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> What was the last time an American citizen seriously worried about being invaded by a foreign power or attacked by a nation state? It just doesn't even occur

> What was the last time an American citizen seriously worried about being invaded by a foreign power or attacked by a nation state? It just doesn't even occur to the average citizen that there are about a million people working to ensure Americans don't even have to think about not being attacked by foreign power. Post 9/11, when American citizens rights were trampled in the name of "national seccuirty? It is crazy you post what you did, stating you are a "senior DoD technology leader' and "know how it works". So.. the "missile gap", real or imagined? If imagined, what was the purpose of allowing the US citizens to believe it was real? U2 spy planes told the truth, US presidents did not.

AndrewKemendo 4y ago
Great example of what I was discussing above - you don't even know how the system works well enough to be able to analyze it. Here you have clumped the entire US government together as though it's "the military" Anticipating your response - Everything snowden revealed was authorized under Title 50 which is NOT the military, it's the Intelligence Community. There is a difference between NSA and CSS which do different things. You can be military and work under Title 50 but with a pretty serious restrictions under EO-12333 With respect to the missile gap - it's well documented that Russia has had more nukes than anyone since at least the 70s [1]. Go look at the SALT treaty work and mutual inspections (now discontinued unfortunately) for more detail on how these estimates have changed over the years. If you're looking to me to defend unethical politicians for lying or exaggerating you'll not find much content - however again nothing here is evidence of a consistent and coherent "cabal of people trying to scare the public" in a conspiracy to keep finding bad people. The USSR really had a huge and growing nuclear arsenal and wanted as badly as they could to beat the US at nukes. This isn't some made up bullshit like aliens. I don't have the energy to break it down further at the moment. [1] https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/ https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-...
- kennend3 4y ago
  Again, for someone "in the know" you simply need to read JFK's own words and not yours: https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/past-forums/transcripts/50th-anniversary-of-the-missile-gap-controversy https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/past-for... "We are losing the satellite missile race with the Soviet Union," he noted, "because of complacent miscalculations, penny-pinching budget cutbacks, incredibly confused mismanagement and wasteful rivalries and jealousies." Once in office, when it was revealed that there was no gap and that, if anything, the US was ahead, he and his military advisors still had to deal with this issue. I thought it might be interesting and fun at the outset to hear directly from President Kennedy as he discusses the missile gap with Secretary McNamara and others in a secretly recorded taped conversation in the Oval Office. The first voice you'll hear is Robert McNamara, followed by the President. We'll put a transcript on the screen to help you follow along. McNamara: There was created a myth in the country that did great harm to the nation. It was created by, I would say, emotionally guided but nonetheless patriotic individuals in the Pentagon. There are still people of that kind in the Pentagon. I wouldn't give them any foundation for creating another myth. JFK: [inaudible] that missile gap, as ones of those who put that myth around, a patriotic and misguided man [laughter] Hmm.....

AndrewKemendo 4y ago

Great example of what I was discussing above - you don't even know how the system works well enough to be able to analyze it. Here you have clumped the entire US government together as though it's "the military" Anticipating your response - Everything snowden revealed was authorized under Title 50 which is NOT the military, it's the Intelligence Community. There is a difference between NSA and CSS which do different things. You can be military and work under Title 50 but with a pretty serious restrictions under EO-12333 With respect to the missile gap - it's well documented that Russia has had more nukes than anyone since at least the 70s [1]. Go look at the SALT treaty work and mutual inspections (now discontinued unfortunately) for more detail on how these estimates have changed over the years. If you're looking to me to defend unethical politicians for lying or exaggerating you'll not find much content - however again nothing here is evidence of a consistent and coherent "cabal of people trying to scare the public" in a conspiracy to keep finding bad people. The USSR really had a huge and growing nuclear arsenal and wanted as badly as they could to beat the US at nukes. This isn't some made up bullshit like aliens. I don't have the energy to break it down further at the moment. [1] https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/ https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-...

kennend3 4y ago
Again, for someone "in the know" you simply need to read JFK's own words and not yours: https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/past-forums/transcripts/50th-anniversary-of-the-missile-gap-controversy https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/past-for... "We are losing the satellite missile race with the Soviet Union," he noted, "because of complacent miscalculations, penny-pinching budget cutbacks, incredibly confused mismanagement and wasteful rivalries and jealousies." Once in office, when it was revealed that there was no gap and that, if anything, the US was ahead, he and his military advisors still had to deal with this issue. I thought it might be interesting and fun at the outset to hear directly from President Kennedy as he discusses the missile gap with Secretary McNamara and others in a secretly recorded taped conversation in the Oval Office. The first voice you'll hear is Robert McNamara, followed by the President. We'll put a transcript on the screen to help you follow along. McNamara: There was created a myth in the country that did great harm to the nation. It was created by, I would say, emotionally guided but nonetheless patriotic individuals in the Pentagon. There are still people of that kind in the Pentagon. I wouldn't give them any foundation for creating another myth. JFK: [inaudible] that missile gap, as ones of those who put that myth around, a patriotic and misguided man [laughter] Hmm.....