oh good, by dint of presidential fiat my country's military is being gutted today

[dragoon500ly]

I'm not really saying all of the Americans are like this, but from what I've come to see is that most of you don't really see what goes on beyond the borders of your own state and even far less, beyond the U.S. borders. Of course this is a bit of generalization, just like saying most of the Muslim countries are socially in the stone ages. They are culturally very different from the western world and yes, they treat their women poorly, if they get out of line, but then again, there are some Christian factions that are just as stone aged, if you ask me. It doesn't matter, what the religion is - fundamentalists are fundamentalists everywhere and they act pretty much the same everywhere, no matter what the religion is.

The reality is much harsher, most Americans are in the dark as to who their town's mayor and city councils are, let alone what they are doing. When you start adding in what the various states and even the federal governments are up too....most Americans would rather watch the various sitcoms and sports programs. Toss in what is going on over seas....I doubt that the vast majority of Americans can even pinpoint Iraq and Afghanistan on a map, let alone have any idea of what is going on. Toss in the religious nuts....I always have felt that the founding fathers shouldn't have stopped with the seperation of Church and State, they should have added that Chruches are forbidden to have anything to do with the State!

Case in point, that certain little church in Kansas that feels it is necessary to "attend" every military funeral so that they can scream their racist/sexist agenda and blame the service member's death on the government's failure to keep >INSERT MINORITY GROUP OF CHOICE< under control. I've always believed that the freedom of speech should be defended, even when you don't agree with what the other party is saying, but this group of lunatics is enough to make one doubt the validity of that argument.

Coupled to a complete failure to teach American History or Civics and I fear for the future.

As for the U.S. military diminishing it's power, I don't really see that generally as a bad thing. I can't say I'm anti-U.S., but I kind of frown to the way, you guys have driven your own agendas at gunpoint ever since the Iron Curtain came down. The appeasement policy the U.S. has towards Israel is something very disturbing - UN sanctions against Israel harassing people, who lived in the region before someone got the bright idea to actually erect a jewish colony there, can not be put in to action because the motions are vetoed by the U.S..

What the world would most definitely need is a bit broader point of view. And thus endeth the rant. No hard feelings, people. I know some very intelligent and nice Americans, who actually know where Finland is and have enough curiosity to get to know other cultures and societies.

The problem is that whatever political party that is in control of the government at the time, is made up of a collection of weak-minded dips**ts who answer to the various special intrest groups and whatever briefing points that their staffs draw up. This is perhaps the greatest weakness of the American system of government. Not the election of the most populat vs. the most qualified, but the willingness to allow any political action committee to have the degree of power that these special intrest groups have. They need to be banned or have their degree of access rigidly controlled...perhaps no more than 5 minutes per decade.

[dragoon500ly]

You can have her after she's finished being in a sweaty three-way with my wife and I.

So Solly! Once she gets a look at my handsome face......

[StainlessSteelCynic]

...I've always believed that the freedom of speech should be defended, even when you don't agree with what the other party is saying, but this group of lunatics is enough to make one doubt the validity of that argument...

I too believe that people should have freedom of speech but I also believe it needs to be qualified with responsibility. That is to say, yes, you have freedom of speech but only so long as you take responsibility for what you say.
The church you mentioned is a case in point, they don't appear to care that the only people that hear their brand of BS are the families of the deceased. People that are going through a very emotional time, they certainly don't need some dickhead using the funeral as a flagpole upon which to hoist their agenda. I believe in such cases those church members should be held accountable for their actions.

[weswood]

..... they treat their women poorly, if they get out of line, but then again, there are some Christian factions that are just as stone aged, if you ask me. It doesn't matter, what the religion is - fundamentalists are fundamentalists everywhere and they act pretty much the same everywhere, no matter what the religion is.

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but I have to ask what Christian fundamentalist sect kills a woman by stoning for having extramarital sex

I really do agree with you but I keep hearing how Christians are no better than Muslims. Maybe at one time, over 200 years ago, we had the Inquisition and witch burning, but we're over it.

[weswood]

Once upon a time my father told me we- members of the U.S. military- have the duty to ensure citizens freedom of speech, even when they are protesting us (Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen). I believed that then, and still do.

I also think society would be a lot more polite as to what is said if duelling was legal. Pistols with one round, seconds, a judge, and televise the whole thing. People would have to really believe what they say and have to be willing to back it up.

And yes, I may be crazy, but I'm okay with it

[Targan]

I agree with a lot of what you've said, but I have to ask what Christian fundamentalist sect kills a woman by stoning for having extramarital sex

I really do agree with you but I keep hearing how Christians are no better than Muslims. Maybe at one time, over 200 years ago, we had the Inquisition and witch burning, but we're over it.

Abortion clinic doctors being gunned down on their doorsteps. Shootouts at isolated Christian sect compounds. Atheists like me look on in abject horror.

It's been going on for thousands of years and I doubt it will end any time soon - countless numbers of human beings slaughtering each other over, basically, whose fairy tale is the "correct" one. From where I'm standing it's just plain madness.

[Targan]

So Solly! Once she gets a look at my handsome face......

Exactly! That's what I thought would seal the deal in my favor

[Legbreaker]

You're all wrong. Angelina is mine.
How can she turn down an Adonis like me

[Targan]

You're all wrong. Angelina is mine.
How can she turn down an Adonis like me

Good question, but the fact remains, she's been doing just that for some time now.

[Webstral]

So if I can wear the Crown for a day what would I do with the Dept of Defense.

1) Rename it the War Department. We are not going of to fight a "Defense" now are we Mindset people.

Im fine with this. However, the original purpose behind having a Department of Defense was to provide greater continuity between conflicts. Inevitably, the public will ask why were paying for a Department of War when there is no Department of War. Defense is always good.

2) Single parents. Thanks for your help. He is a severance check equal to six months. Buh-bye.

I agree in principle, but there needs to be room for nuance, etc.

4) The Marine Corps. I would remove it from the Department of the Navy and slot it under the Department of the Army. Make for a massive reduction in procurement efforts. Going to the Marines would be like going to the Airborne. A specialized assignment but still just an assignment. It would still be Corps sized, though reshaped on the Brigade Combat Team concept. The Navy can protect their ports and other facilities with Master at Arms or draw from their Shore Duty sailors.

The Army would destroy the Corps within five years. There might still be troops wearing some sort of Marine identifier, but theyd lose what makes them Marines. As for procurement, the Marines spend their money more wisely than the Army. I strongly suspect that whatever gains we would make in further centralizing the procurement process would be lost when the Marines rose to the Armys level of wastefulness.

5) The Airborne. Dead concept on Brigade and Division level. Consider the 21st century threat detection capability and Theater air defense missiles that could destroy not just damage cargo aircraft. Lets be real. The Brigade drop hasn't even been used in Afghanistan where such an effort could actually have achieved total surprise and seized terrain and taliban assets. With upcoming Laser technology anything rising above the horizon is dead upon detection. The chips are in the air on SOF units and air delivered supplies.

Reluctantly, Im forced to agree. If some way could be found to preserve what makes the 82nd Airborne a special formation while doing away with the airborne division concept, Id buy in.

6) Close Air Support is an Army function and should be at the Brigade level. Possibly even with prop driven dirt strip capable air craft.

Ive heard the USAF burns heretics for less. Like Galileo, you may even have to wait centuries for not-quite-an-apology.

7) Army Bases should be in areas where there is room to train. Those Posts in the Eastern US or worse inside large cities would be closed even turned over to the Park Service. We know why there still there and tradition is bullshit. Their there to dazzle Congressmen and Senators on visits and to be close to the White House and the Pentagon.

I think Congressmen are less dazzled than self-interested. Base closure is a serious blow to the local economy. Some Congressmen survive a base closure in their districts. Others do not.

Realistically, the only way to make closures of smaller Army posts work is to align units of every type with the existing base structure. If you cant have any heavy brigades in a state with insufficient maneuver space at its posts, then many states east of the Mississippi will lose what heavy units they have left in their National Guards. Im okay with this, since Ive already advocated that the combat units ought to go the active Army.

8) Joint Bases. This would be the new normal. Where ever possible all installations would be multi-service.

A good idea. Lots of politics will emerge as the services jockey for key leadership positions on the combined posts, though.

9) Ditch the short and quick Non Commissioned Officer Courses. The Primary Leadership Development Course is the first induction into the NCO Corps. This course should be the damned hardest. Candidates should have to show a commitment like re-enlisting to get to into it. The Course should be at a minimum 12 months classified as a hardship tour without relocation of dependents. The Graduates should all be very proficient in Infantry Operations regardless of the MOS, be able to operate any weapon system, use any radio, and drive any vehicle that is not aircraft or watercraft greater than a RIB craft. The lectures and presentations given by students on facets of military history, tactics, strategy, and concepts of the operational art should graduate each student with an Associates degree in Military Science. If their Professional Soldiers than Professional training with formal classes and measured results should be standard.

Another excellent idea. This one would require improving the pool of candidates, though. There would have to be a much higher throughput of junior enlisted folks through the forces to yield the required quality at the team leader level. Lets face it: a lot of the junior enlisted folks are guys and gals who didnt do well at school.

I do like the idea of a serious firebreak in the enlisted progression, though. In addition to my previous comments on improving pay and privileges for the infantry, Id improve pay for E-5 and above. (Id pay for it by getting rid of 40-50% of the general officers and 25-30% of the field grade officers.) That way, an enlistee can do his/her single enlistment, get the bennies, and feel good about serving his country. But the real carrot ought to lie just on the other side of selection for PLDC and promotion to E-5.

10) Controversial idea. Reduce the carrier fleet and increase the Submarine fleet. More SLBMs afloat. The Carrier itself is beginning to be threaten by ballistic missiles (China is first here) with non nuclear warheads anywhere at sea in the missiles radius. Reduce the Navy Carriers to six with two at sea in the areas of most interest. Give two to the Coast Guard for humanitarian missions and disaster relief missions. CG aircraft carriers with Opreys and Helos would benefit missions on the scale of Katrina and the SE Asian Tsunami event. more rants to follow.

That is a controversial idea.

[weswood]

Abortion clinic doctors being gunned down on their doorsteps. Shootouts at isolated Christian sect compounds. Atheists like me look on in abject horror.

It's been going on for thousands of years and I doubt it will end any time soon - countless numbers of human beings slaughtering each other over, basically, whose fairy tale is the "correct" one. From where I'm standing it's just plain madness.

Ya got me there, I forgot about those lunatics.

[dragoon500ly]

You're all wrong. Angelina is mine.
How can she turn down an Adonis like me

Our friends from down under need to face reality...with me she gets a handsome face, a body like a Greek God, access to a knife collection larger than her own...not to mention the never to be forgotten thrill of dallying with a real live cavalryman!!!!

How can you compare to that combination

[pmulcahy11b]

Our friends from down under need to face reality...with me she gets a handsome face, a body like a Greek God, access to a knife collection larger than her own...not to mention the never to be forgotten thrill of dallying with a real live cavalryman!!!!

How can you compare to that combination

Not to mention the imagination of Leonardo da Vinci!

[Sanjuro]

a body like a Greek God

Would that be Dionysus

[Legbreaker]

...not to mention the never to be forgotten thrill of dallying with a real live cavalryman!!!!

Cavalryman - there's your problem right there!
Having to deal with that just once would be enough to turn a strong stomach, just seriously considering a repeat would destroy sanity!