I live on the other side of the hills from Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. In the evenings sometimes I hear booming sounds coming from that direction, and I can only assume they are from various battle scenarios going on around base as a means of providing training for our troops.
When I was in the Navy, on my second ship, we participated in some of those war games. I was on a Tank Landing Ship (LST) at the time, so I became accustomed to amphibious operations. Sometimes we launched Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) which are basically floating tanks that can float to the shore and then track right up the beach with 25 Marines in each of their bellies. Sometimes my ship would actually pull up on the beach and the Marines would come running out of the Tank Deck onto the sand with their rifles at the ready.
Anyway, the sounds of the cannons booming, or whatever it is making the sounds over at Camp Pendleton, makes me wonder if it is anything close to what it is like living in Israel. That tiny little country is in the heart of terrorist activity, surrounded by the enemy on all borders (and within), and is constantly being bombarded with shells, rockets, or suicide bombers. Yet, despite all of that going on, Israel thrives as a nation. I read an article in my newspaper not to long ago how some Arabs living in Israel prefer Israel over Arab nations because of the freedoms afforded to them. In fact, an Arab just became acting president in Israel, the first member of Israel's minority Arab community to serve in Israel's top ceremonial post. Doubt if any Arab nation would allow that for a Christian or Jew.
Something else before I go. Remember that situation with a suicide bomber, and the Taliban claiming it was intended for Cheney in Afghanistan? Big story for the news, right? Wrong. It appeared on page 6 of my newspaper, the Press Enterprise. Instead, the front page was graced with a story about a boy accidently shot by his friend with Dad's gun, and the sudden drop of the stock market.
Speaking of the drop of stocks, I personally think that it was just a matter of "what goes up must come down" but that the market will steady itself quickly.
And if you wondered why I missed a day and a half of posting, came down to exhaustion from my job in the construction industry. I'll explain more about that on Saturday's Radio Show.
Oh, and one more thing; the Political Pistachio bumper stickers came in. Already have a few folks having theirs mailed out to them this weekend. If you want one, let me know by e-mail at douglasvgibbs at yahoo dot com, or at politicalpistachio at yahoo dot com. Send me your address, and I'll send you a bumper sticker at no cost to you. As for your address, once the bumper sticker is in the mail, you have my word that the address will be shredded.
Blessings,
Doug
Interesting post. I know for one that where my travels take me to AFBs, especially ones with fighter wings I can sleep at ease hearing the engines fire up and take off. The nice part about America is a fighter jet flying over, or the booms you have been hearing are training and protection, not the enemy.
ReplyDeletehttp://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/03/selfreferential_feedback_loop.html#comments
ReplyDeleteSorry off topic, but they're talking about us.
I live about five miles from Luke Air Force Base - I love the Sounds of Freedom!
ReplyDeleteI'm watching my mailbox...
Make a Difference - Vote For Common Sense - Write In Cary Cartter for President in 2008!
The sounds of freedom are people going about their daily lives without the sound of gunfire and the fear of explosions.
ReplyDeleteParadox?
MK - I just read that thread at Swampland (appropriate name btw) via a link from Atrios.. and I thought the comment from David Sirota the most amusing. Joe Kline is really a nut.
ReplyDeleteThat's really the great thing about the rise in the popularity of the blogs. It forces the MSM to be much more careful about their assertions and their "facts". I've always had a problem with the celebrity-pundit's no consequence style of writing, and I think that's changing, and forcing them to play in our sandbox, so to speak, is a very good thing.
While off-topic, I saw Andrew Sullivan posted a survey of 63 blogs;
Do you think that a majority of Democrats in Congress would like to see us lose in Iraq for political reasons?
Yes (53)-- 84%
No (10) -- 16%
Do you think mankind is the primary cause of global warming?
Yes (0) -- 0%
No (59) -- 100%
I'm not surprised by the results at all, but I'm still surprised. I just don't get it. I've been resisting the idea that the right finds the left to be "enemies of the US" on the same level of the "terrorists", but I'm really not so sure anymore. They really do think we want our military to "lose" (without defining what losing is by the way) merely to advance a political agenda.
We'd never accuse the right of being "traitors" but that seems to come easily to them to classify us.
And I still don't get why environmental issues are partisan.
As Sullivan wrote;
The last one strikes me as astonishing. Some skepticism is warranted in climate change science. But the fact that the scientific community overwhelmingly believes that humans are primarily responsible for current climate change and none of the right-wing bloggers does suggests to me another sign of severe conservative meltdown.
In the ritghtwing, upside down world, the words win and lose have no meanings.
ReplyDeleteHA!
ReplyDeleteI played golf at Crosscreek a few months back. It's just north of Fallbrook, and nearly the entire back nine was accompanied with the distant sounds of a deck mounted .50 cal automatic rifle. I mused to myself, what a 'fun' job that would be knowing that today, I'll get to go practice killing bad gus with one of the most powerful hand fired weapons in the world.
Almost makes ya wanna join.
Little boys and their luv of gunz.
ReplyDeleteGotta love it.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of a sign that points directly towards the highway outside the New River Air Station right next door to Camp Lejuene, home of the 2nd Marine Division...
"Please Pardon Our Noise It's The Sound Of Freedom"
Death...the sound of freedom to some.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Muddy, indeed. And contrary to popular belief, FREEDOM is not free. It is very costly. In fact it has been paid for time and time again by the blood of those willing to give all for the mear concept that All men are created equal.
ReplyDeleteSo that We as Americans can speak our minds without fear of reprise.
That's right Gawfer.
ReplyDelete...and the purpose of combat is to make as many as those slime balls die for THEIR country as humanly possible in the process.
Such as this exclusive video for MudKitty I found:
http://ebyzandgunz.blogspot.com/2007/03/thatll-leave-mark.html
Get Some!
*WARNING: Graphic in content and language*
...WARS Hell and the price of freedom is Hell Mudkitty. Don't try to school on something you have zero clue about.
ReplyDeleteSemper Fi! Gunz, Semper Fi!
ReplyDeleteNo one should try and school anyone about anything when they have no idea what the other person knows, or doesn't know.
ReplyDeleteAwe man I miss those sounds!
ReplyDeleteYou could hear them in SD too.
Awesome to learn of your experience Gibbs. I now you're a ex-Navy man-
GO NAVY!
Good commenting about Israel < I have heard the same. Arabs living in Israel have never had it so good FACT!
FTGF!
Mud,
ReplyDelete“Death...the sound of freedom to some.”
- Yes, death can be the sound of life to some. That flat line on someone passing on, may provide transplants for many others to live. The world is not perfect MK, people die. And sometimes people have to die for others to live. I wish it wasn’t the case, but it is.
“No one should try and school anyone about anything when they have no idea what the other person knows, or doesn't know.”
- So I am guessing that is why you don’t talk to me anymore… you can’t “school” me on anything. All kidding aside. That is why you should never get in a debate over military matters with me, because I know more than you. Such as the fact that Murtha wants to cut funding. You say “no.” But he does, and that is a matter I know about and you obviously do NOT. Mudkitty, no one on the net (for the most part) knows anyone else. So if we followed your logic then we can’t have discussions.
I have a question for you Mud. If we were to have a suicide plane flying in again and scrambled fighters to intercept them two part question:
1) What do you think is more likely to stop them, your kind words in an attempt to reason with them or something loud that accelerates and/or explodes?
2) Is it better to take out a plane with 200 people aboard in order to save thousands or should we allow the thousands + 200 to be killed? Hmmm?
Life in the real world can suck Mud, the sooner you accept it the better. I don't really expect you to answer me, but I would find your response most interesting.
No one can provide a single quote where Murtha (or any other democrat) states that they want to cut funding for the troops. I've asked for the quote or quotes on numerous rightwing websites, and no one can come up with one.
ReplyDeleteJust because Rush says so, doesn't make it true.
I'm still waiting for the quote.
ReplyDeleteYou're not going to get one.
ReplyDeleteSee, the issue is that the right is in such disarray, all they're left with is making factually inaccurate assertions. This blog does it in virtually every post.
Some of them are even refusing to provide links to prove their assertions - and the really odd part is that they really must belive what they write. I guarantee you that this bunch thinks Murtha is anti-military and wants to "cut funding from the troops".
And when you call them on it, all you can hear is the crickets chirping.
MK - what I've realized is that the political "war" is over. The democrats have congress, and the '08 elections are in the bag. Bush's approval ratings are in the low 30's to high 20's, the lowest on record, and they aren't going to improve. American's are overwhelmingly disgusted by their war mongering, thier criminal behavior (Scooter - meet your cell mate Bubba), and outright hatred for people different than them.
What we do here is just a mental exercise.