Bruce McQuain, Bill Ardolino

Jim Hanson of BlackFive.net sits in for Frank today and is joined for two segments with fellow BlackFive.net contributor and member of another military blog, QandO.net, Bruce McQuain. Bruce explains what the ramifications would be to America’s national security if the Obama Administration goes ahead and hacks that defense budget to pieces.  There are many more threats to not only American security, but global security and the American military needs to able to meet those threats head on and deter these aggressors. Peace through strength only comes from actually having strength and the willingness to use that strength as a deterrent.

Next, The Long War Journal’s Bill Ardolino sheds light on America’s counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, or lack thereof.  The Afghan people need to realize that America is not their police force, state troopers, National Guard or any other protective force that they might desire. The Afghan people must understand that one day, sooner rather than later, America will back out and hand over security to the Afghan government and the people must embrace that government. The people must respect the security forces more than they fear the Taliban; and this will allow the security forces to garner support from the local populous. A silver lining is that the Afghan police are getting a better reception in local villages than the Americans which is proving that the security forces can be successful on their own.