Aug 30
August is about to end. Of all the seasons, summer seems to past the quickest. Just as the water begins to warm the days start to shorten.
Especially here in New England, with record rain fall and unusually cool temperatures for May, June and July.
Some would say that fall is around the corner, as if time doesn’t travel in a straight line. No it’s straight ahead with all signs of it’s arrival obvious.
Before we know it we’ll be bombarded with the Christmas ads again.
Aug 10
As a veteran that protested the draft it’s odd that I would propose bringing it back.
But the fact that we can become so apathetic of issues till they invovle us gives me pause. The military is happy to have a all volunteer force, why?
They say that the commitment and quality is superior. I find that harder and harder to believe as I read of the suicides, incidents and stress that returning veterans face.
I think the military support for a all volunteer force comes from the fact that the citizens of the United States can comfortably ignore the costs.
I was amused when I read in the US Today a quote by General McCrhystal, that many fighters for the Taliban would stop fighting if they could find jobs in a stabilized country. They do it because it’s a job. It pays.
Granted we are a stabilized country, but a professional military is one that relies on on pay, not obligation, to serve. I know that many volunteers would say it’s their duty, but when we begin to hear of PTSD, atrocities, that’s not duty.
We are more apt to question if a cause is just when we are forced, not paid to carry it out.
We all have a stake, we all have a say. Are we silent because we support the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, or because we are not asked to participate?
How many bumper sticker patriots are willing to serve?
Aug 6
We all remember when Congress appeared disgusted that three auto maker CEOs jetted to the Washington bailout hearings in private jets.
I guess they feel their time is more important. The Air Force had asked for one Gulfstream 550 as part of a upgrading its passenger service. A service that Members of Congress use along with other top officials.
The cost for one jet, $ 65 million.
The House however has decided to buy three of the jets, at a cost of $200 million. No double standard here.
You are currently browsing the archives for August, 2009
