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January 31, 2005
Administration Rules Out Pullout Timeline
Well, I'm certainly happy to have found this article on MSNBC's news site:
Deadline for troop withdrawal ruled out.
I'm hoping that this is indeed the case, because I had heard reports earlier to the contrary. Earlier this afternoon it would have appeared that in the exuberance of yesterday's elections President Bush and Prime Minister Blair had come to some very wrong conclusions. While the elections were held, there are still quite a few hurdles that the new Iraqi government will have to get over with the Coalition at their side.
The first reports about the major coalition partners establishing some withdrawal timelines would have been wrong on a number of levels...allow me to point out some of the fallacies of getting out Iraq before our time:
1. If we're to remember our history...conflicts, grudges, and issues in "that part of the world" are not measured in duration in a matter of days, months or even years. Even the animals who use the handicapped as weapons have the patience to wait for the best opportunities to strike. If the Coalition and Iraqi government were to say that major units were to leave by the end of this year, they'd bide their time and sucker 'the good guys' into thinking that all was well.
2. Some of the points made in my reference article are quite sound indeed. We need to assist the Iraqi security forces to gain experience and confidence. Starting out slow in the more peaceful areas might just be the trick. It will also allow the more experienced and capable forces of the Coalition to concentrate on eliminating as many of the foreign influences that have been stirring up so much trouble where things are just a little bit hotter.
3. While I believe that we will one day leave Iraq to the Iraqis, I think it best to move slowly. As the new government is seated, I believe that we have to be very clear in our expectations. We have assisted the government to get to the point where it could be elected at the price of 1415 American lives lost and 10,000 wounded troops. While the Iraqis have sacrificed a great deal too, I think we've earned the right to strongly advise the interim government about how they might want to proceed towards complete independence. We are simply there to back up their play at this point.
It's been a long hard fight so far...and we probably have another 18 months to go before we really are able to draw down significantly, but the partnership between the Coalition and the Iraqis will have to work together to identify those points in time.
See you all on the high ground...I'll be admiring those with purple fingers!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2005
The Sunday Morning Shows
This is the first morning in a long time that I actually sat down to watch the Sunday morning "talking head" shows and having wasted two more hours of my life, I understand why.
There are absolutely no surprises at all when I see the standard guests out there...
On "Meet the Press" I heard Presidential 1st Runner-up talk about how he was the best 2nd place finisher in the history of presidential elections. He continued to claim to have been sent to Cambodia on secret missions to Cambodia...while his crewmates maintain they were never near Cambodia on dates he claims...and I heard again, just how badly the current administration is conducting the Iraqi operations. Based on other news we heard this morning...this is somewhat dubious as the Iraqi people braved threat of death managed to get more than 70% of the eligible voters to the polls (when the highest turnout was 63% in 1960)...
My hat is off to the brave Iraqis that went to the polls in spite of threats of death. All those smiling, proud Iraqis that showed their purple thumbs thumbed their noses at the terrorists and former Baathists that want to dominate their fledgling country! All of you who went to the polls today are my heros of the week!
Saluting smartly from the high ground.
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:15 AM | Comments (0)
Bad Taste at VMI?
Not to be outdone by the stupidity of Prince Harry...apparently cadets at the Virginia Military Institute have been accused of wearing costumes to a Halloween celebration within their own barrack this past October! Unfortunately, just like at Abu GrabAss prison in Iraq, someone with a camera decided to share photographs with the mainstream media. Here's the story!
VMI Cadets try to outdo British Prince's Stupidity
Okay, now that you've read and returned...let's go through some of the facts.
- The cadets were celebrating an accepted holiday inside the barracks where they live. This was not a "public" event.
- These cadets are probably only 17-23/24 years old at the most. We're not talking about completely mature adults.
- The inappropriate costumes in question include: Nazi blackshirts with swastikas, drag queens, a starving African, and some as "sailors" with red targets painted on their rear ends.
I refuse to go into any of my past transgressions, but there certainly are skeletons in my closet when measured by today's yardstick of "political correctness." Did that make me a less effective combat leader during Operation Desert Storm? I don't think so. I'd imagine the families of the men I led in Saudi Arabia and that little diamond area disputed by Saudi and Iraq at the time are quite thankful that I was able to take their sons overseas and return them safe and sound. Had the youthful transgressions of my past been held against me perhaps those soldiers would have had a less effective, prepared leader in front of them that did NOT bring them home.
Before we go a little crazy in dreaming up the punishment for these cadets...let's try and remember that they're still gaining in the maturity that is preparing them for their futures. College students are works in progress. That doesn't mean that they get a "free pass" at every turn, but they do deserve a little more room to make errors than this article would lead me to believe.
From the high ground...I'll be the one with a Shiner in one hand...and a full house in the other! (Okay...I'll discuss a couple of transgressions)
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2005
Ted Kennedy Calls for Iraq Withdrawl Post #2
Part Two
We need a serious course correction, and we need it now. We must make it for the American soldiers who are paying with their lives. We must make it for the American people who cannot afford to spend our resources and national prestige protracting the war in the wrong way. We must make it for the sake of the Iraqi people who yearn for a country that is not a permanent battlefield and for a future free from permanent occupation.
Just for a minute, can we look at other wars we’ve fought and spent precious American resources on? How about the war on poverty? We’ve spent GAZILLIONS on that war…mostly under the watch of liberal Democrats. Senator Kennedy, has that worked? Have you come out advocating some sort of change in course there?
How about your buddy, Senator Byrd from West Virginia? How’s his war against “pork barrel” spending going?
You lost a brother in World War II! Would you have preferred us to have packed up and gone home before the job was done there? What would your brother have died for then?
The elections in Iraq this weekend provide an opportunity for a fresh and honest approach. We need a new plan that sets fair and realistic goals for self-government in Iraq, and works with the Iraqi government on a specific timetable for the honorable homecoming of our forces.
Wow, there is room for agreement between the two of us! However…you keep wanting to schedule breakthroughs and innovations. When certain criteria are met…and the elected Iraqi government chooses the time to request our departure, we’ll go. And not a moment before.
The first step is to confront our own mistakes. Americans are rightly concerned about why our 157,000 soldiers are there -- when they will come home -- and how our policy could have gone so wrong.
Senator Kennedy, you’ve served two years in an Army uniform from 1951-1953, but you've never known what it means to put your life on the line in defense of this nation. Sure, you’ve sworn to defend the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic…but when have you had SCUDs flying over your head? When did you last prepare a will prior to deploying overseas? Those that are currently serving are members of an all volunteer military. If they didn’t realize that they could be ordered to foreign lands, meet interesting people and kill them….or possibly be killed by them, they were woefully misinformed and didn’t do their own due diligence research.
No matter how many times the Administration denies it, there is no question they misled the nation and led us into a quagmire in Iraq. President Bush rushed to war on the basis of trumped up intelligence and a reckless argument that Iraq was a critical arena in the global war on terror, that somehow it was more important to start a war with Iraq than to finish the war in Afghanistan and capture Osama bin Laden, and that somehow the danger was so urgent that the U.N. weapons inspectors could not be allowed time to complete their search for weapons of mass destruction.
Time to complete their search for weapons of mass destruction? Who’s kidding who here? The first Gulf War ended in a cease fire in March of 1991. Operation Iraqi Freedom commenced in March of 2002. Are you trying to tell me that it would take 11 years? If so…why was the 18 months that we spent as AMERICANS searching so lengthy and unnecessary?
I’m shocked at you Mr. Kennedy. I’m a student in a relatively low level course when compared to your lofty perch, but I’m becoming very familiar with the National Security Strategy and National Military Strategy prepared by the President and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I don’t see anything contained in them that says that we can only fight one action at a time. In spite of my personal opinion that says that the military is under strength to carry out two simultaneous actions (like Mr. Clinton proposed), we’re still under that impression.
Afghanistan…Iraq. One…two!
As in Vietnam, truth was the first casualty of this war. Nearly 1400 Americans have died. More than 10,000 have been wounded, and tens of thousands of Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed. The weapons of mass destruction weren’t there, but today 157,000 Americans are.
No, the weapons of mass destruction were not found, but then again, it’s impossible to prove a negative hypothesis, isn’t it?
We toyed around with Saddam and his administration for years…allowing him to refuse to consent to the inspections that had halted the first Gulf War when it did. If we had known what was going to happen in the intervening 10 years, I believe that George H.W. Bush would have allowed us to “Charlie Mike” and finish the job by the end of 1991.
As a result of our actions in Iraq, our respect and credibility around the world have reached all-time lows. The President bungled the pre-war diplomacy on Iraq and wounded our alliances. The label “coalition of the willing” cannot conceal the fact that American soldiers make up 80% of the troops on the ground in Iraq and more than 90% of the casualties.
I don’t think that we need to conceal facts and figures like that. We have once again shown that we care more for our fellow man than we do for our own security.
If we took your proposed approach to this war, we never would have been involved in WWII. We would have sat comfortably on the sidelines, protected by the Atlantic and Pacific and watched the Nazi juggernaut roll across Europe in both directions completely unchecked. We would have watched the Japanese Empire expand across Asia.
Now how good an idea is that? If not now, when? If not us, who?
The Administration also failed to prepare for the aftermath of “victory” – and so the post-war period became a new war, with more casualties, astronomical costs, and relentless insurgent attacks.
What is it like to never make a mistake? And what is it like to completely ignore history? You seem to fail to remember how long it actually took to subdue resistance in both post-war Germany and Japan. It did not happen overnight!
The Administration failed to establish a basic level of law and order after Baghdad fell, and so massive looting occurred.
Senator Kennedy…why did you fail to anticipate the little problem at Chappaquiddick? Granted, the Administration’s mistake has without a doubt caused more casualties than necessary, but if you’d had your “Spidey Sense” firing on all cylinders in 1969 Mary Jo would be a grandmother by now.
Yes, that was a pretty low blow to be thrown, but sometimes you have to demonstrate the absurd by going there a little yourself. Honestly, if Senator Kennedy HASN’T made any more mistakes since that incident in July of 1969…then he should share his secret with us all.
The Administration dissolved the Iraqi army and dismissed its troops, but left their weapons intact and their ammunition dumps unguarded, and they have become arsenals of the insurgency.
How is this different than what we did during the occupation after WWII in both Germany and Japan? Here, I’m speaking to the military and not necessarily the munitions. I do agree with Senator Kennedy that we should have foreseen SOME of the issues of unguarded munitions and they’re value to a possible insurgency or international terrorists at large.
As far as the disbanding of the militaries…we set a precedent in WWII when we dissolved the Axis military. Again, we might have considered keeping some of the senior leaders that could assist in building a replacement force…but the possibility of leaving Baathists in power is still something I think we made the right call on. Based on what we know about the Baath Party…I’m guessing that there wasn’t much difference between them and the Nazi party in terms of the perks and privileges to their members.
The Administration relied for advice on self-promoting Iraqi exiles who were out of touch with the Iraqi people and resented by them – and the result is an America regarded as occupier, not as liberator.
The President recklessly declared “Mission Accomplished” when in truth the mission had barely begun. He and his advisors predicted and even bragged that the war would be a cakewalk, but the expected welcoming garlands of roses became an endless bed of thorns.
Some people just won’t let sleeping dogs lie, will they? I’ve heard about the banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 2, 2003…that the Navy personnel put up…stating that THEIR mission was accomplished. They were returning to their home port after supporting operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I don’t blame them for putting it up…I blame the media and certain politicians that just can’t see this for what it was.
Do you really think that President Bush should have thrown a hissy fit and demanded that they tear the sign down? He was as elated as they were in returning safely.
The Administration told us the financial costs would be paid with Iraqi oil dollars, but it is being paid with billions of American tax dollars. Another $80 billion bill for the black hole that Iraq has become has just been handed to the American people.
Hmmmm…dare we talk about other black holes that the government’s thrown money down with even less of a return? I believe that eventually we will be compensated for our efforts…but certainly not dollar for dollar. That wouldn’t be fair based upon our past track record for forgiveness of debts.
The cost is also being paid in shame and stain on America’s good name as a beacon of human rights. Nothing is more at odds with our values as Americans than the torture of another human being. Do you think that any Americans tell their children with pride that America tortures prisoners? Yet, high officials in the Administration in their arrogance strayed so far from our heritage and our belief in fundamental human decency that they approved the use of torture—and they were wrong, deeply wrong, to do that.
In my world Senator…torture has many gradients…in yours, I’m not so sure. Probably any hotel that doesn’t turn down your bed and leave a mint on your pillow is a veritable torture chamber!
I’m not defending those fools that might have abused their positions of authority over detained Iraqis/insurgents…but I’m certainly not calling for them to go to the electric chair either. I think that in the case of Abu GrabAss prison, there was an utter and complete breakdown of the chain of command from LTG Ricardo Sanchez down to Specialist Fourth Class Englund (The Chick with the Leash).
The Administration’s willful disregard of the Geneva Conventions led to the torture and flagrant abuse of the prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and that degradation has diminished America in the eyes of the whole world. It has diminished our moral voice on the planet.
Never in our history has there been a more powerful, more painful example of the saying that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.
The world changed dramatically one day in September 2001…and to many, we need to change along with it. Now, does that mean we need to start airing videotapes or posting on the Internet pictures of Iraqis and Islamic fanatics in custody pleading for their lives? Do we need to start beheading them and airing the video on CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX? Do we need to fill the 24/7 airways with images like Al Jazeerah does?
While we might have departed from our traditionally civilized way of dealing with enemy prisoners…we also have to weigh the consequence of not getting tough and not getting information that they might be concealing to the alternative.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 02:35 PM | Comments (3)
Ted Kennedy Calls for Iraq Withdrawl Post #1
Okay...by now I'm sure that everyone's had a chance to hear of the reports that Ted Kennedy (Dumb Ass...oops, that's D-MASS) has decided to get up on his anti-war soap box and begin comparing what we're doing in Iraq to what we tried to do in Vietnam 40 years ago.
It's times like these that I really wish that Joe Jr, John and Bobby had lived to fulfill whatever destiny they might have held for our nation. The fact that Ted is the most vocal, outspoken, and longest lived in the limelight must have Joseph P. Kennedy absolutly spinning in his grave. War and assasins left us with Ted...almost makes you want to dig up Oswald to kick him square in the 'jimmies' don't it?
But back to the least likely Kennedy to play on the stage of American politics...
I wish I could do this in just one post...but that will be impossible. I'll include the text of Mr. Kennedy's comments and mine in bold text.
SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY DISCUSSES AMERICA'S FUTURE IN IRAQ AT THE JOHNS' HOPKINS SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
January 27, 2005
________________________________________
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Melissa Wagoner
(202) 224-2633
Address Delivered at the Johns’ Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Thank you Dr. Fukuyama for that generous introduction.
I’m honored to be here at the School of Advanced International Studies. Many of the most talented individuals in foreign policy have benefited from your outstanding graduate program, and I welcome the opportunity to meet with you on the issue of Iraq.
Forty years ago, America was in another war in a distant land. At that time, in 1965, we had in Vietnam the same number of troops and the same number of casualties as in Iraq today.
Interesting coincidence…about as interesting and relevant as Lincoln having a secretary named Kennedy and Kennedy having a secretary named Lincoln.
We thought in those early days in Vietnam that we were winning. We thought the skill and courage of our troops was enough. We thought that victory on the battlefield would lead to victory in the war, and peace and democracy for the people of Vietnam.
Despite the senator’s words and concerns…I hardly doubt that there are any Americans be they soldiers, be they members of the Administration, or be they common citizens that believe we can truly win this war on the battlefield. The answer is of course we can. Each time we have met the enemy toe to toe, we’ve kicked their ever-loving @$$es. The problem is that we need to win the hearts and minds…or more properly assist the new Iraqi government in creating an environment where THEY can win the hearts and minds of their own citizens. For a nation that’s been ruled for 25 years by a ruthless 30% minority, I have to believe that there’s hope.
We lost our national purpose in Vietnam. We abandoned the truth. We failed our ideals. The words of our leaders could no longer be trusted.
Ted Kennedy’s brother, John, established what we know today as Special Operations forces. Primarily Army Special Forces, green berets as they’re known and revered as, have as their motto “De Oppresso Liber.” Using my high school Latin to translate, I believe that it can easily be said that this means “Out of Oppression, Freedom.” If this isn’t what we’re trying to do as one of the goals of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I don’t know what is.
In the name of a misguided cause, we continued the war too long. We failed to comprehend the events around us. We did not understand that our very presence was creating new enemies and defeating the very goals we set out to achieve. We cannot allow that history to repeat itself in Iraq.
Mr. Kennedy seems to forget the images of the last helicopters leaving Saigon in 1975. While I might have a little too young to understand the early years of the Vietnam War, I certainly was old enough to comprehend at the age of 13. Let’s also not forget the rag tag flotilla of refugees that have left Vietnam under Communist rule.
Also, we cannot allow a chapter of history like Cambodia and “The Killing Fields” to repeat itself either. From what I’ve read in the papers, there are already enough mass graves in Iraq. They don’t need any new ones.
We must learn from our mistakes. We must recognize what a large and growing number of Iraqis now believe. The war in Iraq has become a war against the American occupation.
No, Senator Kennedy I strongly disagree with your statement. The majority of Iraqis want to hold free elections as evidenced by the enthusiasm of the different campaigns. The insurgency most assuredly fears the concept of a government based on the beliefs of man, rather than their own interpretations of those of God (Allah). While we shouldn’t interfere in the sovereignty of a nation I believe that the Iraqi people feel that it’s best for their nation to give democracy a try. Those people that believe that Islam is the only way to worship and those that lost the power they enjoyed under Saddam are the ones that view our presence as occupation. Those that are backing the democratic process still view us as liberators.
We have reached the point that a prolonged American military presence in Iraq is no longer productive for either Iraq or the United States. The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Again, if you believe that the assistance of leaving Iraq better than we found it is important…we cannot simply walk away from them now. Yes, there’s a power vacuum left by the absence of Saddam and the Baathist party and the lawless are certainly taking advantage of it. Could we or could the current interim government squash this insurgency this afternoon if they wanted to? Of course they could, but at the expense of thousands of innocent Iraqis. Is it possible to exercise just a little bit of patience in this effort and allow the administration and the Iraqi interim government the time they need to put the nation back on it’s feet? A major part of our problem as Americans looking at this is we’re so used to getting whatever it is we want as quickly as possible. This isn’t a computer you ordered from Dell and paid extra for the express shipping. Only God or Allah knows when it will be time to for the Iraqi people to be able to provide for their own national defense and plans for dealing with the insurgency.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2005
Stand Up for Yourself? Go to Jail...Directly to Jail
Well, not to tell stories out of school...but MajorMom was in court this morning taking care of a little problem she had with the local law enforcement personnel here in our sleepy little Central Texas town. Her crime against the community? Speeding in a school zone! How dare she? What was she thinking? How could she be so irresponsible?
Well, let's take everything into the appropriate perspective...certainly not the one that the motorcycle cop that nabbed her had.
MajorMom was busted for doing 22 mph in a posted 20 mph school zone...just one of many that surround our home a few mornings ago.
I'm not a lawyer, but I get to play one from time to time. The last time I did...I got a pit bull to walk from "doggie court." I'll have you know...he was the only pit that did that day. The rest of them got the death penalty. My charge, Pork Chop, walked with a muzzle.
How would I have handled this one????
Well, first things first, I probably would have asked for the records for the calibration and the procedure that the officer went through that morning to calibrate his gun. Okay, that's harrassment, but we have to start somewhere.
Secondly, I'd have to bring physics into the courtroom and explain that the difference in braking distances when you're driving 22 mph vs. 20 mph only extends by 8 feet. 22 mph is still pretty durned slow.
Finally, I'd have to bring into the fact that the Expedition that MajorMom drives has an analog speedometer...and 2 mph is pretty tough to gauge with a needle. It's not as nice and fancy as some of your rides out there with the digital displays.
Where am I going with this? (Yes, Dr. J. Daniels is co-authoring this with me this evening)...MajorMom walked into the courtroom with her $120 money order so she could pay her fine without at fight. WHAT? HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY DO THAT? Read the following and come on back...
MajorMom was basically afraid to stand up for common sense and perhaps plead for a lesser sentence than the substantial fine that she wound up paying. Add to that the defensive driving class she's going to take to keep this from hitting the insurance company...and we're almost $200 for a 2 mph infraction.
Now I understand that the law is the law...but if we pulled over EVERYONE here in Central Texas for exceeding a posted limit by 2 mph...nobody would EVER GET ANYWHERE!!!
I think that it's time that we stand up to some of the moronic laws, statutes and regulations that we've allowed to be imposed upon us.
I love ya MajorMom...but you should have put up a little tougher fight!
See you on the high ground...I'll be the one with the flashing red and blue lights around me.
MajorDad
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:02 PM | Comments (2)
January 25, 2005
Crunching Condi??? Sorry Dems....Not This Time!
Well, the Democrats really seemed to have shown their true colors today when it came to conducting a debate in the US Senate rather than simply convening for a vote on Mrs. Rice's nomination at Secretary of State.
It was time to round up the usual suspects, plus a few that just couldn't get their mugs in front of the camera fast enough...let's just take a look at the "lineup."
Barbara "What the Hell Have I Been Smoking" Box (D-California) seemed to take on the role of the antagonizer again, having shed the Sunday Show "victim" character she played for America this past weekend. She comes out swinging in Rounds 1 and 3, playing "rope a dope" in Round 2 on Sunday. This political chameleon seems to be capable of shifting her colors seemingly at will. If she was representing anyone other than Californians...I would be worried.
Following another Boxer strikeout...I think it was Robert "KKK" Byrd (D-West Virginia) who stepped up to the plate and take his obligatory swings. Never being short on words or breath...the senior senator took an hour to roll out the theory that Dr. Rice had not earned her position as Secretary of State, but that it was handed to her for simply being a "good and faithful" servant of an incompetant administration. It makes me wonder what the people in West Virginia might be smoking too. Second hand smoke from Senator Boxer perhaps?
The last member of the Democrat's "Murderer's Row" was the senior senator from the Great State of Massachusetts, the one, the only "Chappaquiddick Teddy" Kennedy. Apparently, sober enough to speak his piece as well...Senator Kennedy tried to paint a picture of Dr. Rice supporting an administration fixated and determined to mire the United States in an un-winnable war in the Middle East. I believe the word "quagmire" was used to help draw the parallel with another war that went insurgent on us...Vietnam. When Senator Kennedy offered Dr. Rice a ride home to her home across the Potomac River, she politely declined. Who says she's not qualified to be Secretary of State?
All in all, a win for the Bush Administration and Dr. Rice, but if this is how the first week of the 2nd Bush Administration is shaping up...there's going to be a very tough four years in DC coming. In reality though, I think that this bodes extremely badly for the Democrats. Americans cannot be as dumb as they think!
From the high ground...applauding President Bush's nominees!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 11:21 PM | Comments (0)
What? A Smoker? You're Fired!!!
No, this isn't from the conclusion of the latest "The Apprentice" episode with "The Donald" pitching one of his wanna-be proteges. This is actually happening...well, I guess it's happened in Michigan. Hmmmm...now how appropriate it is this just six days into my sobriety from nicotine and nicotine products? Anyway, go take a peek at this short article and get some of the background facts. As always, come on back and see what might be on my mind...
Company Fires All Employees Who Smoke
If you didn't dig a little deeper and read the background materials contained in the linked article...you might want to do so. This shouldn't have come as a surprise to any of the Weyco employees, as they were given at a minimum four months notice of the policy and the consequences of choosing non-compliance. I guess things finally hit the media when the employer actually followed through with the firings as promised.
While I'm just recently off the nicotine again...I still think that what a person does "off the job" is their own business. I lit each and every cigarette knowing full well that they were not doing anything to increase my general level of health or longevity. That knowledge and finally realizing just how much money I was literally burning into ash trays brought me to my senses...and I didn't buy another cigarette. It was my decision to quit NOT somebody else.
Back to the personal freedom here...the employer, Weyco is a relatively small company that's concerned about the rising cost of providing health care insurance to their employees as part of a benefits package. It really is no mystery that smokers by in large have more health issues and probably do cost the health care/insurance industry more than non-smokers do. I know this to be true personally as while I smoke, I tend to have more troubles with allergies, colds, and sinus infections. The Weyco solution was to provide a level standard of health care coverage only to non-smoking employees. Smokers were no longer welcome at Weyco.
Part of the problem here is that there's a slippery slope of behaviors that effect the state of our health each day.
What will industry's next step be?
- Weigh ins? Obesity has been linked to health problems...
- Body fat screening? See above...
- Blood pressure checks? Hypertension and heart disease are easily the greatest threats...
- Blood tests looking for traces of fast food grease? Why not target McDonalds and Burger King like Phillip Morris?
- Will companies conduct physical training like we have in the military or in Japanese industry? Three cheers for personal freedoms!
Now perhaps it's time to take the burden off the employer regarding health insurance...at least directly. If an employer were receive the same amount of "credit" for providing a benefit, then in turn placed the burden for acquiring the health insurance through a pre-negotiated contract on the employees directly. An employee would receive enough to cover the entire premium or some agreed upon portion of it. An employer could choose to pay enough to insure a smoker OR like Weyco they could simply provide enough "benefit money" to insure at the non-smoker rate.
The insurers will be the ones that set the rates...the conditions of insurability...the height/weight charts, acceptable cholesterol levels, appropriate body fat percentages, and the rest of the risk factors insurance companies deal with every day.
Let's get the employers out of the cycle...and put the responsiblity back on the people that should have it, the employee.
From the high ground...as healthy as I can be...
MajorDad
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
The Saudiazation of America? I think not...
I'd heard some discussion again, about the minimum wage last week on my favorite medium, talk radio. I was waiting until I saw it appear in print to say something about it. Here's an opinion piece by Ellen Ratner. Give it a read and c'mon back...
The Saudiazation of America??? from the WorldNetDaily.com.
Ms. Ratner talks about nearly falling out of her chair upon hearing some of the things that President Bush has said about importing foreigners to do the work that is below the American workforce or simply shipping the jobs overseas. I don't know how to respond to that, but I do think that the American workforce has gotten to the point where they almost expect something for nothing. When you hear about some of the concessions that employers are forced to give their employees that have relatively low stress, "low impact" jobs...I almost want to hurl. As consumers of goods and products, if WE the consumers tell 'big business' what we want/expect...they should provide it. I guess it's not only the employees that want something for nothing...we consumers are part of the problem.
We are definitely in the position to force the market to employ Americans...but are we willing to bite the bullet in order to keep Americans employed or are we willing to forego full employment in this country in order to keep prices lower so that we can consume more goods and services for the same dollar we did 10 years ago? Before we start throwing rocks at the President...perhaps we should take a look at the companies we're throwing our support behind in the name of consumerism.
The second part of Ms. Ratner's piece speaks to the issue of the stagnant minimum wage...but she fails to make a very compelling argument. She and others point to the fact that a person making the minimum wage cannot afford to rent and pay the utilities for a two bedroom apartment. My question to her is...whoever said that someone that has the skills and knowledges to make minimum wage deserves to live in a two bedroom apartment? I know that will probably raise the hackles on a number of folks that wander in to read what I have to write, but let's be honest with ourselves. In America, if you make the minimum wage in this country, you're pretty much performing "unskilled" labor. You're performing menial tasks that free others with more skills from wasting time with:
1. Flipping burgers.
2. Answering the phone.
3. Filing paperwork. (Adams goes into the A folder, Barnes goes into the B folder.)
4. Pushing a lawnmower, blowing clippings, or raking leaves.
5. Washing cars.
Okay, we've established the fact that for the most part that if you're making the minimum wage, you're certainly not putting your education to work...you're putting your body and brawn to work. Based on that fact...you may be:
1. A teenager.
2. A college student.
3. In between jobs.
4. Working for the opportunity to work. (Retired folks that either "need" the money or simply enjoy the opportunity to get up and do "something" less stressful than during their pre-retirement years. One day, I'll have to tell you what MajorDadDad does now that he's retired.)
I think that the bottom line here needs to be that we all should take a hard look at our own lifestyles and live within our means. Just because I'm a member of the workforce at the lowest rung on the ladder doesn't necessarily mean that I deserve or even need a two bedroom apartment.
Oh sure...I can hear it through the hidden microphones secretly built into your PCs, "MajorDad, what about families with kids?" If you can hear me through your speakers (I knew that it was a bad idea not to build this functionality in....) here's my answer:
If you're not able to support a family or will not be happy in supporting a family at a level commensurate with your income generating abilities...perhaps you shouldn't have one!
Life is full of choices and the rest of life is usually based upon the consequences of the decisions we make. I'm far from perfect...but I've always been able to live within my means and I've never found myself in a situation where I haven't been able to offer my family an above average standard of living.
Just because I have enough credit cards in my pocket to purchase a small 3 bedroom home, doesn't mean I'll do it! That goes for the huge screen televisions, the outrageous cars (although I do have a pretty sweet 2004 Expedition that MajorMom loves to drive), or super duper sound systems in either my home or my vehicles.
Now why is that?
It's because I feel that I should always live within my means...and with the exception of some high cost ticket items like homes and automobiles, if there's not money in the bank to pay for something, it needs to stay right on the shelf where it started. When it comes to "keeping up with the Joneses" I'd rather compare bank balances, stock holdings, and the ability to retire on my schedule...not some creditors.
Am I some sort of Warren Buffett investor? I can show you statements that would definitely refute that point. Is my family eating chili mac and mac & cheese 4-5 times a week? Absolutely not. No, we simply do what more Americans should probably start doing...and that's to take stock in how much we earn, realize that retirement must be planned for, and you cannot spend more than you take in. Everyone seems to be concerned about the deficit our federal government runs...why should your private deficit or surplus be any different?
Okay...how do we fix things?
1. Young folks...set your goals to work for minimum wage for no more than 12 months. Even if you start out at minimum wage, you should be striving to do things better than your peers. Once you do that, the bosses will notice that you're not satisfied to do things to the minimum standard. This will likely put you into a different category...and your check should start getting bigger each week.
2. Young folks again...DO NOT START A FAMILY UNTIL YOU'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT. We all know what causes those "little bundles of joy" to arrive. Wrap those rascals or keep the feet and knees together until you're ready to be financially responsible for the results of your '15 minutes of fame.'
3. Young adults. Start saving NOW for your retirement. Go with a 27" television rather than the 54" television. Drive a Focus rather than an Explorer/Suburban/HUMMER. Start saving 10% of your take home pay and put it into a mutual fund with a decent track record. A 10-15% return isn't that hard to find.
4. Adults. Teach your kids financial responsibility early. You are the starting point if we're ever going to turn this around. I was reminded of this on Christmas Day when I watched the MajorBaby playing with the boxes that some of the gifts came in...rather than the contents. Kids can be happy with less than you think. Maybe it would be a better expenditure of your income by using birthdays and holidays to "spoil" them with gifts that will increase their smarts and abilities...rather than indulge the need to be entertained. When it comes to buying a computer or an X-box...choose the computer. I don't seem to recall too many educational titles for the new generation of gaming systems.
Wow...we've gone a long way on this post. I'm anxious to hear what you think.
From the high ground...with enough to keep him happy.
MajorDad
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2005
Smoke Free Weekend
Well, I think we can say that the worst of things are over on the smoking cessation front. I went the entire weekend without a cigarette and am definitely feeling alot better. No more hacking and coughing for the kid.
Not to mention the money saved so far. If you average $3 a pack with a pack a day habit...I'll have about a thousand bucks to spend on other things.
Thank you for your support...and for those of you out there still smoking, you might want to consider quitting yourself. I did it Cold Turkey (not recommended unless you have incredible discipline) but there are so many other things out there on the market to help you quit. Give it some thought. There are people in your life that will thank you for it.
From the high ground!
MajorDad1984
P.S. I just had to do this...if you were to invest $3 a day for 40 years ($90/month) in an investment that could average 10% a year (not that hard to do)...in 40 years you'd have more than a million dollars in your account! Another good reason to quit?
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)
More on Illegal Immigration
Well, after a quick read of my morning news...I've found something to write about in the 20-30 minutes I'll spend with you this morning.
Citizens to do the the Job Government Won't
There are about 240 volunteers that are giving their time and resources to provide much needed surveillance and vigilance along the Arizona-Mexico border area starting in April this year.
I'm very familiar with the region where this group intends to focus their efforts. Cochise County, Arizona is the home of Fort Huachuca (made famous in the movie Scent of a Woman), Tombstone (The Town to Tough to Die) and Bisbee (The Town Too High to Care). As stated in the article, this region is geographically one of the best places to get across the border during the Spring/Summer seasons due to the climate. This area is usually 10-20 degrees cooler on a daily basis due to the altitude. At nearly mile high throughout the area, the summer temperatures are much more bearable than some of the temperatures encountered other places along the border. Surveillance is nothing new to this area...for those of you familiar with the region, you'll remember the aerostat that's been flying from Fort Huachuca for the past 20 or so years to counter narcotics infiltration through the mountain passes.
One note the struck home with me was the warning from law enforcement to this well organized vigilante group. Basically "the law" sounds afraid of the kinds of people they might run into on the border...and might even be shying away from confrontation themselves. The men and women of the Minuteman Project appear to be ready and willing to face whatever they find in the badlands of Arizona...and good on them! It's about time somebody took the issue of illegal immigration seriously. If not now, when? If not them, who?.
Finally, I'm sure my critics out there have already figured that the uniform for an organization like the Minuteman Project will include a white hood and robes...I think that this article clearly informs the reader that there certainly were applicants that were quite interested in the prospect of becoming a vigilante band like the KKK. Those applicants were kindly thanked for their interest and shown the door. For this and other copycat (I hope there are some) organizations interested in assisting the federal law enforcement agencies to police our extensive border regions, playing by the rules will be a very important part of the game.
I wish Mr. James Gilchrist and his Minuteman Project volunteers the best of luck and safety in their upcoming mission. I applaud their bravery and commitment to a set of ideals that we've lost somewhere upon the way. I am certain that they feel as I do in this case...if you want to become an American and share in the American dream...you can apply as our ancestors did.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:44 AM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2005
HomeSpun Blogger Symposium IX
Homespun Symposium IX
What are your predictions for the elections in Iraq?
The elections will go as scheduled. In this first election, I would imagine that people will vote predominately down religious/faction lines. Shiaa's will vote for Shiaa's, Kurds for Kurds, and if the Sunni's decide to play...Sunni's for Sunnis. We'll just have to see how things work out.
Will there be violence?
Unfortunately, I believe that there will be a huge increase in violence in the days running up to the actual vote, but I think that the vote itself is setting up conditions that would make mass casualty attacks very likely. The concept of bringing everyone in a city to 10-20 different locations certainly puts lots of eggs all in one basket. For terrorists that want to make a statement, a polling place is definitely a tempting, lucrative target.
Somewhere along the path to the ballot box, there's going to be a throng of people either waiting to vote...or those that have just voted. The places where the large numbers congregate, will need to be watched/secured very carefully.
What will the government look like?
Probably made up of predominately Shia'as and Kurds. Sunnis need to make up their minds if they're going to have a hand in the future of Iraq. They might just be better off emigrating to Saudi Arabia with their brother Sunnis there.
Will it be legitimate, liberal, and capable of accomplishing anything?
They'll probably be as effective as our first administration was over 200 years ago. It will take some time for this democracy and freedom stuff to sink in.
And what effect will the election have on the U.S.?
I'm hoping that this will begin to show the naysayers that what we're trying to accomplish in the Islamic world is indeed possible. I think that the new freedoms bestowed upon the Iraqi people will continue an underlying movement we've heard about in Iran...where the younger Iranians believe that it's possible to enjoy the freedoms of the West...and still embrace Islam. I believe it too. And here is the rest of it.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)
