American artillery ammunition running low
America’s ammunition inventory is running low due to the ammunition provided to Ukraine. Darin Gaub, Retired Lieutenant Colonel, said that it would take decades to recover the ammunition levels that were in place prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One of the events that Gaub used to make this conclusion is the decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine. Per his sources, it could take from 10 to 15 years for the United States military to return to previous ammunition inventory levels.
From Fox News:
The president’s move was met with criticism by both Democratic allies and foreign allies, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles.
Gaub described the nature of these weapons, explaining, “Cluster bombs are basically a whole bunch of tiny bombs inside of a larger shell that, when launched over a specific area, or targeted to a specific area, that outer shell will explode outward, and all those little bomblets will spread all over a large piece of terrain and explode on contact.”
There are currently more than 100 countries that have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions to ban the use of these weapons, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany. However, both the U.S. and Ukraine are not signees.
“With these kinds of bombs, there’s always what’s called a dud rate, something that just doesn’t explode. Typically, in America, our rule is that we’re not going to export anything without having that number be down to about a 1% dud rate, which currently with what we’re shipping over, is a little over double that number because Biden waived it. And that’s really the concern, that we’re going to be helping spread these kinds of munitions all over Eastern Europe, which for years to come could cause injury and death,” Gaub said. “It’s a multiyear-long problem to clean that kind of thing up, which is why many people have issues with us sending them into Ukraine.”
Fox News provides additional details here and here.
Category: Military issues, Russia, Ukraine
No NATO for you!
I was honestly sympathetic to him at the start of the war.
Not so much now that I feel the war continues only to enrich corrupt officials. Its also made him an international “rock star” politician. If the war ended, his popularity would wane. He doesn’t look like a guy that would “let that happen”.
Why?
His party was installed in a violent coup.
He ran on a platform of peace and accommodation of its Russian minorities.
Once elected, he went full tyrant by banning all opposition parties, arresting opposition leadership, seizing all media, jailing anyone posting a difference of opinion, banning the Russian language, ethnically cleansing of Russians from any government position, tearing up the Minsk Accord and started a genocidal war in the Donbas.
Ask yourself when are the next elections in the Ukraine. Oh, there aren’t any cause those were canceled.
Saving democracy…
I thought that you were talking about Herr biden, leader of the new 4th Reich until I scrolled down the page and saw that it wasn’t him. Easy to scroll since I got the new super duper genuine Lexar hard drive put into my PC.
A rare picture of the most corrupt politician in the world in his natural environment.
My god. Do they still issue bayonets
They have a shovel recruiting ad that works nicely.
fzs_dYE6MjA
I was actually thinking of bayonets for US troops, considering our ammo shortages.
I still had them on my books as a Company Commander and inspected them during inventories. Never issued them out, though. Joe being Joe, I’d never get them back.
Same here. Every time we inventoried the arms room, which they never left, along with those orange switchblades.
Did the spade spring out or the hook knife?
Cool toys
I have one of those. My dad managed to hang on to it when he retired from the Air Force.
Made my guys sign for each of theirs and a cleaning kit. (Bde comptroller demanded why they should provide a cleaning kit for each dude. “Two words: Jessica Lynch,” whose weapon fouled due to sand. They concurred.)
At A co. 1/38 Inf in Korea 1985 we had one cleaning rod in entire company. You rode your weapon standing at the armored little half door, he never let it out of his sight.
rodded
Heheh, he said “rod”…
Sign for them?
Joe being Joe, they’d “lose” it and I’d be stuck doing paperwork. Statement of charges? OK. Tell me another one.
Yup, cut the band off the case they were in. Let Joe be responsible for ’em. Told the kids they’d get an Art 15 if they hurt each other playing mumblety-peg with their feet, too. Didn’t have trouble about that.
According to US Air Force public affairs, 100% of all cluster bombs are guaranteed to hit the ground. People were losing their minds last week when Sleepy Joe publicly announced we were short on 155 rounds, IIRC, weren’t we discussing that very thing here a few short months ago? It wasn’t like he said anything new.
Short on 155 rounds? Who else in the world would like to know what we’re short on.
People in airport terminals are the only ones watching CNN.
Myself personally, I don’t see the point of telling all what we do/don’t have.
DPICM, f*cks up both troops and armor over a wider area than unitary arty rounds. I still like it.
Still trying to figure out why not having 155mm is going to matter. Russia is pretty much defeated at this point. When the China fight comes it will primarily be a Navy/ Air/ Marine fight. I must be missing something.
1. “Russia is pretty much defeated at this point”
Start there are work your way out.
But Ruzzia’s using T-55s and Pootin has the cancer, or Parkinson’s, or something, and Ukinazis will get F16s anyway now and Wagner almost made it to moskow and yourain will be in NAT0 next week and Zilinskii looks good in that sweater and NAF0 is doxxing orc-lovers because “[they’re] on the right side of history” (the one of big governments and bigger corporations) and and and…
Once ‘gain, IDGAF about this conflict as I hope they both lose, I just want the civilians to be left alone (which as an adult, I realize is impossible/secession has consequences) and I am way fucking passed tired paying for this dumpster fire.
Honestly with how mismanaged the armed forces of Ukraine have been, even with our intel and direct supervision, I’m starting to have a real doubt about that “north atlantic” terrorists org versus a Fulda moment.
An ace up the sleeve be an ace, yo.
“ I hope they both lose, I just want the civilians to be left alone (which as an adult, I realize is impossible/secession has consequences) and I am way fucking passed tired paying for this dumpster fire.”
My sentiments exactly! This war, other than the minor Russian aggression thing, has been nothing other than an opportunity for corrupt politicians (on both sides) to get rich off of the American taxpayer.
My opinion only!
Amen to tired of paying for this dumpster fire.
Love him or hate him, but can anyone name a foreign conflict that Trump got us into? Bueller… Bueller….
The only conflict he was involved with was exposing those that seem to hate this country.
Feel free to tell me where I’m wrong.
Part I
I’ve been following this war since the invasion in February 2022. Included in my review are video uploads from the frontline. Also, communications intercepts like in Part II, substantiate what is being reported regarding the Russians not only losing, but being poorly equipped, being under poor leadership, being demoralized, etc.
What had been propping them up so far, and has prevented them from completely collapsing and being forced out by now, is their sheer numbers. They have the numbers advantage without which they would have been defeated a long time ago.
Anybody that argues that the Russians are “winning” has fallen hook, line, and sinker for Russian troll propaganda. Anybody that argues that the Ukrainians are corrupt, while also ignoring the massive corruption occurring in Russia, e.g., Putler and other oligarchs in possession of the majority of the wealth in Russia, siphoned through corruption into their hands, at the expense of the Russian people, argues the same thing that Russian media, and Russian trolls, argue.
Those arguing positively in favor of Russia here and elsewhere have echoed what Russian media has spewed and what Russian troll forms have posted.
I’m not making up the story about the Russian trolls, I have shown the other article contributors here an example of Russian troll comments “in the wild.” This (state of Russian performance) is one area where Dave Hardin, Commissar, and I are in agreement.
Compared to video uploads on Twitter, Telegram, Reddit, etc., the traditional news networks are “stale” and “behind the times” when it comes to the realities of what is happening on the ground. In many instances, by the time these networks talk about what is going on in Ukraine, it is old news to those who have viewed videos, listened to audio recordings, and have read first-hand accounts elsewhere.
Part II
Transcript from the linked video:
Friend: Is it f* really bad there?
Russian soldier: There are no tanks or anything, f*!
Friend: It’s not what they show on TV, f*!
Russian soldier: Yeah, for them everything is beautiful, f*!
Friend: Yeah, that’s what I’m saying that they only show on TV Luhansk and Dnepropetrovsk [Donetsk?] Regions where they have the equipment, f*!
Russian soldier: Here Andruha is in a tank battalion. I was f*ing shocked when it came to him. There was only 1 tank and it was a T-64! What year is that? From the ’70s? It’s the only one that shoots and that’s f*ing it!
Friend: That’s the way we fight. But those f*ing Shoigu (Russian defense minister) and again make themselves look so smart!
Russian soldier: That’s the reason why Wagner is opposing them! All our vacations were canceled.
Friend: That’s why, huh? So had they transferred them (Wagner) or what?
Russian soldier: They went to Belarus.
Friend: all of them?
Russian soldier: [They sign] contracts. People are coming to Belarus, f*. It’s mostly people from Dagestan, Ossetia, f*ing numbnuts! I called him so. We live in s*t in the dumpster.
Friend: But what they show [on TV], f*! They’d better show this, f*ing beasts!
Russian soldier: They don’t give us any gasoline, f*! I’m telling you, when I was getting wounded guys out in UAZ, we had to buy gasoline at our own expense! 100 rubles for one liter!
Friend: F*, that’s what those b*ches to!
Russian soldier: So try to calculate… You’re driving UAZ with all tires being f*ing flat, so you have to go on discs. After you’re done with your shift, you need to fix and buy wheels with your own money!
And the conversation continues…
I question the statement “Russia is pretty much defeated at this point”
And you give 5 pages of cope.
How not to argue above a 5th grade level.
2banana: I question the statement “Russia is pretty much defeated at this point”
I question anybody that claims otherwise. Also, I presented a counter argument based on what I’ve seen since February last year, via multiple information sources… What we in the doctoral world call “first tiered information sources.”
A veteran, possessing combat arms experience, even if he/she never deployed, seeing the videos that I have seen, reading the comments that I’ve read, hearing/reading the communication intercept videos that I’ve came across, would have a hard time agreeing with your comments.
2banana: And you give 5 pages of cope. [SELF PROJECTION]
Any argument that the Russians are “winning” and that the Ukrainians are “losing” is nothing but COPE. Don’t dismiss an observation, based on video feeds, based on uploaded reporting that incorporates both Ukrainian and Russian military personnel frontline videos, comments from both sides, etc., as “cope.” It is telling it like it is.
2banana: How not to argue above a 5th grade level. [SELF PROJECTION]
That is not correct, my argument uses similar concepts to what is used in the scientific community. Simply dismissing my argument as “cope” and as “below fifth grade level” is your arguing below fifth grade level.
Hey! I have an idea! Why don’t you post a comment on the latest video on this link, telling him that you question the defeat of the Russians. The host of this source uses both Russian and Ukrainian videos among the sources of his reporting. The Ukrainian military is conducting shaping operations as we speak, destroying ammunition depots, armored vehicles, etc., to starve the Russians of their ammunition. They’re probing Russian defenses while forcing the same to burn through ammunition that would be harder to replace. The Russians lost their momentum a long time ago, and are relying on their numbers and fortifications to try to hold up.
https://www.youtube.com/c/reportingfromukraine
“we in the doctoral world call…”
AKA the “Piled Higher and Deeper” world.
By the way, whatever happened to that great, unstoppable Ukrainian offensive?
I read somewhere that the Russians occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Not bad for the “losing” side.
They have retaken everything the Russians took in the last six months. Most of what Russia controlled was before in hand before the war started. It was takeng back when Obama was president.
Yup, the Ukrainian side reported liberating territory that had been under Russian control since 2014. The counter offensive is less than two months, and the Ukrainians have liberated more territory than what the Russians took during their winter counter offensive.
When video uploaded by both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers show the Ukrainians advancing overall, and the Russians either being stalled or pulling back, one would have a hard time arguing that the Russians are winning.
timactual: AKA the “Piled Higher and Deeper” world.
Doctoral programs train people to do research utilizing scientific methods. It’s painfully obvious to me that you don’t have access to the latest scientific papers available, let alone have read any of them, and that you’re not privy to how the bulk of the advances of formal knowledge occur. Not withstanding the bad rap that a certain percentage of scientists get, the vast majority are adding practical knowledge into our overall knowledge base. Dismissing those with advanced university degrees, as you’ve done here, is no different from a Berkely graduate thumbing his/her nose at those with no college degrees.
timactual: By the way, whatever happened to that great, unstoppable Ukrainian offensive?
Happening as planned, where have you been? In fact, they’re progressing with their moves to apply a pincer movement on the Russians in Bakhmut. Remember how long it took the Russians to take that? That’s not the only place the Ukrainians are liberating territory.
Scroll up and click on the video link that I posted above.
timactual: I read somewhere that the Russians occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Not bad for the “losing” side.
I’ve been following events in Ukraine since February last year, you’re behind the times. The Russians hold less territory now than they did after they invaded last year. The Russians anticipated having all of Ukraine in days if not weeks.
If you are confident of your factually challenged opinion, I challenge you to watch the video in the link below (one of the links I follow regarding Ukraine), then comment on it telling the folks there what you just said here.
If you refuse to do that, or if you can’t hold your own in the comments section of that channel, then accept the reality that you don’t know as much about this topic as you think you do.
“The Russians hold less territory now than they did after they invaded last year.”
Of course. The point is that they are still occupying Ukrainian territory. All that territory in the video colored red is Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, isn’t it?
https://www.newsweek.com/where-russia-gained-lost-territory-ukraine-war-maps-1812851
This is kind of like the British bragging that they are “winning” WWI after they retake a couple of miles of French territory at the Battle of the Somme.
“watch the video in the link below”
Not impressed. A “brigade” level offensive that advance “up to 2 kilometers”, capturing “a tree line”.
Fighting a war of attrition against an enemy three times your size is not a winning strategy.
As to my deplorable lack of reverence to possessors of the Ph.D., I am not impressed by the contributions of those exalted seekers of knowledge in the area of the humanities, climate “science”, or the social “sciences” in the last few decades. If you have a doctorate in STEM fields, maybe, depending on the particulars.
“It’s painfully obvious to me…”
I have been around too long and seen too much to be impressed or intimidated by your arrogant, credentialist, pretentious, wannabe elitist Bullshit. You are wasting your time.
And really, can you get any more cliched than that phrase? Even I wouldn’t use that without clearly marking it as being sardonic. If that’s any indication of the originality of your doctoral “research”, you are indeed deserving of mockery.
PS
Your Ph.D. probably impresses the heck out of Whoopi;
timactual: PS Your Ph.D. probably impresses the heck out of Whoopi;
What part of “in the doctoral world,” and “Doctoral programs train people to do research utilizing scientific methods,” did you not understand?
What I said beforehand:
“Also, I presented a counter argument based on what I’ve seen since February last year, via multiple information sources… What we in the doctoral world call “first tiered information sources.” – thebesig
Again, reading comprehension, it’s a drug!
Response to timactual, July 16, 2023, Part 1A timactual: Of course. The point is that they are still occupying Ukrainian territory. All that territory in the video colored red is Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, isn’t it? In order to claim that the Russians are winning, or that the Ukrainians are losing, you would have to argue one of two things. One, the Russians are gaining territory from what they initially held at the beginning of the invasion. Two, the Russians continue to hold the territory that they initially took last year. Whether they are occupying Ukrainian territory or not is irrelevant when it comes to the question on whether they are winning or losing. It is not relevant on the question on whether Ukrainians are losing or winning. Bringing up the fact that the Russians are still occupying territory is nothing but a strawman argument. I mean, how long did the British Army hold areas of the eastern seaboard during the American Revolution? timactual: Link. Now, which map is the “red/pink” larger? The one at the beginning of the invasion, or the one showing the latter time? If Ukraine was losing, the red/pink would be larger in the later map than in the older map. That is not the case. For Ukraine to lose, and Russia to be winning, we would have to see more red/pink in the current map than in the former map. timactual: This is kind of like the British bragging that they are “winning” WWI after they retake a couple of miles of French territory at the Battle of the Somme. [STRAWMAN] This is a strawman argument. My argument applied to the entire front line, as in what is the trend, is Ukraine gaining ground or losing ground overall? In the majority of the instances where the frontline is moving, the Russians are losing ground. Your strawman argument attempts to zero in on the locality in France and comparing that to the totality of what is going on in Ukraine right now. timactual: Not impressed. A “brigade” level offensive that advance “up to 2 kilometers”,… Read more »
“In order to claim that the Russians are winning, or that the Ukrainians are losing, you would have to argue one of two things….”
Perhaps you can use those highly trained scientific methods to find where I said the Russians were winning or the Ukrainians were losing. Pity you didn’t learn about logical fallacies in all that doctoral learnin’. Obviously not a math major.
“My argument applied to the entire front line”
Okay, so show me the Ukrainian advances on the entire front line during this last Great Offensive instead of the one local incident you presented.
timactual: Perhaps you can use those highly trained scientific methods to find where I said the Russians were winning or the Ukrainians were losing. [Backpedaling] In your response to me, you argued that the Russians were still occupying Ukrainian territory. You posted that link and pointed out the part of Ukraine that the Russians were occupying. You said that in response to an argument I was making earlier, indicating that the Russians were not doing as expected. You had asked about where the Ukrainian counter offensive was, indicating doubts that the Ukrainians were reclaiming territory. If your bringing those points up was not your pointing out the performance of either country, then you were advancing a strawman argument. However, given the context of our argument, you were arguing against the idea that Ukraine was winning, or making progress, and were pointing out that the Russians still held territory. To further build your point, you used an example of how the British did in one area of the frontline during World War I. You insinuated against that as a “valid claim of victory” given the limited locality that this gain had occurred. You clearly were arguing against the idea that Ukraine was winning, based on the one example that I provided. timactual: Pity you didn’t learn about logical fallacies in all that doctoral learnin’. [SELF PROJECTION] A logical fallacy is arguing against the idea that the Ukrainians are winning while focusing only on the example that I provided, while ignoring what was going on in the frontlines as an entirety. That’s an example of what is called a strawman argument. You advanced an argument that was a distorted version of what I was arguing, highlighted by your World War I example, and I corrected your assumption by pointing out what I was actually arguing. You zeroed in on one part of the frontline, while refusing to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, what you were seeing in the video was an example of the norm rather than an exception. Given your apparent psychological profile, your embracing that fallacy allowed you to continue… Read more »
Response to timactual, July 16, 2023, Part 2A timactual: As to my deplorable lack of reverence to possessors of the Ph.D., I am not impressed by the contributions of those exalted seekers of knowledge in the area of the humanities, climate “science”, or the social “sciences” in the last few decades. If you have a doctorate in STEM fields, maybe, depending on the particulars. [STRAWMAN] Again, you are missing the point. I was accused of providing “five pages of Cope.” That was a colossally false statement. I accurately stated that the method I use to present these arguments are similar to the methods used in the scientific method. In your response, you arrogantly dismissed academia, given the way you phrased your statement, completely misunderstanding what constitutes the scientific community. I accurately pointed out what it was you were dismissing, while keeping it on-topic to what I said earlier… The scientific method as a metaphor for my own research and argumentation. Which leads to my method of argument. I do not engage an argument with somebody unless two conditions are met: 1. I have extensive knowledge on the topic gained from first-hand experience, and/or extensive study/research… 2. Those that I argue against have little to no understanding of the topic being argued. Those conditions have been met between us, and between anybody else I have argued against on this thread. In the case of point 1, the amount of facts that I possess, regarding the topic, have reached a level where I could detect a pattern, and leverage that pattern to make projections. This is one of the things done in research done via the scientific method. Also, you’re saying “unless you have a doctorate in STEM,” is equivalent to a non-firefighter mocking a firefighter for not having a specific firefighting specialty. timactual: I have been around too long and seen too much For someone who has been around “too long,” you have demonstrated a colossal lack of wisdom and experience normally expected of somebody your age. I’m assuming, based on your comments about being a Vietnam veteran, then you are… Read more »
“I was accused of providing “five pages of Cope.”
Do you mean “five pages of crap”? That I believe. I don’t know what “Cope” is.
“you arrogantly dismissed academia, given the way you phrased your statement, completely misunderstanding what constitutes the scientific community.”
So which is it, academia or the scientific community that I am guilty of dismissing? Evidently clarity and consistency were not part of your curriculum.
“I do not engage an argument with somebody unless two conditions are met:…”
Three, actually, when you include your pretentious pomposity and delusions of intellectual adequacy.
As to your point #2, it takes a certain blind stupidity to brag about intentionally limiting your defense of your position to debating only those you “know” you can defeat. Some call it cowardice or bullying, I just think it’s also stupidity.
timactual: Do you mean “five pages of crap”? You’ve spectacularly failed to prove me “wrong” in this argument, and you most certainly failed to defend your argument. It’s painfully obvious to me that you don’t know what you’re talking about in this argument. You don’t have a leg to stand on telling me that my argument is “crap.” Dismissing a fact based, reasoned, logical argument as “five pages of crap” reeks of narcissism, especially in the face of your failure to defend your argument/assumptions. timactual: That I believe. You’ll believe what your ego wants you to believe. Your refusal to get a clue about the debate topic, and your choosing to only look at the one example that I provided to argue as if that were an “anomaly” rather than the norm, shows what you want to believe… Not the facts, not reality, but what massages your fragile ego. timactual: I don’t know what “Cope” is. Read your responses to me and you’ll know what “cope” is. For example, advancing a strawman argument about one specific section of the frontline in World War I in a deliberate move to advance a strawman is cope. timactual: So which is it, academia or the scientific community that I am guilty of dismissing? Both. The scientific community consists of researchers/scholars with PhDs or equivalent. In addition to providing courses of instruction, academia also consists of scientists doing research. Many of the professors in college are also conducting scientific research. timactual: Evidently clarity and consistency were not part of your curriculum. My responses to you provided the clarity and consistency needed to destroy your argument. The problem is not on my end. Did I not tell you about how you obviously were not privy to the results of scientific research (studies)? If you’ve gone through those papers, you’ll see details of the researchers, many of whom are also serving as professors at universities. It’s not my problem if you have poor reading comprehension, and if you don’t know what you’re talking about. timactual: Three, actually, Yes, there is a third, but not what you… Read more »
Response to timactual, July 16, 2023, Part 3A timactual: And really, can you get any more cliched than that phrase? [SELF PROJECTION] Says the guy that said, “Piled higher and deeper.” You do not see that this very statement is a tired old clichéd phrase? Or, is it okay for you to do it, but heaven forbid somebody does something that you misinterpret as a clichéd phrase? I was dead serious when I said that. You see, if you read what I said, with the intention of understanding what I’m saying, you would’ve understood that I was slamming your entire argument. Again, you have little to no command of the topic you are trying to argue. That is painfully obvious to me. I mentioned, repeatedly, that I have been following this war since Russia invaded last year. I followed this war using multiple information sources, including video feeds and audio. There is a massive corroboration of information, just from the videos being uploaded by both Ukrainian and Russian armies, to show that you do not know what you’re talking about. You slammed the academic world without even knowing what it is about, what it consists of, etc. This is consistent with your nonsensical arguments about what is happening in Ukraine, where it is painfully obvious that your information sources are providing you with information that is inconsistent with reality. Arguing with you is very similar to arguing with the left. timactual: Even I wouldn’t use that without clearly marking it as being sardonic. Once again, your narcissism shows. You have issues with my using the statement. Again, there is a purpose behind every word, sentence, paragraph, image, etc., that I use in my responses. You and I have argued before, and thus you have provided me with an apparent psychological profile. I’ve subsequently phrased my statements in a way that I knew would get you to fly off the handle. Every time I’ve done this, you have reacted with less thinking than what you’ve done in previous posts. The fact that you complain about my using that phrase speaks volumes… Read more »
“I mentioned, repeatedly,…”
And ad nauseam.
“You slammed the academic world without even knowing what it is about,…”
And you know this because….? You have access to all my transcripts, etc.? Have you hired investigators to research my personal history?
“Again, there is a purpose behind every word, sentence, paragraph, image, etc., that I use in my responses…I’ve subsequently phrased my statements in a way that I knew would get you to fly off the handle.”
So, there is method in your madness.
Fascinating.
timactual: And ad nauseam. Because you keep repeating your actions, and statements, over and over again like a broken record. Repeat responses, or repeat actions, on your part get repeat responses and repeat actions from me. timactual: And you know this because….? You have access to all my transcripts, etc.? Have you hired investigators to research my personal history? [STRAWMAN] Go back and read the entire transaction. You denigrated folks with advanced degrees with a dismissive statement. Anybody that has gone through peer reviewed academic journal articles (studies), would have a hard time using the phrase on these individuals that you used. Your asking if I hired investigators, or have seen your transcripts, are nothing but strawmen arguments. Your own statements make it painfully obvious that you’re not privy to what goes on in the area that you are criticizing. Your denigrating non-STEM fields reflects your lack of knowledge of what professors/scientists are about… Do an internet search for “Branches of Science.” If you’ve seen how one study after another references other studies to build on their arguments, then provide recommendations on what future researchers should do, and you see a trend of these studies to include providing solutions that organizations are actually looking for, you’d realize how laughable your dismissive statement about “piled high” is. timactual: So, there is method in your madness. Fascinating. And what I mentioned worked wonderfully with you, just as it has worked wonderfully with others that I’ve argued against, online, for almost 20 years. Your latest series of responses indicate a greater degree of anger on your part. This anger resulted in responses that not only have made me chuckle (I take sadistic pleasure in what I’m doing), but has resulted in your going in circles and making mistakes you otherwise would not be making if you did not have anger issues, control issues, and ego issues. This becomes glaringly obvious when you lash out and resort to insults while slowly drifting away from what you originally argued. Again, I look forward to destroying your arguments, point by point, like what I’ve been doing… Read more »
But we’re mobilizing 3,000 reservists to go to Europe…
https://news.yahoo.com/reservists-set-deploy-europe-nato-212305608.html
We have been conducting Operation Defender Europe for several years now.
I had a guy ask me what was happening because for the last few months he has been seeing a lot of military convoys on the roads and a lot of military equipment on trains. He thought martial law was about to be started. When I said, “It’s June! NG units are conducting Annual Training!” He said “oh, so you don’t think somethings up”?
Hey, annual training in Europe… nothing prohibitively expensive in money/resources about that. /sarc
Exactly. I have seen whole BNs deploy for a 3 week AT. The troops barely get past the jet lag when they’re on their way home.
Democrats are talking about a draft again.
Was always against the draft because a professional doesn’t want a conscript, that doesn’t want to be there, – to be there next to him!
THEN,,,
I went to Turkey and worked with the Turkish Army for a time. They have it figured out! All males must serve a 2 year commitment in the military. However, the conscripts have to do the cooking, cleaning, etc. and this frees up the pros to train for war!
Depends on the particular conscript or professional. I have served with a number of “professionals” (we called them “lifers” in olden times) who I did not want anywhere net to me.
Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes;
“The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”
Add duty, sacrifice, courage, etc. to that and Emerson nailed it.
Some of those reservists may come from the Individual Ready Reserve.
Good luck! (And I was an IRR dude who got recalled… )
America has no industrial base left. It was all shuttered and shipped to China. And even if you did have a few of these mothballed factories lying around, there is no way you could find skilled workers, battle unions, battle environmental regs, purchase machinery and create a supplier base in less than 5 years.
Defense companies are currently begging its retired workforce to come back to help crank up production.
It’s truly sad to see the shell that our domestic industry has become. People like to point at once mighty but now decayed cities like Detroit, exclaiming that politics and social injustice ruined them. While likely true, we have to remember that those cities didn’t begin declining until businesses pulled out of them in favor of foreign labor and production. Big corporations buy once proud Made in America brands and close factories to get cheaper labor abroad. Look at the hand tool industry: Craftsman, Kobalt, Vise-Grip, and other major brands were all nearly 100% domestically produced 20 years ago. Now, we’re lucky to find something made anywhere besides China.
I’m cynical and pessimistic, so my opinion should be taken with a few thousand grains of salt, but American industry saw its best years during WWII, and maybe a decade or so afterward. We came together as a nation, produced materiel and goods for much of the world, including a future enemy (the Soviet Union), and emerged as the dominant power in the world. Since then, politicians, military officials, and even the general public have squandered our position on the world stage, with the former getting involved in meaningless wars while the latter simply wants to get by with what we can. There’s no collective patriotic identity nowadays. We had some semblance of Americanism in the immediate post-9/11 years, but decades-long wars coupled with hyped up social outrage erased that, and now we’re probably more divided than ever before.
Financialization has consequences. CT went from an industrial megabase, to insurance, to pot stores and star*ucks on every corner. We lost Stanley Tools, all of Brass City (Waterbury was THE place for VT fuses and small arms casings during WW2), Springfield Armory (MA, but still), Colt Mfg, etc.
General Electric leaving was the last knock of death, with Pratt & Whitney (aka Raytheon) and Sikorsky remaining, the only reasons haven’t left is tax breaks and political favors.
But nothing will save this place, 11% on food stamps and a debt/gdp at -17%… done.
I’m a bit of a tool aficionado, having been a guest writer for a fairly large blog and owning a lot of tools over the years. I still have storage units full of my old mechanic’s tools that I need to clear out.
One thing I noticed with tool companies is that big corporations buy them, shut down domestic production, and ship jobs overseas in an effort to make more money. Vise-Grip suffered from this; I like finding the Petersen De Witt marked Vise-Grips, as those were prior to the acquistions, first American Tool Company, then Irwin, then Newell Rubbermaid, and finally Stanley Black and Decker (SBD). Each company bought out its predecessor, and today’s SBD Irwin Vise-Grips are made in China and pale in comparison to the vintage ones.
Being a big fan of firearms, too, but being ignorant of trends in that world for much of my military career, I’m surprised how many companies have gone the way of the dodo. Remington, Winchester, Marlin, and other well-known brands have all been sold off over the years and, while I have many (well, expect for Marlin, for some reason we don’t stock them) of the guns in my vault, the new Winchester SXP (for example, I bought a Woodland camo one last year) just feels cheaper than my old police surplus 1200 Riot.
Do you write tool blogs on garage journal? Or hamb?
You guys are either insane or completely uneducated. The United States just isn’t the world’s second largest manufacturer. The United States has more manufacturing output and Germany, Japan and India combined.
https://www.safeguardglobal.com/resources/blog/top-10-manufacturing-countries-in-the-world
And yes China’s. manufacturing is greater, But China also has four times the population.
Um, what?
Are you funning on us, or you real?
You really don’t know, do you? But you go to the link and make up your mind.
The United States gave up on manufacturing low quality goods a long time ago. They sent all that trade to Japan and later India, Mexico and Taiwan. The United States only makes really expensive s*** for the most part. Or stuff that is too expensive to ship.
China later took over the low quality game because Japan was too expensive and for some reason, god only knows why, managers in India can’t follow simple instructions. Mexico had numerous problems with manufacturing. Corruption, criminal gangs, labor unions, lack of competency, The list was really long. Dodge built trucks down there for 5 years and the quality was awful.
If it’s one thing I got, it’s numbers.
I can confidently say nothing said here warrants accusations of being “…insane or completely uneducated”.
Those numbers tell A truth, not the truth.
Well sensei, don’t keep us all in suspense. What is this greater truth the rest of the world is missing?
Pt1
In the meantime, I’ll repost some of the comments that are so far out of synch with reality that prompted that “accusation” of being insane or completely uneducated (about the US Economy).
Completely and insanely false.
Every part of this is Completely and totally False. The US makes tons of manufacturing machinery.
True, but doesn’t it seem odd in context?
If by “foreign” you mean the Southern US, then Ok. Some went overseas, many to went to states where labor wasn’t in conflict.
Low quality, low skill goods, easily and cheaply made overseas. I know you think your favorite wrench is high quality, but only in the context of other wrenches. Hand tools themselves are low quality goods.
Absolutely true. But, when the industrial capacity of the rest of the world is burnt to the ground we were the only show in town with skilled labor. That was never going to last forever, nor would we want it to.
Pt 2
It sure did. CT has the highest per capita GDP in the country. Do really think they can afford to pay people to work in a factory there making wrenches and compete against China? You want to see a low skill factory? Drive to Texas, Alabama, Georgia or Tennessee. But what do they make in CT? High tech products that require a highly skilled worker. That worker is going to make good money, no matter where he is. This is simple reasoning.
And yes your state still has hundreds of thousands of people selling insurance and in capital management. That is why the per capita GDP is so high.
So you are too cheap to buy high quality tools like Eagle Grips from Malco (or others)? Then you bitch about low quality tools being low quality, while still buying them from China and then complain that “nothing” is made in the US anymore? Because to ME, that sounds insane. But you do you. But since it is a bunch of BS, I’m calling you on it. Oh, and where are they made? Texas.
https://www.northerntool.com/products/malco-10in-curved-jaw-locking-pliers-with-wire-cutter-model-lp10wc-5266326?cm
I feel so enlightened! Thanks so much!!!
Just so we are clear: go fuck yourself.
Credit where credit is due. Thats a pretty solid, well researched come back right there. You must have been captain of your debate team in the 5th grade.
You, commiedick, and thebuttsig are on the same program, I’m not debating you.
So, I resubmit my request for you to go fuck yourself, firmly and repeatedly.
But the secret will die with you. Don’t let this happen!!
Good.
And why shouldn’t I?
My potatoes are doing just fine.
Might manufacture in greater numbers may be the cause of higher numbers of imperfect tools and instruments? I prefer quality over quantity.
WHERE THE FUCK IS KoB?!?!?!? All this way into this thread and no KoB….come on Man!!!
(I bet he has some spare…)
I know I have AoI to deploy and such so I have a little catching up to do but I’m aware…just my daily work shit is getting in the way…travel and such. BRB!
Smooches you buncha stick bundles.
My apologies for being late to this party, Chippy. I haven’t been prignoring this subject thread, but on another mission of importance. TAD, keeping very tenuous comms linky thru my Fruit Fone. The struggle has been as reelz as your struggle to capture the heart of our Beloved OAM. Still playing catch up. I will endeavor and persevere in my struggle (good luck with your’s NOT)…Remember, OAM not only knows that I can cook, she knows that I’m close to a Waffle House. SUFFER!
I can neither confirm nor deny a surplus of arty things that can go all ‘splodey in and/or around Firebase Magnolia. Call my lawer.
Again, all of my sympathies are with the innocents that are caught up in the midst of this madness. IMHO this whole sh^tshow is a calculated plan to deplete us of the machines, material’, and monies that would be required to fight a land battle on CONUS. The next depletion will come from our blood.
Prepare.
“fight a land battle on CONUS”
Don’t do that to me man! Chip has already got me hot-n-bothered with the whole RD3 thing (aka Red Dawn III, Rednecks vs. Red Chicoms)
{Loads mags wearing ranger panties and light coat of official GI CLP north and south of the border, Bodies by Drowning Pool in the background}
(below) Yep.
It WILL come down to us…and those like us to defend what we have against “them/they”. And what “them/they” don’t realize is that there are a great many more of us than there are of “them/they”. God help “them/they” if enough of us get together. He will be awfully busy sorting “them/they” out.
SGA came thru in fine form. Tanks, Troop!
Prepare.
https://www.the-nines.net/2023/07/were-not-good-guys.html
I came across this. Click on pic to open Twitter comment and view video.