Walking Off the Big Apple: Four Months After the Storm: A Walk from the South Street Seaport to the Staten Island Ferry
Pier 15 Monday February 25, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Military Policy of Absurdity
There is a small pictorial article buried deep in one of today's New York/Long Island area Sunday papers showing recently appointed Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Rear Admiral Walter E. Carter Jr. all spiffed up in their flight jackets with soft helmets and goggles on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise yesterday. The article states that Panetta told sailors aboard the Enterprise that the U.S. is committed to maintaining a fleet of 11 of the formidable ships despite budget pressures.
Excuse me? We will continue to fund and maintain 11 aircraft carrier strike groups? 11? For what purpose, and to what end? I seem to recall hearing something about the Cold War coming to an end in 1989.
Ah! Perhaps the thinking is we need to be ready sometime soon with all this firepower marshaled in the Arabian Sea to bomb Iran back into the middle ages. Perhaps the thinking is we need to be ready in the future with all this firepower marshaled in the central and western Pacific to thwart a newly dominate Chinese Navy from mounting a sneak attack across the Pacific against Pearl Harbor. Speaking in terms of China, why do we still feel the need to project our Naval power in the western Pacific, the South China Sea, and yes, even the Yellow Sea? What do we think our reaction would be to a Chinese fleet patrolling and conducting war games in the Gulf of Mexico?
I say a maximum of 8 or 9 aircraft carrier groups would still be more than enough to protect and defend the American Homeland, rather than being used to project U.S. power around the globe as the self-annointed Emperor of Planet Earth. Mr. President, Mr. Senate Majority Leader, Mr. House Speaker, enough is enough. End this folly now, and redirect your attentions and energies and our tax dollars to fixing the problems being faced daily here at home by the the citizens of the U.S.A.
Excuse me? We will continue to fund and maintain 11 aircraft carrier strike groups? 11? For what purpose, and to what end? I seem to recall hearing something about the Cold War coming to an end in 1989.
Ah! Perhaps the thinking is we need to be ready sometime soon with all this firepower marshaled in the Arabian Sea to bomb Iran back into the middle ages. Perhaps the thinking is we need to be ready in the future with all this firepower marshaled in the central and western Pacific to thwart a newly dominate Chinese Navy from mounting a sneak attack across the Pacific against Pearl Harbor. Speaking in terms of China, why do we still feel the need to project our Naval power in the western Pacific, the South China Sea, and yes, even the Yellow Sea? What do we think our reaction would be to a Chinese fleet patrolling and conducting war games in the Gulf of Mexico?
I say a maximum of 8 or 9 aircraft carrier groups would still be more than enough to protect and defend the American Homeland, rather than being used to project U.S. power around the globe as the self-annointed Emperor of Planet Earth. Mr. President, Mr. Senate Majority Leader, Mr. House Speaker, enough is enough. End this folly now, and redirect your attentions and energies and our tax dollars to fixing the problems being faced daily here at home by the the citizens of the U.S.A.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Perpetual War
This proud US Army veteran's thoughts for the day:
As we approach Veterans Day, historically Armistice Day of the War to End All Wars, and this year on the poignant date of 11/11/11, consider the fact that we are now 10 years at war in Afghanistan. What is the point of it? How many more of our fine young people must our so-called leaders in Washington D.C. continue to allow to be killed or maimed for life before they call a halt to the madness?
Oh, excuse me. I forgot: neither our President nor a majority of members of Congress have ever faced a draft; have ever worn a military uniform; or have ever shared in the burdens and sacrifices that today's young people in uniform and their families are making every day of the year. For 10 years the mantra has been: have the less than 0.5% of Americans who proudly wear the military uniform carry the burden of fighting and suffering, while the 99.5% balance of us remains blissfully unaffected and urged to "go shopping".
Not only is this policy morally repugnant, it is also fiscally irresponsible. The continuance of the huge and totally unnecessary $ expenditures to finance this stupid useless war truly affects all of us, as evidenced by our current economic crisis.
Now, to add insult to injury, we have US Army Major General Peter Fuller in-country speak out and "tell it as it is" about Afghanistan and its dubious so-called leadership, only to be repudiated for his brutally honest appraisals. Obviously the truth cannot be handled, and so it must be squashed.
Enough is enough of this total nonsense on the part of chest thumpers in sacrificing thousands of precious lives and wasting trillions of dollars. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Senate Majority Leader, and to all of your cohorts and minions: Bring our troops home NOW!
As we approach Veterans Day, historically Armistice Day of the War to End All Wars, and this year on the poignant date of 11/11/11, consider the fact that we are now 10 years at war in Afghanistan. What is the point of it? How many more of our fine young people must our so-called leaders in Washington D.C. continue to allow to be killed or maimed for life before they call a halt to the madness?
Oh, excuse me. I forgot: neither our President nor a majority of members of Congress have ever faced a draft; have ever worn a military uniform; or have ever shared in the burdens and sacrifices that today's young people in uniform and their families are making every day of the year. For 10 years the mantra has been: have the less than 0.5% of Americans who proudly wear the military uniform carry the burden of fighting and suffering, while the 99.5% balance of us remains blissfully unaffected and urged to "go shopping".
Not only is this policy morally repugnant, it is also fiscally irresponsible. The continuance of the huge and totally unnecessary $ expenditures to finance this stupid useless war truly affects all of us, as evidenced by our current economic crisis.
Now, to add insult to injury, we have US Army Major General Peter Fuller in-country speak out and "tell it as it is" about Afghanistan and its dubious so-called leadership, only to be repudiated for his brutally honest appraisals. Obviously the truth cannot be handled, and so it must be squashed.
Enough is enough of this total nonsense on the part of chest thumpers in sacrificing thousands of precious lives and wasting trillions of dollars. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Senate Majority Leader, and to all of your cohorts and minions: Bring our troops home NOW!
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