"...the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons...."
-- Excerpt, Authorization for Use of Military Force, Joint Resolution, U.S. Congress
(September 14, 2001)
"U.S. and Taliban to Open Direct Peace Talks in Qatar"
-- Headline, BBC News (19 June 2013)
"...no 'Deparment of Defense' has ever won a war...."
-- Quote, Starship Troopers, p. 133 (1st Edition, 1959)
This latest failure renders the United States since foundation of Heinlein's scorn at 0-7 , and, conversely, renders the science fiction master a legendary 100% correct from a postion of more than 50 years past.
-- 1949: Department of Defense founded. The War Department retires in glory.
-- 1950 - 1953: Korean War. Outcome: Korea remains partitioned, U.S. is still in a state of war with North Korea. LOST, 0-1.
-- 1959 -1975: Vietnam War. Outcome: Complete victory by North Vietnam. LOST, 0-2.
-- 1980: Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted military liberation of U.S. Embassy, Tehran. Outcome: Complete failure, U.S. openly mocked by Iranian government by parading captured Americans around Tehran in chains with banners depicting U.S. helicopters burning. LOST, 0-3.
-- 1982 - 1983: Lebanese Civil War. U.S. Marines deployed as part of a multinational force. Barracks bombed. U.S. Marines are withdrawn. As bombers objective fully realized and U.S. military chased from the field of battle counts as....LOST, 0-4.
-- 1983: Grenada. Successful invasion of an island in the Caribbean. If you want to count this, this is just another indicator of how bad things are.
-- 1989-1990: Panama. U.S. forces arrest aspiring dictator General Manuel Noreiga in a military operation. Yeah, not a war.
-- 1991: Gulf War. U.S. forces liberate Kuwait but fail to defeat Iraq, remaining officially at war after a truce was negotiated and having to maintain tens of thousands of troops in theatre and aggressive air patrols. LOST, 0-5.
-- 1995-1999: Serbia. U.S. and NATO bomb the Orthodox Christian faction in an Orthodox-Catholic-Muslim cat fight. Not a war, but we do manage to bomb a European nation's capital and destroy the Chinese Embassy there.
-- 2001-2013: Afghanistan. U.S. goes to serious war to defeat the Taliban. Outcome: Complete failure. LOST, 0-6
-- 2003-2013: Iraq: U.S. goes to war to end the Gulf War, defeats Iraqi regime, then broadens commitment to nation-build a multi-ethnic democracy in a new Iraq. Yeah. LOST, 0-7.
-- 2013: Syria. No points for guessing the outcome here.
The overwhelming stench of failure, and the deep betrayal of our fighting men inherent in this failure, is all the evidence one needs that the current USG needs to be replaced, root and branch.
And, oh yes: Someone bring the War Department out of retirement.
-- Excerpt, Authorization for Use of Military Force, Joint Resolution, U.S. Congress
(September 14, 2001)
"U.S. and Taliban to Open Direct Peace Talks in Qatar"
-- Headline, BBC News (19 June 2013)
"...no 'Deparment of Defense' has ever won a war...."
-- Quote, Starship Troopers, p. 133 (1st Edition, 1959)
This latest failure renders the United States since foundation of Heinlein's scorn at 0-7 , and, conversely, renders the science fiction master a legendary 100% correct from a postion of more than 50 years past.
-- 1949: Department of Defense founded. The War Department retires in glory.
-- 1950 - 1953: Korean War. Outcome: Korea remains partitioned, U.S. is still in a state of war with North Korea. LOST, 0-1.
-- 1959 -1975: Vietnam War. Outcome: Complete victory by North Vietnam. LOST, 0-2.
-- 1980: Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted military liberation of U.S. Embassy, Tehran. Outcome: Complete failure, U.S. openly mocked by Iranian government by parading captured Americans around Tehran in chains with banners depicting U.S. helicopters burning. LOST, 0-3.
-- 1982 - 1983: Lebanese Civil War. U.S. Marines deployed as part of a multinational force. Barracks bombed. U.S. Marines are withdrawn. As bombers objective fully realized and U.S. military chased from the field of battle counts as....LOST, 0-4.
-- 1983: Grenada. Successful invasion of an island in the Caribbean. If you want to count this, this is just another indicator of how bad things are.
-- 1989-1990: Panama. U.S. forces arrest aspiring dictator General Manuel Noreiga in a military operation. Yeah, not a war.
-- 1991: Gulf War. U.S. forces liberate Kuwait but fail to defeat Iraq, remaining officially at war after a truce was negotiated and having to maintain tens of thousands of troops in theatre and aggressive air patrols. LOST, 0-5.
-- 1995-1999: Serbia. U.S. and NATO bomb the Orthodox Christian faction in an Orthodox-Catholic-Muslim cat fight. Not a war, but we do manage to bomb a European nation's capital and destroy the Chinese Embassy there.
-- 2001-2013: Afghanistan. U.S. goes to serious war to defeat the Taliban. Outcome: Complete failure. LOST, 0-6
-- 2003-2013: Iraq: U.S. goes to war to end the Gulf War, defeats Iraqi regime, then broadens commitment to nation-build a multi-ethnic democracy in a new Iraq. Yeah. LOST, 0-7.
-- 2013: Syria. No points for guessing the outcome here.
The overwhelming stench of failure, and the deep betrayal of our fighting men inherent in this failure, is all the evidence one needs that the current USG needs to be replaced, root and branch.
And, oh yes: Someone bring the War Department out of retirement.
We could start by having sane ROE.
ReplyDeleteMinistry of Defence in Britain won the Falkland's war.
ReplyDeleteThat was a war, and it was a close run thing, too.
So... all we have to do is... change the spelling...
Ministry reminds me too much of 1984. How about Bureau of Defence? We can use the British spelling as well for Miz Fay...
ReplyDeleteCompletely free associating here...
ReplyDeleteMinistry: New World Order.
Hard to believe someone born when this came out can now legally drink. Time flies.
Since approximately none of you will listen to this song, skip ahead to 4:33 where George H.W. Bush is sampled in the mix.
Remember when Bush pere was the crazy tyrant du jour? Good times.
I don't mind if they're gross or somewhat obscene if the music is good. But that was awful, it went nowhere. Oh well, to each his own.
ReplyDeleteGuess I'm not a fan of industrial metal (I never even heard of that particular genre before ;-)
Heh, yeah, I remember liking them... but now I'm like... what was I smoking... oh yeah, I do remember what I was smoking... pro'ly had something to do with it... yeah they sound pretty awful to me now, too.
Deletelewy, it's funny but sometimes different genres grow on ya.
DeleteIt's not that I don't like metal. I like the opening music for UFC which is by Stemm. And I think Five Finger Death Punch does a super cover of Bad Company (which is really saying something as I am a huge fan of Paul Rodgers).
Here it is for your enjoyment.
That is a great cover. I don't know what to call it though... Folk Metal?
DeleteLOL!
DeleteLMFAO just when you think you've had an original thought... try again.
DeleteHey Kevin, one phrase I do know in French is cordon sanitaire...
ReplyDeleteYou picked the absolutely right phrase there, cordon sanitaire. I read about that yesterday, so much for freedom of speech in France...
DeleteEurope is a place where Godwin's law is enforced with fines and prison.
DeleteAnother is plus ça change...
ReplyDeletelewy, what a wonderful find! I remember that comic from the other place.
ReplyDeleteThey are all so poignant but I particularly liked the engraver taking 2 or 3 years to make a plate, summary of a summary and this:
"Newspapers are full, not of thoughtful honestly expressed public opinion on the affairs of the nation, but of vapid personalities interesting to none save gossips and busy bodies."
Ah, for the old days. All those writers would be swooning if they had an inkling of what life and communication are like today.
Anyway, thanks for posting that. Made my afternoon.
Thanks florrie! I found it posted on the Financial Times' blog site. Srsly.
DeleteKevin said ...
ReplyDelete... the deep betrayal of our fighting men inherent in this failure, is all the evidence one needs that the current USG needs to be replaced, root and branch ... bring the War Department out of retirement.
Are we ready for that? I made a similar suggestion elsewhere recently using the term "revolution" and ...crickets....almost...within 24 hours I received an email from a person unknown either personally or by nick & avatar asking what I meant, specifically.
I checked with others, directly, on that board and determined no one seemed to know who my visitor was. What I am saying is be careful how we word things...we now live in a world where even genuine whistle-blowers (not pus like Snowden) are considered the enemy or traitors.
That said, with what I said on the "Coffee and Crumbcake" thread, I agree with you, Kevin...but I do not yet see a way forward. I'm thinking about it because if we don't find one we're toast.
You know, it has been talked about before, and sung to as well.
DeleteLook what's happening out in the streets
got a revolution, got to revolution
Hey I'm dancing down the streets
got a revolution, got to revolution
Ain't it amazing all the people I meet
got a revolution, got to revolution
One generation got old
One generation got soul
This generation got no destination to hold
pick up the cry
Hey now it's time for you and me
got a revolution, got to revolution
Come on now we're marching to the sea
got a revolution, got to revolution
Who will take it from you
We will and who are we
we are volunteers of America
I doubt many people today, looking back, understand what the soldiers thought who lived this music, versus those that made it. There once was a time when we came home...when we might have made it our cause. We had the attitude, but we got busy re-finding a life. Time passed and we no longer were wild. New generations came to the fore, and here we are today. We missed out chance, perhaps, if we ever had one.
You know what, Ari? I would find it very liberating if these clowns were to come after me for expressing my opinion on the Internet. They're paper tigers, as weak at home as they are abroad. Right now, I'm content to check out; my plans are different for my family and they do not involve the U.S. In fact, I look forward to the day I pass the passport under the armored window and say "no thanks".
ReplyDeleteUntil then, I do my job (and make no mistake, I do my job very well and, unlike Snowden, NEVER break any rules or any laws) and go on.
If they pick a fight with me, my wife would probably give me the green light to do what I should do anyway. There is a part of me that would welcome that.
Kevin...I am sorry to say I fully understand what you mean. I am no stranger to whistle-blowing, but the right way within the system, breaking no laws, action that really effects change, not generate publicity. It is never about the you. You always try to remain anonymous in the system, satisfaction is when you see it change. You're right, the bad guys are weak and will cave in if squeezed, they haven't the courage of their phony convictions.
DeleteSnowden is a punk, and knows less than he thinks he does...he copied a lot of stuff he doesn't understand, and in my opinion, was just there in the data for a weenie like him to find and steal...the better to disguise the reality of our methods and procedures. It is called "covering a trail by creating a false back trail"...e.g,. you can shit on the bank for it to be found, and pondered, while you walk up stream and get away. Not everyone has a blood hound to see through the mist.
I doubt anyone is going to officially reach out to me directly. My response was very generic, almost Lockean, and no further word. Maybe a tag on a file and move on, or not.
I understand what you are saying, but I want to be clear here: I don't do ANYTHING at work other than my job.
DeleteImagine if you will an attoney ordered to defend a criminal he despises, but, because he is professional, not only does his job, he does it well.
This is my relation to my employer.
I don't try to change the system, or to push for reforms, to to introduce new ideas. Not only would that be wrong, given my position, more importantly it would be a useless gesture. USG cannot be changed. USG cannot be modified.
It either will continue as it is or it will be put down.
I think even progressives would have rejected as fanciful and over-the-top any prediction that the Bush administration's Department of Education would offer guidelines on identifying insider threats... but now under Obama it's just, you know, government... just another name for things we all do together.
ReplyDelete