Hat's off to Belmont Club and Wretchard:
Mike Hulme, the founding director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, argues in the Guardian that while scientific evidence may cast doubt on Global Warming why believe science? When a larger truth must be expressed, then "post-normal" science must be employed. (Hat tip: Melanie Philips and a Belmont Club reader)
Hulme argues that Global Warming is so important that everyone must act to stop it, whether or not it is scientifically known to exist.
#3
Good article. Be sure to watch the YouTube video in Wretchard's update at the bottom.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
03/15/2007 20:24 Comments ||
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#4
I have noticed how it does seem so much warmer than a couple of months ago. There doesn't seem to be as much snow, my tree is blooming, and I have noticed birds that I didn't see in December... Coincidence?? or Global Warming??
#5
The leftist meme of a 'higher truth' has finally reared its ugly head again.
These TANG memos are fake but that doesn't mean that the story is untrue. There is a higher truth here - 'fake but accurate'.
Rigoberta Menchu didn't actually suffer at the hands of the Guatemalan govermenment, but she represents the higher truth of others who also could have.
#6
LUCIANNE > TENS OF BILYUUHNS [ Bilyuhns + Zilyuhns +???] OF $$$ NEEDED [and SSSSHHHHHH OWG]!? Science says/teaches mankind can't stop evolution, ergo we are = have to , D ***ng it.
#7
Just watched "An unbelievable truth" or whatever that Al Gore psuedo-documentary is called.
I was disgusted that he pulled out a chart of global temperatures reaching back only 650,000 years. THat is not enough time when measuring a global phenomenon.
Even 65 million years wouldn't be enough time to go back.
650 million years, and he may have something.
Please! There was a time when Antarctica was a tropical rainforest. Imagine how hot the planet was then.
#8
macofromoc, I have also noticed that it is quite a bit warmer today than it was last night. However, it is not as hot as it was yesterday.
These little bits of granular information are not very useful in a discussion of climate. It is about long term trends, whether it was caused by people, the quality of the science and what we should do about it.
The trend at least since 1970, is for things to get warmer. For the 20 years before that, the trend was for things to get colder. Before that, warmer, and so on. The present trend is nowhere near the highest or lowest temperatures in the past few thousand years. There are cycles at play here, especially the 1,500 year solar cycle.
Was it caused by people? The evidence, as I see it, is no. The sun has much more to do with it than people.
What about the quality of the science? One clear trend is that the quality of science reduces as the political interest in climate change increases. Since when should "consensus" be important to scientists? The IPCC scientists have excluded important evidence. They are button sorters and bottle washers who have no remaining right to call themselves scientists.
What should we do about it? Solutions proposed so far, such as Kyoto, are transparently stupid. Carbon credits are like the medieval practice of buying forgiveness for sins. Crazy stuff.
Why are we even talkin about it? Because this, to the left, is an ideal issue. They can get emotional, feel like victims, and follow the herd, without having to think about it.
Ahmadul Ameen
Unlike other countries, politicians of every shade in Bangladesh are, in a way, a very dedicated and hard-working lot. Notwithstanding the fact that attending the parliament is not their highest priority, theirs is a tireless and round the year effort towards serving and building the nation. Even in opposition they cannot rest, because the morning after the election their crusade to topple the elected government starts.
With missionary zeal they organise "hartals," "oborodhs," processions and rallies etc. at regular intervals -- despite their pre-election promises to not to do so. Interestingly, the modus operandi of all the major parties are identical. Although many of us envy their perks and privileges, wheeling and dealing, and the phenomenal accumulation of wealth, we fail to appreciate the hazardous nature of their profession.
Many of us tend to envy their Hummers and Pajeros, but without appreciating their talent and enterprise in accumulating wealth at meteoric speed. Their professional hazards include periodic beatings by law enforcing agents, necessitating occasional treatment overseas. However unfortunate and undesirable these beatings are, it may be noted that some members of the law enforcing agencies manifested their impeccable impartiality by the fact that, given the opportunity, their kicks do not discriminate in respect of political affiliation, status or gender.
In every profession there is a rest and recreation break. The academics are a privileged class of people who enjoy sabbatical leave after every few years. During this refreshing paid break the academics are generally free to pursue their interests, not tied down by routine activities, when they can plan and fine-tune the future direction of their research. I still cherish the memory of my last sabbatical break at the beautiful university town of Madison in the state of Wisconsin.
#1
Well crafted piece. I think his argument is fairly persuasive when it comes to certain elites in Europe, but there are other (equally dishonorable) sources of anti-Americanism among the broader masses. A childish detachment from the realities of an insecure world, coupled with an extreme and almost bizarre case of moral narcissism - both presumably direct results of dependency since WWII - seem to characterize the broader fashionable disdain for America among most Euros.
Whatever the source, my travel dollars have been directed elsewhere for some time and will remain so. Good allies (Australia) to visit, and several Asian countries where the attitudes are more mellow, the food as good or better, and the local talent more alluring.
#2
I put it down to cowardice. They have the same mindset as all the idiot antigunners over here who think that "if we're just smart enough to ban guns all that nasty gun crime will go away."
Since it's patently obvious it won't, people who think that are just trying to rationalize their own fear and lack of preparedness.
The Euros are afraid because they no longer have the military strength to protect themselves and don't want to disrupt their comfortable lives with the costs of reacquiring it. Having Uncle Sugar take care of their defense for 60+ years has infantilized them. It's long past time we told them to either contribute equally to NATO or take over the whole job of European defense themselves. As long as we'll let them shirk their legitimate burdens they'll be happy to do so, with bad consequences for both sides.
Posted by: Mac ||
03/15/2007 18:41 Comments ||
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Even for a continent with such a dishonorable record of appeasement, Europe has been outdoing itself. For the first time in more than two years European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will pay a visit this week to President Bashar Assad at one of his numerous palaces, marking a resumption of high-level EU contact with the Dictator of Damascus.
And what exactly has Mr. Assad done to deserve this diplomatic prize? Let's see. His track record includes the murder of political opponents, allowing foreign fighters to traverse Syria and join the insurgency in Iraq and playing host to terror groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Rest at the link
#2
Again...actually the connection of Euro's to anything above the level of mollusc's does the rest of the invertebrates (especially the insects) a huge disservice.
I'll leave the comments to our men and women who have served.
Rooney: Well, I think a draft produces a better Army than the one wed have with all volunteers because I think you get average Americans if you have a draft. And if its an all-volunteer Army, you get people who join up because of some problem in their own lives. They dont have anything else to do, they dont have a job. They cant find what they want to do, so they join the Army and it doesnt produce the best Army. Video here
#1
FROM: Michael J. Kozlowski, SSgt, USAF (Ret)
TO: Andy Rooney/CBS News
RE: Your Comments on the Quality of The US Military
Dear Mr. Rooney:
F*ck you, bub. I don't care any more how many times you and Cronkite hung your fannies out over the edge in WWII, because you have betrayed the men you watched die. As of this moment I am doing everything I can to make sure word of this gets out and that the men and women who protect your sorry ass know what you think of them.
Cordially,
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/15/2007 9:15 Comments ||
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#2
Did you ever wonder why an old coot just this side of dementia like myself still has a prominent spot on a national news show?
I really find that hard to believe.
Did you ever wonder why Edward R. Murrow never calls me anymore? Was it something I said?
If anyone knows why, please drop me a line.
Posted by: Andy Rooney ||
03/15/2007 10:22 Comments ||
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#3
Rooney's a barking moonbat, and anti-Catholic to boot.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/15/2007 15:02 Comments ||
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#4
I saw a recent interview with Andy Rooney on the History Channell. He was angry at the time he wasdrafted, said he hated the military in general and the Army in particular. Blamed the Army for his never completing college despite the GI bill, said he believed there was NEVER a reason for war, thought all his commanding officers were dumber than a bucket of hair, but still felt he was owed respect for his unwilling service in WWII. He would never voluntarily defend his country. A First Class Asshole.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/15/2007 19:35 Comments ||
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#5
I think shitforbrains has it exactly backwards. Volunteers do things because they want to. The reasons behind this motivation are as varied as the individuals; Yes a draft may snare some folks that would also have been in the volunteer pool, but for those that had no inkling, like our esteemed author(spit) there is only varying degrees of compliance. Oftentimes those that came under duress become the 10% that the chain of command spends 90% of their time dealing with.Many years ago, I used to think he was funny; now I realize that what I misttok for comedy was babble.
Since its publication on Feb. 18 in the Washington Post, the story of the bureaucratic nightmares experienced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center by soldiers from the Iraq and Afghan wars has been Washington's biggest bonfire in a long time. Nearly four weeks on it still consumes official Washington--with firings, hearings, denunciations and the waving forward of commissions.
The problem with bonfires made in Washington is that the high and wild flames of politics sometimes blind the public to the fire's true cause. So it is with the Walter Reed scandal. The true cause of this bonfire is Washington itself, the local tribe. As we know from dreadful experience.
#1
This business of expiration of orders of active duty is one which has needlessly confounded the services for many, many years. In the information age, relying upon expiration dates printed on an a paper order is archiac and irresponsible. ALL mobilization orders should be INDEFINATE until superseded by an order "Releasing the soldier From Active Duty" (REFRAD). I know a substantial amount of funding is involved with orders containing Fund Sites (accounting codes), but why in the world after all these years can we not include a Fund Site on the orders for the purpose of casualty assistance, medical treatment, and rehabilitation? If I can made a simple 1-800 call to USAA and conduct all my insurance affairs, why can't the Army cut INDEFINATE orders use DEERS to validate, and set up a 24x7, 1-800 orders validation and assistance line? A soldier's orders sending him to combat should expire only when a REFRAD is cut, end of story.
#2
I recall B, that in the demob of WWII and even up through Vietnam there were cases where guys were given 'indefinite' orders and sent home to recoup. Problem was they lost accountability of 'who's on first'. So there were people years later still waiting for follow on orders. Not like the individual was in a big hurry to report back. Some where charged with desertion. However, those who still had copies of their orders were pretty much covered.
And surprise, surprise, the administration of patients of medical hold companies hasn't changed much from WWII. The fluffy interface between doc's in uniform and paper pushers in Med Hold isn't too tight either. Who's responsible? Well, its shoulda, coulda, woulda.
It all falls back to the need to account for the bodies. Where do you account for them. If you keep them assigned to their original unit, that unit can not ask for a replacement to fill the personnel shortage, but it does have the command structure to track/control their personnel. If you move them to a Medical Holding Company, you get a lot of this loss of control. They're transit personnel and there is no real command structure, just admin people trying to keep up with the accountability of tracking who's where [see comment about interface between doc and company]. The old standard is that you can control five people at any one time. However, there is no team, squad, platoon, etc in a Med Hold patient structure.
So in a desperate attempt to impose some form of control over the chaos, they use orders with limiting dates. Unfortunately, they lack the manpower [intelligence and adaptability as well], to make it function properly. They don't understand that there is no perfect and the solution may return it back to what is sighted in the first paragraph.
The powers-that-be in this sorry Walter Reed saga--Congress, Secretary Gates, the Dole-Shalala commission--could prove wisdom hasn't fled Washington by reinstating Gen. Weightman.
Never happen. Congress & the other members of the political establishment are never at fault as long as someone else can be scapegoated.
Five years ago, I had a conversation with a young Palestinian student who in short precise terms explained how Islam will defeat the West. The conversation opened my eyes to a much larger picture in which Israel plays only a minor role in the Islamic game of conquest. Since then I tried to speak to some Arabs who come to pray at the Mosque, but they were not as outspoken as the student.
Last week, I had another conversation with an Israeli Arab construction boss by the unlikely name of Francis who was in charge of building a villa near our house in Herzelia. He told me that his family was Christian, and his name was given to him in honor of the Franciscan monks. Our conversation was as interesting as the first conversation I had with the Arab student five years ago and I would like to share it with you. Francis frequently parked his car near our house and we would exchange polite greetings.
#2
I disagree, mhw. If a few of Iran's ayatollahs suddenly die, and perhaps some key in Hizb'allah/Lebanon, the rest would soon choose not to risk their valuable skins merely to establish the worldwide caliphate in their lifetimes. Because the consequences for their current words and actions are not severe (why should they care if the partial embargo means the peons have to sell their wives' jewelry to buy food?), they keep going and even accelerate their words and efforts.
#4
The whole premise is that we will never wake up. I think that's wrong. We're slow and drowsy and partially awake now. A few suicide bombs hit close to home and I believe even the Dems will not hesitate to go medieval as it will be the only way to get reelected.
When the West goes medieval the East better look out.
#6
I believe even the Dems will not hesitate to go medieval as it will be the only way to get reelected.
Actually, it is more likely that the straw will break under a donk pres. If a trunk is in charge, the pacifist donks will act as a restraint as they have on Bush. If a donk is in charge, say Hildebeast, and the straw is thrown on the camel's back there will be the reaction of a woman scorned without the restraint of a pacifist wing.
And a few leaders are not the problem. The problem is the demographic bulge of young men with no prospects for the future. That is the one consistent factor in the origins of war. If we knock off a few leaders, there will be new nut cases ready to fill their shoes before the bodies are cold. That's the nature of wackos like Ahmadinnerjacket. They don't do real well in assessing reality over the long run.
#11
I totally agree, "islam" is not on the warpath again because we offended it with our dreaded colonialism, because of Israel, becasue of such and such slight... but 1) it has undergone a theological re-awakening and is feeling mighty strong (demography & oil money, which are incidentally two afterproducts of colonialism and western development, not something The Master Religion produced) and 2) it really believes it can and will win since it see us and especially Europe, aka Christiandom, as decadent and weak and effete and ready to crumble (they might have a point, cue in cultural marxism, Eurabia,...).
In short, they're buying us, outbreeding us, and as kaddhaffy told in his tumbuctu speech, they see this coming conquest of the West (USA = the ennemy, Europe = the Prize, Rome the city of the chief of the associaters, France the kingdom of crusaders,...) as inevitable and certain. They already have won. And the more it will seem certain, the more islamic "moderates" will join in, not in armed jihad, but in "silent majority" type support. Add the fact that islam is the "strong horse" of the antiwestern forces (communism of all flavors, nazism, thirdworldism, antiwhite racism, nihilism), and fellow travellers will flock to it, and many will convert (think tcarlos the jackal writing in his book "revolutionary islam" that it will be how the West will finally be defeated).
#12
I am of the belief that objects in motion tend to remain in motion. The world's population has been headed toward Armageddon for centuries, and the removal of a half dozen leaders would do little to stop this momentum. Is it devine intervention that Israel has a complete fool for a leader, while Europe sells itself out for cheap labor and the US donkey party would sell out their military to win a shit throwing contest ? Boggle. Somehow, we end up in this spot, which I believe was a part of the Fatima predictions, which the Popes through the years have kept secret.
It's coming; the great clash of the civilizations. I am still searching for a way to determine the good guys from the followers of the religion of blood and death.
#13
mhw, these hundreds of thousands of suicide bombers in training expect their families to receive substantial sums as a reward for their sons "martyrdom".
#14
Bethlehem that was once predominantly Christian is now predominantly Moslem. Very little is written about it even in the Israeli press.
One of many crimes carried forward by the MSM and news media in general.
I have to tell you something which very few of you seem to comprehend. He continued, Your bungling war against a few thousand Hezbollah fighters which you should have crushed no matter what, considering the importance of the outcome, has created a completely new situation, not only for this area, but globally. Your inept leadership totally misunderstood the importance of winning this war."
The truth of this is so overwhelming as to forevercondemn Olmert s inadequate leadership.
The Americans, instead of realizing that this is as bad as World War Two, or even worse, are going to pull out of Iraq, handing it over to Iran on a silver platter. Next may come the Saudis and the rest of the Gulf states. When dirty bombs go off all over Western towns, who is going to stop the Iranians?"
Bush and all of Washingtons inability, nay, unwillingness to answer this vital question is utter malfeasance and tantamount to treason.
The idea that the Western democracies in general and the fate of the Jewish people in particular could have hinged on Hitlers one [anti-nuclear] decision, is a scenario of the worst nightmare.
Yet, nobody flinches at the exact same problem being confronted today as futile debate continues on regarding Irans intention of possessing nuclear weapons. There is zero difference between these two situations.
The Americans and Europeans have no defense against this type of war."
We most certainly do have a perfectly functional defense. Its just that no one has shown the least inclination or moral authority to employ such a definitive measure as of yet. I say to Islam only this, Give it time, you fools, just give it time.
This time you will have to destroy Hezbollah no matter what the cost may be.
No truer words have been spoken.
We looked at each other. His answer made it clear where the Israeli Arabs stood, whether they were Moslems or Christians. And why should I be surprised? After all the Israeli Arabs call the establishment of the State of Israel their nakbah (disaster).
Which is why absolutely no concern should be shown for non-Muslim Palestinians or Lebanese. They simply do not factor into any equation that delivers the West from Islams worst threats.
As in World War Two, had the West attacked the Germans in 1936 the war would have lasted not more than a month with very few casualties. Their procrastination resulted in World War II with all its consequences. Eventually, the West will have to tackle the Iranians, it is better that they do it now to avert a world catastrophe later. With Iran defeated the Islamic onslaught will lose its base, and it may be the turning point in history to defeat the menace of extreme Islam. The majority of the Moslems dont want this confrontation anyway.
Sure, all the West has to do is follow Putins ways. He assassinates his enemies without blinking an eye. Assassinate the four or five Mullahs who run the show, Ahmadinejad, and a few more Iranian fanatics, and the War can be avoided.
Paging .com, Frank G and all other advocates of Infidel hunter killer teams taking out Islams top echelons, here is your final proof. An Arab (albeit non-Muslim), advocating the exact same.
The conversation with Francis was not more encouraging than the one I had with the Palestinian student five years ago. It was becoming clear that Israel may be on the forefront for the coming war of the West against Islam, unless we follow Francis suggestion to assassinate the heads of the snake, rather than going to war with Islam.
Horse hockey! Here the author finally has someone who understands the crisis sufficiently to where some really solid recommendations are being made. Despite himself, the author gets it too. ALL of the hydras heads must be chopped off in short order to have any hope of prevailing against Islams poisonous serpent. Any questions?
"If a few of Iran's ayatollahs suddenly die, and perhaps some key in Hizb'allah/Lebanon, the rest would soon choose not to risk their valuable skins merely to establish the worldwide caliphate in their lifetimes. Because the consequences for their current words and actions are not severe (why should they care if the partial embargo means the peons have to sell their wives' jewelry to buy food?), they keep going and even accelerate their words and efforts."
Absolutely, trailing wife! Those in power have nothing to lose until their very existence is threatened. This we must do, STAT.
"This is nothing a few nukes wouldn't fix."
The saddest part of all is how nothing BUT "a few nukes" (or many,many more), will most likely fix this horrible situation. Most strange is my complete and total inability to regret any of it.
"If a donk is in charge, say Hildebeast, and the straw is thrown on the camel's back there will be the reaction of a woman scorned without the restraint of a pacifist wing."
Nimble Spemble, I know this is a favorite outcome for you to predict. While I have serious personal doubts that the democrats could ever hope to overcome their sickening fascination with Multiculturalism and retaliate against Islam [watch for a Saturday morning post about Multiculturalism]), I certainly hope that you are right.
In the wake of Wednesday's massacre of eight innocent civilians in a public van, is it about time the government to rethink peace talks with the murderous insurgents and to be more decisive against the insurgents? How long can we, the people, tolerate the seemingly endless killings of our brothers and sisters, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in the Deep South?
The massacre of eight people, including five females, after the van in which they were travelling from Betong district of Yala province to Hat Yai district of Songkhla province was ambushed by Islamic insurgents on Wednesday appears to have pushed the tolerance of quite a few people beyond the limits. These peace-loving people took to the streets in Chumphon, Chiang Rai and several other provinces to condemn the murderous insurgents for their brutal killings of the innocent civilians.
Surprisingly though, human rights advocacy groups who would normally scream foul play the loudest when a Muslim was killed by government forces were completely silent over the Wednesday's massacre. None of them joined the protests to condemn the insurgents. Did the silence amount to double standard practice?
The massacre of the eight van passengers who was each shot in the head in point-blank clearly speaks volume that the insurgents have no regard whatsoever on human lives. Nor are they interested in the olive branch offered by the government. All Buddhists in the three strife-torn southernmost provinces are regarded as their enemies who have to be exterminated. Thus, it is pointless for the authorities to talk peace with these killers who have no desire to co-exist harmonously with their countrymen of the other religious faiths. It seems the only language they understand is the use of force.
The insurgents have brought terror to the urban and rural communities in the Deep South as well as some parts of Songkhla to the point that there are no places which are safe. Is it about time for government forces to bring the war into insurgents-infested territories and to secure safety, for a starter, in urban communities?
More paramilitary rangers are to be deployed in the Deep South to counter the insurgency. But reinforcements alone without the imposition of some tough measures such as curfew will not be enough to deal with the problem. Curfew, say from 10 p.m. to 4 or 5 a.m. of the next day, should be imposed in the municipal areas where business and commercial interests are concentrate, will help in restricting the movements of the insurgents who have been successful in planting bombs under cover of darkness in municipal areas. Since not many urban residents venture out at night, the curfew will not add more hardship on them. And if the authorites are not quite sure whether the residents will accept the curfew or not, they can conduct an opinion poll to guage their opinions. If the curfew works, it can be gradually extended to outlying areas.
#1
Ask Condi what her father did when her family was threatened in our Deep South. I'll give you a hint: who did the NRA oppose in the 18th century?
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
03/15/2007 20:49 Comments ||
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#2
Eric, there was no NRA in 18th century (1701-1800) so it could hardly oppose to anything. It was established 71 years later than your time frame reference.
#1
Fjordman is a true classic thinker and a genius. I suggest everyone read everything he writes. I would like to ask him if he were American, what question would he ask at a presidential debate.
In this article, he quotes Roland Huntford, thus; The customary Swedish for housewife is husmor, which is honourable; it was replaced by the neologism hemmafru, literally the-wife-who-stays-at-home, which is derogatory. Within a few months, the mass media were able to kill the old and substitute the new term. By the end of 1969, it was almost impossible in everyday conversation to mention the state of housewife without appearing to condemn or to sneer. Swedish had been changed under the eyes and ears of the Swedes. Husmor had been discredited; the only way out was to use hemmafru ironically. Connected with this semantic shift, there was a change in feeling. Women who, a year or so before, had been satisfied, and possibly proud, to stay at home, began to feel the pressure to go out to work. The substitution of one word for the other had been accompanied by insistent propaganda in the mass media, so that it was as if a resolute conditioning campaign had been carried out. Very few were able to recognize the indoctrination in the linguistic manipulation; in the real sense of the word, the population had been brain-washed.
Maybe when we rewrite the Constitution, we should make is treason for any media types to attempt to change the meaning of words.
#3
Good article - compare to RIAN > Russian Women: BREADWINNERS AT HOME, OUTCASTS IN POLITICS. Considering the levels of poverty + un-employment for MEN in mainstream Islam, good argument can be made to applicability/relevance for the Muslim babes as well.
There's not a link on this, but I'll let it go this time.
I think - hope, anyway - that most people know that Building 18 isn't representative of Walter Reed Hospital. The place is actually a national treasure. I've been there many times. I've gotten consistently excellent care and the facilities have always been spotless.
When I first became a participant in the military medical system we had regular sick calls and military hospitals and doctors dotted the landscape. Sick call was something like a cattle call, and the attention us young soldiers got wasn't what you'd call the most meticulous.
As a result of the 60s, fewer doctors were willing to enter military service and we saw many more contract doctors added to the mix. The Base Realignment and Closure madness saw all those hospitals consolidated over the years to achieve "ecnomies of scale," which is management talk for putting all your eggs in single baskets so you have only a few single points of failure. So now we have a military medical system that's scaled to peacetime, not to mass casualties - the piddlin' casualty loads of Iraq and Afghanistan actually strain the system that Congress and management hath wrought. Big Wally is actually due to go away, to be combined with Bethesda Naval Hospital under the latest BRAC scheme, and its very valuable hundred acres of D.C. sold off, probably to a politician's relatives.
I caught pneumonia a few years ago and was admitted to Kimbrough Army Hospital for a few days. There I received the very best care I've ever had in any hospital, anywhere. Kimbrough's now just a clinic, with no inpatient treatment, no emergency room, no walk-ins, so if I get a serious illness again I can add to the strain on Walter Reed or I can go to my local civilian hospital and sit in line with the Medicaid patients. On the plus side, I don't pay as much for my health insurance as most people. On the minus side, I stayed in the Army for 20 years on the understanding that I'd receive military health care for the remainder of my life - and not pay a premium for it. Nobody ever asked which level of Tricare coverage I had in Vietnam.
There's a thorough housecleaning going on at Walter Reed that borders on a witch hunt already. In fairness, we should hollering for the heads of the Congressional oversight that was the genesis for the underlying mess. A crummy building or two isn't the problem; a poorly scaled military medical system is.
I have had enough and am going to give my perspective on the news about Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Please understand that I am speaking for myself and I am responsible for my thoughts alone. The news media and politicians are making it sound like Walter Reed is a terrible place and the staff here has been abusing our brave wounded soldiers; what a bunch of bull!
I am completing my 24th year of service in the Army next month so you decide for yourself if I have the experience to write about this topic. I have been the senior clinical chaplain at Walter Reed for four years and will leave to go back to the infantry this summer. I supervise the chaplain staff inside Walter Reed that cares for the 200 inpatients, the 650+ daily outpatients from the war who come to us for medical care, the 4000+ staff, and over 3000 soldiers and their families that come for clinical appointments daily. Walter Reed has cared for over 5500 wounded from the war. I cannot count the number of sick and non-battle injured that have come through over that timeframe. The staff at this facility has done an incredible job at the largest US military medical center with the worst injured of the war. We have cared for over 400 amputees and their families. I am privileged to serve the wounded, their families, and our staff.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Even for a continent with such a dishonorable record of appeasement, Europe has been outdoing itself. For the first time in more than two years European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will pay a visit this week to President Bashar Assad at one of his numerous palaces, marking a resumption of high-level EU contact with the Dictator of Damascus. 
