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American exceptionalism

by Jonn Lilyea••74

Spencer Stone

The world seems to be in awe of the three Americans who tackled Moroccan Ayoub el-Khazzani on a train the other day and beat him to within an inch of his life in order to subdue the heavily armed, but poorly trained, terrorist. People in this country are rightly proud of U.S. Airman Spencer Stone and National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos and their friend, Anthony Sadler, a student who answered the call to action in order to protect hundreds of people they didn’t know.

The whole incident is a metaphor for the war against terror. Government does it’s best to protect the people from the animals with gun-control laws, no-travel lists, and general law enforcement, but the war against terror is actually fought in the streets, in strip malls, in the delis, in the train cars around the world by common citizenry – the targets of terrorism. Laws don’t hinder the lawless.

We’re constantly told how American gun laws aren’t consistent with the laws of the rest of the “civilized world” – that here are too many privately-owned weapons in the hands of citizens. However, the “civilized world” is the major target of the creatures who flaunt laws to spread their terror. Much the way that the terrorists who do succeed to terrorize us in this country target “gun free zones”, our mini-civilized areas.

I lived in Europe for nine years in the 80s, and I got the feeling that Europeans accepted terrorism as a part of their life. In Paris, when we visited, the tour guide warned us that ten bombs went off in the city every day, on the average. We went in a department store and had to go through metal detectors and have our packages searched, you know like we do now in our government buildings these days.

The Europeans stood by wringing their hands in the 90s when the Serbs were murdering Bosnians and Kosovars waiting for the Americans to take the lead. This administration stepped aside to give the Europeans a chance to lead in Libya and Syria in this decade – to tragic results.

Those same Europeans were expecting their governments to protect them on that train the other day, too, but somehow, law enforcement failed. El-Khazzani circumvented several laws written to protect the law-abiding people to smuggle those weapons on a train. He was also on 3 government “watch lists” but he wasn’t being watched. He had recently traveled to Syria for training, but he had apparently slept through the classes on weapon maintenance and his immediate action drills. Luckily.

Americans are criticized for being cowboys, but it’s always Americans who step into the breach. While I agree that we shouldn’t have to be the policemen of the world, but, in the words of Ronald Reagan, if not us, who?

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74 thoughts on “American exceptionalism”

  2. I suspect that his only live fire training consisted of shooting into the air at muslim weddings.

  5. Had those guys done that on an Amtrac train, they’d be in jail for assault, a federal investigation would be underway and there would be riots in the streets.

    1. If that happened stateside on an Amtrak train, I bet B. Hussein 0bama’s [In]Justice Department would open an investigation of “Suspected hate Crimes” on those who foiled that attack as well!

      1. If that happened, they’d be okay as long as they immediately stated they were gay muslims. Then they’d be called heroes and welcomed to the white house by him.

      2. If that were the case I think the guys who have been “guarding” the recruiting stations around the country would be under investigation. What is true is that if radical republicans could put aside their hatred for the president and act constructively, the US and the world would be a lot better off. History will show Obama as one of the most productive and positive presidencies ever- economically, militarily and socially.

        1. Eric wrote: “History will show Obama as one of the most productive and positive presidencies ever- economically, militarily and socially.”

          You’ve got to be kidding, right? He double the national debt form $9 trillion to $18 trillion in less than 7 years. The labor participation rate drop to 62.7%, lowest level since another failed presidency – Jimmy Carter’s. Militarily, he skirt out of Iraq before it was ready, leaving it the mess it is today. Then he led from behind in Libya, allowing it to turn into the chaos it is today. How many red lines did he draw in Syria?

          What I’d like to know is what have you’ve been smoking and did you inhale it?

        3. “History will show Obama as one of the most productive and positive presidencies ever- economically, militarily and socially.”

          NOT!

    2. Considering that it has happened on local commuter trains and buses, and been stopped the same way, I have to say that the lot of you are full of absolute crap.

      1. I didn’t bother to put the /sarc on my post, but given a lot of other crap that B. Hussein 0bama & Company have pulled, I wouldn’t put it past them.

  6. Well said Jonn. I have to question releasing their names which will now make them a target for every convert wanna-be looking for his 72 virgins. Will the two service member’s qualify for the Soldier’s Medal for life saving?

      1. The French have put him for the “Ommolette du Formage du Grouse”.

        I heard this through klasserfried channeellss!

    2. According to what I read in a news report, the President of France already ordered that each of them, including the British passenger who also helped, is to be awarded a decoration in recognition of their spectacular heroism.

      1. The Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest accolade, was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and is awarded in recognition of both civil and military achievements.

        The train passengers are to be awarded the Chevalier de l’ordre national de la Legion d’Honneur, or Knight of the national Order of the Legion of Honour.

        Charles Michel, the Belgian prime minister, the US ambassador to France Jane Hartley and members of France’s government including Manuel Valls, the prime minister, are all expected to attend the award ceremony.

  7. “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!”—Todd Beamer

    When the shit hits the fan, one suddenly faces the question of what he is made of. Some folks know, and these three now are among them. The trainman ran away. No doubt others fled or cowered in place. It’s a safe bet that those who weren’t frozen in fear or too unaware to know what was happening did one or the other: fled or cowered. But a few moved toward the danger to confront it. There was no time for a plan or a full assessment of the situation. A French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade said, I thought it was the end, that we would die. “Yes, we saw ourselves dying because we were prisoners in this train and it was impossible to escape the nightmare.” And I would guess that he spoke the sentiments of most everyone on that train. Without the possibility of escape, they were doomed. There were no other options to their way of thinking. It was escape or doom. Except there were a few men who did see another choice. That choice is captured in something all American males were once taught: “If it looks like you’re going down, going down fighting.”

    2. 2/17 Air Cav…Thank you. The French actor summed up well the European mindset of many things, to include terrorists, manhood and their collective and individual thoughts about their own lives.

      “Yes, we saw ourselves dying because we were prisoners in this train and it was impossible to escape the nightmare.” Impossible to escape? Perhaps but impossible to do something, hardly. Prisoners? Perhaps, but no way to improve their odds in that captivity, again hardly. We saw ourselves dying? I am sure those thoughts were there in full clarity. But this resignation to die as a slaughtered animal without even the thought of, “I could try to live by doing something, anything.” Never seems to cross their minds.

      This echoes as far back as WWI, WWII and the Cold War. They always look to others to save them or else they are as sheep willing to look into at their killer’s eyes and instead of saying “I may die, but I will die trying and perhaps save others, my own wife or child even.” Their resignation that they will die without trying to save themselves shows in individuals and reflects their national policies and outlook at the world.

      This should always remind America to take caution when we enter into agreements with them. I have never considered them to be reliable allies, unless we are in the lead and we are taking the brunt of the fight to the enemy. Which is the way they want it.

      I know there are many people, especially in their military who think differently and are more hard line about self defense. But they are kept on a tight leash and their opinions are never taken into account. All in all, this actor summed up the feelings and attitudes of the French and some other European peoples. That simple stated is, “If the government, who’s job it is to protect us, fails to do so, then we will surely die.” I will never , ever understand that resignation.

        1. Have you heard about the new French Battle Flag? It’s a white cross on a white background!

      2. This is why the “emergency mini-flag of surrender” is SO important.

        If you are going to die as a pussy, you should die with a “emergency mini-flag of surrender” in your travel kit.

    3. We should expand the commentary:

      “As we perpare for death, we shall remember the cusine and pleasures of the French …snails, 27 dollar a glass wine, chesse from goats, fish eggs, skinny stale bread and a hand rolled herbal tabbaccoo”!

      Meanwhile at the awards ceremony after party for the Americans:

      BEER
      WHISKEY
      PORK
      BEEF
      POTATOES
      Corn
      CIGARS
      Etc …

    6. ” “If it looks like you’re going down, going down fighting.”” –

      Yep. Can’t really relate to any other mindset.

    1. I looked at an online ad earlier this week when I was gawking around, it said:
      FOR SALE:
      French WWII Combat Rifle, original condition, never fired in anger, dropped once.

      1. Unarmed, against an AK?

        They had no idea they were up against Al-Bozo the Jihadi, or that he was acting alone.

        Bronze Star with V, certainly. I would tend to think Silver Star, as the circumstances were so very unfavorable to our folks.

        … Unless, of course, someone weasels that this was not an “enemy of the United States”. Since France and the USA have various treaty/alliance agreements, I believe the events meet the requirement.

        But not if ‘someone’ accepts Al-Bozo’s “just a train robbery” crap.

        Politically, they will likely wind up with Soldier’s/Airman’s Medal.

  13. According to the Associated Press, El-Khazzani says that he was just staging a stick up on the train, that he’s “dumbfounded” that people are saying this is terrorism – he just wanted to get some money so he could eat. Selling one of his firearms for that purpose, obviously hadn’t occurred to to him.

    1. A variation of the “trying to turn his life around” line? Shame there isn’t a DRT/DOT included.

    2. Any time in the next couple of days his mom will be interviewed:

      “He’s a good boy, he never hurt nobody!”

      1. Want to bet his mom will be dressed to kill, probably with a great hair-do and count on a streak of red in it, and maybe a couple of piercings. I have a hundred bucks that says she refers to him as her, “baby boy” at least 17 times. Some hunk, other than his father, will be nearby babbling about revenge. Same bullshit, different country.

    3. I’m guessing what El-Khazzani is going to be eating from now on isn’t going to be solid food for awhile.

      1. I heard about what was going through his mind while he was getting his ass beaten down, it was HIS TEETH!! 😀

  15. Yeah… that’s what America is and the rest of the world can pound sand; and like the French train crew, they can hide behind locked doors until we tell you (like in 1918 and 1944) when you can come out — once we’ve killed all the effing bad guys.

  16. The actions of these men are not viewed happily by all. No, I’m not talking about the terrorist bastard they walloped or his sympathizers. I’m talking about those who deny what Jonn accurately calls American exceptionalism. We have heard in the past eight years or so much about America being no better than any other country. It’s just that we have more of stuff, we’re told, and need to be better equals in the world community of nations. What used to be common, a little chest-thump pride about being citizens of the greatest country in the world, is rarely heard nowadays. In fact, it’s often seen as the mark of the nationalist when the emphasis should be on the world. It’s the everybody-gets-a-trophy perspective on international relations. It’s heard from our politicians. It’s taught in our schools. And it’s all bullshit.

    2. 2/17AirCav, those people only wish they had the chutzpah these guys have.

      Every time I run into someone saying something derogatory about someone else’s accomplishments, my first reaction is ‘Whatsamatter? You jealous because you can’t/don’t do — whatever?’ I’ve run into it myself.

      Excellence and going beyond the ‘standard’ (whatever it is) are qualities that don’t count with people who want the award for just showing up.

      Life doesn’t work that way. These guys deserve praise for stopping the bad guy. Anyone who thinks or says otherwise is someone who go running to you or them to be saved from some disaster.

    3. What Americans have more of, not to put too fine a point on it, is balls. And, to their credit, a Brit also made the charge on that dirt bag, as they have many times in the past backed our play.

  17. While guns are good, a little hand-to-hand got it done, although it does sound like one of the guys would have shot him with his own gun if it wasn’t jammed.

    And reports are sketchy, but it looks like the Frenchman shot in the neck might have been the first to try to take snackbar down.

    Then there’s the 62 yr old ex-pat Englishman in the mix.

    Not to take ANYTHING from our fine young American kids, but it looks like there were several Sheepdogs there.

    God bless ’em, everyone.

  18. Bravo Zulu to these heroes.

    But from what I understand, a French citizen (an actor) and a British gentleman living in France also helped, so let us also remember them.

  19. I would argue that our exceptionalism started with the very earliest arrivals on the continent. Englishmen left the comfort of the old world and set out to make new lives in the new world. They fought nature, Indians, the french, and the most powerful army in the world. And they won out against incredible odds. It was the willingness to take on all comers that gave us what became the American character, winning was only a happy bi-product of our willingness to fight anyone, anytime, regardless of the odds. We don’t like bullies and don’t mind booting them in the teeth when we have had enough. Europeans, having been subjects of kings and Emperors for several thousand years, will never understand our individual and collective independance.

    The very word Independence says all you need to know about us. It says “Not dependant”. We do not depend on our leaders or governments to protect us or provide for our every need. I fear that too many of our citizens are dependent and that European socialism is eroding our ability to remain exceptional.

  20. I was in Grenoble, France in 2000 and the week prior there was an attack on an armored car with idiots with an RPG. One guard was killed. Nobody seemed excited about it until the armored guards went on strike and the ATMs across France were running out of cash when we arrived.

    Businesses refused to give change…they wanted you to buy more, loose some change or go away.

    I was smarter than the rest in our group as I ordered up about $400 in small change (bills and coins) and $200 in Am Express Travelers checks before I went. Everybody else didn’t get any Francs because they were just going to use the ATMs. I wanted to avoid the extra fees and exchange rates and have money for tips. The people in Paris were so rude to us, I had a lot of tip money leftover to “sell” to others in our group.

    We had meetings with a bank in Grenoble and they weren’t excited about the armored car robbery. It was all business as usual for them. They didn’t even have security at the front door! It was all “C’est la vie” to them.

  21. Five (05) years ago, I posted this article, “FRENCH SOLDIER’S DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS”, at my own personal web site, “OUR ETERNAL STRUGGLE”:

    ********************************
    ********************************

    I found this in a discussion at the STRATEGY PAGE web site.

    This is allegedly a blog of a French soldier serving in Afghanistan.

    I first saw this sometime ago in an e-mail, and due to variations in the text, plus my inability to locate the origin, my suspicions of its veracity remain piqued.

    Therefore, I’ve submitted this to the SNOPES web site, requesting their research.

    NOTE: As of this date, Sunday 28 October 2012, there has been no response from the SNOPES web site.
    _____________________

    We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while – they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army – one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.

    They have a terribly strong American accent – from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.

    Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine – they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them – we are wimps, even the strongest of us – and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

    Here we discover America as it is often depicted: their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity, lack of privacy, and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland – everything here reminds of that: the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location: books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste, etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions: the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.

    And they are impressive warriors! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles, etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark – only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered – everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.

    And combat? If you have seen Rambo, you have seen it all – always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks: they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the enemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting: they just charge! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later – which cuts any pussyfooting short.

    We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is – from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.

    To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America’s army’s deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers?

    ********************************
    ********************************

  22. Remember, boys and girls, unarmed and bleating Eurotrash sheep is the ideal the left wants us to follow.

    Yeah, no. Not gonna play that game.

    1. I sure as hell ain’t. Wolves will prey on whoever they assume are the most passive sheeple and avoid those who even look like they will fight back!

  26. I’m not trying to start anything, and not diminishing what these heroes did, but the gunman’s initial contact was a French banker and American professor Mark Mooligan, who tried to deal with the shooter.

    I’m just pointing this out due to some using this opportunity to mock the French, when in fact a native Frenchman was one of the first to confront the gunman.

    1. Yeah, well, fuck the Frogs anyway. That French hero was heading to the toilet when the terrorists exited. Accounts differ on what happened but all agree that the Frog was on the deck. It was Mooligan who went to the terrorist and who was shot with a Luger the terrorist also had. Our guys then showed up and kicked the terrorist’s ass. The end.

    2. See the above video report.

      Those two heroes are also being decorated, but in a separate ceremony that, at their request, will be private.

      The French citizen wishes to remain anonymous.

  28. I have nothing to add here!

    PS: I love the tucked thumb and extended finger pose! Quite appropriate, considering the circumstance in time and place in this world we live in.

  29. I could add a lot on the Euro psyche because I was married to a wonderful Belgian for 30+ years and worked with NATO for several decades. I am a personal friend of the recent CG of the (nation)’s equivalent of our AF’s Tactical Air Command.

    I’ll need some Scotch to elaborate but let’s just say that they are wimps. Inter alia, I was involved with getting NATO to acquire Joint STARS surveillance aircraft like they did NATO AWACS. We were doomed from the beginning as evidenced by a senior Euro Ministry of Defence official telling me: “why should we buy it when you will bring yours if it is needed”. Yes, folks, that is a quote. And, he was right. Euro’s pump money into their doomed liberal welfare state instead of defense….because Uncle Sugar will bail them out….again, and again, and again.

    2. I am currently married to a fantastic German lady who has followed me through my last few assignments before I retired and is still with me (I’m still shocked!!) She ha an aunt who is an apologist for the refugees, illegals, and even terrorists her in Germany. She asked me if I was shocked by the amount of force used by the people subduing the idiot on the train. I told her I admired their great restraint. She asked me what restraint did they show? I told her “Well, the idiot is still alive, so that in itself show restraint”. Not all Germans are like this (my wife and her immediate family are MUCH more conservative) most are FINALLY getting sick and tired of this kind of terrorism. This will be the only way to end these lone wolf attacks. When the ordinary citizen finally stands up to these people and says “No More”! It might take a while, but I think most Europeans are finally getting it.

  30. Hey:

    Top Ten French List

    1. Lafayette
    2. Staue of Liberty
    3. Bridget Bardoe

    Sorry, best I could do!

    Out!

    1. Sorry:

      4. 1862 US Naval Enlisted Cutlass (French design) and vaiants. Although offically no longer used as a weapon (since 1947 … Oh, tell that to boys at XXX XXX or XX-X) is it now part of the US NAvy CPO Uniform as an optional item. I have # 47 of the first 50 re-issue.

      Out!

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