The administration has decided that, with the end of the military’s mission in Afghanistan, we no longer need a capable armed force. A year and a half ago, it was ” Bin Ladin is dead and Al Qaeda is on the run”, so obviously, there are no terrorist threats in the world today. In Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai has solved all the problems of the region to the point that they no longer require any military assistance. The Olympics are over and all the world is at peace!
Therefore, the White House wants to use a chain saw on the US military forces. We no longer need to be prepared to fight in two conflicts. We can cut manpower in the military to around the numbers prior to World War II. We’ll use attrition to lower active duty numbers, putting more veterans into a workforce that isn’t hiring. We’ll trim the Reserve units so, in an emergency, states will have to more heavily rely on the federal government for assistance. They have agreed to keep our aircraft carriers, but the rest of the ships aren’t immune from cuts, and will probably carry half load-outs. They plan to discontinue the A-10 Warthog aircraft for the F-35. I’ve seen the A-10 in action; they can stay on station a lot longer than a fast mover. While we’re at it, let’s cut housing, college and retirement benefits to veterans. The world is now a better place.
At least, this is what you hear from some of the talking heads. This is the idea the administration wants people to think. The reality, of course, is quite different.We’ve been out of Iraq for a couple of years now, and recently, the black flag of Al Qaeda flies over at least two cities there. In Afghanistan, Karzai is working against American interests by negotiating with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. He has refused to sign a Bilateral Security agreement providing for the security of American troops and, without that, we will pull our forces out of Afghanistan, followed by the other forces by the end of the year. In a couple of years, the black flags of Al Qaeda will fly of their cities as well.
In the Pacific Ocean, China is growing its navy, built around their aircraft carrier. They are in arguments with Japan over a group of islands that both claim. They have declared a no fly zone over the islands that, of course, was immediately challenged by American and Japanese aircraft. Still, their navy is continuing to grow and become more aggressive. The North Koreans, despite the best efforts of America’s faux ambassador, Dennis Rodman, are flexing their military muscle. Recently, in response to a joint exercise with S Korean and American military, N Korea launched several short-range missiles. They are working on longer range missiles and they do have nuclear weapons.
Iran is a special kind of trouble in the Middle East as well as the world. Their tentacles are everywhere, from Egypt to Syria to Iraq and Afghanistan. Their major export is terrorism. Their brand of radical Islam hates everyone that doesn’t hold their belief system. Their job is to bring that belief system to other places, along with the incumbent slavery associated with it.They have longer range missiles and they have nuclear weapons. Most recently, they decided to thumb their collective noses at Washington, by having ships of its navy set sail for American coastal waters. Have you heard about them the last week or so?
Then, we have Russia. During the Olympics, the Ukrainians balked at the president’s alignment with the Russians. Protests broke out and, eventually ousted the Ukrainian leader from rule. Immediately after, Vladimir Putin, no longer involved in the Olympics, started military drills at the Ukrainian border with troops and military aircraft. Today, word got out that people in military clothing, possibly Russian Marines, had seized control of several airports in the Ukraine. Those people may just be surrogates of Russia, but, I’m sure, they have the complete backing of Russian troops. Oh,and I forgot. Why is there all of a sudden a Russian spy ship docked in Havana?
The White House has decided that we can cut the military’s funds and use that money to further fund his various hand-out programs. Mark my words; unemployment will rise. Workers will be laid off around bases that get closed. Teens out of high school won’t be able to turn to the military for a job. Currently, teen unemployment runs around 20%. That will increase.
Overseas, an America with a military that is hamstrung will receive little respect. Actually, that’s already the case. Russia and Iran surely have no respect for us now. Yesterday, the White House sent warnings to Russia about the situation in Ukraine. Just now, Russia has admitted to invading the Ukraine! Respect? Don’t think so.
The world is not the safe place where we should be drastically cut our military. I don’t think we should be the police force of the world, but having a capable military force provides for more options in diplomacy. Just the capacity to put a fighting force anywhere, anytime heads off a lot of evil in the world. With these cuts, we degrade that capacity. We degrade our own national security and our sovereignty.
marjarhead1 