Random Thoughts

As the last week of the year brings an end to 2006 some bits and pieces have occupied my thoughts. Chief among my decidedly scatter-shot, cerebral meanderings is the wonderful news that the Ethiopian Army has whipped the Islamist forces in Somalia at every turn. I would like to extend warm, well-wishes to the Ethiopians for taking the fight to the world's enemy. The spate of military victories cheers me on a number of levels. It proves to me that our armed forces could do the same thing if they were just released from the political leashes that bind them to some perceived notion of humanitarianism. I have, therefore, come to a decision on what should be done to stabilize Baghdad, if not Iraq as a whole. We should borrow 20,000 Ethiopian troops and allow them to be the proposed "surge". This would satisfy the President's perceived desire to add troops, while adhering to the democrats wishes that no more American troops be put into harm's way in Iraq. When the Ethiopians were finished kicking the proverbial hind ends, and taking the proverbial names we could then offer Ethiopia some form of remuneration. Of course, this would take a large portion of the Ethiopian Army out of the fight in Somalia for some time, so we could donate a squadron of F-16s and a Specter gunship to Ethiopia, as a means of filling the gaps until the ground forces return. We could even throw in a herd of beef cattle, a boat-load of grain and whichever female, B-list celebrity the Ethiopians wish.

Of course, the obstructionists in the Democratic Party would howl that we were outsourcing American jobs and further oppressing the African people, but they would get over that soon enough. We could then speak to the coalition building we performed by including the Ethiopians in the fight for freedom. It would also serve as a reminder that the American military can win this war, if they are allowed to fight unfettered. I am not proposing unlawful action on either the Ethiopians or our part, but let's remove the ties that bind. During the American Civil War, Sherman's famous "March to the Sea" was accomplished with a remarkably small number of casualties, on both sides, but broke the back of the Confederacy. Sherman attacked the, heretofore untouched, infrastructure of the South and laid waste to the wealthy plantation owners possessions and property. Since these wealthy planters drove the secessionist movement, at little sacrifice to themselves, Sherman rightly assumed that bringing the fight to what they held most dear would end the war. Patton's Third Army accomplished nearly the same feat after the Normandy invasion. Had Patton not been plagued by the institutional jealousy of his superiors the Third Army could have probably ended World War II in the European theater much sooner, and thus spared both American and Jewish lives. A "scorched earth" surge in the problem ares of Iraq would have the same effect.

For too long we have allowed terrorists to hide amongst the civilian population in Iraq. Al-Sadr has become powerful because we allowed him to remain alive, when all signs pointed to removing him by whatever means were necessary. We should push into Sadr City and tear out the cancer which plagues the Iraqi civilian population. With all the talk of American casualties, scant notice is payed to the death toll among Iraqi civilians. It is no wonder the population harbors the terrorists. We have done absolutely nothing to show the Iraqis that we will ruthlessly destroy the enemy, so why should they help us? CNN broadcasts into Iraq. With talking head after talking head shouting for a pull-out of American forces, the Iraqi population does not trust us to protect them. You would not inform on the terrorists either if you believed that sometime next year you would be left alone with them. The Taliban came to power in just that way. The Afghans, tired of a decade of war with the Soviets, decided that stability, even of an extremist nature, was better than more civilian bloodshed. Could you honestly blame Mohammad of 416 Ali Baba Ln, Baghdad, for just wanting the random killing to end? After all, he has a family and just wants to see them grow old. Informing on the bad guys when the good guys apparently will not be around much longer is no way to see that desire become a reality.

I also spent not a little time this week thinking about President Ford. With the cable television apotheosis going non-stop who didn't? By all accounts the private citizen who was Gerald Ford Jr. was a decent, loving father and family man. That deserves to be recognized, but should be separated from his decidedly mediocre term as President of the United States. He pardoned not only the Vietnam draft dodgers, but also military deserters. He also gave us the Helsinki Accord, which made the Soviet Union's hold on eastern Europe "inviolate." He paid virtually no attention to inflation. WIN buttons, Whip Inflation Now, were his only real response to that crisis. In addition, he gave us John Paul Stevens; the majority opinion writer of the US Supreme Court eminent domain decision. Not much has been debated concerning those things, but much has been made of his desire to be a healer. I would argue that healer-in chief is not a position, and that desire was at the expense of being a leader. All of that paints a pretty dismal picture. His term is destined to be consigned to the Millard Fillmore category, at best.

Some may have noticed that I did not include President Ford's pardon of President Nixon among his foibles. That is because I feel it was the right thing to do. Unless the President of the United States commits murder, or sells top secret documents to the Russians while in office, I believe his successor owes him that. It should be recognized that President Ford actually pardoned two presidents. One in particular, and one with the blanket statement I mentioned earlier. William Jefferson Clinton was himself a draft dodger, although no one mentioned that fact during his presidency. That means President Ford is responsible not only for President Carter, but President Clinton as well. Is it any wonder that Helen Thomas speaks so highly of him? As egregious as the pardoning of draft dodgers and deserters was, (as a volunteer veteran I will never forgive him that transgression), the worst thing he did was speak to Bob Woodward, and allow him to tape the conversation. This has been described as "courageous" by various people on the Left. I would argue that it is akin to breaking up with someone via email, or maybe Post-it note. President Ford had to know how Woodward would use the information, and yet he went ahead with the interview, with the proviso that it not be released until after his death, or whenever Woodward published the Ford biography, whichever came first. That Woodward had typed transcripts ready for public airing on The Larry King Show before the late president was even cold speaks to his Machiavellian machinations. President Ford was publicly on record earlier this year as supporting President Bush on the Iraq War. Bob Woodward would have you believe otherwise. A thorough, careful reading of the former president's words seems to suggest that he only disagreed with the main rationale for going to war. President Ford believed the WMD characterization was the least important offense. His own words suggest that we should have highlighted Hussein's multiple violations of the UN resolutions. Up to the end President Ford voiced support for the military action which removed Saddam Hussein. No one will remember that now though, thanks to Bob Woodward. So, whatever the reasoning, it was a contemptible act on the former president's part, and questions both his decency and his cognition.

That may seem a overly harsh characterization to some, but ever since President Carter's whirlwind tour of Leftist dictators commenced presidents have lost some of their decorum. The Presidency is the most exclusive of clubs. They should not talk ill of the predecessors, nor their successors. They can, and should, disagree with actions that trouble their conscience, but that should always be tempered with the grace and good taste their position demands. I believe it was Alexander Hamilton who rightfully said, (or at least I have always seen it attributed to him), "When [ex-president's] leave office, they should leave the country as well, or else they will haunt like ghosts the new one." Obviously, the world was a different place then. In the 18th century, words an ex-president might utter in some far flung land might never make it back to our shores. That is not the case now. Ex-President's Carter and Clinton have both made disparaging, offensive comments while in other countries. These utterances are not only in bad taste; they are potentially damaging to both our national security and our world standing. Ex-presidents should recognize that, and, figuratively, leave the country once their term(s) is done. President Bush 41 has done exactly that, and has been widely praised for it. President Ford would have done well to emulate President Bush. It would not have saved his presidential standing, but it would have secured his private position as eminently decent.

Finally, Saddam Hussein's appeals have run their course. He has been ordered hanged by the neck until dead, within the next four weeks. It cheers me to hear the news, and causes me to wonder at the judicial proceedings. Scores of eye witnesses testified, multiple judges and defense lawyers were seated, and a comprehensive appeals process was undertaken. All that delivered a court order that the sentence of death be served, and served quickly. There may indeed be unbridled sectarian strife in the Sunni Triangle, but Saddam will be executed for his crimes before January is done. Meanwhile, convicted cop-killer, and left-wing darling, Mumia Abu-Jamal sits unrepentant on Death Row in Pennsylvania. 25 years after he murdered Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, Jamal is still writing pseudo-scholarly articles, and addressing college graduations, while the likes of Danny Glover and Ed Asner call for his retrial. No matter that both Glover and Asner are on record as never having read the transcripts of Jamal's original trial, or the appeal documents since. They believe Jamal innocent because it assuages their liberal guilt. Well, I have read the transcripts and Jamal did it. If you need more information to sway you to that argument go to www.danielfaulkner.com. Iraq may have more than it's fair share of problems, both large and small, but they do know how to deal with a convicted murderer. Maybe we could petition the court in Iraq to hear Jamal's appeal. I will gladly help pay the airfare for him when the sentence is confirmed.

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