Right As Usual

I've been doing some reading on what mainstream media sources are calling "Right-Wing" and "Fascist" groups.  I'm NOT persuaded that the media understand either term, given that they seem to be using them to smear the groups as proto-Nazi "hate" groups. Hate is a strong word.  It NEVER is applied to Islamicist groups, although they are quite vocal about their hatred of Jews and Christians, often using terms that are vicious, bigoted, and compare those people to apes, slaves, and sub-humans.  At best. It is common to hear terms that are the Arabic equivalent of the N-word, applied to blacks. Here's one of the stories that has been cited as a reason for the popularity of the English Defense League (EDL) - understand, I am NOT supporting them, nor am I in favor of their aims.  What I am trying to do is go beyond the vilification of them, en masse, to understand that the truth about their rise, and the reasons for it, may lie in that gray area cal...

Armed forces in the field are held to a high standard of conduct.  If they see an enemy combatant, they have to weigh the cost of letting him get away, versus the potential for civilian (that is, those not directly involved in the war and wearing a uniform - no matter what aid they give to their soldiers on their side) harm.   The Army Times had a recent post on a soldier involved in just that kind of situation - that soldier may end up disciplined for what, at worst, was a difference in opinion in a stress situation.  In a way, he is lucky - other soldiers have faced courtmartials, and potential prison time for "offenses" no greater.   Another blog goes into some detail about the daily experiences of soldiers, who risk their lives to avoid killing civilians.   Remember when the Anti-War crowd fought to get pictures of dead soldiers' coffins on the evening news - oh, yeah, that was when BUSH was president. It's different now - the above pictures aren't on displa...

...and All Patriots who choose to stand with them, against tyranny. Why was THIS The Only Real Revolution? we all know how the Sons of Liberty reacted to a two-cent tax on tea. They took their rights — their liberty — seriously. They knew that when a tyrant gets his foot in the door, the rest of the beast is sure to follow. As George Washington said in 1774, “The crisis is arrived when we must assert our rights or submit to every imposition which can be heaped upon us, till custom and use shall make us . . . slaves.” How different are we? Imagine that men from that era were observing us today. They would see that we send up to 50% of our income to different levels of government, and we are told that this is not sufficient —  that our duty is to sacrifice more. (Consider this shocking fact: the colonists paid approximately 1% of their incomes in taxes.) They would see an incredible number of regulations on all types of domestic and foreign commerce. They would see an immense army of ...