Just what in the hell is this country doing?

2014-09-07T19:12:41-04:00

I find myself wondering more and more just what we are doing as a Government, as Americans, and as a military. Back in 2007, President Bush warned against pulling troops from Iraq prematurely, stating it would cause EXACTLY what we are seeing today – a stronger enemy, causing troops to have to return to Iraq. We were told there would be no boots on the ground, but we all know that we’re already there in addition to the “extra forces to guard the embassy”, which total around 1200 now. It has publically been declared that we have no plan or strategy in how to defeat a growing threat but we will “follow them to the gates of hell” – yet the troops there aren’t allowed to leave their bases. The ISIS threat is now rumored to be on our southern border, which we physically cannot or simply refuse to secure for fear of bad publicity. Afghanistan is no better off than it was a year, two years, three – ever. The people are still too lazy to help themselves because we keep pouring money into their failed existence and spoon feed them everything. Now there is uncertainty as to troop numbers there due to the inept Afghan government allowing us to stay in a country where we bought the ANSF vehicles, uniformed them, paved their roads, built buildings, and so on.

Every media outlet has something concerning NATO and Russia: more signatures on paper to scare a country that doesn’t seem all too concerned with sanctions. It has been said that Russia is now a threat to peace in Europe, yet no one is addressing the radical Muslims who consistently terrorize the streets of London, or the beheadings recently. It is not politically correct to be truthful, honest, or straightforward anymore.

Our country has all but put a for sale sign in the front yard of the White House, yet we still fund sinking programs to include countries that are better off left to their own demise. We keep welfare fully stocked while the program we have all paid into, social security, is constantly in danger of running out of funds. On one page of the paper, many guard units are having to cancel training due to zero funding and on the next page the “Army expects a family of camo patterns”, in addition to the new ridiculous looking PT uniform – money for uniforms that we can’t afford to have anyone wear. The Pentagon and generals do their part in being politicians by false boasts that the troops would gladly accept a pay cut (I never saw the opinion survey asking this question) - Hell, best news I saw is that the house panel rejected benefits cuts in the 2015 defense budget. Thank you, sincerely for that.

We threaten our veterans earned benefits while our immigration problem has soared so out of control that amnesty is considered with the wave of a pen (no patience for congress and the way this government should operate) for the millions and millions of people here illegally accepting benefits they have not earned, nor have no rights to whatsoever. We openly stab in the back with betrayal the sons and daughters of this country who have voluntarily sacrificed in order to appease a minority that somehow feels a false sense of entitlement for breeching an international border. In 2014 America, crime obviously pays.

The noble words of President Abraham Lincoln in his infamous Gettysburg Address, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” have fallen on deaf ears. We are no longer united. Our republic has been flooded by incompetence, and our good name has been long forgotten. We have become the laughing stock of the world.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 8 at 2014 8:26 AM

2014-09-08T08:26:04-04:00

I've been wondering the same thing a lot lately. It's like we're just wandering around making random reactions, when being proactive is the only thing that works.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Sep 8 at 2014 9:16 AM

2014-09-08T09:16:35-04:00

Pardon my "French" everyone but WELL FUCKING SAID SSG Jacob Wiley , as a retiree I look on with great loathing at the manner in which we allow criminals, because that is what illegal immigrants are, continue to enter our country, stay and suck the welfare benefits dry with nothing being done. I look at the disasters that are Iraq and Afghanistan and see the hard work of over a decade of dedication by myself and my brothers and sisters in arms go for naught as the corrupt countries seem incapable of handling their own affairs. I look on as an old foe seems to be striving to attain the prominence on the world stage it once held and threaten the peaceful existence of it's neighbors and former subordinate satellite nations. I see the current administration appear aloof about the real problems facing this nation while at the same time getting involved in the problems of local communities because of alleged racial biases by local police or the race-baiting of individuals that make their livelihoods by fanning the flames of small incidents into full blown conflagrations. We, and I say this loosely as I did not vote for the occupants of the White House, elected an individual that seems taken aback by the manner in which we as a nation have projected ourselves since the end of WWII and took it upon himself to "apologize" to other nations for our actions and to put forth that we as a nation are not exceptional; makes me want to puke. We as a nation have been a world power since WWI and there is no reason why we should be shrinking away from our place in the world, we have become a laughing stock in the eyes of our allies and our foes alike and I feel that a big disservice has been done to our nation and it's people over the course of the last 6 years and we need to get back on track and be the leader that so many nations and peoples look to us to be.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 9:19 AM

2014-09-08T09:19:02-04:00

Think of it as a kindergarten teacher: you walk into the room of utter chaos, the other teachers are not around, and you're left all alone to handle the chaos. Can you? Will you?? Not that easy, eh...

PS: not in direct defense of a president, but regardless of whom we'd have in power, not an easy decision. So help us God

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Sep 8 at 2014 9:20 AM

2014-09-08T09:20:27-04:00

I think we all saw the "Bush prophesied this" story on FaceBook over and over throughout the last few weeks. Unfortunately, Bush apparently wasn't interested in his own talking points, seeing as how it was his agreement with the Iraqi Government that set the timeline for withdrawl...

It's kinda like giving me credit for predicting a housefire when I'm the one that started the fire...

Response by SFC William "Bill" Moore made Sep 8 at 2014 10:10 AM

2014-09-08T10:10:59-04:00

My job requires that I have the news on the entire time while at work. That is the most depressing thing they can make us do. Not that the news is driving us nuts, it's the things that they are not reporting! I have been flipping over to the BBC to get world news.
It is going to come to a head, a lot of folks are going to get hurt right here in the USA, and the politicians are jockeying for brownie points or going golfing. Real issues exist within our borders and no one wants to take action, with the exception of militias (form what I have read), Soldiers and Veterans have been placed on watch lists and denied benefits and care while the Pentagon honchos play politics.
I am not a conspiracy type, I just watch and listen. The question of "What the hell is this country doing" is falling on deaf ears within the beltway, but not around the country.
The follow on question should be "What the hell are we going to do about it?"

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Sep 8 at 2014 11:21 AM

2014-09-08T11:21:30-04:00

Quite awhile back, I came to the conclusion that we had somehow fallen into the Superman comic world of Bizarro world. Where everything is backwards, right is wrong and wrong is right. The insanity knows no bounds. I hope there is a cure for it on the horizon.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Sep 8 at 2014 11:56 AM

2014-09-08T11:56:44-04:00

We have elected civilian control of the military. Along with the positive aspects of that come some negatives as well. One of those is that foreign policy (and how the military is used) will ALWAYS be a political decision.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Sep 9 at 2014 12:42 AM

2014-09-09T00:42:44-04:00

Oversimplification is one of the greatest traps in rational discussion or debate, but...

With oversimplification apologies to Sun Tsu, von Clausewitz, von Moltke the Elder and even St Augustine and St Aquinas, the purpose of war is to destroy the enemy's ability (or willingness) to wage war - with the only truly acceptable outcome being the complete end of violence.

When's the last time that America entered a conflict with that actual goal?

When's the last time our political masters had that much conviction regarding the use of force?

The tools in the toolbox don't get a vote on how they get used... BUT... we must be utterly ruthless in holding the politicians - of any persuasion - responsible when they do a crappy job of wielding the finest tools of WAR (not nation-building) the world has ever known.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 23 at 2015 12:14 AM

2015-03-23T00:14:38-04:00

Part of serving in the military, and being a leader, is having faith that our elected officials and appointed leaders have more information than we do, much more than news wants us to hear, and making the best decisions, based on the information available. Civilian control of the military is a premise of our nation and our Army. Also, if you are an active service member, you are bound by law to support and defend, and obey the orders of the president of united states, and the officers appointed over you.

If you can't reconcile this and drive on, you can't last in the volunteer military.

As a Soldier we don't get a say in where we go, and what we do, or why... We just agree to execute the orders of the President and the DOD.

I am not saying I disagree with you (I don't), or agree with the administration (I don't)...

But, you have to have faith, or you have to find something else to do.

Response by SPC Roy Baez-Gordils made Mar 23 at 2015 2:47 AM

2015-03-23T02:47:17-04:00

We have lost our way... we need to step up and start impeaching those who are not doing their jobs in the gov't. Our constitution is being ignored and I think that is wrong. We need to restore America's reputation.

Response by SPC David Hannaman made Mar 23 at 2015 1:33 PM

2015-03-23T13:33:11-04:00

The root cause of the problem as I see it is that we the people have grown complaisant and lazy on one hand and annoying busybodies on the other.

We've grown dependent on a standard of living that we cannot provide for ourselves and that has made us vulnerable to political fear mongering that "if we don't pass a law or elect the right person" then our way of life will be lost.

Add to the situation that communication and information is now global and instantaneous.

Anyone with a conscious looks at a little girl burned by napalm with horror, but a soldier understands that collateral damage is sometimes the cost of war. Most people are immune to the fact that in order to win WWII most major cities in Japan and Germany were firebombed, or that 1 in 5 Russians died in WWII.

The situation is further compounded by society's acceptance of the nosy neighbor... when did it become acceptable to tell someone how to live their own life? If someone wants to be a drunk or a drug addict it's heartbreaking, but there is little we can do to stop them... the same for a murderer... taking away one method they might use only forces them to be more creative in their methods.

Sometimes it seems as though the country has gone to hell in a hand basket, but if you take a moment to enjoy how great we really have it (many of us have been overseas and have seen how bad it really can be) we have a lot to be grateful for. That's not to say that we don't need to guard against tyranny (even though we may agree with it's policies).