More Troops to Middle East?
 

This morning a new poll reported 57% of Americans think we should send more troops to fight Isis. I'm kind of wondering if the poll question was worded "would you allow deductions taken out of your pay checks, retirement checks, social security checks to pay for another escalation of troops in that area and also pay for what we have already spent"? My guess is that 57% would drop very significantly. The cold war ended because the Soviet Union tried to keep up with our military spending and basically bankrupted themselves. It is my opinion we are doing the same thing. Take the Underware Bomber for instance. They invested in a plane ticket, some crude bomb making material, and one pair of fruit of the looms. How much did we spend on this episode? They spend a thousand we spend a billion. Time is on their side. Any intelligent discussion I've heard is being drown out by saber rattling.

A better question might be: Would you be willing to sacrifice your son/daughter or grandson/daughter to be part of the "boots on the ground" of an American incursion?

It does make a difference if you make it personal or just "them", doesn't it?

When France, England, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, etc. etc. are ready to send their soldiers, as they all face a much higher imminent risk than does our country, then come back and ask again. We went alone in Iraq and totally destroyed that country. We have been essentially on our own in Afghanistan, same outcome. Ground troops will swat at sand dunes. You can't kill ideas with bullets and it is exactly what ISIS wants, proof they are right that the US is out to destroy their vision of Islam

While we are growing hypotheticals around, how much is it worth to keep the Islamic butchers and killers of innocents in the Mideast and not at the mall where you and your family are shopping.

Just like polls and surveys, just word them to accomplish a pre-determined outcome!

We took care of the Islamic butchers and killers in Iraq. We need to bring back the Draft so that all Americans have the opportunity to share in the "boots on the ground" experience.

I think the word "opportunity" implies "optional".

I agree wholeheartedly that the draft should be reinstated.... With No exemptions, male and female. The mothers of the world would stop the wars then. As a drafted Vietnam vet I can say firsthand, exemptions don't work. The wealthy got the college deferments and the poor kids were drug off to war. That's the way it was in 65.

Not so sure that is necessary -

Getting into the military is getting tougher - May. 15, 2013

Other than hanging Saddam (an non-religious leader), in what manner did we take care of butchers in Iraq? We took a nation with some internal stresses that was being held together by a tyrant. We destabilized it and get loose the Shia against the Sunni against the Kurd. We led to car bombs, people bombs, ISIS beginning, and radicalized hundreds of thousands of people who while discontent with their situation were now willing to kill and be killed instead. We created butchers in fall greater numbers than there were before we got there. And I missed the memo you apparently got that our invasion of Iraq was related to getting Islamic people. Pretty sure even Cheney never voiced that opinion.

As I recall, there was a consensus among leadership after the First Gulf War, that to proceed into Iraq would have resulted in us being involved in a civil war with the U.S. as the enemy.
FYI We suffered 146 Killed in that war. We had 10,000 hospital beds on reserve for potential casualties.
I was in the AF Medical Service during Vietnam and the First Gulf War.
My apologies for the misstatement about Islam and Iraq relative to the First Gulf War.

Actually you're correct ( won't be using military power anytime soon) but not because of the way you posed the issue.

Americans can be counted on to never nip an obvious problem in the bud, but rather wait until we have an overwhelmingly threatening problem that's too big for anyone to ignore, no matter how uniformed.

Isis is one example. Iran is another. Poof ... who's worried about a mushroom cloud in DC or NYC when we're talking about social security checks , right?

I think everyone should pony up and experience financing "boots on the ground". I also question how we could justify sending our children to war for the cause we have been over there for. I'm not sure what to think about this Isis but do believe our overthrowing the region made it happen. I will politely listen to anyone telling me our freedom national security justifed what we did.

There was and still continues to be one major issue.
The military have not now or ever been allowed/ordered to what it takes to win!
Too much politics and not enough spine and cajones.

Agree ... political constraints and lousy leadership at the top

Am not sure what testicles have to do with it, but I seem to recall from my education that we are greatly advantaged by having civilian control of our military. Must have missed the day they taught about the wondrous advantages of having a military which could do what it wanted to win at all costs. Peter Sellers, where are you?