Monday, October 13, 2003

Killing Willy

Screw the whales.

Ping that sonar.

(5) Comments
Posted by Jed at 2035 hrs
Military

  1. “If we interfere with these critical behaviors, we may be affecting not just individual animals, but entire populations.”

    And if some foreign vessel gets by because the Navy couldn’t use its equipment that day, it may affect not just individual people, but our entire population. 

    If there is a way to avoid killing whales, then let’s do it, but not at the expense of national security.  I hope there are other methods that the Navy can use during the whales’ migration periods.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 13, 2003 at 2107 hrs


  2. This is just the latest in a line of dumb decisions made by the military to pacify the enviro-wackos.

    With Vieques, the PRs bitched about the Navy training there, then bitched when we packed up and left (and took our $$$ with us).

    Then there was the fuss over switching to “green” ammo, because lead is toxic.  Never mind that the “green” ammo isn’t as effective as the old stuff.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 13, 2003 at 2113 hrs


  3. This is too easy, fellas!

    Let’s see:
    1) The ex-USSR’s subs are all rusting in port, spewing toxic and radioactive waste into the environment.
    2)China’s subs are mostly older, soviet knock-offs that are much too noisy to bother needing sonar. And they stick pretty close to home.
    3)Nobody else has got anything quite enough to worry about.

    But most of all, it is pretty well agreed that the collapse of either top predators or top members of an ecosystem can cause the catastrophic collapse of the entire attendant ecosystem. Surely nobody needs to explain just how bad a collapse of any oceanic ecosystem would be, much less those major systems that inlcude whales?

    Posted by Charles2 on October 17, 2003 at 1434 hrs


  4. This is too easy, Charles2.

    http://starbulletin.com/2003/10/05/news/story6.html

    “In recent years, China, North Korea and other countries have acquired diesel-electric submarines that are so quiet in the water that it is difficult for U.S. forces to detect and track them. “We have to be able to deal with that,” said Adm. Walter Doran, Pacific Fleet commander, this week.”

    Submarines are getting quieter and cheaper so that many countries can have really good ones.  Do you really think that people are developing powerful fuel cell technology just for the Toyota Prius?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 17, 2003 at 1527 hrs


  5. The general rule with regard to military technology and capabilities is that if you’re not advancing, you’re retreating.  There is no standing still.  

    The moment we allow our technology or our capabilities to begin degrading, we open the door for another power (most likely China) to close the gap.

    Do we really want the next war we fight to be one where we don’t possess overwhelming superiority, simply because we got our priorities out of order?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 17, 2003 at 1542 hrs


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