Newt Gingrich, Warmongering Republican Blathers About "Lasers Missiles"
In addition to taking time out to convert to Roman Catholicism (given the right wing Republican rantings of the church's hierarchy, both deserve each other), he blathered on about North Korean "laser missiles."
As ThinkProgress reported about crazy Newt and his obsession with North Korea's missile launch:
"But Newt Gingrich believes military action is necessary. Last night on Fox News, Gingrich said 'we should be very worried,' referencing a 'novel' he read about a nuclearelectromagnetic pulse attack which 'could eliminate all electricity production' in the U.S. '[W]e would go back to a pre-industrial era overnight, in seconds,” Gingrich warned. 'It’s a very serious threat'....
As for lasers, perhaps Newtie should take note, the US military has them, is using and misusing them, harming its own troops.
From DangerRoom: "An American soldier was blinded in one eye and three others required medical evacuation out of Iraq in a series of laser "friendly fire" incidents, the U.S. military has disclosed. These injuries are caused by the misuse of dangerous green-laser dazzlers.
"Since November 2008, a single unit in Iraq "has experienced 12 green-laser incidents involving 14 soldiers and varying degrees of injury. Three soldiers required medical evacuation out of Iraq and one soldier is now blind in one eye," writes Sgt. Crystal Reidy, from the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), or ESC.
"Captain Russell Harris, a Troop Commander with 3rd ESC reports that his troops have suffered 'temporary blindness, headaches and blurred vision,' as a result of laser incidents. Others describe severe, 48-hour migraines after lasing.
"These types of laser injuries appear to be common when units first deploy to Iraq, and may be the result of inadequate training; soldiers may assume that the lasers are harmless and use them without due caution."
Gee, remember when taser manufacturers claimed tasers couldn't cause death, supposedly if used properly.
We know how that turned out.
"Noah and David Axe reported some time ago on the Marine Corps' struggle to get laser dazzlers; one source estimated that up to fifty civilians had been killed because of the lack an effective warning device. And instead of getting the CHP laser dazzler they asked for, the Marines' top brass stepped in and sent them the GBD-III, or Green Beam made by BE Meyers.
"The problem is that the GBD-III is not intended to dazzle. The makers call it 'the most powerful military grade visible lasers available' to be 'used for weapon aiming or marking targets for fire support.' They quote a Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD) of 1,460 meters: In other words, the GBD-III laser can potentially cause eye injuries if used on anyone up to almost a mile away. (By contrast the CHP laser dazzler has an NOHD of 45 meters.) And it's easy to see how accidents could happen with this type of laser without thorough training."
"Air Force personnel have had laser eye protection for some years. It may be time to start issuing it a lot more widely"
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