On 9-11-07… We Remember

I got a rather annoying note in mail this morning, complaining about the frequency with which MSNBC was replaying the tapes from 9/11.

Right now MSNBC is re-running NBC’s coverage from the attacks of 9-11. The whole thing. Look a plane! Bodies! Again. And again. And again. It’s snuff film. And it’s terrible.

Here is somebody who obviously wants to block the reality of what was done to us, filter it out.  To close the blinds.

I am reminded of a story I ran here on the old site, one that apparently didn’t make it over to this one…

Don’t Close Your Blinds

The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war ..My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend
our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation. My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our front living room window.

He said “Son, stand there and tell me what you see?”

“I see trees and cars and our neighbor’s houses.” he replied.

“OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President Bush.”

Our son giggled and said “OK.”

“Now son, I want you to look! out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country” my husband said.

“OK Dad, I’m pretending.”

“Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death . Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son….what do you do?”

“Dad?”

” What do you do son?”

“I’d call the police, Dad.”

“OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to ! help. What do you do then son?”

“Dad………. but the police are supposed to help!” My son starts to whine.

“They don’t want to son, because they say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it,” my husband says.

“But Dad…he killed her!!” my son exclaims.

“I know he did…but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you’re pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children.”

“Daddy…he kills them?”

“Yes son, he does. What do you do?”

“Well, if the police don’t want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him.” our son says.

“Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him,” my husband says.

“But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can’t stop him by myself!!”

“WHAT DO YOU DO SON?” Our son starts to cry.

“OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?”

“What Daddy?”

“He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then…he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window
and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?”

“Daddy…”

“WHAT DO YOU DO?” Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, “I’d close the blinds, Daddy.”

My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him. “Why?”

“Because Daddy…..the police are supposed to help people who needs them…and they won’t help…. You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won’t help either…they won’t help me stop him…I’m afraid….I can’t do it by myself Daddy…..I can’t look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and…and…..do nothing…so….I’m just going to close the blinds…. so I can’t see what he’s doing………and I’m going to pretend that it is not happening.”

I start to cry. My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husband’s questions and he says…

“Son”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Open the blinds because that man…. he’s at your front door… “WHAT DO YOU DO?”

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he says: ” I DEFEND MY FAMILY! DAD!! I’M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I’M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I’M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!”

I see a tear roll down my husband’s cheek and he grabs our son to his chest and hugs him tight, and says…. ” It’s too late to fight him, he’s too strong and he’s already at YOUR front door son…..you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to do what’s right, even if you have to do it alone, before its too late.” my husband whispers. THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let evil happen son, THAT is the greatest atrocity in the world. “YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!” BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE
OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS…”

Certainly.  It is terrible. The pictures and tapes and films of that day are terrible to behold.  Those are terrible events.  As a result of its being terrible, it is all too easy to fall into the deceptively easy path, and simply block out the idea that it never happened…. to simply close your eyes and hope it will all go away.

The illusion that all we have to do is bring the troops home and hide in reruns of ‘Happy Days” and “Startrek”, is a lot easier to maintain when these images are not shown on a regular basis… when those happenings are not in the mind’s eye of the public. Certainly, there are those on the left who would prefer that easy way out.  It is interesting, that the network that is arguably among the most left-leaning of all should be accused of playing up these events.  After all, it takes away from the leftist narrative on the matter.

I say that these things being run continuously is something that should have been done for the last six years running. We need to be reminded, apparently, of the fight we’re in, and why.

With that in mind, let’s remember, together.

Speaking of corruption and the Democrats, I see The New Republic has taken it in the ear again.  and the denizens of The New Republic are well into their “duck and cover” routines.  I’m guessing that they are hitting the prayer mats every single night wishing to Gaia this Scott Beauchamp story would go away.

McQ over at Q&O notes Bob Owens,of Confederate Yankee doing an interview with major John Cross who was charged with investigating this Beauchamp affair in Iraq.  The Interview is up on PJM. Bob’s conclusions:

– Private Scott Beauchamp did not reveal that he was “Scott Thomas,” author of “Shock Troops,” until he was asked to sign a second sworn statement. It was after he signed this statement that his identity was revealed in The New Republic.

– Major Cross has seen no evidence of any sort of fact checking by The New Republic’s editors prior to publication, a sentiment shared by Army Public Affairs Officers in both Iraq and Kuwait. It is also worth noting that TNR editors have refused to publish PAO statements that contradict their claims.

– Major Cross was unable to find anyone in Beauchamp’s squad, platoon, or company that would corroborate the stories he told in “Shock Troops.”

– Beauchamp was the subject of a second investigation, which found him guilty of violating his unit’s operational security for which he could have been thrown out of the Army.

Personally, I hope they keep them in the army until such time as his enlistment is up…  peeling potatoes, if anyone will trust him with the sharp instrument required for the job.

As for The New Republic, Bob Owens says it well:

This is the third time in recent memory that a New Republic writer has been persuasively charged with fabrication. Stephen Glass, who was found to have made up 27 of the 41 articles he wrote for the magazine, is perhaps the most famous case. Glass’ exploits were chronicled in the movie “Shattered Glass.” The Glass incident severely damaged the credibility of the magazine, and should have led to far more stringent editorial standards…it obviously did not.

It is doubtful that editor Franklin Foer and The New Republic deserve yet another chance, and that readers will be as loyal to the magazine as the military has been to Beauchamp.

I guess that last paragraph is a little questionable.  After all, their core readership… fellow leftist moonbats…  must be considered.  It’s as I said to McQ at Q&O... The New Republic IS the left.  They are the living, breathing definition of liberal bias in the supposed mainstream media today.  The reason that this Beauchamp character was able to get his blathering into the magazine without any significant fact checking is because it matches precisely the leftist, anti-Bush, anti Military, and ultimately anti-American narrative.

As for Foer (pictured here) and company, no worries.  Being a leftist means never being affected by fact, and never being ashamed by your own transgressions, particularly of leftist bias and leftist inspired lies.

Think about it, people; Every time the left has been caught in a flat out lie, such as the ones The New Republic has tried to foist off on us, rather than retreating from such lies, it has been taken not as a source of shame, not as a liability, but as a badge of honor.  They’re not going to change.  Their readership, at least, their core readership, will not be significantly affected in the near term.

But you know, that there is a movement going on, just now .  It’s unofficial in nature, but it’s gaining strength.  It’s the same of what I refer to last night as regards the testimony of General Petraeus. 

What I am suggesting here, is that in the short term there are no forseeable issues for TNR  However,   in the longer term, there is a serious backlash against the left coming.  The line has finally been crossed and even those on the moderate left are getting angry at the excesses of the rabid left.  TNR is only a part of that. The lies and abuses coming from that paper, and those being directed at the General last night are of a kind. the responses to both those situations will also be of a kind.

I wrote last week about that political event in New Jersey were eleven Democrats got themselves busted corruption charges… Well, now the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey has  made the criminal complaints available online. It’s a fascinating read, though not surprising in the least.  The pattern has been there for years, and in more than this.

I’ve been writing quite a bit lately, as regards Norman Hsu, and the corrupt Democrats that have been taking the crrupt money he offered, such as Hillary Clinton.  The New Jersey case makes it clear this is no way a solitary incident with Democrats.   Worse, as the U.S. attorney down there says, they’re just scratching the surface.

I notice that Michelle has been busy last night, and has some serious details available on these individuals .   Keep in mind, the common thread for all these people; if they hadn’t gotten caught, they wouldn’t be giving the money back, either.  Hillary Clinton, call your office.

The AP wire moved a story as of last night that has me only slightly puzzled :

  WASHINGTON -(AP) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign said Monday it will return $850,000 in donations raised by Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who is under federal investigation for allegedly violating election laws.

Clinton, D-N.Y., previously had planned only to give to charity $23,000 she received from Hsu for her presidential and senatorial campaigns and to her political action committee, HillPac.

The FBI is investigating whether Hsu paid so-called straw donors to send campaign contributions to Clinton and other candidates, a law enforcement official said Monday.

Perhaps someone could be so good is to explain to me why it is that she hasn’t ALREADY done this?  This does not strike me as someone wishing to play things on the up and up, but rather someone seeking to minimize the damage involved, including the financial damage.

By the way,  should we mention the fact that nobody else amongst the democrats who swore they were returning to the Chinese money have actually done so yet including Hillary Clinton?  See, here’s the thing, the active an honest person would be to return ALL the money, while saying very little about it.  That’s an action that should have been taken before the echo from the first reports about Hsu died, not waiting over a month so as to assess the political damage involved.

In my opinion, it’s clear that the democrats have known about these illegal connections for some time.  They have done nothing, save accept the money. If there was even a hint that the republicans were involved in such a scam, there would be one congressional investigation after another, and we’d be seeing wall to wall coverage of the mainstream media.  And is, it makes democrats look bad, so nobody’s going to mention anything more about it than they have to.  Certainly, nobody is going to be taking any action they don’t have to, such as actually returning the money.

The sad part is that the utterly useless Federal Elections Commission,  will do absolutely nothing about this until after the election occurs.  If then.

In the New York Post,
Ralph Peters asks, “Listen to the General:”

Politically terrified by positive developments in Iraq, Democrats are trying to explain them away preemptively. Premature Iraqulator Sen. Charles Schumer even resorted to outright lies last week.

The ‘rats are terrified, of victory.

Hat Tip photo: Front Page Magazine

Making the rounds this morning, I see Billy putting video together for the show last weekend…

 Man, this is hard. This was the first time we’d gotten the band together in about six weeks, and we just walked up and threw it at the wall, stone-cold, to see if it would stick. I guess it did. You might hear a couple of goofs here & there in these takes, but I’m not going to point them out. “It’s only rock & roll,” and we like it. This is the way it goes, live. (And believe me: it happens to big-time pros, too. If you could ever listen to their individual channels soloed through a live audio desk, you’d know.)

I can’t tell you what a good time I had, yesterday.

So, it all went down pretty much as I predicted to you it would, huh?

(Nod)

I’ve played things like that myself, back in the day.  They are unique in terms of what’s expected from the stage.    Gatherings like that, people aren’t looking for perfection.  They’re looking for a good time, and good friends.  That’s not a slight on your professionalism, but a tribute to it.  Professionals are able to adjust to the situation at hand.   You guys filled the bill… Like I knew you would.  Not that there was ever any doubt of that in my mind, but I’m glad to see it.
By the way,  I’ve known about Dan, for a long time, of course… but never knew he had a band.

Inside Cable News, has Keith Olbermann’s latest:

Al Qaeda really hurt us, but not as much as Rupert Murdoch has hurt us, particularly in the case of Fox News. Fox News is worse than Al Qaeda — worse for our society. It’s as dangerous as the Ku Klux Klan ever was.

Let me see, al Qaeda killed circa three thousand Americans.  Just how many have John Gibson and Sheppard Smith ever killed?  Well Shep did steal a parking spot once.  Maybe it was Olbermann’s?

Hat tip: Sister Toldjah.

I’ve spent the day, reading over some of the reaction to the testimony of General Petraeus, after listening to the testimony itself, once they figured out how to get the mikes working again.  (I’ll bet there hangs a tale.  )

Perhaps the best comment on it though comes from Blue Crab Boulevard.

Those were some of the words that are generally credited with beginning the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The rest of the exchange between McCarthy and Joseph Welch, acting special counsel for the US Army, are probably even more widely remembered:

“Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator…. You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

After that scene played out in June of 1954, McCarthy fell fast and hard in the opinions of Americans. Before 1954 was over with, the Senate had voted to censure him. Less than three years later, McCarthy was dead.

George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In the end, what brought McCarthy down was the utter viciousness the public saw when they watched McCarthy during those hearings. Even people who believed as McCarthy did in the dangers of communism could not stomach the unhinged attacks the man engaged in.

“Shock and Awe” or MoveOn’s McCarthy moment?

MoveOn.org was looking to get attention and so they have with their full-page New York Times ad in which they slam Gen. David Petraeus, rhyming his name with “betray us.” It’s the liberal group’s version of shock and awe.

The ad’s text is an indictment of Petraeus in which they do everything but call the general a serial liar:……

…….The problem for MoveOn.org is that the ad will strike many Americans as extreme and likely turn a lot of people off to its larger message.

Like Gaius, I think that the left has finally crossed that invisible line.  Even senator John Kerry, who has never been the brightest bulb in the string, has decided to suggest that the ad is  ‘over the top’

“I don’t like any kind of characterizations in our politics that call into question any active duty, distinguished general,” Kerry told CNN, adding “who I think under any circumstances serves with the best interests of our country.”

Yes, well, John, that’s something you guys should have thought of a long time ago.  Did you honestly believe it wasn’t going to get to this point?

So far, he’s pretty much the only today have either the courage, or the political foolishness, given current Democratic party politics,   to aver such things.  Apparently, he didn’t get the word, that the democratic party has been working directly with MoveOn on such matters, as we reported this morning.

Michelle has a decent round-up of reaction from the Republicans. The Democrats, though are being quiet as Chruchmice.

The Hill is reporting that one voice that did get heard today on the subject, was Neil Abercrombie, who denied the ad had anything to do with Democrats… a claim, given the reports we’ve been seeing, which are laughable on their face.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs panel, called on Democrats to use the hearing “to distance themselves from the despicable ad.”

However, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) rejected the assertion that the ad had anything to do with the Democrats.

“Nobody has to distance themselves from something they weren’t associated with,” Abercrombie fired back at Ros-Lehtinen.

 I’m currently are rereading the testimony of the general, and I’m sure to be doing more of the same tomorrow.  But it’s becoming more and more clear to me as I progressed through the text, that the general came off as a purely competent and utterly trustworthy.  This, I think, will serve as I suggested it would last week…

If he comes at this thing, in his usual style, which is to simply whose with credibility, the democrat leadership is going to find its credibility seriously damaged with the American people. But perhaps, there’s the rub; can it possibly be more damaged with non- democrats?

If I’m reading the reaction of the right side blogs this evening  correctly, I believe the answer is no.  As to whether not the reputation of the democratic party can be any more damaged in the eyes of what used to be called moderate democrats, I believe the answer is yes.  It’s been a slow builder, but it’s showing signs that this friction with the far left within the Democrat party is about to shatter the party.

As for the ‘slow builder’ part… Have you ever seen “Force 10 From Navarone”?

If you have, you will better understand the kind of force that will be deployed when this dam breaks.

**** URGENT ****

Hey, Brit, listen… I know you’re trying and all, but heres a clue… actually it’s a cardinal rule… If your belly sticks out farther than your boobs, it’s not ready for prime time. People are EATING, for pity’s sake. The butt-jiggle didn’t help matters much, either.  Looked like a couple of badly made jello molds partially filled with Styrofoam.  That’s not a wardrobe malfunction, Brit.. that’s you.
The people who were cheering you on, and who signed you to do that last night are not your friends… trust me on this one.

And MTV: If I were you, I’d take Kanye West up on his threat to never do MTV again. Indeed, I’d enforce it, were I you. If there was ever a bigger idiot than Kanye West, it’s the guy who signed him to do the show.  And perhaps that’s the point… you guys don’t have the smarts to avoid that idiot next year.
The only one who seemed to have a small handle on reality is of all people, Justin Timberlake, who challenged MTV to do what they used to do… play more music vids. He’s right, damn it all…  Remember it used to be about the music?

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s health department said Tuesday it has recalled 20 million potentially defective condoms approved by an official accused of taking bribes from a manufacturer.

Unsafe sex is especially risky in South Africa, which has one of the world’s highest HIV infection rates with an estimated 12 percent of its 47 million people infected with the virus.

Of course the condoms were produced under a contract with the South African Government. on other linkage to Newt Gingrich’s “the world that works” and “the world that doesn’t work”.

There’s been much in the way of argument back and forth over the projects that the government of San Francisco California put up for a municipal WiFi project.  Frankly, with government driving the truck, I didn’t figure it would get anywhere.  Ultimately, I was proven correct.
But here comes private enterprise to do what government can’t.  Engadget is reporting:

For those paying attention, you’d know that betting the farm on San Francisco’s muni WiFi project ever coming together wouldn’t exactly be the best move, but it appears that Sonic.Net is stepping in to provide an alternative. The California-based ISP has reportedly conjured up an initiative to bring an ad-supported MuniFi model to San Franciscans, and would utilize hardware from Meraki.

This would seem to lend credence to the argument of Newt Gingrich and others about “the world that works” and “the world that doesn’t work”.

The bottom line here, is that there are some things that government should be doing.  Handling data has a utility, isn’t one of them.  Ironic, isn’t it?  San Francisco, arguably the biggest hotbed of liberalism in the country today, should be the place where this message gets delivered the strongest.

… I would find it most difficult to choose aside to cheer for.  So imagine my amusement when I see were going on around them and then Alex Jones got himself arrested outside the fox studios for disrupting a broadcast of Geraldo Rivera.  The Jawa Report has more… and vid, too.

The Weekly Standard notes something which should amaze nobody… particularly nobody’s that’s been reading here the last several days.:

Tomorrow–as General David Petraeus provides his Iraq assessment to Congress–the antiwar group MoveOn.org is running a full-page advertisement in the New York Times under the headline: “General Petraeus or General Betray us? Cooking the books for the White House.”

Let’s be clear: MoveOn.org is suggesting that General Petraeus has ‘betrayed’ his country. This is disgusting. To attack as a traitor an American general commanding forces in war because his ‘on the ground’ experience does not align with MoveOn.org’s political objectives is utterly shameful. It shows contempt for America’s military leadership, as well as for the troops who have confidence in him, as our fellow soldiers in Iraq certainly do.

Yes, well, they gave up any pretense of supporting the troops sometime ago.  Though, admittedly, the mainstream media hasn’t gotten the message as yet.  But you’d think, that it the least, the argument could make a little sense.  As I suggested last week; what they’re suggesting here…

…is that so bereft of honor is Petreus, that he’s sending men to fight a battle he knows is lost. And why? To curry favor with a lame duck administration with approval numbers in the 30’s?

Sorry, but I don’t buy it. One does not get to his position of importance by being that blind to the political conditions surrounding them. That he is quite so tone deaf , simply does not ring true.

Further, as Joyner says:

…questioning Petraeus’ integrity is simply stupid. They confirmed his appointment with fanfare mere months ago; to accuse him of being a shill for the administration at this point is sure to backfire.

McQ agrees, saying in part:

How political has this war become? Well I think this sort of an attempt to destroy the credibility of someone who has taken a very difficult job with the unanimous backing of the Senate and who has apparently done his level best to implement a new strategy and make it succeed is, frankly, despicable, and points to how sick party politics have become in this country.

Those who have preemptively attacked Gen. Petraeus and impugned his character before ever hearing a single word the man has to say aren’t statesmen, aren’t leaders and aren’t worthy of the title of “representative”. They’re small minded political hacks more interested in the welfare of their party and the power they can gather for it and themselves than the best interests of the nation they claim to serve. They are intending to willfully ignore obvious progress in Iraq for the sake of political gain.

…
I think what is going on is both shameful and disgusting, and for those engaged in such, yes, I do question their “patriotism” for whatever good that will do. I also question their intelligence, judgment, credibility, ethics and most of all their principles.

I’m in full agreement, here… and believe me when I tell you, that it will, next week when the General delivers that report. If he comes at this thing, in his usual style, which is to simply whose with credibility, the democrat leadership is going to find its credibility seriously damaged with the American people. But perhaps, there’s the rub; can it possibly be more damaged with non democrats ? I doubt it. And that’s the reason behind this action.

And I will suggest here, that it is Moveon and their followers who are without honor.  But then, you knew that, right?

Thing is, it all comes down to a matter of trust as the Weekly Standard article suggests:

MoveOn.org has helped frame the core choice: Whom do we trust to run this war–MoveOn.org and its allies in Congress, or Gen. David Petraeus and his colleagues?

Yet, the Democrats don’t have the courage of their convictions to frame the question in quite that fashion , least not publicly….

MoveOn.org has been working closely with the Democratic congressional leadership –as an article in today’s Sunday New York Times Magazine makes clear. And consider this comment by a Democratic senator from Friday’s Politico: “‘No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV,’ noted one Democratic senator, who spoke on the condition on anonymity. The anticipation is that the outside groups will do this for us.”

Just so you know what the truth is up against.

Once again, I call to your attention the graphic in the right sidebar … “Stand by The Mission Petition”. You know what to do

Addendum: (David L) So by MoveOn.org logic, dissent to the point of treason, is patriotic, but loyal service to your country is somehow betrayal. If MoveOn does not profess loyalty to the United States, just to whom do they profess loyalty – George Soros?

I couldn’t resist swiping the headline James Joyner came up with.  In fairness, though, go and read his post on the subject.

I’m sorry to have to say this, Scott, but the turmoil surrounding the supposedly are shipped at Dartmouth college is approximately is interesting to me is watching the strong rise, and about as predictable.  After watching that place going down the crapper for the last 40 years or so, it coming to this end is about as suspenseful is watching the movie “Titanic” for the 40th time. The ship still sinks.

And by the way, this is not to take on Dartmouth college alone… our entire educational system as been going the same way for decades.  Had you noticed?