4 comments

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  wyamarus

  9 months ago

  How is this any different then the overthrowing of elected governments and the propping up of unelected, unpopular dictatorships we've been doing since we invaded Cuba, the Philippines, and Hawa'ii many, many (roughly 100) years ago? Let's See ....Killing people and supporting terrorism overseas is the Humanitarian Mission of the All New Army? This is just the pretext to further militarize every aspect of life in the NuAmerika.
  
  “As the nation continues into this era of uncertainty and persistent conflict, the lines separating war and peace, enemy and friend, have blurred,” writes Lt. Gen. William Caldwell in the manual’s preface.
  
  This is true largely because we have made it so. The US in its entire history has never had a foreign policy that followed the ideas, let alone the ideals, expressed in the Constitution. We embarked on an Imperialist policy since the days of the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that all of the Western Hemisphere was 'Our' territory, and We could do with it as We saw fit. The histories of Cuba, Haiti, Panama,and Mexico are bathed in blood from US adventures in colonialism. So were the Philippines and Hawa'ii when our ambition extended over the Pacific. The only problem now, is that the 'natives' aren't 'ignorant savages' anymore, and they won't just roll over when a US gunboat (or bombers) show up to bring them 'back in line'.
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  Hawaiianstyle

  6 months ago

  Right on.
  
  First The problems started when those we would fight with gained weapon equality. This started with the Kalasnikov, witness the non-nuuucuular proliferation treaty.
  
  Second as "war" changed we forgot the lessons learned in the Revolutionary War. Remember the stories of how the British Red Coast lined up and the Tennessee riflemen picked them off from behind the trees. We after WWII got stuck with the tank, trench, frontal type war. Viet Nam should have woken us up. There everyone wore black pajamas both good and bad guys. Many VN were good guys by day and bad guys by night.
  
  What training is going to enable us to fight this type war. How will training point out friend from enemy if they are dressed alike and living among each other.
  
  Peace, charity, good works, generous tolerant cultural attitudes, these are needed. These and leaving a country when dis-invited.
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  Hawaiianstyle

  6 months ago

  It is painfully obvious that our military is not trained for either Irag or Afghanistan type wars.
  
  This knowledge should have been learned in Viet Nam where I regularly heard the comment, "You can't tell the good guys from the bad".
  
  My fear however, is not that we won't adapt. The US military is the best in the world. It is that we will use our military, our youth and their lives, in ways and areas that are better left to other methods.
  
  First, the comment I recently read about the idea that the military plans to create a force to be used in the US "for crises/disaster management/control". We have the national guard for that if the military would stop using these men and women for warfare. We also have the posse committatus act that, unfortunately, I predict will soon come under attack.
  
  Second, the idea here that we would use our military to assist foreign governments in combating their enemies is dangerous and filled with problems on so many fronts.
  
  My short list:
  
  First, who decides who we will side with. Our track record of supporting miserable dictators because they either give us access for military bases or they assure us of their political support practically a cliche. It has also painted us as a bad guy for all the Bin Laden's of the world to point at, and to recruit terrorists for war against.
  
  Second, financially we could never support the costs unless the hosting country paid for our military.
  The accounting and oversight for such boggles the mind. The potential for graft would be astronomical.
  Additionally the politicians would some day see all this money and soon want to control and spend some of it for other purposes. Then we would have a budget based on "military earnings".
  
  
  Third, our troops will become targets and America will become the villain for every discontented person both in and out of the host (occupied) country. We as Americans will get the credit as the bully, and reap the consequences in terrorist actions. We will be the "bad" guys that the next political regime in the host country kicks out, pointing to us as the cause of all their troubles.
  
  Fourth, the money involved will be huge as will be the Military/Industrial/private soldier/contractor industry, as well as the accompanying graft. Witness the money that went into the Viet Nam and Iraq wars that was, either lost or unaccounted for.
  
  Fifth, this idea is basically proposing "peace through perpetual war". Spreading peace is a process of winning the hearts and minds of a people, of demonstrating the benefits of peace and commerce, of demonstrating the benefits and quality of life where freedom, life, liberty etc. are fostered and lived. You will never gain these goals in any country as a foreign military presence. Never. You will never gain these goals by force.
  
  Sixth, I don't want my, or your, son or daughter killed by some civilian or terrorist or soldier in any country, mine or theirs. And, I certainly don't want them killed supporting a government that is unwilling to fight for themselves, witness some of the rich middle east countries.
  
  Seventh, the idea of a "peace keeping force" using US troops to back up a government is EXACTLY part of what the United Nations is supposed to do. Why don't we pay our UN debts and use the UN. The reason is that we want our control. of who and where we support. with our military Completely under OUR control. In other words our military will be a political tool that we wield, that we control, and we gain political advantage from. I did not hear this mentioned in the above idea.
  
  The military is for Our defense. It preserves our way of life, our assets and our country. It should not be for hire, for preemptive war or any other distorted purpose. Perpetual was will never give us perpetual peace.
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  Porkchopicus_of_Borg

  5 months ago

  I firmly agree with Hawaiianstyle ('ey brah!). And as a disabled veteran, the part that breaks my heart about all this is that brave men and women -- who didn't have a thing to do with making or advancing these absurd policies -- will be the ones who pay the price.
  
  Some with body parts, and some with their lives.
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