Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses, "OZZY". And smirky decides to push the pause button on his toy war machine to assess the human factor? BULLSHIT!!

If McCain really want the White House, he should stand up to Bush immediately and demand that our troops be brought home ASAP. But McCain wants to be Commander in Chief of our Armed services and he will do nothing.

Bush's actions are criminal....

McCain is more of a war hawk than Bush. He has consistently called for more military forces on the ground in Iraq and was calling for the "surge" even before it began.

The reality is that McCain, Bush, Clinton, and Obama could all care a rat's patootie about "the troops." What they care about is not having to admit failure and about protecting the careers, reputations, fortunes, and egos of themselves as well as the various politicians, military leaders, military contractors, and pundits that have supported and profited from this debacle. All the rest is just sactimonious bloviation and fear mongering.

We are so screwed.

Facing Reality

Folks, if these electeds were forced to see the mass destruction they've caused, up close and personal, they'd freak. I can only imagine the millions of lives turned upside down by this illegal invasion! When I see pictures of dead babies in coffins, bloody corpses rotting in the streets, the flag-draped coffins of U.S. dead, or the wounded civilian bystanders lying in a hospital bed in immense pain, I often wonder how human beings could do this to each other. I guess it's okay as long as the MIC's don't have to see it. I imagine Iraq must reek of death by now. Those mass graves aren't going to go away.

Bring back the draft! Then sit back and watch how fast this so-called war ends (wink)! As long as a few are paying the price for all, the public will not be motivated to force our gov't to save our troops and bring them home.

Pollchecker - The military may soon face that choice. The army and marines have been losing their trained soldiers right and left. The NCO and officer ranks have been decimated as these people have been leaving in droves.

A draft would be a political impossiblity, so recruitment will continue to be the only option. As long as the economy is lousy and opportunities for those without means remain poor, they may be able to capitalize on that for now.

On the other hand under these economic conditions, the whole "War on Terror" and massive military/war expenditures will eventually become economically unsustainable. The end to this is nearer than people think - not because policies will change much, but because personnel and credit resources have limits. The only fear I would have involves what would follow the collapse of institutional structures such a process would create.

"Military to Bush: 'We're stretched way too thin'"

I think I just heard Darth Cheney say, "So?"

We don't need a draft. We can just implement a more or less permanent stop loss action. Once you're in, you're in. This will not decrease enlistments because the vast majority are enlisting because they have few other economic options. Note that I say 'we' because we ALL support the war, totally. Why do I say that? Are you still paying income taxes? Then you support the war. So do I. Until there is finally a taxpayer revolt the government will become more and more corrupt. It is already little more than organized crime. MORE WAR! MORE WAR! Its good for the economy.

-- Kent Shaw

If 156,000 US troops are needed anywhere overseas, they need to be in Afghanistan with one and only one mission: Osama bin Laden - dead or alive.

We didn't have any business in Iraq to begin with; therefore, those troops need to come home - along with those in the Balkans and elsewhere that the UN and the EU uses us for their police force.

Iraq should be left alone, the 156K troops should be applied to Afghanistan, and the 31K difference should be on our southern border securing it against illegals and shooting the stuffing out of the paramilitary and regular Mexican military forces that are being rented by the drug and human smugglers.

Most sincerely,

T. J. Flapsaddle

McCain is as bad, if not worse than Bush with regards to Iraq.
I just watching CNN, and today saw what looks like finally the start of full civil war in Iraq between Sunni/Shiites.
The mobs in Baghdad were ominous, and Americans should be very much looking to leave now as quickly as possible. We need a President to get us out----not McCain. There is going to be the overthrow of Maliki goverment, and the rise of Iran influence and of Muqtadar al Sadr.
These people are barbarians who will slaughter everyone.
I hope 2 things: 1 -that the USA makes correct judgement and starts plans to pull out.
2- considering the mobs I saw on the television, I hope Bush knows not to start up with the ignorant, inflammatory comments he usually does which make things much worse.

The only reason they have been able to maintain their recruitment and re-uping for the past year is due to the bonuses they are paying. They are "buying" soldiers.

A young male in Flint Michigan or one of the other depressed cities whose family is deep in debt and there are no employment prospects can save the family farm and have himself a job by signing up for the army or marines. Of course there are some strings and what ifs attached to the signing bonuses but when you are desparate 5-10-20 thousand dollars looks like a life saving fortune.

Also, they tack on a lot of educational benefits for now and in the future. Actually, it's a pretty damn good package if the person takes advantage of all of it.

Some of the re-uping bonuses are high enough to be very enticing. Especially if you have the right rank and specialty. My memory ain't so good but I think some of the re-up bonuses were 40-50 thousand. Again with strings attached and the payments spred out. But, HEY! If I take the discharge, what am I going to do to feed my family? Half those guys are only employment qualified to kill those that don't belong in the neighborhood. Half of those eligible for discharge are signing up for another hitch.

This is why we still have enough troops in Iraq. Take away the bouises and the bottom would fall out of recruitment.

They could solve the immediate problem by closing 600 of those 700 bases we have spred out all over the world. The only purpose they serve is aiding the economy of the local area. In some cases they are the only economy.

Closing all those bases would save the taxpayers billions and provide a shitload of fresh fully rested troops and equipment for the Bushwars or whatever. Most of them serve no useful "military" purpose. The real reason we have so many is world wide "intimidation." But it doesn't work anymore.