So What?

There are a couple curiosities that are causing me trouble.

For one: Across the political spectrum there is the notion that our current all volunteer military is the best ever fielded. Also that they're the best educated and motivated.

Secondly: There's the notion that our military can defeat anything thrown at them.

For the first: In case there is room for misunderstanding, our current military is better educated, but they are no better motivated than any in our past. Except for a very few, every military force we've fielded in the past has been exemplary.

For the second: I'm convinced that that our military is undermanned and lacks reserve capability, both manpower and logistic wise, to actually prosecute this war. More importantly they can not prosecute any expansion of consequence.

In practical terms... could we stand up a new armored division using only American made components? Can we maintain existing hardware with only American made repair parts?

Our current military force is based on fraud! This fraud has nothing, in the least, to do with the earnestness or direct capabilities of the 'boot on the ground' types... or the pilots in their hi-tech aircraft.

I lay this at the feet of Rumsfeld and those who supported this odd transnational concept of military supply and demand.

Stop and invert the common wisdom with this loose analogy. I own the the finest classic car in the world. To drive it it, though, I need fuel from the middle east, repair/replacement parts from China, and insurance from someone who hates cars.