Deja Vu

[HARDCORE]

I just watched (for the first time) part of a movie staring Gregory Peck, a magnificent actor. In this re-enactment of the life of General Douglas MacArthur, the son of a Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient, the General was portrayed with great feeling and (what I believed to be) accuracy!

I found the movie to be deja vu (a distortion of memory in which a new situation or experience is regarded as having happened before, or more accurately, something that has already been seen)!

In this particular case, MacArthur used the very words that I myself did, separated only by a half century of blood, sweat, tears and hope! He (General ***** Douglas MacArthur) referred to the situation in Korea as Political Blackmail. MacArthur was not listened to then, and as a result of that deaf ear, we have found ourselves engaged in that region anew!

MacArthur also said that ?Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Fade Away?, and so (apparently) does the memory of mistakes past!

There is adequate proof of the disagreement (for lack of a better word) that existed between MacArthur and Truman, and it is unfortunate indeed that men trained to militarily secure our freedoms, our liberties, and indeed, our very survival, are often over-ruled, not by the will of the people, but rather by the agenda of politicos pretending to be acting as the unified voice of the citizenry! (opinion) Political generals, after all, are not a new concept in America, as many such individuals nearly led to the break up of the United States during our Civil War!

We are now faced anew, according to recent rags, with the specter of yet another Korean War, contrary to what is being espoused by another magnificent American (Colin Powell). Unless of course, another deal beneficial to North Korea has been cut behind the scenes and in the quiet of night? "This just may be the case indeed?"

But no matter how much study, debate, and university trained brain power goes into the verbal (diplomatic) art of warfare, a far different reality may exist within the minds and aspirations of any potential foe!

In my opinion, both Truman and MacArthur were brilliant, patriotic, true Americans and real men in their own right. But no matter how alike on the surface two strongly independent forces may be, they ?WILL NEVER EVER? always agree totally. In any attempted meeting of the minds such as this, ego or ambition (although ever present), must never be allowed to circumvent common sense or majority (as in numbers of people and not political party) mandate!

As it was with the 'Old USSR', a 'Cold War' has existed with Korea and several other aspiring empires for well over a half century! Their ambitions have not changed (and never will in my opinion), nor has their agendas. We (USA) are tolerated internationally by some just so long as we can provide a need. And that need is not just limited to Commodities, Geography, Demographics or Ambition! This is a ?Never Ending War? of greed, ego, insanity and yes, even, various religious values. And so it has been since that ?Biblical Eden!?

The hiatus that we have entertained for a half century, as concerns Korea, has been naught but a period of hibernation, during which, other malignant forces have also sought to learn and probe! One thing has remained a mainstay of the despotic diet, however, it being capitalization upon a perceived weakness, and then utilizing that weakness to extract blackmail, sometimes without actual financial or military risk! ?Hell, the Romans perfected this art several millennia ago!!? And what is that old saying: ?A fool (ANY FOOL) is doomed to repeat his errors - ?AND SO IT APPEARS TO BE HERE!??

Gobbling down one?s desert (vested politics), before partaking of a balanced diet of common sense, self protection, integrity, honesty, and take no shit-ism, leads to naught but systemic cancer! North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, and even some who now call themselves friend, may indeed still be fatal tumors in the making! Well situated international tumors, that if left to attain the stature of full malignancy, may someday decay the entire body of world freedom!

?As for the (so-called) United Nations, even the Devil too, has his advocates!?

VERITAS

[Seascamp]

Blackmail for sure but not without a bite and some potential clout as well. North Korea can?t sustain a protracted land war without the PRC stepping in on their side. But for a few weeks they could fairly well call the shots on the Korean Peninsula-same as in 1950. And then have to run like all hell to stay even partially whole, same as before. But presently, they have South Korea and Japan within missile range and can deliver a range of nasty weaponry and that is where the real blackmail comes in and I fully expect to see both Japan and South Korea cave in and go hat in hand to Pyongyang and strike a deal. With Japan it?s surely Deja Vu as they were striking all kinds of separate deals and secret arrangements with the Communists during the VN War and using those potential deals to lever the hell out of the US for concessions, regional advantages, US market advantages, etc. So more of same coming up momentarily, stay tuned.

Scamp

[reconeil]

After all my Friend, it has been over a-half-century since WWII, and/or the last time that America gave generals the mission of TOTALLY destroying the enemy and acheiving TOTAL VICTORY.
Such, being the reason why no conflicts from Korea to date have ever been TOTALLY resolved to America's favor,...in over a-half-century. Also, meaningless resolutions by The UN always favoring our poor and destitute (fanatical also) enemies over We rich and powerful Americans never help resolve anything. In fact, the way I see things, The UN with all its naive and beaurocratic nonsense (more nonsensical than even America's standard political nonsense regarding warfare), just keep things festering into infinity. Though, and in fairness, infinity seems to be getting shorter lately.

Regardless HC (not Holy Christ), and as to the unfortunate way MacArther was treated by our political leadership, which from that time on and to date have pretty-much become Civilian Warlords and/or micro-managers of The U.S. Military (also reason for conflicts NEVER being resolved),...I believe that ANY GENERAL that still subscribed to the wise and sensible belief that ONLY TOTAL VICTORY ever resolves anthing, would also have gotten-the-axe.

I know it's sad to admit Old Buddy. But, and since America's Civilian Warlords and/or politically-correct (especially for foreigners) Big Brothers always fare so well with conflicts, policing and such for over 50 years, I guess DAT-MUST-BE-DUH-WAY-TO-GO (just jokin). Hell, and jokin aside, Hitler "Himself" actually proved (well for me anyway) that the only thing that political warlords and/or civilian warfare micro-managers could ever win (or steal),...are Elections. Only a well-motivated and well-armed military given carte blanche...wins wars.

The truth of the matter is that if one wants a political resolution to anything, just send in a contingent of politicians and diplomats (maybe even Red Cross also). Want to achieve TOTAL VICTORY & DESTROY THE ENEMY as was done long ago,...Then just turn The U.S. Military loose without stupid handcuffing and/or unilateral Rules of Engagement favoring the enemy (a 50 year norm), as was done long ago in more sensible times.

Neil

P.S. Besides You and Yours, also hope everyone else on This forum has A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[HARDCORE]

Friends Neil & Seascamp-

Even Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry couldn't have put it any better than you just did in my opinion!

[reconeil]

Thomas Paine AND Patrick Henry to-boot??

Hell Buddy, I don't know about Seascamp. But, I would like to borrow your bag and/or disguise. After all, seeing an Old Fart blushing is not a very pretty sight.

Besides, with a bag over my head for protection and since I've been pissin-into-the-wind (re. my words) for such a long time,...I might no longer find such so distasteful (plus keeps your hair dry).

Neil

[Keith_Hixson]

He at once was a great general and great jackass. Yet he knew the importance of total victory. Something we need to realize once again. However, some of his antics cost him the respect of the politicians and forced Truman to fire him. We are a nation of laws and even the ones we believe are stupid we must comply. No one is greater than the law, if so our whole system of government caves in. "To break one law makes a guilty of the breaking the entire law."

Keith

[reconeil]

Though usually agreeing on many things,...gotsta disagree with you this time, speaking purely from a military standpoint.

First-off, chasing the enemy across any border to destroy them, wherever they might be hidding,...has nothing to do with laws.
That's merely what WINNERS do, if WINNING is actually intended.

Then too, there are those nonsensical and self (actually politically)-imposed Rules of Engagement, which always favor the enemy at great expense to The US. Military. Such laws might make for good shows on: "JAG". But, and since our enemies are never so: "Turn the other cheek"- FOOLISH. What's the point of it all? Are we nationally suicidal,...or just plain nuts?

Neil