Rumsfeld on the Defensive

I saw a few clips of the Q&A in Kuwait. They really had Rummy on the ropes with some of their questions. When he was asked about the Nat. Guard handmedown supplies from the Army, it took him a while to form a response. The response was some stupid joke about how he is an old man, and it was early in the morning.

Here's a quote for you. It's Rumsfeld's explanation on why they haven't gotten the armor out.


Really? Production is a matter of physical limitations? You mean you can't just throw money at a factory to get what you want? It works that way with oil, why not armor?

Rummy flummoxed! I'd have paid admission!

Read a letter that a family member of a soldier in Iraq wrote Michael Moore. Seems the town was organizing a scrubs-making project cuz the medical personnel over there don't get enough SCRUBS for reasonably sanitary work!

No body armor? No TANK armor? No decent-running vehicles? Bad. Maybe dying from infections cuz your doctors and nurses spread germs to you? BEYOND bad!

The Bush Administration runs its wars like true businessmen.

Wage the most efficient war with the lowest costs possible. If I saw Rumsfeld pushed out of an unarmored humvee in the middle of a desert with an M1 Garand in his hand, I could die a happy man.

"Sorry, we couldn't afford to supply you with an M-16."

With this in mind , do we still believe the US can invade and occupying any more countries?

Looks like the US will not be able to fight herself out of this one !

PB

To add to Airstrip1's post:

The IRA were estimated to have only about 400 active fighters at any one time (compare this with estimates of 40,000 in Iraq); obviously supported by some of the nationalist community; that's only half the NI population - the rest are "loyalists/unionists"; because of cultural similarities intelligence forces were able to infiltrate.

And they still were able to fight for 30 years.

On the other subject, the draft, as usual the Bushcons don't think it through. It means you are training part of your nation to be an effective military force: many revolutions involve disaffected conscript armies - eg Russian revolution; generally professional armies more often side with the oligarchs, though they can still rebel.

All in all, I think this one will go down in history (if there is any history) with 1812 and Stalingrad - a strategic all-time goof. (NB Napoleon won every battle in 1812, it was the winter and the loss of his myth of invincibility that destroyed him).

To add to Airstrip1's post:

The IRA were estimated to have only about 400 active fighters at any one time (compare this with estimates of 40,000 in Iraq); obviously supported by some of the nationalist community; that's only half the NI population - the rest are "loyalists/unionists"; because of cultural similarities intelligence forces were able to infiltrate.

And they still were able to fight for 30 years.

On the other subject, the draft, as usual the Bushcons don't think it through. It means you are training part of your nation to be an effective military force: many revolutions involve disaffected conscript armies - eg Russian revolution; generally professional armies more often side with the oligarchs, though they can still rebel.

All in all, I think this one will go down in history (if there is any history) with 1812 and Stalingrad - a strategic all-time goof. (NB Napoleon won every battle in 1812, it was the winter and the loss of his myth of invincibility that destroyed him).

Iraq was an easy conquest due to 10 years of sanctions, inspections and outright monitoring by the US and its allies. George Bush knew from the reports of the monitors that Iraq had nothing to resist with. If the monitors had instead reported, even if it were a lie, that Iraq had stockpiles of WMDs already to use, George Bush would never have attacked.

If tens of thousands of American youth would have died in the initial onslaught GB would have had to answer to a very angry nation. But with an easy victory assured George came out smelling like a rose.

Iran and North Korea are different and George isn't so eager to attack. These nations do have WMDs, both to use against the invading Americans and to sabotage their own oil capability to keep it out of American hands. The US may eventually attack Iran but the victory will not be so easy as Iraq and Iran knows it.

An article of interest:

http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CLA410A.html

Draft

And we don't mean draft BEER....

You can draft more men , but can you draft them more equipment , and how do you pay for it?

Stalin didn't care about that during WWII; Bush won't care about that now. As long as there's cannon fodder. Or should I say MISSILE fodder?

Can't see Iran or North Korea being attacked in the near future. Any further military adventures by Bush will involve a draft and this will be resisted in HUGE numbers across the country.

The only possibility I see that will make a draft possible is another attack on US soil that can be directly linked to another country.

I just wanted to ask you a few questions. I am currently in the US airforce, and believe it is impossible to plan for this while I am contracted in. How do you plan when you are 20 000 miles from home, and your time is consumed almost 24/7 with work and getting by. I have about 2.5 yrs left before I am free, however I get paid so bad, I probably won't have much money to prepare with when I get out. I am currently fortunate enough to be debt free though, and attachment free, besides some land in new mexico.

Off topic/ slightly, if the Bush administration can secure the middle east oil, what do you think their plans are for it. America is the most powerful country in the world. Do you think they will use it too provide cheap oil to America, and supply the rest of the world with what they need? After all there is still a huge amount of oil left.

This is what I would say, I think there are three possibilities:

1) The administration is delusional, and believe that securing middle east oil will stave off the eventual crash, which is not true if you consider the oil distribution priority list (military > industry > people). The only area that will get the spoils, will be the military which will wage more war that will require more oil.

2) The administration is a cultish collection of religious fundamentalists who want to realize the rapture. Their waging of war is just a step in meeting this end. In this case, the only plans for oil are to use it for this reason.

or

3) The administration will simply use that oil to keep powering the war effort in an attempt to preserve the weakening dollar and discourage other nations from supporting the euro and/or yuan. The military is like one giant mafia hitman that is going around and breaking the thumbs of people who aren't paying the loanshark U.S.

I'll tell you what they don't plan to do, use any of that oil to power energy conservation projects. In fact, the war in Iraq is their conservation project.

I sympathise w/ you.

Growing up as a military brat have made me a unattached, groundless, and disaffected....

But F*%# psychology (and I should know w/ my edumacation)

You need to get a "Plan" in order, even if it is a "minimalist" one...do you have relatives in NM that would plan along w/ you? Family could store some good, or help you purchase a few basic neccesities while your overseas.

If your not going to stay in the millitary (one that gets the hot coffie and gas while civie's shudder in the cold) than you need shelter, food, defense etc.

Can you purchase a few bullion coins where your at? Can you haul a bag of rice w/ you to every stop?.do you have a "bug out bag"?

May i also suggest www.frugalsquirrels.com register in the forums, and A LOT of the folks there have millitary experiance, or are in the military and they are PRACTICAL survival types...95% sane too.

Tell em Tzvi sent ya...