Posted on 06/02/2011 3:24:36 PM PDT by Starman417
Frank Gaffney at Breitbar's Big Peace, has been following Robert Gates' last days as Obama's Sec'y of Defense. The round of speeches by Gates in the past days has many - including Gaffney - scratching their heads, as he solemnly warns against the "“hollowing out” of the military" in what can only be construed as johnnie come lately criticism for Obama's plan to cut the defense budget by an additional $400 billion by 2023.
This would be the same Sec'y of Defense who had his spokesman say he backed the plan just a month ago, but that the specifics of the slashing would fall to his successor. Or was that just lip service by a dutiful appointee, and former AF officer who recognizes respect for the chain of command? Because it seems Gates was somewhat miffed at Obama's announcement of the cuts, and by the fact he only found out about the CiC's decision to do so 24 hours before Obama took to the podium.
The positive WH spin on the cuts is that the budget is higher than Bush's "average" annual defense spending (without including actual prosecution of the wars), and erroneously suggests that since Gates had already cut $400 bil in waste, that Obama was quite sure he could do it again. It matters not that this POTUS turns a blind eye to the simmering pot that is the Middle East, that he daily forces our military to do more with less - and with technology that is decades old - or that three active war theatres are taking it's toll on existing inventory.
The Obama FY 2012 budget submission reduced the total increase only slightly – by $162 billion over the four years from 2017 to 2020, according to the careful research of the Project on Defense Alternatives (PDA). That left an annual average base military spending level of $564 billion – 23 percent higher than Bush’s annual average and 40 percent above the level of the 1990s.Central to last week’s chapter in the larger game was Obama’s assertion that Gates had already saved $400 billion in his administration. “Over the last two years,” he said, “Secretary Gates has courageously taken on wasteful spending, saving $400 billion in current and future spending. I believe we can do that again.”
The $400 billion figure is based primarily on the $330 billion Gates claimed he had saved by stopping, reducing or otherwise changing plans for 31 weapons programs. But contrary to the impression left by Obama, that figure does not reflect any cut in projected DOD spending. All of it was used to increase spending on operations and investment in the military budget.
Apparently, in suggesting that Gates could "do that again", Obama was taking for granted he had the support of his outgoing Defense Sec'y. But the resignation date is turning out to be a liberating moment for Gates because, instead, he's singing like the canary who finally found his voice. And the birdsong is that the Obama cuts lie outside the realm of reconciling today's military realities and a healthy national defense capability... and requires the US agrees to downgrade their military dominance voluntarily.
This means the Obama administration and Congress must now decide how much military power the U.S. should give up, how that fits U.S. goals for maintaining global influence, and how to pay for it, Gates said."A smaller military, no matter how superb, will be able to go fewer places and be able to do fewer things."
~~~"The tough choices ahead are really about the kind of role the American people — accustomed to unquestioned military dominance for the past two decades — want their country to play in the world," Gates said.
"They need to understand what it could mean for a smaller pool of troops and their families if America is forced into a protracted land war again — yes, the kind no defense secretary should recommend anytime soon, but one we may not be able to avoid."
That Gates may have been caught unaware of the CiCs intent on stripping US military capabilities might be most evident by the AFA's notes about two Gates' speeches in March.. just a month before Obama's surprise axe fell on the Pentagon budget. At that time, the budget was on track for modernizing our military branches' arms and air force. Chief of Staff, General Schwartz estimated a replacement rate of 200 aircraft per year to make modest reductions in the average age of the aircraft fleet, and at that time, the budget was well with range, projecting 227 purchases instead of the original 114….
…. at least for a short time, that is.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...
Gates has been screaming about how Obama treats the military...
Interesting. I was wondering why Gates (who I don’t think is a bad or corrupt man) didn’t say something earlier, but I guess the control exercised by the Bambi WH is pretty fierce and his only recourse was to leave...and fill in the details later.
Obama is trying to destroy this country. He’s trying to destroy our military, our economy and our spirit. And he’s having a pretty good amount of success in doing it.
If we are serious about budgets, we need to cut the military big time.
Pull all of our troops home and put them on the border with mexico. Trillions of dollars to build schools and roads on the other side of the world, and an ACTUAL invasion is taking place to the south.
Why Robert Gates is awful.
Gates Urges Repeal Of Military’s Ban On Gays
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131147121&ft=1&f=1001
Gates rules out idea of ‘containing’ nuclear-armed Iran
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g80E-D8jO_lh87EGCwYqtB45Nycw
Gates: Turkey ‘pushed eastward’ by Europe
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3902700,00.html
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates Bowing to Foreign Leader
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0b82g87gFf5oj?q=obama
Gates gives nod to Don’t Ask repeal deal
http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0510/Gates_gives_nod_to_Dont_Ask_repeal_amendment.html?showall
Sen. DeMint (R-SC), Sec. Gates Clash Over Missile Defense During First START Hearing
http://www.rightsidenews.com/2010052210286/homeland-security/sen-demint-r-sc-sec-gates-clash-over-missile-defense-during-first-start-hearing.html
Robert Gates aims to kill F-35 jet engine
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37586.html
Robert Gates chides General Stanley McChrystal ‘campaign’ (Oct. 7, 2009!)
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/robert-gates-chides-general-stanley-mcchrystal-campaign/story-e6frg6t6-1225783574749
Afraid to kill: ‘Fighting’ terror with wishful thinking (about Robert gates)
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/afraid_to_kill_CzGsPbHtyjNSdib4rBnt5H
Gates Says (U.S.) Will Share (Satellite Destruction) Data With China
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1974097/posts
Gates Fires At Carriers, Subs, EFV
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/05/03/gates-fires-at-carriers-subs-efv/
Obama administration blocks sale of 6 AH-64D helicopters to Israel - approves 12 to Egypt
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=43763
Gates did his U turn when the republicans agreed with his suggested cuts.
Suddenly they weren’t such a great idea after all.
He is the most politically motivated defense secretary in modern times.
“Achievements” of the Democrats and Barack Hussein Obama:
Continue to destroy the fabric of society by promoting and encouraging homosexuality, pedophilia (”Safe Schools Czar a prime example), and further dependence on government - CHECK
Destroy the economy of the USA - CHECK (via spending, debt, monetary policy, over-regulation, taxes, manipulation of fuel prices, joining lock-step in the globullcrap warming ponzi scheme, gutting our oil and energy production, pushing companies to outsource, etc.)
Destroy our Military - the one Constitutionally-mandated portion of government (national defense), while forcing gays and the acceptance of them on our fighting men and women, by cutting their budget, by holding back on weapons development and deployment, by unilaterally negotiating the reduction of US weapons with absolutely zero like cuts to our old enemy’s stockpiles (Russia/former USSR), selling of weapons secrets to China (thanks for starting that one, Bill Clinton), and more cuts... IN PROGRESS
How much more will Obama and the Democrats be allowed to do before either we become subservient to a foreign power and/or before Americans have had enough and realize that the ballot box is irrelevant?
I only partially agree with you. Of the Trillions in Federal spending - which ONE is absolutely mandated by the Constitution? National Defense. We may disagree on how to “defend” our nation - and thats fine and I believe wholesome. The problem is - over 1/2 of the current Federal Spending is either no stipulated in the US Constitution, or is flagrantly unconstitutional. Simply eliminating unconstitutional spending would bring the debt rapidly under control.
But the part I do agree with your post - WHY are we fighting all over the world against people who will never (and have never) had real desires to experience “freedom”? It’s one thing to bust a people/nation who directly are a threat to us - Iraq might even have qualified. But with Saddam long-dead, we should be done there. They are raking in $Trillions from oil production now (and don’t suffer from the crushing environmental regulations we do). Let the pay for their own way/reconstruction.
Afghanistan - we’ve been there chasing camels and shadows for a long time now - and still have an incredibly unstable area - all which WILL fold back in to the Taliban whenever we leave- whether it is today, tomorrow, next month, or ten years and $Tens of Trillions of future generations’ tax dollars later - Those people know nothing but violence. That is why Islam has been so successful through the Middle East - Islam is the religion of oppression and absolute dictatorial power. As long as Islam has a grip, true freedom will NEVER succeed. Men and women over there from the US Military to teach farmers how to farm, teach how to get clean water, teach how to do so many things... yet when we are gone... they will return right back to their archaic and backwards methods... and will march right back into the former regime’s ways (Taliban).
ANd here at home - we are paying $billions to support businesses who hire illegal workers (who don’t pay taxes, but utilize resources), we have Million unemployed - while millions were here working ILLEGALLY.
.
It is all a huge game - and we wont’ be the only losers - our children and grandchildren will bear the huge cost of this “game”... assuming this nation lasts that long.
Don’t go away mad...just go away.
I know we can count on comrade obama to
force a future Commander in Chief to have
the Nation to “go to war with the army”
it has-—”not the army you might want or
wish to have at a later time.”
When Rickover was finally forced to retire, he bitched about nuclear weapons. Thanks Starman417.
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