4 F-22's constitute a show of force? Check out this blast from the past!

via DoD Buzz.

The U.S. Defense Department has released photos and video of the four F-22 stealth fighters that flew over South Korea on Wednesday in response to the North’s recent rocket test.
The fifth-generation fighter aircraft known as the Raptor made by Lockheed Martin Corp. flew in formation in the vicinity of Osan Air Base near Seoul with four of the service’s F-16 Fighting Falcons, also made by Lockheed, and four of the South Korean air force’s F-15K Slam Eagles made by Boeing Co., according to the Pentagon.
The F-22s flew from Kadena Air Base and were deployed in response to the North’s recent “provocative action,” the Pentagon said, referring to the Feb. 7 launch of a satellite.
The U.S. military last month sent a B-52 bomber capable of dropping nuclear warheads to the country after the North conducted its fourth nuclear test. Washington and Seoul have also announced plans to begin talks of possibly deploying an American missile-defense system, known as the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, also made by Lockheed, in South Korea.

4 F-22's as a show of force?  Its laughable!  How about a blast from the past?  I present to you Operation Paul Bunyan via Wikipedia...

Operation Paul Bunyan was carried out on August 21 at 07:00, three days after the killings. A convoy of 23 American and South Korean vehicles ("Task Force Vierra", named after Lieutenant Colonel Victor S. Vierra, commander of the United States Army Support Group) drove into the JSA without warning to the North Koreans, who had one observation post manned at that hour. In the vehicles were two eight-man teams of military engineers (from the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division) equipped with chain-saws to cut down the tree.
These teams were accompanied by two 30-man security platoons from the Joint Security Force, who were armed with pistols and axe handles. The 2nd Platoon secured the northern entrance to the JSA via the Bridge of No Return, while the 3rd Platoon secured the southern edge of the area.
Concurrently, a team from B Company, commanded by Captain Walter Seifried, had activated the detonation systems for the charges on Freedom Bridge and had the 165mm main gun of theM728 combat engineer vehicle aimed mid-span to ensure that the bridge would fall should the order be given for its destruction. Also B Company, supporting E Company (bridge), were building M4T6 rafts on the Imjin River should the situation require emergency evacuation by that route.
In addition, a 64-man South Korean Special Forces company accompanied them, armed with clubs and trained in Tae Kwon Do, supposedly without firearms. However, once they parked their trucks near the Bridge of No Return, they started throwing out the sandbags that lined the truck bottoms, and handing out M16 rifles and M79 grenade launchers that had been concealed below.[2] Several of the special forces men also had claymore mines strapped to their chests with the firing mechanism in their hands, and were shouting at the North Koreans to cross the bridge.[14][15]
A U.S. Infantry company in 20 utility helicopters and seven Cobra attack helicopters circled behind them. Behind these helicopters, B-52 Stratofortresses from Guam escorted by U.S. F-4 Phantom IIs from Kunsan Air Base and South Korean F-5 and F-86 fighters were visible flying across the sky at high altitude. At Taegu Air Base, F-111 bombers of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing out of Mountain Home Air Force Base, were stationed, and F-4 Phantoms C and D from the 18th TFW Kadena Air Base and Clark Air Base were also deployed. The aircraft carrierUSS Midway (CV-41) task force had also been moved to a station just offshore.[6]
Near the edges of the DMZ, many more heavily armed U.S. and South Korean infantry, artillery including the Second Battalion, 71st Air Defense Regiment armed with Improved Hawk missiles, and armor were waiting to back up the special operations team. Bases near the DMZ were prepared for demolition in the case of a military response. The defense condition (DEFCON) was elevated on order of General Stilwell, as recounted in Colonel De LaTeur's research paper later. In addition, 12,000 additional troops were ordered to Korea, including 1,800 marines from Okinawa.[6] During the operation, nuclear-capable strategic bombers circled over the JSA.[16] According to an intelligence analyst monitoring the North Korea tactical radio net, the accumulation of force "blew their... minds".[17]
Altogether, Task Force Vierra consisted of 813 men: almost all of the men of the United States Army Support Group, of which the Joint Security Force was a part; a South Korean reconnaissance company; a South Korean Special Forces company which had infiltrated the river area by the bridge the night before; and members of a reinforced composite rifle company from the 9th Infantry Regiment. In addition to this force, every UNC force in the rest of South Korea was on battle alert.

Do you get the force of connection here?

When I rant that we're seeing a weakened US military and passive bordering on docile (you could almost call it pussified) civilian leadership, I'm basing that on how we once dealt with illegal acts by rogue nations.

Yes.  Tensions increased with the N. Koreans after this op, but they were kept in their cage until later administrations (both Democrat and Republican) began caving into their demands and ignoring blatant "misbehavior".

What is the takeaway from this post that I want you to wrap your head around? Don't be fooled.  4 F-22's this time and an escorted B-52 earlier aren't shows of force.  They're shows of impotence.


Sidenote: Even Clinton showed balls! The Chinese acted badly during his term in office and his response? TWO CARRIER BATTLEGROUPS SAILED THROUGH THE S. CHINA SEA while the Chinese sat back unable to respond! Today? Today we're nervous about sending a single destroyer on a freedom of navigation exercise!