If Project Thor is real, how about Pickaxe?

 

One more thing about using Project Thor against Iran. Should we do this, what a message to the other bad guys in the world. Yes, we have stuff in our weapons locker which nobody knows about. Project Thor would be a good place to start. It is after all, peace through strength.  

Project Thor. This idea has been kicked around since the Cold War. Is it even possible? Maybe. Probably. Do we have one as yet? Unknown. But if we did, it might be the answer to a big problem we have right now. And that problem is Pickaxe Mountain. That granite beast which might be holding the secret sauce to what Iran is really cooking up. And if that secret sauce is a nuke, we need to act - now.

We have another solution for Pickaxe Mountain, which President Trump is reluctant to use. We do have a nuke which is on the tip of one of our bunker busters. But that in and of itself - is the problem. It is a nuke. If we did use that nuke on Pickaxe, which would really fix the problem, it would change warfare from now on. And the United States would be the only nation in the world to use atomic or nuclear bombs - three times. Not good.

But Project Thor, if it is real, could solve a problem without creating another one. We could destroy whatever evil lies buried under hundreds of feet of granite - without using a nuclear device. In other words, the tungsten material, which a rod from Project Thor is made out of, when released from orbit, will reach a speed of Mach 10 by the time it hits the ground. These 20-foot-long rods, with a one-foot diameter, would carry quite a punch by the time one hit the ground at Mach 10.

What about the ethics of using such a weapon? Against Iran? After the attack on Israel a few years ago, Iran and its proxies no ethics. No - I would be fine in using Project Thor against the country which has been yelling "Death to America" for almost 50 years now. And all it would take is one rod, if they have the precision of our bombs, to do the trick. And in the aftermath? Iran would know that hiding bad stuff underground no long works for them.

One more thing about using Project Thor against Iran. Should we do this, what a message to the other bad guys in the world. Yes, we have stuff in our weapons locker which nobody knows about. Project Thor would be a good place to start. It is after all, peace through strength.  

 

Washington whispers about our ammo supply

"Is the pause in the action really just a time to get an agreement hammered out with these recalcitrant Iranians? Or is it to catch our breath and stockpile more needed munitions. Or is it a little of both? Meanwhile, stay tuned to what is going on in the Middle East. The dynamics seem to change daily."

Imagine having a neighbor who loves to collect new and used guns. You go visit him, and he often takes you into his gun room. It is quite impressive. Just when you think he has it all, he tells you he has another pistol and a long gun on order. One day, you ask him if he would take you out shooting. If you could pick the gun of choice and then try it out. With an embarrassing silence, he stammers and then confesses - "I would love to, but I have very little ammo left. I can't get any more for a while, so now I have to be careful on how I use what I have left."

The Washington whispers are getting louder. We had enough missiles (especially the SM3 missiles for our VLS ships) to fight a certain type of warfare. What we did not have, were counter measures cheap enough, and prolific enough, to counter a constant stream of drones and missiles. If an order of battle for Iran was to overwhelm an invading Navy (like us) with cheap drones, it almost worked. We are not out of missiles as yet, but if rumors are true, to fight a different kind of war in the near future (like against China over Taiwan), things could look iffy.

Here is the dichotomy. We build some of the best and most sophisticated missiles in the world. Our bombs are no longer "dumb" - on the contrary, they have absolute guidance built into them. Now here is the other side of the coin. Money and time. Each missile or round costs money. Some, a lot of money. For example, some SM-3 interceptors cost almost $30M/each. Depending on the variant, some are cheaper, but all are expensive - quite a bit more expensive than the drone it takes out. And the time to build one of these missiles, is many times longer than the time it takes to use one. Ergo, some of our weapon lockers for these expensive missiles are starting to look like Mother Hubberd's Cupboard. Not empty, but far from full.

Even though the state of our weapon inventory is something most commanders keep close to their vests, enough leakage has happened in the press (and otherwise), to know there is a problem. POTUS has authorized a full speed ahead order with some of the nation's largest munitions manufacturers, but that still is not fast enough. Will this issue last forever? Of course not - but it is here now.

Is the pause in the action really just a time to get an agreement hammered out with these recalcitrant Iranians? Or is it to catch our breath and stockpile more needed munitions. Or is it a little of both? Meanwhile, stay tuned to what is going on in the Middle East. The dynamics seem to change daily.

Is this the end of the Democrats?

"Let me one of many to be the first to offer a welcome to the more normal Democrats who are looking for a new perch to land on. The past is in the past, and you will all be welcomed as fellow travelers on this journey."

I remember watching a show years ago called "The Season of the Witch". I was a good, scary Halloween type of movie. Today, a new movie could be made called "The Season of the Crazy". As goofy as the Democrats have become as of late, this new crop of Socialists and Communists in the new, upstart Democrat Socialists of America (DSA) - are way off the reservation. Right now, many are yearning for the good old, same old and plain Democrats. Talking to anybody from the DSA is about as strange (maybe stranger) than talking to an alien.

Last night, even though it is still close, it looks like the alien (I mean the DSA candidate) is going to win the open seat in Michigan. Now the alien (who talks gibberish) will square off against Mike Rodgers in the general election. It will be Rogers (who is like Norm Normal or Sam Standard) will be up against the alien. Right now, the odds makers are thinking this race will not even be close. Why? Many in Michigan are still normal people, and don't understand alien talk.

After the dust settles in November, what will all of this really mean? The DSA types will pick up some seats, only because America still has some of the dumbest voters in the universe. But what will happen to the Democrat Party is where the real story is. Many light blue Democrats will become dark blue Democrats. As such, look for defections in large waves going from blue to red. Even James Carville said the other day, if some of these aliens win and become part of his current party - he is out. He did not say he would turn red, but he sure said he would no longer be a Democrat.

Wait - what? I thought the Democrat Party was the "big tent" party, that might have been the story from yesteryear. Today (thanks in large part to Donald Trump), the Republican Party is much more "big tent" than either the current blue party, or the former blue party. Doe the Republican Party have some crazies? Ya, sure - maybe a wee bit. But our crazies are only a "one off", compared to the "otherworldly" nut balls that are streaming into the Democrat Party.

Let me one of many to be the first to offer a welcome to the more normal Democrats who are looking for a new perch to land on. The past is in the past, and you will all be welcomed as fellow travelers on this journey. However, if you are a DSA alien and want in - keep on walking. Only freedom loving, red blooded Americans welcomed here. Most of our people eschew Socialism and Communism. Many have fought in wars against such. Get the picture? We don't care about the color of your skin, but we do care about the color of your politics. 

 

What is it with Norks and nukes?

"Will North Korea ever become a seeker of peace instead of a god of war? Maybe not in my lifetime. I do know this - life in North Korea is very hard. Will the North Korean people finally wake up and decide this is not the way to live a good life? One can only hope and pray they will."

North Korea. The hermit kingdom. The land in which time forgot. The "why" in North Korea is what really interests me. They are the bad boy of the WestPac. Normally, I could look at this country and blow it off. As the saying goes, "not give it no never mind". But we (I) can't. One simple reason. While the US presidents were asleep at the switch, the Norks got nukes. It started small, but then it seems like almost overnight, North Korea became a nuclear power. Now it is a country with 50 nuclear bombs, run by a madman.

It has been a while since I have addressed this issue. The "rich man - poor man" issue of the Korean Peninsula. Why is this such a big deal that the hermit kingdom has now garnered nukes? Has anybody had the forethought to ask Kim what he plans to do with all those nukes? And because he has free reign to do as he wishes over there, he is building an additional five to eight nukes a year. Why? To use of South Korea? To us on us? Japan? What is going on in his twisted mind? 

Donald Trump is fighting like crazy right now to keep Iran from developing nukes. Why? He has seen what nukes have done to the tipping point over in Korea. He does not want a repeat of that in Iran, happening under his watch. Trump knows that should Iran get a nuke, right behind them would be the Saudis. Or UAE. Or Jordan. Or who knows who would be next. Israel has nukes but are quiet as church mice about it. Their nukes would only be used as absolute last option. North Korea on the other hand? His nukes might be for his recreation. His power plays. Basically, the fact the Norks have nukes right now is a mess - a real hot mess.

As poor and misguided as North Korea is, is how balanced and successful South Korea is. South Korea is a powerhouse of technology and innovation. It is a rich country with a wonderful future. North Korea is a dead country with no future. During his first term, Donald Trump tried every which way to convince Kim there is a better way. For a short time, it almost looked like Trump was getting through to Kim. But he did not. And now Kim is back on that lonely road to becoming a bigger and much badder despot.

Where do we go in the future? What is to become of the Western Pacific? The ascending stars are for sure South Korea and Japan. Both have shown that should push comes to shove with any of the bad boys in that region of the world, they can take care of themselves. But then there is the question of nukes. Neither Japan nor South Korea have nukes. But North Korea does. China does. Russia does. India does. And Pakistan does. That makes the balance over in the Indo-Pacific become very unbalanced. VERY unbalanced.

Will North Korea ever become a seeker of peace instead of a god of war? Maybe not in my lifetime. I do know this - life in North Korea is very hard. Will the North Korean people finally wake up and decide this is not the way to live a good life? One can only hope and pray they will.

  

The art of the deal? Or is this a no deal?

"As Shakespeare said, "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" Our troops are tired sir. Let them finish the job and then go home."

I know this is going to look like a Deja vu all over again. We have a deal; we don't have a deal. We are close to the framework of a deal; we are not even meeting for a deal. For the love of Pete President Trump, listen to your military advisors. They are telling you (in gentle and respectable language), that this bunch of Persians are playing us like a fiddle. I am going to make this short, to the point - and blunt. There is ZERO interest for Iran to make a deal with us. We may want a neat and tidy legal document with all the "T's" crossed and the "I's" dotted - but the other side could give a whit about any paper produced. They just want Israel and the USA dead. It is as simple as that.

I think it is time to show the back side of our hand like it has not yet been seen by these guys. I could see a parade of B-52s, B-1s, B-2s, Warthogs, F-35's, F-15s, Super Hornets - you name it. Throw everything but the kitchen sink at them. When the call up and say "please stop bombing us" - tell them tough toenails. They had their chance for peace. Now it is war up until they sign the surrender papers. We will never have a better chance than right now. Stalling makes no sense - none.

They have played us long enough. We have seen this movie, played this game. We need to end this and end it quickly. Heck, they are still shooting at ships in the Strait! Enough already! We will never return to normal at this rate. And another thing - if they are this dishonest putting an agreement together, do you really think they will honor it once the ink is dry? No way, Jose! Like I said - there is no better time than the present to end this. Tell the Saudis if they want to help us end it quickly, fire up your jets. 

My biggest fear is if Trump keeps getting played by Iran, he will have "TACO Don" as his legacy. That would be unfair to him, but if he can't get us out of this rut, it might be earned. As Shakespeare said, "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" Our troops are tired sir. Let them finish the job and then go home.

Is Cuba now ripe for the taking?

"I would love to see a USA friendly Cuba by the end of the year. They deserve it, and we need another close by neighbor to be friendly. Would I like to visit Cuba some day? Absolutely. I have had that dream for years. Time to be friends again, Cuba. Time to see what happens when you let freedom ring." 

Oops - poor choice of words for this title. We really don't want to "take" Cuba - we want to have Cuba be our friend in this hemisphere. No longer be an agent or client state of Russia or China - we want Cube to throw off the yoke of Communism and become fair traders with us. And here is the irony - we can fix Cuba only if they let us. Get their electrical grid fixed; have some real industry again; stop living in the 1950's. 

What has China done for Cuba as of late? Zip. How about Russia? Double zip. And then there are the rumors flying around that one of those bad actors has managed to smuggle in some Shahed Drones from Iran. To be used against our homeland. If the drone story is true, and some drones are fired against our southern shores of our homeland, we will have to give Cuba the stick instead of the carrot. What we really want to do is allow Cuba to straighten up and fly right, so normalcy can once again return to that fine island.

Growing up, many of us heard from our parents - "Set an example for others". Well, Cuba has set an example to all to see. How is that Communism thing working? Poorly, at best. For the DSA sheeple who seem to be growing in number in our country, here is your Communism. Do you really want to live like the Cubans? Right now, many Cubans want to live like us. They way they live really sucks, and most know it.

I know that SOS Rubeo is working some magic to get Cuba back into our fold. Ever since we liberated Venezuela, Cuba has been an island all to themselves. We can help fix that, but Cuba has got to want to be fixed. Getting those fossilized Castro brothers out of power will help - a lot. 

Here is the irony of Cuban people. The ones who escaped to America after the Cuban revolution are good, hard-working folks. I worked for one while at IBM. I have talked with Ted Cruz's father. I like our expatriated Cubans who live here. They add nicely to our national fabric. Unlike other nationalities who were dumped here and refuse to work or assimilate, I give expatriated Cubans an A++.

I would love to see a USA friendly Cuba by the end of the year. They deserve it, and we need another close by neighbor to be friendly. Would I like to visit Cuba some day? Absolutely. I have had that dream for years. Time to be friends again, Cuba. Time to see what happens when you let freedom ring. 

  

Did the BUFFs cause another pause in the Iran bombing?

"The interesting thing is how scary the BUFF is, considering we still have the B-1, B-2, and soon the B-21 in our bomber fleet. We may be getting a little short on some of the bombs but still have more than enough to complete this mission. Too harsh? Sorry about that." 

I know. I know. We have all of us, seen this movie before. We know how it ends. We know it by heart. We get hit by Iran, or some ships in the Strait get hit by Iran, we unleash a bit of shock and awe on our target list, then - the phone call. "Could you please stop bombing us? We promise we will resume negotiations with you." We stop the bombing, "negotiations" resume, and then another ship or two in the Strait is hit by Iran. But this time it was a bit different. The Iranian on the other end of the phone call sounded like he was getting ready to wet himself. Why? He knew the BUFFs were coming. And that is bad - very bad.

Wait a minute! Am I saying that this ancient relic from the Viet Nam War, held together by spit and gum, is still flying? And can still bomb like it once did? Yes, it is still flying. Yes, the BUFF (B-52), is better than ever. If there are no air defenses, the B-52 is unmatched. If there is an active air defense, the B-52 is nothing more than a high fat target. Fortunately, our forces have taken care of all of Iran's air defenses. All a BUFF needs is the target list, and it is shooting fish in a barrel. 

Trump was very clear on one point. If Iran tries that Lucy and football trick one more time, the jig is up. Every weapon that Trump needs is still in theater, and HE WILL USE THEM ALL. Will Iran be good boys and not fire on anymore ships? The betting crowd thinks a leopard does not change his spots. Not to sound like a warmonger, but I think the two cups of grace Trump has given the IRGC is about empty. 

The interesting thing is how scary the BUFF is, considering we still have the B-1, B-2, and soon the B-21 in our bomber fleet. We may be getting a little short on some of the bombs but still have more than enough to complete this mission. Too harsh? Sorry about that. But these guys have been begging for a beating since they took our people hostage right after their "revolution". Biden gave them the carrot, time for Trump to show them the stick.

Living in a dorm right next to Kadena AFB during the Viet Nam era, every day I had off, I would watch the BUFFs take off, ladened with bombs, headed for North Viet Nam. They would use about half their fuel just to get to altitude, so the tankers took off right behind them. Even though the BUFFs are a bit grey in the temple but can still kick some serious butt. Do they need a swan song in Iran? Maybe. We should find out this week.