Tag: WWII

Important Things

I often rail against the narcissistic side of our culture. We find it hard in this country to honor and enhance public space. We develop, economically, with little or no regard to our environment and little or no interest in anything resembling aesthetics. At one time, this was charming because Americans were, in much of the twentieth century, admired for pragmatism and simple virtues. In WWII American troops were much admired for the civilized way they acted–from what I heard in personal remembrances of Europeans when I lived there was that Americans were much nicer than, say, the Brits.

My father just died and his generation who fought WWII and then created a Pax Americana meant to create an order where the United States represented rule-of-law and pragmatism in international affairs. And, despite the emergence of a corrupt intel community, for much of the post-WWII period, his generation (he was a Foreign Service Officer) did a decent job at establishing what they set out to do. I’m not discounting the imperialists and martinets that were forcing America to the right and everywhere supported right-wing regimes throughout the world but there were plenty of decent men and women in the State Dept, CIA and the military that truly worked for positive change. The same could be said for Wall Street and other institutions–I have, for example, talked to old retired crusty Wall Street big-wheels who are truly dismayed at what has happened to the Street even by their piratical values this generation is beyond belief. These execs grew up with codes of honor, mind you, these codes did not include egalitarianism at all but there were things that one didn’t do. That’s all over now.

The last conversation with my father (he was involved in all kinds of progressive causes and made his views known more emphatically than I ever have) found him deeply discouraged and wondering what had he worked for all his life to see the United States come to this. And by this I mean this situation. He was always optimistic about this country and loved it passionately–his parents were immigrants and he was given the opportunity to do things they would hardly have imagined when they came to this country. Here we are, he said, and it’s hard to find hope anywhere. I’ve always been far more pessimistic than him and predicted, as he knew, a gradual descent into neo-feudalism which I thought 20 years ago was inevitable given the fact of the seeming death of public virtue and shared values that has occurred, really, since the 70’s.  

Discussion After Premier of “Wartorn 1861 – 2010”

DCoE – Defense Centers of Excellence

11 November 2010 – Military leaders, vets discuss invisible wounds of war and getting help after viewing HBO documentary about PTSD

HBO’s Wartorn 1861 – 2010

On This Veterans Day 2010



{Click on banner to view the trailer, film clips and more}

Veterans Day 2010: “Caring for the invisible wounds”



{This video is some twenty two minutes long so you might want to visit the stories, links below, at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and view each separately as you have the time}

On This Memorial Day 2010

The Fallen of Afghanistan and Iraq

April 2010***March 2010***February 2010***January 2010***December 2009***November 2009***October 2009***September 2009***August 2009***July 2009***June 2009***May 2009***April 2009***March 2009***February 2009***January 2009***December 2008***November 2008***October 2008***September 2008***August 2008***July 2008***June 2008***May 2008***April 2008***March 2008***Febuary 2008***January 2008***December 2007***November 2007***October 2007***September 2007***August 2007***July 2007***June 2007***May 2007***April 2007***March 2007***Feb. 2007***Jan. 2007***2006***2005***2004***2003

‘afraid to deploy’

As we are once again watching and listening to the rabid language of hate about those like most of the rest of us, immigrants, illegal, while companies and individuals readily employ, and legal, though they resemble the illegal so one state is forcing all to carry papers of identification, Question: what about white european illegals?, many have always served in our armed forces while those condemning haven’t!

GIs ‘afraid to deploy’ over spouses’ illegal status

DAV Virtual March on Washington

The March Has Begun

Welcome to the Virtual March on Washington for Veterans

“Million Claims March.”

“Death was all over the place”

For those that Still don’t get what War does to a Human Being, and not only those fighting, nor understand the same happens to civilians who experience extreme trauma, like the recent reports about the young girl kidnapped and now found almost two decades later, Read This Short Article!!

Friday August 28, 2009

Internment Camps: Is It All Too Much For Us?

While the footage below may or may not be of the internment camps in question (and I think it probably isn’t), I applaud its producer’s efforts in the face of the main media’s failure to inform the public.


That day has come with the Military Commissions Act of 2006. It provides the basis for the President to round-up both aliens and U.S. citizens he determines have given material support to terrorists. Kellogg Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Cheney’s Halliburton, is constructing a huge facility at an undisclosed location to hold tens of thousands of undesirables.

Don’t Cry for the News

also posted at Kos

I do not feel any pity for Newspapers. They have done it to themselves. Gone are the days of the Muckrakers and the “yellow press”. Gone are the journalists. The Jack Andersons of yesteryear were replaced long ago by the Judith Millers. Even Bob Novak sold his soul(what little he had) for access to the White House. Newspapers are irrelevant.

So what if the Chicago Tribune has a decline in sales….what news is garnered from its pages? So what if I can subscribe and get the Sunday Trib and two weekdays for one dollar a week. What is the point? The news is already old by the time it is printed. And so what if the New York Times is having a cash-flow problem, aren’t we all? Suck it up, the shills for this Administration should all feel the pain!

Dec. 6, 1941 – The day before the day “which will live in infamy”

History.  

Many highlights stand out and many dates are remembered for their significance as to world events.  Of course, we here in The United States of America tend to remember more the dates of events that have been crucial and important to our young country.  

We all know that on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, HI, which caused the USA to stand up and be counted beyond just monitary assistance to other countries in WWII.  We also know the highlights of what came after, up until the end of WWII.  Yet, not many know how hard our President Roosevelt had tried to work with Japan, especially, in order to keep the entire world from breaking out into war.

“Invisible Wounds” a Documentary and Michelle Obama

Yesterday as I was searching out a few things I came across a recent documentary that was up on the UPI site in three parts, not long but another real good look at a subject many of us, especially Veterans, have been fighting a long battle to get into the public conscious, and stuck there once in, with the realization of the hidden damages, wounds, that Wars cause to those that are sent to occupy and the occupied.

ATTN: Veterans, Families of, Friends of, Caring Others

The beginning of this is an attempt to bring you up to speed on what has been going on this past year leading up to the purpose of this post, a New Investigation on Veterans Care, and the request for those listed in the subject title to get involved with, especially the Veterans having their troubles with the VA and their Care.

Load more