Again...duh.

U.S. worries Russia returning to its past
Bush administration struggles for right response to Russia's aggression

Hmm...really? Why are they struggling? Russia's not. In fact, they're returning to their old, conditioned, Cold War responses, like loading nukes in their Baltic fleet. I think we should be thinking along the same lines. I also think we had the right response to begin with, in the Cold War, Part I: containment, MAD, and proxy wars.

Actually, I will admit that the situation has changed, for both better and worse. Let's start with worse. That started with the military draw down under the Clintons in the 90s. (Thank God the USSR had already collapsed under the weight of its own economy trying to keep up with US military spending.) From WWII until the Clintons, our policy was to keep enough infrastructure and troops to be capable of fighting on more than one front. We may no longer have that capacity. And before someone starts bleating about the draft coming back, that won't work anymore--the army doesn't need untrained, unthinking, uneducated apes toting rifles anymore. Today's infantryman needs the computer and maths skills that many of today's high school graduates lack, which means training times have increased somewhat.

So, no, the army doesn't want the draft back. Rather, they want volunteers. Volunteers with a minimum IQ a good way above room temperature. And they're getting them, too.

Now for the good news: the army is easily meeting its recruitment guidelines. The USSR has lost a good portion of its provinces, who have declared their independence, and allied with us, like Georgia (and we really need to do more to help them), Poland, Chechoslovakia, and the Ukrane.

Recently, after all the hoo-rah, Poland decided to help host the missile defence shield. Now, the Ukrane wants in. Even better, they're giving us a Soviet-built satellite facility to house the part of the umbrella they've offered to house. A nice slap in the face to the new guys in charge of Russia, who are nothing more than the old guys wearing different suits.