Proposed Cuts to Defense Spending
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-04-18/proposed-cuts-defense-spending
In his plan to rein in ballooning deficits, President Obama proposed large cuts in Pentagon spending. Diane and her guests look at balancing security needs with budget realities.
Guests
James Kitfield
senior correspondent, National Journal magazine.
Gordon Adams
professor, School of International Service at American University, fellow at The Stimson Center, and former senior White House defense budget official in the Clinton Administration.
Thomas Donnelly
a defense and security policy analyst, the director of the Center for Defense Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, co-author with Frederick W. Kagan of "Lessons for a Long War: How America Can Win on New Battlefields."
Comments
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Suggestion: Study war no more. Perpetual war is unsustainable.
So many other less profitable and less wasteful things are preferable tools in solving conflict.
Quit chasing the money and fight poverty.
(The IMF, World Bank and GATT often amount to war on the poor.)
Resources last longer without military activity.
Ecology is more urgent than ideology and national honor.
Solution: All required war material should be provided at cost.
All defense contractors should be domestic not for profits.
Let the mothers of soldiers plot our defense strategy.
Prosecute mercenaries and arms dealers.
Quit producing mines, cluster bombs, incendiary bombs, WMDs and biological weapons.
Quit playing around with fissile materials.
Quit training counter-insurgents in torture and disinformation.
Indict and punish contemporary war criminals, including American leaders.
Observation: If wealth and power were not so polarized empire would become unpopular. (I'm tired of oligarch bankrolled fascists advocating a weakened government combined with a limitless totalitarian state apparatus.)
Pancake:
You remind me of some of those hippies back in the 60's. We are facing war by middle east terrorists and some peacenic like yourself want to bend over and let the enemy take advantage off us.
Thank god for the land mines that protect the people in South Korea from the North and that crazy leader of theres. UAV flying over Iran to see what there latest nuclear developments are.
Thank goodness we liberated the Kurds from biological weapons that Saddam and his coharts could had developed once again. They still had the blueprints.
Yea, it was our industrial might that brought down the Iron Curtain and freed millions of Eastern Europeans from communists. But then you just might favor that idealogy.
Pancake:
You remind me of some of those hippies back in the 60's. We are facing war by middle east terrorists and some peacenic like yourself want to bend over and let the enemy take advantage off us.
Thank god for the land mines that protect the people in South Korea from the North and that crazy leader of theres. UAV flying over Iran to see what there latest nuclear developments are.
Thank goodness we liberated the Kurds from biological weapons that Saddam and his coharts could had developed once again. They still had the blueprints.
Yea, it was our industrial might that brought down the Iron Curtain and freed millions of Eastern Europeans from communists. But then you just might favor that idealogy.
I will not pay my taxes ... just to see what happens.
Instead will donate all of my taxes to Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. http://www.AE911Truth.org
Don't care if they come after me. They just talking about our Endless War in Afghanistan; and there is no exit strategy.
On this special day, I feel like the best way of showing Patriotism is to ask how in the world a 47-story steel framed building WTC#7 has collapsed at free fall speed all by itself on the day of 9/11.
The chairman of the 9/11 Commission Lee Hamilton thinks it fell "in sympathy" to the twin towers.
The easiest and fastest and most effective way of cutting the Defense Spending is finding out what really has happened on 9/11. It cannot be simpler than that : let's just ask the "first" question under oath.
http://http://rememberbuilding7.org
http://www.wtc7.net
Pan and mean are having an argument about what constitutes wisdom. In Genesis it says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Now this is essentially the the authoritarian position taken by mean. Media is employed day and night to mobilize fear and tell us to think constantly of "terrorism." There are technical terms such as "counter-insurgency" used to try and clean up such an irrationality but it still amounts to a pre-occupation with death while the business of life is dominated by those with wealth and power. Democratic government becomes impossible where the masses are asses and must be told what to think about.
An old Confusian proverb restates the argument:"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name." Pan is correct in suggesting we waste too much resources in war and disinformation because we don't look for the underlying causes of this intensifying global conflict. When a few privileged groups attempt to monopolize and control everything without relenting violence will naturally arise in reaction. Those in want suffer pain because of the unfair oligarchic mechantilist economic system calling itself "The global free market." Until our "Lords" become willing to share and desist from using our tax money for their self-defensive violence we can have no peace. Budget cuts and drastic reallocations are in order.
Lesley: I agree with you about controlled demolition being a better theory than "Sympathy." But how can people withhold their tax contributions when the amounts are deducted from their wages each pay period? And the increasing population with no employment has no taxes to withhold. Hands restrained behind the back with electrical ties cannot applaud.
We are a long way down a dark road in reference to our volitions and privacies. In fact, 9/11 Truthers are probably considered "Part of the insurgency."
How much of the trillions of dollars spent for the Iraqi War went to Halliburton? Was there any accountability for their huge contracts and bonuses?
A twelve year proposed spending cut plan from our President. How Bold! The questions surrounding the "origins" of Barack Obama, apparently a made up name. Who is this guy? He is an enigma! The person of Barack Obama is a creation from fiction. He is a fashion statement for the liberal cause. Nothing real mind you but something that fills in the blanks of the incomplete goals of the socialist utopia put forward by modern day statists.
The tax comment was related with something on a different show.
The problem is that ... when Obama "bareey" got elected over, Mr. Bomber on Vietnamese kids and hospitals and clean water sources from the air, just like Coward Bastard .... I cried and cried for hours.
Finally, with Obama, we were going to get accountability for the past 8 (or, 20 years). Right before the election, I barely found out about that 9/11 was totally an inside job, with the demolition (killing 2400) job was contracted to another shady/military organization from outside (repeat: the demolitions that brought down the three towers were not "Americans"; they were not Muslims either)
- according to everything I have read under the sun about 9/11 since 2008)
Another problem is that ... if you talk about a darn birth certificate, NPR will get you air time every day, and all the time.
We have been begging ... literally begging for Diane, Neil, Ashbrook, Fresh Air for years to bring Architect Richard Gage or anybody from the 9/11 Truth People.... but they would not. They are afraid of their Jobs and NPR + Diane is part of the problem.
I worry about the families of veterans - especially those affected by the invisible wounds of war (eg. PTSD, TBI) - who will suffer if large cuts are made to defense spending.
Carolina Nadel
Author/illustrator of 'Daddy's Home' - a picture book that explains the invisible wounds of war to the children of soldiers: http://www.carolinanadel.com/PTSD
What a ridiculous slam on education in America. If we spent as much on reducing poverty and on education including pre-school, our students' test scores would be much better. There is simply no reason to compare America students' test scores with our defense budget. Anyone who uses such obviously false logic is suspect in their intentions.
I wonder why, ore than corporate profits, we are still building aircraft carriers, destroyers, bombers which have to fly from Missouri tok Libya, fighter planes when there us no other nation which threatens us so we need to think about being able to carry out dogfights. the usSR is not going to send hordes over the Fulda Gap, the north Koreans might send a human wave over the DMZ, and so war ithe future is going to be more like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, fights against guerilla forces. what earthly use is a destroyer for this kind of warfare?
I wonder why, ore than corporate profits, we are still building aircraft carriers, destroyers, bombers which have to fly from Missouri tok Libya, fighter planes when there us no other nation which threatens us so we need to think about being able to carry out dogfights. the usSR is not going to send hordes over the Fulda Gap, the north Koreans might send a human wave over the DMZ, and so war ithe future is going to be more like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, fights against guerilla forces. what earthly use is a destroyer for this kind of warfare?
I really find it hard to imagine what type of value we are receiving from the military; if the argument employed is that we are keeping us "free", I would say "free" from what: certainly not economic insecurity and a declining standard of living for those unlucky 99% of us, we are not more free. The closing of schools provides no additional security; but we can afford to project military force on any continent at any time and find unlimited funds to do this by running up the national deficit, while there is discussion about the" crippling cost" of Social Security, which is solvent well into the next decade and paid for by those whose benefits are about to be circumscribed. What about the crippling costs of the military itself. Why is such a sacred cow that cannot be touched? There are many people making enormous amounts of money with a perpetual war. I forgot, who are we fighting today? Is it Oceania or was that last week.
Isn't "build down" sort of an oxymoron? Building down may only make sense if one is digging a hole.
When looking at the need for budget cuts, my concern lies in the culture of the military as regards spending. I live near 2 military installations and have friends who are retired military and one friend who is now a military contractor. The acknowledged attitude that exists is that the money in the military budget must be spent in order that they get that much next year. They will spend it on anything, regardless of need, in order to reach that goal. Until there is a basic change in the culture and spending structure I wonder how the unnecessary expenses incurred can be reduced. There is also the concern about the military/industrial complex the President Eisenhower warned against. Untold millions of dollars are spent by the military in this arena with questionable value for money spent.
I heard on NPR some time ago that it takes 80% of the fuel used in Iraq and Afghanistan to get the fuel actually used in the war to the battlefield. Doesn't this represent a major vulnerability? The insurgents stage their attacks with bikes, donkeys, motorbikes, and they can go on doing so forever.
if we are talking about "defending the US population", which threatens the average citizen more, a terrorist attack or death and injury from bad roads, bad health, bad food, bad medicine, bad air? Why not recognize this and spend defense dollars on domestic needs?
I heard on NPR some time ago that it takes 80% of the fuel used in Iraq and Afghanistan to get the fuel actually used in the war to the battlefield. Doesn't this represent a major vulnerability? The insurgents stage their attacks with bikes, donkeys, motorbikes, and they can go on doing so forever.
if we are talking about "defending the US population", which threatens the average citizen more, a terrorist attack or death and injury from bad roads, bad health, bad food, bad medicine, bad air? Why not recognize this and spend defense dollars on domestic needs?
I heard on NPR some time ago that it takes 80% of the fuel used in Iraq and Afghanistan to get the fuel actually used in the war to the battlefield. Doesn't this represent a major vulnerability? The insurgents stage their attacks with bikes, donkeys, motorbikes, and they can go on doing so forever.
if we are talking about "defending the US population", which threatens the average citizen more, a terrorist attack or death and injury from bad roads, bad health, bad food, bad medicine, bad air? Why not recognize this and spend defense dollars on domestic needs?
Diane,
Cutting the budget by 20, 40 or 60 Billion $ is laughably inadequate. We need to stop diluding ourselves. Our budget shortfall is out of balance by 1.3? TRILLION $ !!!!!! That should be the starting point of where we need to cut immediately. There is NO WAY to get our budget in balance without changing the mindset of our love-affair with war and the military. End the wars. Bring ALL troops home/ close ALL foreign bases.
Declare that the US is neutral (as our founders intended) Cancel all treaties.
Vow to never send American troops beyond our borders.
Scale down every weapon that is not 'defensive' in nature (ie. aircraft carriers are offensive, not defensive)
Our leadership, both Dems and Repubs have failed us. The media NEEDS to bring these questions up to keep up from bankruptcy.
Eric from Rocky Mount Va
"Military Savior of the World," Diane? From what I read in first-hand accounts, the people living in the regions that we're 'saving' don't see US that way....
3 points that I would like to make is
1) the outrageous use of private contractors performing services at excessive charges. The military needs to expand to provide the very services that it doled out to privatization....why?
2) how come we do not get reimbursed for our military services to foreign countries.
3) we do not need over 100 military bases overseas. Close at least half of them.
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of their leaders. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger"
Hermann Goering- Nazi Reichsmarshal
I’m not sure still what our “mission” is in Iraq or that our reasons for occupation have ever been clearly explained other than sort of “Oops! we’re there now, so we have to finish it”.
As far as I can tell our overall “mission” seems to be to create enough fear in Americans and maintain enough conflict in the world (whether this creates or discourages “terrorism” remains to be seen) so as to prevent majority of citizens from asking the question “ why do we endlessly spend 70-100 billion a month to maintain military endeavors?”
As a veteran the discussion that troops join the service to be in a combat role is flat out wrong. Many did as I did and joined to learn a trade. Further, this kind of job rotation allows the troops in the field to understand that there is more to the organization than killing. It adds to the texture of the experience and rounds out the individual.
The use of contract support adds significant cost, reduces coherency in the overall objectives of military action and community support, teaches our troops virtually nothing that they can use when they get home. Further, it adds significant financial organization momentum (profit motive) to keep a war going.
meengreen wrote:
"...Thank goodness we liberated the Kurds from biological weapons that Saddam and his coharts could had developed once again. They still had the blueprints.
Yea, it was our industrial might that brought down the Iron Curtain and freed millions of Eastern Europeans from communists. But then you just might favor that idealogy.
More shadowy WMDs attributed to Saddam and his cohorts. The collapse of the Soviet Union? They just ran out of money first. Keep on drinking that Koolaid, meangreen; sometimes it takes a while.
Leadership. It's what's needed and what we've not had for a very long time. What will save the Republic is when the country is in such a pickle, that some group instigates a coup and runs the country as a dictator where things just get done. No crying.No bellyaching. No running home crying to momma. Just fix the deficit, pay down the debt, raise taxes on everybody, cut spending, eliminate defense toys we don't need and tell the rest of the world (Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan, Korea) that we're bringing our troops home so put on your big boy pants and defend yourselves.
I’m dreamin I suppose.
"If you make a plane like the F22 which cost 350 million dollars each and you're involved in 3 wars and you still don't use it, you have to admit that the defense budget is really a jobs program" - Bill Maher
Perhaps I have missed it but where did all the money go that Saddam Hussein was reported to have when we first invaded Iraqand why did none of that go to the US to pay for our costs in Iraq?
I listened this morning and I am amazed at the all of the comments and all of the processes by which politicians and commentators alike base their thoughts. If you look at the process from 1929 to 1940 that our Congress engaged, all the hearings and the presidential discussions, the steps are very close and the conclusions month by month upon which decisions were made were very close to what we are doing now...again...with how we prioritize and how we pay for it as a nation.
It took the Japanese bombing our service men and women before we "entered" WWII, and not the millions gased. It took September 11th before we "entered" the war of terror.
Doesn't anyone learn from history?
Republicans, and conservatives, always get this smug little grin and then say, "Well, obviously, we need to do something about entitlements."
Yea, here is what we do. First take the cap off of Social Security. People who work for a wages have paid for over 30 years $2.6 trillion into Social Security to cover the baby boomers retirement. This money was spent to make the deficit look smaller. This $2.6 trillion is in effect an income tax, that only working people whom made income under the social security cap. Remove the cap, and have the income earners over the cap, pay the $2.6 trillion back. This will make Social Security solvent until what, 2050?
2. The problem with Medicare, is not the revenue side, its the 15% medical health care increases, year in year out. Why is this? How is the medical industry able to charge outlandish fees? Also the 20% surcharge by the insurance industry for what, shuffling paperwork? Taking a 18% profit?
3. Medicaid. Stop outsourcing jobs, stop H3B visas, stop illegal immigration, in effect stop the unofficial cheap labor policy of this government, and people will have jobs and not require Medicaid.
This defense department? Start paying for wars as we fight them. During WW2, the corporate tax rate was 50%. Stop electing chickenhawk politicians who have never been to war. Remember how we were just going into Iraq and we would be out in a couple year.