Political parties and personalities are not as interesting as what stays the same no matter who is elected to office.
It is time to give new people a chance to change things in the new year.
I like the way questions are handled here:
“Comments are turned off.”
Comments turned off means questions are turned off. This is a big part of the problem we have in this culture.
2:17 in the video below:
Elected official is wearing flag of Ukraine lapel pin. How does this play for recruiting? Are American families ready to send the young ones overseas for this cause?
“Comments are turned off.”
What led to a US Armed Forces recruiting crisis?
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Understandable why young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this.
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
Flag officers and high level DOD civilians built careers made of undeclared/unwon wars. Now they must mastermind ways to recruit a new generation.
They are going to tell us how all this works.
Oct 30, 2024 PBS News
WATCH: U.S. military leaders hold briefing on recruitment goals and challenges for 2025
“Comments are turned off.”
If comments were open:
Some will say obese teens and young adults are to blame for the big recruiting crisis. Thousands of young, intelligent and athletic Americans participate in college athletics each year. Certainly, they would qualify to enlist- no rehab/prep program required.
Why are these people not showing up at the recruiting office?
US press plays along by not asking questions and shutting down or suppressing comment sections.
Watched the entire video above. Zero questions on how flag officers and high level DOD civilians allowed for this:
MOAA Sept. 25, 2023
Military Barracks Blasted Over Horrid Living Conditions, Lack of Accountability
Senator Duckworth is stern with her questioning. She emphasizes people with more experience.
Those with more experience brought us decades of undeclared/unwon DOD wars and talk of defending American rights and freedoms that never seems to stand up to any questioning or discussion. The US press won’t touch it.
A recruiting crisis was earned by the politicians, generals, & high ranking civilians who have been running the Pentagon over the past 30 years or so. The crisis is also upon us due to newspeople not asking questions going back to the time the Cold War ended in the early 90s.
We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Some may have become skeptical along the way.
Will elected officials and the press handle any of the questions above? They have not done so in the past.
Lies About Freedom
Elected officials and high level DOD civilians speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
The press plays along by not asking questions:
The post 911 era has been a time to tell the American people that US troops are sent to distant lands to defend American freedoms. This urban legend has run its course. People have seen enough now to know this is no more than a marketing strategy. Uniparty newspeople play along by not asking questions:
The idea that the US Armed Forces are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms is repeated many times over.
The reality is that American freedoms may come and go and appear to be completely unrelated to military operations/US Troops in distant lands, or the Sound of Freedom.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Legal marijuana, concealed carry of handguns, semi automatic rifle sales, federal minimum drinking age, federal toilet regulations, sports betting, federal gas can regulations/free enterprise system, web censorship, voting rights, bump stock ban, interracial marriage, gay marriage, tobacco sales, open container laws, etc.
American freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense, the outcome of military operations overseas or jet noise over Coupeville.
Did the Joint Chiefs of Staff send The Troops to safeguard American freedoms?
Was it the Viet Cong that set up laws in 16 US states to prohibit interracial marriage?
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
No such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
More Discussion Please
Both major parties tell us The Troops are in distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
Mr President,
Going back to the 1990 Operation Desert Shield,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
Uncle Sam is having a hell of a time finding people to sign up for the US Armed Forces. Pretending that decades of undeclared/unwon wars are linked in any way with American freedoms is the kind of dishonesty that will snuff out the energy American families once had for encouraging young people to enlist.
Good luck with your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
The country struggles with:
May 28, 2020 WMAR
Salisbury Mayor deploying to Africa with Maryland National Guard
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
December 21st 2019 KOMO News
Legal age to buy cigarettes, vapes raised to 21 nationwide
“Signed into law by President Donald Trump Friday as part of the new $1.4 trillion spending bill, a new measure prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.”
During the Vietnam War, US troops were sent to Vietnam.
Today, the Ohio National Guard is sent to “support Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve.”
The US press has a long history of not asking questions Re: undeclared/unwon DOD wars and military operations for your freedoms.
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals Re: lessons learned on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.
The formal congressional declaration of war would also be the time for a careful review of important issues such as: PTSD, suicide, GTMO/torture, use of contractors, war crimes, price tag, lies about freedom, propaganda, dressing women to look like men, exit strategy, mission creep, nation building, reduction of traditional military benefits offered when people signed up to stay on for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, who should register for the draft, etc.
The Impact of Pete Hegseth’s Big War Crime
by Jacob G. Hornberger
January 15, 2025
“It’s also worth pointing out that this U.S. war on Iraq did more than simply violate the principles against wars of aggression set forth at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal. The war was also illegal under our form of government, given that it lacked the constitutionally required congressional declaration of war.”
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea to children that The Troops are in distant lands-fighting for American rights and freedoms-as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
In Washington State, these assemblies are mandatory.
The VA tells teachers that The Troops are Defending Liberty and Freedom.
In the 60s & 70s I never attended a Veterans Day assembly at school.
There were none.
Probably enough veterans around to remove most of the mystique, or maybe those veterans thought it was all just an average thing and did not want to be seen as a separate part of American society, or get head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store. Maybe the concept of Armistice Day had not gone completely extinct.
Growing up in the 60s & 70s- veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
Love to see a student ask: If The Troops fight for your right to sit, stand, kneel, etc.-why were black people still riding at the back of the bus after the big WWII victory?
Love to see a student ask: If the wars aren’t won-how can they protect our freedom?
Love to see a student ask: Whatever happened to lessons about Armistice Day?
Glorification of military service / total nonsense
As the decades of undeclared/unwon wars stack up (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.) the greater the cultural urge to glorify people who do, or did time in uniform.
WA Secretary of State:
“Our right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.”
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
Men Died For the Right to Vote?
Right To Vote Linked To Military Operations/US Troops in Distant Lands?
Respect for The National Guard
The people of Minnesota need more applicants to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Thousands of men and women who signed up for the National Guard in the past 25 years did tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials, top Pentagon Generals and the press earned it.
More here:
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
More Discussion Please
In the news:
Jan 17, 2025
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press
Army expects to meet recruiting goals, in dramatic turnaround, and denies ‘wokeness’ is a factor
“What’s really remarkable is the first quarter contracts that we have signed are the highest rate in the last 10 years,” Wormuth said. “We are going like gangbusters, which is terrific.”
Instead, a significant driver of the recruiting success was the Army’s decision to launch the Future Soldier Prep Course, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in August 2022. That program gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards and move on to basic training.
Repeating a question we asked earlier in the blog-
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Some will say obese teens and young adults are to blame for the big recruiting crisis. Thousands of young, intelligent and athletic Americans participate in college athletics each year. Certainly, they would qualify to enlist- no rehab/prep program required.
Why are these people not showing up at the recruiting office?
Jn 2, 2025 Omaha World-Herald
LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press
The Army’s answer to a lack of recruits is a prep course to boost low scores. It’s working
“Drill sergeants have expressed concerns that they are seeing more discipline problems, disrespect and complaints from trainees in the academic course. And they say trainees whose first language is not English have a more difficult time understanding orders and dealing with computers.”
“While they see fewer discipline problems from recruits in the fitness section, they do see more injuries, including ankle, knee and hip problems. Those trainees, they say, may need to be brought along even more slowly, to increase their strength and conditioning, rather than moving them to basic training the minute they hit the minimum level of requirements.”
Related:
New Orleans – Armed Forces Recruiting Crisis
Maybe Get Away From The Bragging About Freedom?
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Hostile Forces in Distant Lands
Busiest Air Travel Day – Security Theater
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Possibly of interest:
Podcast 9 Defending The Constitution?
How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
Love to see newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Photo-
Something from the last century