Friday, February 04, 2005

A General and the Truth

A General and the Truth

Here we go again. Lt. General James Mattis is about to be persecuted by the press and political lefties because he spoke the truth. To the politically correct crowd the truth is anathema. It brings on a serious case of the “Vapors” amongst the gentler intelligentsia. The truth is dangerous. It tends to enlighten people. Thus enlightened, they become knowledgeable. Knowledge is power. Power threatens the politically correct crowd. Do you see the cycle here?

Sensitivity is everything to the practitioners of PC. After all, our enemies are not really bad. The pointy-heads continually tell us we brought 9/11 on ourselves, therefore we should capitulate to the enemy. Utter nonsense. Unmitigated B.S..

Now back to the good General. He spoke the truth. For all who have been on active duty, in the US Armed Forces, what the General said is a truism. Our troops train endlessly to kill, and maim, and destroy, our enemies in the most efficient way possible. After months and, in some cases, years of training, the emotional release resulting from actually doing what you have trained so long to do, is, well, fun. Not to mention, the bad guys are trying to kill you at the same time. The old expression: “If the enemy is within range of your guns, you are in range of his!” weighs heavily on the minds of warriors. To eliminate an immediate threat brings a rush no drug can supply. That is what the General meant.

For expressing the truth, there is a likelihood his military career is over. It is a sad day, indeed, when the truth dare not be spoken.

It reminds me of another General who lost his job as a result of something he said. General George Patton was arguably the best general the US Army had, period. A warrior. A pure warrior. Warriors are like junk yard dogs. A country keeps them chained up until the country is in danger. Then the country releases the chain and allows the dogs of war to rip and tear until the enemy is vanquished. Then, we chain them up again. Or, we persecute them for doing what WE trained them to do...fight and win wars.

We’d like the General to know some of us admire his candor. We also appreciate the job he has done for our country.

Semper fi, General Mattis.

Your Obedient Servant,

“Longstreet”


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