Destroying-life-as-we-know-it-in-these-United-States-for-no-apparent-good-reason

    The war in Iraq languishes on; the dollar collapses; gas prices have us working stiffs deciding between filling our car tanks and buying necessities; and, Washington apparently continues to be run by two-party paradigm lunatics. But fear not; in the nanny-state America that has become the real-time world of Orwell, oh look, the crazy handlers of the "play house" have foisted an economic pontificator upon us to let the rabble know the jobless, banking, fuel, inflation apocalypse sweeping the nation is just in our minds. Former Texas Senator Phil Gramm suggests America's problems are just in our minds. 

    Good lord I am glad for such a sagely and benevolent expert like the good former Senator Gramm. But what might be more shocking even than Gramm's crass, insensitive, and unempathetic comments regarding "economic pain" is that most Americans thought Gramm had died years ago.

    Be cognizant good Americans that those of us that have lived over a half a century have seen the "Gramm" phenomenon before in many genres. And this strategy you ask is what? Well, it is the rhetoric of "blaming the rabble" for failed leadership policies. It would be wrong of me to suggest comments like Gramm's are a sign of a ruling class in the last throws of control over said rabble. 

    Screw it! Let's all have a Belgium beer! 

                              Wisconsin military service person of the week

    Army Captain John F. Kurth, 31, of Columbus died Saturday, March 13, 2004 in Tikrit, Iraq. Kurth was one of two soldiers killed by a roadside bomb. John was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press, Captain Kurth had been in Iraq less than one month. His unit patrolled roads in and around Tikrit. He had been based in Schweinfurt Germany for the three years prior to his death. His company had been dispatched to Iraq in rotation of forces. The Journal Sentinel also mentioned John went by "Hans," he had played on the 1991 high school championship football team, and had graduated West Point in 1995. Kurth had also served in the 82nd Airborne. Captain Kurth had also served two tours in Kosovo. Captain John R. Kurth was the 12th Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Iraq. 

                                         As of this blog entry's posting date:

    85,966 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
    
    8,440 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    4,120 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    552 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    314 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    331 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    30,349 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    2,190 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    90 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    10 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    129 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    15 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.