It was bad enough that we had to re-live Viet Nam this past presidential election (John "I Served in Viet Nam" "Reporting For Duty" Kerry, and the MSM’s feverish pursuit of Geo. W’s Viet Nam-era Nat’l Guard service records), but the old ‘60’s counterculture hippies and some ‘Nam vets are reviving Viet Nam ghosts yet again. This time, it’s an unrelenting push by the MSM to convince the American public that the Bush Administration’s Iraq policy is an utter failure – and how does MSM plan to do so? By reviving their original victory over the US military – VIET NAM!!
Apparently, most of MSM is still living in those heady daze of the 60s & 70s, when the MSM single-handedly brought about the end of the Viet Nam war. That, at least, is how they remember it. History books, albeit just those few that are published outside of the current western academic circles (which is rife with the former student-protesters – now professors & deans – who still feel the same about their role in defeating the US military), paint a different picture. It has been proven, through interviews with the author’s of the Viet Cong’s war plans, that the North had allied themselves with the war protesters and the western MSM (of course, the Viet Cong failed to inform the MSM of the fact at the time!). Together, they defeated the will of the American public to support the goal of victory in ‘Nam. And that’s just the plain fact.
So now MSM wants to relive those glory days – another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. To the MSM, Iraq = Viet Nam, unequivocally. At least that’s what they’re preaching to you, the General Public (GP). And they are determined to convince you of this "truth". Just look at the Op-Eds in today’s MSM pubs [UPDATE: I wrote this yesterday . --Ed]:
In Iraq, Echoes Of Another Offensive (Washington Post)...Charles A. Krohn Jan. 30 will mark Iraq's first elections on the road to democracy, provided all goes according to plan and administration expectations. It will also mark the 37th anniversary of the turning point in another American war: the Tet offensive of 1968. That was when Americans lost confidence in official pronouncements that the war in Vietnam was winnable.
An Army's Morale On The Downswing (International Herald Tribune)...William Pfaff When George W. Bush was first elected president, civil-military relations in the United States were worse than they had ever been before. They are no better today, for more serious reasons. The decline had begun with the Vietnam War.
Achieving Real Victory Could Take Decades (Washington Post)...David Ignatius ...I traveled this month with Abizaid as he visited Iraq and other areas of his command. Over several days, I heard him discuss his strategy for what he calls the "Long War" to contain Islamic extremism in Centcom's turbulent theater of operations. We talked about the current front in Iraq, and the longer-term process of change in the Middle East, which Abizaid views as the ultimate strategic challenge.
…
It was a week that focused attention on gut-level issues, reminiscent of the Vietnam War more than 30 years ago: Why are we in Iraq? What kind of conflict is the United States fighting there? How can we win it?
[UPDATE: I have since learned that this op-ed was in the 26 Dec 04 WaPo . --Ed]
********end of excerpts************************
As I state in the title of this rant, IRAQ IS NOT VIET NAM!! Other than the fact that our troops are in fighting in a foreign country (and the fact that it is, after all, a war), there are almost no similarities. We (meaning US troops) are fighting mostly in desert, not jungles. We removed a dictator and are in the process of re-establishing a functional government, not providing military support to an existing regime. Our opponents do not enjoy anywhere near the support of the local populace as the VC did. And the topper of them all, the mortal cost in Iraq isn’t even in the same ballpark as that experienced by US troops in ‘Nam. Since the beginning in March ‘03, the US has experienced just over 1,000 fatalities (over 20 months). We lost that many in just over a MONTH in Viet Nam (for the 5 year period between ’65 & ’69, the US lost approx. 50,000 souls).
And as an aside, isn’t it morbidly weird that MSM is clamoring to be able to photo the flag-draped coffins returning from Iraq? Think about it – who exactly would benefit from these photos? The families? They wouldn’t know if their relative was in one of those coffins; they would’ve already received the dreaded visitation from the servicemen in their dress uniforms, and would NOT feel any sense of comfort from viewing a flag-draped coffin. So, the American public – that’s who’d benefit from seeing pics of the returning dead? Usually, this is rationale MSM will trot out – the GP should SEE the mortal cost of this war.
But how could the GP NOT be aware of the number of deaths, regardless of whether or not they get to count the number of coffins being unloaded at Dover AFB? MSM drills the fatalities into our heads DAY AFTER DAY. You simply cannot read ANYTHING at all about Iraq without MSM inserting the number of dead since the liberation. The following is a fictitious paraphrase-ment of a typical MSM news story:
"The interim Iraqi government has successfully crafted together a draft version of the first democratic constitution in the history of the Middle East, guaranteeing all Iraqis equal treatment under the law of the land. Meanwhile, in another instance of the US’s inability to establish security, insurgents have kidnapped unarmed civilians and beheaded them. The US toll in dead is now at (fill in the blank) troops."
So again, how will the GP benefit from seeing these photos? It is readily apparent the purpose behind showing the pictures is to whittle away at American morale. MSM wants DESPERATELY to show us the body bags, ala Viet Nam. They want to demoralize first us, the GP, then them, the US troops. They want us to lose, and lose badly.
The question is, why? When did CBS news, and the New York Times, and the LA Times, etc., become mouthpieces for our enemies? Do they not realize that we are at war? A war that - if we lose - will cost the US, and esp. the MSM, the very freedoms we enjoy today. As people wiser than me have opined, they aren’t just against us – they (MSM) are on the other side.
The Media Failed to Defeat W, Now Wants to Oust Rummy
Although the election is over, MainStreamMedia (MSM) is not giving up without a fight. Now that they’ve (mostly) conceded that George W. did win the election, they’re doing their best to bring down his administration, with the biggest target being SECDEF Rumsfeld.
Hardly a week goes by that some incident isn’t brought forth as new evidence of Rummy’s incompetence, beginning with the lack of adequate troop strength to defeat Saddam (remember the “quagmire” within the first week of OIF? “Bogged down in a sandstorm, insurgents attacking supply convoys – DISASTER!! QUAMIRE!!” Oh, except the US captured Baghdad less than 3 weeks later…), to the latest flap of an enlisted soldier asking why the US Army didn’t have enough armored Humvees for all deployed troops.
And just like the first flap, this one is MSM-owned & operated; MSM-generated & maintained; MSM-created & perpetuated; MSM-developed & driven… you get the picture.
If the average MSM-consuming joe were asked about the incident, he would probably state that some enlisted GI caught Rummy by surprise during a “townhall” meeting in Kuwait, asking the “why no armor on humvees” question, to which a disparaging Rumsfeld barks back, “As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They're not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time."
The MSM is still howling with indignant rage over the callousness of such a response. And the nation, esp. those who have relatives serving in Iraq & Afghanistan, should also be up in arms – IF THAT’S HOW RUMMY RESPONDED!!! But it isn’t .
I’ve read reports from soldiers & civilians who were actually there in Kuwait, and they’re amazed at the way it’s being reported in the MSM. I could link to many & varied sources, but this one on the conservative website, Human Events (article entitled “Ugly Reporting Wrongs Rumsfeld” by Allan H. Ryskind), sums it up nicely, from the (continued) instances of false reporting (lying?), to the real Rumsfeld response, to the mood & reaction of the audience. Here’s some money quotes (in case you’re a lazy American like me, and don’t want to follow the link):
“The first words out of Rumsfeld's mouth in response to Wilson were not what the media either said or implied or disclosed in film clips. [Ed: I added the bold for emphasis; the italics are the author's] They were, instead, words of encouragement. Rumsfeld dwelt at length on how much progress the military was making in solving the problem that began materializing a year ago August when the enemy started using explosives to blow up thin-skinned Army vehicles normally used in the rear of the combat zone. Nor was the secretary caught off guard by the question, as the media has suggested. Here, in fact, is how Rumsfeld immediately responded--all 94 words worth--to Spc. Wilson's now famous query:
‘I talked to the general coming out here about the pace at which the vehicles are being armored. They have been brought from all over the world, wherever they're not needed, to a place here where they are needed. I'm told that they are being--the Army is--I think it's something like 400 a month are being done. And it's essentially a matter of physics. It isn't a matter of money. It isn't a matter on the part of the Army of desire. It's a matter of production and capability of doing it.’ "
And here’s an overall description of the “townhall” meeting’s mood (same source):
“Rumsfeld talked to about 2,300 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilian laborers at Camp Buehring in northern Kuwait. Contrary to media suggestions, the troops were warm and receptive. The gathering frequently cheered and applauded the defense secretary, as he praised the troops and informed them how important their mission was. They cheered and applauded his remarks in response to their questions, gave him standing ovations and crowded around him for 45 minutes shaking his hand and snapping his picture after he had briefed them. His appearance was also broken up with good-natured laughter. These soldiers were clearly not acting bitterly or ready to mutiny…”
But you’d never guess the reality, cuz MSM has an agenda. The truth doesn’t fit their agenda, so they’ll make their own reality, and hope that John Q. Public is still to dumb & blind to notice.
Thank the Good Lord for the blogosphere!!!
UPDATE: The armored Humvees are no longer the latest “Rumsfeld is incompetent and must go” flap. That honor is now bestowed upon “signature-gate”, where it was revealed that Rummy was not personally signing each condolence letter sent to fallen troops' families. But if you read his response here, you’ll see that Rumsfeld authored & approved the letters, he just didn’t personally sign them in the name of expeditiousness. He now plans to sign each one personally.
A quote from his statement:
“I wrote and approved the now more than 1000 letters sent to family members and next of kin of each of the servicemen and women killed in military action. While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter”
I can already hear MSM’s reaction to this: “With the War on Terrorism, troops in Afghanistan, and an insurgent battle in Iraq, how can Rumsfeld justify the spending his valuable time signing letters? Why is he not concentrating on his mission?”.
It’s incredible. MSM really feels that the armored Humvee response was the equivalent of Patton slapping the soldier in the hospital tent in WWII – they wish!! They wish they could have the influence that MSM had back in WWII, when reporting on this event cost Patton, in effect, his career. What they fail to realize is that back in WWII, people respected MSM. In the 21st century, with all the obvious pandering to the liberal, Hollywood left (can’t forget RatherGate and the forged Nat’l Guard memos, can we?), this is simply no longer the case. MSM has lost nearly all respect as a non-biased, objective source of news in the past decade. And the truly ironic and sad fact is, they have no one to blame but themselves…
A Whole New Type of Rant As I Take on the Nation’s Sportswriters!!
Well, it’s not really a rant. It’s more of a celebration scream, in the tradition of a rebel yell, as follows:
Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hi!
That’s right, Sports Illustrated, with your disrespect of my Va Tech Hokies football team, picking them to finish in the bottom third of the ACC:
Tech, Tech, VPI!
Take that, ESPN & you College Gameday geeks – picking Tech to finish no better than 6th in the ACC:
Sol-a-rex, Sol-a-rah!
Poly Tech Vir-gin-ia!
Eat me, collegefootballnews.com, with your EIGHTH place prediction for the Hokies in their first year in the ACC:
Ray rah VPI!
Team! Team! Team!
Virginia Tech (aka, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VPI, and/or VPI&SU (pronounced “Vippy-Sue” – but you REALLY have to be an ancient Tech fanatic to remember that one!)), has just proven the “best” college football prognosticators wrong, and have gone and won the ACC Championship in their first year as members of the league.
Va Tech’s hated intrastate rival, the woeful Wahoos of Uva, have been in the ACC for 52 years, and have never even sniffed the ACC championship. That makes it even sweeter!
And the mostest sweetest thing of all – Va Tech gets the ACC Champ’s BCS berth in the Sugar Bowl!! Ah, justice – how sweet the sound of your call…
So mark your calendars and set your Tivo (or VCRs, for those of us stuck in the ‘90s) for 8 pm, Monday, 3 January 2005 on ABC, to watch the mighty Va Tech Hokies take on one pissed off football team, the Auburn Tigers.
Will the Hokies prevail? You betcha! Watch out, Auburn! This “two-loss team” is gonna hand your undefeated ass in your helmet!!
Wow! It’s been quite awhile. I just thought I’d take a break until the elections. Then, when George W. won, I found I didn’t have a much to rant about. Now the holidays are here – who has time to rant now? Maybe once the shopping is done - now there's something to rant about.
Till the next time...
GO HOKIES!!! (Don't miss the Va Tech / Auburn Sugar Bowl - 3 Jan 05)
