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By Greg Fuller, a BrownWatch Contributor

There are many stories important stories our 2004 mass media just ignores , potential and looming e-voting fraud , the economic calamity of declining wages and a shrinking middleclass along with spiraling deficients and the exploitation of our healthcare crises and 911 to enrich special interest while forgoing real measures ,to list a few .

However, given the current and historic significance of the National Defense issue, there is a glaring omission from our news reporting that is simply staggering - the destruction of our all volunteer military recruitment system, Rumsfeldian assurances to the contrary , as if his credibility is deservedly beyond question

As one who monitors and understands American sentiment on a variety of issues , I am certain that we are going to have a devil of a time maintaining our needed troop levels using only voluntary recruits. And I predict this will especially be the case , if the current administration gets another reign . One thing I've learned about this country : Changing public sentiment is a bit like turning around an Aircraft Carrier , it's complex and slow but it's absolute and long-lived once the change is underway .

And change is with us, the polls and the increasing reports of troop discontent are surfacing, as a harbinger of future troop level difficulties. Further, my working class and small town (that's were we get troops) antenna seldom errors about my folks; and I say , the current DC crew has screwed up royally with our troops ; you see, we working class small town folk are a trusting and patriotic bunch, but not dumb . Though the media may have forgotten about WMD and other war rationales , I can assure you the troops have not and positive referrals from the folks on the ground matters a lot to the future of an all volunteer military and ROTC enlistment . Having been a college student in the mid 70's I can remember the ROTC recruiters having a really tough sell even , on a historically very pro ROTC campus and that for was for the more attractive officer duty and Vietnam was over

Meeting our enlistment goals will be very tough going forward probably tougher than a 15,000 Dow. That means , the politically dreaded D word ,draft , which neither Bush or Kerry can mention first but the press/media can and is suppose to . The regurgitation of Rumsfeld speak without analysis is lazy and irresponsible journalism , a disservice to our nation .

If the press were really on it's job this would be a much bigger issue in the current election cycle and it should be, it's National Defense , the most important and demagogued issue of the last 65 years .