"Killing is a drug to me"

So says an infantry veteran of the war in Iraq. He wrote an essay for a class at a community college in which he talks about being addicted to killing. Subsequently, he was banned from the school pending a psychological evaluation. The local media picked up the story and you can read about it HERE. (I have some reservations about the legitimacy of some of the claims he makes in his essay, but for the sake of the argument I'll grant he's telling nothing but the truth.)

In his phenomenal book On Killing, Grossman talks about the natural aversion we have to killing and some of the ways the military gets us to "get over" that hangup, but he goes on to talk about how people can come to actually like killing. For anyone interested in the psychology of killing, or "killology," with its impact on society... I heartily recommend the book. It IS the definitive resource on the topic.

While I am one who certainly thinks that sometimes someone needs a good killin' and in those times the best thing we can do is kill whomever it is that needs killed, I think it is disgusting to be "addicted" to killing as if one has given himself over to has most carnal and destructive instincts like a Viking or something. 

What I find the most aggrivating is that this guy would dare insinuate that him becoming "addicted to killing" is either the fault of the Army, or even the war, or that it is a natural reaction to either of those things. Please note that just because the military wants troops to be able to engage with and kill the enemy without hesitation, that does NOT mean that it is desired or wanted that troops should get their kicks from killing.


Written by,
Ben

Fun and frustration at a job fair

I apologize for the relatively long gap in posts.

The other day I went to a job fair that was held in a building where I work. Almost all of the employers there were from one government agency or another. Out of 60 employers, only 4 were from the private sector.

Anyway, I went around heckling the representatives from the various agencies - one of my favorites was when I walked up to the INS folks and asked, “So... what do you guys do?” And they responded, “We help people stay in America.” To which I retorted, “You mean you help illegals stay in America.”

For the most part it was an enjoyable experience for me - going from one booth to the next asking for a job that pays a ton of money without me having to do any work, asking if they had any jobs for a person with absolutely no skills except the ability to call in sick, etc... it was fun.

But one booth actually made me angry. I can’t remember the name of the agency, but when I asked what they did, the man said that it was their responsibility to regulate and oversee the disbursement of TARP funds.

I got angry, “They’ve created a whole new agency just to oversee bailout money?”

I got angry because this comes on the heels of me learning that the Air Force chaplaincy is getting cut by 1/3. At a time when their workload is at a record high, they’re doing away with a third of their chaplains.

It really pisses me off that whenever a conservative says, “We’ve got to stop spending so much...” The liberal responds with, “You’re right... let’s look at the defense budget to see where we can make some cuts.”

It is true that the defense budget is the “single greatest” category in the Federal budget. And I think it should be. Why? Because every political scientist since Plato wrote The Republic around 380BC, everyone who has thought about it has understood that one of the primary purposes of government is the defense of it’s people and the protection of it’s land. Having a people who are secure in their land is essential to literally every other aspect of societal and cultural development. Thus in the Constitution, when the Framers specifically discussed the military for the defense of the people, they weren’t being novel. They simply understood that a nation cannot develop and thrive if they have the specter of potential invasion hanging over their heads.

Incidentally, the Constitution doesn’t make provision for entitlement programs, federal law enforcement agencies, or agencies that want to see you naked before you can get on a private business’ plane. (By the way, I made that jab to the folks from the TSA - If I come work for you, when can I start making people get naked?) This is why conservatives typically are “pro military” - national defense is actually prescribed by the Constitution and is fundamentally prerequisite to the society being able to flourish. This is also while leftists, in the name of being "world citizens" and decrying the nation state as a relic of the past, typically wish we could just open our borders and disband our militaries.

So if cuts are to be made - and they need to be made - then start with bogus agencies started to oversee the distribution of a bogus bailout and move down the line... cutting funds from national defense, the one area actually spelled out in the Constitution, should come only as a matter of last resort.

That’s my take on it.

Written by,

Ben

That's not fair!

Well, yesterday evening at the dinner table, as he was exuding great excitement about the money he had earned, I broke the news to my son - he was going to have to pay me some taxes. To put it mildly, he was not happy. So then I explained to him that if I don't pay my taxes the government will take my stuff and then throw me in jail... so if he didn't pay his taxes I'd take all his money and ground him. He was very upset. My son's refrain was, "But that's not fair! I worked hard for that money, it's mine!"

You're probably out there thinking - "Wow. You're a jerk." And if you are thinking that, then I at least hope you're a fiscal conservative and not some hypocritical liberal... but I digress.

My son got livid (and rightly so) at the idea that I would take away a dollar from him and then use that money to go buy my 3-year old an ice cream cone. I should note that my 3-year old thought it was a great idea. Interesting how one loves the idea of using the coercive power of the government to wrest money from the hands of those who've earned it when one stands to receive a kickback from it... but again, I must apologize, I'm off track.

My son was prone to thinking that we shouldn't have taxes at all.

I then explained that taxes are used for various purposes. Sometimes, yes, money is taken from people who have earned it and is redistributed to those who haven't, - and that dear reader is nothing other than government sanctioned thievery. But that isn't ALL that taxes are used for... As I told my son, I feed him, clothe him, keep him sheltered, transport him places, provide him with entertainment... why shouldn't I ask him to put some money into the pool? I explained that just as I do these things for him, the government has some basic responsibilities toward its citizens - providing defense, keeping infrastructure working, etc., but the cost is far too great for any one person to pay, so since everyone benefits from these things, everyone chips in a little bit to pay the bill... and that is fair.

In the end, it was a great lesson in taxation and the uses of tax dollars (some legitimate and others less so).

And in case you're wondering... at the end of the lesson... no, I didn't take my son's money. What can I say? I may rule my house as a monarch, but at least I'm a benevolent one.


Written by,
Ben

My son, the budding capitalist

Wipe a tear from my eye, my almost 10-year old son has learned that he can make some cash by raking lawns for our neighbors. One could almost see his wheels turning behind his eyes as he did the calculations of how much he could make, how long it would take, and most importantly (for him) what he could do with his wages.

I - we - are very proud of him and we have been working very hard to train him to be responsible and hardworking. It feels gratifying when we see it pay off.

Speaking of paying... another lesson I'm going to be teaching my son just as soon as he gets paid... he's going to learn what it feels like to be taxed. Boy is he sure going to be shocked to see a portion of his hard earned money disappear. Maybe I'll also teach him a lesson in government entitlement programs by taxing him and then using that money to buy an ice cream cone for his poor, put upon 3-year old brother who for reasons beyond his control is unable to go earn his own money...

Bwah ha ha ha!

So many opportunities, so little time!


Written by,
Ben