Who is for cutting the US defense budget?

[Oddball]

Junking HHS would go a long way to that end.

 

[potter 58]

hey dude, tell me the difference between dems and repukes today, not much, but the corps(mostly global now call their bookies and lay money on the ones most likely to succeed this cycle) and by god the supreme court just said it was legal, we are going down the shit tubes of greed, just like Rome

 

[beowolfe]

I'm also for getting getting rid of he title 'The World's Chief Arms Supplier' too!

 

[SFC Ollie]

The military has already cut forces in Europe by 2/3s. At least that's the way I read this. I know they were already closing some bases in the early 90's.

During the Cold War, USAREUR had 213,000 personnel with 64 brigade equivalents. Today there is one third of that structure: 62,000 active component troops and 3,000 reserve component troops in 19 brigade equivalents, supported by 11,000 civilians and 11,000 local national employees; with 100,000 family members and 4,000 retirees. This structure equates to a Total Army population of 199,000 (of which 180K are in Germany, 8K Italy, 6K BENELUX, 5K elsewhere). USAREUR has also reduced its installations and square footage to one third of what they were in 1989, retaining 259 installations in five countries. As an agent of change in the Army, USAREUR is examining future force structures to align with the Chief of Staff of the Army’s new Vision Statement.

US European Command Facilities

 

[beowolfe]

k did you ever serve? it hasn't changed, the peons got shit on , the officers had to kiss up to get promoted, to get where the real money was.....

LMAO!....."real money"......

You could be asked the same question, Gomer.

A decent upper-middle manager out in The World can knock down a better pay package than a Major General.

....real money......*snert*

Balancing the budget isn't the main reason I'd like to defense spending cut.

 

[blu]

we spend more on military than the rest of the world combined. enough said

 

[beowolfe]

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central, it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present -- and is gravely to be regarded.



Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

[SFC Ollie]

Basically, I'm just too damned old and set in my ways to learn a new language. We must maintain a strong military.

 

[beowolfe]

We have seen a hint of the results of ignoring this warning with Blackwater.

 

[beowolfe]

Basically, I'm just too damned old and set in my ways to learn a new language. We must maintain a strong military.

Actually, maintaining a strong military is the NEW language.

 

[SFC Ollie]

We have seen a hint of the results of ignoring this warning with Blackwater.

Blackwater was a mistake from day one.

 

[Article 15]

We have seen a hint of the results of ignoring this warning with Blackwater.

Taking Blackwater off the gov't payroll is a good start.

 

[beowolfe]

wow , I am amazed, so who on either side has the balls to do it?

Nobody. Republicans would never accept any cut in military spending, and Democrats wouldn't make any significant steps to not get blamed for gutting the military. Well, you know, how Clinton terribly gutted the military?

Yeah, while leaving us the strongest military in the world. Isn't it funny how politics can turn reality on its head.

 

[Ragnar]

I don't care for the wording of either question but I'll be the lone vote here just for shits and giggles. However, I will not attempt to defend how the money is spent because there is no question there is politics, waste and fraud like everywhere else in government.

I would not even mind if we spent a little more on defense provided it was spent wisely.

I will point out that comparing how much we spend verses anyone else is dumb. Take for example China. a) all their sit is built in China, b) it's cheaper to steal our tech than develop ones own, c) two words, slave labor. We should also consider that we pay our guys more than most, give them better heath care than most, give them better facilities than most etc etc. Another thing to consider is tech and how and why we use what we use and the overall added cost of our humanity. For example take Iraq war one. We could have ousted "Sadum" from Kuwait on the cheap with carpet bombs instead of smart bombs. The only difference would have been a much higher death rate.(almost all Iraqi)

Anywho there are tons of good reasons for us to spend tons on our defense but perhaps none better than this: Can we really say we have spent enough money on the military before we are able to "vaporize a human target from outer space"? No sir. No we can't.

 

[Ragnar]

oops, I see now I'm not a "lone vote". Meh, I type to slow and took to long looking at Real Genius pics.

A note on Blackwater... would not have needed them at all if our military were bigger. (thanks Billy Jeff, and the rest)

 

[beowolfe]

k did you ever serve? it hasn't changed, the peons got shit on , the officers had to kiss up to get promoted, to get where the real money was.....

LMAO!....."real money"......

You could be asked the same question, Gomer.

A decent upper-middle manager out in The World can knock down a better pay package than a Major General.

....real money......*snert*

Sure he can, if you only consider what the general's paycheck says. But if you figure in all of the bennies he gets for being a major general, the the Third World middle manager pay would even match what the general spends in petty cash.

 

[potter 58]

hey beo , but but Clinton gutted the military so badly , following the plan that Defen Sec Cheney wrote and that the blowhard cowboy started 2 wars with what he had left , does that say anything about this idiots brain capacity or lack there of, or maybe he should have just read his daddies book and set down and stfu and let Jebby become Pres like daddy wanted in the first place

 

[beowolfe]

oops, I see now I'm not a "lone vote". Meh, I type to slow and took to long looking at Real Genius pics.

A note on Blackwater... would not have needed them at all if our military were bigger. (thanks Billy Jeff, and the rest)

The size and makeup of our military is a conscious choice sold to the American people by the MI and the DOD. Blackwater exists not because of the size of our military, but because someone, or some group of someones, decided that Blackwater should exist to fill someone's coiffers. Blackwater's existence, in my mind, is a direct result of ignoring Eisenhower's warning.

 

[potter 58]

blackwater= fucking mercs, there is no other way to say it

 

[beowolfe]

hey beo , but but Clinton gutted the military so badly , following the plan that Defen Sec Cheney wrote and that the blowhard cowboy started 2 wars with what he had left , does that say anything about this idiots brain capacity or lack there of, or maybe he should have just read his daddies book and set down and stfu and let Jebby become Pres like daddy wanted in the first place

All that, along with the American peoples' inability to see through the BS, was just politics turning reality upside down. On this subject, I don't assign any more or less blame to Dubya than I do any POTUS after Ike. But this isn't a problem that our current goverment is capable of confronting. Until the people begin to understand the blowback of our building all of these excess weapons, it will continue.