Post-Election Veteran’s Day – Some Thoughts

Seaside, #1, Sant Pol de Mar, Catalunya, 2020 (iPhone X)

Let’s start with a big thanks

From one vet (21 years as an USAF officer and pilot) to all those other vets out there: Thank you for your service to our country. 

And my hand rests silently over my heart for those who never came back. I’m thinking especially of you, Doug, Steve, Greg, Ralph, Amy, and Craig.

And a special THANK YOU if you happened to work maintenance or were a crew chief on the Viper, the Warthog, the Duck, the Tweet, the Green FAC Tweet, or the Talon–you kept me flying for over 3,000 hours with nary a major in-flight “issue” (and you’ll know all these aircraft of which I speak).

And this thank you definitely extends to everyone who worked in support of those missions as well–supply, mobility, intel, flight records, finance, billeting, the rec center, the auto shop, family support, dental, medical… ALL of you!

Finally, I’ve a special affection for all of us who were in the pilot training business as well, instructing or maintaining the T-37 (RIP!) and the T-38. Serving with all of you was a grand pleasure and a high honor, and our smart and highly motivated students always instilled in me a great hope for our future. Now, THAT was a rewarding job.

Thanks!

Now… coming right after one of the most divisive elections in our nation’s history, I thought I’d throw out a few comments… which you are free to throw out as well if you disagree. You know what they say, “Opinions are like, uh, pieholes, we all have one.”

Support the Troops!

First and foremost, regardless of who is in charge, I would encourage all citizens to support the troops–and not necessarily the way you might think. Yes, modern equipment, a decent salary, family support, medical care, and so on are wonderful, wonderful things. But, the Number One thing you can do to support the troops is this:

Get informed! Stay informed! (From a wide variety of reliable news sources, NOT conspiracy theory sites, NOT extremist talking heads, and NOT your Facebook feed.) Don’t be that low-information, one-source voter! Be a Super Citizen. Then make sure your representatives in the federal government do not send young men and women off to foreign shores unless it is absolutely necessary, the decision is based on solid intel, it is a last resort after exhaustive diplomacy, and there is a plan for the end-game. (See the “Powell Doctrine“, for some excellent guidelines we ought always keep in mind.)

That, my friends, is how you “Support the Troops”. (You can skip the damn bumper sticker.)

A Personal Post-Election View

OK, a few more comments…

Here is how I see the election in a few bullet points:

–I’m happy we will have someone sane in the White House for a change. (The first time I have ever thought this about any President of either party. Well, maybe the Bush-Cheney Farm Team might be a distant second place.)

–I wish the election would have been much more of a repudiation of Trump and the Trump Party (the GOP no longer exists).

–The fact that nearly 73 million Americans voted for Trump scares me. (I would have expected maybe 2,000 to 3,000 votes max–seriously!)

–The previous factoid tells me that the United States could very easily fall prey to an autocrat (fortunately and thankfully, Trump was way too narcissistic and not smart enough).

–Now I understand much more viscerally what happened in the 1930s in Germany.

Yes, for four years, Trump supporters were able to “own the libs”, pack the courts, and feel good about having a “pro-life President”, but at what price?

None of those things matter one whit if the country disintegrates into chaos.

[NOTE: For an EXCELLENT editorial that discusses the 73 million who voted for Trump and what that means, check out this link: How Many American Idiots Are There? 73 Million. This Wasn’t Just an Election. It was a Census of American Idiots, by Umair Haque, November 20, 2020.

 This is about the best summary of the situation I have read anywhere. Then, to top it off, go watch the 2006 film Idiocracy.]

You Should Know That, When You Voted For Trump, You Supported…

…lies and misinformation. (Tell me more lies, please! They make me feel so good and they confirm all my biases!)

…anger, fear, vindictiveness and divisiveness.

…the demonization of “the other”–foreigners, immigrants, the Muslims, the Jews, people of color.

…making fun of people with disabilities.

…a con man. (Good at selling himself, but not particularly good at business.)

…conspiracy theories with no grounding in reality.

…the idea that one special populist messiah has all the answers and can fix everything.

…an authoritarian Presidency and vastly diminished Legislative and Judicial branches.

…an impeached President.

…racism, white supremacy, neo-Nazis, and neo-Confederates.

…an anti-LGBTQ agenda.

…hiring/firing, government policy, and foreign relations by Tweet, often blindsiding those involved.

…the grabbing of pussies… the objectification of women.

…constant scandal and the indictment/jailing (and pardoning) of Presidential cronies.

…the assignment of high level leadership posts based on loyalty rather than competence and experience.

…the debasement of science in favor of ideology and myth.

…the top 1%.

…taking from the middle classes to give to the upper classes.

…corporate and big ag welfare.

…the degradation of Gold Star families.

…the degradation of our soldiers (“fools” and “losers”, we are, apparently).

…Russian bounties on the heads of our soldiers (don’t bother even investigating that–what about Hillary’s emails!!!).

…autocrats and dictators world-wide–they study and follow Trump’s play book. (What our American President does and says matters!)

…military troop movements without serious consultation or strategy. (Sorry, Kurds, you are on your own!)

…military infrastructure funds diverted to an ineffectual wall project on the Mexican border (Mexico will pay for it!).

…politicization of the military, our intel services, the Justice Department, and the judiciary.   

…the elimination of health care options for over 8 million Americans. (You did know that Obamacare sprouted from Romneycare, a GOP plan, right?)

…the elimination of any kind of national health care plan at all (the GOP has none).

…separation of mothers and fathers from their children. (A handful of children under the age of two!)

…children in cages. (Now we have 666 children whose parents can’t be located by our government–a fine Biblical number.)

…sending the Dreamers back to their “home” (which they have never really known). Yes, even those who serve in the military, or in the medical professions.

…an assault on our democratic institutions and on election integrity.

…an assault on critical international alliances.

…an assault on the Earth itself (climate change denial).

…the complete collapse of America’s moral authority in the world.

[NOTE: This is a very, very incomplete list. At the beginning of Trump’s term, on January 20, 2017, I starting listing the most heinous of his Administration’s statements and acts. I gave up after about three weeks since so much awful stuff happened nearly each and every day. I couldn’t keep up with such a fast-moving clown act.]

PLEASE!

PLEASE!

NEXT TIME, DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE LOW-INFORMATION VOTERS!!!

Seaside, #2, Sant Pol de Mar, Catalunya, 2020 (iPhone X)