THE ECHOES OF A CRAVEN FOOL LINGER

It seems that the nasty and shameful legacy of Obama lingers yet on the US body politic. It took the Commander of Central Command to tell Turkey that unlike the spineless Obama administration, this one and the U.S. military have no intention of abandoning areas in northern Syria liberated by us and our allies to the non-existent mercies of the Turks. They may be NATO allies but they are no ally of ours.

Gen. Joseph Votel said the United States has no intention of withdrawing coalition forces from the northern Syrian town of Manbij, as Turkish leaders had demanded this weekend. As Turkish forces continued the assault on Afrin, the lead of U.S. Central Command on Monday urged Turkey and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to recognize each other’s legitimate security concerns but focus on the common enemy of ISIS. 

Senior U.S. leaders across the government have been in constant talks with Turkish counterparts during the Afrin assault, saying that the U.S. recognizes Turkey’s problems with the Kurdish terrorist group known as PKK, but refusing to give up any territory liberated by the SDF, which include Kurds. 

“It’s not our intention right now” to pull back from Manbij, Votel said in Jordan on Monday. He spoke with two reporters traveling with him through the region, including into Raqqa and other parts of northern Syria.

I suspect that the Turkish military knows we'll destroy any attack on us with our air power and we won't give the Turks any room to launch the kind of cowardly sneak attack like they used on the Russians when they shot down a Russian Su-27 attacking ISIS. Erdogan might have to learn this at the expense of a number of Turkish military lives.

I think every military man in the West knows that we lost Turkey to islamic fanatics and won't see it reappear as a western democracy in our lifetime. President Trump knows it too and so does everyone who has been following developments in that place.

We'll know the truth when President Trump announces tonight that we are going to disengage from Turkey and shut down our operations in Incirlik air base and elsewhere in Turkey. To be honest, with the fall of Saddam and the destruction of ISIS, there isn't really any reason to continue to operate, such as we do, out of Incirlik and it's not like Turkey was ever an ally of ours. Some of us haven't forgotten that Turkey's response to our call to rally to US after 9/11 was formally met by Turkish refusal to permit us to use their territory in any way, shape, or form to attack or threaten Iraq's western and northern flanks during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

One has to wonder, just where was the Turkish military when ISIS was ruling the north of Syria and wiping out yet more Christians in yet another Turkish sanctioned holocaust of innocent people? All they had to do was cross the border back then and engage the enemy but I suspect we are all coming to understand that this conflict has become flash point for Huntington's Clash of Civilizations in the War of the West Against the Rest. Turkey hurried to line up on the anti-western side.

It's hard to blame them. They had the weak juice of Obama, Hillary, Kerry and the cowards running western Europe to serve as reminders of the danger of aligning one's country and nation with the weak and contemptible side in an existential war of civilization. However, the Turks chose poorly.

SPIDER UPDATE

I was recently informed that my nonchalance viz Brown Recluse spiders in Ohio was misplaced. I did some research and found that my insouciance was not misplaced or even mislayed. As you can see from the graphic, the rotten spiders barely make it to southern Ohio and therefore, I am safely unafraid of the damned things since they don't get within a hundred miles of metroparkcentralis.

I've been advised that the restless little brown recluse spiders are spreading out. This is their new range. I await the day they move into northeastern Ohio at which point, I move to Maine. I had enough of them in Yuma Proving Ground and San Diego to last a life time.

ODDLY ENOUGH

English is THE language for international aviation. All such pilots and flight controllers and such like must speak English. Not French, not Russian; English. Who knew it included those who engage in the most foolhardy and stupid miracle of flight? A tragically young Dutch national, 'pilot' and a Spanish, 'groundcrew', miscommunicated in English with tragic result.

I once had a Petty Officer in my unit who originated in South Africa. She and her friends went bungee jumping shortly before she emigrated to the United States and joined the Navy. They all jumped and the man behind them then jumped. The rope broke.

In hindsight, I did some rather remarkably stupid things when I was young. I used to fly light aircraft in college with my friends and we'd fly to Cape May every so often and spend the weekend gambling up the beach at Atlantic City to make enough money to pay for the plane and the gas. I used to fly with a fraternity brother who was building multi-engine hours towards his ATR. We'd do spins and stalls all over central Pennsylvania on weekends.

As I look back, one can only agree, that ignorance is bliss.

THE HARD THINGS

My intent, after stabbing myself 3 times, was to mention and show a deer. We were driving up RiverView Road here in MetroParkDentralis ( oh what the hell, metroparkdenrtralis fit the mood) and I was saying to the driver that one never ever sees your actual deer in the wood.) They're always in the yard and, of course, a deer right in front of us crossed the road to be in the wood and I said, "look! a deer in the wood" and she looked left and said, "look, deer in the yard."

Ohio is like that.

WHY JUMP

This is sort of sad but I don't understand why. The very best outcome when attempting to tie the record for lowest altitude flight is second or third. You can never win.

Came that close to a runway snow plow

THE RACE OF REASON

I have worked for some really stupid men in my life. They were, fortunately, few and far between. I was spared the dire necessity of working for any stupid men in combat but the ones back in the United States made life so unbearable that all of us promptly volunteered for immediate return overseas to duty in a war zone in order to escape the stupidity. Many of us called the Group every month and renewed our request for orders to any ship, any billet in the Persian Gulf.

I noted the various news articles today that threw our President's true graceless stupidity into stark relief at a Paris press conference. I finally bit the bullet and brought up CSPAN and watched his news conference. It was as ugly as I had been warned it would be.

If you are one of the millions and millions of literate Americans out there who have simply tuned this president out the past three or four years, that is certainly understandable. But if you tuned in to the long, rambling, empty press conference, you would have been truly alarmed.

It took the doddering president 47 minutes and over 5,000 words to answer just six questions. And by "answer," I simply mean he unspooled a torrent of disjointed words and broken sentences.

Asked about the "mass shooting" where a nut job shot three people at a Colorado abortion clinic, President Obama once again became exasperated with the American people. "I say this every time we've got one of these mass shootings: This just doesn't happen in other countries." 

He actually said this. In Paris. Not three weeks after gunmen mowed down 129 people enjoying freedom in the French capital. 

Then, of course, there is this business of comparing radical Islamic terrorism to — global warming? He actually insisted that global warming is an even greater threat than terrorism itself. 

Again, he said this. In Paris. Not three weeks after the worst terrorist attacks in a civilized country since 9/11.

I don't really care what other people had to say about George Bush, either of them. They were both men with solid records of accomplishment with open and transparent academic histories who surrounded themselves with some of the smartest people in America. Needless to say, that is not the case with Obama. Can you imagine Obama flying the most advanced military aircraft of the day? Can you see him at the controls of an F-18 making a carrier approach? Yeah, me neither.

I actually witnessed his speech at the Convention that nominated Kerry and thought he was a hack with a teleprompter. I think his vice president nailed his description of the man perfectly. He had and has no record of accomplishment, no distinguished service to the country, no academic or written record and no history.

You can watch him outshine shinola for yourself. On teleprompt he can still read but once he goes freestyle at the Q&A it rapidly goes downhill. Just for contrast, here is another perfect idiot in the give and take of an American press interview freestyle event answering an unscripted question. You know, just as a clean comparison with the President's performance in Paris.

What must it be like to be smart and to work for these two? How painful is that? How do those people get up everyday and go to work where all they can do is dread the certainty that the boss is going to be out-articulated and outsmarted by a five year old?

Throughout the Cold War it was well known that both we and the Russians kept a gimlet eye on the mental health and stability of the leaders of both countries. It had to be done and it had to be done properly. Some people are chilled at the idea that Reagan was gaga in his later term in office but at least he was surrounded by really clever patriots with well known qualities that any Russian leader could gauge with near certainty. Likewise, our national command authority kept on top of the stream of rapidly deteriorating old men that led the Soviet Union to its end with Gorbachev. We knew what we could expect from them all.

What the hell do the poor Russians know about Obama and his national command authority team? Well, they know Obama is an idiot. They know the vice president is an idiot. They know that the current SECDEF is an apparatchik and the man before him was an idiot. They don't even know who the national security advisor is but it is no Kissinger. The SECSTATE is, possibly, even stupider than Hillary Clinton and the Russians see an entire nuclear armed country about to nominate Hillary for the Democratic Party candidate for President in 2016.

Do you suppose they're more afraid now than at any point since 1919? The known leadership is dire and the unknown pullers on the levers, the McFarlanes and the Lieutenant Colonel Norths are probably even more frightening.

We  have a healthy fear of an irrational enemy armed with nuclear weapons. I think the Russians are even more afraid of us now than they ever were before. When they look into the eyes of Obama, Clinton, Biden, Kerry, they don't see the light of reason looking back.

THE HOOFBEATS OF AN AIR APOCALYPSE

The consequences of an unprovoked attack on an aircraft usually result in some fairly drastic changes to air operations. I don't think Turkey really gave it any thought when they shot down a Russian aircraft going about its business in Syria. The Russians know that the stateless enemy in Syria has no meaningful air force but now Russia has been forced into deploying weapons designed to destroy NATO stealth aircraft at ranges of up to 250 kilometers. It's a fascinating mobile air defense system complemented by a Russian Air Defense cruiser off the Turkish coast.

I would like to congratulate Turkey and all their friends at the Combined Air Ops Center on bringing about the deployment of a missile system that will haunt the rest of their days in Syria. Every single aircraft that flies in that part of the world can fully expect to have that beast's fire control radars lock on at maximum range and remain locked on for the duration. Every military aircraft equipped with a threat warning receiver is going to freak out when that happens and they will never know if there is a missile riding the beam heading their way until it gets there.*

The intensity goes way up at the 3 minute mark. These were F16s engaged by Russian export version air defense systems in Iraq back in 1991. Thanks to Turkey, Russia will deploy their most modern air defense systems to Syria and turn every single NATO sortie over eastern Turkey and Syria or the eastern Mediterranean into a thrill ride. Way to go Turkey! 

*Yes, yes, we know. Beamriders are practically extinct and have been for decades but we're talking about Russia! Those little Russian land attack missiles last month were quite the surprise.

TOTAL DOMAIN AWARENESS

We used to talk about this at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. This is kind of what the surface layer of TDA looks like. (full screen to see)

The goal was to have a picture with as much detail and information as possible in real time of all the domains (air, surface, subsurface, electronic, etc). Proponents of Total Domain Awareness proposed that with it, a single frigate could deny the oceans of the world.

I thought it was kind of silly, back then...

PUSHING STUPIDITY'S BOUNDARIES

It's amusing that people who effect to be able to draw a straight line from 2000 year old tree rings to modern global warming science are unable to clearly see what "Gun Free Zones" imply in a country with almost a billion firearms in circulation. They literally cannot see how they can be safe unless they go to school in a gun free zone. They cannot make that tiny mental quiver that isn't enough to qualify as even the tiniest leap and see that by disarming they invite predators to attack. What is the predator going to lose by attacking defenseless prey?

From the OCR,

Recent school shootings include a mass killing in Isla Vista last year, near the campus of UC Santa Barbara, where a gunman killed six people and injured 14 before committing suicide. 

Christina Sandoval, 24, a senior studying psychology, said she only learned recently that her school was at one point home to the worst mass murder in Orange County’s history. In 1976, a school custodian killed seven people on campus and injured two others. 

“This shooting epidemic is getting pretty bad,” said Sandoval, who noticed a sign at an Orange County movie theater last week that bags may be searched. “I’m so for gun control.”

In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king. In California they put out that rotten little bastard's eye. 

BLUNDERFORCES

It isn't really surprising that 8 years of handpicked military leaders by the worst picker president of all time have led to the Blunderforce. How did savvy admirals and generals come to the decision that one airplane would satisfy all their nonstrategic combat roles after every single one of them was indoctrinated with just what a disaster the tactical fighter was? Everybody had doubts but all doubters were taken around back and either kneecapped or had their heads blown off by the Penta-warriors.

USS GUARDIAN aground. Ships with best navigation system in the world useless when mapmakers make 8 mile errors in plotting the location of little things like reefs.

The Navy has spent the same time frame pissing away its fleet replacement money buying littoral combat ships that can handle neither the littorals nor combat and by building 3 incredibly worthless land attack ships designed to take the place of ? what? Ships designed to replace cruise missiles? Aircraft? It's important to keep in mind that the ships replaced and scrapped by the LCS were able to actually run over sea mines and survive the resulting devastation and take hits from 2 ship killer missiles and survive the engagement thanks to benign seas and a permissive environment.

LCS in foreground with a 57mm gun and DDG behind with 5 inch gun and a missile system that can track and kill everything from cruise missiles to ballistic missiles and satellites.

Army and their women rangers strategy is beginning to suffer its ineluctable fate as the truth comes out. The truth always comes out. In the meantime, do we ever hear anybody refer to the number of divisions that are in overall readiness for immediate combat operations deployed anywhere in the world. Do you remember when that number was being used to beat the Bush? It's much much worse now since we are long passed the days of 'cost of war money' appropriations and have been in the budget sequester disaster for years which has reduced Defense and Army spending every year.

Old style professionalism the air force way. ..endless pop tests, quizzes, investigations and firings even though step one of every procedure is to pick up the manual, open to correct page and read and follow the checklist. Air Force policy dictates that nobody above the rank of lieutenant colonel ever be held responsible in any way shape or form and they are sticklers for policy if nothing else.

In the navy it used to mean keeping the ships at sea with occasional runs ashore to breed and run wild. Now it means occasional brief periods at sea uniquely warped to encompass longer deployments while spending most of their time at home in shipyards and repair activities and breeding is positively discouraged.

Nobody knows what the Marines are really up to but it used to mean making do with the cast off weapons and equipment the army, navy and air force didn't want or need or know how to exploit to wring more money from Congress. No doubt they'll let us know what they're up to when General Mattis heads to Washington DC.

The armed forces are doing no worse though than the State Department which decided to wage war on and destroy Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and most of Europe while snuggling up to Iran and promising them aid and all assistance to develop peaceful nuclear powered bombs. They toppled regimes friendly to our interests in places and squashed initiatives that would have enhanced the independence of friendly regimes in eastern Europe.

The United States is going to crush VW for the crime of fooling the incompetent idiots who administer smog tests. VW employs 600,000 Germans who are going to be looking for work just about the same time that 1 million muslim men of military age and background are welcomed into Germany by Merkel and her slavies in the EU Commission and government. They are going to compete for the remaining jobs. That is going to go so well.

I'm not sure that the world can take another two years of Obama and democrats and moderates like Boehner and yet we must. It might be a good idea for those who used to count on us to prop them up and keep the barbarians at the gate to do what this blog has recommended for so many years. You better arm yourself because this time there is no one behind you except the new domestic enemies your witless governments admitted over the last decade.

Minimum weapons/men required by  police for just one single bomber in Boston

Armed men required by Boston Police in order to safely approach citizen of Boston

IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A REAL BOMB

After all, young Ahmed didn't get any of its components from the FBI or ATF.

MODERN WHALING

Found at Bayou Renaissance Man. As the man says, watch in full screem.

Frankly, I'm not tempted even a little bit.

NOVEL IDEA BUT PERHAPS NOT THE BEST ONE

Starbucks had announced a policy that would call upon their baristas to discuss race issues with each customer that bought some sort of java or tea at each of the stores and franchises. Time Magazine correspondant Mr. Jabbar pointed out one or two flaws in the policy but I think nobody has weighed in on the potential explosive nature of the vice of discussing race in America. You see, I always hear a voice in my head when people start talking racism needing to be discussed here, asking, what race? White? Black? Asian? Hispanic? People don't have the same view about racism at all. Mr. Jabbar pointed out that:

Schultz is right in understanding that we can’t depend on our leaders to eradicate racism. Schultz sees ending racism as a grass roots campaign that starts with the people and swells until it forces politicians to act like leaders. To achieve this, we need to educate the target audience of those who are open-minded enough to be persuaded by facts. Then we need to keep presenting those facts over and over until awareness is finally achieved. That’s when there will be progress.

Does the barista that doesn't toe the liberal line on race get fired or re-indoctrinated after a long stint in the liberal gulag reeducation camps? What would happen to me? I believe most racism everywhere is founded on stereotypes. What Mr. Jabbar and I agree on is that the facts speak for themselves. A stereotype is given life by the actions of the people one runs into every day. Nobody is going to legislate that out of existence.

The video is probably not suitable for most work environments. It's Chris Rock back in 1996. Things are different now talking about racism. He has a slightly different take on the accepted wisdom of liberal progressives, but watch his audience's reaction throughout. They got it.

Of course if he was still touring with this sketch today, the Department of Justice would have him in jail for pure undistilled racism.