Speaking of Saint Ronnie, as I just was, in one of my less-than-finest moments, this recent article from America's Finest News Source reminded me of his finest hours:
Citing the country's long history of winning wars against sovereign nations with actual standing armies, the Pentagon's top brass repeatedly assured reporters they would "completely wipe the floor" with such an opponent if given the chance, and promised they would make America "very, very proud."
[...]
"We'd be really grateful if the United States became embroiled in a war requiring us to bomb munitions factories, engage in aerial dogfights, or torpedo battleships," said Marine Corps commandant Gen. James Amos, noting that when it comes to facing actual armies with actual naval and air weaponry, the U.S. is "great at that stuff." "I guarantee it would be an absolute slam dunk for us."
"Come on," the four-star general added, "we really, really need this."
Let us recall that Ronald Reagan, no doubt hunkering commander-in-chiefly in the war room, boldly sent the full force of American military might against our existential and towering foe, Grenada, protecting for another generation the rights of mediocre students to attend medical school. As the historic victory was secured, he proclaimed to a grateful land that, once again, America was "walking tall."
After Vietnam, it was just what we needed.
And thus was set in stone (age) the love of Rs for mythology, pyrotechnics, and dumb. Reaganomics, after all, failed out of the gate and forever after. But war? The guy had a gift.
Sid Sid Sid...
ReplyDeleteThats the problem with you Academics, never doing your own research. And with your recent Deluge-esque weather, theres no X-cuse.
And unlike you, I don't have Alzheimers, I mean, I actually check my sources, before I quote the Muslim-in-Chief-mentioning-his-Muslim-faith*.
But let me break it down for you, Your a Surgeon I'm used to it.
According to your Pie Chart, America'a been at war for 214 years, or close to your lifetime.
Revolutionary War 1776-1783
War of 1812 1812-1815
Mexican War 1846-1848
War of Northern Aggression 1861-1865
Spanish American War 1898
WW I 1917-1918
WW II 1941-1945
Korean War 1950-1953
Vietnam War 1964-1975
Gulf War I 1991
Gulf War 2 2003-present
and as someone who can only count to 21 if I take off my pants, thats carry the 2, angle of the dangle, hypotatuse of pi...
At best, 55 years at War, not 214.
I know, thats how Surgeons do Thangs, "5 more minutes" is actually 2 hours, if you don't count the code time.
And even if I argue that Lee had his fingers crossed at Apomaddox,thats only 202 years at war, so your still 12 years off.
And you can't count those wars the 3 Stooges fought...
Frankie "the Nose" Drackman
*"This Week with George Stephanopolus" Sept 8, 2008
Very nice. Love the Onion, Daily Show, Colbert, and YOU. Truth-tellers, all.
ReplyDeleteTwo things:
ReplyDelete1) This affects my point, how?
2) Checking the source, you'd have found, in small part, the following list, beyond which are the specifics:
1.1 1775–1799
1.2 1800–1809
1.3 1810–1819
1.4 1820–1829
1.5 1830–1839
1.6 1840–1849
1.7 1850–1859
1.8 1860–1869
1.9 1870–1879
1.10 1880–1889
1.11 1890–1899
1.12 1900–1909
1.13 1910–1919
1.14 1920–1929
1.15 1930–1939
1.16 1940–1944
1.17 1945–1949
1.18 1950–1959
1.19 1960–1969
1.20 1970–1979
1.21 1980–1989
1.22 1990–1999
1.23 2000–2009
1.24 2010–Present
Sure, you can quibble with the definition of "at war." After all, declaring war has become passé, especially the way W saw it. But, if you do, refer back to thing #1.
Wow, Wikipedia, who'd a thunk it?
ReplyDeleteand its cool, I used to copy articles from "World Book" for my
5th grade science projects..
But hey, if you wanta count 1891 as a year "At War" cause the Navy shot a few Seal Poachers in the Bearing Straights, go for it.
Not really the same as D-Day, Gettysburg, or Pork Chop Hill.
Frank "Give War a Chance" Drackman
The DrekMan makes your point for you Sid.
ReplyDeleteBasically, he reveals his indifference (and those of his ilk)to smaller scale bombings and killings that have become "normal" in our relations to the world in general and dark skinned people in particular.
"What,few thousand dead; you call that a war?
In regard to Grenada; I recall reading that more medals were issued than the number of troops deployed.
EugeneInSanDiego
I remember hearing that, too, Eugene; in fact I was going to mention it, and then it occurred to me that that must always be true. Like everyone else who served in Vietnam, I got a Vietnam service medal; plus a couple of others here and there for various questionable accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteIf they were "valor" medals, or something like that, it might be meaningfully egregious. I did a half-assed search before posting, but figured why bother?