Troops: Election needs bigger military focus

[unhappycamper]

Troops: Election needs bigger military focus
By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Oct 28, 2008 5:53:22 EDT

Seven out of 10 career-oriented service members say military issues are not getting enough attention in the presidential campaign, and nearly 30 percent don’t believe their vote will matter, according to a Military Times poll of nearly 2,200 troops.

Navy Fire Controlman 1st Class Robert Benjamin Pryor of the Aegis Training and Readiness Center in Dahlgren, Va., said he would like to see more discussion of plans for troop levels and military funding.

“I don’t think we’ve heard enough about what the candidates’ plans are to try and build a better military,” Pryor said. “From my personal experience in my command, I’ve heard that money is scarce and repair parts are few and far between.”

Marine Corps Reserve Capt. Matthew Nichols, logistics officer at 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, in Houston, said he would like to see more candidate discussion of military strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, and of negotiations for a status of forces agreement in Iraq.

“Understandably, the main issue on a lot of people’s minds is the economy,” he said. “But as a military member, I think it’s important to keep national security at least on an equal footing as the economy because I personally feel the two are linked.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/military_elexpoll_102708/%2e

[midnight]

1. Ya, Once upon a time..... Before 9-11 I thought so too.

“Understandably, the main issue on a lot of people’s minds is the economy,” he said. “But as a military member, I think it’s important to keep national security at least on an equal footing as the economy because I personally feel the two are linked.”
But that is old ecomomy thinking.

[mike_c]

2. I could not DISAGREE more....

The only national debate I'm interested in seeing about military issues is a debate about how small should the Pentagon and its budget be reduced. The obsession with "national security" is one of the hallmarks of fascism, and also one of the negative influences that got us to this sorry juncture.