quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Of course there will be too many babies in the bath water.

I personally believe the necessary corrections from Biden’s military’s being an ignorantly conceived, failed social experiment to a war fighting tool superior to all others should be rapid, but more measured. The consequences of taking down a picture pales to an employee being fired. I don’t think a picture deserves a hearing but a human, as misguided as they may be, should have at least an administrative, in person, review.

That said, anecdotal vignettes calculated to deflect from the real problems of a failing military are, indeed, nothing but practices of reckless ignorance. Focusing only on mistakes made in fixing the Defense Department (which couldn’t recruit competent warfighters or pass an audit) instead of what needed change to be effective, ignores, recklessly, the burning dumpster four years of Biden created.

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Of course there will be too many babies in the bath water.

I personally believe the necessary corrections from Biden’s military’s being an ignorantly conceived, failed social experiment to a war fighting tool superior to all others should be rapid, but more measured. The consequences of taking down a picture pales to an employee being fired. I don’t think a picture deserves a hearing but a human, as misguided as they may be, should have at least an administrative, in person, review.

That said, anecdotal vignettes calculated to deflect from the real problems of a failing military are, indeed, nothing but practices of reckless ignorance. Focusing only on mistakes made in fixing the Defense Department (which couldn’t recruit competent warfighters or pass an audit) instead of what needed change to be effective, ignores, recklessly, the burning dumpster four years of Biden created.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Of course there will be too many babies in the bath water.

I personally believe the necessary corrections from Biden’s military’s being an ignorantly conceived, failed social experiment to a war fighting tool superior to all others should be rapid, but more measured. The consequences of taking down a picture pales to an employee being fired. I don’t think a picture deserves a hearing but a human, as misguided as they may be, should have at least an administrative, in person, review.

That said, anecdotal vignettes calculated to deflect from the real problems of a failing military are, indeed, nothing but practices of reckless ignorance. Focusing only on mistakes made in fixing the Defense Department (which couldn’t recruit competent warfighters or pass an audit) instead of what needed change to be effective, ignores, recklessly, the burning dumpster four years of Biden created.

I’ll provide as much facts and actual analysis of FS Rs as you did. In a word, no to the above.

JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous.

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Have you read (and researched) Hegseth’s book, looked at recruiting criteria (successes and failures), retention rates, reduced physical requirements, which Generals and Admirals were promoted, who ran the EDI programs and the CRT training assumptions and syllabus. etc.?

I forgot that most opinions are just regurgitations of the most successful propagandist’s screeds, but a little diligent inquiry might cause a bit
of thought that’s dangerous to TDS.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Of course there will be too many babies in the bath water.

I personally believe the necessary corrections from Biden’s military’s being an ignorantly conceived, failed social experiment to a war fighting tool superior to all others should be rapid, but more measured. The consequences of taking down a picture pales to an employee being fired. I don’t think a picture deserves a hearing but a human, as misguided as they may be, should have at least an administrative, in person, review.

That said, anecdotal vignettes calculated to deflect from the real problems of a failing military are, indeed, nothing but practices of reckless ignorance. Focusing only on mistakes made in fixing the Defense Department (which couldn’t recruit competent warfighters or pass an audit) instead of what needed change to be effective, ignores, recklessly, the burning dumpster four years of Biden created.

I’ll provide as much facts and actual analysis of FS Rs as you did. In a word, no to the above.

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Yes, sir! It’s the military that has never lost a war with enemy combatants, but which can lose, and does lose, to the lack of will of weak and inconsistent civilian leadership.

It’s both a curse and a blessing to have civilian control of our armed forces, particularly since that leadership and change in as quickly as every two years (Congress) and more meaningfully every four years (POTUS). Whatever the good or bad, as Europe’s semi-bellicose puffing has shown, warts and all and like it or not, the U.S. military is still looked at as the world’s policeman.

As to your examples, illustrative of the power and success of U.S. armed forces, after Linebacker II, a treaty was signed that, if enforced, would have stopped continued invasion from the North. The American civilian leadership had not the courage or will to enforce it.

The first Gulf War was won, no question, there. The Second Gulf War should have never been fought and wouldn’t have if the original terms Saddam agreed to had been enforced.

As to Kabul, Biden (the new civilian leader), didn’t listen to his military leaders and cut and ran. There was an agreement as to an orderly withdrawal, but never enforced. Hardly the military’s fault (although the Sec. of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs should have resigned in protest to that inevitable debacle).

As to the “draft dodger” being ineffective, why is Europe so afraid he’ll sit this one out?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Yes, sir! It’s the military that has never lost a war with enemy combatants, but which can lose, and does lose, to the lack of will of weak and inconsistent civilian leadership.

It’s both a curse and a blessing to have civilian control of our armed forces, particularly since that leadership and change in as quickly as every two years (Congress) and more meaningfully every four years (POTUS). Whatever the good or bad, as Europe’s semi-bellicose puffing has shown, warts and all and like it or not, the U.S. military is still looked at as the world’s policeman.

As to your examples, illustrative of the power and success of U.S. armed forces, after Linebacker II, a treaty was signed that, if enforced, would have stopped continued invasion from the North. The American civilian leadership had not the courage or will to enforce it.

The first Gulf War was won, no question, there. The Second Gulf War should have never been fought and wouldn’t have if the original terms Saddam agreed to had been enforced.

As to Kabul, Biden (the new civilian leader), didn’t listen to his military leaders and cut and ran. There was an agreement as to an orderly withdrawal, but never enforced. Hardly the military’s fault (although the Sec. of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs should have resigned in protest to that inevitable debacle).

As to the “draft dodger” being ineffective, why is Europe so afraid he’ll sit this one out?

Hahaha!

You fought in Vietnam, and LOST.

You fought in Afghanistan, and you L0ST.

You fought in Iraq, and you LOST!

May be appoint a proper CnC to the military instead of a draft dodging coward!

You know, the one being diddled by a bankrupt South African firing honest Americans right, left and center!

quote:

Originally posted by Tumbleweed:
Judge G - What was the U.S. reason for going into Vietnam? SEATO and the domino effect

If the Vietnamese chose to be Communist, or Socialist, or whatever the hell they wanted, how was that not their own business? If they didn’t want to, wasn’t it their business to bring about change?
Russia, China and their puppet states were a real threat that extended much further than national boundaries. Ask Germany, Korea, Ukraine and Poland if a country could maintain a national identity once USSR or China became imbedded within.

Iraq was another matter entirely.

For eight solid years, Saddam had fought an American proxy war with Iran - which the U.S. had previously destabilized and imposed their famous ‘regime change’ in order to steal their oil - and then allowed an American envoy to tell Saddam that if he took Kuwait as his prize for helping, the U.S. would not interfere.
When he did, suddenly the U.S. realized how badly they’d screwed up and pitched a fit. I’m sure you know the rest. Let’s make sure we keep that Kuwaiti oil and cook up some imaginary WMDs or something. Was Saddam a bad guy? Of course he was - but he was THEIR bad guy, and their problem - who had coincidentally served you well. Sunni and Shia, Caliphates and oil, domination of the strait of Hormuz, Shahs and mullahs…. It just is more complicated than the “Blame America First” religion.

Afghanistan - First the Saudis, who the Americans are utterly beholden to, knocked down two American skyscrapers (which will be used as justification for countless American foreign interventions for decades), and it might be perceived as weakness not to kick the shit out of someone in retaliation. Brace yourself, Afghanistan - your medieval religions and customs, although completely your own damn business, are all the justification we need to make you atone for the Saudis insult to Americans pride. Even the messiah said that invading Afghanistan was justified since that country gave succor to the terrorists.

Even after all that, and the meticulously rewritten histories spoon fed to poorly educated and quasi literate Americans, they still perceive themselves as the White Knights. The problem is, the rest of the world isn’t wearing blinders, and not drinking the American Kool Aid.

Until the U.S. takes a good hard realistic look at itself and its position in global society, things are only going to go from bad to worse, and the U.S. will indeed become Ancient Rome v.2.0. - not before inflicting a lot more incalculable suffering on a whole lot of innocent people. At the moment, you have the perfect modern day Caligula, who also lusted for unconstrained personal power, to take you there.

Are you really ‘the world’s policeman’, or are you the ‘Ndrangheta mob, demanding protection money?

Regardless of what Europe is demanding of Trump, I don’t see him encouraging a WWIII solution in Ukraine.

Are you really the bastion of Christian righteousness, or simply the overgrown schoolyard bully taking other kids lunch money?

You might consider the above, while you puzzle over why the terrorists have such an affinity for you. People will use what they have to defend their chosen way of life.
Oh, if they could be successful without the U.S.! If America is no longer the world’s policeman, CCP will certainly fill that slot, and no one will be able to defend themselves successfully from that most brutal of the New Sheriff in Town unless the United States uses its military and economic powers to free Chinas incipient minions..

Elbows up, Canada. Greenland. Panama.

JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Except France had already left and agreed to a vote between the North and South on reunification.

The US figured to North being more populace would win that bore. One coup later in the South and off we went.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
We had an advisor relationship during the Eisenhower administration. Essentially before the French had left.

The French left with about as much dispatch as we did in both 1975 and in Afghanistan.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Except France had already left and agreed to a vote between the North and South on reunification.

The US figured to North being more populace would win that bore. One coup later in the South and off we went.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
Yes, sir! It’s the military that has never lost a war with enemy combatants, but which can lose, and does lose, to the lack of will of weak and inconsistent civilian leadership.

It’s both a curse and a blessing to have civilian control of our armed forces, particularly since that leadership and change in as quickly as every two years (Congress) and more meaningfully every four years (POTUS). Whatever the good or bad, as Europe’s semi-bellicose puffing has shown, warts and all and like it or not, the U.S. military is still looked at as the world’s policeman.

As to your examples, illustrative of the power and success of U.S. armed forces, after Linebacker II, a treaty was signed that, if enforced, would have stopped continued invasion from the North. The American civilian leadership had not the courage or will to enforce it.

The first Gulf War was won, no question, there. The Second Gulf War should have never been fought and wouldn’t have if the original terms Saddam agreed to had been enforced.

As to Kabul, Biden (the new civilian leader), didn’t listen to his military leaders and cut and ran. There was an agreement as to an orderly withdrawal, but never enforced. Hardly the military’s fault (although the Sec. of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs should have resigned in protest to that inevitable debacle).

As to the “draft dodger” being ineffective, why is Europe so afraid he’ll sit this one out?

Hahaha!

You fought in Vietnam, and LOST.

You fought in Afghanistan, and you L0ST.

You fought in Iraq, and you LOST!

May be appoint a proper CnC to the military instead of a draft dodging coward!

You know, the one being diddled by a bankrupt South African firing honest Americans right, left and center!

None of that had anything to do with the quality of our military. Stupid political decisions were the cause. At some point, the US is hopefully going to learn not to get involved in other countries' internal civil wars and disputes.

quote:

We are under the Sword of Damocleses. I would love to believe that there is a way that America can be recognized as a partner with the rest of the democracies of the world. America’s made a lot of mistakes, but none worse than those perpetrated day-to-day by CCP and Russia. What do you believe is a good solution. Is it a return to historic American isolationism and leave Europe and the far and middle east to their own devices and inevitable imperialism of China?
What should Americas course be?

quote:

Originally posted by RolandtheHeadless:
I have to disagree on your last statement, Nute. Trump has a lot of helpers and enablers, ranging from his appointees to his voters.

Try to remember that his voters are less than fifty percent of Americans.