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U.S. defense cuts could cost 1.5 million jobs: Lawmaker
Vancouver Sun ^ | DECEMBER 13, 2011 | David Alexander

Posted on 12/15/2011 9:47:15 AM PST by cizinec

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - U.S. defense cuts that begin in the 2012 budget will ultimately cost up to 800,000 jobs, and additional spending reductions could push that figure to 1.5 million over the next decade, a top Republican lawmaker testified on Tuesday.

Representative Buck McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said his panel estimated the initial $489 billion in defense cuts approved by Congress would cost 100,000 military jobs, mostly Army and Marines, as well as 200,000 civilian defense jobs and 500,000 defense industry positions.

(Excerpt) Read more at vancouversun.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; defense; marinecorps; military
I realize that there is a contingent here at FR that believes this is just wonderful.

The US Army and Marine Corps are being cut to the point of being ineffective.

National defense is what the government is *supposed* to do. Stop saying "We support our troops," while sending 100,000 soldiers into a dead economy while bailing out banks, funding loser corporations like Solyndra, spending 40% of the budget on welfare programs (SS, Medicare and Medicaid), and then using the DoD funds to buy expensive equipment (like jet engines the DoD doesn't even want from a corporation that doesn't even pay taxes) while screwing those who serve.

I'm not saying there doesn't need to be a review of military spending, but this is absurd and obscene. Anyone who knows history knows how this is going to end, and it won't end well.

1 posted on 12/15/2011 9:47:20 AM PST by cizinec
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To: cizinec

Bob Dole said the first Gulf War was about jobs.


2 posted on 12/15/2011 9:55:23 AM PST by Terry Mross (I'll only vote for a second party)
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To: cizinec

$4 Billion dollars wasted, utterly wasted on non-existent “Shovel Ready Jobs”. If this would have worked, this would have provided temporary low wage, low skill labor for a couple months around the country. Then, we’d have repaird roads and bridges, and gain have unemployment.

Whereas the Dems cut aerospace programs like this, weaken our ability to defend our country, create unemployment of skilled labor, engineers, software programmers and advancement in new materials (carbon fiber development, silicates, radar, laser and communications development, and new paints and coatings) that have enormous spin-off business opportunties. Now, we will have the middle class again decimated, and what has Zero really accomplished?

We are no where near, where we were 4 years ago. 4 years ago, I had a decent paying job, a nice home and a retirement. The good news is that I have nothing left to lose.


3 posted on 12/15/2011 10:08:27 AM PST by Hodar ( Who needs laws; when this FEELS so right?)
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To: cizinec

at least half of them in John Murtha’s former district...


4 posted on 12/15/2011 11:27:42 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Hodar

I am in a similar boat.


5 posted on 12/15/2011 11:28:25 AM PST by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: cizinec

Some people lie and then some people are damn lairs. The cuts are in projected growth, the frigging base line is larger than it was last year.


6 posted on 12/15/2011 11:37:03 AM PST by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by "AMNESTY" Newt, Willard, Perry and his fellow supporters)
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