Pardon my lack of enthusiasm for the constitutional debate raging over our latest military excursion in Muslimland. Considering there hasn’t been a formal declaration for any American war since well before I was born, you can understand why it’s not exactly a compelling issue for anybody of sound mind under the age of eighty-five.
The flame wars running both sides of the aisle are amusing to watch, it truly looks more like a nasty game of table tennis between gnat-brained political ideologues than any battle of serious substance.
The hypocritical attention whores who supported bold military action until it was actually taken ought to burn on the stake of sensible public opinion. Those two, alongside scores of their mindless ilk, lick their fingers every morning, test the breeze and let loose with a mouthful of pandering diarrhea. A sewer of filth righteously regurgitated by fawning lemmings riding any given day’s anointed spotted pony. I’m so sick of their mindless dementia. We’re in Libya until we aren’t, get over it cowboys.
Republican politicians have been in love with Bush’s foreign policy of congressionally unsanctioned war for the last decade, it stands to reason that they should be praising Obama’s decision to follow in his predecessor’s hallowed footsteps of open-ended warfare on Libya.
One more expensive military excursion of dubious benefit goes on the books, indenturing our grandchildren’s lives to binding chains of federal debt. It’s all good. The pro-life crowd might start rethinking their position once they realize we’re giving birth to nothing more than tax slaves in America these days.
I find it amazing that scarce American interest is given to Mexico, a country waging a formidable war of insurgency along our southern border. Other than the occasional sound bite offered by cornered politicians, the topic is a veritable wasteland in the corridors of power or on major right-wing blogs. Mexico only makes serious news when inflammatory stories of islamic terrorists filtering across the border or narco ranch invasions cause the usual sensational chatter.
Nobody seems to notice that our neighbor’s entire police force, judiciary, media and large portions of their federal government have been corrupted, kidnapped, murdered or frightened into silent complicity by the cartels. More people were systemically murdered during the last two months in Mexico by narcos than Moammar is accused of bagging in the last three decades to maintain his rule. We’re living on the edge of a failed state where horrific brutality has become the daily norm and we’re concerned about a toothless monster ruling ten thousand miles away.
Take a small look at what’s happening on your southern border and tell me why Libya is considered a national concern. Mexico is our second major importer of oil, they’re teetering on the brink of a national disaster because we like to get stoned, you’d think it might behoove someone up north to take a scant amount of notice of the excessive pools of bloodshed washing up in our backyard. Color me jaded, but the old axiom of follow the dirty money might apply to our politician’s bald lack of interest in the major warfare being conducted by one of our major trading partners.
Grab your cookies and thank Borderland for a slice of gruesome reality. I follow a number of sources for Mexican news, this site offers the best level of English reporting on the reality happening in our own backyard. If you’re fluent in Spanish, visit Blog del Narco.
Jesus, you oughta warn a person …
What is the fascination on the part of savages for beheading? Is it the atavism by which we can identify those who are eligible to participate in a civilized human race?
Honestly, I can conceive of killing someone, indeed am prepared to do so, and god knows (perhaps I mean that literally) there are plenty who need killing, but I can’t conceive of the need or the desire to behead someone. If you have ever watched any of the videos that are readily available (or butchered a deer), you know it’s not a quick or clean way to die. It’s difficult to do, it’s gruesome, and it’s horrifying to watch.
Does that mean I am insufficiently ruthless and our cause is lost? Perhaps. My will doesn’t extend to a pile of babies’ arms in the village square, either.
Those pictures are heartbreaking.
The real problem are the “leaders” of the US who refuse to do anything important other than continue to line their own pockets. Nor will they do so until such time as enough of the people decide to hang the lot of them and replace them with people who will take their oaths of office seriously.
The US cannot solve the worlds problems, but it can solve its own, if only there was the will to find the way.
(Uncle Kenny,
The first picture wasn’t a beheading. That was a textbook example of hydrostatic shock causing the head to explode. Beheading is much neater.
if it was in the video, my apologies for my wrong assumption. I didn’t watch it)
The problem Ms. Daphne–of the glorious p—is that data and logic have no force. We are beyond reason. We have enough evidence now that our masters will always take the wrong decision for the nation.
I wish someone could tell me why they think we are not done as a civilization.
This is one among many scenarios depicting the same decline….
http://www.arlev.co.uk/glubb/fate.pdf
Then Toynbee, the warnings of Jefferson, Spengler, and Pop de Boyle, all 5′ 5″ of whom fought in the Pacific with three brothers even shorter.
“Lance.”
“Yeah, Pop.”
“See those idiots with their pants hanging off their skinny asses?”
“Yup.”
“See any adults kicking them down the street?”
“Nope.”
“That means it’s over, Son.”
“Why?”
“Because if we won’t stifle even the simple show of slovenliness and arrogance, we sure can’t recognize let alone defeat any serious enemies—and right now we’ve got a dozen. Families hollowed out, men sissified or hog tied, schools day treatment centers for imbeciles with an IQ of 85, a philosophy that obviates any philosophy but itself, government moving towards fascism and the masses don’t know it and the mandarins like it. People imprisoned for selling a plant. Cops with body armor. TV celebrating depravity that is merely boring. All thought reduced to ‘Yo.’ And hardly anyone can change the spark plugs. Our lives are a dreamworld punctuated by pathetic orgasms elicited by plastic faces.”
“What should I do, Pop?”
“It’s in Isaiah and Ecclesiastes, boy. But I would arm myself, too, if I were you.”
Considering there hasn’t been a formal declaration for any American war since well before I was born, you can understand why it’s not exactly a compelling issue for anybody of sound mind under the age of eighty-five.
I do realize that expecting Our Betters to follow the law is a forlorn hope.
Just call me old-fashioned. Or perhaps of unsound-mind.
I took a look at the natural stages of grieving the other day and came to the conclusion that I’ve been slowly going through the process over the last five years.
Coming to terms with what our country has become hasn’t been easy for me, the peaceful state of acceptance is still beyond my grasp. A large wad of perpetual disgust seems to be stuck in my craw.
There was another video that I decided not to post of a naked man being tortured. He was hanging by his feet from a tree, beaten to a pulp, then castrated. The men committing this atrocity were laughing the whole time while music blared in the background.
We’re living next door to an abattoir and nobody seems to notice.
@pdwalker – My Mexican isn’t very good, but I believe “decapitan a 4 en Nuevo Laredo” probably means what it says. Perhaps they weren’t decapped while alive. Perhaps only the panga boys and the religion of peace are into that, although Mexico is not so far removed from religions of human sacrifice in gruesome ways.
Thanks for the explanation of hydrostatic explosion. I am sure you are right about that. Another delightful bit of knowledge that I might have done without.
Nice linkage … http://kaching.tumblr.com/post/4202232025/nobody-seems-to-notice-that-our-neighbors-entire
More linkage (from moi).
“Roadside Calvary”
http://veareflejos.tumblr.com/post/4184534990/roadside-calvary-carnitas-stand-on-the
After fifty years of travel in Mexico, I just don’t/can’t go anymore except in my foto memoria.
Daphne, Thanks for eloquently writing about the innumerable foibles and follies to be found here and in our neighborhood to the south.
Thanks, MizzE!
yup.
I came home from work and at about 5 am, read this, which is possibly your best, most exquisitely written essay, Madame Daphne. I read it again and again, and it has moved me to tears. Your line about the stages of grieving are so apt in this case. I am just starting to go through what you have invested 5 years of rage.
The pictures are the end result of our neglect of our neighbor. Is it any wonder that they come here?
I once stood outside my apartment building watching the traffic slow. People in Trans Ams and Jags, buying drugs openly, in broad daylight, from some punk with a radio on his hip. I stood in back of him, letting his customers take us both in. Me with my arms folded in front of me, and he, the scrawny punk in front. No one stopped, when I came. They moved on.
I didn’t bother calling the cops. They come too late. Just a year ago the swat team had been there on that block, too. That’s life in a neighborhood where they cater to uptown tastes.
The thing which makes me weep is the destruction of not only our culture, but our language. Kinetic whatever would be as laughable as the various wars on abstract ideas like ‘poverty’, ‘drugs’, ‘obesity’, and ‘terror’, you know, the terror being committed by the religion of ‘peace’.
I’m throwing in the towel on the belief that we can change anything with an election. 2012 may never come at all.
Seems like a few of you will soon be ready to sit down in my ‘church’
;)
How many innocent people have died in their struggle south of the border?? I know that you could never put a number to that question but it is something to surely ponder.
When Big Sis gives a speech and repeats the same BS that the borders are as safe and secure as they have ever been, just who in the hell does she think she is fooling?????
The floodgate at the southern border is never going to close until brave American men and women are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with rifles in hand and make it happen!!!
The influx of millions of illegals is part of the plan to break the European influence (heritage) of our nation. Overwhelm the system. That’s the nature of this game. Overwhelm the system and out of the ashes will rise an new North American Union (so they think!).
Folks, we are NOT EVER going to vote our way out of this mess. You might as well accept this and prepare for the upcoming struggle for our very lives.
Doug
Newark, Ohio
The thing which makes me weep is the destruction of not only our culture, but our language. Kinetic whatever . . .
The first time I saw this written was from reporting in Iraq – Michael Yon, I think. There it was used by the troops to refer to a situation where suddenly things are moving very quickly and you have to react, not think. Example ‘A sniper took out the LT, a IED took out the up-armor, we took RPG fire from the left front and it all went kinetic for a while. Whoo-ee we was busy that morning.’
Having only trained for that kind of thing, and getting a minor glimpse of it one morning, that is a wonderfully, soldierly, usage of ‘kinetic’. Wish I’d thought of back-when.
Startled me to hear the President use it: “I do not think that word means what you think it does.” If anything is the opposite of kinetic it’s war fought by a politician’s whim.
Daphne:
The reason why some of us kvetch about constitutionality and wars is because the whole Libya debacle isn’t even (or just) about this “kinetic military action,” but it’s about the fact that we’ve been a lawless country for quite some time now. Granted, we’re not lawless the way Mexico is, but when a President can send American armed forces into action at the behest of some vague, metrosexual international order because France and Britain need oil, and even the Republicans make little noise about it, then we’re screwed. All previous U.S. military adventurisms at least got as much of Congress behind them as they could. This President doesn’t care to even do that, and has found out that he can get away with just about anything he wants to do.
It’s the same underlying perverse, power-corrupted “philosophy” that Obama used to take over 2/3 of the auto industry, let federal agencies make and enforce their own laws, and bypass agency heads with his “czars,” and let major corporations write legislation for Congress to “dem to pass.”
I’m not completely hopeless, as far as being in a pit of despair goes. I am almost resigned to our fate as a form of judgment. Having said that, there are, at least, forward thinkers with very good ideas:
The Shadow Knows Series at GoV
http://tinyurl.com/4h2trkp
it’s looking more and more like us originalist Americans will have to find a way to form a viable shadow nation as have the illegal immigrants. If they can defy the real laws with impunity, then perhaps we’ll be able to defy the rules posing as laws with equal success.
Doug, the official number is 35,000 cartel related deaths in the last four years. I suspect that figure is under-reported.
Don Rodrigo, the outraged charge of “unconstitutional” is invariably leveled by members of the opposing political ideology. The Left had a fine time screaming the word at Bush on any number of legitimate issues, while the Right mindlessly defended him every single time.
I wish our politicians would follow the constitution in all matters, it would be nice if I could recall a time when they actually did.
Jewel, I don’t think the 2012 election will be a watershed turning event for the country. Have you seen whose running (or might be running) for the elephants? They’re all Bush clones, except Gary Johnson who doesn’t stand a chance with the republican electorate who would never support his positions on decriminalizing weed and implementing a non-interventionist foreign policy.
I appreciate the kind words, my friend. Dealing with menopause and grieving the death of our republic over the past several years hasn’t been a cake walk.
I have a lot of pity for the Mexican people, they live under an Oligarchy which treats them as expendable serfs. I’ve come to believe we live under one also, although better masked at the moment.
Daphne:
For all practical purposes the Constitution hasn’t been followed in the adult lifetime of any living American, and, since I’m no vampire, that includes me. We have no idea what it’s like to live under limited government, although much of the time the big government we’ve had has left most of us alone most of the time, but that has changed. They’re coming after the rest of us now. Whoopee.
I have a lot of pity for the Mexican people, they live under an Oligarchy which treats them as expendable serfs. I’ve come to believe we live under one also, although better masked at the moment.
Sure seems that way, doesn’t it?
We have no idea what it’s like to live under limited government, although much of the time the big government we’ve had has left most of us alone most of the time, but that has changed.
I wholeheartedly agree with the first and last parts of your statement, but must respectfully disagree with the middle bit.
Over the past forty years federal, state and local branches of government have passed mountains of criminal and civil statutes that regulate nearly every aspect of our lives, turning most honest citizens into unsuspecting criminals. They haven’t left us alone since that corrupt prick LBJ was riding herd.
That was a good read, Lance. Thanks.
the outraged charge of “unconstitutional” is invariably leveled by members of the opposing political ideology.
Daphne, I have not heard the Republicans use that word, much. Perhaps I’m not reading the right blogs. The first pol I know of who leveled that charge this time was Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).
Politicians use a lot of verbage they don’t mean in order to score points.
Doesn’t mean the points aren’t valid.
I should have clarified, Brian. I was referring to the hoi poi voters, not our elected bagmen.
Doesn’t mean the points aren’t valid.
Too true.
[...] Color Me Done I find it amazing that scarce American interest is given to Mexico, a country waging a formidable war of insurgency along our southern border. Other than the occasional sound bite offered by cornered politicians, the topic is a veritable wasteland in the corridors of power or on major right-wing blogs. Mexico only makes serious news when inflammatory stories of islamic terrorists filtering across the border or narco ranch invasions cause the usual sensational chatter. [...]
“Acceptance” is the final stage of K-R’s sequence, right?
Powerful piece, and great commentary.
Linked at WRSA:
http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot.com/2011/03/color-me-done.html
I’m no sociologist but it seems to me that government corruption, drug cartels the disparity between the haves & have-nots and uncontrollable crime, can, at least in part if not all, be laid at the feet of super rich Mexican families.
A system that creates hordes of poor & downtrodden, then encourages them to become refugees in search of safety and a chance at middle class life, to become a burden on their neighbor is in need of some minor/major adjustments.
The rich ruling class Mexicans collectively doesn’t appear much different than the rich Muammar Gaddafis or the rich Saddam Husseins
If charity begins at home, maybe the troops currently in the middle east would better serve south of the boarder.
Since Kubler-Ross has been mentioned, I must point out that her “stages of grief” model was and is bunk. She faked her data to suit the conclusions she wanted. It _may_ be true that this is how people deal with grief but as yet the evidence to demonstrate that has not been collected.
For my part it seems plausible enough, but I also think that if it was true, it should’ve been easy to demonstrate without faking data.
Make no mistake – we’re in the end-game now.
The difference today is that they’re no longer even bothering to pretend. This is perhaps the most worrisome development of all – for in the past they feared loss of their position, and thus were forced to pretend.
Though OSTENSIBLY nothing has changed – we’re still scheduled to have elections every couple of years, for example – those who wield power no longer care to put forth the effort of pretense.
The asset-stripping continues apace – the kleptocratic Oligarchy, the unholy trinity of Wall-Street, the Unions and the Demmunists are now in a full-on feeding-frenzy. This means there’s blood in the water – whether we can see it or not.
Sadly, it’s our blood – and that of our children – that they’re currently gorging upon.
While they continue to stockpile the fruits of their crimes, they also play a delaying-game, for their long-term survival depends on keeping the masses of sheeple asleep for as long as possible. Gotta get that stock-market back up before people revolt!
“Hey look – the Dow’s up again! I’ve made back most of what I lost in the ‘crash’!!”
Of course, the REAL value hasn’t increased one bit – the “increase” is nothing more than inflation. Devalue the money by 20% and suddenly my stock-portfolio is up 20% as well! Sure – gas is up even more, and food, and clothes, and… and… but…
Is American Idol on?
Did you see what happened on Glee?!
Meanwhile, as Billy says, “The Endarkenment continues apace.”
As to Mexico, well… Maybe you’ve not heard, but our very own .gov has been deliberately funneling thousands of weapons straight into the hands of the cartels. They ordered FFL dealers (working as “Confidential Informants”) to sell AKs and Glocks by the dozens to “straw buyers” – at least some of whom were CIs as well… Then they watched them hand off to smugglers – some of whom were ALSO CIs (they even made videotapes of this part!) and then looked the other way while those weapons went over the border into Mexico.
Why would they do something so stupid? Depends on who you ask! THEY say – when they admit to it at all – that the plan was to see where the guns ended up — and this would somehow enable them to bust a whole cartel!
*How* has never really been clear – especially given that (1) This was not only hidden from the Mex.Gov, but also from every US Agent on the ground in Mexico! Even the ATFs “attache” – the top-dog US gun-cop in Mexico – was kept in the dark, and even blocked out of the computer-systems so he couldn’t run a trace on one of these “operation gunwalker” weapons if he found it. All part of the plan, apparently!
If you believe this, then you must have bought into the Underpants Gnome’s business plan:
(1) Smuggle a bunch of guns into Mexico
(2) Turn ‘em loose without telling anyone, and make sure your US Gun-cop counterparts on the ground can’t get any info accidentally.
(3) ?????????
(4) PROFIT! (In other words “Make a huge Cartel bust!!”)
Oh – I left out the part where ATF “leaked” a bunch of “data” to the WaPo, leading to a whole series of articles denigrating the very dealers working for ATF, blaming them for selling the guns they were ordered to sell.
If I didn’t know my .gov is “the most ethical, honest administration in history” like they promised, I might suspect this whole thing was a deliberate conspiracy to use the bloody bodies of a bunch of dead Mexicans to “justify” further infringement on that which supposedly “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!”
I believe the count – so far – is 1500 dead in Mexico with just small part of the thousands of guns ATF smuggled to the cartels. So far the count – just of the guns we know about – is somewhere north of 3,000 or so guns, so one could probably expect to see 15-20,000 more bloody brown bodies as a result of the ATF efforts.
Oh – and let’s not forget two dead US Agents as well — and counting…
But… Nothing to see here — move along!
Is it time for the new season of “Real World?!!”
Did you catch the Top Chef finale??!!
What was that about Libya? You mean the place where Al Qaeda is fighting Ga-Daffy-Duck, and we’re providing air-support to Al Qaeda?
You mean that place that has been stable and secular, though run by a madman, at least a point of stability in the region?
That place?
Yeah. We’re taking out the stable madman, and helping the radical Muslims take over! If we’re lucky, it’ll end up just like Iran!
We’re in the end-game folks. The Enemy has 2 years to put a stake in what’s left of our Founders’ Republic — and he’s willing to do just about anything to Git ‘R Done!
If they close off the Mex.Border, then the backpack-nuke(s?) might not make it in — and without the major uproar they’ll never be able to finish their agenda. Just in case, they’ve also got Helicopter-Ben and Timmy “Turbo-Tax” working overtime to bust the dollar, while Soros works to corner the food-market…
If all goes well, we could have major terror-attacks on our big cities, the “Azatlan” uprising running rampant in 1/4 or more of our states, and a currency-collapse all at the same time!
On the bright side, all of Dear Reader’s buddies in the blue-helmets (and I’ll bet a bunch with red stars, too!) will be ALL TOO HAPPY to step in and help clean up the mess!
Nothing to worry about, folks. Nothing to see here…
Can you believe the Prince is getting married!
How do you like that new Hawaii 5-0? Is that cool or what!!
Isn’t it baseball season yet??!!
What time is Idol on??
[...] the comments to this post: Don Rodrigo it’s looking more and more like us originalist Americans will have to find a way to [...]
On an explanatory note, regarding the second picture:
The man (in the driver’s seat) was a Mexican Army Intelligence Lieutenant Colonel; the woman (what’s left of her) was his girlfriend. They were ambushed and shot to hell after he picked her up at her home.
All military personnel in Mexico know that if cartel sicarios (hit-men) get them, they’re dead meat. Nonetheless, when off-duty, they go about unarmed; the same holds for Mexican policemen.
Blog del Narco (as you noted) has an entire library of such pictures. Some are of soldiers/Marines/sailors and policemen who have been “picked up” by the cartels and executed. In all such cases, the poor bastards didn’t even have a chance to defend themselves: the same government that has deployed them in an endless war against the cartels doesn’t have the brains or the conscience to allow them to carry arms when off-duty.
Mexico’s insurgency is brutal beyond the ken of modern Man, comparable only to what was seen in the most remote battlefields of the Liberian, Rwandan, and Congolese civil wars.
I have been reading the comments of Dedicated Dad for some time on a variety of blogs. I pay very close attention, and recommend that others do the same.
The only way to close the border is to start buying the land and in mutual agreement close it. Hard, tight, tall with death in the middle assured. We did it on the border with Russia and it was respected. Fuck the government’s palsied jacking off on the damned thing.
There is a lot of evidence going wayyy back of Mexico being a very easy entry point for all interested Muslim parties (though I use the moniker knowing that they wear that party hat with a wry smile – whatever banner is needed to be in power).
Even the husband had a catch and release.
Preparations continue, obviously. Because unless you are willing to meet force with force you will not make it in the coming storm. Bear in mind the enemy is far more kitted up than any of us. Hence, my Five-SeveN.
The only thing force understands is force. Force will always win. Diplomacy is for cowards. It only prolongs the agony…