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Military downsizing?

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  • Military downsizing?

    http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/...he-us-military

    Source: US News

    The American military is preparing to go under the knife, bracing for proposed cuts that would turn it into a force almost unrecognizable from its post-Cold War ancestor that endured roughly 13 years of protracted ground war in the Middle East.

    Citing massive budget constraints at home, as well as growing and ill-defined threats across the globe, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Monday previewed the budget he will present to Congress next week that seeks to find more than $75 billion in immediate savings due to automatic cuts known as sequestration, on top of other planned defense spending cuts.

    © Copyright Original Source



    Your thoughts?

  • #2
    But how will we defend ourselves and all our allies from all of our enemies?

    ... that was a joke.
    Don't call it a comeback. It's a riposte.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Spartacus View Post
      But how will we defend ourselves and all our allies from all of our enemies?

      ... that was a joke.


      I have to admit, I have mixed feelings. I don't always trust our government to be the sole "superpower" and do the right thing. At the same time, I sure as heck don't trust other nations to have that power.

      But of course, we would have to cut considerably more than 60% (which is far more than the cuts being discussed) to even come close to the country spending the most on their military (China). Heck, currently we could cut our military by 50% and still have more than China and Russia combined.

      But as a child of the Cold War, the idea of military cuts makes me uneasy. But is that rational thought, or simple reflex?

      I don't know.

      Comment


      • #4
        Some congressman whose name I can't recall has pointed out that our energy grid is pretty vulnerable. If America is ever directly challenged by another country, methinks it won't be a direct confrontation with our military anyway, but an attack on our economy or infrastructure.
        Don't call it a comeback. It's a riposte.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Spartacus View Post
          Some congressman whose name I can't recall has pointed out that our energy grid is pretty vulnerable. If America is ever directly challenged by another country, methinks it won't be a direct confrontation with our military anyway, but an attack on our economy or infrastructure.
          The article notes that levels on special operations and "cyber warfare" will be maintained. This seems to mostly be directed to reductions of land forces and forces that directly support land operations.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Spartacus View Post
            Some congressman whose name I can't recall has pointed out that our energy grid is pretty vulnerable. If America is ever directly challenged by another country, methinks it won't be a direct confrontation with our military anyway, but an attack on our economy or infrastructure.
            There are basically three power grids in the US --- East, West and Texas. Texas is very serious about keeping our grid up and running.
            The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

            Comment


            • #7
              I think one of the biggest problems with funding the military is all the lobbyist nonsense. Funding weapons systems that the military doesn't even want, because it keeps people employed "back home", with typical "big government cost overrun" inefficiencies, cronyism, no-compete contracts.... The military doesn't really get much say in what is funded -- it's pretty much "pork based", so when cuts come, they hit the troops hard.

              Two of the items they are talking about scrapping are high altitude recon planes and the A-10 warthog. With spy satellites so technologically advanced, I can certainly understand why high altitude planes could be retired. They (those who are advocating the cuts) cast the A-10 as a "single mission cold war" plane, but it sure was useful in Desert Storm and other Gulf War operations.
              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Outis View Post
                http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/...he-us-military

                Source: US News

                The American military is preparing to go under the knife, bracing for proposed cuts that would turn it into a force almost unrecognizable from its post-Cold War ancestor that endured roughly 13 years of protracted ground war in the Middle East.

                Citing massive budget constraints at home, as well as growing and ill-defined threats across the globe, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Monday previewed the budget he will present to Congress next week that seeks to find more than $75 billion in immediate savings due to automatic cuts known as sequestration, on top of other planned defense spending cuts.

                © Copyright Original Source



                Your thoughts?
                Got to pay for the massive increase in government spending elsewhere. Europe cut their defense budgets to the bone to pay for all the social spending essentially counting on the U.S. to defend them if it was necessary. I wonder who we'll depend on.

                I'm always still in trouble again

                "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Outis View Post
                  http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/...he-us-military

                  Source: US News

                  The American military is preparing to go under the knife, bracing for proposed cuts that would turn it into a force almost unrecognizable from its post-Cold War ancestor that endured roughly 13 years of protracted ground war in the Middle East.

                  Citing massive budget constraints at home, as well as growing and ill-defined threats across the globe, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Monday previewed the budget he will present to Congress next week that seeks to find more than $75 billion in immediate savings due to automatic cuts known as sequestration, on top of other planned defense spending cuts.

                  © Copyright Original Source



                  Your thoughts?
                  The discussion is an irrelevancy because it's a case of the cart before the horse. They first need to address the out-of-control Pentagon corruption. Then once we account for our trillions that are missing, we can talk about what our military spending priorities are.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                    Got to pay for the massive increase in government spending elsewhere. Europe cut their defense budgets to the bone to pay for all the social spending essentially counting on the U.S. to defend them if it was necessary. I wonder who we'll depend on.
                    A cut in defense spending is long overdue regardless.
                    Don't call it a comeback. It's a riposte.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                      Got to pay for the massive increase in government spending elsewhere. Europe cut their defense budgets to the bone to pay for all the social spending essentially counting on the U.S. to defend them if it was necessary. I wonder who we'll depend on.
                      Canada.
                      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                        Canada.
                        Good point. I mean, have you seen their hockey team?

                        Too soon?
                        Don't call it a comeback. It's a riposte.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I think it's a good idea.
                          βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι᾿ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον·
                          ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.

                          אָכֵ֕ן אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל מִסְתַּתֵּ֑ר אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Proposing spending cuts is always easy in the abstract, but actually finding substantial (so this excludes the normal whipping boys of Congressional pay and earmarks) sources of possible cuts is much easier said than done. I've long suspected the best thing to do would be to cut the military to more essential functions, privatize NASA, and end government sponsorship of the arts. This makes me popular with absolutely nobody.
                            "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                              Proposing spending cuts is always easy in the abstract, but actually finding substantial (so this excludes the normal whipping boys of Congressional pay and earmarks) sources of possible cuts is much easier said than done. I've long suspected the best thing to do would be to cut the military to more essential functions, privatize NASA, and end government sponsorship of the arts. This makes me popular with absolutely nobody.
                              including your wife

                              However, I suspect we should cut obummercare, a LOT of foreign aid and earmarking first.
                              A happy family is but an earlier heaven.
                              George Bernard Shaw

                              Comment

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