Politics

[flatwater bill]

"A Three-Theater Defense Stategy....how America can prepare for war in Asia, Europe and the Middle East"......Foreign Affairs, June 5th, 2024

"I want to turn the Taiwan Straight into an unmanned hellscape......", Admiral Sam Paparo, CIC US Indo-Pacific Command, reported to the NYT.

Both out of context of course....but you get the idea. Arrogance and incompetence. The US foreign policy is insane. Your kids will pay for it.
FWB

 

[fourfive8]

"A Three-Theater Defense Stategy....how America can prepare for war in Asia, Europe and the Middle East"......Foreign Affairs, June 5th, 2024

"I want to turn the Taiwan Straight into an unmanned hellscape......", Admiral Sam Paparo, CIC US Indo-Pacific Command, reported to the NYT.

Both out of context of course....but you get the idea. Arrogance and incompetence. The US foreign policy is insane. Your kids will pay for it.
FWB

Yes, the current admin’s foreign policy is like watching a train wreck develop in slow motion. All being orchestrated by those in the shadows who seem to be operating completely counter to our interests or with a tunnel vision seemingly guided without wisdom. I too am at a loss for words to explain it, much less understand it.

 

[Brent in Az]

These very buffoons, will be the ones who start WW3.

 

[BJH65]

And your point is what?

My point is hopefully a return to sanity in our country and government and that should be our primary focus above and beyond anything else. I believe our countries foundation is crumbling and all else matters naught if we cannot stop it. I believe this necessary first to garner respect from our allies and fear from our enemies.

 

[Brent in Az]

Bidens illegal border crossers slipping into the shadow's of the sleeper cells.
It's not a matter of "If", but when & where it will happen.

 

[Tanks]

My point is hopefully a return to sanity in our country and government and that should be our primary focus above and beyond anything else. I believe our countries foundation is crumbling and all else matters naught if we cannot stop it. I believe this necessary first to garner respect from our allies and fear from our enemies.

Why do you think focus on domestic and foreign policies should be mutually exclusive?

Also, a lot of your gripes seem to be about cultural issues and the government can't really do much about that as long as we have a free society.

Yes, there are gays in the military and we also have women. A friend's daughter recently graduated from West Point and went through the first phase of pilot training and got the assignment she wanted, training to be an Apache pilot. I know her and am sure she will do her country proud. It is not 1940s anymore and not every woman wants to be a "trad wife".

 

[CoElkHunter]

Bidens illegal border crossers slipping into the shadow's of the sleeper cells.
It's not a matter of "If", but when & where it will happen.

Yep, just the tip of the iceberg and brain dead Brandon and his incompetent buffoons are riding the Titanic (us!) right into the iceberg and subsequent mayhem as the orchestra on deck plays “Highway to Hell”. I find it very disturbing that the DHS personnel don’t have access to ALL records when “screening” the illegals crossing our southern border. Evidently, the 8 illegals with Isis ties were let go initially because of a lack of information during their screening. How many more are enjoying their freedom here while plotting something evil with their homeboys in terrorist sleeper cells. Unbelievable!

 

[BJH65]

Why do you think focus on domestic and foreign policies should be mutually exclusive?

Also, a lot of your gripes seem to be about cultural issues and the government can't really do much about that as long as we have a free society.

Yes, there are gays in the military and we also have women. A friend's daughter recently graduated from West Point and went through the first phase of pilot training and got the assignment she wanted, training to be an Apache pilot. I know her and am sure she will do her country proud. It is not 1940s anymore and not every woman wants to be a "trad wife".

Just one man’s opinion.

DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion over competency is ridiculous and doomed to fail yet being forced into the military and our way of life. I don’t agree with it. I don’t agree with the notion that “white privilege“ currently exists but it’s being to taught in our schools, places of work and the military. I don’t agree with communism and socialism either but there are elected officials who firmly believe in this and a surprising number of ill informed citizens. I suppose you could say it’s a cultural shift, I dunno.

Well, I never said I was opposed to gays or women in the military nor did I mention anything in that regard so not sure why you felt it necessary to mention that and your friends daughter? Good for her, I’m sure she’ll make a fine pilot and do our country proud.

Biden selected transgender Rachel Levine as assistant health secretary and non binary former senior department of energy official Sam Brinton, later terminated and arrested for theft, which is what I was previously referring to in a previous post. I think their appointments created a spectacle and was it really based on qualifications? But that is just my opinion you may differ on this.

 

[Red Leg]

My point is hopefully a return to sanity in our country and government and that should be our primary focus above and beyond anything else. I believe our countries foundation is crumbling and all else matters naught if we cannot stop it. I believe this necessary first to garner respect from our allies and fear from our enemies.

With all do respect, and fully acknowledging the potential corrosive effects of both DEI and CRT, what you are proposing is idealistic nonsense.

Do you believe we should broadcast a message to the world that we are no longer interested in our national interests abroad so please don't take advantage of us or our allies for the next decade or so? Your fixation on what you believe is the crumbling foundations of our country will be equally irrelevant if the foundation of our economic prosperity, every bit of which rests on a complex network of unimpeded international trade, is disrupted by a newly resurgent Russia and further emboldened China. Domestic and international issues are both important and one can not be addressed at the expense of the other.

 

[WAB]

My point is hopefully a return to sanity in our country and government and that should be our primary focus above and beyond anything else. I believe our countries foundation is crumbling and all else matters naught if we cannot stop it. I believe this necessary first to garner respect from our allies and fear from our enemies.

I strongly believe that if you want respect from our allies and fear from our enemies, you must be willing to stand strongly for our national interests at home and abroad. If we do not project strength in protecting our national interests we will be seen as weak and will be disrespected by friends and foes. To me this means strong borders, protection of personal property rights and freedoms, provision of key infrastructure, protection of our economic interests globally, support for our allies and opposition of our foes. This cannot be done with a singular focus on any one thing, regardless of its importance. We have to be able to protect our borders, clean up our cities, and project strength internationally simultaneously. We cannot survive economically with an isolationist approach to the world.

 

[BJH65]

With all do respect, and fully acknowledging the potential corrosive effects of both DEI and CRT, what you are proposing is idealistic nonsense.

Do you believe we should broadcast a message to the world that we are no longer interested in our national interests abroad so please don't take advantage of us or our allies for the next decade or so? Your fixation on what you believe is the crumbling foundations of our country will be equally irrelevant if the foundation of our economic prosperity, every bit of which rests on a complex network of unimpeded international trade, is disrupted by a newly resurgent Russia and further emboldened China. Domestic and international issues are both important and one can not be addressed at the expense of the other.

Of course not! I’m not as articulate as you and perhaps I’m not conveying my point adequately enough. I would recommend you vote for Trump, that is the only logical choice to address your concerns, there really is no alternative.

 

[BJH65]

I strongly believe that if you want respect from our allies and fear from our enemies, you must be willing to stand strongly for our national interests at home and abroad. If we do not project strength in protecting our national interests we will be seen as weak and will be disrespected by friends and foes. To me this means strong borders, protection of personal property rights and freedoms, provision of key infrastructure, protection of our economic interests globally, support for our allies and opposition of our foes. This cannot be done with a singular focus on any one thing, regardless of its importance. We have to be able to protect our borders, clean up our cities, and project strength internationally simultaneously. We cannot survive economically with an isolationist approach to the world.

I agree with everything you wrote just a focus on bringing back competency in our government.

 

[John Wasmuth]

DEI is nothing more than an updated affirmative action from jimmy carters years of fing the military by passing over the most qualified and promoting personnel based on color, now they’ve just tossed in sexual orientation and gave it a nice rainbow flag…….

 

[WAB]

I agree with everything you wrote just a focus on bringing back competency in our government.

Amen to that.

 

[freefall]

Our military is being run by 30 year veterans of a military that has not won a war in 40 years.
Our foreign policy is being crafted by "professionals" who have been in retreat since Ronald Regan was president.
Our commander in chief is a corruptocrat who can't control his own bowels.
But we are urged by these people not to vote for the man who MIGHT change things because he has bad manners.
We are SO fooked.

 

[Brent in Az]

They continually blame the opposition for what they are blatantly guilty of.

 

[cash_tx]

As a conservative (albeit I'm not a Southern Baptist), this is truly one of the most disheartening and embarrassing things I have read in quite some time. I struggle to grasp how so many otherwise good people can be so collectively stupid (on the issue of IVF), and they have zero Biblical support for this position. I have heard for years about the steady decline of the Southern Baptist Convention and its members, but this is a despicable action morally equivalent to the Roman Catholic Church's cover up of abusive clergy members. And of course the Dems will associate this to Trump and Republicans as much as possible in the coming election.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/06/12/southern-baptists-ivf-women-pastors/

 

[Red Leg]

"A Three-Theater Defense Stategy....how America can prepare for war in Asia, Europe and the Middle East"......Foreign Affairs, June 5th, 2024

"I want to turn the Taiwan Straight into an unmanned hellscape......", Admiral Sam Paparo, CIC US Indo-Pacific Command, reported to the NYT.

Both out of context of course....but you get the idea. Arrogance and incompetence. The US foreign policy is insane. Your kids will pay for it.
FWB

Arrogance and incompetence. Oh my. What arrogance indeed. I wonder who would be the first to charge incompetence were the armed forces of the US not prepared for a contingency in any of these three potential areas of operations? Who would be the first to point to wastage were the armed forces not acquiring war fighting materiel against projected needs. This is the sort of judgemental conclusions one expects to hear from Code Pink or perhaps Cori Bush.

When I read something like this, I am always reminded of Kipling's "Tommy." It is as relevant now as it was at the close of the Victorian era.

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

went into a theatre as sober as could be,They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleepIs cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bitIs five times better business than paradin' in full kit.Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our faceThe Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

 

[freefall]

Were you a common soldier, Mr Redleg? Did you get shorted of food and uniforms?

 

[mdwest]

Were you a common soldier, Mr Redleg? Did you get shorted of food and uniforms?

I’m not @redleg … but I’m curious about your question… I’m assuming it’s tied to Tommy… but I’m not making the connection…

I was a soldier for a fairly good period of time.. I spent time both enlisted and as an officer… and spent time in both conventional units and SOF units…

I was never shorted either food or uniforms…

Even under field conditions as an officer, where I always ate last, was I ever short on food…

The only exception being in a certain couple of schools where you know in advance food is going to be shorted… it’s an intentional part of the training..

There were certainly times I didn’t prefer the food… and there were certainly times I was incredibly tired and hungry as hell.. (and cold… or hot.. or wet… or any combination thereof…)…

But that frankly is a soldiers life in just about any combat arms unit in just about every army on the planet..

There’s a reason fat infantrymen are a rarity…