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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill who wrote (38979)	8/16/2005 9:36:23 AM
From: MulhollandDrive	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 90947

We can't be the world's policemen but that's exactly what we have become... deployed in nearly 130 countries all over the world globalsecurity.org Where are the Legions? [SPQR] Global Deployments of US Forces The forces of the United States military are located in nearly 130 countries around the world performing a variety of duties from combat operations, to peacekeeping, to training with foreign militaries. Some of these deployments have existed for nearly 50 years, as in Japan, Germany, and South Korea, while other deployments have more recent origins such as the current occupation of Iraq. Soldiers have been receiving many incentives for reenlisting like job reclassification and new duty assignments to Europe on top of reenlistment bonus averaging $10,000 dollars. Soldiers have also been reenlisting for the one semester of college, which allows the soldier to further their career and increase opportunities for promotion and advancement. As of January 2005, there are some 250,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen deployed in support of combat, peacekeeping, and deterrence operations. This figure does not include those forces normally present in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom or Japan unless bases at those locations are actively supporting a combat operation. Furthermore, tours of duty in these locations are routine and not considered hardship tours. If one were to include these forces the number of deployed troops worldwide would be around 350,000. However, forces deployed to South Korea are included as those units are part of a UN command and deterrence operation. Of the 37 combat brigades and Armored Cavalry Regiments in the US Army's active component, some 12 are currently deployed (including one from the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea). Another 10 have recently returned from deployment, including both of the two Armored Cavalry Regiments (it should be noted that press and Army officials tend to lump the ACR's in with the Brigades when counting total combat brigades). A total of 9 Brgiades are slated for deployment over the course of 2005.

To: Bill who wrote (38979)	8/16/2005 11:14:29 AM
From: one_less	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 90947

Great power and great wealth are a responsibility. We are the only superpower in the world at the moment. We have the responsibility to protect those assets so that they are not squandered, pilfered, or seized. We also have a responsibility to make use of the power and wealth we have obtained in beneficial ways. At the policy level it is pretty much a forced choice to use it or lose it, use it in constructive and beneficial ways or in a destructive and rapacious manner. It is, therefore, important that we consider those responsibilities as well as our limits to engage constructively in the affairs of others. Intervention is one thing, occupation and conquering is quite another. It seems constructive to have a policy of intervention when and where we can determine the beneficial aspects of such conduct. We also need to consider liberal innovations as alternatives to military interventions. The globe is shrinking and we need to learn and employ some new forms of communication to organize our efforts to modernize globally.