CAN INDIA BECOME A SUPERPOWER?

 PD (Govt.Origin)

 India is the world's largest democratic nation. Its economy is growing and if you are a regular follower of our coverage of the Indian navy you know while still growing and reforming it is impressive. Can India become a superpower? We present three videos we recently found that explore this concept. The first is an exploration of India's history, borders, geography, government and economy and political problems. In just 13 minutes you will have a background on India that would normally take you weeks of reading. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXZ4pRhY-kU

 The second video examines the pertinent question, can India become a superpower? This video which lasts only a little over 3 minutes looks at innovative entrepreneurial activity among India's young new college graduates and responds in the affirmative predicting that India will be an economic superpower in ten years.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkH3Qcqgr9M

 INS Vikrant (R11) with a Sea King helicopter during Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 (Photo Indian Navy) 

Finally, India as a Superpower an ABC Documentary:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNnE1MdxoS0  which pretty much views India as an already emerging superpower and a rather likable one.

 What are our thoughts on India as a Super Power?  We have cheered the rise of Indian naval power since our start up as a blog because the Indian Ocean needs a guardian and Britain passed the baton to the U.S. which with its global taxing all of its ever shrinking naval resources is hard pressed for the role. So why not the Navy of a large, committed democracy? As pointed out in the ABC documentary economically we are profitably allied with India at the corporate level even if India remains officially a "non aligned nation."  The U.S. and India appear to be on parallel and complimentary courses. We see no reason not to encourage that evolution. But in doing so we must respect India's choices, treat them as an equal and not presume that we are the tutors. We are fellow travelers and students on the road to wide spread prosperity and security. We both face dangers within and without, let,s never be a danger to each other.

 Of course we have to admit that we spend at least half the year in Louisiana where they raise Brahman Cattle for their heat resistance, the popular governor is a first generation Indian American, the the Flagship University has a Tiger for its mascot, and the climate and terrain resemble parts of southern India and the population is just as diverse but convinced that there is no better place on earth. People from especially South Louisiana seems predisposed towards understanding India and liking the place and people. Go Tigers!

Johnas Presbyter, Editor


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXZ4pRhY-kU

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BOOK REVIEW: FIRE ON THE WATER

CHINA, AMERICA, AND THE FUTURE OF THE PACIFIC by Robert Haddick

Link To: FIRE ON THE WATER      HARD AND SOFT COVER

 
FIRE ON THE WATER


According to Robert Haddick many U.S. policy experts are unaware of the threat that China's naval expansion and modernization poses to America's national interests in the Asia-Pacific region. He maintains that within a decade China will have the military power to place U.S. influence throughout East Asia at risk. We have been saying for nearly three years in our "HOW FAR WILL THE DRAGON SWIM" series of posts that China intends to push the U.S. Navy back to Pearl Harbor. They won't need a decade to do it if we continue shrinking our own fleet while Muslim and Russian generated unrests continues to create a need for our naval presence outside of the Pacific Basin. According to Haddick to avoid future trouble , the United States needs to fashion a new and more competitive strategy  that better matches the strengths of the United States and its allies against China's vulnerabilities. Our own senior maritime analysts the Great Namazu warned of the dangers of Chinese naval emergence and suggested a new strategy years ago in his post "DON'T GET SUN TZUED"

 U.S. naval presence in the China Seas is preferable to encouraging the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan to counter China on their own. Such an alliance would likely result in an unstable arms race. That could result in a conflict that would disrupt America's commercial routes through the Pacific. China's strategy of conquest relies on its rapidly expanding naval and coast guard forces as well as shore based ship killing missiles. The United States has been very slow at countering China's rising naval power. Haddick proposes far reaching changes to U,S, naval policy, diplomacy  and strategies to strengthen deterrence and  bolster U.S. credibility in the region. Haddick notes that historically the rapid arrival of a new great power has usually resulted in conflict. Haddick believes the U.S., China, and neighboring Asia can avoid that fate if America adopts a more competitive strategy to influence China's choices and thus maintain the region's stability and prosperity.

 We maintain that the Middle Kingdom is inherently imperial and in the end can be contained only by massively superior fire power.

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Navy Rescinds Bill Cosby�s Honorary Chief Petty Officer Title

Navy Veteran Bill Cosby Dropped From The Rarified Rolls Of  Honorary Chief Petty Officer 

Bill Cosby was presented as an Honorary Chief Hospital Corpsman in 2011. The U.S.Navy dropped him from the rolls of honary chiefs on Dec.4,2014  Photo U.S. Navy

 As some of us here at American Admiralty Books are in fact former Chief Petty Officers ourselves and long time fans of Bill Cosby. We view the Navy's dropping of Bill Cosby under the circumstances with very mixed feelings. Chief Petty Officers are required to uphold, demonstrate, and encourage the "core values" of our Navy. Here is the announcement that revoked Mr. Cosby's status: 

"By Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Michael Stevens today said the Navy is revoking Bill Cosby's title of honorary Chief Petty Officer, originally presented in 2011. The Navy is taking this action because allegations against Mr. Cosby are very serious and are in conflict with the Navy's core values of honor, courage and commitment.

Cosby enlisted in the Navy in 1956 and served for four years as a hospital corpsman before being honorably discharged in 1960 as a 3rd Class Petty Officer."

 We certainly agree that if the allegations against Mr. Cosby were proven true that such behavior is definitely not in keeping  with the core values of the Navy. But in fact nothing has been proven against Mr. Cosby and it is unlikely that anything ever will. It has been pointed out by the media,which just couldn't wait to run the stories, that the allowable time for both criminal charges and civil suits had expired. So why, one by one,did these women level charges at Mr. Cosby at this time?  Of course its politically incorrect to question women who make sexual allegations and we have no facts to challenge them with. On the other hand we haven't seen any real evidence presented. More importantly there are no forums in which any evidence is likely to be tested. Some will say then why doesn't Mr. Cosby file suit against his accusers for slander. We can easily see two good reasons. First the time elapsed. There is a reason why courts bar "stale cases", witnesses and real evidence have a way of disappearing over time. Mr. Cosby may not be legally time barred from filing suit but given the elapsed time he would face all of the practical problems that cause the court to time bar the women from bringing charges or suit. Someone responded to the Secretary of the Navy and the MCPON's announcement dropping Mr. Cosby from the honorary Chief's roles thusly:

 Austin Mansfield � 

"When I was growing up, I used to laugh at the Soviet History model of "undoing" something that actually happened and claiming it was really Soviet all along (a Russian discovered America; a Russian invented the light bulb; etc.), or pretending someone never existed (e.g., the city of Stalingrad being changed back to St. Petersburg, following the "un-Stalinizing of the USSR). An honorary chief is not really a chief, just as an honorary doctorate is not a real degree. So the Navy, in essence, has declared it is making believe it never gave a make-believe honor to Mr. Cosby, or worse yet � revoking something that doesn't really exist. All to appease public outcry demanding punishment for statements against him � not charges � merely to avoid potential negative publicity. SECNAV and MCPON may now claim the dubious distinction of perpetrating the first honorary lynching."

 We have to tell you that as Chief Petty Officers we disagree with Mr. Mansfield's description of an honorary Chief's appointment as a "make believe honor". We regard asserting that someone has "the right stuff" to represent the honor and traditions of the Chief Petty Officer Corps very seriously. We would certainly be ashamed if Mr. Cosby were proven guilty of the allegations leveled against him. But the Secretary of the Navy and the Master Chief Petty Officer of The Navy seem to have forgotten that one of our most important core values is respect for and the defense of the U.S. Constitution. We believe in due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty which is enshrined in the constitution we protect and in our own Uniform Code of Military Justice. We didn't give the title lightly and we don't want it revoked out of mere political correctness. 

 Some Chief Petty Officers in recent years have faced court martial over similar claims that proved false, just women with an axe to grind. Thankfully their letters patent granting them the rank of Chief, Senior Chief, or Master Chief Petty Officer weren't simply revoked upon receipt of accusations. The evidence was tested and found lacking. In those cases where the allegations were in fact tested and found true no Chief Petty Officer walked out of the military tribunal still a Chief. Mr. Cosby, an honorary member of the brotherhood of Chief Petty Officers was not accorded any due process but was dismissed from the corps by administrative fiat without any testing of the facts. This was political correctness at its worse. 

 If the allegations can be tested to accepted rules  of evidence test them and let the chips fall where they may. If they can not be tested then the accused may not be punished. By further impuning Mr. Cosby's honor without proof the Navy has not upheld its core values of treating all people with respect, and respecting truth and due process. Honorary Lynching?  It feels like it. It was definitely a demonstration that powerful people to day do act on political correctness without regard to truth or due process and impose real consequences on individuals. We can assert with great confidence that the title of Chief Petty Officer was an honor that Bill Cosby treasured and it was taken because political correctness was more highly valued than fairness, or due process.

 Pulling the MCPON into the revocation was meant to add legitimacy to the punitive action because no one would ever be appointed an honorary Chief over the objections of the Corps of Chiefs. So the "Dean of Chiefs" added his signature to the revocation. We believe this undermined the office of Master Chief Petty Officer of The Navy. It diminishes his perception as an independent and experienced advisor and paints him in the position of "Company man". This is a very sad event. The Navy would have been well advised to wait on events but did the politically correct thing instead and took punitive action before there was any certainty that it was the honorable thing to do.   

We're not the only Navy vets who think so here are some samples of comments from around the internet: 

• • • 2  

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      Reply

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      Share � 
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  CharleyA � 4 days ago

  Bad move, Navy. There is something called due process, which members are sworn to defend.

USN RET � 4 days ago

Political Correctness strikes again .....based on unsubstantiated

 claims, devoid of actual charges..........whatever happened to 

innocent until PROVEN guilty.....

 We found two different reports of the event  each with more than half a dozen comments, only one defended the Naval action. Do we really want to live in a society where one can be ruined by unproven accusations? Does the U.S. Navy want to lead in that direction. 

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DROP IN TO SHERMAN'S LAGOON

SHERMAN'S LAGOON 

  Copyright 2014 by Jim Toomey distributed by King Features Syndicate 14 Jim Toomey | Distributed by King Features Syndicate

Cartoon: http://shermanslagoon.com/comics/december-29-2003/


Sherman is a great white shark who is uniquely unaware of how intimidating he can be. He is the main character in SHERMAN'S LAGOON set somewhere in the tropical seas and inhabited by  a cast of unique characters. Sherman gets pushed around a bit by these other characters including Hawthorne, a hermit crab, Fillmore the sea turtle, and Megan, Sherman's domineering wife, another great white shark. The characters in Sherman's lagoon lead lives an awful lot like middle class Americans. They try new business ventures, go on dates, have family issues. But they also have problems unique to life in the lagoon, like what to bring to a covered dish party; shrimp...will shrimp be there?

 There is also an ocean environmental aspect to the cartoons. Ocean environmental themes are explored in a humorous non political way. The Cartoons appeal to adults who relish the social commentary and by children particularly pre teens and teens who enjoy the rough and tumble of Sherman's undersea world.

 The crew here at American Admiralty Books are fans of Sherman and the inhabitants of his lagoon. We think many of our visitors would enjoy periodic visits to the lagoon. So we will run the links here alternatively with our home grown "SUNDAY FUNNIES" and the links will have a permanent home in our OCEANOGRAPHY SECTION.

SHERMAN'S LAGOON HOME PAGE

VIDEO ON BEACH LITTER

CHECK TODAY'S CARTOON:


AMAZON'S SHERMAN'S LAGOON COLLECTION (click to view entire collection)


     We like this particular cover. Sherman does encounter humans in his lagoon. He refers to us as "Beach Apes". Visit Sherman's lago

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THE SHADOW WARRIORS

     

Living with the Shadow Warriors: Stories by the 

Wives of the Navy's Ferret Flyers 

by Ms. Pauline L Varner (Author), Mrs Ruby Abbott (Contributor), & 9 more

 Namazu's pal Vic Socotra has produced this book for the authors and now offers it through Amazon.  The book cover icon above will take you to the Amazon point of purchase. The Vic Socotra link will take you to Vic's website for a background read on the subject. This is a first of its kind offering from Socotra House Publishing. Needless to say we here at American Admiralty Books are very pleased with this development as is Vic's old pal Namazu. Vic's mentor and friend the late Rear Admiral "Mac" Showers was quite impressed with the eleven ladies who first lived the experience in the mid 1950s and then produced the book. For the time being we are going to carry it in our 'NAVAL INTEREST" section but may cross list it in other sections as well. The Great Namazu will hold forth on the work in the very near future.

FROM AMAZON'S BOOK DESCRIPTION:
 "These are stories written by eleven Navy wives who were living in the Philippines, in 1953 to 1956 during the Cold War. Their husbands were flying highly secret missions off the coast of China and Russia. They never knew when their husbands would leave or when they were coming back home, or if they would come back. In late October, the squadron moved from the P.I. to Japan. The book took seven years to complete. Quote from RADM "Mac" Showers, USN-Ret. "Their individual accounts of experiences reveal the good, the bad and the ugly, and occasionally the very ugly aspects of life abroad in strange and often very difficult circumstances. That they managed to cope, to provide loyal support to their husbands who regularly carried out assigned secretive missions, to raise their children, and to generally improve the conditions under which they lived is vivid testimony to the strength of character represented by each."

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LESSONS FROM A DAY THAT LIVES IN INFAMY

TODAY IS THE 73nd ANNIVERSARY OF PEARL HARBOR: THIS YEAR IT AGAIN FALLS ON A SUNDAY.

 Battleships USS WEST VIRGINIA and USS TENNESSEE after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 Department of the Navy. Fourteenth Naval District. (1916 - 09/18/1947), Photographer (NARA record: 1172763 Click on the link below for an hour and half documentary on the attack at Pearl Harbor:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU6a75KmIaA

Damage at Pearl Harbor, early color photo by U.S. Coast Guard

  Explosion of the USS SHAW at Pearl Harbor Public Domain photo.

  USS TENNESSEE (middle) fights her fires at Pearl Harbor. The ARIZONA (foreground) and the WEST VIRGINIA were also afire. TENNESSEE damage control teams fought fires of both of these adjacent ships which threatened to spread to the TENNESSEE.


Today is also the 45 Anniversary of what was once the worst peace time loss of Coast Guard crew men in the history of the service.

Unfortunately the loss of 17 crewmen would be exceeded before the 20th century was over in the loss of the CGC BLACK THORN.  The WHITE ALDER sank on the lower Mississippi River just above New Orleans when it was cut in half by the Freighter HELENA registered in Taiwan on December 7, 1968.
 The CGC WHITE ALDER is pictured left in an official USCG photo. Oddly this photo was taken about a year prior to the loss of the CGC WHITE ALDER while she was attempting to salvage the sunken CGC LOGANBERRY, a smaller buoy tender/aids to navigation cutter that sank in rough weather after striking an uncharted submerged object. Our own Johnas Presbyter was there for the LOGAN BERRY mission in charge of a smaller responding Coast Guard vessel. The entire crew of the CGC LOGANBERRY was rescued and the vessel raised and repaired. For the complete story of the WHITE ALDER click here:
 http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/White_Alder_1947.asp

 In 1980 a larger Coast Guard Buoy tender the CGC BLACK THORN was sunk after a collision in Tampa Bay with a loss of 23 Coast Guard crew members.  http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Blackthorn1944.pdf   The Loss of the BLACK THORN now stands as the Coast Guard's largest single day loss of personnel in peace time.

  CGC BLACK THORN, Official USCG Photo
 Between the two Buoy tender losses the service lost a training vessel.  The CGC CUYAHOGA was sunk in a collision on the Chesapeake Bay on October 20, 1978. Aboard the CUYAHOGA 10 Coast Guard crew and Officer Trainees were lost as well as one Indonesian Navy Trainee.   CGC CUYAHOGA, Official USCG Photo: http://www.uscg.mil/tcyorktown/info/History/Cutters/cuyahoga.asp

To put the Coast Guard peace time losses in perspective that started on December 7, 1968 consider that each of these losses of 17, then 10, then 23 members occurred in a single day in a service smaller than the New York city police department at the time. 

 The Coast Guard was present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941:
 The CGC TANEY was present at Pearl Harbor and returned fire. The TANEY survived the rest of the war as well and now is a museum ship in Baltimore harbor. In addition to the Taney at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 were the unarmed 190 foot buoy tender the CGC KUKUI, Two 125 foot armed cutters the RELIANCE and the TIGER. The CGC TIGER was outside the harbor at the time of the attack and was subjected to fire from Japanese air craft which signaled its immediate change of course to its war time predesignated station as the outer harbor entrance patrol vessel, the station from which it rode out the rest of the attack. The actions of the CGC RELIANCE were not posted to the official Coast Guard website on the USCG at Pearl Harbor, nor were those of most of the several smaller numbered vessels ( generally the Coast Guard does not name vessels under 65 feet) with the exception of CG-8 which was under aerial attack, was underway in the harbor and participated in an evacuation of unarmed personnel from a harbor facility and other search and rescue duties during and after the attack. In one of the little know actions of the Pearl harbor attack nearly 1,000 miles away at Midway Japanese destroyers shelled the harbor in the hopes of destroying any naval vessels present. Among the few present was the Coast Guard buoy tender WALNUT which was unarmed. The shells of the Japanese destroyer all fell short of the WALNUT which got under way after the shelling stopped and made a bee line for Pearl Harbor arriving a few days later. At Pearl Harbor the WALNUT was promptly armed.

As we continue to monitor the transgressions of the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard  ( and recently air forces) towards their neighbors Japan and the Philippines, December 7th seems a good time to pause and remember that Japanese and American naval forces are still vulnerable to surprise attack at places like Guam where China recently moved shore base missiles on their mainland to within range of Guam. Both U.S. and Japanese forces are vulnerable to sneak attack at Yokosuka and it is publicly stated Chinese national policy to drive the United States Navy back to Pearl Harbor. It is the Coast Guard forces of both Japan and China that mostly confront each other over the disputed islands at the moment. Both sides have emphasized Coast Guard forces in the hopes that their police like nature will enhance legal claims of "effective administration" and save face over any confrontations that look like backing down. Unfortunately China has a poor legal case and no right what so ever to be invading the relevant sea and air spaces. With the recent establishment of an aerial defense zone over the disputed islands by China , air force to air force confrontations are going to occur. December 7, 2014 finds us in a situation all too similar to 1941. In the blink of an eye the distinction between Coast Guard and naval forces can be lost for the duration of a long and costly war. Lets hope the Dragon finally awakens to common sense and the rule of international law. But lets not lull ourselves into the slumber that enveloped Honolulu on December 6, 1941 nor the distraction that the Islamofascists constantly present. It is time to begin building up our naval strength and protecting it.
                                              

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PEARL HARBOR BOOKSHELF

PEARL HARBOR KINDLE AND VIDEO SHELF                                                             

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