Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!

The mainstream media will not tell you that the recent attack against the U.S. merchant ship off the coast of Somalia was an act of Islamic terrorism, but it was, and it’s not new. Quite simply, the majority of Americans have forgotten U.S. history despite the presence of a large monument in front of the U.S. Naval Academy to remind us. That is the Tripoli Monument, the oldest military monument in the U.S., honoring the heroes of the First Barbary War.

Following the Revolutionary War, American commerce ships sailing in the open waters of the Mediterranean were being attacked and destroyed by Muslim pirates, led by the “Dey of Algiers,” the Islamic warlord ruler of Algiers. The Muslim pirates were vicious, taking the mostly Christian crews as hostages. At that time, America had no navy to protect the ships and was virtually powerless to fight against the savage attacks. In 1784, the Continental Congress negotiated with the four Barbary States of North Africa (Morocco, Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis) in an effort to stop the piracy. At first, America paid protection money - $18,000 a year - to allow our ships to proceed unmolested by the pirates of Barbary.

“From the Halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli”.

I talked to a few young people at an Easter gathering, and they didn’t know what the shores of Tripoli referred to.

In fact they didn’t know the Marines’ Hymn. I guess they don’t learn such songs in school anymore.

I remember, back in the day, when I was in school, we learned to sing “The Marines’ Hymn”, “Anchors Aweigh” in honor of the Navy, and “The Army Goes Rolling Along” for the Army.

And, I learned these songs in a public school in a blue state. I wonder if these types of songs are now too controversial for a public school.

We even went on a field trip from that public school and visited a monastery. I’m sure that would be verboten today, what with separating church and state and all that.

"Get me a rewrite! This is not good enough!" said the voice coming out of the computer. Starting over with a blank screen Harvey Dimple composed the new article in his head as he typed, which was how he got this job.

Dateline: Somalia. Headline: Heroic President leads victorious military campaign.
Body- Somali pirates likely dispatched by a local warlord captured the pirate of a merchant vessel and demanded a ransom for his release. The valiant military forces led by Hero President Obama rushed into action and secured the freedom of the ship captain by sending 3 pirates to the seafloor and capturing one alive with his bare hands.

There Harvey told himself. The 4 days of the worlds most powerful military being in a standoff with an unpowered rowboat were to no longer be a part of history. The White House Office of Truth and Information would send this out to the official media and it would be followed without question.

Soon everyone in the kingdom would forget what they saw as it happened live. They would forget the waiting and the yellow ribbons and the vigils as if they had never happened. They would no longer remember the President waving off questions about the seizure of the civilian vessel. They would no longer recall the Secretary of State having a bout of laughter when she was asked for a comment. No. From now on the President is the hero of the moment and he should be given single-handed credit for saving the ship captain from his captors.

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