Pentagon

After the Vietnam War showed the downside of using a conscript army to fight a divisive war, the All-Volunteer Military was born. But the Administration's mis-handling of Iraq has shattered the volunteer model, with casualties high and recruiting and retention down. New America's Frida Berrigan reports in her latest piece, "Raptors, Robots, and Rods from God", that the Military's recruting problem is underwriting the case for more automated fighting machines. Welcome to the Future Combat Systems Network, a "family" of sensors, munitions, ground and air vehicles designed to allow soldiers to fight at a distance from the battlefield. Terminator fans will recognize the slippery slope: when does unmanned blur into autonomous?

The United States loses 10 Bradley fighting vehicles a week in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the tragic loss of our fighting men and women this figure represents, this loss rate translates to a cost of $30.7 million dollars. Add it all up and we're spending about $3.5 billion per week, but only $350 million on pay for our troops. Writing in TomDispatch, New America's Bill Hartung helps us all get a handle on this large, large number.