The Master Plan to Crush America in a War: Attack the Supply Chain?

That means that a savvy adversary could try to muck with that kill chain by invading Boeing or MBDA’s supply chain. There are plenty of entry points—physical attacks against plant and personnel, cyber attacks against production equipment, or corrupting the operating software of the weapons themselves. With the JDAM and Brimstone lines working at full burn, interruptions could propagate quickly. What then, if the Coalition air forces could only use unguided bombs? Or even just laser-guided bombs? Either the rules of engagement would need to change—with a concomitant surrender of that moral high ground—or the adversary would gain sanctuary in time and space.

How doth our ambitions corrupt us. This professional opinion just in from Mitch McConnell's favorite Kentucky asskisser.

"Rand Paul: Ted Cruz ‘Pretty Much Done For’ in Senate."

Sir Philip Sydney: "Me seems I hear, when I do hear sweet music, The dreadful cries of murdered men in forests."

"Me seems I hear, when I do hear sweet music, The dreadful cries of murdered men in forests." -- Sir Philip Sydney, 1554 - 1586, in Fourth Eclogues.

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, 24 August 1572.

An estimated 3,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) were massacred in Paris and a further estimated 7,000 in the provinces. According to tradition, Catherine de’ Medici persuaded her son, King Charles IX of France, to order the assassination of key Huguenot leaders who had gathered in Paris for the wedding of their leader, Henry of Navarre, to Margaret of Valois, the King’s sister. . . Between 1570 and 1573 Sir Francis Walsingham was the English ambassador to France and Elizabeth I relied upon him to help the Huguenots to negotiate with Charles IX in 1570. Walsingham was in Paris at the time of the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre and his home was actually used as a sanctuary by Protestants, including Philip Sidney.

Walsingham and Sidney were lucky to escape with their lives. The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre started a long and bloody repression of the French Huguenots and sharpened the religious fratricide of Christians on both sides. When we shake our heads at the current slaughters of Muslims of each other (and of all others who don't subscribe to their flavor of Mohammedanism), it should be remembered that Christians killed each other for the right to define who was a Christian and who was not.

In any case, the Massacre was the formative event in Sidney's life. And what a life it was. Britannica describes him as:

Elizabethan courtier, statesman, soldier, poet, and patron of scholars and poets, considered the ideal gentleman of his day. After Shakespeare’s sonnets, Sidney’s Astrophel and Stella is considered the finest Elizabethan sonnet cycle. His The Defence of Poesie introduced the critical ideas of Renaissance theorists to England.

Philip Sidney was the eldest son of Sir Henry Sidney and his wife, Lady Mary Dudley, daughter of the duke of Northumberland, and godson of King Philip II of Spain. After Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne, his father was appointed lord president of Wales (and later served three times as lord deputy of Ireland), while his uncle, Robert Dudley, was created earl of Leicester and became the queen’s most trusted adviser.

I thought I knew more than a little about Elizabethan England and its politics, but I recalled nothing about Sidney and thus was intrigued when I found this volume for a buck at a local thrift store: Sir Philip Sidney: The Major Works.

This is why. From the Britannica link above (which I recommend to all that you read it in its entirety):

Although in July 1585 he finally received his eagerly awaited public appointment, his writings were to be his most lasting accomplishment. He was appointed, with his uncle, the earl of Warwick, as joint master of the ordnance, an office that administered the military supplies of the kingdom. In November the queen was finally persuaded to assist the struggle of the Dutch against their Spanish masters, sending them a force led by the earl of Leicester. Sidney was made governor of the town of Flushing (Dutch: Vlissingen) and was given command of a company of cavalry. . .

On September 22, 1586, he volunteered to serve in an action to prevent the Spaniards from sending supplies into the town of Zutphen. The supply train was heavily guarded, and the English were outnumbered; but Sidney charged three times through the enemy lines, and, even though his thigh was shattered by a bullet, he rode his horse from the field. He was carried to Arnhem, where his wound became infected, and he prepared himself religiously for death.

Sidney's mortal wound at Zutphen, the Netherlands.

Now, at this time my own ancestors were Dutch Protestants and were then split between Vlissingen, where they were boat builders ("Vanderboegh" means "man from the bow of the boat," and the "boegh," or hawser hole, was what the anchor rope passed through -- we would carve the hole to specifications and then line it with lead, to protect the anchor rope) and Cadzand, where the boat builder's predecessors had been farmers for perhaps a millenium.

The second thing that drew my attention was that Sidney was a master of ordnance, a logistician AND a cavalryman of some aggressive enterprise, carrying out several successful raids against the Spanish oppressors. A man, in other words, after my own military interests. (Another interesting coincidence is that my daughter-in-law is descended from French Huguenots who fled to safety across the border in what is now Germany in order to escape the Catholic persecution. Indeed, my son wears a Huguenot cross tattoo on his bicep in token of that, although when serving in Afghanistan he was required to keep it covered lest it offend some Muslims.).

He also took care of his troops. From Fulke Greville's"Life of Sir Philip Sidney" (with 16th Century spelling intact):

In which sad progress, passing along by the rest of the Army, where his Uncle the Generall was, and being thirstie with excess of bleeding, he called for drink, which was presently brought him; but as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he saw a poor Souldier carryed along, who had eaten his last at the same Feast, gastly casting up his eyes at the bottle. Which Sir Philip perceiving, took it from his head, before he drank, and delivered it to the poor man, with these words, Thy necessity is greater than mine. And when he had pledged this poor souldier, he was presently carried to Arnheim, where the principle Chirurgions of the Camp attended for him; some mercinarily out of gain, others out of honour to their Art, but the most of them with a true zeal (compounded of love and reverence) to doe him good, and (as they thought) many Nations in him.

Sidney was shot in the thigh during the battle and died of gangrene 26 days later, at the age of 31.

Sidney's lines at the opening of this piece also convinced me that he knew the essence of evil -- that the Devil most often masks his works in "sweet music," the better to accomplish them.

But it was "The Manner of Sir Philip Sidney's Death" in Appendix C of the book by an anonymous clergyman present at his deathbed that really spoke to me. Even allowing for exaggeration, it is singular and powerful. Unfortunately it is not available on the net except by paid site, and it is long, but I will transcribe a bit of it here. It opens:

The loss of a worthy man, enabled and qualified every way for the defence of religion, his country and prince, as it is great, so can it not but work much grief in all good minds, especially in those where the bonds of nature and friendship were fast knit and tied. Yet this grief is greatly assuaged when it is well known that the party so well beloved hath received no damage by death, but by many degrees hath bettered his estate: which moves me, being with Sir Philip Sidney for the space of seventeen or eighteen days before his death, and even unto his last breath, to write, for the comfort of those who did dearly love him, a brief note, not of all -- for then I should write a large book -- but of the most special things whereby he declared his unfeigned faith, and special work of grace, which gave proof that his end was undoubtedly happy.

After he had received the deadly stroke, being come back into the camp, and lying in a tent, he lift up his eyes to heaven, not imputing it to chance: but with full resolution affirmed that God did send the bullet, and commanded it to strike him. Being told that such sharp correction doth come from God for sin, and that a man so chastised is to humble himself, and to seek assuage in God's displeasure, and to be reconciled unto him: he did not only with fixed eyes upon the heavens confess the same, but also acknowledged it a singular favour and mercy of God, in that He did not strike him dead at once, but gave him space to seek repentance and reconciliation. Hereupon he did not only enter into a deep consideration of those things wherewith he had offended God, but also with great remorse sought how to turn away His displeasure, and to mitigate His anger.

The remainder of the long description of Sidney's death was extremely moving to me, but I get enough criticism from the "TLDR" crowd ("too long, didn't read") so I will content myself with recommending that those interested pick up a copy of this remarkable volume. It is well worth the Amazon price.

All the victim's wife can think of is to "put surveillance cameras on every corner" instead of taking responsibility for their own safety by refusing to go unarmed and defenseless in a Death Zone.

Suspect in custody in shooting of Cardinals fan in downtown St. Louis

Some Vets Demand ‘Gun Control’ in Spite of Oath

Just because you once served does not give you a right to betray your oath.

The Donald by Bill Whittle.

What Bill Whittle Loves About Donald Trump...

Seeking justice for Brian Terry

By whistleblower John Dodson.

Compounding tragedy and loss by mistaking its source. The Law of Unintended Consequences teaches another lesson.

"We Lost Our Daughter to a Mass Shooter and Now Owe $203,000 to His Ammo Dealer."

Two from David Codrea

‘No Guns’ Sign Doesn’t Square with Texas Law, School Policy

Gabby Giffords Calls for Grace-Based Gun Control

The Mystery Of Hillary's Missing Millions

Since Bill and Hillary Clinton left the White House in 2001, they have earned more than $230 million. But in federal filings the Clintons claim they are worth somewhere between $11 million and $53 million. After layering years of disclosures on top of annual tax returns, Forbes estimates their combined net worth at $45 million. Where did all of the money go? No one seems to know, and the Clintons aren’t offering any answers.

Meanwhile, closer to the headwaters of the Mississippi, "Black Lives (Don't) Matter" is struggling for notoriety.

Black Lives Matter plans protest to stop marathon runners

All quiet along the Mississippi tonight. Nothing to see here, citizens, just another insignificant skirmish in the collapse of a civilization.

Safety concerns outside Busch Stadium after veteran paralyzed in post-game mugging

Here's the thing: they did what the cops say to do. They avoided confrontation and ran and he got a bullet in the back anyway.

Chris Sanna, a 43-year-old Army veteran was at Busch Stadium Friday night to celebrate his mom`s birthday. When Chris and his girlfriend headed to his car parked at the old Cathedral, a man jumped out of a car at Memorial Drive and Walnut and robbed them. They complied. As they started to run away the thief fired two shots one hitting Chris` spinal cord. Chris' mother Candis Sanna says her son fell to the ground and the gunman went through is pockets after he shot him. She says Chris thought he was going to take a bullet to the temple but a car came up so the suspect ran back to his car and took off.

Yugoslavia’s Warning to America

The fate of Yugoslavia was anything but preordained. The United States, whatever its problems, is a far richer and better-run state than anything created by Tito. But the same threats lurk, particularly those of economic degradation caused by debt and made impossible to fix thanks to toxic racial politics. America need not become a vast Balkan horror show — I think it’s more likely in coming decades to become a huge nuclear-armed Brazil, with entrenched economic inequality, often among racial lines, that I find noxious and unworthy of our country — but the fate of Yugoslavia must be avoided at all costs. Our next Civil War would be much more vicious and protracted than the last one, have no illusions.

Buyer's remorse? Chickenpooper seeks "clarity" on his intolerable act.

Colorado Sheriffs Move Forward With Challenge Of State Gun Laws

An Engineered Solution To The Problem Of Gun Safe Weight On Floor Joists

The total investment in components and parts represents approximately $150. This is a small fraction of the cost of the home. Guns and safes represent a significant investment of time, money and energy. Don’t do them haphazardly. Homes represent a much larger investment. Don’t destroy either one with a safe that is too heavy for the design. Think. Plan. Execute. Hope is not a plan.

Love Story: "Illegal Immigrant Accused of Gruesome Executions and Burning Corpses in Texas."

One of Jeb Bush's many "acts of love."

Meanwhile, back at the Bush campaign: Bush camp moves to ease donor angst -- Assessing the state of anxiety on a scale of one to 10, one donor puts the panic level at a 'six or seven.'

Okay. Forget whether or not this guy "broke the law" or not. Let's discuss stupidity.

"Stupid is as stupid does, Forrest."

"Hundreds Of Military-Grade Machine Guns, Ammunition Seized In Fontana."

I don't care what his momma and daddy named him, meet the new poster boy for Mrs. Gump's dictum: Mr. Stupid.

Stupidity Number One. Felon in possession.

More than 300 firearms, military-grade machine guns and over 20,000 rounds of ammunition were seized from two storage units in Fontana, police said Monday. Steven Durant, 57, was arrested and booked on several charges of possession of illegal firearms and an explosive destructive device, Fontana police spokeswoman Martha Guzman-Hurtado said. He was on federal probation out of Arizona for the manufacturing of machine guns.

I've known some "gun felons" in my time and the smart ones still figure out how to maintain access to modern firearms if they need one. (Think of all the weapons that G. Gordon Liddy's wife owned.)

Stupidities Number Two, Three and Four:

Officers responding to a call of a suspicious vehicle and person in the 13400 block of Foothill Boulevard found Durant standing near a U-Haul truck and two open storage units with several firearms, ammunition and parts in plain sight, police said. With Durant’s consent, the officers searched the storage units and found several illegal AK47’s.

Stupidity Numbers Two and Three: Failure to package firearms and ammunition with a view to mask what is inside, and then transferring them openly from vehicle to storage unit in public in a state of permanent hoplophobia such as California.

Stupidity Number Four: Using a public storage unit for the caching of arms and ammunition. Look, folks, I have read too many times about honest people (let alone convicted felons) having their legal firearms seized from a storage locker by "the authorities" based upon a nosy Parker's tip from the guy who rents the unit next to them, or the storage unit owner, or a soon-to-be-ex-wife. Even if the gun cops can find no case, they'll make one up to justify the exercise and even if exonerated in court you'll play hell getting them back. NEVER use public storage units for the caching of arms and ammunition -- as in NEVER. If you're smart enough, you can figure out an alternative (or range of alternatives, for you should never keep all your eggs in one basket) that works for you.

The dead hand of Army procurement. I guess we need more of the same-old same-old because ISIS captured so many from the Iraqis.

Colt, FN win $212 million Army M4 contract

Big deal. After his epic fail to stop background checks in Washington state, Alan Gottleib calls Bloomberg names and uses Mike to bang the tin cup for more donations.

File under "Talk is cheap department." -- "GRPC in Phoenix: Bloomy independent run wouldn’t be popular here."

Doesn't the federal government pay for anger management classes? More ATF thuggery on display: "ATF agent faces charges for high school football game assault."

I guess he's just used to throwing his weight around and pulling his weapon when he isn't instantly obeyed.

David Codrea: "Who Speaks for Oath Keepers?"

If I have occasion to speak to the media, as I do on a regular basis with talk radio and other venues, I do so as an individual, not as an Oath Keepers spokesman. To present myself in any other way would be inappropriate unless the board specifically asked me to field a statement, and unless that statement adhered to deliberated and approved positions. There’s no shortage of people who would love to discredit Oath Keepers, because the group presents obstacles to their agenda of accumulating power at the expense of rights. We need to keep that in mind when interacting with the media and the public, and in how we conduct ourselves, especially while attending Oath Keepers functions or wearing articles of clothing with the Oath Keepers insignia. And we need to be careful to make it clear when we’re speaking on behalf of the organization, such as while participating in directed operations and outreach efforts, and when we’re speaking solely for ourselves. It’s just this simple: You don’t commit someone else to your priorities without their OK.

What The Hell Is An Angry Conservative Supposed To Do?

"Something is going to end up a smoldering ruin. Maybe it will be the whole country. Maybe it’ll just be the elite-run GOP. Hopefully it will be whatever painfully white, elderly, socialist creep the Democrats nominate. But regardless, I’m one of those many people who is so angry he just wants to see something burn."

The Emerging Victimhood Culture is Scary

So, basically, members of the victimhood culture that is emerging in America operate within a relatively privileged and sheltered environment and try to solve conflicts by tattling to authority figures so that they may gloat over their perceived aggressors.

Off to a late start, busy morning and afternnon.

That's my excuse for no posts until now. First off Zoe and I left shortly after 7AM to make early church (an excellent message, by the way) and when we got out we went directly to the Bankhead Highway military convoy which was stopped at Tannehill Furnaces State Park until 1200 HRS Central.

Here are some of photos from our adventure. The first thing that drew my attention was this early M-2 halftrack nicknamed the Yellow Rose of Texas (oddly enough it is owned by an Australian ex-pat who is now a proud American citizen):

Here is another view:

Here is a World War II utility truck, "The Iron Bitch," which has had, post military, only three careful owners. (And no, the name isn't about someone's ex-wife, but rather the original nickname that came with the vehicle and her present owner's wife actually preserved it herself during a recent repaint job.)

Above is a World War II vintage M43 ambulance. And below is a more modern ambulance:

The owners were no where around, but a glance inside the driver's side door revealed that the security system was firmly in place:

Finally, here is Zoe standing in the top hatch of a civilianized M1078 Medium Tactical Cargo Truck:

I can't say enough in praise of these living historians who are preserving these slices of history for the next generations coming along. They draw crowds of kids wherever they go and I think that's just plain wonderful. The hobby ain't cheap, but they make it fully available to those interested in their own military history.

Finally, we caught some Waffle House breakfast and then went to a local range where I scavenged some brass with Zoe's help. All in all, for all the fun, I overdid it and needed some lunch and some rack time to recover. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Sorry for the lack of timely posts but I'll try to make it up to you later.

More on elite's reaction to Boehner's departure. They're scared, poor babies.

"The Post-Boehner Congress and Washington’s Sense of Dread."

Update. Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

My apologies for being off-line for almost a day. I have been laid low and living on the couch upstairs for the most part while the Gleevec acclimation continues to kick me in the ass. I appreciate all of you who called and emailed to make sure I was still among the living. I am, although I do feel like death warmed over. Keep me in your prayers. I will try to have more later.

Boehner: Goodbye to Old Yellowstain. "Someone threatened to 'tell what they knew about Fast and Furious and the FBI blackmail.'"

John Hawkins writes at Townhall: "Boehner Resigned? Good. Go Cry, Drink And Surrender Somewhere Else."

Well, Boehner's resignation is far too late for me and especially far too late for the Fast and Furious investigation that he derailed because the FBI was blackmailing him. Long-time readers will recall that when the Issa committee got around to noticing the fact, uncovered by this blog and FOX News' William La Jeunesse, that the middle men who the ATF agents were forbidden by their superiors from following (the ones who actually transported the weapons across the border) were the Miramontes brothers who were paid FBI informants, that Boehner intervened and used every bit of his influence to choke off further inquiry.

In fact, this may have played a role in Boehner's decision to resign. Caveat lector: I have only a single source for the following statement but it is a source that has proven reliable in the past. In the meeting with conservative members of his caucus the day before, Boehner insisted that he wasn't going to fight for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. The meeting then turned stormy, with promises to have a vote to "vacate the chair." Boehner, according to this source, was still defiant until someone threatened to "tell what they knew about Fast and Furious and the FBI blackmail." Boehner, according to this source, "turned ashy white under that fake tan" and "looked stricken." He got "deathly quiet" and then changed the subject. Again, this is a single source statement, and I would put it in the class of rumor except for where it came from. The reader is invited to use his or her own judgment on that. I am simply reporting what I was told by a single source that I trust.

American muslims make Ben Carson's point for him.

Poll: Most U.S. Muslims would trade Constitution for Shariah.

But of course the New York Times says it's all in our heads: Refugee Crisis in Syria Raises Fears in South Carolina

Your tax dollars at work: "How the American government is trying to control what you think."

Unlike the National Security Agency’s personal data collection or the overuse of “secret” stamps to withhold information, this government-produced propaganda receives almost no attention. But that doesn’t mean this “third dimension” of government information is not a problem. America becomes less democratic when the $3 trillion executive branch uses its resources to tilt the debate in its favor.

Rough night, rose late.

More later on.

Historic military vehicle convoy traveling across country stops in Gwinnett

I think I'll try to see this one.

Oops. McCain seeks DOD explanation on salvage yard bomb.

The worker killed when military ordnance exploded at a south-side scrap yard has been identified. Tucson police said Daniel Wright, 46, was killed Wednesday when he cut into a metal object that turned out to be a military bomb, Tucson police said. Police also identified the ordnance as an MK-82 general purpose bomb. Detectives are investigating how it ended up at the scrap yard.

Sympathy for the Devil

Since we're talking about religions, do you think there'd be such an uproar if Carson had opined he wouldn't feel comfortable with a chicken-sacrificing Santeria practitioner in the White House?

Ritzheimer unplugged. Would somebody go and politely repossess the Nyberg flag from this assclown? He's no Three Percenter.

Failing to raise ten million dollars for "protection," followed by the collapse of his harebrained scheme to kidnap a United States Senator, "Anti-Muslim Activist Rages Against Oath Keepers For Refusing To Arrest Dem Sen."

Question of the Day: Would You Send a Gun to Defend a British Home?

“As the broadcast was momentarily interrupted by applause, Winston Churchill turned sadly and angrily away from the mike and said: ‘But I do not know what we shall fight them with,’” Edwards related.

Be sure and leave a comment at the site.

Update.

I have been asked to explain where I am in my course of treatment for the resurgence of the cancer. Well, I am supposed to be transitioning from Gleevec to another, newer and supposedly more potent chemo drug. Problem: we are going through the same problem as before with Gleevec (which, by the way, is supposed to go generic within the next year) -- Blue Cross/Blue shield doesn't want to pickup the tab for the new drug and we were told this week that instead of the $40 per month promised, BC/BS is going to charge us $395.00 per month. That's prohibitively expensive for my budget, so we have applied to a foundation to see if they'll pickup the difference. The oncologist says chances look good, but we'll see. Another problem: the new drug has a list of possible side effects as long as your arm, so it remains to be seen if I can even tolerate it. Again, we'll see. I continue to try to build up my muscle mass but my weight still hovers between 161-165 pounds -- not enough. So, keep me in your prayers, boys and girls.

I have been doing some regular readings in the Bible for most of my insomniac reading these days, alternating between Old and New Testaments, with an occasional chapter or two of the Apochrypha throw in for spice. The latest selection was Proverbs, Chapters One through Three. A lot of wisdom there. Must get going this morning. More doctors' visits. I'll have more later.

Engineering Humans for War

Inside the Pentagon’s efforts to create a super-soldier—and change the future of the battlefield

Necessity being the mother of invention, this demonstrates once again the utter futility of firearms prohibition.

The Owen Was One Weird Submachine Gun.

See also here.

Hillary's FBI nightmare

If the feds have Clinton's personal emails, too, some of them are bound to come out — exactly as she feared.

A tip about the US Postal Service "If it fits it ships" priority mail when shipping brass.

"Yeah, I work for the postal service. What of it?"

I received today a box from a faithful reader who sends me brass now and again. It had been shipped from Louisiana in a large priority mail "If it fits it ships" box. Well, it was broken open when I received it and of the 40 pounds original weight only 32 pounds remained, and as it was split entirely along one whole width of a seam, I am lucky to have received what I did.

I spoke to a USPS employee that I know and this is what I was told: If you want to make sure such a package gets through, you have to use nylon-reinforced packing tape and make sure the box is well-wrapped with it before giving it over to the tender mercies of the postal service. Using doubled zip lock quart or gallon bags for the brass you ship (gallons are best) helps keep the brass within the box if it is compromised. Why is this necessary? Because, they explained, "postal workers hate the 'If it fits it ships' (expletive deleted) because the packages tend to be heavy and people don't like having to move heavy parcels so they make a game of seeing if they can bust them open to pay you back for making them work for a living." I kid you not. They actually said that.

Talking to my wife Rosey, who is inside sales manager for a local material handling company and whose shipping department ships dozens of boxes of forklift parts everyday via UPS, the Big Brown employees play the same game with heavy boxes. She told me they have to incur more shipping charges for a larger number of lighter parcels because otherwise they will find some gorilla to slam the heavier boxes around until they break open. This costs the shipper, the customer and UPS more money for damage claims and time lost, but nothing happens to the lazy bastards who do it, so it continues.

Michigan Militia Group Disavows Threat to Stabenow

If Jon Ritzheimer travels to Michigan trying to arrest Sen. Debbie Stabenow for treason because of her support for the Iran nuclear deal, he may find a line of volunteer militia men guarding the Michigan Democrat. “This is wrong. It sounds like mob rule to me,” said Lou Vondette, of the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, one of the oldest active militias in the state. “We have no idea what this guy has on his mind,” Vondette said in a phone interview. The threats sound “just as terrifying to [us], as to anyone reading the story.”

Going to be a busy day today.

What with one thing and another, I'm going to have to get out of here early to get some things done. I'll have more later.

In the meantime, I invite you to read, consider and comment upon this post from last night: "Works for me. Obama administration tries scaring the GOP with the lumpenproletariat boogeyman." Not that I really believe that the GOP leadership will develop the stones to risk such an eventuality, but it is significant to me that the tyrants of this administrations are threatening all of us with the prospect of unleashing their "Black Lives Matter" street thugs -- this generation's version of the Nazi brownshirts -- unless we bend to their latest extortions of tax money to feed their power.

More emails surface in Hillary Clinton Benghazi probe.

In several high-profile cases, including the ill-fated Operation Fast and Furious gunrunning investigation, the Obama administration has defended its right to keep confidential its internal discussions about House and Senate investigations. The administration has also sought to extend that confidentiality to cover responses to media inquiries prompted by congressional probes.

U.S. military indifference to Afghan sex abuse led boy to kill Marines, lawsuit claims

Despite warnings that the chief, Sarwan Jan, and his boy entourage should be expelled from Forward Operating Base Delhi, Marine Corps commanders let him stay. On Aug. 10, one of his “tea boys” walked into the base gym and gunned down the three Marines, including Lance Cpl. Gregory Buckley Jr. of Long Island, whose parents are fighting out a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.

China’s Military: Mighty Dragon or Paper Tiger?

"China is not the United States’ enemy, but neither is it our friend. The two world powers have interests that sometimes are in accord but conflict in key areas that are not negotiable for either country. War with China is not inevitable, but it is always better to deal from a position of strength than from a position of parity or weakness. Maintaining our military advantage over China is the key to protecting our interests in peacetime as well as war."

Oh, fer cryin' out loud. Severe brain deficit strikes someone who's supposed to be on our side -- again.

Meet Jon Ritzheimer. To call this guy a moron would be a grave insult to honest, hard-working and productive morons everywhere.

Militia Organizer Threatens to Arrest Stabenow Over Iran Deal

Capitol Police are investigating a man identifying himself as an “Oathkeeper” and an “American Patriot who has everything to lose” who has threatened to arrest Sen. Debbie Stabenow for treason because of her support for the Iran nuclear deal.

Jon Ritzheimer, the Arizona resident who reportedly attracted FBI attention when he organized an anti-Muslim protest rally and “draw Muhammad” cartoon contest at a Phoenix mosque, shared his plan to organize with fellow U.S. Marines in an open letter posted online Monday.

“We are planning on arresting Senator Debbie Stabenow, who voted yes to the Iran Nuke Deal. She will be arrested for treason under Article 3 Section 3 of the Constitution,” states the letter. “We have chosen her as our first target due to our strong ties with the Michigan State Militia and their lax gun laws that will allow us to operate in a manner necessary for an operation like this.”

. . . Ritzheimer, 31, claims that after successfully detaining the Michigan Democrat, he and his armed militia “will continue to move across the country and arrest everyone involved with the Iran Nuke Deal” including the president.

See also: "Arizona Anti-Muslim Activist Tries To Raise $10M As He Goes Into Hiding."

Should The Physically Handicapped Have Firearms?

"To Mikeb and all eugenicists of the world, I see the image of God in the boy in the story. How sad for you that your view of life is so bleak and dark. I pity you. But only up to a point."

Works for me. Obama administration tries scaring the GOP with the lumpenproletariat boogeyman.

Lumpenproletariat is a term that was originally coined by Karl Marx to describe the layer of the working class that is unlikely ever to achieve class consciousness and is therefore lost to socially useful production, of no use to the revolutionary struggle, and perhaps even an impediment to the realization of a classless society. The word is derived from the German word Lumpenproletarier, a word literally meaning "miscreant" as well as "rag". The term proletarian was first defined by Marx and Friedrich Engels in The German Ideology (1845) and later elaborated on in other works by Marx. The Marxist Internet Archive writes that "[lumpenproletariat] identifies the class of outcast, degenerated and submerged elements that make up a section of the population of industrial centers" which include "beggars, prostitutes, gangsters, racketeers, swindlers, petty criminals, tramps, chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements." -- Wikipedia.

Government shutdown could cut off food stamps

. . . In the late 1960s, Huey P. Newton and the Black Panther Party came to believe that the lumpenproletariat could have a progressive role. Newton argued that the economic and social system of his time was fundamentally different from that which Marx based his analysis on, saying, "As the ruling circle continue to build their technocracy, more and more of the proletariat will become unemployable, become lumpen, until they have become the popular class, the revolutionary class". This is the class the Black Panther Party sought to organize, he said. Some disregard Newton's interpretation, saying he applied the term to, and sought to organize, the temporarily unemployed, rather than the true lumpen. However, a careful reading of his writings reveals repeated references to the "unemployed" and "unemployable" as those with revolutionary potential.

Frantz Fanon also argued in The Wretched of the Earth (1961) that revolutionary movements in colonized countries could not exclude the lumpenproletariat, as it constitutes both a counterrevolutionary and a revolutionary potential. He described the lumpenproletariat as "one of the most spontaneous and the most radically revolutionary forces of a colonized people". However, it is an ignorant and desperate class, particularly susceptible to being co-opted by counterrevolutionary forces. Therefore, he claimed, education of the dispossessed masses should be central to revolutionary strategy. -- Wikipedia.

"When a nation loses its interest in its own destiny, then that nation is doomed." Another of Herr Doktor Richter's reading list: Our Battle by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

Long-time readers will recall my conversion from the dark side of collectivism by Herr Doktor Richter back at the end of 1976 and the reading list (now lost) that he gave me to fill in the huge gaps of my "education" at the hands of the public schools and universities that I had attended up until then.

I am slowly reconstructing that reading list and after picking up a copy of Our Battle by the Dutch-American historian Hendrik Willem van Loon I realized that it had been on the list and that I had indeed read it before. I even now recall that I got a copy of it from the Interlibrary Loan department of the Columbus Public Library. Memory is a funny thing, and sometimes it takes just a slight jog to make a whole lot of pieces fall into place -- especially at my age.

Our Battle, subtitled "Being One Man's Answer to 'My Battle' by Adolf Hitler" was published in 1938 by Simon and Schuster. A slim volume reply to Mein Kampf, van Loon's critique of Hitler and the other collectivist dictators of the time is simple, direct and devastating. He ascribes the success of the autocracies of the 30s to the failures of democracies to secure themselves from the corruptions that breed the collectivist virus. From the introduction:

When a nation loses its interest in its own destiny, then that nation is doomed. I do not want to see our nation doomed, for then the last hope of the world for a truly decent and human form of existence would perish from the face of this earth. In that case, life would no longer be worth living. I, however, want to live and I want to live long enough to see the final and complete vindication of the principles of Thomas Jefferson and the other founders of our mighty experiment in self-government, and to witness the collapse of that insolent structure of autocracy which now rears its arrogant turrets across the distant horizon of the Atlantic Ocean, and which is intent upon destroying us because it fears and hates us and detests us as the last remaining bulwark of those ideals about the rights and duties of the average citizen which have made us what we are.

Sadly, van Loon died in March 1944, a time when Hitler and Mussolini were still very much alive and the issue of the Second World War was still in doubt. Stalin's system didn't collapse of its own weight until 1989. What van Loon would make of the current struggle against the Islamo-fascists, or worse, the successful subversion-attack upon the Founder's Republic by the current occupant of the White House and his corrupt familiars of both major political parties, doesn't take much imagination.

Poor baby. I still think it's better than even money that he burned his pickup himself.

Bald Knob police chief resigns following open carry controversy

Threatening to shoot the messenger unless he changed the message: "This Is the ISIS Intel the U.S. Military Dumbed Down."

The intelligence pros said killing certain ISIS leaders might not diminish the group and that airstrikes might not be working. The bosses didn’t like those answers — not at all.

Pederasts of the world take heart -- the Obamanoids have got your back.

The White House dodged questions Monday about allegations that U.S. military officials are ordering U.S. soldiers to ignore child abuse in Afghanistan committed by Afghan militia, military and police, and instead indicated that those orders reflect Defense Department policy that the White House is not reviewing.

Wow, if the editors of Pravda-on-the-Potomac are gagging on the Pope's sucking up to the commie killers in Havana, it must be really bad.

"Pope Francis appeases the Castros in repressive Cuba."

Gee, it makes you wonder just who the secret political policemen of the FBI are really working for.

FBI refuses to cooperate in Hillary Clinton email server probe

A kid, a clock, and the death of ‘See something, say something’

It's okay to snitch on somebody as long they're not in an approved, protected class that collectivists care about. You know, like white, gun-owning conservatives. Rat them out for anything imaginary you like.

F-Troop strikes again.

X Products Can Cannon Ruled to be an NFA Item When Assembled

Kerodin as Dr. Seuss. Pretty funny.

Received this link from a good friend in the morning email. Lord knows that Special K is a ripe target for satire and derision. "Kerodin’s Green Envy and Greed."

What did you expect from the Obamanoids and their West Point asslickers?

U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies

“The reason we were here is because we heard the terrible things the Taliban were doing to people, how they were taking away human rights,” said Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain who beat up an American-backed militia commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave. “But we were putting people into power who would do things that were worse than the Taliban did — that was something village elders voiced to me.”

The policy of instructing soldiers to ignore child sexual abuse by their Afghan allies is coming under new scrutiny, particularly as it emerges that service members like Captain Quinn have faced discipline, even career ruin, for disobeying it.

After the beating, the Army relieved Captain Quinn of his command and pulled him from Afghanistan. He has since left the military.

Guns.com crawfishes on their repetition of the SPLC/Media Matters propaganda trope about GOA's alleged links to "hate groups."

"Response to accusations by Gun Owners of America."

My comment at Guns.com:

You folks don't crawfish very well, do you? Carrying the propaganda water for Media Matters and SPLC makes you look -- at best -- like useful idiots. Having known Larry Pratt personally for more than twenty years, having fought beside him in the gun rights war trenches when the NRA was looking to weasel word and compromise, I can assure you that he is no racist. For myself, I have fought the Klan and the neoNazis all my life at street level where it costs. I have had death threats from those green-teethed scum suckers, as has my family. If I thought Larry was in any way a racist I would not have anything to do with him. You people have been willingly conned by collectivists. Why don't you just admit it and move on?

Mike Vanderboegh

Jeb Bush vs. the 2nd Amendment

Given his confused and erroneous answer to Steven Colbert’s question on gun rights one wonders if a President Jeb would appoint judges that would protect the Second Amendment he himself seems not to understand.

Three from Herschel Smith.

The Ten Commandments Of Firearms Safety

AstroTurfer Moms, Kroger And Guns

D.C. Court Of Appeals Strikes Down Some D.C. Guns Laws, Upholds Others

Counter-Trolling The Liberal Lies

Liberals lie not only because the truth repels them like work repels a Democrat but because they hope to force you into accepting their lie and therefore becoming complicit in their deceit. Lying is an exercise of power; every lie we allow to pass uncontested is a small victory for these cultural trolls. Time to troll them right back.

Stacking the deck: "Obama's citizenship push stokes conservative fears."

The administration is accelerating naturalization for million of legal residents — many of whom will probably vote Democratic.

Jack Kelly: "Trump Is a Charlatan."

"Donald Trump is no conservative. He’s contributed more to Hillary Clinton than to any other politician. He’s supported abortion on demand, national health insurance and gun control. He was for bailing out the big banks whose reckless lending was a root cause of the Great Recession. His call for higher taxes on higher incomes has been embraced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. . . 'Dealing with Trump as a conservative is like dating a hot, crazy stripper who keeps eyeing your wallet that’s sitting on the bureau,' said columnist Kurt Schlichter."

NOTE from MBV: Before you Trump fans start calling the author names, you should know something of his biography. Back in the 90s I was interviewed by Kelly and I found him eminently fair and he quoted me accurately. Here is thumbnail bio:

After earning a degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) in 1970, Jack Kelly enlisted in the Marine Corps. He had a few months before he reported for boot camp; so he went to Vietnam as a correspondent for the Lavine Newspapers, a small chain of dailies in Wisconsin.

The series of articles he wrote from Vietnam won first prize in Wisconsin UPI's feature competition for that year.

Mr. Kelly followed enlisted service in the Marine Corps with service in both the Marine reserve and the Army reserve, where he was the intelligence officer for a Special Forces company.

Mr. Kelly served as a deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force during the Reagan administration.

He was called to active duty at the Pentagon during the Gulf War and concluded his military reserve career as a major assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Mr. Kelly, 53, joined The Blade staff in 1995. Now living in Pittsburgh, he reports on military matters for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Blade, and writes a nationally syndicated column.

Rough night.

But I'm headed to early services at church, so I'll try to have more later.

How Ahmed’s clock became a false, convenient tale of racism

“It never would have happened to a white kid”? It happens to white kids all. The. Time. The main difference between the Ahmed Mohamed case and the others is that the mainstream media and the leftist point of view it presents just can’t let go of Ahmed. Ahmed is too useful to their narrative to be a one-day story.

See also: WHAT IF: A White Baptist Boy Brought A 'Clock' That Looked Like A Bomb To School?

Poor babies. The GOP elites tried to rig the system in their favor and now find themselves hoisted upon the petard of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Party Rules to Streamline Race May Backfire for G.O.P.

Praxis developments: Lightweight ammo cans; a South African 20mm rifle and militarizing your dog.

You gotta hand it to the inventive Danes -- "New LWAC Ammunition Case Heralds Revolution In Military Ammunition Resupply."

A recently tested lightweight small arms ammunition case is on display on the PPD stand, S7-261, during DSEI. Utilising composite materials and innovative design it reduces the weight of a standard NATO ammunition case by 70% and increases the number of rounds that can be carried on a standard NATO pallet by 10%. . .

PPD’s LWAC can be safely packed and stowed with no requirement for modification to platforms, stowage systems or weapon mounts. Different colours can be incorporated into the composite LWAC case to signifying the type of ammunition within it, blue= training, green=operational etc. As the LWAC cases can be made transparent, still with the colouring pigment, the number of rounds can be counted without having to open the case saving time during stock checks. An RFID tag can be built it allowing each case, its content and its movement to be tracked from the moment the LWAC case is made to the moment it comes out of service.

And if you pick up one of these on the battlefield, you'll need those light weight ammo cans: From South Africa comes the iKUNZI PAW 20. The semiauto Personal Area Weapon fires 20mm x 42B ammunition from a Four round box magazine at a range out to 1000m. It’s no lightweight, coming in at 6.8kg.

And if you want to militarize your dog, there's the LBT-1608K-9 Tactical K-9 Harness.

Two more from David Codrea.

AP Waco Shooting Analysis Makes Congressional Inquiry All the More Urgent

Bush Appointee Bars Fast and Furious Evidence from Terry Murder Trial

"Army’s Light Combat Vehicle Gaining Traction." Somebody is sure pimping this vehicle. "Being socialized throughout the Army?" Why can't these Pentagon weenies speak straight English?

“We have what we call a capability production document that is currently still in draft and it’s being socialized throughout the Army,” said Tom Stafford, chief of the support systems branch at the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence’s capabilities directorate at Fort Benning, Georgia.

In a word, "No." We ARE two different countries. Get ready for the fight over which is to prevail.

"Are Democrats and Republicans talking about the same country?"

The Conservative Case Against Carly Fiorina

Although it’s very difficult to predict what’s going to happen in a primary season as crazy as this one has been, the difference between what people THINK Fiorina is and what she ACTUALLY is, is so great that we can hazard one guess: Carly Fiorina is going to follow the 2012 pattern. People will initially get excited about her, find out what her record really looks like and then she’ll quickly implode.

Meanwhile: Ted Cruz takes the GOP leadership to the woodshed

“If you look at the left, if you look at Barack Obama, or Harry Reid, or Nancy Pelosi, they are committed to their liberal principles. They are commited to their policy agenda that frankly is destroying this country.They will crawl over broken glass with a knife between their teeth to advance their policy agenda. “On our side, we’ve got a bunch of weenies!”

Three from David Codrea.

Ignoring Bloomberg and Moms Demand Action, Kroger Continues Record Growth.

Obama, Hillary Take Full Advantage of IED (Improvised Exploitation Device).

Opposition to Campus Carry Relies on Defenselessness and Offensive Stereotypes.

Judge rules to keep Operation Fast and Furious out of Terry murder trial

When a jury gathers next week for the trial of two men charged with the murder of a U.S. federal agent, it will not hear any details of how two guns found at the murder scene were part of a U.S. government-sanctioned weapon program, a federal judge has ruled. Friday morning, U.S. District Court Judge David Bury agreed with U.S. prosecutors to keep the details of Operation Fast and Furious out of the upcoming trial for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

"Purple Shovel"? If this is an example of how the US arms its friends, I guess the Kurds should be grateful they're still on the Obama administration's spit list.

Meet The Obscure Company Behind America’s Syria Fiasco

A multimillion-dollar deal with a minuscule arms dealer led to the death of a US citizen, delays in arming Syrian rebels, and the purchase of weapons from a pro-Russia dictatorship — all for a pile of defective 30-year-old weapons.

Marines unveil plan to modernize their small arms arsenal

Marines could soon be carrying everything from custom-painted rifles and suppressors to lightweight tripods and plastic-cased ammunition as the Corps rolls out a massive small-arms modernization plan officials hope will give the service an edge on the battlefield for decades to come.

"Enough is enough of business as usual! We must bring an end to white supremacy and the status quo." By disrupting a FOOTBALL game?!?

'Black Lives Matter' plans to shut down light rail before Vikings' home opener

Rough last 24 hours.

My apologies for getting so late to releasing the comments on yesterday's posts, but it has been rough. It didn't help that I overdid it when I went to the range early yesterday morning and chanced upon a bumper crop of brass from the range harvest: 1,465 pieces! I had no business working quite that hard in the sun, but I miss getting out and about. Anyway, I've got an original piece that I'm working on for later today, so I'm going back to bed to try to rest up for it.

Firm Touts Tasty MREs, from Cherry Turnover to BBQ Beef.

Bridgford Foods Corp. is touting new kinds of Meal Ready to Eat, or MRE, with flavors ranging from cherry turnover to barbecue beef. And not only do they taste like food, they’re actually really good. Military.com staff tasted a sampling of the products while interviewing Richard Mueller, divisional sales manager for the Anaheim, California-based food supplier, on Tuesday at the annual Air and Space Conference. The company offers a full line of MRE sandwiches for the U.S. military, including pastry-filled sandwiches such as apple and blueberry turnovers and meat-filled sandwiches such as BBQ beef and sweet and sour chicken. It even offers a “First Strike Ration,” a meal kit packed with 2,800 calories and designed for use over 24 hours in the war zone.

Why the Special Forces Are Falling in Love With ATVs

"If things really get bad, they can turn around, drop a grenade on it, and walk away."

The military likes these vehicles because they can be transported inside the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, Boeing's MH-47 special operations helicopter, and Sikorsky's MH-53 Pave Low, and dropped from the air. Special forces, in particular, like ATVs because of the extra mobility they provide, allowing smaller units to get to a combat area or conduct reconnaissance patrols quickly. Plus, they keep Marines or troops who would otherwise move on foot fresher. The Marines featured in the above video are from the Force Reconnaissance Platoon, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, and were training with Polaris RZR-SW, which is a military version of the company's consumer RZR 800 ATV. Thus far, the Corps is using the RZR-SW as a training and utility tool, though in the future units like the Force Recon platoon may deploy with ATVs. Various U.S. Special Forces have already done so.

The two-seat RZR-SW began selling in 2009 as the first RZR customized for military use. It uses a 760cc twin-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system. Its four-wheel independent suspension offers 12 inches of travel. Weighing about 1,200 pounds, the RZR-SW will do approximately 65 mph over mild terrain and can carry 1,000 pounds, including two Marines. Features include a roll cage, cargo box with 500 lb. capacity and litter mounts, and a 7.25-gallon fuel tank. The RZR-SW's big brother is the MRZR, a fully militarized two or four-seat ATV with a more mission-flexible modular design, greater payload, and folding roll cage. Both of these ATVs offer ground troops enhanced mobility and responsiveness.

Beretta unveils 7.62 NATO ARX-200 battle rifle

A gas-piston operated weapon with locked breech and rotating bolt, the ARX-200 has no double-side expulsion, brass being always ejected on the left. However the cocking handle can be switched left or right dismounting the rifle, and the three-position fire selector (safe-single shot-automatic) is available on both sides.

Someone has a highly refined sense of personal justice. Either that or the chief did to himself for sympathy.

'Open carry' retaliation? Bald Knob Police Chief's truck vandalized

Advance of the Killer Tomatoes.

"President Obama Orders Behavioral Experiments On American Public."

President Obama announced a new executive order on Tuesday which authorizes federal agencies to conduct behavioral experiments on U.S. citizens in order to advance government initiatives. “A growing body of evidence demonstrates that behavioral science insights — research findings from fields such as behavioral economics and psychology about how people make decisions and act on them — can be used to design government policies to better serve the American people,” reads the executive order, released on Tuesday.

Not with a bang, but a whimper. Has anyone told Alex Jones?

This is the way the disinformation ends.

This is the way the disinformation ends.

This is the way the disinformation ends.

Not with bang but a whimper.

(With apologies to T.S. Eliot.)

Jade Helm Military Exercise Ends, With Little Fanfare and Less Paranoia.

"George Patton" asks: "Do We Really Need a III Emperor?"

Good question, at least.

I think I already pointed this one out, but . . .

Jeb Bush: There’s Not a National Right to Gun Ownership

Yes, by all means, end it. Has he thought of suicide in remorse for his constitutional crimes? Just a thought.

"McCarthy, Ryan call for end to Boehner drama."

Getting their marching orders from the racist-in-chief.

Valerie Jarrett Meets With Black Lives Matter Leaders At The White House

Meanwhile: Police Chief: I Was Forced To Retire For Facebook Post Calling ‘Black Lives Matter’ Movement ‘Terrorist Group’

Not that he wasn't right: Suspect in Kentucky trooper’s shooting death was a ‘Black Lives Matter’ advocate in St. Louis, Facebook shows

"9 Field-Tested Trunk Guns."

From American Rifleman: A Trunk Gun is a sturdy, reliable, and not-too-expensive firearm that can be kept tucked away in a car or boat for plinking, hunting and, in a pinch, self-defense.

Just in time to train all those new jihadis, er, ah, "humanitarian crisis refugees" on. "Pulling Germany's Military Back from the Brink."

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. An official Bundeswehr report on the “Material readiness of the Armed Services” revealed serious readiness challenges with almost every major weapon system in the German inventory. Out of the German army’s thirty-one Tiger attack helicopters, only ten were operational while only eight out of thirty-three NH-90 transport helicopters were ready for duty. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe could only deploy forty-two of its 109 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters and only twenty-four of the fifty-six remaining Transalls were available at any given time.

New special operations vehicle revealed

From the Brits.

I didn't think he was that stupid. Silly me.

Will Smith donates $150k to Nation of Islam rally.

See also: Will and Jada Pinkett Smith donate $150,000 to "Justice…Or Else! March."

A "strange virus"? Only to someone completely disconnected from the party's base. "Boehner and his allies prepare fall battle with conservative GOP critics."

"Old Yellowstain."

Talk of unseating Boehner is not new, but this latest uprising is getting a jolt from the Republican presidential campaign, in which anti-establishment sentiment has driven two non-politicians, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, to the front of the pack. . . Influential Republicans say the current political environment has terrified dozens of lawmakers who support Boehner but fear that another vote to back the beleaguered speaker could lead to a backlash from conservatives in their districts. “This is a continuation of the strange virus that’s running through the Republican Party, which I define as a weird form of right-wing Marxism where people are using Saul Alinsky-type tactics,” said Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a Boehner confidant, likening the conservatives to the late radical activist from the 1960s.

File under, "Don't these schmucks ever learn?" Grassley Asks AG Lynch About Sexual Harassment and More at ATF

“Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is asking about the handling of multiple claims of sexual harassment, bullying, gender discrimination and witness intimidation by senior Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) managers dating back to 2012, including alleged attempts to prevent independent oversight by the Inspector General,” a Wednesday committee media advisory reported. “The allegations from eight whistleblowers include threats, unwanted sexual advances, graphic sexual comments and attempts to retaliate against employees who disclosed the inappropriate behavior.” . . .

Cartoonish Call for More ATF Funding Disregards Bureau Time-to-Crime Stats.

Seeing as how there’s not a “source state” on the map that can’t be driven to in hours, or at most in two days, the lack of newer model firearms would seem to indicate that “pipeline” is pretty severely clogged. Either that or the whole concept is a fiction created by gun-grabbers to mask the utter failure of their efforts to date at achieving promised results — and to cast the blame for that on states where their grasp is not as tight.

Rough night.

More later. Keep me in your prayers.

Chris Christie Says “The Reason The Second Amendment Is Alive In New Jersey Is Because I’ve Been Governor The Last Six Years”

Riiiight.

Poor babies. “Whichever way you stand on the Second Amendment, recruiters showing up armed is not going to make either educators or parents comfortable.”

Marine Corpos general uses hoplophobia as an excuse for unilateral disarmament.

Just in time for the next American civil war.

Canada’s Harper Government Wants a Stronger Domestic Arms Industry

Promises, promises. O'Malley solicits civil war.

Martin O'Malley: My promise on guns, NRA

The collectivists want more tax money to feed the unconstitutional beast run amok.

Congress urged to boost ATF funds to fight gun trafficking

When in peril, or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. That goes for the elites as well.

Wall Street's latest panic: Trump could win

"I don't know anyone who is a Donald Trump supporter. I don’t know anyone who knows anyone who is a Donald Trump supporter. They are like this huge mystery group,” the CEO said. "So it's a combination of shock and bewilderment. No one really knows why this is happening. But my own belief is that the laws of gravity will apply and those who are prepared to run the marathon will benefit when Trump drops out at mile 22. Right now people think Trump is pretty hilarious but the longer it goes on the more frightening it gets."

"The Republican establishment is in DEEP trouble."

"But if Trump's rise — and his ability to sustain it — has taught me anything, it's that recent history (or even less-recent history) is an imperfect guide to the future in an age of anger and anxiety in the electorate that we've not seen in decades (if ever). Things I thought I knew as facts about how politics and campaigns work have been upended by Trump and the anti-everything sentiment he has tapped into."

Gas Vs. Piston: What Difference Does It Make?

"The AR is the most adaptable and versatile rifle in existence. No other weapon platform offers you as many options or will allow you to go between different operating systems with as much ease as the AR. So, if you can’t decide between a gas-impingement and a piston AR, get both, shoot them both and find out for yourself if the piston is an answer to a problem that never existed."

CA Gun-Free School Bill Separates Oath Keepers from ‘Only Ones’

Equally unsurprisingly, politically-motivated discrimination was a transparently unconstitutional pot-sweetener built into SB 707, in order to gain support from the retired police officer lobby: They will be exempt from the new law. It will only apply to us mundanes, and that includes retired military — sorry guys, thank you for your service, but you’re just not considered “qualified.” The ex-cops are good with that as long as they get theirs, and the hell with any pretense of equal protection.

Very rough night (and pretty lousy morning, for that matter).

Sorry I'm late but it was a challenge just getting downstairs today. Chemo continues to kick me in the ass. I'll have more later.

New York Times Champions Suicide, Except with Guns.

You’ll note The New York Times isn’t demanding to disarm cops—yet (give ’em a few years). And they also seem to kind of actually like suicide — as long as no one uses a gun. It appears this is one group that actually would feel better “if they was pushed outta windows.”

Gun-rights group takes on Toomey

The Republican senator is being watched for whether he'll try to revive background check legislation.

VDH: "Is Obamism Correctable? "

"The next president and Congress will inherit what President Obama left behind. Whether Democrat or Republican, the president will have no choice other than to try to undo much of what Obama has wrought. But can he or she?"

Settling irritation with threats and letters to the cops: Special K develops a bad case of troll intolerance, leading to diarrhea of the mouth.

Kerodin’s email to the Sheriff of Key West.

OPFOR in the Collapse to Come: "Gang leaders in El Salvador testing limits of their power in L.A., rest of U.S."

Gang leaders from Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, and the 18th Street gang have continued to consolidate their power over neighborhoods across Central America, along human smuggling routes and within the narcotics trafficking trade. They’re also increasingly reaching out to affiliated gangs — called cliques — in the United States, according to Special Agent Tony Rodriguez, the section chief for ICE’s National Gang Unit.

Kurt Schlichter: "The Obnoxious and Important Questions I Would Ask At The GOP Debate."

On behalf of all infuriated conservatives, I demand the right to interrogate the candidates myself. I get to ask a question and a follow-up, and here are the rules. First, answer the damn question. It insults me when you think I’ll somehow forget what I asked, so bewitching is your oratory. Second, answer, then stop talking. If you use more words than the Gettysburg Address (272) you are so, so very wrong. Third, no clichés. If you use the phrase “for the children,” I get to slap you.

Tom Paine's Bones.

Forwarded by my son, Matt.

 As I dreamed out one evening
By a river of discontent
I bumped straight into old Tom Paine
As running down the road he went
He said, "I can't stop right now, child,
King George is after me
He'd have a rope around my throat
And hang me on the Liberty Tree"
But I will dance to Tom Paine's bones

Dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance in the oldest boots I own
To the rhythm of Tom Paine's bones
I will dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance in the oldest boots I own
To the rhythm of Tom Paine's bones

"I only talked about freedom
And justice for everyone
But since the very first word I spoke
I've been looking down the barrel of a gun
They say I preached revolution
Let me say in my defence
That all I did wherever I went
Was to talk a lot of common sense"
Old Tom Paine he ran so fast
He left me standing still

And there I was, a piece of paper in my hand
Standing at the top of the hill
It said, "This is the Age Of Reason
These are The Rights Of Man
Kick off religion and monarchy"
It was written there in Tom Paine's plan
Old Tom Paine, there he lies
Nobody laughs and nobody cries
Where he's gone or how he fares
Nobody knows and nobody cares

But I will dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance in the oldest boots I own
To the rhythm of Tom Paine's bones

I will dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance to Tom Paine's bones
Dance in the oldest boots I own
To the rhythm of Tom Paine's bones

An Apologia for Courtney Massengale, er, ah, "Dugout Doug" MacArthur.

Douglas MacArthur, commander of the United States Army Forces in the Far East, with a real field commander, Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. "Skinny" Wainwright, 10 October 1941. MacArthur's failures had ensured that the die for American defeat in the Philippines was already cast and the war was less than two months away. Skinny had his own problems, but tried to take care of his people. MacArthur couldn't have cared less.

The Three Streams of Leadership.

This article over-analyzes what is a great novel by missing the entire point of Once An Eagle. Anton Myrer wrote the Massengale character as he did because as a World War II veteran he reflected the reciprocated disgust and disdain for "Dugout Doug" MacArthur of many a man who saw him up close, especially his disgraceful failure as commander in the Philippines early on.

 Dugout Doug MacArthur lies ashaking on the Rock

Safe from all the bombers and from any sudden shock

Dugout Doug is eating of the best food on Bataan

And his troops go starving on.

Dugout Doug's not timid, he's just cautious, not afraid

He's protecting carefully the stars that Franklin made

Four-star generals are rare as good food on Bataan

And his troops go starving on.

Dugout Doug is ready in his Kris Craft for the flee

Over bounding billows and the wildly raging sea

For the Japs are pounding on the gates of Old Bataan

And his troops go starving on... 

-- "Dugout Doug," 1942, a forbidden song of the survivors of the Filipino campaign, sung by Bataan soldiers to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

The character of Courtney Massengale was written by Myrer largely on that received knowledge from other bitter veterans of the conduct of MacArthur in 1941-1942. MacArthur, like Massengale, was remote, vainglorious, imperious, egotistical and self-serving. He failed to anticipate predictable Japanese moves and counter-moves, froze at key points, wasn't what you might call a detail man and so failed in his duty as a commander. He surrounded himself with self-seeking and incompetent staff officers selected for their personal loyalty to him and worse, from the perspective of the common soldiers and Marines under his command, he didn't give a rat's ass about their welfare. (All sins that would be repeated again in Korea.)

He visited the troops on Bataan, what, once during the campaign? He was, unlike Massengale, personally brave (World War One proved that), but he failed as commander in 1941-1942 because he was more interested in being Filipino "Field Marshal" and spent more time fussing about his self-designed uniform reflecting his status than preparing the Americans and Filipinos for the war that everyone knew was coming. His chief of staff until just before the war was Dwight Eisenhower, and Ike's diaries for the period are a study in pointed frustration as MacArthur misses opportunity after opportunity to procure arms and war materiel for the Filipino Army he was charged with preparing from 1936 onward. By the time he got off his ass in 1941 at his palatial digs in the Manila Hotel, the weapons in sufficient quantity that Ike had been begging him to procure (M1917 Enfields, French 75s, Lewis guns) had disappeared from U.S. warehouses into the Lend Lease program, never to be seen again. It is the height of irony that the main victims of Dugout Doug's failures were the Filipinos who worshiped him like a demi-god. The American Bataan and Korea survivors I grew up listening to at my old man's weekend beer parties hated him to a man.

Myrer wrote the Massengale character's defection from the duty to take of subordinates and the diligent care that every commander is expected to demonstrate because he couldn't write the MacArthur record of "Dugout Doug" with brutal honesty, even though by the time Once An Eagle came out in 1968 that "war hero" was four years dead.