OLD DOG HAS NEW TRICK!
August 30th 2008 17:41
You have to hand it to that old political dog, McCain, he is a shrewd one! Instead of picking someone who fits the usual male profile, of a Vice President running mate, he picks a woman, Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, gunning for the disenchanted Hillary democrat voters. Being an Alaskan, does this indicate she might be a bit frigid, on foreign policy?
Apparently, she does not have any experience in that area, but she was first runner-up in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant (1984) and won the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, that must account for something!
However, a distinct lack of knowledge in political foreign relations has not stopped America from electing people, (particularly in the recent past), who not only had no idea on how to properly manage foreign relations and tactful diplomacy, but bull dozed straight into wars, self-manufactured for American economic growth and Australia went along with the lies and the killing, thanks to that right wing "dog whistler" Howard.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons: image link
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This is why we need to watch who gets voted into the Presidency, because it will directly impact on our own foreign policy and economy. We still have big USA spy bases on our soil, very important ones too, and yes, they are already targeted for ICBMs, by those who perceive a potential threat, by the Western Alliance.
GNU Free Documentation License
For your personal edification, I quote from that source of ubiquitous information, Wikipedia;
QUOTE
According to Professor Ball, since 9 December 1966 when the Australian and U.S. governments signed the Pine Gap treaty, Pine Gap has grown from the original two antennas to about eighteen in 1999. The number of staff has also increased, from around 400 in the early 1970s to 600 in the early 1990s, and then to an expected 1,000. The biggest expansion occurred after the end of the Cold War.
He described the CIA-run facility as the ground control and processing station for geosynchronous satellites engaged in signals intelligence collection, outlining four categories of signals collected:
telemetry from advanced weapons development, such as ballistic missiles, used for arms control verification;
signals from anti-missile and anti-aircraft radars;
transmissions intended for communications satellites; and
microwave emissions, such as long distance telephone calls.
Ball described the operational area as containing three sections: Satellite Station Keeping Section, Signals Processing Station and the Signals Analysis Section, from which Australians were barred until 1980. Australians are now officially barred only from the National Cryptographic Room (similarly, Americans are barred from the Australian Cryptographic Room). Each morning the Joint Reconnaissance Schedule Committee meets to determine what the satellites will monitor over the next 24 hours.
With the closing of the Nurrungar base in 1999, an area in Pine Gap was set aside for the U.S. Air Force's control station for infrared satellites that monitor heat emissions from missiles, giving first warning of ballistic missile launches.
ENDQUOTE
Last year, it was announced that another new base is to be built in Western Australia. Publicly, we only know part of what these bases are equipped to do. In the past, Australia was not let in on what the bases were all about, we now know and share more information today, our government reassures us, but somehow, call me cynical, I don't think we know everything that needs to be known, regarding what our partner, the USA, is doing with it 's highly advanced technology. Oz is a number one target, should the crap hit the fan with the big boys of missile owners.
I must say though, what wars in history were purely egalitarian in nature, just for the betterment of others, of mankind? WW2 maybe? If so, it wasn't very effective in ridding the world of fascist politicians!
Today, we see so-called democracies around the world voting in far right wing, even fascist leaning, politicians. Even the so-called left wing major parties, like our own Federal Labor, is quietly maintaining a 'police state' mentality. How come we have allowed the human rights and protections that our families fought for, be gradually removed or diluted, to be replaced with draconian laws designed to control and spy on the populace? Under the invented guise of a terror threat, we have allowed our culture to be changed, for the worse!
How can we justify these outrageous changes to our laws, laws that fundamentally delineated the difference between us and a totalitarian regime?
Jackboots anyone?
Photo Credit: This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.
Gov. Sarah Palin, the next VP of USA?
Apparently, she does not have any experience in that area, but she was first runner-up in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant (1984) and won the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, that must account for something!
However, a distinct lack of knowledge in political foreign relations has not stopped America from electing people, (particularly in the recent past), who not only had no idea on how to properly manage foreign relations and tactful diplomacy, but bull dozed straight into wars, self-manufactured for American economic growth and Australia went along with the lies and the killing, thanks to that right wing "dog whistler" Howard.
Canis lupus signatus
Photo Credit: Creative Commons: image link
License Link
This is why we need to watch who gets voted into the Presidency, because it will directly impact on our own foreign policy and economy. We still have big USA spy bases on our soil, very important ones too, and yes, they are already targeted for ICBMs, by those who perceive a potential threat, by the Western Alliance.
Welcome to Ozmerica!
GNU Free Documentation License
For your personal edification, I quote from that source of ubiquitous information, Wikipedia;
QUOTE
According to Professor Ball, since 9 December 1966 when the Australian and U.S. governments signed the Pine Gap treaty, Pine Gap has grown from the original two antennas to about eighteen in 1999. The number of staff has also increased, from around 400 in the early 1970s to 600 in the early 1990s, and then to an expected 1,000. The biggest expansion occurred after the end of the Cold War.
He described the CIA-run facility as the ground control and processing station for geosynchronous satellites engaged in signals intelligence collection, outlining four categories of signals collected:
telemetry from advanced weapons development, such as ballistic missiles, used for arms control verification;
signals from anti-missile and anti-aircraft radars;
transmissions intended for communications satellites; and
microwave emissions, such as long distance telephone calls.
Ball described the operational area as containing three sections: Satellite Station Keeping Section, Signals Processing Station and the Signals Analysis Section, from which Australians were barred until 1980. Australians are now officially barred only from the National Cryptographic Room (similarly, Americans are barred from the Australian Cryptographic Room). Each morning the Joint Reconnaissance Schedule Committee meets to determine what the satellites will monitor over the next 24 hours.
With the closing of the Nurrungar base in 1999, an area in Pine Gap was set aside for the U.S. Air Force's control station for infrared satellites that monitor heat emissions from missiles, giving first warning of ballistic missile launches.
ENDQUOTE
Last year, it was announced that another new base is to be built in Western Australia. Publicly, we only know part of what these bases are equipped to do. In the past, Australia was not let in on what the bases were all about, we now know and share more information today, our government reassures us, but somehow, call me cynical, I don't think we know everything that needs to be known, regarding what our partner, the USA, is doing with it 's highly advanced technology. Oz is a number one target, should the crap hit the fan with the big boys of missile owners.
I must say though, what wars in history were purely egalitarian in nature, just for the betterment of others, of mankind? WW2 maybe? If so, it wasn't very effective in ridding the world of fascist politicians!
Today, we see so-called democracies around the world voting in far right wing, even fascist leaning, politicians. Even the so-called left wing major parties, like our own Federal Labor, is quietly maintaining a 'police state' mentality. How come we have allowed the human rights and protections that our families fought for, be gradually removed or diluted, to be replaced with draconian laws designed to control and spy on the populace? Under the invented guise of a terror threat, we have allowed our culture to be changed, for the worse!
How can we justify these outrageous changes to our laws, laws that fundamentally delineated the difference between us and a totalitarian regime?
Jackboots anyone?
Photo Credit: This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.
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Comment by Bill Green
Talking Headlines
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
actually, I knew old Jim McClelland really well, (Diamond Jim the press called him, and he didn't mind it) I used to visit his house a lot, in Point Piper, during the seventies, and he told me how they had asked their experts what they thought was going on there, and no one had a ruddy clue, except what the Yanks told them.
My father was apporached in the fifties to drill a mile deep hole, one foot in diameter, hollowing out at the base into a sphere, which had to be near perfect.
I won't say where or who etc, but it was very interesting. Dad turned it down and put the Americans onto a driller he knew who could do the job properly.
More interestingly, during the week before the official visit to the spy bases, by our Federal Government, when Whitlam was in power, three Star Lifter US transport aircraft flew in and filled up with stuff, and flew out again. No one had any idea what was taken out of course, but it must have been a lot of crap, those Star Lifters are HUGE!
I am still of the belief that we need America well on side, to help protect our arse, and help support us if some of our smaller neighbours get in trouble in the future, such as invasion and usurption by another nation... (not mentioning names.. ahem!)
We just are not strong enough militarily to do the job on our own, not rich enough to establish a constant high level of military committment in our neck of the woods, let alone have the trained manpower numbers needed to do the job properly.
The pollies all rave on about what a great job we are doing, how tough we are, East Timor etc, but we are not combatting a nation with a sizeable modern force determined to upset the apple cart, yet.
When we do, it will be a very different story.
I love the unmittigated gall of the Yank Congress to deny us their state of the art flying machines, like the F22 Raptor, while using our soverign land as their up and down link for spy sat. com. etc etc etc, making us a number one target if the proverbial hits the fan with the big boys overseas.
I find denying supply of the Raptor especially annoying when I heard (maybe incorrectly, certainly unsubstantiated) that Japan is getting them, and we are getting an interim old dog that was rejected years ago by the US Navy.
Of course, the Yanks now say it has been refurbished and state of the art tech stuffed into it. However, when you compare it to the performance stats of the Russian Sukhoi jets, it gets a little worrisome; Sukhois out climb, shoot further, fly longer and faster, cost much less and need less overhauls per flying hours!
Certain neighbours in our region are buying them. Small orders as yet, but it is a start. China too, is buying them, not that it would matter if we ended up in a fight with China, we would lose big time and very quickly..
Some military types I have chatted to about this jet problem insist that the stats for the Sukhois are over-inflated by the Russians, and the interim US jets will do fine.
Let us hope they are right and that our neighbours stay all nice and peaceful...
cheers
fog