Thread: AMERICANS ARE GOING TO BE ROUNDED UP!

Kennedy wanted to go back to the gold standard but the Federal Reserve Corp didn’t like his ideas. I am all for getting rid of the Federal Reserve. If we can’t persuade our politicians by phone calls, faxes, letters and emails, perhaps an economic strike will be needed.

ChrisF--The Defense Department made a huge announcement a couple of weeks ago talking about the China threat and its large military build-up. There is the issue about Taiwan and the Head of China's military said if we should do something offensive to protect Taiwan they'd attack us with a nuclear bomb....take out 9 American Cities. So...there is the China Deal.

We have an Iraq insurgency that could get to our shores walking across a border if they wanted to hurt US.

We have al-Qaeda that hijacked 4 American Airliners. We didn't get any of them before they attacked and did their damage. Our ability to intercept such aircraft weaponry is number of bases with proxmity to targets. Fewer bases, fewer military aircraft, longer distance between bases and targets...higher chance we can't intercept them. Same with troop movement.

It's better to maintain the bases and keep them available. We've done so all these many years. When you close a base or significantly cut funding, you are cutting manpower. The bases are paid for. So the funding cuts would be primarily manpower, troops, technicians, maintenance that keep the facilities and their operations viable and operational. They don't have to be fully staffed; but staffed sufficiently to keep the location.

If the Defense Department had announced closing 5 or 6; expanding or upgrading 5 or 6 others....to be more efficient, eliminate duplication, etc...no problem.

BUT 29 + 33 = 62. That is alot of disabling; the loss of a great many strategic locations; the elimination of a great many military options; in my book considering everything that is going on in the world right now.

Maybe it's true we don't need them....but they didn't give any reasons why we don't need them.

They are closing Walter Reed Hospital also. That is where most of our injured from Iraq go for the very specialized treatment of war injuries and rehabilitation...this is where the President goes; this is where the Pentagon goes. If you close Walter Reed, now where will they go?

It just seems very odd to me when we have a terrorism fight on our hand; no control of our borders; a foreign invasion worrying every American; no internal security worth mentioning; active engagements on two fronts involving Taliban which they tell us is al-Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents who are not al-Qaeda but who welcome the so called-al-Qaeda fighters; worries with nuclear build up in Iran; worries with nuclear build up in North Korea.; new fronts in Africa emerging as we involve ourselves there...it just doesn't seem the time to close that many bases without some reasonable explanation.

Never forget, it was unguarded borders and weak and thinly spread armies that led to the fall of Rome.

China in my opinion is one of the most dangerous threats to not just America but the whole world. Today they will claim they own Taiwan, in 1949 they claimed and invaded and took over Tibet. In 1979 they did the same with Vietnam but failed. Before we know it we will have them marching down our own streets if we dont stop them in the Straight of Taiwan, an event which I belive will occur withen 5 years. China also owns the Panama Canal and has aspirations for the Suez, if that happens we will lose our ability to rapidly respend to trouble.

I wouldent be suprised if we already have some Iraqi insurgents here, I belive the USBP caught an Iraqi woman with terrorist connections to Abu Nidal and his group (the hijackers of the Achille Lauro and were sheltered by Saddam) crossing the Mexican border a few years ago.

As for the bases, this is a disaster while I dont belive the military should be scattered about in company sized detachments all over the place as was in the 1800's but every part of our country should be covered by some sort of presence from the regular military in addition to the National Guard. Where I live on Long Island, NY where the population is 4 million plus the 8 million in nearby NYC we have 0 active duty combat military personel with the exception of a mere handful of Coast Guard and a few dozen National Guardsmen, with the only active duty military being recruiters and non combat support people like I belive there is some sort of Quartermaster unit in NYC. Correct me if im wrong, but isent the majority of the regular Army stationed down South away from the more urban and surburban areas, same with the Air Force, Navy and Marines? For example, the Pacific Fleet in San Diego can be overrun in a matter of hours if the Chinese ever came over the Mexican border.

ChrisF!! You mean Long Island doesn't have even 1 military base? Is Grumman Aerospace still in Bethpage? Usually there is a military base near these facilities. I am appalled. Did you ever have one?

Originally Posted by Judy

ChrisF!! You mean Long Island doesn't have even 1 military base? Is Grumman Aerospace still in Bethpage? Usually there is a military base near these facilities. I am appalled. Did you ever have one?

Nope, they moved Grumman to Oregon or someplace in the NW when it merged with some other company and razed half the former facility. The other half is now a civilian airport. Some of the factory still exists but is being demolished bit by bit.

Most of the regular military bases on LI were Coast Artillery emplacements and the like that have been long since demolished. Fort Totten and Fort Wadsworth in Queens are active duty bases but only garrison a supply battalion and a small engineer and MP detachment. There are several National Guard facilities in the area including the pararescue unit from "The Perfect Storm" and a few companies from the 69th Infantry all of which are very undermanned.

Air support, I dont even have any idea where the closest armed aircraft are.

In short, it would be the perfect place for an invasion except for the limited ways off the island (the 8 bridges and tunnels leading to Manhattan and the Bronx can be blown up).

ChrisF--That is unbelievable. Then no wonder we didn't intercept the 2 planes that hit the WTC!! I know they sent F-16s from somewhere and then diverted them off over the ocean. NO one knows why they did that, and I'm not sure about the timing...whether or not they got there in time and then were diverted or didn't get there in time and were diverted to watch for more???

I could see the first one getting to the first Tower due to "chaos" but TWO?

We are not secure. You (New York) are in danger as 9/11 absolutely demonstrates.

I'm really sorry you lost Grumman. I visited them on a business trip. It was a HUGE facility. Why would they leave New York with all those skilled workers there?

Makes no sense. Maybe they needed a new plant and the states are very competitive now.

I wonder where the F-16s came from on 9/11. They did get there fairly quickly which is why I assumed they were around Bethpage.

I believe the F-16 is a Navy Fighter so they would have originated from a Naval Base....or.....maybe an aircraft carrier in the ocean. Maybe they flew in from a carrier off the coast of New York?

Hey...you need to investigate that and find out where did those F-16s come from? Land or Sea.

Hmmmm...."more questions than answers" seems the "soup of the day"!!

I BELIEVE the 9/11 F-16s were sent from a base in Maryland. They may have even been Air National Guard, I do recall hearing that we had only 2 fully armed and ready fighters available in the whole country that morning and that 30 or so more could be ready in a half hour.

Only 2...well, I think the American People are entitled to a REFUND from the US Department of Defense. F-16's are sold to the US Navy, I believe.

How interesting....thousands of F-16's and F-17's etc, etc, etc. ...and only 2 available for operation THAT DAY! And they were sent out to Sea and held there awaiting instructions....while the planes hit and the towers crumbled.

Wow...that's disappointing to say the least isn't it. Only 2...and the President for several minutes continues to read a story to the children, after knowing one plane hit one tower...but decides to continue with the story for the children and then during the reading when Andrew Card informs after the second plane hits the South Tower, "Mr. President, America is under attack." the President never asks "Mr. Card, what type of attack, was it "nucular" and do I need to something like activate the National Defense Missile System; he doesn't ask what cities; he doesn't ask who did it; he doesn't ask one question...just continues to read for 8 more minutes without knowing any details because he didn't ask any questions.

All he knew from Andrew Card was: "Mr. President, America is under attack".

And our President asks no questions and takes no action.

Strange isn't it?

Only 2 fighter jets out of thousands working that day and these 2 were diverted away from the target and sent out to sea to hold there awaiting further instructions which never came.

Very very strange.

Hard to believe, really.

ChrisF--can you confirm whether or not those F-16s were from a National Guard Base?

Thanks. We need to know that.

Judy, the 2 planes scrambled to Manhattan were Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15's from a Cape Cod ANG base. There is an ANG base in New Jersey that had planes available but they had no ammo for them due to 1998 budget cuts. The nearest regular military armed aircraft were at Andrews AFB in Maryland. Ill get you a link if you want.