[Citizen Tom Paine]

In my unstudied, uninformed opinion the US is trying to have both guns and butter. To the best of my knowledge it has never worked in the past.

This current administration may have to bite the bullet and pay our professional service personnel an attractive salary commensurate with their performance.

The US formally (declaration of war?) have to admit that we are in a long term struggle with a highly determined enemy whose defeat will require our blood and our treasure.

[Jim Noble]

This is a very good appreciation of an under-reported phenomenon.

The larger, more important question (assuming we don't surrender) is, what strategic interventions are needed to gain victory in this war?

The answer to THAT question will provide the correct force structure.

The Administration's greatest failing is that they have failed to engage the question, "How do we win?", or if you prefer, "What constitutes victory?"

To me, victory requires the conquest and 50-year occupation of Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

I have said many times that if Bush asked for a 100-division Army on 9/16/01, he would have gotten it. I think a debate about how to get 5000 more soldiers is sterile when we need ten million.