Reflections From a Murky Pond

There’s at lot hot air being blown about by politicians and their pet talking heads about Russia’s supposed invasion of Ukraine. All across the globe there’s a chorus complaints and threats set to the disharmonious twin beats of statecraft and sabre rattling.

But politically awkward reality is that Russian military forces have occupied only the peninsula of Crimea and have not imposed themselves upon mainland Ukraine. They’ve done this under the political pretext of protecting Russians and/or Russian speakers in Ukraine from violent reprisals from anti-Russian Ukrainian militants. Yet the best estimate at this time is that Putin is only really interested in maintaining control of- and providing security for Russia’s Black Sea naval base in Sevastopol, which is their Navy’s only access to the Mediterranean.

This is not to say that, given the right foreign impetus, this Crimean Not-War couldn’t turn into the next Crimean War. The Crimean Peninsula is more formally called the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and is only somewhat part of Ukraine – how a part much having been a point of contention for some time. It’s also more pro-Russia than pro-European, though there’s a strong antagonism between its two majority demographics, Muslim Tartars and Russian Christians. In other words, as it has always been, it’s ripe for conflict.

Tags: Crimea | Military | Politics | Russia | Ukraine | Vladimir Putin | War

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 at 11:12 am and is filed under Politics. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

There is, quite rightfully, a lot of kerfuffle over the Obama Regime’s new military budget which cuts the military to pre-WW2 strength levels. This is a logical and pragmatic fear-based outraged. The world is largely not our friend and a weakened military is not Americans’ ally at all.

On the other hand, this is not the gutting of our defensive strength that it is proclaimed to be. We’re talking about just under a 20& reduction in force over the next 5 years if nothing changes. Hence, the complaint are largely, though by no means entirely, unfounded and spurious.

No, what we have here is the ever-repeating Catch-22 SNAFU. The situation is normal, all fucked up, because it’s normal for circular logic and self-conflicting rules within the civilian political bureaucracy to interfere with the efficient operation of the military. Irrespective of political party affiliation it’s a rarity for any politician to have our nation’s defense as a priority when it comes time for the US Military appropriations budget.

Additionally, reductions in force and realignment of assets is also normal as the priorities and threats shift. As the Obama Regime has: no interest in returning to Iraq; has abandoned Afghanistan; and has no intention of projecting military force to protect or expand American interests abroad, this had to be expected.

It’s really pointless, given the nature of the problem, to argue against these defense cuts on the basis of national security. It, however, is wise to argue against them on the grounds of economics and the horrendous impact they will have upon employment. Financially the proposed cuts by the Obama Regime are historic.  The 2011 defense budget represented 4.7% of America’s GDP; this year’s total will be 2.7%.  In other words US defense spending is set to plummet from $705.6 billion in 2011 to $496 billion, a 30% drop.

So there will be approximately $209 billion less spent upon the military which will in turn mean that defense contractors will be able to earn that much less. This will necessarily cost thousands upon thousands of jobs across the country.

Tags: America | Budget | Congress | Economics | Employment | Hagel | Military | Obama | Politics | Sequester | Unemployment | US Military | War | War On Terror

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 4th, 2014 at 10:02 am and is filed under Politics. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Have a happy Thanksgiving. While you’re in your comfortable home, or in someone else’s, enjoying your feast give a thought towards all those in uniform who won’t be home for the holiday and for their families who will have an empty place at the table.

So That We Can Have A Happy Thanksgiving

Those men and women and their sense of duty and willingness to sacrifice are what allows the rest of us to have families, homes, food, and holidays to celebrate. These are all privileges that they earned for the rest of us. Some small, quiet bit of gratitude for that during Thanksgiving is more than in order.

I might also suggest, depending upon your ancestral culture and religious sensibilities, that you set an extra place at the table for shades of those soldiers who will never come home for any holiday ever again.

Tags: America | Holidays | Military | Society | Thanksgiving

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 28th, 2013 at 10:25 am and is filed under Society. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

A soldier’s weapons and gear change, regularly being updated and improved to meet the needs of the ever-changing battlefield. Some things don’t change though; the reason why every soldier who chose to join the miltary being one of these constants.

For Love Of Country

By and large these men and women joined up for the simple reason of their love of their country. That’s the singular reason why they chose to write a blank check to their nation, payable upon their lives, their minds, and their very souls if needs be.

Tags: America | Holidays | Love | Memorial Day | Military | Patriotism | Politics | Society | US Military | War

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 26th, 2013 at 10:00 am and is filed under Politics, Society. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

For as long as I can remember, and that’s getting to be a long time indeed, the Liberals and Progressives have ranted about the military-industrial complex and the various American arms manufacturers. They’ve, in their racism, ageism, and sexism, described them as evil, murderous entities which are poisoned by testosterone and run by those horrid Evil Old White men.

One has to wonder if some part of the Liberals’ and Progressives’ screed will end or change now that three of the top six defense firms are headed by women.

Linda Hudson is CEO of BAE Systems’ US operations; Marillyn Hewson is the new CEO of Lockheed Martin; and Phebe Novakovic is the new CEO of General Dynamics. All three of these new defense industry CEOs are women and all three happen to be White.

So will the Liberals and Progressives alter their rants against the firms that produce the material needed to keep Americans both safe and with access to their needed resources, or will they label Linda Hudson, Marillyn Hewson, and Phebe Novakovic as failures as women or as traitors to the gender because they lead corporations “traditionally” headed by those evil, warmongering and war profiteering Old White Men? It’s a bit of a quandary and impossible nigh on impossible to predict what they’ll do.

On one hand, Liberals and Progressives have been quick to deride and attack any Black who got off their plantation and assimilated into America as an Oreo, Uncle Tom, Sell Out, and race traitor. It be easy for them to apply the same “niggerization” to women who rose to power in the defense industry.

On the other hand, the Liberals and Progressives are deeply tied to the Feminists, which might cause them a logical frisson since Feminism is predicated on women becoming men and, if possible, supplanting them. Hence, it might be difficult for them to attack Hudson, Hewson, and Novakovic for both political and ideological reasons.

Or, on yet another hand, will they just ignore these inconvenient women and continue their diatribes about the Evil Old White Men and their murderous machismo? This is the outcome that I expect since Liberals and Progressive place the truth second to the message.

Tags: Defense Contractors | Employment | Feminism | Feminists | Liberals | Linda Hudson | Marillyn Hewson | Military | Misandry | Misogyny | National Security | Phebe Novakovic | Progressives | Women

This entry was posted on Friday, November 23rd, 2012 at 2:50 pm and is filed under Politics, Society. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.