RIDDLE ME THIS BATMAN

When is a photo-op not a photo-op? When the press is only informed "on condition of secrecy"


"The White House kept Mr. Obama's plans off his schedule, informing a small group of traveling reporters in advance on condition of secrecy."

"Mr. Obama was expected to observe a somber moment on the tarmac of the base without public comment." I don't think we've heard the last of this, however . . .

Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama is a shrewd political operator; every move he makes is calculated for the maximum political effect.

These past couple of weeks have seen the media on a renewed full-court-press to relive the heady days of 1968 - remember a little thing called the Tet Offensive? That's when we met the Viet Cong and the NVA on the battlefield and wiped the floor with them. 45,000 dead Communists later, Walter Cronkite announced to the world that America was losing the war. This maneuver is known as "Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory".

The truth is, we won Vietnam. We won it in 1968 right after Tet. Then we won it again a year later. Then we won it again during the Christmas bombings. The trouble is, we never consolidated our victories with an invasion of the North. We won and we won and we won until we got tired of winning, and then we packed up our bat and ball and went home. Millions of Viets died in the ensuing Communist bloodbath.

STORMBRINGER TRUISM: When you are in a war, the stupidest thing to do is anything but whatever it takes to win it.

True to script the media is at it again: this week I enjoyed the privilege of watching the sublime philosopher Chris Matthews in a discussion with America's greatest military thinker, the brilliant dopesmoker Woody Harrelson.

Woody Harrelson: "I think we should get out of Afghanistan."

Chris Matthews: "Yes I agree with you, I think we should get out."

Woody: "In fact, I don't know why we're even there in the first place. I think we should get out."

Chris: "Yes, it's like Vietnam, after 1968 it was lost. I think we should get out of Afghanistan."

It was sickening to watch this pair of geniuses make the same pronouncements that cost us Vietnam, and cost the lives of millions of Vietnamese. The only thing Afghanistan has in common with Vietnam is that they are both low intensity conflicts.

Afghanistan is nothing like Vietnam: A) the Viets never sneak attacked New York City, causing 3000+ civilian casualties and B) US / Australian / South Korean / South Vietnamese casualties were 4,954 killed; 15,917 wounded; 926 missing in January-February 1968 alone - we've had about that in eight years in Afghanistan.

And so we see the same old equation: ANY number of US casualties is unacceptable to the left. The writing is on the wall - the press is getting into body count math = game over for USA, we're throwing in the towel. No consideration for what this will mean to the people we leave behind, of course.

Right now my buddies in the Stan are reporting to me that the Taliban shot their wad during their Spring Offensive, that they are spent and done for; I am told that we are shooting them like fish in a barrel and that the raghead bodies are stacking up like cordwood. We don't hear a thing about that in the press. Instead, we have a photo op showing The One using dead American servicemen as props.

This is absolutely disgraceful. I predict B.O. will twist this solemn occasion for sober reflection as justification deny General McChrystal's request for more forces.

Then he will go play some more golf.

"LIVE FREE OR DIE!"

-Motto of the Great State of New Hampshire.




On politics, a reader recently wrote:

“Politics is cheap and overrated. There are battles to fight in it, and I am part of that, but people have gone way too far into the worship of the State, and have forgotten to look at our nature, our maker, and our ability to create.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Ordinarily we avoid politics here at Team STORMBRINGER, for a couple of reasons: A) it’s a terrific energy drain and there’s already enough work on our plate in the security / paramilitary field, and B) anybody and everybody in the blog-o-sphere is moaning about politics, so by side-stepping the subject we stand out in the crowd as something fresh and exciting.

What I present today does have a political slant, however. But to me this story is really about freedom; specifically, the Right to Bear Arms - the Second Amendment is ALWAYS on limits here at STORMBRINGER.

OK: this past Tuesday, New Hampshireman William Kostric wore his gun outside President Obama’s Portsmouth, N.H. town hall meeting.

Now, admittedly this is pretty strident and bold, but apparently New Hampshire State Law is very clear about protecting its citizens' right to carry firearms in public. Carrying a pistol or revolver openly is permitted without a license; carrying a concealed weapon requires a license from the state or local police.

Kostric showed up outside the town hall meeting holding a sign saying “It Is Time To Water The Tree Of Liberty" - paraphrasing Thomas Jefferson: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

Bear with me and watch how media darling Chris Matthews takes several pathways in his attempt to politicize what happened, while William Kostric holds his own on Hardball:



This part is priceless: at Minute 1:53 of the interview, Matthews asks, “Was your gun loaded today?” – Check out the look on Kostric’s face.

Kostric - “Wow. Who would be silly enough to carry an unloaded firearm?”

EXACTLY.

Matthews got so mad he called it a "GOD D*MN GUN." (Minute 3:00 on the video clip.)

Hey there, Chris, there ain’t no reason to bring the Lord into it.

Portsmouth police spokesman LT Frank Warchol stated that because Kostric was on private (church) property he would not be arrested. "We can't do anything about it," Warchol said. "Obviously he's on our radar screen at this time."

We have the same sentiments in our laws down here in North-by-God-Carolina, although they frown on guns being openly toted within urban areas. Technically, you CAN carry openly everywhere and anywhere, but they throw out something called “brandishing a weapon” to discourage this. They'll let you carry a loaded weapon in your car, however, provided it is in open view.

On three occasions I have been pulled over; once by a NC State Trooper, once by a Moore County Sheriff’s Deputy, and once by a Fayetteville policeman. Each time I placed my loaded 1911 on the dash and brought it to the lawmen’s attention: “Pardon me officer, but I have a loaded weapon here.” Both the State Trooper and the Sheriff’s Deputy acknowledged the gun, and both said that’s fine.

The Fayetteville cop was funny. He wanted to call the serial number in to see if it was stolen, so I cleared it, locked the slide to the rear, and handed it over to him, nice and safe. Fosdick looked at my pistol like it was a relic from Men In Black and asked, "What kind of a gun is this, anyway?"

I replied, “It’s a Colt .45 . . . ” thinking to myself: DUMBASS.






What kind of American DOESN'T recognize Old SlabSides?





NOTE: I was not cited by any of these law enforcement officers, although I was clearly in the wrong at least two out of three of these occasions. Lesson learned: you get RESPECT when you pack heat!



"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."- 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.