On 9/9/13 10:26 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:


"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
m...


I think we *win* when we sent our military forces into underdeveloped
countries to provide disaster relief, food, medical care, potable water,
repairing of light infrastructure, et cetera, with everything marked as
"A Gift from the People of the United States," or when we align with
other major powers to serve as peacekeepers. Taking sides in civil wars
when the new guys are as bad as the old guys doesn't seem to work out
for us.

------------------------------

Those goals are not ... and have never been ... the purpose of our
military.

The military is for fighting and winning wars or major military conflicts.
Peacemaking, disaster relief, medical care, etc., is best performed by
other organizations.



We don't have major military conflicts or wars anymore, unless we create
them, and history the last 70 years pretty much shows we shouldn't be
fighting wars or major military conflicts.

Working in the ways I've described will increase the prestige and esteem
of this nation around the world, and it will give the military something
actually *useful and helpful* to do.