BlackFive

I dread going over to certain websites that contain 'news'.  Daily, I scan and scour various sites around the 'net, looking for information and updates.  Some sites have become so politicized that I can't stand to go to them very often.  CNN has become such a site; but today, they brought this one out that MUST NOT be missed:

The diary arrived in a Red Cross package, along with a Sheaffer fountain pen. Acevedo mixed snow with the ink to help it go further; other times, he'd urinate in the ink container to make it last.

There were two journals in the pack. He gave the other to Pfc. Stephen James Schweitzer, POW #25802, on March 20, 1945. Schweitzer would also survive the war.

Acevedo wanted to make sure history was recorded. It was ingrained in him, as a medic and as a soldier who kept the war ethos: I will always place the mission first; I will never quit; I will never accept defeat, and I will never leave a fallen comrade.

This is the story of medic Tony Acevedo, 86, who survived the Berga slave labor camp with a diary of what he and his comrades had endured.  CNN covers his visit to the Holocaust museum in DC, and his donation of the journal he kept to their archives.  His is the first of an American citizen to the museum, and the only Mexican-American among the survivors listed there. 

Most of those captured with him were from the Battle of the Bulge.  To survive that period only to die in a hell-camp just adds insult to injury.  Worse, in my mind, is how the Army treated them after they were liberated:

He was liberated on April 23, 1945. Before returning home, Acevedo signed a document that still haunts him today. "You must give no account of your experience in books, newspapers, periodicals, or in broadcasts or in lectures," it said.

It ends with: "I understand that disclosure to anyone else will make me liable to disciplinary action."

The military tried to shove this under a rug- in order to appease Germany at the start of the Cold War, and to try to prevent further condemnation, the survivors were never recognized until 2009 when they were finally recognized for who they were- survivors of a death camp.  Even the commanders of Berga were spared; the military would not let Acevedo and others testify to the conditions that they endured at the camp- the death marches, the inhumane treatment.

Blackfive, like other mil-blogs and pro-vet sites on the internet, stand to prevent just this sort of cover-up from occurring.  None of us here would even consider hiding or covering up such an occurrance- no matter the circumstance.  To do such an injustice to our brothers-in-arms is beyond our collective comprehension.  In fact, to those that understand why B5 began this blog, bringing out the truth and the REAL stories of our bretheren is what we are all about.

To think that someone would try to hush something like this, and/or not work to bring it to light is reprehensible.  To me, the actions of leaders in the US are nearly as deplorable as the actions of the Nazis in this case.

Go read the article- watch the video.  It's a keeper.

Wolf

If you tried to decide what the main function of the UN was, you would have a tough choice between corruption and rape. If you follow the exploits of the world's conscience, then you see a path polluted by bloated plutocrats thieving blatantly v. the global rape of women, children, men and farm animals everywhere the UN sets up shop.

I don't have the accounting chops to suss out just how amazing the corruption is, but I think it is fair to say that the Oil for Food scandal was one of the most egregious examples of outright hijacking of a humanitarian effort in the history of Earth. That said, I think when the global solons of the UN face final judgment they will burn more brightly for the grotesquely pathological rape that shockingly pops up wherever they put up camp. Now they are doing double duty reporting on mass rapes.

United Nations (CNN) -- Thirty Congolese women on the border of Angola and Congo were held in a dungeonlike prison and systematically raped by uniformed men, according to U.N. officials.

The first question a simple man like me might ask is "Were the uniformed men wearing blue helmets or berets?". Because a sure sign that the overall sex abuse in your area is going to skyrocket is the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces or civilian officials. How dare I make these outrageous claims you ask? Well it is hardly a secret.

Haiti, Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast & Sudan, Hell pretty much everywhere they have deployed & then they go ahead and give the predatory bastards they have released on legions of innocents a free pass.

None of this shocks me much at all because I have heard these stories first hand. On multiple occasions I have had the displeasure of working in close proximity to the UN, both civilians and the soldiers they rent. That is worth noting since a large part of the problem is the UN has no military and so leases hired guns from many of the least civilized nations on Earth. They hand them blue helmets and a license to rape and pillage. Not that the civilians are any better and many of them are from the enlightened salons of Europe where they plot to make up for their colonial misdeeds by raping, both literally and figuratively, the countries they once owned. There was even one poor soul who made the mistake of recounting his exploits molesting children all over the world to me and my friends as we were decompressing from a hellish relief mission. He somehow thought that bragging to a Special Forces team that he knew where the best underage girls and boys were was a way to impress us. It did impress us, quite negatively, and we impressed upon him our disgust, quite painfully.

 I really wish there was a multi-national organization dedicated to promoting peace, disaster relief, nation building and the milk of human kindness. The UN sure as Hell ain't it.

It is the dream of many, and the nightmare for hosts -- an Instalanche.  To be noticed by the great and mighty Insty.  To have him sit down his puppy shake or hobo sandwhich, and link to something you wrote.  The glory of glories, to get a "Heh(tm)". 

What determines when his blenderness does this?  No one knows.  The theories abound:  dartboards, dice, drawing from a hat, hobo entrails, and even worse things.  Even when he does link to something, he sometimes picks part rather than the whole. 

Earlier today, possibly in response to releases, messages, bribes, or other, he decided to link to Gina Elise.  He totally ignored Cooking with the Troops and Operation FPH Blues.  Even though Operation FPH Blues originated with Gina.  This got a few of us to thinking.  Given the randomness of links, and all that he chooses to ignore, or even snub, well, there's a market there.  A vast untapped market of those ignored by his exaltedness.  From hanging around with MBA-types, we thought of tapping that market, and decided on trying out the "Snubbed By Instapundit" label.  WIth luck, it will catch on, and we can put it on merchandise, license the use and labelling of blogs, and more.  Who knows, it might make a great fundraising tool for Operation FPH Blues.  So, here's the initial exploration:

 


 

Provided he doesn't send the hit squad after us er, challenge us on trademark and copyright issues, this may soon be on a variety of merchandise, the proceeds of which will go to charity (CwtT and Pin-Ups for Vets).  Heck, if he gets into this and gives us a good copy of his logo, we can spruce it up a bit. 

So, think there's a market for this?

LW

who really hopes his blenderness has a sense of humor...

Okay, you signed up in this post; we had a guest post linked; and, now the Fitness Challenge is being extended.  It has nothing to do with my not meeting my goal, nope, none indeed.  It has nothing to do with something I said to Kalashnikatz.  Honestly, it is that we have been swamped and not able to give it the time and attention it deserves, and that with the holidays coming up we wanted to share ways to enjoy them without undoing whatever good you've done.  For the record:  I've maintained.  Not really lost, not really gained -- which given all the good food at Blog World is nothing short of amazing. 

So, let us know how you are doing, and check back for guest posts and more soon -- we hope.

LW

Seamus sends the text of the speech of GEN Amos, the new Commandant of the USMC. I've met General Conway and his amazing wife, Annette, a few times. Their leadership during war has been nothing short of miraculous.
::::::::::::::::::
 
Marines, Sailors, Civilian Marines and Families, As your Commandant, I want to say, first and foremost, thank you… for your willingness to serve our Nation at a critical time in its history ...for what I know have been your many sacrifices … for your continued courage in the face of great danger … and finally, thank you for your fidelity to each other, to our mission … and to our Corps.

 
We exist today because Congress and the American people want us to exist, but — we are able to exist today — because of YOU and your faithfulness! Our performance since September 11, 2001 — at home and abroad, in garrison and in combat — has earned us the right to stand proudly in the long and illustrious line of Marines who have gone before. In Al Anbar Province, we defeated a determined insurgency,proving to the world that Al Qaeda’s violent extremism could be beaten, while contributingto a brighter future for the Iraqi people. We rapidly re-deployed to Afghanistan, where we fight our Nation’s battles today in another tough neighborhood … the Helmand Province.

All the while, we continued our role as America’s Expeditionary Force in Readiness, responding to crises around the world. In the past year alone, we have responded to two major natural disasters half a world apart. On board seven amphibious ships, 5,000 Marines deployed immediately to Haiti to provide critical, initial relief and life-sustaining help following a devastating earthquake, and we have been providing similar assistance to flood-ravaged Pakistan. We’ve served during a time of great challenge … and we’ve been equal to every task. Throughout this remarkable period in our history, General Conway and his wife, Annette, have led our Corps with wisdom, strength and grace. Their many initiatives will serve us well as our Corps continues its march into uncertain times. I am grateful for their leadership and, on behalf of the Marine Corps family … Bonnie and I wish them Godspeed. While we remain focused on combat operations in Afghanistan, leaders at all levels must consider the likely challenges of the next two decades and how the Corps will meet them. The future will be different from the world we knew prior to the attacks on 9-11.Through innovation and a willingness to adapt, we will remain the ready and relevant forcethat America relies on in times of crisis! The pages that follow provide my guidance and priorities for the Marine Corps. In them I speak of who we are, where we will operate, what we will do, AND WHERE we are headed.

Each of you — from Private to General, Civilian Marines, Families and those who support our Corps — will contribute to our success. Whether fighting at sea or ashore, Marines have been guided by honor, courage and commitment. These core values have been the compass for every Marine’s servicethroughout our rich history.

Superior leadership, hard training, and a willingness to sacrificehave forged our Corps into one of the most capable fighting forces the world has ever known. Our Marine Corps has remained true to these values for 235 years … and so it will during my service as your Commandant.

Semper Fidelis
JAMES F. AMOS
General, U.S. Marine Corps
Commandant of the Marine Corps

Cassandra of Villainous Company asked me to respond to a piece by one Prof. Corey Robin, apparently an associate professor of political science at Brooklyn College as well as CUNY's Graduate Center.  I am, of course, always at Cassandra's service.

Nevertheless, I have to admit that I doubt the response will do much good.  The piece is on the subject of war, and conservatives; in short, an assertion that conservatives have an inherent desire for war.  I'll treat the question of war and joy, since the professor raises it.  His evidence for his proposition, though, is simply out of line.  He paints conservatives as war-mongers chiefly on the basis of a work by Edmund Burke, The Sublime and the Beautiful.  

Here is our professor:

The mind must be quickened, the body exerted, the whole made taut and tense. What most arouses this heightened state of being is the confrontation with nonbeing....

The question for us, which Burke neither poses nor answers, is: What kind of political form entails this simultaneity of—or oscillation between—aggrandizement and annihilation? One possibility is hierarchy, with its twin requirements of submission and domination; the other is violence, particularly warfare, with its rigid injunction to kill or be killed. Perhaps not coincidentally, both are of great significance to conservatism as a theoretical tradition and historical practice.

Earlier in the piece he makes a joke about certain kinds of conservatives not reading.  Yet even those conservatives who "don't read" past the chapter headings will sort out that this book of Burke's culminates in an extended study of poetry.  Presumably one can write poetry under many different political systems; certainly it is a way of "confronting nonbeing," as anyone who has read teenager poetry knows.  

It is poetry, not war or politics, that Burke is calling you towards here.  The failure to recognize that is stunning for an academic mind supposedly trained to close and careful reading.  There are many ways to meet the sublime without going to war.  Horses are sublime, and deadly dangerous.  They are also one of the great joys of life.  They care nothing for politics, horses:  and horsemen care little for it too, as long as it leaves them alone.

Since the WikiWankers are back at it again. we need some kind of response. The Wash Times has what seems like a perfectly logical way to play ball with our self-appointed enemies.

The government also should be waging war on the Wikileaks Web presence. There are a variety of means whereby technicians could render inoperable the sites distributing the classified information. Wikileaks could respond by using alternate sites, but those could be targeted as soon as they came online. Wikileaks has a small staff and limited resources. Relentless attacks on the servers and sites dispensing this classified information would have a debilitating effect on the leakers' morale and help widen the fissures that already have appeared in the group. This battle could offer some practical experience to American cyberwarriors who one day will face even greater threats from state-sponsored Web war.

The fact that anyone in the world can view Pentagon classified documents at will sends a signal of American impotence and inspires future cyberfoes. If Wikileaks wants to play this game, the very least our government can do is suit up and get out on the field

Amen to that. Release the Geeks!

Over at the Burn Pit, TSO has a historic piece on the Battle that gave us (Shakespeare's) Henry the V's Band of Brothers speech.

RE: Julian Assange Sentences 1,800 Afghans to Death

For Julian Assange, it would be "inconceivable!" that his leaked documents would backfire...

There is a great piece in the WashPo on the actual truth found in the Wikileaks documents on Iraq.

The news organizations granted privileged access to the documents, including the New York Times and Britain's Guardian, have focused on reports that Iraqi security forces abused and tortured prisoners; that private security contractors often acted recklessly and violated rules of engagement; and that U.S. soldiers sometimes killed Iraqi civilians at checkpoints. All these stories are troubling. But the incidents were extensively reported by Western journalists and by the U.S. military when they occurred.
<...>
The report confirms that the vast majority of Iraqi civilian deaths were caused by other Iraqis, not by coalition forces; claims such as those published by the British journal The Lancet that American forces slaughtered hundreds of thousands are the real "attack on truth."
<...>
In Afghanistan, Wikileaks appears to have put the lives of courageous Afghans at risk, by identifying them as American sources. In Iraq, it has at least temporarily complicated negotiations to form a new government...

Read the whole editorial here.

Instead of averting war or preventing bloodshed, Julian Assange has actually increased the chances of civilians being murdered and the possibility of civil war in Iraq...

Diversity as defined and used by the professional left is complete unmitigated horse crap. It is a cudgel they use to bash the racist, sexist neanderthals who stand in the way of their crusade. You see until every group of people in every possible human condition is equally represented by every available color or chromosome combination, we have failed. This is an idiotic idea that is the last resort of the professional victimologists who arose from the civil rights movement. The idea that diversity is an unalloyed good has become far too accepted for a concept with absolutely no factual basis. If you are a fuzzy-headed lefty then it is self-evident that unless we have all the colors we don't have a rainbow. The rest of us nurture this quaint notion that since associations are voluntary and organizations have an innate need to promote the best they can, that merit ought to be the basis for upward mobility. Sadly, No. And so we have situations like this where the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs makes this promise to decrease the readiness of our military and sacrifice lives on the altar of political correctness.

When he became chief of Naval Operations in 2005, Mullen said, he made diversity a priority.

 

“When you’re taking on a very, very difficult challenge like this and trying to change your institution, you can’t go fast enough,” he said.

Mullen said he focused his diversity goals for the Navy on two areas: minorities and women.

You can't go fast enough? You are undertaking a basic change to what is valued in the military. Currently it is competence and experience, under the Mullen PC Protocols it will be melanin and genitalia. This is hardly good for readiness or morale or esprit de corps and it will guarantee that lesser-qualified officers will rise in the ranks based more on characteristics that have nothing to do with skill and leadership. The reason that there are not more minorities and women in senior positions has little to do with institutional white racism and a lot to do with who in our country decides to devote their life to military service.

“We know how to make [general officers],” he said. “We’ve been doing it a long time, and it’s actually pretty simple. You put them in the right jobs, and if they do well, they get promoted.

Now most people would have no trouble with that simple concept- do well, get promoted. But you see that wasn't churning out the correct number of non-white and baby-capable officers so it must be the system that is broken. Mullen blamed the fact that the officers making career placements were too white. So he injects purposeful racism into a system that before had this archaic notion that you put the best people in the best jobs to get the best result. He attempts to cover himself by saying all of a sudden after they put minorities who were told to promote minorities in these positions that tons of qualified records started showing up. Yeah right. Or maybe if you decide to change the standards then you can pick and choose who you want to match your quotas.

I did a lot of executive search and one of the most disgusting, yet lucrative, things we did was diversity search. My client was a top three defense contractor and they always need more minorities. They basically had a standing order for any "diverse" talent, period. So we would scour the ranks of their competitors and would take any minorities we found and offer them a step or two up the ladder, regardless if they were actually qualified. If we had a specific position that had been designated to be filled by a minority then we would actively screen highly-qualified candidates out simply for being white. In the course of a normal search that would mean discarding and discriminating against 95%+ of the best people available in order to promote someone from an accepted victim class.

If the problem was actually that talented minority candidates were being ignored by the military or industry then perhaps this fixation on diversity would make sense. But they are not and they have not been for almost my entire adult life. In fact the military and related defense contractors have been under the gun to push affirmative action for decades now. The problem is that equality of opportunity doesn't lead to equality of outcome and that is what burns the victimologists. So they will tweak the system to discriminate in a way that gives them the diversity they want. In the college admissions system there is such an insane fight for non-whites that the sons and daughters of African plutocrats and elites push American blacks and whites out of the way since they have good grades and check the African- American block. And let's not even begin to talk about the blatant and wholesale discrimination against Asians in this racial re-distribution game.

Racial discrimination is evil and that is true no matter who does it and for what reason. If you want more black kids to get college degrees, then you need to get more of them to stay in school. You can't just magic the process and print them pieces of paper you have now devalued. The same applies to the military and it has that added focus factor that lives will ride on the process. If we decide that having a beautiful rainbow for an officer corps is the right answer, then we will see more of the one color they all share in common- The blood of our troops shed on the battlefield.