By Shabbir Rizvi
The US military may see a second consecutive year of failure to meet its recruitment goals.
Despite loosening restrictions, adding new “incentives,” and deploying massive promotional campaigns, various branches of the US military are struggling to enlist new personnel - a sign of not only the declining mental and physical health of Americans but also growing disdain for American wars.
Many have described the failure to meet the military’s recruitment goals as a “crisis.” After all, it was not too long ago when Americans, in a drunken flurry by the post-9/11 war drive, flocked to recruitment centers. The early 2000s saw some of the highest increase in numbers for the military.
Fast forward 20 years.
In 2022, the US Army missed its recruiting goal by 25 percent - some 15,000 soldiers. In a bid to meet its recruitment numbers, the Army invested $100,000,000 in schools meant to push potential recruitments into qualifying mental and physical shape.......more below
The prices of some life-saving medicines have soared to levels that are unaffordable for ordinary people in Venezuela as the United States has ramped up military presence in the Caribbean off Venezuela's coast, alongside escalating sanctions, blockades and military threats against the oil-rich South American nation since late August.
https://www.presstv.ir/default/Embeded/761400
At a northeastern suburb in the capital city Caracas, locals can still purchase most of the commonly used medicines at a major supermarket, where some antibiotics have been sold out, and some first-aid medicines and supplies have become too costly for ordinary residents.
"I'm here mainly to buy antibiotics. I have problems with my lungs. But I can't get all I want, such as vancomycin," said a resident named Alfonso.
"Recent tensions have affected the supplies and prices of drugs. The prices of cancer drugs, insulin drugs and albumin are very high, and most patients here cannot afford them," said Giovanna Gonzalez a ...
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is prepared to use military force to achieve the goals of its special military operation if Ukraine continues to delay peace talks.
During an inspection of a Russian armed forces command post on Saturday, Putin stressed that Moscow will not allow Kiev’s obstruction to prevent progress.
“If the Kiev authorities do not want to resolve the matter peacefully, we will accomplish all the tasks before us in the course of the special military operation by military means,” he said.
The Russian leader noted that the Ukrainian authorities are not moving toward a peaceful resolution, adding, “We see that even today, unfortunately, the leaders of the Kiev regime are in no hurry to resolve this conflict peacefully. I spoke about this a year ago in a speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Putin also received reports from Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and commanders of Russia’s “Centre” and “East” military groups.
Meanwhile, ...
