10-12-2012, 12:00 PM
["Had they really listened to those present in Libya, as Tree says, additional forces could have been provided."]
Yes, with hindsight, that's true, but how many other embassies or parties that eat out of that same budget asked for stuff? What I'm saying is that if you cut a budget, the trade-offs will be that much sharper and stuff will happen.
It's a little akin to the Japanese just-in-time manufacturing supply chains. They keep on removing inventory (which is costly waste) until something goes wrong. Then they know the weak point and they try to fix it, and start all over again.
Security depends on manpower and machinery, there is little scope for efficiency improvements unless you cut salaries (perhaps those allowances to visit Venezuelan brothels, haha) or machinery.
["They use the excuse of the film, but that's smoke."]
Well, perhaps, I don't know about that. But there was a film, and there were many violent protests in many different countries. It's a little difficult when you get stormed by angry and violent people with weapons to ask them whether they're just protesters or happen to belong to any terrorist organization.
I don't know about placating Russia, but I do know that the US can't dictate much stuff in the ME. Too many moving parts, and free and fair elections have a habit of turning power to people we might vehemently disagree with (or result in countries disintegrating all together), which is why they supported the Mubaraks and the Sauds for too long, but these were/are disagreeable people as well, they only served our interests better. There are no simple solutions here.
Yes, with hindsight, that's true, but how many other embassies or parties that eat out of that same budget asked for stuff? What I'm saying is that if you cut a budget, the trade-offs will be that much sharper and stuff will happen.
It's a little akin to the Japanese just-in-time manufacturing supply chains. They keep on removing inventory (which is costly waste) until something goes wrong. Then they know the weak point and they try to fix it, and start all over again.
Security depends on manpower and machinery, there is little scope for efficiency improvements unless you cut salaries (perhaps those allowances to visit Venezuelan brothels, haha) or machinery.
["They use the excuse of the film, but that's smoke."]
Well, perhaps, I don't know about that. But there was a film, and there were many violent protests in many different countries. It's a little difficult when you get stormed by angry and violent people with weapons to ask them whether they're just protesters or happen to belong to any terrorist organization.
I don't know about placating Russia, but I do know that the US can't dictate much stuff in the ME. Too many moving parts, and free and fair elections have a habit of turning power to people we might vehemently disagree with (or result in countries disintegrating all together), which is why they supported the Mubaraks and the Sauds for too long, but these were/are disagreeable people as well, they only served our interests better. There are no simple solutions here.