, outside work I have met people who escaped communism by fleeing or by simply walking away as the weight of socialism came crashing down around them. There is the one who fought against Robert Mugabe with the Rhodesian Air Force, and the retired Deutsche Post (German Post Office) worker raised as Hitler Youth. There was Kurt, the former East German who built and serviced cranes worldwide, and who rode to Daytona's Bike Week on a Kawasaki. He was welcomed with open arms when he feigned a lack of English-language proficiency and laid on a thick German accent ("You can't come in here on THAT!" 'Bitte?' "Where're you from?" 'Deutschla.., uh, Germany.') So many stories, so much rich history, and I have found that it IS true that a big difference between Europeans and Americans is that Americans think 300 years is a long time, and that Europeans think 300 miles is a long trip (even if you can take it in your car at 200 mph!)
There are many things I will miss in Europe. The incredible history that is literally around EVERY corner is certainly one. The incredible public transportation system is another. The extensive bike trails and lanes all over the country are very useful, and I have made extensive use of them almost daily, commuting on my bicycle 11 kilometers (about 6.7 miles) to-and-from work each way.
And despite the German reputation for arrogance, I have found them to be very kind and welcoming as soon as they realized I was trying to learn their language and customs. It can be frustrating to try and learn a language and after saying something in the second language, having the person you're speaking to answer in English, "Can I help you?" or "Is there anything else?" Realizing I was trying to learn, their compassionate answer was to make it easier by speaking to me in English. I was so tempted on many occasions to say, "Yes! Please reply in German so I can learn!"
I will miss the English Church of Heidelberg, a wonderful, small, Anglican congregation with a parish deep in Old Heidelberg. Sharing the parish with a local Old Catholic congegration, Easter Service/Mass was incredible as a joint, dual language service in German and English. The English Church has German, Nigerian, British, American members, as well as one from Sierra Leone.
But, there are things I won't miss here. I will NOT miss US Army Garrison Baden-Wuerttemburg and their seemingly callous attitudes toward the people they support. Over a year before shutting down the local bases in Mannheim, the USO and library were closed! Additionally, the post theatre was shut down for renovations, reopened, and then closed less than a month later with signs posted stating the building had been deemed unsafe! (Your US tax dollars at work.)
I will NOT miss German radio. Folks if you think American radio programming is bad, try pulling up some German station on the internet. It's almost completely American Top 40, hip-hop and Euro-pop. The irony is that the concert scene here is unbelievable! Appearing here in Mannheim since I have arrived were Santana, Molly Hatchet, Skorpions, Peter Gabriel and so many others. Don't look for them on the radio, though.
Another thing I won't miss is the litter. Litter is all over the place here. Smoking is part or the cultural identity here and cigarette butts are everywhere, along with bottles, wrappers, boxes, paper, fast-food wrappers and cups. I have seen people standing outdoors beside a municipal waste basket toss their trash on the ground and walk away. Seemingly, there is no sense of personal responsibility concerning keeping their town and country clean.
Graffitti is everywhere, too. It is pervasive, and most of it is surprisingly artistic! I have even encountered a shop in Heidelberg's Old Town that catered to graffitti 'artists'!
While I like the autobahn and the freedom to drive as fast as I feel I can do safely, I'm not at all fond of Germany's other roads. It is amazing how many major roadways inside towns will be four lanes wide with a large median in the middle, lined with trees and flowers, and will end abruptly with no outlet whatsoever. Of course, on my bicycle, I can just take off down the nearest alley, sidewalk or path. And I have.
So, as I prepare to go home to South Carolina, I am excited about what adventure the Lord will send me on to next. I have yet to visit Auschwitz, Luxembourg or the other four mini-nations here in Europe. Sadly, too, I haven't been able to visit old friends in France, England and Ireland. But, I'm hopeful those opportunities will come. Time will tell.
And, of course, outside work I have met people who escaped communism by fleeing or by simply walking away as the weight of socialism came crashing down around them. There is the one who fought against Robert Mugabe with the Rhodesian Air Force, and the retired Deutsche Post (German Post Office) worker raised as Hitler Youth. There was Kurt, the former East German who built and serviced cranes worldwide, and who rode to Daytona's Bike Week on a Kawasaki. He was welcomed with open arms when he feigned a lack of English-language proficiency and laid on a thick German accent ("You can't come in here on THAT!" 'Bitte?' "Where're you from?" 'Deutschla.., uh, Germany.') So many stories, so much rich history, and I have found that it IS true that a big difference between Europeans and Americans is that Americans think 300 years is a long time, and that Europeans think 300 miles is a long trip (even if you can take it in your car at 200 mph!)
There are many things I will miss in Europe. The incredible history that is literally around EVERY corner is certainly one. The incredible public transportation system is another. The extensive bike trails and lanes all over the country are very useful, and I have made extensive use of them almost daily, commuting on my bicycle 11 kilometers (about 6.7 miles) to-and-from work each way.
And despite the German reputation for arrogance, I have found them to be very kind and welcoming as soon as they realized I was trying to learn their language and customs. It can be frustrating to try and learn a language and after saying something in the second language, having the person you're speaking to answer in English, "Can I help you?" or "Is there anything else?" Realizing I was trying to learn, their compassionate answer was to make it easier by speaking to me in English. I was so tempted on many occasions to say, "Yes! Please reply in German so I can learn!"
I will miss the English Church of Heidelberg, a wonderful, small, Anglican congregation with a parish deep in Old Heidelberg. Sharing the parish with a local Old Catholic congegration, Easter Service/Mass was incredible as a joint, dual language service in German and English. The English Church has German, Nigerian, British, American members, as well as one from Sierra Leone.
But, there are things I won't miss here. I will NOT miss US Army Garrison Baden-Wuerttemburg and their seemingly callous attitudes toward the people they support. Over a year before shutting down the local bases in Mannheim, the USO and library were closed! Additionally, the post theatre was shut down for renovations, reopened, and then closed less than a month later with signs posted stating the building had been deemed unsafe! (Your US tax dollars at work.)
I will NOT miss German radio. Folks if you think American radio programming is bad, try pulling up some German station on the internet. It's almost completely American Top 40, hip-hop and Euro-pop. The irony is that the concert scene here is unbelievable! Appearing here in Mannheim since I have arrived were Santana, Molly Hatchet, Skorpions, Peter Gabriel and so many others. Don't look for them on the radio, though.
Another thing I won't miss is the litter. Litter is all over the place here. Smoking is part or the cultural identity here and cigarette butts are everywhere, along with bottles, wrappers, boxes, paper, fast-food wrappers and cups. I have seen people standing outdoors beside a municipal waste basket toss their trash on the ground and walk away. Seemingly, there is no sense of personal responsibility concerning keeping their town and country clean.
Graffitti is everywhere, too. It is pervasive, and most of it is surprisingly artistic! I have even encountered a shop in Heidelberg's Old Town that catered to graffitti 'artists'!
While I like the autobahn and the freedom to drive as fast as I feel I can do safely, I'm not at all fond of Germany's other roads. It is amazing how many major roadways inside towns will be four lanes wide with a large median in the middle, lined with trees and flowers, and will end abruptly with no outlet whatsoever. Of course, on my bicycle, I can just take off down the nearest alley, sidewalk or path. And I have.
So, as I prepare to go home to South Carolina, I am excited about what adventure the Lord will send me on to next. I have yet to visit Auschwitz, Luxembourg or the other four mini-nations here in Europe. Sadly, too, I haven't been able to visit old friends in France, England and Ireland. But, I'm hopeful those opportunities will come. Time will tell.
02 October 2011
The Real Intent of the Constitution?
One advantage of working and living overseas, outside of the monetary ones, is that I get to see the way other nations and governments function, and how their people interact with them. Because of that, I am also able to contemplate from afar the way America is today, and how we differ.
With this in mind, it was a conversation with my wife the other day that triggered something that I feel is profound and really defines what our nation SHOULD be about.
Now, I have read the US Constitution, including all twenty-seven Amendments. If you would like to see an excellent website on the document and that highlight those portions that have been amended, I suggest http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html. I have done some study just of the document and am surprised at just how much of our Federal bureaucracy may be unconstitutional. (Interestingly, I have yet to get any answers to my questions concerning the commissioning of Army officer through Officer Candidate School and West Point. See Article. I. Section. 8.)
The thing that really dawned on me was the Constitution's Preamble, or at least a portion of it: "...provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare..."
Now, it is clear that the intent was to ensure that the nation could defend itself and promote what was best for all. That conversation with my wife was the moment that the ludicrousness of the American political argument between bread or guns was the most obvious. The COMMON welfare does not mean, nor has it ever meant, nor was it ever meant to be an excuse to give certain portions of the population "free" money. Our forefathers, and those of us who actually read and study history instead of just Us or People magazines, understood the problems inherent in Britain with a system of proprietary payments and stipends to certain groups by the government. It was NEVER meant for the government to pay for anything outside of the expenses for the direct functioning of the government.
One thing that IS certain, is that they did understand that defense was one of those expenses. The defense of the nation is certainly a common interest for all citizens, though it is clear that the founders never intended for a large standing army.
What is also clear is that the modern welfare system does NOT promote the general welfare, in that a small group of citizens see nearly half their tax dollars GIVEN to those who do not earn it. If the receivers of this wealth are actually "the working poor," it seams that they would be better off without paying taxes that they do pay, and not receiving funds seized from others.
One of our founding fathers stated that “We should make the poor uncomfortable and kick them out of their poverty.” That was Benjamin Franklin. The fact is that today's welfare system provides for poor Americans a darn good living. Between rent subsidies, food stamps, utility assistance, and welfare payments, the average poor person in America has a full, modern kitchen, air conditioning, a television, DVD player, stereo, cellular phone, car, Nike shoes, sport-team clothes, and as much liquor as he can buy. And all he needs to do is - nothing.
Does anyone REALLY believe this is what the founding fathers were after?
With this in mind, it was a conversation with my wife the other day that triggered something that I feel is profound and really defines what our nation SHOULD be about.
Now, I have read the US Constitution, including all twenty-seven Amendments. If you would like to see an excellent website on the document and that highlight those portions that have been amended, I suggest http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html. I have done some study just of the document and am surprised at just how much of our Federal bureaucracy may be unconstitutional. (Interestingly, I have yet to get any answers to my questions concerning the commissioning of Army officer through Officer Candidate School and West Point. See Article. I. Section. 8.)
The thing that really dawned on me was the Constitution's Preamble, or at least a portion of it: "...provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare..."
Now, it is clear that the intent was to ensure that the nation could defend itself and promote what was best for all. That conversation with my wife was the moment that the ludicrousness of the American political argument between bread or guns was the most obvious. The COMMON welfare does not mean, nor has it ever meant, nor was it ever meant to be an excuse to give certain portions of the population "free" money. Our forefathers, and those of us who actually read and study history instead of just Us or People magazines, understood the problems inherent in Britain with a system of proprietary payments and stipends to certain groups by the government. It was NEVER meant for the government to pay for anything outside of the expenses for the direct functioning of the government.
One thing that IS certain, is that they did understand that defense was one of those expenses. The defense of the nation is certainly a common interest for all citizens, though it is clear that the founders never intended for a large standing army.
What is also clear is that the modern welfare system does NOT promote the general welfare, in that a small group of citizens see nearly half their tax dollars GIVEN to those who do not earn it. If the receivers of this wealth are actually "the working poor," it seams that they would be better off without paying taxes that they do pay, and not receiving funds seized from others.
One of our founding fathers stated that “We should make the poor uncomfortable and kick them out of their poverty.” That was Benjamin Franklin. The fact is that today's welfare system provides for poor Americans a darn good living. Between rent subsidies, food stamps, utility assistance, and welfare payments, the average poor person in America has a full, modern kitchen, air conditioning, a television, DVD player, stereo, cellular phone, car, Nike shoes, sport-team clothes, and as much liquor as he can buy. And all he needs to do is - nothing.
Does anyone REALLY believe this is what the founding fathers were after?
18 September 2011
History Unfolding
This is not mine, but a confirmation of exactly what I have been saying fort the past five years by a man much more educated and scholarly than I. It was forwarded by a good friend, and it speaks volumes to anyone out there willing to read and listen. This isn't me talking; this is a man with a Doctorate in History from Harvard, and has taught there and at Carnegie Mellon. Those are credentials EVERY liberal loves! RGB
History Unfolding
I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.
Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.
We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why? We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy... Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)
Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change.. Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.
This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.
And that is only the beginning!
As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.
And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly (Much like Obama's SEIU thugs are doing today, RGB). And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.
How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ........ change. And the people surely got what they voted for.
If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.
So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.
Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.
I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.
I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.
David Kaiser
Jamestown , Rhode Island
David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C., Albany , New York , and Dakar, Senegal. He attended Harvard University, graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.
He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University. Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.
History Unfolding
I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.
Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.
We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why? We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy... Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)
Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change.. Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.
This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.
And that is only the beginning!
As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.
And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly (Much like Obama's SEIU thugs are doing today, RGB). And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.
How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ........ change. And the people surely got what they voted for.
If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.
So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.
Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.
I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.
I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.
David Kaiser
Jamestown , Rhode Island
David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C., Albany , New York , and Dakar, Senegal. He attended Harvard University, graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.
He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University. Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.
05 September 2011
World War II Stories in Print, on Film and as Oral History
In the past few years there has been a surge of new and interesting books and movies on the Second World War. I guess this should really be expected as so many of the "Greatest Generation" are leaving this World. Productions such as "Band of Brothers," "Saving Private Ryan," "Defiance" and the highly fictional "Inglorious Basterds" have helped to bring the greatest military cataclysm in history to a new generation. Additionally, I have encountered some amazing books recently such as "The Mascot," an incredible true story about a young Russian-Jewish boy who became the beloved mascot of a Latvian SS unit in World War II. Additionally, I have encountered some living personal histories here in Germany that are fascinating.
Just yesterday, I spoke with a Briton who spoke of his father, a Pole who fought at Arnhem in the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade fighting with the Brirish Army. The Poles were nearly destroyed by the defending Nazi SS troops (this action was dynamically portrayed in the classic "A Bridge To Far") when they made their much delayed jump into the Netherlands. This man fought in France at the beginning (he was there working in his father's business), was captured and sent to a concentration camp and escaped during a British air raid. He then found his way back to France and then to England where he was able to join the Polish Army in exile. This man's son, the man I met, became a British Para (as the British refer to their airborne troops), and is now retired and working as a contractor in the IT field here in Germany.
Then there is the landlord of one of my colleagues, who was eight when the "Amerikaner Panzers" (tanks) arrived in Sandhofen, less than ten miles from here. His mother warned him to "stay away from the Americans! They're here to kill Germans!" When he and his mother went to bed that night the American tanks were 100 yards down the road. When he awoke in the morning (before his mother awoke), an American tank was in their front yard. He quickly dressed and as most any eight-year-old boy would do, ran out to see the tank. "The soldiers gave me food and chocolate," he related to me in his broken English and my broken German. "I loved the Americans," he told me through a huge, chuckling grin.
Today, I rented a 'New Release' at the Army shoppette called "Max Manus, Man of War." I have seen this DVD over the past month sitting on the shelves and finally rented it. I looked at the cover and sort of expected another film in the same vein as "Inglorious Basterds." Instead, I found a gem of a Norwegian film based very closely on the exploits of a Scandanavian national hero. (In retrospect, I can imagine Warren Zevon using this man as the model for his 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.' If you've never heard it, check out Zevon's 1978 album "Excitable Boy." It was also the last song he ever performed publicly.)
Max Manus was a Norwegian mercenary infantry volunteer who went to Finland to fight the Soviets in the Winter War of 1939-1940. Despite odds of around 14-to-1, a lack of armor and a small, obsolescent air force, the Finns scored a miraculous tactical victory in the 3 1/2 months of war, fighting the communists to an embarassing and bloody stalemate. Nevertheless, sheer numerical superiority led Finland to relinquish nearly a quarter of its territory in the ensuing peace talks. Upon the German invasion of Norway in April of 1940 all the Norwegian volunteers, including Manus, were discharged from the Finnish military and sent home.
Upon his return to Norway, Manus and a boyhood friend formed a nascent resistance group that was eventually incorporated into the larger national resistance led by the Norwegian King Haakon 7, and his government- and military-in-exile.
It's a fascinating look at a small nation's efforts to stand up to overwhelming evil and might, and how the efforts of a few individuals can have far-reaching and positive effects despite truly overwhelming odds. It's a timeless story that, sadly, unfortunately, has lost most of its cachet in our current society.
Just yesterday, I spoke with a Briton who spoke of his father, a Pole who fought at Arnhem in the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade fighting with the Brirish Army. The Poles were nearly destroyed by the defending Nazi SS troops (this action was dynamically portrayed in the classic "A Bridge To Far") when they made their much delayed jump into the Netherlands. This man fought in France at the beginning (he was there working in his father's business), was captured and sent to a concentration camp and escaped during a British air raid. He then found his way back to France and then to England where he was able to join the Polish Army in exile. This man's son, the man I met, became a British Para (as the British refer to their airborne troops), and is now retired and working as a contractor in the IT field here in Germany.
Then there is the landlord of one of my colleagues, who was eight when the "Amerikaner Panzers" (tanks) arrived in Sandhofen, less than ten miles from here. His mother warned him to "stay away from the Americans! They're here to kill Germans!" When he and his mother went to bed that night the American tanks were 100 yards down the road. When he awoke in the morning (before his mother awoke), an American tank was in their front yard. He quickly dressed and as most any eight-year-old boy would do, ran out to see the tank. "The soldiers gave me food and chocolate," he related to me in his broken English and my broken German. "I loved the Americans," he told me through a huge, chuckling grin.
Today, I rented a 'New Release' at the Army shoppette called "Max Manus, Man of War." I have seen this DVD over the past month sitting on the shelves and finally rented it. I looked at the cover and sort of expected another film in the same vein as "Inglorious Basterds." Instead, I found a gem of a Norwegian film based very closely on the exploits of a Scandanavian national hero. (In retrospect, I can imagine Warren Zevon using this man as the model for his 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.' If you've never heard it, check out Zevon's 1978 album "Excitable Boy." It was also the last song he ever performed publicly.)
Max Manus was a Norwegian mercenary infantry volunteer who went to Finland to fight the Soviets in the Winter War of 1939-1940. Despite odds of around 14-to-1, a lack of armor and a small, obsolescent air force, the Finns scored a miraculous tactical victory in the 3 1/2 months of war, fighting the communists to an embarassing and bloody stalemate. Nevertheless, sheer numerical superiority led Finland to relinquish nearly a quarter of its territory in the ensuing peace talks. Upon the German invasion of Norway in April of 1940 all the Norwegian volunteers, including Manus, were discharged from the Finnish military and sent home.
Upon his return to Norway, Manus and a boyhood friend formed a nascent resistance group that was eventually incorporated into the larger national resistance led by the Norwegian King Haakon 7, and his government- and military-in-exile.
It's a fascinating look at a small nation's efforts to stand up to overwhelming evil and might, and how the efforts of a few individuals can have far-reaching and positive effects despite truly overwhelming odds. It's a timeless story that, sadly, unfortunately, has lost most of its cachet in our current society.
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