[geeks] Taxes

[Rick Hamell]

Jonathan C. Patschke wrote:
> 
> I think a lot of that depends on how insistent we are upon irritating
> the rest of the planet.  When is the last time we had a direct military
> strike on our country?  We don't even know when the last attempt was,
> and the reason we're given is "national security".  Conveniently enough,
> we don't even need military enemies anymore; the government can just
> dangle the T-word and say we're at threat level tangerine/carrot and how
> we need to be worried about the next "credible hint" from an
> "unidentified source" about a "nonspecific target" of the next "probable
> attack".

Unless you're talking about some conspiracy theory that I'm not aware of 
(9/11?) the last Military attacks on US soil are fairly well documented.

Japanese Attack on the Aleutian Islands, June 3rd, 1942
http://www.sitnews.org/JuneAllen/060302_forgotten_war.html

Japanese Sub Attack on Battery Russel, Fort Stevens, Oregon on July 21, 
1942: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1EZX

I'll be here this weekend and with a little work will be able to stand 
in the spot the shell landed. The Fort's preservation society use to do 
a re-enactment drill of that night along with some other maneuvers 
including Civil War era recreationist on Memorial Day weekend, but I 
don't know if they're doing it this year though.

Japanese Balloon attack, Bly Oregon May 5th, 1945
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bly,_Oregon Not technically an attack per 
say, but only the one balloon killed any one. Three others started small 
fires that either put themselves out due to the rain, or never got 
started. 1945 was an especially wet year here.

Japanese Plane Attack on Brooking's Oregon, Sept. 9th 1945
http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/bomboregon.html The Pilot in this attack 
presented the town of Brookings his family katana as an apology, I've 
seen it in person and is what got me interested in collecting WWII era 
swords.

The last two attacks were meant to burn down the Sitka Spruce forests 
which provided critically needed material for early WWII airplanes, PT 
boats, landing craft, munition barges, gliders, etc.

> Imagine if, instead of one of the world's largest standing armies with
> bases in every corner of the globe (the sun never sets on America's
> military empire?), the US had locally-organized militias who received
> standardized training (and group buying power for munitions) from the
> Department of Defense.  Without being involved in everyone's business
> outside our borders (making long-term enemies and allies solely for the
> duration that we offer protection), we wouldn't have to pay the
> admittedly meager salaries of however many enlisted soldiers we have.
> We'd have people truly interested in protecting their -homes- and
> -communities- and ready to organize in the event that an immediate need
> for an active national defense developed.

This would be a good idea as long as we also kept up spending on 
High-Tech R&D solutions that were manned by professional who worked hand 
in hand with the Volunteer Militia to come up with doctrines and 
tactics. Heck, film it, edit it to remove anything that would be TOO 
helpful to enemies and release it out on DVD/TV to make money off it and 
fund what military we did have. I'm sure all kinds of people would be 
buying the ultimate in reality TV.


-- 
Rick Hamell
Tech Blog - http://www.1nova.com/blog
Pacific Northwest Photo Blog - http://www.1nova.com/photoblog