The Sub Vets, your submarine experts are back. Eighty years ago this week the Imperial Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2400 Americans and sinking numerous ships. Among the vessels in the harbor that day were four US Navy Submarines. In retrospect, the attackers should have paid more attention to the submarines…

In Sub Vets News, the Royal Navy seems to have a drug problem among her boat sailors. The two spies might have been motivated by their personal animosity towards… Donald Trump?

Would you dive 600 feet below on board a “diving living room submarine?“ Eric says “NOPE” while Dave has been planning this since the 5th grade…

Back in the 1870s Otto von Bismarck coined a term that still resonates today, despite the fact that purists on both political sides hate it: realpolitik

In December of 1941, a Congresswoman – the first ever – learned a lesson in realpolitik. In April of 1917 she had been among fifty US Representatives who felt that a US Declaration of War on Imperial Germany was a mistake and to be opposed. In retrospect and in the minds of many millions of Americans that day, she was right.

But twenty-four years later, she would find herself as the ONLY US Congressperson, House or Senate*, to vote against declaring war on Imperial Japan after the attacks of December 7th. She would pay a personal price for her vote, including some merciless mockery for hiding in a closet after the vote and losing her seat permanently.

Rankin claimed that it had been a vote of principle, stating that war is always wrong.

Three days later, she would vote “Present” on a Declaration of War against two other countries that had not attacked the United States. She had learned the meaning of realpolitik. Too late, but she had learned it.

Today, we watch as 1917 repeats itself. Nations are lining up against nations, some clearly the aggressor. Threats are made, promises are spouted. But what is the realpolitik?

This time Congress itself will have almost no say in what happens. No stand, principled or otherwise, will take place. The President alone will decide whether or not your husbands, wives, father, mothers, sons and daughters will go to war against a nation that has not attacked us…

*Fifty-five members of Congress were unable to vote as they were not present. All of them would make it clear that they supported the DoW and would have voted in favor of it.

In late 2011, Admiral Jonathan Greenert became the Chief of Naval operations. Before that, he had commanded the US Navy's 7th fleet, a fleet that just rings with Naval History related to world war II. But even before that, the Admiral had once upon a time been a LtCDR and was the executive Officer aboard a ballistic missile submarine.

And, aboard that submarine, one of the sailors with whom he had a long history of service was a Ballitic Missile Fire Controlman, 2nd Class, name... well... Dave Bowman.

After the Admiral became CNO, I approached his office about being on the show for December 7th (and a story for another day was that adventure!) and he was glad to do it. We had a great time recording the interview and an even better conversation after. What I always knew about (as he was to me) LtCDR Greenert was that he cared a great deal about the sailors under him. Most XO's are the "hard ass" and keep things in line. LtCDR Greenert was ALWAYS professional and personable. When I had an issue in December of 1986, he went to bat for me. Though we lost, I learned a valuable lesson from him. "Bowman," he said, " we lost. But that's no excuse for less than you best in everything."

That conversation led to one of my most personal and favorite moments aboard USS Michigan.

At any rate, I was thinking about all the December 7th shows I've done through the years, and this is still my favorite. So I thought that I would share it with you once again...

Rabbi Dave has arisen from his muscle relaxer induced coma to share the hour with the Good Friar Rod as they ask questions about how the government is doing things and why Trevor Noah is in some “hot water” for finally at least appearing to see the obvious answer in front of his not so funny face.

Did you know that JaBiden is the worst treated by the media President in history? Delta Airlines had an… interesting(?) problem last week, and for reasons that nobody can seem to answer, Chris Cuomo still has his job – even after being fired.

Ho, ho, ho, it’s the first WTF of the Holiday Season!

A long time ago, there was a king who decided that all of the people of his realm should behave as he had decided that they should behave. Failure to behave as dictated would result in the most dire of consequences. rules were established, ancient traditions were dismantled and the people who objected were placed under enormous burdens.

To be certain, there were those people who agreed with the kings efforts to demolish the old ways. They saw an aspect of safety and security in following the new edicts. Besides, they reasoned, the old ways didn’t seem to be all that effective anyway. They went along with the king and the new rules, and, to show their agreement, they too attacked and punished those who still refused the new edicts.

They said that it was just an effort to save lives. To get along by assimilating into the new normal.

When everything was said and done, the king was dead, but the old ways lived on.

Until the next king came along…

You freeloading oxygen breathers are welcome to join The Sub Vets, The Submarine Experts, Eric and Dave as they set sail into the world of every and all things submarines!

We start things off with a discussion of some Patrol Hackers, a bunch of questionable "submarine terms," which drifts into a sea story or two. We learn of Eric's tragic Submarine youth, as he was both DINQ and had an "abusive Sea Dad." Dave does not have a NAM, nor does he have a ballcap that says "NAM" on it. Eric does have one (the medal, not that hat) because it turns out that he is a hero!

The LA's are being decommed by the Navy and it's a painful thing to watch... although there could be a possible way that some of the LA's might stay in service.

Get your show Hacker Card for your chance to win questionable and iffy "prizes!"

Over the past few days, Communist China sent military aircraft into Taiwanese airspace. This resulted in Taiwan sending up large amounts of interceptor jets. The world wobbled ever closer to a war that has been on the back burner since 1949.

I’m old enough to remember when all of our cheap Chinese products were stamped with “Made in Taiwan.” You will notice that is no longer the case. And it’s a big part of the reason that Communist China may believe that the United States won’t lift a finger to defend Free China…

Just to be absolutely clear, I was born as a fourth generation member of The Salvation Army. My grandparents were lay leaders at the Oklahoma City and later the Norman Corps in Oklahoma, while my parents are retired Officers (ordained ministers). As was my Uncle (of blessed memory) and My Aunt, my cousin and my sister. Not to mention numerous friends.

In point of fact, I was an Officer from 1991-1997 and a life long member of the church until I specifically left it in 2004. In 2008 I fully converted to Judaism and since that time I have attended precisely one Salvation Army service – the funeral of my Uncle in 2016.

While I am certain that there are those who will claim and shout otherwise, I am steeped in Army philosophy and doctrine, both as trainee and as a leader of it. I am not just talking off the cuff with no understanding of things. That said, I left the Army as a member in 2004 and as an employee in 2007.

My Uncle Roger and I once had a conversation (circa 1992) about why we found ourselves so critical of some of the things happening in the Army that even then seemed to be poorly considered changes. He said to me then, and I have carried this with me ever since, that we criticize most that which we care about the most.

While I left the army for my own very personal reasons, it never meant that I stopped caring about it. My family history is deeply tied to it, and it will always be a part of who I am.

That doesn’t mean that I won’t be critical of The Salvation Army when it needs to be. And this may be one of those times…

Rabbi Dave is ready for Hanukkah, which begins tonight at sundown. Friar Rod is still convinced that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

The onset of the next COVID panic has already begun. Let the lockdowns and mandates begin anew, over a variant that (a) probably is less virulent and (b) NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT ANYWAY!

People are really touchy about bad Yelp reviews, but not as touchy as a Preacher who had a midnight rendezvous with a reptilian Persian Emperor. It’ll all make you say, What the Frock?

Both the Friar and the Rabbi are… experiencing the after effects of too much drink, song and social media. The Good Friar is in Twitter Jail, while the Rabbi is fascinated by an alien invasion of North Carolina. Bless their hearts…

Some technical issues have the show time limited again, but the boys are still here to ask the question: What The Frock?