Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy offered a take on US military policy that is almost unheard of among officials addressing the strain of overseas deployments on the Army: he’s suggesting that the US needs to do less.
McCarthy confirmed that he’s repeatedly pushed that question internally, questioning whether the US really needs to have “thousands of personnel deployed in over 140 countries,” and whether the army “have to do everything that we are doing in the world.”
These are questions not often asked at an official level, and pretty much never addressed by officials, who are instead constantly emphasizing that the sheer number of operations proves the already massive US military needs to keep growing and getting more funds.
But the military added 28,000 soldiers this year, and is on track for another 17,000 next year. The growth of the military continues apace, but the strain is still palpable. While McCarthy says theoretically the military “can do anything,” he believes there need to be many more questions asked about “how relevant” many of these operations even are to US national security.
His efforts to raise that question at the National Security Council level probably isn’t going to sit well with other military officials, who see permanent overseas military operations as a ticket to budget growth, and are only too willing to play up each and every war as a top priority.
President Trump’s interest in being seen as pro-military, and his cabinet’s large number of former generals, are also likely to support the status quo. Still, McCarthy is ensuring that the important questions are being asked, and that is in and of itself a welcome change.
That’s “fewer” overseas ops.
Not necessarily.
“Fewer” would be a lower number of operations.
“Less” would be not as many troops and resources invested in those operations.
Either way would be an improvement, for both domestic and foreign policy reasons.
This guy will be gone. Soon. You can’t make sense like that and get away with it.
I doubt it, Ryan McCarthy knows exactly what he’s doing, and his boss, Donald Trump, is backing him up. Both realize that the large number of overseas operations have been negatively affecting US national security and feel they must cut back on them.
They also know the American people are waking up .. The nationwide protests against these worldwide operations have been growing in numbers, and Congress is also worried. It’s Congress that holds the purse strings, and a growing number of both Representatives and Senators have been threatening to withhold funding.
I’d be excited if he the subject was cutting defense spending. Cutting down on the number of countries we are deployed in is a great idea unless we plan on using those resources to bolster our presence elsewhere. Maybe they want to pay that 1.2 billion it will take to escalate the troops in Afghanistan with money saved by closing a base in bum s**t nowhere.
Don’t we have to be allover the world if we are going to impose the NWO all; over the world .When will we learn what the NWOs are .?
Hiw strange is the memory hole in modern times. Did not Trump talk about this same problem incessantly during campaign? But now, suddenly this is a revelation.
Of course, this is exactly needed: fewer operations and less resources overall. And — shocker — do any, of these operations have anything to do with the actual security of US.
Will he ever ask this question unless from some quarters a wink and a nod signaled that it is OK? Doubt it.
It should be rather clear by now that the all-military 360 degree Trump encirclement is just taking its natural course. Neocon agenda was taken to new, grotesque heights — and there is nobody as capable as Trump to elevate their most feverish world-controlling, world-destroying ideas to an entirely new level. The result? Congress stopped meddling in foreign policy, and naked agressivenes of “wars uber alles” made many run scared away from the hard core pushers. And made many US allies — up until now happy to enjoy benefits without being pushed to pass the test of loyalty to neocon-driven global objectives. And suddenly — they were. South Korea has backed out of war option, and is joining China and Russia in calling for the de-nuclearization of the Peninsula. Japan is nowhere to be found in going along with anti-Russia hike, quite the opposite. And no US allies in the Pacific are willing to undermine trade with China. I would not recommend relying on Vietnam as a pillar if our Southeast Asian policy. India is not willing to be told what to do, who to like or hate. Attempts to corner them are just needlesly pushing them away. But nowhere has the policy of extremism backfired so spectaclularly as in the Middle East. Needs no elaboration.
From the position of arguing for the re-negotiating Iran agreement, to brandishing neocon mantra of evil Shia and the need to exterminate them wherever they can be found — was another Trumpian leap, articulating neocon blood soaked view of the world to perfection. It was not too complicated to convince then the Crown Prince MbN — CIA favorite — to hit the black sheep of GCC, Qatar, hard. How dare they share a giant gas field with Iran? Or support terrorism by helping Turkey prevent formation of Israel friendly Kurdish state along both sudes of Turkey-Syria border? Did not they get the memo? The outcome is — Qatar got support, Saudi Arabia was shown as a paper tiger. Egypt that joined Qatar bashing — ended up a winner. By not leaving Saudi Arabia to hang out there in desert sun all alone, it suceeded in calling Cairo meeting that modified all demands into “principles”, saving Kingdom’s face, a carving out a new role for itself in Sunni world. But Egypt has good relationship with Iran, and is not going to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Saudi long love affair with US neocons — the bipartisan creature — came to an abrupt end. And the comedy is complete with Trump praising the “anti-corruption” dragnet, just as neocon reliables, and money heavy weights, are being rounded up. If one has any doubts about the agonizing reality of neocon universe — just check out one of their most accomplished writers, David Goldman, aka Spengler. His insights into Saudi royal mine field reflects the agony of neocon universe, along with the warm and fuzzy optimism that military in Saudi Arabia will take the upstart, MbS down. And that all other branches of royal pedigree are plotting against him. Hardly, as the royals determining the line of sucession ousted Nayaf, and elevated MbS. If Trump is praising the dragnet, while neocons are plotting the ways to take young crown prince down — is not this a mega sign of a massive defeat? Trump has to keep engaging Saudi Arabia whoever is in power — that is his job. But one has to remember his sword dance that pushed Mohammed bin Nayaf into a catastrophic adventure. Neicons are hardly being consistent. On one hand — they try to portray Nayaf as a “moderate”, even though he was the architect of the very same agressuve neocon view if the Middle East, while vilifying the one who is presumably agressive.
Yes, he is still mouthing of anti Shia, anti-Iranian line. So neocons can relax and hope for the best. But it is over. No amount of US military might or the power of the purse can return GCC to the chimera of Sunni power, as neocon hoped. The real Sunni powers, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia are all on good terms with Iran, and are embarrased by Saudi Wahhabi takfirism, denying Shia moslems the right to be moslems. The attempt at stirring up Shia Sunni confrontation failed. Yes, there are still ISIS Soviets dispatched to all the global neuralgic points to stir trouble and impede progress. I wonder who will be shelling out the money — as Saudis turn off the spigot.
It may be the right time to go back to Trump’s concepts of non-interference, no regime changes and no nation building. Each and every base or baselet in the world has always one task that is focused on shaping the internal politics of those countries. And we support always thise in power that are willing to perform given tasks.
I am wondering what will happen to a small country of Surime, after they pulled back the recognition of Kosovo. Something pointless and spitefull, no doubt.