Kentucky Conservative

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I served in the Republic of South Korea in 1989-90 as an infantry squad leader on the DMZ and speak from personal experience gained there. It is a hard place to live with a harder row to hoe in front of it.

I am deeply distressed at the current events of this week on that peninsula. I had heard the horrific stories of that war from my father, who fought there, but never really understood them until I stood in his footprints decades later.

Seeing it first hand and walking that rough terrain made that certain kind of hell quite real to me. The Punch Bowl, the Iron Triangle, Heartbreak Ridge. I visited and saw them all from the perspective of a warrior.

I know it would be a terrible place to fight a war and it was to those who fought it. They have my deepest admiration. As do the American service members who stand there today as a vanguard against further aggressions.

The criminal activity of the North that occurred this week is reprehensible. It shows the true colors and lack of moral responsibility of that totalitarian entity.

I have to wonder if this is an omen of what we expect to see going forward with its new leader. From all indications, the insanity of his father and grandfather have been passed down genetically and we have another madman to deal with.

I have a personal affinity for the South Korean people. You would be hard pressed to find a finer group of human beings in the world. They are warm, friendly and fiercely loyal to their friends.

But they are not whole and that is killing their souls.

Few South Korean families do not have extended family north of the 38th parallel. Relatives they have never even met, but the bond of blood is still strong between them. Families have been torn apart by the madness of men and it is time for it to stop.

I was not impressed with the South Korean government, no more than I am with our own current helmsmen. Both countries need statesmen when apparently either has neither. And China is the wild card in the mix.

I hope the best for our troops in the field and pray they are not withered away by the testosterone contests of little men who would not make a rifleman on their best day. It seems so easy for cowards to send men into the breach they will not visit themselves. But that is the history of aristocracy, no?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/nkorea.skorea.military.fire/index.html?hpt=T1

Imagine a world where the smallest, fringe element of people on earth have the power to bring superpowers to their knees. Battles won’t be fought on fields but in cyberspace as communications, financial institutions, utilities and transportation are taken off line with the flip of a switch.

That world is here and we are living in it. It was just a matter of time until technology exceeded our grasp of responsibility.

It’s no secret that the Pentagon and defense contractors have been working on tactical weapons to knock whole cities and regions off the grid for some time now. It has been reported on 60 Minutes and by other sources as well. A non-lethal way of forcing an opponent to surrender.

But suppose, for an instant, that whole countries, or even continents for that matter, could be taken off the grid instantaneously. That is some powerful stuff there, folks. And the people that hold the keys know they can write their own ticket if they possess it.

The question remains, though: who are they and how can we stop them? Is it a foreign government, perhaps our own or is it a criminal element like the globalists who will use it to bring us all under their control? Your guess is as good as mine…

Learn more below:

Computer virus Stuxnet a ‘game changer,’ DHS official tells Senate

Afghan President Hamid Karzai asks United States to reduce the visibility and intensity of its military operations; especially night raids. He states they only fuel anti-American sentiment and could embolden Taliban insurgents.

In other words, they are working and doing exactly what they are intended to do.

There is not much doubt in this ex-soldiers mind that such operations are not carried out randomly or in an arbitrary fashion. They are in direct response to real time intelligence reports and have proved highly successful in the last quarter – over 300 insurgent operatives killed or captured. That’s got to hurt the insurgents (and apparently Karsai’s double agent status with them).

It’s no secret that Karsai has been in negotiations with the Taliban. I am seriously beginning to wonder if he has crossed the line into collaboration and collusion with them. Well, not really, I am absolutely sure he has. He has betrayed us and is therefore expendable.

I’m not sure when or where the US got on this “nation building” kick but we need to stop it. It’s a waste of our time, money, resources and soldier’s lives. Enough already. Our foreign policy involving terrorism must take a totally new direction going forward or we will find ourselves being dragged into these quagmires over and over again.

This mess over there, as well as the one in Iraq, would have already been resolved had politicians stayed out of it. Let the military do what they do best – kill people and destroy things until the enemy capitulates. That’s the nature of this beast called war. It’s the only way it works.

I would propose new foreign policies on defending our national security with new rules of engagement to implement them:

Policy 1 – Leave us alone and we won’t bother you.

The American people, by and large, are a peaceful sort. We want to stay home, work our jobs, raise our children and basically be happy and secure while doing it. That’s not asking or expecting too much, is it?

We, as a people, have absolutely no interest in imperialism or colonialism. We have more than enough on our plate at home to worry about without picking up more baggage to carry for you.

We have retired as the global police force.

I am not talking about humanitarian aid here. America has always been generous and helpful to those less fortunate than us. We are and always have been part of the international community.

But we offer none to those nations hostile to us, our allies or their own people. They will get no quarter from America.

American businesses operating abroad will function in accordance with international law and the laws of the land they operate in. Disagreements will find remedies in those legal systems.

It is incumbent on management to weigh risks versus opportunity before entering into business abroad. The US military is not their security team and will not provide relief for loss of assets or property, but retains the right to act if life or limb of a US citizen is at stake.

If you choose to disrupt that posture with physical aggression, either on our soil or abroad, there will be severe consequences each and every time it happens. Rest assured the measures will be shockingly swift, decisively effective and decimating in intensity to punctuate the point for others considering this poor error in judgment.

NO ATTEMPTS AT DIPLOMACY WILL BE MADE ONCE THE FIRST DROP OF AMERICAN BLOOD IS SHED.

If you are a nation who hampers efforts to identify and capture perpetrators, you assume the role of perpetrator as well and will be dealt with accordingly. Expect no assistance from the US to re-build your nation; it is not coming. Expect no guidance in forming a new government; just remember what the last one cost you and adjust accordingly.

If you are a nation who harbors perpetrators, you assume the role of perpetrator as well and will be dealt with accordingly. Expect no assistance from the US to re-build your nation; it is not coming. Expect no guidance in forming a new government; just remember what the last one cost you and adjust accordingly.

If you are a nation who funds or arms perpetrators, you assume the role of perpetrator as well and will be dealt with accordingly. Expect no assistance from the US to re-build your nation; it is not coming. Expect no guidance in forming a new government; just remember what the last one cost you and adjust accordingly.

Policy 2 – Refer to policy 1.

It’s really no more difficult than that. Of course the lawyers and politicians will make it seem more because that’s how they stay in power. I don’t see mincing words.

Say what you mean, mean what you say and stand behind your convictions.

Karzai says US should reduce operations’ intensity

The next time you think you are having a hard day at the office or are late for a palates class, remember what Marine Cpl. Todd A. Nicely did for you.

If you feel anything other than humbled to your knees, proud of the young America produced, saddened by the sacrifice he made on our behalf and maybe a little bit angry at those that made this whole necessary, you’re probably not much of an American.

On Veterans Day, honoring Marine who lost limbs in Afghanistan, but not spirit

Semper Fi, Mac!

And let’s not forget the amazing woman he calls his wife, Crystal. She has sacrificed for her country both as a Marine herself and as the spouse of an injured warrior.

In honor of a local hero on this Veterans Day. This man is from my hometown of Jackson, KY.

Willie Sandlin (January 1, 1890 – May 29, 1949) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War I.

Biography

Sandlin was born in Jackson, Kentucky on January 1, 1890 and died May 29, 1949. He is buried in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky. His grave can be found in section E, grave 10A. The pool at the Leslie County Recreation Center (Hyden, Kentucky) is named in his honor.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 132d Infantry, 33d Division. Place and date: At Bois-de-Forges, France, 26 September 1918. Entered service at: Hyden, Ky. Birth: Jackson, Ky. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919.

Citation:

He showed conspicuous gallantry in action by advancing alone directly on a machinegun nest which was holding up the line with its fire. He killed the crew with a grenade and enabled the line to advance. Later in the day he attacked alone and put out of action 2 other machinegun nests, setting a splendid example of bravery and coolness to his men.