The Cuban Communist Despot Has Died

Finally.
I join my Cuban friends in their celebration with a little something I've been saving just for this occasion: A fine American (Texan!) vodka that kicks the rest of the world's vodkas a**es.  I've had this in the cabinet so long that a deposit 'ring' formed in the neck of the bottle and Tito's has since changed its label.

And so a final update is in order...

I've been waiting too long, but nothing compared to how long those who he oppressed have had to wait. This isn't the end unfortunately, only the beginning of the end. I expect the era of the 'Commandantes' will now go out with a whimper without Fidel's 'cult of personality'. THEN the suffering will end once Raul and the last of his cronies pass into the 'dustbin of history'. 

Of course we should keep hurrying that day along 'some'.

Selected samples of older versions of the above below the fold. They weren't always featured in a post, but they were in the heading/masthead from almost day one.

"Using Slave Labor is Never a Good Idea"

An interesting and illuminating convergence of my interests and hobbies  occurred this week...

Today, I was visiting X-Ray Delta One's Flikr archive to see what was new, and found this very powerful artwork (full size here):

Source: X-Ray Delta One

The masterful use of ink (is it pen [probably], blockprint or scratchboard?) only makes the subject more powerful. The illustration, especially the defiant man to the left, instantly reminded me of what I found the other day while I was looking into the background of several key players in the A-7/A-10 selection and development story. Lt General Howard Fish's recollection of WWII service (Video) led me to off track to other bomber stories (you know how it goes), where I found this on the EAA website:

Elmer Bendiner, B-17 navigator during World War II, tells this story of a bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on the plane's fuel tanks.

Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flack from German anti-aircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20-millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple. 

On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks; 11 unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn. 

He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. 

Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read: 

This is all we can do for you now... 

Using slave labor is never a good idea.   

Indeed 

Happy 2013!

Hope Springs Eternal...

Democrats playing games with National Defense: Rowan Scarborough Crochets (or something)

Great. Rowan Scarborough at the Washington Times (of all papers) channels the Democrat’s cognitive dissonance without a twinge of irony. Does he even realize it?

Congress does not appear close to reaching a deal that would head off $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts, $600 billion of which would strike the Pentagon over the next 10 years, bringing total reductions to more than $1 trillion.  

For now, that prospect is the proverbial elephant in the room

 Hey Rowan, you Doofus! That’s a fake elephant you’re pointing at! The Democrats are holding the leash to the real one.  

Not the Real Elephant In the Room. Source

The BIG ELEPHANT in the room: Democrats are playing sick games (away from scrutiny) with the National Defense to achieve their tawdry and socialistic political ends.

Since Rowan fails to Grok the very piece he wrote, let’s translate it for him.

• Military ordered by the POTUS (D) via the SecDef (D) to not plan for sequestration to prevent ANY possibility, however faint, of a feasible plan to come forward. Not only that, the order prevents any chance of an ILLUSION of a feasible plan to come forward. Why?

• The SecDef(D) has “warned of a “hollow” force if the automatic cuts occur”, and has said there is no alternative long-range budget” . The Services also see “dire consequences of sequestration, which would require deeper troop cuts and missions left undone.” So everyone is agreed that sequestration is a ‘bad’ thing. Or is it if you are a (D)?

• The House of Representatives (Controlled by the Rs), the only entity that can actually authorize USG (and therefore DoD) spending is offering a budget that would ‘avoid’ sequestration.

• The SecDef (D) asserts “that he cannot accept the current Republican 2013 budget that avoids sequestration”. If, as he has asserted, sequestration will result in a “hollow force” if it occurs, then why CAN'T he “accept” the current 2013 House (controlled by R but still ‘House’) budget?

“I’m grateful to the House for recognizing the importance of stopping sequestration,” he said. “But by taking these funds from the poor, middle-class Americans, homeowners and other vulnerable parts of our American constituencies, the guaranteed results will be confrontation, gridlock and a greater likelihood of sequester....

The key is to work together. Each side can stake out its political position. I understand that. But the fact is that nothimg will happen without compromise from both sides"

We finally get to the real story:

Hoping Nobody Notices As Long as the Press Covers For Him? Source: Michael Ramirez/IBD

The difference between a SecDef and a SecDef(D).

The SecDef(D) is willing to obey his Master and knowingly GUT the National Defense under the pretense of caring about the “poor, middle-class Americans, homeowners and other vulnerable parts of our American constituencies” while (and since 2009) the rest of the entire Obama Democratic machine has been working at gutting the economic engine that supports us all.

I ALMOST can’t tell which is more disturbing.

On the one hand we have The ‘Homicidal Democrat Uber Alles Clown Posse’ itself. On the other we have the fact that what made it all possible was the Republican Suckers getting PWND on the 2011 budget.

Ehhh,who am I kidding. Being Evil is worse than Stupid, even if by a nose. I call it for the Clown Posse. (But I still REALLY want to get rid of the Suckers).

Attention potential commenters: I added the Useful Idiot tag for anyone who might want to chime in and defend the sequestration lunacy or the train wreck created by Obama and his ilk.

Vote Republican! It's like doubling your car mileage!

That should be a 2012 campaign slogan for the GOP. (Update Below)

I went down  to the Gulf coast and back yesterday for a memorial Mass and burial of my Aunt who was also my Godmother. That meant a lot of time on the road to think of many things related to the trip and life in general.

It also took two refills of the gas tank. On the second tank, it hit me that this trip would have been less than half the cost (~$50 instead of over $100) if President Obama's energy policies had never existed or if they are reversed. I don't care what his motives are, but the end result was the same.

From a consumer $ point of view, it's the same today as if my car was only getting 11-12 mpg in 2007.

From ThePeoplesCube

My line of thought was undoubtedly fed by conversations with relatives after the burial ceremony, three of whom have jobs with the oil and gas industry and another looking to get into the business.

P.S. In case someone is so inclined: Spare us the 'Peak Oil' BS.
Even so-called 'Ecologists' unreasonably fear the long term availability of oil.  Other energy sources will make sense when oil REALLY (vs. artificially) gets scarce. What scares 'Ecos' (smarter ones anyway) even more is the possibility that Western assumptions underlying oil production may not be correct.  Yet another science that is unsettled.

Update 5 May 12 for a commenter.

An Investor's Business Daily article briefly summing up the most cogent points here.

A nice graphic illustrating much of same from the Senate GOP:

If there is an unsupported assertion in these sources, prove it.

No 'Fox News' involved. I just ordered Jonah Goldberg's new book The Tyranny of Cliches . While  attempting to disparage information on the presumption that it comes from a certain source is Circumstantial Ad Hominem , the continued use of the logical fallacy should be considered rising to the 'Cliche' level. --I wonder if the 'Fox News' cliche made it into Goldberg's book?

Footnote:  I'm not against careful use of cliches. Truth told too often can become cliche as well as falsehoods. They serve as a convenient shorthand in discussions as long as those discussions do not involve an argument. But one discovers over time that while a 'true' cliche can be adequately supported by additional explanation and detail, a falsehood hiding in a cliche will be destroyed by same.  

Still An Optimist About Cuba's Future

I just wish Cuba's better days were coming faster.



I hadn't updated my Blogger avatar this year until now, because I couldn't find the original source file to update in the time I had available for searching (probably a terrabyte + on multiple drives), but the situation has been rectified.

I still maintain a positive view towards Cuba's future.
Screw the Big Media BS proffered as an 'Arab Spring'. there's nothing good that will come of it IMHO. I'm looking forward to a transformation in certain quarters of the Western Hemisphere to begin when the World's Oldest, Longest Ruling, Living Dictator assumes room temperature. Oh sure, his little dog Raul is running things these days, but how long will the 'brains' of the regime survive without the cachet of the 'personality'? My gut feeling is the answer will be 'not long', even if Raul is just as (or more!) ruthless than THE 'Commandante'.

I'll also take good news where I find it. The Clown of Caracas isn't doing too well either, and his 'Boyz' seem to be also getting desperate.

Libyan Rebel Leader Admits to Al Qaeda Ties

H/T Instapundit

A Libyan 'Rebel Leader' admits to Al Qaeda Ties? I'm shocked! Shocked I say!
Ok, not really...
Hey Rubes! Told ya! (Which should have been a 'Captain Obvious' call)

On the Death of Evil Ones: Enemies Within and Without

H/T Michael Totten posting at Instapundit.

Being military-minded and somewhat experienced in these sort of things, I find no "joy" in Osama Bin Laden's death. I do find satisfaction and relief in the way his death was brought about, and wish my brothers-in-arms in the long continuum of those who have served, are serving, and will serve, continued safety and success in this long war against those who would bring upon us another Dark Age.
On the other hand, when this guy finally croaks (hopefully through natural causes) I'm throwing a freakin' party.

Read his opinion piece at the link. We could play either 'Logical Fallacy' or 'Delusional Leftist Meme' Bingo with his drivel.

 Noam Chomsky. Intellect not only held captive by Ideology, but Intellect perverted by Ideology. The ultimate Useful Idiot.
If you're too busy or lazy to follow the link at the top and read Totten's Yon's comment, it was a short one:

JUST ONCE I’d like to read an article by Noam Chomsky that isn’t faux brilliant in its moral and political idiocy, one that suggests he does, in fact, live in the same world as the rest of us, but he can’t even manage it after Osama bin Laden is killed

Don't hold your breath Michael..

19 Jun 12: Correction on source who was guest-blogging at Instapundit at the time. Thanks to the commenter who just pointed this out, .

Chappie James, Political Correctness, and the Current Libyan Problem

OR...
“How America’s first Black Four-Star General almost stopped the current Libyan regime in its infancy 42 years ago but you’d never know of it or any other of his major military accomplishments by his official Air Force Biography"

The 18th Fighter Wing Association website cites an “article by J.D. Haines in Retired Officer Magazine, February 2001” that “described the following events…at Wheelus AFB, Tripoli, in October 1969”.

On Oct. 18, 1969, just six weeks after Col. Muammar Gadhafi of the Libyan Army had led a coup deposing Libya’s King Idris, he stood at the gates of Wheelus Air Force Base. Facing him was an American officer, also a colonel, named Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. However, any similarity between the two men ended with their military rank. Before the coup, 27-year old Gadhafi had been a mere lieutenant in the Libyan Army. As leader and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, Gadhafi was catapulted to Colonel overnight. In contrast, James, an African-American officer, earned his rank the hard way by overcoming racial prejudices and enduring air battles in Korea and Vietnam.

Few Americans recall the day that James faced down Gadhafi. The confrontation occurred when Gadhafi ordered a column of Libyan half-tracks onto Wheelus. The half-tracks blew past the gate guards and through the housing area at top speed.

When James was notified of the intrusion, he came immediately to the front gate and lowered the barrier to prevent more vehicles from entering. Standing a few yards beyond the barrier was Gadhafi with his hand resting on the butt of his pistol. James glared at him, his own .45 ready at his side.

"Move your hand away from that gun", James ordered. Much to everyone’s surprise, Gadhafi complied and probably prevented an early end to his dictatorship. As James later recalled, “If he had pulled that gun, it never would have cleared his holster". As if to punctuate the impression James had made, the Libyan Army didn’t send any more half-tracks after that incident.

The article also recounted an earlier “Colonel James vs. the Libyans” incident: 

In July 1969, while James was at Wheelus AFB, he displayed an example of his diplomatic talents.
America’s relations with Libya had continued to slide downhill as Gadhafi pressured the U. S. Government to withdraw its military presence. But the Libyans wanted the Americans to leave behind expensive technical equipment to keep the base running. The Americans resisted and planned to remove the material from the base. A serious confrontation almost took place when several Libyan colonels demanded an audience with James.
James invited the officers to his home to discuss the issue of the base equipment. Tensions were already high as the Libyans entered James living room. As the Libyan officers sat down, their driver entered the room carrying a submachine gun. James immediately glowered at the Libyan officers.
“I’m going to count to three”, he said, “and if that man is not out of my living room by that time, I will physically throw him out”. The driver made a hasty retreat.

You’ve probably never heard of these anecdotes because of all the ‘politically correct’ framing of his illustrious career, including that which can still be found in his 32-year old Air Force Biography (last updated shortly after the General’s death a month after he retired).

Unlike every other AF senior military leader biography I’ve read, Gen James’ bio does not list his major military awards and decorations. The biography has literally paragraphs of the General’s civilian awards and honors received. Then it simply closes with the statement: “General James is a command pilot. He has received numerous military decorations and awards.”

General Daniel 'Chappie' James

(AF Official Photo)

If you can’t decode the ‘fruit salad’ on the General’s chest in the official photo, you would never know what those military awards or decorations were. As it is, I can’t even tell with 100% certainty if some of the General’s oak leaf clusters are silver or bronze (For civilians: ‘silver’ indicates 5 separate additional awards of the medal or ribbon and ‘bronze’ represents 1 additional award).

The ribbons and devices below the General’s Command Pilot Wings represent the award of (from top to bottom and left to right):

Defense Distinguished Service Medal

Distinguished Service Medal (AF) , Legion of Merit (x2), Distinguished Flying Cross (x3)

Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (x24), Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (X4?)

AF Outstanding Unit Award (x4?), Combat Readiness Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal

American Campaign Medal, WW2 Victory Medal, WW2 Occupation Medal, Nat’l Defense Service Medal (x2)

Korean Service Medal (x5), Vietnam Service Medal (x4?), AF Longevity Ribbon (x8), Armed Forced Reserve Medal

AF Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, ROK Presidential Unit Citation, UN Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon

Why am I making ‘a big deal’ out of this? It is a MILITARY biography. While one can argue for inclusion of the things the General was an important part of other than his awards and decorations, especially concerning his role in breaking down barriers within the Air Force and the United States, one cannot argue for the dearth of references to his actual military achievements in the bio.

This absence of General James’ military accomplishments led me to search for a biography that might tell me what at least some of them were and what they were for. I haven’t found one online yet (I have found some books I’ll keep an eye out for), but my search took me to the interesting bits above. Incidents that are quite relevant today, given the current ‘kinetic military action’ in Libya. James’ encounters with ‘Ghadafi’ and Co. speaks volumes about a tyrant’s cowardice and a General’s courage.
The Air Force needs to clean up General James’ biography to include a description of his military awards and decorations. He was an American Fighting Man: he deserves to be remembered as more than a civil rights ‘symbol’ in the abstract. For what is it he exactly symbolic of without acknowledging his actual military accomplishments?

Middle East Burning = Bad.

In case anyone was wondering why I don't seem all hep on our latest military adventure (but I'm willing to "get it on" over military efficacy during/over/in any conflict), it's just that I'm not crazy about toppling tyrants to make the world safe for Radical Islamic fascists, be they Muslim brotherhood or AlQueda or whatever. The title says it all:

Rebel Commander in Libya Fought Against U.S. in Afghanistan

Is this 'hope' or is it 'change'? Oh yeah.... it's 'Smart Diplomacy'!

All You Need To Know About the Sendai Quake Reactor Crisis

In case you aren't impressed with the US slinging $70m+ worth of TLAMS (@~$570K in FY99$ per) at Libyan targets of dubious value with questionable effect, and instead want to get the real scoop on the nuclear 'crisis' in Japan, all you need to read is found right here.

Hope Springs Eternal: 2011 edition

New Year.... New Pic

HAPPY NEW YEAR???

We'll see..... (Still waiting).

I got time.

Yee-Effin' Haw - THIS is America dammit!

From Bloomberg: EPA-Texas Feud Escalates Over New Carbon Regulations.
This appears to be a still-evolving story, as Bloomberg is still updating it. Latest update added a nice quote from a Sierra Club shill.

This signals the Obama movement to legislate away America is now moving into the 'Regulate- America away' phase.
Bring it, Rubes.

Nancy Pelosi & Dr Evil: Separated at Birth?

The AP/Ben Margot pic shown with the latest AP propaganda "Pelosi confident House will pass health care bill" just begs photoshopping. But not much...

'Nuff said...

Happy New Year

Hope springs eternal. My bottle of Tito's is still intact - I WILL outlast the aged Latin despot - and his little dog (Raul) too.

What to Do About Iran?

"Many policy makers and journalists dismiss the military option on the basis of a false sense of futility. They assume that the U.S. military is already overstretched, that we lack adequate intelligence about the location of covert nuclear sites, and that known sites are too heavily fortified.

Such assumptions are false."

General Chuck Wald knows that of whence he speaks. Read it all.

Yeah, That's Me! I'm Johnny Republico!

Iowahawk has outed me:

Republico matches every profile we have for a dangerous sleeper terrorist - pallid complexion, male, military veteran, weirdly unenthusiastic about paying taxes...
...In fact, we believe he may even have a gun.

Rats, I'm busted.

Read it all - TOO funny. Sad too...but funny!

Leftard Foreign Policy or Something

Three hard-core Leftard Radicals, a Deadbeat Defaulter, and three other (but more generic) Useful Idiots of the (D) variety all went to the Workers Paradise for some fun in the sun.

Oh......and they also kissed a couple of murdering commie dictator asses. Who are the ringleaders? We shall know them by their deeds (and these are just the defense-related outrages).

The Leftard Radicals on Parade
Barbara Lee(D)
-Democratic Member of Congress, co-chair of the radical Progressive Caucus
-Former agent of Black Panther leader and convicted killer Huey Newton
-Collaborated with the Marxist dictatorship of Grenada to deceive the U.S. Congress
-Voted against using military force against terrorists following the 9/11 attacks
-Has consistently voted against U.S.-led military action, regardless of circumstances

Melvin Watt(D)
-Member of the radical Progressive Caucus

Watt has voted:
-Against the development of a national missile-defense system;
-Against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001;
-Against the post-9/11 anti-terrorism measure known as the Patriot Act;
-Against allowing the U.S. government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives;
-Against a bill permitting the government to combat potential terrorist threats by monitoring foreign electronic communications which are routed through the United States;
-Against an October 2002 joint resolution authorizing U.S. military action in Iraq;
-Against the establishment of military commissions to try enemy combatants captured in the war on terror;
-In favor of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq immediately and by a preordained date;
-Against President Bush's 2007 decision to deploy some 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers in an effort to quell the violent insurgents in Iraq;
-In favor of a proposal to expedite the transfer of all prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detention center;
-Against requiring hospitals to report (to the federal government) illegal aliens who receive emergency medical treatment;
-Against the Real ID Act, which proposed to set minimal security requirements for state driver licenses and identification cards;
-Against separate proposals calling for the construction of some 700 miles of fencing to prevent illegal immigration along America's southern border;
-Against a proposal to grant state and local officials the authority to investigate, identify, and arrest illegal immigrants.

Bobby Rush (D)
-Member of the Progressive Caucus
-In 1968, went AWOL from the U.S. Army
-Co-founder of the Illinois branch of the Black Panther Party
-In 1969, served six months in jail for an illegal weapons conviction

Rush has voted:
-Against the development of a national missile defense system;
-Against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001; Against the post-9/11 anti-terrorism measure known as the Patriot Act;
-Against allowing the U.S. government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives;
-Against a bill permitting the government to combat potential terrorist threats by monitoring foreign electronic communications which are routed through the United States;
-Against an October 2002 joint resolution authorizing U.S. military action in Iraq;
-Against the establishment of military commissions to try enemy combatants captured in the war on terror;
-In favor of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq immediately and by a preordained date;
-Against President Bush's 2007 decision to deploy some 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers in an effort to quell the violent insurgents in Iraq;
-In favor of a proposal to expedite the transfer of all prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detention center;
-Against requiring hospitals to report (to the federal government) illegal aliens who receive emergency medical treatment;
-Against the Real ID Act, which proposed to set minimal security requirements for state driver licenses and identification cards;
-Against separate proposals calling for the construction of some 700 miles of fencing to prevent illegal immigration along America's southern border;
-Against a proposal to grant state and local officials the authority to investigate, identify, and arrest illegal immigrants;

How’s this Leftard Do-it-yourself Foreign Policy working? Well the Murdering Commie Dictators are already making hay out of it.

BTW: The three generic Useful Idiots were: Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Marcia Fudge (OH) and Mike Honda (CA).

Still Waiting For The Reunion in Hell

I can update this longer than you can hang around 'El Comandante' -- and my Tito's is still 'action ready'.

Consensus Seekers Gone Normal

Instapundit links to an editorial by Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. In her Washington Post piece, titled 'Partisans Gone Wild' Slaughter laments a lack of “bipartisanship” in the US. When I read her name, I immediately remembered my first experience with Dr. Slaughter’s intellect: she was participating in a roundtable discussion with Victor Davis Hanson and Stephen Steadman on the topic of ‘Preemptive War’ (video and audio links here). It is well worth watching the whole program.

Steadman’s main contribution to the discussion was to make Slaughter seem less obviously outrageous than her arguments would seem on their own. Taking away the outlier Steadman, and dealing only with arguments of Victor Davis Hanson and Anne-Marie Slaughter, it became apparent that Slaughter was incapable of differentiating between the functioning of the real and some other hypothetical organization called the United Nations.

Slaughter essentially asserts that we as a Nation we MUST gain legitimacy for our actions by always making even more attempts to gain UN imprimatur for our actions than we did in our current situation, even though she obliquely acknowledges the uselessness of doing so. Hanson, succinctly disabuses her of that silly notion.

After watching and hearing her on this subject, I concluded that Ms. Slaughter was incapable of deciding when and where to make a stand on anything, much less doing so with any reasonable chance of success: She would seek bipartisan consensus and cooperation from a free range steamroller before she would see the need to simply step out of its way and take control of it.

With the Slaughters of this world, it seems the only principle to stand on is to not stand for anything: to always keep moving the line in the sand.

As to Consensus and Bipartisianship: she is the "girl who cried wolf" too many times.

Update 2008 Hrs: Fixed obvious cut and paste errors