MAGA Wants to Cut Defense

[easyt65]

Where did I say that?

I was an Army recruiting manager as a civilian for 4 years before my health forced me to retire.

I showed you the expenditures that would have to be made to make it happen. Several years ago, a 1st Infantry battalion was transferred to Fort Knox KY as psrt of the drawdown of US troops in Germany. They could not build the facilities they needed there so the Army moved them after a short period to Fort Carson, CO. A new much smaller unit that had never existed took over their facilities and being a non-combat unit, did not need s many training facilities.

Every year, 8000 ROTC cadets use the post for summer training. There are not enough personnel and equipment to handle such a load so they sent my daughter's unit from Fort Hood all the way to KY, including shipping vehicles and water tanks by train. They spent a great deal of their time living with and without tents in the woods. My daughter had gone through the training in 2015. She stayed in enlisted quarters because nothing else was available despite her being the only officer.

This past summer, the same occurred at the US Military Academy at West Point. My daughter's unit and many other logistics units sent troops to handle their support from bases all over the Army and my daughter's command at Fort Campbell. She spent 4 months in NY and then her troops returned home to deploy to eastern Europe. She did not go because she had to have two surgeries to make her whole again.

Prayers and best wishes for your daughter.

 

[BlindBoo]

Even if its $40b its too much to leave in AFG. Biden is a disaster.

The GOP said today that we spent more in Ukraine than on US infrastructure. Horrible spending priorities.

That was equipment and supplies we gave to our allies the Afghan Army, whom we were still providing Air Support as late as July 2021. Should they have asked those soldiers politely to give us back the weapons they were using to defend themselves? Perhaps instead of targeting the Taliban you would have liked for us to target our allies equipment?

 

[kyzr]

I think what the Rear Admiral meant was it is cheaper to keep US troops staged overseas as both a detriment to those who might be thinking of starting some shit and cheaper than having to move troops / gear / etc... there if a conflict did start and we didn't already have troops there.
These 'Forward Bases' are key to our strategic projection of power.
There's a lot more to it ... negotiated agreements between the US and other nations / allies like NATO countries etc...but I think you get the gist of it.

We need to cut spending. You can't just say "no". We just can't afford it anymore. The interest on the Debt is biting into discretionary spending.
The US is NOT the world's cop.
We need to cut about $150b from the Defense budget, so what do we cut?
Carrier groups project forward power.

 

[kyzr]

That was equipment and supplies we gave to our allies the Afghan Army, whom we were still providing Air Support as late as July 2021. Should they have asked those soldiers politely to give us back the weapons they were using to defend themselves? Perhaps instead of targeting the Taliban you would have liked for us to target our allies equipment?

Bullshit. I saw the rows of equipment lined up all over the place. It wasn't being used.

The Military Industrial Complex just wanted to make $85b more.

 

[easyt65]

We need to cut spending. You can't just say "no". We just can't afford it anymore. The interest on the Debt is biting into discretionary spending.
The US is NOT the world's cop.
We need to cut about $150b from the Defense budget, so what do we cut?
Carrier groups project forward power.

Suddenly Trump's idea of asking nations who use the US military to defend their countries to provide some financial compensation doesn't sound like such a horrible idea, huh?

 

[The Duke]

MAGAts have always hated veterans.

That's why Trump did this, right Bodey-Odie-Os?

President Signs Bill to Extend Veteran’s Choice Health Care Law

President Donald J. Trump signed the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act so military veterans can continue receiving health care in the civilian sector when care is not easily

www.defense.gov

No more having to rely solely on the VA, that's Yuge!

Really it was a great thing done there. Ofc, you'll never agree, because you're a turd.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

We need to cut spending. You can't just say "no". We just can't afford it anymore. The interest on the Debt is biting into discretionary spending.
The US is NOT the world's cop.
We need to cut about $150b from the Defense budget, so what do we cut?
Carrier groups project forward power.

How long does it take a carrier battle group to transit from Norfolk or San Diego to the Persian Gulf? In case you didn't know, it is about 2 weeks. How is that for power projection?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Bullshit. I saw the rows of equipment lined up all over the place. It wasn't being used.

The Military Industrial Complex just wanted to make $85b more.

Why would they make more money if the Taliban had the weapons? We would not be replacing it.

 

[kyzr]

How long does it take a carrier battle group to transit from Norfolk or San Diego to the Persian Gulf? In case you didn't know, it is about 2 weeks. How is that for power projection?

We have carrier groups all over the globe. We're a few days away from anywhere you point to.
US subs are all over, they have even more power if needed.

You refuse to answer the main question. How can we cut military spending to an affordable level?
Look at the Budget deficit. If we don't fix it soon there will be no budget.
The ANNUAL deficit is approaching $2-TRILLION. That is unsustainable.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

We have carrier groups all over the globe. We're a few days away from anywhere you point to.
US subs are all over, they have even more power if needed.

You refuse to answer the main question. How can we cut military spending to an affordable level?
Look at the Budget deficit. If we don't fix it soon there will be no budget.
The ANNUAL deficit is approaching $2-TRILLION. That is unsustainable.

Carriers are stationed in San Diego, Bremerton, WA, Norfolk, and Yokosuka, Japan. That is not "all over the world.

Attack submarines are there to attack surface vessels and other subs. What kind of power are you talking about?

Social services are a larger percentage of the budget than defense. Since when is $1 trillion close to $2 trillion. Read your chart!

 

[kyzr]

Carriers are stationed in San Diego, Bremerton, WA, Norfolk, and Yokosuka, Japan. That is not "all over the world.
Attack submarines are there to attack surface vessels and other subs. What kind of power are you talking about?
Social services are a larger percentage of the budget than defense. Since when is $1 trillion close to $2 trillion. Read your chart!

1. So every US carrier group is in the barn until needed. I didn't know that.
2. We don't have "boomer" subs either? Didn't know that either.
3. Social services? Here's the budget, tell me where to cut.
Discretionary Spending
Defense $753b
Non-defense $733b
Total $1.49T

Mandatory Spending
Social Security $1,115b
Medicare 746b
Medicaid 452b
Other 660b
Interest on Debt 379b
Total $3.39T

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

1. So every US carrier group is in the barn until needed. I didn't know that.
2. We don't have "boomer" subs either? Didn't know that either.
3. Social services? Here's the budget, tell me where to cut.
Discretionary Spending
Defense $753b
Non-defense $733b
Total $1.49T

Mandatory Spending
Social Security $1,115b
Medicare 746b
Medicaid 452b
Other 660b
Interest on Debt 379b
Total $3.39T

Carriers usually stay close to their home unless deployed.

Boomers hide with pride. Their job is to disappear.

"Other" looks good. Non-discretionary spending looks ripe for cutting.

 

[kyzr]

Carriers usually stay close to their home unless deployed.
Boomers hide with pride. Their job is to disappear.
"Other" looks good. Non-discretionary spending looks ripe for cutting.

Nope. "Other" is under Mandatory Spending. Can't cut it.

That leaves Non-defense discretionary spending, so ~$800b x the percentages below:

1, Healthcare & research hits my radar. NIH (Fau-Chi's) pot of money looks ripe for cutting, say 1/2 ($92b)
2. Education is a state responsibility, (div & separ of powers) cut the entire DOE (-$112b)
3. Wonder WTF "Economic Security" is? If its subsidies I'd cut those to.
4. I'd cut the FBI's funding too, just as a reminder who they work for.
5. I'd hire another "Grace Commission" to see which government agencies can be cut to streamline government.

So that's about $200b to cut, the DOE & NIH/2

Carrier Strike Group - List of Carrier Strike Groups | List Carrier Strike Groups

www.liquisearch.com

 

[Harpy Eagle]

If you look back in retrospect, it was very obviously a very bad decision. We lost a democratic country in an important area and now Ukraine may lose their democracy and we are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay closer to a nuclear WWIII than if we had just stayed in Afghanistan.

We did not lose anything and Afghanistan was not a democratic country, but a puppet country of the US. If they were a democratic country they would not have needed the US to stay there and prop them up.

Leaving there was one of the few good things that Biden has done, even though he did it in the wort possible way.

 

[pknopp]

We did not lose anything and Afghanistan was not a democratic country, but a puppet country of the US. If they were a democratic country they would not have needed the US to stay there and prop them up.

Leaving there was one of the few good things that Biden has done, even though he did it in the wort possible way.

That there was no good way is why neither Obama nor Trump did it.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

That there was no good way is why neither Obama nor Trump did it.

While that might be true, there were bad ways to do it and Biden choose them all

 

[JWBooth]

Nothing more than the 20th and 21st century versions of Roman legions showing up in your neighborhood to to impose the emperor’s will and loot you of your valuables.

 

[Papageorgio]

When did MAGA become anti-military appeasers?

Possibility of defense spending cuts after McCarthy deal divides GOP

"We got a $32 trillion debt. Everything has to be on the table."

www.axios.com

“Everything is on the table”

When did MAGA become anti-military appeasers?

Possibility of defense spending cuts after McCarthy deal divides GOP

"We got a $32 trillion debt. Everything has to be on the table."

www.axios.com

“Everything is on the table”

It’s about time, time to cut all spending, time for the troops to leave foreign countries.

 

[pknopp]

While that might be true, there were bad ways to do it and Biden choose them all

The president doesn't make those kinds of decisions.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

The president doesn't make those kinds of decisions.

Yes they do. The president choose to move the withdraw date back 4 months so that he could have a made for TV moment on the anniversary of 9/11. This gave the Taliban time to move from the mountains where they were in the winter to controlling 95% of the country before we left which. This is what led to most of the other problems when we left.