Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Jeff Buchanan]

I dont. I hate that our military is inefficient and wastes a ton of money.

Let's be clear......the operational side of the "military" is extremely efficient, especially the USMC, the Navy is not far behind. It's always been rumored that when the USAF goes for another base, they build the golf course, quarters and clubs first, then ask for more money for runways and hangers. It's a joke and, as I understand it, we're getting our money's worth from all the services of the operational military these days.

It's the bloat at the DOD administrative top and the acquisition side of the DOD that is inefficient ..... grossly so. It's just another part of the federal government that the right correctly complains about.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is a pretty good characterization - The China Problem - of the current circumstances involving US/China Trade, the ZTE gambit by the Trump administration and the NK/US Summit.

We are dealing with both North Korea and China here. Beijing’s warnings that it cannot “control” Kim notwithstanding, the two governments function in a close alliance. North Korea would not exist without Beijing’s support. And Beijing protects North Korea precisely because it fears nothing more than another democracy on its borders. For the Chinese, one Mongolia is enough. If you doubt me, look up the history of the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Taiwan, and Hong Kong since the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom.

We don’t have a North Korea problem. We have a China problem. North Korea is a wild dog — China holds the leash. To change North Korea’s behavior, change Chinese behavior first.

I think the ZTE deal is a kind of offering from Trump to Xi Jinping (simultaneously with or just after the release of the Trump letter cancelling the June 12th US/NK Summit - a good move in my view) in a quid-pro-quo sort of way. IOW, we'll let your tech giant, ZTE, back into US markets if you tighten the leash on Kim Jung-un and bring him to heel. As well, we'd like you people (the Chicom leadership) to stop being such dicks.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/05/north-korea-talks-china-subverts-american-positions-in-region/

[Jeff Buchanan]

...... and finally in my Saturday read, here's an article that seems to think we can do something about school shootings: Connect a wider network of resources that could be tapped to identify a threat and neutralize it before the shooting occurs. This includes encouraging students to tell adults within the school system about other students that could be potential threats.

The only problem I have with the piece is that within it's conclusion, it recommends keeping "automatic weapons" out of the hands of kids presumably by banning them. Clearly this author hasn't done her homework. The rest of it though is revealing and makes some good points.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/05/school-shootings-prevention/560753/

[millenwasmyfavorite]

R & D is the bloat

Signed,

The f35 and Zumwalt.

Been listening to the same GD rail gun echo through Ethan Allen for 10yrs.

[Ghengis Jon]

I think the ZTE deal is a kind of offering from Trump to Xi Jinping (simultaneously with or just after the release of the Trump letter cancelling the June 12th US/NK Summit - a good move in my view) in a quid-pro-quo sort of way. IOW, we'll let your tech giant, ZTE, back into US markets if you tighten the leash on Kim Jung-un and bring him to heel. As well, we'd like you people (the Chicom leadership) to stop being such dicks.

China is not our friend. Xi is playing Trump like a $3 fiddle. First of all, China's US policy is to take as much of our technology as possible through any means. Espionage and IP theft is a lot cheaper than R&D. This has been China's policy since Reagan's 'Star Wars' program shook the world. Smile and bow while ransacking our labs.

China instructed NK to resume the hostile rhetoric after their second meeting between the 2 regimes. Kim gets back, verbally blasts away, and Chump cancels the summit. Prior to that episode, China was facing a situation that was intolerable. The US was talking to NoKo as the main players, SoKo was involved on a secondary level and China was not even near the stage. This flies in the face of China's proclaimed intent to become the world's number one super power. During this time frame, China kept poking the US. Got 2 countries to reject Taiwan as a nation and landed intercontinental bombers on the (disputed) newly created islands in the South China Sea. Xi shakes an angry finger, NoKo barks, and Chump is led by the nose ring into doing Xi's bidding: kill the summit unless China is involved.

Returning known espionage tool ZTE to American markets is a damn foolish thing. Chump thinks he's doing a deal and China manipulates him through patronizing him. Chump's ego prevents him from grasping reality. China wants to show the region it is the supreme power in Asia and the US influence and appeal is in steep decline due to the dangerous naivete of Putin's cock holster. Sadly, its working.

ZTE is a threat. The Chinese have stolen (or received via wikileaks) CIA technology tools that allow smart TVs and cellphones (even when turned off) to operate as receivers and transmit the data when turned back on. Plus a whole lot of other nefarious tools to be turned against our nation. That is an enormous threat to our national security. On the same scale as our breaking the Enigma code during WWII.

At this point in time, China has supplanted Russia as the US's most dangerous adversary. And Chump is most concerned on how his deal making abilities are being perceived.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jon, While China is not our friend, I'm not a John Bolton sort of thinker, i.e., our adversaries have to capitulate and give up everything, then we'll talk.

I agree with you though that Trump is more concerned with how he looks than anything substantive and that was behind his most recent fuck you letter to Kim. The Bolton/Trump combo is a bad one although I think Pompeo exerts some mitigating influence on those two hot heads.

Having said that, I believe the hegemonic threat that China presents in Asia to US interests there is not going to be ameliorated with a big stick approach alone although it is a extremely important counterbalance to the carrot of increased access for both the US and China to each other's economies.

I've always rather embraced a US foreign policy that engages other nations, to the extent possible, in unrestricted commerce. So, I'm not opposed to overtures to do that with China. YMMV.

Jon, I know very well where you come from on the increasing dangers of surveillance at all levels. I'd expect you to have the position you have on ZTE and the Chicoms who allegedly use it's products to conduct intelligence operations. I'm not here to change your mind, nor will you make me worry about it more.

I will offer to others who may not understand what electronic intelligence in all it's forms is all about but since the advent of radio, adversaries have been trying to advantage themselves using electronic surveillance. There is nothing new here, it has just become more sophisticated. There are as many ways to turn the intelligence China may gather through it's ZTE phones or parts of phones against them as there are ways for them to make good use of it.

It's the electronic battlefield of the 21st century and even though I left that behind more than 20 years ago, I can say with confidence that US capabilities in this regard were just awesome when I was still on active duty in the 80s and I can only assume they have improved beyond that today. The ZTE shit storm is a side show of little importance when it comes to intelligence gathering.

[Ghengis Jon]

The ZTE shit storm inhibits our counter espionage efforts. I do not like the C-in-C putting his 'fart of the deal' self image above national security. That attitude of we know what you're doing but we don't care doesn't cut it. Chump actively undermines the DOJ and the FBI, attempts to discredit the CIA, and now allows China to continue to intercept intelligence FROM WITHIN OUR BORDERS. He weakens the United States intentionally both internally and on the international front.

Its long past time to invoke the 25th amendment. Our mentally ill president is a threat to our nation.

[Kapture1]

The ZTE shit storm inhibits our counter espionage efforts. I do not like the C-in-C putting his 'fart of the deal' self image above national security. That attitude of we know what you're doing but we don't care doesn't cut it. Chump actively undermines the DOJ and the FBI, attempts to discredit the CIA, and now allows China to continue to intercept intelligence FROM WITHIN OUR BORDERS. He weakens the United States intentionally both internally and on the international front.

Its long past time to invoke the 25th amendment. Our mentally ill president is a threat to our nation.

hahaaaaa

[Kapture1]

[Ghengis Jon]

SoKo and NoKo decide to have a summit anyway. They don't need the US's Traitor in Chief to begin. Chump reluctantly pulls his head out of ass and simpers "Me too! I wanna go!"

Some lead by example and some are led by the nose ring. Tell us Chump, does that ring get cold in the winter?

[Ghengis Jon]

Out in June, The Perfect Weapon, by David Sanger. All about cyberwarfare and how it's being used. Both Dems and Repubs will probably diss the book as it doesn't follow their particular narrative - it examines the hows, the whys, and the what has happeneds. Looking forward to it.

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Weapon-Sabotage-Fear-Cyber/dp/0451497899

[Dr. Strangelove]

The President issues a somber and inspiring Memorial Day weekend message. If only the young and the beautiful could have their lives returned to them!


[ame]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1000718611688943616[/ame]


Who specifically is he referring to with this drivel, btw?

[CGVT]

What a fucking ass-clown. Jesus.

[AlabamAlum]

Kapture, please delete or resize the pic. Thanks.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Shut the hell up