It reminds me of a debate I once had in college with a group of pals who were vociferous (while I was Excorsist-esque) in their contention that the Defense budget should be greatly slashed because there were no wars on the horizon (this was 1995, when the aftershocks of the end of the Cold War were still being felt). Loudly I shouted that I didn't know who we would have to fight, but that it was ludicrous to believe that we would never have to fight again.
Now were my friends relishing the thought of future U.S. casualties? Of course not. Most of them, I'm sure, opposed this war and the casualties it requires. But this has been our habit since the Revolution (a point I made in the argument, as I recall), to sing "I ain't gonna learn war no more," and then leave to the next generation the task of learning war, all over again.
Note the closing:
The U.S. Transportation Command, and several other agencies involved in this mess, have all taken the pledge to set things right and sin no more. They are half right. Everyone will hustle to get the system patched up and functioning for now. But in the future, the same rot and sloppiness will seep back in. That’s what has happened time and again in the past. Odds are, it will happen yet again. People like to talk about future wars, but no one likes to spend money on getting ready to buy, store and ship the needed supplies.
Indeed. Not when there are bureaucracies to be built and vague, impressive-sounding "wars" on social ills to be waged.
My point? Only this: Do you think this kind of behavior, I don't know. odd for a nation reputed to be so warlike and imperialistic?
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