The Defense Budget

Here are some thoughts on the amount of the Federal Budget alloted to defense. I have some thoughts on why it should be increased and will at the same time benefit our great country.

1). Safety - Our country has been rocked by terrorism in the recent past but since taking the war to the terrorist we have felt much safer at home. I have to believe that if the war were not taking place the insurgents we are fighting in Iraq and Afganistan would be at our doorstep assaulting us here. Lets keep it over there.

2). Training - This comes on two levels, skilled and management. Notice I did not say unskilled. When any branch of the Armed Forces recruits someone they are eventually trained for a skilled job. no longer do we have soldiers, sailors or airmen that do not have a skill when they leave, even after just 4 years. Even your basic "groundpounder" has learned the basics of security. College graduates are given the best possible management and leadership training available. As the old cliche goes the military gives alot more "bang for the buck" than the neighborhood trade school does. As an employer I woould much rather trust the skills the military has given than those of our local education systems.

3). Technology - The defense market has to be one of the most advanced in producing new technologies. Do we have guys setting around brainstorming and coming up with great ideas? Nope. But we do have guys trying to solve critical problems, thinking out of the box and then paying to have the technology produced. heck some of this technology is even produced by the University systems thus adding to their research status.

4). Alternatives - Think of the lifestyles many of the youth are introduced to and then think of the young soldiers, sailors and airmen you know. The latter learn a completly different lifestyle from their peers that is for the most part better. They learn respect, organization, attention to detail, good work habits, pride fitness, the list could go on and on. They are not hanging out getting high and collecting unemployment.

5). Experiance - This does not apply to the work experiance mentioned above, this has more to do with life experiances. Coming out of the military our young people have had to work together with individuals from different races, cultures and religions and have done it well. They have also seen what other countries are about first hand they have experianced other cultures and ways of life that the average youth in our country has not had the opportunity to do. For this they are wiser and better able to cope in a work place that for all intent is probably multinational.

As you can see investing in the defense budget gets more than soldiers to shoot at terrorist, its an investment in our youth and in the future of our country. If we were able to convince our youth to go into the military and not be on welfare the money that would be used to support them could be used to train them and make them more productive in society. I don't know the figures but I bet if someone looked the cost of a soldier is probably was less than the same person on social programs for a year.

Just the perspective from a Normal guy.

Our Friends

Just listened to a news report on the nuclear crises thats building in Iran. Seems that we (United States) are a bit concerned about the Iranians reopening their construction of a nuclear power plant that will provide them with their energy needs. It will also provide them with material for nuclear weapons. I had to sit and ask myself what the Iranians were trying to accomplish here, energy or weapons? Iran sits on some pretty significant oil reserves so I don't think a Nuc power plant is going to improve their energy situation but given their past tendencies for fighting I would think that might be the way they are moving.

Think about the hostage crises, then the Iran/Iraq war and their continued support of terrorist of any kind, especially when the terrorist is anti west and you can see a trend of aggression. The blind could see what is going on over there, so why can't our so called friends?

Once again the US is trying to figure out what to do with the situation and just like the Iraq problem we have to go to the UN Security Council. So whats the problem you ask? Well the French have already said they would not support economic sanction as have the Germans. Why not you ask? The French and the Germans have significant investments in Iran. If economic sanctions are imposed theywould loose a lot of money. Does this sound familiar? The Russians and the Chinese have said they would not support sanctions of any kind. Why not you ask? The Russians and the Chinese are one of the largest consumers of Iranian oil. If the Iranians are hit with an imbargo of any kind, there goes the oil.

So what do we do? Thats a good question and I am going to watch with interest and Secretary Rice does her thing, I have always been impressed with her.

But doesn't it just burn you how our so called friends are acting about it. Don't they realize that the Iranians do not have a delivery system to get close to the US? But the Iranians do have delivery systems to get to France, Germany, Russia and China. These are the same friends that would not support us in the attack of Iraq, these are the samefirends we found getting kick backs from the oil for food scandel. Not much of friends are they?

How soon we forget. When it happened the first time every one stopped buying French wines and German beer. Last month over Christmas ( I do use that word and proudly), I was at a party and they had French wine and German beer. I asked why they were not boycotting those products and the host, retired Navy, replied that it had been a long time since the invasion and that they had learned their lesson.

I say as long as one US soldier/sailor/airman is in Iraq we boycott. Do not forget whos troops are not supporting the US and who at every opportunity is trying to cause hate and disconsent in that region.

DO NOT FORGET!!!! DO NOT BUY FRENCH/GERMAN/RUSSIAN/CHINESE PRODUCTS!!!Until thay act as friends they will not be treated as a friend.

Democratic Grandstanding

This week has been full of the Democrats grandstanding.

First we have the comments of the Democratic Mayor of New Orleans saying that he was looking forward to the city of New Orleans being "Chocolate" after it is rebuilt. Later he defended himself by saying he meant a mix of races, but any normal person could see that he was grandstanding on the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. All he wanted to do was get the support of the black voters. We have to remember that the elections that were to be held in New Orleans have been delayed because of the hurricane. Its not hard to see where he was going with that comment.

Next we have Al Gore calling the President of the United States a criminal. Has there ever been a worse looser? Come on Al you lost the race for President, get over it. The issue is wire tapping and the constitutionality of it. Al would lead you to believe that the President is drooping in and listening to American's phone conversations and using what they hear in court. The truth is the wire tapping is being used on calls to and from phones that are suspected to be terrorist related and one end of the conversation is out of the US. Basically they are tapping overseas calls to terrorist related phones. Do I see a problem....NO... I feel safer.

Last is Hillary Clinton equating the Presidents running of the government with that of a Plantation. What a crock!!! Once again the comment was made on Martin Luthr King Jrs birthday. Am I the only person that sees this as an election ploy? The old First Lady must think the rest of us a retarded. She is a Senator. If the government is going as she likes it....CHANGE IT!!! This is from the First Lady that stood by her man and called the alligations against him.... A Left Wing Plot. Do we remember that? This is from the sponsor of the legislation that would have given Americans the largest health care bill in the history of the world. Bet you forgot about that one. Thank God the rest of Washington could see the problems with that.

Anyway, I have a feeling that as the elections approach its only going to get worse. Can't we just discuss issues in a sane and civil manor? Wouldn't it be nice if we had a time out for politicians. Get out of line and you have to go and sit in the corner for a couple of hours.