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... There is ONE area that I've read is likely to get substantial budget cuts in the future. Which one you ask? The military budget. ...
"Cuts"?
Quote:
The National Interest
... The Obama administration has proposed a $40 billion (8 percent) hike in military outlays in 2010 to $527.7 billion. (Counting Iraq and Afghanistan will push annual military spending up to around $700 billion.) President Obama plans to continue increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps ... on top of a 75 percent increase in real military outlays under the Bush administration. ...
The Wall Street Journal's coverage is even nuttier:
Quote:
Barack Obama's Budget Reduces Defense Spending - WSJ.com
... The White House proposes to spend $533.7 billion on the Pentagon, a 4% increase over 2009. Include spending on Iraq and Afghanistan, which would be another $130 billion (or a total of $664 billion) ...
... More ominously, Mr. Obama's budget has overall defense spending falling sharply starting in future years -- to $614 billion in 2011 ...
If I'm clear on the concept, the proposed budgets "cut" appropriations for the military from
$489 billion in 2008 to
$533 billion in 2009 to
$540 billion in 2010 to
$614 billion in 2011.
__________________
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Douglas Campbell, P.E.
1986 Isuzu P'up, 177,673.8 miles.
- Hella headlights (highly recommended)
- DOT C-2 back end (also recommended)
- R-12 air conditioner converted to R-406a. Saved ozone and money
- 4.1:1 final drive converted to 3.4:1. Quieter, better mileage but it's a good thing I live in the flat Midwest.
- 9/22/2007, age 21: Still running well when reluctantly sent away for reincarnation, due to body & frame rust.
I would not call a reduction in the rate of growth a cut. SecDef didn't mention any specifics. I hope that the numbers you show prove to be accurate so that defense spending can remain a healthy 1/10th of the government handout programs.
The thing is we have flat worn out lots of our military equipment in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will cost a fortune just to replace the equipment and get us back to square one.
I hope that the Chinese continue to loan us money so we'll be able to keep our military ready (in case we have to fight them).
"The best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is ... with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest," Obama said at Tuesday's news conference.
So he is moving us out of the borrow and spend era by borrowing (or printing) and spending $3.6T???
He is partially correct. We won't be borrowing as much in the future. Other countries are beginning to doubt that we will be able to pay them back. Unless we reverse this trend we are on, they will stop loaning to us. Enjoy the big orgy of spending while you can boys because guaranteed this joy ride won't last much longer.
There is already talk in China that they need collateral to secure their loans:
The president of the European Union apparently hadn't drunk the Kool-Aid yet and had some rather negative comments about the spending trends in the US:
By borrowing, printing and spending money at the rate we are, we are weakening the value of the dollar. Luckily for the US, the rest of the world is experiencing similar problems and for now, the dollar looks as good as any other options. Confidence in the dollar is what is helping it hold value against other currencies. But confidence can be lost very quickly, and once the slide starts, the dollar could take a heckuva beating very quickly.
... China, who refers to us as their #1 enemy, has been boosting their military spending 15% every year for the last five years ...
If they manage to continue inflating their current $70 Billion military budget by 15% each year, (even assuming that exponential growth were sustainable) they might rival total American spending sometime around the year 2040 and per-capita American spending sometime around the year 2060.
__________________
-
Douglas Campbell, P.E.
1986 Isuzu P'up, 177,673.8 miles.
- Hella headlights (highly recommended)
- DOT C-2 back end (also recommended)
- R-12 air conditioner converted to R-406a. Saved ozone and money
- 4.1:1 final drive converted to 3.4:1. Quieter, better mileage but it's a good thing I live in the flat Midwest.
- 9/22/2007, age 21: Still running well when reluctantly sent away for reincarnation, due to body & frame rust.
I agree that our military budget is currently MUCH larger than China's. It's much larger than the combined military budgets of most of the countries in the world!
Unfortunately, it has to be. For better or worse, we currently hold the role of being the protector of much of the world. With troops and equipment currently spread over 150 countries worldwide, it takes a big budget to keep it going. I am not arguing that all of this is necessary, but, well, that's where we're currently at.
In recent years with us fighting 2 wars (actually, I'd call it 1.5 wars, considering the fairly small effort in Afghanistan), our troops and equipment were stretched pretty thin. Distracted as we are, an opposing military won't need to be as big as ours to present a problem.
Oh, nevermind! As of today, the "War on Terror" is over!!!
The "War on Terror" is now just a piddly little "Overseas Contingency Operation". Bing bang boom. Problem solved.
Contingency Operation? Contingency??? How is that the proper word? What does that mean. Maybe we've got a problem, maybe we don't? I guess it varies from day to day. They'll let us know.
I agree that our military budget is currently MUCH larger than China's. It's much larger than the combined military budgets of most of the countries in the world!
Unfortunately, it has to be. For better or worse, we currently hold the role of being the protector of much of the world. With troops and equipment currently spread over 150 countries worldwide, it takes a big budget to keep it going. I am not arguing that all of this is necessary, but, well, that's where we're currently at.
In recent years with us fighting 2 wars (actually, I'd call it 1.5 wars, considering the fairly small effort in Afghanistan), our troops and equipment were stretched pretty thin. Distracted as we are, an opposing military won't need to be as big as ours to present a problem.
Oh, nevermind! As of today, the "War on Terror" is over!!!
The "War on Terror" is now just a piddly little "Overseas Contingency Operation". Bing bang boom. Problem solved.
Contingency Operation? Contingency??? How is that the proper word? What does that mean. Maybe we've got a problem, maybe we don't? I guess it varies from day to day. They'll let us know.
Why not simply leave the middle-east, focus on energy independence and protecting our borders?
I could care less what happens in Iraq. The Middle-East and the United States would both be better off without us over there.
They had a story on the local news about that a couple months ago and were interviewing people crying about how they had called three times and still had not received their free phone. I'll have to keep my opinion to myself about this one or I might get kicked off the site...
They had a story on the local news about that a couple months ago and were interviewing people crying about how they had called three times and still had not received their free phone. I'll have to keep my opinion to myself about this one or I might get kicked off the site...
How do you feel about former President Bush using your Tax Dollars to Bail out Investment Bankers?
Almost sorry I started reading all this. Depressing How can so much be borrowed? Where is it going to come from? I was 18 and got my first credit card. I ran up $400 in the first month I had it. It was great. The next month I had to make a minimum payment of $40. Didn't touch the card the next month and my statement came back showing a balance of $415. People learn about borrowing, what will happen if the country keeps doing this with no real payback in sight? I mean, where's a good country to illegally migrate to and soak up free benefits and pay me good money with no tax so I can send it to my home country to my family? ...oh, wait, I guess I'm already there. I wonder if there were real enforcement on the borders if that would spruce up the boat we're all in..
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1996 PSD supercab longbed 4x4 XLT white/grey int. TS 6 position chip, New turbo w/1.00 Turbine housing 3" dp 5" exh. no cat, no muff 6" stainless slash tip. DIY Napa intake Sony Xplod stereo, door speaks, amps and subs. Autometer gauges and pod E4OD 150k miles. GEAR VENDORS! One piece rear drive shaft, two piece front shaft 4" Superlift on Weld wheels wrapped with Pro-Comp Xtremes. Clean. All rebuilt fuel system/new pump, new SD Intercooler, Modified Banks Pipe kit. **********SOLD**********
2002 Silverado 5.3 1500 2wd stock Pioneer Navi 1 daily driver 110k miles
1996 Kawasaki SXI750 twin big Mikunis factory pipe R&D head/rideplate kustom kut solas impeller ported/polished big power, little ski 58mph w/235lb rider on VP-C14
1988 Suzuki LT500 Quadzilla
1978 Suzuki FZ50
1977 Suzuki FZ50
1978 Motobecane 50V
Did you also notice that the NEA received $80 million of the $787,000 million economic stimulus bill? And the Frameline film house received $0.05 million of that? On a per-capita basis, that's $0.00017.
I think you may be straining at a gnat. But that's why Fox News exists, to distract and misinform.
1986 Isuzu P'up, 177,673.8 miles.
- Hella headlights (highly recommended)
- DOT C-2 back end (also recommended)
- R-12 air conditioner converted to R-406a. Saved ozone and money
- 4.1:1 final drive converted to 3.4:1. Quieter, better mileage but it's a good thing I live in the flat Midwest.
- 9/22/2007, age 21: Still running well when reluctantly sent away for reincarnation, due to body & frame rust.
When the government is taking the earnings of the citizens under the threat of force, they need to take as little as possible and spend it on only things that are absolutely necessary.
All federal funding for the NEA should be removed.
Added in edit. that picture is friggin disgusting. Someone from congress should have to stand up and defend the need for federal funds for it.
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How can so much be borrowed? Where is it going to come from? I was 18 and got my first credit card. I ran up $400 in the first month I had it. It was great. The next month I had to make a minimum payment of $40. Didn't touch the card the next month and my statement came back showing a balance of $415. People learn about borrowing, what will happen if the country keeps doing this with no real payback in sight? I mean, where's a good country to illegally migrate to and soak up free benefits and pay me good money with no tax so I can send it to my home country to my family? ...oh, wait, I guess I'm already there. I wonder if there were real enforcement on the borders if that would spruce up the boat we're all in..
3" dp 5" exh. no cat, no muff 6" stainless slash tip. DIY Napa intake Sony Xplod stereo, door speaks, amps and subs. Autometer gauges and pod E4OD 150k miles. GEAR VENDORS! One piece rear drive shaft, two piece front shaft 4" Superlift on Weld wheels wrapped with Pro-Comp Xtremes. Clean. All rebuilt fuel system/new pump, new SD Intercooler, Modified Banks Pipe kit. **********SOLD**********
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