"Terror and Slaughter"

11 Nov 09

Comments on the decline of Western Civilization, from a friend and student who works in mental health:

"I've come to drearly recognize monotonous behavioral patterns endemic among people who come to me, imagining themselves to be 'powerless' to stop biting nails, quit smoking, quit being fat, et al.

In every case, I plainly see:

(1) No individual initiative

(2) No concept of personal responsibility

(3) An ingenious pattern of creativity in maximizing avoidance of all species of individual accountability

Smokers want me to prescribe a pill to 'help them manage emotions.' But, what they really want is to be able to blame the pill, and me, when they subsequently choose not to learn self-management.

Politicians love 'zero-tolerance' and 'mandatory sentencing,' so they can blame a piece of paper when their feebleminded schemes unravel.

And, sadly, we're literally teaching our children these fraudulent, destructive patterns of thinking. It is openly fostered and promoted at the highest levels of government, particularly the current Administration. Being willfully unproductive, perverted, helpless, devoid of ambition, dependant, and chronically self-destructive are now held up as legitimate, even preferred, 'life-styles.'

The highest ideal in schools today is to seek the easiest path, averting accomplishment at all costs. Personal accountability is unrelentingly avoided, as children are taught to perpetually shift blame, exercising creativity only in the propagation of fanciful excuses.

We've talked before about the systemic decline of our culture, effectively encouraged by corrupt politicians whose only goal is to acquire absolute power for themselves forever, as individual rights and liberties are unfailingly suffocated to death. To them, we citizens are little more than livestock, and most citizens are currently only too happy to assume that role!

If these fatal trends don't reverse, we're in for a rough ride, and, in the end, an ignominious demise, as forces of nature treat our civilization as they have all others!"

Comment:

Kipling predicted all this at the dawn of the Twentieth Century:

"... In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."

... after this is accomplished, and the Brave New World begins When men are paid for existing, and no man pays for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings, with terror and slaughter, return!"

"Terror and slaughter" has begun!

/John

New XCR Trigger

11 Nov 09

New XCR trigger.

I conducted an Urban Rifle Course in UT last weekend. In attendance was Alex Robinson, president of Robinson Arms, and his Crew. Grand time was had by all!

I used my copy of the XCR, in 7.62X39. It ran fine, as always, but Alex suggested I have him put in his new Trigger System. I was frankly reluctant to change anything, as I'm normally not inclined to fix what isn't broken.

The original system represents a pretty standard, military trigger. It has generous take-up, some creep, and breaks at a nominal six to seven pounds, with generous over-travel. It is similar to a Garand trigger. Parts are robust and not likely to break.

I was concerned that RA's new trigger would be delicate and suited mostly to recreational shooting. However, Alex assured me that the new System is every bit as robust and rugged, but a good deal more user-friendly. In any event, I ultimately decided to ask that the new System be installed.

It was a good idea! The new trigger is much crisper, more definitive, and more conducive to accuracy than was the old one There is still adequate take-up, but creep is greatly reduced, and the break (six pounds) is much crisper.

In any event, it is my current suggestion, when you order your XCR, is to specify the "new" Trigger System. It makes a great rifle, even greater!

/John

Re-run

11 Nov 09

This is a re-run of a Quip I posted in 2003. In light of recent events, it seemed appropriate to re-post:

18 Apr 03

Massacre at Balangiga, Island of Samar, Philippines, Sunday, 29 Sept 1901

In the current Gulf War, we've seen desperate and despondent Iraqi fighters using what we consider deceitful and opprobrious tactics in a forlorn effort to drive out invading American soldiers. We have predictably reacted with shock and indignation. What we need to remember is that none of this is new, nor should any of it be unexpected. Despairing people will always find unconventional and revolting methods for opposing what they consider to be invaders, even though the "invaders" are actually liberators and rescuers.

During the Spanish-American War, young American soldiers found themselves in the faraway Philippines, once again attending to their nation's interests. Most Americans had never even heard of this part of the world before the war started. At that time, the Philippine Islands were a Spanish colony, and American Admiral George Dewey had already decisively defeated the Spanish naval fleet stationed at Manila Bay.

American soldiers encountered a few regular Spanish units on Philippine soil, but were mostly opposed by loosely organized native Filipino guerrilla fighters who didn't like Americans any more than they liked the Spanish. Like today's Iraqis, Filipinos were poorly armed and clearly outclassed, and thousands fell victim to superior American military technology, but they did put up a credible fight on occasion. They were not to be underestimated. As is the case today, unwary, naive, and presumptuous American commanders periodically learned that lesson the hard way.

During the week of 23 Sept 1901, a company from the American Ninth Infantry, under the command of Captain Thomas Connell, had landed on the small island of Samar and moved into the seaside hamlet of Balangiga in an effort to rid it and the surrounding countryside of guerrilla fighters under the leadership of Filipino General Lukban. Just as the unit had settled in and started operations, news reached Captain Connell that President William McKinley had been assassinated. McKinley had been shot in the stomach on 6 Sept by Leon Czolgosz while visiting a trade show. He died of a systemic infection eight days later, on the morning of 14 Sept 1901, a few months after beginning his second term as president (Czolgosz was quickly convicted of murder and electrocuted)

Captain Connell decided that the late President McKinley needed to be grandly eulogized by himself during a special Sunday service hastily organized to mark the sad event. Security and all other operations in Balangiga suddenly became relatively unimportant as he labored over the text of his speech.

On Saturday evening, the few American sentries who were on duty noticed many women scurrying about the town's only church. They were all wearing scarfs, heavy over-garmants and were carrying small coffins. When sentries asked locals what was going on, they were told that the coffins contained the bodies of children who had succumbed to a cholera epidemic and that a service was scheduled for the next day (Sunday). Cholera epidemic? The sentries were unaware of one, but they decided not to disturb despondent Captain Connell with the news. Besides, the staunchly religious Captain had instructed them to have nothing to do with local women, so none of the "women" were ever questioned, nor searched.

Sunday morning came uneventfully, and American soldiers were solemnly assembled in the local canteen to mourn the President's passing and listen to Connell's lengthy and painstakingly prepared eulogy. Connell had ordered his men to show up unarmed, as he thought the presence of rifles and pistols would "disturb the solemn atmosphere of the occasion." Weapons were all unloaded and locked up in an armory. Some prudent soldiers disobeyed this ridiculous order and carried concealed pistols with them.

General Lukban had studied the movements of the American Garrison carefully during the previous week, and he knew enough about American culture to know that a religious service would take place on Sunday morning and that most American troopers would be required to attend. The strange "women" in town were actually men disguised as women, and the coffins they carried contained knives and machetes which had been distributed among the men of the village during the night.

As Connell was about to emerge from his hut and deliver his speech, church bells suddenly rang. It was a prearranged signal for guerrilla fighters to attack American soldiers concentrated in the canteen. Many astonished (and unarmed) Americans were hacked and stabbed to death immediately, but many fought back, several drawing their concealed pistols and shooting as many of the attackers as they could. Others fought back with chairs, table legs, even hot coffee! Captain Connell was overwhelmed in his hut. He was killed instantly, and his head was then cut off.

Even though all the officers and half the enlisted men had been killed within the first minutes, a heroic Sergeant Benton took command and ordered a fighting retreat to the shore. Survivors ultimately escaped in boats to the American garrison at Basey. Of eighty Americans, only six escaped unhurt. Another twenty-three were wounded. All the rest were killed. A rescue force was sent from Basey the next day. The bodies of fallen American soldiers at Balangiga had been stripped, mutilated, and left laying where they fell.

An enraged American General Jacob Smith ("Howling Jake") ordered the annihilation of everyone in the village and the entire island. His orders were largely carried out. He was subsequently court-martialed, but, when he returned to the United Stated, he was hailed as a national hero and defended by many who had served in the Philippine campaign.

Balangiga was the worse massacre of US troops since the Little Big Horn.

Lessons: When outclassed by superior military technology, cunning guerrilla fighters will develop clever ways to minimize technological advantage and still inflict casualties. To expect otherwise is to be naive in the extreme.

There is no substitute for alertness and the constant expectation of pernicious threats. Any time you hear, "Relax! There are no threats to your safety here," don't believe it. Let your guard down at your peril. Don't depend upon others for your safety!

Never give up. Never give in. As Sergeant Benton demonstrated, even the most desperate of circumstances can be salvaged when aggressive leaders step up to the plate and lead the way.

To be unarmed is to be defenseless. We teach students to carry discreetly concealed pistols in an effort to hide the fact from casual observation of the general public. My friends overseas right now tell me they have to carry concealed in order to hide the fact from their own commanders!

We see from the foregoing that even that tactic is nothing new. God bless them!

/John