Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Bundy Ranch gang going to trial. If the Feds lose then anarchy will prevail...
via Reuters.
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his followers were defying the rule of law by threat of violence, rather than engaging in a legal protest, when they took up arms against federal agents who had seized his cattle, a U.S. prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday.Story here.
But Bundy’s lawyer countered that the government was at fault for escalating the conflict, and that supporters rallied to his cause because they saw him as the victim of intimidation and excess on the part of federal land managers.
“Why were they there? Because they’re Americans. Because it’s not illegal to help,” defense attorney Bret Whipple said in his opening presentation.
Bundy, two of his sons and a fourth defendant are accused of conspiracy, assault and other charges stemming from the 2014 armed standoff, which galvanized right-wing militia groups challenging U.S. government authority over vast tracts of public lands in the American West.
I've been waiting on this one and will watch it carefully. There are some serious issues on the table and I don't think most people are taking them seriously.
What do I mean?
Remember the incident in Ferguson after the shooting death of the guy shoplifting? The police showed up in riot gear. Fast forward to the Bundy incident and the BLM Officers only carried sidearms while the "protesters" carried rifles and were outfitted in various forms of "tactical gear".
The precedent is already set.
But if the Feds lose and Bundy walks then its written in stone and every protest going forward becomes a different thing.
Additionally after the overreach (or accused overreach) that we saw in the Branch Davidian incident and another in Montana (can't remember but a sniper killed a mother running to help her son....some former Green Beret got famous defending them in the media...) this limited response has many wondering whether or not the Feds were intimidated or if they had a different standard for a different group of people.
More importantly though is this.
Many people were photographed committing assault on Federal Law Enforcement with the crime caught on tape, yet they haven't been dealt with in anyway from what I can tell.
Why is this important?
For all of the above.
Either we have "law" or we don't. If we don't then cool, I just need to reorient to that reality. If we don't then the Feds need to do work.
Side note. One person went to this incident and I've looked hard but can't find one pic of him being involved in any of the craziness. Who is that? James Yeager. For better or worse the guy seems to have known the lines to cross when he rushed out to support the Bundy's. Too bad others didn't follow his lead.
Father Emil Kapaun, a man of faith that you never heard of...
via War History Online.
He didn’t carry a weapon, he wasn’t there to fight, but that didn’t stop chaplain Emil Kapaun from earning the nation’s highest military honor for gallantry. When over 20,000 Chinese soldiers surprised a few thousand men of the 8th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Unsan, one of the worst military routs of the war was about to take place.Story here.
Casualties were high as bullets, mortars, and rockets tore through the air before the order for every able-bodied man to withdraw was given. Having already braved the heavy fire to offer services and first-aid to the wounded, this chaplain refused to leave. The enemy broke through, and combat was hand-to-hand, and yet Kapaun continued to serve faithfully and his time as a POW wouldn’t be any different.
He continually encouraged the men and willingly gave up his own food and medicine on their behalf until he passed away from his own medical conditions.
No spoilers. Follow the link and read about this amazing man.
Coup feared in Zimbabwe. You want Africa then this is part of the mess!
via FoxNews.
Rising unease and tension appeared to reach a boiling point in Zimbabwe on Tuesday as armored personnel carriers and soldiers were seen heading toward an army barracks just outside the capital city amid rumors a military coup could soon begin.Story here.
Witnesses said they saw four armored vehicles head toward the Presidential Guard compound in a suburb called Dzivarasekwa on the outskirts of Harare.
“There were about four tanks and they turned right here, you can see markings on the road,” one witness on the Chinhoyi highway told Reuters.
Have you looked at US military activity in Africa? I have and something dawned on me.
They're mostly operating in Northern Africa.
If you don't know then that terrain is EXTREMELY similar to what we've seen throughout the Middle East. As a matter of fact from what I can tell the interactions between people in the region is so high that some even consider it a unique type area...not Africa, not the Middle East but a special blend of both.
The point I'm trying to make is that N. Africa is similar enough to the Middle East to make it a "comfortable" place for SOCOM to operate in.
But if you want to win Africa you have to deal with the whole of the continent. That means dealing with countries like Zimbabwe. That means dealing with the goofiness we see here.
My plea remains the same.
Don't do it! At least don't try and do it militarily! This is a region where we MUST DEMAND that the State Dept takes the lead and not the Pentagon/SOCOM.
This could be the future of motorcycle law enforcement....
Name one of the most hazardous jobs in any police dept. If you didn't name motorcycle cop then you're not paying attention. Unfortunately many die each year for the usual reasons involving motorcycles only on steroids. Drivers don't see them, they're usually quicker than motorists so you have misjudgements by both parties and of course bad roads that cause spills, and if the officer is lucky and bad case of road rash.
A three wheel motorcycle that has all the performance but is still nimble/small enough to go where cars can't should be a winner.
Can Am might have a winner with this.
Saab's Winter Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) pictured on a BV 410.
I don't know where it came from, but suddenly camo is all the rage again. What's interesting is that Saab appears to have anticipated market need and got ahead of the competition by displaying an attract, neat and apparently affordable solution.
There is no way that they can keep the market all to themselves and I look forward to seeing what others come up with.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Lockheed Martin's Warrior Upgrade target of potential cuts due to being over budget/late...
via Telegraph.co.uk
But Ministry of Defence documents forecast the Warrior upgrade is a year behind schedule, with the programme incurring extra costs as a result of delays.Story here.
Up to 380 new Warriors were to be upgraded under the original plans, forming the backbone of two armoured infantry brigades planned as part of a reorganisation of the army. However, reports last month suggested that one of these brigades could be disbanded, with hundreds of its fighting vehicles scrapped as part of a drive to cut costs.
A review of the defence spending programme is also underway, which has led to speculation over cuts to the Royal Marines and the navy's amphibious assault vehicles as well as the Warrior programme.
This. Is. Interesting.
I've always wondered why they pursued an upgrade program to the Warrior while buying the Ascod/Ajax Scout. I can see the desire to mitigate risk by having the Warrior up and running while the Ajax Scout was being developed and deployed but the "lateness" of the program killed all that.
As things now stand it kinda makes sense to kill the Warrior Upgrade.
But there is a huge "wow" stuck in all this. They're cutting muscle and aren't going to replace it. It doesn't stop with the Army either. The Royal Marines are also gonna take a haircut too.
What many don't realize is just how small British forces actually are. If you were talking about the US Army or Marine Corps it would be relatively painless. But if you ramp it down to the size the British Army and Royal Marine Corps and you're probably talking about the equivalent of losing a Brigade/Battalion in the US Army/Marine Corps.
Yeah. This makes sense but its gonna hurt.
Australian Army 7th Brigade on exercise (vid)
Thanks to LRD for the link!
Hmm. Nicely put together. I still disagree with how they're putting their Army together for work in the Pacific but they do have some nice toys.
Hmm. Nicely put together. I still disagree with how they're putting their Army together for work in the Pacific but they do have some nice toys.
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