Tall in the Saddle No Longer

April 2009
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Tall in the Saddle No Longer

09 April 2009

George Rebane

Our government’s reaction to Somali pirates and the Saudi king says it all – by our own hand we are a changed and diminished nation.

In days of yore our government would have acted fast and with finality against pirates – especially those in shirtsleeves and small open boats on the high seas. Merchantmen were all armed and could repel such ragtag boarders, and our navy laid waste to ‘safe havens’ that harbored the scum. Now in this age of sensitivity, we don’t even want to arrest the sumbiches because we don’t know to what jurisdiction to take them for a fair trial. How about a fair trial right there in the water with the sharks (the swimming kind, not the litigation kind)? Thus arrives the Mad Max world when civilization refuses to defend itself.

And let’s cut the crap on Obama and the Saudi king. Bowing is an act of obeisance, usually offered during arrival and parting, that involves the bower lowering his head and eyes in front of the bowee (new word, feel free to use it). And most certainly it’s a bow when your head goes lower than the other guy’s head (see around 50-55 seconds into the video). Now Obama feels that the changed US must do more than a little bowing to our creditors, benefactors, and campaign contributors, especially since he and his crowd don’t have a clue on how to pull us out of this recession, but need to keep selling bogus bonds to the Arabs and Chinese. We do what we must.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, one now has to conclude that Sec Treasury Geithner is either evil or butt stupid – for the moment let’s give him the benefit of doubt and consider him just a butt stupid tax dodger. The man has identified the nation’s venture capital firms as being like hedge funds, and a new source of ‘systemic risk’ to our financial structure. Our VC firms are one of the brightest jewels in the country’s entrepreneurial crown. Their record in financing start-up innovators that have grown to world giants – Intel, Apple, Cisco, Google, Amazon, … – and kept us in the forefront of technology and commerce is bright and blazing. Their financial dealings are miniscule while the risk in their investments is transparent and well understood by the investors. Nevertheless, the pace of government running amok quickens. James Freeman in today’s WSJ describes this piece of bizarre news from Washington.

Administrivia – Mr. Gary Zimmerman, Senior Economist at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, sent me the PowerPoint he presented at the recent Nevada County Economic Development meeting. It is available from the post on the meeting here.

Posted in Our Country

10 responses to “Tall in the Saddle No Longer”

Scott Obermuller

09 April 2009

Oh no, George – he didn’t bow to the king. The white house spokes-fool will put you straight on that! “It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
He merely lowered his head below the level of the king’s head while shaking hands, because he’s taller than the king. Get it? It all depends on the meaning of the word “bow”. In the future, we will be instructed by Obama on all manner of new meanings of words.
Oh, brave new world!

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Wade

09 April 2009

Curiously selective outrage from the right wing. We are supposed to believe Obama abased himself wretchedly before the Saudis, but forget Bush’s abject capitulation to same following 9/11? Letting the perpetrators go scot free while pretending another nation was to blame is quite a bit more pathetic than this wholly manufactured kerfluffle. Talk about “obeisance.”
As for the pirates, we’ve hardly had time to formulate a coherent response since the first emerged on January 21st, 2009. Wait, the Somali pirates have been attacking shipping in the Gulf of Aden for years? Perhaps Obama should look to his predecessor’s response… One wonders why it took so long for a US-flagged ship to finally be affected and why it was considered to be someone else’s problem beforehand. I do agree, the world’s navies should be shooting first, arresting later, but they might also want to look into the toxic dumping / illegal seafood harvesting (really, both? One or the other, please…).
And if China should down and capture one of our reconnaissance planes, anything short of multiple nuclear strikes will be deemed the cowardly collaboration it is.

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Wade

09 April 2009

Just watched the video. That was a bow. How ridiculous and stupid to insist otherwise… Still not sure what I’m supposed to be enraged over though.

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George Rebane

09 April 2009

For the record, I did not call for any rage over Obama’s genuflection to the Arab – just acknowledging the realities. But I am saddened by our response to the pirates attacking an American flagged ship. Wade, your note implies that America should have acted as sheriff against the pirates before this incident. Don’t know where you’re going with that Left-lambasted role for our armed forces, but I would agree with you.

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Russ Steele

09 April 2009

Unless Obama moves quickly to show the pirates and their rogue tribal leaders they will pay a fearsome price for taking more U.S. citizens hostage, we can expect even more hostage taking. Remember when the Clinton administration failed to move decisively against the militant Islamists, they just kept bombing until the Bush administration came on the scene and took decisive action. We can argue if it was the correct decisive action. However, for 8+ years we have not had any more attacks on United State sovereign territory, that is until these poor fools decided board a ship carrying the United States flag, US sovereign territory.
However, there is a possibility that they were clueless, taking the ship in the dark. They might not have know the ship was carrying a US Flag. Regardless the, glove has been thrown down and now the challenge is on the table. We wimp, or we take decisive action. The question is, what should that action be?
I have been out of the military for 20+ years, and maybe out of touch, but from my armchair I would use our superior intelligence assets, and then use hunter killer teams in our highest speed boats to hunt them down. I would equip a couple of decoy ships, with well armed teams onboard, and wipe out a few more once they come aboard. The remaining pirates would soon start checking flags before they come aboard a US flag ship. They would never know what was waiting for them.
Reagan understood the need for action and had the Air Force put a couple of missiles through Kadafi bedroom window when he was foolish enough to attack a US ship in international waters. Our Libia problem went away.

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JS

10 April 2009

This is really a great example of doing away with guns and what it will create. Remember, the bad guys won’t be playing that game.
So, our merchant ships are not armed, they are open to these kinds of situations, and will continue to be. And look at all of the money and expense it is costing us. Now, do you think these pirates would try to board one of our Navy ships? No, they have guns and know how to use them.
Why do we have to be so stupid about this?

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DaveC

11 April 2009

In 1968 the Army Helicopter Company I was in was sent to Vietnam on a troop ship. The USNS Barrett was under the command of the Maritime Sea Transportation Service. No Navy markings. About a day or so out from our destination a small Asian vessel began approaching our ship. The MSTS captain sounded a warning blast from the ships whistle, but the Asian boat kept coming towards us. At the request of the ships captain, an infantry commander on board ordered about a dozen of his soldiers to lock and load their M16’s. One soldier was ordered to fire his weapon on automatic to make a big splash around the approaching boat. The Asian boat driver got the hint and sped off.
With air marshalls on most airline flights these days I wonder if armed guards on maritime vessels in pirateering waters is next?

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George Rebane

11 April 2009

A good piece of practical history Dave. I’ve been waiting for that simple ‘sea marshall’ solution myself for some years since regular piracy began in the Straits of Malacca. It sure would be cheaper and send the message that civilization will also defend itself on the margins.

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Russ Steele

11 April 2009

A caller at one of the late night radio programs Ellen listens to related an incident that happened on an ocean going yacht in the Pacific, it might have been the Straits of Malacca, or the Philippines. Everyone on deck was required to carrying a side arm. The pirates approached and saw that the crew and passengers armed and they turned away.

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DaveC

11 April 2009

Sea Marshalls seems like a somewhat easy thing to do. The only questions I have would be how many marshalls per vessel and what armament they should carry. Other questions would be what kind U.S. vessels should have marshalls, taking in to consideration tonnage, onboard accomodations and their cargo.
I would not favor armed crew members, just like I am not in favor of airline pilots being allowed to carry a weapon on board.

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