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'The Majestic' and it's message to me about service

By JIM PURCELL

I just got done watching one of my favorite movies, called "The Majestic" from 2001, starring Jim Carrey. It is one of Carrey's little-known works. And, it was panned by many critics at the time. But, it struck a chord with me, then and now. 

   It is not so much that the story had compelling narrative or acting in it, no disrespect to Mr. Carrey (who rendered a wonderful performance in my book). It was the subject matter of the story. In "The Majestic," Carrey portrayed a Hollywood writer who loses his memory after a car accident and washes up in a California town a decade after World War II concluded. The town sacrificed 17 of her sons during the war, and he is mistaken for one of those lost, a "Mr. Luke Trimble." The story unfolds that Carrey's character eventually remembers who he is and testifies before the House Committee on Un-American Activities during the McCarthy Era.

   What struck me about this show was the way "Luke Trimble's" father, his friends and his old love received back one who was thought lost to death. This is what struck me.

   I have a brother, David, who was named for U.S. Navy Gunner's Mate 2nd Class David A. Purcell, 19, killed by enemy forces during the Anzio-Nettuno landings on January 26, 1944. Like the character in "The Majestic," my father's brother was originally declared missing. I would come to learn through my early youth that David's death devastated my Dad's family: his mother, Grace; brother, Charlie; and sisters, Marie and Susan. I know Dad never got over it, not the rest of his life.

   He could not mention his brother without tears coming to his eyes, even into his 70s. So, what I learned about my uncle was learned from my aunts and their husbands during family get-togethers during Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, when they confided these things to me it was always out of ear shot from my Dad, who would go skulking to his bedroom if he heard it.

Gunner's Mate 2nd Class David A. Purcell was
an LST driver who died in Italy during WWII

   By all accounts, David was a lively boy, full of practical jokes and laughing. I was told he took very little seriously and loved his family, especially idolizing his older brother, my Dad. David loved his Mom, his family, girls, dances and sports.

   My Dad being a soldier in the New Jersey Army National Guard at the outbreak of the war, he was among the first to be federalized and go off to war, leaving behind his family, and especially his kid brother. One of my aunts later told me that David was the "heart" of the family, and that when he died it was like that heart stopped with him.

   When I see "The Majestic," it's like looking into a mirror of what it might have been like if my late uncle had come back after being reported missing. There would have been broken hearts mended, a broken family healed, and my broken father unbroken. Of course, my grandmother Grace, I am told, put on a brave face. But, she was a woman of great love and emotion, and I cannot imagine what she went through with the passing of her youngest. Now, what if he never died? What if he had come back, whole and healthy? How was history changed by the death of this strong, delightful young man?

   I tear-up when I see "The Majestic" every time, I admit. My uncle died many years before I was born, but I noticed his loss even in my life growing up...like something that was supposed to be there was gone.

   World War II was a fight that had to be fought for the very freedom of our nation and world. And, those that died during that great struggle should always be remembered, as anyone who laid down their lives for this nation should.

   But, I ask this: If one truly wished to support our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, and their families, would not the thing to do be only fighting wars that were necessary for our nation's freedom from attack, and getting these terrible wars over with as expeditiously as possible? I do not believe that supporting wars for their own sake is not supporting anyone, most especially those who have to perish in them and those they leave behind.

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What Civilians Can Learn From the Military

By JIM PURCELL

Disunity. Mean-spirited divides. The wish to persecute one another loudly and publicly. This is the people of the United States today. Powerful political, corporate and social forces are threatening to destroy our country, as never before. 

The military teaches life lessons to its members about teamwork.

  I had a sergeant in the Army, long ago, who once said that he throught America was better-off when there was a draft. He said that military service could be a common touchstone in everyone's life...whether they were in uniform or had left the service to be a civilian (and a veteran). He thought that unavoidable military service would restore the common sense, unity and morals of the American people. I disagreed with him at the time, because I never wanted to trust my life to anyone who didn't want to be a soldier. I think I was wrong, though.

   Why does America have a 20-year war still going? It's because there is no draft. If there was then John and Jane Smith, residing on Main Street, USA would probably seek to have the government end its policy of military adventurism around the globe. With volunteers, the government can do anything it wants. With draftees...it's a whole other Magilla Gorilla.

   And that is why there will probably never be a draft again.

The military develops individual character.

   The military teaches people to be organized, disciplined and focused. I think service makes each of us closer to that 'best version' of ourselves that so many are always seeking. When I was a 17-year-old mortarman, I entered the military without a lot of experience with diversity. Well, that changed pretty quickly. In an infantry platoon, it is impossible for the unit to function when even one racist is in its ranks.

   Today, from what I have gathered, units do not use the 'informal methods' of my day. This means that, in the '80s, when someone was impacting the unit with their nonsense, soldiers in the unit got together and made sure that the offending trooper received a punitive reminder that 'uniqueness' was not tolerated. Soldiers solved their problems among themselves. No one was 'special,' and maybe it is the mantra 'everyone is special' that should be blamed for our national catastrophes.

   Currently, people who have done nothing but seek to avoid military or public service have labeled themselves as "patriots," while actual patriots, former servicemen and women, are branded with derogatory terms because they do not travel lock-step with the Great Unwashed Masses of division-focused cliques.

   I do not agree with everyone I served with in any variety of issues. But, in disagreement, we treat each other with respect and intelligence. It is because the bond we share with each other is more important than whatever might divide us.

'If America does not mean more to someone than their own image then America falls apart.' 

   Our individual experiences craft who we are. If someone does not experience diversity then they will fear it, without exception. If someone does not see the perils that can become of marginalized people, firsthand, then they will have no compassion or empathy. When people do not know how to create consensus or are unaware that this is necessary, then we are on the road of creating people who have the capability of becoming monsters. And, being sheltered in life creates a sense of entitlement, of imagined privilege and fear of what is not known or different.

   The military functions, any branch, because people must work together efficiently, without a lot of loose talk. If someone cannot be part of a team, will not work with other people in their unit then it is impossible for the unit to function correctly. Usually, people deficient in teamwork are vetted out of the service. In civilian life, though, these people are usually elected to high office. Who suffers? The nation, the republic, the ordinary Jane or Joe on the street.

   If America does not mean more to someone than their own image then America falls apart. Make no mistake about it: America is falling apart and in many ways has already fallen apart. Our metaphoric house is on fire; I suggest putting it out.

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Where Do Guderian, Rommel Belong in Tank Warfare History?

By JIM PURCELL

I am the son of a U.S. World War II European combat veteran. My uncle, a 19-year-old LST driver for the U.S. Navy, was killed by the Germans at the Anzio Beach landings, in 1944. Most of my uncles fought the Germans during World War II. And, my family lived with my Dad's undiagnosed PTSD all our lives before he passed. During my early years, I was an intelligence analyst with the 4th Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (Forward), in Garlstedt, Federal Republic of Germany in the 1980s. I wanted to qualify this up front, before i offered commentary about where German tank masters belong in history.

Erwin Rommel (circa World War I)

  I have biases, of course. But, I have stated them honestly: so, we can begin, I suppose.

  In important ways, Germany was a leader in the development of armor, armor tactics and combined arms tactics using armor as a centerpiece.

  I believe if you had to boil everything down to two central figures in German tank history, it would come down to understanding the contributions of two German Army officers: Generalfieldmarschall Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (1891-1944) and Generaloberst Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (1888-1954).

  During World War I (1914-1918), Rommel was an infantry lieutenant in France and Romania. While in this capacity, Rommel developed his own style of combat which involved covering fires with rapid troop advances. He also innovated the use of penetrating attacks, the doctrine of which were later used by the German Army as well as Allied Forces. This stylized approach amounted to the genus of the idea of "Blitzkrieg tactics" in the next war. Rommel did not play a role in the adoption of Blitzkrieg by the German Army of the late 1930s, but he certainly laid down the gospel of attack from which later leaders would place the tank at its center. These ideas were published by Rommel in 1935, in his book "Infantry Attacks." This work appeared after, the year before, he had written a  manual for infantry attacks for the German Army.

  It was Guderian who would go on to refine Rommel's ideas of attack, and codify them in a technique known in World War II as Blitzkrieg, or "Lightning War." During World War I, Guderian was a communications officer who commanded a radio station. Certainly, this must have given him an appreciation for close communications of units that he would remember later. However, when he was promoted to captiain, young Guderian was placed in command of an infantry company. Later during the war, Guderian would serve as a General Staff officer.

  Aster the war, Guderian became an admirer of World War I tank ace Ernest Volckheim (1898-1962). Guderian began to consume whatever he could about armored development and combat. In addition, he wrote scholarly military articles about the subject. By 1928, Guderian was considered the voice of Germany's armored development. And, by 1938, Guderian was promoted to the rank of colonel-general and placed in command of Germany's motorized forces and armored development. And it was during this time that Guderian brought together Rommel's concepts of attack with his own insights into armored development and the use of combined air into the Blitzkrieg strategy, which created a new doctrine in armored warfare, but heralded the darkest of times for Europe during World War II (1939-1945).

Guderian (circa World War II)

  During the war, Rommel learned a great deal from Guderian's insights. And, he applied them with vicious efficiency as a tank force commander. Rommel used armor so well, in fact, that for many of his enemies he was considered the armored warfare leader of the day.

  Well, after this bit of history, let's get into it about where these men belong in the history of armor. We can start with the elephant in the room: they fought for an unholy cause under the most evil leader in the history of humanity. Despite attempts by Rommel and Guderian apologists of the past half-century, the fact remains that no one became a field marshal or a general in Hitler's army by being against him. These men were pro-Nazi, whether or not they agreed with all the things Nazis believed in. Should someone get a pass if they say, "I was a Nazi, but I never believed in..."? In my view, one is either a Nazi or they are not a Nazi and both Rommel and Guderian were Nazis. Yes, later in the war Rommel did try to kill Hitler as part of a failed coups. But, whether or not the coups succeeded, Rommel was a Nazi. So, when I go forward from here there will be some words missing from my description of either of them. Some of these words will be 'good,' 'great,' or 'well-intentioned.' These men were master's of death and evil. But, their 'contributions,' such as they were, led to the advancement of armored theory. This cannot be denied, in my opinion.

  During the Interwar Years between World War I and World War II, perhaps Guderian was the most important figure in the development of the production and use of armor. In the United States, later advocates of armor like General George S. Patton Jr. had happily reverted to horse vavalry ways. At least, this was so until the world got a taste of what armor could do during the late 1930s.

  To be honest, Rommel and Guderian laid the bedrock of the use of the tank as the focus of a combined arms attack. Without them, perhaps the opening days of World War II would have started with ancient cavalry attacks waged against protagonists. In many ways, the combined arms theories used by modern armies have their origin in Blitzkrieg. It's probably not popular to say, but it is true that modern tank warfare's unlikely fathers were Rommel and Guderian. But, even after more than 70 years, it galls me to have to credit these guys with anything remotely relevent. But, even the Devil gets his due sometimes, and that is a very adequate saying to apply to this discussion.
 

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Racism is cancer for the United States

By JIM PURCELL

Racism has been interwoven into the American experience since there was a United States and well before. In reality, this is not news for anyone of any color in this nation. Black and brown peoples are fed up with this status quo, and I have to say I do not blame them. Meanwhile, whites are always talking about 'more time' for acceptance. Well, it's been 250 years, and that is long enough for anything to be done.

  But, it isn't.

  Usually I write about military affairs, generally speaking, but racism is as much a military challenge as the most important project of any service. Of course, in my opinion, the U.S. Armed Forces have been better, by and large, at changing attitudes than most any other institution in the United States.

  Here is the problem, though. Young men and women enter the service. Every soldier, sailor, airmen or marine has rights, responsibilities and priviledges. Rights are those things that cannot be taken away; responsibilities are those things that must be done; and priviledges are things people earm but can be taken away. In my opinion, the military way of life is a better one than offered outside of it. Then, people exit the military, at some point.

  In many places in this country, attitudes about race have brought peoples to the brink of violence, mayhem and disorder. And, there have been many cases of actual violence. Some Americans are consumed by the groups of people they hate and are more than willing to act on it. Regarding this, quite frankly, it is the whites who have mroe guns, more priviledge and the least amount of governmental oversight. This is despite the fact that there have been more incidents of white violence against minorities than the other way around.

  Here it is, here is the point: If the United States cannot get over its racial problems, if it cannot heal then the nation, our republic, will not stand forever. If someone wants "...make America great..." they can positively contribute to this ongoing public discussion in positive ways. Americans cannot make America great agains...because racism has been the single issue that has kept this country and people divided.

  There have always been voices of division, of hate. They most often appear in politics, the religious pulpit, in manifestos and propoganda, even from those in high office. It is not only ignorant, uneducated men and women who spread hate, though they are its foot soldiers. Yet it is those who use their office to spread hate that are truly the cancers of the nation. There is no end in sight about these people, though.

  A man or woman should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. As simple as that sounds, America still cannot get that right. It's incredible, really. A blind man could see this is a fact, but this is a fact that is struggled about.

  The military and other institutions have done better than most. It's still not enough, because the disease of racism is running through the life's blood of the United States. 'Think globally, act locally' is a wonderful saying. There are so many people who love to spout wonderful sayings. It's living up to those sayings that takes some character.

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A dear friend. The late NJ Sen. and USNR Capt. Joe Azzolina, in a tribute that is far too brief. He was a good politician for people of both parties, though he was Republican. Mr. Azzolina served as both a State Senator and as an Assemblyman, respectively. He was an entrepreneur who employed many people in Central New Jersey. And, he served his country in World War II, in the North Atlantic with the U.S. Navy and for many years after in the Reserves. He was a great family man and a wonderful mentor. He really made a mark in this world, and left the world better than he found it. That is the best anyone can do, in my opinion.

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The Purcell Chonicles Advances on 175K Views

By JIM PURCELL

The Purcell Chronicles were established in September, 2013 by myself. It is an outlet for my writing and for the news that I find important in the area of the military, be that current military advances or military history. I also post some general news here, as well as some things about the arts and education. Since that time, The Purcell Chronicles have garnered more than 173,000 views and it's homing in on 175,000.

Who ever thinks that a site like this will draw regular readership? I didn't when it started. Yet, I have tried to post works that had meaning, whether they were my own works or those of quality contributors to YouTube. This site has been, and will always be, 'family friendly,' which means you will not find nudity or foul language here.

As always, this site is not paid, it earns no money. It never will. This site is my hobby and that is all. Still, I take a great deal of pride in being a regular stop for so many people around the globe. Thank you for coming, it is very appreciated. Please keep on doing so.

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World War II and its Sacrifices Echo Through History

By JIM PURCELL

I have been warching Ken Burns' World War II documentary.

   It reminds me of dynamics in my parent's home during my upbringing. My Dad, James Sr., was born in 1919. My Dad's brother, David, was born in 1921. When World War II happened, my Dad was already in the NJ Army National Guard, so he was federalized in 1939. Meanwhile, my uncle waited until 1942 to jon the United States Navy.

   Along the way, relatives my Dad's age joined other branches of the service: my Uncle Johnny joined the 8th Air Force as a ball turrett gunner; my Uncle Bill joined the Marines and was destined to become a mud marine in the Pacific and my Uncle Harry joined the Tank Killers in North Africa.

   God was good to my family, largely. Everyone came home, with the exception of my Uncle David, who perished in the waters off Anzio, ferrying soldiers back and forth from Navy warships off the coast.

   Meanwhile, my Dad experienced D-Day, June 6, 1944 and the war to take Berlin. Uncle Johnny survived 19 missions to become a decorated veteran of the air campaign in Western Europe. Wounded, Unle Harry came home after being wounded in North Africa. And, Uncle Bill left a big chunck of hmself at Iwo Jima, where he received the iron plate in his head. But...David never came home.

   Though my family was close when I was young, I do not think anyone ever got over the fact that my Uncle David, youngest of the bunch who went to war, did not come back. As such, the 35 years after were more like a wake than a meeting of family on holidays. And, I understood it and still do.

   But, all families gave some...some gave all. And, Americans dealt with it because we would either win that war or lose our country.

   In the years after, the country remains entangled in wars around the globe. Yet, America does not seemed interested in winning these wars. In fact, most Americans seem to want them perpetuated with no end in sight.

   As for me, I find this unjust to all those who have fallen in the Amerian wars after 2001. And, I find myself more and more wishing that the late President Franklin Roosevelt as the commander-in-chief, as opposed to the office holders e have today.

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Thoughts About The Military and Institutionalization

All of the branches of the military, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, are institutions with traditions and sets of expectations for any of their members. It does not matter if someone is the lowest private or a five-star general, the military have expectations for everyone in their uniforms.

   If someone cannot adapt to the military and its tons of rules, this usually happens in early training for recruits, then those recruits are undoubtedly separated from the military on the grounds of "failure to adapt." And, I do not see a stigma associated with this kind of exit from military service. Being a soldier, sailor, airman or marine is just not for everyone. Not everyone can fit in under the conditions the military presents. Unfortunately for both the service involved and the recruit, it is impossible to know who can or cannot adapt to military life without being immersed in a military environment.

   Some people rise to the challenge and find something about the military and its regimentation that they like. Meanwhile, others will find they are uncomfortable in uniform and, for whatever reason, they balk at being able to serve or rendering satisfactory service.

   Well, I've discussed something about those who fail to adapt to military life, but then there are those people who do adapt. For someone to adapt to military life, in any service, they must accept that other people, with more rank and seniority to them, will control their lives a great deal (basically 24 hours per day), and any direct statement or failure to obey an order (be it spoken or written) is punishable in some way or other. So, to be a well-adjusted member of the military, there is the fundamental understanding by individuals that they might be able to request certain things but, ultimately, their lives and most of the decisions in their lives are being made by other people. The only choice the service member has is either to A. Obey their orders and do the 'right thing,' or B. Buck the system and do things their own way.

   Of course, bucking the system leads to a series of bad things that no reasonable person would want to experience, because disobeying orders or breaking civil or military laws while a service member can carry extremely long prison sentences (and there is no parole in the Federal system). So, everyone who successfully adapts to the military exclude, for the most part, bucking the system and doing things their own way.

At a certain point, service members get on-board with

their respective services' rules and regulations.

   I can speak to life in the Army, which I served in during the early 1980s to early 1990s. To begin with, basic enlistments for recruits, in my day, were two, three or four years. The state of communications technology had not reached the level of cell phones and computer chats yet. Thus, whenever a soldier was in the field or doing some other chore away from their family, they had to rely on the telephone and/or writing letters. It seems rather prehistoric today, but the world still managed to turn without 24/7 access to everyone in one's life. This means a certain amount of sacrifice was going to be experienced by everyone in the Army (who happened to do what I did for a living in the service). The choice, again, was either do it or do not.

   So, there is this series of events, every single day, where someone either chose to go along with their service or did not. After successfully adjusting to the service, the notion that someone actually has a choice fades away from the individual. And, by this time, the soldier is 'adapted' to the service.

   What does that even mean...'adapted'?

   I can speak to my experience. As an example, a private in an infantry unit has a team leader who is responsible for him or her. They certainly have a squad leader who is very prominent in their lives, and they are responsible for not only that private but all the privates and team leaders in their squad. A team leader can be a corporal or a sergeant, while a squad leader is generally a sergeant or staff sergeant. The squad leader will ensure that everyone is where they are supposed to be, when they are supposed to be there, and prepared for whatever it is that the unit is doing.

   Aside from their strictly military duties, team leaders and squad leaders are responsible for the general welfare of everyone under their command. I am using team leaders and squad leaders, but really every link in a soldier's chain of command is responsible for the military performance and general welfare of every single person under their command. The squad level is a good way to illustrate this, in my opinion.

   When the private eats in the morning, they are called from sleep and expected to be in a physical training uniform formation. They will be led through exercises, then they will be dismissed to attend to hygiene and such. Then, they will be told where they can go eat and when. The private will then do whatever he or she is told to do until lunch, when they are told when and where to eat again. This process will repeat itself again for dinner. The release of the private from a day's duty is not guaranteed....if they have to perform some duty stipulated by their leadership then they do that, and subordinate whatever they want for whatever is needed.

   At no point here am I making a value judgement. Leading organized lives can generally be a very good thing.

   The squad leader has a right to make sure those under his or her command are keeping their rooms as expected by the service, that they perform to certain levels needed for military training, they are even responsible for the state of a soldier's dress and their hygiene, as well as their general welfare. If a soldier has a legal problem, then he or she is referred to Army lawyers, if they are sick they report to Army medical personnel, if they have a problem with their pay then they are referred to finance specialists. There is a different expert on hand to take care of any need a service member has. All they have to do is what is expected of them in that infantry team.

   Getting used to this reality means someone has become comfortable in that institution, and by 'comfortable' I mean they are institutionalized. What are the 'up' sides and 'down' sides of this institutionalization? Well, that becomes a political conversation filled with speculation. I go so far as to say every single service member who fulfilled even one enlistment in a branch of the military service was, indeed, institutionalized.

-- Jim Purcell

Old Grudges Are Like Clothes That Don't Fit Anymore

I was on Facebook and happened to notice that a mutual friend was 'friends' with an old master sergeant I used to work for when I was in the Army. Well, this guy I used to work for gave me a pretty hard time, for one reason or another. I thought he was a pretty terrible NCO actually, which was a shame given he retired as a Sergeant Major. 

   Well, I took a look at his old, wizened mug and found I didn't really feel that old grudge anymore. That was remarkable, really, given that for a good 10 years after my service I would not have minded at all if I saw him slip and fall on a banana peel and take a header onto a good, hard concrete sidewalk. 

   With time comes patience, though, and perspective. All the good and all the bad happens to people for a reason, I think. All kinds of experiences make us the people we are. And, each experience gives us a chance to grow, if we want to do it. 

   No one knows what tomorrow brings. The future is unwritten, and brings new opportunities with it. As I see it, there isn't nearly enough time to live in the present and the past at the same time. So, I have chosen to live in the present, with all the promise it brings. 

   I suppose that living with old grudges is a lot like keeping clothes around your house that do not fit anymore. They serve no purpose, take up room you can use for something else and no one ever regrets getting rid of them. 

-- Jim Purcell

The Question of History, Politics and National Unity

By JIM PURCELL

I am not going to lecture Democrats, Independents and Republicans out there. There has been quite enough of that for long years. Instead, I am going to talk about American history.

   How will America piece itself back together from the many sociological, religious and political fractures that have formed in recent years? Is it even possible?

   It better be, because the lack of cohesion our nation is experiencing today is nothing short of a road to ruin for our nation and its people.

   Anything great America has achieved has been when its people were unified, sans the Civil War, of course.

   Yet, in all of the great wars America has fought and won, especially World War II, it was not Democrats or Republicans who won victory. It was Americans of every race, creed and color. And, it will not be any one race of men and women who will chart a course to success for the nation.

   When American industry was the greatest in the world, and when the American worker established the highest standard of living on the planet, it was not because businesses turned their back on their nation and headed for places where slave labor thrived.

   Today, in this post-modern world of ours, Americans cannot even agree on what is or is not news of the day. The phrase "fake news" has been introduced into our lexicon of language. And, this idea has been caustic.

   I spent almost 20 years in the news business. Of course, back then, 'news' was mostly reported in newspapers. It was a craft, one that took someone years to learn. And, it was not entirely taught in colleges. Mostly, this craft was taught in newsrooms, where would-be reporters started by being assistants in the Editorial Department. They were given more responsibility, based on their performance, and eventually they might -- might -- be allowed to start writing something.

   It is not that way anymore. News is reported by anyone with a computer and a smart phone. It is no longer a craft, but a hobby for political advocates. Yes, there are still some major, credible news outlets. But the science behind news, and the ethical concerns so present during my years, is no longer anchored to news anywhere. Is it the Internet's fault? Well, that would be like blaming the sky for airplane accidents.

   The point is that Americans have ceased to have a set of facts in common about their politics, taxes, wars and laws. This is because if the news can no longer be believed, then people will believe what they want instead. And, this does nothing to help national unity.

   I will say, though, that 'traditional American values' should not be so interpretive as they are being spouted today. America has traditionally spurned foreign interventions. Americans have been at odds with Russian Bolsheviks and Chinese Communists since their inception. Yes, during World War II, common enemies turned these countries and America into temporary allies. But, these nation's leaders are not our 'friends' and association between American leaders and foreign nationals should be scrutinized with a critical eye at all times.

   It is not 'collusion' to be too deeply in the pockets and debt of foreigners. It is un-American, and possibly treason. The word 'treason' has been modified from its original meaning also. Where once treason was disloyalty to our nation, today this word is being applied to Americans who happen to not agree with certain political parties. I would under-score that disagreeing with those in power is far from treason or the Women's Suffrage and Civil Rights movements, in their times, would have been treasonous institutions...and they were not and are not.

   Founding brothers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson coined foul play between political parties. Inter-party rivalry and resorting to lies and innuendo is not new under the American sun. Yet, while politicians have always vied for power and fractured trust during election seasons, they have never before left the people fragmented after our elected representatives have been sworn in. This is a critique today, because the American people are as divided as any time they have ever been.

   Today, America faces multi-front wars from Africa to Southwestern Asia, and has been at war with some of these rivals for 20 years or more. America now finds it acceptable to fight 'never-ending wars.' How can this be a good idea? How does this solve the issue of having a strategic reserve on hand -- in case our rivals Russia and/or China ever decide to test American will. Our nation is too engaged in many minor wars to be able to effectively halt the Red Bear or the Chinese Colossus.

   Men and women of every race, creed and color serve this country in its uniforms, and place their lives in the hands of our nation's decision-makers ever single day. It does not take a well-trained eye to notice that, militarily, this nation is a ship adrift. And, it has been for a long time. I will say it simply, America cannot be strong and be fighting a never-ending war. War is where strength is weakened, not where it grows. It is not just the lack of funds that weakens the military, it is regular use in war that has no end.

   It is the 21st century and, rather than facing new challenges associated with our progress, Americans have decided to renew the domestic battles of old regarding equal justice, women's rights, immigration and governmental corruption. The world's technology has out-paced the growth of our national unity. And, this is a dangerous thing.

   Is it because Americans believe in nothing anymore? They believe in no institution, no leader, no rules of conduct...no God? Or, have Americans projected their wants and desires onto these things in the hopes that they might be at peace? I don't know. But, I know if our nation does not stop measuring itself by labels and false platitudes then we will suffer for it and find our times of great achievement only in history books.

  

  

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