[lbo-talk] The Military, the Church, and the Police

[Marta Russell]

>Doug wrote:
>The European countries polled have small militaries, many of them 
>staffed by draftees, that don't do all that much abroad. We have a 
>large professional military that regularly bombs and invades other 
>countries. The populations polled are respecting very different 
>things. And, according to Gallup, 40% of Americans think that our 
>"national defense" isn't "strong enough." Our favorite service 
>branch is the most bellicose, the most disciplined, and the most 
>likely to invade: the Marines.
>
>Doug

The professional military is likely to get worse.  Conservative 
pundit Max Boot had a commentary in the LA Times recently about what 
to do about the troops shortage.  In short, he said recruit from all 
over the world - take those desperate to escape poverty and uniform 
them up.  That would be an international force that the US could run 
without the need to get approval from the EU.

So no matter what Americans did, it would seem, the US would keep its 
military at the top of the heap.

Marta
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