Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Makes Me Want To Cry Them A River...........

O.K. since I am already stirred up, I might as well cut loose ALL my wolves........

I was mulling life's many mysteries and about half listening to the news when I heard a "talking head" talk about the current salary was for the school teachers that are currently on strike in Chicago.

It got me to thinking, I retired after working 30 years for the state of North Carolina. I have had one knee replaced and am working on getting up the guts to have my other one replaced, as well as have had major surgery on my right shoulder all due to injuries that I received in the line of duty. I lost count of the times when I had to be checked out or sewn up after a rough night at work. I am not whining, just stating the facts.

My wife, was medically retired at 23 years, after receiving a injury at work, which  is STILL giving her problems many year afterwards.

The average pay for a teacher in Chicago is reported to be around $70,000. If you total up all the pay and benefits that my wife and I BOTH receive in a year, we don't even come close to that number.

So I just can't work up a great deal of sympathy for those folks. 

To The Shores Of Tripoli...........

A observation from history's greatest bore..........

Back in the early 1800's the northern part of Africa was the playground for the Barbary pirates, organized groups who attacked and captured "Christian" ships and their crews. The crew members were literally enslaved by the Muslims until they could be ransomed by their governments. In many cases, these acts were sponsored and supported by the governments then in power in the area. Most of the time, the major governments of Europe and the United States figuring it was easier, just paid tribute to the Muslims to protect their shipping. However, when the tribute was late, or perhaps not enough, the various Muslim governments had a very interesting method of expressing their dissatisfaction. They would go to the American Consulate, and chop down the flag pole. This was acknowledged to be a declaration of war by all the parties involved.

This state of affairs was compounded by the fact that a former ally France, which was at war with England at the time, started capturing American ships which were trading with Britain and it's colonies. America started negotiations with the French government and was told that the attacks would stop if America, gave 50,000  pounds sterling, a $12 million loan from the United States, a $250,000 personal bribe to French foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, and a formal apology for comments made by President John Adams. These demands were refused and when the American public became aware of this incident known as the X, Y and Z affair there was a great cry for action. This led to what was called the Quasi-War with France which took place at sea from 1798 to 1800.

At a American dinner party held about this time,  Robert Goodloe Harper, a Congressman from South Carolina, gave history the memorable phrase, in a toast: "Millions for defense, sir, but not one cent for tribute!"

Now here we have a small new country, basically fighting two wars, with a undermanned Navy and Army still standing up to it's foes. By standing up, they made the French back down and by blockading the Barbary Pirates and even landing troops to overthrow various governments that supported the pirates, the attacks on American shipping stopped.

Now we have had a consulate attacked in the old stomping ground of the Barbary Pirates and had a Ambassador as well as other American citizens murdered.  Perhaps it WAS a act of individuals and not state sponsored, but I find it somewhat curious that these protesters had plenty of automatic weapons and R.P.G.s but that's just me. I firmly feel that we should reply to this in the strongest manner. It's a well known fact that the only way that we can prevent this kind of behavior is to cause these evil people to fear us. If they act in such a manner we will retaliate in a overwhelming manner. After all, we once went to war over a cut down flag pole,  isn't it pitiful that we will not take strong action over spilled American blood?


 





Tuesday, September 11, 2012

On This Date In History............

Every one knows (or should know) what happened 11 years ago, but back in 1683, the Muslim army of the Ottoman Turks was defeated and the siege of Vienna was lifted on this date.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are merely in a different stage of a long term war.............