US Army ousts Halliburton, page 1

EastCoast, it is good to see you again. You need to show up more around here. Your WATS-caliber posting is necessary for this board's survival.

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
During the big drawdown of forces after the Gulf War, I was not happy about where that was heading.

I saw it as being very counterproductive on many levels.

It invited outsourcing of military jobs on a vast scale, while eliminating a lot of personnel. Those people were released into the civilian world to mainly join the corporate ranks or the welfare rolls. It was bad business all around (for the military and for the taxpayer).

While you certainly have a point, you have to recall that the U.S. economy was in shambles at the time. The Clinton administration saw an opportunity, and they took advantage of it. While the military did suffer qualitatively, something needed to be axed significantly.

Contrary to conventional wisdom at the time and even now, the dissolution of the former Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War did not negate the fact that the same threat still existed/s. On the contrary, the same threat still exists, and has been multiplied. Drawing down our forces was bad policy. They should have re-deployed.

I disagree, drawing down was necessary. As the Soviet Union proved, maintaining a modern, high-tech military of such a huge size at an insanely high level of readiness for a long period of time is incredibly difficult. Had the U.S. done the same, we would have run into problems around now, especially considering the economy of the late 1980s.

Our troops in Western Europe should be pared down and re-deployed to bases along our desert southwest. Our troops in S. Korea should be de-activated and re-deployed as well.

I agree with only half of that. We should end forward-deploying of our forces. However, I think we need to bring them home to the U.S. Even if our current presence in Western Europe is a shadow of what it used to be, it is still and unnecessarily high amount and it has to be brought home and compacted to be lighter and faster. We also need to leave Korea. It is not 1985 anymore and South Korea can take on the North if necessary.

Halliburton should not be allowed anywhere near our military. They have not only acted irresponsibly financially, but their presence presents a security threat. It should not be allowed.

War Is Just a Racket.