The National Shame.
I cannot even begin to put into words my feelings about people who have looted stores for guns, who then fire those guns at helicopters attempting to deliver much needed food and medical supplies to hospitals in New Orleans
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But let's argue this from another angle: 10% of the troop strength? Really? Bush declares that reforming the Middle East and winning the War on Terror is the most important thing in the world and yet he's only committed 10% of the United States Military to execute this task? Imagine if FDR had done that in WWII (FDR, the president that GWB keeps comparing himself to...which might be the most offensive thing ever, but I digress). If the US had committed only 10% of it's military, and NONE of the country--no conservation, no war bonds, no creative thinking seeking solutions to complex problems (women in the workforce?!?)--most of Europe would be speaking German.
So if I were Robbins, I wouldn't bandy that 10% number around too much before people start to latch onto it and put 2 and 2 together.
The War on Terror is either important or it's not. Just like Bush's lackadasical response to the disaster unfolding in New Orleans, his leadership in the War on Terror is severely lacking, instead falling back onto platitudes and ideology without asking anyone except the all volunteer army make any sacrifices.
Let that be Bush's legacy, then: The War on Terror was the Most Important thing ever, and he only sent 10% of the military to take care of it.
/if you even believe that Iraq has any part in the War on Terror...but the 2% of America's troop strength in Afghanistan is even more embarassing.
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There are actually (according to Robbins) 261,000 troops, or about 25% of our military, stationed overseas, with 12.6% (about half of the total deployed) in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not sure how many of those non-Iraq/Afghanistan troops are working on the "War on Terror," but surely some of them should be counted as well. And maybe I'm just nitpicking, because I do get where you're coming from.
Still, which do you think it is... too few troops deployed in Iraq, or too many? The "get out now" crowd would like to see the number reduced to 0% of our military, whereas the "do it right" crowd would like to see it increased, I would think, to something closer to 20% (about 200,000 troops). The "do it right" crowd, then, would leave what percentage for dealing with problems like Katrina?
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