Military-Industrial Complex Owns Vermont

[unhappycamper]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Military-Industrial-Comple-by-William-Boardman-130111-696.html

Military-Industrial Complex Owns Vermont
By William Boardman
General News 1/11/2013 at 21:23:36

The Vermont Congressional delegation and other elected officials still refuse to explain why they support basing the first strike nuclear-capable F-35 in the midst of Vermont's most populated area even though the Air Force itself says the single engine jet is so loud it will destroy private homes as effectively as if they were bombed.

When 16 concerned, multi-denominational clergy wrote an open letter to Senator Patrick Leahy asking for a postponement of the fighter-bomber basing, he did not respond. Democrat Leahy, Vermont's senior Senator, has already spent years refusing to meet with the people closest to the Burlington Airport, where the Air Force has said it might base the F-35 even though Burlington is the only one of the Air Force's preferred options where the impact on the surrounding civilian are will be severe, and the impact on some 1,300 families will be devastating.

While the focus has been on Leahy, who is perceived as the lead advocate of basing the F-35 in Vermont, his behavior has been duplicated across the political food chain. Self-described socialist Senator Bernie Sanders hasn't met with the people most directly in harm's way, not has Vermont's only Congressman, Democrat Peter Welch. All have issued evasive, misleading, and sometimes false statements about the Air Force plan.

~snip~

None of the elected officials involved, including two of the mayors, Miro Weinberger of Burlington and Michael O'Brien of Winooski, has credibly explained the social injustice of destroying the homes of people who are les well off for the benefit of wealthier people, who also took several of these "democratic" representatives on a jaunt to Eglin Air Force base in Florida to listen F-35s and their promoters extol their virtues. That, as one wag put it, was akin to going to the Vatican for a critical view of Catholicism.

[2on2u]

1. So loud it will destroy homes.... how stealthy is that?? One has to wonder. n/t

[Mopar151]

2. Lots of hyperbole here......

What is the noise like now, when the UPS 747 departs in the evening?

[unhappycamper]

3. I could not find decibel readings for the F-35, but that may be because the Pentagon

does not measure jet noise levels --> http://www.nrac.navy.mil/docs/2009_FINAL_Jet_Noise_Report_4-26-09.pdf

I did, however, find this: http://boiseguardian.com/2012/02/21/anti-f-35-post-in-interest-of-fair-play/

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. I have lived near 2 noisy airports

one that had military planes which were not supposed to even fly near my house, but did, at very low levels, and scared the shit out of our livestock and chickens.
and another near SF, with constant take offs over where we lived.
The stress is unbelievable.
Ear plugs are necessary.
I never got used to it, and was delighted to be able to move away eventually.

The militray sure seems to have a lot of power to do what it wants.
Not to mention eating up huge amounts of fossil fuel.