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Old 10-09-2021, 01:07 PM
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Exclamation The Pentagon’s hottest new catchphrase sounds a lot like its old one

The Pentagon’s hottest new catchphrase sounds a lot like its old one
By: Jeff Schogol - Task & Purpose News - 10-09-21
Re: https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-...c-competition/

Photo link: https://taskandpurpose.com/uploads/2...2-1536x864.jpg
FILE PHOTO: George C. Scott plays the role of General Buck Turgidson in the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. (Photo by �� John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images).

I have written and reported about the military under four presidents, eight confirmed defense secretaries, and a few other acting Pentagon heads. During that time, I have heard countless official phrases that the Grand Poobahs have embraced as their new mantra for national security – including “multi-domain operations;” “increased lethality;” and let’s not forget the “safe and orderly drawdown” in Afghanistan.

Each of those buzzwords has proven to be just as useless as the earplugs that U.S. troops have worn in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past 20 years.

So, I was not surprised when Politico reported this week that the Pentagon will now use the phrase “strategic competition” to describe the ongoing Cold War with China. The new verbiage has been cut and pasted from President Joe Biden’s Interim National Security Guidance, which was released in March.

“Taken together, this agenda will strengthen our enduring advantages, and allow us to prevail in strategic competition with China or any other nation,” the guidance says.

Get used to hearing about “strategic competition,” because Politico is also reporting that the phrase will replace the Pentagon’s previous favorite buzzwords: “great power competition.”

For those of you who have lived off the planet Earth since 2018, defense officials have used the words “great power competition” to begin and end every one of their sentences for the past three years. That’s how the Pentagon can justify asking for more money while being unable to defeat the Taliban.

The term “great power competition” has become so ubiquitous that it can be used to change the subject in any awkward situation. It is entirely within the realm of possibility that one day a Pentagon official will explain why he emerged from a Polish strip club covered in teeth marks by saying, “Great power competition requires us to spin our heads right round when we go down – when we go down.”

But I digress.

Whether the Pentagon calls our current struggle with China a “strategic competition” or not doesn’t change the fact that the most advanced military in the world has a headquarters where it is virtually impossible to connect to the internet when you step away from your desk. Yes, the Pentagon is the world’s largest dead zone for most forms of electronic communication, which might come in handy if our nation’s military were ever called upon to fight the country that literally builds the phones for everyone in the world.

The U.S. military’s seeming inability to retire the Defense Travel System does not bode well for its chances against a technologically advanced adversary that may possess the key advantage of being able to update its software.

Let’s face it: The thing that the Pentagon does best is buying crap that doesn’t work. We might as well just give China a few F-35s to screw up their acquisition process for the next 30 years.

None of the Defense Department’s underlying weaknesses will be changed by moving from “great power competition” to “strategic competition.”

The truth is that the United States is nowhere close to being on a war footing if a conflict with China broke out. That is because the industrial muscle America had in 1941 has mostly gone overseas.

For the military, that means the United States does not have the ability to repair or replace any warships that would get damaged or sunk in a war against China.

A war with China could also leave the military with a critical shortage of the raw materials needed to make munitions. Earlier this year, the Defense Department proposed legislation to increase spending on rare earth minerals, which are also vital components in electronics and hypersonic weapons, Defense News reporter Joe Gould revealed.

“China is currently the sole source or primary supplier for many chemicals required to make ingredients in missiles and munitions end items. In many cases, there is no other source for these foreign-sourced materials and no drop-in alternatives are available,” according to the proposal, which was obtained by Defense News.

In order to address these problems, the United States needs to radically change how it spends money. But that requires something that the military cannot provide: A working government.

The reason lawmakers cannot agree on infrastructure spending or paying off the national debt is that Congress no longer seems to solve problems. Instead, unscrupulous politicians seek to allow the nation’s wounds to fester to create resentment that will help them get reelected or run for president.

Without responsible elected leaders, the Pentagon is effectively powerless against China, and a new catchphrase is not going to fix the problem of “strategic competition.”

Note: Want more: On this site are several additional links (I will post them below but you have to be on this site to open them (at the bottom of the 1st post above: (Boats)

More great stories on Task & Purpose: Re: https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-...c-competition/

a. What we know about Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the Marine officer in the brig after publicly criticizing his commanders

b. Marine officer who blasted leaders over Afghanistan withdrawal now in the brig

c. At least four mid-level officers have publicly revolted against military leaders. What’s going on?

d. This Marine officer wants to charge a general with ‘dereliction of duty’ over Afghanistan

e. Army refuses to say whether officer’s resignation letter citing ‘Marxist takeover of the military’ is real

f. Marine officer says he’s resigning his commission to ‘bring the system down’ over Afghanistan withdrawal

g. Marine commander relieved over viral video calling out military leaders for Afghanistan withdrawal

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Personal note: This is pretty damning to see and/or read about. I won't pretend
to tell you I know all the facts. But there are major issues underway in our
Military system. Many of them are of great importance - and need to be
resolved - or there will be major issues - if not already - within our Military
System.
-
Let's face it we've fought on many foreign grounds and really haven't done
as much as was expected - and over a prolonged period of time. These are
the issues that our military men and women want to know why we've pulled
out - after suffering years of fighting - and to what end!
-
I can relate to that - as can many other's who've served. It seems we've fought
to a stalemate rather then winning outright! It's costly and depressing at the same
time.
-
Our military leaders have got to fix this - as it breaks down the cohesive objectives
of the ground forces.
-
The loss of troop's is not taken lightly - both by the ground troops or by the people
back home. 20+ years fighting to a draw - is not what we call being a winner -
(more like a sacrificial lambs brought to a slaughter).
-
It's heart breaking. I lost my Brother and many of my school Bud's in Nam and
to what end? These are the issues our Troop's want answers to! I don't blame them
one bit.
-
Commander's and the Political driver's of these wars/conflicts are not on the same
page - and the injured - and losses are appalling. And to what end - we pull out leaving
the local's - who were hoping for us to break their bonds - only to fall back into the
system they never wanted to see again.
-
We have to fix our objective's "so that it doesn't smell" its so bad when we do depart
and leave it - and watching it go back to its original designs - and the local people
who will suffer for taking our sides - It's Damn Awful Shame - but that's just me posting
it. I can only imagine how our military folks are feeling who were fighting in that war
(or any others) - and the injured or lost friends or Bud's - who were killed - or severely
injured during those days! The nightmare's and flashbacks have to be horrendous.

You Top Gun's calling the shot's have got a Major Problem - and it isn't going to go away!
And guess what - it won't be any better fighting China, N. Korea or Russia - those are
next on the plate pretty soon.
-
So you had better have it figured - or witness the slaughter once again - as it raise its
ugly head - and I dare not really say any more - that's on my mind much longer - but it won't be pretty.
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__________________
Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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