Is there anything I havent been right about?

[Anler]

 You all got snookered for $12 trillion dollars. Oooh muslims hate us for our freedumzzz!!!!

 

< Older

Trump Connects The Generals And The Military-Industrial Complex

written by hunter derensis

tuesday september 15, 2020

Once again, the whispers of phantoms masquerading as administration officials have attempted to put Donald Trump on the defensive only two months before the fall election. And in typical fashion, the roused president has gone on an immediate rhetorical offensive.

Trump has doubled down on his affirmations towards the US military and the American soldier, while simultaneously confronting the class of generals who command them. “I’m not saying the military’s in love with me—the soldiers are,” Trump said at a Labor Day press conference. “The top people in the Pentagon probably aren’t because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.” 

This is a dramatic shift in perspective from the man who spent the first two years of his presidency surrounding himself with top brass like Michael Flynn, John Kelly, H.R. McMaster, and James Mattis (along with almost being beguiled into nominating David Petraeus as Secretary of State). Perhaps Trump learned the hard way that the generals of the forever wars don’t measure up to the twentieth-century soldiers he adulated growing up. 

For instance, when George Marshall oversaw the deployment of 8.3 million GIs across four continents in World War II, he did so with the assistance of only three other four-star generals. In retirement, Marshall refused to sit on any corporate boards, and passed on multiple lucrative book deals, lest he give the impression that he was profiting from his military record. As he told one publisher, “he had not spent his life serving the government in order to sell his life story to the Saturday Evening Post.”

Contrast that to the bloated, top-heavy military establishment of today, where an unprecedented forty-one four-star generals oversee only 1.3 million men and women-at-arms. These men, selected and groomed because of their safe habits, spend years patting themselves on the back for managing wars-not-won, awaiting the day they can cash in. According to an analysis by The Boston Globe, in the mid-1990s nearly 50 percent of three- and four-star generals went on to work as consultants or executives for the arms industry. In 2006, at the height of the Iraq War, that number swelled to over 80% of retirees.

The examples are as endless as America’s foreign occupations: former Director of Naval Intelligence Jack Dorsett joined the board of Northrop-Grumman; he was later followed by former Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh; meanwhile, former Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff James Cartwright went to Raytheon; former Chairs of the Joint Chiefs—the highest ranking position in the military—William J. Crowe, John Shalikashvili,, Richard Myers, and Joseph Dunford went on to work for General Dynamics, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, and Lockheed-Martin, respectively. 

General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, in between his forced retirement from the Marine Corps and appointment as Secretary of Defense, joined the board of General Dynamics where he was paid over a million dollars in salary and benefits. Returning to public life, Mattis then spent two years cajoling President Trump into keeping the US military engaged in places as disparate as Afghanistan, Syria, and Africa. “Sir, we’re doing it to prevent a bomb from going off in Times Square,” Mattis told his commander-in-chief. Left unsaid was that a strategic withdrawal would also lead to a precipitous decline in Mattis’ future stock options, which he regained after he rejoined General Dynamics following his December 2018 resignation.

Fair Use Excerpt. Read the full article here.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Anler

[Big Crappie]

That was awesome! I may vote for him just for saying that out loud. LOL

Quote

Trump has doubled down on his affirmations towards the US military and the American soldier, while simultaneously confronting the class of generals who command them. “I’m not saying the military’s in love with me—the soldiers are,” Trump said at a Labor Day press conference. “The top people in the Pentagon probably aren’t because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.” 

 

[F3600]

Many of you have often cited this "maintenance" of the MIC through perpetual war and security boogie men.  If this doesn't validate those thoughts I don't know what does.  

[Anler]

2 minutes ago, F3600 said:

Many of you have often cited this "maintenance" of the MIC through perpetual war and security boogie men.  If this doesn't validate those thoughts I don't know what does.  

Thats why i posted it and it was never a far fetched "thought". Pretty obvious to anyone capable of discernable thought. 

[DriftBusta]

Whats this "I was right"?  Right about what?  Everyone knew about the MIC since Eisenhower mentioned it over 60 years ago.  Trumps the first president to actually try and do something about it.

[Angry ginger]

Just now, DriftBusta said:

Whats this "I was right"?  Right about what?  Everyone knew about the MIC since Eisenhower mentioned it over 60 years ago.  Trumps the first president to actually try and do something about it.

 

 

trump might not want war in the ME but his military spending is completely out of control.  Space force  

 

 

[Anler]

7 minutes ago, Angry ginger said:

 

 

trump might not want war in the ME but his military spending is completely out of control.  Space force  

 

 

Give em another $150 billion for "peace"!

[Angry ginger]

1 minute ago, Anler said:

Give em another $150 billion for "peace"!

Conservatives    SMH

[Anler]

Just now, Angry ginger said:

Conservatives    SMH

Thats the funniest part. They really dont know what politically "conservative" is. They just think it means vote republican.  

[franks pond]

[Jimmy Snacks]

I think somebody’s 1970’s critical thinking skills are on the fritz.🤣

[Mainecat]

When Trump pulls all the aid we give the ME countries he can then brag.

[DriftBusta]

3 hours ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

I think somebody’s 1970’s critical thinking skills are on the fritz.🤣

Yeah we should probably just keep sending thousands of our young soldiers over there to die.....amiright?

[Jimmy Snacks]

31 minutes ago, DriftBusta said:

Yeah we should probably just keep sending thousands of our young soldiers over there to die.....amiright?

Who said that and remember you still think invading Iraq was a good idea.

[DriftBusta]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Who said that and remember you still think invading Iraq was a good idea.

Well it is a benefit of Trumps way of thinking vs the last 4 presidents, not that you acknowledged it.  And could you be any more pathetic bringing up a position from 18 years ago?  Most of the country was on board at the time, so save your hindsight expertise.  You were on board with it too, I have little doubt.

[frenchy]

5 hours ago, Angry ginger said:

trump might not want war in the ME but his military spending is completely out of control.  Space force  

why bother? seriously.

Never mind this is the same crew who lusted for war at every turn and were all in for 'turning the ME to glass' under Bush but now have suddenly become global peace activists  

[Angry ginger]

Just now, frenchy said:

why bother? seriously.

Never mind this is the same crew who lusted for war at every turn and were all in for 'turning the ME to glass' under Bush but now have suddenly become global peace activists  

passes time and rustling the jimmies of hypocrites is fun

[DriftBusta]

56 minutes ago, frenchy said:

why bother? seriously.

Never mind this is the same crew who lusted for war at every turn and were all in for 'turning the ME to glass' under Bush but now have suddenly become global peace activists  

lusted for war   I'm not sure whats more ridiculous....your hyperbole, or how two faced some of you guys were, who were all on board with it at the time.

[f7ben]

33 minutes ago, DriftBusta said:

lusted for war   I'm not sure whats more ridiculous....your hyperbole, or how two faced some of you guys were, who were all on board with it at the time.

You were still defending Iraq and blubbering about wmds just months ago. Fucking idiot 

[DriftBusta]

47 minutes ago, f7ben said:

You were still defending Iraq and blubbering about wmds just months ago. Fucking idiot 

wrong.  derp.

[Snake]

18 hours ago, Angry ginger said:

 

 

trump might not want war in the ME but his military spending is completely out of control.  Space force  

 

 

Short sighted thinking.

[Anler]

7 minutes ago, Snake said:

Short sighted thinking.

Trump's boots are extra shiny now, thanks. 

[XCR1250]

18 hours ago, Angry ginger said:

 

 

trump might not want war in the ME but his military spending is completely out of control.  Space force  

 

 

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Everyone wants a Space Force — but why?

By Chelsea Gohd 5 days ago

"Nobody wants a war in space."

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The U.S. Space Force isn't the only military space branch popping up around the world.

(Image: © U.S. Space Force)

As perceived security threats mount in Earth's orbit, countries around the world are following the example of the United States and creating their own "space forces." 

Nine months ago, in December 2019, the U.S. Space Force was born. The new military branch was created with a focus to protect the nation's satellites and other space assets, which are vital to everything from national security to day-to-day communications. 

 

Now, countries including France, Canada and Japan are following suit, as leaders from those countries' "space force" analogs said Thursday (Sept. 10) during the 2nd Summit for Space Sustainability, an online event hosted by the nonprofit Secure World Foundation.

So, why do these countries, as well as nations like Russia and China, want a military presence in space? 

Related: The most dangerous space weapons ever

According to Maj. Gen. John Shaw, the combined force space component commander of the U.S. Space Command and commander of space operations command for the U.S. Space Force, it's analogous to asking "why do ocean-going or seafaring nations want a Navy?" They want "to secure that domain for all activity and to deter threats in that domain," he said during the summit on Thursday. "Nobody wants a war in space."

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US Space Force and Command - DOD Explains Why It's Needed

 

 

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Space torpedoes

 

The threats that the U.S. Space Force aims to deter are not theoretical and have already started popping up, Shaw explained. 

 

For example, in April and again in July, the Space Force detected an anti-satellite missile test conducted in low Earth orbit by Russia. The April test "provides yet another example that the threats to the U.S. and allied space systems are real, serious and growing," Space Force commander Gen. John "Jay" Raymond stated following that incident.

 

Satellite tests are no uncommon occurrence in low Earth orbit. However, according to Shaw, Russia was testing what looked like a "space torpedo." 

Video: Watch Russia launch the two mysterious satellites

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Touchdown! SpaceX lands rocket after launching Space Force satellite

 

 

 

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"And I could add many other threats that we've seen along the continuum of space counter-space capabilities," Shaw added, citing "the proliferation of electromagnetic spectrum jammers" as an example. Jammers deliberately interfere with information beaming to or from Earth-orbiting satellites.

 

And, while the U.S. Space Force is actively working to combat these threats, other countries are following suit. "We share the same concerns," French Space Command major general and commander Michel Friedling said during the summit. 

 

"We want to make sure that we're not riding coattails," Brig. Gen. Mike Adamson, the director general and Space/Joint Force Space Component Commander for the Canadian Department of National Defence added during the summit. Canada wants to "maintain our place at the table," Adamson said.

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Liftoff! SpaceX launches GPS III satellite for Space Force

 

 

 

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Satellite swarm threats

 

However, intentional, nefarious threats from other nations are not the only concern for the U.S. Space Force and other countries' growing military space efforts. Constellations of satellites from private companies here on Earth can also pose serious issues.

 

The "proliferation in low Earth orbit of commercial satellites, in some ways, might be the greatest threat to space sustainability," Shaw said, adding that this will only really be a threat if not done properly. 

 

Recently, SpaceX began launching large numbers of satellites to low Earth orbit, in an effort to grow a huge constellation called Starlink that's designed to provide internet access around the globe. 

 

SpaceX has already lofted more than 700 Starlink satellites. But Elon Musk's company has approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to launch as many as 12,000 satellites into orbit and may want to grow the constellation even larger than that someday.  

 

And SpaceX isn't the only one with such ambitions. For example, Amazon aims to launch about 3,200 satellites for its own internet constellation, Project Kuiper.

 

Putting so many satellites into orbit raises a number of potential concerns, including the proliferation of "space junk." While SpaceX's Starlink satellites are designed to fall out of orbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere over time, the presence of so many spacecraft in orbit at once increases the possibility of collisions, which would generate huge swarms of debris. These swarms would then pose a potential threat to other satellites in orbit.

Related: In photos: SpaceX launches third batch of 60 Starlink satellites to orbit

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US Space Force flag presented in Oval Office

 

 

 

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As Shaw mentioned, the Space Force also expects to see more and more "academic" or science-focused satellites launched into orbit. 

 

With all of these new satellites expected to launch, the Space Force wants to ensure that they are made with a "responsible design so that they don't become a navigational hazard," Shaw said. "As we continue to expand across all sectors…how do we do that in a responsible way?" 

 

This is a concern for other countries dipping their toes into space-focused military branches as well. 

 

These emerging military enterprises have to consider things such as, "How do we coordinate with the private actors in space?" Friedling said. 

 

Friedling also brought up the issue of security for these private or science-focused satellites. "Do they want to be protected or escorted?" he asked, comparing these craft to private ships that were escorted in convoys during World War I to keep them safe from enemy attack from  newly introduced submarines.  

 

The space military representatives, which also included Maj. Gen. Hiroaki Sakanashi, the director general of the project promotion group for emerging domains and programs in the Air Staff Office in Japan, seemed to agree that these are concerns that should be addressed by space-focused military efforts. 

 

"You invite conflict when there's weakness, and I believe you deter conflict when there is strength, and that is the path we're on," Shaw said. Taking this approach "will lead us, I believe, to a more strategically stable situation that deters conflict in space," he added.

"Certainly, Canada is going along those lines as well," Adamson agreed.

[Angry ginger]

11 hours ago, f7ben said:

You were still defending Iraq and blubbering about wmds just months ago. Fucking idiot 

spot on

[Anler]

50 minutes ago, Angry ginger said:

spot on

Selective amnesia around here