About Those Troop Arrangements Bush is Making

Several people, including Barry McCaffrey, have sounded off as none too happy about Bush's plans to bring 70,000 troops home from Asia and Europe. "Unilateral fortress" and "reneging on five decades of agreements with NATO" were just a few of the things said today.

This won't affect those in actual battle zones either, although one wonders if some of those freed from service in South Korea or Germany won't wind up in Iraq or Afghanistan. From Bush's speech today, it sounds like lots of jobs will be cut, and we'll impact the finances of those services that have been provided around bases in other countries.

Don't assume this is an easy, neat solution Bush has cooked up. Let's face it: the only embarassingly stupid and easy things he HAS had a hand are his daughters and the way in which he goes to war (act big, let others sweat and bleed the details).