Americans like to claim they’re in love – indeed, totally obsessed – with having a huge military might. There are movies glorifing the military life style (“Jar,” “In The Army Now”) or war (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Windtalkers,” “Platoon,” “Full Metal Jacket”), and games all about using military tactics (“Medal Of Honor,” “America’s Army,” “Rainbow Six”) – not to mention the absolute media control that the Complex exerts, with all major media outlets owned or funded by compaines that provide weaponry and supplies to the Military.
If America is so in love with the military, then where are the new KC-X tankers that are needed? Or why are we only getting 189 F-22s to replace over 350 F-15s, not to mention pick up the slack of the retiring F-117s (2008), and gradual draw down of the F-16 until the JSF project is finally certified for front-line duty? Where are the new bombers to replace the aging B-52, which are now all crewed by avaitors younger than the plane itself? Why do members of the military (not to mention all the dependants) live in mold-infested, run down, out-dated housing that would only be fit for a projects in Oakland, CA? And why are members of Congress adding more C-17s to the fleet than are needed – and then forcing the Air Force to pay for planes they didn’t ask for in the first place?
The public’s facination with the Military is a sham at best and a farce at worst. The American people are in love with the IDEA of a totally modern military, but when it comes time to actually pay for the ideas, everyone cries about how there’s not enough money to modernize.
America may love its military in theory, but it hates the actual product.
Welcome to the future of American warfare: flying 50-year-old planes, and shooting 35-year-old rifles.
Take a Bow.
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