It's time to downsize

[Two Thumbs]

In my personal opinion the US military budget needs to be cut, preferably 50% or more, and all non-essential foreign bases closed. This country would seemingly rather spend hundreds of billions of dollars to maintain its war machine and global footprint then it would putting those billions of dollars into the rebuilding the infrastructure and supporting the people of this country. Think about what our domestic capabilities would be without all that military spending. In my opinion our time as world police is over, we should embrace that, and look inward now and determine how we can move this country forward into a peaceful, sustainable, and stable future. A new attack helicopter or a new military base in some foreign desert is not the future.

50%




Last time someone made cuts, Vets lost their jobs.

The government has contracts that it will fulfill.

Please try to learn history so you can learn from it.

 

[dblack]

In my personal opinion the US military budget needs to be cut, preferably 50% or more, and all non-essential foreign bases closed. This country would seemingly rather spend hundreds of billions of dollars to maintain its war machine and global footprint then it would putting those billions of dollars into the rebuilding the infrastructure and supporting the people of this country. Think about what our domestic capabilities would be without all that military spending. In my opinion our time as world police is over, we should embrace that, and look inward now and determine how we can move this country forward into a peaceful, sustainable, and stable future. A new attack helicopter or a new military base in some foreign desert is not the future.

Yup. It's pretty much insane. And maintaining that status quo seems to be a top priority for both major political parties.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Which Language would you like to learn?

 

[dblack]

Which Language would you like to learn?

Seriously?

Our military budget is approximate the same as the rest of the world's combined. Our closest competitor, in terms of military budget is China. Their budget is less than twenty percent of ours. Are you really suggesting that we can't cut back on that without being invaded and taken over by another country?

Does the rest of the world really hate us that much? (why?)

Is our military really so incompetent that they can't protect our nation without depleting it through wasteful spending?

 

[SFC Ollie]

Our Military has never been better. still no reason to destroy it.........

 

[dblack]

Our Military has never been better. still no reason to destroy it.........

Why are you talking about destroying it?

 

[uscitizen]

What large threats does the USA face now?

"Red China" is now our largest trading partner.

 

[SFC Ollie]

It's what they do..... Every time a war is over. Even when the cold war ended there was a rift. Today the latest report from the powers that be says that military pay and compensation should be frozen for the next 3 years and that TRICARE Fees (Military healthcare) should be increased. It never fails, gut the military until you need them then send untrained inexperienced troops to handle the problem. What do you call it when you have the most hardened experienced military in history and you want to cut it to the bare bones?

 

[SFC Ollie]

What large threats does the USA face now?

"Red China" is now our largest trading partner.

Then why the sudden build up of US military in the Asian theater?

 

[Samson]

What large threats does the USA face now?

"Red China" is now our largest trading partner.

Then why the sudden build up of US military in the Asian theater?

Cheap Coochie?

 

[usmcstinger]

For example think about what just 10 billion dollars of the military's budget would do for domestic projects in this country. We spend a billion on a new fighter jet that will rarely if ever be used, why? One billion dollars of the military budget towards river and beach clean up for example would benefit our future more than that jet would in my opinion.

So young and so naive.

 

[SFC Ollie]

What large threats does the USA face now?

"Red China" is now our largest trading partner.

Then why the sudden build up of US military in the Asian theater?

Cheap Coochie?

Maybe, but much of it is rotten..........

 

[alan1]

In my personal opinion the US military budget needs to be cut, preferably 50% or more, and all non-essential foreign bases closed. This country would seemingly rather spend hundreds of billions of dollars to maintain its war machine and global footprint then it would putting those billions of dollars into the rebuilding the infrastructure and supporting the people of this country. Think about what our domestic capabilities would be without all that military spending. In my opinion our time as world police is over, we should embrace that, and look inward now and determine how we can move this country forward into a peaceful, sustainable, and stable future. A new attack helicopter or a new military base in some foreign desert is not the future.

Oddly enough, the original US Constitution explicitly states "provide for the common defence".
It does not explicitly state providing monies, medical care or retirement (Social Security) to the people.

Preamble,

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Section. 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

Notice that "common defence" is listed not once, but twice. It also says, "general Welfare of the United States", not welfare of the individual, but more specifically welfare of the country in conjunction with common defence.

Should we be cutting the "common defence"? Maybe some, but we should damn sure be cutting the personal welfare.
I am reminded of an important statement,

I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.

 

[whitehall]

The era of the big navy is over. It costs more to keep a super carrier going for a month than most big cities and ....reluctantly ...they accomplish nothing. Cut funding for toys for big boys.

 

[Two Thumbs]

The era of the big navy is over. It costs more to keep a super carrier going for a month than most big cities and ....reluctantly ...they accomplish nothing. Cut funding for toys for big boys.

The era of the big navy is over.The chinese just learned to launch jets from carriers. It costs more to keep a super carrier going for a month than most big cities linkand ....reluctantly ...they accomplish nothing. linkCut funding for toys for big boys Why?

 

[Two Thumbs]

For example think about what just 10 billion dollars of the military's budget would do for domestic projects in this country. We spend a billion on a new fighter jet that will rarely if ever be used, why? One billion dollars of the military budget towards river and beach clean up for example would benefit our future more than that jet would in my opinion.

obama spent 900 Billion in under 6 months and got squat for it.

I hope you are very young.

very very young

 

[SFC Ollie]

The era of the big navy is over. It costs more to keep a super carrier going for a month than most big cities and ....reluctantly ...they accomplish nothing. Cut funding for toys for big boys.

You really are ignorant about the military aren't you?

 

[Truthmatters]

when has anything you on the right threaten would happen EVER come true?

 

[SFC Ollie]

when has anything you on the right threaten would happen EVER come true?

So far we've managed to keep a fairly strong Military........ What have we threatened?