Textual Images of Iraq

In a recent article, Dr. Amaal V.E. Tokars writes, “American citizens receive many images about the war/occupation in Iraq on a daily basis. These images are presented to citizens through various mediums in print, radio, and in television. These mediums are kinds of text which bombard listeners, readers, and viewers with images about the application of U.S. policy abroad. Textual imagery refers to the images established through text which has yet to be critically examined for real accuracy... Read more »

What Does It Mean To Be Politically Independent?

I have concluded of late that I could only consider myself a political independent if there is such a thing. I do not think I should be labeled Republican or Democrat, on the Left or on the Right or any other affiliation except to be a proud citizen of this United States and live by the principles on which this great nation was founded. As far as I am concerned, our government, as it stands today, is in great need of an overhaul and a wake up call. I firmly believe that if our founding fathers could... Read more »

Getting Ready for Election Season

“Rabbit season!” “Duck season!” That old cartoon argument immediately comes to mind when I see people arguing about which candidate is best, who should run, etc. So much of what is said in politics boils down to arguments that really aren’t much better than the one between Bugs and Daffy. Lots of noise, little care for facts. Politics is often a dirty business. These days pretty much any politician is getting money from someone. Even companies claiming to offer nonpartisan... Read more »

The New Iraq: Genocide of the Gentle

Of all the physical damage that has been done to Iraq, the greatest damage has been done to the culture itself. Iraq has lost much of her cultural capital. Cultural capital as evidenced in the arts, education, healthcare, science, social justice, education, and law enforcement are the many artifacts of any civil society. Iraq began to lose many objects of value earlier; during the U.S. embargo against Iraq when families began selling Persian carpets, jewelry, wardrobes, and family heirlooms to survive.... Read more »

The Record on Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is making a bid to be the first women to be president. Frankly, she has a legitimate chance and if she won the democratic nomination it would not be a surprise. But what do we know about Hillary? Here is a summary of some issues and her stance Iraq War Clinton voted YES to engage US troops in Iraq and voted no to a timetable to exit Iraq. This would cleary indicate that Ms Clinton is in favor of the war, but the truth is that she is not. She defended her earlier vote by saying... Read more »

India’s Water Quality Is Improving

The quality of water in developing countries has long been a hot topic of debate with many people questioning the poor hygiene standards people in these countries are subjected to. However, India has taken a step forward as they have had a revolution in their sanitation sector. The developing country is getting closer to improving the quality of their water that is available to its population. Coverage of the problem has increased from one percent in 1981 to 48 percent in 2007 which means that more... Read more »

New Weapons For The US Military

I have read the article about the M-468. I believe it is a superior firearm in terms of ease of integration into the US military inventory. Those of you who read history in terms of US military small arms may remember that General Douglas McArthur wanted a rifle that would shoot the 30.06 since the US had millions of crates of it in storage. That is how Garand won the contract with the M-1 since his rifle did chamber the 30.06 round while the contenders were using other type rounds. This sounds like... Read more »

First Defeat Of The Axis Powers On Land

My vote for the first Axis defeat would be the Italian attack into southern France. Some very outnumbered, and demoralized, second line troops managed to stop Mussolini’s legions cold. In the vast scheme of things, it did not matter, but it showed what could be done. The battle of Britain was an ongoing battle even after the Greeks beat the Italians. It was also not a land battle, I should have mentioned first land battle. The successful defense of France against the Italians is very admirable... Read more »

The A-10 And Should The B-52 Be Retired For Good

The Air Force would be complete idiots to get rid of the A-10. Its triple redundancy flight control system has allowed many pilots to return to base, that would have otherwise ejected. This airframe should be updated, not disposed of. Give it a FLIR, and the appropriate GPS hardware. The A-10A is getting some upgrades to what is referred to as the A-10C. It is highly survivable and performs well. The USAF will be lucky to ‘ever’ buy another bomber that has been as versatile as the B-52.... Read more »

AirForce C.A.P. Emergency Services Search and Rescue And New Radios

C.A.P. Emergency Services exercises are known as SAREX’s. The practice involves assembling a gathering of ground teams that coordinate search and rescue with Cap airplane crews. The U.S.A.F. calls Cap for an actual mission usually when an airplane is reported overdue or missing or when an emergency locator transmitter E.L.T. is monitored on an a/c vhf frequency. This activity is rewarding to Cap members who volunteer to help locate missing persons or provide rescue assistance in disasters.... Read more »