Posted on 02/12/2006 5:58:56 AM PST by SJackson
"I fear history may be repeating itself. Again.
"
Those 'history repeats itself' folks are broken clocks, at the very least! (sarasm)
as far as public attitudes, etc., the parallels to 1930's hitler are uncanny, but matters are much more compressed now temporally it seems.
I think your absolutely correct. I also see by numerous reports that an opposition group in Iran is gaining steam.
All this opposition would need is a weakened radical government and military to catapult a rebellion.
Huh? You have missed a very very big point. The ability to kill, with one weapon one time, anything you can locate on the battlefield, coupled with the ability to locate things on the battlefield in real-time with great dexterity, the ability to count the enemies capabilities and defeat it rapidly, precisely in detail until it is all gone, tank by tank soldier by soldier, aircraft by aircraft, missile battery by missile battery is a complete, total and unprecedented revolution in military affairs. THAT is the American invention. Some of our allies, such as the Brits, helped, but it is a far far cry from radio guided terror bombs in world war 2.
And yes, I am far more accutely aware than you of the actual contributions of Germany to science and the technology of warfare.
Since you boast of your accuracy regarding Germanys weapons programs, perhaps you can list four or five that revolutionized modern warfare? Look, Im not saying that the USA has not invented a new way of warfare, it most certainly has. What I am saying is that to a large degree, the hardware and philosophy of such a seachange owes some percentage to Nazi Germany. Note I did not say regular Germany. The weapons I am referring to were developed by Nazi Germany.
1. A regard for human life backed up by advanced medical technology, body armor and other techniques to provide the soldier with a very high probability of surviving getting hit.
Precision guided 500 lb bombs and other versions of precision guided munitions. The guidance is dirt cheap and the bomb technology is really old. As I recall the laser was invented by a couple of Americans.
3. Real-time Battlefield situational awareness - using satellites, predators, ground soldiers linked through computers, precision mapping, etc.
4. Rapid secure communications.
5. A credible, effective, targetable, and useable nuclear deterrent to retaliate against threatened chem-bio warfare.
6. A military doctrine that emphasizes the initiative and creativity not of the old aristocrats, but every soldier, sailor and marine on and off the battlefield. We American treasure folks who flaunt authority - for good reason. The Germans regard such behavior as treason.
Look, I speak German almost fluently. I have a high regard for Germans. But I don't worship them and I am not blind to the faults of their culture and civilization. They invented public education. They did not invent an effective democratic form of government.
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