[hchutch]

Ralph Peters ping.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

At some point in time last year, Col. Peters was excoriated on this website for having the audacity for saying that women do a nice job in the military. He's another RINO, y'know.

[Poohbah]

Consider any culture's heroes. Generally, the more macho or male-centric the culture, the less emphasis there will be on steady work and achievement, whether craftsmanship or Nobel Prize-winning research, and the more emphasis there will be on wealth and power as the sole desirable end (apart, perhaps, from the occasional religious vocation). As national heroes, it's hard to beat Bill Gates. But even a sports star is better than a major narco-trafficker.

Remember the celebration when Cal Ripken, Jr. broke the record for longest streak of games played?

A guy I rode the bus with commented on it the next day. He said that Cal's record was the kind we need to hold up to our kids--that success isn't built on one day's flashy performance or getting a big signing bonus, but on years of hard work and self-discipline.