Donald Rumsfeld had a dream to transform the military by implementing the Revolution in Military Affairs. Rumsfeld wanted to integrate the latest technolgies in guided weaponry and information technology. Then the American military, through a combination of shock and awe and global reach, will be positioned to insure peace and security in the world. The vision is stated in the Pentagon's Quadriennal Military Guidance Document. Alas, the Irish poet Robert Burns had it right: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley (awry).” The new defense budget DOES NOT provide funding for Rumsfeld's dream. Rather, it continues to fund a military to fight the threats we faced in the Cold War. Neo- conservative Max Boot shows us why, for Rumsfeld's supporters, the budget fails to meet the challenges of an age in which terror and a "long war" has displaced communism and a Cold War as the main threat.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-boot8feb08,0,7903755.column?coll=la-news-comment-opinions
