I think you have missed why this is so much news to the average person in the States. For years we had to listen to how we have “more than enough” soldiers to do the mission. In fact, I remember with you and with Dadmanly discussing this issue. You guys used to tell me I was being unpatriotic and I didn’t know what I was talking about when I would bring up the fact that Rumsfeld didn’t know what the heck he was doing and there should have been a lot more troops there.
Now, of course the right wing Milbloggers have rewritten history and are basically stating that the “surge” was a brilliant idea brought up by brilliant military strategists. But we know it was simply what many of us said since day one.
So, why is the use of contractors so big? Well, first, it supports the position many of us have held which is our Military is far too small for our current foreign policy.
Second, it means our military is DEPENDENT on outside contractors, many who are employing third world labor (not even US Labor), to do anything in the world. You can argue whose fault it is or whether if it is the military too small or the foreign policy too broad, but the fact is we are an impotent Country with an impotent Military right now. Why does Russia role into Georgia and threaten Poland with nuclear weapons? Because we are impotent to fight for what really matters thanks to George Bush’s policies.
Finally, I think you will find the “news” is not that we have Indians serving you food but that we have contractors carrying guns, providing security, engaging “enemy” forces etc. etc.
We used to call that a Mercenary Army.
