DADT Future Looking Murky

Here we are, fast approaching 2011, and "don't ask, don't tell" is still hanging out there like a loose chad.

The chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force have all expressed some reluctance about ending the ban, as has the former commandant of the Marine Corps, but the comments of the current commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, are the most vivid to date.

In comments to reporters in California this weekend, General Amos said that ending the ban in the middle of two wars would involve “risk” for Marines, who, unlike other service members who generally have private quarters, share rooms to promote unity. “There is nothing more intimate than young men and young women — and when you talk of infantry, we’re talking our young men — laying out, sleeping alongside of one another and sharing death, fear and loss of brothers,” said General Amos, 63. “I don’t know what the effect of that will be on cohesion. I mean, that’s what we’re looking at. It’s unit cohesion, it’s combat effectiveness.”

And there you have it. We would destroy unit cohesion just as surely as we have destroyed the sacred institution of marriage.

Us gay folks are not to be trusted because we simply are driven to jump the bones of every straight man or woman who happens to be in a horizontal position. Although gays & lesbians have already served our country with honor and effectiveness, to do so honestly would suddenly render us without the self-discipline required to serve and get the job done, because all we would be thinking about is fucking.

Glad we cleared that up!

A Billion Per Thousand

This little snippet below, highlighted in red, caught my notice this morning in the New York Times.

Representative John Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who is chairman of the House appropriations defense subcommittee, cited $40 billion last week as a hypothetical amount for the supplemental financing request. The number represented a standard calculation of $1 billion for every 1,000 troops deployed.

And people say a health care public option is too expensive? Sweet Jesus.

Let's put this in perspective. My hometown in Arkansas needs some help. Seriously. With around 4,000 residents, a Pentagon war budget would get them about $4 billion.

They could build a subway line through town out to the Wal-Mart. And riding it could be free. With what was leftover, they could build everyone in town a new house and provide free medical care and free groceries from the Socialist Supermarket. And I think there would still be enough to provide everyone a car, with a complimentary tank of gas every month, not that they'd need THAT much help, with the subway and all.

But the important thing to remember is that situations in the US are fine and dandy. No one really needs any help. We have no infrastructure needs, everyone has access to transportation to get where they need to go, health care costs are completely reasonable, and no one goes hungry.

Hot Wash

Bits & Pieces, Odds & Ends

Distracted Driving, Part 2

In a nice follow-up to the article which prompted me to write this post about texting while driving, the New York Times ran another stunner today. Apparently saving lives on the highways takes a backseat to... not "angering Congress."

I shit you not.

In 2003, researchers at a federal agency proposed a long-term study of 10,000 drivers to assess the safety risk posed by cellphone use behind the wheel.

They sought the study based on evidence that such multitasking was a serious and growing threat on America’s roadways.

But such an ambitious study never happened. And the researchers’ agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, decided not to make public hundreds of pages of research and warnings about the use of phones by drivers — in part, officials say, because of concerns about angering Congress.

[...]

The former head of the highway safety agency said he was urged to withhold the research to avoid antagonizing members of Congress who had warned the agency to stick to its mission of gathering safety data but not to lobby states.

Critics say that rationale and the failure of the Transportation Department, which oversees the highway agency, to more vigorously pursue distracted driving has cost lives and allowed to blossom a culture of behind-the-wheel multitasking.

“We’re looking at a problem that could be as bad as drunk driving, and the government has covered it up,” said Clarence Ditlow, director of the Center for Auto Safety.

[...]

State Senator Joe Simitian of California, who tried from 2001 to 2005 to pass a hands-free cellphone law over objections of the cellphone industry, said the unpublished research would have helped him convince his colleagues that cellphones cause serious — deadly — distraction.

“Years went by when lives could have been saved,” said Mr. Simitian, who in 2006 finally pushed through a hands-free law that took effect last year.

What a big ol' giant bucket of fetid fail.

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The Senate Shoots Down Fighter Jets

At least the Senate rightfully heeded my request to stop the F-22 now! Ahh, the power and influence of konagod!

By a vote of 58 to 40, the Senate voted to put this absurdity down.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), shortly before the vote, noted that national guard members from his state are not asking for more F-22s but for more body armor and boots. Continuing the program "defies common sense," he said, while health care requirements and other economic needs are more imminent.

[...]

F-22 supporters included lawmakers from many of the other states where the plane's components are manufactured, such as California, Texas, and Georgia. Senators Patty Murray (Wash.) and Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) and other Democrats argued that killing the program would undermine the nation's defense by idling highly trained engineers and mechanics.

It might idle some Lockheed Martin lobbyists. But spending billions for fighter jets we don't need, and the Pentagon doesn't want, seems like a pretty warped approach to our national security.

| | |

Blog Sagas Won't Die

Lastly, it was noted this morning at Shakesville that His Royal Petulance has resigned as a contributor to that blog... yes, that femnist blog!

He needed a break from all the hiatusing he's been doing over there. Homo slacker! And gee, the timing of this sure puts me in an awkward position.

I would hate to think that my coincidental slipped Disqus glitch brought down his desire to continue with a pretty decent gig over there. Oh well, his world of followers will probably not be impacted by this.. all one of us.

OK, I'm done poking at things with my stick for the day. :-)

Stop the F-22 Now!

My three-dimensional political spectrum just got a little more bent this morning after reading about the F-22 fighter jets. President Obama has rightfully said he won't sign the military spending bill unless the $1.75 billion program to buy seven jets is removed from the bill.

Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry support the purchase. Senators Carl Levin and John McCain oppose it. Supporters want the program because of the high-paying jobs which will be retained. That sounds reasonable on the surface except for one small detail: The Pentagon doesn't really need these jets.

The Pentagon would rather buy unmanned aircraft to gather intelligence in Afghanistan and accelerate the testing for the F-35, a new plane designed to attack ground targets. Pentagon officials say the F-22 is hard to maintain and costs $44,000 to operate for an hour, compared with $30,000 for older planes.

But many Republicans in Congress say more F-22s, which were designed for aerial combat, are needed as a hedge against countries like China.

Holy shit! Let's break this down into bite-sized pieces. In an era when we desperately need to be spending money on things like infrastructure, education, reducing poverty, combating homelessness, health care, gaining energy independence and developing renewable energy sources to name but a few, we have senators pushing for a military expenditure which is unnecessary, simply to keep workers employed. (And keeping executives and stockholders of Lockheed Martin happy.)

It is this kind of disconnect which has me wondering how we'll ever get out of this hole. (We won't, but that's another issue.)

And that argument that the F-22s are a hedge against China? Please. If China wanted to bring us down, they already are well-positioned to cripple us via the economic system. However, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, believes China will potentially be a threat at some point, "particularly as it will compete directly with the United States for energy supplies."

All the more reason we should be addressing our energy needs now, not when we're over a barrel. No pun intended.

Consider as well, the costs to operate each of the F-22s: $44,000 is one American worker's annual salary for every hour the jets are in use. And that's on top of the $1.75 billion price tag which is another 38,636 such annual salaries.

While that may amount to a minuscule fraction of the jobs we've lost in the current recession, to squander that money unnecessarily is wrong-headed, misguided, and totally void of reasonable logic.

Let's jump back to the China statement for a moment, and John Murtha. And Japan's desire to buy F-22 fighter jets. But there's a slight problem: there's an export ban on the jets.

Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, said Wednesday that he intends to meet in the coming days with Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and Rep. Bill Young (Fla.), Murtha’s GOP counterpart on the Defense subcommittee, to discuss lifting the export ban on the F-22.

The key player in that briefing will be Obey, who in 1998 wrote the legislation that bans the exports of the F-22 mainly to keep secret the aircraft’s radar-evading stealth technology. Obey has not budged since, and it’s unclear whether he is willing to relent.

On the surface, it sounds like a pretty good idea if we want to keep these jobs. Allow Japan to buy the jets instead of us building them for ourselves unnecessarily. A win-win situation, right? Ummm, not so fast. In the world of politics, military, and money, things are never simple.

Murtha, who is willing to work with Inouye on facilitating the sale of the F-22 to the Japanese, admitted it is an expensive proposition that also depends on whether Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Ga., production line will stay open for several more years. That production line in turn depends on U.S. domestic orders for the plane. The Obama administration did not ask for money for the production of the fighter jet in fiscal 2010 and is adamant about halting production after the 187th airplane is delivered to the Air Force.

Murtha said that he would like to be able to purchase another 20 aircraft in 2010, but that he is uncertain whether that would be possible, considering the total price tag for those planes is $3.2 billion. Murtha also said that he is concerned about the high cost of operating and maintaining the existing planes.

Ahh, catch-22 with the F-22! We need to keep paying to keep the plant operational (i.e. churning out unneeded and expensive jets) until we can work out the details of an export to Japan, which might ultimately help with that Big Red Scare from China when they need more energy.

There are not even any guarantees at this point that this plan will even come to fruition.

For the F-22 to end up in Japan, Lockheed Martin would have to spend a considerable amount of time — several years — demilitarizing the plane. That essentially means stripping the jet of sensitive technologies employed by the U.S. military. That could be costly. By Murtha’s calculations the research and development to remove those capabilities would cost at least $1 billion and could go much higher, and it is unclear whether the Japanese would be able to pay such a steep price.

There's a lot more going on here than just "saving American jobs." I smell a big ol' stinking dead rat.

Kill the F-22

Why is this a quandary?

Two of President-elect Barack Obama’s stated goals — cutting wasteful spending and saving or creating millions of jobs — are on a collision course in a looming decision over whether to keep building the F-22 fighter jet.

Air Force officials have told Congress that they are hoping to win a $9 billion commitment to produce at least 60 F-22s over a three-year period, which would expand the fleet to 243.

But the F-22, a stealthy, supersonic fighter that was designed during the cold war and has never been used in combat, has many critics, and they include Robert M. Gates, who will remain Defense secretary in the Obama administration.

So why would we consider spending another $9 billion on this albatross? Ummm, jobs, of course.

Meanwhile, supporters of the F-22 program — which has cost more than $65 billion so far — argue that Mr. Obama should extend its production, at least temporarily, to preserve thousands of jobs related to building the jets, which cost $143 million each.

Pardon me. I feel bad for the workers who would lose their jobs but let's get real.

The logic in supporting this program is like me making the case for charging up $100,000 on my American Express card for things I'll never really use because I want the frequent flyer miles for a first-class flight to Europe.

4,000 Dots in 5 Years

Each dot represents the lost life of a soldier in Iraq. Each dot represents a name, a face, a family filled with sadness, a lost future, a sacrifice, and for what?

Each dot also represents at least 8 wounded in action, and that number is probably very low. It could easily be 16 or more. Many of those lives are forever changed as they learn to cope with lost senses we all take for granted -- the lost of vision, hearing, one or more limbs, or a plethora of mental health issues.

Each dot represents at least 300 Iraqis who have died as a result of the US invasion. Again, 300 names, faces and families destroyed for each dot.

Lastly, each dot represents $126 million dollars based on the most conservative Pentagon figures of the war's cost. If you believe as I do that the true cost of the war is already at $1 trillion if not on the verge of $2 trillion, then each dot represents about $250 million to $500 million -- that's half a billion dollars per dot for those of you more accustomed to dealing with three and four-digit sums of money on a routine basis.

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So? At least somebody is benefitting.

Have a nice Easter weekend, Mr. Cheney. And may you rot in Hell.

Never Say Never

When A Month Seems Like An Eternity

Unfortunately, Iraq and Afghanistan (and as Bush keeps insisting, Iran) are not our only problems in that fragile region. Keep a close eye on events in Pakistan during the upcoming month leading to the February 18 elections, assuming that date holds firm. I would assume nothing.

Pakistan’s premier military intelligence agency has lost control of some of the networks of Pakistani militants it has nurtured since the 1980s, and is now suffering the violent blowback of that policy, two former senior intelligence officials and other officials close to the agency say.

[...]

The growing strength of the militants, many of whom now express support for Al Qaeda’s global jihad, presents a grave threat to Pakistan’s security, as well as NATO efforts to push back the Taliban in Afghanistan. American officials have begun to weigh more robust covert operations to go after Al Qaeda in the lawless border areas because they are so concerned that the Pakistani government is unable to do so.

Pay particular attention to that last sentence. The New York Times story to which I linked is long but worth reading to fully comprehend the complexity and instability of our "ally" against terrorism.

Alternate link.

In Celebration Of Our Vetarans

(I'm moving this post back to the top with some additional links.)

Especially the homeless ones.

Veteran’s Day 2007

"I hope I'm wrong," said Tom Mitchell, who runs a 242-bed shelter in Houston serving 14 Iraq veterans, "but I think, in a few years, we're going to have a mess on our hands."

Such a mess could last for decades. A report released Thursday, in advance of today's commemoration of Veterans Day, by the National Alliance to End Homelessness concludes that one in four of the nation's homeless are veterans. Nearly half of them fought in Vietnam.

And found this piece at Jami's Not That Different. Serving your country is tough work. War is hell. If you haven't been there, it's probably inconceivable. Serving your country for 20 years while simultaneously fighting a gender identity war is, quite frankly, heroic. This takes Don't Ask Don't Tell to a new level.

Autumn Sandeen is that person. If you don't know her, you should. She also contributes frequently at Pam's House Blend.

Terrorism: It's All That Matters

I'm having trouble with this.

Asma Jahangir, a leading human rights lawyer, reported in an e-mail that she had been ordered to stay confined to her home for 90 days. She said it was ironic that Musharraf "had to clamp down on the press and the judiciary to curb terrorism," adding, "Those he has arrested are progressive, secular minded people while the terrorists are offered negotiations and ceasefires."

But this really concerns me.

The Bush administration signaled Sunday that it would probably keep billions of dollars flowing to Pakistan’s military, despite the detention of human rights advocates and leaders of the political opposition by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the country’s president.

[...]

“They would rather have a stable Pakistan — albeit with some restrictive norms — than have more democracy prone to fall in the hands of extremists,” said Tariq Azim Khan, the minister of state for information. “Given the choice, I know what our friends would choose.”

So much for "spreading democracy."

Mr. Gates said the United States had begun “reviewing all of our assistance programs” to Pakistan. But, he noted, “We are mindful not to do anything that would undermine ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.”

I am disgusted. And pissed off.

Don't Fence Me In

Believe me, the border fence and the passport requirements (oh, how nice of them to exclude Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands!) will not slow me down when I decide to leave the grand old USA because when I do, I may not return.

If shit like this doesn't stop soon, I'll be feeling the urge to pack my bags and vacate for some more reasonable climes.

you say potayto, I say potahto.

And not to let Osama Obama off the hook, this shit pisses me off to the extreme.

What are these guys thinking? I'm sorry, but if this busy working stoner in Austin, Texas has time to educate himself about who I'm associating with, and how it might be perceived across Americana, then I sure as hell expect a presidential candidate who is spending tens of millions of dollars to lock down my vote to know the right thing and the wrong thing. And this is wrong.

Fuck him. He just lost my vote. Are there no gospel groups in South Carolina that aren't homophobic?

And what's up with the Disaster-in-Chief asking for another $46 BILLION on top of the roughly $150 billion he’s already requested?

I'm sick of Bush, I'm sick of the disgusting pandering for right-wing voters by those who seek to sit on the potty that he has taken a dump in for the past 7 years, and I'm sick of two-faced politicians who would do just about anything for a dollar. Up to and including selling out the United States of America for what it's worth, which isn't a helluva lot these days.

And I'm sick of us pumping money into a failed drug war.

This shit must stop, and soon.

And don't even get me started on Mike Huckabee.

I swear it seems like the ENDA times.

Concerned Women for America (CWA) thanks President Bush for signaling a likely veto should the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) be approved in Congress this week. Matt Barber, CWA's Policy Director for Cultural Issues, said, "This dangerous bill would pit the government directly against the free exercise of religion, a situation which is unconstitutional on its face. Members of Congress should join the President and exercise their sworn duty to defend the U.S. Constitution by voting 'no' on ENDA."

Concerned Women for America need to go fuck themselves.

This concerned fag for America is way more concerned.

There IS NO SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE so get the fuck over it, bitchez.


Crossposted at Big Brass Blog.

Bumper Sticker of the Week Award

Goes to the stupid bitch in our neighborhood who drives the Toyota SUV with the asinine bumper stickers:

1. Peace - The Old Fashioned Way (a bomber over an American flag was the imagery accompanying the punch line.)

2. If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier.

Now, pardon my French, but what the fuck? What soldier can claim responsibility for me reading in English? And what difference does it make what language I'm reading as long as I can read? And if I couldn't read her stupid-ass sticker, should I not thank a soldier? What if I could read it in English but didn't know what I was saying? What if I could read it in English and didn't know what the fuck she was on about?

I'm so very confused.

http://www.army.exploitative

Sign up now.

Die young

Stay Pretty.

A Solution to the Military Draft Issue

Not Your Mama left this link in a comment thread here today.

The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals, are considering expanding the number of noncitizens in the ranks -- including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas and putting more immigrants on a faster track to US citizenship if they volunteer -- according to Pentagon officials.

Foreign citizens serving in the US military is a highly charged issue, which could expose the Pentagon to criticism that it is essentially using mercenaries to defend the country. Other analysts voice concern that a large contingent of noncitizens under arms could jeopardize national security or reflect badly on Americans' willingness to serve in uniform.

The last thing we need is more exploitation of those already at a disadvantage to put their lives on the line in exchange for a fast track to citizenship -- provided they survive. But what a grand idea for avoiding a draft and the resulting pesky street protests.