"What effect must it have on a nation if it learns no foreign languages? Probably much the same as that which a total withdrawal from society has upon an individual." --G.C. Lichtenberg
In an October 16 memo to top Department of Defense officials, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a shocking revelation:
DoD has been organized, trained and equipped to fight big armies, navies and air forces. It is not possible to change DoD fast enough to successfully fight the global war on terror; an alternative might be to try to fashion a new institution, either within DoD or elsewhere — one that seamlessly focuses the capabilities of several departments and agencies on this key problem.
(emphasis mine)
To recap: the Department of Defense is not capable of successfully fighting terrorism.
Among many, many others, this statement raises the rather obvious question: Why are we using a very expensive tool for a job that it is incapable of doing?
Does this mean we can contemptuously ignore any and all administration statements that tell us how well the war on terror is going? I think so. posted by David at 10/22/2003 09:49:00 AM ::
