Youtube daily US Dec 1 2017

I see the crystal raindrops fall And the beauty of it all

Is when the sun comes shining through To make those rainbows in my mind

When I think of you sometime And I wanna spend some time with you

Just the two of us We can make it if we try

Just the two of us (Just the two of us)

Just the two of us Building castles in the sky

Just the two of us You and I

We look for love, no time for tears Wasted water's all that is

And it don't make no flowers grow Good things might come to those who wait

Not for those who wait too late We gotta go for all we know

Just the two of us We can make it if we try

Just the two of us (Just the two of us)

Just the two of us Building them castles in the sky

Just the two of us You and I

I hear the crystal raindrops fall On the window down the hall

And it becomes the morning dew And darling when the morning comes

And I see the morning sun I wanna be the one with you

Just the two of us We can make it if we try

Just the two of us, just (Just the two of us)

Just the two of us Building big castles way up high

Just the two of us You and I

For more infomation >> Bill Withers - Just The Two Of Us (Cover by Robert Zaroyan) - Duration: 3:00.

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BREAKING NEWS Out Of South Korea… - Duration: 3:53.

BREAKING NEWS Out Of South Korea� In a show of force following North Korea�s

latest ballistic missile launch, the U.S. military flew two B-1B supersonic bombers

and two F-35 fighter jets over South Korea on Thursday.Four US F-35B fighter jets joined

two US B-1B bombers and four South Korean F-15 fighter jets in the joint US-South Korean

flyover of the Korean Peninsula, an official with the South Korean air force told CNN.

The exercise was designed to �strongly counter North Korea�s repeated ballistic missile

tests and development of nuclear weapons,� the official said.In a statement, the air

force said the US bombers flew out of Guam and four stealth fighter jets from a US Marine

Corps base in Japan.

They conducted a mock bombing drill, which simulated a surgical strike of key enemy facilities,

over the Pilsung Range in the eastern province of Gangwon.In a statement, US Pacific Command

said the flyover was a �direct response to North Korea�s intermediate range ballistic

missile launch.�

�North Korea�s actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland, and their

destabilizing actions will be met accordingly,� said Gen. Terrence O�Shaughnessy, commander

of Pacific Air Forces.Two U.S. nuclear-capable strategic bombers conducted a joint operation

with South Korean air force fighter jets on Thursday, two days after a North Korean missile

fired over Japan sharply raised tensions.

The drills involved two supersonic U.S. B-1B bombers, four U.S. stealth F-35B jets as well

as the South Korean fighters.

Fox News reports that such flyovers are common when animosity rises on the Korean Peninsula,

which is technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice,

not a peace treaty.

North Korea on Tuesday flew a potentially nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic

missile over northern Japan and later called it a �meaningful prelude� to containing

the U.S. territory of Guam.

A day later, The U.S. Defense Agency announced it had shot down a medium-range ballistic

missile off the coast of Hawaii in a new test of its missile defense system at sea.

The test came after North Korea fired the missile from its capital Pyongyang that flew

over Japan before plunging into the northern Pacific Ocean, an aggressive test-flight over

the territory of a close U.S. ally that sent a clear message of defiance as Washington

and Seoul conduct war games nearby.

Thursday�s U.S. show of force followed a tweet from President Trump, suggesting he

was growing impatient with North Korea after earlier expressions of hope for a dialogue

with the communist country.

President Trump tweeted out the following message:

�The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years.

Talking is not the answer!�On Tuesday, Washington and its allies called for an emergency U.N.

Security Council meeting, but seemed to fall short on new ideas for stopping North Korea�s

nuclear and missile advances, which are increasingly putting the U.S. mainland within range.

�Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime�s isolation

in the region and among all nations of the world,� Trump said after the North�s missile

soared almost 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings

in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia.

�All options are on the table.�

For more infomation >> BREAKING NEWS Out Of South Korea… - Duration: 3:53.

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US State Dept. OKs $500M Weapons Sale to Poland - Duration: 0:55.

For more infomation >> US State Dept. OKs $500M Weapons Sale to Poland - Duration: 0:55.

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US Coalition Admits Killing 801 Civilians in Airstrikes - Duration: 1:01.

For more infomation >> US Coalition Admits Killing 801 Civilians in Airstrikes - Duration: 1:01.

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Are You Like Us? - Duration: 2:16.

For more infomation >> Are You Like Us? - Duration: 2:16.

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US Urges Countries to Cut Ties With North Korea After Missile Launch - Duration: 0:55.

For more infomation >> US Urges Countries to Cut Ties With North Korea After Missile Launch - Duration: 0:55.

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U.S. Citizens Detained in Thailand for Being Exposed in Public - Duration: 0:57.

For more infomation >> U.S. Citizens Detained in Thailand for Being Exposed in Public - Duration: 0:57.

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Rockwell B-1 Lancer - US Supersonic Heavy Strategic Bomber [Review] - Duration: 7:31.

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States

Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone". It is one of three strategic bombers in the

USAF fleet as of 2017, the other two being the B-2 Spirit "Stealth Bomber", and the B-52

Stratofortress.

In the early 1990s, following the Gulf War and concurrent with the disestablishment of

SAC and its reassignment to the newly formed Air Combat Command, the B-1B was converted

to conventional bombing use. It first served in combat during Operation Desert Fox in 1998

and again during the NATO action in Kosovo the following year. The B-1B has supported

U.S. and NATO military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The USAF had 66 B-1Bs in service

as of September 2012. The B-1B is expected to continue to serve into the 2030s, with

the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider to begin replacing the B-1B after 2025. The B-1s currently

in inventory will reach the end of their service lives by 2045.

Unlike the B-1A, the B-1B cannot reach Mach 2+ speeds; its maximum speed is Mach 1.25

or 1,530 km/h, but its low-level speed increased to Mach 0.92 or 1,130 km/h. The speed of the

current version of the aircraft is limited by the need to avoid damage to its structure

and air intakes. To help lower its radar cross section, the B-1B uses serpentine air intake

ducts and fixed intake ramps, which limit its speed compared to the B-1A. Vanes in the

intake ducts serve to deflect and shield radar emissions from the highly reflective engine

compressor blades.

The B-1's main computer is the IBM AP-101, which is also used on the Space Shuttle orbiter

and the B-52 bomber. The computer is programmed with the JOVIAL programming language.

The B-1's defensive electronics include the Eaton AN/ALQ-161A radar warning and defensive

jamming equipment, which has three sets of antennas; one at the front base of each wing

and the third rear-facing in the tail radome. Also in the tail radome is the AN/ALQ-153

missile approach warning system.

Beginning in 2014, the B-1 was used by the U.S. against the Islamic State in the Syrian

Civil War. From August 2014 to January 2015, the B-1 accounted for eight percent of USAF

sorties during Operation Inherent Resolve. The 9th Bomb Squadron was deployed to Qatar

in July 2014 to support missions in Afghanistan, but when the air campaign against IS began

on 8 August, the aircraft were employed in Iraq. During the Battle of Kobane in Syria,

the squadron's B-1s dropped 660 bombs over 5 months in support of Kurdish forces defending

the city, one-third of all bombs used during OIR during the period, killing some 1,000

ISIL fighters. The 9th Bomb Squadron's B-1s went "Winchester", dropping all weapons on

board, 31 times during their deployment. They dropped over 2,000 JDAMs during the 6-month

rotation. B-1s from the 28th Bomb Wing flew 490 sorties where they dropped 3,800 munitions

on 3,700 targets during a six-month deployment. In February 2016, the B-1s were sent back

to the U.S. for cockpit upgrades.

As part of a USAF organizational realignment announced in April 2015, all B-1B aircraft

are to be reassigned from Air Combat Command to Global Strike Command effective 1 October

2015.

On 8 July 2017, the USAF flew two B-1 Lancers near the North Korean border in a show of

force amid increasing tensions, particularly in response to North Korea's 4 July test of

an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Crew:

4 (aircraft commander, copilot, offensive systems officer, and defensive systems officer)

Height: 10.4 m Wing area: 181.2 m²

Empty weight: 87,100 kg Loaded weight: 148,000 kg

Max. takeoff weight: 216,400 kg

Fuel capacity, optional: 37,900 L fuel tank each in 1–3 internal

weapons bays

Powerplant:4 × General Electric F101-GE-102 augmented turbofans

Dry thrust: 77.4 kilonewton each Thrust with afterburner: 136.92 kilonewton

each

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed:

At altitude: Mach 1.25 or 1,340 km/h at 12,000 m altitude

At low level: Mach 0.92 or 1,100 km/h at 60–150 m altitude

Range: 9,400 km Combat radius: 5,543 km

Service ceiling: 18,000 m Rate of climb: 1,731 m/min

Wing loading: 816 kg/m² Thrust/weight: 0.38

ARMAMENT:

Hardpoints: 6 external hardpoints for 23,000 kg of ordnance

and 3 internal bomb bays for 34,000 kg of ordnance.

Bombs: 84× Mk-82 Air inflatable retarder general

purpose bombs 81× Mk-82 low drag general purpose bombs

84× Mk-62 Quickstrike sea mines 24× Mk-84 general purpose bombs and others..

Previously up to 24× B61 or B83 nuclear bombs could be carried.

Number built: B-1A: 4

B-1B: 100

Unit cost: US $283.1 million

in 1998 (B-1B)

For more infomation >> Rockwell B-1 Lancer - US Supersonic Heavy Strategic Bomber [Review] - Duration: 7:31.

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North Korea threat: US will 'NOT get early WARNING' of Kim Jong-un attack amid WW3 fears - Duration: 3:46.

North Korea threat: US will 'NOT get early WARNING' of Kim Jong-un attack amid WW3 fears

has similar missiles to China, which means the US will not have a lot of warning before a potential missile strike, says the former four-star general.

  Speaking to , he said: "The fact that they have mobile missiles like the Russians and also like the Chinese, actually their launches look remarkably similar to the Chinese, means that we're not going to have a lot of early warning.

" "So that is a challenge for us and we're still heading towards the main effort here.

" He also said that the US is still depending on China and that it was a good sign they had not gone all in yet.

General Keane sad: "Nikki Haley said it yesterday, is China, the fact that she is publicly asking China to do more means that we know, for a fact, that China has not gone all in yet and we're still depending on them.  He added that US politicians have done a good job of uniting countries around in the world in severing diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea.

He said: "Secretary Tillerson and Haley have done a good job in getting countries to back away from economically supporting North Korea and it would put more pressure on North Korea for sure." North Korea released video footage of Kim Jong-un's latest missile launch on Wednesday after the despot dictator tested world leaders' patience once again.

The secretive state had previously sparked fears that could erupt after a series of ICBM tests. had seemingly paused his ambition to create an arsenal of deadly weapons, having not fired a rocket since mid-September.

However, on Wednesday morning Pyongyang time, the rogue state's leader sent a statement to the world by launching a missile higher than ever before.

Some experts have warned with a different trajectory the ICBM could have reached the United States – something Kim Jong-un has promised after spending months entangled in a furious war of words with.

North Korea has since released video footage of Kim Jong-un watching ones his Hwasong-15 rocket was sent into the night skies above Pyongyang.

The missile travelled for around 53 minutes eastward before crashing into the sea off of the coast of US ally Japan.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said the weapon was "tipped with a super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US".

Nuclear experts have claimed while North Korea has yet to deliver a nuclear warhead on top of an ICBM, it is likely they will be able to achieve it soon. .

For more infomation >> North Korea threat: US will 'NOT get early WARNING' of Kim Jong-un attack amid WW3 fears - Duration: 3:46.

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Gov't holds second public hearing on South Korea-U.S. FTA renegotiation - Duration: 2:33.

South Korea's trade ministry is holding its second public hearing on possible amendments

to the free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States.

Our Kim Hyesung joins us on the line from the Coex Convention Center in southern Seoul.

Hyesung, can you walk us through the key points of the hearing so far....

Hi, Mark.

The public hearing started at 9:30am sharp.

It started with presentations by trade and legal experts, and was followed by a panel

discussion.

The trade ministry unveiled its economic feasibility studies on the Korea-U.S. FTA.

With regards to the agricultural sector, it said agricultural imports from the U.S. increased

by a yearly average of 15 percent, or 940 million U.S. dollars, between 2012 and 2016...

compared to the 2007 and 2011 period, the five year period before the FTA went into

effect in 2012.

The report also said U.S. beef imports have surged 124 percent since the FTA took effect.

Basically, the report said Korea's agriculture sector should be exempted from the renegotiations.

As for the manufacturing sector, experts said Korea's exports to the U.S., saw a surplus,

mostly from the automobile sector, while steel and petrochemical industry exports dropped.

The report argued the trade surplus is not because of lower tariffs from the FTA, but

because of Korea's competitiveness in those manufactured goods.

Basically, the government's main point is that they will not just be on the defense

when it comes to the renegotiations, it will protect its agricultural industry, and also

address the antidumping issues raised by the Trump Administration, according to the WTO

regulations.

What's the mood like?

The first gathering last month was disrupted by furious farmers, right?

Right, the first public hearing on November 10th ended in less than 30 minutes due to

a disruption by angry farmers and livestock breeders.

Agricultural representatives held a press conference half-an-hour before the meeting,

at nine a.m. calling for the termination of the Korea-U.S. FTA, and even interrupted before

the panel talks began at 9 40 a.m.

After some fuss, the meeting restarted.

Today, unlike the first hearing, agricultural representatives were also given seats at the

panel talks, who raised their concerns over Korea's livestock industry.

I'll have more updates later in the day.

Back to you, Mark.

For more infomation >> Gov't holds second public hearing on South Korea-U.S. FTA renegotiation - Duration: 2:33.

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China dodges U.S. calls to cut off N. Korea's oil supply - Duration: 2:10.

The international community are still considering what action to take against North Korea after

its latest ballistic missile test on Wednesday.

But while Washington has made clear that it's China who should do more, Beijing has shown

little will to comply.

Kwon Jang-ho has this report.

The U.S. issued a strong condemnation of North Korea's latest missile provocation on Wednesday

at the emergency UN Security Council meeting in New York.

But, it was China who they placed firm responsibility on to act.

(English) AP 4128368 "President Trump called Chinese President

Xi this morning and told him that we have come to the point that China must cut off

the oil from North Korea.

That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah."

So far, the reaction from Beijing has not been positive.

No official response has been given to Washington's demands, and when the foreign ministry spokesperson

was asked directly during a press briefing on Thursday, he avoided answering, simply

saying that China is implementing current UN sanctions, which capped oil exports to

the regime by 30-percent.

China's state sanctioned newspaper, the Global Times, also issued an op-ed on Thursday, titled

"Only the UN Security Council can decide new sanctions on Pyongyang."

It says, "China and Russia will not impose any additional unilateral punishments on North

Korea as the US is hoping."

It carries on to say that "It's now winter, and an oil embargo would hurt people's livelihoods

and risk triggering a humanitarian crisis."

It concludes, "China is not a chess piece for others to deploy."

But the piece does also call for North Korea to stop provoking the U.S.

And there are other minor movements coming from Beijing.

Beijing is threatening to end a near-20 year old college student exchange program with

Pyongyang.

Speaking with Hong Kong's South Morning China Post newspaper, Li Gang, the official overseeing

the program, said he was concerned by the regime's missile tests, and that if there

was any danger to their students, they would be ready to terminate the exchange.

If it were to be cancelled, it would bring to an end one of the longest uninterrupted

programs between the two countries.

Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News.

For more infomation >> China dodges U.S. calls to cut off N. Korea's oil supply - Duration: 2:10.

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Trump considers replacing Tillerson with CIA chief: U.S. officials - Duration: 0:46.

The White House is trying to brush aside reports that President Trump is considering replacing

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo in the coming weeks.

It insisted Tillerson continued to lead the State Department, adding that the entire Cabinet

was focused on what it called "this incredibly successful first year" of the Trump administration.

Pressed about those reports Thursday morning during an Oval Office meeting, Trump only

said "Rex is here," falling short of a definitive backing for his top diplomat.

Relations between the two have soured recently due to their differing views on how to handle

North Korea and Tillerson's failure to explicitly deny that he called his boss a "moron."

For more infomation >> Trump considers replacing Tillerson with CIA chief: U.S. officials - Duration: 0:46.

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Trump considers replacing Tillerson with CIA chief: U.S. officials - Duration: 0:45.

It's not easy turning the screw on a country so heavily sanctioned as North Korea.

One option is cutting off its oil supplies, as President Trump had already pushed for--

but there are other alternatives,... such as intercepting ships suspected of carrying

goods to or from the regime.

Oh Jung-hee reports.

While the international community is looking for ways to up the pressure against North

Korea after its latest ICBM launch,... maritime interdiction is rising as a possible option.

That's... increasing inspections on vessels suspected of transporting North Korean goods...

to block North Korea's trade routes.

On Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters... that she

expects a maritime transport ban on a whole new level to come out... though the details

are still being ironed out.

An unnamed high-level official from the South Korean government has also said...

there are not many areas left for additional sanctions on North Korea... except maritime

interdiction and cutting oil supplies.

(Korean) "This measure is not limited to inspecting

vessels at ports, but inspecting all of North Korean goods and any vessels suspected to

be carrying them...

anywhere in international waters.

So if this is reflected in the UN Security Council resolution, then this resolution will

be very powerful because it will be blocking all of North Korea's maritime routes."

But it is not clear if the U.S. will take that as a unilateral sanction against Pyongyang

or have it reflected in the UN Security Council resolution.

The measure was included in the draft resolution when Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear

test in September,... but was ultimately dropped due to opposition from China and Russia.

Experts see that China and Russia may stay against maritime inspection this time too,...

which means the U.S. might have to coordinate only with countries sharing its stance.

Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.

For more infomation >> Trump considers replacing Tillerson with CIA chief: U.S. officials - Duration: 0:45.

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South Korea's exports hit US $49.7 billion in Nov., up 9.6% y/y - Duration: 2:17.

South Korea's exports remain on the up-and-up.

Preliminary data for November shows the nation's booming semiconductor sector is playing a

key role in driving outbound shipments.

That said,.... while growth was solid,... last month's increase failed to make it to

the double-digit range.

Won Jung-hwan has the details.

Korea's latest export figures show thirteen months of consecutive export growth.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday the nation's exports in November

hit nearly 50 billion U.S. dollars, up 9-point-6 percent from the previous year.

South Korea's trade surplus came to 7-point-8 billion dollars, marking 70 straight months

in which the country's exports have exceeded imports.

Although the export growth figure, which failed to reach double-digits, marks a slowdown from

September's 35-percent surge in export growth from the previous year, the trade ministry

remains optimistic about November's preliminary figures,... saying it is the highest rate

of on-year increase ever recorded for the month of November.

Nine out of the 13 major product types recorded posted increases, with five items, such as

semiconductors, general machinery and petroleum products, recording double-digit export growth.

Semiconductors in particular saw 9.5 billion dollars in exports, recording their second

highest export figures of all time,… and exports of general machinery products increased

by 4.6 billion dollars.

Exports to all regions increased in November, with the exception of the Middle East.

Outbound shipments to China, Korea's largest trading partner, climbed more than 20-percent,

part of a fourth-month surge, to reach 14 billion U.S. dollars, Korea's highest ever

monthly exports to China.

Korea's exports have been on a steady rise since November 2016.

Along with exports,... inbound shipments to the country also rose over twelve-point-three

percent on-year in November to 41 billion dollars.

Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.

For more infomation >> South Korea's exports hit US $49.7 billion in Nov., up 9.6% y/y - Duration: 2:17.

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US holds first Vietnam War draft - 12/1/1969 - Duration: 1:19.

Today, Military History 1969,

a draft lottery was held to determine the order

of call to military service in the Vietnam War.

It was the first lottery used

to order men into military service since 1942.

It applied to registrants born between

January 1, 1944 and December 31st, 1950,

and the event was broadcast on radio, film, and television.

366 blue capsules containing birth dates were mixed in a

shoe box, then placed in a large glass container, and drawn

by hand to randomly assign order of call numbers to all men

born between the 18 to 26 age range specified by law.

New York Representative,

Alexander Pirnie drew the first capsule.

It contained the date September 14th.

So all men born on September 14th in any year

between 1944 and 1950 were assigned lottery number one.

The drawing continued for every day in the year.

The date of the last drawing

for the lottery was on March 12th, 1975.

In total 1,728,344 men were drafted during the Vietnam War

and 648,500 of them were sent to Vietnam.

They accounted for just over 30% of

combat deaths with 17,725 lives lost.

Today, the US Military is an all-volunteer force,

but registration for conscription

remains the law just as a contingency plan.

For more infomation >> US holds first Vietnam War draft - 12/1/1969 - Duration: 1:19.

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S. Korea's Moon, U.S. Trump discuss next steps - Duration: 2:13.

It's a bitterly cold winter morning.

It's colder than yesterday and the wind chill is only making it feel colder than the actual

temperatures.

Dress in layers and cover up.

The air is getting drier each day with dry weather alerts in place in most of the east,...

including Busan and Daegu.

Drink plenty of water and apply a good amount of moisturizer.

As for the highs, Seoul will make it to 3 degrees Celsius,... while the rest of nation

will also have single digit afternoon highs with 8 degrees down in Busan.

The harsh start to December will start to ease from tomorrow.... but be aware of a mix

of rain and snow on Sunday.

With that, let's take a look at the international weather for viewers around the world.

While colder air has gripped much of the nation mostly under sunny skies, North Korea will

have colder temperatures under brighter skies.

As for major cities in Asia,..Seoul seems to be the coldest city on Friday, Beijing

will have a repeat of yesterday's weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the heat has eased in Melbourne,... but a dangerous storm will batter the state,

it could possibly dump three months' worth of rain in three days.

Heading to North America, Vancouver hit a weather record in November with only three

dry days.

According to Environment Canada, it rained 27 out of 30 days in November and it's a rainy

start to December as well.

As for South America, major cities will have highs in the twenties but it could be rainy

or sunny depending on the region.

Taking you to Europe,... other than Rome, most cities will have single digit highs.

Lastly to Africa, Algiers will have a rainy Friday.

That's all the weather update for now.

For more infomation >> S. Korea's Moon, U.S. Trump discuss next steps - Duration: 2:13.

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Okinawa: US-Marinesoldat wegen Vergewaltigung und Mord zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilt - Duration: 2:32.

For more infomation >> Okinawa: US-Marinesoldat wegen Vergewaltigung und Mord zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilt - Duration: 2:32.

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Yemen Shows How Weak The US Congress Has Become | Congress 4 | Yemen 7 - Duration: 5:12.

Hey there, over the past couple weeks I've been talking about how weak the US Congress

has become.

I've also spent less time than I should talking about the accelerating horror that

is the crisis in Yemen.

Today I'll point out just how deeply these two things are connected.

The world is full of difficult problems.

Yemen is not a difficult problem.

Saudi Arabia is strangling the country, putting millions in danger of starvation, and the

United States is helping them do it.

The US government could stop it tomorrow, and save thousands or possibly millions of

lives.

Two presidents, one out of political calculation, and one out of an inability to see the world

complexly, signed us up and kept us in this project.

It is not a subtle, easily hidden project.

Real military assets, from intelligence to US military refueling planes are being used

to send Saudi and UAE bombers to kill children.

If we were primarily fighting ISIS or Al Queda here, I'd probably still be bitching about

it, with little hope of correcting the problem.

But we're not fighting Al Queda in Yemen.

We're fighting Al Queda's sworn enemies.

There is no legal authority for what's going on here.

No Declaration of War.

No plausible way to fit this under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

Yet it continues.

It seems as if there are no people of principle or power left in the US Congress.

Our congresspeople are supposed to be the ones who rein in our power-mad presidents.

It's congress that's supposed to do the actual work of governing.

Once upon a time that was true.

And I don't mean 100 years ago.

As recently as the 1980s Congress still had the power to tell presidents no.

In 1979 the left wing Sandanista movement took power in Nicaragua.

The Reagan administration decided that the removal of this government was a priority,

so they started funding a bunch of rebel groups, known as the Contras.

Congress thought it was a bad idea.

So they stopped it.

I tend to agree with Congress on that one, but that's not the point.

The point is that as recently as 30 years ago, Congress had the power to slow down a

foreign war it disagreed with.

Let's compare the two situations.

In Nicaragua, Reagan could plausibly defend the Contras as brave freedom fighters.

We now know quite well that they were a bunch of murdering terrorists, but their supporters

could deny it back then.

The Contras were a diverse bunch of non-state actors, and any evil they committed could

be denied or blamed on someone else.

There's no denying what is being done to Yemen, by Saudi Arabia, a powerful, unitary

state, with US support.

Nicaragua was largely a covert operation.

Congress actually had to tighten up its blocking of funds to the Contras multiple times.

It was slippery and under-the radar by design.

The War in Yemen isn't even covert.

The US military is using large expensive refuelling planes to keep it going.

Most importantly Nicaragua was part of a decades long existential conflict.

I'd argue that it wasn't a good way to fight the Cold War, but it fit the fears of

the time.

In the late 1940s it really did look like the Communists could take over the world.

Rational people, and the US public in general, thought that losing the cold war was a real

threat in the 1980s as well.

The CIA's job was fighting communists, and most thought that's what they were doing

in Nicaragua.

Yemen isn't in service to anything really, other than arms sales.

So to sum up, back in the 1980s, in Nicaragua, Congress was powerful enough to stop US participation

in a war that was easy to ignore, arguably on the side of the good guys, and in service

to a decades long fight for the continued existence of the United States and its way

of life.

That took a lot of courage and power.

In 2017, in Yemen, Congress can't get it together to stop a war that is evil, pointless,

public, and helpful to Al Queda, which is supposedly the threat we've been fighting

for the past 15 years.

Congress doesn't just need to stop the war in Yemen because it's the right thing to

do.

Congress needs to stop the war in Yemen to preserve any self respect at all.

Thanks for watching please subscribe, and if you want a free essay, on a completely

different topic, click on the patreon link here to find out more about my crowd-funding

thing.