Why Iraq Has No Army,

As many people have chronicled, the decision to fight in Vietnam was a years-long accretion of step-by-step choices, each of which could be rationalized at the time. Invading Iraq was an unforced, unnecessary decision to risk everything on a 'war of choice' whose costs we are still paying.

As the war in Iraq drags on, the Army is accumulating a collection of problems that cumulatively could call into question the viability of an all-volunteer force.

Both the US Defense Department (Army Corps of Engineers) and the State Department have roles in reconstruction, however, the Iraq Project and Contracting Office (PCO) manages most of the pledged $18 billion.

The Army is overstretched and under-manned. Iraq is a mess … and thousands of soldiers will be sent to Afghanistan next year. And the MoD is still bent on cutting four infantry battalions.

Contrary to what you might think, China's economy is relatively less efficient, and more polluting, than those of rich countries.