Militant Thoughts

So it seems General Casey and the Senate Democrats have the same idea about how to proceed in Iraq. But this isn't how it's going to play out is it? If this were a perfect world wouldn’t all 44 have supported the "redeployment" instead of 13? Then couldn't that have been the basis for a "Senate Republicans are not just out of step with the American people, but playing politics with military lives," campaign? I tend to think so.

Some think that campaigns should be about ideas, good; this would make it clear that the Democrats have ideas - in fact the same ideas as the military that we are suppose to know nothing about. Has anyone else noticed that the only vets in congress are Democrats? So when do the Republicans loose the right to be the military party? I say now.

I have some experience with the military - not service, but I work with them in my day job. It seems that in the officer class the loyalty stems from two places. 1) Democrats sent them to Vietnam, and they will never forgive them for that - to this I can only hope that the next generation feels the same about the Republicans and Iraq, whether it is short sighted or not, I can understand that kind of thinking. 2) Money. Republicans never met a defense spending bill they didn't like. They will try and cut all social services and instead of reducing the deficit with that they will just send that money to the military. The military has a lot of very worth while programs and justified expenses, however I can witness that the throw money away too, but the millions on stupid little stuff. Given what they pay their enlisted personnel they should be wrapped on the knuckles with a 5 billion $ reinforced ruler. But they believe that it is necessary to defend America and I don't know if their opinions can be altered or changed.

The enlisted are a different story. Their's is a values based loyalty. The same values that the Republicans have been exploiting since 1994. I believe that these beliefs combined with a freeze in R and D spending but a pay raise for the enlisted corps could change minds. This might be seen as bribery, but these soldiers make less than all of us. Some of them are on food stamps, they are suffering (and that includes their families) as much or more than the rest of the country financially.

There is more to "supporting the troops" than buying big weapon systems and blindly backing the decisions of there commander and chief. Frankly, they didn't make the decision, so any critics of any war must be leveled at those who decided that it was necessary, not those who's duty is to execute it. And if the Old Left has a problem with that, they can bite me.

On a lighter note, I got a recording of the Webster Hall Gomez show and it's excellent (lucky you SAS.)