The Secret.......Football
The Secret of American Foreign Affairs
By Stanley K. Ridgley, Ph.D.

During his administration, Bill Clinton cut the United States Army from 18 active divisions to 10 and presided over an aimless "Blackhawk Down" foreign policy. How, then, could the U.S. military remain so formidable as to conquer Iraq, a nation of 24 million people, in three weeks. A larger question is how does our military continue to outstrip the rest of the world in every category, from soldier training to leadership to the will to win? The answer to that question is one of the great secrets of American foreign affairs.

There is one primary reason for the rise of U.S. military power over the past century and its overwhelming capability to fight and win wars: American football.

Decried by some as a simple-minded sport that "glorifies" violence and appeals to the blue-collar, beer-bellied crowd, football is a phenomenon woven into America's social fabric and into the psyche of her people. The United States is a football nation - football players and football fans - and this sociological factor sets Americans apart from every other nation on earth.

American football is a brutal collision sport in which every player's mettle is tested on every play. At its supreme level, the mutual human violence done in football is greater than that of any other sport in the world. The only other sport that approaches football in bone-crunching controlled mayhem is rugby, another Anglo-Saxon game played almost exclusively by the British and Australians. Coincidentally, they were the two major powers providing ground troops for the war in Iraq.

Football is violent, but it is not aimless violence. Each individual collision is a tightly circumscribed competition that measures each man's heart, drive, intellect, skill and cunning. On both sides of the ball, strategy and counterstrategy - the multiplicity of options on a single play - contrive to create an intricate and sophisticated contest. Football is as cerebral as it is violent.

The only people who cannot comprehend football's sophistication are snobs who would like nothing better than to believe that these slashing wide receivers and great gridiron behemoths smashing into each other are dumber than they are. What a devastating ego shock to realize that the average college professor would be incapable mentally, as well as physically, to play successfully the modern game of football.

Why incapable? Because a working intellect under intense psychological pressure and physical exhaustion is an entirely different quality than a working intellect languishing in the library. Players must execute a sophisticated battle plan swiftly, decisively and flawlessly in extreme situations, while a similarly equipped and talented group of athletes is doing its best to stop them. Play after play, there is no room for error. In football, there is no time for still more "resolutions." The threat must be perceived and evaluated and the correct decision made now or the consequences could be ignominious defeat. The ethos of football and its prerequisite talents, attitudes and qualities are inculcated in abundance in America's military leaders.

While the football ethos is reflected in America's national spirit and her military, the Europeans draw from a distinctly different sports tradition; one developed on the playing fields of Paris and Potsdam, Boulogne and Berlin. The ethos of what Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called "Old Europe" is exemplified in the game of soccer. Soccer is a beautiful and well-powdered sport, much like "diplomacy," bringing to mind men in top hats and striped pants walking herky-jerky, as in black-and-white silent newsreels. Soccer is French jeu d'esprit, and it is the sport of the United Nations.

Soccer rules are easily understood, and the sport is imbued with a comradely egalitarian aspect. Players run about. They wave their arms. Sometimes, they fall down. Sometimes, they can even be tripped, and it is in these moments that Europeans first learn to be either bad actors or diplomats; tumbling on the turf, clutching a "bruised" shin, then bounding up unhurt to take a free kick (or a post-war oil concession.) Soccer matches can and frequently do end in a tie. This abundance of scoreless ties leads one to suspect that for soccer players, as for U.N. diplomats, the goal is to stall until ultimately nothing is resolved, and no one can really be blamed. Tie-breaking "shootouts" in international play ought to be eliminated altogether, since an egalitarian draw of no winner, no loser, and no hurt feelings is a U.N. dream come true. The activity, in the end, is pointless. But fans will neither despair nor rejoice at the outcome; aficionados in smoky salons, sipping espresso, can debate endlessly who played the better game.

Is it any wonder that the Old European nations shrink from decisive action, taking only tentative, mincing steps, hoping they'll never have to fight for anything and unable to decide firmly whether there is anything at all worth fighting for? Consider also what American football is not. It is not about passing the buck, walking while others carry the load or debating until you are overcome by events. Nor is it about ennui, languor and the c'est la vie attitude.

Football is about character and courage, might and mettle, decisiveness, strength and stamina. It is about men who sacrifice, who dare great things and who are not afraid to win great victories. Hundreds of thousands of American boys and young men play football each year, forging a distinctly American character in the fire of competition. This character is reflected in the American military and its successes.

I am not the first to claim more from sport than might be deserved. Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, supposedly credited his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo to his having been schooled on the "playing fields of Eton," his famous alma mater. So mightn't there be substance here? Perhaps. American football might not be the great secret of American foreign affairs success of the past 100 years, but it does capture much that is true about the United States and her mettle. And surely, it is one small part of why she is great.

Charity fund raiser
The last 12 days have been the most active of my recent social career. Saturday night was a fund raiser for my old High School and their band program. No, I wasn't in the band......back then you were a nerd if you were in the band. Not so anymore and the band program shows it. We have 300+ kids in the band. And I ruefully wish now, that I would have learned an instrument well enough to still be playing.

I started out in elementary school playing the drums, for about six months, until my Mother had had enough of that at home. She then suggested a much more sedate instrument, the flute. Really I was a natural at this, I apparently had the right genetic mouth and teeth alignment to pick up the this instrument readily. But alas, the Mother figure interceded again. After a year, I think she decided that this wasn't "manly" enough for me and might damage my self-esteem. Darn her......I was pretty good. So I moved on to the trombone for two years of junior high school, and was a mostly disinterested player, and where teenage social pressures made me give up on my muscial career. I did, however, teach myself to play the guitar later, at which I was moderately good.......and had the opportunity to play in front of 2000 people at my college musical festival [with back-up thank God].

The featured speaker at the gala charity event was our good friend Bruce Crandall who was portrayed by Greg Kinnear in the recent film We Were Soldiers. Shown above is Bruce with his lovely wife Arlene and Julie and me.

Slow Week...
It's been a slow week in the Blogworld. Bernard down in Geelong Australia has pictures of his good looking kids, James Lileks can't get the Gnat to sleep, Professor Bunyip had a hard time down in the Billabong with his in-laws visiting from prison and the NZ Pundit features a story about the 4 millionth New Zealander being born. Good Blog topics seem to be in short supply.

I think it's the let down, so to speak, after the military action in Iraq. The big news is over except for capturing a few of the scoundrels from the pack of 55. The anti-war crowd is, not surprisingly silent, providing little for us to rant and rave about in our Blogs, so we have turned back more to the mundane. In fact, this is quite alright with me. I have been busy with the mundane also.

First it was Easter with most of the surviving members of the Craig family in town. Nieces and nephews to entertain and to catch up on news of their lives, a brother and sister to visit with. A lavish meal for eleven to prepare and serve. And now Julie and I are on the benefit circuit. Tonight it was a silent auction for little Jack's school, this weekend a fund raiser for my high school. And, of course, Jack's baseball games and Spring yard work. And the news channels are no help in providing fodder for the blog. Fox News, has gone from great war coverage back, I'm afraid, to more of a tabloid oriented fare. I'm sorry, but I don't want to know every detail of the Laci Peterson murder case, and I'm not going to Blog about it.

So, come back soon. For the time being, I may have Jack's Junior Little League scores, he's much improved over last season. I like mundane sometimes.

POWs........
After watching CNN tonight, fawning over the recently released POW's, I have to add my own thoughts on the matter. I'm glad they are back home, I know they and their families went through some trying days, and things could have ended much more tragically. Again, thank God they are back home.

However, they are not heroes. They were put in the situation of being POW's by the luck of the draw and bad map reading on someone's part. Not that I don't know this can happen to the best of us in the military, but it was a mistake none the less. They were prisoners somewhere in the neighborhood of three weeks. I have met some of the POW's from Vietnam who were kept captive in brutal conditions for five, six, or seven years. Three weeks is not years. The darling of the media POW story, PFC. Lynch, was captive for only days, and was found hiding under a sheet. I'm glad she is back and will be OK, but she is not a hero.

Who are the heroes of the story? First the two or more brave Iraqi's who reported the location of the Americans. Secondly the Rangers and Special Operations soldiers who raided the compound where Lynch was being held.

Where are their stories?

Leno Laughter....
For those who don't stay up to late, here are a few Iraqi zingers from Leno.


Did you see the Iraqi people dancing in the streets today? It made me realize, you know what they need more than food and medicine? Dancing lessons. They don't know how to dance. They haven't danced in 30 years.

Tonight President Bush warned, don't be too gleeful, there are still pockets of resistance. Barbra Streisand, the Dixie Chicks, Susan Sarandon...

Reports are coming in now that Saddam Hussein has been spotted in central Baghdad. Parts of him were also spotted in northern Baghdad, western Baghdad and eastern Baghdad.

You know that story by now. The U.S. military bombed a restaurant where they thought Saddam Hussein was eating. Well, actually, the military heard it was either Saddam Hussein or Geraldo. So they figured either way they'd make their move.

They dropped four 2,000-pound bombs on the place. Actually, we may have killed two birds with one stone. It turns out it was also karaoke night.

We have now captured all of Saddam Hussein's palaces and residences; he has no place to live! If he thinks Bush was hard on him before, wait till Saddam sees how Republicans treat the homeless!

Some Iraqis are looting the presidential palaces, taking stationary, ashtrays, pillows, even a grand piano. Reporters say they haven't seen looting like this since Clinton's last days in the white house.

An open letter to Baghdad Bob.....
Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf or may I call you Bob? I am as American as apple pie, I am an ex-American army officer, I was for this military action against the Iraqi regime.....and yet I have to say with all candor, that I miss you. I know that as a stooge of Saddam you were only doing your duty as you saw fit, producing some of the greatest lies mankind has ever produced, yet you did this with grace, honor and a sense of diginity not often seen in the media these days.

Steadfast in your duty, you were our daily warped inverse look at how the war was going. Your greatest whoppers told us that things were going well. While all the assorted scum around you ran for their lives, you were there for us, brightening our day with your merry good wit. While journalists of the world gave us innuendo, double talk and conjecture, there you stood, beret held high, telling us the complete truth as you saw it, made up on the spot. And we felt your pain, the pain of lying for murderers and criminals!

Bob, we the American people are a forgiving nation and I personally will hold no ill feeling, no grudge against you. You were not even included in the "death card" pack, a sign that the healing has begun already. We wish you well in your hiding place and hope that you can continue your remarkable career in other endeavors in the media. The opportunities are many. CNN needs professional liars. Hollywood celeberties need professional liars. The BBC needs professional spin men. Game shows need hosts adroit in their speech. I remember one of your pithy, inspiring quotes while speaking of the coalition forces, "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" Bob, this is the spirit that made you great, don't let one little defeat keep you down. I hope to see you back on the air soon.

Baghdad Bob Fan Site

America finally wakes up....

The alarm clock, that's what we thought we heard on the 11th of September 2001 and maybe it was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

The beginning.....

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign US embassy set the stage for the events to follow for the next 23 years.

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Viet Nam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then President Carter had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism. America's military had been decimated and downsized / right sized since the end of the Viet Nam war. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.

In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.

Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut. 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.

Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber.

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gates of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe.......

In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.

Then in August a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the Snooze Alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US soil is continually attacked.

Fifty-nine days later a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.

The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259.

America wants to treat these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war...the Wake Up alarm is louder and louder.

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America.......

In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women.

A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500.

The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively. They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision; they kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we have chosen to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979. The President is right on when he says we are engaged in a war. I think we have been in a war for the past 23 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.

America has to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to hit the Snooze Button again and roll over and go back to sleep. We have to make the terrorists know that in the words of Admiral Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor "that all they have done is to awaken a sleeping giant."
--------------------------------------------------
From a speech given by U.S. Navy Capt. Dan Ouimette Executive Officer of NAS, Pensacola.

Perhaps with the commitment to fight wherever necessary to destroy terrorism, we have finally gotten out of bed!

A bad rap for Gen. McCaffrey......
The gloating and "We told you so's" about the outcome of the effort in Iraq have already started. The pro-war BlogWorld [count me one] and some TeeVee news spots have zeroed in on anti-war groups, weasel countries, leftists and assorted naysayers of the principals and plans of the war. Many of these are dead on and the recepients are deserving of the reminders of how out of touch with reality they were. There were no mass floods of starving refugees, no hundred's of thousands of civilian casualties, no bombed baby hospitals, and mercifully our coalition casualties have been relatively light. And it appears now that the average Iraqi was indeed glad to see our military forces oust their tyrannt.

However, when I read these lists of the lame, it disturbs me to see the name of Gen. Barry McCaffrey listed with the Peter Arnett's, the human shields and the Not in My Name crowd as deserving of an "I told you so". Gen. McCaffrey is one of the nations most respected war fighters, a leader who led the 24th Division through the desert in Gulf War I, this after decades of good and true service. McCaffrey's name is brought up because he questioned, not the outcome of the war or it's purpose, but the military details in the plan of it's execution.

What needs to be said is that there were many professionals in the military who questioned the structure of the operation and the size of the force, and not just in the retired General Officer corps, but many of the same people who are at this very moment carrying out the plan. I have this on good authority from senior men and women I know who are wearing the uniform today and from correspondents who were covering the military before it became fashionable in the last several months. They questioned the plan not because they were negative defeatists or complainers, but because it is their job to make sure that our military does triumph. And to triumph on the battlefield one does not leave things to wishful thinking, to luck or to assumption, which is the feeling some of us had about the Iraqi war plan. Had the active duty questioners of the plan spoken up....yes they would have been out of line. Not so the retired officers who had a genuine concern and I think felt an obligation to lay the facts out as they saw them. Our military training says to use overwhelming force when you have it, not just enough to get by if all the assumptions work in our favor.

The last of the Vietnam era soldiery is leading the war in Iraq, and those of us of that period remember another self confident, don't question my plan Secretary of Defense named McNamara, a guy who had all the facts and data figured out. Everything but the most important. An enemy who didn't fight the way he had planned and who didn't give up even when slaughtered by the tens of thousands. Don't worry he said, the data is on our side, we have a plan.

I'm sure that Gen. McCaffrey will be the first to say that he is glad to see some of his estimates and worries did not come true.....yet. But for one, I'm glad we have this type of honesty at the highest level of the military. Or perhaps you would rather take the overly optimistic word of the paid "expert" ex-army captain with eight years service on Fox News? I'd rather have Gen. McCaffrey's opinion, thank you, and be glad luck was with us this time.

Mr. Badman Hussein, I hit you with my shoe!

BBC Report....
One has to be very careful these days when listening to the media, and even more so when talking to the media. Thus it was last week when we hosted the BBC crew in our home in Midland, Texas. In my BlogWorld the BBC has the rap of being on the liberal side of things, which I generally believe to be true. Opinions of other Bloggers aside, I've just read too many BBC online articles that ignore the facts or slant them to the left.

Having said this, our Midland Texas online article came out today. The article is dead on with our comments without slant or innuendo. I couldn't be more pleased, as I personally liked the two reporters, Matthew Wells and Kevin Anderson, very much. We had a great time showing them our world, and it is nice to see our comments stated with veracity and without sly hints that we might some hidden agenda. I cannot say whether Kevin and Matt agree with all or any of our principles or our comments; they are good reporters, they didn't let their personal views get in the way of their reporting on how we perceive the world. We were truthful in our thoughts to them, and they were truthful in their reporting.

Once again I learn the lesson that, "contempt prior to investigation" is a trap that is all too easy to fall into and one that can lead to a closed mind. Thanks Matt and Kevin, and I hope our paths cross again.
BBC Midland Texas Article

Gen. Ali Hassan al-Majeed

The Minister of Information, People's Republic of Iraq announces with deep regret the untimely demise of Gen. Ali Hassan al-Majeed. Ali died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes related to recurring heart problems. Because of his tireless work in humanitarian assistance, the Iraqi people affectionately knew Ali as "Chemical Ali".

He will be deeply missed by his many friends, supporters and relatives, among them his beloved cousin Saddam. Speaking on behalf of the family his nephew LeRoy Hussein said, "Uncle Ali had a deep and abiding interest in helping mankind thru chemistry. I remember from the youngest age, when Ali got his first "My Lil' Scientist" chemistry set he would always push his experiments to the limit...and he could make the best "Stink Bombs" with only his limited knowledge".

Many friends and close observers had noted that recently Ali had not been looking well, with many of his facial features running with pus laden sores and blister like scabs. The Minister of Information noted that these symptons are common in patients with advanced heart disease.

BBC Oil Field Interview

In the field with the BBC
In the oil field that is. My second day with the BBC film crew allowed me, and partner Del Sloan [above], to give reporters Matt and Kevin a basic primer in the oil business, a tour that they had requested. We ate breakfast at JoJo's Cafe, a good ol' bubba kind of place where Matt was not to impressed with the grits, but Kevin loved the Huevos Rancheros. With their complimentary hard hats in hand and a warning about the dangers of hydrogen sulfide gas, we set off on a world of discovery for them.

We visited pulling units and pumping units, saw a frac job in progress and visited an oil gathering system. We spoke of how, we as lovers of the environment, are fastidious about cleaniness and how if we weren't the State of Texas is, and the amount of fines involved in errant pollution. We talked of the costs involved in drilling one well, a well that usually has a 1 in 5 chance of being really commercially viable. We talked of the geology of the region that is an ancient seabed, a region that produces 20% of all the oil and gas in the continental U.S. Being the digital guy, I explained to Kevin, the BBC digital guy, the slick solar powered metering systems we have, which allow us to see on our office computers what's happening at each well on an instantaneous basis. I think he was impressed.

I believe that Matt and Kevin came away with a new understanding of where the gasoline for their Austin Mini-Coopers comes from, and that being in the oil business is not necessarily evil, is not a ticket to instant riches and that there are many hard working average people involved. But most of all, Del and I and these two BBC guys just had a good time driving around West Texas being guys from different cultures explaining our points of view and discovering that even living an ocean away, we are still pretty much the same. A good sign for humanity.

BBC crew at my Blog station

Blogging with the BBC
The BBC has had a radio, television and online media crew traveling the US talking to the citizens of the Blogosphere, taking the measure of the common folks thoughts about the war and current events. Today they were in my home, thanks to a referral from Jessica' Well. Julie and I were pleased to have them, if not somewhat apprehensive due to the liberal reputation that they have garnered.
They were interested in speaking with us in Midland, Texas as we are the hometown to two people figuring prominently in world events today.....our President George W. Bush and our commander in Iraq, Gen. Tommy Franks. When I spoke to reporter Matt, on the phone earlier in the week, I thought that he would be awed by my grasp of events both political and military and I would be the star of the show. However, when I told him that Julie had once worked directly for George W., my time in the limelight faded quickly.

We did interviews with Matt and Kevin for both TV and radio consumption, and to be put into text online very soon. Although we both were cautious about our comments, especially Julie's personal thoughts on rememberances of the President, we found Matt and Kevin to be very likeable, asking pertinent questions while seeming to be truly interested in our thoughts without any noticeable traps or leading questions. I hope the final product reflects that.