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Post by avordvet on Jul 22, 2012 6:26:49 GMT -5
The Pentagon Abides: Martial Incompetence and the Extinction of America by Bill BuppertPosted on July 20, 2012 by Bill "Even if we are spared destruction by war, our lives will have to change if we want to save life from self-destruction." -Aleksandr SolzhenitsynBe happy that the US is spending itself into oblivion on military hardware. The American military is a colossus in presence, spending and technology and they lack one vital feature, they cannot fight a sustained conflict anywhere. zerogov.com/?p=2761
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Post by busboy on Jul 22, 2012 11:59:19 GMT -5
This was an interesting read, thanks for sharing.
I like how Bill makes the assertion that the US military is incapable of operating in a protracted war, and he seems to do a very fine job of explaining how insurgencies, nation building and modern urban warfare all conspire to negate the benefits of multi-million weapon systems and our large military.
These points are fairly well made, and I would tend to agree. Now, on the flip side of that coin, there are those, when speaking of the military's role in subduing the American People, will assert that the military is nearly all powerful and incapable of failure.
Bill touches on the benefits which Afghanistan seems to reap from not allowing their governmental system from becoming centralized, and then he ponders how we could possibly erect such barriers to centralization ourselves.
In fact, the Founders set up such barriers. But evidently the people of Afghanistan are better than the People of America, in enforcing this barrier.
Bill is spot on that most forces within any government, and the military, desire centralization. Even if one does not have evil intents (and indeed many in both areas do), centralization make management and operation easier.
Bill makes the suggestion that after our inevitable financial collapse, we will find our military nearly useless and helpless. There may be some validity to this notion, but what other country in the world will not see the same conditions, if indeed the US financial system collapses?
The nations with major militaries are all seeing dire financial conditions develop in their countries. And even under ideal conditions, no single nation, nor likely the top 10 nations, could present a force on US soil capable of overcoming the resistance which Americans are capable of projecting on their own lands. (Considering that the American People's defenses are largely low tech, unlike most modern militaries, loss of technology or costly systems only further benefits the American People.)
And while Bill does not address the issue of military use on US citizens, it seems odd to think that on one hand someone can attribute helplessness to the military after a collapse, but then assert that they will be tools of oppression against the American People....at the same time.
We have faced the same threats for the entire life of our nation. There is nothing new under the sun, the threats of 1776, 1876, 1976, and 2012 are essentially the same.
I disagree with the quote provided at the end of this piece: “The slightest acquaintance with history shows that powerful republics are the most warlike and unscrupulous of nations.” There is really little evidence that true republics are any more warlike than other nations, or form of nations. History shows that nations have been waring as long as there have been nations.
America's history has demonstrated that she is slow to war, when she is operating as a true republic. However, as Bill points out, there are forces which desire centralization of power, and centralized power is much quicker to take up war. Thus why our Founders gave us not a monarchy, but a Republic, and did not put the power of declaring war in the hands of the President, nor even the Senate, but in the hands of the People's branch of the government, the House.
It is the People who pay for, and sacrifice during a war, so they are the ones who should be deciding when to go to war.
Looking back in our history, it is those times that the decision for war was made, outside of the People's House, that ill advised actions were taken by our government.
There is little argument that the course we are on, as a country, in the area of financial chaos, military conflicts, centralization of power, can easily be projected to fatal ends for our country. However, there is no doubt that we can (and in fact are) turn away from those courses.
This country has demonstrated the ability to turn around at times which seemingly foretell of disaster or doom. In fact, the ability of the American People to alter the course of the country, and even of history itself, has been demonstrate many times.
Hard times may soon be upon us, but America and Americans are best suited for these hard times, better than any other country or any other people.
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Post by walfred on Jul 22, 2012 23:48:25 GMT -5
They will fail like the "NAZI",war machine.It got to big to micro-manage from a High command,and the lack of a decentralized command and control was their downfall.We on the other hand excel at individual achievement.Allowing small unit commanders to act on their own initiative to exploit changes in the order of battle turning it in our favor.As well as causing more overall damage to the enemy by destroying all random targets or opportunity,without waiting for orders from a Superior commander.
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Post by brocktownsend on Jul 23, 2012 0:18:20 GMT -5
They will fail like the "NAZI",war machine.It got to big to micro-manage from a High command,and the lack of a decentralized command and control was their downfall.We on the other hand excel at individual achievement.Allowing small unit commanders to act on their own initiative to exploit changes in the order of battle turning it in our favor.As well as causing more overall damage to the enemy by destroying all random targets or opportunity,without waiting for orders from a Superior commander. Good post.
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