It seems some wogs got out of hand and torched buildings on our sovereign soil the other day. Once upon a time this would have been considered casus belli and occasioned parking a dreadnought in the nearest harbor, shelling some buildings, and offloading some marines with Maxim guns to sort the natives out. Instead we'll wring our hands and ask why they don't like us.
What good is being an imperialistic hegemon if you can't act like one?
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22 comments:
srsly.
Well, our imperial hegemony gets to shoot down satellites with ship-born antimissile missiles. Which is like, way cool in terms of "going to the range to test fire my new toy."
Plus, when I traveled to India on business, the Sikh guards at the airport custom station (who were attired in full military uniforms, with turbans and waxed wavy mustaches, and also armed with beautiful SMLEs, bayonets sheathed at their sides) actually saluted and smiled at me upon hearing I was an American.
So we got that going for us.
Bring back Herman Hanneken!
It was, in fact, my memory of that moment of greeting from the damned fine "wogs" which inspired me to purchase the first SMLE I saw, many years later.
Built in 1917, refurbed in Ishipore in '27 and again I think in Fazhakerly (sp?) in '53, shoots like a dream, and even with all the markings from the arsenals it has visited (including a US ordnance bomb), the walnut stock has better grain than any modern firearm I own.
It's cool to be a hegemony, if you look on the bright side.
But if you want to re-commission the Missouri for an Adriatic cruise, I call "shotgun."
I say let the Serbs have the damn thing.
In return, we get to kick out the Effing UN, and EVERY one of their ambassadors.
Sound fair?
If the Sikh guards saluted, I'd return the salute. I've heard they fight hard, plus, we have a common enemy in the muslim extremists.
I was into British Enfields before I became aware of the Sikhs. They really are fine rifles.
While I can't stand the Kosovo Muslims, is really seems the Serbs are no better. Plague on both their houses.
And yes, sadly, if we are willing to take it then we do in fact deserve it.
Help me understand.
I was under the impression that we had Marines stationed at all our embassies.
Was I mistaken?
Tell me, what kind of rifle does this Roosevelt shoot?
A Winchester!
Winchester? Winchester? I have no knowledge of this rifle.
You will.
Paul,
They don't let the Marines have live ammo. It's not PC to shoot the wogs, even when they deserve it.
Thing is while the modern equivalent would be a few JDAMs, a Cruise Missile or 2 or a flight of Apaches, none of them are nearly as intimidating as a Battleship or Dreadnought. There's just a laxative effect caused by a vessel that fires shells the size of VW bugs that can not be replicated by other means.
"While I can't stand the Kosovo Muslims, is really seems the Serbs are no better."
Those people have been fighting among themselves for a long long long time. Who knows who or what started it.
"I was under the impression that we had Marines stationed at all our embassies."
I was under that same impression. But there's only so many enemies a small unit of Marines (or any other kind of soldier) can hold off. They may, in part, be there in case our peoples' way out of the embassy is to fight the way out.
"Tell me, what kind of rifle does this Roosevelt shoot?
A Winchester!
Winchester? Winchester? I have no knowledge of this rifle.
You will."
Theodore Roosevelt owned and shot a variety of rifles. Many of those were Winchesters. When he was in Dakota, he had two different Winchesters... IIRC, a '73 and a '76 and both had engraving from the factory. In Cuba, he had an 1895 in .30-40Krag. In Africa, his "Big Medicine" was another 1895 in .405Winchester. Another of his hunting rifles was an 1903 Springfield in the original .30-03 chambering that pre-dates the .30-06 we, as a nation, have come to know quite well.
Oh, and with regards to the original 1903, Roosevelt didn't much care for some features such as they rod bayonet. When the top Army Ordnance officer spoke in its favor, Roosevelt challenged him to spar with bayonets. Roosevelt's rifle/bayonet was the Krag. The '03's rod bayonet broke and Roosevelt won, making his point. And so the 1903 Springfield as we know it came to be developed.
Of course, ever since Montenegro departed, Serbia doesn't actually have a coastline.
Maybe we should roll some Brads and M1s up from Bondsteel to secure the place. Assuming we still have some there.
"White House spokesman Dana Perino strongly criticized Serbia' government,"
Hey, they "strongly criticized", that should do it.
Flintlock Tom
I'm fairly sure that each ethnic group in Yugoslavia fought alongside Hitler at some point in order to kill the other groups.
So now we cheese off the Russians, who don't think illegal immigration should allow people to take over an area and turn it into a country.
So when the Mexican invasion concentrates in New Mexico, the Russians and Chinee will recognize that government.
Ain't we got FUN?
Geoff
Who thinks G. Bush is as much a traitor as WJC.
Coolest remark of the comments thus far is Austin Mike's:
"But if you want to re-commission the Missouri for an Adriatic cruise, I call 'shotgun.'"
And, Lorimor? Are we just thinking along the same lines, or did you read my post on this? (In which, in the comments, Tam claims never to have seen the movie, which I refuse to believe.)
Matt,
Believe it or not, it came to me all my own.
And I for one, would never publicly admit that I've never seen "The Wind and The Lion." The nerve of some people!!!
While TWTL is being discussed, for those unfortunate souls who have not seen it, there is a wonderful scene in Roosevelt's Yellowstone camp. Just after killing a bear, he sits under a tree (complete with horses rolling in the background) and discusses the day's events and world events with members of the press.
Part of TR's fictional speech, delivered so eloquently by Brian Keith:
"The world would never love us. They respect us. They may even grow to fear us. They will never love us, for we have too much audacity."
Sporterized Krags grace the scene as well.
It is a must see film.
I don't mind them burning the American Embassy, I mind us having an embassy with a government that supports ethnic cleansing. I mind having bombed Belgade to teach them a lesson and then forgetting the lesson we taught them. I mind having ethnic Albanians illegally immigrating for the last hundred years into Kosovo and then declaring independence - Texas, California anyone? Those Serbs shot missiles at my son - why do we have an embassy there? How short our memory? Not mine...
Texas? Unlikely. The Hispanic population is not going to welcome a Mexican invasion with open arms. Remember that they too are American citizens (and Texas citizens) and quite proud of it. They have no desire to live in Mexico, if they wanted that all they have to do is cross the border.
And no, I am not Hispanic; I do however live in south Texas.
"...the Sikh guards at the airport custom station...actually saluted and smiled at me upon hearing I was an American."
I've seen that. Notably: Jakarta, a couple of years ago, from a security detail detached from Suharto's personal guard, on station outside my hotel room door 24/7.
"Once upon a time this would have been considered casus belli and occasioned parking a dreadnought in the nearest harbor,..."
Yeah; I'm thinking that crashing a B-1 won't have exactly the same effect.
Dunno.
What would you lot do if China gave Texas to the Mexicans , you might get a little irritated .
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