gdp's Comments

Big Peace : Emerging Technologies In Missile Defense

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:44:34 +0000

The ABL is a wonderful technology. The Air Force had also toyed with a "tactical" version of that weapon system (think: pick one bad guy out of a group and cause him to spontaneously combust). It is much easier to locate and destroy an ICBM during boost phase, those rockets produce a great big heat signature that is easy to track. I was under the impression, however, that the current administration pulled funding from this around the same time they defunded the F-22...

Big Peace : Let's Be Honest: We've Lost In Both Iraq And Afghanistan

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:00:57 +0000

"Let’s Be Honest" Yes. Let's. Our military is one of the finest in the world. We train our troops to live and kill for their country (when other militaries train their soldiers to die for the motherland). Our ability to take terrain and conquer foes is unequaled. Some have drawn parallels between the actions in the middle east and Vietnam. The comparison isn't entirely inappropriate - we had politicians ham-stringing our military back then too. If we unbound our men in uniform from the INSANE rules of engagement by which they must currently operate, I think we'd see far fewer flag-draped coffins arriving from overseas. If we permitted the war to be run by the men who have spent a lifetime studying war (instead of the limp-wristed politicos who oversee them) I think the situation in each country would be vastly different. It is a tragedy that so many of our finest citizens have to sacrifice their own lives because some ivy-league pin-head thinks we should be more polite in combat.

Big Government : UPDATE: Houston National Cemetery Censorship

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:00:26 +0000

I know that public education is lacking and all, but her grasp of what words mean leaves much to be desired. Ms Ocasio: You cannot make something MORE INCLUSIVE by EXCLUDING one of the things that falls into the category of THINGS TO BE INCLUDED. Unless, of course, you're using the New Liberal Lexicon in which words like inclusion and tolerance really mean "accept everything except traditional American values."

Breitbart.com : TSA staff at LAX undergoing transgender training

Thu, 4 Aug 2011 23:33:43 +0000

Sorry bub. Your genes say you're a guy. Until you can fix your own DNA, you are stuck being a guy. If I live like a chicken, I am not a chicken, I am a silly human trying to be a chicken. Living "as a woman" does not make you a woman.

Big Hollywood : New 'Captain America' Poster Is All About Marketing the Flag-Waving

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:57:24 +0000

Money talks. Turns out, there are enough non-anti-American Americans in America that when a Hollywood director decides to not spit on us, his movie does quite well.

Big Peace : GOP Willing To Compromise On Military Funding; What Say The Democrats?

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 02:25:28 +0000

The problem with defense cuts is the same problem we see with education cuts. When school budgets get slashed, teachers lose funding, and administrators shuffle students around. Notice who didn't lose their job? The administrators. Same thing with defense budget cuts, the ones with the least say in the cuts have the most to lose. I'm not opposed to education or defense budget cuts, but particularly in the case of our brave soldiers abroad, it is important that they are as funded as they need to be, even if some desk jockeys back home have to find new jobs. Insane contract bidding policies should also be reexamined. Contracts awarded on the basis of who _owns_ the business rather than the amount of service-per-dollar provided needs to end immediately. The defense department will pay a lot less for a lot of material if they are permitted to participate in the market like any other organization. Contracts should go to the best bidder, not the bidder with the highest "PC" score. If defense budgets are cut, the stipulation needs to be made that our armed forces, actively involved in hostile territories, be permitted to act as efficiently as possible. This means changing the insane ROE that currently bind our soldiers' hands. Think that doesn't cost any money? Treating bullet wounds, burns and providing physical therapy are expensive exercises. If our military was run by men who have carefully studied war, instead of Washington bureaucrats, this expense would be significantly diminished. So sure, cut the defense budget, but don't expect it to operate as well under the same asinine politically correct restrictions that have been slowly piled on it for the last two decades.

Big Peace : Congress And The Afghanistan Scandal

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:34:05 +0000

Scorched Earth. As others have pointed out, ten years of "winning hearts and minds" in Afghanistan has simply cost us limbs, lives and treasure. Let's try something else. After we've finished turning A-stan into patch of charcoal, Pakistan will likely be more amenable to deciding whose side it is on. The west is seen as a decadent culture of high-tech barbarians. In the context of their view of morality, our most conservative citizens are patchouli-stinking hippies in comparison to their moderates. We will ALWAYS be outsiders. As long as they can play both sides of the fence with impunity (take our money and assistance, then help their buddies plant bombs), they will. They get to take money and material from 'rich Americans' AND blow them up. If we untie our soldiers' hands for ONE YEAR, the denizens of Afghanistan will long for the days when we were trying to be nice to them. They may not ever like or trust us, but we can make opposing us a very unpalatable decision.

Big Government : Was Jesus a Community Organizer?

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:17:43 +0000

Also noteworthy: when Christ threatened the hold that Pharisees had over the culture, they had him crucified. Anybody else see what happened when the Unions in Wisconsin felt a little threatened?

Big Journalism : Newsweek: Americans Are Stupid Because We Don't Spend Enough On Education

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:54:13 +0000

It is interesting to read that the solution to our failing education system is more money. I'm an engineering student. Many of my peers hail from Pakistan, India and China. None of those countries spend as much as we do on education and by and large, the students from India and China are much more prepared for college than most of their American classmates. The problem has nothing to do with money spent on education, and everything to do with the approaches to education. Stateside, many school districts have adopted a "if you try, you won't fail," approach. Unfortunately, there is little quantifiable about "trying" and it fails to impart the importance of academic rigor and attention to detail. Some of my American peers have never had a red pen mark on anything they've turned in. They've moved through Elementary, Middle, and High School being told how wonderful their efforts are, and never having the results of their efforts examined. The coddling of egos in American schools and harsh treatment of students in India and China are at polar opposites of the same spectrum. From fairly early on, their work is ruthlessly examined and the students are often subject to humiliation in front of their peers. I think the humiliation goes a little far, but it wouldn't hurt if we started telling kids things like, "though your effort is admirable, the answer you submitted is incorrect." The schools may bruise a few egos this way, but we'd be able to quit wringing our hands over the performance of American students on the international scene. Long story short: Money doesn't fix stupidity, correction does (spare the rod, spoil the child, anyone?)

Big Journalism : Caption This Photo: Brazil Protests Obama's Visit *UPDATE: Winners Announced

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:27:05 +0000

Caption: "Emblazoned on an American Flag, 'Obama Go Home,' is a heart-warming statement of acceptance of the American President. It is obvious that the Brazilians feel that President Obama is indeed the first post-American president, comfortably at home wherever he travels."

Big Peace : Is The Anti-Libya Coalition Fraying Already?

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:23:00 +0000

Well Arab League, if you hadn't sat on the sidelines, waiting for us awful Americans to help, maybe you could've had your cake and eaten too. But you didn't. You waited. FRANCE of all countries was first on the scene to protect civilians. If the Arab League was genuinely concerned, they would have had Gadaffi under control after the first shelling of Benghazi.

Big Journalism : Nothing Says 'Freedom' Like "Do What We Say Or We'll F*** You Up!"

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:31:19 +0000

Author: first link URL needs fixin' http://bigjournalism.com/pjsalvatore/2011/03/09/c... instead of http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=whttp:/...

Big Journalism : SOTU Ratings Are In ... Maybe This Is Why MSNBC Attacked CNN

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:16:34 +0000

Maddow seems rather upset about this. CNN knows that Bachmann will draw viewers. CNN also knows that it is losing viewers on the right. This was a business decision, and poor little Maddow is just jealous that her network lacks the business acumen possessed by CNN. Sidenote: Fox News is still beating the pants off of CNN and MSNBC in ratings. Oh well.

Big Peace : Affirmative Action Scandal Rocks Naval Academy: Students Disillusioned at Lower Admissions Standards

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:29:35 +0000

"Diversity" is an idea that must needs be abolished from our collective mind and vocabulary. If we are indeed a post-racial nation, it would make sense for us to not let race be a deciding factor at all. "Race" should not be included on any hiring form or application. That is, if we are indeed a post-racial nation. That we are forcefully "diversifying" student bodies at the expense of competency is aggravating in the professional world, and it is downright dangerous in the military world. The fix for the perceived lack of diversity has nothing to do with a lack of legislation. If you want to see varying levels of melanin in the student population, the communities in which they are reared must value education as highly as it is regarded in asian and caucasian communities. When Affirmative Action was struck down in California (and quotas were undone as necessary for college admissions), do you know which population experienced the greatest surge in college admissions? Asian-Americans. Do you know why? Their parents see the value of an education, and drive their kids with riding crops to get one. To avoid being accused of racism, I'll not say which population experienced the most dramatic decrease. I'll tell you this much though, a friend of mine, who possesses more pigmented skin, after announcing to his family that he was going to go to college, was reminded, "You might get your fancy diploma, but I'll always be able to beat your ass." How's that for family support? Communities and individuals both get what they sow.

Big Peace : Spanish Muslim Traumatized by Ham

Sun, 26 Dec 2010 01:59:42 +0000

Are you all paying attention? This is what will be wrought by the culture of 'tolerance.' I am not advocating intolerance, but when one must check their intelligence at the door so as to avoid offending someone else's fragile sensibilities, this is what we will all be dealing with soon.

Big Hollywood : Why it Took Me This Long to Purchase a Blu-ray Player

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:19:44 +0000

Blu-Ray brings some mighty fine bells and whistles ... if you have a high-definition TV and a decent sound system hooked up to your home theater. Troglodyte that I am, a blu-ray would bring it's fancy high-def images, high-quality sounds and waste them on my regular-def CRT TV. Still haven't purchased one. Probably won't until we own a TV and home theater setup that will take advantage of high definition everything that blu-ray brings.

Big Government : The Dream Dies: Senate Rejects Immigration Bill

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:45:57 +0000

Serving in the armed forces is an honor. Going to college is a privilege. I never understood why so many folks tried to cast those items as 'acceptable' paths (and surrogate punishments) to citizenship for someone here illegally. Tell you what though, if the next time this bill comes around, the only possible path to citizenship is a ten year stint in the armed forces, I'll be more willing to consider it. If they apply for it, and are turned down: they get deported (unlike this incarnation, where if you apply and don't qualify, you can't get deported). If they are dishonorably discharged from the military: they get deported. If they meritoriously serve the United States Armed Forces for the entire 10 years, and are honorably discharged: sure, grant them citizenship. It seems as though the other side of this debate has forgotten that being here illegally is illegal, and any path to citizenship for ANYONE who is here illegally is a tremendous act of mercy on the part of the U.S. It is not (as some seem to believe) the birthright of every human on this planet to be a citizen of the United States. So in short: bravo to the Senate for not foisting another piece-of-crap onto the American public.

Big Journalism : Why Isn't Anyone Talking about Bradley Manning?

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:12:43 +0000

Re: Pvt. Manning: No one is talking about Manning for three reasons: 1) It is embarassing that a private gained access to sensitive documents, and then betrayed his country by sending them to a foreign agent. 2) Have you seen the guy? Manning is a dough-faced clown. Assange is a charismatic jet-setting man of intrigue. Which one do you think will sell more papers? 3) Assange seems to have a vendetta against the U.S. He talks about transparency and bringing down the bad guys. Apparently, in his world, the only government that murders and lies in the U.S. government. This is something with which the leftist media heartily agrees. I'm not sure how we should handle Assange. I do think Manning needs to be charged with espionage, treason, and publicly executed. He did not do this to protect his country, the constitution or the president - he was thinking only of his own gain. He knew he would be caught (Kerberos has been around for YEARS, and I'm sure the military uses something better). He knew that his actions would yield a lot of publicity. He betrayed his country for his own vanity.

Big Journalism : Dowd: Palin shot “Obambi”

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:17:27 +0000

No no, I think the hunter-prey analogy is entirely apt. Which one is higher on the food chain? Republicans, having had to watch the lesser-creatures run amok for a couple years (due to their own silly negligence), are ready to behave like more intelligent creatures now. Find your quarry. Wait. Control your breathing. Squeeze the trigger. Take a warm pelt and a pile of meat home to the wife and family. *which is analogous to the ethic that demands hard work and discipline for financial benefit. Hunting and succeeding parallel one another nicely*

Big Peace : Wikileaks: Time for Drastic and Decisive Action

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:26:02 +0000

sidenote: it does surprise me that Assange is still breathing. I would never encourage the assassination of a civilian, but I am genuinely surprised that he hasn't been 'disappeared' by one clandestine agency or another.