The Morning Rant: Middle School Edition

[Punk Monkey is having his studs polished and his anal glands expressed, and will be back next week]

Hmmm...maybe the Pentagon should keep better records so we know exactly where our money is going! Because while I am all for a large capable armed forces that can win wars and successfully complete other missions, I would prefer that they spend their money wisely. And while they are at it, how about some realistic weapons procurement programs that recognize future needs and don't simply respect the status quo and even worse, feather the beds of the favored.

F35 and LCS come to mind...

Why the U.S. Military Is In Serious Trouble

The report of the National Defense Strategy Commission, released Wednesday, reaches conclusions with profound implications for U.S. national security. The report itself is a rarity for Washington, presenting bipartisan consensus that reflects hard-hitting views rather than watered-down, lowest-common-denominator mush.
In sixty-four pages of plain language, the commission paints an extraordinarily troubling picture of the state of U.S. national defenses, calling our present situation a "grave crisis" demanding "extraordinary urgency." It’s a call we should heed.

Even worse than an incredibly wasteful and inefficient Pentagon is their apparent inability to plan...anything.

With five potential adversaries to account for, the report observes, a “two-war force sizing construct makes more strategic sense today that at any previous point in the post-Cold War era.” Yet the NDS used only a one-war force sizing construct with an additional undefined ability to “deter” another opponent. Essentially, that construct provides no capability to deter an opportunistic adversary who sees the U.S. engaged in one regional conflict. Moreover, it provides no ability to suffer combat losses or to maintain any forward presence in any area other than the conflict zone.

Ouch.

******
My Twitter Feed

Posted by: CBD at 11:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Nice

Posted by: VIA's shipmate, what did a hooker on UNITAS at December 06, 2018 10:57 AM (cqNba)

2

I see a penis.

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 10:57 AM (TYj+F)

3 Off with the sock, Idiot

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at December 06, 2018 10:58 AM (cqNba)

4 Top 10!

Posted by: Thanatopsis at December 06, 2018 10:58 AM (7FjxU)

5 Oh boy, me and socks today.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at December 06, 2018 10:59 AM (cqNba)

6 damn, not even 30 seconds posted by my watch and I'm barely in the top10

Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 10:59 AM (8D42x)

7
I am skeptical about Mattis being anything more than a hack.

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 10:59 AM (TYj+F)

8 Pretty sure that anywhere the Government spends, this same shit is going on.

Without the responsibility / culpability of Real Employment, there is really no way to stop it.

Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (5vWKc)

9 Breaking911
@breaking9111
BREAKING: Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since 2012 - AP

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (BqBId)

10 Even worse than an incredibly wasteful and inefficient Pentagon is their apparent inability to plan...anything.
=========

Oh, they can plan, all right. They have no problem planning all those taxpayer-funded tranny surgeries and drug regimens.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (vg8iE)

11 Umm...

Can someone explain to me how the US can arrest a foreign national for evading trade sanctions that apply to US companies only?

I'm not aware of China signing on to Iran trade sanctions?

This smells of the deep state trying to fuck Trump/China relations vis-a-vise trade agreements.

This fucking shit has to stop.

Posted by: Kreplach at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (XQ/qk)

12 Even worse than an incredibly wasteful and inefficient Pentagon is their apparent inability to plan...anything."

So....

Government. Especially after nearly 2 decades of Bush and Teh Won.

Quell Surprise!

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (6qErC)

13 Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London
========

IT'S A TRAP!

Posted by: bicentennialguy at December 06, 2018 11:01 AM (vg8iE)

14 >>I am skeptical about Mattis being anything more than a hack.

If your only successes in life come through government employment, chances are near 100%.

Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:01 AM (5vWKc)

15 Why wouldn't the military be like any other gov. agency?.....leadership?

Posted by: BignJames at December 06, 2018 11:01 AM (cxHbL)

16 The French are Revolting.

(more so than usual)

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 06, 2018 11:01 AM (Kpl3J)

17

Today's word is bereft.

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 11:01 AM (TYj+F)

18 That monkey will never not creep me out.

For some reason planning went awry just after the Berlin Wall fell. It was like everybody threw their hands up and said "Well, there you go, no more need for large war contingency plans! That's a relief!" Then they disbanded the planning cells and everybody wandered off. Same at CIA.

Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:02 AM (RD7QR)

19 Republicans need to get off the "military spending doesn't count!" position.

The Cold War is over and most of our foreign policy problems are letting the wrong people live here.

If we cut military spending in half tomorrow, nobody would notice.

The NeoCons that want us in every global conflict have brought nothing but pain to conservatives.

Posted by: Blago at December 06, 2018 11:02 AM (UfkIY)

20 Essentially, that construct provides no capability to deter an opportunistic adversary who sees the U.S. engaged in one regional conflict. Moreover, it provides no ability to suffer combat losses or to maintain any forward presence in any area other than the conflict zone.

Draft.

Refusal? Firing squad.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:02 AM (XVF2z)

21 '....at the Stop Sign, Bereft.'

Posted by: Directions at December 06, 2018 11:02 AM (5vWKc)

22 If you question defense spending then the Russians will win.

Posted by: Swallowswell at December 06, 2018 11:03 AM (aKsyK)

23 13 Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London
========

IT'S A TRAP!"

THAT'S MY LINE!!!

Posted by: Admiral Akbar at December 06, 2018 11:03 AM (Kpl3J)

24 Willowed:

Yeah, like clicking on any link supplied by the horde is a good idea...

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 10:52 AM (qC1Sy)

Point of order - my links are always good.

https://tinyurl.com/yc6ac2sl

https://tinyurl.com/y8tfbp2y

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at December 06, 2018 11:03 AM (kqsXK)

25 Can someone explain to me how the US can arrest a foreign national for evading trade sanctions that apply to US companies only"

You chattering 'bout the Chinese broad arrested in Vancouver?

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:03 AM (6qErC)

26 Without the responsibility / culpability of Real Employment, there is really no way to stop it.
Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (5vWKc)

Yes there is. But no one wants to make the sacrifice to do it.

Posted by: Sooner at December 06, 2018 11:03 AM (Fs5vw)

27 Point of order - my links are always good. "

Indeed. MP4's are the only mid day links that 4 out of 5 dentists would recommend clicking...

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (6qErC)

28 Interesting the defense department would be audited under the Trump presidency.

It's almost like President Trump has a plan and is aware of some large deficiencies that need to be taken care of...

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (qC1Sy)

29 Still at J.J.'s but it's nice to see that the ever lovely Michelle Malkin, who deftly moved from CRT, now has attacked silicon valley, facebook, and female genital mutilation.

Good show and smart thinking Michelle.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (Z9mio)

30 >>Yes there is. But no one wants to make the sacrifice to do it.

How?
None of these people have anything to worry about re. job security.

Doesn't matter if they do their jobs well, poorly or not at all. They are not culpable for their actions. Ever.

Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (5vWKc)

31 Monkey has a winning smile.

Posted by: Xipe Totec at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (tu/2g)

32 Interesting the defense department would be audited under the Trump presidency."

Also interesting that so little was audited under the gaze of the most transparent administration evar!

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (6qErC)

33 Between generations of frakked procurement and appropriations, nearly twenty years of continuous deployments in Iraq & Afghanistan, multiple instances of idiot Presidents fiddling with the operations of teh armed forces, harvesting of mythical "peace dividends", neglect benign and malign, and general cultural rot, we're pretty much a paper superpower now.

God help us when the hammer falls.

Posted by: Brother Cavil at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (AM1GF)

34
We don't need to escalate you see war is not the answer

Posted by: Marvin Gaye at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (e7O7B)

35 http://bit.ly/2PnD5MN
====
Dept. of Justice ramping up investigation into Podesta Group, Mercury Public Affairs | One America News Network

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (BqBId)

36 having been both in the navy, and as a contractor building ships, I'm not at all surprised by some of the outcomes of that report.

take the LCS ... please...

two radically different hull designs with a common designation, a modular system that had never been tested, arms and armament insufficient to do the designated job, and armour insufficient to enable survival where the ship is supposed to serve.

everyone associated with that program should have been run out of the pentagon, blacklisted, and probably charged with defrauding the govt and hung.

Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 11:07 AM (8D42x)

37 Folks, you can't occupy TWO F'n countries and have combat ops in some 35 more...

While planning for a TWO Front War.

The Military needs a rest... and that will only happen once you stop using them for occupation duties where we are still taking casualties.

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (NgKpN)

38 25 Can someone explain to me how the US can arrest a foreign national for evading trade sanctions that apply to US companies only"

You chattering 'bout the Chinese broad arrested in Vancouver?"

ok, seriously, because she's the legal representative of a business which does business in the US and operates under US law. She should have stayed in China, then she could not have been touched, but she went to Canada and Trudeau stabbed her in the back for a payoff to be determined in the next round of trade talks.

The Chinese are right to be pissed at all of us. This was dirty. The kind of dirty shit they would pull, sure, but we no longer have any real standing to claim that our government is any better than theirs when it comes to human rights.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (Kpl3J)

39 If government has let you down, you need to give them more money. Just like we do in the private sector. *resumes eating paste*

Posted by: t-bird at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (jhfGG)

40 Also interesting that so little was audited under the gaze of the most transparent administration evar!
Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (6qErC)
--------------------

Yeah, I never got that whole Obama adulation thing. Guy would look people right in the eye, tell a flat out lie, and the press would treat the lie like gospel and get offended when the lie was pointed out.

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (qC1Sy)

41 Do you suppose Ozero will take credit for this at his next self honoring public gas release?

Posted by: Xipe Totec at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (tu/2g)

42

Do you know the song?

Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling "yoo hoo"

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (TYj+F)

43 'It's lovely weather
for a sleigh ride together
with Jooos!'

Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (5vWKc)

44
How?
None of these people have anything to worry about re. job security.

Doesn't matter if they do their jobs well, poorly or not at all. They are not culpable for their actions. Ever.
Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (5vWKc)

Think France. Only much much bigger.

Posted by: Sooner at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (Fs5vw)

45 everyone associated with that program should have been run out of the pentagon, blacklisted, and probably charged with defrauding the govt and hung.
Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 11:07 AM (8D42x)

That they named one of them after Gabby Gifford, was appropriate.

Her only real claim to fame is as a Brain Damaged Victim who was injured as a bystander.

I give you... the LCS...

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (NgKpN)

46 the bad news: Assange only has the right to move to the Saudi Embassy

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (glAWk)

47 Dept. of Justice ramping up investigation into Podesta Group, Mercury Public Affairs | One America News Network

That's great. The DOJ has never let us down!

Posted by: t-bird at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (jhfGG)

48 32 Interesting the defense department would be audited under the Trump presidency."

Also interesting that so little was audited under the gaze of the most transparent administration evar!

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (6qErC)
------------------------

PDT doesn't mind spending money but he wants bang for the buck.

Odds on these buck shufflers were putting that money into their and their friends pockets and not some black project to increase the efficiency of the military.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (Z9mio)

49 let it snow-let it snow ?

Posted by: willow at December 06, 2018 11:10 AM (2c0p7)

50 Insomniac and Nurse Ratchet holiday minimome.

https://www.gofundme.com/aos-booty-call-fund

Firstsies!

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at December 06, 2018 11:10 AM (t6MX/)

51 PDT doesn't mind spending money but he wants bang for the buck.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (Z9mio)

------------------

Cromulent observation.

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:11 AM (qC1Sy)

52 I used to work at a place that did a of of defense stuff. Jet parts mostly.
No substituent for cubic dollars.
One piece of equipment in particular required it come back to us for refurbishment every time it was cycled.
They had to be cycled periodically for routine qualifications, so it was an endless revenue stream.

Government money is the best money.

Posted by: Roland THTG at December 06, 2018 11:11 AM (88+cf)

53 Yes there is. But no one wants to make the sacrifice to do it."

Similar problem to the endless occupations the military is stuck in - millennia ago, the Romans had to work out the only real answer to the problem, which is that finally, you just have to kill everyone who isn't on your side and leave. And then if things go bad after you do leave, you go back in and kill a whole bunch more, and you rinse and repeat until either the problem is solved or there's no one left.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 06, 2018 11:11 AM (Kpl3J)

54 Breaking911
@breaking9111
BREAKING: Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since 2012 - AP

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (BqBId)
***************************
What do you think this means for Assange?

Posted by: redridinghood at December 06, 2018 11:12 AM (hECVl)

55 he Romans had to work out the only real answer to the problem, which is that finally, you just have to kill everyone who isn't on your side and leave.

Do they still have a newsletter?

Posted by: t-bird at December 06, 2018 11:13 AM (Ydn2k)

56 BREAKING: Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since 2012 - AP

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (BqBId)
***************************
What do you think this means for Assange?
Posted by: redridinghood

Fort Marcy Park.
Polonium tea.
Ron Brown.

He's gonna fuck up and trust them.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (XVF2z)

57 because she's the legal representative of a business which does business in the US and operates under US law."

See, here's the thing - at this point, we don't know if said firm was operating under US law. It may be that there is some violation that has yet to be made public...

(yeah, that's a reach, but I'm not going to be too upset one way or 'tother)

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (6qErC)

58 53 Yes there is. But no one wants to make the sacrifice to do it."

Similar problem to the endless occupations the military is stuck in - millennia ago, the Romans had to work out the only real answer to the problem, which is that finally, you just have to kill everyone who isn't on your side and leave. And then if things go bad after you do leave, you go back in and kill a whole bunch more, and you rinse and repeat until either the problem is solved or there's no one left.
Posted by: Tom Servo at December 06, 2018 11:11 AM (Kpl3J)

The ancient Chinese version of this was Chastising the Barbarians.

1. Barbarians act up

2. Tell them to stop that

3. Barbarians keep acting up

4. Imperial army goes in, rapes/pillages/burns some villages, leaves a mound of skulls

5. Imperial army withdraws

6. Repeat 10 years later.

The problem isn't invasions, the problem is occupations. We're good at the former and don't have the stomach for the latter.

Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (RD7QR)

59 If simian eyes had some whites I would have confused it with Congress child Loopy.
Are macaques apes or monkeys?

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (MkcN1)

60 OK, elevenses. Time for tea and a contribution to the "make Insomniac happy" fund.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (kqsXK)

61 the Roman newsletter is Maurice's Strategikon.

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (glAWk)

62 Posted by: Brother Cavil at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (AM1GF)

Yup.... one reason I'm not watching any of this G Bush adulation exercise...

He started 'Civilizing' the military as President. He went so far as to bring in Civilian Facilitators for Total Quality Management to try to change the military culture.

It was under his Presidency that a lot of the traditions started being eroded.... things like Shell Back... then Tacking on Crows...

Later Presidents... ALL of them... have continued down that road... but he was the start.

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (NgKpN)

63 Time for me to roll out my Assange theory:

He's a CIA asset.

There's more, but have a stuffy head so not typing a lot.

Posted by: blaster at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (ZfRYq)

64 Similar problem to the endless occupations the military is stuck in - millennia ago, the Romans had to work out the only real answer to the problem, which is that finally, you just have to kill everyone who isn't on your side and leave. And then if things go bad after you do leave, you go back in and kill a whole bunch more, and you rinse and repeat until either the problem is solved or there's no one left.
Posted by: Tom Servo

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (XVF2z)

65 []The Military needs a rest... and that will only happen once you stop using them for occupation duties where we are still taking casualties.

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (NgKpN)

We've been an occupying force since the Spanish American War.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (Z9mio)

66

What do you think this means for Assange?

He's a Prog/Marxist and prolly a Soros fellator. I ran out of fux to give about him years ago.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (HaL55)

67 The fix is actually quite simple. Eliminate RD spending (which would probably eliminate my job) and focus on production of existing models and readiness.

Posted by: Someguy at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (XOBxb)

68 Why are they showing a re-run of HW's funeral?

Posted by: Bandersnatch at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (fuK7c)

69 What is doubly frustrating is the hundreds of millions (if not billions) that the Pentagon spends annually on Program Managers, Cost Analysts, Contract Administrators, Auditors, who have collectively failed miserably in their ability to manage project costs. The answer? More Program Managers, Cost Analysts, Contract Administrators and Auditors...

Posted by: Daniel Simpson Day at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (tX3BM)

70 What do you think this means for Assange?
Posted by: redridinghood at December 06, 2018 11:12 AM (hECVl

I imagine there plans being improvised as I type to nab him enroute to his new location.

Posted by: Sooner at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (Fs5vw)

71 What do you think this means for Assange?

Posted by: redridinghood at December 06, 2018 11:12 AM (hECVl)

Body snatch by MI-5 and turned over to the FBI.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (t6MX/)

72 If simian eyes had some whites I would have confused it with Congress child Loopy.
Are macaques apes or monkeys?
Posted by: Northernlurker

Do they have a tail?

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (XVF2z)

73 we need the military strong ... including the "space force", but the future (current?) wars are cyber and PsyOp ... the greatest enemy to Liberty is social media racketeering their way to corporate fascism ... backed by globalist oligarchs (that we bail out even as they launder money for drug cartels).

We are in deep, and DeepState only is willing to take down a duly elected president, and threaten/murder whistle blowers. We COULD vote our way out of this, but for 50 years of "commie" infiltration, and now social media, has made voters weak ... not to mention the cheating, since Dems control the bureaucracies ...

other than that ... all is well.

Posted by: illiniwek at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (Cus5s)

74 To me, military contractors aren't much different than Solyndra.

Just because the Left hates the military, that doesn't mean we waste money on it for spite.

Also, I would argue the military (at least the Pentagon and leadership) has largely been taken over by swamp creatures and is now their fiefdom.

Posted by: Blago at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (UfkIY)

75 BREAKING: Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since 2012 - AP

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (BqBId)
***************************
What do you think this means for Assange?
++++
Maybe PDT said let him go!? Don't really know

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (BqBId)

76 The problem isn't invasions, the problem is occupations."

So, why occupy?

Seems stupid, and history backs that up. Either build own society over the ruins of the previous, or rubble/bounce/salt.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:17 AM (6qErC)

77 so excited!!!!! my brother and sis in law are coming this afternoon and tonight we are going to see CHARLIE DANIELS!!!! we saw him two years ago and he was AMAZING!!! can hardly wait.....OMG!!!!!!

Posted by: phoenixgirl at December 06, 2018 11:17 AM (0O7c5)

78 29 Still at J.J.'s but it's nice to see that the ever lovely Michelle Malkin, who deftly moved from CRT, now has attacked silicon valley, facebook, and female genital mutilation.

Good show and smart thinking Michelle.
Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:05 AM (Z9mio)

Now that's my ideal woman. Smart, funny, beautiful conservative Catholic.

Posted by: josephistan at December 06, 2018 11:17 AM (7HtZB)

79
Yes there is. But no one wants to make the sacrifice to do it."

Similar problem to the endless occupations the military is stuck in -
millennia ago, the Romans had to work out the only real answer to the
problem, which is that finally, you just have to kill everyone who isn't
on your side and leave. And then if things go bad after you do leave,
you go back in and kill a whole bunch more, and you rinse and repeat
until either the problem is solved or there's no one left.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 06, 2018 11:11 AM (Kpl3J)

perfect model for civil war 2.0

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at December 06, 2018 11:17 AM (9Om/r)

80 Why are they showing a re-run of HW's funeral?
Posted by: Bandersnatch at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (fuK7c)

Those 24 hours of airtime aren't going to fill themselves.

Posted by: DR.WTF? at December 06, 2018 11:18 AM (T71PA)

81 57 because she's the legal representative of a business which does business in the US and operates under US law."

See, here's the thing - at this point, we don't know if said firm was operating under US law. It may be that there is some violation that has yet to be made public...

(yeah, that's a reach, but I'm not going to be too upset one way or 'tother)
Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (6qErC)

so, when Google and Facebook start censoring using the EU and China's Laws as a 'reason'... because they operate there as well and are can now be arrested by the EU and China...

Will it bother you then?

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:18 AM (NgKpN)

82 I've been saying for a long time that our military is nowhere near as capable as people tend to think it is.

Like the rest of our government.

We look at the huge expenditures and say "yeah, we can kick anyones ass."

But the truth of the matter is (and this is something people on right get in every context other than military), government spending rarely is synonymous with success or efficacy.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:18 AM (GBteo)

83 phoenix, cool beans I saw him in the late 80s it was fun , and i'm not even a country fan.

Posted by: willow at December 06, 2018 11:18 AM (2c0p7)

84 Do they have a tail?
Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (XVF2z)
I don't know. All of seen is that face and I'm to lazy to look more deeply.

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:18 AM (MkcN1)

85 The Pentagon has been infested by leftists since the Clinton years, and Bush did little to clean them out, so when Obama took over and added more and promoted up the most radical lunatics he could find, this is what you get.

I mean, the Pentagon has always attracted the more politically minded officers than actual combat duty, more Kerry than Eisenhower, if you know what I mean. But two hard left presidents and one not willing to clean up things (Trump seems to be in the same boat) have made things worse and worse.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at December 06, 2018 11:19 AM (39g3+)

86 75 BREAKING: Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since 2012 - AP

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (BqBId)
***************************
What do you think this means for Assange?
++++
Maybe PDT said let him go!? Don't really know
Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (BqBId)

Maybe he's testifying before Congress? Maybe he gets to go back to Australia? Don't know. If Assange knows who killed Seth Rich, nab him and make him testify. If not, let him go home, he's already served time in confinement.

Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:19 AM (RD7QR)

87 yay phoenix!

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at December 06, 2018 11:19 AM (glAWk)

88 Think France. Only much much bigger.
Posted by: Sooner at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (Fs5vw)

That's what I was trying to do!

Posted by: Zombie Napoleon at December 06, 2018 11:19 AM (7HtZB)

89 Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave

Because I have grown old with Clintonian English, I know that statement could mean almost anything.

Posted by: t-bird at December 06, 2018 11:19 AM (NpvYf)

90 If only someone had warned us about a military industrial complex.

Posted by: Ike at December 06, 2018 11:20 AM (ppBhU)

91 No nation building. No long term occupations. Rapid response, and self defense priority.

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (ffWPP)

92 Also interesting that so little was audited under the gaze of the most transparent administration evar!

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:06 AM (6qErC)

Dude,

it's not that kind of transparency...

Posted by: O'Barky in negligee... at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (8D42x)

93 56
BREAKING: Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient
guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in
London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since
2012 - AP

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:00 AM (BqBId)

***************************

What do you think this means for Assange?

Posted by: redridinghood

Fort Marcy Park.

Polonium tea.

Ron Brown.

He's gonna fuck up and trust them.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (XVF2z)

He's going deep cover in plain site doing Dyson vacuum commercials.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (ymnmz)

94 The problem isn't invasions, the problem is occupations. We're good at the former and don't have the stomach for the latter.
Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (RD7QR)

-----

Ive always thought this should be our strategy.

After obliterating whatever regime has wronged us, we hang a sign on the Capitol Buildings door.

"To whoever comes to power next. Dont makes us come back here again. Cordially, Uncle Sam."

Then....leave.

Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (8XRCm)

95 I've been saying for a long time that our military is nowhere near as capable as people tend to think it is.

Like the rest of our government.

We look at the huge expenditures and say "yeah, we can kick anyones ass."

But the truth of the matter is (and this is something people on right get in every context other than military), government spending rarely is synonymous with success or efficacy.
Posted by: Harry Paratestes

______________

I'm sure that's true, but then every other country also has the same problem with government spending and poor results. So it probably evens out.

But maybe the goal should be just defending the homeland instead of a global strike force.

I don't want a military that can rule the world.

Posted by: Blago at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (UfkIY)

96
We've been an occupying force since the Spanish American War.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (Z9mio)

Hmmm.... don't remember hearing about constant Combat Ops in those countries...

Must have missed that part...

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (NgKpN)

97 So what you are saying is, that we the people, in our disorganized irregular militia, have nothing to fear from a dictatorial central committee that orders the US military to put down a rebellion among the peoples of this great nation should we the people decide the dictatorial central committee no longer has the consent of the governed?

Well alrighty then.

Posted by: Schuyler Saxon afoot at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (hrcfq)

98 Also, I would argue the military (at least the Pentagon and leadership) has largely been taken over by swamp creatures and is now their fiefdom.

Posted by: Blago at December 06, 2018 11:16 AM (UfkIY)

Read Schwarzkopf's book. His narrative of Colon Powell is the narrative of the Pentagram.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (Z9mio)

99 The problem isn't invasions, the problem is occupations. We're good at the former and don't have the stomach for the latter.
Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (RD7QR)
----------------

When I look at Afghanistan, I get the whole, "We'll look bad to the rest of the world if we pull out" crap, but, I also think it's a load of crap.

I want us out of there, yesterday, unless we're going to go primeval on that country. (I don't think medieval is quite nasty enough)

For instance, the fact Afghani officers regularly rape young boys and our guys aren't allowed to anything about it absolutely grinds me.

If anything, we should grab the offending officer, put them against the wall, shoot, then find someone else. Rinse, repeat, until the officers get the message and then perhaps those people will know we mean business.

We say, "Hearts and minds" they think, "suckers!"

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:22 AM (qC1Sy)

100 19 Republicans need to get off the "military spending doesn't count!" position.

The Cold War is over and most of our foreign policy problems are letting the wrong people live here.

If we cut military spending in half tomorrow, nobody would notice.

The NeoCons that want us in every global conflict have brought nothing but pain to conservatives.
Posted by: Blago at December 06, 2018 11:02 AM (UfkIY)

I'm an old Cold Warrior, but THIS. Time to tell the Euros to grow up, put on their big boy and girl pants or panties, and police the Balkans or their former African colonies without relying on the USA.

Time to reach some kind of agreement with Russia about where its borders with the Ukraine actually are, and then enforce that. Saying we will risk Americans to "save" Crimea is rash and empty.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at December 06, 2018 11:22 AM (ujg0T)

101 Mother in law update. I just wanted to say thank you to the horde for the prayers and well-wishes for my mother-in-law and our family. MiL is doing well after second surgery, chemo, and follow on treatments, and she is functional enough to have had a week long family vacation with cross-country flight.

We sold our house, moved across state, and we are still busy settling in and helping out around the house and with care. As we expected, her spirits are brightened by having our boys around, and we expect that it helps give her purpose and the will to carry on. The wife has settled into a remote/virtual situation with her work.

Thanks again to all who prayed and passed along well-wishes.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at December 06, 2018 11:23 AM (t6MX/)

102 If simian eyes had some whites I would have confused it with Congress child Loopy.
Are macaques apes or monkeys?
Posted by: Northernlurker

The above appears to be Macaca nigra (aka, Celebes Crested Macaque)

Genus Macaca of Old World monkeys of sub family Ceropithecinea.
Their tail is only 2 centimeters of stub.

So yes, they do have a tail.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:23 AM (XVF2z)

103 It may be time to abandon Hadrian's wall.....

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:24 AM (ffWPP)

104 103 It may be time to abandon Hadrian's wall.....
Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:24 AM (ffWPP)

It's not like Hadrian has been keeping it up or anything.

Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:24 AM (RD7QR)

105 The above appears to be Macaca nigra (aka, Celebes Crested Macaque)

Genus Macaca of Old World monkeys of sub family Ceropithecinea.
Their tail is only 2 centimeters of stub.

So yes, they do have a tail.
Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:23 AM (XVF2z)

Thank you. I'm glad one of us isn't terminally lazy.

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:24 AM (MkcN1)

106 Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at December 06, 2018 11:23 AM (t6MX/)
*******
Great News !!

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (BqBId)

107 The problem isn't invasions, the problem is occupations. We're good at the former and don't have the stomach for the latter.
Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:14 AM (RD7QR)

-----

The problem with Afghanistan is the all the bad fuckers are hiding in Pakistan and the Paki's are helping them.

Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (8XRCm)

108 "Even worse than an incredibly wasteful and inefficient Pentagon is their apparent inability to plan...anything."

Well, we did have 8 years of the gay chocolate messiah to appoint fellow traitors. Prior to that, the Pentagon could plan things. Even if it was the previous war! No, the Pentagon has been a problem since before the end of WWII. Even Ike, who was a swamp creature, warned about the Military-Industrial Complex.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (3sjI6)

109 Ive always thought this should be our strategy.

After obliterating whatever regime has wronged us, we hang a sign on the Capitol Buildings door.

"To whoever comes to power next. Dont makes us come back here again. Cordially, Uncle Sam."

Then....leave.
Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (8XRCm)
----------------

What he said. Rubble, bounce rubble, turn rubble into dust.

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (qC1Sy)

110
dammit. BAD copy and paste.

Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (8XRCm)

111 I'm sure that's true, but then every other country also has the same problem with government spending and poor results. So it probably evens out.

Posted by: Blago at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (UfkIY)

Yeah, probably true. But who knows if it really evens out? I mean, it costs China a whole lot less money to employee their military personnel then it does the US. It also costs them a lot less in r & d, since they just rip off Russian and US designs.

...But who knows what their actual readiness is? Could be great, could be shitty.

I suspect that China, like Russia, has a much bigger fighting force on paper then they would in an actual war. But again, it's an unknown.

But my main point was that we cant just say "we spend 10x the amount on our military then Russia (or whoever) does, so our military must be 10x better."

Ehhh, that's not how government spending works.

And this report just backs it up.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (GBteo)

112 91
No nation building. No long term occupations. Rapid response, and self defense priority.

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (ffWPP)

Nation building should be reserved for when we have to actually flatten a country, like Germany and Japan. Outside that, use stand off weapons to destroy immediate hazards (al queda and similar) where possible and stay the F out. Focus on a strong intel apparatus (point them out not in ...Looking at you Barky o Numbnuts) that gets the real goods (eg IDF) and then put out fires as needed.
Keep building blastier smaller stand off weapons.

Said not a mil guy.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (ymnmz)

113 Speaking of anal glands, my pup Logan got his anal glands expressed at the vet's yesterday.

They were...very, very full. That poor vet...there was dog anus goop everywhere: all over the floor, all over my dog, all over the vet.

The man earned his money that day. Paid without a murmur.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (bcbK8)

114 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (+y/Ru)

115

Hey phoenixgirl, have a good time at the CDB concert. I saw him many times in the early days when he was a Southern Rocker, before he went country. He and the Marshall Tucker Band would make a stop in Huntspatch just about every year. They'd swap being headliners and there was always a great jam with both bands together for the encores.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (HaL55)

116 Once you have Crested Macaque, it's all downhill baby.

Posted by: The Paolo at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (5vWKc)

117 It may be time to abandon Hadrian's wall.....
Posted by: kraken

The ice backs cometh!

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (XVF2z)

118 flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner ;
Glad things are working out for your MIL and blessings that your family graciously moved to help her situation.

Posted by: Braenyard at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (Z9mio)

119 They used to call this "blaming the victim":

Becerra, who by then had been appointed to succeed Harris, and two of this deputies said the department took "reasonable steps to prevent and correct workplace harassment" by instituting procedures for harassment and training Hartley on the policy.

[Plaintiff] Hartley "unreasonably failed to utilize the procedures during the period of time, and after, the alleged harassment or discrimination was occurring," Becerra wrote. "Had Plaintiff taken reasonable effort to utilize these procedures Plaintiff's alleged harm, injury or damages would have been avoided, in whole or in part."

But on May 16, 2017, the department settled with Hartley for $400,000. It continued to deny her claims.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (+y/Ru)

120 We look at the huge expenditures and say "yeah, we can kick anyones ass."

No, I look at how we kick everyone's ass and think "our military can kick everyone's ass" not the money spent. Granted we're not exactly fighting the brightest and the best lately but still

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (39g3+)

121 "Even worse than an incredibly wasteful and inefficient Pentagon is their apparent inability to plan...anything."

********

Oh I think they can plan, especially operations, but then its a food fight over who gets the credit and glory.

Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (0tfLf)

122 One of the problems is where the money comes from: Congress. There are capabilities that are absolutely languishing due to apathy and lack of funding because "not sexy". Sexy gets funding requests from the DoD because they know Congress will appropriate then money and by sexy I mean F-35 and LCS. Sexy to Congress means pork that they can dangle in front of voters. I'm in the belly of this beast and we're scratching and clawing for funding for a capability that we (the Army) lag behind the Chinese and Russians by (in my estimation) at least two decades.

And that's probably saying too much, and I have to get to another meeting. Two down for the day, three to go.

Posted by: Bert G at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (tOP4K)

123 to the extent Hadrian's Wall keeps the bloody Scots out of Parliament, I say it needs to be refurbished and manned with sharpshooters.

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (glAWk)

124 Speaking of anal glands, my pup Logan got his anal glands expressed at the vet's yesterday.

They were...very, very full. That poor vet...there was dog anus goop everywhere: all over the floor, all over my dog, all over the vet.

The man earned his money that day. Paid without a murmur.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards

No snickers?

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (XVF2z)

125 We have no bosom buddies in the ME ( Israel Excepted)...... they are historically, perhaps genetically, a bunch of duplicitous bastards. Getting bogged down in their lunacy, is lunacy.....

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (ffWPP)

126 The Chinese are right to be pissed at all of us. This was dirty. The kind of dirty shit they would pull, sure, but we no longer have any real standing to claim that our government is any better than theirs when it comes to human rights.

Posted by: Tom Servo at December 06, 2018 11:08 AM (Kpl3J)

I'm mildly impressed that Canada is going out of its way to antagonize China -and- Saudi Arabia, all the while posing as the NeverTrump alternative. It's hardly the worst or poorest country, but picking fights with heavyweights is dicey at the best of times. Done scattershot it reminds me of Hitler fighting the US, USSR, and Britain all at once. And at least the Nazis were trying to be conciliatory to the US before Pearl Harbor.

Canadians should be worried about being led by a dope.

Posted by: trev006 at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (qqEFK)

127 And speaking of huge anal messes, TFG sure fucked our military during his 8 years.

Trump better fix it. More power to him....

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:28 AM (bcbK8)

128 The problem with Afghanistan is the all the bad fuckers are hiding in Pakistan and the Paki's are helping them.
Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:25 AM (8XRCm)

The problem with Afghanistan is, as the British found out, Afghanistan. The people there were raised in what looks like a war zone. Even without the war. They have nothing to destroy, just the people, and they are a proud and petty people that don't like others taking their moonscape.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:28 AM (3sjI6)

129 because they operate there as well and are can now be arrested by the EU and China...

Will it bother you then?"

Not really, no. I've had to change travel plans in parts of the world due to the passport I carry. OTOH, if the heads of GoogleFaceTwat were to be met w/armed gendarmes, I'd probably laugh.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:28 AM (6qErC)

130 That should have been.

~~Wise~~ words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:28 AM (+y/Ru)

131 I vote for Selfie Macaque to become a permanent part of the simian rotation.

Posted by: rickl at December 06, 2018 11:29 AM (xjiRE)

132
And at least the Nazis were trying to be conciliatory to the US before Pearl Harbor.

-----

And the New York Times was doing its damnedest to return the favor.

Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:29 AM (8XRCm)

133 Why can't "anal glands" simply be removed at the same time the animal is fixed? They don't seem like something that's necessary for survival.

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at December 06, 2018 11:29 AM (/qEW2)

134 101 Mother in law update. I just wanted to say thank you to the horde for the prayers and well-wishes for my mother-in-law and our family. MiL is doing well after second surgery, chemo, and follow on treatments, and she is functional enough to have had a week long family vacation with cross-country flight.

We sold our house, moved across state, and we are still busy settling in and helping out around the house and with care. As we expected, her spirits are brightened by having our boys around, and we expect that it helps give her purpose and the will to carry on. The wife has settled into a remote/virtual situation with her work.

Thanks again to all who prayed and passed along well-wishes.
Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at December 06, 2018 11:23 AM (t6MX/)

Wonderful news - God bless!

Posted by: josephistan at December 06, 2018 11:30 AM (7HtZB)

135 everyone associated with that program should have been run out of the pentagon, blacklisted, and probably charged with defrauding the govt and hung.
Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 11:07 AM (8D42x)

That they named one of them after Gabby Gifford, was appropriate.

Her only real claim to fame is as a Brain Damaged Victim who was injured as a bystander.

I give you... the LCS...

Posted by: Don Q at December 06, 2018 11:09 AM (NgKpN)

you know, I keep forgetting that. the ONE good naming idea to recently come out that building...

Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 11:30 AM (8D42x)

136 124 Speaking of anal glands, my pup Logan got his anal glands expressed at the vet's yesterday.

They were...very, very full. That poor vet...there was dog anus goop everywhere: all over the floor, all over my dog, all over the vet.

The man earned his money that day. Paid without a murmur.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards

No snickers?
Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (XVF2z)

Nah, I felt bad for the guy. And for my dog. Nobody was happy with that whole process.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:30 AM (bcbK8)

137 And speaking of huge anal messes,
========

Fuck you.

*hic*

Posted by: Hillary at December 06, 2018 11:30 AM (vg8iE)

138 You know what will reduce all these foreign deployments ? Stop funding the tools to allow all these foreign deployments.

Because as long as we have the ability to drop multiple brigades all over the world for permanent duty ... US Presidents are gonna' do it. Give 'em the toys - and they'll use them.

Regardless of if they should. No Law or Rule had ever stopped them.

Posted by: Jody Hamilton at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (U96ww)

139 Thanks again to all who prayed and passed along well-wishes.
Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at December 06, 2018 11:23 AM (t6MX/)

Wonderful news - God bless!
Posted by: josephistan at December 06, 2018 11:30 AM (7HtZB)

Ditto

Glad to hear it, Flounder!

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (bcbK8)

140 Crap... Dow Jones plunges more than 700 points.

Posted by: redridinghood at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (hECVl)

141 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (+y/Ru)

You keep leaving off the /sarc designator.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (3sjI6)

142 Come on Pixy...let me say something.

Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (0tfLf)

143 133 Why can't "anal glands" simply be removed at the same time the animal is fixed? They don't seem like something that's necessary for survival.
Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at December 06, 2018 11:29 AM (/qEW2)

My dogs anal glands were removed by our vet..... no biggie.... for me, at least.... my dog might say otherwise, of course.... anyway, he's fine without them....

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (ffWPP)

144 #YouToo

CBS News
@CBSNews
Lena Dunham apologizes for defending "Girls" writer accused of sexual assault, and says her claim about "insider information" proving his innocence wasn't true

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (+y/Ru)

145 Answer to fighting more than 2 wars: Nukes

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at December 06, 2018 11:32 AM (so+oy)

146 Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Thank you, Dan, they have.

Posted by: t-bird at December 06, 2018 11:32 AM (CE5C/)

147 Crap... Dow Jones plunges more than 700 points. "

So it's almost as low as....

last month?

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:32 AM (6qErC)

148 Willowed from last thread....

We should get business cards printed up for Insomniac.

Insomniac
Chick Magnet
Have Gun Will Travel
Posted by: JT

Posted by: JT at December 06, 2018 11:32 AM (RTQZk)

149
Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

-------

"Forces of Change". Wasnt that a ballad by the Scorps???

Posted by: fixerupper at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (8XRCm)

150 The US also needs to start thinking less like a super power and more like a great power. This whole be ready to win against everyone meme is excessive when all we need is cost prohibitive. A modest amount of US support makes taking near anything very costly. We don't need to beat them inside of a week like the iraqi army.

Posted by: Someguy at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (XOBxb)

151 Let me guess: the report says nothing about the issues arising from letting shirt-lifters into the military, or from putting women onto the bridges of naval vessels, right?

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (fDU8w)

152 Nation building should be reserved for when we have to actually flatten a country, like Germany and Japan.
Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (ymnmz)

I think the US learned the wrong lessons from post - WWII rebuilding.

Germany, for example, was a western country, with a long and rich history, and a very similar culture to ours. We threw money at them, helped them rebuild, and the Germans just went on doing what they were doing before WWII broke out.

In other words, we didn't have to create an entirely new culture and society for them.

Japan, while culturally very different, had a solid culture that was/is usually either isolationist or fairly friendly to the West. Similar thing -- we gave them money, but we weren't in Japan trying to take a shitty culture and re-building a culture in our image.

In other words, those two countries were unique in the sense that we could throw money at a problem and the building blocks were pre-existing for the countries to rebuild.

Then look at, say, Afghanistan. A country full of disparate, inbred, tribal people with a fundamentally fucked up culture and society. Then throw in the Islam aspect, and...

I mean we could spend trillions of dollars and centuries of time, and I still don't think Afghanistan will ever have a culture / society / economy that looks like ours. At least not from the US trying to force that on them from the top down.

it's always possible that something like that happens from the bottom up, I suppose. But it won't be BECAUSE of the US.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (GBteo)

153 >>" Dow Jones plunges more than 700 points. "

Capricious actions of people that will be corrected in short order by the Machines.

Posted by: garrett at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (5vWKc)

154 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (+y/Ru)

I suppose having your head up your ass could be the ultimate form of introspection.

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (MkcN1)

155 into a more just future"

"just future"???

Here's an idea, dan - Fvck off.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (6qErC)

156 RE: Captain Marvel side post. Someone actually named the site The Mary Sue, and it's not satire! I had to read the About section and they more or less know what it means and embraced the name anyway.

Posted by: Nutsy the Buzzard at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (Z3HgI)

157 133 Why can't "anal glands" simply be removed at the same time the animal is fixed? They don't seem like something that's necessary for survival.
Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at December 06, 2018 11:29 AM (/qEW2)

I know little about zoology or dog physiology. I assume they are there for a reason. Logan's been fixed and they stayed in.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (bcbK8)

158 141 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (+y/Ru)

You keep leaving off the /sarc designator.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM

Ummmmm, Dan, that is already happening. Those forces are swelling within the population but you and your cronies refuse to recognize they are conservative forces.

Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (0tfLf)

159 140 Crap... Dow Jones plunges more than 700 points.
Posted by: redridinghood at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM (hECVl)

Commiecrats took over The House of Reps. This actually makes a dreadful sense.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (ujg0T)

160 Was CBD a warrior when he was young ?

Posted by: Yes at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (0Ruy+)

161 69 What is doubly frustrating is the hundreds of millions (if not billions) that the Pentagon spends annually on Program Managers, Cost Analysts, Contract Administrators, Auditors, who have collectively failed miserably in their ability to manage project costs. The answer? More Program Managers, Cost Analysts, Contract Administrators and Auditors...
Posted by: Daniel Simpson Day

Not that it makes it any better, but this is true of all of government. The process becomes more important than the product.

Posted by: pep at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (TpAxy)

162

Dan Rather sounds like an islamist fomenting hate and encouraging violence.

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (TYj+F)

163 91 No nation building. No long term occupations. Rapid response, and self defense priority.
Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (ffWPP)

Agreed.

If I was in charge of the strategy, there would be a large two-ocean Navy with 12 carrier battlegroups, but a rather small army geared for rapid response. The Navy is essential in peacetime for sea patrol, good for disaster response, and you can't wait until you're in a war to start building ships given construction times of a year or more. It's also what keeps the enemy from crossing the ocean to reach us.

The Army would still receive equipment for wartime sizes, despite only staffing for rapid response and security, and most equipment would be kept in mothballs in case a major war broke out. That way, we could bulk up quickly if needed, but otherwise run a lean force.

Posted by: Cato by Phone at December 06, 2018 11:35 AM (J+mig)

164 Afghanistan. A country"

See, I think you may have identified the problem.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:35 AM (6qErC)

165 Clue #237 that my dog may be spoiled:
When I give him a bit of mozzarella cheese he sniffs it, looks at me with his "you know this isn't cheddar" face, before he deigns to eat it.

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at December 06, 2018 11:35 AM (XZ3Gp)

166 For instance, the fact Afghani officers regularly rape young boys and our guys aren't allowed to anything about it absolutely grinds me.

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:22 AM (qC1Sy)

I agree in theory, but I'd much rather shoot pederasts that live in America before trying to police Afghanistan.

Posted by: trev006 at December 06, 2018 11:35 AM (qqEFK)

167 I asked vet before the dogs surgery what the anal gland purpose really was.... he said " think appendix"......

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:35 AM (ffWPP)

168

~~Wise words~~ Marxist NewSpeak from Dan Rather:
FTFY...and the horse he rode in on. Why doesn't he just retire and leave the rest of us alone?
Nobody cares about your Communist fever-dreams, Danny boy.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:35 AM (HaL55)

169 Want to guess how I get my "inside information"?

Posted by: Lena Dunham (living in your vagina) at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (m6h/F)

170 I can read this everyday.

Posted by: wodun at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (lFga6)

171 Post World War II, we were also in competition with Bolshevism over which side could deliver prosperity to the occupied nations.

No one is competing with us to exert influence in Failed State #1 and Failed State #2.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (hqZPQ)

172 One of the major issues is that the Defense community which is misnamed by the way refuses to come clean to exactly what we need out current military for. Right now we are attempting to do all of the above which makes our strategy incoherent, pointless, and expensive (and still not enough to fulfill requirements for success).

A) Defense of the United States territory itself
B) Defense of every allied power through treaties
C) Defense of Israel
D) Humanitarian and stabilization/anti-terror forces throughout troubled spots in the world--e.g. UN police force basically
E) Preventing other hegemons from challenging U.S. primacy
F) Guaranteeing freedom of the seas for all
G) Maintaining U.S. presence in space as a strategic asset
H) Deterrence of other nuclear powers from use of such weapons against us
I) Making sure that all parts of the military reflect current sociological ideals reflecting our civil society
J) Provide jobs for defense contractors and disperse bases throughout U.S. to provide jobs and economic development for communities
k) maintain cutting edge force superiority weapons by developing advanced technology

and so on. I'm sure that folks here can add on their favorite DOD requirement.

The point is that achieving all of these goals will effectively bankrupt the country and probably still result in a military too weak to fight back a sustained effort by a rival challenging only one of these missions. It is not affordable nor sustainable and even within each service--you see this all of the above strategy.

It is the same story with the federal budget as a whole--none of it can be cut as the log rolling necessary to even pass resolutions is almost impossible to assemble outside of a major challenge. Diversity actually makes the issue worse because then race, sex, ethnicity issues split coalitions and then payoffs must be made to make the wheels go round.

Posted by: whig at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (ROzyM)

173 When the National Defense assessment included crap about global warming, it was clear the "perfumed princes" prancing around the Pentagon had lost their way.

Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (0tfLf)

174 Dan Rather sounds like his anal glands are full again.

Posted by: Captain Hate at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (y7DUB)

175 If I was in charge of the strategy"

Newsletter?

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (6qErC)

176 The Army would still receive equipment for wartime sizes, despite only staffing for rapid response and security, and most equipment would be kept in mothballs in case a major war broke out. That way, we could bulk up quickly if needed, but otherwise run a lean force.
Posted by: Cato

And have an extremely lax ROE.
Put 'em down good and hard and move on.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (XVF2z)

177 If I was in charge of the strategy, there would be a large two-ocean Navy with 12 carrier battlegroups, but a rather small army geared for rapid response.

Gee, how original. **rolls eyes**

Posted by: Great Britain at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (TpAxy)

178 Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Well, we changed in that we no longer trust you, ya sack o' shit.

Posted by: population at large at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (e1q4h)

179 This is the same dog that eagerly tries to eat deer poop. But only fresh deer poop, mind you. Standards are everything, apparently.

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (XZ3Gp)

180 Nation building should be reserved for when we have to actually flatten a country, like Germany and Japan.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (ymnmz)

I disagree. Let them rebuild themselves. What did we get out of rebuilding Germany and Japan? Peace? Neither one is a true ally and they are just a money pit for the taxpayers. We helped the Japanese build up their manufacturing ability which led to the decline of the American auto industry. We kept Germany "safe" from the Soviets and we got Merkel. Let the world know that if you fuck with the US, you reap the consequences. We won't be any worse off in 30 years.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (3sjI6)

181

Logan's been fixed and they stayed in.

Did the vet reset his red crystal while he was there?

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (HaL55)

182 Japan, while culturally very different, had a solid culture that was/is usually either isolationist or fairly friendly to the West.

Until the end of WW2, Japan was isolationist and incredibly arrogant, thought they were the height of society and culture, and everyone else was trash. They were completely anti-Western considering us dogs, and rejected our way of life entirely. There was no connection whatsoever or reasonable hope that we could ever reshape that nation into the 20th century.

However, the Japanese are an interesting people, and they adapted very quickly. They made the leap from "well that was a disaster" to "lets be more like them" very quickly. It seems to be part of Japanese culture to absorb new things they appreciate but turn them Japanese, so perhaps that was why it worked.

But while Germany was essentially western already, it just needed to have some bad elements cleaned out. Japan was nothing of the sort and it was an unrealistic goal to fix the place.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (39g3+)

183 Ecuador's president says Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London
========

IT'S A TRAP!
Posted by: bicentennialguy at December 06, 2018 11:01 AM (vg8iE)

Yeah. If I were Assange, that's how I would regard it. Poland or Hungary should offer him asylum. Hell, Donald Trump should offer him asylum, if he agrees to spill everything he knows about the Deep State.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (fDU8w)

184 Funny thing is I tend to be introspective. And some times I've come out of a time of introspection more convinced than ever that I'm doing the right thing.

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:38 AM (MkcN1)

185 I wonder if one of the elements to the latest stock plunge is the news about the DoD. Well at any rate it doesn't help.

The DoD/Military is the most corrupt organization on the planet. If Trump were serious, he'd start by canceling the Army/Navy match and then closing down the service academies.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at December 06, 2018 11:38 AM (hqZPQ)

186 When the National Defense assessment included crap about global warming"

Hey, I know - let's mandate hideously pricey "biofuel" fuels!

That'll have the Chinese quaking in their boots!

/TehWon

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:38 AM (6qErC)

187 Did the vet reset his red crystal while he was there?"

At least he didn't run...

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:39 AM (6qErC)

188 Then look at, say, Afghanistan. A country full of
disparate, inbred, tribal people with a fundamentally fucked up culture
and society. Then throw in the Islam aspect, and...

I mean we could spend trillions of dollars and centuries of time,
and I still don't think Afghanistan will ever have a culture / society /
economy that looks like ours. At least not from the US trying to force
that on them from the top down.

it's always possible that something like that happens from the bottom up, I suppose. But it won't be BECAUSE of the US.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:33 AM (GBteo)

But first you have to flatten a country, break it as a cohesive entity and make it ready to accept the new status quo.
That's hard to do with a place like Afghanistan because....... it basically a tribal middle aged mentality with the trappings of modern society in some places.
If you "broke" Afganistan, how would you know?

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:39 AM (ymnmz)

189 158 141 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (+y/Ru)

You keep leaving off the /sarc designator.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:31 AM

Ummmmm, Dan, that is already happening. Those forces are swelling within the population but you and your cronies refuse to recognize they are conservative forces.
Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:34 AM (0tfLf)

I was thinking that too.

Dan seems to be lacking in awareness. I can't think of a more conscience free person that Hillary and Bill and I can't imagine a less humble person that Barry Obama.

I too hope 'forces of change' shake the republic.

I know I'm buying ammo.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:39 AM (bcbK8)

190 Am enjoying Stuart Varney this morning on my XM app ... "All is Well!!!!"

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at December 06, 2018 11:40 AM (hqZPQ)

191 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (+y/Ru)

ah, saw the change. I was going to say, I bet he's thinking 180 degrees apart from us on who the target of that is...

and Flounder, that's great news. happy to hear and may the blessings continue.

Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 11:40 AM (8D42x)

192 Obama happily introduced Decadent Western Culture into the military... while gutting Military Culture.... the bastard....

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:40 AM (ffWPP)

193 The problem with Afghanistan is the all the bad fuckers are hiding in Pakistan and the Paki's are helping them.
=====

And trying to take over Myanmar's Rakhine State. Those nasty Buddhists, picking on the poor muslims just trying for hegemony and, you know, like those nasty Hindu people, picking on poor muslims just trying to take over the area.

Saw the little blurb from this am (late start today) and, of course, little Dondi is preparing for war in Burma when we withdraw from Afghanistan.

Posted by: mustbequantum at December 06, 2018 11:40 AM (MIKMs)

194 179 This is the same dog that eagerly tries to eat deer poop. But only fresh deer poop, mind you. Standards are everything, apparently.
Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (XZ3Gp)
-------------

Well, better than our dog that used to root around in in the kitty litter box.

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:40 AM (qC1Sy)

195 Hey, I know - let's mandate hideously pricey "biofuel" fuels!

For those of us who lived through that gibberish, it was always an utterly, transparently political policy. It had nothing to do with DoD preferences, it was Barry policy.

Posted by: pep at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (TpAxy)

196 I disagree. Let them rebuild themselves. What did we get out of rebuilding Germany and Japan? Peace? Neither one is a true ally and they are just a money pit for the taxpayers. We helped the Japanese build up their manufacturing ability which led to the decline of the American auto industry. We kept Germany "safe" from the Soviets and we got Merkel. Let the world know that if you fuck with the US, you reap the consequences. We won't be any worse off in 30 years.
Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (3sjI6)

Eh. I think a big part of the "peace" we bought was purposely opening US markets to West Germany and Japan in a way that allowed both countries to become export heavy and wealthy.

Hard to say if it was worth it or not, but think about it -- at the time, we had just fought two world wars against Germany, and Japan had been constantly fucking around on mainland asia and the pacific for decades. (Fighting Russians, Chinese, Koreans, etc. etc.)

The idea was to kind of carrot and stick Japan and Germany in to making a bit of a course change.

At the time the decisions were made, I can easily see how they were justified, despite being incredibly expensive to US taxpayers and workers.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (GBteo)

197 180
Nation building should be reserved for when we have to actually flatten a country, like Germany and Japan.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:26 AM (ymnmz)

I disagree. Let them rebuild themselves. What did we get out of
rebuilding Germany and Japan? Peace? Neither one is a true ally and they
are just a money pit for the taxpayers. We helped the Japanese build up
their manufacturing ability which led to the decline of the American
auto industry. We kept Germany "safe" from the Soviets and we got
Merkel. Let the world know that if you fuck with the US, you reap the
consequences. We won't be any worse off in 30 years.

Posted by: Anonymous White Male at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (3sjI6)

Well, hard to argue with that.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (ymnmz)

198 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Where's Dan working now? My Weekly Reader?

Posted by: tu3031 at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (sf1AO)

199 Well, better than our dog that used to root around in in the kitty litter box.
Posted by: Blake

Just trying to enjoy a hot meal.

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (FTlwv)

200 Well, better than our dog that used to root around in in the kitty litter box.

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:40 AM (qC1Sy)

He was recycling!

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (XZ3Gp)

201 VDH should be involved at some level with our military, just sayin'......

Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (ffWPP)

202
It's pretty clear to me: Dan Rather is telling leftists, via the hate-platform that is Twitter, to assassinate Republicans.

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (TYj+F)

203 181

Logan's been fixed and they stayed in.

Did the vet reset his red crystal while he was there?
Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (HaL55)

Just aspirated the tumor. Red crystal???

I think I had a trivia failure here.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (bcbK8)

204 The Pentagon has a detailed plan for how to support tranny bathrooms on submarines.

Posted by: Roy at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (9rXxD)

205 He's a Prog/Marxist and prolly a Soros fellator. I ran out of fux to give about him years ago.
Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:15 AM (HaL55)

------

I feel ya, but he knows a lot of things.

I'd cut him a deal, if he'd make with the goods.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (AzW6q)

206 177 If I was in charge of the strategy, there would be a large two-ocean Navy with 12 carrier battlegroups, but a rather small army geared for rapid response.

Gee, how original. **rolls eyes**
Posted by: Great Britain at December 06, 2018 11:37 AM (TpAxy)

Arguably, the USA post Cold War is where Britain was post Napoleonic Wars. We can't police the world, let alone rebuild it, but we certainly can make sure the oceans are safe.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (ujg0T)

207 The UDA would be better off if more smart people like Ace volunteered
Only about 20% can pass the already low qualifying standards to enlist

Posted by: Yes at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (0Ruy+)

208 This is the same dog that eagerly tries to eat deer poop. But only fresh deer poop, mind you. Standards are everything, apparently.
Posted by: votermom

Aka, deer beans.

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (XVF2z)

209 Well, better than our dog that used to root around in in the kitty litter box.

Yeah my friend had a dog that did that. He called it kitty roca, they had to keep the catbox locked away from the dog because he'd just eat it all.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (39g3+)

210 Thing is, taking over the world is hard. Anyone who tries is likely to collapse under their own weight before they get to us. We can also make things harder at low cost without throwing everything we have at the problem.

Posted by: Someguy at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (XOBxb)

211 Ace's Captain Marvel commentary on the sidebar is hilarious

Posted by: Lizzy at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (W+vEI)

212 188: Ultimately nations don't have permanent allies, just permanent interests. That's why I say release the FISA docs and let May go to hell.

Posted by: CN at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (U7k5w)

213
When the National Defense assessment included crap about global warming, it was clear the "perfumed princes" prancing around the Pentagon had lost their way.
Posted by: Diogenes

Don't forget the costly "green" fuel.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (aKsyK)

214
"Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future. "

Yeah, he means Terrorism. Dan Rather is telling people to go commit acts of terror.

Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (TYj+F)

215 So, a massive sea power with highly mobile forces decides to get into occupation wars and makes artificial "national" boundaries...

We talk'n 'bout the US or Great Britain nearly 2 centuries ago? 'Cause that's how we got "Afghanistan"...

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:43 AM (6qErC)

216 And have an extremely lax ROE.
Put 'em down good and hard and move on.
Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:36 AM (XVF2z)

That should be the standard.

The Army is for breaking things, not dispensing hugs.

Posted by: Cato by Phone at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (J+mig)

217 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Where's Dan working now? My Weekly Reader?
Posted by: tu3031 at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (sf1AO)

He has a show on AXS TV( they mainly play concerts, and retrospectives on various music artists lives, etc.) in which he interviews entertainment people.
I cruised over an episode last night in which he was interviewing Ricky Skaggs in an empty chain restaurant, LOL. Looked positively riveting, /s

Posted by: Jen the original at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (L/94n)

218 >>Ultimately nations don't have permanent allies, just permanent interests. That's why I say release the FISA docs and let May go to hell.

THIS

You want to be treated like an ally?
Behave like one. Assisting in the fixing of an election, then failing that, a coup =/= ally.
Suck it, UK and Australia.

Posted by: Lizzy at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (W+vEI)

219 Afganistan is all about the tribes, not the nation.

People on the ground were saying that as early as 2004. Idiots didn't listen. I swear they take out part of your brain as payment for putting stars on your shoulders.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (bcbK8)

220
Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Did he also give us our lucky lotto numbers with that?

Posted by: Flawless Male Logic at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (TAmPV)

221 I remember when they decided to bring the battleships back on line. The Navy went looking for sailors who had served on them before (now old dudes) to show the new kids how to shoot the damn guns.

Fast forward to the next war. There won't be a general in the Army who has commanded multiple Divisions in the field, or multiple Corps...something Iran does twice a year.

And that is a very painful learning curve.

Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:45 AM (0tfLf)

222

Just aspirated the tumor. Red crystal???

I think I had a trivia failure here.

Please to be seeing the sci-fi movie Logan's Run and to be paying particularly the attention to Jenny Agutter.
Basic premise: a controlled society where the population is only allowed to reach the age of 30. Not a bad flick, IMO.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:45 AM (HaL55)

223 Dan Rather is old and foolish and he said aloud the Democrats' real plan.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at December 06, 2018 11:45 AM (AzW6q)

224 Afghanistan isn't terribly artificial. They've pretty much always been there and dominated by other powers in the region(mostly Iran).

Posted by: Someguy at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (XOBxb)

225 Isn't Dan Rather 90 years old by now?

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (MkcN1)

226 I think I had a trivia failure here."

Logan

Red Crystal

Run

Jenney Agutter...

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (6qErC)

227 I remember when they decided to bring the battleships back on line. The Navy went looking for sailors who had served on them before (now old dudes) to show the new kids how to shoot the damn guns.

Battleship. Mighty Mo.

"Kick the tires and light the fires!"

Posted by: rickb223 at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (XVF2z)

228 The cat is not all
Bad--she dots the neighborhood
With Tootsie Rolls

---Dog Haiku

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (FTlwv)

229 so excited!!!!! my brother and sis in law are coming this afternoon and tonight we are going to see CHARLIE DANIELS!!!! we saw him two years ago and he was AMAZING!!! can hardly wait.....OMG!!!!!!

Posted by: phoenixgirl at December 06, 2018 11:17 AM (0O7c5)

Cool beans, PG! Enjoy the show!

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 06, 2018 11:47 AM (fDU8w)

230 226 I think I had a trivia failure here."

Logan

Red Crystal

Run

Jenney Agutter...
Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (6qErC)

Ohhhhhh.

Logan's Run...

Gotcha.

My bad.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:47 AM (bcbK8)

231 >>Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.
- - - -

Apparently Dan missed that this is what happened in 2016?

Posted by: Lizzy at December 06, 2018 11:47 AM (W+vEI)

232 It's pretty clear to me: Dan Rather is telling leftists, via the hate-platform that is Twitter, to assassinate Republicans.
Posted by: Sooth-o-matic at December 06, 2018 11:42 AM (TYj+F)

Yeah it's hard to have an alternative meaning for "national reckoning" other than he's a senile pile of shit nattering away like a word processor with a virus.

Posted by: Captain Hate at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (y7DUB)

233 224 Afghanistan isn't terribly artificial. They've pretty much always been there and dominated by other powers in the region(mostly Iran).
Posted by: Someguy at December 06, 2018 11:46 AM (XOBxb)

It's just not a modern day country as we, in the west, would think of it.

It's more like a collection of tribes who happen to live geographically close to each other.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (GBteo)

234 "Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future. "

This is right out of Das Kapital. A rallying cry for the Vanguard of the Proletariat.

Posted by: Diogenes at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (0tfLf)

235 In a way, Afghanistan is like India but without the Hindu class system to tie it all together as a "country."

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (GBteo)

236 Afghanistan is all about the tribes, not the nation. "

Been saying that since the 80s. An artificial boundary drawn by the Brits in the mid 19th century does not a nation make.

Posted by: Anon a mouse at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (6qErC)

237 Where's Dan working now? My Weekly Reader?

-
Dan is working for rock and roll channel AXS interviewing rock stars like a geriatric Tiger Beat reporter. I held my nose and watched him interview Brian Setzer. Setzer came off very well. Dan came off as an out of touch trying to appear hip.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (+y/Ru)

238 Nood!

Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (qC1Sy)

239 http://bit.ly/2PoHiQc
====
Stormy Daniels on Avenatti: 'People Just Need a Swift Kick in the Ass'

Posted by: Max BOOThole at December 06, 2018 11:48 AM (BqBId)

240 Does Rather take his teeth out when he's tweeting?

Posted by: Northernlurker being f'n insufferable at December 06, 2018 11:49 AM (MkcN1)

241 91 No nation building. No long term occupations. Rapid response, and self defense priority.
Posted by: kraken at December 06, 2018 11:21 AM (ffWPP)

Also, no talk of our "allies."

We have no allies. We have no friends. We have only interests. Palmerston, and later John Foster Dulles, were absolutely right.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at December 06, 2018 11:49 AM (Wd55D)

242 I swear they take out part of your brain as payment for putting stars on your shoulders.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (bcbK

Name any large organization that functions as a meritocracy. I'll wait.

Posted by: Jody Hamilton at December 06, 2018 11:49 AM (U96ww)

243 We didn't go into Afghanistan to make a new country, we went into Afghanistan to wipe out the old regime. Who, despite it being about "tribes, not nation" managed to unite the entire country under extremist Taliban rule somehow. We never wanted to run the place, just crush the Taliban and allow them a nation without the radical Muslims in charge.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at December 06, 2018 11:49 AM (39g3+)

244

I feel ya, but he knows a lot of things.

I'd cut him a deal, if he'd make with the goods.

I always thought he could be an ally of Teh Right if he wished since there's a lot more dirt to be uncovered on the Progs.
I'd make a deal with him too if he'd start doing the job that Progda refuses to do. He has some cachet with a lot of Leftards, so he might could awaken them from their stupor, if only for a few seconds.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at December 06, 2018 11:50 AM (HaL55)

245 Wise words from Dan Rather:

Where's Dan working now? My Weekly Reader?
Posted by: tu3031 at December 06, 2018 11:41 AM (sf1AO)

The Hamelburg Shopping News.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at December 06, 2018 11:50 AM (Wd55D)

246 nood. Froggies

Posted by: tu3031 at December 06, 2018 11:50 AM (sf1AO)

247 The point of my post above is that lack of clear strategy regarding US goals is the hallmark of an incompetent empire, not a republic.

Thus, in foreign affairs and war, essentially the President is an emperor who can effectively move troops, cut deals, make agreements, gather intelligence, etc. Thus, the bitter struggle to gain the emperor's ear in making such moves and to secure the succession of the next emperor. The major disadvantage to our system then is the republic's vestiges--the four year term and two term limit.

This makes all of the players, including allies, vested in who becomes the next temporary Emperor and we can see how this is playing out when an accidental Emperor interrupts the supposed succession to the throne. Essentially the Praetorian Guard along with their legislative allies are conducting a slow moving coup to prevent the President from making any fundamental changes to the system and its .

At some point, probably after a major military defeat and/or internal collapse via debt reconciliation, Americans will have to make a choice to either go whole hog into empire or regroup into a smaller, wiser republic or series of republics. To be a competent empire, you cannot have any meaningful public consideration of key security policies. To be a republic, means that a super majority must agree as to key policies and these policies are subject to review by the people on a periodic basis over that of the courtiers. The policies of a republic must benefit the people as a whole, as an Empire, not so much for awhile.

Posted by: whig at December 06, 2018 11:50 AM (ROzyM)

248 >>Afganistan is all about the tribes, not the nation.

Marcus Latrell's "Lone Survivor" first chapter breaks this down, the hierarchy of loyalty in Afghanistan - immediate family> family>tribe>nation (IIRC)

Yeah, we need to exit.

Posted by: Lizzy at December 06, 2018 11:51 AM (W+vEI)

249 220
Dan Rather
@DanRather
Watching today's eulogies I thought about our national reckoning. We can't rely on the consciences of those who have shown none or humility from those who refuse introspection. Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Did he also give us our lucky lotto numbers with that?
Posted by: Flawless Male Logic at December 06, 2018 11:44 AM (TAmPV)

Yeah, that's just about at the level of "Man who use upstairs toilet is high on pot."

Posted by: joncelli, providing the traditional responses at December 06, 2018 11:51 AM (RD7QR)

250 I cruised over an episode last night in which he was interviewing Ricky Skaggs in an empty chain restaurant, LOL. Looked positively riveting, /s

Isn't Ricky Skaggs fairly conservative?

Posted by: Captain Hate at December 06, 2018 11:52 AM (y7DUB)

251 Afghanistan is also more culturally unified than India, which could easily be like 50 countries. Afghans are vaguely one people as far as they're concerned. They're just not unified at a governing level.

Posted by: Someguy at December 06, 2018 11:52 AM (XOBxb)

252 The cat is not all
Bad--she dots the neighborhood
With Tootsie Rolls

---Dog Haiku

-
I mentioned that my sister, knowing that she was dying, held an early Christmas to give us all presents. She hadn't received one if mine when we had Christmas but her husband brought it over a few days after her funeral. Throw the Damn Ball: Classic Poetry By Dogs. It's pretty funny.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at December 06, 2018 11:53 AM (+y/Ru)

253 If you "broke" Afganistan, how would you know?

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:39 AM (ymnmz)

When viewed from space there isn't a single camp fire.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at December 06, 2018 11:55 AM (9Om/r)

254 A two-war military? As I recall back in the '50s and '60s they were planning for a two-and-a-half-front force.

The curious thing, though, is that whether draftee or volunteer, whether fighting with Skyraiders or Reapers, we've never fought any of those two-front wars, we've only fought the half-front wars, and we've failed at most of those.

Expensive, wasteful, strategically bankrupt half-front wars. We have not fought a peer adversary except by proxy since 1945.

Now they're defining down peer adversaries to include Iran, the Norks, etc.

Posted by: JEM at December 06, 2018 11:58 AM (8erNz)

255 The F35 is...okay, although it falls prey to trying to do too many things at the same time, requiring compromises for one version that affects the others. That risks the airplane being neither fish nor fowl.

LCS is an abomination.

Posted by: Jeff Weimer at December 06, 2018 11:59 AM (q7IoS)

256 The Chinese CFO arrested is the CFO AND the daughter of the president of the company (a big member of their elite) of Huawei. Their cell phones are ripe with baked in spyware for the Chinese Gov. They were banned for a while for import. They are also a big player in industrial espionage in the cell phone arena. There is more going on here than just a sanctions violation. It is a "we really don't want to take your shit anymore" message to the Chinese..

Posted by: catman at December 06, 2018 12:00 PM (BMqHT)

257 Afghanistan is a perfect example of failed imperial policies which is okay. Even the competent British Empire failed at that one.

Essentially unless you kill a large percentage of the male war making population (roughly 30-50 percent), you will not have peace for a generation or so. It is the young that can make war, not the elderly so much.

To institute a foreign system of government in Afghanistan is essentially beyond our reach because of the ethnicity and diversity within that country. Similar issue in Iraq. Either one ethnicity dominates the others which is usually, not always, the one with the plurality in a "democracy" or a smaller ethnicity seizes absolute power through a despot and maintains its position with repression. All we have done is continue the slow moving civil war started with the Marxist coup against the existing Afghan government in the 1970's. There is every chance that the war will continue on a low burner setting for another 50 years, with or without U.S. presence.

History is a tragic mistress.

Posted by: whig at December 06, 2018 12:02 PM (ROzyM)

258 We didn't go into Afghanistan to make a new country, we went into Afghanistan to wipe out the old regime. Who, despite it being about "tribes, not nation" managed to unite the entire country under extremist Taliban rule somehow. We never wanted to run the place, just crush the Taliban and allow them a nation without the radical Muslims in charge.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor

.......................

There is no crushing the Taliban.. first mistake.

But that's not why we originally went into Afghanistan anyway.. we went in to wipe out the Al Quaeda training camps.

As so as that was done, we shoulda been out of there.. 100%

17 fucking years.. for what? I ask you? for what?

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at December 06, 2018 12:03 PM (so+oy)

259 When I look at Afghanistan, I get the whole, "We'll look bad to the rest of the world if we pull out" crap, but, I also think it's a load of crap.

I want us out of there, yesterday, unless we're going to go primeval on that country. (I don't think medieval is quite nasty enough)

For instance, the fact Afghani officers regularly rape young boys and our guys aren't allowed to anything about it absolutely grinds me.

If anything, we should grab the offending officer, put them against the wall, shoot, then find someone else. Rinse, repeat, until the officers get the message and then perhaps those people will know we mean business.

We say, "Hearts and minds" they think, "suckers!"
Posted by: Blake - tis the season for grinching at December 06, 2018 11:22 AM (qC1Sy)

Simple. Conquer the fuck out of them, blow up all the mosques, shoot all the imams and mullahs and other poobahs of the now-banned islam, and forcibly convert the populace to Christianity. Set up a puppet kingdom, with a medieval-style Christian King with absolute power, as long as he does the bidding of the USA.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 06, 2018 12:09 PM (fDU8w)

260 Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon
......

yeah.. like you said.. simple!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at December 06, 2018 12:10 PM (so+oy)

261
Forces of change must swell in the population at large to shake our republic into a more just future.

Coming from a document forger and serial liar, your words mean less than nothing. Get bent, old man.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at December 06, 2018 12:16 PM (pNxlR)

262 That defense policy has been the case for a lot of years. We haven't done "2MRC" (2 major regional conflicts) war planning in about 3 decades (except briefly).

Partly it relies on our nuclear deterrent, and our Guard and Reserve surge capability. The ability to deter is the ability to hit a second opponent hard enough we can finish the first fight without further interference.

This report isn't new. "Bi-partisan" groups have been putting out "OMG, the sky is falling" reports since at least the Carter presidency. Heck, they even came out during the Reagan years.

Having said that, we really need some re-imagining of our foreign policy and our military support of that foreign policy.

Posted by: GWB at December 06, 2018 12:22 PM (zgEsK)

263 Canadians should be worried about being led by a dope.
Posted by: trev006 at December 06, 2018 11:27 AM (qqEFK)

He's not just a dope, he's TrueDope. But, hey, legal pot, eh?

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 06, 2018 12:24 PM (fDU8w)

264 And yes, procurement needs to change. And we need less fetishization of technology.

Posted by: GWB at December 06, 2018 12:24 PM (zgEsK)

265 If you "broke" Afganistan, how would you know?

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at December 06, 2018 11:39 AM (ymnmz)

10 billion in structural IMprovements?

Posted by: SturmToddler at December 06, 2018 12:25 PM (8D42x)

266 I was in the military until 2012.

For 8 years under Obama the top brass was replaced with political toadies rather than people actually capable of fighting and winning wars.

That why they were more interested in promoting idiocy like repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, forcing them to lower standards because not enough women want to die for their countries, and now forcing trannies into the force.

Obama massively underfunded ACTUAL military priorities while simultaneously forcing them to spend a huge amount of money on diversity bullshit.

It will take 10 more years for the military to recover from the Obama idiocy.

Posted by: DudeAbiding at December 06, 2018 01:25 PM (setIA)

267 With five potential adversaries to account for...

So Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran... who is number five?

Canada?

Dear God, please, not Australia! It begins with "A" and is hard to rhyme...

Posted by: David from Canberra at December 06, 2018 01:51 PM (bfGco)

268 From what I have read, the F-35 is actually a really good plane that will do well. The armed forces need to buy a whole stack of them and also invest in unsexy things like lots of spare parts (specifically, spare engines).

In exercises the F-35 is claimed to score a 20:1 kill ratio against other planes. Pilots who have flown the F-35, when interviewed, express complete confidence in the plane.

The F-35 costs a lot per hour to fly, but because of the stealth and other features you can send fewer F-35s to do a particular mission, and I think it pencils out to a cheaper plane overall. Plus there really isn't anything else available anytime soon. For good or ill we need to run with it.

Also, the F-35 was never intended for an air superiority role, but it can do it. And since the geniuses in the Obama administration shut down the F-22 program, we need air superiority F-35s. I have seen speculation on the Internet that with a rotary launcher the F-35 could fit more missiles into its existing weapons bay; that would be a win. Right now an F-35 can only carry 4 missiles, or 2 missiles and 2 bombs, while remaining stealthy.

The LCS, on the other hand, is a complete disaster. The best thing about it, its speed, was developed at the cost of having a propulsion system that is highly complex and breaks easily. It was not designed to survive taking battle damage. The swappable modules don't swap. It's undergunned. It's nowhere near as cheap as promised.

I think we need to buy a staggering number of F-35 planes, but we don't need any LCSes, cut that off at the knees. Do a proper job at the next-gen frigate and buy as many of those as we can afford.

A modern destroyer costs $2 billion... the next-gen frigate will cost $1 billion. The LCS was supposed to be $0.25 billion but is more like $0.5 billion. So: we can buy twice as many next-gen frigates for the same money as destroyers, and the next-gen frigate will actually be useful (as long as the Navy doesn't screw that up too). We could buy 4x the number of LCS as destroyers, but the LCS isn't useful so that's not a good deal.

The Navy tested a new missile that will make the LCS not as completely useless as before, but I don't think it's enough to make the LCS a good idea. But since we already paid for a bunch of LCS I trust the Navy will retrofit them all with the new missiles.

Posted by: mr_jack at December 06, 2018 02:28 PM (M59SC)

269 Excuse me, but if we pulled our forces in to the homeland wouldn't we be better able to fight a two-front war? I've been reading some of the Founders' writings and I really cannot figure why the hell we are garrisoning Europe and Japan. Who the hell died and named us the Planetary Police? Let the EU defend itself. Likewise Japan has a nicely sized armed forces. Let Japan defend itself.

So Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are potential adversaries, huh? Other than ballistic missiles, which one of those have even a FRACTION of the U.S.'s capability to project force half-way around the world? So far as _I_ can tell the answer is "None of them." Plus we have an "ace in the hole" as it were. If some nation WERE to invade the American mainland, 1) they would have a hell of a long logistics train which would be fairly easily interdicted either by air or by sea (hunter-killer subs; gotta love 'em) and 2) they would face a heavily armed populace. As Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamato did/didn't put it, "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." Look up the estimated casualties WE would have sustained if we had been forced to invade the Japanese home islands. Think of that and remember that the Japanese people were utterly barred from owning firearms. Now consider just how many CIVILIAN guns an invader would face.

How about we bring all the troops home and adopt "Don't Tread On Me" as our watchword?

Posted by: Old Codger at December 06, 2018 02:49 PM (TEqet)

270 Look its Hollywood airhead Jim Carrey before his Plastic Surgery

Posted by: Tamaa Bird 1000 Voices at December 06, 2018 04:56 PM (wGqjj)

271 Please, don't return "Punk Monkey." He's seriously messed up and looking at him with all those things through his skin is distressing.

It reminds me of the mentally ill and I don't like it at all.
Thank you.

Posted by: Had to Read a Book at December 06, 2018 09:26 PM (Kpbco)

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