Right Wing Lunatic

If this photograph doesn't tear at your soul, then you're going to hell.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So a state senator from Massachusetts finds a website about him and in it, it says some pretty bad things about him. So what does he do? He goes to the high school, during an assembly, and names the students who wrote about him and read what they said word for word. Bravo! Teach these kids to stand up for what they say instead of being Internet keyboard warriors!

What's more funny is that the mother of the student who created the site said the Senator acted "inappropriately". So he acted inappropriately and her child didn't? I don't think she's got a moral leg to stand on for this one.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

While a lot of people can claim that the US is just being a bully in the Middle East, it does say something when the UN nuclear agency cuts aid to a country because of sanctions. Look for Iran to become further isolated until they realize that their exports are what funds 80% of their economy and things begin to crumble. Then you'll see them open up a bit more.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Well I'm glad they've decided to join up and help bring peace to the nation. We've helped them out in the past with the No Fly Zones and such to protect them from Saddam, it's nice to see them return with help.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

They won't even recognize Israel, so what makes them think that they deserve to have sanctions lifted? They have explicitly said "We will never recognize Israel. There is nothing called Israel," he told Reuters. "We, in the Hamas movement, will not abide by anything." You can't ask for something and offer nothing in return when you have a stand off like this. If they will never recognize Israel, then you can't tell me that if we just simply give them what they want that they'll all of a sudden become friendly. They will use that as propaganda against us and say "see! We stood up to the American's and we can do whatever we want."

It's called "Divide and Conquer." Let them figure out a way to pay everyone's salaries and let them feel what it's like to be so full of hate that they let it blind them. Once people get angry that they can't afford even the basics in life, you'll see a turn around in their attitudes or the Palestinians will simply vote them out of office.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Water is wet, and sunlight is bright. These are all very obvious things. But now we have a poll showing it. Of course, they say that the Arab-Israeli conflict would help our image in the Arab world. I take this poll with a pound and a half of salt because in the same poll the most admired politician is the leader of the murderous cult Hezbollah.

The general gist of the poll is "if you give us everything we want, we'll think better of you". Not "let's work together and end conflict and try to reach a true peace". Don't be fooled into thinking that ending the Arab-Israeli conflict will suddenly make Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda and the entire Arab world love us and let bygones be bygones. Sure, we have allies in the Middle East and we appreciate them, but for bitter enemies to all of a sudden love us because we give in, simply isn't going to happen.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

OH. MY. GOD. If this wasn't in Yahoo news, I'd swear it was a prank. One of France's biggest hosiery makers is coming out with a line of pantyhose for men. Just reread that last sentence and let it settle into your mind for a minute. Pantyhose. For men. What's funnier is that they are coming out with this line of hosiery "due to increasing demand from male clients." You can't make this stuff up folks.

It's bad enough that the French have a reputation for being weak, but this REALLY doesn't help that stereotype.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I didn't know you could get such a weapon for only 80 Euros. That seems like a pretty good deal if you ask me. Selling of military grade weaponry is quite a nasty felony for which there are many years in jail that awaits, even if the crime happened in another country. In my home state, I remember a guy getting a life sentence because he was in possession of a Claymore land mine and a fully automatic machine gun.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

While this is happening in schools, it really needs to be nipped in the butt before these kids get out into the real world. When a resume comes across my desk, I'd better not see "b4" "dis" "dat" or my own pet peeve "payed" instead of "paid". It immediate would get thrown into the garbage if I saw something like that. In the real world business environment, spelling counts and you'll have a tougher time in the workplace if you use such language. Granted, common spelling mistakes are fine, but blatant usage of letter combinations to replace words definitely doesn't fly in the real world.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So there's a report out that states that people within the Pentagon purported a false link between Saddam and Al-Qaeda. While I personally don't think there was a direct connection between the two, I do believe that they had a common goal. Saddam was actively paying suicide bombers families, was planning attacks within the US, and did indeed pose a threat to the US and everyone within the region. If someone within the Pentagon did something wrong, they should be punished for it, but you can't tell me that Saddam didn't need to be removed from power.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

There's more and more evidence that Iran is actively supporting the insurgency in Iraq. What's surprising to the administration is that we're finding Iranians in the raids that we're conducting. Personally, I view this support as an act of war and we should track down the factories that are producing these weapons and destroy or sabotage them.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I ran across this very interesting article written by Sgt. Eddie Jeffers and I thought I would pass it along to you all. In it, he points out many things that I've pointed out in the past, but he's got much better credibility because he's there to see everything first hand. An excellent read.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and when it's two on one, especially when the two are older then the one, it's time for some payback. Yes, what the kid did in bringing the knife to school was wrong, but I think this should be chalked up to "two bullies got what they deserved".

I had a similar situation when I was in school. A bully decided he wanted me to be his next victim. After dealing with his bullshit for a few year (he was MUCH bigger then me) I decided enough was enough. I was coming in after football practice in full gear and he was in the locker room in regular street clothes with his friends. He decided he was going to play Mr. Tough Guy in front of his friends, and since I had enough, I decided I'd strike then and there.

I tried to walk away, then he shoved me into the lockers. I spun around with my helmet in my hands and caught him across the jaw with it. That dropped him to the ground and I then proceeded to beat him mercilessly for the next few minutes. His friends decided they didn't want a part of what their friend was getting. Once Coach thought the guy had enough, he called me out and told me to get in his office. Yes, Coach did watch and he did say that my bully deserved every strike he got.

Well, the police were called, parents were called, and when it was all said and done, it was all chalked up to "he deserved it". They said since there were 5 of them (bully and 4 friends), that I had every right to feel threatened and I did enough to avoid conflict by turning around. Once I was shoved, the gloves came off and they said it was justifiable.

Cracked jaw, knocked out teeth, shattered cheekbone and a VERY humbled attitude is what he got that day. He avoided me like the Black Plague for the rest of the year and then transferred to another school when the next year came around. Funny thing is, everyone afterwards was quite friendly to me all the way up to graduation.

The old saying goes "a coward will kill you quicker then someone who hates your guts" is quite true.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Man, this guy is a major league idiot. First off, he's quoted as saying "Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the Pelosi ally who chairs the House military appropriations subcommittee, said he has spoken to Pentagon officials about the need to provide Pelosi with a bigger plane that can fly passengers coast to coast in comfort.

But he denied pressuring the Pentagon. "I don't need to pressure them. I just tell them what they need to do,'' Murtha said.

Telling them what they need to do is pressuring them. Sorry John, but in the real world, that's pressuring.

Then: "Murtha said he is convinced the Pentagon has been leaking information about the possibility that Pelosi would use large military planes to make her look bad. But he said, "They're making a mistake when they leak it because she decides on allocations for them,'' referring to the Pentagon budget."

That sounds like almost extortion to me. It definately reeks of "pressuring". So what's wrong with the Mrs. Pelosi using the same 12 person aircraft that the previous Speaker used? Plus, now the Democrats are worried about leaks? It's the truth, so it shouldn't matter right? They weren't concerned when the NY Times was leaking classified information left and right, so where's the harm in this "leak"?

Top House Republicans such as Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri and Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida, chairman of the House Republican Conference, agree the speaker merits the use of a military jet for security reasons, but say Pelosi has been pressing the Pentagon to provide her with a bigger jet than used by Hastert so she can ferry family, other lawmakers and lobbyists across the country.

Umm...Lobbyists don't belong on aircraft used for business use. They need to pay for the flight like any other person would. Immediate family, and other lawmakers I can understand, but lobbyists have no business being on that aircraft unless they pay their own way.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So on one hand, we have people who say that Iran offered up an unbelievable deal to us in the beginning of the Iraq war. No nuclear program, no terrorist support, and recognition of Israel. Sounds too good to be true? It may have been false. While Ms. Rice's statement of she "doesn't remember" such an offer sounds suspect, the statement of "But I think I would have noticed if the Iranians had said, 'We're ready to recognize Israel,"' Rice said. "I just don't remember ever seeing any such thing." is quite telling.

If Iran did make such an offer, it would be unprecedented. What would Iran have to gain from such an offer? They were supposedly offering everything on a silver platter and didn't ask for really much in return, so that makes it sound more and more like a false report. Who knows though? If such an offer had been made and was rejected, there'd better be a damned good reason for it. If you can get peace, true peace, from an enemy without firing a shot, you have to at LEAST investigate it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

In connection with militants and Moqtada al-Sadr. Of course, the Health Minister is protesting the way that his deputy was arrested. That's a sure sign of guilt. It's not enough to say "I didn't do it". They don't do that. They say "Iraqi Health Minister Ali al-Shammari criticized the way forces seized his deputy, calling the raid a humiliating blow to the dignity of the ministry and the official seized." Al-Shammari said he should have been notified and that he would have cooperated. He asserted that legal channels should have been followed, with the proper papers from justice officials.

Yes, I'm sure he would have cooperated and not notified anyone about the impending arrest. Yes, that's the ticket. This is the way you root out corruption and restore order to a nation that needs it badly.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

It's really hard to take their word on anything lately. For example, today they have announced that they have found over 100 spies working for Israel and the US. Bullshit. If they had found such spies, they would have arrested all of them. They are stabbing in the dark and hoping to hit something.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I feel so icky for doing this, but what is right is right. John Edwards is currently building a $4.3 million dollar home in Colorado. "The home is a monster. It's way over the top," Johnson said. "There's no way that a normal family could ever need a house like that. It's only going to hurt him. I don't think he's going to be able to sell his story that he's for the poor people."

I disagree. He's a successful attorney/politician who earned his money fair and square, from what I can tell, and if he wants to build a $4.3 million dollar home, why not? It's his money he can do whatever he likes. I earn my money and if I want to build a replica Star Wars set in my backyard, who cares? I think this is a bit of a stretch in trying to undermine John Edwards' credibility. He has so many other reasons for his credibility to be undermined. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I can understand that the Speaker of the House needs a special aircraft. But it's really telling when Mrs. Pelosi is asking for a plane capable of non stop flights across the country with enough room to accommodate a small army of people. If you have to refuel, who give a shit? Many lawmakers use commercial aircraft and sit with us regular folks. They deal with delayed flights, lost luggage and more.

In addition, the letter stipulates that the Air Force will only fly her between Washington and her San Francisco district and places limits on who can travel with her. The Washington Times reported earlier this week that the Pentagon denied a request by Mrs. Pelosi to fly on a military aircraft to last weekend's Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, a two-hour drive from Washington.
"Non-governmental personnel, i.e. political supporters and contributors, may not fly," the congressional source said yesterday, paraphrasing the letter sent to Mrs. Pelosi. "The plane may not ferry her to any political events and other members may only accompany her after approval by the House ethics committee, which means Republicans would have to OK it."

"Just because she's second in line to be president does not entitle her to a military taxi service around the United States," the source said."

This is exactly right. She does have the right to use the aircraft they give her for business reasons. A weekend retreat isn't for business, and therefore, she can't use the plane. Looks like she's already trying to turn it into a party plane.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

That story leads me to the next story. 5 students at Long Island University decided they were going to play a prank and make a mock video depicting a "hostage situation" with a rubber duck. Now a Muslim group is calling the video "offensive" and says "While friends of those who created the film emphasized it was made in jest, Muslim leaders did not see the humor. They acknowledged students' right to freedom of speech, but said that right carries responsibility."

So what we have here is a couple of students who made a video, which probably was offensive to some, and now they've had CAIR get involved with the situation. CAIR is fast becoming the "Jesse Jackson's" of the Muslim world. Racist, lying, bullshit artists who only point out the "unfairness" and "oppression" of their own people while ignoring the plights of those who aren't their religion/race. Where was CAIR when Ward Churchill made his infamous "Little Eichmann's" comments against the 9/11 victims? Where was the university's outrage and firing of this guy? They didn't because it was protecting his rights to free speech and these students have those same rights.

"The university dismissed the students from their jobs as residence hall assistants in Brookville Hall, saying they had engaged in activity that violated their employment contract and that reflected "insensitivity."

So what do you think would have happened if they made a Bush/America bashing video? I can guarantee you that nothing would have happened to these students.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I remember this idiot. He's the one who decided to speak out for the London bombers and the September 11th attacks. Of course, he's taking the "it's a witch hunt" angle, but what he doesn't seem to get is that in the UK, and most everywhere else, inciting terrorism/rioting/crime is a crime itself. He'll cry "Freedom of Speech", but what I find humorous is that a story I'm about to post about here later has a Muslim group saying "They acknowledged students' right to freedom of speech, but said that right carries responsibility." I wonder if this same Muslim group would state the same thing about this guy? I doubt it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal gave a check for $10 million to Rudy Giuliani just after September 11th for disaster relief. The prince then had the gall to blame the attacks on US foreign policy, then, out of a move I GREATLY respect, Rudy basically told the prince to go fuck himself.

Well fast forward to a few days ago, the same prince donates $20 million to Harvard. A few days later, Harvard announces the biggest curriculum change in 30 years. What will they be changing to? No surprises, a "creation of a University-wide program on Islamic studies." Hmm. I wonder if they'll begin preaching hate there and trying to fill students heads with bullshit like so man London mosques have been doing lately.

If it was any other prominent Muslim, I don't think I'd really care. But for this to come from a guy who JUSTIFIED the September 11th attacks pisses me off. Harvard should have told this guy the same thing that Giuliani did: "take your money and go fuck yourself". But they didn't. They took the money and kissed his ass.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Man, I bring up political correctness stories and I'm finding more and more articles written by people who are fed up with it as well and are coming out against various issues. For example, I just ran across an article by a Muslim who's defending the TV show "24", denounces CAIR, and states that "because, believe it or not, the idea that there are Jack Bauers out there in real life risking their lives to save ours does mean something to me."

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So a French Presidential candidate who helped create the French Muslim Council is stating in a court case about the Mohammad cartoons that he'd rather see more cartoons then none. I think this is what Peter Venkman was talking about when said "human sacrifices, dogs and cats, living together. Mass hysteria". Is the world finally righting itself against the idiocy of these whining groups? At least this guy is making a stand and saying against these groups and saying "you're wrong".

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So when 9/11 and Katrina happened, Muslims said that it was God's will and that we deserved those disasters. Yet, Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, the largest Muslim populated country in the world, is in the middle of some nasty flooding. 38 dead and 430,000 homeless. But we don't see Christians/Jewish/Buddhists telling these people that it was God's will that they got this disaster and that they deserved to have their homes and lives washed away.

Why? Because we recognize that people need help after disasters. We offer out our hand in friendship and general humanity to help them get back on their feet. What do we get in return? Shit like this. Even after we helped Iran after an earthquake that killed 80,000 people, we get a knife in the back. It's high time that people started learning a little bit of respect and gratitude for the things that the US has done for humanitarian aid over the last few decades. Want to protest against us and burn our flag in the middle of your streets? Fine, enjoy the rubble where your homes used to be when the next natural disaster strikes.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So The Muslim Council of Canada and the Muslim Forum of Canada are threatening to lodge a formal complaint against a small town in Canada because of this:

What grabbed the most attention is that the list includes a specific prohibition against stoning women in public and burning them alive and an interdiction against face covering, except at Halloween - measures clearly aimed at Muslims, even though the town is almost entirely old-stock Quebec francophone and there isn't a single Muslim resident.

So the Muslim groups are against a ban on stoning women to death and burning them alive? The town councilman has basically given these groups a big "fuck you".

Drouin, however, was unrepentant at a council meeting last night, where the council unanimously stood by the initiative and called on Charest to take action on setting rules for immigrants that would apply to the whole province.

Good for him. It's about time that people stood up against groups like this who have ridiculous demands. Go Little Herouxville!

Louise Trudel, who also attended the meeting, insisted there is nothing racist about the Herouxville initiative.

"I have nothing against immigrants, I know a lot of immigrants. But at one point there has to be a limit to accommodating them. If they came here, it must be because they like the way we live."

"We took our religion out of everything, the schools, the government. Why should they try to bring in theirs?"

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So Air America's stuff is for sale. No surprise, no one wants to hear liberal talk radio since all they generally do is complain about Bush and how they'd like to see impeachment and actually do nothing about their "problems".

Americans like problem solvers. We're a culture that celebrates winners. Pro athletes, doctors, certain politicians, all "solve problems". When you don't solve a problem or at least offer up an idea, you aren't looked upon with great admiration. So when you try to build up a liberal radio station, there's tons of upfront costs, so you need to think long term. Yet another liberal fault, they generally don't think long term. We'll use the impeachment argument again, You can go onto any Internet forum and see people screaming for Bush to be impeached, but then when you tell them that Cheney would be President, they get a bit quiet. Not long term thinking.

So, with significant upfront costs and low ratings, it's not surprising that Air America is up for sale at low low prices.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So China has banned the "Year Of The Pig" ads on state run TV because it might offend people?

This cartoon pig used in Tenlow's ads would hardly seem subversive. But CCTV has ordered major advertising agencies not to use pig images, cartoons or slogans "to avoid conflicts with ethnic minorities." That's a reference to China's 20 million Muslims, about 2 percent of the country's population.

So China is now allowing 2 percent of its population to dictate what can and can't be seen on TV? That'd be like not showing The Jefferson reruns because it might offend KKK members. It's ridiculous and needs to stop, even in China. I respect people's rules when I go into their majority ruled domain, they should respect the same when they go into others. For example, when I travel to Japan, I respect the norms of the Japanese culture. I'm significantly larger then most Japanese people, so I already stand out in a crowd, but I remove my shoes when asked, I stand when an elder comes into a room, and other cultural sensitive things. I don't get offended or ask my hosts to do things my way simply because it's my way. That's called being a dick.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Issues such as gay marriage, immigration and crime are pushing people towards hate groups like the KKK? Racism is in your heart, if you don't have it there, you're not going to be pushed towards this kind of racist group. For example, I have friends of just about every religion, race, and sexual orientation. I like them because they are friendly, helpful, and fun to hang around with. That's why they are called friends.

On the flip side of the coin, I have people who I despise of every religion, race, and sexual orientation. I don't hate them for what they are, I hate them for who they are. Therein lies the difference. I hate people who are assholes, and if you are a White/Black/Jewish/Muslim/Buddhist asshole, you're still an asshole and it doesn't mean that I hate you because you're different from me. I hate the person, not the group. What bugs me is that people are more and more trying to play the race/religious/sexual orientation card. "You don't like me because I'm Muslim". No, I don't like you because you support hate against another group. "You don't like me because I'm gay". No, I don't like you because you're an idiot.

If people are finding themselves being drawn towards the KKK, it's simply because they were racist to begin with and have now come to terms with it and are using excuses such as immigration, gay marriage, and crime to justify their own hateful feelings.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Why is it that if I ran a school and said that all black people were below the human race, I'd have that school shut down by the government within days and there'd be protests and I'd be all over the news, but when a Muslim school does it, there's little reaction? It's time that people were outraged equally. This school is a threat to peace and poisons the minds of children and needs to be looked into very carefully. They even admit that they do have the books describing Jews as pigs.

If Muslims are tired of having a bad reputation, there needs to be less and less examples of preaching hatred everywhere. If you wonder why some people look at Muslims with distrust, this is a prime example. I'm not saying that Muslims in general feel this way, but if you continue to have example after example of Muslims saying one thing and preaching another in private, you can't blame people for having poor attitudes towards Muslims. This goes towards all groups, Jews, Muslims, White, Black, Rednecks, everyone. If you have members of your particular group spewing hate over and over again, you can't blame people for having poor attitudes towards your group.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Wow, that's pretty impressive, regardless of who does it. To give you a perspective, most cars are less then 2 tons. That'd be like having this missile go through 52.5 cars and then traveling 4200 miles and hitting it's target. The fact that it's done by us is quite reassuring.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

When a rescue operation of a journalist happened in March of 2005, the US wasn't informed of it and when the rescuers tried to run a US checkpoint, they were fired upon. While I understand the anger and sadness of losing a friendly, you can't blame the soldier for firing upon the vehicle. How were they to know that they were friendlies? How could they not think that they were car bombers or something similarly sinister?

While any investigation by us into it will always be looked at with suspicion, the soldiers were found to have acted properly and cleared of any wrong doing. It's simply a matter of things that unfortunately happen in the fog of war.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

How original, he's claiming he's a victim. His attempt at sarcasm just has him admitting what he truly is "Since I write for washingtonpost.com, I am part of the all powerful, self-congratulatory, far-left, Bush-bashing, fifth column mainstream."

The many e-mails I've gotten privately from people serving in the military are, not surprisingly, the most respectful and reflective. Example please? It sounds like he's backtracking a lot there.

Mr. Arkin, please do me a favor and stand up, be a man and say "I said these things, and I won't apologize for them because they are what I believe". I'd have a lot more respect for you if you did. I wouldn't agree with your point of view, but you'd end up looking like a guy who's at least honest with people instead of a liar who will say anything to weasel your way out of your comments. Your claiming that you're being victimized and demonized is just one more way of you trying to shift away focus on what you've said. Like I've said before, Freedom of Speech is a two way street, welcome to it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Sure, this guy has the right to say it, but that doesn't mean I won't pick apart his arguments.
From the article:

I'm all for everyone expressing their opinion, even those who wear the uniform of the United States Army. But I also hope that military commanders took the soldiers aside after the story and explained to them why it wasn't for them to disapprove of the American people.

Why not? Soldiers are Americans with rights to say what they want and if they want to disapprove of those who criticize them, they have that right.

Friday's NBC Nightly News included a story from my colleague and friend Richard Engel, who was embedded with an active duty Army infantry battalion from Fort Lewis, Washington.

Engel relayed how "troops here say they are increasingly frustrated by American criticism of the war. Many take it personally, believing it is also criticism of what they've been fighting for."

You would too wouldn't you?

First up was 21 year old junior enlisted man Tyler Johnson, whom Engel said was frustrated about war skepticism and thinks that critics "should come over and see what it's like firsthand before criticizing."

"You may support or say we support the troops, but, so you're not supporting what they do, what they're here sweating for, what we bleed for, what we die for. It just don't make sense to me," Johnson said.

This is one of my primary arguments that Mr Johnson brought up so clearly. War critics don't know what's going on over in Iraq, they want to protest all they want, but they only see a bomb going off in a crowded market or an IED going off against one of our convoys. They don't see us building schools, roads, and other infrastructure. They don't see the neighborhoods where we are welcomed with open arms because we bring peace and security where there used to be fear and violence.


These soldiers should be grateful that the American public, which by all polls overwhelmingly disapproves of the Iraq war and the President's handling of it, do still offer their support to them, and their respect.

What??? These soldiers do a job that many of us hope to never have to do. The protect us against threats from around the world and if one is found, they do what it takes to eliminate that threat. We should be forever grateful to soldiers such as these who stay up at night and take care of threats that you and I never even HEAR of.

Through every Abu Ghraib and Haditha, through every rape and murder, the American public has indulged those in uniform, accepting that the incidents were the product of bad apples or even of some administration or command order.

This is the one that burns my ass. Indulged? That means that we believed that soldiers in Iraq do this on a regular basis and that we chose to believe that these incidents were isolated and weren't a product of a larger military campaign of rape and murder. If that were the case, you'd heard about these types of things ALL THE TIME. There wouldn't be Iraqi's left if that was the case. If we had a scorched earth policy, there'd be nothing left of Baghdad.

Sure, it is the junior enlisted men who go to jail. But even at anti-war protests, the focus is firmly on the White House and the policy. We don't see very many "baby killer" epithets being thrown around these days, no one in uniform is being spit upon.

Really? I've seen incidents here and there about soldiers being called baby killer, but there are soldiers who are being beaten. Should we "indulge" the left wing idiots out there and just "assume" that this is an isolated incident, just a few "bad apples"?

So, we pay the soldiers a decent wage, take care of their families, provide them with housing and medical care and vast social support systems and ship obscene amenities into the war zone for them, we support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?

So $13,809.60 is a "decent wage"? That's $6.29 an hour. Here's a list of the pay grades for the US military. I make more then a starting Colonel. The poverty line for 2005 was $15,735. Granted, Soldiers do get allowances and everything they need taken care of, but you can't tell me that $13,000 a year is a "decent wage".

Next up, "obscene amenities into the war zone"? Have you ever eaten an MRE? They're disgusting. I've never known a soldier to say "I'd rather eat in the cafeteria rather then a home cooked meal by my wife or mother". NEVER. MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) are just about getting the body the nutrients it needs. It's not about flavor.

"We support them in every way"?

It doesn't sound like you do.

"defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war" They're generals. They fight wars for a living, so I'd say let them fight it the way they see fit because they know from experience what works and what doesn't.

"give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society"

When have you had to give up any rights or responsibilities because they are above society? I'd LOVE to hear this one.

But it is the United States, and the recent NBC report is just an ugly reminder of the price we pay for a mercenary - oops sorry, volunteer - force that thinks it is doing the dirty work.

Mercenary? So you're telling me that our men and women over there aren't there for patriotic reasons, college tutition, or just want to be in the military? You're telling me that everyone in the military, EVERYONE, is just there for the vast $13,000 a year that it pays?

The notion of dirty work is that, like laundry, it is something that has to be done but no one else wants to do it. But Iraq is not dirty work: it is not some necessary endeavor; the people just don't believe that anymore.

You don't want to believe that, but it's true. Iraq needed to be dealt with, Saddam was a threat and no one was willing to step up to the plate.

I'll accept that the soldiers, in order to soldier on, have to believe that they are manning the parapet, and that's where their frustrations come in. I'll accept as well that they are young and naïve and are frustrated with their own lack of progress and the never changing situation in Iraq. Cut off from society and constantly told that everyone supports them, no wonder the debate back home confuses them.

They aren't confused, if you read in your OWN ARTICLE, you'll see that they are pissed, not confused. They think, rightfully so, that you and your kind are two faced and don't appreciate the freedom that you have to say such things.

Freedom of Speech is a two way street. Welcome to it Mr. Arkin.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Unfortunately, in war, friendly fire does happen. When it does, it can be devastating for all those involved. This video shows that when mistakes are made, it can bring about disaster.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Hmm.. I wonder why this isn't being reported on the front page of CNN? Well I actually prefer this guy's article more because it's the opinion section of the Wall Street Journal. You know, the financial people. So I would take what this guy says as gospel more then anyone else. And what does he say? The Federal debt is going down, WAY down.

You wouldn't know this from all the garment-rending yesterday in response to Mr. Bush's proposal to spend the not-so-meager sum of $2.9 trillion. Our favorite agonist is Kent Conrad, the Senate Budget Committee Chairman, and he didn't disappoint. "The President's budget is filled with debt and deception, disconnected from reality, and continues to move America in the wrong direction," said the Senator who was himself blocked from sneaking nearly $5 billion in "emergency" farm spending into a military construction bill in the final days of the last Congress. The North Dakotan needs to keep shouting disaster in a crowded political theater so he can justify his desire for a big tax increase.

The news Mr. Conrad won't broadcast is that over the past three years the federal deficit has shrunk by 58%. The Congressional Budget Office--not the White House--is estimating that the current year's deficit (for fiscal 2007) will fall to $172 billion. That's not bad given continuing Katrina relief spending, $30 billion for homeland security, and a couple hundred billion or so to fight the war on terror.

The White House is projecting that its new budget will eliminate the deficit by 2012 assuming Mr. Bush's tax cuts are extended after 2010. We don't put much stock in future budget forecasts because they depend on so many variables. But even CBO predicts the deficit should remain near or below 1% of GDP for the rest of the Bush Presidency. That's well below the 40-year average of 2.4% of GDP.

So what this guy is basically saying is that we're not out of the woods and have a massive surplus, but we're heading in the right direction financially even though we've had Katrina, 9/11, the War on Terror, and other major financial hits. You'd think Republicans were actually doing what they say they'd do when they say they'll cut taxes and be more financially responsible.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Within 3 years of have their marriages annulled.

The Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance acknowledged on its Web site that the initiative was "absurd" but hoped the idea prompts "discussion about the many misguided assumptions" underlying a state Supreme Court ruling that upheld a ban on same-sex marriage.

The measure would require couples to prove they can have children to get a marriage license. Couples who do not have children within three years could have their marriages annulled.

All other marriages would be defined as "unrecognized," making those couples ineligible for marriage benefits.

My wife and I don't have children because we wanted to get our careers going so we could give our future children a solid financial foundation which they could be raised upon. I grew up very poor and I don't want my children to have to go through what I did. So my wife and I's marriage would be annulled under this measure.

Personally, I could give a rats ass if gay people get married. Who are they hurting if they do get married? I know many gay people within my personal life and I have no problem if they introduce me to their boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife. What they do in their house isn't my business.

As a side note to gay people, please don't introduce me to your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife as your "partner". That word can be misunderstood in many ways such as business partner, or when you call your friend "partner" in the cowboyish way. Just introduce me to them as your boyfriend or girlfriend. I won't get offended and you'll still get the friendly handshake and polite conversation that you would if you were any other person on the planet.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

There's conflicting reports on whether or not we were supervising the kidnapping, but what's funny is that Iran is complaining that if we were responsible for it, we're violating international law. One Iraqi government official says that the kidnapping was done by an Iraq unit that reports to the US military. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver has said that we weren't involved. Well, supporting the insurgency violates international law, but I don't hear them adhering to it. Additionally, if the diplomat was supporting insurgents in any way, shape, or form, he's violating international law as well. But you won't hear the Iranians talk about that.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Sadly, when disasters strike, people will exaggerate their losses or make up losses that never happened. When it's found out, the government steps in and prosecutes those who made up losses or asks for the money to be returned from those who exaggerated their losses. Unfortunately, Katrina is no different.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

If this is true, this guy would be a perfect target for assassination. While such a tactic should be used very few and far between, if he is indeed the bomber and acts as an agent for Iran against our men over in Iraq, a bullet is all this guy deserves.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Update on the troop increase resolution.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I must admit, the guy does look good on paper, but some key issues he's wrong on will make for a troubling time that he'll have when he's seeking the Republican nomination. If I were a betting man, (and I am), I would say that the Presidential elections in 2008 will be either, Giuliani Vs. Clinton, or Giuliani Vs. Obama. I think that many in the Republican base are willing to overlook Rudy's disagreements with core Republican beliefs because they want to make sure that Republicans hold onto the White House now that Democrats control the Senate. Rudy has charisma, a reputation for getting things done, and has people on both sides of the political landscape liking him.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

There is an offensive ready to begin in Baghdad to root out militants on a scale "never before seen". The Iraqi's are now leading more and more raids against the militants and you'll start seeing progress to quell the sectarian violence. Here's to hoping they get Moqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr may be an ally to the Iraqi President, but he's been causing too much trouble and needs to be removed.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

For partying, alcohol, and mixed sexes mingling?? Didn't Footloose have a storyline similar to this? Most Saudis hate the religious police and soon, probably within a generation, you'll start seeing a shift in ideals in Saudi Arabia because of them. Kids like to have fun with their friends and meet girls/boys and mingle. It's who they are as people. If you ban that type of behavior, you'll only get resentment and rebellion.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So a cop arrests a guy for swearing in public? I guess the cop didn't understand what "Freedom of Speech" means. This should have never gone beyond the county jail level.

"It cannot be seriously contended that any reasonable peace officer, or citizen, for that matter, would believe that mild profanity while peacefully advocating a political position could constitute a criminal act," the three-judge panel wrote in Friday's decision.

Every cop I know has looked at this and agreed with the Court of Appeals on this one. Every cop I know said they would not have even arrested this guy. Sounds like the police station have a nasty lawsuit on their hands. Hopefully the arresting officer learns from this and goes on to have a successful career. We've all done stupid mistakes at work, but unfortunately for this officer, his mistake made the front page of the news.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Or at least that's what Democrats are hoping. Many Republicans are set to block this ridiculous resolution. It should be decided one way or another within the next few days.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I'm glad there are at least a few people finally starting to see that the increase in soldiers is the correct decision. What I find even nicer is that John McCain called those who supported the resolution "intellectually dishonest".

“I do believe that if you really believe that this is doomed to failure and is going to cost American lives, then you should do what’s necessary to prevent it from happening rather than a vote of ’disapproval,”’ McCain said.

“This is a vote of no confidence in both the mission and the troops who are going over there,” he said, noting the proposal does not seek to cut off money for troops.

He's basically bringing up the same points that I have in the past. A resolution that's non binding is a pussy way out and that if Democrats were serious about the issue, they'd do something about it rather then complain like they usually do. There's a lot of things I disagree with John McCain about, but he's dead on with this issue.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Well this is something I can get behind. If they stood up like this more often against Islamic extremists and helped law enforcement capture or kill them, I think it would significantly help Muslims with their tarnished image that they have in many parts of the world.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I can totally understand this for convicted Federal criminals, but the fact that they want your DNA at the time of arrest is blatantly unconstitutional. It's clearly against the "unreasonable search and seizure" part of the Constitution. Look for someone to sue against this and win. If I were arrested and they took my DNA and I was acquitted, you can bet your ass I would want them to expunge my DNA profile from their database. Granted, this would help law enforcement with their jobs, but you have to make a stand somewhere for privacy rights and this is one of those stands.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Well let's see what the idiot President of Iran can come up with now. A cure for AIDS? I'd love to see that, hell, I'd be willing to PAY to see that. But let's be honest here, it's all a dog and pony show to get everyones minds off of Iran's nuclear program and their support for the insurgency in Iraq.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So John Edwards wants the rich to pay for the healthcare costs of the poor. Nevermind the fact that the rich pay the vast majority of the taxes already. Nevermind the fact that it wouldn't be fair for the person who busts his ass to earn a living to pay for the healthcare who may not deserve it. Why should someone who decides they want to down McDonalds all day long and not work or not better themselves get better healthcare coverage simply because they are poor? I'm all for helping people who want to help themselves but just need an extra boost, but you have to have a plan in place for those who would abuse a system like this. You don't need to raise taxes to help pay for things. Just cut out the pork projects within the existing federal budget and that will be more then enough to pay for things such as this.

This also points to a more sinister way of thinking for Democrats. They are willing to tax the rich at a moments notice. If you think that they will stop taxing, you're more naive then you should be. They'll start with the rich and eventually work their way down towards the middle class and eventually the poor to pay for extras. Democrats believe that the government should be involved in every aspect of your life, while Republicans, true Republicans, believe that if you want something, you have to earn it. The government isn't going to hand hold you if you decide you can't make it in the greatest country with the most opportunities on earth.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com