Obama Proposes Military Funding Cuts

[thome]

You only respond when your own self interests are at risk.

The world police bit is a crock...

Not in reality.

I knew a few military guys who were almost courtmartialed back in 95? When Clinton made us incorporate ourselves into the UN peace keeping force and the reason for the actions against -OUR- military, was the fact they(our enlisted) refused to remove their insignia and wear a UN beret inplace of the american military uniform.

We have always been everywhere keeping the peace even if it never hits the press.

Bad economy or not -We- support the peace world wide.With military action and lots of volunteers, social workers and money.

Bushes admin has given more aid to africa than any other admin in history.

We have been elected by the world, as the worlds doorman, and it sukks sometimes, but the hard descisions have to be made by someone..Yes?No?

If Obama cuts military spending by much I am quite sure there will be a more noticable meltdown around the world.

Iran Hostage Crisis was evidence of the last military cuts.

Lack of training and maintenance is directly related to the Black Opps Crashes in the desert.

We are needed and need to be ready .

Some see that as Busco crap and they are just blind.

[Nickdfresh]

Breasts back to you Sarge...

Have you ever read any of the thoughts of Colonel Hackworth (Ret.)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hackworth

He was a US Army officer and commander in the Vietnam War turned sort of renegade reformer and Pentagon critic who advocated the US military should unify along the lines of the Canadian Forces. He was said to be the inspiration for Deniro's character in "Apocalypse Now."

[WACF]

Breasts back to you Sarge...

Have you ever read any of the thoughts of Colonel Hackworth (Ret.)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hackworth

He was a US Army officer and commander in the Vietnam War turned sort of renegade reformer and Pentagon critic who advocated the US military should unify along the lines of the Canadian Forces. He was said to be the inspiration for Deniro's character in "Apocalypse Now."

The down side of what our forces did is that they all compete for the same money out of one bucket...when in reality...each branch should have it's own bucket...the current goverment is working hard to recoup and replace what needs to be.

I think the best place is somewhere in the middle.

Our Libs paid for our deficit with allocating %25 of the forces budget towards debt in the 90's...it really killed the military.

[Nickdfresh]

The down side of what our forces did is that they all compete for the same money out of one bucket...when in reality...each branch should have it's own bucket...the current goverment is working hard to recoup and replace what needs to be.

I think the best place is somewhere in the middle.

Our Libs paid for our deficit with allocating %25 of the forces budget towards debt in the 90's...it really killed the military.

Yeah, but your bucket is about 2% of your GNP. I think ours is 6% or 7%. The unification would probably save about 1/5th of that.

And the Canadian Forces have always been underfunded unfortunately. They still have a very high quality level of training and morale.

And one thing those guys can say, at least until very recently, is that the Forces people have the highest relative pay rate in NATO I believe...

[WACF]

Not in reality.

I knew a few military guys who were almost courtmartialed back in 95? When Clinton made us incorporate ourselves into the UN peace keeping force and the reason for the actions against -OUR- military, was the fact they(our enlisted) refused to remove their insignia and wear a UN beret inplace of the american military uniform.

We have always been everywhere keeping the peace even if it never hits the press.

Well...if you want represent the UN and look impartial...then you need to wear the UN blue beret and patch...plus fly the UN flag over you vehicle.

Your friends were wrong.

Being neutral means you do not choose sides...in the former Yugoslovia Canadians fought US trained Serbs at one point.


Giving aid is necessary...you guys have the tax base to give more than most...keeping a caring, helpfull appearence around the world is important to any country with broad interests...and it needs to be done.

I do not think you were elected by the world...you stepped up because then you can have a say...and protect your interests.

When the UN pleaded for help in Rwanda...they asked Clinton's administration because they had the airlift capabilty.

They said no...and a genocide occured...then a few later he was on the news asking how this happened and pointed out it should not happen again.

The news here was ripe with it as the UN comander Romeo Dallaire was rather outspoken about what happened...it was pretty disgusting to see Clinton try and pretend they did not know.

The reality was Rwanda did not mean...or rather...have anything of interest...so they let it happen...

[WACF]

Yeah, but your bucket is about 2% of your GNP. I think ours is 6% or 7%. The unification would probably save about 1/5th of that.

And the Canadian Forces have always been underfunded unfortunately. They still have a very high quality level of training and morale.

And one thing those guys can say, at least until very recently, is that the Forces people have the highest relative pay rate in NATO I believe...

Yeah...you are pretty much right there.

Remember...we have health care...a big expense.

Afghanistan has really shown Canadian's what our military is capable of...it has also forced the government to replace and buy some excellent weapons and vehicles...and help get out of the "Peacekeepers do not need guns and armour" bs the Libs fed us in order to cut funding.

Trudeau's government turned the military into it's wallet for social programs...it has left a mark ever since.

saving a fith of your military budget would be huge...there are advantages...if done right it can be good...

[Nickdfresh]

Especially since the US spends more on the military than our next 13 potential adversaries combined...

[WACF]

Especially since the US spends more on the military than our next 13 potential adversaries combined...

WOW...

But...carrier groups aren't cheap either...

[Redballjets88]

Eritrea has a larger military than Canada and Great Britain. Fun Fact!

[Nickdfresh]

Eritrea has a larger military than Canada and Great Britain. Fun Fact!

But Eritrea can't project its power beyond its borders and has lost every War its ever been in I think....

True military power is economic power....

[kwame k]

But Eritrea can't project its power beyond its borders and has lost every War its ever been in I think....

True military power is economic power....

That's what the Chinese are thinking........

[BITEYOASS]

breasts back to you sarge...

Have you ever read any of the thoughts of colonel hackworth (ret.)?

He was a us army officer and commander in the vietnam war turned sort of renegade reformer and pentagon critic who advocated the us military should unify along the lines of the canadian forces.

fuck that!

[Seshmeister]

5. IRAQ is what is running this country bankrupt. So much could be done with 3 trillion like universal health care and efforts to encourage small business growth.
What a shame. I am eternally grateful for those who have died and served in that conflict, but as someone who has deployed multiple times and a wife that deployed.. it's not worth it. Something needs to be done to reduce troop strength and eventually pull out. I am not the person pulling the trigger on this and I am glad. It's a no win situation in a volatile environment.

Glad you finally posted about Iraq.

As I said to you the other night it did get a bit tiresome a few years back having all the posters shouting 'How dare you be against the war in Iraq when Sarge himself is over there defending our freedoms'.

As far as the spending goes it's always useful to get US military spending in context.







Both of these graphs are a few years old it's even more nutso now.

Obama could cut spending by 80% and still have enough to defend the US.

That would maybe involve less time for army personnel on Italian beaches though...

[kwame k]

Looks like they need a bigger graph............

[BITEYOASS]

Here are some of my ideas for military spending.

1. Drop the amount of active nuclear warheads we have to 200, since Iran, North Korea and maybe Pakistan are not very large targets.

2. Move the missile defense shield to Turkey and don't start construction it until we have deactivated all of our nukes. You can have either mutually assured destruction or a missile defense shield, not both!

3. Ditch AFRICOM, there is no use for it. In fact just have two operational commands: NORTHCOM and WORLDCOM. We need to cut some generals from the payroll anyway, there are too many imo.

4. Have 2 carrier groups per continent. Which means we should have 12 nuclear carriers.

5. Only have the air force become partially stealth. Especially since it is only useful in operations involving targets surrounded by large SAM networks. In operations like Iraq and Afghanistan, stealth technology serves no purpose. With long range missiles and UAVs, who needs em.

6. No more permanent combat units overseas. With our fast air transports and ships, an expeditionary force nearby or in theatre is all that is neccessary. Only have a permanent joint logistics and command unit with the alliances or an allied country's permission in order to adequatly prepare for impeding conflicts.

7. Increase size of ground military force in conflict, to the point in which a division can spend 1 year in and 2 out.

8. Get the military out of that hellhole called Iraq and they're will be plenty of money on hand for veterans health and benefits.

9. Prosecute and sue the shit out of private contractors.

that's all I have for now.