The Daily Outrage

Save the Mosques!

The US Government spends money on a lot of things. I was surprised to hear that we're spending $770 million to renovate mosques. Just when I thought that I'd heard every possible outrage - Barack digs another one up. Maybe they think of $770 million as Monopoly money since it's borrowed from China?

The United States government – U.S. taxpayers – have $770 million to spend on mosque renovation but the United States Marine Corps has about two-thirds of their fighter jets grounded because the Marine Corps doesn’t have money for parts. 

The program that funds rebuilding mosques funnels money through the U.S. State Department’s USAID program. You’ve probably never heard about it because if flies under the radar. After all, it’s only $1 billion. It’s $1 billion in play money for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry to practice their “Smart Diplomacy.”

Reenlistment Bonuses for Vets --- Not so fast!

Frankly, this one makes me more angry than the $770 million to rebuild mosques in the Middle East. There is one word for all of this and it's "Obamanation".  We've wasted a lot of good men and women in worthless wars, fought for ego and hubris or whatever on the part of leadership. 

Now the Army wants to take back reenlistment and retention bonuses from a decade ago, paid to keep people in uniform when they needed them. The money is long spent, but the government doesn't care -- it needs money for mosques.

(Fox News) The Pentagon is seeking to recover decade-old reenlistment bonuses paid to thousands of California Army National Guard soldiers to go fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. 

The paper reported that nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom risked their lives during multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay the cash bonuses after audits revealed widespread overpayments by California Guard officials under pressure to meet enlistment targets at the height of the wars 10 years ago. 

But soldiers say the military is reneging on old agreements and imposing severe financial hardship on those whose only mistake was to accept the bonuses, which amounted to $15,000 or more. 

The Army asked wounded Iraq veteran and former Army captain Christopher Van Meter, 42, to repay a $25,000 reenlistment bonus it said he was ineligible to receive.

The City of Brass

I often make reference to Rudyard Kipling's poem, "The City of Brass" (written in 1909), when referring to the corrupt, morally bankrupt nation that we have become. I post it here for your reference and comment.

America not the first Empire that is being crushed by its own corruption. Maybe we should be happy that it has lasted as long as it has and that we have reaped the rewards of a Republic. But it's fading in the same way that all man's empires fade. The City of Brass.

Rudyard Kipling

The City of Brass

“Here was a people whom after their works
thou shalt see wept over for their lost dominion:
and in this palace is the last information
respecting lords collected in the dust.” – The Arabian Nights.

In a land that the sand overlays – the ways to her gates are untrod –
A multitude ended their days whose gates were made splendid by God,
Till they grew drunk and were smitten with madness and went to their fall,
And of these is a story written: but Allah Alone knoweth all!

When the wine stirred in their heart their bosoms dilated.
They rose to suppose themselves kings over all things created –
To decree a new earth at a birth without labour or sorrow –
To declare: “We prepare it to-day and inherit to-morrow.”

They chose themselves prophets and priests of minute understanding,
Men swift to see done, and outrun, their extremest commanding –
Of the tribe which describe with a jibe the perversions of Justice –
Panders avowed to the crowd whatsoever its lust is.

 Swiftly these pulled down the walls that their fathers had made them –
The impregnable ramparts of old, they razed and relaid them
As playgrounds of pleasure and leisure, with limitless entries,
 And havens of rest for the wastrels where once walked the sentries;

And because there was need of more pay for the shouters and marchers,
They disbanded in face of their foemen their yeomen and archers.
They replied to their well-wishers’ fears – to their enemies laughter,
Saying: “Peace! We have fashioned a God Which shall save us hereafter.

We ascribe all dominion to man in his factions conferring,
And have given to numbers the Name of the Wisdom unerring.”
 They said: “Who has hate in his soul? Who has envied his neighbour?
Let him arise and control both that man and his labour.”

They said: “Who is eaten by sloth? Whose unthrift has destroyed him?
He shall levy a tribute from all because none have employed him.”
They said: “Who hath toiled, who hath striven, and gathered possession?
Let him be spoiled. He hath given full proof of transgression.”

They said: “Who is irked by the Law? Though we may not remove it.
If he lend us his aid in this raid, we will set him above it!
So the robber did judgment again upon such as displeased him,
The slayer, too, boasted his slain, and the judges released him.

 As for their kinsmen far off, on the skirts of the nation,
They harried all earth to make sure none escaped reprobation.
They awakened unrest for a jest in their newly-won borders,
And jeered at the blood of their brethren betrayed by their orders.

They instructed the ruled to rebel, their rulers to aid them;
And, since such as obeyed them not fell, their Viceroys obeyed them.
When the riotous set them at naught they said: “Praise the upheaval!
For the show and the world and the thought of Dominion is evil!”

They unwound and flung from them with rage, as a rag that defied them,
The imperial gains of the age which their forefathers piled them.
They ran panting in haste to lay waste and embitter for ever
 The wellsprings of Wisdom and Strengths which are Faith and Endeavour.

They nosed out and digged up and dragged forth and exposed to derision
All doctrine of purpose and worth and restraint and prevision:
 And it ceased, and God granted them all things for which they had striven,
And the heart of a beast in the place of a man’s heart was given.

When they were fullest of wine and most flagrant in error,
Out of the sea rose a sign – out of Heaven a terror.
Then they saw, then they heard, then they knew – for none troubled to hide it,
A host had prepared their destruction, but still they denied it.

They denied what they dared not abide if it came to the trail;
But the Sward that was forged while they lied did not heed their denial.
It drove home, and no time was allowed to the crowd that was driven.
The preposterous-minded were cowed – they thought time would be given.

There was no need of a steed nor a lance to pursue them;
It was decreed their own deed, and not a chance, should undo them.
 The tares they had laughingly sown were ripe to the reaping.
The trust they had leagued to disown was removed from their keeping.

The eaters of other men’s bread, the exempted from hardship,
The excusers of impotence fled, abdicating their wardship,
For the hate they had taught through the State brought the State no defender,
And it passed from the roll of the Nations in headlong surrender!