August 14, 2004

Obervations for a Saturday Afternoon

U.S. Troops Are Being Pulled Out of Germany and Other European Nations. VDH notes “an embarrassing desire for free American protection” on the part of European nations, at a time when the elites of some of those nations “are angry at the United States.” They’re going to be seeing somewhat less of it. 170,000 troops and support staff are being pulled out of Europe and Asia and redeployed.

US plans to cut forces overseas by 70,000

The US is expected to announce on Monday that it is pulling 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia in the largest restructuring of its global military presence since the second world war.

People briefed on the plan say two-thirds of the reductions will come in Europe, most of them military personnel stationed in Germany who will be sent back to US bases.

An additional 100,000 support staff and military families worldwide will be part of the realignment.

...Germany will continue to be home to sophisticated training and command facilities and to a mobile infantry force which will be equipped with the new light-armoured Stryker vehicles and is expected to form the core of a restructured European presence.

The Bush administration has been re-evaluating the US military’s global posture almost since its first days in office. Senior Pentagon officials emphasised that the move was not intended as a punishment for Germany’s lack of support in the Iraq war.

Update 8-15-04: Don’t miss this post on the subject from the great German blog, Medienkritik:

But…but… this means job losses in the tens of thousands in Germany!! You can’t do this! [...] We’re already struggling to sustain our 6-week-annual vacations and the 35-hour week, not to forget our generous welfare state – we simply can’t afford even more job losses! We need US taxpayer dollars to keep our standard of socialism!

Do you know no decency, Sir? I mean, Germany had done so much to support the US fight terrorism in Iraq, like…er…like… – well, that’s obvious, anyway. Don’t Gerhard Schroeder and Joschka “I am not convinced” Fischer deserve better treatment for their unwavering support, even in difficult times? And didn’t the German population always show great sympathy for your decisions to go to war against terrorism?

Think twice about your decision, Mr. President!

Otherwise we might turn to France to guarantee our security in the future. They’d sure be more than willing to risk their soldier’s lives to defend Germany.

You sure as hell can bet on that!

A Very Funny Parody of Left-Leaning Blogs, The Iraq War Was Wrong Blog , sprang up earlier this month. (via LGF .)

Kerry’s growing resumay

I had heard of Kerry served in Vietnam, but. I hadn’t known until recently that he was the skipper of a Swift-Vet Boat! I know alittle someting (I think – IRRC) about Swift-Vet Boats and all I can say is, Talk about impressive. Chock it up to another reason to vote pull lever “Jon Kerry” in November.

Kerry’s Cambodia Fabrications Are Lampooned in a poem by Vietnam vet Russ Vaughn:

‘Twas the night before Christmas and we were afloat
Somewhere in Cambodia in our little boat.
While the river was lightened by rockets red glare
No one but the President knew we were there.

The crew was all nestled deep down in their bunks,
While the Spook and I watched the sampans and junks.
Our mission was secret, so secret in fact,
No one else would remember it when we got back.

...Dont bother to quibble with history my friend,
By pointing out Johnson was President then.
Dont listen to Swiftees who try to explain,
For I tell you that night is seared into my brain.

Down Hibbard, down Lonsdale, and you too ONeill,
So you dont remember? Well its something I feel.
I dont need all you Swiftvets to support my campaign,
Cause Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain,

Into my brain, into my brain, into my brain…