PMCs: What is the media missing?

[marct]

Hi Tom

I'm going through it right now. I'm not sure that I would say it is good. Chapter 4 seems to be arguing all sides of the question. Just one example from page 55

The American public may well question the moral aspects of encouraging combat specific positions, which may result in a loss of support and confidence in military organizations. In addition, using American soldiers exclusively to provide combat “tooth” is a curious irony to historical precedent, where nations often hired foreign nationals for some of their most dangerous fighting.

More later.

Marc

ps. It think the earlier chapters are quite goof, but 4+ are only annoying me .

[Tom Odom]

Marc,

It is a history paper. It is supposed to look at all sides. Think of it as an Israeli student of mine once said to me about my teaching Mid East military history to Arab students and him, "Tom, you are doing OK. you piss everyone off and that is good."

Tom

[SteveMetz]

Hi Tom

I'm going through it right now. I'm not sure that I would say it is good. Chapter 4 seems to be arguing all sides of the question. Just one example from page 55


More later.

Marc

ps. It think the earlier chapters are quite goof, but 4+ are only annoying me .

Quite goof, eh?

[Tom Odom]

Quite goof, eh?

that's Canadian speak, hey?

[marct]

that's Canadian speak, hey?

Yup .

Actually, Tom, I don't have a problem with presenting arguments from all sides, just with mushing all of the sides and arguments together into an incomprehensible and confused whole.

Marc

[leaAPM]

Thanks again for helping me approach this issue. The APM feature on contracting was aired on the public radio show Marketplace yesterday. It's also available online here:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/d...ract_policy_q/

and

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/d...tors_soldiers/

In addition to this, APM has a site devoted to contracting, which we hope will evolve as people submit their observations, their stories and questions on it:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/f...r/index.shtml#

We've tried to be thorough here, but the question is still wide open: what are we missing?

Thanks again for your help, gents. Best,

Lea Coon
lcoon@americanpublicmedia.org