Archive for the ‘Politics / News’ Category

Can’t Give This War Away – Interview with War Correspondent Nathan S. Webster

The following is an interview with Nathan S. Webster.  Nathan is an Army veteran and served in the first Iraq war.  He was a journalist during the second Iraq war and was embedded with the 1st/505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division.  He’s got an amazing story to tell and chapters from his war memoir are available on amazon.com:  Can’t Give This War Away

Q: When I think about the difference between the soldiers and journalists in Iraq, I think of it as the difference between an eagle and an ant.  The ants live in the dirt, eat it, and sleep in it, and although the eagles don’t know what it’s like to eat in or sleep in
dirt, they see it from an entirely different perspective and they see all the dirt for miles.

Issues Surrounding Veterans and Prisoners of War – Guest Post

One of the possible subjects in writing military essays is the issues that surround veterans and prisoners of war.  There are quite a many issue involving veterans and POWs, which should be addressed not only by military essays and reports but also of their respective governments. Veterans and POWs often get special attention from their respective countries because of the sacrifices they made during a conflict.

Asbestos Exposure in Naval Ships – Guest Post

Military veterans who served in the Navy may have been
exposed to asbestos and may suffer from certain health issues as a result.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that has been known to cause multiple respiratory diseases, was widely used aboard naval ships throughout much of the 20th century.

Diseases associated with asbestos exposure include mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural plaques, lung cancer and others. Servicemen and women who worked on naval ships in the past should take watchful concern because some of these cancers are extremely aggressive and offer limited treatment options.

Late Guest Post — Happy Veteran’s Day!

This is a guest post from Marc.  He was a medic in the Army for six years, until he had to leave because of an injury.  He wrote this note a few years ago on Veteran’s Day and wanted to share it.  I know it’s not currently Veteran’s Day, but who cares.  Vets are Vets every day.  Here’s his post:

“In honor of all of our nations veterans on this…the week of Veteran’s Day…I thought that I would share my own thoughts on the matter at hand…and that is, what it’s like to be a Veteran, and maybe shed some light on the complexity of the contrast of being here at home, and the other side…

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund – Remembering Those Who Served (Guest Post)

My name is Jan C Scruggs, Founder and President of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial. 30 years ago, I helped build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This
monument healed millions with the engravings on a black granite wall.  Now, I am taking those names and putting a story and picture behind it in a new museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC; the Education Center at The Wall.

Semper Fi-bulous – The Life Of A Gay Marine (Done Before the Repeal of DADT)

With a dozen Marines on either side of him, Marc Winslow marched down a sullen dirt road.  “Hoo—rah,” he screamed as the drill instructor called cadence.   Marc looked to the left and then to the right, with heads shaven to the skin, faces free of stubble, and a snarl of the lip, each Marine was indistinguishable from the next.  His shoulders were back, his head was held high, after months of training, he was finally one of “the few, the proud,” he was a Marine.

Medal of Honor Recipient Leroy Petry

Jon Stewart just had an awesome interview with Sergeant Leroy Petry.  Sergeant Petry is the latest, living, recipient of the Medal of Honor.  A very brave and honorable soldier, he has an amazing story to tell.  Whether you agree or disagree with the war, is moot.  What’s amazing about his story is the amount of courage, bravery and selflessness that one man can have towards his troops. His story can inspire us all the be better people (and he also shows off his kick-ass new robotic arm).

Here’s the interview with Jon Stewart:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/thu-july-14-2011-leroy-petry

Afghanistan – War

Soldier in Afghanistan

It’s hard to believe, that will all the coverage of The Terminator’s illegitimate child, Katie Couric leaving evening new and Newt Gingrich running for office, that there’s a war going on, but apparently there is.  The war in Afghanistan, often known as ‘The Forgotten War,’ has been going on for over a decade and troop morale is reported to be at one of its lowest points.  And who could blame them.  The troops are overseas fighting, and risking their lives, and the biggest news story is about Arnold Schwarzenegger and his illegitimate child.   It’s pathetic!

Current World Events Illustrate Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Media

The advantages and disadvantages of online media have been prominent in recent weeks. Today’s media is challenged with delivery of news events in split second time. With social media networks as FaceBook and Twitter, we have seen in the last two months, the revolution in Tunisia that resulted with the entire government being dismantled to the recent events in Egypt’s political unrest and revolution of the people.

In the history of the United States, we are witnessing world events change and have the opportunity to see the changes in almost real time. Tunisia’s revolution began by a citizen frustrated by social poverty and repression that used self-immolation. Witnessing that videotaped event on-line sparked the unrest across the Middle East.

Top Reasons Why Group Movements in Politics Are So Important

Group movements in politics are truly important. Politics deal mostly with making decisions at a group level. So you can’t talk about politics unless you also talk about group movements.

Group movements are important in politics because of the following reasons:

#1: Group movements may turn the situation violent.

When the power of the group is unleashed, governments can do very little about it. They will have to abdicate or do what the group wants.

On the other side, it may take decades until group movements become strong enough. The process is slow. Politicians can afford to ignore them for a while.