Self-inflicted strategic wound
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 2:58PM
Thomas P.M. Barnett

ARTICLE: Military Is Ill-Prepared For Other Conflicts, By Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post, March 19, 2007; Page A01

The strategic dangers cited here are real, but also oversold. The Big Army, whenever we get involved abroad, routinely decries the loss of readiness for Big War, which everyone knows is now air-heavy and ground light--as in, we'll bomb the crap out of people.

Still, you have to expect ground forces to wage this battle, which is all about the bucks necessary to buck up their services at the logical expense of Air Force and Navy.

Of course, none of this happens or is required if we do Iraq's war AND postwar like we did the Balkans, so this is a completely self-inflicted strategic wound--provided by the Bush administration in their eschewing of allies and their inability to win new friends while rapidly--and carelessly--expanding our lists of enemies.

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