Soldiers for the Truth

Check out "Ready, Aim, Fire" by David Hackworth on his site, Soldiers for the Truth. Hackworth details the dangerous shortchanging of American soldiers in Iraq. His main charge: Much of the defense budget went to ultra-expensive weapons systems designed for use against the USSR, leaving the ground-level grunts in Iraq and Afghanistan under-equipped. Individual Body Armor vests were supposed to be protecting our troops last Christmas, yet distribution hit a snag that lasted months.

Should John Kerry speak out on this issue? You bet. He should champion our under-valued soldiers, and he should do so now. For too long, Republican chickenhawks have managed to convince veterans and serving soldiers that the GOP was the sole party of military virtue. But recent history -- a history of misallocated resources, low pay and extended hardship tours -- may force some of our men and women in uniform to re-think their biases.