Hagel starts doing what he was hired for
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is set to announce the administration’s intent to make the biggest cuts in decades to the US military, returning it to its smallest size since 1940.
I get tired of writing “this is no surprise.” But this is definitely no surprise.
Notice that I’m not saying nothing in the military budget should be cut. No doubt there are plenty of things that could go in a cost-saving move. But the military should not be asked to bear almost all the sacrifices. And we cannot trust this administration to do what’s in our best interests in terms of the military. In fact, we can trust it to want to weaken our ability to wage war, and strengthen our resemblance to western Europe in every way.
Our enemies are well aware of this, of course.
The next question is what Congress will do—that’s assuming that Congress is still involved, and that Obama’s pen and phone won’t end up finessing Congress if he doesn’t get the cuts he wants. After all, what’s to keep him from switching some monies around? Who’s going to stop him?
Cutting the military budget is just one front in the administration’s gelding of the US military.
Obama has specifically instructed the National Security Council to undertake a study that could result in U.S. nuclear weapons reductions of up to 80 percent, which would put US nuclear forces below China’s nuclear forces.
Obama is purging the military.
There is an ongoing feminist assault upon the military.
The Department of Defense is issuing teaching materials that brand conservatives as ‘extremist’.
The Air Force Academy has added a male bashing Gender Theory “Male and Masculinity” Course.
A West Point think tank responsible for training future U.S. Army officers has released an extensive report warning of a growing domestic threat from “far right” conservative groups it says are prone to violence.
Then there’s the Army Reserve training material: Evangelicals, Catholics are extremist groups.
In addition, Obama administration Pentagon appointees are meeting with anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein to develop court-martial procedures to punish Christians in the military who express or share their faith.
There is a comprehensive attack occurring upon the US military to both emasculate it and reduce its effective readiness. To ‘fundamentally transform’ it into another leftist dominated institution.
Can’t argue with Geoffrey Britain at all.
I listened to part of Hagel’s presentation of the budget on TV. Only part, because I got so sick of hearing him incessantly whine about the consequences if sequestration continues through 2016, that I finally had to leave the room.
I did listen long enough to realize that he sounds like a 3rd grader struggling to read unfamiliar material with words that he doesn’t quite understand. Pre-confirmation, some people called Hagel dumb; he convinced me.
If the American people want to slide into a European style military establishment; i.e. one with no real capability, and in which social concerns trump military ones, so be it. However, someone should provide an honest assessment of what it will mean. Silly me. Anyone who tried would be ignored, or cursed.
I hope that no one is subsequently shocked when Russia asserts its will in Eastern Europe, e.g., Ukraine; or the Mid-east, e.g. Syria and Egypt. Nor should they be shocked when China bullies our friends in Asia. I trust that no one will actually call for the United States to stand in their way; nor will anyone express surprise that we do not have the ability to do so–even if we had the will.
In time, I expect the Europeans ,the Japanese, and others will lament the disappearance of the American might that has stood between them and the predators for so long. I hope that we do not have reason to echo their lamentations here at home.
“In time, I expect the Europeans ,the Japanese, and others will lament the disappearance of the American might that has stood between them and the predators for so long. I hope that we do not have reason to echo their lamentations here at home.”
Of course we shall have reasons to echo their lamentations. Whether intentional or not, the Obama administration’s policies, will result in the spread of nuclear proliferation into unstable third world regimes and other jihadist states. Obama has given the ‘green light’ to Iran, ended the economic restrictions and simultaneously hamstrung Israel. It’s really quite diabolical, worthy of Machiavelli…
And Turkey, the most ‘moderate’ of Muslim nations, a full member of NATO… has now become “a principal financial hub for terrorists under the leadership of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government has helped Iran skirt sanctions, supported jihadi groups in Syria, and provided financial backing to Hamas, according to a new report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).”
The nuclear proliferation that will result in Iran gaining the bomb will inevitably result in Islamic terrorist groups getting their hands on nukes. They will use them and it will be child’s play to do so.
Our port cities, 12 of our 20 largest, are completely vulnerable to nuclear terrorist attack through commercial container shipping. Sail it into the harbor and remotely detonate.
Whatever our response to a nuclear terrorist attack, the American public’s psychological response will be to firmly adopt a ‘fortress America’ isolationist mindset. The resulting economic chaos and public disorder of a successful nuclear terrorist attack upon an American city will result in the declaration of nationwide martial law, which will be nearly permanent, for the ‘duration of the national emergency’.
Under martial law, legal precedent exists for the suspension of Constitutional provisions and rights. A President Obama or Clinton will not fail to see the ‘opportunity’ such a crisis presents and the final stage in the “fundamental transformation” of America will have begun.
As upsetting as all this is, we knew it was to be expected from this leftist Administration. What’s even more upsetting though, in my view, are the Rand Paul fans among Republicans. Just how are his foreign policy views different from Obama’s?
GB says, “A President Obama or Clinton will not fail to see the ‘opportunity’ such a crisis presents and the final stage in the “fundamental transformation” of America will have begun.”
I have my doubts that Slick Willy would over reach in such a situation; I have no doubts that the messiah would welcome massive lose of life and economic destruction to assume supreme powers. After all, he has a halo.
parker,
Sorry for the lack of clarity. I was referring to a Pres. Hillary Clinton. IMO an entirely different political animal than Bill Clinton.
Hagel is a disgrace to Nebraska and the nation and he showed it in his confirmation hearing.
He knew he would have lost in the primary so he retired instead.
GB,
I agree that HRC is a very different, and more ruthless person than WJC; however, I think even she is aware that sometimes destiny can turn 180 at the drop of a dime. Above all else, the Clintons want a hallowed place in history. OTOH the messiah wants to rewrite all of history and is willing to spend trillions to build a pyramids to honor his divineness and watch the country burn down into humble rubble.
When I heard what Hagel was up to I sent my Marine buddy from North Platte a text to the same effect: Chuck was doing what he was hired to do.
I agree again with Geoffrey Brittain.
Though if Obama tries to impose martial law, I think the assassination attempts will start in earnest.
As far as coastal cities being nuked…this is what happens when you elect a socialist. Some mutherf*ckers are gonna have to die before people start getting it. And if it takes a million or so victims, so be it.
…it’s not like *I* voted for him!
parker: “Above all else, the Clintons want a hallowed place in history.”
History is The Narrative chosen by the winners.
The lesson that all Democrats, including and maybe especially the Clintons, learned during the Bush administration is that The Narrative – which is a function of an effective Marxist-method activist movement – trumps truth in the social-political market.
Bill Clinton flipped 180 on his initial strong endorsement of the Iraq mission and Bush, based on Clinton’s dealings with Saddam, in a belated, clumsy attempt to conform to the blatantly false narrative wielded by the Left and Dems (with a boost by Paul and others on the Right).
Clinton should not have been able to get away with flipping his position so awkwardly and out in the open. The Dems never should have gotten away with their blatantly false narrative of the Iraq mission.
And they didn’t, really.
It wasn’t the Dems that got away with lying. The Left’s Marxist-method movement carried the Dems and engineered the victory of The Narrative over truth. Clinton sold out whatever integrity he had left and was amply rewarded. (The rare Dem who didn’t sell out, such as Joe Lieberman, was punished and ostracized.) The movement delivered the payment as promised for its influence with the Dems, a price the Tea Party promised but failed to pay the GOP.
At this point, the priority of place granted to individual politicians is misplaced. That’s the old way of thinking. There will be no messianic saviors coming from the GOP. That’s not the game anymore.
As I’ve said, the center of gravity of the Dems success is the winning Marxist-method movement the Dems have plugged into.
The movement is the origin point. If she wins, Clinton will be beholden to the movement just as Obama and the Dems are now. The Dems have sold out, but they’ve been rewarded for the relationship.
The real contest is no longer between Dems and GOP candidates.
The real contest is between Marxist-method popular-political movements. The problem is, the people on the Right have neglected to provide a competitive Marxist-method movement to carry the GOP.
So, what would Hillary Clinton do if she wins the Presidency? That’s the old question.
The relevant question is, what would the movement to which Hillary Clinton and the Dems are beholden have her do?
It is astonishing and baffling why the any administration would ever cut the Navy, when China has stated flat out that they are building up the People’s Liberation Army Navy, so the PLAN can take the Pacific away from the Pacific Fleet.
In late 1945, we had over 150 carriers, ( 125 Escort carriers of various classes, 1 SARATOGA class, 1 YORKTOWN class, [ The ENTERPRISE! ], 14 ESSEX class Fleet Carriers, 9 INDEPENDENCE Class light carriers, 2 SAIPAN class light carriers, and 3 MIDWAY class large carriers ). We now have a dozen, and we must remember, only a third will be on station, one third will be enroute either to the area of operational responsibility,or returning from it, and one third in overhaul. So, we really only have 4. As opposed to 50 in 1945. Yes, the modern carrier is far more powerful than it’s WWII sister, but you can only spread 4 carrier so thin.
WWIII is coming over the horizon, and a major part of it will be a naval war in the SW Pacific, and the South China Sea. I am quite concerned about the outcome.
Matt_SE,
After a successful nuclear terrorist attack, it would NOT be a case of Obama or any other President imposing martial law. The chaos, disorder, economic shock and the resultant public’s mind-set would demand the declaration of martial law. That would provide Obama or a Pres. Hillary Clinton with the perfect ‘opportunity’ to legally suspend key provisions of the Constitution. Which would allow the left to far more quickly and fundamentally transform America into The United Socialist States of Amerika.
Yes there would be assassination attempts and armed civil unrest, which is what the DHS armed preparation is about and under martial law, the US military is going to back up the ‘lawfully elected’ federal government. A far more serious ‘patriot act’ would result and if its used to jail conservative ‘extremists’ threatening ‘national security’…
SCOTTtheBADGER,
Your astonishment and bafflement stems I suspect from the assumption that the Obama administration and the democrats want to protect this country and, if necessary are willing to use the military to do so. Personally, I see no evidence of that but I’m open to persuasion otherwise.
AMAZING. BREATHTAKING. LOATHSOME.
Recent History anyone? Sept. 11, 2001. Middle East on Fire more than ever. Iran nuking. Iraq, after abandonment of American Victory by Obama, is in Islamist driven chaos. Syria…A Blood Pit. Etc, Etc, Etc. China becoming adventursome and expansionist. Russia same. North Korea a nuke armed starving gulag.
HISTORY TEACHES & tEACHES & TEACHES: WEAKNESS IS PROVOCATIVE.
This Punk & Moral Coward in the White House for 5-years has diminished us. Our Enemies laugh at us and our Friends no longer trust us. ALL within stupendously easy memory of 9-11-2001.
My take on this is a bit different from most here. I think the degree of our military budget is a disguised form of foreign aid, and far larger in scope than the explicit kind. If Europe started paying more of its own defense bill, it wouldn’t have so much to play populist Santa Claus with and liberals would no longer have so much ammunition for the “all the other kids are doing it” whine about socialized medicine, welfare and what have you.
handworn, that has little to do with the US military and more to do with the US being in the UN and in NATO.
Oldflyer,
The Japanese consider US instilled pacifism and constitutional limits on military spending, to be a sort of welfare with all the attendant national and personal weaknesses that produces.
Japan has since around 2007, been re arming their military organizations and retraining new generations of military officers.
The Left has not particularly corrupted or destroyed Japan’s nationalism or patriotic civic pride. The Left has destroyed much of Europe and America’s cultural defenses. That will have a logistical effect on future military conflicts.
Just how are his foreign policy views different from Obama’s?
If a patriot thinks we should go to Iraq to kill terrorists, that’s different from a Leftist saying we should go into Country X to kill terrorists.
People are still stuck on “politics”, as if it means anything. You are either with the Left, or you are not. If you are, you are evil or a tool of evil. There is no “political discussion” on that point.