The Protection Racket

The armor issue returns.

I'll bet that given the choice most guys would rather have these:

The same kind of earplugs sold to Def Leppard, the Moody Blues, Nine Inch Nails and other rock bands are slowly starting to be used by U.S. military pilots to protect hearing, muffle cockpit noise and ease communications.
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“These things are phenomenal,” Bradley said. “It cuts out more noise, and I can hear much better. I want to buy this for every Reserve I have who wears a helmet.”
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The new earplugs originally were developed for aircraft maintenance workers who often had to stand next to deafening jet engines.

“The pilots got jealous,” said John Hall, audio engineer in the Air Force Research Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
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The earplugs are similar to ones Westone sells to rock bands, said Karl Cartwright, head of new product development for the company. Musicians use the plugs not only to protect their hearing, but also to hear the sounds of the individual instruments and voices more clearly.

The noise in Iraq is unrelenting - especially if you're at a camp with aviation assets. (Not to mention combat and other explosions.) And plugs that block all sound aren't the answer. But fat chance the media would recognize a real and widespread threat. In fact, their emphasis on armor, armor, and armor ensures other issues will never be addressed.

And while we're at it, a weapon that can drop a terrorist in one shot would be nice too. Back to you, Senator Clinton.