"...an utterly corrupt new religion called environmentalism..."
If the history of this planet's climate over millions of years is any guide, we are about to enter a new ice age.
CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper indicated in a 1993 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he wants to see the United States become a Muslim country.
Up-Armoring Debate Renewed!
By Doug Edelman (01/11/06)
Remember the big deal that the dems were making about Up-Armoring our HumVees a while back? The Libs wanted them Up-Armored overnight, while not giving any consideration to the facts.
I wrote an article in December of 2004 making the following points in that debate:
1) Humvees were never intended to be armored personnel carriers (we HAVE APCs for that!). They are simple motorized transportation, that not long ago would have been relegated to a jeep - which rarely had even a canvas door on it!
2) Outfitting an "Up-Armored HumVee is not a simple matter of slapping on a couple of sheets of steel plating. The armor kit weighs upward of a couple of TONS. Installing it then requires modivications of the suspension to carry that extra weight, of the braking system (to keep the vehicle from slamming into the one in front of it due to the additional inertia of all that weight in motion), and even of the engine and transmission to enable the newly heavyweight machine to perform in uneven terrain. All this takes time and money.
3) The Administration has moved men and material as quickly as possible to accomplish the up armoring process. but it must be borne in mind that no amount of modification will make our troops and equipment invulnerable. Roadside bombs can and do take out vehicles heavier and better armored than an up-armored HumVee.
Well, forgive the metaphor, but the Up-Armor debate has gotten a retread! And even "under the radar on Iraq" Hillary has mustered up the gumption to take a position on it!
A group called Soldiers for the Truth leaked an unpublished Pentagon study that found that a significant number of Marines killed in Iraq from upper body wounds might have survived with extra body armor, as these wounds struck gaps in armor on the sides under the arms. (Well, CLUE!! And more still would have survived if they were covered head to toe in a foot of concrete!)
Of course the New York Times latched onto the story, and it has spread like wildfire from there. Next thing you know, Hillary is on "Good Morning America" blasting the "incompetent" Bush Administration for it's "unforgivable" failure to provide more armor. But of course, the facts are not given much consideration.
1) Many lives have been saved by the armor that is in place. Our troops extol the virtues of the EXISTING body armor.
2) There is no shortage of current technology body armor. While it is true that the initial supply at the beginning of Iraqi operations was slow in coming - there is currently such a surplus that excess body armor is being used for training in the states.
3) Troops currently patrol with between 70 and 100 lbs of armor and equipment in desert heat. Many say they would risk patroling WITHOUT the existing armor if they were permitted to.
4) Body Armor which is all-enclosing is not even developed, let alone currently deployable. Factors which must be accounted for in its development include accounting for venting perspiration and heat to prevent heatstroke and dehydration; flexibility, weight, comfort and mobility to allow the wearer to actually function and perform their mission while so outfitted; and costs.
5) As with HumVees, the concept of invulnerability in war is a fairy tale. There WILL be casualties regardless of any protective precautions taken. The benefits of such armor must be weighed against the costs and risks of increased weight, decreased mobility etc. Protection must be balanced against the ability to perform the mission. One cannot wage a war without the risk of casualties.
It would be nice if those who purport to speak for the troops, express concern for the troops, and crusade for the safety of the troops would ever actually speak to the troops and LISTEN to the troops!
Copyright © 2006 by Doug Edelman
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Doug Edelman is a conservative political commentator by avocation and passion, based in the western suburbs of St. Louis, MO. He is a contributing editor for The Conservative Voice, and his work is also seen on The American Daily, News by Us, The Post Chronicle, Capitol Hill Coffee House etc. None of these pays him, so for the support of his family, he is also an IT Consultant/Contractor and owner of a Computer Services Business. He has taught PC Maintenance & Repair and Networking at his local Community College, and maintains a blog at http://edeldoug.blogs.com/.
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UPSSA
United Progressive Socialist States of America
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"Mexico, Canada partnership underway with no authorization from Congress"
The United States Is Being Overthrown By Our Politicians - "A silent but all-reaching coup is taking place within the
United States. This coup is not being directed by bomb-laden Muslim terrorists, nor will it ever be covered by the mainstream media.
The seditious act is being carried out by our very own elected officials, with President Bush leading the insurrection."
"The FDA has conveniently used the excuse of looking out for consumer safety to increase their perverse regulatory power,
undermine free speech, disrupt commerce, and generally get in the way of helping people improve their health. The "half-truth" of
the safety issue is used as a ploy to reduce the rights of Americans, one freedom at a time. Once again, the FDA is seeking more
police power to intimidate supplement companies. This is one step in an overall FDA master plan to eliminate therapeutic nutritional
supplements from the free market. Those who lose are the American public." The FDA - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
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