[LS]

Look, generals are soldiers. Ultimately, to a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. This is not bad, just reality. That’s why you have a department of STATE too. Even the pacifistic Jefferson had to send our ENTIRE armed forces to Tripoli to beat the crap out of the pirates.

But they don’t have to stay there. I’m even in favor of greatly reducing—though not removing-—the number of bases in Germany.

[GOPJ]

If General’s had their way we'd have troops in every country in the world ‘just to be on the safe side’...

[familyop]

"Look, generals are soldiers. Ultimately, to a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. This is not bad, just reality. That’s why you have a department of STATE too. Even the pacifistic Jefferson had to send our ENTIRE armed forces to Tripoli to beat the crap out of the pirates.

But they don’t have to stay there. I’m even in favor of greatly reducing—though not removing-—the number of bases in Germany."

Well said. If what you say about Germany were our policy, though, I would rather bring them all home. There's no reason to leave such a small number in those sweet Germany tours without having all assets in all needed places. A lesser number of those vacationing golfers in Germany without men and materiel in quite a few other places would be run over like a rug.

And those of us in favor of containing expansionism can't change the minds of those who want to believe that no nations are building up to attack us first. It's obvious, that our nation doesn't have a will to fight. It was that way before both world wars, and it's much more like that now.

There eventually comes a time, when men like myself should take a break from political discussions about foreign relations, take care of ourselves and our families, and let consequences develop and happen. Will I do that now? I don't know. We'll see.