tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post5386393602851623095..comments2024-03-28T15:23:18.071-07:00Comments on Pure Mormonism: How To Thank A VeteranAlan Rock Watermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-41236192308363749442018-08-18T12:01:06.322-07:002018-08-18T12:01:06.322-07:00Happy Veterans Day Quotes | Awesome Veterans Day Q...Happy Veterans Day Quotes | Awesome Veterans Day Quotes<br /><a href="http://aveteransday.com/veterans-day-quotes/" rel="nofollow">veterans day Quotes</a>rd ritikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404640296050463968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-11523011008013361402015-10-31T14:17:13.612-07:002015-10-31T14:17:13.612-07:00Veterans day? Thank God I'm not an American.Veterans day? Thank God I'm not an American.R. Metzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15875261161185193692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-12780175552916660472015-06-30T23:52:41.968-07:002015-06-30T23:52:41.968-07:00While I love most of your posts, I'm afraid I ...While I love most of your posts, I'm afraid I can't get 100% behind this one. Maybe 40-50%. As a military man, I agree that we have too many foreign bases. My view is not the majority view, but I'm far from alone. We're making steps towards cutting this back, though. During my time in the USAF, I've seen us consolidate many of our German bases while turning a number of others back over to the Germans. This is by necessity a slow process. Folks outside the military don't understand how slow getting into and out of a foreign country is. And in any case, our bases are often a significant part of the economy in many of these smaller foreign towns. Pulling everything out immediately would do to a small town what Merrill Lynch selling all of XYZ stock on the same day would do to company XYZ. But I've voted for Ron Paul every time he's ran, and I know he has a lot of support in the military. His is the only political campaign I've ever donated to. He said he won't run in 2016, so I'm currently on the lookout for a like-minded candidate.<br /><br />So - we have too many foreign bases, we shouldn't engage in preemptive attacks, and we should limit our manhunt in the war on terror. So far so good. But here's where I start to take issue with his article. I don't think there's a sane person alive who isn't horrified by the dropping of the A-bombs. But remember - in this war, we were defending ourselves against a country who attacked us. Their emperor said he would continue fighting until every last man, woman, and child was dead if necessary. Truman did what he thought was right, which was to kill thousands to save millions - millions of JAPANESE lives. This may be the toughest call a president has ever made, and it's easy to throw stones 70 years later. But killing some people to save many more is in line with the story of Nephi and Laban. <br /><br />Speaking of self-defense, I want to say that our original purposes for going into the middle east was in self-defense against a group of individuals who attacked our civilian and government buildings on our home soil. We may have strayed from that purpose, but from the start our goal was to neutralize the terrorists who attacked us, and if left unchecked, might do so again. Defense, in other words - the purpose of a military. <br /><br />And I'm a tad offended that Dr. Vance lumps the millions of servicemen into one large, misguided group. People join the military for many reasons. Many military people - possibly even a majority - join to learn a useful trade. They put in 4 years, make some cash, learn some skills, take their GI bills and go off to learn more useful skills. Others join for familial traditions; some want to see the world; some are escaping bad situations. I'm a full-time musician in the Air Force. My reason for joining was because full-time jobs for musicians are fairly hard to come by. My job is wonderful and important, but describing is would put me over my character limit.<br /><br />My point is that it's unfair to brush off all military personnel and the service that we render with one broad stroke. Dr. Vance mentioned businesses who give discounts to military, have military appreciation days, etc. I can't do anything about the supposed "idolatry" of these people. Maybe the pendulum has just swung the other way - a welcome change, if you ask my father, from being spit on and having trash thrown at his head. He was in the AF during Vietnam, and though he was stationed in Italy most of the time and never actually saw combat, he was a “baby killer” since he had the uniform on. Dr. Vance overlooks the humanitarian efforts of the military. To list them all here would take more space than I have, so I'll just give you one link: http://www.airforce.com/learn-about/humanitarian-efforts/. This is a small sampling of what just one of our branches does. Sorry, Dr. Vance, but this issue is nowhere near as black-and-white as you make it. The Air Force has been in the business of saving lives since its inception.Ryan Janushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17702253899482962523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-32487009176473275262015-03-30T04:09:14.658-07:002015-03-30T04:09:14.658-07:00Cheyenne, I took your advice, looked on the map, a...Cheyenne, I took your advice, looked on the map, and found another country!<br /><br />The U.S. has military bases bases there. So I found another. And another. Turns out the U.S. has more than 1,000 military bases in 130 countries all over the world!<br /><br /> You are so right. Without our military we WOULD soon appreciate freedom. So might the rest of the world.<br /><br />Military=Cult.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-63885951979168425152015-03-29T21:27:43.824-07:002015-03-29T21:27:43.824-07:00Mormon= cult. Please find another country. Without...Mormon= cult. Please find another country. Without our military we would soon appreciate freedom.What is your dribble really about?cheyennenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-42178703325783022442013-01-10T14:05:09.339-08:002013-01-10T14:05:09.339-08:00Just out of curiosity, what country are you from?Just out of curiosity, what country are you from?Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-25398330018833132302013-01-10T13:56:28.221-08:002013-01-10T13:56:28.221-08:00Joining this late again having only just discovere...Joining this late again having only just discovered this blog a few days ago.<br />I must say I agree with much of the sentiment of this article. I am not from the US but worship of the military is rampant in my country too. It turns my stomach at times. It appears to me that nowadays all one has to do in order to be labelled a hero is to join the army!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-74530456109841245452012-04-04T17:56:38.145-07:002012-04-04T17:56:38.145-07:00Thanks for weighing in. I received a lot of new Mo...Thanks for weighing in. I received a lot of new Mormon readers who came here from the link at the Daily Paul.<br /><br />As a former military brat, I can attest to how easy it is to blame the soldier who enlisted thinking he was joining a noble endeavor. Sadly, recruits today have been duped, and as they awaken they are facing persecution from the government that duped them because these are becoming the vanguard in the fight to restore liberty. They deserve our support.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-11979021692987959252012-04-04T11:33:11.281-07:002012-04-04T11:33:11.281-07:00Hey, I'm not too many months behind on this on...Hey, I'm not too many months behind on this one. This is the old(*ahem*er) lady who is a DPer . . . <br /><br />who got the link to 'pure' from DP a few months ago and has been happily reading since--<br /><br />Thank you, "Rock", for posting about those courageous veterans who are 'just saying "no"'--<br /><br />these people are heroes, in *my* eyes--<br /><br />to stand up, after having swallowed the military/war pill, and renounce it as they have done.<br /><br />Have any of the rest of *you* seen the inspiring footage (thanks to Adam Kokesh, crazy man whom some of *us* like) of the Veterans for Ron Paul in D.C. a month or so ago? <br /><br />These people are the real deal. I was very anti-military and shamefully black and white about the whole thing until I saw these young (and some probably as old as I am, some of the old Nam vets) people standing up--<br /><br />I changed my mind and realized that I needed to re-think my "everyone who ever joins the military is bad and will always be bad" stance, and it's been liberating.<br /><br />So, thank you for another excellent post on the 'pure' blog--<br /><br />see you on DP with the agnostics/non-Zionist Christians/interesting other people--<br /><br />:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-85727911612271356652011-12-04T12:17:39.335-08:002011-12-04T12:17:39.335-08:00It is interesting, the feeling of disgust that I f...It is interesting, the feeling of disgust that I felt watching the beginning of your suggested program, even now, so many years later. The human race sucks. Is there not a sufficiently large asteroid somewhere out there that can actually hit our planet for once and wipe out all life on earth in an instant, except for penguins and worms...and maybe a few fish here and there? I, for one, really want to get off this particle called earth, which is lost in a boundless ocean of being, so tiny and worthless. Darn it, they all seem to miss us! There might be a backup in the line to see Jesus on the other side when billions all arrive at the same time, but I can wait. Why does government work up there and not down here? I think it is because everybody is so drugged up on beauty and love, that there is no room for thoughts of domination and death. If God thinks that I am ever coming back here, He isn't as perfect as He claims. I hate it here. I will never leave heaven again...EVER.Steven Lesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01285355643172321289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-47779514175186118692011-12-04T06:22:08.545-08:002011-12-04T06:22:08.545-08:00Rock, have you seen this? Whether you believe it o...Rock, have you seen this? Whether you believe it or not, ist's still worth a look.<br /><br />http://youtu.be/bw6UCQu5-rMnon americannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-73609245064736770502011-12-03T15:03:16.282-08:002011-12-03T15:03:16.282-08:00Well, as my name implies, I am not American. I am ...Well, as my name implies, I am not American. I am European and I'm sorry but I have to be honest and say that most people I speak to HATE the way the Americans (not individuals, but the men / women in charge) rush in and stick their noses in where it's not wanted. And believe me, most of the time it's really not wanted. Sometimes it's hard to see yourself as others see you . America has a bad name here . It's just simply annoying .non americannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-51006948060690551912011-12-02T20:02:19.146-08:002011-12-02T20:02:19.146-08:00Steven,
As the son of a career Sargeant in the Ma...Steven, <br />As the son of a career Sargeant in the Marines, I find your analysis spot on. I was infected with the brainwashing just by dint of living on base as a child and being immersed in the culture.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-78785677400932950922011-12-02T11:01:34.906-08:002011-12-02T11:01:34.906-08:00I can understand where Mr. Rich's ire might be...I can understand where Mr. Rich's ire might be coming from. When one joins the military, in order to get the troops to be willing, even eager, to die and kill for a mere cause, the leaders will use well-proven techniques, as old as war itself, to warp the "soft" parts of a person's soul into a black and white cave of patriotic hate. The marines are the best at doing this successfully, as are any of the special ops programs. "America, wrong or right!" is the basic tone of the thing. Mind control to the max. Mr. Rich is suffering from this, and so he wrote what he wrote. He doesn't realize this about himself, but it is plain to anyone else not so afflicted. Hoora!Steven Lesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01285355643172321289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-1968169885916230902011-12-02T07:06:44.624-08:002011-12-02T07:06:44.624-08:00Rich,
I was one of those classic chicken hawk hypo...Rich,<br />I was one of those classic chicken hawk hypocrites during the Vietnam war; a putz who believed strongly that America had the right and the duty to interfere in the sovereignty of foreign people for their own good. It was my firm belief that planting the American flag by force around the world was our divine destiny and God's fervent will for us.<br /><br />I was secretly relieved, however, when I turned eighteen in 1970 and my number in the draft lottery was well into the 300's, making it a cinch I would never be called to back up all that chutzpah by actually going to war. Like modern day warmongers Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh, I had other priorities for my own life, but was fine with letting others fight, kill, and die in my place.<br /><br />I have since repented for my hubristic beliefs regarding American military empire. But I have no regrets for not having served in the military at a time when it was being subverted into a tool for globalist ambitions.<br /><br />My two younger brothers did join the navy, but you will have to ask them if they feel it was time well spent.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-46208803628789914582011-12-02T01:26:58.733-08:002011-12-02T01:26:58.733-08:00Details, Mr. Rich. Examples of what you are basin...Details, Mr. Rich. Examples of what you are basing your insults upon. Otherwise, you just sound like a bigot.Steven Lesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01285355643172321289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-609144868217593142011-12-01T21:33:16.141-08:002011-12-01T21:33:16.141-08:00I must have substituted Ron for Rock offhand. Alt...I must have substituted Ron for Rock offhand. Although it does seem fitting when I think about it. More in terms of mental capacity than anything.. In any case i've seen your drivel before "rocky" it's in line with Laurence Vance in terms of pettiness. I've got no beef with Ron Paul, in fact i'm with him but your petty, insulting embellishments on what he has to say do nothing for his message. Ron Paul says it right, you fuck it up. That's the difference between a vet and you. That about sums it up huh?SUNNofaB.C.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02135476339740462735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-25848156776746684912011-11-30T05:14:33.602-08:002011-11-30T05:14:33.602-08:00Yes, Ron Paul is a military veteran, unlike the ot...Yes, Ron Paul is a military veteran, unlike the other Republican warmongers on the stage with him at those debates.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-11758403293492917622011-11-29T19:58:18.654-08:002011-11-29T19:58:18.654-08:00Yes, because the only way to have a valid opinion ...Yes, because the only way to have a valid opinion is to first join the military.Isaachttp://www.thestanfielddoctrine.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-23169597391688457692011-11-28T19:05:07.943-08:002011-11-28T19:05:07.943-08:00so....... you a vet, there Ron?so....... you a vet, there Ron?SUNNofaB.C.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02135476339740462735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-79579290477753510662011-11-15T18:18:15.138-08:002011-11-15T18:18:15.138-08:00Democracy is the system that allowed Barabbas to g...Democracy is the system that allowed Barabbas to go scot free. And there wasn't even mass media in those days.<br /><br />So yes, even in his day, Jesus the miracle-worker could not get himself voted out from being nailed to a tree.<br /><br />Democracy is a god that failed. The Greeks before Jesus already knew this from tragic experience. <br /><br />All democracies eventually commit suicide. We are witnessing that now.Riconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-38017285035026862862011-11-15T15:45:14.397-08:002011-11-15T15:45:14.397-08:00Which is exactly why Ron Paul will never be electe...Which is exactly why Ron Paul will never be elected. Without media attention, not even Jesus could be elected, despite the hundreds of miracles He might have produced. The media is everything these days. Doesn't Ron get that? Who is his media guru? Whoever it is, he really needs to fire the guy and find somebody that will do the job. Does he really WANT to be President, or is he just looking for another pulpit?Steven Lesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01285355643172321289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-42493800951003639362011-11-15T05:52:12.665-08:002011-11-15T05:52:12.665-08:00Non American,
It was indeed a farce that CBS devot...Non American,<br />It was indeed a farce that CBS devoted Saturday Night's debate to the subject of foreign policy, then completely snubbed the only foreign policy expert on the stage.<br /><br />They gave Ron Paul exactly 89 seconds. 89 seconds! Even other mainstream media outlets are jumping on CBS for that blatant disregard.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-45834076880387071432011-11-15T05:49:06.510-08:002011-11-15T05:49:06.510-08:00Rico,
That is indeed sad news about Daniel Peterso...Rico,<br />That is indeed sad news about Daniel Peterson's support of neocon Daniel Pipes, particularly since Peterson's book "Mohammed" appears to be a sympathetic treatment of Islam. (I bought the book but have yet to read it).<br /><br />That is puzzling to me indeed. But I agree with your assessment about the corporate Church being against any nation that Israel hates. <br /><br />Too many Christians -Mormons included- mistake the STATE of Israel as having something in common with the HOUSE of Israel. Like the United States government, the government of Israel is a godless fraud that only pays lip service to the Creator. The State of Israel, in fact, was largely founded by atheistic Jews. They7 were Jewish by birth, yes, but they had more in common with terrorists then Rabbis.Alan Rock Watermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971243364867111868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342380624800894371.post-57024813436805917922011-11-14T20:40:39.131-08:002011-11-14T20:40:39.131-08:00Hi Rock,
In your last post about ancient civiliza...Hi Rock,<br /><br />In your last post about ancient civilizations in North America, you mentioned about Daniel Peterson as your favorite FARMS scholar. But it seems like this was long ago. I don't know if you still do today. Anyway...<br /><br />I stumbled upon a letter from a blogger "LDS Patriot" asking about Peterson's opinion on Daniel Pipes, a neoconservative. This was posted in Feb 10, 2006:<br /><br />http://ldspatriot.wordpress.com/2006/02/10/daniel-c-peterson-on-daniel-pipes-3/<br /><br />Daniel Pipes is a prominent scholar on Radical Islamism. He is a member of the Project for the New American Century, that cabal of neoconservatives which has been lusting for an Iraq war since 1996:<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century<br /><br />Daniel Peterson has nothing but praises for Daniel Pipes. He notes to "LDS Patriot" that among his colleagues in FARMS, only one despises Pipes. If that is how popular Pipes is in FARMS, that should clue us on why the corporate Church is so pro-war against any nation that Israel hates.<br /><br />PS: Btw, that Peterson colleague who despises Daniel Pipes is probably a Ron Paul nut...:-)Riconoreply@blogger.com