Yesterday I wrote about seeing a massive number of military jet transports flying to and from US Air Force bases here in Southern California. I just heard a very lame cover story on the radio, so my conclusion is that Arab and allied special forces are conducting more exercises in preparation for the destruction of…
Balloon has gone up. Last night and just now
April 21, 2016
How fitting! “The balloon has gone up” originated during World War I. Before a major operation, attackers raised observation balloons. The enemy would see and say, “Aw, crap! The balloon has gone up!” They knew that hostilities had commenced. Last night and just now, the balloon went up. A new phase in the liberation of…
Innocent, really stupid, and miserably unhappy
April 19, 2016
Not a day goes by without a stranger trying to disrupt my life by being what they think is shocking. They’re so innocent. I’m not capable of being shocked by negativity. What shocks me is improvement, which is why I write about the Middle East. Innocent of what can happen After a lot of thought,…
Performance art wins the war in Syria
April 18, 2016
Nobody will ever be able to write the history of the Syrian civil war. Too much of it is performance art that’s necessary to avoid the mistakes of every single western power that has fought in the Middle East. The performers putting on the show can’t take a bow, which is a shame. They’re absolutely…
Trigger words: “brave, skilled, selfless, humane”
April 17, 2016
Today I learned that terms such as “brave,” “skilled,” “selfless,” and “humane” are trigger words for those who lack such attributes. We’re not supposed to praise others, because that will make the non-praiseworthy feel bad about themselves. Not my problem. This post is dedicated to Andrew Gabriel Rose—poet, author, and painter. Trigger an emission Andrew…
Undisclosed versus covert versus clandestine
April 14, 2016
Military operations are classified as open, clandestine, covert, and undisclosed. Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom were open operations. A clandestine operation was Neptune Spear, the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy SEALs of DEVGRU. Though secret at the time, we admitted to it when it was over. Covert operations are actions that everyone…
Reading tea leaves in the Middle East
April 11, 2016
For me, reading the tea leaves in the Middle East is exciting. All I see is good news. Keep in mind, though, the caliber of the people who are reshaping the region. The leaders and the men carrying out combat missions are a new breed. It’ll take decades for the rest of us to catch…