An Army of Juan

By Capt. Fogg

Isn’t it inevitable? I mean, everything else of importance seems to have been outsourced or will soon be moved abroad. Americans want good working conditions, good pay, and good benefits, and that’s – well it’s just not the best thing for corporate profits. It’s not just manufacturing, it’s engineering, it’s technology, and soon it may be the Armed Forces. The plan is to recruit immigrants here and abroad and to use citizenship as an incentive to attract cannon fodder for Bush’s wars.

I usually dismiss comparisons between our times and the fall of Rome. After all, it’s a pastime almost as old as waiting for Jesus to return, but having overextended ourselves by occupying too much hostile territory and turning to mercenaries to do what citizens will not do is rather a compelling and chilling comparison.

While the United States' Armed Forces have been a melting pot for half a century and have provided significant opportunities for minorities, the private sector has not. I'm not suggesting otherwise. It’s also more than fair to allow citizenship for someone who will risk his life for a country, but have we passed some kind of boundary by using those at the bottom as gladiators and mercenaries, exploiting them so as to allow the Bush Administration to continue its wars of attrition without angering the citizenry unduly?

Opportunity or exploitation -- it all depends on whether you trust George W. Bush or not.