New post on Fellowship of the Minds |  | As the war drums beat ever louder against Syria, in the name of "human rights," the startling news this morning is that U.S. special forces have been parachuting into North Korea to, in the words of "a senior US officer," "gather intelligence about underground military installations." Ask yourself this question: What if one of our Special Ops is captured by the lunatic North Koreans? The UK's Telegraph reports, May 29, 2012, that at a conference held in Florida last week, Army Brigadier General Neil Tolley, commander of US special forces in South Korea, said that North Korea had built thousands of tunnels since the Korean war, which are hidden from our satellites. And so, Tolley revealed: "So we send (South Korean) soldiers and US soldiers to the North to do special reconnaissance. After 50 years, we still don't know much about the capability and full extent of the underground facilities. We don't know how many we don't know about." Tolley's comments were reported on the website of The Diplomat, the National Defense Industrial Association's magazine. Gen Tolley said the commandos were sent in with minimal equipment to facilitate their movements and minimize the risk of detection by North Korean forces. At least four of the tunnels built by Pyongyang go under the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. Among the facilities identified are 20 air fields that are partially underground, and thousands of artillery positions. In February, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that Pyongyang had built at least two new tunnels at a nuclear testing site, likely in preparation for a new test. +++ Here are some statistics to remember: - U.S. national debt is now $16 trillion.
- But U.S.
"defense" military budget keeps going up: from $370 in 2001, to $620 billion in 2006, to $900 billion in 2012. - Since 1990 when America's most formidable enemy the Soviet Union fell apart, ending the Cold War, U.S. military expenses depleted the U.S. Treasury of $11.5 trillion.
- U.S. national debt in 1990 was $3.2 trillion. Today, it is $15.7 trillion -- a 500% increase in 22 years.
- In 2001, spending on "defense" was 17% of total governmental spending. In 2012, Defense, Homeland Security, and war spending account for 25% of government spending.
- We have thrown over $1.3 trillion down Middle East rat holes over the last 11 years with no discernible benefit to the citizens of the United States. But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost America the lives of 6,470 soldiers and 47,545 wounded -- thus far.
- America's perpetual wars are stressing and pushing our soldiers beyond their limits. Suicides by soldiers increased by 80% between 2004 and 2008. There are almost as many deaths by suicide as deaths in combat. Half of our returning Iraq and Afghan wars soldiers will go on disability.
- Our military veterans, who make up 13% of the population, account for 23% of the homeless.
Still on the fence about the U.S. Perpetual War Machine? ~Eowyn | | | |
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