Enemies of the Empire

Jump to 2nd Half of 2015 Blog

Jun 30, 2015 - Time for the Klamath Diversion Project

Despite all the news about the California water crisis, no serious plans to increase the water supply have emerged. The Klamath Diversion was proposed in the 1950s to divert water southwards from the state's second biggest river in the remote northern edge of California, instead of allowing it to pour into the the ocean. The states' population has tripled since that time and continues to grow. Current water restrictions would ensure strong public support, so why isn't democracy working?

Jun 29, 2015 - Confederate Officers Who Rejoined the U.S. Army

During the current hype about the evil Confederacy, some even called those who fought for the South traitors and terrorists. Yankee Presidents disagreed, appointing several former Confederate officers to positions as U.S. Army Generals during the Spanish-American war. 

Jun 24, 2015 - Deception in the News

After days and days of "news" about a young white man opening fire in a church in South Carolina we now know what caused this - the confederate flag! One has to read a lot to learn that the shooter, who shouted that blacks are taking our women, had a lover's crush on a local girl who chose a black man instead.

During this news tsunami, a gunman with a shotgun opened fire on innocent people in Philadelphia twice, wounding over a dozen, to include children. This made local news, but was ignored by the national media. If one reads several articles, we eventually learn the shooter was a young black male. Yahoo news made a nifty graphic, but refused to mention his race and depicted the black shooter as an orange guy. Perhaps this shooting was also caused by a confederate flag. Google confederate flag black, and you'll see lots of images of blacks being led astray by that evil flag. The police have yet to arrest the black gunman.

This is standard corporate misdirection. Focus on racism and odd historical symbolism to avoid important news, like a second attempt to ram another unfair and unpopular job killing trade agreement thru Congress. When President Obama joined this circus event and used the word nigger in public, our media refused to say or print the word used by the President, calling it the N-word. EVERY major media outlet did this! Read this brilliant article by former reporter Fred Reed who explains BS like this is why few Americans read newspapers anymore.

Jun 20, 2015 - Navy Holds LGBT Pride Event

It's one thing to tolerate LGBTs, but officially endorsing those lifestyles with government sponsored special events is out of bounds, as was recently done at our naval base in Bahrain. The proposal to allow transgenders to serve in our military is nutty. Will they be allowed to choose male or female uniforms? Same issue with restrooms and living areas.

I enjoyed the controversy about white lady Rachel Dolezal, who chose to become black, became a leader of a local NAACP, and complained about racist treatment. If one can be transgender, why can't one be "transracial"? The white lady deceived people, but so do transgenders. 

And what about the millions of "black" Americans who are mostly white? Our President "identifies" as black, although he is only half black and was raised by whites. One of the biggest critics of the white lady pretending to be black is comedian Larry Wilmore (pictured) who looks mostly white. Since he grew up in a wealthy suburban white area, he probably alters his accent to sound black.

Jun 15, 2015 - The Sky Did Not Fall

An excellent example of a massive propaganda campaign was the successful effort to convince everyone that the Pentagon suffered deep budget cuts these past four years, while its budget continued to grow by using an off budget OCO "war" spending slush fund. Our nation will spend $90 billion on "combat operations" next year, even though our military is not engaged in any serious combat. Here is an excellent review of that effort, which begins:

"Breaking news! Nearly four years after budget caps imposed by Congress began to modestly rein in runaway spending at the Pentagon, the sky hasn't fallen. In fact, none of the dire predictions of Pentagon contractors - from mass layoffs to a collapse of the U.S. military - have come true. Instead, weapons makers' profits have soared, employment has increased nationwide, and Congress is busily cooking up budget gimmicks to violate its own spending caps and return to record spending levels..."

One reason the USA never wins these petty wars is because the war would end along with all the funding, profits, and fun, as this author explains.

Jun 13, 2015 - Geraldo Hates Hip Hop

I dislike Geraldo Rivera for his fake news reports and war cheerleading, but that is required for all prominent American “newsmen” these days. Yet he recently said that hip hop has done more damage to minorities than racism. This was ignored by the corporate media and Rivera was not denounced and forced to resign because of his minority status. This short clip of his comments deserves national debate. Note the shocked reaction of the interviewer who knows to move on and avoid that subject.

Jun 3, 2015 - Reality Internet

It was nice to read accurate information on military life for a change. Former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb wrote:

"There is a small and sad group of SOF widows who can't move on," Webb wrote in a comment published on Feb. 22, using the abbreviation for special operations forces. "They drink too much, pop prescription pills like tic tacs, sleep around, and use SOF/Military charities as their own personal ATM machine when the money gets low. They like to stir up drama to remain relevant.

A few women wrote to Webb, complaining about the comment. He responded on Twitter, for all of his nearly 20,000 followers: "I stand by that statement 100%. Not all SEALs are good guys and not all Widows are saints," Webb wrote.

May 31, 2015 - Denny Hastert Imprisons Himself

When this guy was leading the US House of Representatives, he presided over ongoing efforts to make so many things illegal that most Americans commit felonies without knowing. It seems he did bad things decades ago, but his recent federal indictment threatens years in prison for taking cash out of his own bank account. This was detected by the intrusive warrantless monitoring of personal information. After questioning by the FBI, he was charged with telling them a lie. 

Most Americans do not realize that it is a felony to withdraw large sums of cash from their own bank account, even if just a few thousand at a time. It is also illegal to lie to a federal agent, so it's best to never discuss anything with one. No one was hurt or complained about these "serious felonies", but Hastert could spend years in prison for these sins. 

May 25, 2015 - Inaccurate Memorials

In my May 22nd post, a reader mentioned that deaths of Navy SEALs in the OBL raid/show may have been hidden by including them in a different incident. Readers may not know that hiding the cause of death on secret missions is required. For example, the Special Operations Command cannot announce that a couple SEALs were killed fighting in Pakistan when American forces are not permitted to conduct operations there. Including combat deaths with a recent accident is the preferred method. If none have occurred, they are forced to dream up stories like: two SEALs drown in a swimming pool while training alone. That odd story may be true, but whenever Special Forces personnel die in "accidents" I wonder what really happened. For example, in 2008 three Army Special Forces personnel drowned in Afghanistan -- when their vehicle drove into a canal? That's plausible, but...

And in 2007, an Army Special Forces swimming expert drowned while scuba diving in a lake in the Southern  Philippines. There are hundreds of American advisers in the Philippines who are strictly prohibited from combat operations. This is a very sensitive issue for the Philippine government as many of their Congressmen oppose any American military presence. While hiding deaths may seem harmless, American Congressmen and citizens should know when their servicemen are killed, especially if caused by incompetence.

Last January, 44 "elite" members of the American advised Philippine National Police (Special Action Force) (similar to our FBI HRT) were slaughtered when they tried to play army and attack a Muslim militia in the southern Philippines. It is unclear why this police unit from Manila was sent and not the experienced local Philippine Army. The US Embassy confirmed that Americans supported the operation, but denied a report that one was killed. The Philippine Army reported that 50 friendlies were killed, but they were unable to identify several of them. A couple months later when a Louisiana National Guard helicopter crashed off the Florida coast, we are told an entire seven-man Marine Corps Special Operations team happened to be aboard and perished with no bodies to be found. This is all speculation, but remember that the Pentagon never reports deaths from secret operations. Unfortunately, memorials for these servicemen state they died in accidents, whereas many died heroically in combat.

May 23, 2015 - Let's Close Down Social Security Gaming

I've read numerous articles on Social Security strategies, and many are obvious loopholes exploited to boost benefits. I've also read articles explaining why Social Security's long term financial health is endangered. Like most sane people, I wondered why Congress does not take an interest in this matter. I was pleased to read that someone published an article about this.

May 22, 2015 - OBL's Mystery Death

A reader sends:

"I noticed your recent entry in G2mil concerning the supposed assassination of Osama Bin Laden. It brought back a number of recollections I had of the following events, which you might find interesting. If possible, I also want you to include this in a post on G2mil, because I've never seen anyone put all these pieces of the puzzle together in a single place anywhere on the internet.

The first concerns the night that Bin Laden's death was announced. For hours before Barak Obama got behind the podium, the TV news networks deliberated over his big announcement about the Afghan War. One journalist told the Fox News staff during this live broadcast that his sources inside the CIA and DoD informed him that Bin Laden was killed by US forces. According to the man they were interviewing, it was a drone attack that did-in Bin Laden several months prior, and that it had taken this long to formally announce Bin Laden's death because of the DNA test that was required (the story made sense; contrary to the CSI myth that a DNA test takes a few minutes to complete, they actually take a few months). The Fox News people and a couple of their advisers all agreed on this, stating that they all heard the same thing, and their inside sources confirmed it. 

Then, Obama spoke, and told us all that Bin Laden had been killed by a Navy SEALs raid, in which SEAL Team 6 infiltrated Pakistani airspace using helicopters, landed inside a remote compound in Abbottabad, did the job, and exfiltrated the same way they came in, bringing the body with them. It completely contradicted the Fox News story in every way. The instant the speech was over, the Fox News reporters and advisers were all parroting the Obama story, and have never since mentioned anything they had been saying on live TV just before the speech --- they all acted as though they hadn't just told a completely different story 20 minutes prior! My family and I watched all of this, and we were like, "What the hell is this?!". To this day, I still haven't been able to find the footage of that broadcast on the internet.

That's when it hit me. Something about this story wasn't right. The Obama story and the Fox News story clearly aren't true, but it's also possible that both of them are false; a Contrary, as opposed to a Contradiction. The story began to stink even more when the body was allegedly flown straight to an Aircraft Carrier stationed in the Indian Ocean, whereupon it was identified, and then immediately dumped overboard. The only possible physical proof that their story was true went straight into the sea.

The cover story had been that everything was just fine and dandy, that none the SEALs suffered no casualties whatsoever. Then the story leaked-out --- along with photographic evidence and eyewitness testimony from people all over Abbottabad --- that one of the helicopters that landed inside the compound exploded and crashed as it was taking off, with dead and wounded soldiers from that helicopter scattered everywhere across the compound. Military helicopters can suffer many kinds of in-flight failures during lift-off that can cause them to immediately crash; exploding beforehand isn't one of them. The US government denied this ever occurred... at least, until photographs and videos of the helicopter's wreckage inside the compound emerged.

We are also somehow expected to believe that two utility helicopters with no escort or advance scouts were somehow able to fly at full speed through completely unknown territory at nap-of-the-earth altitudes through numerous canyons, hills, rock formations, trees, buildings, and so on without colliding with any of these terrain obstacles. At night. We are also expected to disregard that Pakistan has an air force better trained than our own (with 200 flight hours/year/pilot on average, compared to 180 for the USAF; also, look-up info on Pakistani ace pilot M.M. Alam, the greatest combat ace of the Jet Age), and that their army has an extremely formidable ground-based integrated air defense network. Consider the fact that stealth fighters flying at high speeds and altitudes in Desert Storm were tracked continuously by obsolete radars (using bandwidths their stealth features were completely optimized to defeat), and were shot-down over Kosovo using search radar and radar-guided SAMs that were obsolete before stealth technology even came into use. Yet, we are expected to believe that two mere HELICOPTERS with the same technology somehow --- by fiat, apparently --- managed to evade a network of some of the best US and Chinese weapons and radar on the market, as well as the most powerful air force in Southern Asia, on a two-way trip to a location deep inside enemy territory.

I have a funny feeling that something with a Pakistani roundel on it is what made that helicopter explode. Moreover, the US government not only stuck to their guns that all the SEALs were still alive, but also that all of them were still operating somewhere in Afghanistan. This was not only a major breach of security, but also a rather convenient way to prevent their status from being known, and to ensure no one would try look for these guys for an interview.

Then the entire SEAL formation were all suddenly killed in Afghanistan, when their helicopter was shot-down with all crew and passengers dead. They were all riding in a single helicopter through the middle of nowhere, with no escort, and therefore no eyewitnesses. It was a CH-47 Chinook, used by the Army and not the Navy, rather than a CH-53E Sea Dragon, used by the Navy and Marines but not the Army. It was moving perfectly straight and level at an extremely low altitude, through a known "hot" zone full of Taliban activity. And then it was hit by an unguided RPG-7 rocket at a very long range, which somehow managed to explode an entire heavy-lift cargo helicopter and kill everyone inside, despite the fact that shaped-charge HEAT warheads are tiny; they destroy tanks using a narrow jet of copper moving at insane speeds, not a huge fan of shrapnel like a surface to air missile. It all makes perfect sense, and nothing is suspicious about it at all. The US military claims that the Taliban guy who shot-down the "Navy SEAL Chinook" was killed immediately afterwards, and they won't say who did it. Another convenient dead-end.

Finally, consider that SEAL Team 6 was claimed to be the unit that the "Abbottabad Squad" hailed-from. No such formation existed. SEAL Team 6 was re-purposed in the late 1980s as DEVGRU (Development Group) 6. Their new function was developing, testing, and evaluating all the weapons, tactics, and so on for potential use by the SEALs, to determine which ones will be most useful in the field. It's not as glamorous, but it's also clear that DEVGRU 6 was essential for the SEALs --- especially as they have no other DEVGRU formations. I had also read for years and years that you can always spot a phony Navy SEAL by a claim that they were in Team 6. Almost all of them claim to have been in Team 6, after the cult status it achieved from Richard "Demo Dick" Marchinko's stories about them. Marchinkowas in fact a member of SEAL Team 6 --- during the only decade in which it existed, the 1980s. Another dead giveaway that real SEALs have for more than a decade pointed-out for spotting phony SEALs is that there are no "Secret SEALs". I.e., SEAL formations other than those whose operational status isn't a secret (SEAL Team 3, SEAL Team 10, etc.).

Yet, we are supposed to believe that DESGRU 6 was secretly SEAL Team 6. This claim defies every "How to spot a phony SEAL" list, and it is astounding how no one --- especially the SEALs --- have ever called the media and the US government on it. I have no idea what all of these truths add-up to, but they all contradict the official story."

                                                      BF

The truth also explains the odd prosecution of Pakistani military doctor Shakil Afridi. We are told that he is a hero who positively identified bin Laden's whereabouts to our CIA. Afridi was arrested while trying to flee the country days after the raid. On May 23, 2012, he was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment for treason. Various excuses were presented, but none explain why the Pakistani military considers him a traitor, and why they endured a cut off of aid and worsen relations for imprisoning "the man who found bin Laden." The official story makes no sense, which is why Afridi remains imprisoned because he has something to say.

May 18, 2015 - Congratulations to G2mil

Four years ago G2mil posted:

May 7, 2011 - Killing Osama - The Incredible Story is Not Credible

Control of the American media is so complete that no one expressed doubts about the obvious flaws and lucky timing in the recent tale of killing Osama Bin Laden...

You can read the rest here. Two years later, G2mil posted:

Sep 21, 2013 - The Fake Osama Raid

G2mil readers may have felt uncomfortable reading my May 7, 2011 blog about why the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden was fake. I just learned that the BBC did a report that concludes the same thing. You may disagree, but there is no doubt that major American media refused to mention the BBC report. At the same link there is an interview with former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto, who stated that OBL was killed in 2007, which was later edited out by the BBC, and Bhutto assassinated shortly after that interview.

You may have read news reports that famous reporter Seymour Hersh just published a story that the raid to kill Osama bin Laden was fake, but most reports failed to provide a link to the article. Hersh claims that sickly bin Laden was under house arrest by the Pakistani military and a few Generals accepted reward money to allow an American team to show up and execute him. Hersh's story makes much more sense than the official story, although I suspect bin Laden has been dead for a decade and the man they killed was someone who resembled bin Laden. While the corporate media attacked Hersh's "conspiracy theory", you probably didn't read that another expert had reported the same things back in 2011. Most of our corporate media avoided this huge story, except for NBC news, whose experienced reporters confirmed Hersh's claims. 

I agree with Paul Craig Roberts assertion that bin Laden died a decade ago. This is strengthen by Hersh's claim that the body recovered in the raid was dumped off a helicopter into a remote mountainous region before its identity was verified. This also explains why a former Navy SEAL is profiting by claiming he killed bin Laden without worries that he will be prosecuted for revealing classified material. If what he claims in public never happened, he can't be prosecuted! This also explains why the CIA disbanded its special "Alec Station" unit in 2005, whose mission was to find bin Laden. Finally, if bin Laden died long ago, this explains President Bush's odd 2002 press conference where he said Osama may be dead and he isn't concerned about finding him.

May 16, 2015 - Four Horsemen

This great documentary explains the recent decline in morality by the powers that be. Men have always accumulated great wealth, but the ultra-rich felt responsible for directing resources to ensure a stable society. Warren Buffet is a modern example. Unfortunately, the majority of today's multi-billionaires are focused on accumulating more wealth no matter the long-term cost to society.

One issue not addressed are absentee landlords, made possible by modern communications. Until a century ago, the wealthy lived near their farms, apartments, and industries for oversight, lest their managers steal. They took an interest in the community and used their influence to ensure good roads, nice parks, hospitals, museums, and clean streets, even if they had to donate some of their wealth. Now they live in distant resorts and even in other nations and monitor everything via the Internet. If an American factory is profitable, but they can make more money by moving it to a slum in India, they do so. They don't care if it devastates the local American city because they have never been there and don't know anyone there except a couple senior managers.

May 12, 2015 - Greed

You may have missed this story, because it is too disgusting for most of corporate America to print:

"From 2011 to 2014, the government paid $5.4 million to 14 NFL teams, who have used some of the money to pay for costs associated with holding patriotic ceremonies and providing perks to military personnel attending the games...

I've been indifferent to these events. Yes they are somewhat phony, but I thought it was good the millionaires of the NFL at least gave troops a few pennies for their service. But now? How could anyone in the NFL consider accepting money for these events? 

May 9, 2015 - US Army Stupidity

From my book:

Airborne Operations

     Large-scale paratrooper operations are no longer viable, if they ever were. History has shown the problem of logistical resupply is disastrous after enemy AAA systems arrive near the drop zone. Long-range MLRS systems can pummel a captured airfield or drop zone halting all activity. As aircraft become more expensive and air defenses more lethal, the idea of paratrooper operations larger than a company are unrealistic. A low-flying C-130 can be easily downed by Hellfires, video guided missiles, and suicide micro-drones not to mention basic AAA fire and air defense missiles.

     The US Army must stop wasting a billion dollars a year keeping 49,000 paratroopers qualified with monthly jumps. Any General who suggests sending a huge C-17 packed with paratroopers (pictured) to jump anywhere near a real enemy must be retired.  Those who advocate large airborne and airmobile operations on a modern battlefield are ignorant of modern anti-aircraft technology and probably have never read about Spike missiles or suicide micro drones. One cannot claim they will avoid areas with air defense systems because they will not know where all are located.

______________________________

A few days ago I read: 50 Bragg paratroopers injured in training exercise, one died. This goes on year after year, resulting in hundreds of soldiers discharged each year due to injuries and thousands later claiming VA benefits each year from jumps. Most of this has no military value, just mindless stupidity! The USAF would never assemble enough transports to drop and sustain more than an airborne battalion in combat, assuming they were foolish enough to try. The billion dollars saved is not just from jump pay and airborne school, but mostly from USAF fuel and flight hour costs. 

The 18th Airborne Corps should become the 18th Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division should revert to its original 82nd Infantry Division designation with just one parachute regiment that maintains one airborne battalion on alert for unguarded airfield seizure missions, which can be followed by airmobile infantry from the 82nd. The 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy should become an infantry brigade. The remaining para regiment in the 82nd along with Special Forces needs would cut the overall monthly jump burden in half and soldiers would have more time for combat training!

Apr 30, 2015 - Executive Office Arrogance

It was good to read a major newspaper story on American workers being replaced by imported H-1B visa foreign workers, after the Americans trained them. This led to a Senate hearing where Senators from both parties demanded answers. The Labor Department arrogantly refused to even investigate the complaints, stating

"The Labor Department "has not received a complaint from an aggrieved party or a credible source, and other avenues for investigation are not appropriate at this time," M. Patricia Smith, the department's solicitor, said in a letter dated Tuesday.

The letter was sent to Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), who had joined with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and a bipartisan group of eight other senators this month in asking the Obama administration to look into allegations that Edison was using the visas to hire foreigners to replace American workers."

So the U.S. Senate and a report in the Los Angeles Times that includes eyewitness accounts are not credible. This incredible arrogance should outrage all Americans.

Apr 27, 2015 - A Classified Trade Deal?

The Obama team has created a new form of corruption. Details of the recent proposed trade deal are classified and cannot be read by the public, yet he demands that Congress vote in favor. This deal is opposed by Democrats in Congress! Everyone agrees that previous trade deals have cost the USA millions of manufacturing jobs, so who profits from this? Corporations of course!

Apr 25, 2015 - War is Fun

Here is an excellent short video of why the Pentagon has an office in Hollywood that offers millions of dollars worth of military support for Hollywood movies if the Pentagon endorses the script, which always requires changes to present a positive image. As a result, most Americans think that war is a fun game and always support military intervention.

Apr 20, 2015 - Drain Lake Powell!

I've been reading about the California water crisis and the Lake Powell "mistake" issue. Experts now agree that the Glen Canyon Dam project that created the massive Lake Powell reservoir was a mistake that is wasting some 7% of Colorado River water. Dams are usually a great idea as they provide electricity, drinking water, and recreation to locals. But the area in the north edge of Arizona is sparsely populated and the dam there holds up valuable water in a huge shallow lake where much of it evaporates before flowing downstream, at a rate of up to nine inches a month in Summer.

This wasn't a factor when built in the 1960s, but since then water use up and downstream has surged. As a result, less water flows down the Colorado so the huge, deep reservoir at Lake Mead near Las Vegas is below 40% capacity, as well as those fed in Southern California. If the Feds simply opened the penstocks (i.e. gates) at Glen Canyon water could flow through to reform the river and fill up Lake Mead, allowing its hydroelectric turbines to run at full capacity to offset the loss from Glen Canyon, while eliminating hundreds of expensive federal employees there. Lake Mead is four times deeper than Lake Powell, so the loss to evaporation is four times less, and the extra water from Lake Powell would result little increased in evaporation. The river water whitens the black rock around much of Lake Mead, so its water loss is easy to see (pictured).

The tourists who visit Lake Powell could go to Lake Mead or other lakes in the region. Lake Mead is also much closer to the two million people in Southern Nevada and the 20 million in Southern California, reducing electrical transmission losses too. The few locals around Lake Powell could be compensated for losses. This is not the solution to California water problems, but part of a solution, and an easy one too! 

Unfortunately, our federal government seems too dysfunctional to adopt sensible solutions. For example, Swiss owned Nestle bottles its Arrowhead Spring water from a National Forest in Southern California and ships it nationwide. Its federal water use permit expired in 1988 and was never renewed since that requires an environmental review. Given the developing water shortage, any such review probably would have denied a new permit. However, the Forest Service refuses to order a halt to this export of fresh water from drought plagued Southern California. 

Apr 19, 2015 - The Anthrax Scandal

A few days after 9-11, deadly anthrax was mailed to several persons in the USA, proving the evil intent of terrorist and the need for the Patriot Act to nullify our Bill of Rights. Is it possible that sinister elements within the U.S. government mailed the anthrax? Last year, a book was published detailing this conspiracy, and now the FBI agent in charge of the anthrax investigation has publicly endorsed the book as true! He said the evidence led to persons working within the federal government, but his agents were blocked from pursing those leads and directed to frame a low-level pasty. No mention of this scandal in our corporate media.

Apr 18, 2015 - This is a Debris Field

What happens when someone crashes a large airliner at a high rate of speed, like the recent Germanwings disaster in the Alps? You end up with thousands of items and hundreds of body parts scattered about, as this video shows. This happens at all such crashes, unless you believe the official story of 9-11 that everything pulverized and disappeared without a single body part to be found. I don't know what happened on 9-11, but any sane person who watches this news video (and others linked there) about the site in Pennsylvania where we are told Flight 93 crashed concludes that a large airliner did not crash there. 

If one understands the art of deception, it is possible that no airplane hit the twin towers, maybe just a cruise missile or large remote controlled drone. We've all seen the videos of the airliners, but where did those come from? Someone could have spent weeks crafting videos of passenger aircraft crashing into the towers using Hollywood graphics computers, then released these to the media shortly after impact. Even those who saw a glimpse of the real thing would replace that memory with the television clips. Eyewitnesses who insist they saw a missile hit the towers are numerous, but we know they are confused since we have all seen the videos on TV that prove otherwise. 

I read a story about a group of pilots and stewardesses who are certain that boxcutter armed Arabs could not have taken over four airliners before a pilot could press the secret silent alarm button that an aircraft has been hijacked. They say this would be difficult to accomplish on just one aircraft, but to think they managed to noisily charge into the cockpit of four aircraft and take control before any of the eight pilots pushed a button. Impossible they say!

Apr 13, 2015 - The Disappointment that is the F-35

Here is a great overview of the failed F-35 program. As I explain in my book, the U.S. military has placed far too much emphasis on platforms rather than weaponry. I'd cancel the F-35 and buy the latest F-16, F-15, and FA-18 models, which are still in production with upgraded components that are newer that the F-35s have. The Marines have plenty of Harriers that can last until 2030 since they average just 17 years of age. Meanwhile, the Marines can choose better options, like FA-18F (that can fly from roadways) or OV-6Cs. I'd prefer both.

Apr 11, 2015 - Airless Tires

I've read about these but didn't know they were already mounted on American military vehicles. They seem much better for a combat vehicle, but probably have a rougher ride, may cost much more, and not last as long. I guess bullets would rip up these tires anyway.

Apr 10, 2015 - War in HD

Tiny HiDef video cameras were developed for sports, but have found their way into war zones. Now you can watch Syrian tanks rampaging around cities in HD on youtube.

Apr 9, 2015 - Old School Republican Slaps Down NeoCon

It was great to see sane Republican Pat Buchannan dismiss crazy warmonger Sean Hannity, who wants to bomb everyone because he thinks everyone is our enemy.

Apr 8, 2015 - Evil Enemy Propaganda

And as an example of the CIA steering Google (and most other media outlets) I've seen lots of stories about the evil Russians taking over a secret NATO base in the arctic. I assumed this was a hidden sub base under the arctic ice that the Russians found and took over. Here are the headlines from a google news search:

_____________________

How Norway lost control of its own secret $500 million Arctic naval ...

Quartz-Apr 4, 2015
During the Cold War, Norway built a secret naval base, Olavsvern, that was ... So how come the base is now full of Russian research vessels?
Russia Planning Attack? NATO Worried After Russian Ships Dock ...
The Inquisitr-Apr 4, 2015

NATO alarmed by Russian takeover of former secret Arctic base
Big News Network.com-19 hours ago

Russian ships in old Arctic NATO base set alarms bells ringing
Highly Cited-Yahoo News-Apr 2, 2015

NATO concerned after Russian ships dock in closed naval base in ...
In-Depth-Daily Mail-Apr 4, 2015

Russia using former top secret NATO naval base in the Arctic
Highly Cited-Ukraine Today-Apr 3, 2015

___________________________________

The googled the base to learn that it is actually in northern Norway, and its not even on an island, it's just above the Arctic Circle. And the base is no secret, I mentioned it in my book, with photos! And the Norwegians allowed Russian non-military ships to dock for supplies and made a profit! This is not even news!

The same thing happened when two U.S. Navy fighter planes landed on Taiwan due to mechanical problems. A reporter asked and China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying who said:

"We have already made solemn representations to the U.S. side...We require the U.S. to abide by the 'One-China Policy' ... to prudently deal with the relevant issue," 

Once again, this is not even news, but somehow all American media reported that China objected. Even NPR, which presents more sophisticated CIA propaganda started its story:

"China is strongly protesting the apparent emergency landing of two U.S. Navy F-18 fighters at an airbase in Taiwan — the first time such an incident has occurred in three decades. Beijing has long considered Taiwan part of its territory and the presence of U.S. warplanes there has caused unease."

Really? Mighty China is upset that two unarmed U.S. Navy aircraft made an emergency landing? Stories like this are found daily in the U.S. media. Every minor non-event is portrayed as ongoing efforts by a world of villains to threaten the USA. It is obvious that hundreds of government funded employees are dedicated to choosing these non-news stories, spinning them up as news about evildoers, and placing them in media outlets nationwide. As a result, whenever the Pentagon wants to attack a nation, Americans agree that an attack is overdue after listening to years of threats and provocations by evil nations.

Meanwhile, Newsweek just published a detailed story about the thousands of U.S. troops exposed to nerve gas in Iraq in 1991. This had been denied by the Pentagon until recently. Very few American media outlets thought this story would be interest to their readers. No one wants to hear that the Reagan and Bush administrations secretly helped Saddam Hussein build biological and chemical weapons to deter Iran. These stockpiles later killed and disabled thousands of unprotected American troops when the storage sites were bombed or blown up. The low level of exposure made them feel sick (known as Gulf War Illnesses) and eventually killed or disabled thousands.

Apr 6, 2015 - See No Evil

Why the CIA created Google.

Apr 5, 2015 - Corrupted American Universities

Great universities graduate very successful people, mostly because they applied there. You could take the incoming class of Harvard and force them to attend Kansas State instead, and they would go on to great things, mostly because of family connections, and probably graduate with a better education. America’s most famous and successful entrepreneur was Sam Walton. In his book, he said Walmart stopped recruiting Ivy League grads because they worked less, complained more, and always demanded higher pay. He found that graduates of state universities in the mid-West are best.

If you want an example of our nation's corruption, read about the State Department's "Education USA" program created to pay for testing and application fees for foreigners to attend American universities. Meanwhile, the Feds hound citizens forever to repay student loans and do not allow most of them to refinance high interest loans, so many pay 8% for life! Student loans should be repaid, but interest could be forgiven depending on the rate and their income. Few Americans realize that the Feds make billions of dollars a year in profits off the student loan program; a $41.3 billion in profit in 2013! We have the only Department of Education in the world that makes a profit!

Millions of citizens now owe more from interest on their student loans than they borrowed! It's become a tax on the lower middle class that can grow forever leading to garnishment of social security retirement checks. Since our government loans rich bankers money at less than 1%, I'm sure citizens would agree to a plan to reduce student loan profiteering by lowering interest rates and writing off some of the interest that accumulated over the years.

Apr 4, 2015 - Vietnam War Revelations

As part of my intermittent study of the Vietnam War, I came across two items of interest:

1. Many former American military officers agree with the North Vietnamese that Khe Sahn was a defeat since the U.S. military withdrew from the base under fire. This occurred after the U.S. military had dropped more tons of bombs around Khe Sahn than on Japan during World War II!

2. Not all supplies were hauled down the Ho Chi Mihn trail. Tons of war material for the NVA were off loaded at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville by civilian ships. Intelligence was difficult to obtain, but whenever evidence was presented corrupt Cambodian Generals claimed the weaponry was for their own army.

Apr 1, 2015 - Senator McCain is Nuts!

At a podium in the US Senate, crazed warmonger John McCain urged Israel to start a senseless war to force our President to join an attack on Iran:

McCAIN: The Israelis will need to chart their own path of resistance. On the Iranian nuclear deal, they may have to go rogue. Let's hope their warnings have not been mere bluffs. Israel survived its first 19 years without meaningful U.S. patronage. For now, all it has to do is get through the next 22, admittedly long, months.

He hopes this foreign nation will undermine his nation's official foreign policy that wants a peaceful resolution. McCrazy is sure the next American President will promptly start a major world war to punish Iran for failing to bow. The video of his treason is here. People of Arizona, please vote this madman out of office. Few Americans realize that Iran is simply accused of wanting nuclear weapons, but the USA is a massive and open violator of the NPT.

Mar 29, 2015 - John Oliver is America's Best Investigative Journalist

America's corporate news monopolies have mostly eliminated investigative journalism because it upsets powerful corporations and some wealthy people. Most have drifted to entertainment puff segments about celebrities or low level crime. Fortunately, a spin off from the popular Daily Show "Last Week Tonight" has become a humorous investigative new shows. It's only on cable but segments can be found on youtube, like this one on Native Advertising. There are dozens of others at that link that are both educational and funny.

Mar 22, 2015 - Toggle That Key

I've always hated the odd wireless connection key that most computers now have. It's in the upper left of the keyboard above the @ symbol, the one with the radio tower symbol. Users sometimes press it by accident and then spend much time trying to figure out why their internet connection went dead.

I've recently noticed a new website lure. Click a link and it allows you to begin reading for two seconds, but then you are blocked with a demand to subscribe or sign up. You can hit the back key for another two seconds, but this is annoying. So now I hit the back key and then the wireless access key to instantly disable the connection. Now I can read as long as I like, and when finished I hit the wireless key to reconnect and move on.

Mar 21, 2015 - Murder Mystery at Gitmo

If our media was truly free, we'd see lots of stories about a murder at Gitmo, but must find a small blog to learn details of it. The base commander, an Navy O-6 Captain, was having an affair with a married civilian employee. He was publicly confronted by her husband, who somehow ended up dead a few hours later. A quiet investigation drags on with no arrests nor statements to the media.

Mar 19, 2015 - The Basque "Discovered" America?

When Jacques Cartier mapped the mouth of the St Lawrence River in 1535, he reported there were a many Basque fishing boats already there. The Basques of northern Spain have always asserted that their fishermen where summering off the American coast for decades before 1492, harvesting cod and whale. The crew of Columbus' ships were mostly Basque, including his navigator! There's lots on the Internet about this plausible claim, this Google group discussion  for example. 

There is lots of hard archeological proof from old Basque fishing camps in the Americas from the early 1500s, but hard proof prior to 1492 has yet to appear. Fishermen set up Summer camps to gut and dry/salt their cod/whale meat and barrel whale oil before sailing home. Had the Basque discovered great fishing areas along the American coast prior to 1492, it is unlikely they would have announced this discovery to the world.

Mar 16, 2015 - The Pentagon Wars

This famous book about our Pentagon's dysfunctional procurement system was made into a humorous movie and can now be seen on youtube. If you want a quick look, watch this 11-minute segment about the design of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. 

Mar 14, 2015 - No Pentagon Cuts

Our corporate media is filled with propaganda about how sequestration will result in deep, dangerous cuts in our military. These arguments mischaracterize current levels of Pentagon spending, asserting that the 2011 budget caps represent a $1 trillion reduction over ten years, while Generals dispatch American troops to every place on the globe where a conflict may occur to suggest an even greater need. Meanwhile, Generals and Admirals blame lower readiness on non-existent "cuts" to excuse their mismanagement, neglect, and incompetence. To make matters worse, Obama just appointed a military industry lobbyist as Secretary of Defense, who was enthusiastically confirmed by congressional committees packed with military industry reps.

In fact, Pentagon spending is going up. The Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation's latest briefing book on the Pentagon budget notes that even under the caps, the Pentagon's base budget is slated to receive more money this year than it did last year, and to continue rising through the end of this decade and beyond. There was a small course correction in Fiscal Year 2013, when the caps brought the record post-World War II Pentagon budget down by 6%. But after that the trend has been onward and upward. The misleading "cuts" are based on comparing current spending projections to the Pentagon's unrealistic wish list for double digit annual spending growth, not to actual spending levels.

Mar 9, 2015 - Puritanism in our Navy

The Navy sentenced a senior officer (O-6) to 30 days in the brig (jail) for viewing porno on his government computer. It's good to know that a senior officer was disciplined for an infraction, but the brig? That sentence is idiotic for anyone. A bad mark on a fitness report or a small fine should suffice. 

Mar 7, 2015 - Even More Corrupt!

Corporate America keeps inventing new ways to control our nation. Whenever their sponsored American President needs to appoint someone to a key federal position, they tell him who to select. Their problem is that all their buddies make millions of dollars a year, and few want a $160,000 a year federal job that places them in the spotlight  The solution is to pay them millions of dollars indirectly to work as a "civil servant" mole. This is not a new practice, but  has become common. Why do they do this? It's called bribery, but no one is ever prosecuted. 

Mar 6, 2015 - Rewarding International Scabs

A reader sent another article about skilled American workers being displaced by imported workers. While these visas last just 3-6 years, I'd bet more than 90% stay forever since they can bring their spouse, who Obama recently decreed could also work. If they want to stay forever, they just need to have a child during their stay, which most want anyway.

Meanwhile, Obama has sweetened the lure to attract millions more illegal aliens. His recent amnesty tells everyone that illegal entry will result in legal status, and a bonus of up to $20,000! After he awards these lawbreakers with a social security card, not only can they sign up for welfare benefits, they can also file back tax returns for up to three years and pocket child tax credits and EIC payments! This will cost almost two billion dollars and is probably opposed by over 90% of Americans, so why is he doing this? How can any patriot do this when millions of American citizens are homeless and as Congress cuts programs to our poor to meet budget caps?

Mar 2, 2015 - Controlling the American Masses

George Carlin is a comedian, but in this short video he educates Americans programmed by the corporate media why there is no democracy in the USA. 

Feb 28, 2015 - No Talk of Texas Independence Permitted

One legacy of our civil war is the Feds have zero tolerance for any talk of state secession. Any group that discusses the subject is investigated, harassed, and often criminally charged. Here is the latest example, that includes this:

BRYAN, TX — Federal and local police forces raided a political meeting, taking unusual measures to document every attendee by taking fingerprints and photographs, and seizing every cell phone and all recording equipment in the meeting hall.

The raid took place on February 14, 2015, at VFW Post 4892 in Bryan, Texas. At 10:10 a.m., an “army of policing agencies with flashing emergency lights” showed up, shut down the meeting of “congenial and unimposing” Texans and forced them to hand over their private effects and biometric data.

Feb 23, 2015 - U.S. Army T/O @ T/E

If you are interested in a VERY detailed look at the organization of the U.S. Army, this document has it all, albeit from Sept 2012. Lots of overlap and tail there. For one small example, I noticed some support companies have a mix of a few 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .50 cal, and 40mm machine guns. For simplicity in training and logistics, they could neck down to just 50 cals, which are the best choice for dealing with UAVs, helicopters, recon IFVs, and strafing aircraft.

Feb 22, 2015 - Walmart Follows G2mil Advice

Walmart just announced a plan to increase its starting wage to $10 an hour by Feb. 2016, just as G2mil recommended:

Nov 24, 2013 - Walmart Should Lead

Walmart has always been an upstart outsider corporation, run by yokels from Oklahoma, and hated by the elite corporate press. It is attacked for providing substandard health insurance, even though many other corporations provide none. Walmart is attacked for its low wages, even though other profitable corporations pay less, like the fast food giants. The average retail floor worker at Walmart makes $11.75 an hour, which is around 12% less than the average retail worker, but higher than most people think.

I agree with this 2011 study that Walmart could become more profitable by establishing a higher minimum wage for its employees. It would be a great public relations boost and turn attention to other major corporations who refuse to match Walmart's wage challenge. A starting salary boost to $10 an hour would affect 25% its workers and match President Obama's recent support for a $10 an hour minimum wage. California has already legislated this for 2016 and Congress will follow at some point in the future since the current rate has not been raised in over four years. Moreover, a higher wage would boost morale, productivity, and reduce turnover since losing a Walmart job might mean $7.25 an hour elsewhere. In addition, workers would spend much of their extra income at Walmart. 

Personally, I support a $12 an hour minimum wage to encourage work over welfare, and to restore it to the 1960s level that has been eroded by inflation. Corporate crackpots claim this will reduce employment, as though they have lots of idle minimum wage workers loitering around that they would have to lay off. Others claim that low-skill workers don't deserve more, as though hard labor itself is not deserving of a decent wage. In many areas of the USA, full-time minimum wage workers don't even earn enough to pay the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment. This wage increase might cause a tiny rise in inflation as business adjusts, but deflation due to slack consumer demand is a problem today. Finally, a higher minimum wage means more tax revenue from salaries and sales taxes via increased spending, and fewer people qualified for welfare programs.

I think Walmart is getting a bad rap as the low wage villain while MacDonalds, Target, and big farmers pay less. Walmart can boost its image, increase productivity and sales by doing the right thing and boosting its minimum wage to $10 an hour. Walmart as a symbol for corporate greed and low wages would disappear and leave its critics speechless. As I noted, the minimum wage will rise to $10 an hour one day, so Walmart should leap ahead of politics while demonstrating concern for its workers.

Where do I send my consulting bill? Meanwhile, traditional corporate experts spin their idiotic nonsense blasting this step forward. They say Walmart will have to raise prices that will hurt the poor, but Walmart had a $16 billion profit last year despite falling sales, and this wage increase will only cost $1 billion a year! It may be a coincidence, but recall that a federal judge just halted Obama's edict to hand out five million work visas to illegals. That may have been the deciding factor, but meanwhile we'll assume that Walmart executives are just smart and care about workers. Sears/K-mart has the lowest wages in the retail industry, has been losing sales and money for years, and may soon go bankrupt. Sears has been going downhill ever since all its career retail employees quit a few years ago when salaries were cut in half, and were replaced by minimum wagers.

Feb 21, 2015 - How to Win a Dogfight

This interview provides great insight on how modern fighter aircraft compare.

Feb 18, 2015 - Rand Paul is just an MD

As the 2016 presidential campaign begins so do the smears. A leading Republican candidate is Senator Rand Paul because he looks good, is a medical doctor, opposes war, opposes a police state, and talks seriously about smaller government, to include a smaller military budget, which makes him a enemy to several huge corporations. This makes him popular among old school "Goldwater" Republicans, among Independents, and even Democrats. He can easily win the election if he can survive attacks by the corporate media. 

The attacks have begun with a smear by the CIA run Washington Post and repeated by Bloomberg: Why Rand Paul's Biology Degree Claim Matters, followed by a WaPo "Fact Checker" article, all sent blasting through the Internet. It seems that Paul referred to his medical degree as a biology degree, because it is part of that field. He didn't list it on a resume, it was just an offhand comment in an discussion. The smear-masters devoted a long article to attack Paul's integrity, pointing out that it is still not an official biology degree, even though he took several courses in biology. 

The article notes that he "just holds a run of the mill medical degree" but failed to note it is from Duke Medical School, rated one of the top ten in the nation. I find it interesting that someone thinks it is important for a U.S. president to have a college degree in biology, but having a medical degree from Duke means nothing.

Feb 17, 2015 - Fewer School Buses

If you are retired and have time for community service, check to see if your local school district has adopted newer school bus transport ideas. School bus service has always be awkward to manage since drivers are just needed a couple hours early in the morning and then a couple hours more in the afternoon.

1) In most urban areas city buses run only half full, so can provide transport for nearly all local high school students. It is far cheaper to give high schoolers a free bus pass for that reason. This costs the city no extra money, but the district could contribute a few thousand dollars a year to compensate, and the city may tweak bus routes to better accommodate schools. This is better for students who might be late or need to stay late after school for activities since city buses offer service at all hours. It should make the trip safer since teenage punks are less likely to act up with several adults sitting nearby.

2) High fuel costs prompted some rural districts to adopt four day school weeks with longer hours each day. This cuts bus fuel and manpower costs by 20%.

3) Some school districts cut the transport burden in half simply by adopting different hours for schools. One elementary may hold classes from 8:00am to 2:00pm, while another 9:00pm to 3:00pm. This requires half as many buses and half as many drivers, who cover two schools and can work full-time, four hours in the morning and four and the afternoon, improving morale and reducing high turnover.

Feb 16, 2015 - When Will Stoplights Go Hi-Tech?

Billions of dollars are wasted each year in man hours and fuel costs as people wait for stoplights to change when there is no cross traffic! Cities rarely revaluate traffic patterns to adjust stoplight timing, which is difficult as traffic varies each day. It would be simple to mount motion sensors or lasers that detect cross traffic. If a stoplight is green, but no traffic has crossed for five seconds, it changes, unless someone has pushed a crosswalk button.

Feb 15, 2015 - A Winning Dental Insurance Strategy

Dental insurance is complex and may be a good value, but can be a great value if you game the system. Good insurance provided via employers limits enrollment periods to prevent people from signing up at the first sign of trouble. However, nearly all dental care can be delayed for months, and annual checkups prevent surprises. People short on funds can game the system by enrolling every other year during the short annual "open enrollment" period, usually in December. 

Dental caries (cavities) grow very slowly and can destroy a tooth within a couple of years. An annual checkup catches these in time so they can be easily filled. Enroll in December and get a checkup in January to fix any problems. Most plans pay 100% for six month checkup/cleanings, so do the next one in November so that any problems can be fixed before the end of the year. Major dental work requires "preauthorization" from the insurer, which can take a month, so you need lead time. Once all is finished you are good for another year, so you can disenroll in December for the coming year to save money.

Feb 11, 2015 - Brian Williams Out

For whatever reason, the Washington Post turned on him with this story of prolific lies during Hurricane Katrina. NBC News executives must have known about this serial liar for years, but it's all entertainment to them.

Feb 10, 2015 - Am I Outraged?

For months I have seen videos and pictures of foreign aircraft dropping bombs on Syrians, killing over a thousand, some burned to death, and most were innocent locals. One of the bomber pilots from Jordan was shot down, and the locals burned him to death. This airstrike picture was taken in Syria a couple days before that pilot was shot down. I'd bet a few people were burned alive. 

I've seen countless news stories on TV and read comments from politicians that everyone is outraged that the bomber pilot was harmed. I'm told we need to bomb and burn up more Syrians to teach them a lesson. The only media figure to explain this hypocrisy was Greg Greenwald. No one points out that Jordan is run by a half English puppet dictator whose aircraft are American supplied and pilots trained by Americans. The "king" recently dressed up in his pilot uniform to show he is tough, but not so tough as to fly a combat mission over Syria himself. No one mentions that no Syrian attacked Jordan, nor this article by a U.S. Army major who writes the war in Syria is all about natural gas pipelines. 

When something significant occurs in the Middle East, like the overthrow of the American puppet dictator in Yemen, little is reported. It seems the locals are angry about American drones burning Yeminis up with Hellfire missiles. The big American media story is about "savages" in Syria who killed a foreign pilot shot down while trying to kill them. The "news" on American television is such ridiculous propaganda that one is best off not watching, lest one become an outraged fool.

Feb 9, 2015 - International Scabs

The Obama administration continues to follow instructions from its corporate masters to flood the nation with cheaper labor to push down wagers further. Over the past six years a million extra work visas were issued to foreigners who were clearly ineligible according to federal law. It also refuses to crack down on efforts to replace skilled American workers with foreign H-1B imports. All Americans would be enraged to learn that a major California utility is firing hundreds of American IT workers and replacing them with lower paid workers from India. There is little outrage because the corporate media refuses to cover such stories.

Feb 8, 2015 - Flying Claymore

A simple future weapon exists today, but no one employs them. The latest "toy" quadrotors can carry small payloads, and even guns as this video demonstrates. Firing a gun is awkward but viable. A better option for an ultra cheap weaponized UAV is a flying claymore. As an infantry unit engages in combat, a flying claymore is launched with a basic claymore mine attached. As it approaches the enemy the mine is fired overhead, destroying the UAV and the enemy below.

Feb 6, 2015 - Brian Williams Lied, Continues to Lie, and Smirks

I've noted the decline in the professionalism of the American media, and now famous media showman Brian Williams backed me. He blatantly lied that he was on an Army supply helicopter that was forced down due to enemy fire in 2003. He continued to lie for 12 years afterwards as his wealth and fame accumulated. He finally admitted his lie, but insists on saying that he "misremembered."

A day later it was revealed that he misremembered misremembering. He wasn't on the helicopter behind the one forced down, but just overheard radio traffic while on one far away, and later did a report showing damage to the helicopter that he never rode while describing his fear. And we didn't learn about this as NBC News announced firing him, nor as Brian Williams announced his resignation in disgrace. Williams thinks war is a big joke and the show must go on. It's just entertainment to him and his employers, who all work at the Entertainment Division at NBC.

Feb 4, 2015 - Some Reporters are Enemies of the State?

If you still think the Obama gang is "liberal" watch this short video from C-Span.

Feb 2, 2015 - 11 Million Illegals?

A good example of corporate propaganda is the "fact" of 11-12 million illegals in the USA. That number is suspect because it is nearly exact even though there is no method to measure the number. Polls don't work because illegals lie. In addition, this number has been cited by all news sources since 2002, and almost no one expresses doubt, although the Wall Street Journal recently offered an updated figure of 21-25 million. I'd say a range of 10-50 million is plausible, using the number local television stations in the southwestern USA. Click though the channels in any city to find that one-third are in Spanish.

Feb 1, 2015 - The Mighty Merkava

While updating my book, I found numerous youtube clips of modern anti-tank weapons easily destroying big tanks. I also found this interesting documentary about problems Israel's Merkava tank encountered as smart missiles became smarter.

Merkava Tank Part I

Merkava Tank Part II

Jan 28, 2015 - Interesting Book Jacket

I found this book cover of interest for those seeking a solution to chaos in Iraq. U.S. Marines may have "won" their two battles of Fallujah, but the question is: What was won? It was certainly a loss for the 122 American GIs killed.

Jan 25, 2015 - CIA Murders American Screenwriter in LA!

You might assume that this story backed by hard evidence would be front page news in the USA, but such stories are not allowed. Americans must read news online from the UK to learn of such events.

Jan 24, 2015 - Deferred Compensation for General Officers

In a 2012 article I wrote:

Marine Corps Brig. Gen. James F. Amos once stated: "I think the V-22 probably is high maintenance at this point. I think -- but make sure you understand one thing. Any new airframe at this point or any new system is going to be high maintenance. And why would that be? Because first of all, there is the real lack of experience in maintaining this."

He made that statement in 2000, yet V-22 apologists still claim that high costs and low readiness is only a problem because the V-22 is new. Back in 2001, everyone thought that Brig. Gen. Amos would be forced to retire after he was caught telling lies about V-22 readiness and conspiring to hide V-22 failures from civilian leaders. The Inspector General even seized his computer. Pentagon insider Franklin "Chuck" Spinney" summarized: 

"The commander of the first Osprey squadron was taped ordering his maintenance crews to lie about the V-22's mission capable rates in the interests of obtaining approval for full-rate production. Last Nov. 21, Marine Brig. Gen. James Amos e-mailed a 'close hold' memo to Lt. Gen. Frederick McCorkle, stating his fear that a report of low mission capable rates of 26.7 percent for early November 'isn't going to help' in regard to the upcoming production decision. Significantly, the only non-Marines on the address list for the memo were the president of Bell Textron and a vice president of Boeing. Then, on Dec. 1, during a news conference convened expressly to explain why the V-22 was ready for full-rate production, Amos claimed that its mission capable rate for the first 13 days of November had been 73.2 percent."

General Amos was not forced to retire, but was rewarded with three more promotions and is now the top Marine - the Commandant! He continues to spin lies about the V-22's readiness, safety record, performance, and the need to keep Futenma open.  The lesson learned for ambitious Marine officers is that telling lies to hide problems is not only tolerated, but rewarded. It is time for American civilian leaders to overrule their Generals for the good of the Marine Corps, the American taxpayer, and the people of Japan.

____________________________

General Amos retired as Commandant on Dec. 1, 2014. He promptly cashed in by joining the board of directors of the Lord Corporation on Jan 6, 2015, a company that has been paid billions of dollars for V-22 components and spare parts. Amos waited just 36 days after retirement to rejoin the V-22 sales effort. Note that Jan 6th was the announcement date, meaning the details of his "compensation" were negotiated well before that date. 

His predecessor, General James T. Conway, has joined the board of V-22 manufacturer Textron, and two other corporations that do business with the Marine Corps -- Colt and General Dynamics.

Jan 22, 2015 - Unconfirmed Reports and Propaganda

The "Christian Science Monitor" is mentioned as one of America's great newspapers, but it's a propaganda rag. Here is obvious proof. Everyone knows that our CIA, its allied "intelligence" agencies funded by Arab billionaires, and Israel want the USA to invade Syria. Huge sums of money are devoted to convince Americans of the need for another conquest. 

So when I read a bold sensational headline "ISIS reportedly kills 13 boys for watching soccer: Is ISIS adopting Taliban tactics?" I have doubts. This "news" article begins with:
"Unconfirmed reports say that ISIS had executed 13 young boys from Mosul, Iraq, over the weekend, by firing squad because they watched a soccer match on TV, according to Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, an activist group that claims to expose ISIS atrocities."

This is absurd. In the golden age of news reporting with Morrow and Cronkite, reporters required two verifiable sources before it was presented as news. Now some media report a rumor posted on a foreign website by an "activist" group as news! And the website is in English, meaning its purpose is to spread propaganda outside Syria. No photos, no witnesses, just a wild rumor posted at a propaganda website. The website has no advertisements and its source of funding is not mentioned. The "reporter" from the "Christian Science Monitor" should be fired (who has a college degree in journalism) along with his editor! Google "Raqqua teens soccer" to find a dozen other major "news" organization eagerly reporting this execution of innocent teens, including neocon favorites "Fox News" and "The New York Post". 

Jan 21, 2015 - 1st Armored Division Deploys to Invade Syria

As this blog has reported over the past few years, the U.S. military has been preparing to invade Syria for a decade. Elements from the US Army's 1st Armored Division from Fort Bliss, Texas have positioned equipment in Jordan and conducted exercises there for years, long before ISIS appeared. A new headquarters with over 1000 Americans was established last Summer for this mission, known as CENTCOM Forward, Jordan (CF-J) with a headquarters component of the 1st Armored Division.

As my Jan 16th blog noted, at least 400 American troops have officially entered Syria and 1000 soldiers from a combat battalion of the 82nd Airborne have deployed to Iraq. Hundreds of soldiers from the 1st Armored have begun to deploy, but we are told they are going to an American base at the French colony of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, just an hour hop to Jordan, for "security training". The unit deploying is the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, a tank unit along with artillery. 

The USA is not training any African army with tanks and artillery. In addition, the 1st Armored Division is regionally aligned with CENTCOM, not AFRICOM. Perhaps these units are going directly to Jordan and this is just a cover story. Or perhaps they are just staging in Djibouti to hop over when ready. The USA is shipping billions of dollars of American tanks and munitions to Iraq, supposedly to re-equip the Iraqi army, but those could be used by the 1st Armored Division. Remember that springtime is best for war in the Middle East. The summers are too hot while winters get cold and sometimes wet. Finally, President Obama just asked Congressional approval for a new war yesterday.

Jan 20, 2015 - Quiz

Which nation has the world's tallest building, busiest airport, and biggest shopping mall? China? USA? Japan?

The answer is Dubai.

Jan 19, 2015 - Sparkchess

I hadn't played chess for a long time but my son was interested. I knew that websites exist where one can play a computer or others. I came across Sparkchess and found it impressive. It is free, simple to use, no pop-up ads, no need to join or sign up, with three levels of play against a computer, and lots of people on-line willing to play. I now play a few times a day.

Jan 18, 2015 - Legal Mortgage Insurance Fraud

Imagine that you have an auto accident causing $30,000 in damages. Your auto insurance company pays the victim, but then sues you for the $30,000! That seems outrageous, but that is how the odd mortgage insurance industry works. This is a racket that banksters dreamed up several years ago. In the past, banks assumed the risk of mortgage loans. After recent banking crises, they conspired to eliminate risk by forcing borrowers to purchase mortgage insurance so profits are guaranteed. Now it turns out this insurance paid for by the borrower does not insure the borrower, only the lender! So the insurer can sue the person who made years of premium payments to recover their loss.

Jan 17, 2015 - Rampant Vote Fraud

I estimate the number of people voting illegally in the USA to be over one million, maybe millions, mostly legal green card holders. This must be widely known by the powers that be, hence their relentless effort to ban voter ID. I can’t buy a beer without an ID or withdraw money from my bank, so why is it such a burden to produce one to prevent vote fraud? Surveys show that many foreigners with legal resident status think they have the right to vote and most think they should. So how many vote because no one checks? The billionaires prefer these “voters” because they are less educated and easily fooled by the media BS they produce.

Fools like Jon Stewart mock those who advocate voter ID by stating the number of voter fraud convictions is tiny. Of course, if no one checks IDs it is nearly impossible to catch someone! Then our media establishment scours the nation to find some elder person who for some reason has no ID and therefore could not vote as an example of how voter ID is unjust. Every true democracy has a voter ID method, except the USA, even though the vast majority of voters think its a good idea, even if to prevent multiple voting by citizens. There is no better example of this nation’s corrupt “democracy” than the fact those in charge refuse to establish a verifiable voting system. Even former President Jimmy Carter declared that our voting system fails international standards for fair verifiable elections.

Jan 16, 2015 - The American Ground Invasion of Syria has Begun!

In case you missed this news, because our media avoids coverage, hundreds of American troops have formally invaded Syria to topple that government. This has been planned for over a decade. Combat troops from the 82nd Airborne have been moving into position for over a month. This is the primary reason Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resigned. He refused to preside over yet another war of choice.

Jan 11, 2015 - Scout Company

I added a new section to my newly updated and revised book: The Spectrum of Future Warfare. This new Scout Company section is open to the public.

Jan 6, 2015 - Hitch a Ride on Halley

I've read a lot about spaceflight so I was surprised to read something simple. The European space agency recently landed a probe on a comet. These are not fireballs, but huge rocks orbiting our sun in long elliptical routes. The most famous is the big Halley's comet that orbits our Sun every 75 years.

So if you want to send something or someone to the edge or our solar system and back, just land them on Halley's comet for a ride! It would be cruel to send a person since they would spend a life in meaningless confinement, but it would work. He could explore space to learn there is nothing but lots of space in space. But this solves the big problems about propulsion and lengthy unprotected exposure to sun radiation, since he could live mostly on the edge of the dark side, whilst solar panels collect sunlight nearby. A tiny nuclear powerpack is best and a fold out greenhouse to grow food.

Jan 1, 2015 - Enemies Everywhere

In the year 2014 new "enemies" were introduced to the American people. ISIS appeared from nowhere. Friendly Russia was demonized and brought out of retirement. American forces discovered several new enemies in Africa. In 1919, historian Joseph Schumpeter’s book, Imperialism and Social Classes, described ancient Rome in a way that sounds eerily like the United States today:

"There was no corner of the known world where some interest was not alleged to be in danger or under actual attack. If the interests were not Roman, they were those of Rome's allies; and if Rome had no allies, the allies would be invented. When it was utterly impossible to contrive such an interest -- why, then it was the national honor that had been insulted. The fight was always invested with an aura of legality. Rome was always being attacked by evil-minded neighbors. The whole world was pervaded by a host of enemies; it was manifestly Rome's duty to guard against their indubitably aggressive designs."

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Carlton Meyer  editorG2mil@Gmail.com

2014 Blog - The Empire in Decline

2013 Blog - The Yellow Man's Burden

2012 Blog - The Empire in Turmoil

2011 Blog - The Empire Retreats

2010 Blog - The Empire Crumbles

2009 Blog - The Bankrupt Empire

2008 Blog - The End of the Empire

2000-2008 - Monthly Editorials

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