We USED to have a desire to win in America. Where’d it go?

Posted by Big Mo on January 27th, 2007 in America, History

This is a collection of memorable (and maybe some unfamiliar) declarations from throughout American history that captures the American fighting spirit. As the Democrats and weak-willed Republicans prepare to crap all over the effort in Iraq with a “non-binding” resolution of surrender, retreat, or whatever they want to call it, I thought I’d contrast their political cowardice masked as “bravery” with real political and military bravery:

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
– American captain Nathan Hale, spoken just before he was hanged for spying on British troops after the battles for New York

“I have not yet begun to fight.”
–John Paul Jones, captain of the USS Bonhomme Richard, in reply to the British demand that he surrender, Sept. 23, 1779.

“O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
– words written by Francis Scott Key while observing the English bombardment of Fort McHenry protecting Baltimore, September 1814

“Don’t give up the ship!”
– James Lawrence, captain of the frigate USS Chesapeake, mortally wounded in battle against the British frigate HMS Shannon, June 1, 1813 (the Chesapeake was lost)

“One man with courage makes a majority.”
– attributed to Andrew Jackson

“I will accept no terms except immediate and unconditional surrender. I propose to move immediately upon your works.”
– Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Fort Donnellson, Tenn., February 1862.

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…”
– President Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg, Penn, Nov. 19, 1863

“Whatever else happens, there will be no turning back.”
– Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, May 1864

“I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.”
– Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Spotsylvania, Va., May 1864

“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
– Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, Mobile Bay, Ala., Aug. 5, 1864

“No one will define war in harsher terms than I will: War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into this country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.”
– Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman to Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood and city leaders of Atlanta, September 1864

“Your communication demanding surrender of my command I acknowledge receipt of, and would respectfully reply that we are prepared for the ‘needless effusion of blood’ whenever it is agreeable to you.”
– Union Brig. Gen. Daniel Corse, replying to Confederate Maj. Gen. William French’s demand that he surrender to avoid the “needless effusion of blood. French had surrounded Corse’s command at a vital pass—a pass that Gen. Sherman has ordered Corse to hold.

“Other nations may do what you have done, but they’ll have to follow you.”
– President Theodore Roosevelt, to the officers and sailors of the Great White Fleet after its grand tour around the world, 1909. (Not a statement of victory per say, but one of pure leadership.)

“Upon the fields of friendly strife
Are sown the seeds
That, upon other fields, on other days
Will bear the fruits of victory.”
– Poem written by Douglas MacArthur when superintendent of West Point, 1919-1922, now engraved over the entrance to the gymnasium

“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
– President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inaugural address. Of course, FDR was speaking of the Depression and not war, but the theme fits.

“Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American.”
–Gen. George S. Patton, speech to Third Army, 1944

“I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder we push, the more Germans we will kill. The more Germans we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that.”
– Patton, same speech

“I have every confidence in the ultimate success of our joint cause; but success in modern war requires something more than courage and a willingness to die: it requires careful preparation. This means the furnishing of sufficient troops and sufficient material to meet the known strength of a potential enemy. No general can make something out of nothing. My success or failure will depend primarily upon the resources which the respective governments place at my disposal. My faith in them is complete. In any event I shall do my best. I shall keep the soldier’s faith.”
– Gen. Douglas MacArthur, upon arriving in Australia, 1942

“NUTS!”
– Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, American commander at Bastogne, which was encircled but numerically superior German forced during the Battle of the Bulge, in response to the German demand that he surrender, late Dec. 1914

“The buck stops here.”
– President Harry S. Truman (It’s too bad that there’s not one single Democrat that thinks this anymore.)

“They said we were soft, that we would not fight, that we could not win. We are not a warlike nation. We do not go to war for gain or for territory; we go to war for principles, and we produce young men like these.”
– President Harry S. Truman, upon presenting the Medal of Honor to 14 members of the Navy and Marine Corps, October 5, 1945

“We’ve been looking for the enemy for some time now. We’ve finally found him. We’re surrounded. That simplifies things.”
–tough-as-nails Marine Chesty Puller, commander of the 1st Marines surrounded in the Chosin Resivour, Korea, 1950

“Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow.”
– President Dwight D. Eisenhower, SOTU address, 1958 (Note: Ike was speaking about the arms race, because months earlier the Soviets had launched Sputnik.)

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
– President John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, 1961

“North Vietnam cannot humiliate and defeat America—only Americans can do that.”
– President Richard Nixon

“Here’s my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.”
– President Ronald Reagan

“I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”
– President George W. Bush, Sept. 14, 2001, site of the World Trade Center, NYC

“Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”
– President George W. Bush, Sept. 21, 2001

“You did not vote for failure.”
– President George W. Bush. Jan. 23, 2007

Notice one thing: After Kennedy, no Democrat is quoted. And I only threw in the Nixon quote because he was absolutely correct. Except for Reagan, not one of the presidents between Kennedy and Dubya has gone for victory against our enemies. LBJ and Nixon gave up (though Nixon was elected in part to end Vietnam), Ford was a caretaker, Carter was, well… . And Papa Bush, although he took out Noriega, only fought Saddam to a cease-fire, not victory. And Clinton? Well, it is true he took out Slobo Milosevic, who was never a threat to the United States, but he ran from Somalia and never fought back against direct attacks on Americans and American interests around the world in the 1990s.

It’s a pity and a tragedy that we’ve gone from “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” to a gutless, chicken-dung Senate “non-binding resolution” of no-confidence in President Bush’s plans to win the war in Iraq.

Posted by Big Mo

24 Responses to “We USED to have a desire to win in America. Where’d it go?”

  1. Jeanette Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:55 am

    We need to bombard the offices of every single, solitary Republican congressman and senator who plans to vote for one of these resolutions and let them know we will be actively working for their defeat unless they change their votes. We may be only 1/3 according to the polls but we are the Republican base and they need to know it.

    We then need to contact those who have not deserted the president and tell them we will do everything we can to see they are re-elected because they are the ones who deserve it.

    We need to let the RNC know we will not send a penny to them unless they pledge not to give any money for the re-election of the deserters. And we need to mean it.

    Support those who support our country and don’t support those who don’t.

  2. Jeanette Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 8:06 am

    People who read and know end-times prophecy say there is no mention of the United States during the big war of Armageddon and wonder why. I think I can tell you one reason. We have become a nation governed by a committee of 535 who have the backbone of a jellyfish and are willing to be taken over by the Mad mullahs of Islam before taking a stand for freedom.

    We’ve already voted one in the House and possibly another in the Senate. What do we expect?

    II Chronicles 7:14 is as appropriate to our leaders as it is to us:

    If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

    The die has already been cast, my friends.

  3. COgirl Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 10:03 am

    Big Mo, I loved the way that you got your point across. We have become a nation of soft bellied, spoiled, self-centered democrats Americans. I am ashamed when I look at the quotes you included and think of what we have become. Think of the stupid cowardly saying from the likes of Cindy Sheehan.

    Unless we grow a backbone, I’m afraid our nation is doomed.

  4. MFG Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:07 am

    The culture has become feminized

    Being a vigorous, masculine male is now…

    In bad taste

  5. MFG Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:09 am

    Big Mo

    A wonderful post!

  6. Republicanpundit Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:25 am

    Mo, Great Post.

    The Oprahsation of the country is almost complete.

    Feeling good has taken over for doing good.

    :((

  7. MFG Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:26 am

    “No, General, here are soldiers willing to do their duty.”

    Confederate General William Mahone ( bringing up desperately needed reinforcements) to Robert E Lee.

    Lee, shocked at the defeat of his army at Sailor’s Creek, has just cried out, “My God, has the army been dissolved?”

  8. MFG Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:36 am

    “Who will fight for Master Robert?”

    “We will! We will!”

    Confederate soldiers called upon to cover the retreat of the Confederate army in the closing days of the war, referring to General Robert E Lee

  9. Ken Larson Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:55 am

    Your post has some excellent points. Here’s some additional data:

    The Department of Defense, headquartered in the Pentagon, is one of the most massive organizations on the planet, with net annual operating costs of $635 billion, assets worth $1.3 trillion, liabilities of $1.9 trillion and more that 2.9 million military and civilian personnel as of fiscal year 2005.

    I am a 2 tour Vietnam Veteran who recently retired after 36 years of working in the Defense Industrial Complex on many of the weapons systems being used by our forces as we speak.

    It is difficult to convey the complexity of the way DOD works to someone who has not experienced it. This is a massive machine with so many departments and so much beaurocracy that no president, including Bush totally understands it.

    Presidents, Congressmen, Cabinet Members and Appointees project a knowledgeable demeanor but they are spouting what they are told by career people who never go away and who train their replacements carefully. These are military and civil servants with enormous collective power, armed with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Defense Industrial Security Manuals, compartmentalized classification structures and “Rice Bowls” which are never mixed.

    Our society has slowly given this power structure its momentum which is constant and extraordinarily tough to bend. The cost to the average American is exhorbitant in terms of real dollars and bad decisions. Every major power structure member in the Pentagon’s many Washington Offices and Field locations in the US and Overseas has a counterpart in Defense Industry Corporate America. That collective body has undergone major consolidation in the last 10 years.

    What used to be a broad base of competitive firms is now a few huge monoliths, such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Boeing.

    Government oversight committees are carefully stroked. Sam Nunn and others who were around for years in military and policy oversight roles have been cajoled, given into on occasion but kept in the dark about the real status of things until it is too late to do anything but what the establishment wants. This still continues – with increasing high technology and potential for abuse.

    Please examine the following link to testimony given by Franklin C. Spinney before Congress in 2002. It provides very specific information from a whistle blower who is still blowing his whistle (Look him up in your browser and you get lots of feedback) Frank spent the same amount of time as I did in the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) but in government quarters. His job in government was a similar role to mine in defense companies. Frank’s emphasis in this testimony is on the money the machine costs us. It is compelling and it is noteworthy that he was still a staff analyst at the Pentagon when he gave this speech. I still can’t figure out how he got his superior’s permission to say such blunt things. He was extremely highly respected and is now retired.

    http://www.d-n-i.net/fcs/spinney_testimony_060402.htm

    The brick wall I often refer to is the Pentagon’s own arrogance. It will implode by it’s own volition, go broke, or so drastically let down the American people that it will fall in shambles. Rest assured the day of the implosion is coming. The machine is out of control.

    If you are interested in a view of the inside of the Pentagon procurement process from Vietnam to Iraq please check the posting on this blog entitled, “Odyssey of Armaments”

    http://rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com/2006/11/odyssey-of-armaments.html

    On the same subject, you may also be interested in the following sites from the “Project On Government Oversight”, observing it’s 25th Anniversary and “Defense In the National Interest”, insired by Franklin Spinney and contributed to by active/reserve, former, or retired military personnel.

    http://pogo.org/

    http://www.d-n-i.net/top_level/about_us.htm

  10. IP727 Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 11:56 am

    It went to the mall.

  11. Rory Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 12:05 pm

    This country is on the way out. I give us fifty or seventy-five more years, tops — at least as the world superpower — and that’s if we get at least somewhat serious about the fight after the next two or three attacks in the United States.

    Which is doubtful.

    All it takes is one major alliance between the terrorists and a nation of capability, and we can look forward to World War IV.

    …And immediate capitulation from the cowards in this country when the going gets tough.

  12. Republicanpundit Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 12:47 pm

    Ken, nice post and good web page. Your keen insight into the pentagon is appreciated.

    I would like to see something similar in the total sellout of our country by the State Department, which is not only out of control, but treasonous.

  13. Caleb Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 12:57 pm

    Unless I am wrong, (it is possible) the lead quote should read, “I only regret that I have but one life to GIVE for my country. Substitute give for lose.

    I would include a quote that gets to what I see as an extremely large part of the problem in America today. Again it is a quote from JFK. It was a part of his inaugration speech at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 1961. “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask, instead, what you can do for your country.”

    The phrase “Duty, Honor, Country” is anethma to the vast majority of people under about 50 years old today.

    Pres. Bush is extremely good at speaking things like you quoted from him. Unfortunately he rates a D- at the follow-up that is necessary to fulfill his words. He wants to fight a war in a slow motion, PC manner that exposes our troops to KIA and WIA figures over and above what is necessary, while wringing our hands over a single “civilian” collateral damage casualty. He seems to have no problem at all with unleashing the JAGs on our troops that are catching the slings and arrows of the enemy.

    Mo, you have written that you have relatives that have been involved with combat and one heading into boot training now. I pray that he will return safely with all his parts intact. Know this, however, the way that Bush chooses to fight this war is just as much the reason that the Islamic world does not respect and fear our troops, as is the cowardly pronouncements of our legislators and societal elite. The level of violence in Iraq would be miniscule today if Bush had not placed PC restrictions on our forces. If the jihadist of the world FEARED the American military, they would get their act together quickly and cease their resistence, and the main body of our forces would be home in the U.S. today.

    But you don’t want to hear any of this. You not only don’t think that Bush has made any significant mistakes, you seem not to think him capable of doing so. I do hope that you are fluent in Spanish. I think you will probably need that skill eventually.
    **==

  14. Republicanpundit Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 1:04 pm

    We will never win a war fought with PC rules. Our enemies do not concern themselves with such nonsense. Indeed, because the of the way the media portrays our war effort, the more brutal they are, the more PC we have to become.

    This country is a country of Oprah’s and Dr. Phil’s. I sincerely hope that we do not have to have an incident that makes 9/11 pale by comparison to finally make our citizens realize how determined our enemy is to destroy us, but am convinced that is what will happen.

  15. IP727 Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    But you don’t want to hear any of this. You not only don’t think that Bush has made any significant mistakes, you seem not to think him capable of doing so. I do hope that you are fluent in Spanish. I think you will probably need that skill eventually.

    Comment by Caleb

    Who is this”you” that you refer to kemosabi ?? No one on this blog thinks that way.

  16. Republicanpundit Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 4:43 pm

    Caleb,

    You will find plenty of criticism of President Bush on this site. I like to think it is more constructive and instructive as you will find on other sites. We all support President Bush on most issues, while we do not hesitate to critique him on fighting a PC war and his immigration stance.

  17. MRW Jr. Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:01 pm

    “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”
    – President George W. Bush, Sept. 21, 2001

    The Dems, the Left, the anti-war nuts, and conspiracy wackos are using those words to their advantage. In exchange, they say that Bush is a “divider, not a uniter”. And they say it gives the government an excuse to “turn the country into a police state”.

    I’m convinced that they are certifiably insane.

  18. Ken Larson Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:14 pm

    Republican Pundit,

    In response to your request for some similar data on our intelligence community here goes:

    USA Today has recently reported in its Washington Section that the CIA plans to utilize more open sources and blogs in its intelligence work and outsource more of its intelligence software development to commercial contractors in an attempt to re-establish itself as the premiere world intelligence agency.

    The “Strategic Intent” is posted on the CIA public web site. Defense Industry Daily further reports that General Electric is gobbling up Smith’s Industries for $4.8B.

    http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2007/01/ge-buys-smiths-aerospace-for-48b/index.php

    Let’s look at this for a moment and do our patriotic duty by reading along with the CIA (after all, they have announced they are reading this blog)

    1. The new CIA approach comes exactly at the formation of the agency’s new “External Advisory Board”, which consists of the following:

    * A former Pentagon Chairman of the Joints Chief who is now a Northrop Grumman Corporation Board Member

    * A deposed Chairman of the Board of Hewlett Packard Corporation (HP)

    * A Former Deputy Secretary of Defense who now heads up a Washington think tank with Henry Kissinger

    2. Northrop Grumman Corporation and Hewlett Packard are two huge government contractors in the Pentagon and CIA custom software development arena. Their combined contracts with the government just for IT are in the multiples of millions. I wonder what the advisory board is filling the CIA’s ear with?

    3. Washington “Think Tanks” are fronts for big time lobbies, sophisticated in their operations, claiming non-partisanship, but tremendously influential on K Street. If a lobby cannot buy its way in, why not sit on the advisory board?

    4. GE already has the military aircraft jet engine market. In buying Smith’s, it takes one more major defense corporation out of the opposition and further reduces the government’s leverage through competition. GE now joins the other monoliths such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon with tremendous leverage in the $500B +++ per year defense market.

    5. Note the synergy that now exists between the Pentagon and the CIA. Note the influence by the major corporations.

    6. Also note the balance in your bank account and your aspirations for the generations of the future. Both are going down.

    7. The huge Military Industrial Complex (MIC) continues to march. Taxes and national debt will be forced to march straight up the wall to support it. Do you have any “Intelligence” to offer the Pentagon, the CIA and the MIC? For further inspiration please see:

    http://www.rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com

  19. Republicanpundit Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:15 pm

    MWR,

    undoubtedly

  20. Republicanpundit Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:29 pm

    Ken, interesting, I have no doubt that all of this is true.

    How about some dirt on our traitous State Department?

  21. Big Mo Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    Caleb – two things. First, according to “The Official Nathan Hale Web Site,” the word is “lose,” not “give.”

    Second, WTF is up with this offensive “But you don’t want to hear any of this. You not only don’t think that Bush has made any significant mistakes, you seem not to think him capable of doing so. I do hope that you are fluent in Spanish. I think you will probably need that skill eventually.”

    That, sir, is BDS right-wing style. Please don’t insult our intelligences with garbage like that. Save it for moonbats.

  22. Niccolo Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

    One must be as a lion to frighten off wolves, but as a fox to recognize traps.

    He who overcomes his enemies by stratagem is as much to be praised as he who overcomes them by force.

  23. CharlyG Says:
    January 27th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

    “People who read and know end-times prophecy say there is no mention of the United States during the big war of Armageddon and wonder why.”

    I could tell you another, but we would end up arguing……..

  24. William K. Wolfrum » Blog Archive » Stop comparing those that die in Iraq with those that died during World War II Says:
    March 1st, 2007 at 6:42 am

    [...] you hear it all the time. Like a mantra – “Only 3,000 U.S. troops have been killed, you pansies would never have been [...]

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« »

  • Copyright 2006 - Hang Right Politics. All Rights Reserved.