George A. Sprecace M.D., J.D., F.A.C.P. and Allergy Associates of New London, P.C.
www.asthma-drsprecace.com
Dr. Sprecace's Home Page...
Information categories at this site...
About Dr. Sprecace and this site...
Access related links...
Terms for usage of this site...

RAPID RESPONSE (Archives)...Daily Commentary on News of the Day
This is a new section.  It will offer fresh, quick reactions by myself to news and events of the day, day by day, in this rapid-fire world of ours.  Of course, as in military campaigns, a rapid response in one direction may occasionally have to be followed by a "strategic withdrawal" in another direction.  Charge that to "the fog of war", and to the necessary flexibility any mental or military campaign must maintain to be effective.  But the mission will always be the same: common sense, based upon facts and "real politick", supported by a visceral sense of Justice and a commitment to be pro-active.  That's all I promise.
GS

Click here to return to the current Rapid Response list

FRIDAY and SATURDAY, May 28 and 29, 2004

Today, the National World War ll Memorial in Washington, D.C. is being dedicated.  I know one of the 4 million men, still alive from among 16 million who served in that war, like a brother.  I was 10 years old when he entered the U.S. Navy at age 17 in 1943.  He served on a destroyer, made trips to Murmansk to help the Soviets, was off the coast of Iwo Jima at the flag-raising, had his ship torpedoed, and still had time to bring me back coins and currency from all over the world...as well as a Japanese flag and rifle.  He went on to do other things, like volunteer for the Korean war as an Army private and spend a career as a merchant marine officer.  Today I salute him for his efforts on behalf of me and my family in World War II.
Today is also a time to remember some of the words of the Pledge of Allegiance: "...one nation, under God, indivisible...."  As Representative John Dingle, another WW ll veteran, expressed it yesterday from the Memorial, "this country needs discussion and controversy; but that controversy should stop at the water's edge."  The diatribes and demagoguery of Senator Blow-Hard, of Algore and of the "primal scream" regarding America's entry into and conduct of this current war on terrorism are totally inappropriate.  This includes the incessant references to the alleged need for multi-lateral approaches with our "allies" and with the U.N.
We tried, hard.  They refused, unequivocally.  Beware these globalists.  They do not believe the above words from the Pledge.  And, after WW I, WW II, and the Cold War, it is our "allies"  who owe us something more than the back of the hand.

GS

THURSDAY, May 27, 2004

GS

MONDAY through WEDNESDAY, May 24 through 26, 2004

GS

SATURDAY and SUNDAY, May 22 and 23, 2004

More on Iraq and the Middle East...what else?  As frequent visitors to this section know, I always try to provide references and sources for some of the opinions expressed here, and for related reading.  The whole idea is to try to make common sense of the cacophony of information, spin and opinion that might otherwise overwhelm us all.

GS

FRIDAY, May 21, 2004

GS

THURSDAY, May 20, 2004

GS

TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY, May 18 and 19, 2004

If you're not reading the WSJ, you're just not getting a balanced picture of all the issues out there.  One especially good article, because it cuts both ways and because I have been expressing the same points of view on this site for many months, appeared on Monday, May 17 in the WSJ, by Mark Helprin: "No Way to Run A War" (Opinion, pA20).  On the other end of the spectrum, totally unreconstructed from its original opinions of a year ago and dripping with hyperbole, is the recent editorial in The Day  entitled "How U.S. Principles Fell" (Tuesday, May 18, Opinion, pA6).  Hello!  Is anybody there?  Does anybody care...that we are at war and that our only real choice was whether to fight it on the terrorists' turf or in our own backyards?   Meanwhile, here are some headlines that you won't see anytime soon:

Do you think that we will read or hear any of this any time soon? Dream On!

GS

MONDAY, May 17, 2004

Some thoughtful discussions are being had regarding the landmark Brown v Board of Education decision of the U.S. Supreme Court 50 years ago...if, that is, you ignore the clap-trap issued by Senator Blow-Hard.  Others realize that the decision, although forming the foundation for the successes of the civil rights movement, lost much of its educational promise in a cacaphony of law suits, urban protests followed by urban flight, 30 years of liberal plantation mentality, and the determined and continuing obstruction by teachers unions.  The past and the present promise are both pointedly summarized in today's editorial in the WSJ ("An Idea Has Consequences", pA20).  No clear thought, no originality from the democratic hustings, something that is rapidly becoming a pattern.

GS

SUNDAY, May 16, 2004

GS

FRIDAY and SATURDAY, May 14 and 15, 2004

A relatively slow news day today, if you exclude the regular regurgitation of the prisoner abuse issue.  That issue is now in the hands of a democratic process, and the rule of law.  People of the Middle East, watch and learn.  The rest is now politics.

GS

THURSDAY, May 13, 2004

GS

MONDAY through WEDNESDAY, May 10 through 12, 2004

GS

SUNDAY, May 9, 2004

More on prisoner abuse and Iraq.  When the smoke finally clears from this blaze, at least the oversight committees in Congress and in the Senate would be able to answer the following questions:

These should be some of the questions being discussed.  Meanwhile, to sack our Secretary of Defense in the midst of two on-going wars would be an even greater self-inflicted wound than the prisoner abuse issue.  And it would be like throwing blood into the shark-infested waters of the present political season as we citizens try to keep from drowning.  What we need to do, in addition to the above, is to prosecute the war in Iraq offensively and not defensively, to involve those other organizations and countries that wish to be involved, and to encourage (with carrot and stick) the Iraqi people to leave the sidelines and to participate constructively in their own future after 30 years of tyranny.  We Americans, after all, don't care whether they love us or hate us...so long as they respect us - for whatever reason the resonates best with them.   And for those readers new to these ruminations, I have been advising all of this for at least the last year in this section.  "No brag; just fact".

GS

FRIDAY and SATURDAY, May 7 and 8, 2004

The prisoner abuse story.  What else can we react to?  Besides factual news reporting, there are many good articles appearing on the subject of this serious injury to the image of America...without having to comment on the emanations of Senator Blow-Hard.  We still need more facts regarding who knew or should have known, and when.  We need to know what the chain of command was, if there was one, among the soldiers, the CIA and even the independent contractors (who appear to be playing an ever greater there, for good or ill).  We need to know what the orders and even the guidelines were, including those given with a wink and a nod, as we tried to obtain vital information...from military irregulars and also from terrorists...needed  to protect our forces there and our people here.  How close do our "softening - up" methods come to torture by any common sense definition?  I sense an ambiguity here, perhaps intentional, and an ambivalence, perhaps understandable.  None of these are excuses for totally unacceptable behavior.  But, just as we have to understand the pathophysiology of a disease in order to treat it, we have to know how this took place.  Meanwhile, watch out for the Democrats On Parade and for Senator Blow-Hard to play in muddy waters...and thereby to give aid and comfort to the enemy while we have our soldiers in battle.

GS

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, May 5 and 6, 2004

Sorry about the interruption.  "God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things.  Right now, I am so far behind...I will never die".

GS

SUNDAY, May 2, 2004

Both President Bush and Jay Leno were funny last night at the annual White House Correspondents'  Association Dinner.

N.B.  At times, and for various reasons, "Rapid Response" is not so rapidly posted.  But fear not...I always catch up.  Thank you for your interest in this effort, which receives about 5,000 visits per month.

GS

SATURDAY, May 1, 2004

GS


Return to:
Home
Categories
 
 

Copyright Notice (c) Copyright 1999-2024 Allergy Associates of New London, PC