Memorial Day – USA Gov Policy

This article was written by the distinguished retired U.S. Army Chaplain Don Zapsic.

The concept of Memorial Day more-often-than not centers upon the fact that Americans were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and consequently did. The literal expression of this viewpoint culminates in countless parades, flags placed on the headstones of veterans, and inevitable speeches by public figures. I would like to believe that those who died in the line duty were motivated by something more than the willingness to stand and deliver in the face of harm’s way. The commonly-held belief that I refer to is simply a commitment to the ideal of freedom which we have exported to oppressed peoples throughout the world. This fact is nowhere more evident than in massive cemeteries scattered throughout the world that hold the remains of American servicemembers who died on foreign soil so that others could be free.

One of the cornerstone features of America is that we believe so deeply in freedom that we are willing to preserve our liberty so that it can be enjoyed by future generations of U.S. citizens. It is no accident that we enjoy the right to bear arms, possess religious liberty, exercise free speech or for that matter have safeguards in place to protect personal property against confiscatory taxation. It was bought and paid for over and over again by patriots who have passed on liberty’s torch to future generations. More to the point, every servicemember takes an oath to “defend the Constitution from all enemies whether within, or beyond our borders.” From the beaches of Normandy, to the jungles of Vietnam and onto the desert sands of Southwest Asia; every Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, and Marine swore to uphold the Constitution with their very lives if necessary.”

You can choose between many sellers available; but, to put a word of caution, make sure you consume the herb in balanced quantity or preferably under medical supervision. ‘Drink, it’s good for you’- this phrase alone used to ring loud in our heads when cialis 20 mg http://appalachianmagazine.com/amazon/ we were kids. Regular use of this herbal pill offers effective treatment for early discharge, generico levitra on line appalachianmagazine.com you are also advised to try herbal oils to cure PE. The steam and spice cialis order of the soup will unblock your nose and will give you immediate relief. 9. Every year, thousand of thousands men turn out to be strong, effects seen purchased that online viagra within 3 to 6 months of dosage.

It is not enough for this present generation to just pay lip service to the memory of servicemembers no matter how heartfelt or well-intended. It is also not enough for our government officials to make long speeches and flowery oratories about the virtues of those who have died in service to this country. Our nation’s heroes deserve to have an intact constitution properly and vigorously defended against domestic and foreign threats that would have us believe that big government trumps individual rights. I never met one patriot in all of my 30 years of military service that wanted to die for their country or have a section of road named after them as a result of being killed in action. The vast majority of them, as I do, simply want to protect our way of life and not be treated as mercenaries while doing so.

The most fitting tribute that can be afforded to our fallen heroes this Memorial Day is to get back to working together as a nation for the common good. To put aside partisan politics that sacrifices the practical for the pragmatic in the name of party solidarity. To once again affirm the principles, values, and virtues that has made America great in the past and sufficient to carry forward the expectation of a bright and promising future. And last but certainly not least, to continue improving the VA system so that those who have “borne the burden of battle” can live with the respect and dignity they deserve. A burden best characterized as living with the seen and unseen scars that often accompany military service.

As far as all of the fanfare that culminates in the Memorial Day celebration, it is a good thing to behold if not designed to be a cheap substitute for the hard work associated with maintaining a constitutional republic. On a personal level, I am grateful for Memorial Day because it provides an opportunity to give pause to consider those that I have been privileged to serve with who made the ultimate sacrifice. Especially a fine young man named Jeremy, who had great plans that were never realized due to a roadside bomb in Iraq some fourteen years ago. Perhaps you do not know anyone who has served in the military and would like to make a contribution through the gift of your presence. There are many local observances in communities throughout the country that would love to have you join them.

Putin’s Saber Rattling

Earlier this week, President Biden reversed his 2022 decision, authorizing the provision of antipersonnel land mines to the Ukrainian government. It follows an earlier Administration authorization to allow the use of an advanced American missile system capable of striking as deep as 100 miles inside Russian territory. The US election season may be ending, but both Russia and the West show no indication of stepping down the conflict. Russian propaganda continues to swell as the Kremlin increases its threats to use nuclear weapons against the West. Last week Andrey Sushentsov, program director of the pro-Kremlin think tank Valdai Discussion Club (VDC), published an article on growing nuclear tensions in the region. Official Russian language in the last few years has been threatening. Since the US election, rhetoric like that in the Sushentsov article, has approached the level of nuclear blackmail. The VDC article’s main theme centers on Russia’s intent to directly confront the West militarily if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) becomes involved in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. “On the one hand, these threats are intended to frighten the West, but on the other, Russian propagandists themselves are starting to believe in the inevitability of escalation,” according to Ksenia Kirillova of the Jamestown Foundation. On November 11, Sushentsov wrote that “The conflict will reach a completely new level, with unpredictable consequences for Europe and the entire world.” Kirillova points out that Putin’s distorted image of the world is divorced from reality and is causing the Kremlin to issue demands that are impossible to fulfill. Financial and other Russian resources needed to support Putin’s war are growing scarcer at the same time. This week the Kremlin announced a reduction of payments to its soldiers. Recently North Korea acknowledged it was sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine as Putin is running out of bodies to use as cannon fire. The war is not going well for Russia. One question floating around the Washington intelligence community is whether Putin will act out of desperation before President-elect Trump assumes office. In recent months the Russian propaganda machine is spewing out materials from fairly reputable analytical platforms inside the country. Kirillova says that “Kremlin ‘experts’ do not conceal that such threats are only intended to break the West psychologically, as they themselves are not prepared for full-scale nuclear war.” Despite Russia’s lack of preparation for an all-out war with the West, the expanding nuclear rhetoric carries with it an increase in the threat of a full-scale war in multiple theaters of operation. In June 2023 a founder of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Sergey Karaganov, called for “delivering a pre-emptive strike of retaliation” on Poland to force the West to surrender. In the previous month, Dmitry Suslov, a direct of research programs at the policy center proposed organizing “a demonstration nuclear explosion” aimed at intimidating the West. In September, President Putin announced a reappraisal of Russian nuclear doctrine after speaking earlier in the year at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and jokingly calling Suslov a “scary person.” Pavel Baev, writing in the European Daily Monitor, says “Putin intends his announcement to mark an escalation of nuclear brinkmanship and influence the proceedings of future Ukrainian peace efforts.” Putin is expanding the list of environmental conditions that are acceptable for using a nuclear weapon and incorporating it into Russian military doctrine. Baev adds that “The ups and downs of Russian brinkmanship are disconnected from the kinetic battles of the war, correlating instead with Ukrainian peace offensives, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first peace summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.” Despite the increase in vitriolic language, in a You Tube video published a week before the US presidential election, Karaganov openly assured the West the primary goal of the escalation is to break the American spirit and that of the West, not outright nuclear war. By Election Day in the US, with political prognosticators predicting a win for former president Trump, Karaganov changed his tune and called for an increased role in nuclear deterrence. Kirillova points out that Western concessions to Russia are unlikely to reduce the risk of nuclear escalation. The distorted reality inside the Kremlin continues to push that President-elect Trump is an adherent of “world government,” that Ukraine will create a nuclear weapon, and Russia must prepare for a nuclear conflagration to achieve its ambitions for a new world order. President-elect Trump has indicated he will not agree to concessions that destabilize Europe, the Middle East or other regions. Going forward a strong US foreign policy may be the most stabilizing course the West can count on to restrain Putin and his intent to rebuild the Russian empire. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay

Our Latest Television Program

New Era in World Affairs

There will be a dramatic change in Washington in the aftermath of the election. What will this mean for America’s national security and foreign affairs? Our guests, former CIA officer and Vice President at the Center for Security Policy Clair Lopez, along with ret. Col. John Mills, (author of The Nation Will Follow) provide extraordinary insights. If you missed the program on your local station, catch it here: https://rumble.com/v5oonnb-the-american-political-zone-november-12-2024.html