Comments on: Sen. Kerry: Not a comic, but not wrong either

By: firewall

firewall — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:32:47 +0000

Luogo interessante, buon disegno, lo gradisco, signore! =)

By: Howard End

Howard End — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 03:22:50 +0000

I don’t really understand why all the insults and ad hominem attacks are hurled at people who merely report the apparent facts that the army is lowering its standards, and allowing more criminals, and reportedly is getting more gangbangers and nazis.

I mean, even if those are unpleasant (alleged) facts — and they are — how does it help to insult the people mentioning them? Preventing free discourse won’t make the unpleasant facts go away…

By: Steve in Kansas

Steve in Kansas — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 14:45:07 +0000

David,
Let me know when you get your free case of Heinz products from John or an invitation to break bread at his house. It is obvious that you will continue to support Kerry regardless of his blatant arogant remarks. What was different when you used your GI Bill benefits after you served and what these current volunteers do with thier college benefits. Not to mention that while on active duty they can enroll in classes and tuition assistance pays for those credits, they can enroll in Army E-University and take courses online with a computer provided by the Army. And if you were to go to any DoD school and see the participation of parents in their children’s education it would boggle your mind. Between school day assistance by parents and after school involovement in their children’s future would be a good example for the rest of America to mirror. David enjoy your life and thank the current military volunteers for ability to live in a free society where people can make outragious commnets only because their freedoms are protected 24/7 by some extremely dedicated and patriotic citizens.

By: Global Geopolitics News » Global Security News - Experts: Counterinsurgency Techniques Could Be Better

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:45:26 +0000

[...] Sen. Kerry: Not a comic, but not wrong either Across the Aisle, DC – Nov 8, 2006 This is not good, considering that the counterinsurgency operations US forces are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere require bright people. [...]

By: Derek in Indiana

Derek in Indiana — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:33:42 +0000

I would venture to say that most Veterans have a disdain towards John Kerry, one that is derived from his disloyalty to his fellow Vietnam Veterans. I believe the name of the book is “Tour of Duty”, it shows Kerry’s lack of faithfulness to his fellow warriors. His time on Capitol hill and his television apperances in debating that Swift Boat gentleman in the early 70’s, showed his precipitous attitude towards the military.
The idea that Mr. Isenberg’s blog has merit is true in my opinion, and it is “troublesome” that the military is has had to lower standards to meet the nation’s requirements. However, the “troublesome” part is not a problem of political and military policy, it is one of the American society and patriotism and economic circumstance.
Where are the best of the best? They are going after the almighty dollar.
Many of our schools teach negativity about the U.S. and its current and past policies, and they fail to educate on many of the great American political achievements.
Our national pride must be re-fostered and our ability to be selfeffacing be reasoned and honest.
All in all, our military today is still the most educated and the most proffesional in the world. Those who serve today have more intelligence and intestinal fortitude than any citizen who has never served.

Semper Fi

By: Global Geopolitics News » Global Security News - Iraq to the Drawing Board

Global Geopolitics News » Global Security News - Iraq to the Drawing Board — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:30:35 +0000

By: David Isenberg

David Isenberg — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 23:09:59 +0000

To Jeff: Yes, it is true, as you write, “every service minus some of the reserves have made 100% goal or better.” in the latest recruiting year. However, that does not tell the whole story. You neglect to mention the extraordinary measures the military has had to take to make their goas, i.e., diping into the DEP, lowering overall acession goals, phased callup of the IRR, the Marine Corps calling up its last line of reservists, men and women so removed from active duty they’re no longer attached to a unit,…

To Steve: I do not think the quality of current personnel is “dismal.” And I agree that the quality of overall American youth may not be much better. But facts are facts. Equipment today is more sophisticated, and takes intelligent people to operate. One reason we have so many private contractors embedded with active duty forces is that they are the only ones who have the skills necessary to provide cradle to grave maintenance. Lowering standards, for example, to take more CAT IVs is just not a good thing.

Note, I volunteered at the age of 17, about 6 months after the last draft call.

By: Steve in Kansas

Steve in Kansas — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:39:27 +0000

Thank you for your service. You served at at time when young people were drafted in order to fill recruiting requirements. Please research your facts on the quality of the current service members that “volunteer” to serve their country. It is not as dismail as you write. What you might consider focusing on is the limited quality of young Americans to make the minimal standrds for military service. That pool of Americans that eat fast food, play video games and can not run two miles to save their lives. The young people in uniform are special and make personal sacrifices everyday. Even those with waivers. I still invite you to travel to the National Training Center and just see what is expected of these “volunteers” who are better informed then a lot of college students sitting around sipping Star Bucks coffee. I base these facts on 23 years of service with two children currently serving. Both officers, both college graduates, both volunteers.

By: Jeff N

Jeff N — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:28:36 +0000

“But even though Kerry botched the joke – don’t give up your day job John, or as Rodney Dangerfield would have said, “Take my senator, please,” he was on to something. When it comes to attracting and retaining qualified personnel the U.S. military has been having problems and it has been getting worse.”

John Kerry meant what he said before he didn’t. I do believe that if you go to the DOD website and look to see how much trouble recruiting is having, wait, it dispells your facts because every service minus some of the reserves have made 100% goal or better. To me that is not worse, it is better because not long ago, the Army did not make goal.

Now take for example the diehard kerry fans who listen to his jibberish, and the crap that he talks, could keep a smart person who would be perfect for the military from joining, just because kerry said so. To me, that is treasonous and should not be taken lightly. John Kerry needs a muzzle and should be helping to fill the ranks instead of keeping people out.

Thank you for your service in the Navy Dave, but please, before you decide to write something, get your facts straight…

http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10057

By: David Isenberg

David Isenberg — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 18:28:39 +0000

To Jeff N, Ben, and Steve in Kansas.

I normally choose not to respond to reader’s comments, as I think it detracts from your right to engage in unfettered commentary. But I just want to mention this. My point in writing this was neither to defend or attack Kerry. There are enough other people doing that. I simply wanted to put some fact that are, at least to me, troubling.

As deceased Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan once said,e veyone is entitlted to their own opinion, but not their own set of facts.

The point about Ivy League disdain is well taken though it is hardly new. Others have covered it better than I – there was a book about it inthe past year — so I did not feel the need to deal with it.

And for the record I am a U.S. Navy veteran (Vietnam era), 1973-1977, 3 years, 6 months 27 days sea duty (Not that anoune was counting).