Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Letters, Good God, I Get Letters...
One reader takes James Dunnigan to task over the ICBM story:
About the ICBM motors, the fuel in solid rocket motors degrads after time the Soviets have had a bad time with this. This is the main reason the Air Force is replacing them, just in case the fuel is aging. Bad time to find out they don't work when you need them. And while they might work now, the replacement will take a while. Now they might be spending extra for EPA safe motors, I don't know. I don't think it really emissions when they are launched, but rather the eventual disposal of them, when they become old. The stray page is a great site, but sometimes they tell half the story to sensitize the story.
Another reader rakes me over the coals over my treatment of Jim Catalupo's death:
I can't help but think this was kind of a cheap shot...of the sort you'd pounce on if you saw it elsewhere. First, how do you expect the company spokesperson would announce the news of a death? With a laugh and an elbow-jab?
Second, do you *know* his death had anything to do with eating poorly, and of McDonalds food in particular? The fact is, when people get old, they can and do have heart attacks even if they eat well and exercise regularly. Unless you know otherwise, you're doing what you pick apart sloppy reporters for doing.
Yeah, I'll admit, the post was insensitive and in poor taste. You won't find me gloating in perverse glee over the death of Rachel Corrie, though.
Another reader:
They mentioned their difficulties shooting at the Fedayeen thugs et. al., as those courageous scum bags dashed across open streets behind children on bicycles. As they are using our values against us, can we not return the favor? I read about General Pershing in the Philippines, ( I believe it was Pershing), who, having captured some Moros, summarily shot all but one. The dead were buried in pigskins, and the one released to tell the story to his pals. You can imagine the impact on the rest of the Moros. (I believe Muslims believe they will be denied entrance to heaven when so buried.) Why the hell can't we do the same? Or tell the bastards our bullets are dipped in pig grease, or something?
St. Paul, MN
My take: Pershing did not have to worry about a wider audience. In the absence of CNN and Al Jazeera, the only people likely to receive Pershing's message were the Moros in the Philippines.
In this case, though, it is critical to separate the radical Islamists from moderate Muslims. If we can do this successfully, and follow up with well executed tactical operations to kill the radicals, we win. If our policies are perceived as insensitive toward Islam, or if the war is perceived in the muslim world as a war against Islam itself, rather than radical killers and thugs on the fringes, we lose.
Tactics like Pershing's would not serve our strategic goal of separating the radicals from the populace.
Our Swiss friend writes in:
I am appalled by your hardliner stance on Israel-Palestine (remember, creating enemies).
this drives Jordanians into anti US camp.
Look. I'll make it so simple even a Euro-lefty can understand it. Hamas is a terrorist organization. They blow up shops and school busses full of teenagers and children. They blow up restaurants and cafes full of families. They've done it again and again and again. Sheik Yassin was its founder. Rantisi was its head.
The Israeli offensive against Hamas's leadership has resulted in a reduction in the rate bombings and has therefore saved innocent lives.
I know Jewish lives don't count for much in Europe, but for some reason, Jews themselves are rather attached to them.
How selfish of them.
Splash, out
Jason
About the ICBM motors, the fuel in solid rocket motors degrads after time the Soviets have had a bad time with this. This is the main reason the Air Force is replacing them, just in case the fuel is aging. Bad time to find out they don't work when you need them. And while they might work now, the replacement will take a while. Now they might be spending extra for EPA safe motors, I don't know. I don't think it really emissions when they are launched, but rather the eventual disposal of them, when they become old. The stray page is a great site, but sometimes they tell half the story to sensitize the story.
Another reader rakes me over the coals over my treatment of Jim Catalupo's death:
I can't help but think this was kind of a cheap shot...of the sort you'd pounce on if you saw it elsewhere. First, how do you expect the company spokesperson would announce the news of a death? With a laugh and an elbow-jab?
Second, do you *know* his death had anything to do with eating poorly, and of McDonalds food in particular? The fact is, when people get old, they can and do have heart attacks even if they eat well and exercise regularly. Unless you know otherwise, you're doing what you pick apart sloppy reporters for doing.
Yeah, I'll admit, the post was insensitive and in poor taste. You won't find me gloating in perverse glee over the death of Rachel Corrie, though.
Another reader:
They mentioned their difficulties shooting at the Fedayeen thugs et. al., as those courageous scum bags dashed across open streets behind children on bicycles. As they are using our values against us, can we not return the favor? I read about General Pershing in the Philippines, ( I believe it was Pershing), who, having captured some Moros, summarily shot all but one. The dead were buried in pigskins, and the one released to tell the story to his pals. You can imagine the impact on the rest of the Moros. (I believe Muslims believe they will be denied entrance to heaven when so buried.) Why the hell can't we do the same? Or tell the bastards our bullets are dipped in pig grease, or something?
St. Paul, MN
My take: Pershing did not have to worry about a wider audience. In the absence of CNN and Al Jazeera, the only people likely to receive Pershing's message were the Moros in the Philippines.
In this case, though, it is critical to separate the radical Islamists from moderate Muslims. If we can do this successfully, and follow up with well executed tactical operations to kill the radicals, we win. If our policies are perceived as insensitive toward Islam, or if the war is perceived in the muslim world as a war against Islam itself, rather than radical killers and thugs on the fringes, we lose.
Tactics like Pershing's would not serve our strategic goal of separating the radicals from the populace.
Our Swiss friend writes in:
I am appalled by your hardliner stance on Israel-Palestine (remember, creating enemies).
this drives Jordanians into anti US camp.
Look. I'll make it so simple even a Euro-lefty can understand it. Hamas is a terrorist organization. They blow up shops and school busses full of teenagers and children. They blow up restaurants and cafes full of families. They've done it again and again and again. Sheik Yassin was its founder. Rantisi was its head.
The Israeli offensive against Hamas's leadership has resulted in a reduction in the rate bombings and has therefore saved innocent lives.
I know Jewish lives don't count for much in Europe, but for some reason, Jews themselves are rather attached to them.
How selfish of them.
Splash, out
Jason
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