A Guest Posting

Someone near and dear to me recently shared his outrage about recruiting. Thought I would share it with you all, too.

"I think this latest news story is just disgusting. What's even more disgusting is the Pentagon's public statement, and our willingness to accept it! Are they [the Pentagon, the press and the public] SO oblivious as to provide and accept this explanation?!

An excerpt: 'The Pentagon has blamed recent recruiting shortfalls in part on an economy that's providing other opportunities to high school and college graduates.'

In other words...we no longer can get enough POOR PEOPLE to fight our wars? What, THE MINIMUM WAGE ISN'T LOW ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN OUR 'NATIONAL SECURITY' or any other excuse for troop deployment?

The Pentagon has to admit now that poor people and disadvantaged might actually be smart enough to know 'shit from Shinola'-- that given the chance between risking death for uncertain causes or finding jobs with a even a slightly better longevity quotient attached to their meager paycheck is a better choice.

What is our country coming to when it admits the ALL VOLUNTEER ARMY is based on the lousy economic opportunities afforded our most disadvantaged citizens?! And what does it say about our population and our press when we accept such statements from the department that puts these troops, our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, in mortal danger?

Like other such Pentagon/White House dogma such as 'We're fighting them in Iraq so we don't have to fight them here' it shows the blatant disregard our 'leaders' have for the value of any lives other than the privileged and entitled.

Perhaps someday we'll just offer land mines with our Happy Meals or let our garbage collectors round up the terrorists in a brilliant lower-class economies of scale labor coup, but till then just buy another magnet for your car and 'Support the Troops.'

Wanna really support the troops? RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE or else reinstate the draft to provide some equity in our public share of the 'defense' burden!!"

Phew, couldn't have said it better myself!