From: NINT0oL-AT-aol.com
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 23:49:12 EDT
Subject: Re: going to war and the coming draft


In a message dated 4/29/99 8:18:57 AM EST, higginsc-AT-tcd.ie writes:

<< The sums therefore show us that if the US
 starts a ground war in the balkans then it won't be able to fight anywhere
 else.  Some of the military folk say that this is bullshit, but there are
 others who are looking really worriedly at N.Korea and Iraq, and America's
 supposed inability to fight 'em if someone does something silly.  Seems to
 me that being silly is just what politicians (democrats, dictators and all
 else betwixt and between) are good at. >>

There still are almost 3,000,000 troops which comparitively isn't THAT bad.  
However if you compare the current size to say the size of the military 
before The Gulf War.  Alot of this has to do with the post war trauma many of 
the troops went through.  Also the government is turning off many of the 
young men and women to the idea of joining the military.  The way they are 
randomly dispersing their troops to Bosnia, Cuba, Kosovo, Haiti, etc. etc. 
etc. they are frightening many potential troops.  Pay is no good either 
unless you're on hostile grounds (such as a friend of mine) who is currently 
making $144,000 a year.  If he was training in the states, it would only be 
$12,000 which is hardly more than minnimum wage at full-time.  Is it worth it?
russ