gearhog

I think he should argue that he successfully completed the training, and met all the preexisting conditions and standards to be designated an Air Force pilot. It wasn't until after he met those requirements that the vaccine was mandated, and even then, it isn't a condition for being a pilot, just for staying in. Even still, I'd also be surprised. It's probably a rare situation and the risk of blowback for denying him wings isn't enough for Wing leadership to care about. Unless they're a Gen Milley, they're going to tow the line.

But it's not about his conscious or how well he sleeps at night. If we reach back to our PME (shudder) and remember our Instruments of National Power, diplomacy, info, military, economic (DIME)... if everything else fails, and it's starting to seem that way, we had our military nuclear deterrent. Our nuclear enterprise has taken decades of work to establish. The process of launching nukes has constantly undergone a series of upgrades, tweaks, and adjustments to ensure that is works and that it is safe. Although I've forgotten most of it, we've all either written papers on it or studied it. As it is important to us that this system works, it is vitally important that our enemies know our system works. Mark Milley has not only (allegedly) undermined that system at home, but he (allegedly) called our biggest strategic enemy and advertised it to them, "Yo Li, our long established process for launching nuclear missiles, and biggest instrument of our national power and check against yours, is broken. You're welcome." Trump had lost the election. Pelosi called Milley to "inquire" about nuclear weapons. Is it possible that Milley was acting out of self-preservation to please the incoming administration and ensure he had a continuing career? What if he had said to Pelosi "Sorry Ma'am, that's outside the scope of my duties." He'd be toast 12 days later. I remember on that day, Pelosi making a comment to the media that checks were in place to make sure our nukes were safe... just to intimate that they previously were not under Trump. It was political move. If all this is true, the Trust is broken. Who has control over our military? Milley did not like or trust Trump to be sane enough make a rational complex military decision, but he trusts Biden? For real?? If anyone is arguing Trump was not mentally fit to make those decisions, they must be making the argument that Biden is. Politics has superseded safety in our process for launching nukes. It will take longer to rebuild this damage than it will for our enemies to exploit it.

Seems like there's no end to the dysfunction. A quote from your link: "All calls from the Chairman to his counterparts, including those reported, are staffed, coordinated and communicated with the Department of Defense and the interagency," Butler said. And now this: EXCLUSIVE: Former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, who led the Pentagon from the period after the 2020 election through Inauguration Day, said that he "did not and would not ever authorize" Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to have "secret" calls with his Chinese counterpart, describing the allegations as a "disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination," and calling on him to resign "immediately." In a statement to Fox News, Miller said that the United States Armed Forces, from its inception, has "operated under the inviolable principle of civilian control of the military." https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-acting-defense-sec-miller-says-he-did-not-authorize-milley-china-calls-says-he-should-resign

One possibility: He makes sure his logbook is properly filled out, get his military equivalency instrument and commercial ratings, gets a civilian job, does whatever he wants, marries a hot flight attendant or two, and lives happily ever after.

We've had this discussion before. When you say "a certain statistically significant/severity threshold", it indicates you don't actually know. It may not even be your fault. Perhaps you don't know because those numbers don't exist. Even if we could produce completely objective measurement and defined goals, the CDC and vaccine manufacturers wouldn't want them to exist. If a concrete threshold did exist, it would be a target, and they don't want to hit the target. Do you and I get the freedom to choose whether to walk in or out our front door no matter the associated risks and without government imposed consequences? Who? Names. Who specifically is making the determination of "safe", "effective", how, and why do you personally trust them with your health? Please say Fauci. I'm ready for that one. 😄 If it's someone else, do I also get to produce an opposing argument from a healthcare professional who has made it their life's work? If someone is a nutritionist, do you want them dictating to you what you can and can't eat whether you agree or not? And should you job depend on it? Great! I think you should take it. But, what if I or my doctor assesses my risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID to be low because I am healthy and I have tested for, and possess, natural antibodies? Isn't that what vaccines are for? My body has already done the work. And I can cite studies that show natural immunity is better. There's a new flu shot every year because flu shots do not eradicate the flu. (Although COVID has) So, are you saying that COVID, also, cannot be eliminated? I think you're way too deferential to unnamed experts you've never met and likely know virtually nothing about. That is entirely your choice. When it comes to matters of my own health, I'm not going to be. If I have a health problem, I discuss it with my own personal doctor, whom I know and he knows me. I still get to choose whether to accept his diagnosis and treatment. How many times in history must it be demonstrated that being deferential and submissive to government power is bad for your health?

Milley should go because you think it's not a good look, or because it was wrong? Just want to clarify.

You should define "safe" and "effective". Safe - Are you saying there are no adverse reactions or deaths? The statistics clearly show that there have been. Are you saying there are some, but not enough? What is the threshold? If they are safe, why can't anyone sue the manufacturer, even if batch is somehow contaminated? Effective - Do breakthrough infections exist? Why? Why do we have boosters? Do you support mandatory boosters? How many? All of them? How would you like to see that tracked? When you have the 4th booster and someone else only has 3, are you going to attack them?

Milley's spokesman Col. Dave Butler just released a statement saying the reports of the phone calls between Milley and China, and the meetings with senior Pentagon officers are true.

Thanks.

Damn. That's a hell of a burden you're carrying. But, you are a free man. Sounds like you need to close this chapter in your life. There is so much opportunity out there and I didn't realize it until I was out. As was said earlier, you're not the only one feeling this crisis of faith and trust, but maybe moreso than most. I hope you do whatever is right for you.

No, I could never say 100%. And I should have qualified everything with "If true..." That's why there needs to be a public investigation and hearing. Woodward's record may not be 100%, but he typically doesn't outright fabricate entire events. The news is coming fast, and there are reports that the calls were intercepted by foreign allies targeting CCP leadership that generated calls back to Washington asking "WTF?". There are also unverified reports that members in that secret meeting have agreed to testify against Milley if called. Believe it or not, even Alex Vindeman is beside himself calling for Milley's resignation. LOL. I'm sure more details will emerge in the next couple days, and I need to resist the urge to make condemnations. Milley himself really really needs to make a statement. We'll see. Where there's smoke...

You would think, but who will do the firing? At this point, I think we should consider the facts: - He usurped the sacrosanct authority our civilian government should always have over our military - He sidestepped the chain of command and contacted a strategic enemy's military leadership directly to cconspire in relaying information regarding our national defense and DEFCON status. There should be at the very minimum, a nationally televised joint congressional hearing followed by an indictment and trial. But that's likely not going to happen.

If you haven't read Strauss and Howe's book The Fourth Turning, do it. It explains the Crisis of Trust. We're experiencing it on every level, top to bottom, at nearly every institution. It doesn't end well. Gen Milley held a secret Pentagon staff meeting and told them not to take orders from President Trump in a nuclear emergency. He called China to tell them he wouldn't allow an attack. "Milley took extraordinary action, and called a secret meeting in his Pentagon office on January 8 to review the process for military action, including launching nuclear weapons. Speaking to senior military officials in charge of the National Military Command Center, the Pentagon's war room, Milley instructed them not to take orders from anyone unless he was involved. "No matter what you are told, you do the procedure. You do the process. And I'm part of that procedure," Milley told the officers, according to the book. He then went around the room, looked each officer in the eye, and asked them to verbally confirm they understood. "Got it?" Milley asked, according to the book. "Yes, sir." 'Milley considered it an oath,' the authors write. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/14/politics/woodward-book-trump-nuclear/?utm_term=link&utm_source=twcnnbrk&utm_content=2021-09-14T15%3A56%3A45&utm_medium=social

Point taken on the numbers. I understand what you're saying and I do believe the vaccines are somewhat effective for many of the people, but I still believe the reported numbers themselves are ripe for manipulation. Even when I'm referencing them, I know you cannot remove all subjectivity within them. With regard to trust, this is how it is violated: Oregon reports COVID deaths as "probable" exposures, any deaths 60 days after hospitalization, or any death certificate diagnosis regardless of the date. Doctors and Hospital "marketing" staff are manipulating numbers to scare people. A large amount of hospitalizations are mild or asymptomatic. You can't sue either a pharmaceutical company or the government for harm caused by a forced vaccine. The CDC reported 83% of Americans already had COVID anti-bodies in May. Far above the herd immunity threshold. Why do they need the vaccine? I can provide hundreds of other sources, but it boils down to exactly what you've said. Too many lies. The biggest conspiracy theory is that the government genuinely cares about your health. But they're not lying for lying's sake. These misrepresentations and justifications for everyone to be required the take vaccine leads in an obvious direction towards an obvious goal, and it is not the overall health and well being of people. Again, I am not in any way against someone making the choice for themselves to get injected with vaccine as long as it's a free choice.

Damn, brother. So sorry to hear this. I don't have much humor for you. I was lacing my boots for an afternoon low-level formation airdrop as an Lt when my pregnant wife called me in to see the TV. I fought back tears after I saw the second plane hit and the towers fall. 20 years went by. Almost the entire middle of my life. Then, I watched the chaos at Kabul as we left. Not to make this about me, but I understand what your friend may have been feeling. It took a lot of mental and emotional effort to remain stoic in the midst of what I was experiencing. Depending on what his individual circumstances may have been, he may have had a more difficult time wrestling with the thoughts of "What was it all for?, Why did something I believed in so much in, seem to fail so badly? What about the people I knew that were wrecked by that place? Why is my country abandoning so many other things I thought I was fighting for? Was I wrong about everything?" How do we prevent someone from having to ask those sorts of questions? Maybe begin here at home. What can we do to fix this foundation, this society, so that none of our future military members ever have and doubts or second thoughts about what they're fighting for. The military needs civilians to fight just as hard back here. There is a different type of war still going on, and I don't think it's hopeless. Go make sure this country is the one you want it to be, not the one he thought it might be becoming. Again, very sorry for the loss of your friend.

This is not related to this discussion at all, but I thought this story about a teacher indoctrinating his students and rewarding them for adopting his positions was interesting.

This was how it was explained to me. Not saying this is how it is, just repeating what I was told. When you leave the plane, you are appointed escorts in hazmat gear. They take you to a closed wing of the passenger terminal that is used entirely for aircrew processing. The lines can be very long and waits can be hours. You first do the rapid test. If positive, you're screwed. Quarantined. Next is the interview. Some degree of personal information is gathered. My friend said it's assumed they are checking you out online. "Have you ever had COVID?, Has anyone in your family ever had COVID? Have you been near anyone that has had COVID? Etc, etc, etc." The right answer is always, "No". Apparently, one company had 3 pilots screw Ups those questions and were told they were to be quarantined at a COVID facility for 28 days. I think the company had to make some frantic phone calls to get them back home. If you pass the tests, you're escorted all the way to your hotel room, and you're not allowed to leave until the escorted van ride back to the airport.

My argument has always been that the vaccine is not completely safe and that vaccine is not completely effective. Evidence continues to leak through the massive propaganda wall that this vaccine is neither. I LOL'd because it was obvious you don't understand the table. The denominator is already in the table. FIRST COLUMN. WTF? I continue to LOL because I can't believe I have to point this out All Old People (>50) Delta COVID Deaths (Denominator) - 1644 Vaccinated (Numerator) - 1054 Unvaccinated (Numerator) - 437 You are trying to bury the evidence in "denominators of all old people deaths for all reasons" when the fact of the matter is the deaths in that table are being attributed to COVID. Yes, old people die of a lot of things. But these are all the deaths in the UK being attributed to COVID by a positive specimen test and after receiving a vaccine. If the people in your denominators were dying from other old people reasons, they wouldn't be recorded in the table. Why would any of them be recorded as dying of COVID if they are vaccinated, and at higher rates (in the same row) than unvaccinated? It is because the vaccine doesn't work as advertised? Yes, I am arguing there is evidence to suggest the vaccine does not reduce the rates of hospitalization and death to the extent that it should be mandatory for everyone. Breakthrough infections. A outdated vaccine that was manufactured for the original genomic sequence and one that will continue to mutate even if 100% of the population receives this vaccine. Somehow I get the impression no one in your SQ cares about your personal assessment of their character.

And... why does congress allow blanket immunity from legal liability for all vaccine manufacturers? what other private industry is given protection from lawsuits over physical harm caused by its product that the government forces its citizens to use?

LOL. Now do this one: https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/09/07/massachusetts-coronavirus-breakthrough-cases-jump-4415-last-week-more-than-600-fully-vaccinated-people-a-day/ and this one: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/09/covid-hospitalization-numbers-can-be-misleading/620062/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Thanks for speaking up. More should. You reminded me of this quote.

What's this? Half? A great read in the Atlantic: Our Most Reliable Pandemic Number Is Losing Meaning A new study suggests that almost half of those hospitalized with COVID-19 have mild or asymptomatic cases. By David Zweig https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/09/covid-hospitalization-numbers-can-be-misleading/620062/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1014926/Technical_Briefing_22_21_09_02.pdf Why is the UK officially reporting higher death tolls among the vaccinated?

Blinken getting absolutely destroyed by both Dems and Reps at the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Afghanistan. Brutal.