Quote:
Originally Posted by Penn
Again, I am uncertain if my conclusions are correct, and would welcome another’s insight on the subject matter.
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I have to disagree with a number of the conclusions, even if the review (be it yours or someone else's) does present some facts (and I have no way of discerning that).
One matter is one of basic math. If our objective force is a million soldiers and we achieve that force with volunteers, then apparently a fewer number of vets wind up in the civilian populace with a feeling of kinship with the army, vs the number of vets we would have from a million-man army of draftees. I don't hear a loud "click" when I read that.
Creighton Abrams intended to cripple the nation's ability to deploy an effective force until public opinion was fully "tweaked"? I have to think him a better man than that. He *did* play a part in putting more truck-drivers and finance people into the reserves, and more trigger-pullers into the active army. The concept (among we who were apparently decieved), was that the other packages would move into the host nation after the ground-pounders actually had some terrain for them to utilize, and mass supply, heavy construction, etc., naturally had to wait anyway. It made sense and it still makes sense.
And, when congress had enough of our Vietnam-era military expenditures, was beginning to cut the budget, some wise GO's decided that a smaller well-armed force seemed more potent than the affordable alternative of a barely armed larger force. That tracks for me.
Jerry Falwell believes that the government should punish those whose intent is to harm innocent people. That violates the separation of church and state? That is a stretch. My local PD has the same belief, as do many of the civic groups in my city. Same for the guy who runs the 7-11, the local news stations, and my aetheistic ex-inlaws. I don't see the church connection.
The government shall not "sponsor" a particular church or religion? OK, that's separation of church and state.
Having an all-volunteer force creates a vacuum? How? If our force were largely draftees, we would have *more* capability, and need the PMC's less? I can't get from point A to point B nearly as well as either Andy Bacevich or the reviewer.
I have great sympathy for any father who has to bury a son, especially a dedicated soldier whose son is the same.
Still, broad concepts are not best pondered when we are in deep pain.
When you have a hammer *everything* looks like a nail.