Ms. Frederica Wilson; Politicizing our warriors who died…shameful! October 20, 2017
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: frederica wilson, ISIS, ladavid johnson, Mark Twain, Special Forces, Trump, Veterans
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Recently, a Special Forces team was attacked by an estimated 50 ISIS fighters in Niger. Unfortunately, 4 US Service Members paid the ultimate price and are not coming home. President Trump made a call to the wife of one of the fallen soldiers. This has created a very unnecessary political storm. I have heard numerous pundits comment on President Trump’s comments.
Before I comment further, let me understand the situation. So the President of the United States (the Commander in Chief) calls the wife of one of his soldiers who died and who happens to be in her car with a US Representative and nobody says: “Mr. President…by the way we are on speaker phone and the Honorable Representative Wilson is in the car.”? Not doing this certainly smacks of some ulterior motives on behalf of Ms. Wilson. Who does this? Nobody…. unless they have ulterior motives.
While Ms. Wilson wears ridiculous hats as part of her persona, she is NOT and NEVER HAS, been in combat. She is NOT a veteran and, in fact, she has voted numerous times against veterans’ issues. According to VoteSmart.org:
“…measures that Wilson opposed included a bill that could have ensured that families of four soldiers slain in Afghanistan in 2013 received death and burial benefits. […]
Despite Wilson’s claim to be “committed to honoring our service members, not only with words but with deeds,” she has voted against most bills ensuring continued funding for veteran benefits, including payments to widows of fallen soldiers, the vote-tracking site shows.
She has also opposed measures designed to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In March 2013, Wilson opposed the “Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act,” which prevented a government shutdown and provided funds for the U.S. military and the VA.
The bill, which passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by the Obama administration, provided funding to the military and the VA until the next government shutdown showdown. […]
Later in the year, Wilson again voted against a resolution aimed at ensuring benefits paid to the veterans and their families would not be affected by the government shutdown in October that year. […]
The congresswoman also opposed numerous bills aimed at improving VA services provided the veterans and their families. (FoxNews.com)”
So while Representative Wilson feigns disgust at President Trump actually calling the wife of a slain soldier, she does not appear to actually support veterans. Acta Non Verba, Ms. Wilson, Actions not Words!
With regard to the point that President Trump said that the soldier…his soldier. (As the Commander in Chief, this soldier was under the command of President Trump): “Knew what he signed up for…” is irrelevant. In fact, it is a nod to the bravery of the soldier. While Representative Wilson goes to great lengths to state that soldiers “…sign up to serve and not to die…” is facile and ignorant. She has never served and she does not understand.
Many people are taking this supposed comment as an insult or insensitivity on the part of the President…that is, in my opinion, objectively wrong…a warrior…any warrior…knows that their job has the risk of injury or death. It is the warrior ethos that enables that person to do their job in spite of the risk…that young driver in Niger was a true warrior…He KNEW the risks…but he did not cower in the face of the risks…he did his job…that is the true test of courage. As the incomparable Mark Twain said: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear–not absence of fear.”…I say to all four of those killed…”
While you laughingly referred to yourself as a Rock Star in response to General Kelly’s very pointed commentsGeneral Kelly’s very pointed comments, you ma’am are NOT a rock star. You are a shameless human being and a blight on our system. (I am starting the clock to see how long it takes someone to call me a racist….par for the course). Mr. Wilson has already played the race card…. Please contact Ms. Wilson here.
Why I am still voting for Trump…and you should, as well. October 10, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Benghazi, clinton, email, GOP, Hillary, HRC, ISIS, Satisficing, travelgate, Trump
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The last 48 hours has been tough for me. I have waffled in my already reluctant support of Trump and I have even gone so far as to claim I will “not vote for either idiot”! This is only half true. I want to thank those Recondos and Snipers, and numerous others who passionately debated with me on the topic over the past day. In particular JJ Brown of the Recon and Sniper Foundation who had particularly insightful comments.
Let me be clear. I do not like Trump. I am quite sure I would not like him as a person. I was initially angered by his latest comments. In reflection, I was angered by the fact that he allowed yet another comment to get out of control. Have I said vulgar things in private? Of course. Name a Marine who hasn’t and I would say you have not met a Marine. As Eleanor Roosevelt said: “The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!”. So why am I still voting for Trump? Easy. It is all about what economist and Nobel Prize recipient Herbert Simon called Satisficing. In this election we only have 2 real choices. Granted I feel like the options are akin to being ask whether you prefer stepping on a Lego in the middle of the night or hitting your little toe on a table as you walk to the bathroom at night…but those are our options. We have to select the best of the two available options.
I have been reminded (often in no so polite terms) Hillary Clinton is simply an untrustworthy person who has allowed Americans to die under her watch in Benghazi and has supported groups by selling them weapons that have killed Americans. This was further supported in recently disclosed documentation around her support of Libyan and Syrian rebels. In addition to TravelGate, her laughingly defending a child rapist, her compromise of national security, and numerous other transgressions, I simply cannot and will not ever vote for her. As I have said before, I would vote for my Rottweiller Bo before I would vote for Hillary Clinton. She represents the worst of politics.
Is Donald Trump a perfect human? No. Is he likable? Probably not to a lot of people. Is he crass and vulgar? Yes. Has he said stupid things? Of course. All of these things describe me and my own friends. Putting emotion aside, I am willing to overlook personal flaws but cannot overlook calculated actions that result in the destruction of Constitutional rights, the compromise of national security, and the death of Americans. This particular election has greater implications than simply bragging rights. The next president will get to nominate at least 1 Supreme Court Justice. This Justice is going to likely be the ‘tie breaker’ on numerous Constitutional issues to include the 2nd Amendment. For these reasons, I must put aside my personal feelings and vote for the party that represents the platform I support as opposed to not supporting a person that I do not like.
This election will likely be one of the most important in our lifetimes. We have two intensely flawed candidates. One is personally flawed, the other is personally and professionally flawed. One has said rude and crass things while the other has allowed Americans to die under her watch and compromised national security for her own purposes. To me, the answer is now clear. While I do not ‘support Trump’, I support the Republican party platform and I will NEVER support Hillary Clinton who has allowed my own brothers to die on her watch. Thanks for reading!
US Government Failing us on Terrorism June 15, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in cybersecurity, Uncategorized.Tags: ISIS, Loretta Lynch, Mateen, Orlando, predictive analysis, san bernardino, terrorist
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As we learn more and more about the Orlando killer I am increasingly appalled at the incompetence and indifference shown by our own government. First our own president referred to ISIS as “Junior Varsity”. Omar Mateen was investigated twice by the FBI with the investigations lasting at least 10 months. After the investigation the FBI ‘closed’ the case. The officials in DC had the opportunity to re-open or continue the investigation…they did not.
Even Attorney General Lynch said she would open an inquiry to see: “if there are lessons we can learn to prevent another tragedy.” Didn’t we hear similar comments after Boston and San Bernardino. In fact, Lynch stated after San Bernardino:
“We’re at the point where these issues have come together really like never before in law enforcement thought and in our nation’s history and it gives us a wonderful opportunity and a wonderful moment to really make significant change,” – What ‘wonderful opportunity did this provide?
Let us not forget that President Obama called the Boston Bombings: “Two brothers and a crackpot” Let that sink in for a moment after knowing what we know about San Bernardino and Oralando.
Considering we have now seen the Boston Bombing and San Bernadino shootings from the same terrorists…each of which were investigated and cleared…I would say the government FAILED miserably to protect those in Orlando and is failing to protect us.
Omar Mateen’s father is know to publicly support the Taliban and his parents are from Afghanistan. Omar Mateen’s “wife” is actually Palestinian. Interestingly, there is no evidence they were actually married. Then, we find that Omar Mateen took 2 separate trips to Saudi Arabia for “unknown” reasons. (shouldn’t this have raised numerous red flags?)
Clearly there was something that compelled the FBI to investigate Mateen for over 10 months. Closing the case should not mean ignoring the individual. When coupled with the trips to Saudi Arabia and Mateen’s father’s support of the Taliban, you would think it would have re-energized the investigation. Even if Mateen could legally purchase a firearm, how could his purchasing of a firearm AFTER being investigated for 10 months, taking 2 trips to Saudi Arabia in 1 year, ‘marrying’ a Palestinian woman, and having a father who is pro Taliban NOT compel the US Government to at least watch this guy?
Predictive Analysis is about taking desperate bits of information and predicting behavior. Using historical information we can identify how people act given certain actions. How in the f…’hell’ did all of these data points NOT point to a ‘re look’ at Mateen? I often say “security is indelicate”. Here is a game?
- Does being a Middle Eastern person make you a terrorist? Probably not. Does being a Middle Eastern Male make you a terrorist? probably not.
- Does being a Middle Eastern Male between the ages of 18 and 29 make you a terrorist? Probably not.
- Does being a Middle Eastern Male between the ages of 18 and 29 who is also Muslim make you a terrorist? Probably not. Does being a Middle Eastern Male between the ages of 18 and 29, and Muslim who attends a Mosque known to preach an extremist view of Islam make you a terrorist...hopefully (notice the language change) not…
- Does being a Middle Eastern Male between the ages of 18 and 29, and Muslim who attends a Mosque known to preach an extremist view of Islam, and who has visited Saudi Arabia in the past year for unknown reasons make you a terrorist?….ummm…maybe…not?
- Does being a Middle Eastern Male between the ages of 18 and 29, and Muslim who attends a Mosque known to preach an extremist view of Islam, and who has visited Saudi Arabia in the past year for unknown reason, and has published numerous anti American posts on Facebook make you a terrorist?…Yeah..we hope not?
- Does being a Middle Eastern Male between the ages of 18 and 29, and Muslim who attends a Mosque known to preach an extremist view of Islam, and who has visited Saudi Arabia in the past year for unknown reason, and has published numerous anti American posts on Facebook…and recently purchased numerous guns make you a terrorist?…What do you think?
This is PA 101. Our Government is failing us on a basic level.
As more and more terrorists attack the United States, the current administration’s position is simply to divert blame. He intimates that by calling the terrorists “Islamic radicals” that we are encouraging them and, of course, places the blame on guns.
It is not a ‘gun problem’ it is apathy, indifference, and disrespect for a very capable, and motivated enemy that is providing an environment that is ripe for these types of attacks.
DO YOUR JOB….
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