draft - in progress
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/rear-platform-remarks-ohio-and-west-virginia
The American Presidency Project
Harry S Truman
33rd President of the United States: 1945 ‐ 1953
Rear Platform Remarks in Ohio and West Virginia
September 02, 1952
I have had trouble with the Republicans on all these things. This reminds me of some history concerning the country here around Martinsburg. About 200 years ago this was frontier country. It was exposed to attack from the French and Indians coming down from Pittsburgh--Fort Duquesne at that time; it was not Pittsburgh.
George Washington was a young man then, and he had the job of defending this frontier. He was in desperate need of men and money for this big job, but the legislature of his home State, Virginia, refused to pass a draft law, and it refused to vote enough money to carry on defenses in this part of the world.
Washington did what he could, and got a big fort built at Cumberland, and a series of small blockhouses running down through here to Roanoke, Virginia; but he couldn't defend them properly. Time and again the enemy broke through, killing the settlers and burning the farms.
Finally, the legislature woke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
2026 Iran war
From Wikipedia
Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran and its regional allies.
the war began when the US and Israel conducted hundreds of air strikes on targets across Iran, including strikes that assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei alongside several other Iranian officials.
The war has resulted in thousands of civilian and military casualties. The economic impact of the war included the largest supply disruption of the global oil market, disruptions of the natural gas, fertilizer, aviation, and tourism industries, and volatility in financial markets. As of September 2026, the US Department of Defense estimated that the war had so far cost $43.6 billion.
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/trumps-next-crisis-the-iran-war-is-destroying-the-economies-of-its-neighbors-and-no-one-has-a-clue-when-it-could-end/
By Timothy Ramos Published 2 days ago [retrieved 10/10/2026]
Trump’s Next Crisis: The Iran War Is Destroying the Economies of Its Neighbors and No One Has a Clue When it Could End
Red Storm Rising (1986) - by Tom Clancy, author
excerpt, Chapter 9
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
"There's something to be said for instant traditions, Chuck." This was their fourth Russian movie via satellite. Toland handed over the bowl of popcorn. "It'll be a pity to lose you back to the Corps."
"Bite your tongue! Sixteen-hundred hours Tuesday, Colonel Charles DeWinter Lowe goes back into the Marine business. I'll leave the paper shuffling to you squids."
Toland laughed. "And you won't miss the evening movie?"
"Maybe a little." Half a mile away a satellite receiver was tracking a Soviet communications satellite. They'd been pirating signals off this satellite and two of her sisters for weeks now, to keep tabs on the Soviet TV news, and also to catch the evening movie. Both men admired the work of Sergey Eisenstein.
And Alexander Nevsky was his masterwork.
Toland popped open a can of Coke. "I wonder how Ivan would react to a John Ford Western? Somehow I get the feeling that Comrade Eisenstein might have been exposed to one or two."
"Yeah, the Duke would have fit in pretty good here. Or better yet, Errol Flynn. You heading home tonight?"
"Right after the movie. God, a four-day weekend off. Can I stand the strain?"
The titles showed a new frame, different from the one on his personal tape of the movie back home. The original soundtrack dialogue had been retained and cleaned up somewhat, but the music had been redone by the Moscow State Symphony and chorus. They did true justice to Prokofiev's evocative score.
The film began with a view of the Russian . . . steppes? Toland wondered. Or was that supposed to be the southern part of the country? Anyway, it showed rolling grassland littered with bones and weapons from an old battle against the Mongols. The Yellow Peril, still a Russian bugaboo. The Soviet Union had absorbed a lot of Mongols-but now the Chinese had nuclear weapons and the world's largest army.
"The print is terrific," Lowe observed.
"Hell of a lot better than my tape," Toland agreed. A pair of VHS machines was recording this, though the Navy wasn't supplying the tapes. Each officer had bought one himself. SACLANT's Inspector General had an evil reputation.
All this happened pretty close to the Baltic coast, Toland reminded himself. The introduction of the main character was made through a song as he was evidently out directing some men with a fishing net. A good socialist introduction, the officers agreed: the hero out doing manual labor. A brief verbal confrontation with the Mongols, then a musing about which danger to Russian integrity was greater, the German or the Mongol.
"Jesus, you know they still think that way?" Toland chuckled.
"The more things change . . ." Lowe popped open his own Coke.
"I kinda wonder about this guy, though. When he went back into the water after the net, he ran like a girl, what with his arms flying all over."
"You should try running in knee-deep water," the Marine growled.
And the scene shifted to the German Danger.
"A bunch of out-of-work knights, just like the crusades. Hell, just like Indian movies from the thirties. Chopping people up, throwing babies into the fire."
"You suppose they really did things like that?"
"Ever hear of a place called Auschwitz, Bob?" Lowe inquired. "You know, in the civilized twentieth century?"
"Those guys didn't bring a bishop with them."
"Try reading up on the crusaders' liberation of Jerusalem. Either they killed, or raped first and then killed, all for the Greater Glory of God, with bishops and cardinals cheering them on. Nice bunch. Yeah, it's probably true enough. Christ knows the Eastern Front in '41-'45 saw a lot of it on both sides. Nasty campaign, that was. Want some more popcorn?"
Finally the people mobilized themselves, especially the peasants:
Vstavaitye, 1yudi russkiye, na slavny boi, na smyertny boi
"Damn!" Toland sat forward. "They really punched that song up." The soundtrack was almost perfect, even accounting for the satellite transmission difficulties.
Arise, you Russian People, in a just battle, in a fight to the death: arise, you people free and brave, defend our fair native land!
- by me, Kerry Wayne Burgess, posted by me: 9:12 PM Pacific-timezone USA Saturday 10/10/2026
