Posted on 09/10/2011 12:00:30 PM PDT by Clairity
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned that it will only be a matter of time before America endures another terrorist attack if Congress ends up blaming the defense budget for this country's red ink woes. "The Department of Defense is not what's causing the debt and the deficit. It's the entitlement programs," he told HUMAN EVENTS in an exclusive interview. "If we make that mistake, we're doomed to suffer another attack of some kind, and our intelligence will be less strong and less effective."
Before legislators attempt to take out the nation's crushing debt on the Defense Department, they must understand that spending on the military is low compared with historical averages, said Rumsfeld. He noted that military spending from Eisenhower though LBJ topped 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP), far less than today's 4.7%.
President Obama has already imposed $400 billion in military cuts, and there could be $800 billion more in slashing to follow in the very near future if congressional leaders do not agree on a debt-reduction deal.
Rumsfeld stressed that the military cuts looming today may be similarly disastrous to those that occurred at the end of the Cold War - a precursor, he claims, to creating the vulnerable environment that bred 9/11. The mindset then was, "we can cut the defense budget, we cut the intelligence budget, and we'll be okay. The answer was that we weren't okay. We didn't have the kind of intelligence capability we needed."
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
There is no doubt in my military mind that we’re in for more trouble. Count on it.
With all due respect to Mr. Rumsfeld, there has to be at least 10~20% in waste, fraud, and/or useless programs at the DOD, as there likely is in so many other Federal agencies, that deserves to be cut ASAP.
yep.
That would require a pair. Seen much evidence of that lately?
On the upside, another terrorist attack could cause a very strong reaction. American civil liberties might be limited, more hate speech codes and a stricter political correctness could be imposed by the administration. In addition, to prevent another terrorist attack, any prohibitions and numerical limits against Muslim immigration would be removed completely.
That would show the terrorists. (/Obama)
Yes! Big Government will save us all! /sarc
If we allow this administration to replace the Bill of Rights with a Bill of Entitlements, America will crumble.
If we allow this administration to replace our Constitutional Republic with a direct Democracy, America will crumble.
The heart and soul of this great country was built on self reliance and personal responsibility, underpinned by a Judeo-Christian ethic.
We have reached a point where Godless atheism and an entitlement mentality have been allowed to crush that heart and soul.
It is time America, for another Tea Party.
This time it must not be isolated to Boston!
Yes, but notice which entity is always addressed up front. Yep, it’s the military, not all those other Federal agencies.
Defense is always a waste, fraud, or useless program magnet, whenever cuts in government spending is required.
The one department the government is tasked with actually funding, is the first one cut. Even as Conservatives, that’s the go to department.
Uh, no thanks.
Is there need for military cuts? There probably are. Now, do we want Obama and the Democrat Senate to devise what those cuts will be?
Uh, no thanks.
My problem is that when politicians (of both parties) make of a list of 10 places to cut, nine of those 10 places tend to be Defense. That's not right. That sort of cutting isn't done because anyone wants to be fiscally responsible; that sort of cutting is done because some folks hate the military.
I'd swallow defense cuts if other programs are also deeply cut. But Rumsfeld is right -- we are likely to regret such defense cutting, and the Left better be ready for a giant "I told you so".
However, I don't have much of a problem with defense being 5% or even 10% of a Federal budget (which would mean no further cuts from here on). Defense is a Federal responsibility. Entitlements are not, however, and they presently far outweigh the defense budget. Entitlements should be near 0% IMO and given largely to the states for them to handle.
Gute wise leadership.
Gut God from every sector.
Gut the military budget.
Gut support of our last ME ally, Israel.
Embrace homosexuality into the militry
Effect: Complete and utter Disaster
Republicans agreed to this like scoundrels.
Waste can be trimmed without compromising our Military Defenses.
No need to cut the Military’s budget, trim the waste in D.C. associated with civilian staff and contractors and prosecute fraud if they want to save money.
No, it’s the disagreement in the Super Committee that will cut the Military equal to all entitlement cuts combined, that’s what Republicans agreed to when they signed on. Sounded stupid initially too.
I agree with most of your posts, but do you really feel that all expenditures should be weighted equally? Our national security should be given more consideration than every item in the budget in my opinion.
“My problem is that when politicians (of both parties) make of a list of 10 places to cut, nine of those 10 places tend to be Defense. That’s not right. That sort of cutting isn’t done because anyone wants to be fiscally responsible; that sort of cutting is done because some folks hate the military.”
You are absolutely right. That’s why Obama won’t tell us where the money is coming from for his “jobs program”, until after it’s passed, and then Congress will be pushed into a corner to cut defense, now that the spending plan is already passed.
No, he isn’t. We need to cut big government across the board including our bloated Pentagon budget. A disaster like Rummy is the last person to listen to about anything.
Not stupid at all! Pull the triggers. Conservatives now have a choice. Do they have actual cuts in big government or are they will to sacrifice this goal to defend our bloated Pentagon budget?
What does policing the world and putting bases on every nook and cranny on the planet have to do with “national security?”
It’s stupid because all different entitlements should be cut equally across the board as the Military; not $500 billion Military for $500 billion every thing else combined.
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