70% of active military campaign donations for the Republican primary have been to Ron Paul. Now I don’t completely agree with him, but I think that he is the most educated on the subject and capable of making an educated assessment and decision that is not based upon political gain or war machine support that ends up costing 1% (the % that of America that has deployed to war) of Americans blood and sweat.

Further, did we not, as a nation (a mutl-cultural nation of Germans, Irish, Dutch, English…), decide to rebel and fight against the British for messing with our lands without our full consent/representation? Perhaps you could say… occupying our colonies and messing with our economy(taxes, embargoes, confiscations, etc). Seems perhaps some of the major difference is we didn’t hide behind religion like Islamic Terrorist do, and fought the enemy toe to toe (ish). Guess we were just greedy and pissed that we didn’t have a say

That and screw it… I now support a draft. Maybe if more people thought they might actually have to go die for their freedom they might care a little more about what they might die for.

Its not just priceless… thats frigin BA! GET SOME!

I cannot agree more with this move then ever before. And the fantastic thing is that they may pull an addition Brigade out rather then just the planned one. Dont get me wrong having strategic forces around the world is a good thing… If your planning on going to war a lot.

Even in the midst of both Afghanistan and the start of Iraq many units did come from Europe. But even more came from stateside. Even then they could have been moved into place as needed had they been stateside. When a soldier is moved to Europe the cost for maintaining him, and his family, is far greater then say at Fort Hood. Europe has a higher cost of living, we pay to ship his belongings there, and then back, we pay to move US products to the PX for his family to shop at, we pay the local hospitals to treat what our medical providers (that we have to send to support the soldier) cannot provide. The nurse who treated me while I was in the ICU at Lansthul was German… Not American.

So why spend all this money to put soldiers, at extra cost, closer to battlefields that we already can send soldiers to from here? The mathematical answer is there is just not much reason to any more. We dont need them there further because I believe that we have little reason to go getting involved in other countries businesses. Our history of fiddling has already set us up for the sorrow of that decisions generations down the road. We paid Osama bin Laden. We overthrew the democratically elected Iranian government. So lets learn from those leasons and directly benifit from them in the form of not only less blood lost but less cash lost.

Sure keep some there. Ready to kick some ass quickly and harshly… we we are attacked, not just to screw with other countries because we dont like the rhetoric. Oh… did I mention I’m a vet who supports Ron Paul?

If we continue to follow the logic that unlimited money can be spent by anonymous organizations or companies then why not have the Pepsi Presidential Elections? Or perhaps the Doritos Democratic Primaries? Seriously? I did not go to war to be the billboard of a company. I went to war to protect a democratic republic based on constitutional liberalism. A government of LEADERS elected by the PEOPLE to represent ALL our (people not corporations) interest with the LAW (the Constitution) protecting my individual LIBERTY (Liberalism) and being the overriding rule of the land.

If you want to do something, call your Representative, go to Moveon.com. At least get pissed.

http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/22/2088020/op-ed-naming-rights-state-mottos.html

To override our Constitution because of our own fears to personally defend that freedom, to not waiver despite the fear of death or repression, to stand not wavering from lunatics who lock up people without trial, (what this law now allows); is akin to being a coward.

Remember, the FBI defines possible terrorism type activities as “missing fingers, food stores for more then 7 days, owning a generator.” Yeah it sucks that getting evidence is hard. But lets count the number of successful terrorist activities since 9/11? None? Terrorist wish they were as good at killing Americans as our street gangs are.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/15/americans-face-guantanamo-detention-obama?fb=optOut

I’ve had fire captains, paramedics, flight nurses, charge nurses, you name it serve with me. Nearly half the platoon of every unit I’ve been in was experienced or had a medical degree. However we must once again realize our limitations and proper uses. With all the deficiet crisis and economy still not looking good I think a smaller, leaner better trained Guard would benefit all of us better. I hate seeing fat slobs in the Guard, they are only sucking away resources, and time. I hate only being able to train in 48hrs a month and two weeks in the summer. It leads to incompetent soldiers and only adds to our inability to be flexible or deploy quickly.

Cut the number of soldiers and increase our training days. Make us easier to deploy and support active duty with missions like the above. Its great when we come online with everything we need and no one has to hold our hand. I think this is a great example of how to use the Guard.

http://www.rc-east.com/en/press-releases-mainmenu-326/5159-by-ground-and-air-oklahoma-makes-its-presence-known-in-afghanistan.html

We would see tracers and mortars going of up the valley from our base. Not being shot at us, but between to rival tribes over the rights to harvest the fire wood. And the cops did nothing but stay in their shacks. We even got lite up by them one night when they were probably high. Now this was 2009-2010, and yes its not all bad, and maybe things are better. But even from guys I know who’ve gone back I would not say that greatly better. And I did see plenty of cops aggressively charge and maneuver like they had some instinct for their job. But enough to justify a draw down?

The proper way to win this war is to pull out on our terms. Dont try and sell this move as “our terms.” This draw down is the causation of our inability to realize the true length and cost of war while simultaneously having a dysfunctional goverment that cannot figure out simple compromises. Though this is not the Taliban’s terms, I fear it will still effectively give them a upper hand on the battle field. I would rather win the war now then come back in 10 years.

If you feel the same way write your congressman and tell them, Democrat or Republican, to stop whining like brats and work together like grown ass men.

1) http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/11/ap-40k-troops-to-leave-afghanistan-by-end-of-2012-112911/

2) http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/9133142-418/40000-troops-to-leave-afghanistan-by-end-of-2012.html

About time. I wish the National Guard would pick up on this idea. As a soldier who has served for two different states (but transferred back and forth for a total of three times) has been a complete headache. And this is just between two states. The horror stories I’ve heard of trying to go from NG to Active duty makes me not even want to consider it as an option.

I think everyone would benefit. There are plenty of people who only dipped their toes into the military and after realizing how much they love it want to go active. These are good motivated soldiers often and to make their progression and transfer more difficult is a disservice to both the soldier and the Army (who potentially is missing out on a good motivated soldier).

I hope this goes through quick and actually likes.

Guess maybe I should have tried selling my kidney on the black market, rather then losing it for America. Talk about a bout a great way of saying “thanks.” Dont get me wrong I’m willing to make sacrifices this to keep things going. But to not ask the top bracket to sacrifice some at the same time is a great way to reinforce me NOT giving a crap. But that’s alright cause middle income, rural, high school grads will still fight for America more then any one else in the country. So lets keep asking them to die… but curse raising the burden of taxes by 3%