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  •  American Foreign Legion (none / 0)

    like France has. I read Hackworth pitching this about 10 yrs ago.

    Some guy from Cambodia or Malawi joins, serves for 20+ yrs, gets his citizenship and a pension (well, a "private" account now).

    He wouldn't have any Congresspeople or a (American) family to raise a ruckus over poor equipment, training, or leadership. And it wouldn't be "our boys" dying over there. (wherever there wil be)

    "Can we all get along?"

    by hotspur on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 02:35:43 PM PDT

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    •  If you have too many of those .. (none / 0)

      you will have to face mutinees.

      May be you can have mixed companies with up to 20% foreigners. More than that, you are asking for trouble.

      Dr Hansen : Time is running out

      by nataraj on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 03:07:43 PM PDT

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      •  I hear Germany enjoyed great success... (none / 0)


         with its Rumanian (correct spelling, given the date, I believe), Czech, and other Balkan, Eastern and Southern European (ahem) "recruits" who fought with their German brethren against the Soviets in the early '40s.  Remember that?

         BenGoshi
        _______________

        "We in the gloam, old buddy," he said, "We definitely right in the middle of it." -Larry Brown

        by BenGoshi on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 03:18:03 PM PDT

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        •  I think ... (none / 0)

          things are very different now.

          There were a lot more Indians in the British army in India. But, that was because of the loyalty of people to the kings (you allied with the British).

          Now for eg., India has banned anyone from going to Iraq. So has Nepal.

          Dr Hansen : Time is running out

          by nataraj on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 03:47:40 PM PDT

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          •  Your point is an interesting one... (none / 0)

             ... my was mainly snarky and sardonic (or, at least, attempted to be such).

              Actually, I was just (perhaps feebly) attempting to illustrate that when you have conscripts or, even mercenaries, fighting for causes and countries that they don't really believe in, the conscripting army is just asking for morale and disciplinary trouble, on top of true "will to fight" trouble.

              So, it is indeed plausible that we could "outsource" even some of our combat capabilities, but that's begging for even more trouble and makes us look even more "Colonial" and "Imperial" than we already do.  

              And if we "outsource" non-combat jobs (what?  logistical, I.T., transportation, K.P. for goodness sake?!) in war zones, well the intel breaches would be a nightmare -- just look what happened less than a month ago at that "field cafeteria" in Iraq . . .

              Bottom Line:  Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their various hangers-on and neo-con tiny-little-brain trusters, have totally boned our military.  And our country.

              BenGoshi
            _______________

            "We in the gloam, old buddy," he said, "We definitely right in the middle of it." -Larry Brown

            by BenGoshi on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 04:04:09 PM PDT

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        •  questionable benefit historically... (none / 0)

          just as a note to your statement:

          many people from eastern european countries did indeed join various divisions of German army or more likely SS; divisions from partner countries (ie rumania) did also fight alongside German units, HOWEVER, Stalingrad was encircled due to russian counterattacks on the flanks which broke through mainly rumanian held areas (because these areas were known to be significantly weaker) and thus led to the well-known military disaster from the German point of view.
          I´d also question the idea of "brethren", what do you mean by this?

          "Even a new day starts in darkness."

          by markbar on Thu Jan 20, 2005 at 12:34:49 AM PDT

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          •  'Brethren,' 'comrades-in-arms,' whatever... (none / 0)


              These were mainly forced conscripts and, for much or the most part, not "true believers," thus the term "brethren" was used sardonically.  You're over-analyzing, I think.

              BenGoshi
            _______________

            "We in the gloam, old buddy," he said, "We definitely right in the middle of it." -Larry Brown

            by BenGoshi on Thu Jan 20, 2005 at 03:13:07 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

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