Comments on: U.S. Military Dangerously Small

National Review Online: U.S. Vulnerable To New Threats Abroad

[jimfinster]

Or maybe it is dangerously large. We have the largest military in the world by far. Our annual military spending is more than the gross GDP of most countries.

With a large military, the President has an irrestible urge to solve all problems by force. Witness our current problems in Iraq...

[bizzzz-2009]

Mr Bush, we can build more bombs, more rockets, more jets, more weapons. We can't build a human body. Could you please use more weapons and less bodies? Use your head for once.

[mgibson17]

During the Second World War the entire country mobilized for the campaign.
Those who could fight did; and those could not support the effort in other ways.
The entire country was put on rations thus every citizen was made to sacrifice to support the troops.
Car factories- and appliance factories, shipyards; all came under the auspices of the war dept. Women hung up their aprons to don overalls and hard hats to help build ships- tanks and airplanes.
We prosecuted a war on two fronts and we were victorious.
Now we have private companies being awarded lucrative contracts to supply out troops with the things they need. War has always been a tool of the rich; it%u2019s how you get paid.

The President and Cheney use their influence and affluence to reward those who helped elevate them to power. War is a nice way of paying those people back by awarding large- expensive contracts to your cronies.
Young men are being sacrificed at the front for the love of mammon.
We just don%u2019t have enough of those factories in contract to the resources we commanded back then. The few companies we rely on just cant keep up. And the entire cost to our government coffers is untenable.

[rafterman1]

"The same houses and the same doors, but always new insurgents behind them. This is the war brought to us by George Bush."

I forgot to mention they were Marine Corps. It breaks my heart to see those hard chargers reduced to kicking down doors to fight guys in robes and sandals.

[bizzzz-2009]

If we're going to pursue this war, how about, Mr. President, killing the enemy with something other than the bodies of our own kids? What is all the *** tax payers have paid for the last 40 plus years being used for, Rambo movies? It's bad enough Republicans AND Democrats, over the years, have awarded defense contracts their buddies so they can line their pockets. Now we find out we're not even going to use the stuff?
Now I know what Rumsfeld meant when he described the terror war as a "different kind of war" He meant it's a war that lasts forever and we eventually lose. The kid gloves have to come off, sooner or later.

[rafterman1]

"never understood Military Base Closures while the U.S. was at war or even some Tax Cuts, these are not good ideas when the country is at war."

But that's the problem - the US is not at war. The military is at war. The poor and middle class kids serving in the military are at war. But the rich aren't at war. Nor are the politicians. And the average American isn't at war. Only a small portion of our country is at war.

Only the military has been asked to sacrifice. No rationing. No taxes. No draft. Nothing. The average American has not been asked to sacrifice, therefore Iraq and Afghanistan are nothing but distant mirages, with little affect on their lives.

I saw a doc (on the Military Channel I think). It showed a company of guys kicking in door after door in Iraq, looking for insurgents. And finding them quite often. Several fiefights were detailed and they were nasty. Grenades, rounds, RPG's flying all over the place. And this isn't a rare event. These firefights happen DAILY. One of the guys mentioned saying a little prayer before every door, asking to "get past this door". Then, at the next house door, the same prayer. Every day for months straight. The same houses and the same doors, but always new insurgents behind them. This is the war brought to us by George Bush.

[tbweb]

I never understood Military Base Closures while the U.S. was at war or even some Tax Cuts, these are not good ideas when the country is at war. I would even support a temporary "WAR TAX" to expire once the deficit spending is made up. And yes, these wars are being fought with deficit spending so before anyone freaks out over a temporary "WAR TAX" just remember these current wars are being fought on credit! In addition since the U.S. does not have a draft a temporary "WAR TAX" would be a way all Americans can share in the burden!

[bluestardad]

YOU GO TO WAR WITH THE ARMY YOU HAVE! HECK OF A JOB RUMMY! YOU ARE THE WORST SEC. DEFENSE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA RIGHT UP WITH THE WORST PRESIDENT AND ADMINISTRATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY TOO!