General Pace's impact on troop morale and his political future after he stressed his opposition to homosexuality in the US military services are another wave rebounding from a war neocons attempted to spin as a crusade for democratization in a foreign country. Increasingly, it is not Iraq writhing in the throes of transformation, but the US. Again, the military services lead the way, but not to their benefit. In January, former JCS Chairman General John M. Shalikashvili admitted he had changed his opinion about homosexuals openly serving in uniform:

Last year I held a number of meetings with gay soldiers and marines, including some with combat experience in Iraq, and an openly gay senior sailor who was serving effectively as a member of a nuclear submarine crew. These conversations showed me just how much the military has changed, and that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers.

This perception is supported by a new Zogby poll of more than 500 service members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, three quarters of whom said they were comfortable interacting with gay people. And 24 foreign nations, including Israel, Britain and other allies in the fight against terrorism, let gays serve openly, with none reporting morale or recruitment problems.

I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces. Our military has been stretched thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job.

Similarly, former Republican Senator (and maverick) Alan Simpson confesses his reappraisal. More specifically than just a general measure of the US military's ability to defend America, Pace's bigoted remarks and 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' adversely affect the intelligence services, hardly functioning in high gear as it is.

Another symptom of the strain on the military services is the recruitment of immigrants.

Foreign citizens' serving in the U.S. military is a highly charged issue, which could expose the Pentagon to criticism that it is essentially using mercenaries to defend the country. Other analysts voice concern that a large contingent of noncitizens under arms could jeopardize national security or reflect badly on Americans' willingness to serve in uniform.

The idea of signing up residents who are seeking U.S. citizenship is gaining traction as a way to address a critical need for the Pentagon, while fully absorbing some of the roughly one million immigrants that enter the United States legally each year.

The proposal to induct more noncitizens, which is still largely on the drawing board, has to clear a number of hurdles. So far, the Pentagon has been quiet about specifics, like who would be eligible to join, where the recruiting stations would be, and what the minimum standards might involve, like English proficiency. In the meantime, the Pentagon and the immigration authorities have expanded a program that accelerates citizenship for legal residents who volunteer for the military.

Tim Johnson points out a sideshow created by this issue, a former South Korean deserts to his native country after serving less than two years in the US Army to convert his resident status to citizenship. (I'm ignoring the issue of ROK-US relations purposefully: I'm sure South Korean progressives are enjoying this sideshow).

It’s an odd case. It struck me because I was in Hong Kong last week just as ships belonging to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group were steaming in for a port call. Some 5,000 seamen were about to come ashore. The South China Morning Post printed an article about one crew member, Petty Officer Second Class Liu Baohua, from Xian, China. Her story captured my attention. I can't link because it's a subscription service but here is some of what the article said:

“Petty Officer Liu arrived in the US in 1996 to do a master's degree in technology after graduating from the Beijing University of Technology as a mechanical engineer.

Despite acquiring a green card, she couldn't find a suitable job. After hearing that President George W. Bush would fast-track citizenship for those who joined the armed forces, she signed up in 2003.�

Liu told the Morning Post that there were a further 10 crew members from the mainland and about 50 to 60 American-born Chinese on board.

Makes you wonder if there’s a single American aboard a Chinese military vessel.

The mercenary charge stings. As Americans try belatedly to resolve the issue of how to handle the Iraq War, the US military services are plugging the gaps in the only way acceptable to Americans presumably (as long as immigrants are not gay). Arguably, the military is the one part of the government that has acquitted itself competently (if we can compartmentalize Abu Ghraib and Gitmo as executive scandals). Definitely legislators and the Bush administration have failed to consider the consequences of an arrogant Iraq policy, but we have all abdicated our responsibility to do the same and put pressure on representatives. That laziness seemingly continues.

America started this war for all the wrong reasons, but now, like it or not, the military services are confronting political questions, immigration and homosexuals in uniform, that most Americans could not be bothered with. The military services don't have unfettered, money-squandering interest groups and military law is draconian. Just like our homes and our corporations, immigrants are preferable to homosexuals.

Are we enjoying our liberty?