Keep on rockin’ in the Free World…………………………….
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Bubblehead noticed the ultimate in a make work executive appointment. While he pokes fun at Mark Fox -the guy who shot down a Mig over Iraq in Round 1 and gave the Hornet mafia their ultimate propoganda piece: “See, we can shoot down Migs on the way to AND from the target. Bombs and Fox-1’s!”-who has been appointed to , wait for it, the following: “Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark I. Fox is being assigned as deputy to the deputy chief of staff for political, military and economic business, Multi-National Forces Iraq. Fox is currently serving as deputy assistant to the president and director, White House Military Office, Washington, D.C.”
Bubblehead sums it up quite nicely:
Deputy to the Deputy”? As an Flag Officer? I’m sure RADM Fox is a fine officer, but c’mon… this should serve as a wake-up call to everyone who sees it that the Navy just has too many Admirals. Maybe NAVPERS can come up with a “Drawdown Game” for Flags — but of course they won’t. One of the most jealously-guarded items within each service, and for each community within the services, is the number of General and Flag Officer billets they get — no one wants to give up a slot, because that would mean they’d be perceived as becoming less important. The Navy has well over 200 Flag Officers for a force of 282 deployable battle force ships — most of which are commanded by O-5s. The Army has 25 General Officers for each division — or about 1 per battalion/regiment, which are also commanded by O-5s. At least the Air Force is looking at cutting their numbers of Generals — although I doubt it will actually happen, for the aforementioned reason.
And don’t even get me started on the number of O-6s with no apparent function other than to keep people below them in the chain of command from working efficiently…
Its 279 Flags to be precise. The same number we had in 1991……………….
One side note. What has always amazed me is that in Japan, the submarine and P-3 flags split their duties between 7th and 5th fleets. Why? Why not have an O-6 for each fleet? Have an O-6 command the Task Force in Fifth fleet and an O-6 run the one in 7th fleet. After all in the case of the P-3 guy, he is commanding 1/3 as many aircraft as a TACAIR O-6 commands. Go see above for why not.
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Under the category of “While you were out………” , the military in Thailand staged a good old fashioned Coup de Etat. People are “shocked!, Shocked” that this happened. I don’t understand why. Thaksin has been asking for this for about 6 months now. Thaksin was supposed to have stepped down in April. He did not, however. In Thailand, as in Turkey, the military always holds the trump card. Its the fourth coup in 60 years that I can think of.
What does amaze me is that people are asking the question about,”what does this do for the US -Thai relationship?” Nothing. The US would be stupid to make something of this. So long as the bars in Pattaya stay open and we can use Utapao AB, it is really none of our business. That is what worries me. People will try to make more out of this than it really is…………..
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If really needed one of these, why would you GIVE IT BACK?
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Finally, here is what George W. wishes he could do to critics of his GTMO plan. Courtesy of Hemlock:
The new-look, Foreign Affairs wannabe Far Eastern Economic Review can finally look its critics in the face. Like any publication of integrity, it is being sued by the drooling geriatric despot Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s de facto President for Life. When I read the magazine’s interview with opposition politician Chee Soon Juan a few months ago, it crossed my mind that this might happen. Chee mentioned the National Kidney Foundation scandal, in which the leadership of an institution supposedly founded for the public good massively overpaid themselves, lived in luxury and issued defamation suits against nosy outsiders – in other words, acted just like the Lion City’s government. And he gave his opinion, as he has before, about the country whose ruling family have sued him, had him declared bankrupt, and had him jailed.
Meanwhile, the World Bank and IMF accuse the Singapore authorities of reneging on an agreement to allow members of non-governmental organizations access to their Annual Meeting being held in the city state. A few months back in a Canadian court, a defendant in a commercial case argued against local enforcement of a Singapore court decision on the grounds that the Lion City’s judiciary is rotten, allowing itself to be used to persecute government opponents like Chee. It would be interesting if, for a change, a media company faced with the wrath of the senile, nepotistic bully who passes himself off as visionary elder statesman and Minister Mentor stood its ground and told the old goat to take a hike. Then the FEER could actually look down on a few people.
That will never happen by the way. If only GW knew he could be a “Minister Mentor”.
Then we would never leave Iraq. And the New York Times would be just like the Straits Times….”All the adds that we can fit”. Problem is that job is currently held by Clinton, who has yet to realize he’s not the President anymore…………………………..
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Rock on baby!
