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Stark Evidence of US, British Naval Decline
American Thinker ^ | January 6, 2013 | James G. Wiles

Posted on 01/07/2013 1:09:04 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Is it actually possible that, as you read this, the United States Navy has only one supercarrier battle group at sea? Read on - and be amazed.

Look no farther than these two news items, both from today's Sunday Times of London, to see the effect of two decades of shrinkage in the size of the United States Navy and the retreat of the Royal Navy from the high seas:

• For the first time in two centuries, British businessmen and others have formed a private navy to protect shipping off the pirate-ridden coast of Somali on the Horn of Africa. A millionaire businessman has formed a company called Typhoon to furnish escort and protection, including troops, along the shipping lanes which world navies have proved inadequate to police. The first convoy of ships is projected for March or April.

The re-emergence of what used to called "privateers" (Sir Francis Drake is the most famous example from history) is the latest sign of outsourcing or abandonment of traditional military functions by Western nations whose militaries have contracted to pinpoint-size in the wake of the growth of the modern welfare state. Private security and private armies -- again, once known to history as "mercenaries," are another aspect of this trend.

• Meanwhile, news came that the Russian Navy has deployed ships, marines, combat vehicles and equipment just off the coast of Syria. Five landing ships are accompanied by military vessels...

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: africa; army; escorts; hornofafrica; maritimesecurity; mercs; navy; privateers; russia; somalia; syria; typhoon; unitedkingdom; usn; waronterror
Unbelievable.
1 posted on 01/07/2013 1:09:09 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

We don’t need no steenking navy. We have all them thar drones you see. We can drink coffee and launch strikes from zillions of miles away and be home to take the kiddies to soccer practice.


2 posted on 01/07/2013 1:13:44 PM PST by USAF80
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
You pay good money to the local protection/shakedown racket... er, government, and if they can't protect you... Ya gotta buy your own gun.

/johnny

3 posted on 01/07/2013 1:19:08 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I doesn't take a CV Battle Group to deal with pirates, just a Commander-in-Chief and Congress more interested in protecting our commercial interests than making the Sunday yik-yak shows.
4 posted on 01/07/2013 1:45:29 PM PST by Jacquerie ("How few were left who had seen the republic!" - Tacitus, The Annals)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Another sign of the coming hoofbeats of war. Weakness brings conflict. What has our welfare state bought us? No new monuments —no new roads—no new mines or canals, not even a decent railroad service. All it has purchased in a lazy underclass milking the system for all its worth, and a group of corrupt politicians with never ending power to rape the middle class.
This will not end well. I foresee another Pearl Harbor.


5 posted on 01/07/2013 1:47:11 PM PST by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Buy a rowboat. Put all the foodstamp people in it. Give them a slingshot.


6 posted on 01/07/2013 1:54:51 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6

...and tell them their ebt cards and obama phones are being held by the enemy.


7 posted on 01/07/2013 2:06:18 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This shouldn’t be a surprise. Remember in the 2nd debate when Obama got big laughs from the lefties and the press (redundant, I know) when he said we don’t need more ships just like we don’t need bayonets anymore. And the truth is, the Navy is probably the force Obama most supports so hollowing it out like this makes you wonder how bad it’s going to get for the Army, Air Force, and Marines after four more years of this guy.


8 posted on 01/07/2013 2:11:33 PM PST by pepsi_junkie (Who is John Galt?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

We don’t have 2-3 carrier groups in the ME?

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=us+carriers+in+mid+east+straits&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest


9 posted on 01/07/2013 2:49:47 PM PST by Carriage Hill ("I meant to say maggot, but I have a lisp.")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
For the first time in two centuries, British businessmen and others have formed a private navy to protect shipping off the pirate-ridden coast of Somali

Seems like history is repeating itself. The Brits acquired an Asian empire because the British East India Company was having trouble protecting its trade out there.

10 posted on 01/07/2013 2:58:45 PM PST by expat2
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

South China Sea to be patrolled by Federal Express, maybe..?

I would not want 2b Taiwanese, right now...


11 posted on 01/07/2013 3:10:53 PM PST by gaijin
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To: gaijin

If it took Jimmy Carter to get us a Ronald Reagan, we should be getting another George Washington after this guy!!


12 posted on 01/07/2013 4:21:06 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (I'll raise $2million for Sarah Palin's presidential run. What'll you do?)
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To: Jacquerie
I doesn't take a CV Battle Group to deal with pirates, just a Commander-in-Chief and Congress more interested in protecting our commercial interests than making the Sunday yik-yak shows.

Or a cargo ship entering port with pirates swinging from the yardarm/mast - preferably tied up in a pigskin or smeared with SPAM fat.

13 posted on 01/07/2013 5:12:52 PM PST by Oatka (This is America. Assimilate or evaporate.)
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To: Oatka
Some months ago, a Youtube was posted here that showed how the Russkies dealt with pirates.

The pirates were brought topside on their vessel w/hands tied behind their backs. The standoff destroyer took target practice.

Nice. No DOJ lawyers.

14 posted on 01/07/2013 5:28:26 PM PST by Jacquerie ("How few were left who had seen the republic!" - Tacitus, The Annals)
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