Mad John Boyd - A Sunday Sermon

 

Because this is a military blog, we have to ask, have you heard of Colonel "Mad John" Boyd? He was a fighter pilot in the Korean war, flying Sabres, then went on to become a "Top Gun" instructor and more than that, a tactician who wrote on aerial warfare and a strategist whom some liken to Sun Zhu or Clausewitz. Others disagree.

Regardless, he was hated by the military establishment of his day and never made General, doubtless because he called out paper-pushing, careerist, establishment cipher drones for what they were, paper-pushing, careerist, establishment cipher drones.

He had, apparently, a "fork in the road" speech which he invariably delivered to the people who worked with him. You have a choice, you can go this way and get promotion, money and all of that, or you can go that way and do something for your country and Air Force at the expense of preferment. Free will, you see, be somebody or do something:

“And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.” He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.” Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction. “Or you can go that way and you can do something — something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do? Which way will you go?”

There you have it, that's the sermon.

Boyd's credited, with others, of transforming the US Military into the force which triumphed on the battleground in the Gulf. No small thing. What would he think about our preparedness today and, more importantly, would such a man even be allowed in the gilded corridors of our beloved Pentagram Pentagon.

Thanks, Wild, for the tip and God Bless,

LSP

Harvard Skulls

 

Looks like a prominent Ivy League school's been selling body parts. The shocking revelation came to light when FBI agents raided James Nott's apartment in Kentucky, finding 40 human skulls. 

James Nott and an Harvard Skull

Six other people have been charged with dealing in human skulls, skeletons, spinal cords and more, not least Cedric Lodge, manager of the Anatomical Gifts Program at, you guessed it, Harvard.

Cedric Lodge and his Creepy Wife

Harvard's popularly known as Satan's Vatican and enjoys an endowment of over $49 billion. Do you remember that bit in the Gospels where Jesus says "you cannot serve God and mammon"?

Cheers,

LSP

Some Kind Of Armageddon Joke? No, Just Our Joe

 

The president figure of America's in Poland where he spoke with the famed 82nd Airborne and pretended to be one of the guys while eating pizza. Just a regular man of the people, but why did he speak from a giant zero? Here, look:

A parable, perhaps, and why did the Old Crook tell the 82nd they were going to war in the Ukraine. A demented octogenarian slip of the tongue or something more sinister? Good question and the White House is saying it's just an honest slip because, you know, the Big Guy's such an honest man. Don't say 10%.

Putin got a bashing too, with Uncle Joe threatening to remove him from power, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power. God bless you all and may God defend our freedom." 

Freedom. Unless you're rotting in DC Gitmo for well over a year because of your brazen attack on our politico corporate managerial elite. Whatever, Breitbart won the dry award of the week, "It is unclear whether Biden’s comment was part of his prepared remarks."

That in mind, our beloved 81 million vote leader believes in first strike nuclear war and this brings us to a point. Regardless of your opinion on the rights and wrongs of the Ukraine action, why are powerful people openly and unapologetically talking of atomic conflict. And they are, 35% of Americans support them.

This, to me and perhaps you, is both heinous and diabolic.

LSP