URGENT: The Imminent Golf Crisis

crossposted at Moon of Alabama

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History professor Andrew J. Bacevich questions why every major politician wants to add some 100,000 troops and increase defense spending. "What is the use?" he asks.

At the Agonist Ian Welsh has a related question. How does the most expensive military in the world manages to lose two small wars against rag-tag insurgencies?

There are two answers to this:

The first by McDonalds' Boeing's CEO talking about the danger of healthy diets imminent threats:

US defence spending needs to be kept at record levels to cope with the threat of global terrorism and the emergence of China as a military rival, the head of Boeing's defence business has warned.

More sales like this one would certainly help his personal retirement plan.

The second answer comes via an Agonist commentator:

The US military has 1,426,713 active service personal [and 165 golf courses] giving a golf course ratio of: 8647 soldiers to protect each golf course
...

The city of Philadelphia has a much better protection rate with a ratio of 243,880 citizens per golf course.

As the commentator further explains, there are only 34 active duty field bands, some 20 reserve field bands and 52 National Guard bands. Not nearly enough to have one band play at each military golf course to deter the enemy.

In an emergency Air Force and Navy bands could probably help out a bit, thanks to Boeing, but still only some 85% of the battle space could be covered with sufficient musical deterrence. Even Philadelphia is much better off with bands than that.

The current resources are certainly not enough to deter China from playing a serious tee shot.

Therefore in my judgement, Clinton, Obama, Edwards as well as every Republican candidate are certainly right to work for an immediate rise in U.S. military capacities.

Bookmark: Moon of Alabama

•  OK...

  Interesting diary.  I fixed your tags.

  by RichM on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 01:53:47 PM PDT

•  thx for fixing - b,

  by Bernhard on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 02:01:09 PM PDT

•  I Guess this is Snark

  But to us serious golfers, it's nothing to joke about.  The bands on the other hand...

  by feebog on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 02:06:08 PM PDT

  •  Indeed.

    Golf is serious shit.  Be careful.

    And as a former military dependent and former contractor to the Air Force, I have personally played on approximately 3,256 of those golf courses.

    They are all worthy of protection.  Even the shitty 9-hole course at Corpus Christi NAS (which, I am told, has been expanded into a shitty 12-hole course).

    I mean, think of the golfers man!  For the love of God, think of the golfers!

    by Marc in KS on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 04:52:06 PM PDT

•  What about Mummers?

  In an emergency Air Force and Navy bands could probably help out a bit, thanks to Boeing, but still only some 85% of the battle space could be covered with sufficient musical deterrence. Even Philadelphia is much better off with bands than that.

  I'm sure a Mummer's reserve band could help out.  They do travel away from Philadelphia, and usually with their own refreshments. That would be a moneysaver.

  by Rogneid on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 02:15:40 PM PDT

•  thereisnospoon? of (golf) course not!

  its been replaced by modern 3-woods, tiger.

  as long as our fine young (and many not-so-young)military persons are protracting our golf courses from terrorists and argentinians, our niblicks will be persevered.

  and there is more reasons for optimism.  let's don't let the war blind us to the fact that the (don't bogart that)dubai classic now attracts top golfers and slave-traders from all over the whole world.  golf and democracy are the future of the middle east, so don't feel baddeley about things.

  by 2nd balcony on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 03:12:40 PM PDT

  •  Recommended

    For the Baddely reference.  

    by feebog on Mon Jun 18, 2007 at 06:10:29 PM PDT