"Color Correctness" - Update

Under mounting pressure from the Asian community, Atlanta's rapid transit district MARTA has changed the name of the "Yellow Line" to the "Gold Line". Phew...another monumental problem solved by our politicians. What would we do without them.

"Color Correctness"

Forget about political correctness; color correctness seems to be the latest controversy.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is under fire for naming one of their main routes the "Yellow Line". Since this route goes through an Asian community local Asian-Americans in Atlanta are up in arms and demanding the name of the route be changed.

MARTA also has a Red Line, a Green Line, and a Blue line. How insensitive of the city of Atlanta having the gall to name a route the "Red Line". If I were an American Indian I would also demand a change. And to further complicate the situation we understand Al Sharpton is planning protests in Atlanta because they do NOT have a "Black Line", and even though some may think that would be discriminatory, he believes the African American community are being left out.

When I started thinking about this story I became upset. I have traveled the world, Tokyo, London, Paris, New York and almost all their subway systems are color coded...yet I have never seen a "White Line" and like Al Sharpton I am pissed.

"Lone Survivor"

I normally would not write a book review on my blog but since my last blog was about the Taliban this continues that subject.

I just finished "Lone Survivor" -The eye witness account of Operation Redwing and the lost heroes of SEAL Team 10. The book was written by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson. Marcus was the 'lone survivor' in this true story of a tragic SEAL team operation in Afghanistan that went bad.

During my career, I had the opportunity to work with the SEAL teams at their training base on Coronado Island, San Diego. We were developing underwater communications equipment for them and I was one of the topside engineers working with these crazy underwater military men. I was impressed then and after reading this book which details the training they go through, I am even more impressed. You may ask what are Navy SEALs doing in land locked Afghanistan. Even though they specialize in underwater operations, the name SEAL comes from sea, air, and land Navy special forces.

The book is both uplifting and heartbreaking and after reading it you will have a lifelong appreciation for what our military men go through. You will see the political side of war where "political correctness" as applied to Rules of Engagement can literally handcuff and impair our troops from doing their job against a ruthless enemy. And you will get a true insight into the culture of the Taliban and the Afghans - both good and bad.

Whether you are for or against this war or any other war, this is a must read. These guys are not the ones who make war, they just follow orders with unwavering dedication to our country. I understand that Hollywood is making a movie of this remarkable story; let's hope they will portray the military like this lone survivor does - read the book.

A kinder gentler Taliban

Those that have followed the history of Afghanistan know that it has had a tumultuous history. From Buddhism to Islam and mostly local tribal rule it seems like war is part of the culture of the country. They were at war with the Russians for ten years before the Russians left with their tail between their legs. Then in the mid 1990's the Taliban took control of the country and instituted the strictest version of Islamic Sharia law.

Women were not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort, and when out of their homes they were not allowed to be seen; having to wear a "chadri" which is a full covering including their face. Women that attempted to go out in public without a chadri risked having acid thrown in their face or being intentionally disfigured. Girls were not allowed to go to school. Thievery was punished by cutting off a hand; adultery was punishable by public execution.

After taking control of the country and installing strict Sharia law which prohibits idolatry, the Taliban leaders issued an edict that all statues with even the remotest religious significance were to be destroyed. This included priceless ancient Buddhist and Hindu Statues located in many Afghan museums. Museums around the world offered to take these priceless artifacts but the Taliban refused and destroyed them.

The Buddhas of Bamyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan. Built in the fifth century these statues were worldwide tourist attractions and being the largest ancient statues of their kind were priceless artifacts. They were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban on orders from their leader Mullah Mohammed Omar after the Taliban government declared that they were "idols".

After the 9/11 attack the US and its allies drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan into the northwest mountainous regions of Pakistan. The US and NATO established a fragile democracy which turned out to be not as violent as the Taliban but just as corrupt. So we have been mired there for 8 years as the Taliban try to re-establish their power in the country.

This is the enemy the US and NATO are now fighting. The Taliban insurgency although growing stronger, has been losing favor in Afghanistan because of their random violence which has killed many innocent civilians. But the Afghans are not enamored with being "occupied" either and are simply war weary. This is what our troops are facing and I wonder if the problems in Afghanistan will ever be solved - after centuries of war it seems to be in their blood.

But the height of hypocrisy, coupled with their 6th century mentality, is the recent directive from Taliban leader Omar. The Taliban's spiritual leader in hopes of creating a kinder gentler image to the local Afghans outlined a new code of conduct for the Taliban. The dictates includes: “Bans on suicide bombings against civilians, burning down schools, or cutting off ears, lips and tongues"

I'm pleased to see that these enemies of ours are finally becoming civilized.

"Miracle in Massachusetts"

Last year we had the "Miracle on the Hudson" and this year it is the "Miracle in Massachusetts". Scott Brown a Republican has won the Massachusetts senate seat held by the Kennedy's for the last 45 years. This was more than just a win in a "state" election. With registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans 3:1 the voters sent a clear message to Washington that "enough is enough".

Americans cannot stand to be pushed around by other countries, and they will not stand being pushed around by their own government. Critics say this win in Massachusetts was a referendum against the policies of the Obama administration - cronyism, false promises, special interest payoffs, nationalization of the auto industry, massive deficit spending, the proposed "Cap and Trade" tax bill, and especially a partisan Health Care bill negotiated in secret after all of Obama's promises to "keep an open process and post it live on CSPAN". This health bill is loaded with special deals, payoffs, and borders on pure Chicago style political corruption. A majority of Americans have been against it from the beginning and after sending a message in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections this Republican win in Massachusetts is a true indication of how fed up the public are with this administration since Brown had to secure many Independent and Democratic votes to get the win.

This was a particularly important election because the Republican winner eliminates the Democratic filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Brown did not just win, he won in what could be called a "landslide" in Massachusetts. But even with this strong message sent to Washington, I predict the arrogant Obama administration and Congress will still "play games" and somehow try to shove this partisan health bill down our throats.

The Massachusetts power base in Congress must be very concerned: John Kerry has to be wondering if his wife's money and his heroism in Vietnam will be enough to get him elected again; and Barney Frank must be shaking in his little pink boots.

More...."Madness"

I watched Obama's speech today about "how we need to increase our security" along with another dozen platitudes, and my head was ready to explode. His speech was so canned, I could predict within a second when he would turn from one teleprompter to the other. He now claims to get serious with these "few extremist Muslims" that are trying to kill Americans.

Think about it...during the past year a Muslim extremist killed an Army recruiter in Arkansas, then a Muslim Army officer at Fort Hood killed 14 innocent people (including one unborn child), and now the Muslim "crotch bomber" came close to killing almost 300 people in the air, and who knows how many on the ground. All of these terrorists are being given the "rights" of American citizens and will go through jury trials as ordinary criminals instead of military tribunals which have always been this country's wartime tradition. Most Americans will agree that we are at war with these Muslim extremists.

After his arrest the "crotch bomber" started to talk about his training in Yemen and he even hinted that future attacks were being planned against the USA. But then when he was detained as a common criminal instead of a wartime combatant, he was given a lawyer, and he shut up. No longer can we interrogate him.

The final straw was when NYC Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday that the civilian criminal trial of Sheik Khalid Mohammad and his associates would cost New York City $216 million for security the first year and an estimated $206 million per year thereafter. This will be a "show trial" that will give AL Qaeda and Khalid a world stage to promote their Jihad philosophy. Here is a terrorist that has claimed total responsibility for the 911 planning and has even requested to be executed. He should be taken out to the back lot at Guantanamo, reminded of how he beheaded Danny Pearl, and then given the same treatment.

I have thought all along that Obama was just stupid and incompetent, but I am now starting to believe that he and his cohorts know exactly what they are doing and want to change this country from the bottom up. They believe this country should be taken down - we are Imperialists, we control too much of the wealth of the world, and they want to maintain control by making the average American slowly becoming dependent on the US government.

It's "madness" Obama, but it is not going to work. Every day I talk to more people that are just getting fed up and disillusioned at his socialist mentality and his glorious but empty speeches. And if there is one more attack on this country, one that kills a lot of people, I predict Obama's golden voice will turn to stone.

An IQ test for Al Qaeda?

These Terrorists do not seem to be the brightest bunch.

Although they did pull off the largest peacetime attack in history on 911; since then they have had their list of duds. Richard Reed, the "Shoe bomber" could not get his matches lit to set off his bomb; many of the planned terrorist attacks since 911 have been thwarted because the potential terrorist was working with a government informant; and in the case of the Colorado terrorist traveling to New York for his "mission", his mistake was working with an informant that was a Muslim Imam.

But this recent try at blowing up a plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit makes you wonder if Al Qaeda gives these "geniuses' any kind of IQ test. Here was a guy that boarded a plane with a powerful explosive hidden in the crotch of his underpants. Not only did he fail to trigger this bomb that he supposedly assembled himself, he was about to blow his "family jewels" to smithereens just before meeting up with his 72 virgins. Makes you wonder doesn't it?

But if you think about it, Al Qaeda has to walk a fine line - first they have to find someone smart enough to learn how to assemble, conceal, and then denote a bomb they are wearing, while at the same time that person has to be stupid enough to blow themselves up in the name Allah.