Kicking Ass, the American Way

THE DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) sounds like an acronym whose words were carefully chosen to create the proper arrangement of vowels and consonants to form a cute new word, much like I created SAGE, Students Against Gulf Engagement, to oppose the first of our many Persian gulf wars in 1990, on college campuses. But its a bit more serious than even that. DARFA is deadly serious, after the fashion of NAZI scientists rearranging the bodies of Jewish folks to find out what makes us tick. What DARFA wants to do is to create a super soldier, fighting human machines who can work endlessly without tiring, live without food and water, pick up tanks, stop bullets, jump over tall mountains, and heaven only knows what else. To the extent that they succeed, I shall be unwaveringly patriotic, gladder than ever to be an American citizen, safely ensconced within its borders. The thing to take seriously is that they seem to be having some measure of success. There are rumors of special forces folks moving with remarkable speed, enduring the unendurable, individuals taking on whole companies of the enemy and emerging intact. This is troublesome, because there is nothing to indicate that all this will make humanity more peaceful or help to deter war, but there is the sense that what one nation seeks to achieve, others seek to emulate. In short, this sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, because it is. how far can and will e go with science fiction military technology? Far enough to self destroy, likely.I harken back to the nineteen sixties, in the midst of the nuclearly armed cold war, and a television commercial in which two old men, intended to depict heads of state, roll up their sleeves and get to mixing. Or General George S. Patton's comment that he would be happy to strap himself into his tank, while German General von Rommel did likewise, and then go at it, mono a mono on mono. Bad idea for the defenders of liberty; Rommel had a Tiger in his tank, Patton was saddled with an inferior Sherman. One can never be too safe or sure. The United States of America has a virtual monopoly on nuclear arms and military procurement, surpassing the next ten most militarily potent nations combined, so one might think that America could take a breather, and sit in the shade for a bit while the others try to catch up, and we roll our eyes at them. But no. That won't do. Never stop trying to get better, bigger, stronger. Next time out, we the American people are likely to swell with the pride of seeing our guys engage in hand to hand combat with the dexterity of Bruce Willis in a Claude van Damme movie co starring Vin Diesel, produced and directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Unless the enemy has the same mojo, he'll never have a chance.