— Divemedic (@DMAreaOcho) October 24, 2026
Military
Mutiny
Nothing tells you our country is lost like the military refusing to obey orders. Remember when Milley told the Chinese he would refuse orders from the President or warn them ahead of time if US military action were about to occur? How about US military Generals who were having meetings at the Pentagon where they were planning on refusing orders from President Trump and overthrowing the government?
“General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay,” Milley said. “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”
“General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years,” Milley added. “If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise.”
Now the Military is refusing to get rid of Trannies, even though the Secretary of War has directed them to.
Keep stout hearts. Things are going to get worse.
Communism
Government isn’t Socialism
Socialism and communism are two flavors of the same ice cream. In fact, if government and economic systems could be ice cream, those collective philosophies would be strawberries and salmon flavored. It’s just that socialism would have sprinkles and communism would be in a waffle cone. Oh- and someone else would pay for it on your behalf.
Liberal city residents, when questioned on this, make it obvious that socialists are just people who want free stuff so they can go ahead and spend their money on baubles. They think socialism means- in his words- “taking care of the needs of people, things like national health care, like that.”
Then he is asked, “What about the government taking property, businesses, things like that?” He mentions not really thinking about socialism like that.
This socialist supporter then says, “I don’t like the idea of government taking things away from you.”
Then they switch to a guy who, let’s put it gently, doesn’t look very masculine and is wearing a Cuban flag medallion on a chain around his neck. His opinion is that there is too much wealth inequality in this country, and that could be solved with higher taxes on the rich.
The next woman comes on and is at least honest- her belief of what socialism is, is the elimination of private businesses. She says it’s too difficult to run small business, and corporations have too much power, so the way to solve this is to make all businesses owned by the government. She is at least the first person they interviewed who knew the answer and was not shy about honesty.
That’s the problem with socialists- they have a desire for free necessities, but don’t give a single thought into how it will be paid for, or the ones who DO think about that, assume it will be taken from those evil “rich people.”
These two theories of government are, simply stated, government ownership. Socialists will be quick to argue the two are different because in socialism, you still get to own your property. Do you really? No, you don’t. Socialism is an idea about organizing the economy so that businesses and resources are owned or controlled socially, in other words, by the government. The stated reason is to reduce inequality and serve public needs. In other words, seizing the means of the production of goods and services.
What collectivism is not is a synonym for “everything the government does.” There are legitimate reasons why we form governments, and why we grant that government with certain powers. That is, we give up a little autonomy in order to gain things we could not get on our own.
In socialism, all businesses are now the property of the government, who decides what and how much everyone will receive. Imagine an economy with the efficiency of the post office and the compassion of the DMV. Of course, no one will be corrupt, and not a single government official will give money and extra power to their relatives.
It’s great when everyone contributes to a society. The flaw in collectivism is simple: some people will take advantage of the collective contributions of others to reap benefits without themselves having to do a thing to create those benefits. If you’ve ever been involved with a group project in school or at work, you know what I mean.
The difference between a legitimate function of cooperation for mutual benefit and the loss of autonomy found in collective governments is not a bright, hard line. It’s more a shifting from day to night, and somewhere in the middle you realize things have gotten so dark you can no longer see.
That’s how collectivism works- the government has ultimate control over everything from your labor to the factory, farm, or business you perform that labor in. That’s an important difference from a Republic or a free market.
To me, the difference is clear: is the benefit being paid for with tax dollars available to everyone, or just to some? Is the cost borne by everyone, or just a few? Some things to consider:
- A military. Collectivism, or free market? The answer is it can be both. A free market military is either volunteer, or everyone has to serve. If people with power and wealth aren’t forced to participate in the draft, then it’s collectivism. See the Vietnam draft versus the WW2 draft.
- What about fire departments? Again, they can be both. If the fire department is better equipped in a rich neighborhood than a poor one, but everyone pays the same tax to support it, or the opposite: everyone pays different amounts but receives the same service, it’s not free market.
- What about police and the courts? Again, everyone should get the same level of service for the same legal rights, which doesn’t mean they are collectivist.
- Schools. Government run schools are a collectivist policy. Forcing people without kids, or whose kids don’t attend schools to pay for a school system from which they derive no benefit is definitely not free market.
- Social Security and Medicare are not free market and are definitely collectivist. They weren’t intended to be, but there you are. The problem is Social Security was intended to be self supporting, with contributions in your working years being intended to fund the money you received in your retirement. We all know what happened there.
- Medicaid. Collectivist, and has NEVER been free market. Everyone pays, but you have to qualify in order to get it.
- Public Beaches, Parks, and Libraries. Not collectivist. Everyone pays, but its free for everyone. It’s a public service, which is quite different from means tested collectivist perks.
- Roads. Not collectivist. They are funded through tolls and fuel taxes. The people who use them are the ones paying for them.
Now it’s plain to me this government we live in has never been a complete free market. There have been differing levels of service and taxes since forever, and to be quite frank, I am not sure a completely free market can actually exist and still support a cohesive society. Likewise for communism. There is no way that any society made of humans can be completely communist. Some will have more abilities, a stronger work ethic, while others will be more likely to sponge off the system.
What communism attempts to sell is complete equality, but it falls far short- as it must.
What socialism sells is taking from those who produce and giving to those who consume- favoring the sick, lame, stupid, and lazy.
The free market allows some to fail. If an individual can’t or won’t work in a pursuit that ensures they can provide for themselves, they must rely on the charity and good graces of others, and some people just can’t handle that while blaming society and those who produce, rather than the person whose fault it actually is.
Republicans
OK, This Made Me Happy
I’m not happy with some of the things Byron Donalds has done. My wife and I discussed the election earlier this week, because we always do. Our ballots are identical and are a reflection of what the both of us want to see in our government. We usually see things the same exact way when voting, and very rarely is our opinion different.
We sit down with the sample ballot, research the candidates and issues, then decide how we will vote. We do this TOGETHER. In this case, my wife managed to change my mind AND my vote. We cast our votes for Donalds.
Now I am glad we did.
Guns
Opinions Needed
I’m looking for opinions, and I know my readers are not shy about sharing them. I am looking at taking advantage of Florida’s sales tax holiday for firearms. I have a chance to get a 12 gauge shotgun for less than $250, and I just want to see if it’s decent.
The one I am looking at is the GForce Arms GFY-1 12-ga. Semi-automatic Bullpup Shotgun. The shotgun is less than $250. It takes AR-12 magazines. Gunmag Warehouse has them in 2, 5, 10 round versions, as well as 20 round drums.
Does anyone know anything about this shotgun, the manufacturer, or anything else that could help me make a decision?
Cops
Oh, Please
A box of hand grenades was found at an estate sale. The Austin police union had this to say:
A big shoutout to our APD Bomb Squad. These officers bring a level of training, expertise, and steady nerves that most people never see. Handling 80-year-old explosives with unknown stability is dangerous, precise work, and they do it with the professionalism this city counts on. The devices were safely seized and removed
Cops cordoned off the area “to protect residents.” The grenades were in a cardboard box in some old person’s garage for 80 years. The cops want you to believe it took bravery and skill to dispose of them. Spare me the drama.
Anti American left
His Dream Is Over
A man decided to knock one of the heads from the Marines raising the Flag over Iwo Jima Monument. Not the large one in Arlington, but the smaller one at Quantico.
A little digging will get you the missing fact that will boil your blood. He is an illegal immigrant from Mexico. According to the federal sources, he illegally crossed into the United States in December 1999. He was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by the Obama administration in 2014. The Biden administration extended it in 2024.
Ghost Story
GHOSTED: The Oracle
Part 2, continued: The Oracle
I woke up because somebody was talking.
Not loud. Just a couple of voices somewhere to my left. Whispering.
I kept my eyes closed for a second, hoping they’d shut up.
They didn’t.
“That’s not right.”
It was Corporal Reyes. He had the watch.
“What isn’t?”
Collins.
I opened one eye.
Reyes was sitting against the wall about ten feet away, wearing the Oracle. That’s what we called the observation helmet. I don’t remember what the official name was. Something with about twelve words in it.
The thing cost more than everything I owned, including my truck, and it had a habit of telling you things you already knew.
It could show you the feeds from our cameras, the night-vision picture, ranges, bearings, all kinds of electronic warnings. If you saw something worth shooting at, it could give you the information to pass along to whoever had the guns or drones.
It recorded everything, too. Supposedly, if we had a good connection, the people back at headquarters could watch what we were seeing.
We only had one. Recon got the expensive toys.
Reyes was looking toward the beach, though I knew he wasn’t necessarily seeing what was in front of him. The Oracle could put a camera picture right in his field of view, and he could switch between feeds without moving his head.
“What have you got?” Collins asked.
“Camera Four’s blank.”
“Blank how?”
“Nothing. Just the beach.”
“That’s what it’s supposed to show.”
“Yeah, except Five’s showing movement.”
I sat up a little. My watch said it was 0430.
“Movement where?” Collins asked.
“Down by that maintenance building. Couple hundred meters past the seawall.”
“How many?”
“Can’t tell. Thermal’s not showing anything.”
“Switch back to Four.”
Reyes moved his hand against the side of the helmet.
“Still nothing.”
“Three?”
“Nothing.”
“Five?”
“Movement. Same place.”
Collins was quiet for a moment.
“That’s interesting.”
I remember thinking that was a strange thing to say.
When Collins said something was interesting, it usually meant the rest of us were about to have a very bad day.
“Oracle says it’s probably vegetation,” Reyes said.
“There’s no vegetation there.”
“Tell the Oracle.”
Collins gave a little laugh.
“What’s your confidence?”
“Low. Keeps changing its mind.”
“That’s because it’s looking at the wrong thing.”
Reyes turned his head toward Collins.
“What am I supposed to be looking at?”
“The cameras that aren’t seeing anything.”
Nobody said anything for a moment.
Then Reyes asked, “You seeing something we aren’t, Sergeant?”
“Maybe.”
I looked toward the seawall.
It was still dark. The beach was quiet. I couldn’t see anything moving.
Reyes started switching between his feeds again.
“Well, whatever it is, the Oracle doesn’t like it.”
“What’s it saying?”
“Got an electronic warning. Some kind of electronic network out there. Doesn’t recognize it.”
“Where?”
“Can’t give me a bearing. Just says it’s close.”
Collins sat up straighter.
“How close?”
“Doesn’t say.”
“That’s helpful.”
“Hey, don’t blame me. I’m just wearing the stupid thing.”
Then Reyes stopped moving.
“Hang on.”
“What?”
“Laser warning. Laser rangefinder.”
That woke me up properly.
“From where?” Collins asked.
“Don’t know. It flashed and disappeared.”
Collins closed his eyes.
“Don’t move.”
Reyes froze.
I looked toward Nelson, who was asleep a few feet away.
“Doc,” I whispered.
He stirred.
“Doc.”
“What?”
“Something’s going on.”
Nelson sat up and looked at Collins.
Collins hadn’t moved.
His eyes were closed, and his fingers were twitching against his knees.
After a few seconds, he spoke.
“Reyes.”
“Yeah?”
“Take the helmet off.”
Reyes hesitated.
“What?”
“Take it off. Now.”
Reyes pulled the Oracle from his head.
Collins opened his eyes.
“Put it on the ground beside you.”
Reyes did.
“Now move away from it.”
I remember thinking Collins was being a little dramatic.
Then something struck the helmet.
There wasn’t much of a sound. Just a sharp crack, like somebody snapping a dry stick.
The Oracle jumped against the concrete.
A little puff of smoke came out of the side.
Nobody moved.
Reyes stared at the thing.
“Jesus Christ.”
Collins was already on his feet.
“Lieutenant,” he said quietly. “We’ve got company.”
The Sergeant Major interrupted me there.
“Pasquale, are you telling me Sergeant Collins knew that helmet was about to be hit?”
“Yes, Sergeant Major.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he explain?”
“No, Sergeant Major.”
“What did he say?”
I thought about that for a moment.
“He told Reyes he was lucky.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah.”
“What?”
“He said they were getting better.”
“Who was getting better?”
“That’s what Reyes asked him.”
“And?”
“Collins said, ‘The other guys.'”
Crime
Violence
Nine high school students were arrested for a group attack on another student. They recorded video of the attack.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m., as the victim was walking to his car through a tunnel near the school, investigators said a 16-year-old struck him. Eight other students joined the attack, repeatedly punching the victim in the face and head. Disturbing cellphone footage of the assault showed several students punching the victim while voices in the background shout… The victim’s mother took him to a hospital, where he received 11 stitches to close wounds to his face.
Investigators said the cellphone video of the attack helped deputies identify all nine suspects. Working with Harmony High School staff, deputies arrested the students at the school Wednesday. Two 18-year-olds, Quianelle Antonio Reyes-Cintron and Brian Alexander Ramirez, were booked into the Osceola County Jail. The seven juvenile suspects were transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
To me, the only valid punishment is:
- Jail for the adults, and juvenile detention for the ones under 18 years old.
- Expulsion for the attackers and for the ones recording the attack.
- Five days suspension for anyone who was caught on video cheering on and encouraging the attack.
Our schools have gotten more violent than some prisons. Students shouldn’t be forced to accept being victims of assault in order to attend school. On another note, when I was that age, it made you a pussy to need help in a fight. You fought one on one, like a man. Not gang attacks because you were too much of a pussy to fight on your own.
Rigging the vote
Voting
The left is trying to create some controversy. They are claiming the voting machines in Florida are changing Democrat votes to votes for Republicans, and it takes several passes through the machine to get it to record the correct vote.
This is complete bullshit. I voted just last night. You enter the polling site and present your ID. There are two people there who both check your ID, I guess to ensure that no one lets people cheat the process. They show your information to you on a touchscreen, and you click a button on the screen verifying your information, then you sign using a stylus and the polling center workers make sure the signature matches the one on your ID.
On a side note, other Democrats are saying the ID requirement is stupid because it’s easy to get a fake ID. That’s also false. My Florida Drivers License has all sorts of anti-counterfeit features. There are holograms etched into the lamination of the state seal, a tiny map of the state, and of the holder’s face. If you hold your license at an angle, you can see the holograms. There is also microprinting and a watermark. These features make it nearly impossible to forge, at least for most people.
They look up your address and print your ballot. They have to print each person’s ballot because there are many different ballots, even within the same county, as there are different races in different areas. Voters in Orlando will need to cast votes for offices that aren’t applicable in Winter Park or Edgewood, even though all of them are in Orange county. Each ballot has a serial number that is now matched to you.
They direct you to a table where you fill out your ballot. You vote by filling in the bubbles with a pen, just like taking a test in school. Once complete, you walk towards the exit and the voting machines are right there. You slide your ballot into the slot, the machine reads the serial numbers and the cast votes, and tells you your vote has been recorded. It doesn’t display who or what you voted for. All it says is “Your ballot has been accepted, thank you for voting” with a large green checkmark. The workers keep your ballot for auditing purposes, and that’s it.
The claims that the machine is changing your vote are bullshit. There is no way to know one way or the other. That’s why there is an audit trail and observers present, so if there are questions, the entire process can be verified, but not on the spot. After.