And For What??

Five US troops killed in helicopter crash, officials say

There are no voices in DC that demand we leave now.

No voices in DC that say these troops died for nothing.

Few voices anywhere that scream no more and those screams go unheard.

The Defense Dept Will Not Grind To A Halt

Glancing over this piece it makes it appear as though the military and most of what it does will not function.

Bullshit and don't believe it for a second. If some shooting needs to be done you can damn well bet we'll be able to do that and much more as required. You betcha!

I want to see much more of our defense budget shot out the barrels of all the guns we don't need and the money be used here at home.  We can adapt.

The nonsense coming down the road will be almost unbearable. Count on that too.

Tanks would not roll, fighter jets would be grounded and aircraft carriers might be stuck dockside. In addition, the Defense’s Department 800,000-member civilian workforce likely would go without paychecks at times. By the end of September, two-thirds of U.S. Army combat troops would be “unacceptable”. I think we’re going to have serious readiness effects. I don’t see where we’re going to get the money. We’re going to have to cut back on training significantly.” “The effects of sequestration on the military will be devastating, but on our civilians, it will be catastrophic,”.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/20/183710/without-a-budget-accord-pentagon.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/20/183710/without-a-budget-accord-pentagon.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/20/183710/without-a-budget-accord-pentagon.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/20/183710/without-a-budget-accord-pentagon.html#storylink=cpy

 

Another Year Another Number

These dead are seldom mentioned and the ones that do are few. At least no one died in Afghanistan on Xmas day. 18% of these deaths are by non-hostile means. 

iCasualties 

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
2001	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	4	12
2002	10	12	9	5	1	3	0	1	1	5	1	1	49
2003	4	7	12	2	1	3	2	4	2	4	6	1	48
2004	9	2	3	3	8	5	2	3	4	5	7	1	52
2005	2	1	6	18	4	27	2	15	11	7	3	3	99
2006	1	17	7	1	11	18	9	10	6	10	7	1	98
2007	0	14	5	8	11	12	14	18	8	10	11	6	117
2008	7	1	8	5	17	28	20	22	27	16	1	3	155
2009	15	15	13	6	12	25	45	51	40	59	18	18	317
2010	30	31	26	20	34	60	65	55	42	50	53	33	499
2011	25	20	31	46	35	47	37	71	42	31	18	15	418
2012	26	16	18	35	40	29	41	39	19	18	16	13	310

The Invisible 18%

That means 56 the 18% represents out of the 306 of ours killed this year in Afghannystan that died by non-hostile means. I guess that's fine for those in charge and the rest of Merica too because they aren't mentioned let alone the other 250.

And the Afghanistan Xmas lotto is just around the corner. 

We're Leaving

At the end of 2014 that is. This is not leaving. Until that happens if it does we are still there and the number of our dead for nothing continues daily.

AND NOBODY SAYS SQUAT!

From iCasualties 

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
2001	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	4	12
2002	10	12	9	5	1	3	0	1	1	5	1	1	49
2003	4	7	12	2	1	3	2	4	2	4	6	1	48
2004	9	2	3	3	8	5	2	3	4	5	7	1	52
2005	2	1	6	18	4	27	2	15	11	7	3	3	99
2006	1	17	7	1	11	18	9	10	6	10	7	1	98
2007	0	14	5	8	11	12	14	18	8	10	11	6	117
2008	7	1	8	5	17	28	20	22	27	16	1	3	155
2009	15	15	13	6	12	25	45	51	40	59	18	18	317
2010	30	31	26	20	34	60	65	55	42	50	53	33	499
2011	25	20	31	46	35	47	37	71	42	31	18	15	418
2012	26	16	18	35	40	29	41	39	19	18	16	0	297

The Empire's War Machine Headed South

After fucking things up proper in the Middle East for a pack of lies this Chester has been tapped to head up AFRICOM.

He's been at this job for a long time all over the place. He does the bidding of his masters. He's probably a decent fellow.


AFRICOM the newest you betcha from the people who are really calling the shots. About three times the size of the good 'ol USof A and filled with many untapped resources and and people who are easier to influence than some and that does not mean uneducated Africans.

Africa Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is the newest of the Defense Department’s nine unified combatant commands. 

It was created in 2007 and is responsible for U.S. military relations with 54 African countries.

There is little good that will come out of this except for those who benefit from endless war on the bodies of others.

And few say boo. Where we are at as a nation. Having to take it for years and knowing there are many more of the same coming down the tube sucks.

I will not be quiet like others. We already have a long military history there. If anyone thinks that this Africa War Machine/Front will not grow into something hideous you are wrong.

DU Was Not A Discussion Item Back Then Either

It's back but then it never left. Depleted Uranium was a mainstay in the battle of terra. Killing fever was high as it is today. No way were they going to stop using these weapons.

There is some validity in these numbers contained in this piece for sure. There will be no discussion anywhere about this radioactive killer we let loose on purpose.

A recent study shows a spiraling numbers of birth defects, ranging from congenital heart defects to brain dysfunctions and malformed limbs, among Iraqi babies as a result of weapons used by the US and UK forces.

The most common abnormalities discovered in Fallujah children are congenital heart defects as 24 out of 26 children were born with the defect.

Always remembered this interview with Dr. Asaf Durakovic on Democracy Now back on 1/30/03. Another one of the truth tellers we got rid of in our lust for world dominance.

The doc comes on @ 29:35. "mathematical certainty"means just that. Try that today and you're liable to get some Repuglican wanting to kick your ass. I mean after all.

 

Give Them What They Want

Higher education is struggling all over including Colorado. Keeping these institutions viable has gotten increasing difficult since 2007 when things really went to hell. All of a sudden a few took notice.

Here is an example of the mentality for survival at CSU.

For Colorado State, that could mean building a 42,000-seat stadium that would, proponents say, increase the school's visibility and in turn lead to more out-of-state students choosing to attend — and paying tuition rates that are almost three times higher than full-time in-state students. 

So you continue to screw students who want to learn without explaining how things got the way they are.

All our monies went to the WAR MACHINE and the top 1%. And most everybody acts like they never existed or haven't played a part in this travesty.

I guess this is what people want.

Happened To See These Kids

Just a little over a week ago I was in this area and where I went you go past this school and it stands out as it's a cool building and location.

The linked to article below tells the very interesting history of this school and the difficulties it faces today as many do. The piece also mentions the whole school hiking in Sand Canyon just up the road. I met all of them on the way back and even after almost six miles every one of them including the teachers were wearing huge smiles. I like that! Here's a picture I took that same day.

The school was built in 1915 to serve families in the canyon, most who made a living ranching or farming. In 1994, when the district threatened to close Battle Rock because of low enrollment and the retirement of its longtime teacher, the community pulled together to save the school by turning it into a charter. It was the first of its kind to be created under such circumstances. 

In the 18 years since, the school has faced its fair share of financial, administrative and academic struggles. Wright, the school’s director, is working for free this year to help the school scrape by. Somehow, it has continued to weather those storms and remains a central pillar of this historic canyon community.

We need schools like this no matter where they are. Corporate power chooses war over education damn near every time. If the right saw god associated with this the money would flow you can bet on it.

The kids pay the price and and the War Machine grows larger and more powerful.

Support The Troops!

OTC supported the troops long before it became fashionable for the nutters to do so and that support has increased proportionately according to the time spent.

OTC supported them not going starting in Iraq and through the years has maintained and increased that level of support for bringing them home.

The best support we can give these men and women who are dieing for nothing is to as always as I'm sure many of you have insisted as well to get 'em the hell out of Afghanistan NOW!

I understand it's a pipe dream but that's all we have.