We're kidding ourselves about what it'll take in Afghanistan

On Dec. 8, 1941, when the United States declared war on Japan, the U.S. Army’s strength was about 1.6 million. The Navy level was about 330,000. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not limit his strategy to what his generals could do with those soldier and sailor levels. FDR designed a strategy for victory — and back-engineered the necessary troop levels. By December 1942, the Army was up to about 5.4 million. By the spring of 1945, it was more than 8 million, and the Navy had more than 4 million men (out of a total U.S. population of 139 million). Victory can come at that high a price.

But neither former President George W. Bush nor President Obama (nor, I’m sure, the American public) would consider, for example, a draft (as I advocated in my most recent book, “American Grit”) to increase our fighting capacity. That level of sacrifice, necessary to gain safety from the still-gathering threat of radical Islam, is beyond current American sensibilities.

So United States governments (both Republican and Democratic) propose half-measures — and receive only half-support. People reasonably ask themselves why we should sacrifice life and treasure for a plan that won’t even work.