Is it time to rethink the all volunteer military force?

[GeauxHerd]

Erik Prince who owned Blackwater is an introducing guy, along with his family business. He actually preseneted a ot of plans for Afghanistan, Iraq, and even Ukraine. He said he had a plan that would have stopped the Ukraine invasion by doing a CIA op that would have put about 35 old jets that the USA was getting ready to boneyard(a mix of old F15/16/, A10's.) using private pilots and then a private ground force to advise, assist, and train the Ukraine Army. He said if he the American govt would have done that prior to the invasion as presented, Russia probably would not have invade and if they did, it would have been stopped within days and would have obliterated a lot of the invasion force. The cost would have been about 10%(if i remember that number correctly but it is close) of what we are sending there now.

An A-10 would have made mincemeat out of that miles long Russian column of armour and personnel at the beginning

 

[i am herdman]

An A-10 would have made mincemeat out of that miles long Russian column of armour and personnel at the beginning

So in his interview he said there were about 35 planes the US govt was putting in a boneyard. He suggested they be sold to Ukraine through a third party and this was prior to the invasion. Then, private pilots would fly them and traine the Ukrainians. It was pretty interesting his ideas.

 

[Raoul Duke MU]

As much as I’d want to depend on a mentally ill man pretending to be a woman.

Depends...there are some that would probably kill both of us.

 

[extragreen]

so, you say if more people were involved like polticians kids it would be better. SO, what is wrong with my idea? We have a narrow group of people serving and have since 1973 and fewer now than in the 70's, 80's, 90's. SO why not try to get more people in? Then, the decision making would be better. We would get more people that have been there and done that with experience or empathy. Instread of let's do this and push the button or let them go do this or that.

20 years of Iraq and Afghanistan, which you rail on. Name me all the Generals or brass or decision makers that ever got relieved of command? FIred? Removed? Told to do something else? why do have old equipment? Mold in barracks? 22 veterans a day killing themselves? Yet, what ever changes? How many poltiicians on both sides just rubber stamped stuff or got rich from it? Or do this and that with zero reprecussion or accountability?

This is not a R or D thing. It is how do we make it better? All of us. The blame goes around, there have been D and R Presidents and D and R congressmen and senators. Both sides.

I am raising a legitimate idea and concern. We have a narrow band of people for decades who have served and their close family members. That is far different than previous generations. How can you sustain national identity or natioanl purpose if less than 2% do it? Then, counting their families it is only 5% or less knowing the situation?

Take back the republican tax breaks for the rich from the last 2 republican administrations and give it to the military. Whattayasay?

 

[Jartard]

I just checked into The Thief in Oslo. They put me in a Premium room, because Sam Smith has the Oslo suite with the private rooftop. I am meeting him later for dinner, but I am about to head next door to the Astrup Fearnley Museum. From there, I may yonder over to the opera house, since it is supposed to have a great view of the fjord from the rooftop.

It's so nice being in places where the life expectancy is higher, everybody gets healthcare, everybody who works gets a decent pension, children get free/cheap quality education/childcare from age three, parents get 1.5 years off for paternity/maternity leave and still get 80% of their pay, the cities are impeccably clean, the buildings are beautiful and modern, the people socialize nonstop outside, the people are overwhelmingly healthy and it's a struggle to find an obese person, there is little to no gun violence, the public transportation is phenomenal, you can't find a homeless person no matter how hard you look, where the people are happier than anywhere else, and which annually get voted as the best places to live . . . but nope. The U.S. can't have that because we pay people who can't do their own taxes to play G.I. Joe to protect us from the Panama Canal invaders and who "work hard in training" in billion dollar jets that never get used for anything worthwhile.

When should I be expecting your thank you card for all we taxpayers did for you and your family, HerMan?

Don’t you have money on reservations to avoid paying taxes?