Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.

Recent Seattle Blue Angels Air Show event:

KIRO 7

“The moment we hit 7.5 Gs in the Blue Angel’s Jet & I passed out!”

My take:

The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.

Not complaining about jet noise, not trying to put a stop to the air show. Not trying to get the Navy to leave Whidbey Island.

I get the fun aspect of newspeople posting on social media. It would be nice to see more of a balance with newspeople asking a few questions. This is entirely common in sports culture where reporters are free to ask hard questions and write stories about teams, players, managers and coaches. After each game, the press has access to coaches and players. All sorts of information is available all of the time.

If the US Armed Forces were an NFL team, newspeople might ask:

Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?

The press and the American people have a much more honest relationship with sports teams than they do with the Dept. of Defense.

If The Troops were an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:

DOD was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.

The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.

 

The people of Louisiana need services in Iraq.

State-run media update:

Aug 1, 2019 Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

Plaquemine National Guard unit deploys to Iraq

Defending this nation in Iraq:

“…you chose to be one of the ones that stepped forward, raised your right hand and swore to defend this nation.”

The people of Illinois need services in Afghanistan.

JUL 27, 2019 Chicago Tribune

Family and friends hug area National Guard soldiers deploying to Afghanistan, some for the first time: ‘I am praying for the best’

Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Hometown, USA need services in Iraq and Afghanistan absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?

Life wasn’t meant to change after the big Saddam Hussein & Osama bin Laden takedowns

Related:

Sports Culture Tends to be Open and Honest

Navy on Whidbey is a Matter of National Security?

 

The US Dept. of Homeland Security

Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?

Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions: Operation Macho Swagger & Port Angeles Heroin

US Border Patrol, Port Angeles, WA

An upgrade in staff requiring a new, $11.9 million, 50 agent facility. Secret arrest statistics, denied FOIA requests, heroin and meth in the community, no cross-border USBP arrest in more than 9 years, fraudulent overtime claims, 1,200-horsepower interceptor boats and zero questions from the press.

Are fraudulent overtime claims still the norm at Port Angeles?

Border Patrol whistleblower pays price for refusing overtime pay

Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound meth or heroin?

Even one time?

Newspeople remain silent:

Cross-Border Maritime Traffic – Newspeople Remain Silent

Port Angeles Border Patrol – Newspeople Remain Silent

 

Every 12 months, the US Department of Homeland Security gets another $40 billion in taxpayer funds.

Any shortage of cartel-sourced heroin, cocaine, fentanyl or meth anywhere in the US since the big El Chapo takedown?

If the excuse now, is that migrant surges are diverting attention away from cartel traffic- remember that heroin was a problem in US communities prior to the recent migrant surges. Heroin is still here and now meth has taken hold.

August 2, 2019 KFOR-TV

Officials seeing increase in meth being brought into Oklahoma

Since 2014, meth is the leading cause of drug deaths in the state of Oklahoma…”

January 31, 2019 WLS-TV

Meth deaths skyrocket as new drug cartel fueled threat hits Chicago area streets

“Thank you @CBP for 16 years for securing our borders and ports of entry!”

Has securing our borders and ports of entry resulted in any shortage of cartel-sourced heroin, cocaine, fentanyl or meth anywhere in the US?

How do cartels react to DHS social media postings?

No CBP inspection of rail shipments entering the US?

February 27, 2019 CTV News

Police find meth smuggled into Canada through new Ford cars built in Mexico

Welcome Home Troops

Thanks for risking your ass in Iraq & Afghanistan- working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.

Don’t worry- The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:

If you run a government operation- these are the reporters you want to see on interview day:

Does hometown pride get in the way of newspeople asking questions?

Tangled Up In Hometown Pride?

 

Whidbey sewage treatment outfall. Zero questions from the press:

Oak Harbor Waterfront

 

How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?

Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.

 

Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

Photo- On watch over Fort Ebey