Military News From Around the World - 2022-05-19

[Bones26]

If you would care to see more details regarding these stories, clicking on the headline will bring you to that article.

U.S. Naval Update Map: May 19, 2022 Stratfor06:26

NATO Begins Vigilance Activity NEPTUNE SHIELD 2022 Naval News07:45

US planes to partake in Israeli military drill simulating strike on Iran Asharq Al-awsat06:35

Erdogan Calls for NATO Support to Establish Safe Zone on Turkey-Syria Border Asharq Al-awsat07:58

Finnish PM does not want NATO nuclear missiles or military bases on her country's territory Morning Star07:56

US says it won't tolerate aggression against Sweden and Finland, which applied to join NATO but … Business Insider07:43

Poland will help Finland and Sweden if they're attacked before joining NATO TVN2407:12

Poland ready for permanent NATO bases B9204:58

Red Cross says it is registering hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers leaving the Azovstal steel plant Egypt Independent07:34

Ukrainian Azovstal steel plant soldiers who surrendered became POWs, Red Cross registry confirms Fox News05:33

Russia says more than 900 Ukrainian soldiers from Azovstal sent to pretrial detention center Egypt Independent04:41

Russia consolidating control over Mariupol as Ukrainian soldiers surrender arirang06:27

Expert Cites Urgent Need for Missile Defense against N. Korea Jiji Press07:49

USS Abraham Lincoln sent to waters off South Korea Korea JoongAng Daily07:12

US commits to ‘asymmetric defence strategy' for Taiwan IHS Jane's05:23

Chinese navy sends destroyer and frigate on first escort mission South China Morning Post07:10

The Iowa-Class Battleships Are Navy Legends for a Reason 19FortyFive05:24

'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' First Gameplay Appears Online GAMINGBible04:26

'Call Of Duty: Warzone 2' Will Incorporate Fan-Favourite Modern Warfare 2 Maps GAMINGBible06:29

 

[Bones26]

To whoever might stumble upon this and wonder "What the f..." This unfortunately is what happens when I get a little bored and a bug in my beard and need to occupy myself, I write.

Trouble is, as you might have noticed elsewhere, since I've been going on of late about the MIC & MSM, being bored I found myself looking for a more mundane example to underline to myself my thoughts on the matter. Your misfortune is, this time around I thought I would share.

I realize the following is likely of little interest to but a handful of members if that, and that's O.K. I just thought it somewhat interesting and wanted to share my thoughts and how it kinda confirms the subtle manner in which public opinion is being managed by those who stand to profit from the desired outcome. And as example, I chose this story;

Expert Cites Urgent Need for Missile Defense against N. Korea Jiji Press07:49

In the story above, taken from todays headlines, I was curious as to who exactly was this "Expert" that was sounding the alarm about a new urgent crisis involving another nuclear armed threat that only missiles could address. Not an unreasonable line of inquiry if one were to ever have the need to form any opinion on the subject down the road I would think. And given that the article thoughtfully provided an answer to that question, I was pleased to know that the person in question was one, Victor Cha, Senior Vice President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington D.C. (Mr. Cha is quite an accomplished fellow with lots of other prestigious references which Wikipedia can fill you in on, if interested.). But wait I asked myself, what exactly is Center for Strategic and International Studies and just for sh#ts & giggles who pray tell might be funding it?

And the good news is that information is not all that hard to find out either, please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies

According to its website, since its founding, CSIS "has been dedicated to finding ways to sustain American prominence and prosperity as a force for good in the world". CSIS is officially a bipartisan think tank with scholars that represent varying points of view across the political spectrum. (Bold type my doing)

But what about the funding you might ask?

Well CSIS is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that is funded through donations. The website discloses donors who have given over $5000. Some notable donors are Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Charles Koch Foundation.

So what you might ask, you know who the expert is, and your know who his employer is, what else do you want, give it a rest.

Your right, given my little digging, in fact I bet I know more than most of the people who will have read that article. And that is precisely what frosts my ass. If the media was actually doing its job of informing its readers of ALL the relevant context surrounding a story and the principals involved in it, so they can properly digest the 'news' that's being served up, I would give it a rest, but they didn't.

For example they might have bothered to also let its readers also know that this 'Expert's' employer ( CSIS), gets a significant portion of its funding from the very same major defense companies that would stand to profit if a new missile defense system were ever to be acquired to meet the 'urgent' need in the region.

To wit and F.Y.I., the Center for Strategic and International Studies, lists major funding from defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, and General Atomics. Significant funding has also come from the governments of Japan, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.

So is Mr. Victor Cha offering his unbiased & informed opinion on a matter of some security importance to the region and I should take note of those concerns or is Mr. Cha planting the seeds of a harvest that will be carefully nurtured in the coming weeks and months until it gains enough traction to enter into appropriation conversations?

So dear reader, have labored through this far. Let me ask you these questions. If you were:

1- Dear Leader of North Korea having been informed of this "urgent" crisis on your border that the US appears anxious to solve with new missiles on your doorstep. You would...
a) Call it a day, and pack up everything, or
b) Throw off a couple of missiles into the Pacific and then double down on building up your own deterrence?

2) Dear Leader of the USA having been informed that North Korea is acting funny
a) Follows the advice of his 'advisors' both internal and external and agrees that there is indeed an urgent need, send for the appropriation, or
b) Doesn't know what to believe, but hey, better safe than sorry, send for the appropriation.

Sometimes you just need to give your head a shake.

Thanks for indulging me.

I've only really got three rules in life.

#1 - Treat others as you yourself want to be treated. #2- Live and Let Live. And #3 - And if you ever get to wondering why certain sh#t is happening, just follow the money.

Cheers!