Category Archives: Military

Need New Ideas to Defend America

24 Monday Jun 2019

Posted by in Military, Uncategorized

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Being Commander-In-Chief is perhaps the most important responsibility for an American President. Should I decide to run as the nominee of the “Chance For Sanity” Party, I may be the most qualified individual in the race. I have studied wars and their causes during the last three thousand years. The saying “History Repeats Itself” is very important in considering how to react to all the crisises we are faced with today and in the future.

Most wars start over a miscalculation and end poorly for both sides. The result of Iraq’s regime change was predictable and will not play out for a few more years until Iraq and Iran merge into some kind of coalition creating a Shia monster bordering Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

In addition to GWB’s Iraq fiasco, LBJ’s Vietnam mismanagement, and FDR’s stopping the sale of strategic materials to Japan, there’s the short-sighted diplomatic efforts which have caused small wars already or will in the next few years. Too often we have looked for an immediate solution and not the future implications.

We have seen every problem as a spike and used a sledgehammer to solve it. Reagan’s invasion of Grenada is a great example of making a mountain out of an ant hill. Presidents often see themselves as the world arbiter and get involved by picking winners and losers in a country’s internal affairs.

We have the third largest military and the most expensive. We pay more than the other top fifteen combined. TR sent the Great White Fleet around the world in a show of power. Trump’s sending a carrier group into a possible conflict with a country using weaponry like Iran or North Korea would be a naval disaster. Iran would send 500 anti-ship missiles at the group which would be lucky to kill fifty.

My plan would be to learn from the past and plan for various future conflicts. We have over 1,300,000 active duty personnel with 858,000 in reserve overseen by over 3,500 flag officers. I would retire 2,000 of them saving a half billion dollars. We have 73 cruisers, 9 frigates, and 64 destroyers mostly escorting carriers. I would stop building target carrier groups for today’s and future conflicts. I would cut the number of f-35s to 200 and buy 600 updated F-18s which are at least equal in combat and far easier and cheaper to maintain. I would start buying artificial intelligence fighter aircraft.

I would at least triple our cyber warfare people and expand their military capabilities at the same time as training our troops to do without modern technology like GPS and internet. Today we do not have the technology lead we used to have so we need to learn to fight the old way as well as future ways.

Equality Finally

11 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by in History, Military, Racism

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My schooling and books say General John J. Pershing, Commander of the troops in Europe during World War I. wouldn’t have spread his troops among the British and French Divisions. As usual history is written by the victors and glosses over the truth.

Pershing, like most of the Army, was racist. He ignored how the Black regiments had fought in the Civil War and against the Indians. They were considered unreliable so when Marshall Foch begged Pershing for some fresh troops, Pershing sent him all the Black troops he had. The French had thousands of Black troops from their colonies in Africa and the Caribbean. The French were glad to have them even if they didn’t understand French.

The American Black regiments fought very hard and won many individual and unit citations. After being treated as equals in France many stayed and married French women. Others immigrated with French passports to some of the colonies.

When World War II rolled around, Black Americans were put in logistics and many excelled in the Red Ball Express’s job of supplying Patton’s drives. Few of the millions fighting were Black troops. Even the ethnic Japanese got their own unit (442 Regiment) for a chance to make a patriotic reputation.

Equality didn’t come until Harry S. Truman mandated it. Now all colors of Americans can fight and die. A fine example of equality in the military is General Colin Powell. We could use more like him.

John S. McCain III, an American Icon

26 Sunday Aug 2018

Posted by in American, Military, Politics

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We signed the petition for Senator McCain in 1999 to be the presidential nominee because he was a moderate, put America first, and crossed the aisle for his many bi-partisan bills. He lost because the Bush II campaign smeared his character and his family. John was too much of a gentleman to sink to Bush II’s lies and character assignation.

The second time he was given the Bush II campaign people and forced to the right. His campaign didn’t do any character smearing of Obama. Non-associated ones did! John even told a woman Obama is a good man when she voiced a smearing statement. I doubt if any other candidate would have said anything, most would have agreed and taken it forward.

I might have voted for John if he had picked a decent Vice-President and hadn’t changed his core values to get votes from the far right. Would he have really gone far right or stayed in the center? I couldn’t be sure but having an idiot one heart beat from the oval office was too much to chance. John’s health had not been good so his choice of Vice-President was critical. I think that choice cost him millions of independent votes and the election.

He may be one of the last moderate Republican Senators since the others are retiring this year or in 2020. He really represented the way our leaders should act. Few if any in Washington, D.C. could match his code of honor. Most Americans will miss you John S. McCain III.

Seventeen Years of What

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Free Press, Military, Politics

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As of October 7, 2001, we have been in Afghanistan for seventeen years. I remember the step-by-step of how we got into Viet Nam and how we got out. I remember the strategy that put the Russians into their Afghanistan quagmire which we aided the Afghan rebels. The Russians finally left with their tails between their legs just as we left Viet Nam.

Both retreats show any insurgent organization can ultimately win if they are willing to keep fighting for years. The Taliban, many fought the Russians, are trying to outlast the war with us. Every time we come up with a new strategy they know it is just a matter of time until we leave.

President Truman “gave up China to the Commies”, Nixon “gave up Southeast Asia,” and neither Bush or Obama wanted to leave Afghanistan with the Taliban taking over. Trump will make sure we stay in as long as he is in office. So we will be there for at least the next three years.

As a student of military history I can say winning a guerilla war without getting very ugly is impossible. We go out of our way not to hurt non-combatants. The last World War had millions of civilians killed by our indiscriminate bombing of cities. (The Norden bombsite was a farce.) As long as the enemy can commit atrocities and we don’t then they can hide where we can’t get at them.

Do we have the will to kill more Afghans, lose American lives, and spend billions more to fight to a stalemate or maybe a coalition government? I’m on the fence, are you?

Aliens Are Coming!

21 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Immigration, Military, Politics

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The President wants to start a new branch of our armed services to be called the Space Force. During his same speech he said he would not allow the United States to be an alien sanctuary. Perhaps he has seen the movie dealing with this problem. It is called “Men in Black.” Perhaps his Space Forces could wear the last suit they will ever wear.

Just because the President has a problem with brown people doesn’t mean all aliens are brown, too. We know most are gray and little with big heads. The (fictional?) movie says they have been living here for years and the administration has often said we have an alien problem because millions have been living among us.

Since we don’t have spaceships for these patrollers and patrolettes to fly up to build a wall over the US, I must assume they are going to find those aliens already here and intercept those coming. Perhaps they will be coming in a caravan so we can see them when they enter Pluto’s orbit.

I am hopeful Congress will agree with the new branch of the military and come up with an alien visa system which the space Force can use when they catch aliens. I think these aliens will be a help to our high tech economy since they had to be savvy to get here. Perhaps Elon Musk (Sounds Alien-ish) is an alien. He certainly doesn’t look like the rest of us and his name isn’t Earth-like. Perhaps this alien invasion has come to help us build a better America. Of course Trump could have just seen star ship troopers and thought of leading them against the aliens.

Missiles Not Needed

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in International, Military, Uncategorized

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About forty years ago I saw a frightening and thought provoking docu-drama on how to use a nuclear device to destroy Charleston, South Carolina. The investigation to find the who and where it was at was intensive and edge-of-seat. It was on a yacht tied up to the dock. It blew just as the experts were going aboard. It was never broadcast again. I suspect a government input because it showed a missile or bomber wasn’t needed to deliver a nuke to any city.

Today’s news is about stopping North Korea and Iran from having intercontinental missiles. Why? In today’s world FedEx or DHL could mail a small one to your doorstep. A larger one could be put into a shipping container and shipped anywhere (less than 2% are checked!) Of course a bomb could be put on a ship and sailed to Chicago. They may already be here!

North Korea has 20-60 bombs that aren’t deliverable by missile. Have they already shipped some to our cities? Has Russia or China or even Pakistan? Which country might sell or have stolen a nuke. CIA says Russia didn’t get all of the bombs back that stored in the Ukraine and North Korea sells items to get cash. Some terrorists are funded with millions and billions so getting one may not be too difficult. Dissident groups in nuclear armed countries might secure one in hopes of accomplishing something.

Now wonder what is in those shipping containers on that rail car or trailer at the warehouses around Minooka, Joliet, and Elwood. If the hairs on the back of your neck don’t tingle it may be due to a razor.

Will We Desert the Kurds Now?

11 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by in Military, War

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The Kurds defeated the ISIS with our help. We armed them, supplied them and supported them with air and artillery support. When the Iraqi military was struggling to find their butts with both hands, we got the Kurds to go past their tribal boundaries in Iraq and continued chasing ISIS into Syria. The Kurds are the only people in the area we can trust.

Yes, the Kurds would like to have their own country which would span Western Turkey, Northern Iraq, and Eastern Iran. They have a semi-autonomous area in Iraq, which we designated as a no-fly zone against Saddam, and are supported by large oilfields which Iraq allows them to keep some of the revenue. An oil pipe lane extends through Turkey to an oil port. Turkey’s closing that pipeline would damage the Kurdish economy.

Turkey has been periodically trying to subdue their Kurds with President Erdogan blaming the ills he caused on Turkey’s Kurds. He is now attacking the Kurds in Syria with Russian air support. As of today, the first Kurdish enclave is almost defeated. Since they lived there with their families, all were either killed or pushed out of their homes farther into war-torn Syria. Erdogan has said they will go after the ones we were advising and supporting. Trump has just ordered our troops out of the area leaving the Kurds without air support and defenses against the Turkish and Russian bombing.

During Desert Storm, the first Iraq War, we received intelligence help and more from the swamp people living in their ancestral homeland in the Tigris and Euphrates River Deltas. After the war we allowed Saddam to kill thousands and destroy their wetlands.

Are the Kurds going to be left to die like the swamp people after we promised to protect them? What does it say about America’s word of support?

American in Retreat

18 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Military, Politics, U.S. Economy

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During the seven decades after the end of World War II, only two military super powers (U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.) and one economic super power (U.S.A.) existed. Previously both nations had controlled their military alliances and much of the world’s trade. The rest of the world was a loose confederation of quasi-non-aligned nations that played one power against another. Today, the world is basically divided up among the three military super powers.

Currently the world has only two economic super powers (U.S. and China) with China being the second temporarily. Temporarily, because we are retreating into isolation allowing China to move into the growing vacuum. We are turning our backs on our traditional partners and in many cases they are being offended by presidential statements. Many countries have already changed their trading alliances. Trade alliances allow for more than just trade. Three new Chinese trading partners are Cuba, Mexico, and Canada.

In the Pacific, we had worked out an alliance with Japan, Australia, Philippines, Canada, and several smaller countries to counter China’s trade pact. Now those countries are going to join the China pact after Trump backed out of TPP!

Economic power is translatable to military power because trade is usually the basis of all military alliances. Soon our isolationist policies will mean the world has only one economic super power and for the first time in nearly a century — it won’t be the United States.

Problem with “Saber Rattling”

20 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Bad Influence, Military

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“Saber Rattling” is a historical term that means putting a military unit in a threatening position near another country, or making threatening statements.

Such actions should not be taken unless one is sure the action will end with a desired effect or else one of two possibilities will occur. One is the target country thumbs its nose at the threat making the saber rattler look foolish. This gives the one making the threat two options. Carry through on the threat starting a war, or tuck tail and slink away. Verbal threats can be just as humiliating unless actions to back them up are taken. The other possibility is making a threat and the other county takes action first. The best example of this is the 1967 Six Day War involving Israel and its neighbors.

This brings us to Trump making himself look extremely foolish and losing credibility by saying he was moving the Carl Vinson Battle Group to North Korea. It’s irresponsible in so many ways. He said he had ordered it North but it went south to the Indian Ocean making headline news around the world.

What if the unstable North Korean leader attacks the carrier group with its anti-ship ballistic missiles? What if they sink the Vinson? If Trump responds, 35,000 howitzers rain shells on Seoul’s 9,750,000 people.

North Korea cannot be intimidated into doing something because they think they can win any conflict by destroying bases in South Korea and Japan, killing millions of civilians, and don’t care how many North Koreans we kill. Threatening North Korea with military action holds the United States up to ridicule as a “Paper Tiger.” Dropping a bomb or using cruise missiles against defenseless targets makes Trump look cowardly and bombastic.

Unstable Leaders Can Kill

31 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Military, Uncategorized

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October, 1962, I was a high school sophomore. I still remember watching some of our neighbors suddenly digging “Root Cellars” during the Cuban Missile Crisis. People around the world were nervous about an imminent nuclear war. Our neighbors were terrified because McLeansboro had been the Initial Aiming Point for mock attacks on Evansville. Seeing B-52s and their contrails left a lasting impression.

JFK and his experienced, level-headed advisors averted the catastrophe by his and Khrushchev’s agreement being trusted. When the evidence of the Cuban missiles was being shown to allied leaders, DeGalle said it wasn’t necessary because the President was an honorable man.

Both leaders operated under Mutual Assured Destruction policy which meant a war would destroy both nations and likely the entire planet. Both knew a misstatement or an unplanned action could launch either country’s missiles.

Secretary of State Tillerson recently came close to saying we were prepared to make a first launch in order to hit North Korea’s missiles and nuclear facilities before they launch.

Kim Jung Um is unstable, megalomaniac, and like Hitler, has no regard for his people. People know his statements have little meaning. Kim has stated his missiles could destroy all the American bases in South Korea and Japan. How does anyone know when it’s a warning or bluster? We have ICBMs targeting his country; when do we launch? How can we be certain of hitting every mobile launcher?

Kim might launch because our President, whose stability is questionable, says or tweets something provocative. Many reports have been aired by the media of several foreign countries of the mental state of President Trump and his advisors.

If our missiles start flying over China and Russia to hit North Korea will they sit idle or launch?