Monday OT: It's 11-11, do you know where your troops are?

November 11 is day 315 of the Gregorian Calendar year,
Setting Orange, The Aftermath 23, 3185 (discordian),
And let us not forget 13.0.6.17.16 by the Mayan Long Count

Armistice Parade
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Yes, YOU! Your troops, mine too, they are, you see, our troops. And, the short answer is No, you don't know where they are. Sure, some are in Afghanistan, and Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and D.C., and San Diego and uh, like, Africa. Africa, big place that. They are, in fact scattered all over the globe in some 800 of so "bases" depending upon who you are listening to and accounting for quibbles like whether or not "lily pads" are bases and all like that. Oh, and are National Guard troops our troops too? They must be if "we the people" can send them abroad and into combat. "We the people", heh, a nice phrase for "the powers that be", isn't it? Ah well, and the CIA's combat forces, are they also our troops? Well, that gets tricky. Here's the government line on that from the wikifolk:

The Special Activities Center (SAC) is a division of the United States Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert operations and paramilitary operations. ...

The Special Operations Group (SOG) is a department within SAC responsible for operations that include high-threat clandestine or covert operations which the U.S. government cannot be overtly associated.[3] As such, unit members, called Paramilitary Operations Officers and Specialized Skills Officers, do not typically carry any objects or clothing, e.g., military uniforms, that would associate them with the United States government.

If they are compromised during a mission, the United States government may deny all knowledge. SOG is considered the most secretive special operations force with less than a hundred operatives. The group often selects former military servicemembers from special mission units such as Delta Force, MARSOC, DEVGRU, Army Special Forces, ISA, and 24th STS, as well as other United States Military forces.

Sound almost more like pirates or brigands than your troops, don't they? Doesn't matter, they are almost de minimus in number relative to the truly enormous size of our military

And how about the mercs, all those civilian contractors like Blackwater that we hire to kill people as needed and otherwise help our troops kill people? Are they "our troops" too? After all, "we the people" hire them too, just like "we the people", especially the CIA people sometimes hire entire proxy armies, paramilitary death squads and like that? Damn there's a major scarcity of clarity in this, heh, arena.

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But that's not what this is about. This is about Armistice Day. You know, it's still Armistice Day, even though we changed it officially to Veterans' Day. I actually grew up with Armistice Day, and everybody was taught the whole story, and 11,11,11,11; the 11th minute of the 11th hour or the 11th day or the 11 month. Yes! A cessation of hostilities, and we, and a lot of other nations and peoples celebrated it too. Who knows, maybe, just maybe some one or two of those persons or places would still be of a mind to celebrate the cessation of hostilities. Not us, however. We know better than that, silly naive country that we were. How the hell could somebody in their right mind celebrate the cessation of hostilities. The money, the power, the control, and everything else important come from the hostilities. That's why we're a warfare state, with an economy and position as the global top predator that depend on wars and warfare. This is far and away a better way of life than being the peace loving simpletons of yore, don't ya think?

Ah well, I see that my time is up, especially if I'm gonna stick to form and play some music. I know that the Aussies were involved, and celebrated that armistice, so let's start with something from down under.

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But hey, never mind all that, there's big money in war, really big money, even if pretty much none of it trickles down (TM) to the troops.

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Image is Armistics Parade

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It's an open thread, so do your thing

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enhydra lutris's picture

our ruling class from creating ever more and more veterans. Wouldn't that be cool?

Happy Armistice Day.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

thanatokephaloides's picture

@enhydra lutris

This "Veterans'Day", just for grins, how about we try to stop
our ruling class from creating ever more and more veterans. Wouldn't that be cool?

To accomplish this, we'd need to abolish our ruling class outright.

And by "we" here, I'm not talking about America. I'm talking about humanity. Anyone with a ruling class is going to have wars. All power corrupts absolutely.

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

ArmisticeDaySlider2017.JPG

This Armistice Day, Veterans For Peace calls on the U.S. public to say no to more war and to demand justice and peace, at home and abroad. We know Peace is Possible and call for an end to all oppressive and violent policies, and for equality for all people.

https://www.veteransforpeace.org

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS
Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

lotlizard's picture

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/08/pentagon-claims-us-authorit...

On war, Republicans are bad; Democrats — except Tulsi? (but after the disaster that was Obama, we’d have to see what she’d really do once in office) — mostly even worse.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@lotlizard
project to create an infinitude of failed states. What a sorry state of affairs.

Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

Why do we need 800 bases around the world? We are the terrorist.

Yes let's celebrate Armistice day not Veterans day. They still do in the UK.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2163258/armistice-day-2019-11th-hour-11th-...

Have a good day all. I've got hired help coming to finish putting up some metal roofing so better run.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout
terrorists, and tha's probbly why we need the huge network of bases. Good luck with your project and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Everywhere.

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@tle

from socialism? How long before the war mongers equate socialism with terrorism? Oh, I forgot. They already have. Wink

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

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enhydra lutris's picture

@tle
Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Wally's picture

On Bolivia:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCY_ReFRT8o]

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Wally
indeed, and more before that, as far back as the 1800s, iirc.

Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

cessation of all hostilities. We could... maybe... not send our kids to be slaughtered for oil or any other resource. We could care enough not to slaughter other people's children.

I will never understand how any parent who has carefully nurtured a child, watched them grow, and tried to show them the joy that might be found in life, willingly accept the idea that we have to turn this planet into a living hell for these very children because of our never-ending warfare.

Thanks e.l., for the reminder that this is Armistice Day.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@randtntx
Armistice Day, and we need many more. Stop the wars. Bring the troops home. Cut the DoD's budget by at least 50%.

Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

been in a major conflict (the first gulf war was, let's face it, small potatoes -- for us, anyway), that the American Legion and VFW were in a membership crisis -- they had practically no members under 40. How wonderful it seemed, that those organizations looked in danger of actually becoming obsolete.

I bet that's not a problem anymore.

Another from Eric Bogle, whose song is covered by The Pogues in the essay above.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-38PB_5ozc]
And some followup on that:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCocS6HWrvQ]
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_IUhL1rUCM]

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

enhydra lutris's picture

@UntimelyRippd
and for the Bogle tunes. Yesterday there were kids in camo barely old enough to vote down at the grocery store hawking poppies. I wonder if anybody teaches history anymore. I can't help but wonder if war isn't becoming so routine that nobody really understands how unnatural and irregular it is, or at least should be.

Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

thanatokephaloides's picture

@enhydra lutris

I can't help but wonder if war isn't becoming so routine that nobody really understands how unnatural and irregular it is, or at least should be.

War has always been routine. Always. All the way back to ancient Sumeria and beyond. It's been routine as long as we've had States, and the agriculture which led us to devise the kludge called "the State" to protect and maintain it. The last time war was unnatural and irregular, we humans, all of us, fed ourselves by hunting and gathering.

We need a better solution than the State if we are going to put an end to war.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@UntimelyRippd @UntimelyRippd
I remember (this year!), my wife's brother, Bob, a Vietnam veteran, being visited by two friends, John, a gulf War veteran, and Ryan, a veteran of Syria. Three generations of working class men with a common thread - all enlisted to serve their country and all were used by the upper class to enrich themselves. Ryan told me he has PTSD and doesn't want to talk about his war or think about it.

EDIT:
Somehow omitted that they were visiting him in the hospital.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

earthling1's picture

such an enormous amount of "stand off weapons" that we hardly even need a standing army for defense.
Clearly, our military is for offensive operations.
It's about Empire.
Except that us proles get no booty.
Thanks for the OT, EL.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

enhydra lutris's picture

@earthling1
hence not true, classic, pirates. Duly noted. Thanks.

Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

ggersh's picture

Me and the Mrs do this every year cuz it's
the vet's we support, not war.

https://chicagovets.org/chicago-veterans-ruck-march-2019/

The 20-mile hike through Chicago represents the 20 veterans we lose every single day to suicide according to a study produced by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

enhydra lutris's picture

@ggersh

Of course, it would be nice if the press would cover such events, but I don't expect them to.
Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

magiamma's picture

et al

MIC enrichment of the rich while choking the planet - carbon bootprints are everywhere and there no way to even address it. Those that fight their wars get nothing and the rest of us get the spillover CO2. The military is duly concerned about sea level rise because it will affect their bases. But only that. Thanks for the ot. Have a good one...

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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

enhydra lutris's picture

@magiamma
belongs in a different rant. Depending upon who you listen to, they are as high as the fifth and as low as the 147th ranked emitter of greenhouse gases/CO2 in the world. The diff between those two ranks may have to do with total ggs versus CO2 only, or different measurement and computation algorithms, I dunno.

Thanks for reading and have a great one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Bisbonian's picture

Well, you've already got "Masters of War", and "With God on our side", so I thought I would post "No Man's Land", or "The Green Fields of France"...but you've got that, too, as well as his "The Band Played...". So how about some Buffy St. Marie? [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27x25sdW9wQ]

Or maybe this is closer to how I am feeling right now:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qPUJhy0Dz4]

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

enhydra lutris's picture

@Bisbonian
Buffy's "Universal Soldier", hae been since I first heard it in '64.

Thanks and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

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dystopian's picture

you can see me as they pan...

fn war pigs

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

enhydra lutris's picture

@dystopian

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Anja Geitz's picture

The 26 year old son of a fellow crew member committed suicide this year. He was a combat soldier who had come back recently from fighting somewhere in the Middle East.

Normalizing the consistent presence of warfare in our lives, is not only psycho-socially damaging, but deftly works on the zeitgeist of the day so that we will forget how irregular warfare actually is.

That is, I fear, not accidental.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

enhydra lutris's picture

@Anja Geitz
Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

up
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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

enhydra lutris's picture

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --