American Power Moves Beyond the Mere Super

New York Times ^ | April 27, 2003 | GREGG EASTERBROOK

[redhead]

Bump...

[FredZarguna]

Neither military, paramilitary, nor law enforcement regimes are necessary to solve our border problems. These would be solved in a few months without any additional commitment of resources if employers--especially in agriculture and in a number of key border cities--would stop hiring illegal aliens, and if laws were changed to stop regarding illegals as effectively citizens.

They're coming here for jobs, welfare benefits, and medical care. The will stop coming when it becomes clear that the well is dry.

[snooker]

My wife was watching all this war wizard stuff on TV and she pointed out something that needs adding. Due to the imbedded reporters we saw first hand ... the standard by which our troops need be judged has gone outa site. These people are our best and brightest. It gives great pride to see these professional intelligent soldiers the US has to draw from to defend our country. I am proud to be represented by these people beyond measure.

Our most feared weapon, the men and women who serve.

snooker

[Chewbacca]

This article is mistaken.

NATO, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Japan all have AWACS aircraft. We sold the aircraft to them.

Many other nations also have air refueling capability. We have been selling surplus KC-135 tankers to lots of countries.

[Maelstrom]

I do...I see it clearly.

[countrydummy]

U know, I agee. It is well past time to secure our borders! Yet first things first! We as a country had no choice but to go and kick ass and take names later......as we will!

Bush is headed in the right direction and I am super sick of listening to Bush bashers over the Patriot Acts! God Give the man some damn time please! Hell, I don't have to worry about going to jail for something I have never done, and dare the fool to try and accuse me! I am sick of those that say Homeland secruity is such an enroachment on my freedoms! By God and I am not responsible for my own damn actions? If not, who is? Screw the lawyers!

I am sick of this crap! I do not have the knowledge of the President of the US and I would be the biggest fool on earth to think I did! Especially now of all times! I have not forgotten 9-11! I want blood and vegance and these criminals brought to justice post haste! If I am not quilty and have never committed a crime, I have nothing to fear!

[Mark Felton]

'I'm confident we have something totally unexpected up our sleve."

The top 200 men of the NK leadership may someday simultaneously develop "food poisoning", while at a planning meeting, and die.

The top 200 NK scientists may be overcome by noxious fumes and lose 50% of their brain cells.

[David1]

Don't forget that Tom Daschle is also concerned.

[sasportas]

The New York Slimes article glossed over Russia's Navy. What about their submarine fleet? I don't know whether this is fact or not, but don't they actually have more subs than we do? Plus, many very modern subs that are comparative to our own?

You mentioned star wars. The article said nothing about Russia's huge arsonal of ICBM's.

[piasa]

Paradoxically, the runaway American victory in the conventional arms race might inspire a new round of proliferation of atomic weapons.

I'll be darned. It's so inspirational it inspired North Korea to join in proliferation before the ink was even dry on Jimmy and Slick Willy's nukes & food deal with North Korea in 1994, well before the inspirational American victory in Iraq. And of course there was Iraq's and Brazil's efforts to join the proliferation game in the 80s, all well before our inspirational victory in Iraq.

Now THAT's not just inspirational, it is PREEMPTIVELY inspirational.

[Happy2BMe]

"Now, if you were to recommend we simply invade Mexico, push them back from the frontier and guard the border from their side, I think we could make a deal...ha."

You live in DreamLand, my friend. . .

Border Control!?

Kiramba! We Ain't Got No Stinking Borders!!

[piasa]

The NY times is getting its talking points from the CATO institute...

The next step after a victory is, in left-liberal tradition, to undercut any chances of future victory... That way eventually they might get the quagmire situation they all have wet dreams for.

[piasa]

Or, something else might happen to their scientists...

North Korea - US denies hand in defection of Elite [Nuclear Scientists]

North Korea Admits Loss of Nuke Expert

And other things happen:

Explosion Hit North Korea Missile Test Site

[Southack]

"With the influx of diversity I don't think we are going to be able to build up the internal strength to continue fighting the horrors of the world much longer." - B4Ranch

Just a little "sky is falling" reminder to help rain on your pity parade.

[RightWhale]

All that and DeathStar is still under construction. No one in this galaxy can resist our armed might even now.

[Major_Risktaker]

"Now only a nuclear state, like, perhaps, North Korea, has any military leverage against the winner."

This line made me laugh outloud.

GREGG EASTERBROOK said the same thing in every paragraph. Some super power, can't protect our boarders from illegals crossing into America to rape our culture.

All of this power doesn't make me feel any safer in the homeland.

[Billy_bob_bob]

Check out post #14. American Soldier has quite an idea there, one that I think is well worth looking into.

[David1]

Remember, the US is working on a space-based laser constellation that will be aimed at destroying a missile on its boost phase. The boost phase is the phase where the missile is more vulnerable because it would be rising up against gravity. At this stage, it would be very vulnerable from laser attack and MIRV will not work in this stage. Plus, the attacking country would be going against the risk that the destroyed missile would be dropping back over its own territory which would give an attacking country even more pause.
You can read more here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/sbl.htm
and
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/

[American Soldier]

The average military man is tough but is not a culturally-sensitive ethnically aware Special Forces trooper with a 165 I.Q. and the ability to speak four language. Infantry, cavalry, i.e. normal front-line troops are not precision weapons. They are not good at worrying about people's feelings. Nor is it their job, as it is with cops, to understand the particular sensitivites and trends in a given neighborhood or precinct, since they are accustomed to being mobile.

Most of the people in a lot of those areas look Mexican and speak Spanish in the home. How in the hell is 18 year old Joe Trooper going to know who's who? Don't put him in that situation. It's a waste of resources.

The directions you mentioned giving to the soldiers sound familiar -- they sound like the training given to COPS! Let's let LEOs be LEOs and let soldiers be soldiers, 'eh?

[David1]

In the height of the cold war the russkies had a submarine fleet of about 400. The U.S. had a sub fleet of a little over 100. But never let numbers fool you so much in military warfare. Because even though the russkies had numerical superiority, there submarines were very terrible and totally inadequate in fighting against another U.S. sub which were technologically superior to the Russian subs. However, to the end of the cold war and after it the technological gap started to close with the new advance Akula II. The Akula II is a sub that can be more comparable to our own Los Angeles class attack boats. In response, the US started building the freaking awesome Seawolf in response. 30 Seawolfs were supposed to be built to complement the Los Angeles class 688I subs, but the end of the cold war stopped the Seawolf plan. At 2 billion a pop the Seawolf was considered too costly for a post cold war period with the reduced tensions with the US. As a result, only 3 were built. In replacement of the Seawolf, a new, cheaper class of subs are being built called the Virginia class attack subs which will allow the US to maintain its superiority in undersea warfare. These will cost around 700 million each but will still