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Department of Defense Gadget Show
blackp writes "DefenseLINK has an article about Force Protection Equipment Demonstration IV. This year they had over 2,600 gadget and equipment for defense and government agencies. The list includes kevlar suits, body heat camo, a RoBoCop Suit, even biometric identification. Some pictures are available, although somewhat limited. This show seems perfect for the geek with a big budget." Or the government with a big budget. Still, some neat things on display.
Howard Dean thinks that the U.S. military shouldn't be strong anyway, so why do you act as if you are upset when military programs are cut?
If ridiculous platitudes were all it took to keep the peace, we wouldn't have anything to worry about, I guess.
-When will people learn that Americas war on Iraq was not about weapons of mass destruction at all, but about a forced change of dictatorship? I agree, we were misled as to why we were going to war, but on the whol,e America is ignorant (to quickly explain this statement, I am not saying that Americans are all ignorant, far from it. What I am saying is that we all know those people that think Afghanistan and Iraq are the same places, and have developed a racist outlook to all those in the area. Many remain uninformed, and will probably remain so for many years.) There are so many levels of political function that many would of not of understood why we were to be involved. Yes, I agree that our (America) actions in Iraq have been detestable, with our soldiers having no respect, nor any kindness to show, for the people of the nation we are at war with. Yes, I agree that a few government officials may of gotten billions of dollars worth of oil rights with this war, as unethical as it may be. Yes, I agree that this chain of thought is a little off topic of the main issue. Yes, I believe that Americans should of read "The Art of War" as mandatory reading in high school, so the etiquette, and proverbs for a noble fight, are at least absorbed at a young age. But with all of these points down, one must consider the driving point: we have destroyed the reign of a dictator that in many respects was the same, if not worse, than Hitler (if you wish to argue, yes, Saddam did not successfully kill off millions of his own people in an act of genocide, but he still tried. If it was not for American intervention in the gulf war, Saddam would of gotten Kuwait, and then it would have been another holocaust for another religious group. If you insist that Saddam was not worse than Hitler, because he did not muster enough of a force to try to start a new Ottoman Empire, and cause millions of deaths in the course of a world war, than please replace Hitler for Trujillo, another unsavory fellow that America killed in the 1960's.) -Another point that many Americans are making is that countries such as France, Russia, and Germany did not want to go to war with Iraq. I am tired of listening to people who are chanting "War with France" or "Vlad had his chance, now America will finally kick Russia's ass" ect. These countries chose not to be involved in a war of prevention, as we should of done. If America was honest for its main reason for going to war, these problems would not arise. We may of even had the support of other nations. Instead we have planted the seeds of dissent into the UN, which are growing rapidly and may undermine any stability in world politics achieved with its function. Another point is that these countries may not of been able to afford to go to war. Yes, I understand that in many scenarios a war can stimulate a down economy, but it can also wipe one out. France has been affected by the fall of the market, as well as the dwindling trade. Germany is not exactly paved in wealth itself, and Russia is only the seventy-seventh richest nation in the world, with EVERQUEST as the seventy-sixth. Do you think that a country with less export revenue than a five year old game could possibly fund a battle in the desert? With outdated gear? And with military advisors that were involved in, or learned, about the soviet forces in Afghanistan and how the locals wore them down to the point it was not worth staying? Many believe that fighting should not be the first action preformed, but the ultimate last action to be done. -This babbling rant was written after taking a very large amount of cough syrup. Please read for information and points, not for the poor grammar and Dickinsonian style.
3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
Not to be excessively picayune, but the Soviets were quite a bit ahead of us in "missile defense shield" technology -- their sites at Dushanbe, Tashkent, and Sary Shagan were well documented. Asking us if an ABM system would be destabilizing brings to mind something about a pot and a kettle. I'm aware it was simply a humorous sketch, but a little background does change the slant significantly.
I agree with you entirely that the "grunt in the trenches" is not, nor should he be, the formulator of national-level policy. But he is the implementor of that policy; he is "the last argument of kings," if you will. The level of trust and confidence he has in his equipment and support elements has a direct bearing on his ability to carry out the mission, so the onus is on his superiors to outfit him with the best possible equipment available.
Cry me a river for the nations who are "wary" of the United States' power. It's been this way since the beginning of time: if one tribe of shaved apes gets an upper hand, it's going to use it. No amount of carping or snits about "destabilization" will change the fact that each of the pissants would be doing the exact same thing if their positions were reversed.
They that would sacrifice their