Awakening the Sleeping Giant

[Adam's Apple]

The author was inspired to write this article after watching Monday night's episode of "24".

Awakening A Sleeping Giant
By Doug Patton, GOPUSA
January 16, 2007

With Saddam Hussein gone, the government of Iran is now the center of the terrorist world. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the extermination of Israel, our only real ally in the Middle East, and has insisted on developing the weapons to do just that. With Russian, Chinese and North Korean nuclear material on the world market, it is probably only a matter of time before Ahmadinejad manages to perpetrate the kind of unimaginable attack on America that was depicted on this season's premiere episodes of Fox's anti-terror drama, "24."

In case you were one of the three or four Americans who weren't glued to their TV sets for that spectacle, suffice it to say that tens of thousands of people in Southern California were vaporized in a mushroom cloud from a suitcase nuke. It was one of the most frightening and infuriating things I have ever seen depicted on television, and it started me thinking about the actual response that might be forthcoming if (when?) such an attack is ever perpetrated upon American soil.

It is for such times that President Theodore Roosevelt intended his admonition to "walk softly and carry a big stick." Regardless of who has the misfortune to be occupying the White House at the time of such an attack, the response would surely be furious and lethal. The American people would demand such a response, and the resources of this nation would be mobilized in a way we have not seen since World War II.

for full article:
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2007/dp_01161.shtml

 

[dilloduck]

The author was inspired to write this article after watching Monday night's episode of "24".

Awakening A Sleeping Giant
By Doug Patton, GOPUSA
January 16, 2007

With Saddam Hussein gone, the government of Iran is now the center of the terrorist world. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the extermination of Israel, our only real ally in the Middle East, and has insisted on developing the weapons to do just that. With Russian, Chinese and North Korean nuclear material on the world market, it is probably only a matter of time before Ahmadinejad manages to perpetrate the kind of unimaginable attack on America that was depicted on this season's premiere episodes of Fox's anti-terror drama, "24."

In case you were one of the three or four Americans who weren't glued to their TV sets for that spectacle, suffice it to say that tens of thousands of people in Southern California were vaporized in a mushroom cloud from a suitcase nuke. It was one of the most frightening and infuriating things I have ever seen depicted on television, and it started me thinking about the actual response that might be forthcoming if (when?) such an attack is ever perpetrated upon American soil.

It is for such times that President Theodore Roosevelt intended his admonition to "walk softly and carry a big stick." Regardless of who has the misfortune to be occupying the White House at the time of such an attack, the response would surely be furious and lethal. The American people would demand such a response, and the resources of this nation would be mobilized in a way we have not seen since World War II.

for full article:
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2007/dp_01161.shtml

First problem---at least half of our citizens will not support a war that isn't 100% PC. If the enemy (and I mean each and every one of them) isn't proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt, we can't do it. In the mean time we have tons of people living here that don't even identify themselves as Americans. If the enemy doesn't have his bayonet halfway though you, you don't have reasonable cause to fight back. ( and fighting is just a sign of how "undiplomatic" you are anyway).

 

[Bullypulpit]

What both of you ignore, is that since Chimpy and Co's prosecution of the war and following occupation of Iraq, terrorist attacks around the world have increased. No meaningful action has been taken to secure America's ports or borders. Our military has bee stretched to the point where we can no longer effectively respond to a situation elsewhere in the world.

As for supporting the war, political correctness is not the issue. Were it a just war, the support of the American people would be unquestioned, as it was at the beginning of this sorry episode in American history. Support has waned as the truth of how this war was sold and waged on a tissue of lies has been revealed and the failure of Chimpy and Co to demonstrate even a basic competence in its prosecution.

You are to be admired for your dogged persistence in supporting this Administration. But dogged support of a patently misguided course of action is equally misguided. In your idealism, you fail to understand an important fact about idealism. William James said it best, "In the pinch between the real and the ideal, some part of the ideal must be left behind..." And the Manichean ideals of President Bush, other in his administration and its supporters, have little if anything to do with reality.

 

[dilloduck]

What both of you ignore, is that since Chimpy and Co's prosecution of the war and following occupation of Iraq, terrorist attacks around the world have increased. No meaningful action has been taken to secure America's ports or borders. Our military has bee stretched to the point where we can no longer effectively respond to a situation elsewhere in the world.

As for supporting the war, political correctness is not the issue. Were it a just war, the support of the American people would be unquestioned, as it was at the beginning of this sorry episode in American history. Support has waned as the truth of how this war was sold and waged on a tissue of lies has been revealed and the failure of Chimpy and Co to demonstrate even a basic competence in its prosecution.

You are to be admired for your dogged persistence in supporting this Administration. But dogged support of a patently misguided course of action is equally misguided. In your idealism, you fail to understand an important fact about idealism. William James said it best, "In the pinch between the real and the ideal, some part of the ideal must be left behind..." And the Manichean ideals of President Bush, other in his administration and its supporters, have little if anything to do with reality.

Bush was stupid to try to sell anything to liberals and the screams from congressmen who claimed they were duped is bullhit. Everything was just hunky dory until things got tough. Blame your own politicians who bought the bullshit surface reasoning. They knew better and Bush COULDN'T have gone in with out thier permission. You think the war still sucks ? Get your politicians to withdraw funding or are they too chicken shit to accept responsibilty?
I dont' support Bush. He's wimping out--I support using our military to battle radical islam in the heart of Iraq---and elsewhere.

 

[trobinett]

What both of you ignore, is that since Chimpy and Co's prosecution of the war and following occupation of Iraq, terrorist attacks around the world have increased.

Please, support that claim.

No meaningful action has been taken to secure America's ports or borders.

I agree.

Our military has bee stretched to the point where we can no longer effectively respond to a situation elsewhere in the world.

Again, please support that claim.

As for supporting the war, political correctness is not the issue. Were it a just war, the support of the American people would be unquestioned, as it was at the beginning of this sorry episode in American history.

I would say responding to having LA nuked, would be a "just war", wouldn't you?

Support has waned as the truth of how this war was sold and waged on a tissue of lies has been revealed and the failure of Chimpy and Co to demonstrate even a basic competence in its prosecution.

Excuse me!

Your support, and others like you has waned, I agree.

As to the rest of your statement, party line lies, and propaganda.

You are to be admired for your dogged persistence in supporting this Administration. But dogged support of a patently misguided course of action is equally misguided.

Good advice, some you should take.

In your idealism, you fail to understand an important fact about idealism. William James said it best, "In the pinch between the real and the ideal, some part of the ideal must be left behind..." And the Manichean ideals of President Bush, other in his administration and its supporters, have little if anything to do with reality.

Opinions vary.

 

[ErikViking]

I find it scary. Can't exactly express how, but it is something about that the drama in a fictious story told on television and the current events in the world gets sort of glued together in his article. I don't like it a bit.

The article would have been much better without reference to the TV series. Especially since he directly after describing the show writes about Roosevelt as if... I don't know. Bad connection, I think.

 

[Bullypulpit]

I find it scary. Can't exactly express how, but it is something about that the drama in a fictious story told on television and the current events in the world gets sort of glued together in his article. I don't like it a bit.

The article would have been much better without reference to the TV series. Especially since he directly after describing the show writes about Roosevelt as if... I don't know. Bad connection, I think.

Yeah...The TV series is a slick bit of agitprop. Goebbels would be envious.

 

[ErikViking]

Yeah...The TV series is a slick bit of agitprop. Goebbels would be envious.

I don't think I am that cynical. The entertainment industry is driven by viewers, isn't it? A message can sure be poured out effectively, but USA is one of the countries i would suspect the least. My country have Public Service TV, sponsored by the government.

 

[Gunny]

Yeah...The TV series is a slick bit of agitprop. Goebbels would be envious.

Yeah. Ignore the obvious that it's a real possibility and explain it away as propaganda, attempting to further villify it by comparing it to Nazi propaganda.

The next attack is coming, Bully, and YOU know it, so don't try playing the dumbass about it. And we aren't going to be able to do a damned thing but watch, then clean up.

 

[Bullypulpit]

Yeah. Ignore the obvious that it's a real possibility and explain it away as propaganda, attempting to further villify it by comparing it to Nazi propaganda.

The next attack is coming, Bully, and YOU know it, so don't try playing the dumbass about it. And we aren't going to be able to do a damned thing but watch, then clean up.

The only ones playing "dumbass" are those who believe the best way to prepare for such an attack is to foment fear and dismantle the Constitution.

And, FYI, good propaganda contains just enough truth to seem plausible. I did not, however, compare it to nazi propaganda. It's much slicker and less blatant than anything nazi's ever produced, yet serves the same purpose.

 

[ErikViking]

And, FYI, good propaganda contains just enough truth to seem plausible. I did not, however, compare it to nazi propaganda. It's much slicker and less blatant than anything nazi's ever produced, yet serves the same purpose.

Do you mean that media corporations in USA has political sponsors? I mean, seriously - for real, aren't those companies just intrested in money? WOT sells, so making movies about it seems smart borderlining to shrewd.

 

[sitarro]

The only ones playing "dumbass" are those who believe the best way to prepare for such an attack is to foment fear and dismantle the Constitution.

And, FYI, good propaganda contains just enough truth to seem plausible. I did not, however, compare it to nazi propaganda. It's much slicker and less blatant than anything nazi's ever produced, yet serves the same purpose.

What a crappy world you live in, how hard it must be to go through life with that mind of yours.

 

[Adam's Apple]

First problem---at least half of our citizens will not support a war that isn't 100% PC. If the enemy (and I mean each and every one of them) isn't proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt, we can't do it. In the mean time we have tons of people living here that don't even identify themselves as Americans. If the enemy doesn't have his bayonet halfway though you, you don't have reasonable cause to fight back. ( and fighting is just a sign of how "undiplomatic" you are anyway).

When I posted this article, Dillo, I wondered if America was the same country today as the author referenced and if the American people would react in the way he thinks they would. I know we all came together strongly after we were attacked on 9/11/01, so it does give one hope that those of us who would survive a nuclear attack would unite in attack mode to defend our country against those who would destroy us, our way of life, and our country.

 

[kurtsprincess]

When I posted this article, Dillo, I wondered if America was the same country today as the author referenced and if the American people would react in the way he thinks they would. I know we all came together strongly after we were attacked on 9/11/01, so it does give one hope that those of us who would survive a nuclear attack would unite in attack mode to defend our country against those who would destroy us, our way of life, and our country.

I hear your concern AA.....I know there will be "talk" but will those in power be willing to "walk the talk"? Can't predict that one. This topic brings up so much angst in me that it's hard to articulate what I think.

I believe our current culture.......the media, our educational system, American guilt (of being powerful), and obsession with what the rest of the world thinks, etc. has a debilitating effect on the majority of Americans today. Coupled with a growing majority of our people not being citizens will hamper our ability to be a cohesive country when it comes to a national disaster. Witness all the natural disasters recently..........did Katrina bring this country together or cause more of a rift. Pointing fingers and playing the blame game seems to be the standard today.

I truly do believe that diversity, political correctness and apathy will be the death of American civilization as we currently see it.

However, I would like to point out that the internet, blogs and message boards like this one is helping to curb the slippery slope of total disconnect that seemed to sweeping this nation. Propaganda is not as easily swallowed when the nation has a wider variety of information sources.

For me it's been refreshing to see that I'm not totally isolated in my conservative and pro-American views.

 

[trobinett]

KP posted:

[quoet]For me it's been refreshing to see that I'm not totally isolated in my conservative and pro-American views.[/quote]

For me as well.