I have decided to watch some of the earlier versions of the 1964 television program “Twelve O'clock High,” based on the “1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II.” The original role of General Frank Savage was played by Gregory Peck, and in the television series by Robert Lansing.

The fictional program continues to be used in leadership and management classes to stress the responsibility of command, individual responsibility and the need for team work in pursuing major goals. One distinguishing factor of the program was the casual acceptance of large scale death in pursuit of liberty – with each bomber containing ten men – during daylight bombing raids where some raids produced 40 to 60 percent casualties. 

Lansing brought a sense of gravitas to the role and remarked on a number of occasions, “we are not children” when confronted with difficult problems relating to love, the war and the conduct of one’s personal affairs.

We are not children …

Why then do our politicians and media sources treat us as if we were children, incapable of understanding the harsh realities of life without some form of psychological intervention? Where we are shown the sanitized footage of the 9/11 terrorist attack (without the falling bodies) and other such atrocities? Where we can see the mass graves of the Nazis and the concentration camp photos, but no one can view the dead bin Laden because the pictures are “too gruesome” or likely to incite violence by those who are already willing to kill us?

Why then do our politicians lie to our faces and pretend they have read the 2000+ page legislative bills that they signed only hours after receiving a finalized review copy? Why do they openly flout the Constitution of the United States and fail to produce a constitutionally-mandated budget? Why do they use accounting tricks and budget timelines that would see themselves safely out of office by the time the chickens came home to roost?

Because we have shown the politicians and the special interests that we are children; afraid to stand up for what we believe in. Afraid to disturb ourselves sufficiently to move outside our comfort zone and admit that there are serious and significant questions about the presidential eligibility – if not wisdom of electing – of Barack Hussein Obama. Letting others do our thinking for us rather than demanding that criminals and corrupt politicians be prosecuted and punished.

And, it is spilling over into law enforcement – where the police are using surreptitious surveillance rather than good old-fashioned police work that requires them to talk to victims, suspects and potential witnesses. Where heavily-armed police officers open fire on unarmed citizens who are driving a pickup truck – the wrong make, model, and color – thought to be used by a heavily-armed suspect who has killed three people. With at least 130+ shots fired in spray and pray mode. No command presence, no shooting discipline, and no real accountability.

Bottom line …

When the hell are we going to stop acting like children – watching corrupt, malfeasant and incompetent politicians, law enforcement, prosecutors waste our hard-earned money on buying votes and spending billions on projects with little or no accountability. How does $6 BILLION in cash (pallets of hundred dollar bills) go missing in a war zone and we accept vague assurances that it probably was spent for the purpose intended? How do we allow the firing of talented military men for sexual indiscretions thus giving the advantage to our enemies? How do we allow politicians to claim to pay for their healthcare programs with the savings from eliminating waste, fraud and abuse of the system? WHEN THESE THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED DECADES AGO!

Who remembers the common saying in WWII, a soldier who won’t fuck, won’t fight. Adult language, crude behavior, but typical of the time. And, it wasn’t just anyone who said this. It was General George Patton. Patton, was an ego-maniacal, anti-catholic, anti-Semitic son-of-a-bitch, but he was an adult and treated those around him as adults. He dealt with the realities of war and lead from the front – not fearing the loss of life, his or his soldiers, as he believed he was destined for greatness.

When are we going to return to an era when we act like adults, talk like adults and leave all this politically correct bullshit by the wayside. We face multiple enemies, some want to kill us – every man, woman and child, whereas others want to plunder our natural resources, enslave our people and dominate our lives. I do not know how to whitewash these dangers, but it appears that the effete Yalies in the State Department are so afraid of the truth that they continue to lie about Benghazi.

While General Frank Savage was a fictional character dreamed up by an author, embellished by a writer and superbly portrayed by an actor – Ronald Reagan was an actor who became a leader, a man of courage, conviction and core values. Where are we going to find such a man? I suggest that they do exist and can be found easily. Consider Colonel Allen West, a man who scares the bejesus out of the establishment conservatives and liberals alike because he does not play the game. He says what he means and means what he says. Tell me you can say that about any of the other candidates for office? Oh, by the way, he just happens to be a real American.

Real heroes …

Grow up and face reality before it is too damn late. 

-- steve

P.S. A bit of trivia …

In true Hollywood fashion, Robert Lansing was replaced by Paul Burke as the studio believed a younger man could attract a younger audience (a’ la Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon) and that viewers would most likely identify with a Colonel rather than a Brigadier General.

The role of Lieutenant and then Captain Fowler in seasons two and three of Twelve O’clock High were played by an actual Air Force pilot, Bob “B1-Bob” Dornan, who later became the conservative congressional representative from Orange County. His political career was cut short by Hispanic voter fraud in his district and he was left to twist in the wind as Newt Gingrich did not mount a congressional inquiry on his behalf.  

Following the narrow defeat, Dornan alleged that Sanchez's winning margin was provided by illegal voting from non-U.S. citizens. A thirteen-month House of Representatives investigation ensued, during which Sanchez was seated provisionally, pending the inquiry. A task force found 748 votes that had been cast illegally—624 from non-citizens in addition to 124 that had already been thrown out by California officials. This was not enough to overturn Sanchez' margin of victory and she was allowed to keep her seat. However, in consultation with the INS, the House committee identified as many as 4,700 questionable registration affidavits. The probe was dropped before these affidavits could be investigated. <Source>

He was doomed politically as the progressives used Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals to reduce him to a caricature of a mythical conservative, marginalized by ridicule.