It is really sad when the CJCS is not sure if warfighters on the front lines of the Global War on Terror will be able to get paid on time or not. 

It is unclear if the United States will be able to pay troops on time in the event of a debt default, the top U.S. military officer told troops in Afghanistan on Saturday.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pentagon officials were working hard to plan for a potential default but cautioned that the circumstances were extraordinary.

“So I honestly can’t answer that question,” he told troops at Kandahar air base in southern Afghanistan, as several expressed anxiety over budget wrangling in Washington.

Potentially suspending pay to U.S. forces waging wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is an extremely sensitive subject in the United States and Mullen acknowledged that many troops lived paycheck to paycheck.

“So if paychecks were to stop, it would have a devastating impact,” Mullen said, answering questions from troops.

“I’d like to give you a better answer than that right now, I just honestly don’t know,” he said.

 

Devastating impact is an understatement. It will cause a huge issue in morale among all soldiers and especially the families.

Yes I am talking about the Internet. Of course I say it tounge-in-cheek when I say that Al Gore invented it but I am not kidding when I say Congress wants the ability to kill it.

 
On the very day that the Egyptian government shut down an overwhelming majority of the country’s Internet servers, Republican Senator Susan Collins began floating a piece of legislation which, if passed, would grant the President the power to do essentially the same thing in the U.S.

Why does anyone in our government, Republican, Democrat or Independent think they can regulate and control something they don’t own. We (the USA) do not own the internet, nor can we control it. Does the Congress and even more so, does the President think they can get away with shutting off hundreds of millions of Ameicans from the itnernet? The internet is not just a fun thing to do at night or a place to catch up with friends, it has woven itself into the fabric of many of our lives. 

Think of the “shock” and “disgust” many Americans had when we heard that Egypt and Iran (remember a few months back) had shut off internet access to the people of those countries. Imagine the uproar in this country if people could not update status, tweet or even surf the web. It would be on the scale of Red Dawn. I am just in awe that anyone with any kind of common sense would even think of doing this. 

The timing of the bill’s resurgence is also curious, as the Obama administration continues to urge Egypt to open up the Web and online social networks. National Post’s Matt Gurney acknowledges that Congress isn’t “wrong” to take strong measures against cyberattacks, but argues that “the irony of the U.S. debating how to kill the Internet while we all rely on the very same technology to keep us up to date about how other people are using social media to change the world is inescapable, and groan-inducing.”

And come to think of all the people who said that President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and SecDef Rumsfeld were bad guys trying to take away our rights as Americans. HA, they would have never tried something like this. And in fact the patriot act looks like nothing compare to this when you look at squashing the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as American citizens. 

Read the whole story at http://www.switched.com/2011/02/01/internet-kill-switch-bill-what-it-is-wont-die/

Becuase it sure does keep me awake. This is very scary ladies and gentlemen, and just becuase the MSM isn’t covering every night at 6 and 10PM or on every half-hour headlines please don’t take that as a sign of unimportance. 

The clock is counting and I can tell you that our military sees the edge of the cliff coming up. They are no different than if you were driving towards cliff’s edge, they are starting to pump the brakes. Our military’s training, readiness, effectiveness, and ability to defend this country are all starting to show signs of those brakes being pressed. If Congress does not do something quick, our military is heading over that cliff and will suffer. 

 
The failure of Congress so far to pass the fiscal 2011 defense appropriations bill — which creates the possibility of funding the department under a year-long continuing resolution instead — is “the crisis on my doorstep,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in an interview yesterday.
Failure to pass the funding legislation will represent a $23 billion cut in the defense budget in the current fiscal year, the secretary noted.

“It’s the worst of all possible kinds of reductions, in significant measure because it comes halfway through the fiscal year,” Gates told reporters traveling with him to a meeting with Canadian officials here.
The budget request was for $549 billion, and the continuing resolution would come in at $526 billion.
War funding will not be affected, however. The Defense Department will receive $159 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this fiscal year, a figure that will drop to $120 billion in fiscal 2012, which begins Oct. 1.
The department likely would use operations and maintenance accounts to compensate for the difference between the budget legislation funding and that provided by a continuing resolution, through stretching out programs and making cuts in training and readiness, Gates said.

“Frankly that’s how you hollow out a military, even in wartime,” the secretary added. “It means fewer flying hours, fewer steaming days, cuts in training for home-stationed ground forces, cuts in maintenance, and so on.”
The current continuing resolution runs out March 4. Gates said that if lawmakers don’t pass the appropriations bill before that date, “this new Congress would be responsible for a cut that’s nearly twice the size of our fiscal ’12 proposal, and much, much more damaging.”
Forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan probably will be protected from the more draconian cuts, but forces reconstituting or on watch in other areas of the world will be affected, the secretary said.
“Depending on how it comes out, as I say, it could have an impact on training across the entire force, on maintenance, on facilities maintenance,” he added.
Gates pledged to do all he can to ensure military families and wounded service members don’t bear any of the brunt.
“I will do everything in my power to protect all the money associated with family programs, and I mean that,” the secretary said. “I will protect the money associated with family programs and with wounded warriors, and so on.”

Gates questioned the seriousness of members of Congress who are up in arms about cuts to defense in fiscal 2012, but are ignoring the effect the continuing resolution will have on the services.
“In short, talk about not cutting defense in [fiscal 2012], as far as I’m concerned, is simply rhetoric without action on the [fiscal 2011] defense budget that’s already in front of the Congress,” he said.
Gates also discussed some of the congressional concerns over his proposed $78 billion cut in the projected defense budget over the next five years.

The impact on the services is very modest, he said. Of the $78 billion, $54 billion in savings come from reductions in defense agencies and other cuts. About $14 billion of the cut comes from changes in assumptions, Gates explained. For example, he said, inflation is lower than anticipated and pay raises will be smaller than the ones that were figured into budget projections.
“So $68 billion of the $78 billion don’t touch the services, really, at all,” he said. “An additional $4 billion comes from restructuring the joint strike fighter program, and I would argue that’s actually to the advantage of the services. And $6 billion is from the force reductions in ’15 and ’16.”
The bottom line, Gates said, is that “only about $10 billion come out of anything having to do with the troops or investment funds or capabilities.”

The fiscal 2011 budget is getting mixed into issues that range far beyond the Defense Department, Gates said, adding that he is addressing his responsibilities to the department.
“My view is these issues are not optional,” he said. “This has to do with the security of the country.”
The training cuts a continuing resolution would necessitate would work against addressing readiness concerns the service chiefs and some lawmakers have expressed, the secretary noted.

“The irony in this would be one of the service chiefs’ concerns and one of the Congress’s concerns, the Armed Services Committees’ concerns, have been the lack of readiness for the full range of combat,” Gates said. “We are just now beginning to get the kind of dwell time [at home stations between deployments] that would allow us to carry out that kind of training. “And it would be incredibly ironic,” he continued, “if now that we are able to do that kind of training, we are unable to do so for the rest of [fiscal 2011] because we don’t have the money, because we end up on this continuing resolution.”

Thanks to some a fellow milblogger, Taco Bell, I am able to share this editorial with you. If you read nothing else today, I highly suggest reading this one. This guys appears to have had everything going for him. He punched all the right blocks and had a very respectable career. Yet he walked away from it all, because of the American voter.

I had chosen, freely, to place my life between those that would do harm to the U.S. and those whom I would protect: her citizens. I had always believed in the best of America and the people of her lands; that despite occasional missteps there was a general “rightness” to our way. I lived that belief for 22 years, leading and following warriors into combat. I’m certainly no war hero; my brothers in arms have seen far more combat, more intense and personal than I. But I have become acquainted with death in a way that I hope you never do. My last tour, on the ground in Iraq was where my heart started to be hardened towards you, the electorate, and culminated in this letter, written two days before our elections. And here’s why.

Read the editorial contribution in its entirety at:
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/article_dbcfb820-e9f6-11df-9f3f-001cc4c002e0.html

Ok people, you have twenty-four hours left before you can make a difference. I don’t care where you sit; right, left or middle but get out and vote. This is a right granted to you by being a citizen of the greatest country in the world; the United Stated of America, so get out and do it for God’s Sake.

Many great Men and Women have died to guarantee you that right and many, many more will die in the future. They may end up being friends, loved ones, spouses, children or grandchildren of yours.

There are people all over this world who are never given this right or privilege and die or get tortured trying to enjoy the freedom to vote in their leaders and representatives.

Now, from me personally I would hope that you get out and throw the corrupt bums who have sank this country into so much debt over the last 18 months out of office. Some checks and balances need to be put on the current administration who have been riding high on a euphoria of an election nirvana they enjoyed in the last Presidential election.

I have voted for democrats in the past and I will in the future if I feel they represent what is in the best interest of this country in my opinion. However as of late there are very few who do. I want politicians that stand up for what their constituents believe in and want, not for what their political affiliation leadership wants.

This country is the closest it has ever been to a revolution since the civil war and we cannot afford to let our country slip into that if we can help it. YOU can help it. Vote in common sense people who care about this country, the constitution and the people of this country. We need to quit worrying about hurting illegal aliens feelings, apologizing to the world, or trying to appease the unions. Many of us have fought long and hard to keep this country as the greatest in the nation. Don’t let a few inexperienced and greedy idiots take that away from us.

If you don’t get out and vote on November 2nd, then you don’t deserve to live here. Pack your crap and head to the border, I don’t care which one. Just don’t let the border crossing gate hit you on the way out.

Pure Genius:

In light of last nights Primary win by Rand Paul, I thought it time to muse about the ‘tea party’ phenomena. I’m not trying to demean the tea party concept, but rather voice my pessimism about the longevity and the depth of fervor and willingness to radicalize of the participants, and the co-opting by the Republicans.

The ‘tea party’ movement is merely political backlash and resentment over losing the last election cycle….and badly. I have yet to see someone involved with this facade interviewed…in any forum…that can adequately explain the sudden anger over long existing policies; the meaning of socialism/fascism/marxism [especially when used as an epithet all at once]; and the complicity and desire for aspects of socialism in almost every other facets of life, just not when supported by Democrats.

Additionally, the inclusion and promotion of revolutionary and libertarian symbols and slogans, when not remotely understanding Libertarianism…belies the fact that this Republican [I won't sully the label of Conservatism] movement is political charade.

Quite obviously, a grass roots movement is the only way to break the cycle of abuse by the two major parties. But that movement has to be a brush fire across a dry plain to affect any change. The tea party movements are merely campfires in reality. The closest movement we’ve seen recently on the national electoral level was the Ron Paul ‘revolution’, but even that did not do much more than get people excited for a short time. Of course, a managed campaign by the Democratic and Republican Party’s along with the MSM contributed heavily to its demise.

I believe that most Americans fear treading outside of their comfort zones in regards to political change. Americans have really only known the two parties. They are led to believe that these two parties are diametrically opposed and at odd ends of the political spectrum. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the concept of breaking that paradigm frightens people for a few key reasons: the media does not have any vested interest in promoting change because they are part of that paradigm. The media will by and large not even grant that there are more than Democrats, Republicans and the vague, gray group known as Independents…….who are universally implied to be disaffected or irresolute Democrats and Republicans.

I hate at times, to harp incessantly about the illogical and divisive influence of those two major parties, but I truly believe their existence to be the bane of citizen empowerment and the pursuit of the common welfare of the nation.

I don’t have the answers to how to break the political cycle of abuse. I’m not sure anyone does. What I do know is that the forces arrayed against breaking that cycle are legion. It will take strong, committed citizens with financial, intellectual and populist backing to return this nation to one of principle and ideals. Although I am a registered Libertarian, they aren’t the panacea. There are indeed good and honest Democrats and Republicans, but those who start out their political careers, I fear soon become co-opted by the party machinery. In today’s political landscape the party trumps the polity….and if there were ever an ideology opposed to that of our founders……we are witnessing it in our lifetime.

Who knows, maybe like-minded people can contribute to a movement to overhaul this pattern. Jumping on the bandwagon is easy after it gets started down the road. Building that bandwagon is a daunting task.

I was just as surprised as you are that the there are enough patriotic Americans in the Bay area to hold a Tea Party. Eric runs a blog called the Tygrrrr Express. It’s a hilarious and entertaining conservative blog that tells it like it is without the nonsense of trying to be politically correct. He was the headliner at the event on April 15th.

Recently Sarah Palin spoke at an Evangelical Women’s Conference and made the following comments:

“God shouldn’t be separated from the state.”

“Hearing any leader declare that America isn’t a Christian nation and poking at allies like Israel in the eye — it is mind-boggling to see some of our nation’s actions recently, but politics truly is a topic for another day.”

“This nation needs you,” Palin told the women. “Know the facts. Stand for what’s right. Don’t be discouraged by the mocking of those who want to claim we just cling to our religion. I’m the first to admit — yeah, I do cling to my faith. That’s all I’ve got.”

Courier-Journal

Now, one may be tempted to claim that she was merely speaking to her audience….but as she makes these same assertions at her frequent political rallies and media appearances, it would be off the mark to dismiss it as such. So her remarks [and similar remarks by other right wing pols and pundits] beg some simple questions:

Are we a “Christian nation” and what does that even mean? And why is making that claim so important to so many people?

I am a firm, unyielding proponent of religious freedom, and I give due to our founders and national leaders who have contributed to this nation, while believing in God. But if I am not a Christian, am I not an American? If I were Jewish, or Hindu or Rastafarian, or an Atheist…….would I not be an American, or would I be a second class citizen? Are we so vain as to believe that a God ‘blesses’ our nation and that good fortune comes not through our actions but because of an invisible guy in the sky?

I don’t have an issue if an elected official proclaims a belief in an unprovable omnipotent deity, but I have a metric ton if issue when that elected official attempts to direct policy not through law, but through religion. The modern interpretation of the bible makes it clear that it does not encompass equal rights and civil liberties for all law abiding citizens of a nation, so why do we bestow such credibility upon politicians who place an inordinate amount of stock in a belief system that does not aim to protect all of their constituents? And why are good, intelligent and caring citizens realistically denied a chance at holding office based on the fact that they are not [at least publicly] a member of the faithful flock?

I understand that people draw inspiration and perseverance from their faith, but does it objectively make sense to admit following the alleged guidance from the unseen hand of an invisible deity? Hold any issue to that same standard, and see where it gets you…..just replace the word God with another unprovable being.

We readily rail against theocratic regimes such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Taliban….but with exception to the chosen means for an end, there doesn’t seem to be difference between Sarah Palin and her ilk, and your average Mullah.

So those of you who voted for Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress because you wanted “change” are now wondering if you made the right decision. This situation reminds me of the old parable about the “grass looking greener on the other side of the fence”.

…yet, sometimes you can reach too far. Now, you find yourself over-extended and stuck in a situation that you can’t get out of easily!

So, the lesson you should NEVER forget is:

Not everyone who shows up…