I intended to do this only once a week, but today I'm feeling that I must do something. Peace is not a goal that can be relegated to the back burner, and while my gifts do not lie in inspiration or opposition, I can at least provide intelligence to bolster those at the front line.

So, taking a look at the Army, it seems that a 2 Star General has felt obligated to respond to a criticism of the US Special Forces. Yep, when being in the Special Forces has become a status symbol and a "Fast Track" to high rank, it figures that people would start trying to play the system. Every allegation made is of course, COMPLETELY fictitious, and the Army would NEVER stoop to such things as family connections, browbeating, or crass bribery for something as sacred as a spot in the Special Forces.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5j4DIellR4]

So what does this Actually tell us? It tells us that the Military is getting sloppy with their corruption. It's now so obvious and rampant that members feel the need to speak anonymously about the problems because going through the chain of command is less than useless. This additionally means that Morale is absolute shit right now. While the monoparty crows about how great their soldiers are, it's absolute bullshit, and the fact that the troops are still speaking out despite the rigid orders of silence instilled under Obama means that the discontent is powerful enough to make someone fulfill their oath of serving the country against domestic enemies.

Forgive me for a little nostalgia, since it seems that my old unit is getting new Handguns. Now, while most people just think, Oh Cool, new gear for the field, you don't realize exactly what this is saying to the people of the middle east when more soldiers show up with pistols.

So, little cultural background, (As presented by the Army, so bear in mind this does have the military spin on it.) In middle eastern countries, an AK47 is seen as a home defense gun. A long gun is seen as a standard thing for a person to wear when on official duties as a cop or soldier, and doesn't draw any attention or second glances. A Pistol on the other hand, has a VERY specific and sinister purpose. Pistols are seen as a device of authority, specifically because they are used for executions. By giving pistols to "Team Leaders" the US is essentially telling middle eastern cultures that we are giving the average Sergeant the authority to perform field executions. I can't see this going well.

And the Army wants More Soldiers. The Civilian job market is so crappy that most folks who are in ain't leaving. What I find interesting is that it's very clear from this article that the Army is deliberately targeting the desperate, meaning High School kids and College kids. 17,000 new victims for the war machine.

Oh, and there's no due process, OR war status for the enemy anymore. If you're accused of fighting against the US, while a citizen of the US, you get to go into that wonderful CIA/FBI black hole where you aren't actually charged with a crime, but at the same time aren't considered a member of a enemy army. You have ZERO protections, either under civilian or military law. So, essentially the US has declared that we will not follow any laws with regards to our treatment of prisoners. Judges can hem and haw all they want, but at the end of the day, the guy's still in jail, the law's still being ignored, and the US moral position continues to sink.

So, apologies for another edition so early, but today I needed to do... something.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11CKOAQDsbg]