Thanks once again to Pirate’s Cove and The Other McCain for the Rule Five links!
Moving on: I love this guy. Words cannot describe how great it is to have a man like this as SecDef. Excerpt:
Sec. of Defense James Mattis, known for his frank quotes about the realities of war, offered up a line befitting his nickname, “Mad Dog,” during an interview airing Sunday.
“What keeps you awake at night?” CBS “Face the Nation” host John Dickerson asked Mattis.
“Nothing,” a stonefaced Mattis responded. “I keep other people awake at night.”
Mattis’ remark is sure to join a long list of the former Marine general’s most memorable quotes.
“When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look at him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend because she knows she’s dating a pussy,” Mattis once said.
Now, I’m a believer in the idea that the United States should not initiate force against another nation. However, once violence is initiated against us, our response should be overwhelming; as one of my personal heroes, General George Patton, once said: “Some goddamn fool once said that flanks have got to be secure. Since then sonofabitches all over the globe have been guarding their flanks. I don’t agree with that. My flanks are something for the enemy to worry about, not me. Before he finds out where my flanks are, I’ll be cutting the bastard’s throat.”
That’s a warrior. I think Gen Mattis is cut from much the same cloth. I also think that our military should be maintained at a level so make such an overwhelming response obvious – enemies of the U.S. should be shitting their pants with terror from the moment the first private steps off the plane.
We can do that without spending ourselves into overwhelming debt. Everyone knows the military procurement system is broken. We can and should fix it; our military should be more tooth, less tail, and our system for buying weapons and equipment should be efficient.
As Col. Jeff Cooper once said, “Let’s hear it for a leaner, meaner America, Mr. President!”
