US Arms Sales

The Virginian Pilot on 4/20/13 reported on an arms deal the US has made with Israel, Saudi Arabia and he United Arab Emirates that is worth $ 10 billion.  I wonder if we loaned them the money to buy the weapons from US arms makers?  It seems part of the reason for the deal was because of the growing military power of Iran (before Iran it was Iraq, before Iraq it was Libya).  The article notes that "the offer is meant to ensure Israel's military edge in the region in light of arms sales the US is advancing in Saudi Arabia and the UAR".  Please tell me we are not giving arms to two Arab countries in order for us to we give more arms to Israel?  But it does sound like US foreign policy.  

US and Human Rights

John Kerry and the State Department issued a statement of human rights in the world stating that the "see little progress on global human rights".  I find this interesting in light of the recent US government study making clear the US policy to use torture against suspected terror suspects.  The report notes that no useful information ever came from torture that could not have been obtained by more humane means.  The report notes the wrongs of the Bush I admin in the commission of these abuses and the Obama admin in doing about them when they took office.  I wonder how much credibility the Kerry statement got in countries around the world.  The Virginian Pilot on 4/20/13 had a short article on the Kerry statement.

Boston Bombing

Yesterday two bombs went off at the finish line for the Boston Marathon.  Three people were killed and a lot of others were injured and maimed, some losing legs.  The date for the Marathon is Patriots Day in Massachusetts that marks the beginning battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord; April 15th.  No one has claimed "credit" or issued prior warnings as is the case in many terror attacks of this kind. I am thinking that the key here is the date not the place of the bombing.  Domestic militia groups and others who think the US government is "treading" on our rights and acting like the English kings of old seem to see themselves of modern day "patriots" fighting for freedom against a tyrannical central government.  If my guess is right then this terror bombing is an act of a domestic terrorist group and not an al-Qaeda type group.

Spending Priorities

Rear Admiral Joseph Mulloy, the deputy secretary of the Navy for the budget said recently, "If we don't take  care of our ships, who are we?  I mean, that's the bottom line".  He said this in reference to the sequester and the issue of cutting defense spending in order to balance the budget.  I would say in response, "If we don't take care of our people, who are we?  I mean, that's the real bottom line".  A country can look strong on the outside with military forces to best any other country in the world, but if the country is weak on the inside then all the military power in the world may not save it.