Bush Attempts To Forestall Jobs Implosion

The headline reads: Bush Approves Army Reorganization.

President Bush has approved what officials are describing as the most significant reorganization of American ground forces since World War II, signing off on a plan that will keep more troops than previously envisioned in Europe and add large numbers of soldiers to bases in Colorado, Georgia and Texas, Army officials said Wednesday.

The basing plan unveiled Wednesday is the final step in a detailed program for deciding where an army that is scheduled to grow by 65,000 will live and train for years to come. It significantly changes the military footprint that existed before terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and also alters a plan adopted with great fanfare by the Pentagon in 2004.

Specifically, the Army will keep one heavy brigade in Germany until 2012 and another until 2013 rather than rapidly reducing Army forces in Europe, as originally planned.

The commitment for thousands of extra troops in Europe was advocated as necessary to sustain training and other exercises with foreign militaries and as a hedge against risks to American security. In addition, their new housing was not yet ready at bases in the United States.

The full basing plan for the United States, Europe and South Korea was presented to Mr. Bush and Vice President Cheney in the Oval Office on Monday by Gen. Richard Cody, the Army vice chief of staff, and Pete Geren, the Army secretary.

The Army had been given presidential approval to expand its forces by 74,000 over all by 2010, including the reserve component, to meet the stress of Iraq and Afghanistan and to prepare for future threats.

New construction to build housing, headquarters and motor pools — as well as health-care and child-care centers — will top $66.4 billion by 2013, General Cody said, stressing that the Army was paying special attention to quality-of-life issues for the all-volunteer force.

The headline is of course complete nonsense. The details highlight a complete waste of money.

This is not a "support the troops" agenda but rather a "keep more troops in harm's way" agenda. The altered plans are not "to meet the stress of Iraq and Afghanistan and to prepare for future threats" but rather an admission that there are simply no jobs no jobs available for returning troops.

Bush would rather waste $70 billion and another 10,000 lives than admit his programs are a complete failures.

"With great fanfare" the Pentagon adopted a reduction in overseas force plan in 2004. The only thing that has changed since then is more lives have been lost, more money has been wasted, and the economy has soured. There are no jobs here so Bush will do whatever he can, including the deliberate sacrificing the lives of US soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the deliberate waste of $billions elsewhere, just to prevent unemployment numbers from rising headed into an election year.

What's even sadder is that spineless Democrats are going along with his strategy. If you want to stop this madness, there is only one choice: Vote for Ron Paul.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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