The story is here to go along with the pics above.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Politics Talk. You think Manafort indictment is the news? This is the real news that will change Washington DC!
via Politico
Monday’s 12-count indictment filed against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his colleague Rick Gates was stunning for a number of reasons: its breadth; the scope of the alleged criminal activity; and, of course, the fact that underpinning much of the indictment are facts demonstrating willful and knowing violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. The indictment likely means that after many years of lax enforcement, the requirements of this law will finally be taken seriously by the hundreds of law firms, lobbying shops and media relations companies that fall under its purview.Story here. , then check this one out...via Politico too...
Enacted in the 1930s as a means to expose Nazi propagandists working secretly in the United States, FARA requires, broadly, that any individual or organization that undertakes “political activities” for a foreign client must register with the Department of Justice and disclose significant amounts of information about the work done for that foreign client and the money earned and expended. Registration under FARA is triggered by a broad range of activity not thought of as traditional lobbying. Strategic advice, coalition-building, grass-roots lobbying, communications advice and attempts to influence U.S. media and opinion-makers—if aimed at influencing U.S. public opinion—all require registration. Someone who undertakes those activities for a foreign principal that is not a foreign government or political party has the option to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which requires far less disclosure than FARA. But if, like Manafort and Gates, the U.S. advisers are working for an entity that is, or is controlled by, a foreign government or government-controlled entity, they must register under FARA. Willful and knowing violations of FARA can lead to criminal and civil penalties, including imprisonment.
Washington lobbyists who represent foreign powers have taken comfort for decades in the fact that the Justice Department rarely goes after them for potentially breaking the law. That all changed on Monday.Story here.
The news of Tony Podesta’s resignation from his namesake firm and indictment of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates sent K Street scrambling, as lobbyists rushed to make sure they’re in compliance with the rules. The developments also renewed calls for Congress to pass legislation beefing up the Justice Department’s enforcement of the law, which lawmakers in both parties have derided for lacking teeth.
“Firms are going to be even more careful than they have been in the past in the foreign lobbying arena,” said Trent Lott, the former Senate majority leader who’s now a lobbyist at Squire Patton Boggs, where his foreign clients have included Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Yeah. If you took the time to read both stories then you now know what the real story is when it comes to the Manafort indictment.
It's not the fact that he was working for Ukrainians and supposedly thru them the Russians.
NO!
The real story is that EVERYONE in Washington DC, after they leave the govt, is in the pocket of one entity or another....lobbying for one country, one interest group, one something or another to gain influence over our representatives.
This will affect EVERY NATION on the planet.
This will affect EVERY TRADE DEAL, AGREEMENT etc...that we have made with you name it!
For better or worse those that took out the long knives to kill the Trump agenda have instead cut their own throats in the process. In essence we're seeing the possibility of the swamp actually being cleaned out!
They want Manafort on a plate to get to Trump? They might have served up Hillary, Bill and Chelsea, along with Podesta and company on that same plate!
This is too funny and deserves watching!
82nd Airborne is after PennyWise now!
via 82nd Airborne Instagram Page.
As the 82nd Airborne Division descends upon the earth, Pennywise will not find the fear he needs. But instead, he will learn to fear them. Happy Halloween!Wow. The Airborne puppies are winning the social media war. They're the only people that are integrating their combat themes (more than that...their cultural identity) with the "hot" thing going on in society.
Well Done!
Hate to say it but...Airborne All The Way!
PS. Excuse me while I wash my mouth out, do about 100 hail Mary's and cleanse my body with antibacterial soap.
45 Commando is on deck! Which coast though?
via Royal Marines Instagram Page.
45 Commando Group have deployed to the USA over the last week.I really should take the time to learn their Commando Groups. Regardless I'm assuming they're participating in Bold Alligator. Pretty awesome. I'll be interested in hearing the lessons learned from this years exercise. I know they're pushing MEF level command and control now vs MEB that was all the hotness a couple of years ago, but what other innovations are they after (oops...didn't post on it but they're also trialing Forward Amphibious Bases or something like that).
650 personnel will spend the next six weeks practicing high intensity amphibious operations and urban warfare alongside the US Marine Corps, Norwegian, French, Canadian, Brazilian and Mexican Forces.
Either way I consider this a steadying move. Corps leadership was in a bad place and seemed to be off course. Looks like they've regained their bearings and are moving forward.
Another terror attack, and no clear answers.
You've heard about it but to be honest I have no rage, no anger and no answers.
We can try and mitigate the threat but it seems like we're at a new normal. Mass attacks we seem able to prevent. These lone wolf, low casualty (don't take that wrong...for every victim's family this is a high casualty event) attacks just appear to be something we have to live with.
Your thoughts.
We can try and mitigate the threat but it seems like we're at a new normal. Mass attacks we seem able to prevent. These lone wolf, low casualty (don't take that wrong...for every victim's family this is a high casualty event) attacks just appear to be something we have to live with.
Your thoughts.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Sierra-Nevada Corporation's Force Hawk for USAF Huey Replacement...
via Janes.
Sierra-Nevada Corporation (SNC) has joined Boeing and Lockheed Martin in pitching a solution for the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) UH-1N Huey Replacement Program, the company confirmed to Jane’s on 28 October.Story here.
The Nevada-based is to pitch upgraded surplus UH-60 Black Hawks for the competition to replace the USAF’s current 62 UH-1N Huey's helicopters with up to 84 new platforms. Boeing has already revealed its MH-139 offering with Leonardo, while Lockheed Martin is pitching new-build UH-60s built by its subsidiary company Sikorsky
This is a rather boring program for what should be a simple replacement. The USAF needs a helicopter for its Security Force to conduct missions safeguarding our nuclear missiles.
It's turned into a dogfight because everyone is scrambling for defense dollars.
But that's not why I'm watching it.
What has me a bit confused is that this is so simple that I don't understand why the USAF didn't simply do a sourcing deal with the Army and buy the latest BlackHawk under their acquisition program.
So what we're left with is the USAF doing a program to replace the Huey and a service that says its short of money and has three big ticket aircraft (F-35, B-21, KC-46) coming down the pike while also having to throw money at maintainers and pilots to remain in the service.
That's why SNC can offer their helicopter.
The USAF is facing a money crunch.
The days after the Trump election of the DoD and certain Congressman thinking that they would be able to dramatically plus up defense spending is over.
How the Air Force goes with this will be telling.
Either they see an "event" that will bolster defense spending or they'll go into a hole trying to save as much money as possible. I can't wait to see which way they go, but it'll be telling.
Amazing Air 2 Air shoot with Sikorsky's new CH-53K "King Stallion", True Heavylift by Yissachar Ruas....MUST SEE!
Everytime someone like me complains about the cost of the CH-53K the Marine Corps should roll out this video!
Navy SEALs are suspects in the murder of a US Army Special Forces Soldier. Are you surprised?
via Heavy.com
Two members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6 are under investigation after the suspicious death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Mali, the New York Times reports.Story here.
Staff Sergeant Logan Melgar, 34, was found dead June 4 in embassy housing in the Malian capital of Bamako and agents with the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are working to determine whether he was strangled by the unnamed SEALs, the Times reports.
Many details about the case remain a mystery and military officials have kept quiet about Melgar’s death.
People are going batshit stupid over this story but I can only sit back and wonder.
Why are you fools acting like boots!
You know the deal and you know the further up the food chain you get with SOCOM the crazier the mentality gets. On a personal level I only would hang around Rangers or Recon. Once you start dealing with Tier One clowns you better have a K-Bar and rounds chambered cause I've heard too many stories of people getting disappeared by them.
But even leaving aside those sea stories and warnings from the old skool Marines to keep your distance you can look at the IDIOCY that happens anytime a US unit deploys to out of area locations.
I'm not talking about to Europe or Asia but when you get deployed to some boonies far away from civilization.
The military has NCIS for a reason and its not to spawn a TV show.
Craziness happens all the time.
Unfortunately murders, rapes, sodomy, theft and everything in between does too. Its the human condition and you can't escape it unless everything becomes automated. Add in the testerone filled atmosphere of the military, mix in the attitude that we might die tomorrow so let's go crazy today and finally stir in sex, greed and corruption and you have a recipe that's built for disaster.
The real question should be how this became news.
My guess is that you have some pissed off Special Forces troops.
THAT SHOULD BE THE NEWS!
If this goes south you could have SF shooting at SEALs! My guess is that both units have been separated with one probably taken out of country. But the problem will be that both units will be tainted and won't be able to work together. Another issue is that SEAL Team 6 gets another black eye as an out of control unit that operates on the edge of legality.
They really need to take those guys off the line for a couple of years and rebuild it from the ground up. McRaven really did more damage during his time as SOCOM chief than is commonly realized.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
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