1945 - Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt meet in Yalta to determine the future of a postwar Germany. US experts predict that it would have to keep US troops in Germany for no more than two years after the conclusion of hostilities.
2011 - Barack Obama ends the occupation of Iraq, after 9 years of war/occupation/???
COINCIDENCE? I think NOT!
"Our liberties, which have made us great, are now destroying us." - Rev. Michel Faulkner, CPAC 2011
“We’re not going to win this election because the Republican candidate has the most money to beat up their opponent and win the election. We’re not going to win this election over a lopsided money advantage – we won’t have one in the fall. President Obama will have more money." Rick Santorum, CPAC 2012
The List of Active US Military Bases in Germany as of 2011:
Artillery Kaserne, Garmisch-Partenkirchen; Askren Manors Housing Area, Schweinfurt; Bamberg Local Training Area, Bamberg; Barton Barracks, Ansbach
Benjamin Franklin Village, Mannheim; Bismarck Kaserne, Ansbach; Bleidorn Housing Area, Ansbach; Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg; Coleman Barracks, Mannhein; Conn Barracks, Schweinfurt; Dagger Complex, Darmstadt Training Center Griesheim; Funari Barracks, Mannheim; Germersheim Army Depot, Germersheim; Grafenwöhr Training Area, Grafenwöhr/Vilseck; Hammonds Barracks, Mannheim; Heidelberg Army Airfield, Heidelberg; Hohenfels Training Area/Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels (Upper Palatinate); Husterhoeh Kaserne, Pirmasens; Kaiserslautern Military Community
Katterbach Kaserne, Ansbach; Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart; Kilbourne Kaserne, Schwetzingen; Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern Military Community; Lampertheim Training Area, Lampertheim; Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl; Ledward Barracks, Schweinfur; Mark Twain Village, Heidelberg; McCully Barracks, Wackernheim
Miesau Army Depot, Miesau; Nachrichten Kaserne, Heidelberg; Oberdachstetten Storage Area, Ansbach; Panzer Kaserne, Stuttgart; Patch Barracks, Stuttgart; Pulaski Barracks, Kaiserslautern; Patrick Henry Village, Heidelberg; Patton Barracks, Heidelberg; Rhein Ordnance Barracks, Kaiserslautern; Robinson Barracks, Stuttgart; Rose Barracks, Vilseck; Rottershausen Storage Area, Schweinfurt; Sembach Kaserne, Kaiserslautern; Shipton Kaserne, Ansbach; Smith Barracks, Baumholder; Spinelli Barracks, Mannheim; Storck Barracks, Illesheim; Stuttgart Airport, Stuttgart; Sullivan Barracks, Mannheim; Tompkins Barracks, Schwetzingen; Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Wiesbaden; Storage Station, Mainz-Kastel; Warner Barracks, Bamberg; USAG Wiesbaden Military Training Area, Mainz Gonsenheim/Mombach; USAG Wiesbaden Training Area, Mainz Finthen; USAG Wiesbaden Radar Station, Mainz Finthen; Yorktown Housing Complex, Schweinfurt; Anderson Barracks, Dexheim
(Source - Department of Defense)
This list shows just how huge an accomplishment Obama has completed. FDR's prediction of 2 years in Germany turned out to be slightly optimistic.
Yes, we have training forces in Iraq, and yes, we still have mercenaries, private armies run by American for-profit corporations. But our troops are leaving, our bases are closing down, and a huge thorn in our national side is being removed.
We've had several hundred thousand people serve in Iraq, many of them for several tours of duty. At least 100,000 of them come back with injuries, brain damage, PTSD, and other problems that will plague them for decades to come. Those who do come back relatively whole and of sound body, will probably be jobless. Perhaps homeless. Perhaps divorced. This is truly ineffably stupid, but if you can believe it, it gets worse. the DOD is against anyone holding a parade to recognize and thank these boys and girls, men and women, for risking their lives as valiantly and bravely as they did. Yo, DOD? The Church salutes you.
- - - -
From the Church of Ineffable stupidity, today's runner up for Gyro of the Dei:
I. Charles Lake (R), 26, Savannah, Georgia
Mr. Lake went to a local gun show, bought a gun. The next day, he decided to rinse and repeat. As he left the show with his second purchase, he tried to reload it (because guns shows do not allow loaded weapons. In the process, he shot himself in the leg. He and his leg are in fair condition. The gun survived without any harm.
II. Archbishop Timothy Broglio
This walking definition of asshole is the highest ranking collar sporting cretin in the Military Services. Two years ago, he threatened the president that he would order chaplins NOT to provide services for gays in the military, citing the Catholic Church's irrational fear of lesbians and gays.
A year ago, Broglio suggested that gays should not be allowed to serve in the military, simply because they were gay.
Earlier this year, Broglio came out in support of retired Cardinal Egan, who left his position after thousands of sex abuse cases became public. According to CNN,
A decade after the sex abuse scandal that plagued the Catholic Church across the country, retired Cardinal Edward Egan has taken back his apology for how the church handled the issue.
In an interview published this week in Connecticut Magazine, Egan denies any sex abuse happened under his watch in Bridgeport, Connecticut, or in New York.
Broglio made the news two days ago. In a written statement three days ago, Broglio seemed to be ordering catholic soldiers to refuse to accept their Commander in Chief's direct orders.
Yo, Tim, not only are you a complete and utter asshole, you are the archbishop of assholes.
III. Malaysia
The Islamic state of Malaysia, having no extradition treaty with the House of Saud, will be sending a young journalist to his death, returning him to Saudi Arabia. 23 year old Hazmad Kashgari tweeted the following:
On your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you've always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you.
On your birthday, I find you wherever I turn. I will say that I have loved aspects of you, hated others, and could not understand many more.
On your birthday, I shall not bow to you. I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak to you as a friend, no more.
Apparently, even repeating these tweets will subject the author to a fatwa and death.
Kashgari was on his way to New Zealand, seeking religious asylum, when the Malaysian authorities stopped him and arrested him for insulting Islam.
IV. CPAC
Senator McConnell, a nasty son of a mitch if there ever was one, claimed that liberal thugs were going after Fox News and conservative Citizens United donors, trying to embarrass them from donating more millions to the conservative cause.
Michelle Bachmann attacked President Obama's foreign policy, claiming that his approach has destroyed the Arab Spring, and that Obama is seeking the destruction of the State of Israel.
Paul Ryan came right to the point: "We only have nine months to defeat Barack Obama – nine months to reject his agenda of debt, doubt, and decline."
Willard Romney again claims he doesn't inhale. Presumably he is talking about a. marijuana; b. government; c. oxygen. My bet is on "c".
But the best line came from the huckster himself, Mike Huckabee, "We are all Catholics now."
If there was ever any doubt, this conference proves two things. All religions suck, and conservatives are stark raving insane.