(I guess that statement is intended to assuage the guilt about not supporting our past veterans as we strive mightily to make more of them in the future.)
Take the F-22 fighter - PLEASE! The Bush administration had decided that the F-22 was "superfluous" because it would "be of little use" in the irregular wars the U.S. is now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and may soon be fighting in Pakistan, Iran, Syria, and Somalia. But Democrats in the Congress are worried that such job cuts will affect their constituents, and are pressuring President Obama to maintain the purchase of these $200 million boondoggles. It doesn't stop there. They also support building several ships that the Navy deemed too vulnerable to missile attack and wants to cancel. Anyone remember HMS Sheffield (built at a cost to British taxpayers of millions of pounds sterling) being sunk by a relatively cheap Exocet missile during the Falklands War? The US Navy certainly does! They are still smarting over the Chinese sub which infiltrated undetected into a US naval task force conducting an anti-submarine exercise! Maybe these warmonger Congressional Democrats should ask their GM retirees if their pensions should be sacrificed for the profitable benefit of Lockheed-Martin and United Technologies? I doubt the answer would be in the affirmative.
But let's look at the logistics of fighting wars of the irregular kind. That takes boots on the ground, and bullets to afflict their attackers. Let's assume that American kids can be pried away from the orgasmic pleasure of virtual war presented by Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV and be sent to actually fight in real-time. Are you aware that the US military arsenals are supplied by only one American firm? In 2005, US ammunition stocks got so low that purchases were made from manufacturers in South Korea, Canada and Israel.
Why not be supplied by US firms? An excellent question! "It's good for the national defense!" - isn't it? This raises a touchy point which US military planners might want to think about: If Al Qaeda had sufficient submarines, they could do to us what the US Navy did to the Empire of Japan during WWII: make it almost impossible to supply their fighting forces. How does a nation conduct a Terror War Against Terrorism if it can't pass the ammunition? So why are we using foreign sources for the most basic element of modern war - the bullet?
But even if a military supplier is still in business in the US, can we be sure that its dealings are on the level? One US punk who should be dragging an M-16 around Afghanistan instead of illegally profiteering by selling the Pentagon out-of-date Albanian ammunition and was recently convicted for that offense. But continue to mindlessly render unto Caesar's Armies! They come, they seize, they conquer!
Article comments
1 - m a r k
This article belongs 'above the fold'. Good work.
2 - Doug Hunter
For someone who obviously 'cares' so much, I look forward to your complimentary article 'Who remembers the greatest genocides in history, 100 million dead, and a Gulag for your thoughts?(The deadly and violent history of oppression from the left and the douchebags who ignorantly still support it)'
3 - ma r k
'Complimentary'? I think you mean 'non-sequiturial' or some such.
4 - Doug Hunter
|/ /- |? |<
I think it would make a great companion piece.
5 - Doug Hunter
Screw escaping mechanisms.
6 - roger nowosielski
What are you bitching about, Doug?
7 - Doug Hunter
Life is too easy and I have nothing better to do. Also, I made a nice rendition of mark's name rife with special characters that wasn't able to make it through legibly.
8 - Dave Nalle
Some of this article actually makes a great deal of sense, but why is it so long and why does it cover so many topics? Seriously, it would be far more effective broken down into 3 or more clear and succinct topical articles.
Dave
9 - roger nowosielski
Whatever. As long as it doesn't deteriorate to a dragged-out fight of the kind we had yesterday on Glenn's thread. The contestants were virtually at each other's throat.
10 - roger nowosielski
Well, Dave - shouldn't the editor take a lead role here?
11 - Bliffle
Good article. Well written, entertaining and captivating.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with Realist you have to admit he made his points forcefully and backed them up with solid citations.
One can only hope that the comments will be as literate.
12 - Baronius
Wow, if General Butler is telling the truth, then Realist broke the story that the Spanish-American War was corrupt!
13 - Dave Nalle
Baronius, I'm pretty sure the Rickover commission covered that ground thoroughly back in 1974.
Dave
14 - Ruvy
So long as you guys remember your war dead by grilling hotdogs instead of visiting soldiers' graves, being porked and spitted like hotdogs by the corporate pigs grilling you will be what you deserve.
I couldn't quite follow this particular rant (I just got up), but if you guys are buying bullets from Israel, you can't be doing too bad. I just hope your currency holds up long enough to pay for them!