It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag. -- Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
But this is the earliest it has been since 1967 - the beginning of the current welfare state. And it was as early as March 26th in Alaska (when measuring state-by-state).
Now what was it that Kerry was saying about how bad the economy is? It seems to me that is people get to keep more of their money, they’ll find some ways to spend it.
If they choose to invest it, that provides jobs and newer equipment for the company, which improves efficiency, and allows for a greater profit, making everyone richer.
If they choose to put in into the bank, the bank will have extra cash to lend, which lowers the interest rates on home and business loans.
If they choose to buy something frivolous, the company that produces that frivolity makes a profit, and improves the economy for at least three companies along the way.
No matter how you look at it, cutting taxes will improve the economy.
Yet Kerry says that the economy sucks, and he wants to raise taxes to help it out. Has he ever held a real job? Or run a real business? Or is it that he saw Jack Kennedy and thought, “Hey, if he can do it, so can I!”?
I’m scared to think he is being taken seriously by those around him…
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"Noam Scheiber observes a worrying new development in the already-listless Kerry campaign.”
No....he hasn’t made up his mind on what should be worrying or what should be good news in the Waffler’s campaign. Oh, THAT single-mindedness about hating Bush, Christian Conservatives, and anyone that opposes gay marriage.
And, now, the rest of the entry....hit the link below. Hint: It isn’t about Andrew Sullivan.
When did World War II end?
Not the whole ‘Democracy Vs. Communism’ deal, though we’ll look at that later. I mean post-surrender.
Well, the Navy lists 1719 battle deaths after July 1st, 1945. In fact the WWII battle death statistics are commonly measured from 12-7-1941 to 12-31-1946.
Uh....12-31-1946? Didn’t we drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of ‘45? Wasn’t the war over at that point?
No....MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS WERE. The Peace Treaties officially ending WWII weren’t signed until 2-10-1947.
Not that there were no organized battles after 8-1-1945. The Axis were utterly spent by that time. However, small pockets of resistance remained within the defeated countries.....especially Germany.
Also, add to that the fact that there was a large nation to the east with designs on dominating Germany, and that sent in forces and persons in order to disrupt the formation of a democratic government...hmmm....sound familiar?
Listen, we were all told this. Bush, for all his detractors and for all the people that choke emotionally on the fighting going on in Iraq, was right in telling us that this would take time. I am sure it pains him when Allied soldiers are killed in Iraq, for a variety of reasons. However, pulling out without finishing what we started there would be an unmitigated disaster. Imagine what would have happened if the United States had pulled their MILLION troops out of Germany immediately after WWII, or out of Korea, or Japan. Imagine the suffering that those people would have gone through under their own Kim Jung Ill’s.
Folks, look: This isn’t something which is going to last one election cycle. This occupation is along the lines of what we did in Germany and Japan. We’re talking 10-20 years of a substantial troop presence in that region. It isn’t going to end on 6-30-2004, a date that the terrorists fear and dread.
That is why they are attacking so feverently now....they want us to back off, and they want civil war. If the Sunni’s and the Shi’a go to war against each other, there is no way they will unite to form a central, federal government. The nation will fall apart.
Iraqis are better than that. From what I have seen (personally and via my studies on this conflict), Iraqis want peace, prosperity, and liberty...the same things we want, and sometimes take for granted. The few islamofascists within their ranks want death, and pain, and fear. It powers their popularity,and earns them deperate followers.
We are going to lose soldiers there....maybe another 200, or 300. Is that not worth the price of saving 25 million Iraqis, or, perhaps, another 3000 or so Americans? Perhaps more? Perhaps these sacrifices, so painful now, will be the blood that feeds the birth of liberty in the Middle East? Perhaps the great bravery shown by these soldiers will be remembered 100 years from now, as the Federal Republic of Iraq celebrates it’s 100th Independance day, hand in hand with it’s American friends.
This is the way to peace, and it isn’t easy. It never has been. Freedom, as the saying goes, isn’t free. Liberty isn’t an inherent condition, it is a gift bestowed through bravery and justice, wisdom and forsight. The Iraqis have such things, but the fascists among them don’t.
Let’s show them the way. And be brave with them. Don’t let fear win.
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