Rating: 
Summary: For those who really want peace
Review: '[P]eace does not keep itself,' Lt. Col. Robert 'Buzz' Patterson (USAF, ret.) writes; 'conflict is prevented by vigilance and strength, not by appeasement and weakness.' No, might doesn't make right, but on the other hand right _without_ might isn't going to be very effective.
That's an extraordinarily simple point, isn't it? But how thoroughly it's been lost on Patterson's targets (and critics).
That simple point explains why national security is such an important issue, and why it _should_ be an important issue _especially_ to those who love freedom and peace. Without such security (and in particular without a competent and powerful military), our free and peaceful way of life wouldn't survive more than a few hours.
And yet, as Patterson (a former Southern Democrat) shows, the U.S.'s Democratic leadership for the past thirty-odd years has systematically weakened our national security (again, specifically, our military, but other books show the same thing about e.g. our intelligence capabilities).
There are a couple of eye-opening chapters about the snooty bundle of self-absorption who calls himself John Forbes Kerry, but they're still well worth reading now that the election is over. (For one thing the man might, God help us, try to run again.) And the rest of the book is about other stuff, dating back to the Vietnam era.
You may find bits and pieces to disagree with. But bear in mind that all of Patterson's criticisms center on exactly one point: military preparedness. As with anything else, there are competing ends to balance and tradeoffs are inevitable. If, for example, you think he's mistaken on environmental issues, ask yourself whether you'd rather have your nation defended by the armed forces or by the spotted owl.
Patterson does an excellent job of explaining why the President -- who is, after all, commander in chief of the armed forces -- has to be someone that soldiers can respect. He shows in detail why George W. Bush _is_ such a person (and why Kerry, like so many other left-liberals, is not). But 2004 wasn't our last election for all time, and this will be good stuff to remember in 2008.
Patterson is also extremely effective as an antidote to left-liberal propaganda. He is, for example, at pains to point out that military folks are not 'warmongers'. He also acknowledges that people serving in our armed forces do occasionally commit heinous acts, as a few did at the Abu Ghraib prison. But unlike Saddam Hussein (who did far worse there than those 'idiots' -- that's what Patterson calls them -- ever did) the military _punishes_ such acts (and indeed was already investigating the Abu Ghraib stuff before Seymour Hersh 'broke' the story). These things aren't U.S. policy and indeed are violations of both our policy and our law; the left is just wrong, and culpably so, to contend that the actions of a few at Abu Ghraib somehow make the U.S. morally equivalent to the despotic regime our military has removed from power in Iraq.
(Incidentally, Patterson also devotes a few pages to discrediting Richard Clarke, the noisy and self-important little poltroon who wrote _Against All Enemies_. As I said in my review of that unbook -- which now has more 'not helpful' votes on it than nearly any other review I've ever posted here since I began reviewing in 1998 -- Clarke is a fraud and Patterson has his number.)
If you're the sort of jerk who thinks there's something noble and cool about spitting on soldiers, then skip this book; you're part of the problem and Patterson's not going to fix you. But if you're anybody else, Patterson will have _something_ to say that you'll think is true and important.
Rating:
Summary: Pass On Clinton's Book....And Buy This One!
Review: Buzz Patterson served as President Clinton's military aide during the 1990s. He was so dissapointed in what he saw that he wrote a New York Times Bestseller titled "Dereliction of Duty" chronicling the many ways Bubba mishandled America's military and national security.In "Reckless Disregard," he goes several steps further, painting the liberals and Democrats with the label they hate most, weak on defense, woefully inept when it comes to running our military, and in some cases (see John Kerry and Hillary Clinton) "traitors." As a previous reviewer noted, this is the book that the Kerry campaing DID NOT want to come out, especially now. This is the perfect counterweight to all of the hot air coming out of our former president's mouth and what's being trumpeted on the liberal media elite. If you want to get down to brass tacks, just the facts please, this book is it!! Well written, beautifully researched, and riveting in it's prose, it'll bring the most avid lib to his or her wobbly knees. Not the usual political pap, this work comes straight from the heart of a former Air Force pilot who flew in many of our country's efforts in the 80s and 90s. Perfect for beach reading, arguments around the dinner table, or to shoot down your emotionally-based, factually-ignorant friends. Another soon to be bestseller from Colonel Patterson!
Rating: 
Summary: He is half right.
Review: Carter and Clinton share responsibility for terrorists attacking the US. But, so does Reagan, Bush I and Bush II.
Since Bush claims to be a Christian, here is a quote, maybe some of you have read it:
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
I can't find a quote that says "Blessed are the those that bomb much weaker nations to rubble because they might attack us first, for they shall be called defenders of the homeland".
Maybe I am just not looking hard enough.
p.s. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I just debunked WLR's claim (which appears just below at the time of this writing) that "The liberals love all whistleblowers except the kind that target THEM!", by stating that Carter and Clinton share responsibility for the terrorists attacks, i.e., I love all whistleblowers! I just hate selective, hypocritcal whistleblowers.
Plus, WLR chose to include Kucinich in the list of the "CUT AND RUN" party, when in fact, Kucinich had the foresight to vote against the invasion of Iraq. So, Kucinich is more along the lines of the "See, I told you so. Let's stop the slaughter." party.
Furthermore, WLR's statement "The party of waffles and wobbly knees when the threat of violence is imminent." is absurd. Imminent? Give me a physical break. Please don't tell me you still think Iraq was an imminent threat!
And, "The party that always wants to cut intelligence funding and then searches for someone to blame when we get hit by sneak attacks." Sneak attacks you say. This is interesting. Even with the intelligence funding cuts, we still had intelligence about a likely terrorist attack, which the Bush administration ignored. But, don't blame Bush, just blame Clinton, which to repeat, I agree Clinton had a major responsibility for setting the stage for the terrorists attacks. That doesn't absolve Bush by any means.
Shall I continue debunking WLR? Why not? Surely nobody is going to die as a result.
"The party that never, ever wants to fight anyway, for any reason, because in their fantasy world they don't believe that civilized people should use violence to solve problems." OK. That is straight out of left field, so to speak (Unless you are in love with Ann Coulter). 1) Clinton was responsible for the use of extreme violence during his administration, which is why he shares responsibility for the terrorist attacks. Unless there is a different reason I am unaware of. 2) The Democratic vote in the Senate was 29-21 in favor of abdicating War Resolution Power to the Executive Office. The House was 81-126. So, WTF? Moreover, should civilized people use violence to solve problems? I thought we were a Republic. A government based on law. Are we now a government based on "might is right"?
One last thing. The fact that 5 out of 7 found WLR's review helpful disturbs me. Doesn't surprise me. After all, FOX News is America's news station.
I could go on, but I hope I have said enough. Let me conclude with the immortal words of Dave Mustaine: "The System Has Failed". For the time being at least. I am not a big believer in prayer, but I pray that America will wake up soon.
Peace!
p.p.s. If WLR is offended, I apologize. I will delete my attack as soon as WLR corrects his review. My e-mail is available to Friends of Amazon.com. I would much rather get hate mail than another Viagra ad. Or Super Viagra ad. Or Weekend Viagra ad. Or Viagra ad nauseam.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous Military and Political Narrative!
Review: I bought this book because a friend recommended it. Wow! It reads like a work of fine fiction, military engagements told in a Hollywood tone. The real beauty is in the factual narrative. Beautifully scripted, extremely well researched, and completely damning of the liberal view. Colonel Buzz Patterson lays it all out. He was an Air Force pilot who served on the front lines for four presidents. He also was appointed to be William Jefferson Clinton's military aide in a very telling time, 1996-1998. The thesis is this: since the liberals took over the Democratic Party in the 1960s, the party once known for their stong military and national security stance, they've consistently and thoroughly chosen the wrong path when it comes to protecting our country and bolstering our troops. Patterson takes you back to the 1960s, the failed efforts of JFK and LBJ, the incredibly agenda driven efforts of John Kerry and his "Vietnam band of brothers," the fiasco which was the Carter administration, and, of course, the miserable stewardship of our armed forces under Bill and Hillary Clinton. The reader is left with only one conclusion: who would Osama bin Laden vote for? In fact, the concluding chapter of this political epic. Patterson points to the obvious: Kerry. Even the most stalwart liberal and Clinton defender cannot deny the verdict. We simply can't go down that path again...not in our time of world war on terror. Patterson writes fluidly and colorfully. He puts you on the edge of your seat in several military operations. Just so, apparently, that you understand the depth of his emotion and the critical importance of his message. Truly a classic. Read it, educate yourself for November, and most importantly pray for our men and women at war.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I long since came to the same conclusions as Patterson; I only take slight exception to some of his environmental policy criticisms but otherwise I feel he is very correct in his views. To my mind the Democrats were grossly negligent in not destroying the Al quaeda terrorist training camps in Afganistan. Rather than focusing on that serious threat they were consumed by their glorious micro-war in Bosnia run by perfumed generals like Wes Clark. And while Pentagon Generals like Shinsheki were immersed in issues of fashion (berrets) his CentCom commander at that time also failed to develop operationally credible contigency plans for his area of operations (Afgan and Iraq). It was all truely disgracefull and a reflection of the highly dangerous complacency of the Clinton administration. Patterson of course also lays out the historical context of gross incompetence in the conduct of warfare and national security by the Democrats. From Korea, the Bay of Pigs, and Vietnam, his thesis is that the Democrats have been grossly negligent and incompetent in national security. These embarassing defeats or unfinished Democrat wars cost vastly more causalties than Iraq and, interestingly, in none of those conflicts was armoring light vehicles ever a public issue and never implemented as it has been by the current administration. I highly recommend this book, it is well written and the propositions will be familiar to many readers with some background or focused interest in national security issues.
Rating:
Summary: This is a Classic Military-Political Work
Review: I read this book and then perused the reviews. It's once again obvious...the divide in this country is real, and it's the left that doesn't seem to want to understand.
For Ann in Chandler. You need to read this book and then make comment. Don't be so intent on debunking another review until you know what you're talking about. The author, Buz Patterson, is a reknowned military writer and was, at one time, the senior military aide to Bill Clinton. His insights are devoid of political bias, that is unless you think that concern for our armed forces is a political bent. He is well-thought and articulate. Fact not diabtribe prevails.
This book has been proven correct. This nation voted and, for the first time since Ronald Reagan, has spoken in the plurality. We are not the country of invective violence, we do not "bomb" countries that cannot defend themselves. Our military has saved two countries from repressive, murderous regimes. I assume, Ann, that you are a woman. Where is your untold thanks for promoting Arabic women into the 21st century? Oh, I'm sorry, it wasn't a Democratic president. Therefore, obviously, it doesn't count. The death bothers you? How about the millions killed by Saddam and the Taliban that have ceased? Again, we went there for the wrong reasons. Tell that to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan (and stop watching ABC, CBS and NBC by the way).
Patterson is a brilliant and ethical author. Lower the blinders and take a look. His works are outstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Dust Jacket Off the Point - Not About Kerry, About Liberals!
Review: I've read the Amazon preview for this book,read the reviews, and have now read the book. This work of art is so much bigger than advertised. There are two chapters about Kerry's looming candidacy but the real meat of the book is in the premise -- liberals Dems have lost their focus on national security.
Patterson paints a vivid, yet troubling, portrait of "the once great national party" since Vietnam. He skewers Carter, the Clintons, Dukakis, Gore, and the liberal agenda -- or more importantly, lack thereof.
This is not simply a primer on why not to have voted for John Kerry. It is a lasting work describing the very real ideological battles in the US today, tommorow, and perhaps for generations. Don't be misled by the Amazon pitch. Kerry is only one of many targets for Patterson.
This former Clinton administration official lays it all out, from JFK to today. Great read and great gift for the holidays -- whether the recipient be left or right. The passion and jokes alone make it an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Full of mistakes and misrepresentation
Review: Lt. Col. Patterson makes some good arguments, but his book has glaring factual errors and reads more in style like a Socialist Worker pamphlet than a serious work. Patterson covers the severe budget cuts that undermined military preparedness in the 1990's, and accurately writes of the dismay that those in the military felt during that decade of base closings & general neglect of unit upkeep. He writes compellingly of a military that felt ignored and unappreciated by the Clinton Administration and the Democrats. And he's right on the mark when he says that a strong military is necessary to maintain the peace. Unfortunately, this book is full of misrepresentations. Patterson blasts the Carter administration for not defending the Shah of Iran, and characterizes the Shah as "progressive" and moving towards representative government. The Shah was in fact a dictator who terrorized Iranians with a brutal intelligence agency called SAVAK, used oil money for weapons instead of schools & infrastructure, and threw lavish parties costing tens of millions of dollars while the poor starved on the streets of Tehran. The Shah was not worth defending - as a leader he was only marginally better than Saddam Hussein of Iraq, and he was certainly no better than the fundamentalists who replaced him. The fact that Patterson continually praises the Shah makes me question his objectivity. Patterson also takes great pains to disparage John Kerry's service in Vietnam and praise the service of George W. Bush. He claims Kerry is a War Criminal for shooting a man who was running away with an RPG launcher after shooting at Kerry's boat. In a war zone, anyone who has shot at you and is carrying a weapon is a legitimate target - if you let them get away because they ran behind a shack, they'll shoot you the next chance they get. There are numerous examples of this in books like Black Hawk Down and Thunder Run. While Patterson has legitimate questions about Kerry's Purple Hearts, his overall characterization of Kerry's actions as including a War Crime are very inconsistent with what I have read about military policy. And I have to wonder if Lt. Col. Patterson would still praise President George W. Bush if he knew that Bush bragged about his father's connections getting him out of Vietnam while he was at Harvard Business School (http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=503181). Finally, Patterson talks about the "values" of "Middle America." And if one reads in between the lines, his ideal America is one that is White, Christian, and sweeps gays under the carpet. I'd give the book 0 stars, but I strongly agree with Lt. Col. Patterson that Democrats have been weak on defense since the end of the Johnson administration. Patterson gets a star for a good argument that the Democratic party did not pay enough attention to the military during the Clinton years, but the rest of his book frankly reads like rubbish.
Rating:
Summary: Thwaaaccckkk! The Final Nail in Kerry's Hopes
Review: Picked up this book yesterday because I'd read "Dereliction of Duty" by Colonel Patterson and loved it. This book's even better! Patterson artfully lays out the liberal problem with national defense while weaving in lively military narrative. He puts you in the cockpit of an F-117 during the first night of Gulf War I and with the special operations soldiers during our initial response to 9/11. It's an interesting combination of beautifully written narrative and hard-hitting factual dialogue. He helps the non-military reader understand the soul of the soldier while objectively arguing that the liberal party of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and John Kerry simply cannot be trusted with the role of commander in chief in these difficult days of war on terror. Told with extreme passion and personal conviction, you can feel Patterson's angst. Some of the key points:
- Patterson details Kerry's treasonous behavior upon returning from Vietnam and his complete failure to support America's military in his 20 years in Congress
- He accuses the liberal Democrats, Hillary Clinton in particular, of committing treason by placing personal political gain ahead of our troops' welfare
- He point out that the roots of radical Islamic terrorism actually was born under the vacuous leadership of Jimmy Carter
- He outlines the many ways Richard Clarke failed in prosecuting a war on terror and, in fact, is a fraud Beautifully written, a true page turner, this is the perfect antidote to President Clinton's tome. Buy one for yourself and one for your liberal friends. They'll never be the same.
Rating:
Summary: Reckless Disregard: How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our Milit
Review: Reckless Disregard is a frontline soldier's report on how liberalism and national security don't mix.
The author provides a survey of the failures of liberal Democrats to defend America, from the Vietnam War to the present.
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