So as you know, Wikileaks has posted a crapload of secret military reports about the Afghan war, including covert operations against Taliban figures. They claim their goal is to reveal “unethical behavior,” by the government and corporations.

On their website they write “All governments can benefit from increased scrutiny by the world community, as well as their own people.”

This is pure bullpoop, to use the scientific term.

The fact is, their goal is to only “expose” people they don’t like – meaning the United States military – and get worldwide props for it.

The head of Wikiliks, Julian Assange would argue that their role is to shine a “light on the everyday brutality …of war.” But of course, he’s sympathetic only to those we are fighting against. He says he wants to help “people who are vulnerable. And I enjoy crushing bastards.” (more…)

Winston Churchill once said, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”  During WW ll the American population was nearly 130 million, from which 17 million men and women in uniform fought for world freedom. Today we are a country of over 300 million people, yet less than 1.5 million Americans, a precious few, volunteer to defend western values from the kind of chaos which leads to the fall of civilizations. Churchill’s words are even more apt than in 1940, and were he alive, he would be moved  by the courage, deep conviction  and disarming humility displayed by the incredible men and women of the United States Military.

Dwight Schultz

The last guy you want to meet in the entertainment industry is a writer.  We just aren’t very interesting.  Sure, guys like Joss Whedon seem cool, but that’s only when compared to other writers.  Put him in a room with any actor, musician, or even Key Grip, and Whedon is the pasty guy in the corner having a conversation about the vagaries of the flux capacitor with himself.  So when I had the opportunity last week to travel with a small group of actors (Zachary Levi, Joel David Moore, Kal Penn, and Christian Slater) to the Middle East and Africa with the USO, I jumped at the chance.  Finally.  A perk.

For my actor friends, though, there was a bit more trepidation.  After all, they were the actual celebrities on this celebrity tour, the ones people would want to meet.  I doubt they are alone.  In fact, I suspect that a big reason why more actors in Hollywood don’t volunteer their time with the USO is that they simply don’t know what the experience will be like.  Sure they’ve seen video of Bob Hope out entertaining crowds of troops, but as an actor, you don’t carry your show on the road.  Will the troops even care that you are there?  What will you have to offer them?  Is it uncomfortable?  Is it political?  Fortunately for me, the actors in my party decided to give it a try in spite of these questions.  Here is what we learned. (more…)