"The only just war is one fought on your soil to defend your own soil."
Well said. I was in the US Army from 1967-1970 and did a tour in Vietnam. That was a circus.
It even applies to the Ukraine war where Russia was being directly threatened by Ukraine - to be precise, Russian citizens in the Donbass region of Ukraine were directly threatened with a Ukraine genocidal invasion - in February, 2022 and by NATO Aegis Ashore installations in Poland and Romania which would be installed in Ukraine had Ukraine explicitly joined NATO (and perhaps even without explicitly joining NATO.) The only solution to the latter threat is to place Russian air defenses as close to those installations as possible. That is the ultimate goal of the Special Military Operation.
And now the corrupt morons in the US government want to escalate the situation further because "Russia can't win." But Russia is not bluffing. If the US crosses Russia's "red line" of directly assisting Ukraine to launch long-range US/NATO weapons against Russian strategic targets inside Russia - such as the Russian long-range ABM radar hit recently, which had nothing to do with the Ukraine war itself - Russia will strike NATO targets inside and outside Ukraine. The same applies to the provision of F-16s to Ukraine, which are "nuclear capable".
As an aside, Andrei Martyanov, a Russian ex-pat military analyst living in the US, has written books and speaks almost daily on his blog and Youtube channel about the fact that no American soldier has ever "fought for his country" in such a "just war" (at least not since the British came back in 1812). He also points out that the US congratulates itself on "winning WWII" when in fact it was the Russians in Europe and the Chinese in Asia that defeated the German and Japanese armies respectively.
He also points out that American hubris and lack of proper historical knowledge has resulted in a US military and government that doe not "know its limitations" (to quote Dirty Harry). Russia is currently the most powerful and combat-experienced army in the world with strategic weapons the US has absolutely no counter for. China is second with a land army larger than any other (although Russia apparently intends to increase to close to two million men) and a larger, if somewhat less capable, navy than the US (with the exception of the submarine forces) and increasing in size far faster than the US Navy is capable of doing.
The US is thus over-extending itself enormously by threatening Russia, threatening a Middle East war with Iran and its allies, and threatening China over Taiwan. Many US military analysts are warning that the US can not win a war with any of these adversaries, let alone all three at once.
I was listening to one analyst, Alexander Mercouris, pointing out that this situation resembles Spain centuries ago when it was the dominate regional power. It over-extended itself, engaged in too many conflicts at once, primarily because not to do so would "insult the essence of Spain", and eventually the toll resulted in a collapse. Today the US is a hegemon that feels it has to be the dominant power and that no other even regional power can be allowed to rise.
As a result of all these facts, we are closer to WWIII than ever - and the incompetents in Washington, who have no appreciation of the power of the rising countries, because as Martyanov says they are uneducated in STEM and ignorant of the nature of modern war, are leading us there at high speed.
Bill, thank you for putting this sentiment to words. I try to tell people everything you said, but most do not want to hear it. I am fond of telling them that I wrote a blank check for my existence to all of you, and told you to cash it if you needed it. They cashed it for Skittles and grape drink. It makes me very sad, and sometimes a little bit angry. Thirty years of service, and all I can say is what Smedley Butler said about not once have I fought in defense of my country.
I'm with Ken, though I didn't serve 35 years. I've often thought of the fact that I saw no combat with a mix of emotions; that lack of "experience" seen through my eyes as being both a blessing and a curse. Until recently; now I count it as only a blessing. The coverup job however, is very, very successful, with many SF operators speaking freely of "killing bad guys," only bad as it turns out, having been labeled as such by the power elite. Finally though, many vets are not encouraging their children to engage in military "service." It's a start.
I believe that J.R.R. Tolkien invented his imaginary world to get the trenches of WWI out of his head. When he wrote, "I love only that which I defend," he was expressing the same sentiment as Shakespeare's character, Henry V, in the "band of brothers" speech. The antidote to Memorial Day, the hollowed out FedGov holiday and mall store sales event, is a dose of Henry V.
Bill! Yes, my dog-eared ancient leather copy of Shakespeare (and my pocket Henry V) that followed me to the field every time was one of my most treasured possessions while deployed. When I was a commander, if mission permitted, we had British high tea in the afternoon and would sometimes read excerpts.
I spent 35 years serving the military and not until recently, have I come to the realization that my service was a fraud promulgated by the oppressive U.S. government under the false narrative of protecting freedom. I am ashamed of that service which did nothing to preserve the democracy of this Country!
Thank you for the kind words Bill. The honor was truly mine. It was a pleasure to serve with you. I learned so much from you and still continue to do so to this day.
The second picture is of Bud Dajo. I had no idea The U.S. did the Philippines that dirty when taking control of the country during the McKinley administration. It was so crazy reading 📖 about it in Daniel Immewaar’s “How to Hide an Empire.” In the book he basically says that not even the Spanish went down into the Moro controlled South. But the U.S. did. Pershing initially tried to build ties with them to try and get them to agree to give up slavery, but the Washington I think brought in a less generous general and basically he chased them up Bud Dajo and massacred them there. McCarthur when he returned shut the back door on the Japanese occupiers and basically shelled Manilla. The poor Filipino people.
"The only just war is one fought on your soil to defend your own soil."
Well said. I was in the US Army from 1967-1970 and did a tour in Vietnam. That was a circus.
It even applies to the Ukraine war where Russia was being directly threatened by Ukraine - to be precise, Russian citizens in the Donbass region of Ukraine were directly threatened with a Ukraine genocidal invasion - in February, 2022 and by NATO Aegis Ashore installations in Poland and Romania which would be installed in Ukraine had Ukraine explicitly joined NATO (and perhaps even without explicitly joining NATO.) The only solution to the latter threat is to place Russian air defenses as close to those installations as possible. That is the ultimate goal of the Special Military Operation.
And now the corrupt morons in the US government want to escalate the situation further because "Russia can't win." But Russia is not bluffing. If the US crosses Russia's "red line" of directly assisting Ukraine to launch long-range US/NATO weapons against Russian strategic targets inside Russia - such as the Russian long-range ABM radar hit recently, which had nothing to do with the Ukraine war itself - Russia will strike NATO targets inside and outside Ukraine. The same applies to the provision of F-16s to Ukraine, which are "nuclear capable".
As an aside, Andrei Martyanov, a Russian ex-pat military analyst living in the US, has written books and speaks almost daily on his blog and Youtube channel about the fact that no American soldier has ever "fought for his country" in such a "just war" (at least not since the British came back in 1812). He also points out that the US congratulates itself on "winning WWII" when in fact it was the Russians in Europe and the Chinese in Asia that defeated the German and Japanese armies respectively.
https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@smoothieX12
He also points out that American hubris and lack of proper historical knowledge has resulted in a US military and government that doe not "know its limitations" (to quote Dirty Harry). Russia is currently the most powerful and combat-experienced army in the world with strategic weapons the US has absolutely no counter for. China is second with a land army larger than any other (although Russia apparently intends to increase to close to two million men) and a larger, if somewhat less capable, navy than the US (with the exception of the submarine forces) and increasing in size far faster than the US Navy is capable of doing.
The US is thus over-extending itself enormously by threatening Russia, threatening a Middle East war with Iran and its allies, and threatening China over Taiwan. Many US military analysts are warning that the US can not win a war with any of these adversaries, let alone all three at once.
I was listening to one analyst, Alexander Mercouris, pointing out that this situation resembles Spain centuries ago when it was the dominate regional power. It over-extended itself, engaged in too many conflicts at once, primarily because not to do so would "insult the essence of Spain", and eventually the toll resulted in a collapse. Today the US is a hegemon that feels it has to be the dominant power and that no other even regional power can be allowed to rise.
As a result of all these facts, we are closer to WWIII than ever - and the incompetents in Washington, who have no appreciation of the power of the rising countries, because as Martyanov says they are uneducated in STEM and ignorant of the nature of modern war, are leading us there at high speed.
Dead link - https://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/ww2/threat/bombs.htm
Fixed and thanks for telling me!
Officers....
Mustang to be correct, once an NCO and then got a commission...
Acceptable. Tks for the post.
Bill, thank you for putting this sentiment to words. I try to tell people everything you said, but most do not want to hear it. I am fond of telling them that I wrote a blank check for my existence to all of you, and told you to cash it if you needed it. They cashed it for Skittles and grape drink. It makes me very sad, and sometimes a little bit angry. Thirty years of service, and all I can say is what Smedley Butler said about not once have I fought in defense of my country.
I'm with Ken, though I didn't serve 35 years. I've often thought of the fact that I saw no combat with a mix of emotions; that lack of "experience" seen through my eyes as being both a blessing and a curse. Until recently; now I count it as only a blessing. The coverup job however, is very, very successful, with many SF operators speaking freely of "killing bad guys," only bad as it turns out, having been labeled as such by the power elite. Finally though, many vets are not encouraging their children to engage in military "service." It's a start.
Very well said Bill.
I believe that J.R.R. Tolkien invented his imaginary world to get the trenches of WWI out of his head. When he wrote, "I love only that which I defend," he was expressing the same sentiment as Shakespeare's character, Henry V, in the "band of brothers" speech. The antidote to Memorial Day, the hollowed out FedGov holiday and mall store sales event, is a dose of Henry V.
Bill! Yes, my dog-eared ancient leather copy of Shakespeare (and my pocket Henry V) that followed me to the field every time was one of my most treasured possessions while deployed. When I was a commander, if mission permitted, we had British high tea in the afternoon and would sometimes read excerpts.
I spent 35 years serving the military and not until recently, have I come to the realization that my service was a fraud promulgated by the oppressive U.S. government under the false narrative of protecting freedom. I am ashamed of that service which did nothing to preserve the democracy of this Country!
For those not aware, Ken was my CO during part of my tenure in the Army and one of the finest and most decent men I have known in my life.
Thank you for the kind words Bill. The honor was truly mine. It was a pleasure to serve with you. I learned so much from you and still continue to do so to this day.
The second picture is of Bud Dajo. I had no idea The U.S. did the Philippines that dirty when taking control of the country during the McKinley administration. It was so crazy reading 📖 about it in Daniel Immewaar’s “How to Hide an Empire.” In the book he basically says that not even the Spanish went down into the Moro controlled South. But the U.S. did. Pershing initially tried to build ties with them to try and get them to agree to give up slavery, but the Washington I think brought in a less generous general and basically he chased them up Bud Dajo and massacred them there. McCarthur when he returned shut the back door on the Japanese occupiers and basically shelled Manilla. The poor Filipino people.