I agree with you that we always need to have enough of a military. In fact, I'd be as specific as saying we need to be able to fight a war on at least two fronts and be able to project power anywhere around the world within 48 hours. I think we need to ramp up our special forces and ramp down in other areas. I think we need to continue to spend in planes and long range missiles of all kinds, as well smart bombs So some of Rummies ideas are spot on.
I was even for the Iraq war when we first went there. I drank the coolaid and believed that the Middle East needed Democratic transformation, even if we had to beat them over the heads with it. Now I realize that this type of thinking was hubris of the highest order. We are sitting in Iraq and spending money and dying and the Iraqi people themselves don't care enough about freedom to seize it, make a go of it, and die for it if necessary.
Democracy and freedom, it turns out, can't be won by a foreign power for the indigenous people. It has to be desired so viscerally by the indigenous people, that they'd be willing to die for it. As such, our very best option right now is to set a timetable. We've already given them a constitutionally elected gov't by the people. Now there is nothing more we can do for them. Let's force them to accept the responsibility for their own future and bring our boys home.
And one more thing. Let's get tough as nails. Let the world know, not publicly, but through back channels, that if the US gets hit by WMD, we will nuke key cities in the Middle East, including Tehran, Damascus, Mecca, Medina, as well as Pyonyang in NK. Let's tell them that it has been established as an automatic protocol. No decisions, no reprieves. If we're attacked, we'll wipe out all of our enemies at once. Then let's see how the chips fall.
In the mean time, no need for us to continue occupying so many countries. Let's bring our troops home from South Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. If they need military trainers, sure. But not large masses of our troops. In this world, fighter jets and drones, spies, and special forces are what we need. Not occupying armies.
I've said enough. |
