U.S. has more military musicians than diplomats.
By on Jul 17th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
U.S. has more military musicians than diplomats.
David Kilcullen, a senior adviser to Gen. David Petraeus notes in new paper:
At present, the U.S. defense budget accounts for approximately half of total global defense spending, while the U.S. armed forces employ about 1.68 million uniformed members. By comparison, the State Department employs about 6,000 foreign service officers, while the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has about 2,000. In other words, the Department of Defense is about 210 times larger than USAID and State combined–there are substantially more people employed as musicians in Defense bands than in the entire foreign service.
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As a former military bandsman I’m with the band on this one.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:19 pmthere are substantially more people employed as musicians in Defense bands than in the entire foreign service.
sounds a bit off-key if you ask me. (sorry, couldn’t resist)
July 17th, 2007 at 5:21 pm…and they *still* don’t have all the trumpeters they need to play Taps at military funerals…
July 17th, 2007 at 5:21 pmWow that’s not a good tune to have ;-)
July 17th, 2007 at 5:22 pmThis is a consequence of the Pied piper of texas singing the fascist tune in order to lobotomize more rats.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:25 pmDo they have a mosh pit?
July 17th, 2007 at 5:25 pmWell diplomacy is the least used tool of the Bush Administration
July 17th, 2007 at 5:26 pm#7
Well diplomacy is the least used tool of the Bush Administration
Comment by Wayne
I would have to rank oversight and honesty up there as well!
July 17th, 2007 at 5:27 pmWhy do musicians hate America?
July 17th, 2007 at 5:27 pmHail to the Chief!
July 17th, 2007 at 5:31 pmI would have to rank oversight and honesty up there as well!
Comment by upside00
Easier to just say Lies and Secrecy are their most used tools. =)
July 17th, 2007 at 5:36 pm…and the band played on…
July 17th, 2007 at 5:36 pmso i lean over and say “hey mister, you know that your monkey has his balls in my martini?”….
July 17th, 2007 at 5:38 pm…there are substantially more people employed as musicians in Defense bands than in the entire foreign service.
——————————————————————————–
You got something against marching bands?
July 17th, 2007 at 5:39 pmGood one Raven! Maybe they are the band on the SS TiBushCo regaling Dubya as he rearranges the deck chairs.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:41 pmI’ve always had the hots for oboe players.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:41 pmYou’ve got to have “So be kind to your web footed friends” ready to go at the drop of a hat.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:42 pmNow, negotiating with Middle Eastern potentates, no so much.
It’s more fun being a musician. You’ve got those military-band groupies.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:47 pmDiplomacy in D-flat
July 17th, 2007 at 5:52 pmLets be rational here, if you are to legitimately wage a just war, do you need to employ 1.68m plus diplomats? Sort of like comparing the weight of an Elephant to that of a mouse, and concluding that the Elephant is significantly overweight in comparison.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:53 pmSadly, this isn’t merely the function of this particular administration. This has been the situation for the past 60 or so years..WWII. Or maybe following WWI. The caution about allowing a standing army, expressed by some of our Founders wasn’t listened to. WWII and the resultant “military-industrial complex” Ike warned about as he left office has led to the total militarilization of this country. And please note: there’s no mention here of the private security forces, like Blackwater, which currently equal our non-private military in Iraq and around the world as well. Diplomacy? Who needs it when you have the atom bomb (post WWII thinking).
July 17th, 2007 at 6:00 pmI do know that the Navy has an asskickn’ bluegrass band. If you ever get the chance to hear this band play, do it.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:19 pmI’m confused; is it the “Boys in the Band” who are gay or is it the diplomats? God knows the US military doesn’t need any more homeosexuals in its ranks — especially speaking Arabic.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:22 pmHi Raven,
How’s Richardson’s campaign going in New Mexico? He’s picking up speed here in PA.
FYI - I returned to the “Cats” name. The “Coffins draped with flags” was becoming to heavy to carry. My soul couldn’t take it anymore.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:23 pmComment by Cats R Fly Fishn — July 17, 2007
Hi!
Much happier screen name, I agree!
I’m just getting caught up on the news, I’ve been out on firefighting assignments, often out of contact with the world beyond firecamp.
I am on Richardsons e-mail list, and I’m getting inundated!
I caught a couple of nice fish in June, up in the San Juan Wilderness in Colorado. It was a little early to be up that high, snowbanks still lining the streams.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:59 pmWish I could get up there now, the summer hatches are on fire!
I have a couple of days off now before probably being sent to the fires in Oregon…..
A. it’s been the same forever, but it makes a good headline.
B. Does your local school have more band members than career placement counselors? Oh! Your priorities must be screwed up.
C. I assume Kilcullen, is a respected soldier, but in his writing he seems to prefer diplomacy to killing the enemy. It worked out ok in Japan and Germany (after the killing) where entire countries ere made to change. But with our recent “limited†wars, does diplomacy really work? Maybe too early to tell, maybe it will, maybe not.
July 17th, 2007 at 7:24 pmInteresting turnabout here since it is typical Republican policy of late to underfund public schools to the point where band classes among others are dropped. I guess the lesson is clear - if you want to learn an instrument, you had better be willing to go to war in support of a flawed policy. Flutes don’t kill people; flutists do.
July 17th, 2007 at 8:05 pmAnd why is that a problem? The US Navy Bluegrass Band makes me proud to be an American.
US Diplomats? Not so much.
July 17th, 2007 at 8:08 pmAnd why is that a problem? The US Navy Bluegrass Band makes me proud to be an American.
US Diplomats? Not so much.
Your pride aside, we need diplomats to talk with our allies and enemies so we don’t wind up halfway around the world stuck in the middle of a civil war all by ourselves….oh wait, your presidint likes killing patriotic americans so he can think he’s a big man.
July 17th, 2007 at 9:14 pmThis is disturbing.
In high school all the dweebs were either in band or debate.
We assumed they all turned out to be lefties.
Now there’s some struggle between the two.
Sad.
July 17th, 2007 at 9:20 pmThe Military Bands of the United States, especially the bands in Washington, are highly respected performance organizations worldwide. They are held up to high artistic standards. And some of the best musicians in the country play in these bands especially in Washington. Since the United States can’t figure out how to keep cultural institutions like orchestras operating it is often the only way that musicians can do their craft. Band Music is an integral part of American Culture and History. It is one of the few forms of music that we can really call “American.”
I wonder how many of these musicians included in the count are actually full time musicians like the musicians at the academies or Washington and how many are just people that play in some field band to put themselves through music school but are in reality full time soldiers.
July 18th, 2007 at 12:23 pm