$8.7 Billion Missing

[ruggbutt]

The money wasn't missing till the great Kenyan leader took over. It's Obama's fault.

[Daiichidoku]

Integrity started to leech out of the military when it got rid of the Draft, for a lot of reasons.

interestingly, it was the French who had the first formal draft/conscription (IIRC just after the revolution?Nic?)

this started the trend of actual national armies, and also swelled the ranks, the likes of which by proportion of its population, to levels never before seen in the world, and completely changed warfare and foreign policies and civilian/military dynamic, arguably for the worse in the long run

what do you think changed by dropping the draft, as far as integrity goes? (or anythign else for that matter)

[fatman]

"US 'fails to account' for Iraq reconstruction billions
Billions have gone to rebuild Iraq but much of the money is impossible to trace, says a US audit A US federal watchdog has criticised the US military for failing to account properly for billions of dollars it received to help rebuild Iraq.

The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction says the US Department of Defence is unable to account properly for 96% of the money.

Im suprised that it isnt more

[callmeslick]

what do you think changed by dropping the draft, as far as integrity goes? (or anythign else for that matter)

two things, mainly. It detached the average American from the military, and thus, engagement in why we are fighting wars. Prior to that point, there had been some restraint due to public pressures on silly use of the military. The whole Kosovo thing would've probably never happened with a drafted military, likewise Iraq.
Secondly, it has created a feeling amongst those in the military of separateness from the civilian population, which is not good in a system where the civilians are the actual leaders of the military. This one gets to the integrity part, as I think it may have led to an insulated 'insider' culture which leads to corruption of a place,
which Pud rightly notes, had been insulated from those levels of corruption in the past.

[Pudfark]

Two issues that will come to a boil.....soon, I hope.

The Military see's things as Fight and Win.

The Politicians see things as Fight and Spend.

Old Pudfark sez: " One of them is wrong. "

[callmeslick]

hasn't that dynamic always been there, Rube?

[Pudfark]

It sure has...and yet, Slick...you continue to sustain it....with your "contributions"....