With great fan fair, the American Transportation Security Agency (TSA) announced that it is relaxing its draconian regulations on what may be carried aboard airplanes. After ten years of passenger degradation and abuse TSA will in the future allow small knives to be carried aboard, not mentioned were the sewing and manicure sets they also confiscate. Don’t expect to get back any of the thousands of knives already confiscated.
As limited as the announcement was it touched off a firestorm of protest proving that TSA had at least one success. It won a propaganda victory by frightening the public that all flights carried a mad terrorist intent on slashing the throat of every high flying little old lady.
The prospect of bearded anarchist wielding a mighty two-inch knife requires a bit of perspective. The anarchist label became popular around the end of the 19th century denoting any that objected to the rule of oligarchs. Preferring bombs, true anarchist resorted to violence to overthrow the status quo.
The knife however is an honored universal cultural icon as old as mankind. The caveman survived because of sharp stones serving as early knives. As civilization evolved so did the status of knives becoming the symbol of a freeman. Slaves were denied the honor of carrying a blade. A possible explanation of TSA's disarming and enslavement of free passengers.
Knifes carved out empires and settled frontiers. The knife was often a weapon of last resort. Chronicles are filled with tales of "fit a bear with my Bowie," repelling shark attacks even chopping down forest for shelter. As knifes pushed back the frontiers the pen became mightier than the sword. Pens in those day were Quills and penknives replace Bowie knifes as the symbol of free and independent thinkers.
Democracy depends on recorded ideas. Thomas Paine, Voltaire and Thomas Jefferson all sharpened their quills with penknives. Even G. Washington carried a penknife in his pocket. His soldiers carried more substantial pocket knifes for ordinary chores around camp. Their knives carved breakfast salt pork, kindling for campfires and even dug bullets from their wounds. Pocket knifes served soldiers in every war.
Discovering the value of their army pocket knifes; returning soldiers brought them home. The utility of the knife culture soon included wives and children. Little boys became men when they inherited dad's pocket knifes. Primitive pocketknives became big business providing necessary tools in many trades.
When TSA banned pocket knifes they were attempting to destroy cultural freedoms. Culture has now won a battle against bureaucratic enslavement. The two-inch blades of penknives must still defend freedom’s culture. The last line of defense against anarchy by “big brother” government is a bright red, Chinese made, Swiss Army knife in every pocket.
The liberty to carry a knife remains the symbol of a free person.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Pushback 031913
The United States military came out of World War Two with an inflated sense of self worth. The people who actually won the war either died on beaches like Normandy or quickly left service when their war was over. They left the new Pentagon to be taken and sacked by determined military and civilian bureaucrat assaults. Over the years these milcrats have built an empire of self-interest.
The War’s senior general once warned of the dangers of national militarization (Military Industrial Complex), but was ignored. In the almost 70 years since the war the milcrats have steered the country down many dark alleys of needless death and destruction that has tarnished its mid century greatness.
These milcrats have looted the national treasury of trillions of dollars for expensive sci-fi toys and plain waste. With the recent threat of budget cuts the milcrats responded with a plan to cut combat troops to pay for more toys controlled from their overstuffed chairs.
These milcrats crave recognition so they created hero metals like the combat action badge (CAB). This was justified as an award for service troops who fought their way out of ambushes. The valor of these few was soon lost as milcrats justified their own award of the CAB by traveling down the same road hours after the battle; it’s not their fault they weren’t attacked. A shiny badge is nice but a colored ribbon is better so the milcrats created a new number two hero metal DWM (Distinguished Warfare Medal). The justification was that Drone pilots do more damage in one flight than all of history’s Medal of Honor recipients in their short lives. Must ask, why do we need Colonels flying drones when 12year-olds can do the job much better, probably with less collateral damage? The kids would follow the rules or lose points for attacking villages and innocent civilians. If drone pilots can qualify for the number two hero metal from ten thousand miles away it won’t be long before other milcrats justify their own awards for bravery from say a hundred miles or any distant bar stool.
The DWM is the tripping point for pushback. Veterans groups, next of kin, even Congressmen have taken exception to ranking the DWM above earned combat awards. The milcrats were quick to defend their right to be recognized. In both Iraq and Afghanistan the milcrats were required to leave their soft chairs and spent 30 days safely, if uncomfortably, in Forts to justify their Bronze Stars, Legion of Merits and Distinguished Service Medals before running for home. With the new even higher award there is no need to even leave air-conditioned saloons to tell their war stories.
In reviewing the DWM process Congress should look at the thousands of milcrats who flocked to a 30-day vacation solely for a combat award to cap their colorless 30year careers. Congress should also pass legislation requiring that all awards for milcrats must be presented in the American cemetery at Normandy. Milcrats would still take a medal but at least they would be under the tearful eyes of those forgotten “Did and Died” boys.
The War’s senior general once warned of the dangers of national militarization (Military Industrial Complex), but was ignored. In the almost 70 years since the war the milcrats have steered the country down many dark alleys of needless death and destruction that has tarnished its mid century greatness.
These milcrats have looted the national treasury of trillions of dollars for expensive sci-fi toys and plain waste. With the recent threat of budget cuts the milcrats responded with a plan to cut combat troops to pay for more toys controlled from their overstuffed chairs.
These milcrats crave recognition so they created hero metals like the combat action badge (CAB). This was justified as an award for service troops who fought their way out of ambushes. The valor of these few was soon lost as milcrats justified their own award of the CAB by traveling down the same road hours after the battle; it’s not their fault they weren’t attacked. A shiny badge is nice but a colored ribbon is better so the milcrats created a new number two hero metal DWM (Distinguished Warfare Medal). The justification was that Drone pilots do more damage in one flight than all of history’s Medal of Honor recipients in their short lives. Must ask, why do we need Colonels flying drones when 12year-olds can do the job much better, probably with less collateral damage? The kids would follow the rules or lose points for attacking villages and innocent civilians. If drone pilots can qualify for the number two hero metal from ten thousand miles away it won’t be long before other milcrats justify their own awards for bravery from say a hundred miles or any distant bar stool.
The DWM is the tripping point for pushback. Veterans groups, next of kin, even Congressmen have taken exception to ranking the DWM above earned combat awards. The milcrats were quick to defend their right to be recognized. In both Iraq and Afghanistan the milcrats were required to leave their soft chairs and spent 30 days safely, if uncomfortably, in Forts to justify their Bronze Stars, Legion of Merits and Distinguished Service Medals before running for home. With the new even higher award there is no need to even leave air-conditioned saloons to tell their war stories.
In reviewing the DWM process Congress should look at the thousands of milcrats who flocked to a 30-day vacation solely for a combat award to cap their colorless 30year careers. Congress should also pass legislation requiring that all awards for milcrats must be presented in the American cemetery at Normandy. Milcrats would still take a medal but at least they would be under the tearful eyes of those forgotten “Did and Died” boys.
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