Lotus eaters.
It's been decades since I read the Odyssey and my memory isn't all it used to be. But I do remember enough about the Lotus Eaters to say they sounded like a bunch of pot heads just zoning out.
Or like most of us nowadays as we try to go back to our pre 9/11/2001 existence.
Little things cue me in. Today I noticed there were zero articles on Iraq or Afghanistan in the Dallas Morning News. Zippo. Did our combat operations suddenly cease over there? Pretty much the same way when I checked the Drudge Report earlier. Zilch. Plenty of news in both venues regarding American Idol though. Whoopee dew dah day.
Two weeks ago the Sunday paper had Parade magazine's annual story about how much various Americans make in their professions. For the first time in years they had NO entries for the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. There was one Coast Guard entry. Another Whoopee dew dah day moment. I suspect someone didn't want anything that might remind us our military is presently being used for something besides parade duty.
IMHO we're being lulled back to sleep by the MSM and other agencies who want to return to the time when our biggest worry had nothing to do with religious assholes wanting to blow us all up. This isn't some grand conspiracy, more likely a bunch of spineless jerkoffs who never really got over the idea that we got attacked for no other reason than the continuation of jihad against nonbelievers. John Q. Public is complicit in this willful forgetfullness as long as we allow it. It will go on until we have another 9/11 style attack (which will happen if follwers of the pedophile prophet are incredibly stupid) or until we wake up some sunny day and wonder WTF happened to our nation.
Our troops are fighting to insure the Islamic assholes don't get more of a foothold in the Middle East than they already have. We slept too long while acts of aggression were carried out, i.e. the first WTC bombing, i.e the bombing of the USS Cole, i.e. the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon, i.e. the kidnapping and execution of a Marine colonel in Lebanon, etc. and etc.
9/11/2001 woke us up for a while. Now that platter of lotus petals is being pushed our way again. As tempting as it is to think we can go back, our survival rests on the realization that it's a changed world and we can lead or follow. Following will involve surrender and I don't think all the I-pods, American Idols, and vapid chatter about the likes of Brittany Spears makes up for what that would entail.
One item that HAS made the news is about the breakaway Mormon sect that got raided. But with all the attention paid there and the sensationalist hyperventilating about religious cults that live in our midst, does anyone ever read about these idiots?
You can bet we'd hear more about them if they were Christians.
Just the thinking of a retired turd chaser.
5 comments:
I happen to agree with that retired turd chaser...now a turd cleaner.
Subvet,
Congratulations on the baby sitting up, got ahead of myself, the crawling is next.
Turd Chaser?, Hmm, is that what they really called you guys?
Well said, Subvet
Airborne poppa:
Turd chaser is an affectionate term we call those men who work diligently and tirelessly in the submarine's Auxillary Division.
Their job is to maintain and operate all of the non-propulsion related mechanical systems (hence auxillary), such as hydraulics, high pressure air, atmosphere control equipment, on some submarines they also maintained and operated the ships diesel, and of course, what civilians refer to as the pumbing. Thus the term of endearment.
As a sonar tech, we are referred to, in the same lighthearted vein, as "sonar girls", or as "shower techs", as we are much cleaner and nicer smelling than those who maintain all that machinery. Yet, in the backwards universe that is the submarine force, those who are hygienically challenged are held in higher esteem than those who prefer the frequent use of the bathing facilities, as sparse as they may be.
Pops, you have to understand...these guys take insults as compliments and compliments as insults. I mean, they can't be wound the right way or they wouldn't spend 3 months at a time on a BOAT that SINKS on PURPOSE....
Keeps life exciting :-)
Ma'am, if I may clarify...
Submarines submerge, not sink. Submerging is the process of purposefully moving the submarine under the water. Sinking is an uncontrolled loss of buoyancy, all the way to the bottom.
Also, thank you for correctly assessing the mental state of the submarine sailor. It is a far more desirable state than being unsecured and slack minded.
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