One of the biggest reasons given for the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II was that it would end the war more quickly and save lives. Watch historian Howard Zinn tackle that in one minute.
A seemingly impossible military display at a parade in Belarus…
(via Gawker)
Read more: http://twentytwowords.com/astonishing-synchronized-soldiering/
President Obama will announce today that 3,000 military personnel are to be sent to West Africa to assist the gravely outnumbered healthcare workers fighting the Ebola virus.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the primary initiatives are to build 17 new healthcare facilities with 100 beds each and train as many as 500 healthcare workers a week.
The US personnel will also provide home healthcare kits to approximately 50,000 households and establish a joint operations center in the capital of Liberia to set up further US and international programs.
It is expected to take the US forces about two weeks to get set up on the ground.
The US military personnel will consist of medics, engineers to build treatment facilities and logistics specialists to maximize the transportation of patients.
The Pentagon has asked that these efforts be paid for with the United State’s $500 million budget for overseas contingency operations.
Obama’s planned announcement will come after reports that the virus could mutate into an even more easily-transmitted disease and reach the US by the end of the month.
Washington has been heavily criticized for not taking the epidemic seriously enough, as Ebola has taken over 2,200 lives, infected over 4,000 people and is spreading at an exponential rate.
Senator Chris Coons (D-Del), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations African affairs subcommittee, said of the initiative,
This humanitarian intervention should serve as a firewall against a global security crisis that has the potential to reach American soil.
The US has spent more than $100 million to combat Ebola so far.
Cuba and China have committed to sending medical staff to Sierra Leone, one of the four most affected nations. Cuba will send 165 people in October, and China will build a laboratory to ramp up testing for the disease.
There is already a Chinese-funded hospital in Sierra Leone with 115 staff members.
An additional $58 million from the US will go towards increasing production of ZMapp, the drug cocktail that cured the first Americans to contract the disease last July.
The World Health Organization estimates that the affected nations will need at least four times the amount of healthcare workers they have now to prevent the disease from spreading out of West Africa.
via Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Photo Credit: Getty Images
Read more: http://elitedaily.com/news/world/us-deploys-military-combat-ebola/757819/
I never got to see George Carlin at a comedy club before he died. But honestly, I think his routine would be better served in a college classroom. That’s where conversations like this belong.
Read more: http://upworthy.com/didnt-expect-such-an-eloquent-discussion-from-a-comedians-standup-routine
In the past year, Amazon announced that they were testing out a drone delivery system. Most people thought that meant Amazon would be delivering orders using drones… but maybe that meant something entirely different for delivery companies. One morning, a huge box showed up on this guy’s doorstep. It was a drone delivery from the UPS. However, it wasn’t delivered by drones… it was a drone.
Source: Reddit It’d be hard to send this back to the US government. In fact, he should try to put it together and see what happens. (Just don’t blame us if a shady government agency shows up on your doorstep next.) UPDATE: It turns out, it was a drone worth $350,000 and it was just sent to some college student (the person who originally posted the images). Comments on his original post led him to believe that he should contact some agencies that could have been missing the shipment (like the NOAA). He called the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) hotline, the recipient discovered that the drone wasn’t military. He eventually spoke with a commander about the missing shipment. It was picked up by the UPS security head of the local branch. So far, no FBI or CIA agents have showed up on his doorstep for cleanup. This story seems too wild to be true… but it totally is. Share it!
Read more: http://viralnova.com/drone-in-mail/
ESPN put together a heartwarming compilation of soldiers reuniting with their families during sporting events.
Read more: http://dailypicksandflicks.com/2013/06/30/soldiers-reuniting-with-their-families-compilation-video/
This epic smackdown stems from an investigation into the Australian army and its culture of sexual exploitation. Unlike in America, when the Aussies found out that almost 100 army personnel may be guilty of gross misconduct and sexual exploitation of women — both military and civilian — they sent THIS GUY to send a message to any soldier who even thinks once about being sexist.
At 1:43, he gives them an ultimatum that leaves no doubt on his (and the rest of the Aussie army’s) intentions. That is. BAD. ASS.
Read more: https://imgflip.com/gif/1iwho
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