OT: One man takes a stand against socialism

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=pri_dk]

We have a huge component of defense spending that exits just to subsidize the economy. Remember when the USSR claimed 100% employment? How did they pull that off? By making everyone a government employee (many of them military) and paying them to do things that brought no economic value. How did that work out for them in the long run?

We are doing the same thing today in the defense industry. Taxing the public and redistributing the wealth through the military-industrial complex. It is no different than the socialist systems of the USSR and North Korea, but some folks can’t see it that way because they’ve been duped into thinking that labeling the government-controlled defense economy as socialist would somehow be un-American.

The purpose of the military should be defense, not economic stimulus. Our military spending is comparable to the rest of the world combined (including or allies.) There is no conceivable way that this amount of spending is necessary for our protection. The only explanation is that most of it is simply a glorified worker/welfare program.

[/quote]

Pri: I spent my years in the Army during the waning years of the Cold War (1983 – 1988) and as part of Reagan’s “Million Man Army”. I think during the Cold War one could make a legitimate case for spending the dollars we did on defense and that spending ultimately ended the Soviet Union.

However, you cannot make that same case now, and even lining up the Chinese, Russians, NKoreans and Iranians, we’d be hard-pressed to not only justify the dollars, but some of the programs as well. The C-17 is an excellent example of unnecessary spending, as is the F-35. However, they are outstanding pork programs and defense contractors have learned to subcontract out through various congressional districts to keep the support in place.

We need to cut defense, along with entitlement spending and we need to raise taxes. I realize, as a conservative, that represents a marked departure from ideology, but we’re rapidly approaching the point of no return and need to learn the lessons of Greece, Japan and the larger Euro-zone.

[Jim Jones]

Here is an excellent Wiki on the topic at hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_triangle

As part of an Organizational Behavior class I took I read a great excerpt from this book here on the Military Industrial Complex published surprisingly in 1981.

[Jim Jones]

Here is an excellent Wiki on the topic at hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_triangle

As part of an Organizational Behavior class I took I read a great excerpt from this book here on the Military Industrial Complex published surprisingly in 1981.

[Jim Jones]

Here is an excellent Wiki on the topic at hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_triangle

As part of an Organizational Behavior class I took I read a great excerpt from this book here on the Military Industrial Complex published surprisingly in 1981.

[Jim Jones]

Here is an excellent Wiki on the topic at hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_triangle

As part of an Organizational Behavior class I took I read a great excerpt from this book here on the Military Industrial Complex published surprisingly in 1981.

[Jim Jones]

Here is an excellent Wiki on the topic at hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_triangle

As part of an Organizational Behavior class I took I read a great excerpt from this book here on the Military Industrial Complex published surprisingly in 1981.

[briansd1]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Why don’t you send an open letter to your guy, Obama, and point out the same things? After all, he just instituted the largest defense budget in the history of the Republic.[/quote]

That’s a good idea.

But I don’t think that Obama can, all by himself, cut defense spending without being attacked by the right as being soft on terrorism.

That’s why Robert Gates, a Republican Secretary of Defense, is the leading the charge. Clearly, the Obama Administration is recognizing that military spending out out line and they are trying to do something about it.

With military spending and immigration reform, Obama will need help from Republicans. Otherwise, nothing will be done.

[briansd1]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Why don’t you send an open letter to your guy, Obama, and point out the same things? After all, he just instituted the largest defense budget in the history of the Republic.[/quote]

That’s a good idea.

But I don’t think that Obama can, all by himself, cut defense spending without being attacked by the right as being soft on terrorism.

That’s why Robert Gates, a Republican Secretary of Defense, is the leading the charge. Clearly, the Obama Administration is recognizing that military spending out out line and they are trying to do something about it.

With military spending and immigration reform, Obama will need help from Republicans. Otherwise, nothing will be done.

[briansd1]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Why don’t you send an open letter to your guy, Obama, and point out the same things? After all, he just instituted the largest defense budget in the history of the Republic.[/quote]

That’s a good idea.

But I don’t think that Obama can, all by himself, cut defense spending without being attacked by the right as being soft on terrorism.

That’s why Robert Gates, a Republican Secretary of Defense, is the leading the charge. Clearly, the Obama Administration is recognizing that military spending out out line and they are trying to do something about it.

With military spending and immigration reform, Obama will need help from Republicans. Otherwise, nothing will be done.

[briansd1]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Why don’t you send an open letter to your guy, Obama, and point out the same things? After all, he just instituted the largest defense budget in the history of the Republic.[/quote]

That’s a good idea.

But I don’t think that Obama can, all by himself, cut defense spending without being attacked by the right as being soft on terrorism.

That’s why Robert Gates, a Republican Secretary of Defense, is the leading the charge. Clearly, the Obama Administration is recognizing that military spending out out line and they are trying to do something about it.

With military spending and immigration reform, Obama will need help from Republicans. Otherwise, nothing will be done.

[briansd1]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Why don’t you send an open letter to your guy, Obama, and point out the same things? After all, he just instituted the largest defense budget in the history of the Republic.[/quote]

That’s a good idea.

But I don’t think that Obama can, all by himself, cut defense spending without being attacked by the right as being soft on terrorism.

That’s why Robert Gates, a Republican Secretary of Defense, is the leading the charge. Clearly, the Obama Administration is recognizing that military spending out out line and they are trying to do something about it.

With military spending and immigration reform, Obama will need help from Republicans. Otherwise, nothing will be done.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Wait a minute. Wasn’t Obama the guy who pledged to check every line on the federal budget and eliminate waste and mis-spending?

As far as the Obama Administration recognizing that military spending is out of line: Why in the hell did Obama just approve the largest defense budget ever? That is completely insane: Obama, recognizing that military spending is out of line, goes ahead and votes for MORE of it. Uh, yeah, okay, that makes sense.

No, Gates is doing this on his own, completely independent of Obama, and you’d better believe that Gates knows how many pols, Dem and Repub, have fat defense jobs in their home districts, and will fight this tooth and claw.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Wait a minute. Wasn’t Obama the guy who pledged to check every line on the federal budget and eliminate waste and mis-spending?

As far as the Obama Administration recognizing that military spending is out of line: Why in the hell did Obama just approve the largest defense budget ever? That is completely insane: Obama, recognizing that military spending is out of line, goes ahead and votes for MORE of it. Uh, yeah, okay, that makes sense.

No, Gates is doing this on his own, completely independent of Obama, and you’d better believe that Gates knows how many pols, Dem and Repub, have fat defense jobs in their home districts, and will fight this tooth and claw.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Wait a minute. Wasn’t Obama the guy who pledged to check every line on the federal budget and eliminate waste and mis-spending?

As far as the Obama Administration recognizing that military spending is out of line: Why in the hell did Obama just approve the largest defense budget ever? That is completely insane: Obama, recognizing that military spending is out of line, goes ahead and votes for MORE of it. Uh, yeah, okay, that makes sense.

No, Gates is doing this on his own, completely independent of Obama, and you’d better believe that Gates knows how many pols, Dem and Repub, have fat defense jobs in their home districts, and will fight this tooth and claw.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Brian: Wait a minute. Wasn’t Obama the guy who pledged to check every line on the federal budget and eliminate waste and mis-spending?

As far as the Obama Administration recognizing that military spending is out of line: Why in the hell did Obama just approve the largest defense budget ever? That is completely insane: Obama, recognizing that military spending is out of line, goes ahead and votes for MORE of it. Uh, yeah, okay, that makes sense.

No, Gates is doing this on his own, completely independent of Obama, and you’d better believe that Gates knows how many pols, Dem and Repub, have fat defense jobs in their home districts, and will fight this tooth and claw.

[Author]

Posts