This opinion piece appeared in the Gainesville Sun (www.sunone.com) newsaper this morning, and I almost choked on my coffee and had to read it a few times to make sure I was not seeing things, or misreading it. This is it word for word:

Time to scrap the military

It is time to recognize the paradigm shift that has occurred gradually in the more than 50 years before the September 11, 2001, tragedies. This shift has rendered military power nearly, if not completely, obsolete.

Due to the continuing proliferation of nuclear, biological, and other weapons of mass destruction and the rise of threats from non-state actors, the exercise of military power by states has never been riskier.

The positioning and exercise of military power abroad inevitably motivates violent resistance and revenge that will increase the likelihood of a catastrophic attack on the U.S., the scope of which could be unprecedented. It is conceivable that we could lose more people in such an attack than we lost in all wars the U.S. has participated in combined. How many deaths could result from the detonation of a nuclear warhead in New York City?

Gone is the near certain accountability and hence deterrence value of military forces in the Cold War. The origins of such an attack may be untraceable and hence there may be little in the way of disincentives for attacks by radical organizations or individuals.

The more we rely on military power to pursue our interests and the more time that passes, the greater the odds of losing millions of people in a matter of minutes. No defense, no matter how well conceived or funded can provide perfect protection.

It is time to end funding for the military and focus instead on massive development efforts overseas. We should offer unprecedented levels of aid, but require unprecedented accountability for democratic and free market reforms in return.

Michael Sandifer,
Gainesville

Now after reading it what do you think? Think we should scrap the military and offer all that money to the rest of the world as aid and help? Is this person on drugs? Were they bi-polar and the odd side won this morning? What can they be thinking. Do they not think of things like defending our country? What about Iran? North Korea, or worse yet China? If we were to have to defend ourselves against any hositle country, how would we do that if we scrapped our military. If you leave yourself defensless, someone will take advantage of that weakness. Scrap our military and you may just have to start learning a new language, becuase we could be invaded, overhtown and subjucated without a shot being fired.

We did not think we would need our military they way we did on December 6th, 1941. We did not think we would need our military during the Cold War years, but because we had it, and it was ready, the USSR broke up, East and West Germany re-unified among other historic events. Its when you least expect to need your military that they have to step up and protect the people of the US and keep us safe and defend our freedoms and way of life. Scrap the military? Send the money overseas??

I have a better idea, scrap the Congress and start over with new elections. Scrap all the pork projects, scrap the liberal social projects that transfer money from those that have some to those who are to lazy to work for themsleves and want everthing handed to them free from the Government. Thats what you need to scrap.