Politics Talk. What happens to the Republican party if Trump loses? Can the "Never Trumpers" return to power?

 

I've been gearing up to listen to debate and saw a commercial bashing Lindsey Graham (dude definitely can't catch a break...hated by Republicans, RINOS and Dems!).

I forget the organization that was running the ad but it was formed by "Never Trumpers".

All this led me to this question (I think I've touched on it before...either here or in another conversation).

What happens to the Republican Party if Trump loses?  Can the "Never Trumpers" return to power?

Let's get actual and factual.

These elites that roam the halls of power, in the think tanks, Congressional aides etc...are the power behind the throne.  Correction.  Money is the power behind the throne.  These people are the court jesters that throw out ideas and try and get the real powers to bite.

For the purposes of this blog let's look at the defense analyst.

There are some pretty well known bubbas that are on the outs with the Trump administration.  Some by their own choice.  Some because they were forced out.

What are they gonna do?

Could the Dems throw those people a bone and let them into their tent?  Would they really rush to join them?  If they don't could they return to the Republican party?

Republican elites would welcome them back but would the rank and file conservative?

I just don't know.

What I think though is that political turmoil will continue for at least another year and we're gonna see various power plays in a 3, possibly 4 way firing squad (I'm thinking it'll be both Dems AND Repub infighting if Biden bites the dust and Kamila takes power).

2020 has sucked donkey dick.  I'm beginning to think that 2021 won't be any better.  

This covid shit is gonna stick.  The economy is still gonna muddle along.  People got into the habit (only takes 60 days to make a lifestyle and some got into the lifestyle of sitting at home) of not working, the Middle East is still a mess, China is still rising, Africa has dodged covid but has so many other problems that it will be a source of concern....and we have all the drama going on inside the US itself with the various social issues.

It ain't over yet folks.

The breakup of the Republican Party might be small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.

The British Queen Elizabeth Carrier. They won't admit it but we own that bitch!

 

What happens when you have an aircraft carrier but you need someone else to put planes on it so it can operate as intended?

You have an aircraft for sure.  But whoever puts planes on it, owns it.  The British Queen Elizabeth Carrier.  The Brits will never admit it but own that bitch!

Rethinking Women in Ground Close Combat

 Not touching this shit with a ten foot pole.  Don't need the grief.  Its from the Wavell Room and you can read it here.

Side note.  The politically correct thinking is strong in the force on this one though. The reality?

Women have made the most dramatic rise in every aspect of measurement in society in every way among all demographics.  Especially white women.  The idea that blacks are the cause of angst is laughable.  Racists are sleeping with the very people that are drinking their milkshake.

Coming to a theater near you...Vietnam part deux...

PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 22, 2020) 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit tests the connectivity of the Networking On-the-Move Airborne (NOTM-A) communications system during MV-22B flight operations from the amphibious assault ship USS America. pic.twitter.com/koiFx8Zewd

— Ryan Chan 陳家翹 (@ryankakiuchan) September 27, 2020

Are you fucking kidding me? I guess its fuck the strategic corporal and now we're gonna have a rerun of commanders flying over a battlefield calling shots on the ground, Vietnam style. Replace Hueys with MV-22s and you have the magic. How about we do this. If you're trying to call the shots at least get in the mud too! This generation of generals is bound and determined to repackage almost every mistake of the past, put some lipstick on it, call it high tech and act like they've caught lightning in a bottle.

VIDEO: Footage claimed to show Azerbaijani tanks being destroyed in fighting today.

VIDEO: Footage claimed to show Azerbaijani tanks being destroyed in fighting today. - @301_ADpic.twitter.com/xHZYRjx8O3

— Conflict News (@Conflicts) September 27, 2020

The missile marine concept (force design) is simply creating an Anti-Access/Area Denial zone for the Chinese to penetrate!

 

It amazing to watch the huge steaming pile that Berger has managed to come up with.  The sad reality?  He's trying to create an Anti-Access/Area Denial zone that the Chinese will have to penetrate.

Deterrence?

This has everything to do with deterrence, not winning a war (oh and trust and believe that the Chinese will analyze this thing and come to the same conclusion...they won't be fooled or deterred by this monstrosity).  

Remember my complaint that the US DoD had become so focused on offensive warfare that it became unbalanced?  Remember my complaint that we didn't work on defensive ops and that it would bite us?

This plan is an entire generation of thinking biting us in the ass.

The problem?  We're operating in their neighborhood.  This plan rests on another leg of the tripod that is totally outside the realm of the DoD and rests in the area of the State Dept.

Berger is complaining that we're not postured properly in the Pacific.  

You know where he's heading with this don't you?

More US bases in the region.

Riddle me this.  Which Pacific nation is going to welcome US missile marines or Soldiers onto their soil?  Do you think you can push this concept by just running exercises on an ongoing basis?

Do you really believe that Pacific nations that aren't aligned with the US (which means everyone except Japan, Australia, S. Korea) are going to pick a side in this upcoming fight?

We're living in the legacy of the F-35.  With that plane it was "lets get it first then we'll fix it".  The same can be said of this concept.  "Lets get it set in stone then we'll fix it".

What a pathetic way to plan.  We deserve better leadership.

Open Comment Post. 27 Sept 2020

 

T-77 American Heavy Premium?  Baby T-57?  Take my money World of Tanks!

A force that is good for only one fight is a force that can be discarded...

 

Specialization is for insects...or the United States Missile Marine Corps!

We need a reformer.  We need a leader that can put the Marine Corps back on track without any other interest except leading the nation's fiercest fighters. We need a new Commandant cause Berger is just as big a disappointment as Amos...only more consequential.  At least Amos didn't kill tanks directly (his lust for the F-35 started this drama though...so maybe he's the other bastard in this drama!).

Back on task.

If the Missile Marines continue on this plan to specialize for a fight against China in the Pacific then it will be discarded when it becomes apparent that the fight isn't gonna happen there, but instead in Africa.

This Transformation that Berger is pushing is instead the death knell for the Marine Corps...even the missile marines.

Back in the days when the FDA actually did good work...

https://wtf-fun-factss.tumblr.com/post/630325474900525056/frances-kelsey-and-fda-official-saved-the-us

Marines Weigh Closing Parris Island and San Diego to Open New Coed Boot Camp

 via Military.com

If the Marine Corps were to move boot camp away from its fabled training bases, Kate Germano, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who led Parris Island's female 4th Recruit Training Battalion, said leaders must explain their reasoning in full. Otherwise, she said she worries male Marines would blame women for the loss of tradition.

"There would be so much animus there, as if there isn't already enough," Germano said.

Story here. 

You called it female.  No further comment from me on this story.

US Army....Rail Gunner Rush

 

Mark my words. The US Army will optimize two divisions. The 25th ID and the 2nd ID. They will optimize those divisions for warfare in the Pacific and they will do one thing to equal the Missile Marines. 

They will simply add MLRS to their artillery battalions and they'll fill them with anti-ship missiles. They already have a more robust anti-air capability than the Marine Corps ever has and they'll plug into the Navy's fire network. Pushing Marines off LHDs/LPDs will be simple. 

The missile marines (lower case on purpose) have decided to give up the amphibious forcible entry mission so that leaves it to the US Army. Long story short? BlackTail called it. Over Specialization will KILL THE MARINE CORPS (correction has killed the Marine Corps, it will also disembowel the missile marines) and our future lies in being what we've always been. 

A medium weight force that can scale up and down the spectrum of conflict AND is capable of acting as a quick reaction force for a fight that happens anywhere on the globe. Unfortunately the "I Am Friction" Commandant can't see that. Crack is a helluva drug...

Rheinmetall – Lynx KF41: first live impressions from the field

 Note.  Don't know who came up with the idea for this video but its brilliant.  A futuristic, high tech IFV zooming around what looks like a US Army Mech Infantry unit?  You can't help but compare it to the Bradley and the Brad comes up wanting.  Nicely done.  

Open Comment Post. 26 Sept 2020

 

Commandant "I make friction" Berger. How are you gonna make these Expeditionary Airfields Low Signature?

 Note.  The pics are from DVID of an Expeditionary Airfield being constructed.  Question to Commandant "I make friction" Berger.  How the fuck are you gonna operate such a site without it being detected and bombed back into dust by the Chinese?  An LZ that you limit the number of aircraft flying into...tucked tight into the jungle?  Yeah I can see that.  Landing F-35s to refuel and rearm?  Dude put down the crack pipe! He seriously needs an intervention!

T-14 Armata on exercise!

 Thanks to S300V4 for the pics!

More pics of the French Griffon in Africa

 Thanks to Pegase for the pics...

The French are getting it right across the board.  I love the way they're building their Army?  And what are they doing?  What the US Marine Corps once were masters of but have foolishly thrown in the dustheap.

They're building a solid Air Ground Task Force that is able to scale up and down the spectrum of combat, is mobile both tactically and strategically and can fight and win against heavy mech forces.

Want to see ground force procurement done right?  Look at the Aussies and the French.  Those two nations appear to have cracked the code.

The Missile Marines?  A one trick pony with a VERY limited future.  Side question.  Since the Missile Marines have given up on amphibious assault does that mean that the US Army will also pick up that mission set? Have no fear.  I'm beat right now but we'll look at that and try and figure out how the Army will realign the 25th ID and 2nd ID to perform that mission in the Pacific.

UK's defense embarrassment, the US Missile Marines failed concept (except to sell the F-35)...Marine F-35's aboard the British Queen Elizabeth class carrier...

 

US Missile Marine aircraft aboard the Queen Elizabeth.

No one will say it but this is a MASSIVE embarrassment for the UK MOD.

Why?

Because this lays bare a few things. The Brits don't have the aircraft to fill the decks of their own carrier.  The Marine Corps has moved beyond the idea of big deck amphibs and has labeled them as non-survivable in a future conflict. The number of F-35s in USMC service is gonna be cut and the same is happening to the Brits.

Last but not least it doesn't take a futurist to predict that the Brits probably won't volunteer for a fight with China.  Talk about "out of area" operations and you have it with the Brits getting into that fight!

Long story short?

This whole thing is passe.  From the future concept that is being laid out, to the ridiculousness of the Brits not even being able to put their own aircraft on their own ship, and finally to an interoperability thing that is finally being shown to have no clothes.

Whoever came up with this idea should be forced into retirement.

I still believe the ACV will be canceled but the first batch is on track for an early delivery...

 

via Military.com

The ACV program is currently in low-rate initial production (LRIP), but the initial fielding will still occur in October instead of November or December, he added.

"It could have even been later than that and still be within what we refer to as the program baseline," Garner said. "We are actually in the second year of LRIP, so we are building vehicles now, and those vehicles will continue to be fielded."

The Marine Corps intends to field another unit in southern California in the January-February timeframe, he said.

"We have a stream of vehicles coming off the production line right now so ... we are going to continue fielding a unit about every two-to-three months," Garner said. "This is only the start; we are going to continue at a fairly regular rate from this point onward."

Here 

I'm sticking by my prediction.

The ACV will be canceled.

I give the following reasons.

1.  Berger has already stated that the Marine Corps will not ask for another cent from Congress.

2.  The focus of the Missile Marines will apparently be the Indo-Pacific and nowhere else.  If that is true then the need for protected transport of Missile Marines no longer exists.

3.  Berger has already stated that he will divest the Marine Corps of hardware to buy the stuff he needs for his twisted, jacked up and misguided transformation.  

4.  This fielding decision could be made now.  No need to wait.  We've been waiting on the ACV for an eternity.  

Long story short?

It goes back to the issue with LAR.  Just like LAR, AAV Bn is the walking dead. The reaction to the disbanding to tanks and cannons has so riled up certain members of the Marine Corps that won't speak out publicly (but will give hints to their discomfort in e-mails) that to make the announcement now (that the ACV has been canned) will result in a small rebellion.

Its just a matter of timing boys and girls.

I like this vehicle.

I like BAE.

But Berger doesn't and like an axe murderer he's chasing down his prey and this time its the ACV.

Late Open Comment Post. 24 Sept 2020

 Caption to the pics.

joysafaribay

Photographer Tanto Yensen captured the incredible moment a mouse and frog became friends in Indonesia. He explained: “The frog opened its mouth to try and eat it but then changed its mind and became friends with the mouse instead."

 

Chinese Synthetic Battalion on exercise...

三代猛士 pic.twitter.com/dDuNyh9jq8

— 马日天 (@z5J6NWig6ByNnsC) September 16, 2020