National Guard units are doing multiple tours in distant lands– absent any military emergency, draft, or declaration of war.
You folks who may want to question using the National Guard as an instrument of US foreign policy- just remember- you wouldn’t have the freedom to post your nonsense on the web if it wasn’t for decades of undeclared/unwon wars in distant lands.
“…Lanza’s out to bridge a military-civilian divide that he worries has deepened since the nation moved to an all-volunteer force after the Vietnam War.”
Not sure that special parking spaces away from the base help with the military-civilian divide.
The Troops have no special parking spots on base- why move to divide people up into groups of first & second-class citizens away from the base?
I understand this is not a military policy- just wondering what attitudes are out there Re: what some may see as head of the line privileges.
Operating a camera in a public place might be a sign of terrorist activity?
Terror threat dismissed by citizen at 6:04
US troops to Iraq & Afghanistan ($4 trillion) & the creation of the US Dept. of Homeland Security ($791 billion)- still unable to keep US communities safe.
15 years past 911- what part of the War on Terror is working?
“The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published the list days ago, a report that contained names, photos, and home addresses of U.S. Armed Forces personnel, causing alarm in cities potentially at high-risk.”
Pentagon victim/statistic medal to be awarded to personnel not involved in military operations:
Vast crime-fighting resources are available to the folks who tell us there is “no credible threat.”
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it- surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, school & church shootings, child abduction, etc.
The post-911 surveillance state (fusion centers, war on terror crime fighting tactics, license plate scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, and social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, Real ID, tracking of cell phones, use of drones, etc.) appears to have played no role in preventing the crimes Re: Purple Heart Medals described above.
Perhaps four handguns could have saved thousands on 911?
– And prevented the next 15 years of undeclared/unwon wars in distant lands.
14 years past 911- heroin trafficking cartels move product into the US free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.
“It is a spot to honor those that have served and allow us the freedom to shop.”
“Aw, so close! She had me totally on her side until the snide, condescending question, “I served, did you?” I wholeheartedly respect and admire the decision to serve (including my family) but using your service as a cudgel to belittle others is elitist and self-righteous. Veterans absolutely deserve respect, yes, but every good person deserves respect. You don’t earn it by being all high and mighty.”
Some businesses are now setting aside parking for veterans. The designated spots we are talking about here are for all veterans- no requirement Re: earning the Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, having any physical disability, etc.
My views-
This is all part of an ongoing militarization of American culture.
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 didn’t have special parking spaces over at the hardware store.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
I think this may be some sort of post-Vietnam guilt at work. The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards ending decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas.
Pro sports almost worships The Troops these days. Halftime sports announcers tell us that overseas military operations are somehow about American rights and freedoms- as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization. The worst of it is individuals who claim that Americans wouldn’t have the freedom to post comments on newspaper websites if people had not given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect that freedom.
Hey school teachers– where did this idea come from? Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?
Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?
Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?
If The Troops are fighting for your freedom to share ideas on the web- why would you be scolded for doing so?
Photo- If you came down to this public beach to take a photo of the sunrise- you’re in the wrong place. No restrictions on photography at dawn on other local beaches.
Discussions on news sites seem to be more about group identities and less about issues. I am not anti-government, anti-military or anti-law enforcement. My concerns are not specific to any political party, personality or group identity.
After years of reading comments posted to news articles, here’s my take-
“The Troops are keeping us safe.”
Except on 911. Except when heroin-trafficking cartels want to move product into the Seattle area:
The Troops are keeping us safe- except when violent offenders are on the loose.
After spending huge amounts of cash on these programs:
The post-911 surveillance state (fusion centers, war on terror crime fighting tactics, license plate scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, and social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, Real ID, tracking of cell phones, use of drones, etc.) the system needs your help in locating the whereabouts of these folks:
Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?
Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?
Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?
“We would all be speaking German today if it weren’t for those amazing individuals back then.”
The free and well armed people who populate the North American continent could be forced to speak a language not of their choosing?
Please see Operation Sea Lion.
The world’s most modern & powerful military force has had their hands full for years now trying to pacify the locals in the Greater Middle East.
We’ve got such a good handle on the situation- National Guard units are doing multiple tours in distant lands– absent any military emergency, draft, or declaration of war:
“The Troops are fighting to protect our rights and freedoms.”
As if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
US foreign policy goals and objectives are mapped out at the very highest levels of government.
Ask yourself- is there someone at the table- in those high level planning sessions- who makes sure that military operations overseas include a mission to protect American rights and freedoms?
Does someone make sure the mission is to defend the constitution?
Is there anyone who verifies that the mission is to protect our physical security?
How does the executive branch of government defend the constitution via US foreign policy?
How are decades of undeclared/unwon wars protecting our freedoms? People are quick to pass the buck & blame politicians when The Troops return home without a victory. When The Troops are defending freedom house of cards collapses- politicians are to blame? Is it politicians that defend rights & freedoms?
Does all this freedom mean it would be OK to grow a marijuana plant in the back yard?
A few months back there was a discussion about NAS Whidbey jets training over the Olympic Peninsula.
A question came up:
Why are NAS Whidbey jets not doing their training over a military reservation in Eastern WA, California, Nevada, etc. The federal government has set aside huge amounts of land for this purpose.
Answer:
It would take too much jet fuel to move aircraft back & forth over a long distance. Discussion in comments here.
New info:
Whidbey jets recently preformed a public relations flyover at the Indy 500. Is NAS Whidbey the closest military installation capable of performing a flyover in Indiana?
Looks like jet fuel may not be an issue here. Hometown pride means not asking questions.
The US should maintain a strong & ready military to be used for defensive purposes in wars declared by congress. People should find honest ways to honor the military. Stop with the nonsense about freedom & free speech rights.
Recommendation: phase out decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas.
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
“Honestly I think it would be exciting” to participate in military operations in a combat zone, Stone said recently over the phone from Fort Sill, Okla.
Going into combat “definitely would be an experience,” Stone said.
“I probably would like it a lot. When you go overseas you get to shoot a lot more, and as far as my job — we are not close to the enemy at all. Our cannons shoot extremely far.”
“I showed up to the recruiter, and I said I don’t want a basic desk job in the military,” she said. “I want to blow stuff up.”
Life wasn’t meant to change after the Osama bin Laden take down:
These are the same teachers who stage Veterans Day assemblies each November and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
Teachers are also on hand to instruct small children about the magic of voting.
The people who run both major parties & the conventions that nominate presidential candidates are OK with ongoing, undeclared/unwon wars overseas, the drug war racket, & a secretive, wasteful and ineffective Dept. of Homeland Security.
Ditto for the TV networks that host presidential debates & ask scripted questions of candidates.
The majority of voters will align with one of these two parties.
Heroin traffickers are frequently successful at what they do. If terrorists were just as interested in entering the US- it appears that federal departments and agencies would have no way to stop them.
Seems like post-911 security protocols & the War on Terror would be a drug cartel’s worst nightmare. What does the US Dept. of Homeland Security have to say about all this?
The press is nowhere to be found when it comes to asking any questions here.
Has anyone ever seen the press question the US Dept. of Homeland Security/CBP on their role in keeping heroin out of the US?
Love to see newspeople schedule an interview with the US Dept. of Homeland Security & ask:
Are passports/enhanced/Real IDs effective in keeping heroin out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Hey school teachers- when you attended the USMC boot camp publicity stunt- did the drill instructors explain any justification for The Troops risking their ass in Iraq & Afghanistan while heroin-trafficking cartels are moving product into US cities?
The people who run both major parties & the conventions that nominate presidential candidates are OK with ongoing, undeclared/unwon wars overseas, the drug war racket, & a secretive, wasteful and ineffective Dept. of Homeland Security.
Ditto for the TV networks that host presidential debates & ask scripted questions of candidates.
The majority of voters will align with one of these two parties.
We are constantly told that The Troops are fighting for American rights & freedoms- as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
When The Troops return from an undeclared war or military conflict without a victory- we are told that politicians are at fault.
June, 2009-
Here is a top US General who does not blame politicians.
“Gen. Conway delivered the luncheon address to the National Press Club. He talked about the role of the Marine Corp in the modern Armed Forces, specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the military conditions in Pakistan. He answered questions submitted from the audience.”
7 years later- we are told that terror strikes may happen in the US at any time:
“Even though Brussels and Paris are both thousands of miles from the Ozarks, in our society, experts say we all are susceptible to terrorism. ”
“Those kinds of things could happen any day, any place in the United States.”
US foreign policy goals and objectives are mapped out at the very highest levels of government.
Ask yourself- is there someone at the table- in those high level planning sessions- who makes sure that military operations overseas include a mission to protect American rights and freedoms?
Does someone make sure the mission is to defend the constitution?
Is there anyone who verifies that the mission is to protect our physical security?
How does the executive branch of government defend the constitution via US foreign policy?
Does all this freedom mean it would be OK to grow a marijuana plant in the back yard?
We are constantly told that The Troops are fighting for American rights & freedoms- as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
When The Troops return from an undeclared war or military conflict without a victory- we are told that politicians are at fault.
In this case- no politicians were in the mix. These are the citizen soldiers who are most connected to local communities. Their first instinct when interacting with the public is to grab the camera, announce that no pictures can be taken & that the sidewalk is not a public place. They state that they don’t care about the laws. They call CHP to back them up. CHP later arrives to confirm that no laws are being broken.
Professional training & individual awareness about living in and serving local communities fails here.
Glorifying military service may be some sort of post-Vietnam guilt at work. The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards ending decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas.
Where are the veterans who don’t want free meals, discounts, head of the line privileges at the airport, etc.
US foreign policy goals and objectives are mapped out at the very highest levels of government.
Ask yourself- is there someone at the table- in those high level planning sessions- who makes sure that military operations overseas include a mission to protect American rights and freedoms?
Does someone make sure the mission is to defend the constitution?
Is there anyone who verifies that the mission is to protect our physical security?
How does the executive branch of government defend the constitution via US foreign policy?
Does all this freedom mean it would be OK to grow a marijuana plant in the back yard?
Don’t forget- anytime a large public event is about to take place- we are told again that “no credible threat” exists.
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it- surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, school & church shootings, child abduction, etc.
Any credible threat prior to the last bank robbery taking place?
Elsewhere on the crime scene, authorities need your help to track down violent criminals:
We are constantly told that The Troops are fighting for American rights & freedoms- as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
When things don’t work out- we are told that politicians are at fault.
Maybe we should say that sometimes, The Troops, might protect our freedoms if politicians are properly engaged. Maybe, in some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. Maybe that’s as good as it gets.
US foreign policy goals and objectives are mapped out at the very highest levels of government.
Ask yourself- is there someone at the table- in those high level planning sessions- who makes sure that military operations overseas include a mission to protect American rights and freedoms?
Does someone make sure the mission is to defend the constitution?
Is there anyone who verifies that the mission is to protect our physical security?
How does the executive branch of government defend the constitution via US foreign policy?
Does all this freedom mean it would be OK to grow a marijuana plant in the back yard?
4 Powerful crime fighting tools allow the good guys to tell what the bad guys will do before they do it. The “no credible threat” concept is all about this.
5US troops were sent to Iraq & Afghanistan to keep bad people from coming here & doing bad things.
6 Lining up to buy passports/enhanced/Real IDs will keep bad people from coming here & doing bad things.
7 Operating a camera in a public place means you might be a terrorist. Show your ID.
1 You don’t have to look too far to find comments that refer to the troops as “heroes.”
Some are.
No one who has served in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have served over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.
Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.
Reaching for an honest understanding of US foreign policy makes more sense than “Thanks for your service.”
2 Some claim that Americans wouldn’t have the freedom to post comments on newspaper websites if people had not given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect that freedom.
Hey school teachers– where did this idea come from? Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?
Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?
Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?
3 It turns out The Troops were in no hurry to enable all adults to act on their right to vote.
US Military operations conducted in the 1940s, 50s & 60s didn’t get the job done.
It wasn’t until July of 1971 that 18 year old adults could take delivery on one of the freedoms we hear so much about.
If veterans fought for our right to vote- how come women were not allowed to vote at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if WWII military operations somehow secured voting rights?
4 If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it- surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, school & church shootings, child abduction, etc.
Any credible threat prior to the last bank robbery taking place?
Elsewhere on the crime scene, authorities need your help to track down violent criminals:
“Another element is a flood of high-potency heroin pouring in from Mexican cartels.”
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for your service
6 Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009. Why are heroin-trafficking cartels moving product into the Puget Sound area in 2016?
Local law enforcement agencies may benefit when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US-
7 Take a look at First Amendment audit or First Amendment test & see many hours of video posted by people who are not interested in yielding the right of way to a terrorist threat.
Love to see newspeople ask some questions in these areas.
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
Love to see a student ask:
If the wars aren’t won- how can they protect our freedom?
When people wanted to marry their gay lover- did they petition The Joint Chiefs of Staff to send out The Troops to defend American rights and freedoms?
How again are overseas military operations responsible for American rights and freedoms? Public school teachers– please explain.
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture-
Each football game features militarized tributes to decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas. Halftime sports announcers remind us that The Troops are overseas fighting for American rights & freedoms.
NFL thanks the US Armed Forces for their service while increasing security at stadiums because US wars are not keeping us safe.
If The Troops get credit for protecting American rights and freedoms- should the Joint Chiefs of Staff be more involved in public policy decisions relating to those freedoms?
It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal war on drugs, drug czar, prohibition of marijuana, etc.
Dividing adults into groups of first & second class citizens-
Should the Joint Chiefs of Staff decide on this?
Some individuals claim that Americans wouldn’t have the freedom to post comments on newspaper websites if The Troops had not given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect that freedom.
Where did this idea come from? Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?
Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?
Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?
“We are recognizing those who are defending our freedom,” he said.
As if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
Military marketing strategy turns teens into human bumper stickers at graduation. Recruiters providing military sashes to wear at pre-boot camp high school graduation ceremonies:
Some businesses are now setting aside parking for veterans. The designated spots we are talking about here are for all veterans– no requirement Re: earning the Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, having any physical disability, etc.
“Medallions sit on her lawn honoring the departments that protect our freedoms around the world.”
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
Sports events are now military appreciation rituals:
The US should maintain a strong & ready military- to be used for defensive purposes- not nation building. The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949. How many US wars have been won since then?
Our form of government is meant to include checks and balances such as a formal congressional declaration of war prior to engaging in hostilities. This protocol fell out of favor after WWII. How many US wars have been won since then?
Can we find an honest way to honor The Troops? Foreign policy is hard to understand or justify- so calling everyone who shows up a hero covers for that?
You don’t have to look too far to find comments that refer to the troops as “heroes.”
Some are.
No one who has served in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have served over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.
Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.
Reaching for an honest understanding of US foreign policy makes more sense than “Thanks for your service.”
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
Love to see a student ask: If the wars aren’t won- how can they protect our freedom?
Statewide Kids’ Art Contest Re: General Election Voters’ Pamphlet:
“Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., a rare Republican opposing continued intervention, said the United States has spent $686 billion since its invasion in 2001 and wasted billions of dollars on rebuilding the country, despite an $18-trillion national debt.”
“The American taxpayer has got to know at some point in time there is going to be an end in this investment. Money, blood, there has got to be an end to it,” he said.
Veterans Day coming up. Anybody who asks questions may see replies like this:
You’re just lucky you have the right to post stuff on the internet because of US foreign policy goals & objectives.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949. How many US wars have been won since then?
Veterans Day was established in 1954 after Armistice Day was tossed out. How many US wars have been won since then?
How many US wars have been won since the first Armed Forces day was observed on May 20, 1950?
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress. How many US wars have been won since then?
Our form of government is meant to include checks and balances such as a formal congressional declaration of war prior to engaging in hostilities. This protocol fell out of favor after WWII. How many US wars have been won since then?
Don’t say things that I disagree with. If you didn’t do time in uniform you have no right to speak out. If you did time in uniform- you should see society as a group of first & second-class citizens. Those who never wore a uniform are second class citizens and their commentary should be supervised by those who once wore a uniform.
They stayed for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and kept reenlisting until they had 20 years in for TRICARE.
They could have left the armed forces to stabilize their lives Re: children in school, home ownership, a chance at decent local jobs for a two income household, family separation, getting shot at, etc.
They stayed in based on what they thought was an honest understanding of the benefits they were earning.
“There’s a historical record that shows that U.S. military involvement in the region simply does not work. When we intervene, directly or indirectly, the result is not greater stability, it’s greater instability.”
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it- surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, child abduction, etc.
“A terrorist attack can happen anywhere and the Department Of Homeland Security has warned local enforcement this week to be vigilant.”
So we’re on the lookout for improper nav lights, boozing, & lost children.
Thanks DHS for pointing us in the right direction.
Hey newspeople/school teachers, DHS & veterans-
How do these wars keep us more safe while we are constantly reminded of terror threats in the Homeland?
War on Terror-
Good guys able to stop bad guys in the early stages of planning-
Another badass terrorist holds hands with FBI agents while describing his violent plans:
If the arsonists were terrorists- they would have been stopped in the planning stages. This is what we are supposed to believe about how America is protected by fusion centers.
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it- surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, child abduction, etc.
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
Love to see a student ask:
If the wars aren’t won- how can they protect our freedom?
When people wanted to marry their gay lover- did they petition The Joint Chiefs of Staff to send out The Troops to defend American rights and freedoms?
How again are overseas military operations responsible for American rights and freedoms? Public school teachers– please explain.
“However, meth remains pervasive because Mexican drug traffickers continue to smuggle meth powder, liquid and finished “crystal meth” or “ice” from laboratories outside the state, the report says. Some production operations seem to have been transferred to California’s Simi Valley.”
Heroin-
“Again, most of the heroin is smuggled into Oregon by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, largely through California and sometimes through Arizona and Nevada.”
Not one mention in the article Re: how heroin gets past the US Dept. of Homeland Security and into the US?
Thanks newspeople.
Heroin traffickers are frequently successful at what they do. If terrorists were just as interested in entering the US- it appears that federal departments and agencies would have no way to stop them.
Enhanced ID has been required to cross into the US since 2009.
If it works to keep bad guys out- how are cartels moving heroin into the Puget Sound area in 2015?
As always- the big law enforcement success story comes with zero reporting or questions from newspeople about why the proud War on Terror is unable to keep heroin out of the US.
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea that The Troops are in distant lands- fighting for American rights and freedoms.
Week in review-
