SIGN UP - IT'S FREE!
SEARCH FSM
Blog
Comments will be approved by a moderator and offensive comments will not be posted.February 7, 2012
Truth, lies and Afghanistan
Speaking truth to power as this author does is dangerous, but it sure enlightens the rest of us....
I have been saying for years that (significant numbers of, although by no means all) senior officers are often a weak link in the US military and that President Obama would be/is a rotten Commander-in-Chief. The conjunction of the two over the last 3 years was always, in my opinion, bound to have adverse impact on the effectiveness of the US military, which after the experiences of the last 10 years, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, has become the best in the world in capability, esprit and experience both on a man for man and overall basis. As a strategic asset, the current power of the US military is unsurpassed in both heft and spread. However the moves to chop that effectiveness are deleterious at all levels, and could quickly negate that strategic impact. The combination of ambitious, politically "sensitive" senior officers who put self before service and a peacenik C-in-C is, using British understatement, worrying.
Led by repeated efforts of (mainly) Labor governments the UK military, in which I served so proudly, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self in every way including pride. This was done by consistent, persistent and repeated reductions - a death of a thousand (financial and social) cuts. One example: should the Argentinians, with tacit encouragement from President Obama as has been seen recently, decide the oil discoveries off the Falklands Is. make them a worthwhile target again, I doubt the UK could stop them and am certain that should such an event occur, has no capacity to re-take them, no matter what the wishes of the locals (at the last poll, 96% of Falklanders were opposed to talks with Argentina over sovereignty). I fear the US following in the same vein the attrition of the British military spirit which led to its demise sometime before 2007 (when the marines and sailors from HMS Cornwall were captured by Iran without a shot fired). The left hates and fears a strong military, no matter how much they protest such an accusation or profess their admiration. I fear the advent of a prolonged campaign to gut them once again.
The linked article, albeit only a single viewpoint, is unsurprising to me as a consequence. It is worthy of reading for a view of the situation in Afghanistan, and what it indicates is happening in the Pentagon which supports my fears.
http://armedforcesjournal.com/2012/02/8904030
I also wonder what the consequences will be for the author - telling truth to power is dangerous, especially if this article gets the traction it should.
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 7, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (0) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: ‘It’s Halftime in America’: Clint Eastwood Narrates Powerful Super Bowl Commercial ... or is this a Political Ad?
What does Pam think?
| When I saw this last night, I sure as heck thought it had a political bent. But bent which way? I'm not sure. See for yourself and see what you think. |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (14) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: ‘I Know That it Was All Worth It’: Fallen Marine Leaves Behind Moving Message of Hope
What does Pam think?
| When I compare a man like this to the OWS crowd...wait, there is no comparison. If only we all had this much character... |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (0) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: Not So Fast! Santelli Deconstructs Jobs Numbers
1,200,000 unemployed are no longer in our counting of those out of work...
What does Pam think?
| My guess is that after this, Santelli won't be invited to the next White House shindig. |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (0) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: Islam for Belgium - multiple charges of incitement
What does Pam think?
| Too little, too late? |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (1) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: What We Get For Our Education Dollars
What does Pam think?
| After watching this, you will want to just crawl back into bed and pull the covers over your head. |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (0) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
Iran warns world of coming great event
Says 'evil hegemony' soon will be defeated by power of Allah
Amid crippling sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, Iran is continuing to prepare itself for war against the West, and now is warning of a coming great event. “In light of the realization of the divine promise by almighty God, the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated,” Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, is warning. Khamenei, speaking to hundreds of youths from more than 70 countries attending a world conference on the Arab Spring just days ago, told a cheering crowd in Tehran that “Allah’s promises will be delivered and Islam will be victorious.” | Gee, I wonder what the catalyst for this coming great even could be. Meanwhile, we hear from those "in the know" that Iran is nowhere near having nuclear bomb capability. So why are we waiting until they do? |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (2) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: The Grand Jihad - How Islam and the Left Sabotage America
What does Pam think?
| Anyone who watches this and comes away thinking the Muslim Brotherhood is "largely secular," like the current administration does, needs to have his head examined. |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (1) | Permalink
February 6, 2012
VIDEO: Police Remove #OccupyDC Squatters
What does Pam think?
| Yet another chapter in the "peaceful" OWS protest comes to an ingnonimous end. Ya know, if the park service had enforced the no camping rule back in the beginning, perhaps it wouldn't have come to this. |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 6, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (1) | Permalink
February 3, 2012
VIDEO: U.S. negotiating with terrorists?
Proposal to transfer five Taliban leaders from Gitmo
What does Pam think?
| "The US does not negotiate with terrorists." Well, maybe the US doesn't, but it looks like this administration does. Absolutely pathetic. |
posted by : Nancy Kennon on February 3, 2012
Reader Comments: Submit Your Comment (1) | Permalink
