Boots on the Ground

      Writer author James Traub, a Harvard graduate, born 1954, writes for Foreign Policy Magazine and other publications.  He typically writes on international politics, foreign political figures, and international topics relevant in today's world.  Most recently, he wrote a piece for the NY Times Sunday Magazine.  This Sunday supplement, published weekly, is  a main feature in the bulky issue, full of timely articles that much of America depends on for important analysis and insightful commentary.
     Mr. Traub takes a phrase and breaks it apart to put its varied meanings in some type of recognizable form.  He is of the opinion that the oft repeated phrase has, in fact, served to allow politicians to delineate the limits of intervention by America's armed forces.   It has come to this: with 'serious' intervention, the USA will put troops on the ground at risk of their lives.  No boots on the ground means: 1) maybe US military will intervene but they won't be at risk, 2) US will use air assets(fighter bombers, drones, missiles) to accomplish short term goals, 4) Special Ops forces will be used, but their risks will be minimal.   Hmmmmm.
      Recent political candidates have taken a liking to the phrase.  Republican Ben Carson recently used the phrase 6 times in 2 sentences to emphasize his point.   Candidate Ted Cruz uses the phrase to add some impact to his statements, most recently at a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation.  However, despite its usage by prominent public figures, the phrase actually serves as a marker for an announcement against using "boots on the ground".  In other words, these pols will not commit our military forces to the risks of ground combat.
      The Mayor takes exception to the use of the phrase.  It denigrates those very men and women whose feet fill those boots.  Why have the pols reduced 'soldiers' to 'boots on the ground'?  Because these gutless wonders would never have the fortitude to put themselves in any fashion into harm's way.
      The photo of the boots shows what a pair of "boots on the ground" looks like after a year filled with real feet on real ground by a real grunt.