Poetry: Der Kriegsglück, VII-VIII

VII.

Orders are orders.

No civilians.

Tears. Damn Sarge.

Orders. Back across. Go home.

No home. No more.

Go home.

Russians there. Slavic princes.

Poles. Ukraines. Urzaks. Belas.

Revenge. Rape. Knifes.

The torch in the face.

The screams.

Anglos! Protect us!

Orders are orders!

Fight them! Bitte! We fight you.

Opal eyes. Cold faces in spring.

Why not kill the Bolshevik?

Uncle Joe is good. So says FDR.

Who? He is a killer.

Back across the river. Orders are orders.

Too many orders. Not one step back. Die in your boots.

How we obey.

VIII. The Halbe Run

Three lines we will pierce.

May it not be four.

The Russians in front and behind.

To the east and the west.

Ukrainian warriors.

Belarusian warriors.

Quickly—they close the door to our left.

The artillery fires high.

Trees are targets. Tanks our refuge.

How they both explode. Leaves and limbs.

Pine splinters and iron graves.

Hear the drinking of gas. So little left.

Toss the wounded off.

To the turret. They scream.

The Ninth is no more.

Snell! Ich bin müde!

Where are our generals? Wo ist Busse?

On foot with the rest.

Across three lines to the west!

Pray not for four.

Death to those who cannot pierce three lines.

...On Principles

In public debates, albeit politics or religion or economics, most disagreements lay in the core principles that those individuals carry within them. At the foundation is where the problems occur, where emotionalism sprouts, where anger is lashed out. Democrats and Republicans, Catholics and Protestants. You certainly can name others, but the conflict between them will begin at the core principles though the actually debates are usually fought high up in the ether. A misunderstanding or assumptions of the other side's principles is where the problems lie. For example I have heard both Republicans and Democrats say in private conversation (when they didn't know me very well and assumed I agreed with them) that so and sos are illogical and emotional and won't change their minds so I don't even try to reason with them because they can't be reasoned with. A lot of this frustration comes from a misunderstanding of principles.

Granted many people do not really understand their own principles or their opponents usually attack them for not understanding their own principles. Or they accuse them of being outright mistaken (mainly because their principles vary.) This attack can often be effective in a short run debate because most people do not actively research their own principles or cannot convey them in an articulate manner. If both opponents do know their core principles there will never be a conclusion of the argument that is satisfactory to both parties. If each side is logical and rock solid in their beliefs you will not change them. This can become infuriating if one person's sole goal is to bring that person over to the "good" side.

For any commentator on society, whether it be in the form of a blog or other medium, they will be challenged. And that can be positive as long as it is constructive. But I find it easier to lay out my core beliefs as a reference point and not just for my readers but for myself. One it is a good review for me, but it also lets others know that I have in fact thought about this matter in great detail and I don't take it lightly.

One does not grow as a human being without critiquing and I welcome it. So the following is my own list of principles. But before I get to that I would like to just state some questions. A person's answer to these questions is a starting point to better understanding your own core beliefs.

• Is an individual capable of freedom?
• Does Liberty exist?
• Do Natural Rights exist or is it a human created myth?
  
• Can man govern themselves?
• Does the group (the majority) have preference over the individual (the minority)?
• Does might make right?
• Are their absolutes?
• Are governments or private institutions more of a threat to people?
  

The list could go on and on but hopefully you get the idea. If two people disagree on these core questions then it is a sure bet they are going to disagree on most things.

My Principles~A Refutation of stereotypes

To be a Conservative in politics does not mean that one is rigid or unfeeling or holding on with the last ounce of strength to a severe and intolerant view of past hierarchies. It is never against change, just against change for the mere sake of change.

Ultimately, to be a conservative in the United States should and must mean those who wish to conserve the principles of the Revolution of 1776—the culmination of liberal ideas & self-evident truths that stepped out of the dreams of the Enlightenment and were born in the crucible of war.

• Protection of our sacred Natural Rights by a just and consented government.
• Limited government based on justice, federalism, and the rule of law.
• The realization of “all men are created equal”—that the government for the people and by the people shall not give favor to one group, sex, or religion at the expense of any other.
• Devotion and protection of a “free” market that encourages enterprise, wealth, and innovation.
• Encouragement of a “republic of letters” to carry forward the principles of liberty, free inquiry, higher liberal education, and the unimpeded search for truth.
• Dedication to a moral and disciplined mind in thought as well as in actions.
• The Protection and Sanctity the Individual and the individual’s freewill within the larger group community.
• And finally, a denouncement of coercion as a means of reform. Education and leading by example shall be the means of change.

These are the ideas of the revolution set down in the Declaration of Independence—the goals I strive and battle for—the ideals of the modern Conservative.

From time to time I hopefully shall elaborate on each of these bullets.

. . . On The Election 2008

The media is making a big deal about 100 days left in the 2008 campaign. I guess we have FDR to thank for the 100 days hoopla nonsense. But I guess it is time to dive into the mix with some thoughts so far. No predictions yet.

Can John McCain win the election? Will the United States ever elect a Vietnam War veteran? This is probably our last chance (not that that matters really in the big picture but such questions are fun). If Obama is elected and reelected the average Vietnam Vet will be almost McCain's age in 2016. That puts you in Bob Dole land i.e. we really appreciate everything you did as a young man for our country, the sacrifices and all, buuuut. No thanks. We like this young "hip" model (Clinton, Obama). The one we can project our future ambitions onto.

Will the United States actually elect the first black American? (Even though Obama is as much white as black) As an historian I do find it ironic that we still hold on to antiquated ideas about race/blood/percentages to determine "what" someone is. If you were 1/8th African back in the day you were considered black. Or is it a symptom of a patriarchal society. Example Tiger Woods' mother's Asian heritage is swept under the rug just like Obama's mother's European heritage. Something to ponder.

America has never in 232 years elected a person with a vowel at the end of their name for president. No Italians, no Greeks, no Spanish, no Pole, no Slav. Every American president has been predominately English, Scottish, Dutch, Irish, or Germany. Obama is certainly outside the box, while McCain fits nicely in it. No doubt if Obama wins it will be historic on numerous levels.

But what has been the most interesting and what got me thinking about all this in the first place is this. So far Obama has consistently polled around 47%, HERE , no real change from even the primary season. Even with the media drooling all over him and the general apathy of the Republicans he can't break the 50% mark. The gap between the two candidates usually comes down to McCain's fluctuating numbers. But when people step into the voting booth in November things may be different when they finally have to make a decision.

In the last 40 years only one Democratic president has broken the 50% mark in the popular vote. And that was Carter in 1976 and that was right after Watergate folks and he only hit 50.1%! In that same time 4 Republicans have passed the 50% mark. In the last 64 years (since 1944 when FDR defeated Dewey) only 2 Democrats have broken the 50% barrier--LBJ in '64 and Carter. The GOP has done it 6 times in that same span. Makes you think how this blanket assumption of Democratic dominance permeates society. That's for another article.

Obviously Obama doesn't need to hit 50% to win(see Truman, JFK, Clinton) but for any mandate in dealing with Congress it would be nice. Truman, Carter, Clinton and JFK for that matter had a mediocre to poor success with Congress during their terms. The left loves to tear itself apart once in power. Only FDR truly held the coalition together and even he lost much of his support with Congress by the end of his second term. If Obama does win I predict he will not break 50%. See there was one prediction.

The bigger pressure is on McCain. If you're pessimistic you can see this whole election being a one way ticket to nowhere for the GOP. And believe me it is thick among the ranks. No one is excited. Heck, even I have a tough time getting excited, hence the first original blog on the election. When a candidate is not the favorite among the rank and file and he has liabilities looking the best on TV there will be problems. However, if you're optimistic (and those are few and far between) you could say this is right where McCain wants him. His campaign was lackluster a year ago and everyone had him buried. He came back just as he has done every other time in his life) I will be shocked if McCain rolls over ala Dole. If the GOP could simply be more positive (some of that hope that Obama hocks, eh?) this could be a very close race at the end.

Last point for now. The Democrats usually always find a way to lose. Makes you wonder why? Could it be their policies? Top-down government? Royalists masquerading as democrats? The stench of appeasement? Hmm.

Campaign 2008: Never In Doubt, Obama and Iraq

John Dickerson of Slate.com looks at Obama's Visit to Iraq.

ARTICLE HERE

Obamamania hits Europe

Josef Joffe of the German weekly Die Zeit on Obama, Europe, & the future of the sole hyper-power. The article is from the New Republic.

ARTICLE HERE

Poetry: Der Kriegsglück, IV-VI

Der Kriegsglück continues. The first two segments deal with the Americans, the third with the guy who started it all.

IV.

The brown waves of the Elbe cast a frame on sorrow and defeat.

I will look across.

Will you dare me?

Listen and pray—hold the savior’s cross.

This is not the Detroit River—Windsor across the way.

Past rumrunners—tires on ice—cash in a pocket.

A pat on the head—Purple Gangs and cold whiskey.

No, this is not foolish youth and adventure across the long water.

But death, 25 times over. So many dead.

Feel their sorrow—it’s in the air like songs.

V.

Yankees are naïve, standing in Government Issue boots

Perched in Motor City jeeps.

Full bellies and unshaved faces.

Eyes of the new killers.

Whispers and memories.

Look there, only tattered Teutonic soldiers beyond the bridges

Surrender like glass queens—fragile scepters of power now lost.

Run from the Reds. So many. So brutal. So hungry.

“Surrender.” We surrender. Our blood is thin.

Take my gun Joe. Bitte.

VI.

Glorious chieftain. Betrayed.

Surrounded. Accused.

Die like Alcibiades.

No arrows here.

Pistol to the head.

Campaign 2008: Media Crushes

Not that this is a huge shock or anything, considering SNL's scathing satire on the media's love (lust?) for Obama during the primary season, and of course reality, but it's not bad.

I also never thought I would be linking a post from Dee Dee Meyers of all people either.

This one is from Vanity Fair.

"Is the Media Trying to Elect Obama?"

Isn't it odd that Obama still comes up as a misspelled word on spell check?

Poetry: Der Kriegsglück, I-III

From time to time I will post selections from my prose or poetry. The first post is the first part of a long poem, Der Kriegsglück, focusing on World War II that was originally begun in 2003 and revised in 2006 and again in 2008. It is inspired by both T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Antony Beevor's The Fall of Berlin.

[All punctuation or lack there of is intentional.]

Der Kriegsglück translates basically as The Luck of War.

I.

A vision of the future...

Have not these visions left countless bones in the fields?

Cut down in accountable actions—driven

When will they tire of these vast ideas—

So massive and big, the IDEA

Careless towards all that flesh needed to achieve.

Great men with short tempers.

Hope to uplift man.

Revolution to lift themselves.

Clash, clash, clash.

Ego and steel.

They have answers. The masses need them.

The claw at their faces to be led.

Great changes that leave broken cities and lost children.

The sheep want safety—a land free of fear.

Work and sleep and love—warm beds and beer.

The Great Men know this—they will mold the fears.

Clay and marrow and blood.

National Socialism, Communism, Marxism,

Isms from here to there.

The children will embrace them.

Give me security they scream. Give them the glory they long for.

They, and only they, can assuage the lonely pit of anxiety that holds the weak

The mob holds tight to the Great Men.

But sometimes the Great Men wish to be Greater Men.

All crumbles before ambition.

Then comes trouble, death...prostration before the laws of history.

Feel the trembling of the jealous gods.

The Will of Great Men is an insatiable lust.

II.

Pete and Repeat. Nothing new.

That’s the jaded message.

The call that has fallen on ears time and time again.

Listen. We know the way.

Run and die. But most of all obey

III.

High standards—when they are too high,

The stumbling man

Falls.

Hangman—learning is a challenging art.

Trust, trust, trust.

Don’t let me down.

FILM REVIEW: Wall-E

Wall-E
[Directed by Andrew Stanton. Voices by Ben Burtt, Elisa Knight, Jeff Garlin, & Fred Willard]

I reviewed The Dark Knight before WALL-E even though I saw them in the opposite order. I've found it difficult to review WALL-E right after The Dark Knight. They are both brilliant films but so different. One is wondrous and optimistic and the other dark, dreary, and a concoction of nitro and post-9/11 reflection. I still can't get the Joker out of my mind. I have to push it back in order to remember the grandeur of Pixar's latest gem. Believe me, The Dark Knight does stay with you. But so does WALL-E, albeit in a much different manner.

WALL-E continues Pixar/Disney's domination of the animation field. I'm sure real reviewers are sick of saying "Pixar's done it again." But they have. Each film is a little richer, has a little more texture, has a little bit more to say, and is a little bit more adult. They have accomplished all of this without decreasing the fun. WALL-E has a lot of ideas bobbing around and has a philosophy that I think people will be debating for some time. After more people see it I hope to have a discussion or two. It's a bit much for a blog.

I believe there will always be a place for traditional film making, but Pixar is getting scary good when it comes to realistic animation. Once the cost comes down there may be a time in the next ten or twenty years when the majority of films will be done with computers. There are a few shots in the first twenty minutes of WALL-E that are hyper-real and I was just staring at them wondering how they did it. Beautiful. Mesmerizing.

WALL-E triumphs because it creates a truly believable world. You forget everything else beyond this little robotic trash-compactor and the little life he's carved out in a forgotten wasteland. There is roughly no dialogue for at least twenty minutes, yet you connect with WALL-E in a way you rarely connect with any on screen character after two hours. Actions certainly speak louder than words.

And it was an odd and bold creative choice to weave in music from the old musical Hello Dolly as almost a character in itself, but even that works in ways unimaginable. I would have loved to been there when whoever pitched the idea. There were probably crickets. But whoever won them over and bravo for that. I imagine sales of Hello Dolly will skyrocket.

I am interested how young children will react to the movie. WALL-E is lovable, even for a Johnny-5 hybrid robot, but as I stated earlier the film's essence is (I believe) aimed right at adults (and thinking adults at that). Will kids be hooked? I don't know. They will probably enjoy the movie on one of the other numerous levels this film has.

In closing I do recommend seeing WALL-E on the big screen. Also if you have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey there are allusions galore that are enjoyable. Get to the funplex now.

RATING: 9.5 out of 10

Christopher Hitchens From Slate

I'll let Hitchens speak for himself. He asks some poignant questions about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and addresses the fallacy that we can and should only fight one war at a time.

HITCHENS: The War between the Wars

FILM REVIEW: The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT
[Directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Christian Bale, Heath Leger, Michael Caine, Morgan Freemen, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Gary Oldman.]

Don't worry I won't give anything away.

Let's begin with: Fantastic. What an amazing film, not a movie, but a film. I was impressed by what Nolan did with Batman Begins and well, they surpassed even that. I agree with a few other reviewers who have said that this film is not really a superhero movie but a crime drama. And it is. The Dark Knight is stripped down and raw. Though PG-13, it is an inch away from an R rating and I'm good with that. Gone is all the camp (which Burton briefly swept away and Schumacher resurrected) and even the quips and silliness that lingered here and there are gone. There is humor to lighten the mood at times but full throttle mayhem (smart mayhem mind you) is almost constant. There is a creepiness and a brutality to the film that raises the bar.

Leger is unforgettable as the Joker. You forget it is even him playing the role. He is more sinister than Nicholson's performance--scarier. He will haunt you, which is how the Joker should be played. Truly a brilliant casting decision by Nolan and an Oscar-worthy turn by Leger.

The film is so good that I'd be okay without another one. It bookends Batman Begins very well.

Also if you can see it in IMAX, see it in IMAX--wow. I need to see it again to say The Dark Knight is a masterpiece but it is darn close.

Rating 9 out of 10

Campaign 2008: Funny Stuff

Jib-Jab finally has a new comic video up and running at their website. And as usual it is quite funny. Enjoy.

JIB-JAB: Campaign 2008

The Future: Cold War or More War in the Middle East

An article (a little bleak) from an Middle East professor from the NY Times looking at the near future of the Iran-Israel conflict. If and when (more likely when) Iran gets the bomb things will get interesting and potentially horrible.

ARTICLE HERE

Harry Potter Film Stuff #2

Rotten Tomatoes has a 17 pic slide-show from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Get more here

FILM REVIEW: The Ruins

The RUINS [Directed by Carter Smith. Starring: Jena Malone, Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Joe Anderson, and Laura Ramsey (hubba-hubba)]

It's late and I need to vent. I just finished watching The Ruins and to say the least I am frustrated!! I can't believe they could butcher a novel so badly. The producers and director (and the writer) have successfully sucked all the life out of this book. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking for a good summer read. Yes, the characters could be fleshed out more, but its still a page-turner. As for the adaptation (which I was looking forward to since Scott Smith was adapting his own novel) well, its pretty close to terrible if you read the book and enjoyed it in the slightest. Every original, creepy aspect of the book was diluted or simply ignored. And then the good stuff they did include they left hanging. They used nothing to build tension. Creating atmosphere I believe was key to the film and they failed in almost every way.

If you haven't read the book, you may moderately enjoy the movie. It currently holds a 6.2 out of 10 at IMDB after 8,000 votes so someone must have liked it. But the film is rushed (only 90 minutes long) and you even get less character development than the book.

A couple of things exacerbate the whole rage I am feeling right now. First and foremost is that they blended and mixed up all the characters. If one thing happened in the novel to a character it happens to an entirely different character in the book! Not just once, but at least four times and there are only like eight characters in the whole thing. Am I being petty? Anyone who has read the book will be utterly frustrated by the whole experience. Secondly, I shouldn't have watched the making of doc from the DVD because everyone is talking about how great the production is and the director, etc and they even talk about changing everything and are all happy and glad about it. I wanted to heave the remote through the TV right at their heads. Arrgghh! Okay. I feel a little better. I know I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't spew all this out. Which is the whole point of blogs I think.

On the juvenile side (or the libido side) Laura Ramsey is absolutely gorgeous. Wow.

So I give the Ruins a 3 out of 10 if you've read the novel. 5 out of 10 if you haven't read it. You've been warned.

Tony Snow: More Remembrances

I thought I'd add a few more articles regarding Tony Snow.

The first is from Susan Estrich (who I cannot stand to listen to, I find her voice very grating, but can read from time to time.)

Estrich remembers her friendship with Snow

The second is by Nolan Finley of the Detroit News

Tony Snow was a family man first

R.I.P. Tony Snow

Tony Snow died today. Sad news.

Full Article

NASA and Shuttle to Part Ways

NASA sets date for final shuttle mission in 2010

HOUSTON — NASA has tentatively set the final space shuttle mission for May 31, 2010, four months before the shuttle fleet retires.

NASA has 10 missions remaining for the shuttle fleet, which President Bush ordered to retire by Sept. 30, 2010. The schedule announced Monday includes five flights this year, five in 2009 and three in 2010.

The space agency has already begun work on developing a new spacecraft to send astronauts back to the moon.

FILM REVIEW: Wanted

I have been requested to write the occasional film review, so here we go. (You can thank Laura DiMichelle-Ross) Ah, reminds me of my days at the Western Herald.

WANTED [Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Common, and Angelina Jolie]
6 out of 10
RATED: R for Intense, Graphic Violence, Profanity, and Brief Nudity.

If you are looking for a summer-action-popcorn-extravaganza-thrill ride this is it. If you are looking for a little logic and coherence in your summer-action-popcorn-extravaganza-thrill ride than you may want to skip this melee of bullets, fast cars, stabbings, and otherwise orchestrated mayhem.

Ludicrous comes to mind (and I'm not taking rap here). Granted the whole enterprise is based on a comic book so suspending your disbelief is a prerequisite. I won't give much away but here is the gist of the film, James McAvoy plays an accountant whose pathetic life is, well, pathetic in every shape and form. The film plays all of this very cynically, think The Office as written by 20-something bitter interns at the New Republic. He finds out he really has a genetically inherent gift to be a world-class assassin. It doesn't take long before he's recruited by The Fraternity. [Thousand year-old assassin guild started by medieval weavers, believe me I am not making this up]. They are commanded to keep order in this world by occasionally bumping off bad people. And they get their kill orders from a giant mystical LOOM. Yes, a LOOM.

It isn't quite as stupid as it sounds, but it is very odd. (No, actually it is as stupid as it sounds) McAvoy goes through the usual stages: training, disillusion, more training, betrayal, twists, turns, numerous wounds, more training, revenging father, etc. The movie has it all. There are some amazing action set-pieces in the film so I will give it that. It wants to be as ground-breaking as the Matrix, but the film is limited in its scope.

As for the cast, Jolie is perfect at playing the bad-ass vixen so she's enjoyable. McAvoy does a fine job as well as the American slacker, though his accent bothered me a bit since I've only seen him in British films up to this point. Freeman clearly did this film for the check, but he's game. Overall, if you have a free afternoon and you like the action genre you have some fun. Katie actually enjoyed it much more than I did.

The Cleveland Indians Continue Their Collapse

Well if blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2007 ALCS to the Red Sox wasn't enough, if underpreforming for the first half of this baseball season after high expectations was crippling, losing Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, and Jake Westbrook for most or all of the season was just plain painful...well we were just getting started, now comes the cherry on the sundae or the last pile of dirt on the grave of the 08 season or the big white flag--It is official last year's CY Young award winner, CC Sabathia, has been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. This is no surprise but it did come a few weeks faster than I thought. And to make matters worse Sabathia will help the Brewers make a big push against my fav National League Cubs. Que Lastima!

More info here

Veep-Stakes Continues

The Republican guessing-game concerning McCain's VP continues in this piece from Bloomberg. I have to agree that Romney does make a lot of sense at this point in the race. Though that can change.

ARTICLE HERE

US Embassy in Berlin Returns Home

Berlin Celebrates Return of U.S. Embassy to Brandenburg Gate

By Patrick Donahue

Article is HERE

Historical Perspective on the Fourth of July

Here is a link to a Very good article on our Republic's 232 birthday. Victor Davis Hanson does a fine job at giving us the long view of history (and even the shorter view of American History) in regards to our present state. Perspective is the appropriate word for it.

Bottom line: we are fortunate to be living in the Golden Age of American civilization. No epoch is free of turmoil, travails, war, or oppression. We currently panic at 1% growth in our economy and other issues that pale to the hurdles our ancestors had to battle.

I encourage everyone to think about the immense bounty we have received and focus on all the small things we do everyday to ensure the continuance of our liberty, our hope, and our sacred honor.

Here's to 232 more years of liberty, freedom, and improvement.

Hanson's article:

Summer Buzz

Both Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight are gathering some serious buzz (big surprise)

These links to Rottentomatoes shed some light.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hellboy_2_the_golden_army/

Freedom and Waterboarding

Two very different articles, but both interesting.

George Will looking at the history of American Independence (not the whole thing, but the issuing of the proclamation.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/the_first_declaration_of_indepe.html

The second his Christopher Hitchen's Vanity Fair article on his waterboarding experience. Yes, he subjected himself to it firsthand. The account is below.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808

Harry Potter Film Stuff

The British magazine Empire has a sneak peak of their new issue regarding the upcoming Harry Potter film...

http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/

Might be of interest

Shouting into darkness

Well, here we are, at the beginning. Another voice jammed in the ever-expanding noosphere.

To those lucky few who will ever come across this blog (and dare say return again and again) I welcome you. There will be no grand theme for this blog, other than it will center on my interests and thoughts--ranging from pop culture, politics, history, philosophical ramblings, etc. So, you know, time-wasters all.

The site will also be a gateway to articles that I find of interest and wish to share with others (generally political and entertainment based.) So hopefully this will be a record of our life and times. Feel free to interject in a civilized manner. Humor and the lighter side is always appreciated.

Occasionally I will also post excerpts from any writings/sketches (chapters, poems, short stories) I am working on. So stay tuned.