Regarding Nero and company ...

Welcome back badboy, and thank you for your service ....

I read your last and it should be of no surprise that I am in agreeance with the good Major General and I appreciate your adding his message to our site. However, I would add this... this type of message, the explanation of our current battles, the war we are in, with whom and the stakes involved in losing, are being done a grave disservice by those current leaders whom agree with you, me, Jambo & the general (and to a large extent Titus). From Alexander to Frederick, to FDR and Patton (and there are obviously countless other war time leaders throughout history), the common leadership trait in each of these, which is missing in the US right now, is the ability to communicate our struggle in clear, inspiring ways. There is something about the human condition which allows our better spirits to only be rallied with the artful spoken word. Regardless of God's reason for ingraining that necessity into the human experience, the fact remains it is incumbent upon "leaders" to acknowledge it and address it.

It is often said that actions speak louder then words. Perhaps, and ON the battlefield this is indelibly true. But just as true is that the words spoken by the commander, civilian or otherwise, prior and subsequent to the initial battle are equally important. Churchill's continual addresses to his fellow Brits. Even our favorite series, "Band of Brothers" comes from one of the most famous inspirational pre-battle speeches in Western civilization. Reagan's "tear down this wall". Kennedy's inaugural address. What the US needs right now is a supreme allied communicator whom uses that strength to be an effective supreme allied commander, and lead us to victory. In our 232 year history we have more times then not produced as a country a war time commander-in-chief that had both the strength of his convictions and the weight that a properly spoken word can carry in acting on those convictions. I have never questioned our presidents heart or that he is cut from the best moral fiber in his desires to both spread liberty and protect the United States. But let us hope (and act via voting)that the next president will add to that the ability to inspire a nation through word, and thus be our much needed war time leader.

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Titus, I read your "hang em' high" post regarding GTMO. I assume that even if I contextually add the emotion at the time you wrote that post, you would now favor water boarding as a means of garnering Intel? I mean, if summary executions are to be advocated to prevent a terrorist act (as in those 26 lost souls), then surely NON lethal interrogations are acceptable in order to prevent such attacks, yes?