BCT Editorial – 5/9/05

This page was last updated on May 9, 2005.

Fighting trim; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 9, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Slowly but surely, a first-class fighting machine is being ground up in Iraq.”

[RWC] This is at least the fourth editorial since September 2004 claiming our military is “being ground up.” It would be helpful to know the author’s definition of “ground up.” To me, this terminology implies failure. Indeed, an August 2004 editorial referred to Iraq as a “quagmire,” a word with a ton of baggage from Vietnam.

“The Associated Press reports Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress in a classified report that the U.S. military may not be able to win any new wars as quickly as planned because conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have strained its manpower and resources.”

[RWC] Did we need a report to tell us this? Any time you have a “non-trivial” deployment – no combat deployment is trivial – you have an effect on the resources available for future deployments. It’s true about every war we enter.

“This doesn’t mean the world’s only superpower is about to turn into a 98-pound weakling. Its military can still handle anyone who tries to kick sand in our faces.

“The situation is grim, though. The Army and Army Reserves are having trouble achieving their monthly recruitment goals while equipment is being chewed up at an awful rate, especially in Iraq. The constant rotations to combat zones also are having an impact on troop morale and family life.”

[RWC] The situation is always grim in liberal eyes.

“President Bush’s blunder in Iraq is taking a toll on the diplomatic front as well. The leaders of Iran and North Korea have no doubt been emboldened by what is taking place in Iraq, which is one reason they are so quick to thumb their noses at attempts to limit their nuclear programs.”

[RWC] What BS! North Korea developed its nuclear program as the result of a ridiculous agreement with the Clinton administration.

I’m sure it was an honest oversight, but the author failed to note Libya “got religion” partially as a result of what Qaddafi saw in Iraq. Let’s also not forget Syria just pulled its military out of Lebanon.

“It’s going to take time and money for the U.S. military to recover from its mission in Iraq. For the good of the troops and their families, we can only hope and pray nothing happens on the international scene before it has a chance to bounce back to fighting trim.”

[RWC] I’m tempted to say the author cares more about Bush-bashing than about the “good of the troops and their families,” but that would be unfair since I don’t know the author.