Joint Chiefs Issue Paper: America Has Overreacted To Islamic Extremism-Needs To Invest In AMERICANS

[kpete]

Joint Chiefs Staffers Issue Paper Saying America Has Overreacted To Islamic Extremism

...............

The piece was written by two senior members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CAPT Wayne Porter, USN and Col Mark "Puck" Mykleby) in a "personal" capacity, but it is clear that it would not have seen the light of day without a measure of official approval. Its findings are revelatory, and they deserve to be read and appreciated not only by every lawmaker in Congress, but by every American citizen.

The narrative argues that the United States is fundamentally getting it wrong when it comes to setting its priorities, particularly with regard to the budget and how Americans as a nation use their resources more broadly. The report says Americans are overreacting to Islamic extremism, underinvesting in their youth, and failing to embrace the sense of competition and opportunity that made America a world power. The United States has been increasingly consumed by seeing the world through the lens of threat, while failing to understand that influence, competitiveness, and innovation are the key to advancing American interests in the modern world.

Courageously, the authors make the case that America continues to rely far too heavily on its military as the primary tool for how it engages the world. Instead of simply pumping more and more dollars into defense, the narrative argues:

By investing energy, talent, and dollars now in the education and training of young Americans -- the scientists, statesmen, industrialists, farmers, inventors, educators, clergy, artists, service members, and parents, of tomorrow -- we are truly investing in our ability to successfully compete in, and influence, the strategic environment of the future. Our first investment priority, then, is intellectual capital and a sustainable infrastructure of education, health and social services to provide for the continuing development and growth of America's youth.

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/A%20National%20Strategic%20Narrative.pdf

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/joint-chiefs-staffers-issue-paper-say

[patrice]

1. K&R

[rfranklin]

2. And who was it that started the "crusade" against Islam?

Gee, you're right--it was GW Bush and Dick Cheney. And who profited? Oh yeah, Dick Cheney's Halliburton which he owned stock in as he fomented war and gave them no bid contracts to run it.

[patrice]

3. It was their idea of "trickle down" our jobs are to be in service to War Profiteers

[ck4829]

4. But at least there is a trickle down now - It's the blood of Americans and innocent Muslims

[patrice]

6. Yes and I cannot/WILL NOT forget them, ever!

[Thunderstruck]

5. I hope this sends a signal, considering who it's coming from.

[patrice]

8. FB is acting a little funny when you try to post from the Wilson Center link; won't let you

lead the link with a little synopsis-comment, like it usually does, so you can try to interest your friends in what's on the link. So, I posted the link anyway, without the pre-ler, and followed it with a Comment that is similar to Kpete's lead.

[inna]

43. Yes, it's pretty amazing considering the source. We've come a full circle (well, not quite yet...)

[supernova]

7. I admire Messrs. Porter and Mykelby

for keeping an accurate and realistic context of the military withing a functioning democratic republic. They have a short-sighted vested interest in the status quo. It would have been far too easy to just sit back and let the dollars keep rolling into the Pentagon as they are now.

I am proud of both of them for writing this missive.

:patriot:

[hulka38]

11. Absolutely.

They're jeopardizing the big payouts they have coming after they retire by putting country first.

[Turborama]

9. The words "environment" and "sustainable" were in there, but not together as they should be.

Good article, though. Thanks for sharing.

[gratuitous]

10. But if we invest in the hoi polloi, there might be less for the wealthy

And we all know that emptying our Treasury into the pockets of the wealthy is how to make America stronger! Can you just imagine how badly off we'd be if Charlie Sheen and Paris Hilton had to pay an extra three cents on the dollar in taxes for their "earnings" above $250,000 a year? America would have to hang its head in shame. Shame, I tells ya!

[madrchsod]

12. the ghost of Eisenhower must be haunting the corridors of the pentagon

is our president going to listen?/

[trusty elf]

13. That is remarkable!

It almost seems like a "Yes Men" prank!

[Cherchez la Femme]

19. I had to check calendar to be SURE this wasn't April 1st!

[rwsanders]

14. I've been waiting for this...

As much as I am against war, I am sometimes impressed by the fact that there are those in the Pentagon who can actually think.
A few years back there was a Pentagon paper that said that Global Warming was a bigger threat to the security of the U.S. than global terrorism. So I couldn't imagine that they couldn't see that the loss of manufacturing and the destruction of schools and rampant poverty in the U.S. weren't also a threat to the security of the U.S.
Kudos to the authors, I'll have to read the whole thing later, but this will be great to show all the right wing crazies. I just don't count on them actually believing it. My wife posted Eisenhowers quote about war on her facebook in response to someone's pro-military post and he said Eisenhower was an "idiot" for giving that speech. Can you imagine that? Someone (my ad hominem attack) living in mommy's basement thinking he knows more about the appropriateness and cost of war than the man who led the D-Day invasion in Europe? That's what we're facing.

[crickets]

15. K&R

[Jakes Progress]

16. A shivering nation of scaredy cats.

Hiding behind guns and big talk. Bombing our way into a world of hatred.

[amandabeech]

17. To paraphrase, the rise of the Chinese economy has been good for the US.

Page 4, paragraph 4 at the top.

Are they talking about cheap I-Phones and unemployment lines?

I have my doubts about any study that makes this assertion.

[xchrom]

38. The point about extremism & the wrong focus for us is on -- but

Free trade & cheap labor not so much.

[Skidmore]

18. These goobers wait a decade to come to that conclusion?

After they've bled the coffers dry playing soldier heroes chasing the "bad guys?" Feh.

[Ohio Joe]

20. K&R - nt

[snappyturtle]

21. I think I should go to bed...must be dreaming awake! Boehner and the

Joint Chiefs in one day? Be still my heart. nt

[freshwest]

24. And the FBI sending out letters saying miner's deaths in the W.V. mine may be from a federal crime?

This is a good day!

[bertman]

22. Excellent. REC. Proud of those two BRAVE men. nt

[themadstork]

27. exactly! Salute!

[freshwest]

23. Sanity makes a comeback at the last minute!

[autorank]

25. k*r VERY COOL

Downloaded for study!

[NuttyFluffers]

26. shit, when the brass say, "we've invested too much in war instead of our people" that's somethin'

but what do they know? :shrug:

full steam ahead! to protect our precious bodily fluids!

[valerief]

28. From the DUH files. nt

[jwirr]

29. Well, we all knew that already. They must have reading some books

lately - especially Chalmers Johnson. About time they realize we are way overstretched.

[AlbertCat]

30. the United States is fundamentally getting it wrong when it comes to setting its priorities

Huh. Y'think???? :eyes:

[Vattel]

31. Sometimes stating the obvious is a really good thing

[grahamhgreen]

32. This could read: "joint chairs embrace progressive solutions to terrorism"! We have the solutions.

When will they be enacted?

[NewJeffCT]

33. Breaking on Fox News: Joint Chiefs uncovered as commie liberal pinko hippies

more at the top of the hour.

[Citizen Worker]

34. Quite obviously the military has been infiltrated by a couple of commie pinko fascist socialists.

Somewhere a right wingnut has a list of known commies in the US government poised to strike at the heart of the world's greatest democracy.

[Taverner]

35. Why is it report after report confirms this...

And yet our government does nothing?

[Hubert Flottz]

36. Goaded into insanity by Bush, Cheney and Tom Ridge.

Also McCain and his two suck-ass pals in crime.

[paparush]

37. But, but, but, Overreacting to Islam is promising a very strong Q3.

[Enthusiast]

39. Gee whiz, a common sense assessment.

Downright fucking incredible.

[They_Live]

40. Either

we've completely run out of money, or decades of killing have spawned a conscience.

[lumberjack_jeff]

41. Exactly. Underinvestment in our people is THE primary national security threat.

I literally jumped from my chair when I read that.

[barbtries]

42. pass it around.

it sounds like just what the dr ordered.

[mistertrickster]

44. "They should just replace the American flag with white flags of surrender."

Typical right-wing whine against anyone who questions the money we spend on the military . . .

[JDPriestly]

45. Excellent statement. So true.

"Our first investment priority, then, is intellectual capital and a sustainable infrastructure of education, health and social services to provide for the continuing development and growth of America's youth."

[L0oniX]

46. Kick

[Eddie Haskell]

47. But ...

w/o our military's support, the dollar will collapse and the price of gas will rise to $8/gal. No politician can stand for that.

[Beartracks]

48. These guys are patriots, indeed. n/t

[KoKo]

49. K&R... Forward Thinking and hope it gets attention it deserves...

:kick: