How lost is the Republic today?

[BobBalouski]

Every country is simply a macro mirror of its population of individuals, and it's been clear for over 150 years that statism in America is determined to "equal" out natural individual exceptionalism in utopian socialist favor of the collective "normal" good. Thus a statist nation naturally, eventually arrives at the point that despite all its imperialist foreign ambitions, the general whole of the abilities of its collective population is so unexceptional that they are totally unqualified to do even the most simple tasks at hand. And finally reaching that low, the fatal dagger comes when that statist nation refuses to acknowledge the reality it's utopian expectations has trapped it in, yet still demands those exceptional individuals in their service to do more and more and more and more...

SOFs, the spearhead of the bulk of all significant US military operations today, aren't renewing in droves; all are over-deployed, many complain about the increasingly lax admittance standards for their previously elite corps.

Today's US military overall is obviously at the end of its statist rope: the USAF experiences a dire shortage of pilots, so it first tried offering former USAF pilots nice chunks of change to return to service - didn't work. So, the natively statist Commander-in-Chief issued an executive order permitting the Air Force to recall all the former pilots they need - INVOLUNTARILY.

The Marines ran an ad during today's Super Bowl to solicit a "Few" - the first time they've had to do that in 30 years.

Even the most traditional most non-exceptional branch - the Army - can't attract enough "normal" new recruits to fill its ranks, even as it, too, seriously lowers qualification barriers.

And on the home front, those who are tasked with patrolling our borders?

The agency said it needed help from the private sector to recruit candidates and process them through hiring because of its long-running hiring woes that have seen it lose more agents that it hires in a year. The agency has to work through 133 applicants to hire a single agent.

Not enough personnel to secure its own borders, not enough fighters to wage its imperialistic wars, yea, not even enough Congresscritters loyal to their own oaths to "support and defend the Constitution" - all that's really left, if enough patriots don't now stand straight up and come forth, is simply to watch it all fall down.

ICE looks to private sector to help hire nearly 6,600 workers to support the 10,000 new agents Trump wants
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/sd-me-ice-hires-20180201-story.html

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

Every country is simply a macro mirror of its population of individuals, and it's been clear for over 150 years that statism in America is determined to "equal" out natural individual exceptionalism in utopian socialist favor of the collective "normal" good. Thus a statist nation naturally, eventually arrives at the point that despite all its imperialist foreign ambitions, the general whole of the abilities of its collective population is so unexceptional that they are totally unqualified to do even the most simple tasks at hand. And finally reaching that low, the fatal dagger comes when that statist nation refuses to acknowledge the reality it's utopian expectations has trapped it in, yet still demands those exceptional individuals in their service to do more and more and more and more...

SOFs, the spearhead of the bulk of all significant US military operations today, aren't renewing in droves; all are over-deployed, many complain about the increasingly lax admittance standards for their previously elite corps.

Today's US military overall is obviously at the end of its statist rope: the USAF experiences a dire shortage of pilots, so it first tried offering former USAF pilots nice chunks of change to return to service - didn't work. So, the natively statist Commander-in-Chief issued an executive order permitting the Air Force to recall all the former pilots they need - INVOLUNTARILY.

The Marines ran an ad during today's Super Bowl to solicit a "Few" - the first time they've had to do that in 30 years.

Even the most traditional most non-exceptional branch - the Army - can't attract enough "normal" new recruits to fill its ranks, even as it, too, seriously lowers qualification barriers.

And on the home front, those who are tasked with patrolling our borders?



Not enough personnel to secure its own borders, not enough fighters to wage its imperialistic wars, yea, not even enough Congresscritters loyal to their own oaths to "support and defend the Constitution" - all that's really left, if enough patriots don't now stand straight up and come forth, is simply to watch it all fall down.

ICE looks to private sector to help hire nearly 6,600 workers to support the 10,000 new agents Trump wants
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/sd-me-ice-hires-20180201-story.html

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJ86Kw2f9l8bF66b0sYrH92LwKmR9cu6CS_JdoTEj2xupMKpio

 

[Saint_Ann]

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3c/ce/2e/3cce2ed632cf01fd60df79056c7c5f7d--early-american-american-art.jpg

 

[BobBalouski]

Sailors? Pffttt! The Navy don't need no friggin' sailors!

(Cool DARPA video of Sea Hunter on linked page)

A prototype autonomous ship known as the Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MDUSV) has officially been transferred to the U.S. Navy from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) after a two-year testing and evaluation program. Named “Sea Hunter,” the Office of Naval Research will continue to develop the vessel from this point forward.

Although there’s no specific timetable for when the Sea Hunter would join active naval operations, the statement from DARPA indicated that it could happen as early as this year. The anti-submarine warfare vessel could be the first of an entirely new class of warship.

‘Sea Hunter,’ a drone ship with no crew, just joined the U.S. Navy fleet
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/darpa-sea-hunter-joins-navy-fleet/

 

[Hypoxia]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71qefzc1neL._AC_UL320_SR202,320_.jpg

 

[Porkwarrior]

The Few. The Proud. The Marines.

That shit has been around for more than 30yrs. Hell I was Canadian and I wanted to join and slay dragons.

https://youtu.be/dmr1p0CKe3g

 

[colddiesel]

Recruit Gurkhas. Far higher quality servicemen than Americans.

 

[patient1]

Not enough personnel to secure its own borders, not enough fighters to wage its imperialistic wars, yea, not even enough Congresscritters loyal to their own oaths to "support and defend the Constitution" - all that's really left, if enough patriots don't now stand straight up and come forth, is simply to watch it all fall down.

Yeah, we're rather over-extended in so many ways.

When I read this thread title my concern was twofold.

1) With the multitude of media there is less shared culture. This isn't a problem in and of itself. What is a problem is the ability to self-select a reality bubble. What is a problem are alternative facts, fake news, infotainment, and the blending of fact and opinion. It leaves us with no shared starting point on a decision.

2) Discourse. You can see it decline here over the years. It's gotten rather bitter, partisan, disrespectful and personal- to the point of making enemies. So now it seems to be more about venting rage and pissing off people you hate than persuasion. Congress is no different. It's not about an oath to The Constitution and respecting each other's right to express an opinion any more.

So, I don't know how we can sustain a republic when we can't agree on facts, and we can't reach a consensus when we don't respect each other's rights. It seems like a tragic waste of energy to be angry to the point of hatred at others simply because they are wrong. There's a difference between winning an argument and making a sale, between making an enemy and making an alliance, even if only on one issue at a time.

 

[WoundedKnee]

To the victor goes the spoils and as government expands, the spoils are greater (and more powerful) and the fear of losing creates great friction.

 

[toeskr]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJ86Kw2f9l8bF66b0sYrH92LwKmR9cu6CS_JdoTEj2xupMKpio

You are poorly educated, did you vote for Trump?

Some day soon, the parents of the students you supposedly educated may be asking for their money back.

Is there a statute of limitations for teachers that have no fucking clue about what they are teaching?

 

[Hypoxia]

Is there a statute of limitations for teachers that have no fucking clue about what they are teaching?

Shut up and take your federally-mandated tests, y'know, the ones Dubya insisted on. You don't need no education, only training in test-taking. And cheating. Dubya was real good at encouraging cheating. Looks like Tromp took lessons.

 

[Hypoxia]

Yeah, we're rather over-extended in so many ways.

USA: The richest, most powerful nation in human history. Dominating the world militarily, economically, culturally. A global magnet for those seeking opportunity. A fucking cornucopia of hope!

How is USA over-extended? Let us count some of the ways...

USA spends more on national security than the rest of the world combined but can't win endless wars. USA builds vastly expensive military systems that don't work. USA provokes destabilization that drives refugees toward us. USA imprisons more than any other nation. (Admittedly, China and Russia execute more.) USA courts say corporations are people, cash is speech, and gov't is for sale. USA surveills you constantly.

Education costs too much. Health costs too much. Equal opportunity and access cost too much. Cut their funds. But politicians are cheap to bribe.

Need I say it? Follow the money...

 

[WoundedKnee]

Funny how the change of administrations caused so many dedicated patriots to adopt a new-found hate for their country.

 

[bellisarius]

USA: The richest, most powerful nation in human history. Dominating the world militarily, economically, culturally. A global magnet for those seeking opportunity. A fucking cornucopia of hope!

How is USA over-extended? Let us count some of the ways...

USA spends more on national security than the rest of the world combined but can't win endless wars. USA builds vastly expensive military systems that don't work. USA provokes destabilization that drives refugees toward us. USA imprisons more than any other nation. (Admittedly, China and Russia execute more.) USA courts say corporations are people, cash is speech, and gov't is for sale. USA surveills you constantly.

Education costs too much. Health costs too much. Equal opportunity and access cost too much. Cut their funds. But politicians are cheap to bribe.

Need I say it? Follow the money...

Really? You need a serious reality check.

During the build up to the Gulf War night after night "experts" were on the cable channels telling us how nothing we deployed was going to work. They were all going to fail because it was too hot, too cold, too dusty, too dry, the list was amazingly long.

Not only did they all work, just prior to the cease fire some of these same "experts" were telling us that our implements of war worked TO WELL!!!! Oh the humanity.

Maybe when you stop stating your ignorant opinions as 'fact' some of us may begin to think of you as other than a fucking joke.

 

[BobBalouski]

So, I don't know how we can sustain a republic when we can't agree on facts...

The statist fed government of the United Socialist State of America today has fully sanctioned as LEGAL the intentional and tortuous killing of > 50 million completely innocent and totally defenseless little American human lives over the last 45 years.

If it can't even be acknowledged as basic, unarguable fact that human life = human life, then there really isn't any chance anything else of actual consequence exists to agree upon.

 

[phrodeau]

Really? You need a serious reality check.

During the build up to the Gulf War night after night "experts" were on the cable channels telling us how nothing we deployed was going to work. They were all going to fail because it was too hot, too cold, too dusty, too dry, the list was amazingly long.

Not only did they all work, just prior to the cease fire some of these same "experts" were telling us that our implements of war worked TO WELL!!!! Oh the humanity.

Maybe when you stop stating your ignorant opinions as 'fact' some of us may begin to think of you as other than a fucking joke.

Oh yes, it was a great stratagem to lob radioactive waste at the people whose hearts and minds we were trying to win.