Let Klingons Be Klingons

I'm sorry, but I just don't see what the fuss is all about:

At a panel discussion in San Diego Tuesday, a top Marine general tells an audience that, among other things, it is "fun to shoot some people."

The comment, made by Lieutenant-General James Mattis, came in reference to fighting insurgents in Iraq. He went on to say, "Actually, its a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling."

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for 5 years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis continued. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Naturally, this has gotten up the self-righteously pacifistic dander of the politically-correct crowd. "Flippant" was one of the kinder adjectives used to describe General Mattis' comments.

The cluck-cluckers need to sit down and shut up. Is that, well, blunt? Sure. Too bad. General Mattis is a Marine. Marines are warriors, and this mindset is part of the warrior ethic, particularly in the kind of war in which we're engaged, a war without rules, a war of annihilation. Mercy and "fair play" and rules of engagement will only give the enemy more chances to kill American soldiers.

I can't honestly see how anybody could find fault with the proposition that the only good jihadi is a dead jihadi. And it's far better for them to assume room temperature at our initiative instead of theirs. If that's the objective - and it is, or damned well ought to be - men like General Mattis are the sort of fighting leaders we need on the ground in tactical command.

We civilians may find such warrior candor shocking at times, but I don't think our sensibilities should be allowed to override the mindset that will keep us alive to indulge in such foolishness.

Or, put another way, DaHjaj 'oH QaQ jaj vaD jagh Daq Hegh (Today is a good day for our enemies to die).

And to General Mattis and the brave men he leads, Qapla (Success)!