[Calpernia]

The military will become more involved in humanitarian missions, an assistant secretary of defense said Wednesday at Fort Bragg.

''We are going to turn the Defense Department into a different type of department,'' Thomas W. O'Connell said. ''The mandate is on the wall. We are going to have to be prepared as an armed force to do much more on the humanitarian side, transition to and from war. I've got some strong feelings on this. I think we are going the right way.''

[Santiago de la Vega]

Calpernia,

Thanks for exposing this bit of junior secretary's idiocy to the bright lights of clear analysis.

Here's what the dope should've said.

First, it is not the job of the military to build nations, rather, it is their job to protect this nation by killing it's enemies and destroying their weapons of war. To distract them from that goal is a major mistake.

The task of nation-building is the job of the State Department, and uses the help of both Treasury and Commerce. The military provides security.

We can only hope that the current administration will implement a general staff system whereby senior political operatives in the executive branch coordinate the work of the top four Cabinet Secretaries. Too long have they wandered around with only their own preferences for guidance.

It's been a major failure of this administration, and of all previous administrations - except perhaps for George Marshall's - to coordinate the actions of our senior government managers.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[windchime]

Bump!