Early Independence Day

Because of my work schedule and because I will be away for the holiday, I must do my Independence Day post early. Please forgive my prematurity (I think I just made that word up). I am very fond of my country. For all her flaws she is the greatest country in history. First, let us remember the cost of liberty.

Revolutionary War - 4,435
War of 1812 - 2,260
Mexican War - 13,283
Civil War (Union) - 364,511
Spanish-American War - 2,446
World War I - 116,516
World War II - 405,399
Korean War - 36,574
Vietnam War - 58,209
Gulf War I - 382
War on Terror (Includes
those killed on 9-11-01) - 5,859

* all causualty numbers were taken from official DOD sources here and here. September 11, 2001 casualty numbers were taken from here. I subtracted 19 from the 9-11-01 numbers because I chose not to include the terrorists in the total.

And now some quotes from our first president...

"I am sure that never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our Revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God who is alone able to protect them."

"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

George Wasington, 1732-1799
Commander, Continental Army
President, United States of America

Happy Birthday America!!

Morning "News" on CBS

I guess I'm not to smart. About two weeks ago I was sitting here at the computer in the morning with the Today Show on in the background. This morning I had a CBS program (Early Show) on. Their first two stories were typical of MSM "news". First, the anchor reported two facts. The congress was one vote away from passing legislation that would support a Constitutional amendment which restricted burning the American flag. The second was about the leaking of American activities by the New York Times regarding the tracking of overseas financial transactions in order to combat terrorism.

I won't even get in to how I feel about both of those topics. They made the report and then cut to their Washington correspondent live in front of the White House. The correspondant assured all the viewers that there was no substance or sincerity to either issue and that it is all simply midterm election posturing. And in regards to the info leak, it was simply the administration making a lot of noise regarding an issue that is their only strongpoint. Please...! either the Bush Administration is wrong in the war on terror or their right, you can't have it both ways CBS!

This all reminds me of the scene from the Wizard of OZ when Toto pulls back the curtain revealing the secret of the "Wizard". And the "Wizard" shouts, "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain"!! in other words, don't believe the facts of what you see, believe in the fantasy with which you are presented.

Pyro

New Jerusalem?

This interesting article discusses an evolution in Arab/Muslim thought regarding the city of Jerusalem. It seems that Muslims are putting the revisionist history process to work. Just as leftists and other extreme liberals have done in the United States regarding the Christian influence on America's founding documents. This is nothing more than poisoning the well on a grand scale. Isn't it interesting how significant tradition is in a culture? Books and other written histories are always being manipulated, invented, or discredited. But tradition, because it is a thing that lives with a people, a thing that has a memory, is much more difficult to defeat. Just as all sincere people [poisoning the well ;-) ] "know" that the United States' founders and founding documents are Christian in orgin, everyone "knows" that the Jewish (Judah's tribe) people lived in Jerusalem where they had their Temple.

Pyro