Posse Incitatus

No, ISIS has not been stopped

There is a web site out there that purports to be really knowledgeable, sort of a clearing house for brains to share their genius wisdom with the masses.

Vox.com is not that site.

I’ve been vaguely aware of just how asinine and clueless the writers there are, but while working on my football post, I stumbled across this linked at Yahoo:

A month ago, ISIS’s advance looked unstoppable. Now it’s been stopped.

The article basically quotes from people who know far more than the author (which is not difficult) and contains some badly-out-of-date information about current combatant positions.

It also places a great deal of emphasis on the successful (so far) defense of the Kurdish town of Kobane, even going so far as to describe it as a “disaster for ISIS.”

I doubt it.

ISIS has many weaknesses, but static positions are not one of them.  Indeed, the calling card of the organization has been its amazing tactical and operational mobility.  Seemingly bogged down in Aleppo, ISIS simply shifted forces to Iraq and thus achieved their remarkable series of victories this spring and summer.

Now they are pausing to rearm and resupply – as well as absorbing throngs of new recruits, which I would argue will more than replace their losses.   ISIS has shown itself to be dynamic, mobile and multi-faced military force.  Anyone who expected them to blitz into Baghdad has shown themselves to be a fool.  That isn’t how they operate.

Instead of a bum rush, ISIS often will soften up a target with bombings and infiltration attacks.  Targeted assassinations destroy command and control capabilities, leaving the defenders demoralized and leaderless when ISIS finally moves it with their main body.

No, they are not invincible, but I don’t know anyone in the area other than Turkish or Israeli regulars who could stop them.  The Kurds have tough fighters but lack training and equipment to fight main force engagements.  They also are spread thin trying to protect their people from terror attacks.  I suspect ISIL knows that they won’t be able to crush the Kurds but merely hope to keep them bottled up in the mountains and thus secure their northern flank.

In the meantime I fear for our nation, since sites like Vox seem to provide a window into what passes for strategic thinking amongst our elites.

Spartans bask in victory, Hoosiers mull upset

Halloween preparations have consumed the ranch, but I will not fully neglect my blogging duties, particularly in light of recent events.

I had originally intended to offer my thoughts Sunday morning, but the emerging tale of the Skunk Bear Stake left me at a loss.  I was at the game, but from my vantage point could see nothing.  Afterwards I puzzled over what had happened.

Of course now all is made clear:  The wannabe tough guys decided to show their contempt for MSU by driving a stake into the 50 yard line.  When the refs forbade this, they instead threw it in the ground where they stood.  Their ineffectual coach did nothing to stop them and the referees let it go because (as we saw afterward) they saw their role as keeping the Spartans in a straitjacket.

Maybe they feared for the safety of the hopelessly underpowered Wolverines.

At any rate, I found the discussion about whether it was ethical for MSU to run up the score strangely out of place.  After all, did the Skunk Bears not tack an equally meaningless 2-point conversion  onto their trash touchdown?  What was the point of that if not to show defiance?  The Spartans were simply returning the favor.

I also find it fascinating how running up the score is only a bad thing when it happens to Wolverines.  I don’t recall much in the way of reflection when the Skunk Bears rolled up a 49-3 victory under the hapless Bobby Williams.  That rout cost Williams his job, which shows who the Spartan faithful thought was truly responsible.

Yet when the shoe is on the other foot, MSU is expected to show a gentlemanly concern for the ego of their doddering and senile older relative.  At least that’s what the sports writers tell me.

Ah, so it goes.

This week the Spartans get a final respite before the showdown of the season.  Ohio State looked very formidable but their narrow (and referee-assisted) victory over a lackluster Penn State team shows they have numerous weaknesses.  Their game against Illinois has all the makings of a trap – the Illini just upset Minnesota so anything is possible.

Long-time readers know that I am not in awe of Urban Meyer – he has repeatedly shown lapses of judgment – so it is no certain thing that he will have his players focused on the game in front of them rather than the one ahead.

MEANWHILE IN THE HEART OF DARKNESS:  Believe it or not, the football season has not officially ended in Ann Arbor (though some wish it would).

At the start of the season, I had the Hoosiers as one of the (many) teams likely to beat the Skunk Bears.  Last year’s shootout left Indiana hungry and given the continued decline in Wolverine football, I figured that vengeance would belong to the Hoosiers.

Then starting QB Nate Sudfeld suffered a season-ending injury, leaving the program badly hobbled.  The Spartans manhandled the hapless squad, which presented only a one-dimensional threat.

On the face of it, this should give the Skunk Bears a good chance to beat them, but a couple of factors favor Indiana.

First, there is their freakishly good running back, Tevin Coleman who gave our own defense fits.  His ability to break huge plays could be a game-changer.  In addition, the Skunk Bear secondary might give true freshman QB Zander Diamant a chance to post at least an average game.  That’s all these guys need to pull ahead.

The motivation at this point is all with Indiana.  They are a rising program fighting for respect.  They were up against the Spartans and fought hard for the first half.  MSU’s offense was simply too much for them.

The Wolverines have no offense, so this should not be a problem.  The Skunk Bears look and act like a beaten team because that is what they are.  The stake nonsense just made them look worse.

In addition, we are now in the part of the season where the Skunk Bears traditionally self-destruct.  Unlike every other team in college football, they do not have the upset mentality when things go poorly.  This is where historically losing programs like Indiana have the edge – they can win out of pure spite.

Of course, Indiana still has a shot at a bowl game.  In fact, all they need to do is beat the Skunk Bears and win one other game and they are .500 for the season.  Given that they close out with equally-challenged Purdue, the motivation is clearly on their side.

The Skunk Bears, however, need to win three of the next four – which includes a road game against Ohio State.  We know how that is going to go, so the Wolverines’ back is against the wall, but not in a good way.  To put it another way – if they couldn’t rouse themselves to take care of Utah or Minnesota, I doubt they can get up for the Hoosiers.

Advantage:  Indiana.

Lies of Consequence

There are lies, and there are Ebola lies…

That’s just another way of saying that some lies have much more profound consequences than others.

We expect politicians to lie, just as we expect college students to get drunk and behave stupidly, dogs to drop the deuce on the lawn, and the sun to rise in the east. But when an entity such as the O-for-Orwellian administration has demonstrated that it lies repeatedly and flagrantly for political advantage and to cover its shortcomings, one must wonder about the extent of its mendacity with regard to the Ebola virus that has found a toehold this side of the Atlantic.

Against all reason and common sense, the administration claims it would be bad policy to ban flights coming into the United States from Liberia and other parts of West Africa. The chief Ebola spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Thomas Frieden, downplays the danger of contracting the Ebola virus from being in the presence of an infected person – say, on a bus or train, or in a coffee shop. But CDC statements sometimes contradict what's on the agency's own website.

Too, protocols and guidelines for monitoring those who came in contact with Ebola-infected persons have been revised in recent days; there is also disagreement about the need for mandatory quarantines for certain persons thought to be at risk for carrying Ebola. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and -- surprisingly -- New Yok Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have defied federal wishes by implementing mandatory quarantines for people who've been in contact with Ebola patients.

Some scientists believe the 21-day incubation period isn't long enough, and it isn't really clear whether the virus can mutate into an airborne plague. But it sure seems clear that the oft-used term "close contact” with an infected person is a broad, vague assessment that could range from sitting next to someone in a restaurant or on a train to actually having sex with the infected person.

Quite a few Ebola-related questions have been floating around in my noggin these past few weeks, but the most troublesome is this: If Ebola is hard catch, how is it that healthcare professionals decked out in science-fiction-like hazmat outfits did manage to contract it?

I refuse to believe any doctor or scientist who implies that an average Joe not wearing protective gear has less likelihood of contracting Ebola from an infected person than a nurse dressed like an astronaut in a sci-fi thriller. That would be a monstrously preposterous statement.

And just like AIDS in the 1980s, the scary thing is, we don’t really know how many people out there harbor the Ebola virus. Those who do but are unaware could be inadvertently transmitting the virus to family, friends and strangers. This is an insidious threat that could be far more serious than anyone is acknowledging.

The CDC, sadly, has morphed into a font of left-wing quackery in recent years, so its credibility is severely compromised. The administration laughably boasts that its policy is driven by science, not politics, utterly clueless that many who hear that statement are shaking their heads, rolling their eyeballs and thinking, "What breathtaking hypocrisy!"

Bottom line: The same administration that concocted the ridiculous fairy tale about an offensive, anti-Muslim Internet video being the impetus for a spontaneous protest demonstration -- actually an organized military attack -- on the U.S. compound in Benghazi two years ago is now spinning and obfuscating as it goes along – let’s call it bullshitting on the fly.

I am afraid our nation will pay a heavy price for the contemptuous duplicity coming from the arrogant ones, but again, so many tens of millions of Americans are ignorant, uninformed, doped up, immersed in smart phones or in various other ways disengaged/incapacitated, that the reckless negligence and incompetence from Uncle Sam will continue without much notice. But don’t worry, the authorities have got it all under control!

What, did these folks graduate from the Baghdad Bob School of Crisis Management? Apparently so.

The Skunk Bears in Sparta

I'm a little late for offering predictions in the big rivalary game, but it has been a busy week at the ranch.

This year sees the Spartans as the most lop-sided favorites in my lifetime.  Still, it is a rivalry game, and that always makes things a little more intense.

Despite all the protestations to the contrary, the Skunk Bears get up for this game.  They can drone on about Ohio State all the like, but continually coming up short to their in-state rival is getting under their skin.  It is an indisputable proposition that a U-M coach that beat OSU every year but lost to MSU would not be regarded as successful by the Wolverine Nation.

On the other side, there is the Spartan Nation, seeking redress for decades of futility.  While the overall record seems to pose an insurmountable obstacle, the post-Big Ten era is within a more reasonable grasp.  This is motivation enough.

Looking at the two teams, I must give the Spartans the edge in intensity.  They are riding a streak and striving for continual improvement.  They possess an offense of unprecedented power in the Mark Dantonio era and I am sure they would relish hanging 56 points on their rival.

At the same time, the defense is also looking to clean up its act.  Blown coverages, poor alignment - these are marring what would otherwise be a magical season.

Happily, the Skunk Bears are a beaten team.  They have an anemic offense and overrated defense whose stats (especially on the ground) are padded by teams that simply decided it was eaiser to throw the ball and win that way.  Minnesota showed the hollowness of their front seven versus the rush.

I think it is ironic that the Wolverines threw Al Borges under the bus at the end of last season since he clearly provided an offensive spark.  Borges had several complicated misdirection plays that allowed big gains.  That hasn't happened this year, which is why I am (relatively) unconcerned about MSU giving up a long run or deep strike.

Finally, there is the environment.  The Skunk Bears stink on the road.  Their vaunted near-win (a.k.a. loss) to Ohio State was at home and was against a team we now know to be vastly overrated in terms of defense.  Moreover, it was done with a creative offense that no longer exists.

Another key factor is the health of quarterback Devin Gardner.  He has an acknowleged ankle sprain and those do not heal overnight.  Without decent protection, he will likely be knocked out of the game - especially with the focus on player safety thanks to Hoke's earlier inept handling of Shane Morris.  Morris likely will be kept out, leaving...no one.  (Yes, they have other players on the roster but they may as well convert a tight end at this point.)

It is for these reasons that I must predict a dominating MSU win, the mirror images of MSU's 49-3 blowout that ended the career of Bobby Williams.

I will acknowledge that as a Spartan who came of age during the nadir of the Perles era, I always get nervous about the U-M game, but the logic is indisputable:  Tonight the Spartans will dine on charred Wolverine.

Why I Won't Vote for Rick Snyder

It’s no secret to anyone who reads the Posse that co-blogger K.N. McBride and I both despise former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. She proved to be an all-style/no substance leftist whose stewardship kept Michigan in the ditch for nearly a decade.

Gov. Tinkerbelle embarrassed herself with her now infamous "You'll be blown away" boast about how the Michigan economy would benefit from her policies, as well as her prediction that Michigan’s concealed carry law would lead to wild-wild-West style shootouts and vigilanteisim. Her obsequiousness toward unions thwarted K-12 school reform; her environmental fixations led her to pursue the “green jobs” mirage. She squandered money and resources on idiotic pablum like “Cool Cities,” while overseeing poorly run state departments and causing a couple of near budget crises.

So we were overjoyed in November 2010 when current Gov. Rick Snyder was elected, returning the Statehouse to GOP control for the first time in 8 years. But now that Snyder has nearly completed his first term, I am disillusioned big-time.

Let's start with the nerd's approach to righting Michigan's fiscal ship. While it is true that Madame Tinkerbelle left a budget mess, Snyder’s methods for cleaning it up were sometimes unwise. Along with budget cuts and business tax reform, he capped the Homestead Property Tax Credit, effectively taking a sledgehammer to the middle class.

For those who live in cities with high property taxes, such as yours truly, the lower cap means thousands of dollars more in taxes. Instead of breaking even or getting a sizeable  state tax refund, I have owed several hundred dollars to the state of Michigan each of the past few years. (Yes, I have adjusted my withholdings.) In this economy, and with the struggles my family has been through, this is a brutal kick in the gut. It is what most angers me about the bland, clueless Snyder and his equally clueless minions.

Snyder’s administration also began taxing seniors’ pensions, which has enraged a huge block of voters. Too many actions are taken devoid of transparency, such as with Skunk Works, a secretive workgroup set up to pay for private school vouchers -- an initiative that if allowed to continue could easily have led to abuses. On several occasions, the Snyder administration has awarded no-bid contracts, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a quasi-government agency that receives state funding, awarded a no-bid contract to DBI Business Interiors, a firm owned by Snyder's cousin.

However, an administration transgression of a far more serious nature is spelled A-R-A-M-A-R-K. A year ago, the administration granted a $145 million contract to the Philadelphia-based food service company to provide meals to prison inmates, which displaced 370 state employees.

Since then, Aramark employees have committed numerous egregious violations, including having sex with inmates and smuggling drugs. The company also was accused of serving food in an area contaminated by maggots. There have also been minor violations, such as food shortages that affected how well the company could do its job.

The coup de grace came when  an Aramark employee put out a drug-related hit on someone. That’s right: He was offering to pay money for someone to murder another person. Privatization can be a wonderful thing if caution, due diligence and constant monitoring are part of the equation. Otherwise, disaster can result. The Aramark worker was placed on a Corrections Department "stop order" — banning him from prison property — but has not been arrested pending the conclusion of the investigation, according to state officials.

The state fined Aramark $98,000 for food shortages, unauthorized menu substitutions and over-familiarity between kitchen workers and inmates. But, according to the Free Press, the state recently confirmed it quietly waived the March fine soon after it was imposed, and Aramark never paid it. Wonderful.

Snyder has also failed miserably to work out a plan for Michigan to fund badly needed repairs of its horrendous roads. Our state’s gnarly streets, roads and highways make travel unpleasant and take a heavy toll on vehicles. True, it's tough to broker an agreement with so many lawmakers adamantly opposed to any tax increases (even those dedicated toward road repairs), but as the leader of a party that controls both chambers of the Michigan Legislature, Snyder dropped the ball.

Aside from missteps on policy, the governor has appointed and associated with some highly questionable characters, and transparency is often lacking.

 Here are just a few of Snyder’s ethically challenged appointees:

 -          Scott Woolsey, former head of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. He resigned after the public learned that he abused expense accounts by dining on escargot and other exotic fare at fancy restaurants, seeking reimbursements for bar tabs and cruising around in plush stretch limousines. When caught, he went into CYA mode, but Snyder threw him under the bus, what with the election only a couple months away.

-          Andy Dillon, who resigned as state treasurer in October 2013 in the midst of a messy divorce, yet for several months continued receiving his $174,000 salary as an advisor to his successor.

-          Richard Baird, a "transformation manager" and Snyder sycophant who got caught trying to defraud the state of property tax money. Baird, who for a while was paid by a shadowy Snyder invention called the NERD Fund, maintained two residences, one in Illinois and one in Michigan, and was also eligible to vote in both Illinois and Michigan. He was getting a property tax credit he was not entitled to in Michigan. When caught, he resorted to weasel-like, Clintonesque behavior, claiming that it was a computer glitch by the township government that kept the tax break in place. This from an accountant and former PriceWaterhouseCoopers executive. Mm-hmm..... and the dog ate my homework...

-          John Covington, who raked in $325,000 per year to head up the Educational Achievement Authority (EEA), a “reform school district” that proved to be anything but. Under Covington’s stewardship, the EEA’s finances were shaky; test scores were poor; teacher turnover was a problem; and the organization racked up big expenses for travel, a chauffeur-driven vehicle for Covington, and other extravagances. Covington resigned under pressure several months ago.

Such abuses are all too commonplace in government. But the governor of a state that has been through a brutal economic wringer for 15 years, whose residents are hurting badly, ought to be ultra-sensitive to even the appearance of bloated, wasteful spending by self-serving hacks. The corruption and arrogance here is a slap in the face of Obama-like proportions. I despise failed, incompetent and ethically challenged leaders, whether they are Republicans, Democrats or anything else.

While Snyder has done some good things – for example, signing legislation to phase out the notorious “Driver Responsibility Fee,” a flagrant money grab; signing right-to-work legislation; and brokering a framework for Detroit to emerge from bankruptcy – his missteps greatly outweigh his achievements. Moreover, lest I forget, Michigan still has the nation's fifth highest unemployment rate. That's unacceptable.

Snyder will not get my vote in November. However, I will certainly not vote for his leftist opponent, former state lawmaker Mark Schauer, whose ideology and personality I detest. Most likely, I will vote Libertarian or sit this one out. It's too bad when Republicans can only manage to be the lesser of two evils and fail to meet or exceed our expectations. Sadly, it's a frequent reality in 2014.

Of brass spittoons and witch hunts

After all the drama of the past few weeks, MSU may get a bit of a breather against Indiana.  With the starting Hoosier quarterback out and the second-string strangely off-limits, the Spartans will face a true freshman in his first collegiate start.

All I can say is:  Don't get cocky.

Indiana had a great deal of potential under Nate Sudfeld, but he's out for the season and the Hoosier hopes seem withered.  This potentially throws my pre-season prediction of an Indiana victory in the Big House out the window, but who knows what shape the Skunk Bears will be in by the time to two teams meet.  Penn State looked like they could have lost to a talented high school team, so anything is possible.

I had hoped MSU would finally bring the pain and finish out a game last week, but maybe this will be the week that they close the deal, score in the fourth quarter and crush a Big Ten team from start to finish.

MEANWHILE, AT U-M FLINT:  So the Board of Regents convened in Michael Moore's home town (and at the school he attended briefly before becoming a hack filmmaker) to boost their re-election chances by throwing bricks at Athletic Director Dave Brandon.

While I've said before that I think Ann Arbor is a pit of corrupt, competing hidden agendas, I'm torn between wanting Brandon out and keeping him there to ensure the pot is always getting stirred.

At this point, one has to wonder who would want the gig.  Sure, the money would be good, but they eat their own in that town.  The very same people who want Brandon fired for hiring Hoke where the ones who proclaimed the hire to be brilliant after that 11-2 season.

MSU has gone through its share of coaching changes, but as in everything Meeechigan has to overdo it.

I will continue to enjoy the spectacle.

(International) Community Organizer

The federal government is an alphabet soup of acronyms and abbreviations, and each department or agency has its own abbreviated jargon to describe divisions, sectors, programs and initiatives. “ICO” stands for “International Community Organizer” – my new designation for President Barack Hussein Obama. (Or it could just as easily mean “Inherently Corrupt Organization,” in reference to the diabolical administration currently in charge. But I digress.)

It dawned on me that Obama, whose background is famously that of a community organizer on the south side of Chicago, is also obsessed with calling on the imaginary “international community” (a precious leftist pipe dream) to solve problems – ISIS, ebola, world hunger, income inequality, global warming, child sex trafficking – you name it.

In the arrogant and cocksure mind of Obama, the world is the south side of Chicago, and nations are the motley “folks” (a word he’s so fond of) in need of organizing. I don’t have any idea how much success the O-man had organizing his neighbors in south Chicago, but at this point it's clear he can barely scrounge up an "international community" that's worth its salt.

The haughty and pompous Secretary of State John Kerry ridiculously dismissed President George W. Bush's coalition to free Iraq from the butcher Saddam as "the coalition of the bribed and coerced." Well, at least the "Coalition of the Willing" featured nearly 50 nations, 37 of which provided troops and/or equipment to help during and after the 2003 invasion.

The so-called "international community" is pretty lame and missing in action these days. There isn't much agreement on what to do about ISIS and other Middle East horrors, and the United States is bearing by far the highest cost in terms of money, resources and personnel. Counting on an "international community" cavalry to ride to the rescue is like counting on politicians who promise to cut the deficit by reducing waste and inefficiency. Yep, and the check's in the mail...

NATO is a bunch of freeloaders that like to talk a good game, but enjoy sitting back and watching the United States do the heavy lifting. And it goes without saying that "UN" stands for "useless numbskulls." If I were president, there are two things I would do asap: Cut off all funding for the United Nations and close down its New York headquarters; and shut down the Department of Education. But that's a rant for another day!

Memo to Obama: There might really be an "international community" if they had a worthwhile leader with integrity and common sense to follow. But American foreign policy in 2014, like its fearless leader, is feckless, weak and erratic.

CDC protocols all but ensure contamination will happen

One of the great obsessions of the American military over the last three decades has been chemical warfare.  Saddam Hussein was known to use these nasty weapons from time to time and there was a legitimate fear that he might break out the "poor man's nukes" if he thought it might save his skin.

As a result, modern recruits are well-trained in protecting themselves from both chemical and biological agents.  Ebola, though not technically a weapon, is a biological agent.

Via Ace of Spades, here is the CDC's handout on how to put on and remove protective gear.  One thing is immediately obvious to anyone who has been through basic training:  The gloves are tucked over the outer garment and therefore removed first.

This is of course the exact opposite of how the military does it.  They tuck the gloves under, to prevent anything from getting up inside them.  This also allows troops to remove their (potentially contaminated) outer gear first while avoiding skin contact with whatever might be on it.  

The decontamination process varies, but it involves frequent immersion of the gloves in a bleach solution and eventually all that you have on is the mask and the gloves.  This ensures maximum protection.

None of this is exactly secret.  It is all pretty common sense and based on years of practice.  You'd think that the CDC would be at least as capable, given all their brain power and the relatively simple task before them (that is, figuring out how to take off a gown without getting what is on it on you.

Again, you'd think that, but you would be wrong.

Spartans find it hard to live of their name, Skunk Bears win by default

I was a little off on my predictions this week and I think I know the reason:  I did not take the 'hegemon effect' into account.

Basically this is what happens when a heavy favorite rolls into town against a rising underdog.  Now whatever one wants to say about Purdue, they are rising - if only because they have nowhere to go but up.

Last year MSU was a surprise to all but the most careful observers.  The real power of the conference was supposed to be Ohio State with the Skunk Bears expected to be serious contenders (remember, they had the August Heisman winner at QB).

This meant that the motivation to beat MSU was much less.

All that is now changed.  OSU is still feared (and rightly so) but it is MSU that now draws all the fire.  This is a new world for the Spartans, something they have not faced in 40 years.  It is a tough road to travel.

The historical Spartans lived with this problem for centuries, but even they faltered in the end.  They defeated Athens, but found that being the big dog took a lot of time, energy and lives.  After their defeat by Thebes, Sparta was done as a major power.  All of the attempts to reverse their fortues failed - partly because the age of Hoplite warfare was over, replaced by Alexander the Great's innovative combined arms doctrine.

Of course, great teams rise above such challenges, but the threat is always there.  It is worth noting that during their hegemony, both Ohio State and Michigan found themselves upset.  Such losses may not have derailed their conference title hopes, but they frequently cost them a shot at the national title.  This is the world MSU now inhabits.

WHY CAN'T MSU FINISH THEM?  This is the question of the hour, and it is partly related to the dynamic discussed above and partly due to MSU having a what I can only call tactical ineptitude on the offensive side of the ball.

The follies of the play-calling in Oregon, against Nebraska and now Purdue are considerable and increasingly glaring.  Like it or not, our defense is not the epic bulwark that it was last season.  It can usually get a stop and sometimes get a big one, but to expect it to pitch a shutout all game every game is insane.

The offense has to step up and not only score points, but consume time with productive drives.  For this reason, the ground game is key and I was amazed to see MSU throw twice in a row when they were getting excellent yards on the ground.  I don't know if this is a function of having two offensive coordinators or what, but something needs to change.

ON THE OTHER HAND:  Of course it bears mentioning that last year's glorious season was actually quite touch-and-go at times.  MSU did not pull away from the Skunk Bears until the second half; up to that point, the game was very much in doubt.  Still, it would be nice to bury a conference opponent just this once.

MEANWHILE IN THE BLUE AND YELLOW GLOWY THING:  Ah, what a difference a day makes.  Readers will recall how last year a dishonest road win against Northwestern had the slappies singing the praises of the 'resilient' Skunk Bears.  Now the same dynamic is at work in describing the epic rout of a thoroughly awful Penn State team in the Big House.  I can't help but wonder if ESPN/ABC contracted the game intending to show it on network prime time and then pushed in into cable simply because they knew no one cared.

Penn State looked objectively awful, with uninspired play-calling and no running game.  They also had no answer to a five-man rush - the screens went wide or were dropped and the deep balls never got off.

It says something that Devin Gardner could basically be nailed in place and the Nittany Lions still couldn't get to him.  I doubt that trick will work in East Lansing.

Yes, I predicted a Skunk Bear win, but even that was uglier than even I expected.  I am officially more worried about Indiana than U-M.

 

Slaughter of the Innocents

One of the regrettable aspects of warfare is that many innocents die or are wounded. It has been almost a staple of liberal doctrine under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama that taking military action against known or suspected terrorists is not a good idea if it means many innocent people – especially women and children – will die as a result.

Granted, Obama’s Predator drone campaign is a surprising exception, but no one really knows how many innocents have died in these ongoing attacks against terrorists in Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan and elsewhere. It is quite possible that the president knows much of this drone activity goes on under cover of night in obscure places, far outside of the media spotlight. The public hears so much about ebola, ISIS, immigration issues and the endless scandals and mistakes of the Obama administration, all of this cacophony crowds out the drones. But I digress.

It is clear that reluctance to hammer the bad guys for the sake of sparing innocents has in many instances led to far MORE innocents dying later on when the vermin who we could have exterminated live to carry out their diabolical plans.

Additionally, restrictive rules of engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan have hamstrung our troops and too often resulted in them being killed or maimed for the sake of not harming innocents while attempting to kill enemies.

It is well documented that Clinton could have killed Osama bin Laden in the late 1990s when he had rock-solid intelligence of the terrorist’s location. But he chose not to because innocents would have died.

Well, what did you expect? Muslim terrorists traditionally hide themselves in civilian areas, using human shields and realizing that even if a few innocents need to be sacrificed in the name of Allah, it’s good because it will help turn American public opinion against aggressive military actions. (Al Jazeera, CNN, the Daily Mail, NY Times and other major media are champing at the bit to show graphic images of maimed and dead young children, mothers and elderly people in Muslim countries. They live for this kind of sensationalism.)

In the same way, Obama has neglected to go full throttle against the bloodthirsty savages of the Islamic State. American-led bombing campaigns have done little to disrupt the Islamofascists. Too often, bombs are dropped on targets that formerly were occupied by IS fighters, but the cockroaches move on before they can be hit.

So what happens when we take our foot off the gas? The terrorists end up harming far more innocents in the long run (See 9/11: Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.) To this day, many liberals still criticize President Harry Truman for deciding to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. True, many thousands of innocents suffered and died in those attacks nearly 70 years ago. But in the process, we saved hundreds of thousands of American lives (soldiers who would have died in a ground invasion of Japanese-held islands and territory); not to mention other innocents (Koreans, Chinese, etc.)

War is hell, as Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman noted 150 years ago. But in the long run, when it comes to sparing innocent lives and preventing long-term genocide and carnage, it can be the preferable option of two bad choices.