Speak softly but carry a big stick

by: Dr. Herm C. Valenzuela

Lately, there has been much talk about a massive military build up. I was just wondering for whom does these mighty armada of steel and guns toll? The USSR is history and China’s regular military spending is about $160B a year (half of which the U.S. owes hence is “paying”) is far less than the Pentagon’s base budget of about $500B annually according to a recent 84-page Pentagon report. It has about 1,680 fighter jets compared to about 3,000 in the USAF and Navy and yet “China presently focuses on its desire for greater mobility to conduct operations at a greater distance from its mainland.” (Source: Air Force Times: Aug. 14, 2011). China is clearly “projecting” some kind of intention. Spratley Islands maybe with our potential $50B yearly revenue? India and South Korea are now becoming players in the neo-economic “war” without show-casting any modern military hardware! Our European allies are “limping” while the Middle East is a powder keg!

The national budget crisis this mid August sent the Armed Services jostling for greater budget funds and could force the Marine Corps to start cutting the force as soon as next fall, and below 180,000 troops and top officers presently on active duty reduced as soon as the war in Afghanistan ends. (Source: Marine Corps Times: 8/11)

In the meantime your senator/congressman will get full benefits even with one term service and they don’t pay into their health benefits. Consider further:

> New York, New Jersey and California are broke. Texas, as I know of is better off.

> America’s infrastructure will start to “crumble” in about a decade.

> The unemployment rate approaches 10%. Those “counted” are working mostly in part-time mode and are steady looking for permanency.

> About one million college seniors graduated this year; where will they work?

> Major products, appliances, computers, almost everything come from abroad.

And sadly, the hundreds of U.S. Post Offices branches are being closed! “Stop texting and start licking stamps and write someone – they’ll like it!” I don’t mean to be a K.J. or mean to predict gloom and doom for America but I remember a former senator from Chicago who vowed: “We need change!” If you can read current events and history – you can also write!