The Defense Budget Needs Greater Oversight

WRITER's NOTE:
Since I originally wrote this piece, in a state of righteous indignation, I became aware of numerous inaccuracies in the narrative:
The F-18 program is highly successful
The Flak vest comment is inaccurate

I recanted this article here.

It has been unfashionable, for many years now, to criticize our military. Criticize our political arm for sending our young heroes in harms way? Absolutely . But, if anyone questions our military leaders or suggests that our military budget be cut, such a suggestion is akin to shooting our soldiers.

It's time to re-examine that attitude. Our military expenditures are rife with waste, fraud, and worse, incompetence. Take for example the F/18 program...a remarkable weapons system with no adversary. Or airplanes that are so expensive that we are reticent to put them into situations where they might be destroyed (does the phrase "too big to fail" ring a bell?). Or flack vests that sink, drowning our soldiers who fall into water (ask the parents of a soldier in the middle east how much they had to spend on a vest that stopped both bullets and drowning).

But, these misguided efforts pale in comparison to a recent news item. With $26, a satellite dish, a personal computer, some cables and a few other bits, you, just like our military leaders in the White House situation room, can receive and display any feed from any US drone flying around anywhere in the world. You don't need military clearance nor one of those DirecTV magic decoder boxes to un jam the signal. You see, our military is broadcasting this fascinating video up to a satellite and down to the earth without any encryption.

How do you make this work? Skygrabber.com

Think I'm kidding?

The Christian Science Monitor:

SkyGrabber: hack of US drones shows how quickly insurgents adapt

The Guardian:

SkyGrabber: the $26 software used by insurgents to hack into US drones

Discovery News:

PREDATOR DRONES TRACKED BY INSURGENTS

NY Times:

Officials Say Iraq Fighters Intercepted Drone Video

Washington Post:

Pentagon: Insurgents intercepted drone spy videos

Now, I don't know about you, but this seems to be pretty stupid...a classic example of the oxymoron "Military Intelligence". In the vast orgy of spending by the US military, where any resistance is heretical, we have enabled this level of incompetence, a level of incompetence that is killing our children.

There are times when I am confronted with something so preposterous that I am dumbfounded, having no idea what to do. So, all I can offer is this registration of my personal outrage. Perhaps someone can figure out how to fix this....

What else are we missing?

Note, this is posted without attribution, as I received it as an email and have vetted it with the Washington Post ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html )

Something to think about . . .

Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes:

The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.

He collected $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the

Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments . . . How many other things are we missing?

Theory of Life:

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, smiling broadly, and proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"

Now is the time!

Now is the time

Consider this timeline: January 2002 - Lincoln, NH Kids: "C'mon Dad, let's ski the trees!" Dad: "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up at the bottom. My edges need tuning." December 2002 - North Conway, NH NH State Trooper: "License and registration please." Dad: "Yes, officer, but what was I doing wrong?" NH State Trooper: "You weren't staying in your lane, but you've obviously not been drinking. I won't write you up, but try to be more mindful of the lane markers." Dad: "Thank you, officer. I appreciate it." December 2003 - Waitsfield, VT Mom: "Hon, you're shuffling when you walk. Are you ok? I think we should go to the emergency room." Dad: "Don't worry hon, I'm just tired. I'll see the doctor after the holidays." March 2004 - Waitsfield, VT Doctor: "Well, good news, the MRI results are negative. You've got no evidence of stroke or tumors." Dad: "Oh, that's great doctor! A clean bill of health! All I've got to do is lose the damn extra weight." Doctor: "That won't hurt, but I think you should have a thorough checkup by a neurologist." Dad: "Whatever you think is best, doctor. I assume the exam is covered." May 2004 - Berlin, VT Neurologist: "Touch your fingers together as fast as you can...tap your heel...touch your finger to your nose..." Dad: "Did I pass, doctor?" Neurologist: "Tell me, Dad, do you have any idea about what might be going on?" Dad: "I assume something neurological, doctor, but I haven't a clue." Neurologist: "I'm afraid you have Parkinson's disease. There's a lot of research going on, and a promising clinical trial at UVM that you qualify for.... I want you in it. But as of now, I fear you'll be in pretty rough shape in 10 years or so. I'm sorry. Good luck." Parkinson's disease sneaks up on you. At first you might feel a tremor, or notice that you take steps slowly, or that your balance is just a little off, or that you favor an arm or leg. Then you go through the tests, and get the news, life-altering news, for some, life-shattering news. The doctor describes it simply, professionally, and leaves it to you yo conclude that in ten years, you’ll be a masked automaton, or a quivering mass of flesh…a dysfunctional burden to friends and family. That is news not easily accepted, nor shared. There are many people in your neighborhood who have received this news and many more whose lives have been touched by the disease. The Moving Mountains Foundation is my family's response to this news. The foundation is our protest against an incurable disease, based on the hope that the incurability is temporary. We are in our fourth year of operation with a clear vision to engage the mountain community into the winnable race to find a cure. In a recent New York Times article, Carl Hulse described the political dilemma facing the incoming government regarding efforts to expand federal spending on embryonic stem cell research. The debate centers on the method of the expansion: executive order or legislation? The important message here is that the government is discussing how to do it, not if they should do it. Or, when will we unleash the power of the American scientific community on promising research into neurological and other disorders, not will we do it? So, the opportunity to make major strides in the fight against Parkinson's disease is now. Now, is the time. Contact your congressman and make sure he or she understands this.