Posted on 04/05/2013 5:28:06 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian
First the US fanfared the placement of two F-22 Raptors in the Osan airbase of South Korea. Then it demonstratively launched a B-2 stealth bomber on a training mission over a South Korean gunnery range. Then it deployed an anti-ballistic missile defense system to Guam and positioned two guided-missile destroyers in the waters near Korea. And now, courtesy of the Aviationist, we learn that the Pentagon has escalated once more in an ongoing cat and mouse game with North Korea, of who blinks first, and dispatched several B-1 ("Bone") Lancer strategic long-range bombers to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. What is different this time, however, is that unlike the previous very public and widely trumpeted reciprocal escalation steps, this particular deployment has been kept secret from the public (at least the broader public), "a fact that could be the sign that the U.S. is not only making symbolic moves (as the above mentioned ones), but it is preparing for the worst scenario: an attack on North Korea."
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
Let's not change the subject because neither my being a bad guy nor Ridgeway being wrong about later wars has anything to do with Macarthur disobeying orders during the conflict while he publicly and falsely alleged that strategic decisions made by his commanders was impossible. Say what you want about Ridgeway, he did what Macarthur said couldn't be done.
Like it or not, over the millennia most wars have ended in negotiations with or without decisive military action. Same with the US as the Revolutionary & 1812 wars dragged through talks long after combat lost its import. Civil War was different because open rebellion can never be tolerated, but since then (with the possible exception of WWII) the US has dealt with realities such as total war costs plus the need for a policy of containment.
And he was right, but little to he realize that Truman would send the 7th fleet to secure the Chicom flank...
It's really hard for me to believe Macarthur could possibly understand Chinese military abilities if he couldn't even follow US military strategy.
One of the unspoken Rules of Engineering: After the customer gets delivery, the most sincere compliment is dead silence.
(After that's said, on behalf of the rest of North American Rockwell's B-1 Bunch, pass a warm Thanks to your "close relative".)
North Korea is for some undetermined short term out of the missile business. There can be no more practice shots, even announced practice shots. They will be shot down.
Since no one really knows where the practice shots are really aimed, they will be justifiably shot down.
So, the norko missile jobs have been lost and unemployment grows. The law of unintended consequences prevails.
Un less, it was intended. The process ends the expense and saves face
Those of you knocking MacArthur for trying to win must be big fans of fighting not to win, yall must love wars like Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan because it all starting with Truman in Korea, MacArthur was fired because he was trying to win the war. He got tired of Trumans "rules of engagement" like telling him he could only bomb the southern half of the bridges over the Yalu river, and went public.
Painfully true. It took a long time for me to catch on in my engineering career after having worked my way through college playing guitar in band. Cheers to silence wasn't easy, although the pay sure got better...
No...
Saddam Hussien, Osama bin Laden and Hugo Chavez are still dead...
“Would you like some more beans there Mr. Taggart?”
They can also carry a large number of JDAM and JSOW bombs, each of which can be set up to hit a different target. And I would imagine that we have a bunch of drones busily mapping where the NK bunkers and guns are.
Which provides an incentive to hit them first.
We're talking foreign conflict here, this isn't football. It was Mac's job to make sense of strategy worked out by others and then deploy recourses as needed. When it became clear to all that he wasn't up to it he was replaced by someone that could and was willing to do what he was told.
The worst part was that Mac deliberately disobeyed orders; he was lucky he wasn't shot.
iirc North Vietnam was given advanced warning when ever B-52's took off, expect more of the same
Well, if it was broadcast in the open...It might have been a Cessna 172 flying around spoofing the airwaves...;-)
The Bone is a serious weapons platform. More load than a B52 and way faster and stealthier.
If you look at MacArthur’s successes, in balance with failures, he was something outstanding. You make statements that sound quite untrue. I am sure he and his people knew full well the realities of the Chinese and he was correct, we should have nuked them to freed ALL of the people of China and Korea from a horrible dictatorship that has been responsible for the murder of millions upon millions of citizens.
You left out the Korean War.
Your list sounds like what my Grand Dad and his daughter my Mother used to say about who got us into big wars.
Show me where MacArthur said it was impossible for the Chinese to invade north Korea. Never did. He was a brilliant general and knew full well the possibilities of the enemies. And notwithstanding what some naysayers here say, the landing at Inchon and fast retaking of Seoul was awesome. He was also correct, we should have nuked Chinese forces and saved ALL of Korea. Think of all of the millions of Korean and possibly Chinese lives that would have been saved ultimately. And since when does speaking to the press for legitimate reason in order to possibly sway public opinion constitute an offense to be fired for?
Big Look, the ride has changed since your active duty days.
Never saw one from the perspective of a KC-135 comparison. That is a big airplane. 50,000 bombs and about 200,000 lbs of fuel and 7,000 miles range.
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