190324-Polemic - The interaction of People, Health, Environment and War

-1. Environment, 2. Health, 3. Operations in Hot Zones, 3.1. Congo, 3.2. Venezuela, 4. BioChem. Previous Week 190310-Polemic

Other topics: Budgets, Ground Water, Quarantines, Sonic Weapons, DPRK

-1. Environment: Congress Studying Climate Change's Impact on Nation's Military Installations.

-2. Health: Military Doctors in Crosshairs of a Budget Battle. A Rare Virus Outbreak at Sea Has Left this US Navy Warship Quarantined for over 2 Months, but what is of more interest in the potential of this to be the basis of rumors and support conspiracy theory. Pentagon, EPA Butt Heads on Standards for Groundwater Pollution as Military Faces Billions in Clean up Fees.

-3. Operations in Hot Zones:

            3.1. Congo, • -180513-1.1>.12. <ADDED 190310>13. Assailants Attacked an Ebola Treatment Center in Congo — Again. It’s Another Major Setback. New Attack, Case in High Risk Village among Latest Ebola Perils. Incivists Beat up a Citizen and Ransack the Health Facility That Welcomes Him. Ebola Response Is Working, WHO Director General Says, amid Criticism and Violence. Attacks Could Reverse Gains in Congo’s Ebola Fight, Says WHO. One Shot Dead Following Clashes Between Security Forces and Perpetrators of the Mambowa ETC Fire. Fire in ETC Mambowa: A Dead Person and Five Vehicles Destroyed by the Protesters, Lubero: Nziapanda-Mangurejipa Ebola Transit Center Fire. Beni: Journalists' Union Calls on Media to Take Ownership of Ebola Fight. More information at <ADDED 190317-180513-1.1>12.  CDC’s Redfield: it Could Take Another Year to Control Ebola in DRC.

            3.2. Venezuela • -181209-4>7. <ADDED 190310>9. Lootings as Venezuela Power Cut Drags On, Venezuela in the Blackout, Venezuelan City Devastated by Looting During Power Outages. Doctors Pray for Sick as Blackout Batters Venezuelan Hospitals. Venezuela's Public Health Crisis: A Regional Emergency. Venezuela’s Historic Blackout, in 17 Photos. Infectious Diseases Spike amid Venezuela’s Political Turmoil. In Venezuela, Hospitals Struggling to KeepPatients Alive amid Daily Power Outages. Clinics at Bare Minimum to Ensure Critical Attention During Failures of Light and Water. Fate of Venezuelans in US Has Trump Priorities in Conflict. It Is Unspeakable: How Maduro Used Cuban Doctors to Coerce Venezuela Votershttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/17/world/americas/venezuela-cuban-doctors.html^$. To maintain their hold over Venezuela, Mr. Maduro and his supporters have often used the nation’s economic collapse to their advantage, dangling food before hungry voters, promising extra subsidies if he won, and demanding that people present identification cards tied to government rations when they came to the polls. Members of Cuba’s medical missions to Venezuela described a system of deliberate political manipulation in which their services were wielded to secure votes, often through coercion. Many tactics were used, they said, from simple reminders to vote for the government to denying treatment for opposition supporters with life threatening ailments. The Cuban doctors said they were ordered to go door to door in impoverished neighborhoods, offering medicine and warning residents that they would be cut off from medical services if they did not vote for Mr. Maduro or his candidates. This is not very different from Iraq prior to the 2^nd Gult War and what is currently happening in the DPRK. More information at <ADDED 190317-181209-4>7.

-4. BioChem: As far as can be determine there is no sonic weapon, but fear of it could divert resources into defense against a non existent threat, Cuba Says USA, Not Canada, Manipulating Diplomat Health Incidents, <ADDED 190317-180311-6>. It is also important to consider that new weapons also need to be integrated into the military system to be effective, otherwise it can be a source of friendly fire and could neutralize overall strategy, Tactical Art in Future Wars.

WOTR Version

When one combines people, health, environment and war one always finds motivated reasoning, which in turn can conflict with the motivated reasoning of the military. When this conflict happens between a government and its military arm national security of their people, health, environment and defense and offense capabilities.

There is continuing discussion and study if there is national security impact from Climate Change is a dilemma for the US military, to follow the direction of elected officials or prepare and plan for significant environmental changes that risk national defense capabilities. This is complicated further when there are politically motivated actions that divert resources, funds and staff attention, such as non existent weapons and threats.

Add to this the complications of the perpetual question of how much medical infrastructure is needed, especially if an asset is not available due to quarantined, in circumstances that can foster rumor and conspiracy theory, while concurrently there are questions of who is responsible for resolving environmental hazards to the force.

The continuing conflicts in the DRC hotzone setting back containment and control of the outbreak, possibly adding months to its resolution with increased costs in finances and lives. Especially disheartening was this outbreak stared with a hope for quick resolution because of the West African Ebola outbreak experience. More information at <ADDED 190317-180513-1.1>.

Meanwhile Venezuela humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated with a loss of electrical power, and continuation of weaponizing health care against its own population, as was done in Iraq prior to the 2^nd Gulf War, and is currently happening in the DPRK. More information at <ADDED 190317-181209-4>.