Battles eat resources. Javelins are what you use when you have them. They are expensive and not particularly plentiful. Tanks are what you use when all the Javelins are used up. Infantry is what you use when the tanks run out of fuel and ammo. Bayonets are what you use when the infantry runs out of ammo.
War is brutal, you never engage in a fair fight if you can avoid it. War is killing baby seals. Our politicians and the American public of the last 70 years does not understand this.
Oooops, looks like someone poked the wasps nest - again!! Some people do get a bit prickly when some of their narrative gets threatened, it would appear.
Tend to side with Bill on this one though as it does look as though the effectiveness of tank warfare might have had its day, based on what we are seeing, rather than the Russian version being crappy and obsolete - although I guess that's also possible.
But a military that has been showered with (flooded, more likely) obscene amounts of money and resources for forty years is also highly unlikely to be in a fighting fit state, imo, and from an outsiders perspective the US military looks extremely bloated and indulged.
Lets hope none of us actually have to find out though - going head to head with nuclear armed Russia ain't exactly the same thing as invading Vietnam, Honduras, Iraq, or Afghanistan, none of which were brilliant military successes either btw. Assuming that was the plan!!
Yes Bill, weapons, men, nations rage against the dying of the light, as we see in our current world conflict, as we have seen in our past and read about in our history books, those same raging demons, raging, raging against the dying of their light....We all have been here before, and our children and grandchildren will be here again...One day soon, all of the raging idiots who control the minds of our dear raging public idiots, will rage no more.
Wars are still won and lost by horses...Putin, Biden and Zelenskyyyyyy are the horses ass du jour. Need we say Nevermore?
"And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Bill, write an open letter addressed to President Biden for us to read on how you would eradicate these problems you highlight. We understand the fix can't happen overnight. President Biden needs your help and we subscribers will have a better understanding of your solutions to save the world from its financial mismanagement.
War was, is and always will be a waste of resources, lives and the futures are countless of individuals who are directly or indirectly impacted by conflict. 20 million were killed in WWI, and estimated 50 million were killed in WWII with vast areas of Europe and Asia laid to waste as a result of the fighting. If there is a WWIII its likely billions will die and entire continents will be turned into radioactive rubble.
In a perfect world countries would not need to spend trillions of defense and sane leaders would find ways to settle their disputes without going to war. But the world is less than perfect and insane leaders do go to war with their neighbors. The trillions of dollars the US and other NATO countries spent during the Cold War, as an example, could be considered wasted as that money could have been spend in much better ways to improve the qualify of life around the globe. But if the US became isolationist and disarmed after WWII history would be much different and no doubt many countries would be speaking Russian and Chinese as their second language.
While we should not seek out war we need to ensure that if war is the only option we have the ability to defend ourselves and win.
Your byline on today's diatribe says "San Martin." Had it said "Moscow," I would not have thought anything of it. So, the American/Western media is essentially feeding the public what you call propaganda? And what is Russia's controlled media spewing forth - the truth? Believe it or not, Ukraine has been an independent nation since 1991 - it does not belong to Russia. "Russia recognizes Ukrainian independence" (Chicago Tribune, August 29, 1991). Look it up for yourself. Putin and his cowering, misguided sycophants must be opposed, regardless of the effect on your portfolio.
Gen George C Marshall, and General Herr might be surprised to know that horses are alive and well in today's army. Until three years ago, my niece was an enlisted person in the U.S. Army before being honorably discharged. She served in Afghanistan. Her responsibility was the care and feeding of the army's horses. She was also authorized to perform simple medical procedures under the supervision of the vet. The horses were used by the Army's Special Forces in areas where the terrain was too difficult for motorized vehicles.
Dear Bill: Thank you for setting things straight. You've made it abundantly clear that the Western Media is showing only one side of this conflict. The media has not shown us the Russian hospitals bombed by the Ukraine. The media has also neglected the Ukrainian army violating Russian Territory. The Western media also missed the Russian corpses lying in their streets, totally neglected. And so on.
One can only speculate why Putin, the genius, has not shown any of the Ukrainian atrocities perpetrated upon the peaceful and innocent people brutalized by the Ukrainian armed forces. Perhaps still in editing. Also missing is the proof that Ukrainian planes are bombarding the civilian Russian people mercilessly. What is Putin doing with all this proof. It must take a genius to figure it all out.
The "rest of the world" you claim is against U.S. foreign policy is also AWOL. Certainly the Chinese, the Iranians, the Brazilians, et al have film crews on the ground in Mother Russia documenting the barbarity of the invading Ukraine horde. Where is their proof ? How many Russian cities have been bombed to smithereens by the invading Ukrainians? Are you really comfortable using China and Iran to find your moral compass?
Thank you for exposing the prejudicial liberal Western media not doing their jobs. Perhaps a move is in order; doesn't Moscow sound like a better place to work and live? It would be most welcome to hear more about the Argentinian peasants' struggles: extremely relevant to your mission statement. Please, more words about the masons and their wall.
Just FYI, census ( and other ) data show over two million Americans with Ukrainian connections. The same data show that few than one hundred thousand Americans have some connection to Argentina. Why should we care about Argentina and not Ukraine. As a moron, I just don't get it; Thank God you Smart People have it all figured out. Russians GOOD; Ukrainians BAD.Right?
Every ending has a new beginning. Ukraines easiest day was yesterday. Russia is getting rid of its old equipment.
Soon comes the second wave. By land, air, and sea. The fast food generation wants an outcome now, their war aspirations were due yesterday, but as the crow flies over the red, Russia is just getting started.
Excellent synopsis of the current status from two minds that show humans are capable of individual perceptions and express ideas in a consumable digestible manner that feeds our intellectual BIOME ! Bon appetite and Merci amigos !
Bill, Have to disagree with your comment about Rumsfeld being wise.As I remember,Rumsfeld wanted to run the war on the cheap,which meant the soldiers didn't get the proper equipment
(no kevlar vests) to fight with.Is that wise.Could Rumsfeld not see what happened to the Russian armed forces who had been there,was that wise.What really was the true reason we went to Afghanistan.The news said it was to defeat the Taliban and Bin Laden because they masterminded 9/11, and were responsible.If so why did we fly Bin Laden's family out of Boston the day after 9/11 when no one else was permitted to fly. too many questions without answers.
About wars. The Taliban in 20 years went from grown men to Kids with bombs. They lived in Pakistan and built an army to take over after the US left. The US was getting out under Trump and the war was almost over, except for Iran's fiddling. Then we get Joe and Iran and the Taliban picked up pace. Joe left at night from an Air Base we needed. The Taliban rushed in and captured the country. The US had to go back in to get the US citizens over there making money, Another Joe mistake, We were out and left a few thousand Americans and loyal Afghans. Was the war lost? No. But we did not win the minds and hearts and make the country a democracy. That's a political mistake. Referencing a tank war. Our tanks on the field with Russian or any other army would destroy any if not all. We have anti drone weapons and have armor that is designed against our own weapons and certainly against others. Until we fight that tank war, we do not know. Robots and armored soldiers are the future. The future tanks will shed rounds. Even those designed to come from the top. It will be a much different war.
I agree with Bill that our military is nowhere as nimble as it should be. But there are exceptions. A recent one occurred in the USMC. It saw the future. Now, it's ditching their tanks.
Also, despite its many manned airplanes, the USAF has a quarter century of operational experience with drones that can launch weapons day or night. And the USN now has unmanned aerial vehicles loitering aloft for one, maybe more days providing long range aerial surveillance for their ships.
I suspect it won't be long before the US Army fields robots that need no food nor water or medical care to slog through all manner of weather and terrain to find and destroy the enemy. No pensions for them either
Can you tell us which country is going to beat the US military? Afghanistan was a political economic debacle not a military defeat. Not sure many Afghans today think they won something now facing mass starvation and no money in the bank and Taliban imposing Sharia law or is that all just propaganda and they are singing in the streets
Battles eat resources. Javelins are what you use when you have them. They are expensive and not particularly plentiful. Tanks are what you use when all the Javelins are used up. Infantry is what you use when the tanks run out of fuel and ammo. Bayonets are what you use when the infantry runs out of ammo.
War is brutal, you never engage in a fair fight if you can avoid it. War is killing baby seals. Our politicians and the American public of the last 70 years does not understand this.
Oooops, looks like someone poked the wasps nest - again!! Some people do get a bit prickly when some of their narrative gets threatened, it would appear.
Tend to side with Bill on this one though as it does look as though the effectiveness of tank warfare might have had its day, based on what we are seeing, rather than the Russian version being crappy and obsolete - although I guess that's also possible.
But a military that has been showered with (flooded, more likely) obscene amounts of money and resources for forty years is also highly unlikely to be in a fighting fit state, imo, and from an outsiders perspective the US military looks extremely bloated and indulged.
Lets hope none of us actually have to find out though - going head to head with nuclear armed Russia ain't exactly the same thing as invading Vietnam, Honduras, Iraq, or Afghanistan, none of which were brilliant military successes either btw. Assuming that was the plan!!
I would suggest that the biggest mistake is public apathy. ....JJ
Yes Bill, weapons, men, nations rage against the dying of the light, as we see in our current world conflict, as we have seen in our past and read about in our history books, those same raging demons, raging, raging against the dying of their light....We all have been here before, and our children and grandchildren will be here again...One day soon, all of the raging idiots who control the minds of our dear raging public idiots, will rage no more.
Wars are still won and lost by horses...Putin, Biden and Zelenskyyyyyy are the horses ass du jour. Need we say Nevermore?
"And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!"
Bill, write an open letter addressed to President Biden for us to read on how you would eradicate these problems you highlight. We understand the fix can't happen overnight. President Biden needs your help and we subscribers will have a better understanding of your solutions to save the world from its financial mismanagement.
War was, is and always will be a waste of resources, lives and the futures are countless of individuals who are directly or indirectly impacted by conflict. 20 million were killed in WWI, and estimated 50 million were killed in WWII with vast areas of Europe and Asia laid to waste as a result of the fighting. If there is a WWIII its likely billions will die and entire continents will be turned into radioactive rubble.
In a perfect world countries would not need to spend trillions of defense and sane leaders would find ways to settle their disputes without going to war. But the world is less than perfect and insane leaders do go to war with their neighbors. The trillions of dollars the US and other NATO countries spent during the Cold War, as an example, could be considered wasted as that money could have been spend in much better ways to improve the qualify of life around the globe. But if the US became isolationist and disarmed after WWII history would be much different and no doubt many countries would be speaking Russian and Chinese as their second language.
While we should not seek out war we need to ensure that if war is the only option we have the ability to defend ourselves and win.
Your byline on today's diatribe says "San Martin." Had it said "Moscow," I would not have thought anything of it. So, the American/Western media is essentially feeding the public what you call propaganda? And what is Russia's controlled media spewing forth - the truth? Believe it or not, Ukraine has been an independent nation since 1991 - it does not belong to Russia. "Russia recognizes Ukrainian independence" (Chicago Tribune, August 29, 1991). Look it up for yourself. Putin and his cowering, misguided sycophants must be opposed, regardless of the effect on your portfolio.
Gen George C Marshall, and General Herr might be surprised to know that horses are alive and well in today's army. Until three years ago, my niece was an enlisted person in the U.S. Army before being honorably discharged. She served in Afghanistan. Her responsibility was the care and feeding of the army's horses. She was also authorized to perform simple medical procedures under the supervision of the vet. The horses were used by the Army's Special Forces in areas where the terrain was too difficult for motorized vehicles.
Dear Bill: Thank you for setting things straight. You've made it abundantly clear that the Western Media is showing only one side of this conflict. The media has not shown us the Russian hospitals bombed by the Ukraine. The media has also neglected the Ukrainian army violating Russian Territory. The Western media also missed the Russian corpses lying in their streets, totally neglected. And so on.
One can only speculate why Putin, the genius, has not shown any of the Ukrainian atrocities perpetrated upon the peaceful and innocent people brutalized by the Ukrainian armed forces. Perhaps still in editing. Also missing is the proof that Ukrainian planes are bombarding the civilian Russian people mercilessly. What is Putin doing with all this proof. It must take a genius to figure it all out.
The "rest of the world" you claim is against U.S. foreign policy is also AWOL. Certainly the Chinese, the Iranians, the Brazilians, et al have film crews on the ground in Mother Russia documenting the barbarity of the invading Ukraine horde. Where is their proof ? How many Russian cities have been bombed to smithereens by the invading Ukrainians? Are you really comfortable using China and Iran to find your moral compass?
Thank you for exposing the prejudicial liberal Western media not doing their jobs. Perhaps a move is in order; doesn't Moscow sound like a better place to work and live? It would be most welcome to hear more about the Argentinian peasants' struggles: extremely relevant to your mission statement. Please, more words about the masons and their wall.
Just FYI, census ( and other ) data show over two million Americans with Ukrainian connections. The same data show that few than one hundred thousand Americans have some connection to Argentina. Why should we care about Argentina and not Ukraine. As a moron, I just don't get it; Thank God you Smart People have it all figured out. Russians GOOD; Ukrainians BAD.Right?
Every ending has a new beginning. Ukraines easiest day was yesterday. Russia is getting rid of its old equipment.
Soon comes the second wave. By land, air, and sea. The fast food generation wants an outcome now, their war aspirations were due yesterday, but as the crow flies over the red, Russia is just getting started.
Excellent synopsis of the current status from two minds that show humans are capable of individual perceptions and express ideas in a consumable digestible manner that feeds our intellectual BIOME ! Bon appetite and Merci amigos !
Bill, Have to disagree with your comment about Rumsfeld being wise.As I remember,Rumsfeld wanted to run the war on the cheap,which meant the soldiers didn't get the proper equipment
(no kevlar vests) to fight with.Is that wise.Could Rumsfeld not see what happened to the Russian armed forces who had been there,was that wise.What really was the true reason we went to Afghanistan.The news said it was to defeat the Taliban and Bin Laden because they masterminded 9/11, and were responsible.If so why did we fly Bin Laden's family out of Boston the day after 9/11 when no one else was permitted to fly. too many questions without answers.
About wars. The Taliban in 20 years went from grown men to Kids with bombs. They lived in Pakistan and built an army to take over after the US left. The US was getting out under Trump and the war was almost over, except for Iran's fiddling. Then we get Joe and Iran and the Taliban picked up pace. Joe left at night from an Air Base we needed. The Taliban rushed in and captured the country. The US had to go back in to get the US citizens over there making money, Another Joe mistake, We were out and left a few thousand Americans and loyal Afghans. Was the war lost? No. But we did not win the minds and hearts and make the country a democracy. That's a political mistake. Referencing a tank war. Our tanks on the field with Russian or any other army would destroy any if not all. We have anti drone weapons and have armor that is designed against our own weapons and certainly against others. Until we fight that tank war, we do not know. Robots and armored soldiers are the future. The future tanks will shed rounds. Even those designed to come from the top. It will be a much different war.
I agree with Bill that our military is nowhere as nimble as it should be. But there are exceptions. A recent one occurred in the USMC. It saw the future. Now, it's ditching their tanks.
Also, despite its many manned airplanes, the USAF has a quarter century of operational experience with drones that can launch weapons day or night. And the USN now has unmanned aerial vehicles loitering aloft for one, maybe more days providing long range aerial surveillance for their ships.
I suspect it won't be long before the US Army fields robots that need no food nor water or medical care to slog through all manner of weather and terrain to find and destroy the enemy. No pensions for them either
Can you tell us which country is going to beat the US military? Afghanistan was a political economic debacle not a military defeat. Not sure many Afghans today think they won something now facing mass starvation and no money in the bank and Taliban imposing Sharia law or is that all just propaganda and they are singing in the streets