Liebensraum Without The Bloodshed...

A recent question posed by my friend, and fellow historical thinker who writes under the sobriquet "Independent Voter," has posed a question on our common discussion board, The Cracker Barrel Philosophers, concerning Russia's decision to deny American astronauts shuttle service to the International Space Station by possibly not renewing the transport contract they have shared since 2011...The ultimate goal of space exploration by any nation, or any privately held enterprise is to afford suitable living conditions beyond the gravitational pull of Planet Earth...Such a quest has been imagined for centuries, but only in the last 50 years became a reality as American astronauts became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface...

This makes me wonder how different the space program might have looked if Germany's elected leader in the 1930's had not been a raving lunatic whose only goal was to populate the world with his imaginary "Aryan" race, but had still been obsessed with his idea of Liebensraum (living space) for Germans...In which direction would a peace-minded Adolf Hitler have looked if his view from Berlin had only included the surrounding European nations, plus the cold waters of the Baltic and North Seas?...Germany already existed built upon the rubble of the many smaller tribes and failed conquerors which had come and gone before, and the only untapped direction he could have found would have driven his gaze upwards and out from the bounds of gravity into outer space...

Far-thinking Germans had established the Society For Space Travel in 1927, and conducted their first successful rocket launch in 1930, three years before Hitler became Chancellor of Germany...The later famous Werner Von Braun was an early member, and later was chosen by Der Fuehrer to execute the deadly V-2 program...Fortunately for the postwar US space exploration program, Von Braun was quickly shuttled into the western side of the Iron Curtain when it came time to divvy up the pool of surviving German scientists...But had Hitler chosen to array Germany's formidable military forces in a defensive manner directed mainly at the Red Horde to the east led by the equally, if not more insane and bloodthirsty tyrant Joseph Stalin, the considerable scientific talent available to him within his own borders could have been used to leap into the areas beyond the clouds rather than set Terra Firma awash in human blood...

The concept of lunar colonization has also inspired fictional depictions, some of an entertaining nature, and others of a sadder belief in a fantasy world...An escapee from the Hitlerian hell that Germany later became, filmmaker Fritz Lang directed the silent classic of 1929, "Frau im Mond" (Woman in the Moon), which dealt with moon colonization...Television of course inspired numerous series dealing with space exploration and habitation of other planets, notably "Star Trek" and "Lost in Space"...Fiction writers have long allowed space exploration to fuel their published tales...Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury have fired the imaginations of many readers, some of which went on to fulfill their dreams of stepping beyond the bounds of Earth, and into the limitless possibilities of space...

The founders of Germany's Society For Space Travel drew much of their inspiration from serving as technical consultants for Fritz Lang's work of film science fiction...Lang himself despised Nazism and all it stood for, wisely departing the country before his own Jewish family heritage could be discovered and held against him, and one of the Society's founders, Willy Ley, also successfully escaped the Nazi clutches, settling in America as a writer...Co-founder Max Valier experimented with rocket-powered cars and aircraft until one of his liquid-fueled rockets exploded on his workbench, killing him...The Society's driving force and other co-founder, Johannes Winkler, spent the remainder of his life in Germany designing rockets and RATO units for Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke AG throughout the Nazi regime and until his death in 1947...The Society itself was disbanded in 1934, a year after Hitler assumed power along with his toadlings...

If however Hitler had been able to channel his energies for bloodlust and hatred for all things non-germanic into the truly innovative solution to liebensraum of populating non-earthly but inhabitable heavenly bodies, his legacy in world history might have taken an entirely different turn...Speculating on the might-have-been has more value than fueling the scripts of more Hollywood epics; it can also be used as a value lesson in combining conjecture over turning points in history with possible future opportunities, planning roadmaps for action in avoiding future calamitous wars...Successful military units always have strategic plans for all possible events, most of which are never used because only one such event presents itself...Preparation for the one which does occur is why we hypothesize over the merely possible...

If, after securing Germany's borders against a costly invasion from the east, Hitler had then seen the only real direction for expansion without bloodshed was skyward, the talent already present in Deutschland such as the previously mentioned Werner Von Braun and others in his Peenemunde V-2 team, plus the untapped ability of thinkers like Heinz-Hermann Koelle, whose flair for forward thinking was wasted as a pilot in Reichsmarschall Goering's Luftwaffe...Following the war Koelle's interest in rockets led him to re-form the Society For Space Travel, and through this association, and his attainment of a degree in mechanical engineering at the post-war University of Stuttgart, he was recommended by Von Braun to join the US Army Ballistic Missile Agency, culminating in his design for the Saturn I rocket, and its success in the Explorer and Apollo programs...

Such thinkers combined with the other aeronautical minds existing in 1930's Germany could have led to early settlement of the space frontier by humans, and secured Hitler's place in history as one of humanity's greatest leaders, instead of being remembered as a practitioner of genocide...Colonization beyond Earth's atmosphere might have become reality in his time instead of remaining a far off dream even in this day...But alas, Der Fuehrer was indeed a psychopath with a tunnel vision outlook focused only on reducing humanity to a godless, fair-skinned image with minds uniformly clouded with hatred...We can only hope to have learned the early warning signs of allowing such a costly error to go unchecked...

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Dealing With an Enemy You Armed Yourself...

My friend Mike posed the following question concerning the recent attack by a suspected Islamic terrorist on a US Navy base in his own discussion board where I have participated as a member for 16 years:

"But, does it make sense to sell advanced arms to the same folks who are likely to use them against us?"

Mike, I started this reply on your board, but got so long-winded as usual, I moved it here instead...

The simplest answer is no, it does not, but bear in mind the purchasers in question are already using two of the oldest, and still most effective, weapons the world has ever known - fear and wealth...The wealth of course is a two-edged blade, and honed with fear...All gatherings of people everywhere fear the wealth of others, imagining how it can be used against them, but those in control of wealth quail at the thought of their own wealth making them a target for those jealous of those riches...They fear their own wealth can be taken away from them, as has been demonstrated by the various regime takeovers in the middle eastern histories...Thus the double-edged sword can cut against both those in front and those behind the blade...Some, the Saudis being the prime example here, are smart enough to study that history, and realize their mostly 14th century culture can't effectively manage and control a 21st century military necessary to maintain control of their treasures...I got a first-hand knowledge of this 50 years ago when the pompous and utterly ridiculous buffoon, Moammar Gaddafi made his power play in Libya...


Gaddafi (please substitute here your choice of the many westernized spellings of his name) deposed his predecessor, King Idris, a Senussi Muslim who had been chosen to wield power in Libya by the UN in 1951, before the discovery of oil within those borders...That event in 1959 changed the game permanently...The sudden wealth gushing forth caused all players to realize military power must make its presence known to prevent a bloodbath over its control...Wheelus AB, located just outside Tripoli and operated by the US Air Force, and Royal Air Base al-Adem, south of Tobruk and manned by the British RAF, were established for their strategic value in WWII following the surrender of Libya's former landlord, Italy...Wheelus gained in importance during the Cold War for its geographical positioning against the Soviet threat...My own unit, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, and other European USAF units, used Wheelus on a rotating TDY basis, occupying it as a show of power while training for war on the nearby bombing range east of the base developed by USAF Brig. Gen. (then Colonel) Robin Olds, of whom I have written much in the past...

The Royal Libyan Air Force, under an agreement was allowed to occupy and operate its own small part of Wheelus for maintenance and training of its own small fighter force...Please don't take the following as a racist comment, but rather an observation from one who was there...It was known at the time that even the most sophisticated young men of mideastern extraction, exposed to all the best of modern technology and teaching, were so steeped in the ancient culture of the region which was based on one of the most restrictive and narrowly focused religions the world has ever known, simply could not accept the more imaginative mindset that was necessary to command, control and maintain modern weaponry...Regardless of the quality or quantity of training afforded to Libyan and other mideastern aircrews and ground crews, many, if not most of them, simply could not grasp the concept of modern implements of war...Missiles and guns became daggers and swords...Electronic test equipment and specialized tools translated to measuring sticks and prybars...When the only tool you know is a hammer, you find that not everything responds the same way as a nail...

But it was known that under the right supervision, the best and brightest of these could perform their duties in a perfunctory manner, and with trained western observers watching every move, patiently correcting mistakes in procedure, a military unit could present a defensive and offensive presence at a minimal level...Therefore, at the time when Gaddafi executed his bloodless coup d'tat, swarms of Libyan "recruiters," with US approval prior to his making clear his true intentions, descended on European US bases to talk to trained personnel in key fields in an effort to lure them into accepting early separation from the Air Force in order to accept positions as civilian contractors in the Libyan Air Force...My own field of training in Weapons Release Systems was a critical one, and I was approached with an offer of the equivalent of $30,000.00 a year tax-free, plus housing and four weeks annual leave with paid airfare between Libya and home...This was at a time when my military pay, including separate rations, amounted to $340.00 per month before taxes...

However, the appearance and manners of the "recruiters" reminded me of nothing more than the quintessential cutthoat snake-oil salesmen of legend...I declined the offer, but I knew some who were blinded by the prospect of great pay and benefits in exchange for what they were already doing as airmen, and who accepted the offer...With the events that shortly came to pass, I have no knowledge whether any came to regret their choice of suddenly being trapped in a contract on unfriendly soil...For with a minimum of forewarning, Gaddafi ordered all NATO aligned military units to leave Libya, terminating all lease agreements between his government and ours...His goal of course was to occupy a fully operational Wheelus Air Base (later renamed Okba Ben Nafi Air Base and today Mitiga International Airport) from which he could expand his own area of control in the mideast...Such a plan was not to be realized however, as the Pentagon had already decided that Wheelus had lost its strategic importance, and its role as a deterrent to the Soviet threat could be better implemented in other NATO friendly locations...The exodus of the US presence from Wheelus is well documented in many sources, but what is not generally known is just how thorough it was...Gaddafi's dream of walking into his new airbase and merely powering up the air conditioning and turning on the water dissolved as the last USAF C-130 left Wheelus at 0841 hours June 11, 1970, carrying its last US commander, Col. Walter L. Russell, Jr., plus the last filing cabinets, tool boxes and mess hall supplies all bound for their next assignments...

While I was still active in the Air Force in 1969, I heard of the plans to vacate the base leaving little that still moved...One of the largest unannounced airlifts in history unfolded as C-130's, C-135's and even C-124's were loaded with the contents of every hangar, repair facility, office and living quarters on the base...Included were the important items such as electronic equipment, technical manuals and anything pertaining to aircraft maintenance and operation...What isn't generally known is that transport aircraft which still had cargo room aboard were loaded with barstools and beer taps from the on-base enlisted and officers clubs, barracks doors and even toilet seats and lids...Every item that wasn't already nailed down, plus some that were, had been placed on board every departing aircraft having enough space within its loading limits for a coffee cup, and airlifted out of Libya for possible use at its next destination...I have also heard but cannot confirm that a number of accidents occurred before the US exit concerning explosives which were kept on base for use by the civil engineers...If these third-hand reports are true, no one was hurt in the accidents, but several buildings sustained considerable damage...Brotherly Leader & Revolutionary Guide Gaddafi not only couldn't gas up a Moped, he couldn't even relieve his own bladder with what remained after the US departure...

But world politics being the cat and mouse game that it is, Gaddafi immediately gave residence to Soviet forces who brought with them a number of MiG 17, 19 and 25 fighters plus a few TU-22 medium bombers as well as an array of SAM missiles...It is my guess that the Russians soon reached a vodka-swilling level of frustration over the mostly untrainable Libyan air and ground crews...Their consolation lay in the knowledge that Libyan oil was denied to the western world, and that NATO forces had one more gun barrel pointed their way on the Mediterranean shore providing yet another shift in the ever changing balance of power...My answer to Mike's question lies in the foregoing narrative, but the short answer is unless America and its allies can sell advanced weaponry to the less troublesome of the mideastern nations, some of which harbor as much hate and fear of their own neighbors as they do the western world, then other powers such as Russia or China, which are also opposed to the astounding success of the nations which embrace democracy, will gladly exchange military weapons and technology for oil resources and a new position of power against an old adversary...

The only real advantages to selling warfare technology to those we know are ideologically opposed to us is the exchange of wealth, and the knowledge that if they turn against us, they must necessarily destroy their own purchases in combat against us...We can also take heart in the knowledge of the lightning-like speed with which technology has moved, making what sold as the latest and greatest yesterday the obsolescent and obsolete junkpile of tomorrow...In addition, since we already know what makes our military hardware so desirable by other nations, we also have a leg up on what it takes to defeat it should it be turned against us...In my opinion, the most effective way of guarding against unfriendly action by supposedly friendly factions is to limit what training they receive for the hardware they buy to facilities within their own borders, thereby limiting any opportunities for harm or the gathering of outside intelligence...It is my further estimation that any practical knowledge received by mideastern students in regard to usage of hardware or software will be negated by what I know to be their inability to advance their own skills through independent study and research...

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Just so it's not forgotten...

Today marks the 78th anniversary of a craven sneak attack by a foreign power on a US Navy installation...It was perpetrated by a group who had long since made public their intentions to dominate those whom they deemed as less than human and too weak to resist...In their cowardice, they chose to strike on a day of traditional religious observance, and without a formal declaration of war...Not satisfied with the incremental advances they had made on weaker nations known to be internally divided, and unable to mount a unified defense, they chose to widen their attack with consolidated strikes against the multiple outlying targets of several sovereign nations...In doing so the assailants, and those who pulled the strings of their puppets, thought to instill such disorganized fear among their victims that retaliation would come far too late to prevent the establishment of a new, and wider power base...

Yesterday another attack was implemented by another foreign power against another US Navy base, another in a series of incremental assaults...Again this one was planned as part of a cumulative series of aggressions designed with one goal in mind - the reduction of the American way of life in which many band together from many cultures under one flag to enjoy a life of freedom and liberty...In the shade of that flag, Americans are able to clearly distinguish the other populations of the world to whom distinct, precise views of free enterprise is hidden behind curtains lowered before their eyes by those desperate to remain in power...The wish to share the freedom of democracy is seen by the tyrants who wish to retain their power, whether in the guise of theology, various forms of socialism, outright slavery or any other ideology, as the main threat to their retention of that power...

The strikes against America since WWII have come from many directions and in many guises...But our myriad of enemies, all hungry to either gain or retain power, have learned from their own studies that military might alone will not topple our nation, not when directed from a distinct and recognizable source such as a sovereign nation with definable borders...The powerful now pull their strings from behind the shadows of hatred with the assistance of those who fancy themselves as journalists, political "leaders," business people, clergy and most important of all, the gullible and disillusioned idealists who imagine they are paving the road toward a better world...

But they are all drawn by the same magnet of power and wealth, and all follow the same path of destruction as their predecessors in history...The only real question remaining is how many more times can history be repeated before either the lesson is learned, or no one is left to learn?...

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As many here know...

I am not a fan of booze, and I'm well soaked in memories of its effects, not only the temporary and long-term physical consequences, but also the accompanying financial and psychological burdens borne by those with little or no control over their own intake...The latter issues must also be endured and contended with by the imbiber's family, and everyone else of a social or professional acquaintance...To be precise, this is not to imply that every person who allows alcohol to pass his or her lips will become a blubbering drunk like I was with no concept of how disgusting I appeared to others...In my own family examples exist to confirm all extremes, and every level between them...My only brother could hold his own in any drinking exhibition with me or any other participants...He began drinking at an earlier age than I did, yet he did not become dependent on it as his older brother did...On occasion he could drink to the point of losing any vestige of self control, but at other times he could consume one mixed drink, or one beer as a perceived social obligation, and then resume his normal course of life with no further thought of alcohol...

My mother never in her life took her first drink...She had no desire for it at any time...Yet she watched her father and her brothers drink to varying degrees of intemperance, and sadly buried her younger brother at an early age because he allowed his uncontrolled thirst for alcohol to become the centerpoint of his existence...I have written of him in my published books, and regret to this day that I not only failed to take note of his example, but that alcoholism robbed him of his life, and took from the nation he helped defend any further contribution he could have made to national success...The man my Mom chose to marry and with whom she would share the remainder of life, was also a drinker...I do not know the increments by which he allowed alcohol to increasingly strengthen its grip on his life, but I do know that it lasted more than 40 years, and in that time wrecked his liver...In the course of time he came to realize the enormous price he had paid to do what he thought was required of all men in his position, to flow with the crowd on a river of drink in order to be successful in his chosen field, and to provide the best living possible for his family...

At the age of 60, the consensus of several doctors confirmed that his thinking that his body could overcome what he had always heard that alcohol could do, was wrong...His liver had become irreparably damaged, and was causing other parts of his body to weaken and fail...Ulcers developed in his esophagus causing blood to drain into his stomach, congealing there to cause painful blockages in his digestive tract...This necessitated several trips to the ER, followed by time consuming hospital stays before his condition could be temporarily stabilized...Due to the fortuitous existence of excellent medical insurance, the science of gastroenterology was advanced by a considerable degree just from what they learned by working on my Dad...Sadly the best they could do was extend his life in some comfort for another 12 years during which Dad never again took another drink in any form...His lesson was finally learned, but in the end his damaged liver took his life in painful misery as his own family watched in helplessness...

His oldest son gained the value of that lesson shortly after my Dad...Prior to his decision to stop his own drinking, I had begun my journey down the path of alcoholism, taking 12 years to reach the bottom...The self-imposed destruction of my first marriage, and the irretrievable decision of my first wife to salvage what was left of the remainder of her life and that of her children finally shocked me into making the determination to quit...Although I may have packed nearly as much alcohol consumption into my shorter drinking career than my Dad did in his 40+ drinking years, I was fortunate enough to avoid his cirrhotic fate as my own liver is healthy even today...However, the ancillary addiction to tobacco combined with the alcohol to leave lasting damage to my heart and circulatory system...Dad reached the same decision as I did to end the cigarette habit at the same time with the alcohol addiction...By the Grace of God, both our lives will be said by future generations to have ended having escaped the grip of both dependencies...

Today my own life has been immeasurably improved and lengthened by freeing myself from the voluntary slavery of alcohol and tobacco 42 years ago...I am positive my Dad thanked God daily for finally opening his eyes, and surely wished it had occurred many years earlier...I curse my own decision to take my first drink at the age of 18...I did it because I was convinced it was my step into adulthood, and acceptance into the adult world...I have no idea whether careful thought and consideration of the consequences, or deliberate study of those around me would have altered that decision, but I do know that until I stepped over that brink, and into the abyss, I did not know that I was predisposed to the addiction it became...I only know of the harm it caused, and the costly struggle it took to break the bonds, as well as the never-ending vigilance to avoid another fall...

On our separate ways, my Dad and I both achieved our goals through self-determination...By that I mean we each took the "cold turkey" method, leaving a lifetime habit behind and never looking back...I thank God every day for our decisions, and His help in staying the course...I also know there are other, and probably better ways to regain one's control over life...The 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous has helped many to quit the path to uselessness...The basic tenets of this method are so successful it has been adapted to fit many other addictions, allowing countless individuals to attain their goals of sobriety and freedom from the merciless grips of the monsters waiting beneath the narrow footpath of life...The almost invisible hands are waiting to help those who need it to regain control of their own existence in any direction they might turn...Exemplary of this, I recall being on a Caribbean cruise after many years of sobriety, where the abundance of alcohol offered its temptation at nearly every turn...And yet for those who needed, signs were posted in many locations, stating simply that "Friends Of Bill Meet Here"...Help is always available for those who are ready...I can only hope that this narrative will not go unnoticed by others who might see their own image in my mirror...Anyone who might benefit by my experience is not only welcome, but urged to contact me...

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Hiding in plain sight...

Hiding in plain sight of your enemy whether for offense or defense has eternally been the holy grail of military engineers...Some have seen limited success while others have been more successful, but not generally incorporated because of cost or easily conceived countermeasures limiting their useful lives...The latter was demonstrated historically if a student follows the development of radar technology in WWII...This article presents a very good overview of other attempts at cloaking in WWII and beyond...

However, though radar, infrared sensors and long-range missiles continue to limit the usefulness of visual cloaking systems, the concept has always retained appeal. Due to concerns that hefty F-4 Phantom jets over Vietnam were being spotted too easily, a “Compass Ghost” model was tested in 1973 with nine belly-mounted Yehudi lamps and a special blue and white camouflage scheme which reduced spotting distance by 30 percent. The Air Force ditched the lights but kept the paint scheme.

In popular beliefs, the Philadelphia Experiment remains the most widely discussed example among the non-Star Trek crowd, although its existence has always been denied by the Department of the Navy...And sometimes the most effective cloak is just the knowledge by your enemy that by the time he sees you, his goose is already cooked and on the platter...That intimidation factor can make him feel that he doesn't really want to see you, and therefore doesn't see you...

One of the aircraft I worked with in the 60's was the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II...Even though there have been other fighters since, some faster, some more more heavily armed and some more agile, this remains my favorite aircraft of all time because everything it did, it did very, very well...There were many variants, and of the more than 5,000 produced there were specific types used by the USAF, the US Navy and the Marine Corps...The Navy launched theirs from aircraft carriers and shore bases in combat air patrol and search and destroy missions, as did the Marines who used theirs as attack aircraft to support ground units...

Air Force Phantoms were mostly classified as fighter/bombers, capable of limited distance tactical bombing runs as well as fighter protection...In some cases they could even be used to emulate the characteristics of other aircraft, as evidenced by Col. Robin Olds during Operation Bolo which he brought to fruition having been told of the theoretical plan hatched by his officers...Another iteration of the F-4 was Chico the Gunfighter, conceived around the brand new F-4E and used to smoke out enemy emplacements in Wild Weasel exercises...My own wing, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, was equipped with F-4C, D and E models for tactical nuclear and conventional bombing deployment as well as combat fighter patrol and ground support missions with the US Army and other NATO forces...They could be configured to carry not only bombs of every possible description, but also rocket pods, automatic cannon, missiles for both air and ground attack, ECM pods, extra fuel tanks and even luggage...

One often overlooked variant of many aircraft is the photo reconnaissance version, and the F-4 is no exception...Over 500 were built as RF-4C's...Their mission was to overfly enemy held territory and bring back images and notes detailing possible enemy positions and build-ups...None of these ever carried any weapons, whether defensive or offensive, and their missions were always flown solo...This explains their motto, "Alone, Unarmed and Unafraid"...Their only burdens were their crews, all the extra fuel tanks they could carry and a plethora of cameras and recording devices for gathering the needed intelligence...

My wing, stationed in West Germany, was equipped with two RF-4C's, both painted solid matte black, and both always hangared, or in brief periods outside between flights, the canopies were covered to prevent anyone but authorized personnel from viewing what was inside...My only experience with these variants was in removing and reinstalling the unused missile launchers located under the fuselage, when engine mechanics needed access to the jet engines...It was never necessary for me to enter the cockpits as I routinely did with the fighter/bombers, and I never saw what was inside, although my Secret Clearance would have authorized me, but only if I had the need to know...

Our RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft often "accidentally" strayed past the Iron Curtain line into East European territory remaining unnoticed for several minutes (or often not at all) before zipping back across for home...In one such instance of the imaginary Iron Curtain being penetrated, one which was told frequently among my peers but which was never officially verified, involved the speediest of our RF-4C's...This one had been slicked down with every protruding rivet and screwhead having been flattened flush with the skin of the aircraft, and a coating of wax applied to make it slip through the airstream with maximum efficiency...Its two General Electric J-79 turbojet engines had been optimized to peak performance and were further enhanced by water injection...

At this time in the very uneasy days of the late 60's, rumors were afloat of a new Soviet aircraft built to challenge the F-4 Phantom...Known to NATO as the "Flogger," it became known after its acceptance by the Kremlin as the MiG-23...Not deployed until 1970, its capabilities were virtually unknown until a chance encounter with the 49th TFW recon flight somewhere near the blurry Iron Curtain...As usual our flight drew the attention of a pair of Soviet MiG-21's, presumably fully armed and crewed by Soviet scalphunters who would have been delighted to carve a notch on their guns by forcing down an American "spy plane"...The RF-4C's crew were accustomed to and prepared for the impending arrival of the MiG-21's and were preparing to light afterburners and lead the way to the western side when they noticed an extra blip appear on their radar approaching at a greatly increased speed relative to the two bogeys...

Knowing they were unarmed and in the wrong neighborhood, our crewmen lit both afterburners, applied water injection and pushed both throttles full forward in a westerly direction, leaving both the MiG-21's and their unidentified companion as fast-fading memories in their trailing fumes...The rumors I was able to obtain told of this likely being the first known appearance of the MiG-23 even before it was accepted as operational...It would have been quite a feather in some Russian pilot's fur-lined helmet if he could have at least come close to the American, but instead had to explain to his bosses why he was flying several million rubles worth of the latest in Soviet technology, and had to eat the very smoky dust of a decade old US design...

The little guy pictured below is named Spooky II, and was the unofficial mascot of many F-4 Phantom squadrons including my own...I'm pretty sure I still have a shoulder patch somewhere here featuring my little pal...

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Rebirth Update #10...

Click here for Update #1...

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Click here for Update #9...

This update involves some cosmetic changes I've been wanting to make...I decided long ago that I did not approve of the corporate name change from Dodge to Ram...Being a traditionalist, I prefer the original moniker...The Dodge brothers began manufacture of trucks more than a hundred years ago applying the "Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles" badge to their finished products, but as the current name change was instituted, the division's president, Fred Diaz, apparently sensed Truckman's impending annoyance when he publicly stated:

"Ram trucks will always and forever be Dodges. Ram will always have the Dodge emblem inside and outside and they will be 'vinned' as a Dodge."

At least partially true to his word, on my truck the digital overhead display proudly proclaims the name "Dodge" when the ignition switch is activated, and the VIN decodes as, "make - Dodge, model - Ram chassis cab"...However, Fred seems to have reneged somewhat on his promise as nowhere on the outside of the truck does the name "Dodge" appear as it was delivered from the factory in Saltillo, Mexico...Knowing Fred's heart was true, and that this oversight may have been merely an error in translation in instructions from corporate ownership in Italy, to plant personnel in Mexico, then to delivery in the USA, Truckman took it upon himself to correct this miscue...

Relying on the world's supplier of everything imaginable, Amazon, new chrome "Dodge" badges were obtained, and since anyone with functional ears can easily discern the engine make of this truck, I also ordered matching "Diesel" badges to honor our founder, Rudolph Diesel...These have replaced the "RAM 3500 HEAVY DUTY" and "Cummins Turbo Diesel" on the doors of the beast...They were approximately the size of flatscreen TV's as seen in earlier pics...I was also not entirely happy with the embossed ram's head on the stock grille, and through the services of Amazon, I procured a replacement honeycomb grille complete with surround, and a retro design "Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles" badge to mount in the center...This change also corrects the minor, yet annoying, bubbling present in the chrome of the original plastic grille...I'm certain Fred would approve, although we have never met...I also decided to replace the original but foggy-looking headlights with stylish new black ones, again from Amazon...

My research on this do-it-my-ownself project led me to YouTube where at the very least, hundreds of videos are posted on the subject of de-badging a vehicle...Most of these involve the use of fishing line or dental floss, strung between the hands and used in a sawing motion against the adhesive between the badge and the painted surface...I started with this method, using monofilament 10# fishing line and quickly discovered the flaws in this method...First it hurts the hands without gloves, and gloves make it difficult to get a good grip with arthritic fingers...Secondly stopping momentarily in the sawing bonds the fishing line to the old softened adhesive causing the line to break easily when resuming motion...Dental floss may have worked better, but I'll never know because I found a much easier (although scarier) method...

One of the YouTube videos showed the user starting his removal on a brand new car with dental floss, then grabbing a corner of the badge with a pair of common pliers, pulling away at the badge and using a screwdriver to gently pry off the badge...This brought a great hue and cry of anguish from commenters who were all worried about putting a gouge or scratch on the brand new factory paint...But it seemed to work well in the video...Truckman, being the fearless type he is, and wishing to reduce further damage to his fingers as well as spending less time under the blistering sun decided to give this method a try...Having already started a corner on the large RAM badge on a door, I noticed its edges were perpendicular to the painted surface allowing a good gripping surface for the pliers...

Careful to keep the steel plier jaws away from the paint, I gripped the plastic emblem, and found I could easily pull it away from the body panel enough to stretch and separate the adhesive...Using a small, thin-bladed screwdriver I carefully poked holes in the stretched adhesive while pulling steadily away from the paint...This separated more of the adhesive allowing me room to gently and slowly rock and twist the badge away from the paint until it popped free...The other badges had beveled edges making it impossible to grip with the pliers...For these I used one of the old plastic badge fragments against the paint as a fulcrum, and very carefully used my thin-bladed screwdriver as a lever to put pressure against the edge of the badge pulling it away from the paint...Any small non-marring material could be used as a fulcrum, but the badge fragment was handy...

When the badge was separated from the paint a small distance, I was able to latch onto a corner with the serrated jaws of the pliers, and from there I could simply (and gently) rock and twist the emblem until it worked free from the adhesive...Using this method left no dents, scratches or other blemishes on the paint, but next came the hard part...The black, sticky and nasty adhesive in the shape of the removed badge remains on the paint...All the YouTube videos seem to work with brand new cars in which the adhesive is fairly new and pliable...The users merely sprayed it with Goo Gone, and easily peeled off the residue with their fingers...Not so in my case...The adhesive on my truck was old and had been baking in the Texas sun for ten years...

Goo Gone was worthless against this mess as it clung relentlessly to my original paint...I used an old credit card and a plastic kitchen dish scraper with the Goo Gone, and made some small progress, but I estimate I would have spent two to three full days per badge getting it all off...This was unacceptable...I remembered reading somewhere of a device called a 3M Eraser Wheel which was used to remove old pinstriping from paint, and decided to give it a try...I found it on Amazon, but wanted it that day, so off I went shopping with the ugly splotch on one side of my truck...Big box stores such as Lowes and Home Depot had never heard of it, but one man at a True Value hardware store had worked at a body shop in the past and actually had one in his toolbox at home...He said he had used it on pinstriping and decals with great success...He directed me to Tasco Auto Color in Conroe, a business that supplies custom mixed paint and other materials to commercial body shops...They not only had plenty in stock, but offered it with or without an arbor...

I chose with an arbor and bought it for less than the price I found on Amazon without the arbor...They also stocked a cheaper product, but I was advised by the business owner that it would do the same job, but would only last about half the life of the 3M product...I bought the 3M and a can of 3M Auto Adhesive Remover which he advised me was superior to Goo Gone for this purpose...I then headed home to try it...The Eraser Wheel is a solid rubber wheel about 4 1/2 inches in diameter with a threaded center for the arbor...I chucked it into my Dewalt cordless drill, and went to work on the adhesive...I was told that it worked just like a pencil eraser against paper, but was advised it made an unholy mess of powdered adhesive residue on the surrounding paint...He said to use the 3M adhesive solvent on a clean rag, and this would wipe away clean...He was right...

The remaining adhesive was quickly removed (remember to set your drill direction to tighten the wheel against the threaded arbor so it doesn't fly off), and the small remaining flecks of adhesive were removed easily with the solvent...This only left some "ghost lettering" which was the result of the contrast between the old sun-baked paint and the newly exposed paint under the removed badges...A few minutes with clean rags and Turtle Polishing Compound left a glistening surface with absolutely no damage to the clearcoat finish...The badges on the right side of the beast took several hours to remove counting my time with trial and error methods, and shopping time for the eraser wheel...The badges on the driver side were removed and all cleaned up in about a half hour with proper materials and a newly educated amateur technician...

I remembered to take photos of the entire operation which can be found in the accompanying pictorial...Moving forward to the next badge removal, we find easier work although the badge itself is considerably larger...Evicting the ram from the grille involves replacing the grille altogether...Once again Amazon came through with a replacement grille complete with surround and three LED marker lights in charcoal gray from Tidal Automotive...Installation was simple and straightforward...The three lights were wired to the parking light circuit...The headlights turned out a little more difficult...The right one installed quickly, but on taking it back out later I found that the rear mounting stud just spins in its socket...And the left one was manufactured wrong making it really difficult to reuse the original parking light...Ingenuity won the day however, and they all work...They were marketed by Xtune through Amazon, and if anyone else is thinking of the same project, remember caveat emptor...For the grille badge I had to fabricate a backing plate to attach to the grille...Then the badge was attached to the backing plate...

I can also update some info concerning my prior lighting adventure...I published my previous update before I had received the load resistors necessary to make the new LED turn signals flash at a normal rate...After receiving the needed parts, I installed the final LED's with the load resistors, and on testing all functions afterward it was found that the light strip which I had originally installed on the tailboard in prior months no longer worked correctly...It was suddenly backfeeding through the backup light circuit...This was a plug-and-play unit with a separately wired backup circuit...My troubleshooting led me to discover that if I simply unplugged it all the other lighting returned to normal function...I then noticed that the light strip had been incorrectly wired from the factory (yes, Chinese) crossing circuits on two wires...Using jumper wires, I found that even if I corrected this error, and completed the circuits as they should be, the unit would not work at all...At this point, I decided to just replace it with the same brand (Rampage, also a plug-and-play) which had worked flawlessly on my previous truck...After installation I had all functions again, but the Rampage does not have one feature which the Chinese product did have, sequential turn signals...I can learn to live without that neat feature since everything else now operates as it should...

The accompanying pictorial offers more detail... 

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Rebirth Update #9...

Click here for Update #1...

Click here for Update #2...
Click here for Update #3...
Click here for Update #4...
Click here for Update #5...
Click here for Update #6...
Click here for Update #7...
Click here for Update #8...
Click here for Update #10...

At this date, most of the original ideas which developed in the mind of Truckman concerning his newest transportation acquisition have been examined carefully and either brought to fruition, or abandoned entirely as unworkable...The progress was documented in the updates listed above for those who have either joined the discussion late, or just haven't been paying attention...This update will concern itself mostly with small details which have been ongoing since the inception of this project...

Lighting and visibility have been a major concern even before the initial purchase of this vehicle...My ability to easily see what is happening in my surroundings from the driver's seat has been a concern since the purchase of my (now gone) 2013 Challenger several years ago...The view from that seat was such a sudden change from the commanding position in my previous late, lamented ride that the adjustment was difficult when switching vehicles for certain tasks...The change may have even been a factor in the no-fault accident which triggered the decision to trade the Challenger for the current truck...It was never decided whether the other driver was unable to see my vehicle for its smaller, lower profile, or if I was limited in side view range by the Challenger's smaller mirrors, lower seating position and limited side window vision...In either case, and in the interest of future safety, the decision was made to trade for the current truck...

The primary focus of this update is new lighting to not only increase my ability to see my own surroundings, but to give other, less gifted drivers fewer excuses for not seeing the obvious large vehicle in their vicinity...For the latter purpose, I have added new redundant turn signals and brake lights to augment the factory installed equipment, and 18 new marker and clearance lights for increased visibility from front, sides and rear...I also added new high intensity Hella driving lights which are only usable with high beam headlights on, and fog lights synced for use when parking lights or low beams are lit...At the rear I added four tractor lights near the top of the headache rack, two of which are aimed at the deck of the flatbed to illuminate cargo at night as needed, and the other two directed just behind the tailboard for use as an auxiliary backup light...

Most of these items have been in my possession for a few months awaiting the completion of the center console from which to control all of them...Now the last of these has been installed, plus a few I added since the beginning...In addition, at the suggestion of one my loyal readers, Mr. Grist, I'm replacing the chrome plated screws and bolts which were used during the installation of some of the black finished accessories previously with fasteners finished in black oxide...I agree with him that they add some esoteric allure which might have been overlooked by the casual observer...

An extra light was added to the center console, a Hella map light...They are a little pricey, but this particular one was the only one which fit my needs...It's fastened to the doorgunner's side of the console, but easily reached from the driver's seat...It's a gooseneck design allowing the 18 inch neck to ride in its own notched saddle until needed...It was furnished with two lenses, white and red...I chose the red to reduce the chance of night blindness, but the white lens is in the storage compartment if needed...

The old Rawson/Koenig toolboxes which were installed already when I bought the truck were no longer watertight, and various attempts at replacing and adjusting the latches still left doors which have become warped from use over the years, and thus do not seal against weather as well as they did when new...I ordered and installed new weatherstripping on both doors...Next heavy rain squall we get will tell the tale on whether further work is needed...

While working on the headache rack, I noticed the parking lamp in one of the original 4" round lights in the upper corners had quit working...I assumed that I had disturbed the wiring while installing the additional lights, so I pulled that one out to check the circuit...The circuit was OK, so I bought two new LED units to replace both lights...With that done I finished all my wiring, checked light operation again and found the left lower parking light in the tailboard was not working...I ordered new LED's, and replaced both right and left...However, being so far removed from doing this for a living, I had forgotten the hyperflash condition that results when going to all LED...A couple of 6Ω resistors in parallel with the T/S circuits solved the problem...Since the side marker lights on the flatbed had been replaced with LED's when the bed was refinished, this means all lighting aft of the cab with the exception of the license plate lamps is now new...

Moving to the front, I installed my driving lights and fog lights using Nilight tube clamps on the front bumper guard...I'm happy to report that the clamps worked as advertised contrary to complaints I read from other users...I suspect their own lack of success was due to choosing the wrong size, or failure to understand the installation instructions...The new amber marker lights on the front bumper were a simple matter of "measure twice - drill once"...All new lights function as I expected, and I'm now gathering parts and pieces for the next report...I'm a bargain hunter, as many already know, and if any of the lights I bought fail early, I suppose I'll have to blame myself for being too cheap to spring for name-brand products...One item I'm already less than happy with is the fog lights, repurposed from Blazer tractor lights...The housings were advertised as being rubber which makes sense for durability in the agricultural world, but the mounts are also rubber and are quite shaky...I'll see what the light is like while driving, and they may be replaced early with sturdier units...

I'm still waiting for a few electrical pieces to be delivered to wrap up the wiring, but given the rapidly changing and uncertain weather conditions this week, I decided to install the remaining front amber marker lights on the bumper and take some photos while the sun is still shining...All the planned lighting has now been installed, and final electrical connections will be made as soon as Amazon delivers the few remaining wiring parts...I published a pictorial on the project without finishing the wiring...

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Rest In Peace, Blondie...

6/14/2005 - 6/27/2019

My little guy, my faithful friend, has now joined his Momma where all the grass is green (and short), and all the days are sunny...He was attentive to my every need and mood, always knowing whether I needed his cheerful attention, or just someone to lie quietly nearby...When there were still two of them they stood ready to guard our home against all threats...Being the bigger of the two, he accepted his role as Sergeant-At-Arms, while his Mom (although a lot smaller) was always in charge as Senior Guard Puppy...He always considered one of his primary responsibilities to be that of providing security for my breakfast...His effectiveness as a Breakfast Security Agent can be proven by the fact that I was never hijacked even once on my way from the kitchen to wherever I decided to eat...

Together they took on the additional duties of Federal Cheese Inspectors, announcing themselves in my kitchen one morning while I was preparing my breakfast...They flashed badges at me (which looked suspiciously like their rabies tags), saying they represented the Obama Cheese Administration (OCA) and were required to sample all cheese for purity before human consumption...Knowing that they were both Democrats, and therefore having mastered the art of welfare living, I accepted their story...Besides, I am naturally never one to question authority from two Peke-a-Poos, even when presented with an obviously concocted story like that, so I complied with their demands and submitted a cheese sample before each of my meals...

When she passed on, he took over the duties of both Senior Guard Puppy and Chief Cheddar Inspector...He was also the best bed buddy anyone could hope for, always being willing and able to help anyone take a nap at any time...He could probably sleep on top of a picket fence if necessary...He and his Mom helped me through some of the most trying times of my life...Although during one year, during the darkest of times, I was denied the comfort of their presence...

When I was betrayed and abandoned by my ex-wife she took both, obviously knowing how much they meant to me...She looked at them as mere property, something to own...When the divorce court demanded a division of property, she knew she couldn't keep both, and asked me which one I wanted...I told her then they were not property, they were family, that they had been together all Blondie's life and most of Bitesize's, and that I would be happy to care for both, but not just one if it meant further dividing a family...In her words she said I could have them both when Hell freezes over...But when the divorce dragged on for a year, and she was forced to move from her rented trailer house to a place which apparently did not consider all God's critters as respectable tenants, I got the call asking if I would take them both...I immediately accepted, and met at the designated place where they were unceremoniously dumped out of her patrol car, abandoning them as easily as she had abandoned me...

They were both scared, dirty, ungroomed and very happy to see me again...I first fed them, then took them to their doctor at Tender Paws Animal Hospital where I was informed they had not been seen in over a year...They both had complete check-ups, got their shots up to date and got stocked up on the recommended food...Their next stop was the groomer where they were bathed, hair and claws clipped and generally pampered...While at Pet Smart, they picked out new collars, bedding, stainless steel water and food dishes and of course new toys and treats...Naturally, being Democrats, when it came to time to settle the bill, they backed away from the cashier leaving me to produce my credit card...

Bitesize died at the age of 14 after succumbing to many of the infirmities which eventually claim us all...Blondie knew it, and although he was sad he knew I still needed him, and stood ready to accept whatever duties were presented to him...My only solace now is that the cancer that was consuming him can no longer cause him any pain, or discomfort...I can only hope that when I am gone somebody, somewhere might think my life had even a fraction of the value given by Bitesize and Blondie...I gave Bitesize her name just because I thought it fit her...Her only puppies were born in one litter...Due to their size, she had difficulty giving birth, and I transported her to the animal emergency clinic where they were born...I named them for the three main characters in one of my favorite westerns, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"...Blondie naturally got the name of the Clint Eastwood character because of his blond hair...His brother and sister, Tuco And Angel Eyes, found new homes shortly after weaning...

Both he and his Momma were fearless against any perceived threat, even when common sense should have brought caution, but they differed in one respect in that she was always scared of thunderstorms...Until she went deaf the slightest rumble of thunder at night sent her under the covers next to me to tremble and whine until it stopped...On the other hand, thunder and lightning didn't even faze Blondie...When she made a commotion about a storm at night, he always went to another corner of the bed to get away from her whining so he could get back to sleep...But that changed one night shortly after her death when a freak storm unleashed a bolt of lightning which struck a pine tree next door causing it to shatter the trunk with an explosive flash and roar...From that moment forward he was as fearful of thunder and lightning as his Momma had ever been...

It was obvious they loved each other, and I'm sure they loved me...Even so they were competitive...At times either one of them may not have been feeling well, but at feeding time they each kept their noses in their bowls simply out of concern that the other might get a nibble of unauthorized food...They had a large tub of chewy toys to play with, but naturally the one they wanted most was always the one the other already had...Many battles of good-natured tug-of-war took place, usually ending by the victor being chased all over the house by the second-place winner until each forgot who was the chaser and who was the chasee...They just liked to run...But at some point, as Blondie grew much bigger and stronger than Bitesize, she got tired of always losing the game, and began to just quietly chew her toy of choice, with a low warning growl to anyone who approached...After she passed away, Blondie did not show much interest in the toys, and toward the end of his own life, could no longer finish his own meals...

Blondie was born with a noticeable underbite which he always thought contributed to his appearance as a tough guy...It also gave him a smile that endeared him to every female he ever encountered, human or otherwise...They all loved him, and he knew it...He enjoyed his reputation as a ladies' man, although being permanently leashed to me always curtailed his chances at a more lasting relationship...However, he accepted attention when he got it, but always went home cheerfully with me...For that I am eternally grateful...

So long, little buddy...

He lived to celebrate his 14th birthday recently...Now his patrols are at an end...He was a good boy, and being told so always seem to be his proudest goal...

My eternal thanks go to his doctor, Dr. Joanie Ree, and all the caring professionals at Tender Paws Animal Hospital who all remain my friends...Also to Ellen Stanley who bathed, groomed and pampered both puppies the last few years of their lives, and all the neighbors and strangers who stopped to greet both of them when they were outdoors...

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Combat and defense in Middle-Eastern waters...

I am neither a naval, nor a maritime expert, but that never stopped me from drawing a few conclusions...Noting the recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Oman in the area bounded by Oman, the UAE and Iran, the blame for which has been attributed to the increasingly belligerent state of Iran, I am reminded of events which occurred during WWII...Commercial shipping only exists to supply the business interests of entities ranging in scope from the largest multi-national corporations to the smallest, singly-owned convenience store on a street near you...As I have pointed out in previous publications, a basic tenet of business is stated that nothing anywhere ever happens until somebody, somewhere sells something...Accordingly the step immediately following that sale becomes the transport of the product to the desired recipient...The interruption, or prevention of that step becomes detriment to the chain of interests dependent on that movement...The resulting impairment, to whatever degree it ascends, must be ultimately absorbed by the end user, and thus increases costs which are never fully recovered...

The addition of war to this composite formula, whether declared or implied, only adds new layers of complexity, of which some generate new business opportunities, but all add to the cost of the final product...This fact was known and felt in the immediate time following the opening shots in the conflagration that became WWII...How it was addressed determined the eventual outcome as well as the length of time needed to bring peace to the world's waters once more...In this study, I will only present the basic observations which have formed my own, admittedly skeletal, conclusions, leaving readers to flesh them out with their own thoughts...

All government and military leaders are aware of the fragile network of commerce which keeps an economy moving...Maintaining that network becomes increasingly difficult when leadership must consider the political pressures brought about by concerns other than those of commerce...The Axis powers, being led from dictatorial standpoints, were less encumbered by restraints on their movements than the democracies which they sought to dominate...Initially this gave the Axis leadership an advantage in which they were free to move aggressively against their chosen enemies without regard to the long term difficulties they created, in their belief that such offensives would be shortly followed by the capitulation of those attacked...The actions and reactions of both Axis and Allied powers can be studied now with the distance of time for their positive as well as negative effects...

The German command, under the leadership of a single-minded, self-possessed man unwilling to consider the expertise in some matters of far more qualified minds, took the initiative in attacks on commercial shipping against their most immediate perceived enemy, Great Britain...The idea was correct in its goal of strangling the flow of goods toward the island nation, but flawed in its execution by not concentrating on its immediate strong suit, it's U-Boat fleet...Der Fuehrer's desire to build an impressive surface fleet could only have been successful if he had allowed his undersea fleet unfettered permission to attack other shipping on the surface...They were instead cautioned against attacking the US naval presence expanding into the mid-Atlantic...Using the limited German resources in building his surface fleet, then keeping them bottled up in protected North Sea harbors, was unwise when his more learned Kriegsmarine advisers urged increased production of the undersea fleet to replace losses due to attrition...Such decisions gave his immediate enemy, Britain, the opportunity to acquire the allegiance of US manufacturing prowess in the procurement of both military and cargo vessels...

President Roosevelt, being the leader of a democracy was fettered with having to balance preparation for the impending war against opposition from the large pacifist movement which joined forces with the isolationists, both of which wanted no part of a new naval war...Roosevelt knew the war was inevitable, yet was hamstrung by these groups in initiating new shipbuilding while still emerging from a worldwide depression...He found new ways to aid those he knew we would eventually ally with, but until the Japanese attacks in the Pacific, he could not release the full powers of the dogs of war...The lack of long-range planning for war also caused a long learning curve in the convoy system which ultimately saved England from capitulation...US Navy leaders were quick to see that severing commercial shipping lines on the open sea was effective warfare, and used this knowledge aggressively against Japanese powers...Shortening supply lines to the enemy, while reinforcing our own commercial shipping was instrumental in bring the war to an earlier close...

The dictatorial powers leading the Japanese government from their military standpoint did not understand, nor did they employ the means they had at hand against Allied commercial shipping...The Japanese also had a powerful undersea fleet just like their Axis partners Germany and Italy, but hesitated to use them against the ever-increasing Allied Maritime fleet, choosing instead to target only combat vessels...They failed to understand that a military force can only exist as long as it is supplied with the means to wage war and feed its own personnel...Their final realization of the truth of this axiom came far too late, and only at the expense of their own fighting forces as they starved on outpost islands unable to receive vitally needed rations, ammunition, medical supplies and replacement troops...American naval forces destroyed Japanese commercial and cargo transportation at every opportunity, choking off the enemies lifelines...

From the distance of history, those in the present leadership of politically and culturally opposed nations all understand the importance of world trade, and the implications of the effect on populations when the transportation of goods is curtailed by aggressive forces...The recent attacks on an importantly vital commodity such as crude oil and petroleum products in the Gulf of Oman is an obvious act of aggression  either ordered or permitted by those in command in Iran...The power to protect these shipments is possessed in large strength by the US Navy, and in the opinion of this writer should be deployed aggressively and immediately toward that end...The costs of such protection is already being paid on worldwide markets...Allowing valuable commodities and their means of transportation to be attacked only adds to those costs...Why else do we maintain a naval force in that area?...

More articles concerning Warriors and Militaria...

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Damage Assessment...

A question was posed on a political forum where I participate on occasion by a member named AlpineRAM, and since I have allowed an unplanned dearth of my political opinion on this blog, I thought I might answer his query here instead...Paraphrasing his question concerning the current American economy and the source of its robust energy, he asked:

"Do the good stats only reflect that which is not influenced by Trump, or is it just inertia that keeps the numbers nice?"

In my opinion, his actions, and the results of those actions, are very hard to analyze by most because those analysts are accustomed to observing politicians who interact with other politicians in an attempt to arrive at a final destination favorable to those whom they represent...But the final product is never final...It is always and consistently a compromise because that is the nature of politics as practiced by politicians...It is bloated with side deals which are engineered to gain temporary support for a position which would normally receive none...

Trump was never a politician, and has admitted such on occasion prior to entering the political arena...He is instead a person who uses politicians to the benefit of himself and his own business interests...He was elected on that premise...He has said and continues to say things which are diametrically opposed to other things he has said...It's obfuscation, and it's intentional...It's also called lying...Stating that Trump is lying, or that all politicians lie is not a defense for any of them, or their lies...It is a reaffirmation that lying is part and parcel of gaining an advantage in politics, business, entertainment, even playing poker...The intentional absence of truth can also be defined as lying even if it's hidden as strategy, tactics, a script or a "poker face"...Those who practice the art of magic know it as illusion and misdirection...

Donald Trump knows that media pundits, and those who attempt political analysis will consistently concentrate their focus on the obvious, that is his barrage of statements many of which are contradictory by design...This only gives those who follow such attempts at assaying his statements for their real value reason to either agree or disagree with the scrutiny, and keep the interest alive with either outrage or accord...Meanwhile the economy responds just as Trump knew it would by those whose means of existence is tied to it: with buying and selling, losses and gains which are always accompanied by overstocks in one inventory and scrambling for product in another...Empty pockets in one area are balanced to some (but not necessarily equal) degree by cash looking for something to buy...I believe Trump understands that the nature of value in wealth is not merely in its acquisition, but by its constant movement...Money by itself means nothing unless it can flow in one direction or another...In that respect it is like water; unless it's in a current where it's constantly refreshed, it becomes stagnant as in a pond...

In another series of articles here, I pointed out the similarities between Mr. Trump and another independent entry into the world of politics who had tremendous, although detrimental, influence on world events in the 20th Century...That person led his country to disastrous results by the application of separate overlapping lies told to separate groups, each of which focused only on the illusions he presented, and not on the likely result...He even outlined his own plan without the lies in his book, easily seen in retrospect, but presented in such a random, scattershot manner as to be difficult to find his main target...Mr. Trump also authored a book which, if read carefully, outlines everything he has done and will do to find his target...It is believed by this writer that his aim is more toward a target based on the love of construction of a better nation, rather than the hatred and destruction of a particular, and essentially misidentified section of the world's population...

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