Well, SEQUESTRATION was our DEAR LEADER’S idea.

Think MAYBE this was an INTENDED CONSEQUENCE?

WOULD give our “Allies” in China and the Rising Caliphate some “breathing room”.

ANOTHER reason to delay and forestall Fracking and Keystone, which, if implimented would DRASTICALLY REDUCE ENERGY COSTS?

And WHY are these carriers not NUKES?

The N in CVN Means Nuclear powered, they are all “nukes”

The Navy’s primary mission is tactical. Carriers had few strategic taskings, except in the event of a full scale nuclear exchange, we were in the business of sending Soviet boomers to the bottom. We did not place a carrier task — given the range of the air wing — in position to attack mainland Soviet targets, i.e., ICBM installations and key command and control centers. Aircraft carriers serve the strategic mission by nullifying air and sea lanes over the area of its patrol.

That is a definition of the Navy’s tactical role. I was referring to any strategic tasking. We deny the enemy use of air or sea lanes as a key component to the overall strategic mission. Our routine deployments through strategic waterways around the world accomplishes this task.

They also serve proudly, who stir the beans, and who exactly are you to denigrate someone else’s service? Elitist twit. And if you were actually an orficer in the Navy, you’d know the Navy refuses to confirm or deny that this or that particular ship is nuclear armed, or discuss their nuclear capabilities as a matter of policy. Thanks for talking out of school in a public forum and providing OPFOR OSINT analysts another little tidbit. Is that your OPSEC Officer I hear calling? Too full of yourself to stay awake during the mandatory briefings?

Confirm or deny what? The fact that they are nuclear fueled? Since when has that been anything anywhere close to being sensitive information? Really, give me a break.

You can distinguish which ships are Nuclear powered via it’s hull designation CVN-72 is nuclear, hence the “N” in CVN.

They are nukes and we can’t pay for the fuel rods. Maybe Iran will loan us some.

Read the article, they last for fifty years and receive a 25 year overhaul. The Lincoln is undergoing its 25.

It might take a while for Iran to be able to provide any, although they probably could do it before Congress gets its act together. I think North Korea could provide some tomorrow. Hussein Obama ought to send little Jimmy Carter over there to ask.

Agreed. We’ve let them enrich enough Uranium to fuel our fleet for the next two centuries. We should congratulate ourselves for all the empty threats and pandering we’ve done.

ACV Aircraft Carrier, Auxiliary
AVG Escort Carrier, Auxiliary
AVT Aircraft Carrier, Training Ship
CV Aircraft Carrier
CVA Aircraft Carrier, Attack
CVAN Aircraft Carrier, Attack, Nuclear Powered
CVB Aircraft Carrier, Large
CVE Aircraft Carrier, Escort
CVGH Aircraft Carrier, Guided Missile Helicopter
CVH Aircraft Carrier, Helicopter
CVHE Aircraft Carrier, Escort, Helicopter
CVL Aircraft Carrier, Light
CVN Aircraft Carrier, Nuclear Powered
CVS Prior to 1957: Seaplane Carrier
CVS After 1957: Anti-Submarine/Support Carrier
CVV Aircraft Carrier, Vertical Take Off And Landing

SMFJJACK is right, they are nuclear powered, which is why it takes so long and is so expensive, but once refueled they are good to go for a _long_ time.

Sorry about the reading disability, Daniel. If it weren’t for Obama, you would not have a pot to p*ss in or a window to throw it out of–and neither would I. The rapid removal of all U.S. funding to the corporate sector under the previous administration would have continued, with an even greater drop in earnings and higher unemployment, and instead of 50% of Americans now being poor or borderline poor, it would be more like 95%, and only the top 0.1% would be thriving. Oh, well, that last clause is true, anyway; the 5% and the 2% and even the 1% are no longer thriving; it’s mostly going to about 400 people now. .

You mean all the non-existent “green” energy jobs provided by Obama backers that failed, with only his supporters walking away with a profit? The programs that spent hundred of thousands or even millions of dollars per job created? Goldman Sachs, Wall Street et al. so they could shell out 6-figure bonuses? Bailing out GM union workers on the backs of US taxpayers? Can you point to a single concrete instance where “U.S. funding to the corporate sector” and the Obama administration policies have led to higher employment/greater earnings nationally?

Besides the firearms and ammunition industries, of course…between frightened citizens and DHS purchases of thousands/tens of thousands of automatic weapons and billions of rounds of ammunition, they’re thriving.

Or can you point to a multitude of concrete examples where our industries are being crushed by higher energy costs, uncertainty in the markets, over-regulation, ect.?

You really think corporate crony capitalism is a viable way to govern?

List them. Amaze us all. Give us 9 even, companies and jobs created. Then show us an economic breakdown of these jobs vs. the billions pumped into them.

The previous administration was the Obama Administration… Hahahaha

“Where did you make up your numbers?” – pugwis

Republican Tea baggers are demanding are demanding immediate cuts of 1 trillion dollars in the federal budget.

How many jobs does that represent?

Assuming an average wage of $50,000, it represents 20 million jobs.

And once those 20 million are fired and homeless, the spending they would have done will be removed from the economy and roughly another 20 million will be put out of work.

40 million people represents about 40 percent of the U.S. workforce, and with 19 percent currently unemployed, the total would come in at roughly 60 percent unemployment.

Of course that would push the economy into a grand economic depression and even more people would find themselves out of work.

That is the Republican Plan for America.

Probably, if not for all the government paychecks ( you all know who you are)
and hand-outs your figures would be near accurate. We may all feel a lot of
hurt before the end of Obama’s 2nd term.
I can only hope that Obama voters get their just share of the downside that’s
coming quickly now, that the rest of us are already feeling.

If they voted for it, they have no one but themselves to blame.

Sadly Fiona is much smarter than the object that calls itself “fuzzy”

“Fiona, It is hard to believe that you can really be that dumb” – Fuzzy

Ignorance, thy name is Republican.

And a very rare, modest vacation.

Seems to me, that the threat to white America is Mexico, not China.

“A disarmed and divided country can’t defend itself.” – Snowman

What is America’s trade deficit with China? A half trillion per year?

Snicker…

Illegal aliens come to America to work.

“illegal aliens” – Chris Kleckner

Chris Kleckner calls them unemployed moochers because he is a typical Republican racist.

I call it investment in the future.

“What do you call all the money he has thrown to ‘green companies”" – Dareisay

And with Republicans, America has no future.

What? WTF are you talking about? What treasure trove of wisdom provided all that BS? Jeez…..what planet do you people live on?

NONE OF US are going to have a “pot to piss in” after Obummer. His agenda is to reduce the once-greatest country on earth to just another 3rd world cesspool, and he’s making good headway. You libtards WANT that? Go…..just go ….somewhere…..ANYWHERE else you think is better than America. We don’t need you. We don’t want you. Leave….NOW.

stop being a leach on society. Be an American.

So where did you get these figures from? You contentions and numbers seem bogus.

My excuse for what ? Asking a question? Curiosity,

Done, above.

I don’t see a response from you.

“Please present credible objective traceable evidence to support your allegations” – mann

I suggest you go back to public school and learn how to divide.

You have not paid attention to what IS happening under Obama, you are only suckling at his teat of lies, like all the other fools who support him. He has clearly stated, prior to becoming president , that he in fact very much wanted to give the US it’s comeuppance. It never ceases to amaze me that people listen to his lies and believe that what he has lied about will, in fact, be done. He could tell the people who voted for him that he was going to give each of them a million dollars and these stupid fools would run out and charge a million dollars on their credit cards, only to find out that the money never showed up in their bank account. Of course, you all would still believe he actually gave you the money. You would simply decide that someone must have stolen it after it was in your account. Obama has no intention of doing anything to improve the lives of anyone except his very wealthy friends. He does plan, however, to have as many people as possible needing government handouts so that you do not dare oppose him, but rather see him as your savior. How incredibly, profoundly stupid can Americans be?

Fiona is right. Republican fiscal polity has for decades been targeted at bankrupting the nation.

Their current fiscal demands if implemented would immediately increase unemployment by 20 people, With another 20 losing the jobs due to secondary effects.

The U.S economy would enter into a decades long grand depression.

That is the result of Republican Demands.

CVN stands for C means carrier V means fixed wing and N means…nuclear!

Danny boy no carrier that is not “NUKES” as you call them has been built sine the 1960′s. But guess your 14 and never have a clue.

these carries are nuke powered. Every 20 yrs they get the nuclear fuel removed and replaced. old fuel rods out, new fuel rods in

The power of the Beloved Leader’s love for our enemies?

Ignoring the attack and issuing sternly worded directives.

You seriously believe this administration is any more interested in maintaining the nuclear deterrent than it is in maintaining the means of its delivery? Seriously?

They have a backup system as well and they are ready for a ICBM attack…unlike the rest of the world!

Perhaps we could buy 150,000 P-51 replica’s and swarm our enemies to death? Technology costs money. Check out the cost of today’s Vette compared to a 1963 in the day. For what we spend on national entitlement programs we could fund the discretionary budget for almost four years. The discretionary budget is where EVERYTHING gets paid for that isn’t a transfer payment.

Correct.

“This is a dog and pony show and total horseshite.” – TeaRunner

This business is done to give Republican Whiners an excuse to whine, bitch and moan, like the cowardly women they are.

no defense as long as they’re lined up like battleships in Pearl Harbor!

The same defense they have always had against an ICBM.

None!

Apparently this wasted piece of flesh hasn’t even advanced to the grade of idiot!

I think “treasonous” would just about cover it. I also have a problem with Congress. They’re like the Keystone Cops. Always running in circles and getting nowhere.

It’s so hard for me to fathom how such a man could have been elected. If anyone would have taken the time to study his background they would know he was raised in a Marxist/Muslim environment. Such a man leading this once great nation is a travesty. America has the leadership it deserves. Too many people have become lazy, stupid, and selfish.

“PRAVDA” = “Truth”

Amen! Thank God for term limits. People spend more time planning a vacation then doing any research when voting for a President. As my European father always says, “Americans are stupid.”

DON`T COUNT ON TERM LIMITS FROM THIS USURPER . HE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY .

But he will go, one way or another. That’s his choice. And it’s regardless of whether he and his supporters like it or not.

You’re right: Big words. I pray others and I will rise to the occasion, when it arises.

I’d say if, but I think lawless Obama and his lawless party, followers and allies lack the intellect or restraint necessary to prevent open armed rebellion.

Repeal the Thirteenth, while you’re at it. Have you read the data on crime and murder from Chicago lately? Hearings would be interesting.

It’s funny how so much crime and killing is in thier own home town.

yes he will

As my grandpa always said, “we saved those ungrateful European bastards not once, but twice.”

Now we just need term limits for the House and Senate.

Hey speaking of term limits when is that California witch Fienstien due to be lauched. Oh Congress has no term limits…I forgot.

Pravda, forged in the fire of Communist abuse and intolerance, does not suffer fools well.

I think they see a little bit of Uncle Adolph in him, and figure he’d turn on them just as quick.

Obama was not re-elected fairly. He he stole the election votes through his deception and fraud.

30 Yrs, you must be a public school math whiz? Started in the late ’30′s. As for a a Constitutional Convention, that will never fly. Can you imagine any of the current Congress approving the any of the Bill of Rights?

It was even before Woodrow Wilson. Read the short book by W. Cleon Skousen titled: “The Naked Capitalist,” written as a commentary on a 1300 page tome by Dr. Carroll Quigley (Bill Clinton’s mentor!) It will tell you all you need to know about how our country was put on this path of inevitable destruction. When Quigley wrote the book in 1969 he felt safe in publishing it because he thought there was no turning back by then. Quigley died in 1977. From the way things are going, he may very well have been right.

Wilson’s biggest contribution to moving the agenda forward was the FED, and then in his second term taking us into WW11 after his re-election. He had told the American people BEFORE he was re-elected that he would NOT take us to war. Seems liberals could not keep their word even a hundred years ago.

I believe John Law is referring to the LBJ instituting of welfare. But even that was over 40 years ago. I remember when it was passed. I remember standing in the kitchen talking to my mother and told her we would have a completely new voting block in another 21 years. The 26th Amendment was not until 1971. There are some things you just don’t forget. It’s like the JFK assassination and the WTC going down, they are indelibly seared into your mind.

people don’t inform themselves and the media is in the tank. The next D.C. protest should be at the media’s headquarters and people, leave the kids at home and be angry but civil.

He wasn’t really “reelected”. This is a prime example of voter fraud. He bought this election. Just reading about a lady named Richardson in Ohio along with her granddaughter India who voted twice for Obama in Ohio and admitted it but are claiming innocence. There are some others as well in Ohio. The hearings are Feb 15 and Feb 22 (?) should be interesting how they talk their way out of it. ABC Channel 9 covered the story.

Why do you think they’re pushing immigration “reform”? All they see is eleven million new democrats they can claim as victims.

MASSIVE voter fraud in Ohio, PA, and Florida.

I agree,but Socialist Democrats base is full of special interest groups who are ardent voters. Gays,anti God,free handout for vote crowd,Socialist,Marxist.etc
These all have a very narrow focus with lots on the line if Socialist Democrats do not get elected.Add on the Socialist media,which will not report the truth to the average voter,who is lazy,uneducated and only tunes in once in awhile and gets the anti Republican spin from Socialist media with all there cover ups,half truths and out right lies. Lets add that the Republican party leaders are the very worst at getting out our message and are lacking in communication skills when needed to speak at a sixth grade level to the uneducated voter,they fail. I see no issue today that the Republicans take control of,instead they play defense and remain dumb founded.

Election fraud; the key to union/Democrat success.

You are so very right. What concerns me most though is that our congress and senate sit idly by while he does this. At what point will they get off their gutless, chickesh!t butts and impeach him for treason? What is it that stops them from doing so?well, actually there are far too many who are owned by the same people who own him. So,, at what point do we, the people, march on DC and demand he be removed?

Ronald: everything that I have seen from Obama indicates what you are saying. We are not alone in this thinking. I just can’t believe so many people are blind to what he is doing.

Read the Obama prophecies, the Lord has put him over the USA as judgement on an evil empire. The Lord always judges His people when they cross the line, America is a cancer on the earth.

Read the Obama antichrist warnings at Prophecies Org

He also chooses against his own advisors too. They unanimously recommended that we arm the Syrian rebels, since the Russians and Iranians are arming Assad-Irans closest and only real supporter. He doesn’t listen to anybody.

Rush failed out of college

Sounds to me like you “failed out of gradeschool” there Elijah.

One autopsy physician, in the office where Breibarts’ body was taken, died (cause of death was poisoning) the SAME day.. as the announcement that Breibarts’ death was from “natural causes”?????

Oh, please. Obama and his administration are living proof that you can have multiple parchments from the so-called very prestigious colleges and universities and lack common sense, intelligence, business acumen and morals, to name some attributes.

I’ll take a college dropout like Rush any day. Oh, yes: Bill Gates, the late Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, the late Ralph Lauren, the late ohn D. Rockefeller, the late Howard Hughes, Oracle’s founder Larry Ellison, Virgin’s Richard Branson and Geffen Records’ David Geffen are all college dropouts.

Most likely Obama did too. Wall Street Journal in 2008 reported that 400 people were called randomly from Obama’s class at Columbia. No one knew him. Logic says, he wasn’t there, he failed out, he never went to class and failed, etc etc.

I think that story has some interesting possibilities. Where are all the classmates who usually can’t wait for their 5 minutes of fame? Mitt ran, and in about a nano-second there were pantsing stories, swirly testimony and a whole long list of whistle blowers. Where is all of that with Obama? And don’t say it isn’t because there are no stories. He admits to enough illegal activities (drugs) in his books, there has to be stories! Tell me that a serious stoner, enthusiastically exploring hard drugs, does not have stories about him that others can tell?! I don’t believe it. Something is not kosher in scheboigan!

I think part of it is the sweet payoffs to keep people quiet, if indeed there were classmates at all. Wayne Alan Root is one and has spoken against Obama in recent years. Whether BHO graduated from Columbia or not is a moot point; he was accepted at Harvard because a Saudi paid his way. However, he is not well remembered there either.

So did Bill Gates and your point is???

I wish I had Rush’es resources. A huge audience, a national program, gobs of money, pretty wife… Yes, he earned it all. Good job hard working American man! Way to show us how to do it!

Kalijah has gone up a boar’s butt for a hot ham sandwich. Does that count?

Ok, I will say it… I wish Rush was a college graduate. Though I doubt that he flunked out (he is very smart). Still, I think he is too rough around the corners and would have benefited from the classes. Yes, he can be brilliant, and yes, he can make a logical misstep about as errant as Kerry or Pelosi (though I think they do it on purpose). Still, though he is very negative, often wrong thinking, and a bad example for all humanity, I too am glad that he is on the air. I do, however, want a better example on the airwaves. Can’t we find a blend of brilliant, kind, conservative and decent – get it all shoved into one balding, near-deaf cigar smoker, and perform a serious upgrade to the airwaves? Yes, I think Rush is good for America, but not that good.

College probably would not have polished him but so much. Part of his success is his delivery. I agree, he is rough around the edges, but it is his stock in trade. Personally, I am thankful for Rush and also Hannity.

Typical liberal position: when you have no debating point, bring Rush Limbaugh into the discussion. By the way, there are numerous examples of people dropping out or failing college that become successful in life. Ever heard of Bill Gates?

Rush is right on this topic and he is correct in that libs are going to deconstruct the american game of football. They can’t control it therefore it must be hated.

all of which is designed to destroy america.

You forgot multi-million dollar golf vacations.

How would you do that?

Extremely well put . I agree with you 100%.And so does 1/2 of this Country.

Horse feces!

Got a black mooslim running the country… beware…

PastorBobC, I said, in part, “He, the Democrat-liberal-leftist-progressive Party, the Obamamedia and all those who voted for and support him constitute the clearest and most present danger to our country.”

You couldn’t interpret that to mean that his goal is to destroy our Republic?

BTW: I have read 2 Tim 3:1-7. Even if I hadn’t, as a Christian — the hated-by-Obama-liberals-leftists conservative evangelical/Pentecostal type — I see it, feel it. hear it. In the church of which I’m a member, a denomination which does believe in heavenly prayer language, we’ve been hearing from God, for some time now and in all types of our services, that the time draws near.

We need to double up on prayer for the unsaved, especially our leaders, and particularly Obama and his family.

forget the bible the truth is coming to the light thank George Bush for that you idiots love to ignore what he did and where he left this country …Obama was put in office to fix the problems because if you didnt know negroes are all around more advanced then the white americans smarter,dumber,stronger, you name it white america is a minority now the people are free…….:-)

Bobbi, you make a lot of assumptions, for a girl who doesn’t know me.

Obama is not a Negro, as much as he’d like to be or pretends to be. He’s mixed-race or bi-racial. Surprised he doesn’t call himself a white black or a black white. Or, something really novel: an American.

Sorry to have to correct you Lifeboat, but O is leading us…right into the hands of our greatest enemies…every one of them. Give him credit where credit is due. Every move he makes and doesn’t make is planned and executed.

What you said applies to any military or civilian facility.

And why we’ve let it be understood that any country that sinks a U.S. carrier had better put fresh batteries in their radiation detectors.

Carriers are an anachronism of the past. Technology will
soon relegate them to obsolescence as the steel ships did to the wooden sailing ships. A carrier is now an easy target to destroy for China and Russia. Soon others will have the technology to take
them out with relative ease and little cost. Our spear is an expensive target. Its loss would deal a major blow to our prestige and security. You are living in the past and planning to defend this country based on the experience and needs of past wars.

Do a little more research — they can keep us parked so far out that our carriers will be non players.

Yep, that must be one of the reasons why the Chinese brought one into service last September. And why the Russians still talk of developing their first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Not saying they are not needed…What I am saying is that we
do not need to build more of them. They
are force projectors today and will be into the future depending on how they
are employed. China
and Russia want
to have this capability…. as a counter to our capabilities. But, if we think we can use this force
projection near China’s
or Russia’s
sphere of influence with impunity then somebody is smoking something. Push comes to shove they can and will take
out our carrier groups. I would suspect
that even Iran
would have a high probability of taking out a carrier in the event of a
conflict. The point I make is that we
should be very judicious in our use of force projection — any cavalier approach
to intimidate others via saber rattling with carrier groups will back fire as
at some point we are setting ourselves up for a serious loss. I suspect the obsolescence
will be hastened by technology within the next 5 to 10 years — which could be
accelerated if we overuse this capability.
Frankly, we cannot afford to remain the world’s policeman and
enforcer. We will go bankrupt and
actually put ourselves and our country at an even greater risk.

That is so that they can counter us…with more options than destroying our carrier groups. The bottom line is — we can no longer afford to continue doing what we have been doing. We don’t even have enough resources to operate and maintain these systems. People’s heads are buried in the sand and they refuse to see the obvious. We better get our act together soon because we are making a lot of enemies and pissing off what few friends we have left in this world. What happens when we cannot afford to maintain our forces all over the world?

Russia and China are responding to our actions as a counter to our force projection into areas that would affect them. Our irresponsible actions have caused this response.

Maybe you missed the new threats like pirates, Iran and that pesky little argument between China and Japan. Never mind the rescue ability of one carrier when an island has a wave wash over it or a volcano and the carrier group can provide food and water. Please don’t come back with let the world take care of themselves. It’s been tried before and it didn’t work. The world is a dangerous place and I for one believe we are still the best hope for world order. Carriers keep the problems there, without them the bad guys can bring the problems here!

Yes keester, like all greedy liberals, it’s all about YOU. Screw the rest of humanity as long as YOU get what YOU want.

Sure – we should wait until China and Russia start kicking Japan’s behind, then put the carriers into maintenance.

I reckon that’s a good reason to throw the Japanese under the bus?

OK, then, let’s change the geography: Let’s say that the Iranians decide to take down islands belonging to the UAE – will that be a good time to put the carriers into maintenance?

Or, perhaps the Russians decide the they want the entire Diomede Island group, instead of only half, and they decide to seize Little Diomede by force? Shall we cede US soil to the Russians because they wanted to film their own version of Bering Sea Gold?

Or maybe Indonesia decides they need to have another 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami kills 2,000,000 people and crushes cities across Eastern India – would that be a good time to take the carriers offline for maintenance?

Yes a carrier and new planes with no gen 5 or even 3 capabilities. And no pilots that could operate off of a carrier. Worry about Iran and North Korea.

You have no idea what you are talking about. You will get a
lot of our sailors killed thinking the way you do. China is fully capable of quickly destroying our carriers and Russia can do the same… The carrier group is only effective against some 2nd and most 3rd world countries and that advantage is quickly coming to an end. China
will project their power and influence throughout the Pacific Rim
and there is little we can do to stop it. In 5 years we will not be able to do anything about it.

The problem is resources — you have to think asymetrically. Iran will not just attack with PT boats.

Yes any one nation. So what if we need to defend against Iran, North Korea, and a player to be named later?

Well, yes, you did say, in so many words, that we should not have carriers. You called them “anachronisms of the past.” You also said, “Technology will soon relegate them to obsolescence as the steel ships did to the wooden sailing ships.”

And, yes, tragically, we might just lose a carrier or two in battle. That’s why we have others — or should have others — in reserve, ready to sail at a moment’s notice.

Exactly. We should have been developing the weapons we need to fight our current conflicts instead of spending billions on yesterday’s weapons. A nuclear carrier is powerful, and has usefulness . . . and we had 5 to fight the Soviet Union with when the Berlin Wall fell. They are also incredibly vulnerable to many types of weapons.

Instead of focusing on building a leaner military, we kept building weapons designed to fight the Soviet Union. HOW STUPID! You build the right weapons for the right price. If you grossly overspend and misallocate valuable resources on weapons that have little affect on your enemy, you might win a battle or two, but you will LOSE the war. Ask Germany how that worked out for them in WWII.

Have you looked around the world lately. I see a whole lot more instability now than during the cold war. At it’s height, there were NO attacks on the American homeland, can’t say that now. I agree it’s very dangerous to have all those ships at one place, didn’t this administration study history, or does b o just think Pearl Harbor was such a neat museum, we need a couple more. I’m sure he had at least one visit to it if he attended school in Hawaii.

Uhhh….no. At the “height” of the cold war we had anywhere from 20-26 carriers. It wasn’t until Carter took office that we drew down to 13.

I didn’t come here to play schoolteacher. You have repeatedly demonstrated here that you have a near ZERO grasp of the topic at hand. Since you insist on mixing domestic politics with real world global military issues, I will give you the answer you need.

Yes. After shepherding the US into an economic disaster, Carter felt the need to reduce our military across the board in the midst of the cold war to feed money into his socialist domestic agenda.

Now, before you respond, I suggest that you pull your head out of the political rump you have it stuck into. Open up you eyes and take a look at the world around us. A real look that doesn’t include your woulda, coulda, shoulda nonsense.

The world we live in is as dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous than the era of Kennedy and Khrushchev. Wake up!

requirements set by who; Obama? Yeah I’m sure that will work out well!

Right you are!

I must respectfully disagree…Billy Mitchell told both the Army and Navy top brass that they were in danger of becoming sitting ducks to the coming revolution in aviation way back in 1925…He stepped on a lot of high ranking toes with his passionate advocacy of air power. He got demoted and later court martialed–for his outspokenness on this very issue.

Not so coincidentally, it was back in the 1920′s that the Japanese High Command started contingency planning for a massive blow at Pearl Harbor. They correctly identified the US as their main strategic rival in the Pacific and knew simply by looking at a map that our Naval forces at Pearl were like a knife at their throats. And the rest is indeed history.

I don’t see that we disagree on much…It’s clear we’re both looking backwards at the data since neither of us were around in 1925 to weigh in on the issue. But I never took a stand on FDR’s position on battleships–which remained vital to shore bombardment roles well past the Vietnam War.

My point was that Billy Mitchell knew full well that airpower was going to change the face of warfare in the near future and that powerful vested interests–battleship advocates amongst them–felt threatened by his brash and somewhat insubordinate advocacy of bomber technology.

The fact that none of our carriers were at Pearl Harbor on December 7th tells me the US Navy of the era valued them too much to leave them exposed. And that Billy Mitchell’s foresight wasn’t lost on our Pacific commanders even before the outbreak of the war. In addition to the excellent example of the air raid at Taranto that you cite our war planners also had the sinking of the Bismarck in May of 1941 to inform them of the potential of air power against capital ships.

The British Swordfish torpedo bombers employed in both attacks were, as you know, biplanes based on 1920s technology. And even though they were considered terribly outdated by 1941 their actual combat performance would seem to vindicate Billy Mitchell’s views on the value of air power.

Where Mitchell seems to have fouled up was in his prickly personal nature in dealing with his superiors and his failure to grasp the potential of carrier based aircraft. He always felt land-based bombers would be the decisive factors due to their enormous payload. But based on the best available aviation technology of 1925, he does seems to have done his homework on the subject better than most of his contemporaries in arms.

And next we will give them our new carriers since we cannot afford to operate them.

Of course. The Chinese who own a lot of this country do not want any Americans having guns so they can take over easily.

China has a lot of business around the country. They want to have security so they bring in the Chinese military but not in uniform. When they get enough troops here they can start to take over. This method worked in south America.

I can’t wait till they go door-to-door attempting to confiscate the guns. Most of my friends will give it to them one bullet at a time.