Posted on 12/09/2010 9:18:24 AM PST by jmaroneps37
Even before the 112th Congress has been sworn in, the five dozen plus wave of new conservatives, who will fill its ranks, is having an affect on our tax structure.
Whether the deal to save the Bush tax rates survives an up or down vote in the Lame Duck session or not, we are certainly headed toward a day of reckoning for Congressional taxing and spending.
One of the ideas for reducing federal spending is cutting the Defense budget. In August Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced his intension to eliminate Joint Forces Command, a major combat command based in Virginia.
Last month the safely reelected John McCain said billions of dollars could be cut from the Defense budget. At an event held by the Foreign Policy Initiative, McCain equated education and social programs with the importance of national defense.
Fortunately Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon, (expected to be the next chair of the House Armed Services Committee) later explained what a mistake making Defense cuts would be during a time when we are fighting two wars.
The Heritage Foundation agrees with McKeon and recently spelled out its reasoning.
We are at war. Obama acknowledges we’ll be fighting in Afghanistan until at least 2015 and we will be in Iraq for the foreseeable future as well.
We are still feeling the ill affects of Clinton’s Defense cuts he called “peace dividends.” Our military is already underfunded, Our Navy is smaller than it has been since 1916 and in some cases pilots are actually flying planes older than they are. As a percentage of GDP our Defense spending is half of what it was in the Cold War and is at an all time low for war years.
Our world is less safe today than it has been in decades…. More
(Excerpt) Read more at coachisright.com ...
Nation-building is not defense.
Cut weapons systems and manufacturing. I knew someone who worked on the line at a United Technologies company making avaiation systems (spinning blades). The whole line was filled with union dmeocrat scum. Totally militant liberal vermin. I told this person to make sure to keep their mouth totally shut.
They were constantly trying to find out. The break room had MSNBC running. Well they realized this person was not a Dem and drove them out. Screw the defense companies. Let Germans make our stuff for all I care. I would bet most of them would not vote for a muslim usurper. That POS McCain was reelected because of the huge dfense factories on the Scottsdale/Phoenix border. I think it is General Dynamics.
It is not about protecting America or our troops. It is about $$ and churning out middling junk. Our troops have been cannon fodder for the islamists since the coup in 2008.
It needs to be a two step process:
1. Cut back some missions and commitments.
2. Cut the defense budget.
There needs to be a serious and thorough discussion of #1 before we get to #2.
But, having said that, I have to say that every part of government should face cuts. I have no sacred cows. I want cuts all over the place, and I think it works against my own interests for me to say "But not here!" Every bit of government has some supporters. Nothing will ever be cut if we all try to protect our own piece of the pie.
Cut, cut, cut, cut.
Plus, the pork of earmarks has awarded money to congressional favorites without consideration for the needs of the warfighter.
Also, the acquisitions environment in the military is ridiculous. Everything costs more than it should. It pains me to say it, but there is a lot wrong with DoD. Less money would probably make for a more efficient and effective military.
“Screw the defense companies. Let Germans make our stuff for all I care. I would bet most of them would not vote for a muslim usurper.”
I work for a defense company, one of the biggest. I have worked for them for 3 years now. They hired me the second I retired from the Marine Corps. 90% of my fellow Field Service Reps are former or retired military. The company I work for has restructured, much of it’s business model. They have closed down facilities that were union and moved them to “Right to Work” states. Many of the engineers that I work with on a daily basis are conservatives, and understand the big picture. They realize that the equipment they design is going to the war fighter in the field.
You cannot lump all defense companies into one neat little package. There are some very good ones. Our main competitor does things very close to the way we do. Is there waste? Hell yes there is but we are working hard at eliminating it. The days of massive govt $$ being handed out for R&D are over, and with it the waste.
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