Category Archives: Military

What If We Funded Science The Way We Funded The Pentagon?

Posted on December 5, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

Or maybe we shouldn’t. Anyway, Dave Lindorff describes just how screwed up the Pentagon budgeting ‘process’ is (process is scare quotes because process implies some sort of nominally rational and comprehensible process; boldface mine): On November 15, Ernst & Young … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Military | 1 Comment

“He Knew What He Signed Up For”

Posted on October 18, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Yes, Il Trumpe actually said that to a grieving war widow. First, it just shows that Trump isn’t just a narcissist, but that he, due to his wealth and privilege, has not had to hide his narcissism for a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Military, Resistance Rebellion And Death | 1 Comment

Military Lernerism

Posted on September 28, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

I’m calling this military Lernerism and not military Keynesianism, because there’s a difference. Many people understand what military Keynesianism is–or for that matter, Keynesianism in general. When times are bad, deficit spend to put people back to work and stimulate … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Military | 6 Comments

Sunday Sermon: The Guarantor Of Freedom

Posted on September 4, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

David Zirin commenting on Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the National Anthem (boldface mine): This country—despite its awful treatment of soldiers when they return home—worships the cult of the military. And professional sports—especially the NFL—have played a central role. … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Military, Propaganda, Sportsball! | 5 Comments

Putting Defense Accounting Problems Into Scientific Context

Posted on August 24, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

What’s $62.4 billion among friends (boldface mine)? The United States Army’s finances are so jumbled it had to make trillions of dollars of improper accounting adjustments to create an illusion that its books are balanced…. The report affirms a 2013 … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, Funding, Military | Comments Off on Putting Defense Accounting Problems Into Scientific Context

On Sacrifice

Posted on May 30, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

From a long, must-read essay by Ben Fountain (boldface mine): Is this the politics we deserve? “Stupidity is the American disease,” said Norman Mailer, though maybe it’s not so much stupidity as fantasy, a determinedly infantile notion of what it … Continue reading →

Posted in Military | 2 Comments

These Men Of The Library of Congress

Posted on April 13, 2016 by mikethemadbiologist

Observed at the Library of Congress, D.C.: At the time, World War I was the World War. Then:

Posted in DC, Libraries, Military | Comments Off on These Men Of The Library of Congress

Mistakes Were Made: Another Anthrax Release

Posted on June 2, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Another day, another potentially deadly mishandling of anthrax: On Wednesday, Pentagon officials told reporters that Dugway Proving Ground in Utah had inadvertently shipped live anthrax to commercial labs in nine states – California, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthrax, Military | Comments Off on Mistakes Were Made: Another Anthrax Release

That’s A Lot of Office Space

Posted on May 19, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

In an excellent article about the ongoing ginormousness of the ‘Defense Department’, we stumble across this little factoid: If you happen to peruse the latest Base Structure Report (on the off-chance you haven’t yet), you’ll read that the Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Military | 1 Comment

Militarism Is This Unpopular?

Posted on January 30, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

By way of Matthew DiCarlo, we find these very interesting data about who should and should not be a teacher: In a country that constantly ‘honors its troops’ (even as it too often doesn’t really support them), approves of torture, … Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Human Decency, Military | 3 Comments