The Army is Part of The Military.
Listening to the latest “You wanted Cuts? Fine… we’re going to get rid of all the police, firemen and teachers!” rhetoric from The Current Administration I have noticed the Media is intentionally, or unintentionally because they don’t have the education to perform their function, confusing The Army with entirety of The Military.
Chuck Hagel is proposing a reduction in the size of The Army to pre-WWII levels. Not “The whole Military”.
If you’ve been here before you already know WORDS MEAN THINGS.
But Meaning has no place when the intent is to inflame.
The proposed “Cuts” being threatened for The Army might not be a bad idea. While it could impair my sincere, and long-held, desire to Annex Mexico by rolling Armor from Ft. Bliss, there is no doubt that our MILITARY, which The Army is a part of, wastes a Crap-load of our taxpayer dollars. I will also take this opportunity to remind anyone who’s bored enough to read this blog that the “Cut’s” in question are composed of a mere 5% cut in THE GROWTH of the budgets… and they are Fungible. Don’t know what that means? Look it up.
(As an aside, I can personally attest to the waste… reflected by the explosions heard near Military Bases, Forts etc. in Late September (End of the Government Fiscal Year) because all of the unused ordinance has to be used (destroyed) in order to avoid getting your budget for splody things cut. There’s nothing wrong with the Ordinance… it just has to be used. It is a bizarre, if not profoundly stupid, way to manage other people’s money, unless you don’t really care about other people’s money. And that’s just one small example… there’s an entire $34 Million Dollar Military Base we built in Afghanistan and never occupied… the list goes on.)
But Why the intentional, giving the Media the benefit of the doubt, confusion?
This is nothing more than a specifically crafted message to reach out and freak out a constituency whose primary identity was formed when they were between the ages of 18 to 22… And, that’s how they vote. (Full disclosure: I have a couple of these friends and I love them. But single issue voters of all Flavors seem to transcend Reason.)
The Left knows full well that the above described voters, while singularly supporting the automotive decal industry, vote almost always against Socialists… Almost always… The Left also knows that should they be able to reduce the size of The Military they can claim to have “Reduced the Size of Government!” which was a tactic Bill Clinton used when he was President. His Administration talking heads would often follow that statement up with “That’s what you Conservatives Want Right?” No additional comment was ever allowed by the Mainstream Interviewer…
It is an issue designed to disrupt.
This is what is called a “Wedge Issue”. Why? Because it is design to drive a Wedge between those of us who recognize our Government, which The Military is a part of, wastes our money and those who tend to vote with us who believe The Military, which The Army is a part of, spends each and every dollar with the focused attention of a Wizened Miser.
In the end this is just an attempt by the Progressives to divide an angry voting base looking forward to nailing Liberals this election cycle while desperately trying to find issues to run on when Obama Care is their greatest success.
The fact that the Mainstream Press is playing along, as usual, with the narrative desired by the Left is no surprise… just Annoying.
Watching certain individuals out there consuming this message without any critical thought is also no surprise… just Depressing.
Having those who I respect lend to the confusion is also, unfortunately, no surprise… just Sobering.
And, I Hate to be Sober.
makeaneffort 
February 24th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
What about the Navy, Marines and Air Force? When the Korean “police action” began after the “unexpected” North Korean invasion in June of 1950, we were grossly ill prepared, with military spending having been cut to and then “through” the bone after WWII — as the Secretary of Defense was proud to brag.
When the U.S. Army got to Korea, soldiers were poorly trained and equipped. Garrison troops sent from Japan were good at polishing their brass and shining their shoes but little else. Often their rifles, as well those of soldiers who arrived later, had not been “zeroed” and were still packed in Cosmoline when they disembarked at ports in far southern South Korea — there was no place to disembark further north toward Seoul because North Korean troops were in control all the way down to Taejon and advancing toward Pusan. South Korean troops had fled south ahead of them. Many soldiers who could have survived had they been well prepared and equipped died.
The Marines, at substantially less than even normal peacetime strength (in some cases half strength) and generally equipped with Army and Navy hand-me-downs, fared better because they were usually well trained and prepared.
I have no idea when or where the United States will enter their next combat situation. However, it will happen and our military had best be prepared for it. Either that or we can send Peace Corps volunteers and community organizers.
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February 24th, 2014 at 6:02 pm
I don’t disagree… but all of this talk about troop levels being the lowest since World War Two fails to take into account emphasis on Special Operations and the abandonment of the Two Global War Theory. The Rumsfeld Doctrine was never shelved. Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is still required reading. The Generals who hate him for moving Men and Material out from their control are still in position. The conflict continues… but the Occupying Army of Old debate is over.
I think this issue is nothing more than a line being thrown to the Establishment Republican Hawks so they can attempt to gain favor with their voters prior to the Primaries. God knows they need the help, and the Democrats would rather have to deal with them than those Damned TEA Party types.
What annoys me most is the complete failure to sort any of this out by the Media and their total buy in and regurgitation of the offered talking points.
But our troops not having what they need is an indictment of those in charge not applying resources where they should go… not the lack of money. They get way more than enough of that… it would be nice if they used it appropriately. Doing more with less never seems to enter into the equation, and even when it does… it doesn’t.
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