I see that among the nations standing firmly behind the US in the current troubles are Eritrea and Ethiopia.
First, getting those two nations - given their recent, unfortunate, and all too bloody history - to stand facing in the same direction is an accomplishment worthy of note, but perhaps not of much else.
Second, they both have standing armies too large for their economies to reasonably support. Why not offer them each a few dollars to send some of their battle-hardened troops to the dusty fields of Iraq? Such might have a certain symbolic impact.
And perhaps a fine understanding of the many and subtle layers of symbolism involved in and around this conflict is precisely why the governments of these two nations do not offer their soldiers.
(Via The Rittenhouse Review)
Posted by Martial