“But you know what’s weird? It’s impossible to get “fiscal conservatives” angry about this stuff. I’ve tried, at my office. Every time I hear some poor sucker at work complaining about how he had to stand in line behind some “fat welfare-type buying steak with my tax dollars,” I want to tell him, “Well, you know you much one F-35 fighter is gonna cost? 200 million dollars. You can buy a lot of steaks — you could buy half of Argentina — for that kind of money. And it’s a dog of a plane, that’s the worst, it doesn’t even work.” But I don’t bother telling them that at work any more, because it just doesn’t register with them. The average office slave can understand a $20 food stamp and wrap their hate around that, but when you say “$200 million times 2000” his brain just shorts out. Besides, this is supposedly about “defense,” and to the average sucker, that’s sacred ground. You can’t tell them it’s not about defense, that America would be much safer, and richer, without a fleet of gold-plated lemons like the F-35. I’ve tried, and what happens is they get this annoyed little frown. They just don’t get off on it the way they do hatin’ on that fat lady with the four kids and the food stamps. ”
—War Nerd: The Worst Thing About Drones
“The [Department of Defense] paid $100,000 to sponsor a strategy workshop in September featuring a session called 'Did Jesus die for Klingons, too?' on the theological threat to Christianity that the discovery of life on other planets might pose.”
—Your taxpayer dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen.
Hagel Would Be First Former Enlisted Soldier To Run Pentagon
npr.orgFrom NPR:
Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is said to be on President Obama’s short list to be the next defense secretary. But even the possibility of his nomination has stirred up opposition — particularly from members of his own political party.
If Hagel can survive a political ambush in Washington, he would be the first Pentagon chief who saw combat as an enlisted soldier.
The blunt-spoken Hagel favors deeper cuts in military spending and is wary of entangling America in long overseas missions.
As a veteran, I find it fascinating that no former enlisted military member has run the Pentagon. All too often, it’s the men behind the suits and desks that send the soldiers in uniform off to fight and die in a war for the elites. Hagel may be a member of the political elite, but he’s been a grunt before. The life of an enlisted solider is much different than that of an officer.
Lest we forget, the two major reasons Republicans hate him are that he’s been critical of Iraq and our military interventionism in general, and he’s also criticized the GOP’s slavish devotion to propping up Israel at all costs.
US Department of Defence cleared for military and police action to assist police in quelling enemy attack, insurrection, civil disturbance
gpo.gov[It’s a PDF, by the way || Here in HTM text]
SUMMARY: This rule implements DoD regulations and legislation concerning restriction on direct participation by DoD personnel. It provides specific policy direction and assigns responsibilities with respect to DoD support provided to Federal, State, and local civilian law enforcement agencies, including responses to civil disturbances.
The legal authority for this rule is 10 U.S.C. 375 (wherein the Secretary of Defense “shall not” permit the military from engaging in domestic affairs unless “otherwise authorized” by law. Here’s a direct excerpt from the document:
Effective May 13th, 2013, the State Department of the United States of America announces its policy to prepare for “civil disturbances” in fear of the consequences of these events. What is a civil disturbance?
Prejudicial to public law and order
Wow that’s not that vague. So for further clarification the DoD offers this:
(1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a material way the economy; a section of the economy; productivity; competition; jobs; the environment; public health or safety; or State, local, or Tribal governments or communities; (2) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency; (3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan programs, or the rights and obligations of recipients thereof; or (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal mandates, the President’s priorities, or the principles set forth in these Executive Orders.
This is law now - this was published on the federal register. I’m still sifting around myself but the changes herein to Title 32 (National Defense) are pretty substantial; the U.S. military has officially been sanction for domestic police work.
