COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Friday, September 08, 2006

PatriotPost.US - A Great Website

Here is a great site run by a group of Patriots out of Chattanooga, Tn. Three times a week they send out one of the finest email newsletters you will read anywhere. They also have a fine on-line resource library. Check out the PatriotPost.us

For instance, Did you know that Vietnam Vet Max Cleland is currently being treated for Post traumatic stress disorder brought on by the invasion of Iraq? I didn't.

Is Iraq reawakening shell shock in other war vets?

Max Cleland, former Democrat Senator from Georgia and Vietnam War veteran, is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which he claims is related not to his own service in Vietnam, but to the war in Iraq. Cleland has always opposed the war—except when he voted for it—and he has never been shy about mentioning his Vietnam service and the injuries he sustained there.

Let’s make no mistake here. Cleland served his country honorably, and he is owed a great debt of gratitude for his service and for paying such a high price for that service. (For the record, Cleland lost both legs and one arm not in combat, but by mishandling a live hand grenade.) As with fellow anti-war Demos John Murtha and John Kerry, the liberals want to believe that Cleland’s military service puts him above reproach for his views. Frankly, it does not.

It is not clear whether viewing television coverage of the Iraqi conflict causes delayed post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam or Korean War veterans. Demos have embraced the theory that is does, pointing to the steep increase in the number of cases that have been reported between 1999 and 2004. Psychiatrist and author Dr. Sally Satel, in the 21 August Weekly Standard, pointed out that this increase is not necessarily triggered by the Iraq war. For starters, Vietnam veterans are reaching retirement age, a time filled with anxiety about their identity, their future, their mortality and the mortality of spouses and loved ones. Also, there is a tendency among Veterans Affairs workers to assume that depression and anxiety among veterans must automatically be related to war service, when these symptoms could be a product of civilian life or may have been with the veteran prior to military service.

Let us be clear: We have nothing but the utmost respect for the men and women who have served in combat to defend this great nation, and we’re inclined to give even highly partisan Democrats like Cleland the benefit of the doubt in matters of wartime service. However, if this former U.S. Senator is using PTSD merely to make a political statement before a midterm election, shame on him.



This is a great site with a wealth of information and deserves our support.

58 comments:

  1. buddy,

    re: Major Jill Metzger, USAF

    She has been found!

    No report yet on the particulars.

    I hope the government of Kyrgyzstan did not resort to strong-arm tactics to gain intelligence. That would really ruin my weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Several months ago, I reviewed some research predictive of service connected disabilities, PTSD included. I will see if I can dig it up for general consumption. As I recall, however, the conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq appear to be on a normative track. Of course, the probability of PTSD increases with the extent of combat experiences, in general; consequently, the current multiple deployments, increase greatly that potentiality.

    ReplyDelete
  3. habu_3,

    re: Jill Metzger

    I didn't mean to be trite; her release IS truly good news and the answer to prayer, I am certain.

    My venom goes to those who could seriously doubt the efficacy of whatever means necessary to affect her release.

    Semper Fi

    One for all, and all for one!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Any objection to “ilia capitolina” coming aboard? Could be interesting, the writer is a bright bulb.

    If “yes”, how to finesse it without offending Wretchard.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I cannot tell a lie.

    I lifted the entire piece on Cleland from the Patriot Post website. I'll try to be more careful with that. When you see something indented on both sides, it's a quote from someone else.

    Maybe Cleland is suffering from the post-election affliction that hit Al Gore after 2000. In other words, maybe he just "lost it."

    First Bobalharb smitten, now Allen?

    No objections, no suggestions.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been irritating people over at Kudlowsmoneypolitics.blogspot.com/


    Guys, the election IS Important, right? Okay,

    Harold Ford Jr. has come from 12 points back to 1 down. Now, if you know anything about Tn, you will know that this is "Earth Shattering" News.

    SO, how did the young, black, liberal, democratic man from Memphis make up 11 points on a well-financed, well-supported, telegenic, white, conservative Republican Candidate in one month?

    He's run one ad, over and over, in the last month (I live right south of Memphis, so I see all of his ads.) He ran several different ads until he got to this one, and then he just kept running it, over and over. I guess we can assume his internal polling told him it was a winner.

    It's now a statistical toss-up, with a bullet for the Dem.

    Ford's Ad.

    ReplyDelete
  7. whit,

    Is ilia capitolina a femina?


    habu,

    Auto da fé, say?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cantwell helped lobbyist's clients
    Sen. Maria Cantwell helped arrange more than $11 million in federal money in the past year for projects benefiting clients of a lobbyist who is advising her re-election campaign and still owes her money from a personal loan.

    ReplyDelete
  9. rufus,

    re: Harold Ford, Jr.

    You may recall that several months ago I proposed a 2008 Dem ticket of Bayh and Ford. Some people said, "Who?"

    Since his coming to Congress, I have taken every opportunity to see Ford interviewed, for personal reasons. He is a Rep. nightmare; the guy is a fiscal conservative. Worse yet, he writes:
    “I support our troops and our goals in Iraq. But I will not support a resolution praising a government that wants to grant amnesty to terrorists fighting our troops. There is only one option for such people: we should hunt them down and punish them. Amnesty is not an option.” 6/6/06

    You might say Ford is the much desired Scoop Jackson Democrat.

    I will grant, his old man is a certifiable nut.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's right, Genilmen, he picked up 11 points in a month walking around in a soy bean field, and talking about biofuels.

    Folks, the American people have had all the Ay rabs they can stand. They want to hear a "Positive" message about getting off the Mad Mullahs Soup Line.

    I take a look at Rasmussen every day. Trust me, every time Bush says something about Ethanol, or alternative fuels his polls tick up.

    Write/E-Mail your Congressman and wise them up. If you don't think it's important go over to Moonbattery and take a look-see at who will be running the committees if the Dems pull this one off.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Allen, I told my son two years, ago that Ford just might be our first black president. He's a "Master" politician.

    I laugh my ass off; he goes on Kudlow and tells him and his audience all of the fiscally conservative stuff he wants to hear, and then he goes home and runs the most outrageous, vicious, deceptive partisan ads you can imagine.

    I don't hold it against him; the first duty of a politician is to get elected. But, Boy, he has a Political antennae unseen since a little known Arkansas Governor that snuck up on'em one time.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Habu, never underestimate the power of a "Positive" Message.

    The people aren't ready to "cut and run," but they're tired of pictures of A rabs fucking up in their living rooms. And, they're tired of hearing about the Goddamned war.

    The image of supporting American farmers, buying American products, and blowing a raspberry to the A rabs is a very "Positive" one.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Habu, I was trying to make the point over at Kudlow's that Bush needs to finish up with the 9 - 11 stuff, then get his out in the field where he has representatives in trouble and drag them out to an ethanol refinery, and pump a few gallons of E-85.

    He's Got to make his point in the OIF arena, but then, he's got to go out and win an election.

    ReplyDelete
  14. rufus & habu,

    re: Harold Ford, Jr.

    Ford benefits greatly from the three-way Repub primary bloodletting, where a guy with little major league political experience but deep pockets won. Ford started hammering the Repubs during that brutal primary, for childish petulance. Further, the Corker has had various stances on abortion and refuses to debate, for example. And, as Rufus indicates, Ford picks his battles carefully.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sorry, meant no disrespect to Mr. Corker; I should have written Corker, not "the" Corker.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Allen, I think Ford benefitted some from the Republican Primary, but Corker didn't come out of the Primary too bad. Corker was in good shape in the polls until Ford started running the Biofuels ad. Then it was a rocket blast.

    ReplyDelete
  17. rufus,

    As I said, the guy picks his battles carefully. It doesn't hurt that his family has a combined political life of, what, 200 years?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Allen, you're right. Like you said, his family are bat-shit crazy, all, but I don't think any of them have EVER lost an election. They Know how to Getter Dun.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Habu, Rasmussen was on Kudlow's show, today. He figures it like I do; right now, it's close, but Repubs will win.

    In any case, if it's close, or leaning Repub. Dubya won't strike. (In My Opinion.)

    ReplyDelete
  20. habu,

    re: Iran strike

    It is hard to see how the President will get the cover he needs from his own party for a strike on Iran. The only exception that comes to mind would be some incomprehensibly stupid provocation by Iran. Not being fools, I think the Iranians will ground the ball and run out the clock, hoping for a Demo victory in the mid-term. But, as you know, the Muslims never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, so there is always hope.

    Looking at Gitmo, I think the proposed legislation is about five years and a dollar short. Even if the President can herd the Repub cats in the Senate, something he has not accomplished easily for a while, the judges are going to tie things up forever and a day.

    Where does that leave us? Hell's bells, I haven't a clue. Maybe another glass of vino will stimulate the flow of creative juices. Can't hurt, right?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ah, Possumtater, good to see you, tonite. You made me laugh, again.

    ReplyDelete
  22. possumtater,

    Can you hear Ford, now: James Earl, who? Yes, I will have more orange juice, please. Tiger Woods and I are buds, didn't you hear?

    This dude is the real deal. Gonna be harder to shake than a possum up a simmon tree.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Allen, the first day I vaccilated between thinking that was a brilliant move, and thinking "I don't Know."

    On reflection, I think it was brilliant.

    "Okay Boys, we've got all we need. Now, you don't think I've been treating the murdering scum right it's your turn. But, did I mention, 300 Million Americans are watching?"

    ReplyDelete
  24. now mizta Rufus i sees it different. close you hiy 'em..show the muscle..folks love dat air stuff,'specialif it hits nuclar bad places.
    plus i think "W" is "W" and he do what he think is right ..he got sum Reagan in him like dat.



    Tater, you jus might be Right.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Good luck with that possum obedience school. We had one of those, here, but the headmaster was a bit addle-brained; he forgot to wear his steel cup, one day.

    Man, that was a "Mess." Even the paramedic fainted.

    ReplyDelete
  26. One thing - don't get me wrong, I kind of hope Ford wins. I appreciate talent, and I'm not for sure he wouldn't be a pretty good Senator. The little brat is "likeable." I'd kind of like to see how he turns out.

    ReplyDelete
  27. p.s. I can say that because there's absolutely no way the Dems can take the Senate.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Now, Habu, on that I have to absolutely "Agree" with you. We are overwhelmingly "Type A's" over here. We hate the piddlin around.

    The Dems, Euros, Diplomats would Scream, and Howl; the Republican politicians would cringe and wring their hands in fear, but, The Americans Would Party in the Streets.

    ReplyDelete
  29. They better have a lot of hard-drives empty and ready to go; they're gonna know the name of evry Jihadi in the Universe.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I haven't been over there. When they start talking about sacrificing their family on the alter of "no pain for terrorists," it's time for me to do a walk-about.

    However, it looks like it's just you, "White man;" Bozo's going bed-time.

    G'nite, and G'luck, you too, Tater; good munchin down at Gitmo.

    ReplyDelete
  31. whit said...
    "I cannot tell a lie.

    I lifted the entire piece on Cleland from the Patriot Post website"

    You really should post it in such a way that one doesn't think you are engaging in wholesale plagerism.

    In addition, might I suggest that the esteemed members here indicate which one of the towering intellects actually made the post. i.e. Omar or Mohammed puts their name at the bottom of each post to identify the author. You guys should do the same.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ash,

    What fucking part of "Rufus Said," are you having a problem understanding?

    ReplyDelete
  33. habu,

    re: mid-term

    If you are asking if there is some advantage to the President in striking after the mid-term, there might be.

    A strike so close to the election would give the Dems an excuse to claim a Clintonesque wag-the-dog. That could blow back badly on the Repubs.

    After the mid-term, the President will be a lame-duck. It is usually rough sailing, even for guys like Reagan. Consequently, he has no real downside, nor does his party, assuming a Repub victory.

    Even if the Dems carry one or both houses, what are the chances of the whole party going pacifist, given a war against a belligerent like Iran, especially since so many Dems are on record criticizing the President's failure to deal with this "real" threat to American security. Just as in 2003, no Dem will want to go into 2008 failing to support "our heroes". In short, they will vote for the war before voting against it.

    The administration is in need of a major personnel overhaul. That cannot come mid-stream. I see the possibility of both Rumsfeld and Rice leaving. I just can’t see the President starting a new season with the same coaching staff. Fair or not, Iraq carries too much unclaimed baggage. (Bad metaphor alert!)

    Personally, habu, it could be sooner than latter for my taste. There is a whole lot of payback coming to those mothers. I will never forget nor forgive Beirut.


    rufus,

    There was a time when I would have agreed with the brilliance of the President's move. Either I'm just too damned old and intolerant or the SOBs in the Senate are more shameless than ever. So, I don't know.

    ReplyDelete
  34. By the way, Whit "Indented" the quote which, I would think, would be a dead give-away that it was ...a...."Quote." ...

    ReplyDelete
  35. habu_3 wrote:

    you don't understand the basic nature of this blog..plagerists, liars, theives, drunkards,drug abusers,cat and dog owners, old Corvair drivers,hippies,bikers, biker babes,nudists,granola eaters, etc can all come here and chat,chat,chat.
    The chairs are old,you can throw your peanut shells on the floor, the dartboard is usually occupied,and there's a 16" lava light on the bar ..it don't get no better


    Not my kind of place. The men's room should be a second ladies' room.

    ReplyDelete
  36. On another site, ilia capitolina said,

    "Ilia Capitolina said...
    The legacy media has acquired its power through corporate advertiser money and a generally uncritical audience. This is no longer to be. The legacy media will soon be living exclusively off borrowed pension accounts and Jihadi donations. Its audience is no longer there. Its relevancy is marginalized daily. It has nothing to sell except sordid political depravity and distortions, and even that will grow old with what audience it has left."

    Before being rudely interrupted, Allen tried to say,

    ilia capitolina,

    re: legacy media

    Sorry, I lost you on another thread.

    Your point was well taken, although it did not contemplate the necessity of the concurrent demise of the political elite that is its Siamese twin.

    What in the world is a Cuban drive-by? As to the remainder of your comment to buddy, that will be left, for the moment to ugly conjecture. :-)

    Some people make it very hard to be civil.

    ReplyDelete
  37. teresita said...

    "The men's room should be a second ladies' room."

    This is, Madame, the first authentic thing you have said all day. I congratulate you.

    While others have roundly attacked your sexual proclivities, I have demurred. You see, what I find most offensive about your personal taste is your obsessive need to share it with me. I have my needs and you have yours. Who gives a rat's ass?

    Lorenz found homosexuality to be a common trait in any number of species. For example, some geese exhibit a consistently measurable percentage of homosexual males. And while Lorenz's work would seem to strongly suggest the case for genetic predisposition, were I you, I would avoid modeling my life on the behavior of a goose. As you may have heard said disparagingly, "He hasn't the sense G-d gave a goose.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Prior to the big chill,

    stumbley said...
    Teresita:

    When the Islamic Rommel (and the other conspiring generals) get together to attempt to whack Ahmedinijad, I will believe that there are "moderate" Muslims who want to live in peace with the rest of the world.

    When I see hundreds of thousands (that's just a fraction of your 90%, by the way) marching in the streets of Damascus, Teheran, Jiddah, Riyadh, and Mecca saying "these fanatics do not represent us or our faith", I will believe that there are "moderate" Muslims.

    I don't see this happening. There IS no great percentage of "moderate" Muslims.

    What we need is the Islamic Martin Luther. Only then will Islam be able to co-exist with the West.

    Whereupon,

    allen said...
    stumbley; 09:39:58 PM

    re: Martin Luther

    With respect,

    OBL was that man. He sought to reform a corrupted Islam.

    What Islam needs is a Copernicus or a Galileo.

    ReplyDelete
  39. allen said:

    While others have roundly attacked your sexual proclivities, I have demurred. You see, what I find most offensive about your personal taste is your obsessive need to share it with me. I have my needs and you have yours. Who gives a rat's ass?

    Allen, I think only once on the Belmont Club have I said anything about my "personal taste" as you put it, and only then very obliquely. The little blurb here was just some light banter. What you are perhaps finding offensive is the need for other posters to divine certain things about me at certain other sites and bring them back to the Belmont Club to share (which is fair). At any rate, as I said also to habu_3, I feel we got off on the wrong foot and we ought to bury the hatchet (but not in my head!)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Habu_3 said...
    I leave the keyboard for a minute to visit the "library" and P-Tater becomes Dic-Tater. I'm sending him to possum obedience school. I've tried everything else I know. I caught him the other day with a dvd called PossumGirls Gone Wild..I thought they were all wild til I looked at a few hours of the DVD,
    10:15:26 PM
    LOL

    ReplyDelete
  41. "sacrificing their family on the alter of "no pain for terrorists,"
    ---
    What the Hell is wrong w/those people, including, evidently, Wretchard?

    ReplyDelete
  42. doug,

    re: What's wrong with those people?

    As our friend teresita could tell us, they have confused the priest with the warrior.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Two Tennessee farmers, Jim and Bob, are sitting at their favorite bar, drinking beer.
    Jim turns to Bob and says, "You know, I'm tired of going through life without an education. Tomorrow I think I'll go to the Community College and sign up for some classes."

    Bob thinks it's a good idea, and the two leave.

    The next day, Jim goes down to the college and meets the Dean of Admissions, who signs him up for the four basic classes: Math, English, History, and Logic.

    "Logic?" Jim says. "What's that?"

    The dean says, "I'll show you. Do you own a weedeater?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then logically speaking, because you own a weedeater, I think that you would have a yard."

    "Well that's true, I do have a yard."

    "I'm not done," the dean says. "Because you have a yard, I think logically that you would have a house."

    "Yes, I do have a house."

    "And because you have a house, I think that you might logically have a family."

    "I have a family."

    "I'm not done yet. Because you have a family, then logically you must have a wife."

    "Yes, I do have a wife."

    "And because you have a wife, then logic tells me you must be a heterosexual."

    "I am a heterosexual. That's amazing; you were able to find out all of

    that because I have a weed eater."

    Excited to take the class now, Jim shakes the Dean's hand and leaves to go meet Bob at the bar. He tells Bob about his classes, how he is signed up for Math, English, History, and Logic.

    "Logic?" Bob says, "What's that?"

    Jim says, "Well listen up and I'll show you. Do you have a weedeater?"

    "No." Bob says.

    "Then you're a queer."

    ReplyDelete
  44. doug,

    I]m sorry, you are a VERY bad man!

    ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Aristides do get tedious,
    I mean that.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Welcome teresita. I am in Montpellier, France. Just lurking. Au revoir,

    ReplyDelete
  47. Damn, I thought Habu's writing was worthy of its very own post then he credited Aristotle.

    Nevetheless, its no wonder Possumtater has such commonsense.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Posted at BC earlier, much earlier, in the morning.

    Moderation

    allen said...
    While totally, completely, inexcusably off-topic, some things just have to be said:

    Yes, dear friends, where there is will there is a way. While American’s warriors fight to bring life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to the unwashed, America’s civilians are doing their part.

    Businesses maneuver to buck smoking bans
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
    20060908/ap_on_re_us/smoker_
    havens

    Sex toys contain dangerous chemicals says Greenpeace
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/
    20060908/od_afp/netherlands
    environment_060908185927

    Indeed, as Mama Gov works to protect us, some of her unruly children say, “F*** Off, Bitch.”

    Remind me, where are the Taliban, again?

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hey, 2164, if u make it to Italy, tell Harry Badurchi "hello" for me--

    ReplyDelete
  50. It's getting very difficult to find the working comment streams anymore. Dead ends everywhere, scattered across multiple URLs. Not sure if i can cope.

    Space Shuttle just took off, burning its 11,000 lbs of fuel per second, exiting the atmosphere @ 7,000 mph. jeeeez...!

    ReplyDelete
  51. I hold my breath every time that thing flies. I'll be glad when they get to copy 2.0

    ReplyDelete
  52. ' Not sure if i can cope.'

    I don't have to worry - never could anyhoo.

    ReplyDelete
  53. For some reason, I cannot get the Belmont Club.

    ReplyDelete
  54. When it comes to Aristotle,

    a little'll do as a lot'll.

    ReplyDelete
  55. That stuff doesn't come easy, y'know. It costs a lifetime of weird sound-patterns running around loose and uncontrolled inside yer head. The opportunity cost (that is, the value disconnect between input and output) is disgusting, repulsive, sickening.

    ReplyDelete
  56. That's why I liked Joyce:
    Ya get your kicks at the same time.
    But I don't smoke much anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Dr. Joyce Brothers? Oh, she's a cutie!

    ReplyDelete