Bump's Stump

The First Warning In 1955 Germany was still a scene of considerable damage.  World War II had thoroughly devastated most of the country. Bricks, dust, broken glass and other debris lay in piles at the side of the road. There were scarred and broken buildings, rooms missing a wall or two and the remains of furniture exposed to the elements. Evidence of firestorms told a story of horror that few Germans had survived. In the cities and villages the pock marks of ordinance, twisted pipes, and other remnants of distruiction, were serious survivors of horror, and death.  Germany was raw and exposed like an untended graveyard with broken headstone.  The country was divided into four areas; French, American, British, and Russian.  I was then a member of the first tactical guided missile group deployed in Europe. We were physically located in Sembach, a small village not far from Kaiserslautern. We were within   the French partition. Our guided missiles were ...

Living in Tripoli While out on the test range we shot several missiles toward the Atlas Mountains in the south.  We usually stayed deep in the desert for a few weeks before returning to Wheelus A.F.B.  From time to time we had  a short rest period. We took a supply helicopter or a weapons carrier back to the big city.   While in Tripoli they tried to keep us separate from regular base personnel. Impossible. Space was short on the base and our crews had to find a place to stay outside of the base. Our Lieutenant at the time, (probably Manny Groves, Richard Bass, or Prahalis), after a major search,  found a small house for us. It didn't look like much from the outside, but inside it was worse. The rooms were small with much sand on the floor, but generally clean. It was  a palace compared to our nearest neighbors hovel 100 yards away. Each of our small rooms held from 4 to 10 of us, and w e slept on war surplus Army cots, wires and springs, and no m...

There are a few American politicians who are either stupid, incompetent or both. These people never give up trying to change our government - whether it needs it or not. They purposely ignore, avoid or disregard following the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and other founding documents. Their intent is destroying America's carefully balanced trilateral system, diminishing the effects of the Free Market, and eroding our position as a world leader.  And we, you and I, LET THEM DO IT.   The extremists, radicals, and social engineers have moved in to  rebuild our government by imitating the failed European Socialist models. It makes no sense whatever. Forgotten in the wind is the fact that socialism alone does not work, and their notion that a larger and growing government should control more and more aspects of an individuals life is CONTRARY to our American tradition.  (1)  This week our President spec...

While America plugs away in Middle East, argues about it's new national health scheme, and moves further and faster toward national bankruptcy - three additional problems urgently need attention:  (1) At the end of World War II  everyone was frightened by the overwhelming power of nuclear bomb. We believed that nuclear energy, if misused, could bring the entire world grief on a an unimaginable scale.  We were told that nuclear technology was at the edge of our ability to control it. The subject faded when we  re-focussed on war in the middle east. We have fought there for years and now know there is nothing to win. Our forces are gradually coming home.  (2) Meanwhile, during the middle eastern war, the world has rediscovered Islam. Now America is threatened as never before by  militant fundamentalist muslims.  They are thought to be a small faction of dissatisfied radical muslims whose primary ambition  is to  murder all non-Islamic pe...

Our national credit card is about to burst. Americans should put their house in order before attempting any social program the size of Obamacare. It's like we have a rogue elephant in the White house with a massive ego and no common sense. Perhaps we should make healthcare part of the national fabric. But not all at once. Implementation over perhaps twenty or more years would better ensure that each provision was discussed, debated, edited, and lawful - BEFORE enactment. That's not a stall. It's prudence. The media is loaded with opinions about Obamacare but the 'for and against' people are insistent that each knows best. Most citizens are skeptical, but everyone, regardless of their pro or con opinion, are disappointed that our government has passed this legislation by using political misinformation. Even more important, In my circle of friends there isn't one person who believes Obamacare was properly investigated and debated before it was made a law. Not...

RAY . . . I DON'T KNOW QUITE WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS. A LONG TIME AGO I WROTE A COMMENT "PETER ARNETT VISITS THE GEEZERS". I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS ARRIVED?  OR WHO SENT IT? I THINK I WILL TRY TO FIND OUT. DIXON Hi everyone. Since last writing a request to contact Peter Arnett in 2011, I have come a long way in producing a theatrical documentary about his life called 'Words of War'. A number of people contacted me from this forum and I thank you. I've already filmed with Peter in his homeland of New Zealand and right now I'm raising some funds to get over to China where he is teaching journalism. This is the 1st main stage of the project as I want to film with him in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and the USA also. For anyone interested in the film or those can contribute or know of those within your own networks who could give me boost I need to get to China they can go to a crowd-funding site that is taking donations right now (60 days): S...

Whoa! I WITHDREW THIS GRAPHIC  because I found it was not even close to being accurate. Sorry if it miss-led you....... The  Obama Administration, specifically Harry Reid, pulled another dirty "behind the back" political deal yesterday. For over a hundred years house votes required 60% approval. Not any more. . . Reid changed the rule. Now majority rules. When Republicans wanted to appoint a new member of the Supreme Court, they also tried to change this rule. The Democrats fought it tooth and nail. They told everyone that if the rule was changed to 51% the entire government would self-distruct.  Interesting. Now that we have Ultra-Liberal Democrats in control - they have changed their mind. Now it's okay?  Yesterday sneaky Harry Reid greased the rule through when no body was looking. It's the only way Mr. Obama's Ultra- Liberal Judge appointments  can pass through the Congress.   The sad problems is that the new rule applies...