Trump's military put into perspective

Is that supposed to impress me? I am referring to your <COMMENT EDITED> contention that Lockheed Martin employees are employees of the US government.

 

here’s my service card as well. I don’t speak out of turn. I learned everything I know from through real experience and knowledge from others because I’m willing to listen. I have not lied about anything. You I can’t be so sure

 

Again you are so wrong and I disagree you have any experiences

 

Lockheed Martin hired me. They paid me. They told me what to do and what not to do. They wrote my evaluations. They promoted me. When I retired, I get a check from the financial organization which takes care of Lockheed Martin retirees. The US government was not involved in any of that.

 

I’m not arguing that’s the process.

What I’m telling you is when you are working on a government project you are considered a government employee for the duration of that project. There has been people working for Boeing who were working on parts to an engine for a military plane and they were caught video recording people on the sidewalk so there phones were subjected to public records requests because they were working in a government capacity and therefore their phone became public property. Please educate yourself

 

Being a member of an organization can and often does lead you to focusing almost entirely on your responsibilities and duties within that organization rather than being able to see the organization as a whole. A person who has served in the 10 Mountain Division for 8 years probably knows all about how that division works, its strengths, weaknesses, potential, et cetera.

But despite those years on active duty, such a person is NOT likely to have any special insight or understanding of how nuclear attack submarines would be best used in a military conflict.

On the other hand, an interested and well educated civilian who studied both the 10th Mountain Division and nuclear attack submarines could easily know more in total than the soldier and see how the two areas support each other.

 

you have no idea what you’re talking about. you act like units are contained in a bubble. Units and branches cross all the time and are supposed to train together based on mos.... trust me I knew any navy seabees and how their construction units operate and I was on a joint base so I learned about the Air Force... this is a very biased opinion

 

Speak for yourself. A strong military is a good thing- but just like politics, there are a lot of weak points- including brass that wants new toys, who collaborate with the defense industry, and those which think war is glorious and necessary. . Ever hear of the military-industrial complex? It's the military equivalent of the Washington swamp. They, like the swampers, don't like an outsider like Trump changing the rules and cleaning up the game.

My argument is not imaginary, but I do think yours is. Generals don't fight wars- they command troops from a position of safety, claim the credit for successes and blame others for failures. Worse, they don't win wars. We didn't win in Vietnam, now 50 years after what should have been a powerful lesson, we've been in Afghanistan for 19 years- when even the Russians realized it was a bottomless pit in 10 years. That's much of Trump's point; we must be strong enough and ready to defend the nation- but it's stupid to go around the globe fighting endless battles for nothing. Generals need wars and victories; it's hard to get promoted in peacetime.

 

you lack knowledge as well, outsiders perspective are so out of touch.

I watched a csm of I corps to csm of forscom and then sma in a matter of 3 years but it’s hard to get promoted? I watched pfc’s get promoted to sgt in 25 months due to waivers. I watched a General of an infantry division become commander of paccom in a year. Your assumptions are way off. Try learning from someone who lived it.

 

I am friends with a BC who is now deputy commander of a division in 2 years

 

your idea that trump has built a military ready to win any war is what’s imaginary

 

In your last response to me you basically said that an "outsiders perspective" was not useful.

 

if you are not or were not recently in the military how can you possibly know how service members feel and what they go through and how their readiness is? you are simply going off whatever your news outlet is and trying to argue a point that you feel is right based on others opinions

 

Keep in mind service members can not publicly denounce the military. That is UCMJ action and is punishable. So as I have stated please refrain from engaging in topics you have not experienced first hand or knowledge of the entirety

 

then you say military generals are swampers. Got it I know who you are now. Because trump has criticized the generals and said all they want is to fight wars and you sound that idiocy to me? Generals don’t want war, that costs lives and then they lose funding for funerals and having to replace that soldier not to mention all the criticism and backlash they get and preparation they have to plan and movements that need to be executed and war crimes that get committed. Generals want a president that creates a positive environment and allows them to execute mission plans without saying they are losers and suckers and he doesn’t understand why they fight for their country because there’s no money in it or a president that can’t even remember the name of a fallen soldier as he speaks to their family members. Trump is an embarrassment to this nation and anyone who follows him is the same

 

Correct - we are talking nuclear superpowers here - and who knows how many China has - We can annihilate each other - even without advances in technology. .. and therin lies the rub .. some of which is described in the OP.

What we do know - is the ability of China to deliver a nuke to the USA has dramatically increased on a relative basis.
This is due to working with Russia for the last 2 decades on missile technology - India came in before China .. and hence all 3 have amazing missile technology - both conventional and nuclear.

Since we are not having a nuclear war with China - nor a conventional war for that matter - at least not one targeting each others homeland.
What we may be involved in is proxy wars - with China technology on the other side..

 

finally someone with some sense.

Yes I agree there will not be a war anytime soon. We need to get more advanced with our technology as lately we have been finding Chinese espionage throughout our country as well as Chinese parts on critical electrical infrastructure. We are losing the technological and economical war with China. I will admit we are getting better at finding Chinese products and spying on our technology, but our economy situation with China has gotten worse

 

i just realized you said generals need war to get promoted.

promoted to what general? lol they get promoted based on retirement and promoted through Congress and generals are forced retired at a certain point so in reality your argument is wrong. It’s junior officers and junior enlisted that need war to get promoted faster. Your entire philosophy and outlook on not only the military but your previous comments on other posts about life in America is so distorted. You should really consider diversifying your news outlets and get a broader perspective of reality and what actually happens

 

Yes - The geopolitical Chessboard has changed - no longer is Military the #1 piece on the board - Economic is the most important.

We have been running around focusing on regime change wars - 10 Trillion on the war on Terror since - 911.
This is money we could have spent on infrastructure - Technology - Ramping up our Economy to compete in the 3rd millennium .

Instead we threw this money down the toilet - to pad the pockets of the international financiers that dictate our foreign policy.

Pentagon not happy about Trump's mentioning of this uncomfortable truth.

Trump is making some blunders though .. can't fight an economic war against China on our own... NO NO NO... so WTF his declaring economic war on every other nation on the planet at the same time was all about - this was a blunder.

by "economic war" I refer to the sanctions BS - You want to sanction Iran .. fine .. but using the so called "Nuclear Option" - to force every other nation to abide by "Unilateral" sanctions from on high... was way beyond heavy handed.

and the nations of the world freaked out. Using the strongest language "messing with our sovereignty" .. and while perhaps not big news in the US .. every other nation was out protesting against the US - and this was the main topic in their news - "En Mass" .

but - they submitted - they had no choice... threatened to block banks and corporations out of the International system of payments.. in US dollars - run by the US.

Never before have we abused this privilege like this - and we will not get another chance - The Lord Giveth - and the Lord Taketh away. We will see a valid competitor to the "SOLE" Status (capitalized for a reason) of the US dollar as the world reserve currency... and the rapidity at which this is happening is shocking. - do not hesitate to ask for backup on this one.. people like Jim Rogers saying a few years .. upon which my head was set spinning.

I am well aware of the move to create some competition .. but not in friggen 2 years.. although I had shortened my horizon from decades to - "within 5 years".

 

yes the problem is trump is alienating the US from everyone. China has seized the opportunity to pull financing out of domestic firms because of the decline of the American dollar and it has affected the US economy in drastic ways, causing many firms to provide kickbacks to China to continue using their resources as other countries can’t provide the same opportunities. Apple has human rights for every other nation except China because they can’t afford to lose all the manpower and technology currently available. Trump has destroyed the steel industry as China was their biggest buyer but now with China enforcing tariffs they are left reeling and closing down. Agriculture has seen a huge shockwave as well due to these failed policies

 

I don't get it - I wish someone would show me the silver lining in all this but the more I look at it and the longer this progresses - the worse it gets.

Nevermind backlash from China - sure the nations of the world complied for the most part with the Iran Sanctions - but - ever since it has been payback time... every time we turn around .. FU.

Germany - Nordstream - against Huge US protest -- FU US soldiers .. "Out" FU - don't need to you protect us .. FU.
Italy - Belt and Road initiative - FU
EU - Huawei 5G - FU

India - S-400 - FU .. same with Turkey - and I could list off coutless others.

So picture yourself as purchaser - International Tender - and the nation that has been messing with your nation's sovereignty is on the list.

Bottom of the Pile ? Ya Think Maybe..... FU.

We used to just whisper our desires and nations came running. We were the only Economic game in town and everyone wanted to play.
We had power - but did not need to use a big club.

A bold move was made on the board - and that move turned out to be a huge blunder .. and they know it.

 

that’s because trump says he is the master of negotiation and always gets his way. I’m starting to see why he has so many failed business endeavors... he tries to bully his way around and threatens to use military force that is depleted and not ready for another war. He doesn’t think of anybody else but himself and it shows. We are losing so much ground as the world leader and trump is pushing us down faster

 

Or.

You could be listening to family and friends who ARE in the military.

 

so what put’s their opinions over mine? Is it because my perspective and poll numbers don’t support your narrative so it’s not respected?

 

Its very strange because it is not just about Trump - Sure he is president but others were involved in the decision - others having the same rose colored perspective tainted with visions of days gone by.

Newsflash . China has a bigger economy in terms of purchasing power than we do. More cars were sold in China than in the US in 2013.

The EU has same size economy as the US... Put India with a few others and that is as big.

I am puzzled by this one. I know there was dissent over the use of the economic "Nuclear Option" - but he had support as well.

Notice that you don't see Blue pointing this out - Where is Rachel Maddow on this one ?

We need to get our act together - and Biden is not the Guy to do it... Blue has lost its mind - right off the turnip truck they have fallen.