Posts Tagged War
Afghanistan and Iraq
Dec 3
President Obama has committed another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. At a cost of $1 million per troop, that’s $30 billion wasted.
On top of this we are constantly hearing about the burden of multiple deployments placed on troops and their families. To be honest I’m tried of hearing it. All I hear is how they, the troops and families, want to complete their mission.
This is the reason the military doesn’t want a draft, a volunteer (mercenary) army is more complacent. Yet they complain about being redeployed. Duh…you did volunteer. If you are going to support the war and volunteered then stop complaining.
Why are we in Afghanistan? How will we know when we have succeeded?
The goal was initially the capture of Bin Laden. Side tracked by Iraq we have lingered in Afghanistan for 8 years now. After 8 years we are still debating our goal and strategy for being there.
The people of Afghanistan have a history of uniting against foreign powers and turning on each other when they have forced their exit.
They were our allies when they were fighting the Russians and will be our allies only when it benefits them, more troops will not change the equation.
What are we going to gain by remaining? Nothing but a mounting number of casualties and monetary debt. Get out now and let them fight each other.
Protect our borders at our borders, not in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Life on a Marine base
Sep 15
Draft or voluteer?
Aug 10
As a veteran that protested the draft it’s odd that I would propose bringing it back.
But the fact that we can become so apathetic of issues till they invovle us gives me pause. The military is happy to have a all volunteer force, why?
They say that the commitment and quality is superior. I find that harder and harder to believe as I read of the suicides, incidents and stress that returning veterans face.
I think the military support for a all volunteer force comes from the fact that the citizens of the United States can comfortably ignore the costs.
I was amused when I read in the US Today a quote by General McCrhystal, that many fighters for the Taliban would stop fighting if they could find jobs in a stabilized country. They do it because it’s a job. It pays.
Granted we are a stabilized country, but a professional military is one that relies on on pay, not obligation, to serve. I know that many volunteers would say it’s their duty, but when we begin to hear of PTSD, atrocities, that’s not duty.
We are more apt to question if a cause is just when we are forced, not paid to carry it out.
We all have a stake, we all have a say. Are we silent because we support the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, or because we are not asked to participate?
How many bumper sticker patriots are willing to serve?