Hoping for peace is a universal condition for most of us, but it requires action. It won't just happen because we wish it so. In the current environment it means you have to vote for i
DEFCON is an acronym for "defense readiness condition". It currently has five levels, the highest number "5" indicating relative calm and the lowest number "1" suggesting nuclear war is imminent. Presumably the next gradation is "Ground Zero".
Since DEFCON was created in 1959 it has never been designated worse than "3". That number was invoked on two occasions: (1) Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Egypt and Syria initiated a war against Israel and it was feared the Soviet Union would intervene (sound familiar today?), and (2) an incident at Panmunjom in 1976, decades after the war involving actual hostilities between North and South Korea (1950-1953) had ended.
Hillary Clinton is reprising Lyndon Johnson's tactic used against Barry Goldwater . . . accuse the opponent of moving the country toward nuclear war. In the 1964 presidential campaign, LBJ employed the now famous "Daisy Girl" ad depicting a child in a meadow picking petals from a flower as a mushroom cloud appears in the background. Similarly, Hillary warns voters that Trump should not be allowed anywhere near the "football" containing the nuclear codes lest he push the button.
I don't know if this latest effort will work in her favor as it apparently did for Lyndon Johnson, but the record is clear . . . Democrats are more likely to get the US involved in wars, primarily because they have a profound dislike for the military and are willing to let its capability deteriorate. Military personnel know this to be the case and voter polling of members of the armed forces indicates their strong preference for a Trump presidency.'
Ronald Reagan, although against the "mutually assured destruction" theory (MAD), maintained a strong military was necessary to keep potential enemies from exercising whatever hostile capability they could muster. He announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1984, specifically warning the Soviet Union he meant business.
If one were to plot the probability of nuclear war on a chart compared to the effective preparedness of the US military it would look much like the letter 'X", meaning the danger level is increased as readiness declines.
Here are the presidential candidates' statements on the issue of military spending:
Trump: "I want to have a much stronger military. I want it to be so strong that nobody is going to mess with us."
Clinton: "I think we are overdue for a very thorough debate in our country about what we need, and how we are going to pay for it.
The latter is a "waffle' statement if I ever heard one.
DEFCON is currently set at "4". According to official government language, "There are no imminent nuclear threats at this time, however there are "events" occurring in the world theatre which require closer monitoring." Ya think?!!!
The several events mentioned in the latest official broadcast of the DEFCON Warning System all occurred on Obama's watch, and Hillary was complicit during her term as Secretary of State. Both have been content to watch US military readiness decline.
Hoping for peace is a universal condition for most of us, but it requires action. It won't just happen because we wish it so. In the current environment it means you have to vote for it. Let's not go to DEFCON "0".
Bob was born in Toronto and began his financial career as a trader on the Toronto Stock Exchange. He relocated to California and became SVP and CFO of a $multi-billion diversified financial entity. He served on the board of many companies in Canada and US. An avid yachtsman, he owns a twin diesel ocean going vessel once featured in Architectural Digest magazine. He maintains a hockey web site. “slapshotreport.com” and currently resides in Sausalito, California.
DEFCON is an acronym for "defense readiness condition". It currently has five levels, the highest number "5" indicating relative calm and the lowest number "1" suggesting nuclear war is imminent. Presumably the next gradation is "Ground Zero".
Since DEFCON was created in 1959 it has never been designated worse than "3". That number was invoked on two occasions: (1) Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Egypt and Syria initiated a war against Israel and it was feared the Soviet Union would intervene (sound familiar today?), and (2) an incident at Panmunjom in 1976, decades after the war involving actual hostilities between North and South Korea (1950-1953) had ended.
Hillary Clinton is reprising Lyndon Johnson's tactic used against Barry Goldwater . . . accuse the opponent of moving the country toward nuclear war. In the 1964 presidential campaign, LBJ employed the now famous "Daisy Girl" ad depicting a child in a meadow picking petals from a flower as a mushroom cloud appears in the background. Similarly, Hillary warns voters that Trump should not be allowed anywhere near the "football" containing the nuclear codes lest he push the button.
