Where are the carriers?
Mar. 14th, 2004 03:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
libertango"When word of a crisis breaks out in Washington, it's no accident that
the first question that comes to everyone's lips is: 'Where's the nearest carrier?'"
ascribed to Bill Clinton, March 12, 1993, aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt
*^*^*
The US has twelve aircraft carriers. This is more than the rest of the world, combined.
Care to guess how many carriers are actually out in the water, today?
One.
Eleven carriers are either in dry dock, or training and re-fit. The standard number of carriers that should be out in the water is three.
How did this happen?
Mostly because Jorge and friends have no clue whatsoever how to run a war.
Basically, they kept a number of carriers out and deployed to help execute operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. What that means is we now have a situation like an anaconda after swallowing a deer -- too many carriers are in port, because we kept them out too long.
Notably, the Abraham Lincoln had the longest carrier deployment in US history -- made one week longer so that Jorge could have his photo op on the Lincoln's deck (and blame the carrier's crew for the banner his staff up saying, "Mission Accomplished"). And if you think the 4000voters sailors of the Lincoln and their families didn't notice the needlessness of that delay, you've got another think coming.
Why -- Why?! -- isn't Kerry ripping the Administration for single-handedly stripping American defenses like this? He's ex-Navy -- he should know better.
the first question that comes to everyone's lips is: 'Where's the nearest carrier?'"
ascribed to Bill Clinton, March 12, 1993, aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt
*^*^*
The US has twelve aircraft carriers. This is more than the rest of the world, combined.
Care to guess how many carriers are actually out in the water, today?
One.
Eleven carriers are either in dry dock, or training and re-fit. The standard number of carriers that should be out in the water is three.
How did this happen?
Mostly because Jorge and friends have no clue whatsoever how to run a war.
Basically, they kept a number of carriers out and deployed to help execute operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. What that means is we now have a situation like an anaconda after swallowing a deer -- too many carriers are in port, because we kept them out too long.
Notably, the Abraham Lincoln had the longest carrier deployment in US history -- made one week longer so that Jorge could have his photo op on the Lincoln's deck (and blame the carrier's crew for the banner his staff up saying, "Mission Accomplished"). And if you think the 4000
Why -- Why?! -- isn't Kerry ripping the Administration for single-handedly stripping American defenses like this? He's ex-Navy -- he should know better.
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-14 02:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-14 04:01 pm (UTC)Do you get Tavis Smiley's TV show on PBS by you? I caught it last Friday night, with Bill Maher as a guest. Maher made basically the same point -- why aren't the Democrats going after Bush on so many actual problems (as opposed to, say, draft dodging) -- using different examples. I find that to be a most excellent question.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-14 04:15 pm (UTC)And there's still people in the Administration making noises about leaning on Syria and Iraq...
no subject
Date: 2004-03-15 11:11 am (UTC)There are so many choices for him it's hard to know where to start?
MKK