Disasters at Home and Abroad; From ISIS at Ramadi to riots at home, nothing is going right.

 

 The center of this culture is not holding. Even a few Democrats are worried that Hillary Clinton’s mendacities are unsustainable. More Americans privately confess that American foreign policy is dangerously adrift. They would agree that the U.S. no longer has a southern border, and will have to spend decades and billions of dollars coping with millions of new illegal aliens. Some Americans are starting to fear that the reckless borrowing under Obama will wreck the country if not stopped. . .

Victor Davis Hanson  . . . "Things are starting to collapse, abroad and at home. We all sense it, even as we bicker over who caused it and why.

"ISIS took Ramadi last week. That city once was a Bastogne to the brave Americans who surged to save it in 2007 and 2008. ISIS, once known at the White House as the “Jayvees,” were certainly “on the run” — right into the middle of that strategically important city.


"On a smaller scale, ISIS is doing to the surge cities of Iraq what Hitler did to his neighbors between 1939 and 1941, and what Putin is perhaps doing now on the periphery of Russia. In Ramadi, ISIS will soon do its accustomed thing of beheading and burning alive its captives, seeking some new macabre twist to sustain its Internet video audience. We in the West trample the First Amendment and jail a video maker for posting a supposedly insensitive film about Islam; in contrast, jihadists post snuff movies of burnings and
beheadings to global audiences. We argue not about doing anything or saving anybody, but about whether it is inappropriate to call the macabre killers “jihadists.”

"When these seventh-century psychopaths tire of warring on people, they turn to attacking stones, seeking to ensure that there is not a vestige left of the Middle East’s once-glorious antiquities. I assume the ancient Sassanid and Roman imperial site at Palmyra will soon be looted and smashed." . . .

Jeb Should Withdraw to Save the Country from Hillary

Roger L Simon
. . . "The Democratic Party looks determined to nominate a woman for president that a majority of the country thinks a liar.  A recent poll from NBC and the Wall Street Journal found a paltry 25% of Americans believe Hillary Clinton to be honest. And this is before Mrs. Clinton assumes office.  Who knows what would happen thereafter when so many presidents find themselves in crisis situations demanding courage and integrity?

"If Mrs. Clinton were to win the presidency, she would do so under a cloud of distrust unprecedented in any of our lifetimes.  She would have no honeymoon period and would not deserve one.  And this would be happening at a moment in history when the entire world is on a knife edge because of the rise of radical Islam and ISIS throughout the Middle East, Africa, South East Asia, Latin America and, increasingly, Europe, not to mention having to monitor the controversial nuclear deal with Iran, if and when such a thing is signed.

"More than ever, we would need a man or woman in the White House we could trust — yet so many of us wouldn’t.". . . Read more:

The oppression of political correctness

“Head Explosions”: The war on speech and the End of Discussion
 "On June 9, Crown Publishers will release a new book, End of Discussion: How the Left’s Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun), written by our own Guy Benson and Mary Katharine Ham. “They want to shut you up,” Guy and MK write, “but don’t let this be the End of Discussion.” The book encourages all Americans who value the open exchange of ideas to fight back against this strategic effort to make America less free, less feisty, and less fun." . . .

In leftist circles, participants vie viciously for the title of most socially aggrieved in pursuit of the ultimate social windfall—the sanitization of the public square of the arguments of one’s adversaries. We’re not the only ones who’ve noticed. A bevy of liberals in good standing, Bill Maher and Dan Savage among them, have felt the sting of violating the grievance hierarchy. Jonathan Chait, in a 2015 essay for New York magazine, called the “new p.c.” a “style of politics in which the more radical members of the left attempt to regulate political discourse by defining opposing views as bigoted and illegitimate.” This system, he wrote, “makes debate irrelevant and frequently impossible.”

http://liberallogic101.com/?p=25932

Women Now Demanding To Be Treated As Eggshells, Not Equals

 "[You can't have] the Stalinist situation we have in America right now, where any neurotic woman can make any stupid charge and destroy a man's reputation. If there is evidence of false accusation, the accuser should be expelled.

But on the TV you watch, women must dominate
. . . "Women head about 40 per cent of US households, make 85 per cent of purchasing decisions and run 40 per cent of US companies. Its an economic clout that can only get stronger."

 

 Lib Rag Vox Marks Memorial Day By Lamenting Fact Military Deserters And Draft Dodgers Don’t Get Their Own Holiday…

Deadspin Targets St. Louis Cardinals Mascot For Daring To Hold A ‘Police Lives Matter’ Sign  

"Who could think that a baseball team would disallow such a statement as controversial? But the Cardinals wimp out under pressure…"

DOJ Official: Slavery to Blame for Riots in Ferguson and Baltimore  "Megyn Kelly recently discussed the subject with conservative author Michelle Malkin, who analyzed the issue in a political context."

Stars and Stripes Op-Ed: Obama policies weaken military, embolden enemies

kingsjester

Congressman Doug Lamborn
 "President Obama made that bold pronouncement in his State of the Union address. Unfortunately, the reality of the Obama administration is the exact opposite: Obama’s weak foreign policy is masking how much damage his cuts to our military are doing.

"The weakness of the president’s foreign policy is painfully obvious. He won’t stand with our allies like France when they are hurting. He is sacrificing our relationship with Israel in a vain attempt to befriend Iran. He left our friends in Ukraine to their own devices as Russians invaded their country. Obama draws lines in the sand, and then immediately ignores them, making them meaningless to every nation in the world. Even his supposed foreign policy successes, like Libya, have devolved into disasters because of the politically motivated decision to lead from behind. Simply put, Obama is alienating our allies and aiding our enemies.

"Even liberal foreign policy leaders are growing more critical of Obama’s foreign policy. Leslie Gelb, a Carter and Clinton administration official and former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, recently wrote: “The Obama team lacks the basic instincts and judgment necessary to conduct U.S. national security policy in the next two years. It’s simply too dangerous to let Mr. Obama continue as is — with his current team and his way of making decisions.” . . .

America is weak, not Obama. . . "The military is our strongest and most patriotic link, and even its weakness is being exposed and exploited.

"The Bergdahl swap is the most recent example of Obama’s disregard for the military and rule of law. This act was tantamount to spitting in the face of our soldiers.

"Yet, Obama has refused to issue an apology. In fact, the administration told military and intelligence officials who opposed the release of these “high risk” detainees to “suck it up and salute.”

"Obama is also weakening the military and hurting morale by allowing open homosexuality. And he is purging the military of some of their best generals to reduce effectiveness and quash dissent."

This post reeks of anti-Clinton sexism. Do not read if you're offended easily

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Emails Cast More Guilt on Clinton and Obama  . . ."Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) issued his own statement praising Clinton for being so forthcoming. “The American people can now read all of these emails and see for themselves that they contain no evidence to back up claims that … Republicans have made for years.”

"So, according to Cummings, now that we have access to the slightest fraction of 50,000 emails that have been thus-far out of reach from the public record, we can plainly see that there is no smoking gun and we should leave Hillary Clinton alone and elect her emperor president already." . . .

http://liberallogic101.com/?p=25923

The Clinton Foundation admitted it received twenty-six million dollars of previously unreported donations from foreign nations Friday. The same day, Hillary's fundraising Super PAC reported they are having difficulty raising money. It's gotten so bad they may have to start reaching out to Americans.  Comedian Argus Hamilton

It’s unfair to question Hillary’s accomplishments as Secretary of State?
 "It is if you’re U.S. News & World Report’s Susan Milligan"
. . .  "Carly Fiorina said it best shortly after Hillary made her official 2016 candidacy announcement, “Hillary Clinton’s a highly intelligent woman, hardworking, she’s dedicated her life to public service but unfortunately she does not have a track record of accomplishment or transparency.' ”

DAMN THE TORPEDOES?: An oped in the WSJ today by former Navy Secretary John Lehman

 

DAMN THE TORPEDOES?:  An oped in the WSJ today by former Navy Secretary John Lehman excoriates President Obama’s decision to nominate Admiral John Richardson to the post of chief of naval operations, thus moving him out of his current position as director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP):

Working with the bipartisan leadership of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and the secretary of energy, we constructed  . . . a position having executive power to prevent meddling from the layers of bureaucracy that were creating chaos in most defense programs. Importantly, we gave the new incumbent [director of NNPP] complete control of the selection and training of personnel. To ensure that such a powerful executive stayed long enough to execute programs and ensure accountability, a nonrenewable term of eight years was established.

That successful effort was put into an executive order by President Reagan that has worked effectively for 34 years. . . . [The NNPP has] been protected from the 970,000 Pentagon bureaucrats whose paralyzing bloat has made a hash of most Army, Navy and Air Force weapon programs. The reason for Navy nuclear success is because there has always been one strong experienced person in charge and accountable, standing like a stone wall against the bureaucratic onslaught.

Admiral John M. Richardson

But by far the most important benefit from this unique arrangement is the fact that there hasn’t been a single nuclear accident in the seven decades that the U.S. Navy has operated hundreds of nuclear submarines, carriers and surface combatants.

President Obama’s nomination of a current director of the Navy’s nuclear program to be the next chief of Naval Operations puts this unique record at risk. If Adm. Richardson leaves the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, which he has headed for less than two years, all that was accomplished by the executive order will be swept aside. The job will become one more rung up the career ladder, a perch for ambitious admirals to use to interact with and please the politicians who have the power to elevate them to more glamorous positions.

Worst of all, if the job is seen as a steppingstone, a fraying of the zero-defects culture may begin and the possibility of a nuclear accident within the U.S. Navy may increase.

Yikes.

Obama Torpedoes the Nuclear Navy 
 "Wall Street Journal — The president disregards a policy that for decades has ensured effective leadership of the nuclear fleet.
"President Obama, possibly unaware of the implications, has made a mistake by nominating Adm. John Richardson as the new chief of naval operations. Adm. Richardson likely would do a fine job in that important role, but by trying to move him from his current position as director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, the president has crossed a line and created a precedent that could have grave consequences for the effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear fleet." . . .

DOJ Takes Over Cleveland Police; Sharpton Will Attend

Sweetness & Light
 "Who knew so many cities run by Democrats could be racist? But Obama and Sharpton’s push to take over the local police is going gangbusters. Except they are on the side of the gangs.
First from a cheering New York Times:

Cleveland Reaches Settlement With Justice Department Over Police Conduct

By MITCH SMITH and MATT APUZZO | May 25, 2015
CLEVELAND — Cleveland has reached a settlement with the Justice Department over what federal authorities said was a pattern of unconstitutional policing and excessive use of force, people briefed on the case said Monday…

"Isn’t it amazing what is unconstitutional and what isn’t these days? But when you call something unconstitutional that opens the door to a federal takeover of the local police. (Which some might say is unconstitutional.)

The settlement, which could be announced as early as Tuesday, comes days after a judge declared a Cleveland police officer not guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a car’s two unarmed occupants, both of them black…

Read more...

Memorial Day, 1945

Memorial Day, 1945: A Commander Apologizes to the Dead  "One of the most unusual Memorial Day commemorations occurred in Nettuno, Italy, on May 30, 1945. Lt. General Lucian Truscott was dedicating the American cemetery where thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in  Italy were buried.
"About 3,000 of those American lives were lost during the battle of Anzio. Truscott commanded the 3rd Infantry Division at the time — the spearhead of the attack. The plan called for a combined British-American landing in January, 1944 at Anzio-Nettuno and a breakout from the beaches into the hills beyond where the allies would be able to cut off the German retreat from the Gustav line further south and eventually flank the German Winter Line.
"There were questions about the landings from the start, especially from Truscott who believed that unless the allies were to move quickly, they’d be cut to pieces by German defenders ringing the hills surrounding the beaches." . . .

http://randallhmiller.com/going-to-war-with-ernest-n-harmon-ii-of-iii/

Memorial Day, 1945; Holland 

The soldiers buried at Margraten died in battles from the D-Day landings in Normandy to VE-Day (Victory in Europe Day) in May 1945.
"Forty-eight of the 61 U.S. divisions that fought in Europe are represented at Margraten, including 3 Airborne, 9 Armor and 36 Infantry. The 29th, 84th and 102nd Infantry Divisions have the largest number of men interred at the cemetery, reflecting their prominent role in the fighting in 1944 and 1945. There are six Medal of Honor recipients buried at the cemetery. Four women are buried at Margraten, including two U.S. Army Nurse Corps Lieutenants and two female civilians, killed near the frontlines. There are 40 sets of brothers lying side-by-side in the burial plots, as well as twin brothers, one buried and the name of the other inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing, and there are the graves of 106 unknown soldiers. Their markers are inscribed with the words "HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD."

 A soldier's letter home on Memorial Day 1945  "For Amarillo Globe-News; Editor’s note: "

The following letter was written on Memorial Day 1945 by 19-year-old Howard Temple, a soldier stationed with U.S. troops in Germany in the waning days of World War II, to his parents and sisters back home in Axtell, Kan.
Memorial Day 1945 was somber for most Americans, who were still grieving the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt a month earlier. The war in Europe was over, but there was heavy fighting against Japan on the Pacific front.
The letter was submitted by Howard’s wife, Marlene Temple of Amarillo.

 "Dear Folks, . . .Full letter here.

Let's NOT have a conversation!

 

Claire Hawks  "Why don't we try, instead, looking for solutions?  Less talk, more action.  And by action I don't mean more riots and more looting.  Let's instead be honest about the race problem.   Racism is rampant in this country -- and most of it is blacks hating whites rather than the popular narrative about all those nasty, privileged whites out there hating blacks.  I do know a few white people who, for no reason they can articulate to me, don't like blacks, but if there are white mobs yelling that they hate black people I must have missed them.  The MSM is very successfully covering up for black mobs yelling racial epithets, attacking anyone who isn't black, looting, destroying property, etc.  For lots of examples of this read Colin Flaherty's great new book, Don't Make the Black Kids Angry.  It's great, but spoiler alert, it will make your hair stand on end at times.  And, give you a totally different perspective on racism.

"But, but, but, how can this be?  Didn't the former Attorney General, Eric Holder believe that only white people can be racist?  Another popular myth is that only white people can be privileged.  Hooey. "   

. . . 

. . . But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

 

How's that "pursuing them to the gates of hell" working out?

About those “moderate muslims”….  " ‘In a recent survey conducted by AlJazeera.net, the website for the Al Jazeera Arabic television channel, respondents overwhelmingly support the Islamic State terrorist group, with 81% voting “YES” on whether they approved of ISIS’s conquests in the region…’    Breitbart"

  Pelosi: We’ve made big “advances” against ISIS … on social media … kind of
 "Were you there for the Battle of Hashtag Hill? Nancy Pelosi attempts to make the case that the US strategy against ISIS is working somewhere in this exchange with newly minted MSNBC host Patrick Murphy, a former House colleague of Pelosi’s from Florida. The range of choices for examples of victory must be very, very narrow for Pelosi to claim victory — if indeed that’s what she’s doing at all:" . . .  Video

 More don't believe Obama, see ISIS winning

 

. . . "Obama's latest pronouncement on the reborn fighting in Iraq is a subtle but significant shift from the word "success" that his spokesman used earlier this week. Other Obama administration officials, including Joe Biden, have recently described the struggle to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the terrorist army as progressing and having halted ISIS.

"But in another long conversation with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg published Thursday, Obama said, "I don't think we're losing." Which is quite a bit different from being successful in war." . . .

Remember Joe Biden promising to follow them to the "gates 0f hell"?

The day President Bush's tears spilled onto a Marine's face at Walter Reed

Dana Perino

 Editor's note: The following column is excerpted from Fox News anchor and political analyst Dana Perino's new book, "And the Good News Is... Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side" (Twelve, April 21, 2015).

President Bush visits Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Pictured is Sgt. David Gardner.

. . . "The hardest days were when President Bush went to visit the wounded or families of the fallen. If it was tough for me, you can only imagine what it was like for the families and for a president who knew that his decisions led his troops into battles where they fought valiantly but were severely injured or lost their lives.
"He regularly visited patients at Walter Reed military hospital near the White House. These stops were unannounced because of security concerns and hassles for the hospital staff that come with a full blown presidential visit."
. . .

"The president jumped up and rushed over to the side of the bed. He cupped the Marine’s face in his hands. They locked eyes, and after a couple of moments the president, without breaking eye contact, said to the military aide, “Read it again.”

"So we stood silently as the military aide presented the Marine with the award for a second time. The president had tears dripping from his eyes onto the Marine’s face. As the presentation ended, the president rested his forehead on the wounded warrior's for a moment."  . . .Read the full article.

Dana Perino currently serves as co-host of FOX News Channel's "The Five" (weekdays 5-6PM/ET). She previously served as Press Secretary for President George W. Bush. She is the author of the new book "And the Good News Is...: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side" (Twelve, April 21, 2015). Ms. Perino joined the network in 2009 as a contributor.

How a movie helped me understand sacrifice

 It’s often the most unexpected events that have the biggest impact

Legal Insurrection

"Memorial Day is always a bittersweet holiday for me. I enjoy having a day to partake in BBQ and beer (Texas BBQ though, not what Yanks call “BBQ”), while wearing my favorite, ratty, American flag t-shirt and watching war movies.

"As much as I love reflecting on this brilliant country a bunch of old dudes created a couple hundred years ago, there is a weight that lies heavy on my heart on days like Memorial Day. It’s the simple reminder that freedom is never free. Our freedom comes at inestimable price. More often than not, that debt is only satisfied with blood.

"When I was in high school “Saving Private Ryan” made its silver screen debut. Always a sucker for war movies, I went to see it on opening weekend. Completely unaware that what I was about to see would have a lasting impact, I sprung for cherry sours, a Coke slushy and found a seat.

"The first thirty minutes of the film were unlike anything I’d ever seen on screen and easily the most intense. At the time I was only vaguely familiar with the D-Day invasion. What I knew of D-Day I’d learned from 60s flicks like “The Longest Day.”

"Unlike the older World War II films where a bullet to the heart resulted in a theatrical fall sometimes accompanied by a bit of obviously fake blood and famous last words, “Saving Private Ryan” was the goriest movie I’d ever seen. A soldier reached down to pick up his arm that had been blown off and another lay on the ground, his guts strewn across the sand. The water was red with blood and soldier after soldier fell in similarly violent fashion, some never making it off the landing craft.

"When the movie was over, the crowd of tear-stained faces shuffled out in a heavy silence. For days I mulled what I’d seen — the pain, horror, and loss that nothing in this life can prepare you for. What was so obviously the terror of war was not what I had ever pictured as war. What I thought I knew about sacrifice and fairness was suddenly irrelevant and juvenile." . . .Full article...
Then there is this tribute from HBO's  The Pacific: