That’s what Senator Kerry called it, and that’s what it looks like. Quoting from this site:
The U.S. Army has forced about 50,000 soldiers to continue serving after their voluntary stints ended under a policy called “stop-loss,” but while some dispute its fairness, court challenges have fallen flat.
The policy applies to soldiers in units due to deploy for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Army said stop-loss is vital to maintain units that are cohesive and ready to fight. But some experts said it shows how badly the Army is stretched and could further complicate efforts to attract new recruits.
“As the war in Iraq drags on, the Army is accumulating a collection of problems that cumulatively could call into question the viability of an all-volunteer force,” said defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute think tank.
Don’t get me wrong, stop-loss is a perfectly reasonable answer to a real problem. But it’s creating a worse one, sounds like. A long-term one. Can you say “long-term”? I knew you could.
Now if only our president could handle it. Handle saying it, I mean. I’m quite certain he can’t and never will comprehend the true meaning of the phrase. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given America so very many long-term problems.
Then again, maybe he would have. After all, he gets to be dictator for eight years. What does he care what happens after that?