Friday, August 19, 2011

“NUTS!”: Jihadis Don’t Get It, but Neither Do “Americans”

By Nicholas Stix
 

Battleground, 1949. The first movie depiction of the Siege of Bastogne.
 

I never forgot it. When I was maybe eight years old, I saw the picture, The Battle of the Bulge, for the first time. I didn’t get the point of the title, but I did get “Nuts!”

That was the response by young Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe to the demand by the Gerries, who had laid siege to us shortly before Christmas in the Belgian town of Bastogne, that we surrender.

Gen. McAuliffe’s one-word response became one of the most famous statements to come out of the war, and became synonymous with the American can-do spirit.

Beginning on December 16, the Germans had made one last, bold, mad offensive, and broken through Allied lines, causing a “bulge.”

Bastogne was a hub of seven roads, which made it crucial for the Germans’ westward thrust, and thus crucial for us to stop them.

Bastogne was hopeless. We had no air support. The town was occupied by the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Divison, crack soldiers, to be sure, but men who were overmatched in numbers and weaponry by the encircling German forces. And yet, our boys held until the bad weather cleared, and we could get them air support and fresh supplies. We had inspired leadership, fresh troops, and good morale, while the Germans were weary, and their morale low. And then it was the Gerries who were surrendering.

And that helped break the back of the German offensive.

My mom says that my late Uncle Irwin, who made it to sergeant in the war, and then went back for more in Korea, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, but I don’t know if he was at Bastogne.

During Memorial Day weekend, my 11-year-old and I both had the pleasure of watching Battleground for the first time.
…for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Acting Commander, 101st Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces from 17 to 26 December 1944, at Bastogne, Belgium.

During this period General McAuliffe was in command of the 101st Airborne Division during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium, by overwhelming enemy forces. Though the city was completely surrounded by the enemy, the spirit of the defending troops under this officer's inspiring, gallant leadership never wavered. Their courageous stand is epic.

General McAuliffe continuously exposed himself to enemy bombing, strafing, and armored and infantry attacks to personally direct his troops, utterly disregarding his own safety.

Brigadier General McAuliffe's courage, fearless determination and inspiring, heroic leadership exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 101st Airborne Division, and the United States Army.
Which brings us to Cong. Allen West (R/Tea Party, FL), who is a retired Army lieutenant colonel. The jihadis at CAIR demanded that West surrender, and denounce what they called “Anti-Islamic” groups to which he has ties. Channeling the spirit of “Gen. Mac,” the Congressman replied with a letter that simply said, “NUTS!”

That our Moslem enemies should fail to understand West’s response is to be expected. And I suppose it is to be expected that the MSM didn’t get it, either. After all, they’re just as much our enemies as the jihadis. The most important thing to the alleged reporter supposedly covering the story, Gio Benitez, who knows considerably less American history than my 11-year-old, was that he pronounce his name as if he were in a Latin American country. Senor Benitez told viewers, “This is an extremely short letter, and nobody seems to know exactly what it means.”

But the people on the street interviewed by an MSM reporter didn’t get it, either, and stupidly criticized West. “It doesn’t look too professional to me. It doesn’t look too thought out,” said one middle-aged white man.

“Uh, maybe another sentence. Explaining?,” said an attractive woman in her early 30s with a Spanish accent.

The simplicity of West’s response was exquisitely thought out, and explaining it would have ruined it.

Not that those dunces would have supported him, anyway.

Someone at Benitez’ station then googled, apparently, and found what all patriotic Americans already knew, which the intrepid Senor Benitez then announced as a scoop:

“Then we found this. During World War II, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe…”

“Hamze doesn’t think he’ll ever find out what Congressman West meant with the word, because, he said, West has turned down all meetings with CAIR Florida.”

That’s funny. The Gerries understood it, back in ’44.

Then again, back then the typical German officer knew more about American culture than today’s typical jihadi, reconquista, or media saboteur/insurgent. Heck, those people glory in their ignorance of American culture.

When Benitez asked CAIR Florida jihadi Nezar Hamze what he would say to West, Hamze replied, “I’d tell him to grow up, you know, to act like a congressman, and engage in dialogue, and to stop the schoolboy insults.”

What is there to talk about? The terms of surrender? To jihadis, “dialogue” has the same meaning that it does for black racists: ‘We dictate, you listen, while nodding in assent.’

 


 

I don’t need to read any polls to know that Congressman West just got himself a big surge among patriots.

So, how’s he on immigration? According to NumbersUSA, where illegal immigration’s concerned, he’s as good as it gets. I was unable to determine the Congressman’s position on legal immigration.

Remember, "you can have any color you want, as long as it’s black."

[Tips ‘o the Army helmet to Larry Auster, HOFFAMVA, and Gates of Vienna.]

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, the expression "Nuts" used to be associated with the Battle of the Bulge. It was apart of your cultural literacy to be aware of the siege of Bastogne and Anthony McAuliffe's response to the demand for surrender.

One of my uncles was at Bastogne.

David In TN

Jack Grant said...

My dad was at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he couldn't understand why I, when a Boy Scout and later, would want to go camping, especially in the winter.

He was a career soldier and tank commander at the time. He was awarded a Silver Star in North Africa near Kasserine Pass.

He was offered a battlefield commission and a trip to Sicily and Italy, or a trip home to go on a War Bond tour with some celebrities. During the Bond tour the Army gave him a few days leave to come to Alabama to visit his family.

He returned to Europe in time to cross a Normandy beach at D+5, eventually going to Berlin. Lived to tell the tales, though he never had much to say about his experiences.
Jack Grant

Mercurius Aulicus said...

I am an Australian and I knew what the Congressman was referring to - it's rather a famous incident of WWII. The ignorance of our New Class media never ceases to appall.

David P. said...

White leaders used to have the spine to stand up against the Muslims.

"...It was against this background that Pope Urban II, in a speech at Clermont in France in November 1095, called for a great Christian expedition to free Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turks, a new Muslim power that had recently begun actively harassing peaceful Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. The pope was spurred by his position as the spiritual head of Western Europe, by the temporary absence of strong rulers in Germany (the Holy Roman Empire) or France who could either oppose or take over the effort, and by a call for help from the Byzantine emperor, Alexius I. These various factors were genuine causes, and at the same time, useful justifications for the pope’s call for a Crusade. In any case, Urban’s speech—well reported in several chronicles—appealed to thousands of people of all classes. It was the right message at the right time.

The First Crusade was successful in its explicit aim of freeing Jerusalem. It also established a Western Christian military presence in the Near East that lasted for almost 200 years." - International World History Project



"The last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, was last seen casting off his imperial regalia and throwing himself into hand-to-hand combat after the walls of the city were taken."- Wikipedia



"Bragadin's fame rests upon the incredible resistance that he made against the vastly superior besieging forces. From a military point of view, the besieged garrison's perseverance required a massive effort by the Ottoman Turks, who were so heavily committed that they were unable to redeploy in time when the Holy League built up the fleet later victorious against the Muslim power at Lepanto." -Wikipedia



"Sobieski's greatest success came in 1683 with his victory at the Battle of Vienna, in joint command of Polish, Austrian and German troops, against the invading Turks under Kara Mustafa.

Upon reaching Vienna, Sobieski had planned to attack on 13 September, but with the Turkish close to breaching the walls he ordered a full attack on 12 September. At 04:00 the united army of about 81,000 men attacked a Turkish force of about 130,000 men. At about five o'clock in the afternoon, after observing the infantry battle from the hilltop, Sobieski led Polish husaria cavalry along with Austrians and Germans into a massive charge down the hillside. Soon, the Turkish battle line was broken and the Ottoman forces scattered in confusion. At 17:30 Sobieski entered the deserted tent of Kara Mustafa and the battle of Vienna ended.

The Pope and other foreign dignitaries hailed Sobieski as the "Savior of Vienna and Western European civilization. -Wikipedia