When we put together GoE we had a focus.
We could have sat at home and bitched about those who chose to target The Wall, but they got their asses handed to them.
Although this lot looks to be ready to self destruct there hasn’t been an organized response.
Think about it.
A pal of mine did this small thing, what did YOU do about OWS?
And they are pissed!
Portugal’s soldiers hold rare protest against cuts
At the army protest, there was anger at government proposals to decimate armed forces numbers and cut back wages and promotions.
Antonio Lima Coelho, one of the organisers, said servicemen and women were willing to make their share of sacrifices, but the government was taking a big risk in rushing through measures that were not properly thought through.
“A military institution is organised in a pyramid way. If we start stopping this pyramid to be well formed, we will endanger discipline, cohesion and the mission of the armed forces,” he said.
The military has a special place in society – and in Portuguese hearts.
In 1974, a group of officers ended decades of dictatorship with a coup that ushered in democracy.
But the military gradually withdrew from politics.
So, many people were taken aback when one of the leading conspirators of 1974 said in a recent interview that another coup would be in order if the government went too far in curbing the military’s rights.
Kinda fascinating. There are some parallels with what DC seems to be proposing for our military, of course, but I ain’t gonna push any comparisons too far.
Frankly, I’ve never fully understood why the whole Euro-Zone business left standing national armies anyway, but that is for another discussion.
I suspect the scenes with Portugal and their military will be playing out in several other countries across the Atlantic as more counties try to find ways to protect their heavy socialist agendas. Time will tell, but they do have a lively track record.
Just clowns in certain contexts.
AND it made me think of Jonn’s recent surgery… Makes one wonder a bit.
There are millions deserving of thanks, both past and present, then there are those who are doing things NOW?
That list shrinks, but is still huge and a bit hard to focus on for us old folks.
Every single one deserves our thanks, but if we need a narrower focus?
If you are reading this you know.
Thanks Jonn.
You give a voice to tens of thousands, some know it. Others will learn.
Farm Team… my scrawny old ass!
Gonna suffer for this post. And I ain’t gay. Yet.
Had to change the heading. Odd that … hint to OWB?
I too have a miserable day to tell about, sans RPS though.
We left Subic for Hong Kong ahead of a REALLY big typhoon. I theory we were to out run the beast, but Murphy was also at sea it seems.
Nothing quite like the feeling one gets when the waves are so high the the bow tries to become a submarine and the whole ship shudders when the screws come out of the water. Imagine a carrier taking white water over the bow… saw it happen from my ship and that was THIS storm!
Ships have a simple little device kinda like a clock pendulum with degrees marked on it in various places aboard. I know I saw 40 plus degrees indicated more than once. I literally was able to walk on the bulkhead a time or two. I know I got rolled out of my bunk on occasion.
Everyone was seasick except for a few. The heads were awash with vomit, any hatch that opened onto a weather deck had an arc of puke slowly being washed away by the waves. The ship stunk!
My misery… I was one of the few not seasick. The galley was closed and all that could be had to eat was saltines and baloney sandwiches for several days.
“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance at being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” –John Stuart Mill
Not new or news.
Just Veteran’s Day AND OWS simply defined.
Prompted by some of the comments here.
And shaded by 40 odd years of occasional melancholy and a more current exercise.
I always figured that much of the negativity associated with REMFs and FOBBITS was sorta like the inter-service rivalry we all enjoy. Sure there are shitheads who engender less than collegial feelings, but isn’t much of it less than real animosity?
As for the broader divide of combat vs non-combat – I have struggled with that some but pretty much relegated such thoughts to being a waste of time. You sign up, take the oath, and do what you are told to the best of your ability. Used to work for me quite nicely too.
Now for some background on my current effort that may belie all I’ve said. The Navy introduced the Combat Action Ribbon in February ’69 and I was discharged in May of ’69.
US. pullout leaves Iraqi interpreters out on limb
I am an Iraqi citizen who worked as an interpreter with the U.S. military for two years. It was an honor to serve, and I did it because I believed that bringing freedom to Iraq required brave people to stand up and try to make a difference. Now, as a result of my service, I find myself in a dangerous limbo.
From a pal of mine via FB.
There is a message that needs to promulgated.
Boat people anyone?