Comments on: Conservative Versus Liberal: The War Over the Wars http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/ News & Commentary on Warfare, Policy and Counterterrorism Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:36:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Larry http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25407 Larry Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:56:58 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25407 What I see is that the national government just moved from their tricycle to training wheels. They whizzed right through Najaf and some other towns, but crashed in Sadr City and Basra. If they get up and keep riding, those training wheels will fall off and not be missed. Enough analogy. My question is: who is running things now in the places where they attempted to assert authority. I've heard that JAM, and but not the INA and IP have pulled back in Basra, and that the government now runs the ports. Is any of this true? On the question of military readiness. I agree that we can't spend 4% and do what we're doing. Since it needs doing, the budget needs to rise. However, there are many programs that no longer match our needs and should be mothballed. E.g., new submarines. We also need a new kind of force. Counterinsurgency with all its school-building and sheik-schmoozing is critical to our success in both theaters. Rather than convert our force from its current kinetic focus, shouldn't we be building a separate organization? What I see is that the national government just moved from their tricycle to training wheels. They whizzed right through Najaf and some other towns, but crashed in Sadr City and Basra. If they get up and keep riding, those training wheels will fall off and not be missed. Enough analogy.

My question is: who is running things now in the places where they attempted to assert authority. I’ve heard that JAM, and but not the INA and IP have pulled back in Basra, and that the government now runs the ports.

Is any of this true?

On the question of military readiness. I agree that we can’t spend 4% and do what we’re doing. Since it needs doing, the budget needs to rise. However, there are many programs that no longer match our needs and should be mothballed. E.g., new submarines.

We also need a new kind of force. Counterinsurgency with all its school-building and sheik-schmoozing is critical to our success in both theaters. Rather than convert our force from its current kinetic focus, shouldn’t we be building a separate organization?

]]> By: Herschel Smith http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25405 Herschel Smith Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:27:08 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25405 Unfortunately, you get an "F" today in class for poor listening skills. Here is what you can have. You can resource the armed forces so that we don't break an Army and Marine Corps which is deploying our warriors on their fourth and sometimes fifth combat tours so that we don't break them completely. Or, you can withdraw from the long war. What you CAN'T do is prosecute the long war with the armed forces we have. I can explain it a little more slowly offline with you if you wish. Unfortunately, you get an “F” today in class for poor listening skills. Here is what you can have. You can resource the armed forces so that we don’t break an Army and Marine Corps which is deploying our warriors on their fourth and sometimes fifth combat tours so that we don’t break them completely. Or, you can withdraw from the long war. What you CAN’T do is prosecute the long war with the armed forces we have. I can explain it a little more slowly offline with you if you wish.

]]> By: D. B. Light http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25404 D. B. Light Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:05:49 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25404 Funny how these discussions all seem to resolve themselves into talking points for the next round of budget battles. The consensus seems to be that unless we restore the troop strength and budget levels to what they were before the cuts of the nineties the military cannot function. Far too many people see the war as an excuse to push bureaucratic agendas and to promote scare stories to justify those agendas. The U.S. already accounts for something in excess of 40% of all military spending of the world's 189 states. That should be enough, even for the "long war". Funny how these discussions all seem to resolve themselves into talking points for the next round of budget battles. The consensus seems to be that unless we restore the troop strength and budget levels to what they were before the cuts of the nineties the military cannot function. Far too many people see the war as an excuse to push bureaucratic agendas and to promote scare stories to justify those agendas.

The U.S. already accounts for something in excess of 40% of all military spending of the world’s 189 states. That should be enough, even for the “long war”.

]]> By: TMLutas http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25397 TMLutas Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:58:48 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/04/06/conservative-versus-liberal-the-war-over-the-wars/#comment-25397 I agree that we need to shift to a war footing and expansion of the military is actually <a href="http://www.snappingturtle.net/jmc/tmblog/archives/006345.html" rel="nofollow">the top item on my blog, Flit(TM)</a> right now. I think that a lot of people on the right are quietly coming to this conclusion. I agree that we need to shift to a war footing and expansion of the military is actually the top item on my blog, Flit(TM) right now. I think that a lot of people on the right are quietly coming to this conclusion.

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