tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post6567064018106820154..comments2023-10-03T07:01:41.144-05:00Comments on Always On Watch: Semper Vigilans: Recommended ReadingAlways On Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-11759852165648132002014-06-11T19:23:48.774-05:002014-06-11T19:23:48.774-05:00It's where al Qaeda can be fixed in place long...It's where al Qaeda can be fixed in place long enough to eliminate. Not an easy question to answer, but we're not we're they are right now.Constitutional Insurgenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03251746798758539951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-39789178135823381242014-06-11T13:57:16.968-05:002014-06-11T13:57:16.968-05:00A bit more from the above link:
The writing in Be...A bit more from the above link:<br /><br /><i>The writing in Bergdahl’s journal, e-mails and laptop spans the year before he walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. Harrison has had custody of the material since a few days after that, except for a brief period when she provided them to U.S. government investigators for review. At present, none of the writing in the journal or computer files references the Taliban, or the politics of the Afghanistan war, although there are references to modern war generally.<br /><br />“Really, how pathetic i feel as i listen to people talk of the hell I will be heading to …” he wrote in a computer file titled “my army memories.” “Compared to hell of the real wars of the past, we are nothing but camping boy scots. Hiding from children behind our heavy armored trucks and our c-wire and sand bagged operating post, we tell our selves that we are not cowards . . .”</i><br /><br />You can draw your own conclusions, but my first thought was "Was he disappointed that he wasn't killing people -- or that he wasn't going to be killed?"Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-22260400222364175562014-06-11T13:53:31.391-05:002014-06-11T13:53:31.391-05:00Some new information about Bowe Bergdahl:
Before ...Some <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/bergdahls-writings-reveal-a-fragile-young-man/2014/06/11/fb9349fe-f165-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html" rel="nofollow">new information</a> about Bowe Bergdahl:<br /><br /><i>Before he became a Taliban prisoner, before he wrote in his journal “I am the lone wolf of deadly nothingness,” before he ever joined the Army, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard for psychological reasons, said close friends who were worried about his emotional health at the time.<br /><br />The 2006 discharge and a trove of Bergdahl’s writing — the handwritten journal along with other essays, stories and e-mails provided to The Washington Post — paint a portrait of a deeply complicated and fragile young man who was by his own account struggling to maintain his mental stability from the start of basic training until the moment he walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan.... </i><br /><br />Full Veterans benefits to follow -- no matter what?Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-60727597558899370632014-06-11T11:57:33.536-05:002014-06-11T11:57:33.536-05:00CI...and where's that? Sadly, it could, right...CI...and where's that? Sadly, it could, right now, be in a warehouse in downtown Cleveland.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989573357446569262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-75280898296913298792014-06-11T07:38:51.066-05:002014-06-11T07:38:51.066-05:00Tammy,
Do we know how Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bergdahl...Tammy,<br />Do we know how Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bergdahl felt about the war in Afghanistan even before their son enlisted?<br /><br />The OPC obviously supports a just war. The OPC also seems to oppose an unjust war and, of course, unjust orders. What did they communicate with their son about the war in Afghanistan?Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-23938679835780641782014-06-11T07:05:46.603-05:002014-06-11T07:05:46.603-05:00The response of the church is a good one; that of ...The response of the church is a good one; that of wielding the sword. The principle is based on the concept of national defense. We are blessed in America to have a strong, standing professional military which is currently robust enough in configuration and troop strength to be free of a need for conscription. People serve, because they want to serve!<br /><br />All scripture, taken in entirety, brings the balance. My own service was bound up in the concept of keeping an oath:<br /><br />1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, 4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts....Psalm 15<br /><br />"...who keeps his oath even when it hurts...."<br /><br />Even...when it hurts.<br /><br />Even when it.... hurts.<br /><br />Keeping the oath requires sacrifice. It means bending to the will of another for the greater good. When individual conscience makes a demand, the oath is still the taskmaster. So there are legal steps that can be taken to lay the oath to rest. But the oath is always put to rest within the environment of military oversight, not individual action. Only chain of command can release from chain of command. The individual lacks the authority to lay the oath to rest. <br /><br />America is worth defending. Always. Forever. <br /><br />Tammy Swofford<br /><br />Tammy Swoffordhttp://tammyswofford.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-89621182397285699212014-06-11T06:44:28.466-05:002014-06-11T06:44:28.466-05:00For what it's worth:
On June 27, 2009, accord...<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowe_Bergdahl#Last_e-mail_to_parents" rel="nofollow">For what it's worth</a>:<br /><br /><i>On June 27, 2009, according to Hastings, Bergdahl sent an e-mail to his parents before he was captured:<br /><br /> The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting. [...] one of the biggest shit bags is being put in charge of the team [...] [Bergdahl's battalion commander is a] conceited old fool [...] In the US army you are cut down for being honest [...] but if you are a conceited brown nosing shit bag you will be allowed to do what ever you want, and you will be handed your higher rank. [...] The system is wrong. I am ashamed to be an american. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools [...] The US army is the biggest joke the world has to laugh at. It is the army of liars, backstabbers, fools, and bullies. [...] The few good SGTs are getting out as soon as they can, and they are telling us privates to do the same. [...] I am sorry for everything here. These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have nfo idea how to live. We don't even care when we hear each other talk about running their children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks [...] We make fun of them in front of their faces, and laugh at them for not understanding we are insulting them [...] I am sorry for everything. The horror that is america is disgusting [...] There are a few more boxes coming to you guys. Feel free to open them, and use them.</i><br /><br />I also note that Bowe Bergdahl was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowe_Bergdahl#Early_life_and_education" rel="nofollow">in</a> a Buddhist monastery just before he enlisted. His parents were members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Since when is the OPC agreeable to pursuits that Bowe Bergdahl chose -- none of them for very long, it seems.<br /><br />The OPC has <a href="http://www.opc.org/qa.html?question_id=381" rel="nofollow">this position</a> regarding military service.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-37228037711826805662014-06-11T05:23:50.675-05:002014-06-11T05:23:50.675-05:00Exactly CI.
At the cost of many lives and Billio...Exactly CI.<br /> <br />At the cost of many lives and Billions of wasted dollars.Les Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01120280762698472496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-61483242525047213712014-06-11T05:16:11.254-05:002014-06-11T05:16:11.254-05:00FT,
I forgot to say that I appreciate all the effo...FT,<br />I forgot to say that I appreciate all the efforts you are making to participate in this discussion. I know that under your present circumstances your participation here is a Herculean task.<br /><br />We obviously do not agree on the matter of the Bergdahl-Taliban exchange. <br /><br />I do hope that, in time, the murkiness as to what really happened will clear. A lot of speculation will continue, I'm sure. I think that we all want answers!Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-85194509461760560802014-06-11T04:10:02.235-05:002014-06-11T04:10:02.235-05:00FT,
I'm sure the enemy would be treating him m...FT,<br /><i>I'm sure the enemy would be treating him more kindly than we.</i><br /><br />Not too sure about that.<br /><br /><i>If Bowe Bergdahl hates his country so much, and has so closely allied himself with the Jihadists, why in God's name would he WANT to return to the USA?</i><br /><br />Good question.<br /><br />Do we know that Bergdahl wants to return? I didn't see anything on his face indicating joy, relief, etc.<br /><br />Speculation....He could have joined the jihadists -- only to rue the day because they didn't fully accept him or because the jihad life wasn't what he "idealistically" thought life with the jihadists would be. <br /><br />At some point, he did try to escape.<br /><br />I doubt that he'll face a firing squad. Perhaps one of the military or former/retired military here can speak to that matter.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-75930703069295362642014-06-10T23:47:03.627-05:002014-06-10T23:47:03.627-05:00I recommend that we go to where the terrorists who...I recommend that we go to where the terrorists who attacked us are.....and smoke them. We've been screwing around in Afghanistan and Iraq for far too long.Constitutional Insurgenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03251746798758539951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-32653018989807305212014-06-10T23:08:27.189-05:002014-06-10T23:08:27.189-05:00Ducky, you DO realize the war on terrorists is not...Ducky, you DO realize the war on terrorists is not over, right? Or do you think our leaving Afghanistan will make that 5 and the rest of the jihadists all over the world roll over and smoke their hookas with joy???Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989573357446569262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-8361016541633558242014-06-10T21:54:51.596-05:002014-06-10T21:54:51.596-05:00I think, AOW, the reason it "looks bad" ...I think, AOW, the reason it "looks bad" is that it's sort of beating a dead horse. Everyone knows Bergdahls story as far as we know it so far. It's kind of an uncomfortable tale, with no one coming out looking good no matter how you look at it. And here's the GOP, just taking a shi##y story and sh!##ing all over it some more, yelling "I'm right! I'm right!" You know what I mean?<br /><br />JMJJersey McJoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15426560061830038806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-74695826251927291612014-06-10T21:18:56.684-05:002014-06-10T21:18:56.684-05:00Given he has been charged and tried in the court o...Given he has been charged and tried in the court of public opinion and founf guilty you're probably right. <br /><br />Cheap Philadelphia lawyers.Les Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01120280762698472496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-30782434323968265232014-06-10T19:30:36.943-05:002014-06-10T19:30:36.943-05:00“The Spin changes every day ...”
There can be no ...“The Spin changes every day ...”<br /><br />There can be no greater indication of the disdain the Obama White House holds the American people. Do they think we are too stupid to notice these “shifting sands” of official press releases? Well, it’s like Sam said ... you reap what you sow. <br />Mustanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06388694472897425202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-89972621181622077182014-06-10T19:23:44.257-05:002014-06-10T19:23:44.257-05:00As AOW knows, I am presently handicapped and can r...As AOW knows, I am presently handicapped and can read and type only with great difficulty, but I want to ask one question:<br /><br /><b>If Bowe Bergdahl hates his country so much, and has so closely allied himself with the Jihadists, why in God's name would he WANT to return to the USA?</b> <br /><br /><b>Surely he must have known that as a defector-traiitor he would be coming back only to find himself shackled to a post and facing a firing squad at the end of an ugly media circus, and hideously protracted punitive legal ordeal?</b><br /><br />OY! What a homecoming! I'm sure the enemy would be treating him more kindly than we. <br /><br />I can only imagine the agony his poor parents must be going through. I feel most sorry for them in all this wretched mess.<br /><br /><b>Whatever Ovomit may be he has certainly been no friend to Bowe Bergdahl. All Obie Baby has done is dump Bowe out of the frying pan into the fire.</b> FreeThinkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16682678301019952436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-7159459726590587272014-06-10T18:58:45.759-05:002014-06-10T18:58:45.759-05:00I want to call everyone's attention to a parti...I want to call everyone's attention to a particular sentence that Tammy typed in above:<br /><br /><i><b>The spin on the story changes every day.</b></i><br /><br />Now, why is that happening? Doesn't it indicate something?Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-56506337720263870972014-06-10T18:55:12.956-05:002014-06-10T18:55:12.956-05:00FT,
I wouldn't call every commenter here the c...FT,<br />I wouldn't call every commenter here <i>the company</i> I keep. But I do like to see and typically welcome differing opinions. I also read a lot of information and opinions before I form my own opinions.<br /><br />Are we all <i>equally ugly, equally stupid, equally vicious, and equally wrong</i>? Maybe, maybe not -- for each of those adjectives, I mean.<br /><br />Truth does indeed exist, IMO. Whether or not we each find each truth in this life is a matter of great dispute. In my view, the good fight is the honest search for truth.<br /><br />I do have a problem with saying that how we are perceived should strongly determine what position we take on any matter -- not only with regard to the Bergdahl-Taliban trade. I say this because of something personal: I've seen too many teachers back down from doing what they are certain is the right thing because they are afraid how doing the right thing will look. Life is not quite a stage, after all -- never mind Shakespeare's words in <i>As You Like It</i>.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-82955766135836386842014-06-10T18:37:54.358-05:002014-06-10T18:37:54.358-05:00What I think -- and have always thought -- of Mr. ...What I think -- and have always thought -- of Mr. Whyte and several others who shall remain nameless is unprintable. Suffice it to say that if his mother should ever escape from her cage in that infamous kennel for rabid and vicious canines she currently inhabits while awaiting execution. I hope she bites him and infects him with the deadly disease she carries.<br /><br />I respect you a great deal, AOW. I only wish I could say the same for much of the company you keep, but that's quite impossible. My tolerance for bigoted Yahoos diminishes with each passing day.<br /><br />I have learned one valuable lesson after 14 years of Net Combat: <b>Left and Right are MIRrOR IMAGES of each other. Both are equally ugly, equally stupid, equally vicious, and equally wrong.</b> <br /><br />Neither is worth so much as a tinker's dam or a hoot in hell. FreeThinkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16682678301019952436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-85355968920352688952014-06-10T18:34:56.031-05:002014-06-10T18:34:56.031-05:00Z,
Shrinks today and yesterday are saying it's...Z,<br /><i>Shrinks today and yesterday are saying it's highly odd, that most can't wait to speak to their folks, loved ones</i><br /><br />Interesting, huh?<br /><br />I could speculate as to why, but won't do so because my doing so would be pure speculation. Furthermore, psychology and psychiatry are not exact sciences.<br /><br />I wonder if his parents have even <b>asked</b> to go to see their son?Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-25795598402111013562014-06-10T18:33:09.830-05:002014-06-10T18:33:09.830-05:00Yes, we are leaving Afghanistan. You certainly wo...Yes, we are leaving Afghanistan. You certainly won't hear any objection from me about that departure.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-33068443269881686662014-06-10T18:31:34.098-05:002014-06-10T18:31:34.098-05:00Tammy,
I also want to thank you for pointing out t...Tammy,<br />I also want to thank you for pointing out those medical details. As a nurse, you full well know such things.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-60572567326685832102014-06-10T18:30:46.391-05:002014-06-10T18:30:46.391-05:00Sam,
Indeed. Elections have consequences, and dur...Sam,<br />Indeed. Elections have consequences, and during this second term of Obama's administration, we are seeing serious consequences.<br /><br />Batten down the hatches. It ain't over -- not by a long shot.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-32778005942588899402014-06-10T18:29:50.513-05:002014-06-10T18:29:50.513-05:00Tammy,
Interesting point about an unlawful order.Tammy,<br />Interesting point about <i>an unlawful order</i>.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4320479736034351430.post-42713044458977266012014-06-10T18:25:08.594-05:002014-06-10T18:25:08.594-05:00About appearances....We have become a nation obses...About appearances....We have become a nation obsessed with perceptions instead of a nation concerned about and thinking about ideas.<br /><br />Is if often lose-lose for conservatives, for the GOP? Probably so. But tacitly agreeing by not voicing concerns isn't the way to go, either. We see that often enough on the part of <i>MSNBC</i> (one example), and the result is an ignorant electorate.<br /><br />The above said according to my own observations and convictions, I do often wish that FNC wouldn't harp on things over and over again. Report it as objectively as possible. <br /><br />I often think of what is sometimes cited as the writer's mantra: "Be bold, be brief, be gone." Not that I always do so, mind you.<br /><br />Oh, and one thing....Will the Right come out of this <i>looking really bad</i>? Maybe, maybe not. Too soon to tell, IMO. November 2014 could be the barometer that does the measuring. In the meantime, I will try to tell the truth as I know it at any given point in time. Isn't telling the truth the right thing to do?Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.com