John Kerry will propose increasing the US army's ranks by 40,000

[idontwantaname]

please delete if this is a dupe. thanks.


Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry will propose increasing the US army's ranks by 40,000 troops to confront new threats, his campaign said.  

"The world has changed after the Cold War and especially after September 11," said Kerry security adviser Rand Beers, a former counter-terror adviser to President George W. Bush.

"Threats now include terrorts and failed states that can become sanctuaries for terrorists. Bush has focused on traditional war threats and we need to broaden that.
<snip>


Beers said Kerry would propose an increase of 40,000 troops for the army, "evenly divided between combat forces and special operations forces."


He estimated this would cost 5.0-8.0 billion dollars a year, which Beers said would be "budget-neutral" if funds were pared from other defense programs.

<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1506&ncid=696&e=8&u=/afp/20040603/ts_alt_afp/us_vote_kerry_attacks

[JayS]

1. The way the young ones are signing up down here, the...

...40,000 new troops will be in shortly.

[Dover]

2. "failed states"? Does that mean the ones we invade or the ones we

starve to death with sanctions and embargos?

[Bandit]

3. I heard him say this was to relieve the National Guard and Reserves

from having to go Active instead of their mission. I am for that. I don't believe the National Guard should be used in the manner that this Bush* Cabal is doing. We do need a strong military and Bush* is weakening it as we speak. I am for "Walking Softly and Carrying a Big Stick". We get more flies with honey than with vinegar but we always must be prepared.

[Solidarity]

4. Who Should The Government Hit With That Stick?

Who do you think we should be hitting with that big stick? Perhaps Chavez in Venezuela.

That's an old Teddy Roosevelt quote. I think he used it after the United States sugar interests conquered Cuba and "freed" it from Spain. Remember the Maine! Now there's a good old fashioned colonialist rallying cry.

I think these imperial slogans need to be updated for today's world. "Remember 911!" and "Talk Nice And Take A Baseball Bat To Those Who Resist!" or perhaps "Resistance Is Futile, You Will Be Assimilated!" would do.

[sangh0]

5. Delusion pretending to be insight

.

[JayS]

7. "I think these imperial slogans need to be updated for today's world"

Walk softly and carry a big thermonuclear device. :)

[Emillereid]

6. Yeah, I know he's better than Bush -- but he seems intent on

closing the gap. My husband made a bumper sticker for himself that says, Vote for Kerry, He's a Little Bit Better Than Bush. Says it all. I'm working for him, but I've never worked for a candidate with such lackluster support -- and that's among his supporters!

[yardwork]

8. I don't agree. I've never been so radicalized in my life.

Kerry is millions of times better than Bush. I think some Democrats are too quick to believe the right-wing spin.

[JayS]

9. "too quick to believe the right-wing spin"

I found the right-wing spin to be right on the money with regards to the gun control issue and I wish that Kerry would address this.

[sangh0]

10. There's a shocker

.

[Emillereid]

11. No, we've actually been listening to his speeches!

All I can do is report the truth about the dems I know -- who by the way are working for Kerry, as I am -- they are very disappointed in his campaign and his positions. Maybe it's a California thing. I have been to many an event for Kerry -- and the subtext in the conversations is always about how he's running a terrible campaign by moving to the right on so many issues and that he's not offering the American people a clear alternative. We'll work for him. I am even going to do precinct work for him -- but I'm terrified that someone is going to ask me to defend Kerry's foreign policy positions -- I simply can't. And that is the issue that is animating people -- Iraq is the issue!

[JSJ]

12. the less evil of...two evils? (nt)