The news is full of reports that the Bush Administration is about to attack Iran over their nuclear program. But one has to ask -- with what army?
Frequent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched the Army and National Guard to the breaking point, and 270,000 Guard soldiers — 60 percent of the force — have already hit their limit for overseas combat. But never fear, such "quaint" service limitations on the Federal usage of State militias won't be observed by the needy Bush Administration once the midterm elections in November are completed.
In the meantime, the Army valiantly struggles to meet the demands placed upon it by a president and his top Cabinet officers who never experienced war first-hand (except for the now-departed and unlamented Vietnam veteran Colin Powell). Even though only two or three combat brigades in the entire Army - perhaps 7,000 to 10,000 troops - are fully trained and sufficiently equipped to respond quickly to crises (including responding to hurricanes and other natural disasters and deploying to Korea if conflict broke out there), and others are only about half strength, under-trained, and unequipped, they soldier on.
There is a lot of talk out of those who support the Wars For Oil, but no walk. Luckily for the Bush Administration, there are those who are attempting to ease the manpower shortages facing our military by challenging Bush supporters to enlist in the war they have to date expected others to fight.
For instance, Operation Yellow Elephant (OYE) asks a very pertinent question: It's their war. Why aren't they fighting it?
OYE reports that conservative columnist Linda Chavez wants "More Boots on the Ground" in Iraq, claiming that "If we had twice the number of troops when we first entered Iraq, we might not be fighting there today."
There is a way that war supporters can ensure that Chavez' desire for an increase in occupation forces can be realized. Recruiting year FY-2007 begins next Sunday, and the Army is looking for 80,000 good men (and most likely, good women), but somehow the allure of a military career fighting George's Crusade For Crude isn't causing military recruiters to complain about overwork!
As OYE so poignantly puts it: "If you are an American citizen 18-41 and support the war, if you haven't visited your local Armed Forces Recruiting Center to volunteer for military service, then you're a Yellow Elephant. If you won't encourage real conservative American patriots to volunteer for military service to put More Boots on the Ground, you're just blowing smoke."
One of the most public of these Yellow Elephants is Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R) (August 2005), who publicly declined to accept the opportunity to encourage his children to enlist in the military to support his party leader's campaign to dominate the world's petroleum reserves for the benefit of golf-playing SUV owners.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Nancy
They shouldn't be "encouraged", they should be required: every GOP politician with service-age offspring should be REQUIRED to have at least one son or daughter in active duty - including & especially Bush & Cheney. I'll bet that would bring the troops home in a hurry.
Oh, and AL - whatcha got to say about yer hero, Romney, now? He's just another GOP chicken little, it seems.
2 - scout
hey pess,
I just figured out that I needed more java in order to find the commenting box.
You know how when we were in high school, and we were kicking butt too hard on the other team? What did the teacher/coach do? He pulled the first stringers and placed the second or even the third string players.
Now, how many Imperial bases do we have? About 1000, around the world. What do you think all of our income taxes are used for, social security? No.
The army, is not 'worn out,' nor the navy, nor the air force. We have over 50,000 military in Japan alone; probably at least that much in Korea. You get the point. Imperial America has been getting ready to conquer the world since WWII, using true Boshevik tactics, but under cover of Orwellian double speak crap of democracy, women's rights, abortion, relentlessly uncontrolled immigration, total destruction of all already weakened social institutions, and, America and Americans just love it.
This is why there are no innocents in ideological wars. For, who teaches the innocents to hate? The civilians. And who teaches the civilians how how not to think and what to think: in our case, the corps with their grip upon the media. Without a real media, we're toast.
Now, the corp media wants the airhead civilian voters to believe the military is exhausted, because the civilians are exhausted. Why? Because airheads love 'instant' pudding, etc.
The corps want to have the airheads voters to feel exhausted so that they will be set up for the next level of social control: frustration. For the frustration level is where the corp boys want the lowest common denominator. Then, watch out world.
3 - Arch Conservative
"They shouldn't be "encouraged", they should be required: every GOP politician with service-age offspring should be REQUIRED to have at least one son or daughter in active duty"
Yeah and every left wing socialist voting Democrat and advocating higher and higher taxes to support all kinds of bullshit social welfare program should be required to give 100% of thier income and their family's income to the government.
Your dumbass logic works both ways now pay up!
4 - Lee Richards
Arch: When you can spell "non sequitur" and use it in a sentence, it will be a valuable addition to your vocabulary.
5 - Dave Nalle
So Realist, do you support a draft, or do you think that our current policy of allowing people the freedom to enlist in the military by choice is a good idea?
It's a trick question, but the way. If you support the first then you're a statist warmonger. If you support the second then your entire article is hypocritical bullshit.
Dave
6 - troll
not to worry - most asses belong to the state...by law all able bodied male citizens between 17 and 45 are already members of the 'militia'
all that's lacking is a clear and present danger
7 - Nancy
Sometimes I think Israel has the right idea: they require ALL citizens to serve 2 years, unless they're paraplegic or something equally severe & documentable - they don't give exemptions for fat gits with zits on their butts, or people too cowardly to serve, who get 5 student exemptions & then get married to avoid service like Cheney, or who join Rich Boys' Clubs masquerading as guard units, like Bush. IMO, if everybody was required to serve, rich & poor, with no one able to buy their way out, then the politicians might be a little more careful about taking us into unjustified wars on fake rationales. I can guarantee you, if the twin Bush Bimbos were serving & liable to be rotated out like everyone else, Junior would have thought twice before starting the war in Iraq. I would support a draft ONLY if everyone was required to serve, and there were no ways for the rich & overprivileged to get out of it, or ensure they were assigned to cushy, safe assignments for the duration.
8 - Bliffle
War is the vanity of Kings. I would certainly discourage my children from serving in a war whose only purpose is to prop up GWBs ego.
9 - Nancy
Oh, absolutely. In fact, this is not a legal war. Congress never did declare war, and they are the only government body that can do so. Another cogent reason to impeach & execute Bush for treason - and murder, reckless endangerment, and a few score other charges - as soon as possible.
10 - Jon Sobel
Another cogent reason to impeach & execute Bush for treason
Wow, Nancy - you might just be forcing me to reconsider my opposition to the death penalty!
But as for the Yellow Elephant thing, it's the same tactic Michael Moore tried in his 9/11 movie - challenge war-voting Congressmen to "volunteer" their kids, and it's just grandstanding. A much more useful tactic would be to bring to the forefront a national discussion about requiring two years of national service. This could be a valuable start towards easing the polarization that's infected our government and population.
11 - Baronius
OYE is a ridiculous site. I like the way it tacitly excuses Democratic kids from military service. Members of both parties voted for the war, even the ones who voted for it after voting against it. OYE seems to label the entire Democratic Party as unfit for service. Anyway, who says that GOP kids aren't enlisting?
12 - Donnie Marler
If I'm not mistaken, Senator McCain's son is either in, or recently graduated from, Marine Corps boot camp.
Not all the son's of the rich and powerful are avoiding service.
13 - Baronius
I don't remember the statistics exactly, but about 30% of the Senate are veterans. The rate of military service is identical for Democratic and Republican senators. In the House, 30% of the Republicans are veterans, but only 20% of the Democrats. The source for this information was the Navy Veterans Association.
14 - RedTard
Most people in the enlisted side of the military hold conservative values and the majority vote Republican already.
America hating liberals don't sign up for obvious reasons.
15 - Nancy
I'm glad to hear McCain's son is serving, and Dad didn't try to buy him a nice, safe billet like W's poppy did. But that's just one out of 535 congressional families and god knows how many administration families like the Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, Rove, & Wolfowitzes, not to mention the lesser vermin?
Redtard - where did you hear that? Listening to the wishful thinking of Rush's rantings again? Yeah, you go on believing his crap; it makes you happy & you don't have to face reality or think for yourself.
16 - Arch Conservative
Nancy.......what redtard said is true.
The majority of the military, from the brass, to new recruits, are conservative in thier social and political views and mostly vote republican. You don't see too many left wing liberals in the military.
it has nothing to do with "Rush's rantings." it's just the way it is and anyone who knows anything at all about the military knows this is true. And if you insitst on denying it you're the one refusing to face reality Nancy.
17 - Clavos
Nancy,
It IS true. Very few liberals (or even Democrats) sign up for military service. Think back to your own days in the CG; how many liberal thinkers did you run into then?
18 - MCH
RedTard, ArchBing, Clavos;
Except for these notable right-wing, conservative chickenhawks who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War...
**Dick Cheney
**John Ashcroft
**Karl Rove
**Newt Gingrich
**Paul Wolfowitz
**Dick Armey
**Bill Bennett
**Phil Gramm
**Rush Limbaugh
**Tom DeLay
**Scooter Libby
**Trent Lott
19 - Clavos
emmy,
You really need to take a course in logic.
Nobody said most conservatives sign up for military service. What WAS said is most people who DO sign up are conservative.
A totally different point; therefore, your comment is...ta da...a non sequitur!
Look it up.
20 - Baronius
MCH, the problem with cut-and-paste slander is that the people in power change over time.
Still in prominent office:
**Dick Cheney
**Karl Rove
No longer in prominent office:
**Phil Gramm
**Dick Armey
**John Ashcroft
**Newt Gingrich
**Paul Wolfowitz
**Bill Bennett
**Tom DeLay
**Trent Lott
Never in prominent office:
**Rush Limbaugh
**Scooter Libby
P.S. See post #13.
21 - Arch Conservative
MCH.........You forgot to add slick willie to that list of draft dodgers. But I bet that didn't stop you from voting for him twice huh?
22 - Steve
how could you forget slick willie? question...do they call him slick willie because of the women he has been with or because he is all talk and no walk?
23 - Arch Conservative
I call him slick willie because of all the people he and his wife have had rubbed out as they have served as the biggest stain on American politics in the last 100 years and they have not been held accountable for any of it.
24 - Bliffle
Water over the dam. Let's deal with todays problems.
25 - Dave Nalle
By all means, Bliff. Let's put all questions of 'Bush lied' and why we went into Iraq behind us and focus on things as they are now.
Dave