“Low-life Losers”: The Kind Way Of Putting It

In 2006, the G20 held a meeting here in Melbourne, and as one expects, we got protesters. These same protesters have now forced an important event to be cancelled.

November 11, the eleventh day of the eleventh month, is a day of Remembrance in Australia, formally known as Remembrance Day. It is taken quite seriously, as it should be, and in many schools, businesses and other areas, there is a minute silence held at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, to remember our military heroes who have fallen. It’s a solemn, yet highly special, event.

The G20 protestors have now forced a Remembrance Day event to be cancelled.

Their perverse disrespect for the people who have made it possible for them to conduct themselves so poorly is absolutely revolting.

The Acting SA Premier, Mr. Kevin Foley, put it quite well. “These are feral, low-life people who want society to be in a state of near anarchy for their perverse pleasure. People who say they are anti-war, but who resort to violence and destruction to put their case are clearly dangerous.”

Low-life losers? I can think of better terms for them.

Andrew Olmsted: Frater, Ave atque Vale

BLOGGER ANDREW OLMSTED has died in Iraq. (Via Blackfive and Obsidian Wings). He left a last post for publication in this event; he also expressly indicated that his death should not be politicised in any way, so keep that in mind regarding your comments whether here or at Obsidian Wings. Here’s his blog, always worth reading. [update: blog down at the moment; Obsidian Wings has excerpts]

update 2: “Why Go to Iraq?” (Andrew Olmsted in the Rocky Mountain News)

About Andrew Olmsted:

Fort Carson-based Army Major Andrew Olmsted was blogging from the war in Iraq, where his mission was to teach members of the Iraqi Army how to defend their country and provide security for their people. Major Olmsted was a veteran blogger and he was determined to make a difference in Iraq. “The sooner the Iraqi government doesn’t need U.S. support to provide security for its people, the sooner we will probably be asked to leave.”

update 3: Tim Blair farewells Major Olmsted.

spot_the_dog

The Warrior Who Never Fought A War

Or, to put it more precisely, he fought every war because he studied them so diligently to discover what went right and what went wrong.  He boiled military strategy down to two concepts, The Sword, and the Swordsman, and probably saved more soldiers’ lives than we will ever know.

It’s a long read, but well worth the effort, as it explains in part why the American military is unsurpassed in the world. There’s a second part here, which examines the military surge in Iraq and explains why Iraq is not Vietnam.

Hat tip to Bill Whittle at Eject! Eject! Eject!, which I’ve been reading since just a while after 9/11.