Marines for Peace

I've always been enamored of military history. Not because I'm pro-war, but because I'm so fascinated by the heroism and virulently anti-war stance of so many brilliant commanders-- and anyone looking for a 'Culture of Life' need look no further than a responsible military commander. To take one (admittedly odd) example, consider Field Marshall Erwin "Magnificent Son of a Bitch" Rommel in WWII. He followed orders, as all troops are trained to do, but was finally sentenced to death by Hitler for doing the right thing. It's pretty obvious when you think about it-- when responsible men are made warriors, they're equally motivated by saving the lives of their fellow men. The more appopriate example given in the interview is the Revolutionary War's heroic Francis Marion, better known as the Swamp Fox. Who has not only a tremendous reputation, but an unbelievably cool nickname. But getting on to business....

Col. Thomas T X Hammes was interveiwed on Al Franken's show yesterday, and I'm just hearing it now. Given that I'm concurrently reading a military fiction series written by two veterans, my ears were pricked. Follow the above link to download the Friday, August 12 show (26 megs, and his interview begins about 65 minutes in).

What's so fascinating about the Colonel's argument is its insistence on common sense insetead of politics. That insistince really comes through, too. Military common sense, which (from what little I know) is vastly different from civilian common sense, but nevertheless is perfectly understandable. Also of note is the Colonel's unwillingness to identify himself with politics. That isn't just a matter of being a good soldier, it's one of the best traits of America.

His book is available everywhere, and I'm planning on picking up a copy myself-- as soon as I find a cheap one. It ain't easy being a student.And the frustration is compounded by my inability to pay full price and support the author. Hopefully spreading the word will still count.

If you have the bandwidth, listen to the show. Otherwise, be sure to check out the book.

Anyone who caught the Patton reference in this post gets a gold star. Anyone who had the guts to fight on behalf of this nation gets three. Anyone who had the guts to fight on behalf of this country in spite of bad national policy gets five.