One in a row....

Cary over at It's Obvious has a put up a long post covering his feelings about The Sheep, the Sheepdogs, and the Wolves . I posted this in the comment section and thought I would expand on it a bit here.....

A very long time ago, my father had a talk with me that was similar to the one I had with my daughter recently. He didn't use the sheep/sheepdog/wolf example to explain how sheeple treat those who really protect them, though. His story was a bit more earthy. I was very young at the time and it didn't really make sense then, so my memory may not truly do it justice.

He told me that most people look down on the true warriors most of the time, they hate the warrior, despise the warrior, don't want the warrior around them or their children, and generally pile sh*t on the warrior until he is completely buried. But then something bad happens, and the pile of sh*t begins to shake, and the warriors emerge to the cheers of the people.....until the danger is gone. Then the people start building the pile again.

Kipling's "Tommy" echoes the same sentiments from a time long ago:

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.

Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

My only worry is that when the time comes again (and it will), that there won't be enough of us left to stop the wolves. During my talk with Kathy I explained to her that the Second American Revolution will be fought by her, or her children, or her grandchildren. But, before that happens, there will be a short, very bloody battle (or a series of short, bloody battles) where the sheepdogs of the day try in vain to hold back the wolves. In my vision, there won't be enough sheepdogs to stop the wolves and they (we, most likely) will all be killed. There will follow a period of domination of the sheep by the wolves, then a new generation of sheepdogs will emerge to throw off the yoke of oppression.

Do I want it to happen this way? No. Do I think it will? Probably.

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