Monday, June 24, 2019

Stupid? or Evil?

So....Little Juvat and LJW are back in the SandBox after visiting some beaches (No, Beans that's not the Southern pronunciation of sons of female dogs) in Northern France.  Did I mention that, among many other talents, he's a fairly talented photographer?

Well, he is.  He started the hobby with a disposable camera when Mrs J and I took him on vacation to the PI, Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong when he was about 5.   In any case, he's got a better camera now.  Much better.  More better than I can afford.

But...I'm cheap.

In any case, he said he had 3 x 64 GB sim cards and a 3 TB portable HD with him on the trip.  Needless to say, downloading his pictures has taken is taking a bit of time.  But I've included a few for your enjoyment.

I had misunderstood his travel plans,  he was at Normandy until the 5th.  For some strange reason, there was no room at the inn, or anywhere else within reasonable driving distance, on the 6th so didn't get any pictures of flyovers and other ceremonies.

I haven't actually spoken to them yet, so you'll have to endure MY photo interpretation.


My guess is they started on Utah Beach.  I base that opinion on the Time Date Stamp of the above  photo.  That ID'd the photograph as having been taken immediately before this one. 


My apologies if I have inadvertently "triggered" anyone.  But then again, you probably wouldn't be on this blog if you were in that group of psychotic children.

As both Little Juvat and LJW graduated from Texas A&M (Whoop!), they necessarily visited Pointe du Hoc next to see where Lt Col James E. Rudder (Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of '32 Whoop!) came ashore.


This should be Pointe Du Hoc from the western edge of Utah.  Pretty commanding terrain if you've just come ashore and are still on the beach. It would be hard to hide.


Down in the bowl in the center of the picture is where his Rangers came ashore and scaled those cliffs.


Little Juvat got a lot closer to the edge than I did when I was there in '09.  That's a long and steep climb even when no one is shooting at you.


And it's not like the battlefield wasn't prepped by fire before hand.  Those are man made depressions in the soil caused by all sorts of unpleasant weaponry.

LJW has decided to venture down into one of the impact craters.  Given her height, I'd say, after 75 years it's still 15 to 20' deep.


BTW, this wasn't LtCol Rudder's only battle.  He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and Hurtgen Forest.  Then came back and was President of Texas A&M (Whoop!) before passing away in 1970 at 59.


They next visited another beach, named for some place in Nebraska.  As one can see, the weather is turning a bit nasty, but there are more folks here.  BTW that's Pointe du Hoc in the back ground.  As I said "Commanding ground".

Thankfully the weather got a bit better.  This is the view of Omaha from a very special place.


I got nothing to add.

They then returned to Paris and spent a couple of days there before returning to their home away from home.

One of the remaining photos, other than the expected nee' required pictures of the Eifel Tower and other Parisian landmarks was this one.


I had no clue what this photo was about.  I texted him the question and he sent this link Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation. 

I knew that Jews throughout Nazi Occupied Europe were rounded up and sent to Germany, including from France.  What I didn't know was that the French Government ordered their own citizens to be arrested.  According to this article, 200,000 French People were transported to German Concentration Camps.

Where virtually all were murdered.

The bars on the doors represent the prison doors, the light at the end of the tunnel is literally "the light at the end of the tunnel". There are urns at each end containing ashes from the Ovens at the camps.  Each of the gold dots on the walls is a single backlit crystal that symbolizes one of the people that was murdered in Germany.

Why do you continue to use that word, juvat?  Isn't that a bit harsh?

Absolutely not, in fact, it's not harsh enough.

They didn't "Die" or they weren't "executed".  Both those words denote something less than the evil that happened to them.  All people "die".  Criminals are "executed", implying a just punishment.  No these people, approximately 75,000 Jews, while the rest were run of the mill French people who had somehow done something that caused the French Government to have them rounded up and eventually murdered.

Which brings me to the point of this rant. Recently there have been a few people in Congress that are saying that the United States is running concentration camps on the Southern Border.  They do this deliberately to draw a comparison to the Nazi Concentration Camps.

I don't know if anyone has died while in custody of the border patrol.  It's possible, I suppose, and if so is tragic.

But...If that happened, it was not Murder.

Unfortunately a lot of people seem to think one of the elected officials who is spouting this comparison is just an idiot.  Indeed, there are lots of internet meme's made out to make her look like a fool.

IMHO, that is wrong.  Nobody can be that dumb. Portraying her as dumb plays into her hands and gives her an out.  She may not use these words exactly but when called on something she said, the comeback "Everyone knows she's an idiot, right?" gets her off the hook.  And people can and will say," thank goodness this alternative legislation (which is a little "less bad") passed and not hers". We, as a Country, however will have moved a little bit closer totalitarian socialism.

No, I believe she knows exactly what she's doing  and that makes her Evil.  Her "comment of the week" this week is preparing the battlefield by numbing people to the reality of Concentration Camps. Who knows what next week will bring, but it will push a socialist agenda.

And there are others like her.

"There are camps and people are being concentrated."

Words matter.

I bring you back to the fact that the French Government, not the Germans, ordered those people off to be murdered in concentration camps.

One should keep that in mind when they say  "No middle ground" as they attempt to sway people to a socialist agenda where the government controls  virtually everything.  If a government can control virtually everything, what's to stop them from doing virtually anything?



94 comments:

  1. Good selection of photos, Pointe Du Hoc is some kind of geographical feature eh? If there's a chance moar photos plez? What you said after the deportation photo.......spot on! Words mean something as you said so succinctly juvat. More and more people in this country are revealing themselves to be Fake Americans.

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    1. I hope (pray actually) that more and more people in this country are recognizing that fact and starting to react to it. The jury verdict in Ohio was somewhat reassuring, but as you said "MOAR, Plez!"

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  2. AOC needs to remember that the Nazis were Socialists like her.

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    1. Scott, you're right. The big difference between Russian Socialism and German Socialism was that the Germans allowed private ownership of industry. The Russians did not. Of Course, the Germans told you how to run your company and what to make and how much of it and what to charge, but Hey, you own it. Oh and the Nazi's lost and most of the leaders hung,

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    2. She is an international socialist, believing the World is one big family, and she wants to sit at the head of the table.

      Subtle difference:

      An International Socialist isn't proud of anything but how much they personally gain as they ruin the nation or world.
      A National Socialist is proud of their country and how much they've personally stolen as they ruin it.

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    3. And, unfortunately, juvat, by your definition of National Socialism, well, that's the government we currently have.

      Gee, person 1, you need to run your company like this... or else...
      Gee, person 2, you don't have any 2nd Amendment rights because your psycho ex says you looked at her wrong in divorce court where the only thing she didn't get was your guns...

      We live in a supposed Republic that is National Socialist enough that Herr Schicklegrubber and all his merry band of murderers would recognize as National Socialism. In fact, said Mr. 88 (ooooh, I must be a white nationalist because I used '88'..) and his party got many of their 'great' ideas from... These United States of America (under Woodrow Wilson, maybe the 2nd or 3rd worst president of the 20th Century, depending on where you rank LBJ, FDR, WJC.)

      Frothing at the mouth mad, that's what I am.

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    4. Andrew: "...Mr. 88...". Ok, I'm slow, I don't understand that one at all.

      Paul

      P.S.: WW, FDR, LBJ, WJC, and BHO; in my opinion, there has never been a good Democratic President, including HST.

      PLQ

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    5. Beans, we're getting there and some states are worse than others ***Cough california Cough*** among others. But...I don't think we're quite there yet. But I like your definitions of the two types of socialists.

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    6. In my personal ranking of bad presidents 5he three worst have been in my lifetime (which may color my judgement somewhat). Obi-Wan is worst, Jimmuh Second, Billy Jeff third (Hillary plays a large roll there). YMMV

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    7. Paul. 'H' is the eight letter of the English alphabet. So, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (as if you can trust those people..) '88' is code for 'HH' which is code for 'Heil Hitler' or some garbage like that.

      Thus... 'Mr. 88' means... Hitler.

      Used to read the SPLC magazine at work and score myself every time they listed what makes a racist terrorist.

      White.
      Male.
      Straight.
      Christian.
      Broad Education.
      Conservative.
      Gun-owner or believer in 2nd Amendment.
      Believer in the right of the individual over the state.
      What type of vehicle you drive (seriously... pickups and vans make you a racist bastige, according to the SPLC.)
      What foods you eat (seriously, if you enjoy a variety of cuisines, that makes you racist, also, if you only eat one culture's food, like French, English, Irish, German... that makes you racist.)
      Your choice in clothes.
      Your choice in music.
      Your choice in entertainment.
      Your speech.
      Where you live (live in flyover country, yep, you're a racist...)
      Whether you agree or not with whatever the SPLC says this day.
      Whether you financially support the SPLC (guess what, you don't financially support the SPLC, it's because you're racist...)

      According to the SPLC, I am ten times worse than a KKK member or an actual Nazi. Weird, huh?

      Give me a friggin break.

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    8. FDR started the U.S. down the road to a communist country. He was in my lifetime, so I get to pick him as one of the worst. The others, you and I are in agreement.

      Paul

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    9. juvat, yep, the worst in recent history.

      But... Woodrow Wilson's administration brought forced segregation in Federal service. He brought mass sterilization of 'undesirables' to the forefront. His admin brought abortion, particularly aimed at undesirable populations. He formed secret police and Stasi level spying on US citizens during WWI. He enacted forced seizure of undesirable 'unAmerican' citizens and internment camps for 'foreign nationals.' All things that FDR, and most things that BHO and all things that Adolph Hitler enacted during their regime.

      As to FDR... well... besides taking credit for any positive changes to the economy due to actions by Hoover (who, rightly, wanted to let the Depression burn itself out rather than enacting stuff that made it worse, like what FDR did,) FDR forced the Supreme Court to cave into his socialist agenda. He and his administration buddied up to Stalin and Mao. And more.

      So, yeah, what Paul said. Except Truman. Truman inherited a bad situation from FDR and rose to the occasion. Desegregating the military, recognizing Israel, smacking Dugout Doug down when that flaming idiot got out of hand. So... not the worst, not the best, maybe, but not the worst. According to my opinion.

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    10. Ok, I'll admit that HST was not as bad as some of the others, but he was still a right bastage.

      Paul

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  3. I used to travel out in the wilds of west Texas and New Mexico. I had an external GPS receiver and ran Delorme Maps on my latop. It was fun to take little traveled roads to go where I needed. Always carried enough supplies for a few days alone, and my HF gear was working well in the sunspot maximum.

    I was in south eastern NM when I ran across a cyclone (chain-link) fence out in the middle of nothing. Barbed wire on top pointing IN. I drove around it, and it was almost a section in size (640 acres / 1 sq mile). Nothing in it. Just bare flat dirt. All kinds of no trespassing signs on it.

    Several years later, I heard folks talking about "plans" the .gov had, and that fenced area sprung instantly to mind. Juvat, you are correct. The government that can give you everything, can take everything away, too. And moving towards insanity a half step at a time will get you there, eventually.

    Hatred of Jews is a European staple. There have been progroms there since Jews showed up. I recently read the Latvians were shocked that the Nazi's wasted so much time and resources moving them to ghettos and on to camps. Yikes!! What those men did at Normandy is inspiring, and ultimately brought an end to the mass murders. I agree with Israel: "Never Again, Never Forget." Or we are doomed to repeat it.

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    1. Spent a lot of time in New Mexico and never ran across that. I'm assuming it was somewhere on the east side of Sierra Blanca?

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    2. Well, the US Gov has fenced in a lot of places in New Mexico. To keep people out of 'environmentally critical' land and off of military preserves. And the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) under the Lightbringer did fence off a lot of land to keep ranchers from grazing on lands they had the grazing rights for.

      But... not concentration camps. Or even resettlement camps. Both, by the way, done by Democratic presidents in the 20th Century. Woody and Wheels have much to answer for on the Final Judgement day, if they ever make it that high up.

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    3. Agreed. But again, neither of them murdered the inhabitants systematically.

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    4. juvat, you are correct, just... internment camps, forced seizure of personal property, allowing bands of 'civilians' to attack undesirables... Both came close, just neither went quite over the edge...

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    5. Sorry about falling off the comm link.

      Juvat - yes sir, between Jal and Maljamar as I remember. I'd never seen the barbed wire top facing inward. It stuck in my head as backwards. I haven't been back there since.

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    6. I've driven that road before, never noticed that....Road Trip!!!!

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    7. On second thought, Google Earth only shows a whole lot of Oil Wells there nowadays. Not sure I want to 'splore that.

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  4. It's not that she is dumb, but partly educated. And, people have died trying to get to the USA. And some have died in the hands of our government. That is a shame on us. Governments are not good or evil, they are "and". It depends on those in charge of each operation, each action. When an action or neglect of action can produce a death, it has to be examined. That examination should go all the way to the leaders, of the government. They set the tone of the operations of a government. We are not holding those in charge accountable. If we don't care, if someone lives or dies, how are we any better then the others? That's a true waste of resources. And a waste of our tax dollars.

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    1. "And some have died in the hands of our government. That is a shame on us."

      So because we can't flick a wand once they come into our custody to render nonexistent the maladies and malnutrition they effected upon themselves along the way, that is our fault?

      We're flying- not driving or walking, children to emergency rooms for care when required. Noncitizen invaders who are being strung along by their parents, their kidnappers, and a certain political party here in the US who are promising them the moon and the stars just for breaking our laws.

      You want people to stop dying in Border Patrol custody after destroying themselves physically on the way, stop incentivizing the illegal crossing of our border. It's that simple.

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    2. Most thugs and bullies are partly educated and I think you're correct there. I can't disagree with anything you said in the rest of your comment either. It irritates the snot out of me that our government is doing nothing about the situation. Enforcing immigration laws currently on the books and deporting violators as soon as possible would end the need for camps of any kind. IMHO YMMV!
      But these policies that allow illegals to game the system (borrowing children for instance) are ludicrous. If someone dies while in these camps, it should be investigated. If culpability is found, action should be taken. Legal action if necessary.

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    3. Fringe,
      I think you and I are on the same sheet of music, just different lyrics.

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    4. She supposedly has a degree in international relations and economics, yet she is a card carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Which means she understands the quickest way to wealth is to be a commissar when the seizures of property, money and lives starts.

      Sorry, anyone who graduates after taking even one economics class and still supports socialism of any variety needs to be hung, or shot, or whatever. Wanna be a socialist, well, this is how it feels....

      As to laws, funny how they (the secret powers that be and all their useful idiots) hate good laws and love bad laws. Thus the hatred of the 2nd Amendment, current Immigration laws and such, and the love of anything anti-2A and anti-self sufficiency.

      Gun, bullet, front of the head. While others are watching. That's how you stomp out this disease of Socialism.

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    5. "Gun, bullet, front of the head. While others are watching. That's how you stomp out this disease of Socialism."

      We are in 100% agreement.

      Paul

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    6. juvat: "It irritates the snot out of me that our government is doing nothing about the situation." Did you read/hear about what the Mexican government has just done about illegal border crossings on the USA/Mexico border?

      Paul

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    7. Working to shut down crossings? Is that what you're talking about? Yeah, I heard about it. I guess what that statement was meant to convey was the opposition party's stomping of their feet when the President takes action. Even when that action is the exact same thing the opposition's party did a few years ago. Now it's, dare I say it...Racist!

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    8. Beans, Don't forget the anti-First Amendment stuff either.

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  5. ...the ride is getting rather bumpy.
    What a read, Juvat!

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  6. Evil.

    Below is a paste of my comment on another blog some years back--

    ""....full meaning of the camps..."

    Indeed. This brought to mind an experience of mine as follows.

    I was stationed in (formerly) West Germany during the mid-70's. During a weeklong R&R, my buddy and I decided to take a tour of Dachau. For me, it proved to be an epiphany, although not for the reasons anyone might think at first.

    My father was a B17 pilot during WWII and flew 35 combat missions over Europe. Among other things, this sparked my keen interest in WWII history, so I had read about the concentration camps long before I went on the tour.

    It's times like this that I wish I had a better command of the English language. The best I can come up with to describe the tour is that it brings on a cascade of emotions, some seemingly contradictory.

    The first thing we saw was this--
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachau_concentration_camp#mediaviewer/File:Arbeit_Macht_Frei_Dachau_8235.jpg

    --which translates to "Work will make (you) free." It is both grotesque propaganda and macabre prophecy.

    It was a bright, sunny day that seemed somehow inappropriate for the occasion and at the same time a reminder that life moves on.

    Everyone on the tour speaks in quiet voices, walks softly, as if at a funeral, which is as it should be.

    One side of your brain digests all the numbers and photos and other input, while the other side just cannot wrap itself around the totality of horror that went on there for years. At the same time, I felt a sense of pride that I wore the uniform of one of the armies that put an end to it.

    When I was there, the ovens were still in place, doors open, with ash still inside. There was a simple rope barrier about five feet in front. A metallic glint caught my eye in one of the ovens. As I leaned over the rope for a closer look, I saw that it was an expended camera flash cube. Someone had tossed their trash into an oven at Dachau. Thus came my epiphany.

    The battle against evil is not over, will never be over. Evil will always be aided by apathy and willful ignorance, and fueled mostly by envy and greed. I agree with the old saw that there is nothing new under the sun. However, there are new generations who need to be taught their history.

    Given the state of world affairs today, I am reminded of the book (and movie) title "Something Wicked This Way Comes"."

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  7. "Evil will always be aided by apathy and willful ignorance, and fueled mostly by envy and greed."

    Well said, Sir, Well said.

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  8. Thanks for the post, Juvat. I am proud to be able to associate, in this digital way, with folks who still take pride in their Nation and respect those who have gone on before. We have a lots of work to do - those of our persuasion. Media, educational resources and a vast number of uncaring folks are forming a wave of control, the results of its crashing, they do not know and they don't seem to care. "My remote and a six-pack, now!" May the Lord give us strength.

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  9. Important point(s) on government control and socialists.

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  10. Nearly every single one of us here have at some point taken an oath that contains the phrase, "against all enemies, foreign and domestic"

    How far must we go. How far down the slippery slope?
    Where is the line that gets crossed....
    Before we take action on the "and domestic" part of that oath?

    Or are we the Frog being brought to a slow boil and by the time we decided the danger is real, it is too late.

    One thing I do know.
    Our founding Fathers would already be in revolt given the Federal government of today.

    So long as we still have a voice and a vote... that line is not yet crossed in my opinion. But the left is rapidly doing everything in its vast power, while not playing by the rules... to end that voice.

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    1. Yep, and another part of that oath that is very critical. "Support and defend the Constitution". Not the President. Not Congress. The Constitution.

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    2. Even those of us who haven't taken the service oath have pledged allegiance.

      Which I take as seriously as the oath.

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    3. I remember taking the oath as federal civilian employee back in late 1977. Ended with " so help me God."

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    4. CG-23 Sailor:

      "Our founding Fathers would already be in revolt given the Federal government of today."

      Well, some of us are waiting to see how much of the swamp President Trump can drain. If he can't drain enough in the time he has in the White House, then it may be time to grab our muskets and powder.

      Paul

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  11. No profound comment here as the previous folks have done an outstanding job. This is just a bit of trivia. Seven of my last nine years in the US Army were served in the James E Rudder Reserve Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Several photos of him and a writeup of his career including one photo in the field as a 2-star commander inspecting the troops. He must have been one heck of a leader.

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    1. The Aggies certainly think very highly of him.

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  12. Ask a young person about the Constitution and you'll often get a blank stare. Ask a legal immigrant/new citizen and they can converse with you about it. HMMMM, what's wrong with this picture?

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    1. The ex-meth lady down at the end of the apartment block just got her voting rights back. She asked me a few things about government and laws and I suggested that she look up and read what people have to read for their naturalization.

      Still waiting...

      Waiting...

      Uh, huh, figures....

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  13. "Those are man made depressions in the soil caused by all sorts of unpleasant weaponry." You likely saw the AP story that another one of those depressions appeared today, caused in the same way, by the same sort of method as 75 years ago.

    As to Dx4's comment- School teachers with the same mind set as AOC are what is bringing this result. The socialist/communists have been working to overthrow our Constitution and way of life for a number of years now, and too few have been aware of or are doing anything about it. I include myself in the group of those not doing anything.

    We have the joy of being challenged by enemies both foreign ( the PRC ) and domestic at the same time today. May our country and Constitution come through this trial as strong or stronger than ever.

    Thanks for the post.
    Paul L. Quandt

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    1. I couldn't find anything on AP's site about that, Paul. Do you have the link?

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    2. I don't remember how I came across that story ( old pep, ya know ), but I shall look to see if I can find it again.

      Paul

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    3. "http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/crater-in-german-field-apparently-caused-by-wwii-bomb/ar-AADlxsf?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=HPDHP17" This may take you to the story.

      Paul

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    4. That sounds like it might have been a 2000 pounder, if it was one of ours. Glad no one was hurt. I've read that portions of several WWI battlefields are off limits due to unexploded ordnance from over 100 years ago.

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    5. "I've read that portions of several WWI battlefields are off limits due to unexploded ordnance from over 100 years ago."

      Yes, that thought came into my mind as I read that article.

      Paul

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  14. Joseph McCarthy, a loud mouth and a bit of a jerk, was right.

    Every day, if the tv is on, I get bombarded by socialistic commentary even in my favorite shows. Only the real cops shows, like 'First 48' and 'Live PD' are usually free of socialistic commentary. Grrrr.

    More and more, I think JM should be cannonized. But not by the commiepope...

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    1. "Every day, if the tv is on, I get bombarded by socialistic commentary..." That issue is easily solved, Andrew- DON'T TURN ON THE TV.

      Paul

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    2. PLQ, I can't remember the last time I watched Live TV at home. The last time I watched it anywhere what when Mrs J had her procedure and I was forced to watch "The View". Talk about Cruel and Unusual Punishment!

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    3. Well, PLQ, since Mrs. Andrew's brain decided to go all explody, she's had trouble reading for longer than 30 minutes at a time, so the TV serves some useful purpose. We make sure to record everything, nothing is watched real-time, so that we can fast forward past commercials and also kill any shows that turn our stomachs. So, a lot of educational shows, real-crime stuff and such. Very few 'tele-dramas.' Lots of movies, old movies especially (we both like Fred Astaire and such.)

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    4. Yes, I don't turn on the tv, but my wife, when she is not on the road, tends to watch the Another Buncha Communists nightly new/propaganda show. She may also watch them when she is on the road, but, as I am not with her then, I don't know.

      "...I was forced to watch "The View". Talk about Cruel and Unusual Punishment!" I agree; I would rather disembowel myself than watch that.

      Paul

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    5. Andrew: My apologies, I didn't know the circumstances and shot my fingers ( mouth ) off. We, my wife and I, will watch some of the offerings on Roku. Mostly historical stuff, so I can point out what they have gotten wrong. An arrogant a**h***, am I.

      Paul

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    6. "..nightly new/propaganda..." Obviously, that should have been ' news '. Perhaps I should surrender my OGF badge.

      Paul
      former OGF

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    7. The times I've watched "The View" correspond exactly with the times I've been waiting for medical appointments.
      In a perfect world, I would simply schedule my appointments at the time the show isn't airing.

      Every waiting room has a large television that is playing propaganda, and the Doctor wonders why my BP is a might on the high side when I get into the office.

      Very good post, and a great flow of comments.

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    8. Paul, it's okay. Both of us are kind of Crime Vultures. And there's only so many books one can read before some light stupidity is in order.

      As to historical inaccuracies and continuity screw-ups, both Mrs. Andrew and I jump on those. We'll rail and holler at the screen so much you'd think we were watching sportsmoneyball. And both of us are, well at least I am, arrogant ***holes...

      :)

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  15. By the way, if you ( that is- all of you ) have not yet read Victor Davis Hanson's article posted yesterday, I strongly urge you to do so.

    Paul

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    1. Wow, good article. And that picture... Someone actually thinks Che wasn't a complete bigot and racist murdering boat-plug?

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    2. VDH usually writes pretty darn good articles. His series on WWII from each service's perspective/prejudice was pretty interesting.

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  16. A very thought-provoking post, juvat. Well done.

    I will have some historical background on some of this later this week, perhaps even tomorrow depending on how much time I have available tonight.

    Many of those advocating for socialism are what Lenin termed "useful idiots." (He actually didn't invent the term, that was an economist named Ludwig von Mises. Lenin certainly liked the concept and used it.) I'll call them UIs (because acronym).

    What most of the UIs don't understand is that once what they advocate comes to pass, they're usually the first to be put up against a wall. They've already demonstrated that they don't like playing by the rules. Can't have that in a global socialist system.

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    1. "What most of the UIs don't understand is that once what they advocate comes to pass, they're usually the first to be put up against a wall." Yes, as VDH writes in the article I recommended.

      Paul

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    2. Thanks, Sarge. I agree, the UI's don't get it. They think they're all going to end up in charge and fail to realize that the Socialist pyramid is much, much steeper than the Capitalist one. There's only room for one at the top of theirs, you only reach the top by violence and once there staying there is only possible by more violence and virtually all eventually fall. Sorry for the run-on sentence, OGF. I will say a thousand Hail Mary's as penance.

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    3. "...OGF. I will say a thousand Hail Mary's as penance." Bless you, my son; your thought shall serve as the deed.

      Paul

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  17. Those are great photos Juvat. As I have never been to Normandy those gave me the best idea of what it was like. Looking at that beach, can you imagine trying to get past that that and all the machine gun fire? They selected low tied so all of those obstacles wouldn't ensnare the landing craft.

    On the French deporting Jews I finished an excellent book on Virginia Hall, the American who though the Briotish SOE organized and armed much of the resistance. And something surprised me - in Vichy France the French police were (as a rule) even more enthusiastic that the Germans in rounding up their own citizens. They surprised some of the Germans in their enthusiasm.

    There were even French SS who helped murder their own countrymen.

    A shameful side of the French they don't like to bring up.

    You wonder how those Rangers got up that cliff.

    As far as James Rudder - 3 very nasty battles.

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    1. Yes, juvat. I think I didn't praise those photos enough. Thank you for sharing, and please sir, may I have some more?

      As to William's comment, The French have so very much in their history that they would prefer others would not remember.

      Paul

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    2. Still going through them. Will post as soon as I can sort through them.

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  18. "puts on historian's hat"
    Well, to put things into perspective:
    1. Germans did not invent concentration camps. Brits did, during the Boer War (the final one). It worked brilliant as COIN strategy, depriving Boer commandos the economivc base of supply from civilian population. Costs in humanitarian terms was high, but not bordering even on genocide.
    2. Germans did borrow the phrase, and initially the camps were similar in idea: a plAce to collect the undesirables, be it communist, socialist, liberal, homosexual or Jehovah witnesses, of all people. And of course Jews, though those were initially quite rare inhabitants.
    3.Jews in conquered Poland were initially instead cornered into Ghettos, walled and guarded city districts. At some point, probably around the start of Barbarossa, the goal turned from isolation to extermination. Mass murders followed German conquest in the East, in the form of theinfamous Einsatzgruppen.
    4.Eventually, Germans being Germans and industrial efficiency being their hallmark, they took this attitude to the mass murder and instituted extermination camps (which often kinda coexisted in same place as previous concentration camps). The Ghettos were systematically emptied into those, with notable event being Warsaw Ghetto uprising, where Jews did resist more as a point of honor and matter of principle than as hope of win. Polish underground gifted them some weapons of their meager stockpile, and evacuated as many as possible via sewers and gaps in the walls.
    5.Meanwhile, Soviets ran their own vast concentration camps net known as GULAG. There, death toll was rather a byproduct of hard work, harsh climate and insufficient food and healthcare, rather than immediate goal. When Soviets wanted to extermiante some groupo tey did it old-fashioned and messy way: mass shootings (as per Katyn)
    6.Japanese did something similar with their civilain internment camps in Asia, but there it was more of a lack of resources and ineptitude in management coupled with brutality of the soldiers that did the fatal work.
    6.To complete the picture, the USA itself did something akin to the original Brit concentration camps, with relatively few fatalities, but still shameful in hindsight - to own citizens of Japanese origin. Considering how Nisei who managed to get into US armed force served with distinction, this was completely needless and counterproductive, yet understandable in era of total war. Better safe than sorry...

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    1. As usual Pawel ( by the way- is that the Polish spelling of Paul? ), you have given us a great summery of the subject, i.e.: concentration camps. Well done, sir.

      Paul

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    2. Pawel,
      I did know all that, and having spent most of my military career in the Pacific, I'm very aware of the Japanese version as well as the Soviet Gulags. As I reported a couple of weeks ago, the Japanese killed between 13 and 18 million Chinese or 3-3 times the Germans. The Russians were also horrifyingly proficient at their murdering. I didn't want my post to go on overly long as there's plenty of blame to go round. But mass murder, starvation, and deprivation seem to be the true products of Socialism.

      What befuddles me is why people would even consider it as a type of government.

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    3. Pawel, Woodrow Wilson did something similar to some German-Americans during WWI. It's just not well known or acknowledged.

      And our wonderful treatment of Indigenous People here in the USA is full of rather disturbing episodes of concentration and death camps.

      It's just the Nazis who got all the bad press.

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    4. Woodrow Wilson gets a lot of bad reputation for some of his policies, but few realise that he foiled much of the first Bolshevik infiltration wave after Revolution in Russia and they have been busy sendiong agents all directions, only pausing for breath while Stalin was biding his time and mustering colossal army.
      Nazis got their bad press totally deserved, their camps were the only ones where the extermination was made so swift, so efficient and so inhumane. With most other countries, death if at all involved, was either byproduct of circumstances or conducted the old fashioned and messy way of shooting (which Germans abandoned ironically to preserve mental health of own SS units!)
      And there is barely major city in Poland without street or plaza named after Wilson. His articles of armistice invoked reborn Poland and were major boost to making it happen. For all those who charge him with unnecessary adventurism in joining the war, I would say he was exactly opposite: he for 3 years failed to see German bid for world domination, only to be awakened by resuming of total undersea warfare and Germans plotting with Mexico to attack USA itself, without any provocation or hostility on the US part!

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    5. And there was never a socialism implemented in fact, there was either social democracy, which is basically a highly regulated and safety-netted capitalism in a demcratic government (which works quite fine in Scandinavia, Canada, or New Zealand) - or plain bolshevism, nationalizing everything possible and ruling with iron fist of secret police nad if needed tanks on the streets. USA, being for most part of its history country where natural scarcity of labor (there was plenty of land to develop, plenty of money to be invested, and few men to work) kept the wages high enough to keep workers content, which lead to general acceptance of less contrained capitalism, with the only breaks being the first antitrust movement of early 1900s (thanks Teddy R.) and New Deal to deal with Great Crisis... So even social democracy looks quite alien to average US citizen. But barely any of the top 20 economies is without nationwide government health care with various degrees of intervention.

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    6. Winston's `wilderness years` were filled with the `ostriches with their heads in the sand` not wanting to hear him spelling out what he accurately perceived. We have parallels today.

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  19. I have one more comment. It's in answer to the title of the post -

    Both.

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    1. Ah, yes....Learn to embrace the power of "And". I shall so endeavor.

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  20. I listened a couple of day ago and just finally got my thoughts together about an opinion piece from AOC, 14th Congressional Rep from New York, about the “Concentration Camps” we are running for the immigrants that enter illegally. To use the term “Concentration Camp” in that context is a revolting and disgusting comparison. To say I was shocked/appalled/stunned that an educated person with a Bachelor of Arts degree with two majors in International Relations and Economics would say such a thing is an understatement. It makes the old saying “That degree in your ass doesn’t make you smart, just a smart ass” seem relevant. While I am not a big supporter of her political stance about many things, I am beyond upset about the implication that the illegals are receiving treatment like the Jews did in the 1939 to 1945-time frame. I have seen the killing fields in Germany, the barracks, the gas chambers, the Dr’s office where they were shot from behind and pulled out to the burning piles. Whole families were exterminated. Complete generations were wiped out. Just as a fact check item, approx. 63% of the Jewish population was killed in the Death Camps. To clarify that for AOG, that would mean if she was standing having coffee with 2 friends, 2 of the 3 would be killed. 6 MILLION Jews were killed in 5 years. Quick math for her that is 3287 people per day killed. Her degree is not in math so I thought I would help. Her words should outrage EVERYONE, especially those that have served in the military, Jews, and especially our few WW11 veterans that still live. I will agree it is her right to have her opinion but it also mine to voice what I feel should be said. I feel sorry for the New York voters who put her in office as their House Representive and the shame they should all feel about putting such a moron in that position. Sorry, guys from the 14th Congressional District it makes you look, well stupid. Her education at Boston College clearly didn’t include any History classes, and if I represented that college, I would hang my head thinking she represented my school. I think if I graduated from Boston, I may mail back my Diploma and tell everybody I got an online degree from University of Calcutta in Telemarketing to save face, oh and your car warranty is about up can I help you. I would hope the Boston College alumni’s/board/student body/ and all others would raise hell to get her degree revoked. I would hope the older members of both parties would sit her down for a conversation in the back rooms. This is not a Republican or a Democrat problem, this is a disgrace to humanity problem.
    I am hoping our younger generation is not so insulated from the past that this mindset is common.

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    1. My name is Russell but anom is the only way to post this, it was interesting about the number of people who took offence to the words being literary correct as per Webster, few commented on the usage or the implication of what she said, i still feel she knew exactly what she was doing, if you want to see the backlash from the liberal side look me up on facebook and follow the dialog, it got funny as to where the rabbit trail went, Russell Madden

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  21. Great post and great pics. And yes, he got a LOT closer to the edge than I did. Last thing I wanted was a slip/fall, it's a LONG way down to the beach. Re the French, I 'believe' that was actually the Vichy French that did that.

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    1. Yes, it was the Vichy Government, but that was the "official" French government at the time. DeGaulle notwithstanding.

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  22. Well done as usual, juvat. And outstanding commentary today from the distinguished crew. I hope to make the trip to Normandy (und Deutschland) next spring - which reminds me I'd better start getting serious about planning it! And I also am thankful for being able to listen and join in with a group who fully understand the sacrifices made for the cause of true freedom and liberty. Thanks to everyone for your contributions to that effort!

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    1. I think you'll enjoy Normandy. Paris IMHO is just like most big cities and therefore not necessarily representative of the people of that country. To whit, the people in Normandy were much warmer and friendly than the Parisians. Similar experience when we went to the Loire Valley.

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  23. For those that may not be aware, the French ¬Vichy¬ regime deported more of their peoples to the death camps than did the Nazis.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_France

    An elderly man and woman were pointed out to me when I was in a village in the south of France a few years ago. They passed each other on opposite sides of the street. he was a supported of the appeasement ie The Vichy Government, puppets of the Nazis and she was a supported of the Resistance. They haven't spoken to each other since 1943 and don't even use the same bakers shop. They are brother and sister.

    Appeasement has its unexpected consequences.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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