M.O.W.C.A.

Hungary . . .

October, 1956

Are we really any different from them? We have it, they didn’t. I think they valued it more than we do.

A salute to those who fought in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956

After all, they died for it.

“If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.” — Winston Churchill

. . . and what is our excuse now?

Mind you, I like winning just as much as the next guy. However, victory has its own pitfalls, especially when it comes in the midst of a larger battle and yet larger war. It is these pitfalls that are the problem. Now, not to be negative or just for sheer meanness sake do I state this. Neither do I want to deprive anyone of the sweetness of winning, especially since the battle was uphill all the way. BUT, there are some things to be very aware of, and they ought to temper any victory gained:

1. It is the tendency of man to think that Victory means an end of fighting and struggle. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IN ANY SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION.

2. It is the tendency of man to believe that a defeated enemy is an enemy that will give up fighting for their cause.  IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IN ANY SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION.

3. It is the tendency of man to believe that victory means carefree celebration.  IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IN ANY SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION.

4. It is the tendency of man to believe that victory secures peace for himself and his children.  IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IN ANY SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION.

Why? Because your enemy is no different from you. Against all odds you fight, and if it is generational, you pass it to your children to fight just as you did, until victory is secured. But that means your enemy is now in the position you were in. Do you somehow believe that they are any different from you? Just because you fought and reversed the roles, does that mean they will stop fighting to reverse the roles yet again?

No, whatever drove you, also drives them. Moreover, they will take advantage of the “letdown” that happens after victory to gather their remaining strength and take their next course of action.

Sadly, far to many victors sow the seeds of their eventual defeat in the events following their victory.

We ought to be wiser than that . . .

Take a long look at the following video. (h/t Tyranny Unleashed) Watch and listen carefully — run through it two or three times. Please realize what is being stated here . . .

At this point I trust you have come to realize that when they deliberately break their own rules, and then brazenly lie and say that they didn’t, that they DO NOT care about the Federal Constitution, your rights, your liberties, your life . . . AT ALL.

Now, combine that with what Harry Reid, the guy who instigated all the rule-breaking, thinks the American people will think about what he “accomplished:”

On the floor before the vote, Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “We’re going to hear an earful, but it’s going to be an earful of wonderment and happiness that people waited for for a long time.”¹

In the times before us, others have spoken to this turn of events . . .

§, 16. THE state of war is a state of enmity and destruction: and therefore declaring by word or action, not a passionate and hasty, but a sedate settled design upon another man’s life, puts him in a state of war with him against whom he has declared such an intention, and so has exposed his life to the other’s power to be taken away by him, or any one that joins with him in his defence, and espouses his quarrel; it being reasonable and just, I should have a right to destroy that which threatens me with destruction: for, by the fundamental law of nature, man being to be preserved as much as possible, when all cannot be preserved, the safety of the innocent is to be preferred: and one may destroy a man who makes war upon him, or has discovered an enmity to his being, for the same reason that he may kill a wolf or a lion; because such men are not under the ties of the common law of reason, have no other rule, but that of force and violence, and so may be treated as beasts of prey, those dangerous and noxious creatures, that will be sure to destroy him whenever he falls into their power.

§, 17. And hence it is, that he who attempts to get another man into his absolute power, does thereby put himself into a state of war with him; it being to be understood as a declaration of a design upon his life: for I have reason to conclude, that he who would get me into his power without my consent, would use me as he pleased when he had got me there, and destroy me too when he had a fancy to it; for no body can desire to have me in his absolute power, unless it be to compel me by force to that which is against the right of my freedom, i.e. make me a slave. To be free from such force is the only security of my preservation; and reason bids me look on him, as an enemy to my preservation, who would take away that freedom which is the fence to it; so that he who makes an attempt to enslave me, thereby puts himself into a state of war with me. He that, in the state of nature, would take away the freedom that belongs to any one in that state, must necessarily be supposed to have a foundation of all the rest; as he that, in the state of society, would take away the freedom belonging to those of that society or commonwealth, must be supposed to design to take away from them every thing else, and so be looked on as in a state of war.² (emphasis mine)

§. 221. There is therefore, secondly, another way whereby governments are dissolved, and that is, when the legislative, or the prince, either of them, act contrary to their trust. First, The legislative acts against the trust reposed in them, when they endeavour to invade the property of the subject, and to make themselves, or any part of the community, masters, or arbitrary disposers of the lives, liberties, or fortunes of the people.

§. 222. The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they chuse and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society, to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society: for since it can never be supposed to be the will of the society, that the legislative should have a power to destroy that which every one designs to secure, by entering into society, and for which the people submitted themselves to legislators of their own making; whenever the legislators endeavour to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any farther obedience, and are left to the common refuge, which God hath provided for all men, against force and violence. Whensoever therefore the legislative shall transgress this fundamental rule of society; and either by ambition, fear, folly or corruption, endeavour to grasp themselves, or put into the hands of any other, an absolute power over the lives, liberties, and estates of the people; by this breach of trust they forfeit the power the people had put into their hands for quite contrary ends, and it devolves to the people, who. have a right to resume their original liberty, and, by the establishment of a new legislative, (such as they shall think fit) provide for their own safety and security, which is the end for which they are in society.³ (emphasis mine)

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.⁴ (emphasis mine)

It is high time the American people changed the way they think . . . about how, when, and with what they will vote.

1. http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/Dems_not_worried_about_postvote_backlash_at_home.html?showall [↩]
2. John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government, Of the State of War [↩]
3. John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government, Of the Dissolution of Government. [↩]
4. The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 [↩]

The following video is presented for various reasons, not the least of which is a unique view of a Spectre strike at night (Just when else did you expect them to operate?). You can do two primary things with this video:

Be entertained

OR

Get educated

You can notice the way the video appears, and what stands out (like the white figures running) and how easy it is to detect moving individuals on the ground. Notice how the vehicles appear, and what the buildings look like.

Then notice the “drone” sound and the angle of the camera with respect to the ground. You should be asking yourself why it is that the insurgents don’t seem to notice the droning of the AC-130 overhead. Also notice that the angle changing as they go through the “pylon turn” orbiting above and off to the side of the target area.

Notice what happens when they hit the first vehicle — quite large secondary explosions. This happens with several of the targets hit.

Beyond that, there is the segment where they target a running individual – notice that running down the road in the open is not a wise idea.

Also notice they picked up a tunnel entrance with the LL/IR sensor.

There are a number of other things to watch and listen to on the audio. Pay attention to the crew and combat controller coordination, firing commands, etc.

In other words, get an education, study it — learn from it.

You can review the AC-130 specifications here.

You just might need the information one day.

Really? The AP report titled “Israel ceases fire but troops stay in Gaza” by Amy Teibel and Ibrahim Barzak, and filed Jan 18, 2009, only contains “little” exaggeration:

JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel unilaterally ceased fire in the Gaza Strip on Sunday but kept its troops there after a 22-day war meant to halt years of rocket fire on southern Israel but whose vast scale of death and destruction provoked international outrage.

Obviously the AP reporters lack some considerable sense of proportion concerning the word “vast” and what “vast” really means.

Perhaps they should be reminded. The following is from The Free Dictionary:

vast (vst)¹

adj. vast·er, vast·est

1. Very great in size, number, amount, or quantity.

2. Very great in area or extent; immense.

3. Very great in degree or intensity. See Synonyms at enormous.²

Crying out loud, Gaza itself is not, nor could it ever be described as “vast” in any sense of the term. Let’s see, it’s a whole 139 sq. miles in area.³

Hmmmmm. . . The county I live in, one of the 100 counties in Arkansas (a relatively small state) is 956 sq. miles in area.⁴

What about population? Well Gaza has about 1.5 million people,⁵ of which, about 1100-1200 died during Operation Cast Lead, which is about .08% of the population. Crying out loud, America lost about 1465 soldiers on D-Day⁶ alone.

I think the reporting by the AP is “disproportionate.”

Vast? Vast? Let’s go shovel this out of the barnyard.

1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vast [↩]
2. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. [↩]
3. Gaza Strip – Wikipedia [↩]
4. Washington County, Arkansas – Wikipedia [↩]
5. Gaza Strip – Wikipedia [↩]
6. Normandy Landings – Wikipedia [↩]

One of the things forgotten in America today is that war is the normal state of being for man. Throughout the history of the human race we find one war after another, and very few, if any, real periods of peace. In fact, the only time we find real peace is when nations are prepared for war, and will not go to war, because their prospective opponents are too well armed, and the risk and cost are far too high.

Due to this uncomfortable fact, it makes absolute sense to always prepare for war. This does not mean that we want to go to war. It simply means that we are prepared in every way should that eventuality occur. We should now note that prior to every surprise attack, peace overtures by the attacker have been present. This also is our warning to be prepared for war. We should understand that man is not a peaceful creature, but rather a quite angry and hostile one. Even the nicest of persons can be, and are provoked to angry and violent responses. All that need be done, is the right provocations be practiced upon them.

This then brings us to Gaza and the Israel/Hamas conflict that dominates the news of late. Now, it is never good that wars occur. But, since they do occur, one might as well learn from them. Given the state of America at the moment, what with a rights hostile administration ready to take office, a rather large segment of the population being illegal foreigners, overt and hostile moves by Russia and China, and the financial structure of the entire world about to disappear into a bottomless hole, the Israel/Hamas conflict is an opportunity to learn about modern asymmetrical warfare.

Don’t get me wrong, the suffering is not good, and this particular conflict is utterly unnecessary, as all Hamas would have to do is agree to live peacefully with Israel. Nevertheless, the war is happening, as wars do occur with an endless regularity. Therefore, we might as well learn what we can, in hopes of providing a deterrence to such an eventuality. After all, if your enemy knows that you are prepared to fight both a conventional, symmetrical war, and an unconventional, asymmetrical war on your own soil (let alone everywhere else) they are persuaded that it is better to spend their monies on building widgets for consumers, instead of tanks, guns and other assorted implements of war. Of course, they should understand that we are a peaceful people, but nonetheless prepared for war — and willing to prosecute it to the bitter end if need be.

To analyze this conflict, we do need to divorce ourselves somewhat from our loyalties so we are not blinded by favoritism and thus miss important, even if tiny, details that often make the difference between a successful, and unsuccessful encounter in combat. To effect this, we need to understand that the eventualities of war may lead to being in the position of either one of the combatants. One could be in the position of Israel, as a militiaman, fighting alongside of regular forces, or as in the case of Russia in WWII, behind the lines in occupied territory, supporting the effort of regular, conventional forces to regain lost territory. On the other hand, one could find himself fighting a numerically superior force that is also technologically superior as well, which is the position of Hamas.

It should not be necessary for me to state at this point which position is the more favored one. However, very rarely in this world do we get our favors, and we need to be prepared for either event. The first thing then, is to understand that war is a mental state in which, if we are not prepared for when it comes physically, we will not prosecute it well. We can expect to lose our homes, family, friends, and general way of life. Those things simply tend to go by the wayside when the bombs fall.

We should also expect an overwhelming, nasty response on the part of our adversary. Don’t expect them to play nice. That is not what war is about. Hamas is already crying about Israel and the destruction Israel has visited upon them, and in reality Israel is playing nice. I seriously wonder what Hamas would do if say, 48 B-52 Bombers visited Gaza dropping strings of 2000 lb. bombs? Israel simply does not have that kind of conventional capability, and thus cannot effect that kind of air campaign. Plainly, Hamas is not prepared for that kind of heavy conventional response. You know, we did worse than that to North Vietnam during Linebacker II, and somehow, they survived and functioned. However, had we continued that campaign for much longer they would have been brought to the brink of destruction. We did do that to the Iraqi forces in the First Gulf War, and it devastated the morale of the Iraqi Army, not to mention considerable destruction of their equipment and supplies.

The questions for us are these:

What if we are on the receiving end of such an air campaign as that?

What do we do during, and then after?

What would our warfighting capability look like after an air strike on that order of magnitude?

If we are not mentally prepared for that, we will lose our will to fight — almost immediately.

There are many possibilities to explore here, but the first order of business is to be mentally prepared for what may come. After all, many folks in this country cease to function after a natural disaster, virtually give up and give in, never taking responsibility, and never being proactive about recovering from the disaster. This does not bode well for our ability to withstand invasion and war on our own soil.

Watch the Gaza conflict and the IDF videos on YouTube, and put yourself in the position of the combatants — are you prepared for what you see happening there, to happen here?