By Now that the US government debt deal is done it appears the biggest loser from it could be the Pentagon:
During a decade of warfare, the Pentagon mostly had its way with budgets, as Congress was reluctant to turn down many spending requests for troops in the field. There was billions here for IED-detection and billions there for weapons like the F-35 joint strike fighter, the Virginia class of submarines, or the Predator drone.
Sometimes defense officials even got money for projects they didn’t request, such as armored vehicles known as MRAPs (mine-resistant and ambush-protected) that top military officials said were not a good investment. The end result was the Pentagon’s base budget swelled from $307 billion in 2001 to $529 billion this year, a 72 percent increase over 10 years
And while the Pentagon was just beginning to trim its spending over the last year, the debt deal approved by Congress this week raises the possibility of steeper cuts between $350 billion and $800 billion over the next decade. And that has left even the most veteran Pentagon budget watchers surprised.
“This is the Pentagon’s worst nightmare,” says Travis Sharp of the Center for a New American Security.
“It’s chaos,” adds the Heritage Foundation’s Mackenzie Eaglen. “Like Upside-Down Day at the Pentagon.”
Pentagon officials are already running budget drills to game out the possible scenarios, while lobbyists for defense contractors plot how to spare their favorite projects. [Yahoo News]
As I have stated repeatedly I have no issues with steep Pentagon cuts, however what I do have issue with is that the cuts if not done smartly will be focused on cutting servicemember benefits instead of poor acquisition decisions and smaller active duty force size. As this article already shows the lobbyist for these defense contractors are already mobilizing and as I have already pointed out their surrogates in the Pentagon are already busy trying to take away the retirement benefits of servicemembers to free up money to keep all these pet projects alive.
5:22 pm on August 3rd, 2011 1
Politicians are the devil’s spawn…
5:32 pm on August 3rd, 2011 2
Now you know where their prioritizes are. Democrats protected Medicare and Republicans held the line on millionaire taxes and subsidies. Support the troops? Not so much anymore?
Shared sacrifice? Does anyone feel used like a cheap wh***?
6:42 pm on August 3rd, 2011 3
This can’t be washed of. These people haven’t produced a budget in 3 years. They are negligent to the point of being traitorous. There is really only one solution at this point. Via the French, we need a revolution and every single corrupt member, including YOUR representative and senators from YOUR party ( be the demopublican or republicrat) should be dragged in shackles to the guillotine and/or gallows. I am not exaggerating or attempting to be melodramatic. Term limits, smerm limits. The ruling class should be dissolved, preferably in a painful fashion. They are not called lord, duke or earl but make no mistake, they are de facto royalty.
In a country as big as ours, look how many closely related families and insiders are controlling everything. What are the odds that so few good old boy, back slapping buddies are running our country yet there are so many of us…. The War on drugs, MADD, prison corporations and police unions are thrilled to make more laws and lock us up – for money. We are not free. Do not delude yourselves. Starting with Boner and Pelosi I’d be thrilled to strangle them with my bare hands. SCUM! That’s Hope. That’s CHANGE I can believe in.
7:44 pm on August 3rd, 2011 4
JoeC has a point. The GOP has far too many people willing to be Democrat-lite.
However he missed the point with his amateur class-warfare polemics… The richest of the rich are all Democrats (Soros, Lewis, Gates, Buffet, etc.) and they are all free to pay more if it hurts their consciences…
You do pay more than the minimum, right? You aren’t taking all the tax deductions and credits and _then_ complaining? You’re setting an example, not just demanding everyone else pay more?
And Leon LaPorte neglects to mention that the GOP-controlled House has passed a variety of bills, only to be rejected without an alternative from the Democrat-controlled Senate. These same Democrats who gave us the budget-buster Obamacare…
I’m not interested in defending big-government GOPers (who, like McAmnesty, are actually worse than their lefty colleagues); but let’s not forget the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress from 2006 to 2010, exactly the period when the economy took a nose dive…
7:45 pm on August 3rd, 2011 5
And strangling them is too quick. They need a traitor’s gibbet…
8:57 pm on August 3rd, 2011 6
I wonder when the Banks / etc., will have to pay some toll for the mess they created and seem to be bent on another one.
9:04 pm on August 3rd, 2011 7
We have no diversity amongst the commenters here, anymore. No one has blamed the Jews yet.
9:11 pm on August 3rd, 2011 8
So supposedly thanks to the budget cuts big army is supposed to be getting serious about having reduction boards for people who can’t get MOS Q’ed in the reserves, people who game the profile system, and people who can’t stay medically qualified for readiness. So I hear, but it sounds too good to be true. Actually kicking ttong kabangs out of the reserve for gaming the system? Seolma!!
9:16 pm on August 3rd, 2011 9
Leon,
Kindly get out your history book and show me a violent revolution where anyone other than the ruling class came out better off.
There are a few… but most of them end up like Russia, China, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, etc.
The solution is Korean-style people power… demonstrations in the streets by an angry population unified in direction and purpose… threatening the position of the ruling class for their behavior… but also threatening any potential replacement ruling class which intends to behave in the same way.
The American people have been so divided by multiculturalism and other devious constructs that this may not be possible… as any change to the system will have so many competing influences that anarchy or total police state might be the only outcomes.
Good luck, America.
9:25 pm on August 3rd, 2011 10
9. Well CH I do agree with you and you’re right, unfortunately. But I might point out that, at least from a British perspective, the American Revolution was somewhat violent.
Alas, let me preempt you by pointing out, to myself, that was another time, place and circumstance.
Regardless, it does little to change one fact. Our leadership consists of self serving traitors; and that’s being generous. It would be a good thing if they had to answer for their crimes but it will never happen. I suppose that’s one reason some people cling to religion. They want to see the evil doers punished but know it will not happen in this life.
/FACTOID: The VP, who has repeatedly called for “shared sacrifice”, charges the secret service rent on the cottage they stay in on his property while protecting him…
9:29 pm on August 3rd, 2011 11
Chickenhead: Romania.
9:44 pm on August 3rd, 2011 12
The US can also consider downsizing its tripwire troops in Korea to a regimental level and compensate for possible force deficiencies in Korea through the use of FMF that either directly gives or leases American weapons to Korean forces. It maybe also work with Germany, but Germany doesn’t have much need for FMF since it faces no imminent nor major military threat anywhere in its neighborhood. The FMF provides the same amount of job to Americans while keeping down the cost to operate them since it’s Korean conscripts instead of paid American soldiers who’ll be using them for the same goal to the same effect (well, that’s always the Israeli excuse, ‘FMF is beneficial to the US, not Israel’).
Alternatively, the US can consider cutting FMF being given to other countries. Namely Egypt, Pakistan, and Israel. Pentagon will be saving nearly $100 billion that way over the next decade.
10:12 pm on August 3rd, 2011 13
Didn’t you get the new USFK commander’s memo on acronyms?
What is FMF? Is it something in between Foreign Military Aid/Assistance and Foreign Military Sales?
10:23 pm on August 3rd, 2011 14
foreign military financing
10:48 pm on August 3rd, 2011 15
Kangaji,
Romania.
That is a good example of a positive revolution. Of course, there are others… but they are the exception more than the rule.
As stated, frequently after a revolution and a few sacrificial figureheads are hung from the rafters, the ruling elite keeps power.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1990_Mineriad
If everyone is lucky, the ruling elite understand the popular mood and adjust their actions accordingly… and the nation improves.
In cases when they are ALL run out of power, the vacuum is frequently filled by strongmen backed by thugs… with no experience in large-scale leadership and frequently no real desire to right the wrongs they claim to have fought against… as long as they are living well. Pol Pot and Mao come to mind.
The Romanians are better off 20 years after their revolution… partly because, short of becoming a failed state, there wasn’t much farther down to go.
America can get a LOT worse.
If America had a revolution, all those welfare checks would dry up and the REAL revolution would begin.
11:01 pm on August 3rd, 2011 16
Retrench. Let the others sort it out…
12:30 am on August 4th, 2011 17
Give Korea FMF of $2 billions a year (or more accurately, American weapons and weapons technology worth $2 billions) and give it ten years. The US won’t need anymore combat troops there in the next decade. At least, not to protect Korea from North Korean threats.
12:53 am on August 4th, 2011 18
@12,
Umm K .. where did you get your info? Are you even on the peninsula or affiliated with the US Military? I’m asking this not to be an a$$hole but your statement about the “tripwire” is almost 10 years old. Also “Regiment” is a cavalry term, Infantry are divided into Army / Division / Brigade / Battalion / Company. The US Army currently has less then one Heavy Infantry Brigade on peninsula. Most of 2ID was striped out and moved back to CONUS, all that was left was the HQ element and part of a Heavy Brigade. The majority of soldiers on peninsula are supply / communications / intel types (some trans folks also), basically combat support and combat service support. The US Army won’t be conducting offensive operations north of the DMZ period.
Instead you have the ROK’s doing the actual fighting. ROK has three full sized Armys (FROKA / SROKA / TROKA) along with their C2 elements. Active Army size is approx 700,000 troops with a few million reserve (first two to four years after mandatory service). After that you have almost the entire male population trained in how to fight and available for conscription should things get ~really~ bad. The ROK’s speak the language, know the terrain and would be fighting for their homes. They are in a far more advantageous position to execute a war with NK then the USA. They just need our cool toys for planning logistics / C4I and intel gathering. They also would use our Air and Naval power to secure the airspace and sea-lanes around SK, but again absolutely NO US forces will cross the DMZ. The USA doesn’t want another war with China (the Korea war was primarily US forces fighting Chinese forces near the end). So we stay on our side of the DMZ and China stay’s on its side and we let the two children fight it out. We expect that China would lend the same assistance to NK that we’d be lending to SK.
1:25 am on August 4th, 2011 19
18. Agreed (plus the arty bde). Some folks also tend to over simplify why US forces are here. It’s not just as a tripwire nor solely to defend the South from the norK’s. There are a whole host of geopolitical reasons or the US would have been out of here long ago. As it stands now, Korea may be one of the most important places the US has troops stationed.
Really want to save money? Get out of Iraq and Pakistan. Let them kill each other. If Iran wants Iraq, who cares? They are all brothers in Allah, I’m sure they will get along just fine. Remember, Islam is a religion of kindness and love and values scientific reason peace.
1:52 am on August 4th, 2011 20
setnaffa 4, which Lewis are you referring to? How do you know he’s a democrat? Are the other Lewises democrats? How do you know Gates is a democrat? You didn’t mention the Koch brothers – are they democrats?
Anybody – do you know where I can find a list of the thousand richest Americans and their political affiliation?
Leon LaPorte 7, for the most part, I like Jewish people. My only complaint would be their support of Zionism, and that cuts across party lines. In 19, you ask “If Iran wants Iraq, who cares?” Israel cares.
3:32 am on August 4th, 2011 21
20. Here’s something, of course I no longer believe it matters which party the powerful belong to. It’s all smoke and mirrors for the masses. THey all belong to the “Power Party”:
The Myth of Old Money Liberalism: The Politics of the Forbes 400
Richest Americans
By VAL BURRIS,
University of Oregon
http://www.uoregon.edu/~vburris/oldmoney.pdf
Here is the data:
===============================================
Political Partisanship of New Rich and Old Rich
===============================================
———————————————–
New Rich
———————————————–
Democrat 9%
Strong Democrat 20%
Republican 16%
Strong Republican 36%
Bipartisan 19%
———————————————–
Old Rich
———————————————–
Democrat 6%
Strong Democrat 13%
Republican 10%
Strong Republican 59%
Bipartisan 12%
———————————————–
The above data is on page 8 – Figure 2
University of Oregon
http://www.uoregon.edu/~vburris/oldmoney.pdf
On page 7 – Figure 1, you will find the bar chart illustrating the
Mean Percentage of Contributions to Republicans and Democrats.
http://www.uoregon.edu/~vburris/oldmoney.pdf
“New Rich were defined as those whose parents did not have substantial
wealth or own a business worth more than $1 million.”
“Rising Rich were defined as those who inherited small businesses or
wealth worth more than $1 million, but insufficient to place them on
the Forbes list without a significant increase in their wealth during
their lifetimes (usually a result of their success in building a small
business into a large corporation).”
“Old Rich were defined as those who were born into wealth sufficient
to place them on the Forbes 400 list.”
6:30 am on August 4th, 2011 22
@CH
When I say ‘regimental level’, I mean something below the current divisional level. The Army still has tens of thousands of soldiers here. What makes it impossible for them to be just thousands? Close a few more bases and you can save billions of dollars each year.
As for Korea needing the American military’s cool toys for planning logistics / C4I and intel gathering, that’s exactly what the FMF is meant for; just give Korea the American toys for planning logistics / C4I and intel gathering. Let the Koreans operate those toys to defend their own country and pull the American guys back to where they are more relevant as a combat (or combat support) force. Give the Korean military some more American radar, reconnaissance aircraft, heavy transports, maybe SAMs and BMDs for more active defense. Btw, the US still has eight batteries of PAC-3 in Korea as an interim solution to Korea’s current deficiencies in BMD. Do you want to continue to keep them there? Well, be my guest. But I can tell you their upkeep is not inexpensive.
Also, ‘tripwire’ is still half of the purpose why the US forces are stationed in Korea. It forces the American government to respond faster to a Korean crisis by putting American lives at immediate stake. I know this has been discussed a gazillion times before but the same truth still apllies.
8:26 am on August 4th, 2011 23
K, baby…
Don’t throw that @CH at me!
That was someotherguy #18 all the way.
He is clueless about nuclear reactor disaster management and has no idea about astrophysics… but I certainly would proceed with caution in debating him on USFK structure and management issues… he seems to know something about that beyond Wikipedia.
Just sayin’…
2:04 pm on August 4th, 2011 24
WTF is FMF? Fleet Marine Force or Foreign Military Financing?
6:42 pm on August 4th, 2011 25
@22,
“When I say ‘regimental level’, I mean something below the current divisional level. The Army still has tens of thousands of soldiers here. What makes it impossible for them to be just thousands? Close a few more bases and you can save billions of dollars each year.”
It’s not at a divisional level, its technically “Army Level” for the US Army as EUSA is still here. Ultimately all that remains is the support elements, and those are staying for the time being. And no it’s not possible for there to just “be thousands”, and they’ve already closed a sh!t ton of bases.
Look I see that your not military so you might not understand all the support elements required for any command. It’s complicated in that even though its peace time, you must plan and equip yourselves for war time. And thus the force on peninsula isn’t built around current peace time, its built around what is needed should the DPRK come over the wire with the intention of unifying Korea. This means SAM, AA and other defensive measures will stay, also means 1st SIG stays to provide communications support, the trans guys stay to provide heavy long-haul transportation support, 19th ESC (bean counter central) stays to plan, coordinate and execute the logistics mission, 501st MI stays to conduct intel and counter intel work, the various medical detachments stay along with the hospitals and clinics to provide medical services. And this is all without getting into the combat arms guys (Infantry / Armor / Scout / FA) or Aviation units.
In all likelihood we’re at the lowest levels possible while still maintaining the ability to project ground power into the region. Reduce anymore and you might as well just pack everything up and go home as whats left won’t to able to do anything.”As for Korea needing the American military’s cool toys for planning logistics / C4I and intel gathering, that’s exactly what the FMF is meant for; just give Korea the American toys for planning logistics / C4I and intel gathering.”
Are you fcking crazy? You can’t be an American citizen. The USA has the absolute best military equipment / systems aka “toys” in the world. We got this by spending more money to develop them then any other nation spends on it’s entire military. These systems are classified and are not available for use by non-citizens, period. Not only would handing over those toys be extremely illegal, but Chinese and NK spy’s would immediately get their hands on them. NK would then start selling them to other anti-American countries, China would produce their own versions and then sell them to anti-American countries. The last thing the free world needs is China, Iran and NK having access to the US Military Satellite network, our Command and Control systems, our Anti Aircraft defense capability (namely the radar and tracking / targeting systems) or our spy plans. For SK to develop their own versions of these they would need to spend many times their entire country’s GDP in R&D. And again China / NK would just steal them.
So no, we won’t be giving SK access to our toys, nor anyone else access to them. We often develop a “releasable” version of many of our products, which is a compatible item but with all the secret stuff stripped out of it.
7:29 pm on August 4th, 2011 26
Well K, errr… how did you find out about FMF?
7:39 pm on August 4th, 2011 27
@CH
Sorry, CH.
@SoG
Well, that’s sad. I just thought the US military would earn a convenient chance at cost-saving measures by withdrawing less necessary assets from the peninsula whose protected side gets brighter each day… what I believe is that what Korea needs from the US is not really extra men, it’s extra weapons.
“Are you fcking crazy? You can’t be an American citizen. The USA has the absolute best military equipment / systems aka “toys” in the world. We got this by spending more money to develop them then any other nation spends on it’s entire military. These systems are classified and are not available for use by non-citizens, period. Not only would handing over those toys be extremely illegal, but Chinese and NK spy’s would immediately get their hands on them. NK would then start selling them to other anti-American countries, China would produce their own versions and then sell them to anti-American countries. The last thing the free world needs is China, Iran and NK having access to the US Military Satellite network, our Command and Control systems, our Anti Aircraft defense capability (namely the radar and tracking / targeting systems) or our spy plans. For SK to develop their own versions of these they would need to spend many times their entire country’s GDP in R&D. And again China / NK would just steal them.
So no, we won’t be giving SK access to our toys, nor anyone else access to them. We often develop a “releasable” version of many of our products, which is a compatible item but with all the secret stuff stripped out of it.”
What I mean is selling some equipment that Korea may require in the absense of some US military elements in Korea through FMF. Countries like Egypt, Pakistan, and Israel already receive American-built equipment through FMF.
I know Pentagon likes to tailor an export variant and a domestic variant of an equipment differently. But they are intended to be still very functional and be able to satisfy the ROC of the armed forces who purchase them. The US defense industry won’t survive without their customers being happy with they get.
The US is going to sell Korea Global Hawk soon. Yes, it is an export variant. It still means American spy planes can make less flights over Korea as Korea’s own spy planes fly more and start to fill up the surveillance gap. Some of them can even be relocated to more relevant battlefields elsewhere.
One of the major reasons why much of the American firepower elements were withdrawn from Korea was the Korean military’s own proportionate increase in firepower. You think surveillance elements will be a different case? Ok. We are done discussing.
8:03 pm on August 4th, 2011 28
@강아지
US FMF being given to countries that need/want military protection/political sweetening bargains is common knowledge. Err, ain’t it?
9:57 pm on August 4th, 2011 29
I mean, it is but the term FMF is very specific so it sounds like you have more experience than just common knowledge, or you read some policy papers somewhere that deal with FMF which I’d like to start reading.
10:33 pm on August 4th, 2011 30
I don’t have any more experience on FMF than the common knowledge of a habitual reader, and all I read about FMF come from unclassified literature.
Congressional Research Service has some materials regarding FMF on their opencrs.com website. Their reports on FMF to Israel is particularly comprehensive.
10:46 pm on August 4th, 2011 31
30. You are still over simplifying the argument. There are broader geopolitical considerations fro US troops being stationed in Korea. It is not as simple as a+b=c.
/They used to joke that we were not here to protect the south but were here to keep the south from attacking the north, or possibly Japan.
//Or were they joking?
11:25 pm on August 4th, 2011 32
I think it’s a joke that the US is in Korea to keep it from attacking Japan.
I know the US is not in Korea for defense of Korea alone. For the most part the US is in Korea because they have a matching security interest that is beneficial to both of them. The US will fight in the defense of Korea. So will Korea fight in the defense of America.
The need for the US to maintain force projection in the region is better catered to by the large naval bases in Japan, namely the one in Yokosuka, headquarters to the 7th Fleet. The greatest armada of the US as far as force projection is concerned has always been the navy.
5:08 am on August 5th, 2011 33
K – thanks. I’ll check it out right now.
6:22 pm on August 5th, 2011 34
This is the consequence of the Bush tax cuts and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
9:25 pm on August 5th, 2011 35
S*** and P*** have downgraded the US credit rating. Paul Krugman asks, “The people who rated subprime-backed securities are now declaring that they are the judges of fiscal policy? Really?” at his NY Times blog.
3:21 pm on August 6th, 2011 36
China calls for international supervision of the dollar. Moreover, “The news is bad and Seoul plans to keep very close tabs on how the market reacts,” Yoon Jong-won, head of the finance ministry’s economic policy bureau, was quoted as saying.
4:08 pm on August 6th, 2011 37
Sounds like it’s time to send the goon squad into the S&P’s HQ, 55 Water Street New York. This is a job for the DHS.
4:29 pm on August 6th, 2011 38
Leon LaPorte 37, it needs to be off the books. This is a job for Plumbers II.
5:01 pm on August 6th, 2011 39
So… let’s see.
The whole financial system failed and nothing was changed when there was a chance to completely restructure it.
Instead of redesigning the system, the government simply bailed out the companies that caused the problems… and perpetuated the problems… but on a larger scale… financed by government debt… which is financed by the labor of taxpayers.
But that’s all understandable since the people the government put in charge of fixing the problems were the same people who created the problems to begin with.
If I take my tinfoil hat off for even a moment, I start to wonder if there isn’t some plan to completely destroy the global financial structure… either to reset an unsustainable system… or replace it with something more controlling.
5:55 pm on August 6th, 2011 40
ChickenHead 39, the people who created the problems are unwise and imprudent. They’re destroying the global financial structure not on purpose but by folly.
It’s like loading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide not intentionally but foolishly.
7:00 pm on August 6th, 2011 41
39, See this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloward%E2%80%93Piven_strategy
And this: http://conservativewatchnews.org/?p=20640
And this: http://www.infowars.com/obama-the-cloward-piven-strategy-and-the-new-world-order/
And this: http://www.schwarzreport.org/resources/you-can-trust-the-communists-to-be-communists/chapter-1-trust-the-communists
And this: http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/communism/alinsky.htm
And the list goes on ad nauseum…
The left has never tried to hide their plans except when they’re campaigning and they pretend to be moderates or conservatives…
I’m certain that some folks here will respond with “Yes, but Bush/Cheney/Halliburton…” or some other such red herring. The fact remains they do not want anyone to own anything, other than the State which will dole it out as decided by the Central Committee (who are, of course, much wiser than you or I)… Guys like Soros and Chomsky assume they’ll have chairs at the Committee table…
7:01 pm on August 6th, 2011 42
Stalin only taxed the rich, too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulak
8:16 pm on August 6th, 2011 43
#34 DENNY: You were half correct. Tax cuts have always led
to the growth of the economy. That is not an opinion, it
is a demonstrable fact. Iraq/Afghanistan is the “Elephant
in the room” that in my opinion is the primary reason our country is broke. Close behind that is Liberalism
(Socialism) vis-a-vis France, England, Germany, etc.
2:48 am on August 7th, 2011 44
setnaffa 41, I’m here for you buddy – that’s nauseam, not nauseum.
9:24 pm on August 7th, 2011 45
@27,
Wouldn’t work, there is a reason the exportable “variant” is a “variant” and not the original. We strip out all the cool stuff, the stuff that gives both a strategic and a tactical advantage against every other nation in the world. Our encryption technology alone has other nations salivating.
Basically no amount of “FMF” would give SK anywhere near the capabilities the USA gives them by being present on pen. None of those nations you stated has an active aggressor who refused to sign a peach agreement and who likes to stir up sh!t and actively plans for destruction of the country.
Simply put, this ~is~ the cheapest solution available. We’re here to ensure the NK’s stay on their side of the line. We’re also here to ensure China doesn’t decide to enact it’s plans of regional hegemony and create the big empire of China. They hate us for this, but we’re good trading partners and offer them ample opportunities to steal tech without needing to develop their own. The mere presence of a significant military force is enough to dissuade China and now Russia (thanks Putin) from doing anything aggressive. We get China “claiming” the yellow sea, instead of China actually firing upon and killing ships of enemy countries inside the yellow sea. Pretty big difference between those two.
3:41 am on August 8th, 2011 46
Except, you know… what’s present in Korea is not a significant military force, comparatively speaking.
The US doesn’t need to give Korea weapons that exactly match the performances of their US counterpart. As long as their cost is affordable (in the case of an FMF purchase, zero).
Anyway, let’s see if even the proposed overall reduction in US military manpower is not going to affect the size of USFK garrison. The ROK government is going to complain if that’s gonna happen. I’m sure a nice package of FMF is going to shut it up though.
3:46 am on August 8th, 2011 47
By the way, if you noticed something about F-15K, F-15SG, f-16E/F, and the Aegis cruisers that have been sold to Korea and Japan, and if you have knowledge of their contract details, you’ll also realize that the US does sell its allies with weapon systems more advanced than their own or as good as their own if the weapons are being used for purposes that match the American security interest, or if at the very least they do not entail harm to US security interest.
11:59 am on August 15th, 2011 48
#4
I see your point that democrat, maybe even sociialist, Warren Buffett. Here is what he had to say.
1:54 pm on August 15th, 2011 49
@47
… Seriously … the F-15/ F-16? You do know those are WAY past end of life right. Also its not the F-15K / F-16K anymore, its the K-15/16, Korea produces their own version of them now that the US Manufacturer has EOL’d replacement parts for them.
“at the US does sell its allies with weapon systems more advanced than their own”
Loaded statement is loaded. Of course we’re selling them better stuff then what they have, else why would they be buying from us to begin with. The question is how much better and what is the nature of the technology transfer. The most important parts is NOT what’s on the outside, it’s the sensitive electronics on the inside. Anything to do with target acquisition and secure communications are definitely off the list of transferable technologies. Instead they use watered down versions that are acceptable but no where near is a good as the US version. Namely it’s done to prevent adversaries from being able to disassemble the transferred tech and discover a weakness or something to exploit. We don’t give SK Stealth bombers not because we don’t want them to have the capability, but because we don’t want the Chinese / NK’s to find a way to track those Stealth Bombers.
4:51 pm on August 15th, 2011 50
#6 Simon: The banks were forced to loan money to anyone just
for the asking. Barney Frank/Chris Dodd in the Senate, both
flaming socialist and control Freddy Mac/Fanny Mae, the governments loan backers, put heat on the banks to do that. If they would not comply, the House Banking Committee under Frank would make sure they would regret it. As an incentive to the banks they said Fanny/Freddy (tax payers money) would back the loans up that went toes up. “After all, everyone is entitled to live the American dream and own a home”. To add fuel to the fire the socialist got COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS (sound familiar?) to publicly protest in front of banks and cameras. Wall Street got in on it later.
#7 Leon: The Jews are part of the problem. As a group they
are very educated, have traditional family values and behave
themselves. They believe in individual responsibility etc.
BUT as a whole they vote Democrat. The dems are sympathetic
to those groups that are out to kill them, the Muslims.
Jews as a group vote in large numbers. Big deal in states that are “Swing States” in an election, FL, NY. for example.
6:02 pm on August 15th, 2011 51
#50
You got the script down almost verbatim. One question though. In which election was NY a swing state?
6:02 pm on August 15th, 2011 52
“You do know those are WAY past end of life right.”
Most are not.
“Of course we’re selling them better stuff then what they have”
Not just that, but the US does indeed sell better stuff to foreign nations than what the US itself has if the risk of technology leak is acceptable compared to the security and monetary benefits.
You don’t give Korea stealth bombers not because you are afraid of NK and China’s spying opportunity, but because Korea cannot pay for it yet.
7:33 pm on August 15th, 2011 53
#51 JOEC: NY was a swing state in 1876 (Hayes v. Tilden) and
again in 1888. Swing state is one where voting margin was less
than 6%. I am assuming there is a substantial amount of Jews
in NJ so X out NY and use NJ instead. In 2008 NJ was a swing
state.
Yes, my comment regarding the banks are the conservative
talking points, but they none the less are an accurate summation of what happened. Those facts are not disputed are They? The comments are worthy of being repeated because in my opinion the bulk of voters are like Leon and
are not interested in researching the facts. Most people tune
into politics a week or so before the general election and make a judgement to choose a president based upon how they
come across on TV and say what they want to hear. How else did you end up with the guy we have now that had no qualifications at all. No track record to hang his hat on.
Thanks Joe for your comments. Your remarks tell me you are tuned into how important it is to be an educated voter. We are in the fix we are now because of ignorant voters
A community organizer, a State Senator for what, 16 months.
4:08 am on October 8th, 2011 54
Romney will reverse Obama’s massive defense cuts.
5:56 am on December 2nd, 2011 55
Can America survive at the 2007 level of defense spending? Kevin Drum says yes.