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Re: Current Events Thread
I was very vocal about my opposition to Trump's escalation of force in Syria
I can vouch for this. I was for blowing the place off the map and Flagg and I disagreed on the issue of Syria....here and at SLC's forum.
I'm with Bri on this drone issue...it happens often enough you forget which presidents are responsible for which botched strikes.
Yes it's beyond fucked up that children die in these strikes..but you go with the intel you got and it's the price of doing business.
It was definitely a mistake to dance in the end zone like the Biden admin did. It makes you look like a fool when the facts come out.
I used to criticize Obama for his lack of comments on various strikes but now I can see why he didn't want to strut like Ric Flair when they happened....
Less egg on your face if it goes tits up.
Re: Current Events Thread
When are we going to address the obscene money the government throws at our military to do nothing except occupy foreign countries. What other industry do you get to retire after 20 years with a full pension and benefits? The military industrial complex is the single most bloated piece of the budget in our country. We've gotten almost zero return on that investment as a country.
Are you on crack?!?
In the 21st century in the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States became a hyper-power. There's everyone fighting for scraps at the bottom, Russia and China slightly above them, and the US miles above all of them.
While I agree the defense budget is getting a tad too high, gutting it is not the answer. There should be some cuts here and there but under no circumstances can we allow Russia, China, the EU, or any potential adversaries to move up as the US military goes in decline.
I would be for budget increases as long as it keeps US supremacy as the status quo.
You want to see a nightmare world? Place any country that's not the US in the number one spot.
We're about to remind the world who's boss with the unveiling of one of our classified space weapons. We can only have such weapons in our arsenal thanks to the bloated defense budget.
Zero return on our investment? You're crazy...
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Current Events Thread
mitchejw wrote:When are we going to address the obscene money the government throws at our military to do nothing except occupy foreign countries. What other industry do you get to retire after 20 years with a full pension and benefits? The military industrial complex is the single most bloated piece of the budget in our country. We've gotten almost zero return on that investment as a country.
Are you on crack?!?
In the 21st century in the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States became a hyper-power. There's everyone fighting for scraps at the bottom, Russia and China slightly above them, and the US miles above all of them.
While I agree the defense budget is getting a tad too high, gutting it is not the answer. There should be some cuts here and there but under no circumstances can we allow Russia, China, the EU, or any potential adversaries to move up as the US military goes in decline.
I would be for budget increases as long as it keeps US supremacy as the status quo.
You want to see a nightmare world? Place any country that's not the US in the number one spot.
We're about to remind the world who's boss with the unveiling of one of our classified space weapons. We can only have such weapons in our arsenal thanks to the bloated defense budget.
Zero return on our investment? You're crazy...
If you really want to cut the defense budget, let's start with ending the Marine Corps. It's the smallest of the four services and its primary mission - amphibious landings, isn't something it has ever really executed. D-Day? The largest and most memorable amphibious assault in the modern world - entirely done without the Marine Corps. Good luck getting California to ever allow the DoD to end their Marine Bases though.
But if you really want to cut the budget, get rid of all the private contractors that the military has allowed to take over nearly every facet of maintenance and supply. You need that Stryker fixed? A civilian is going to be doing that work instead of an Army trained mechanic. You want meals served on base or in a combat zone, civilians are doing that instead of Army trained cooks. You want a computer network installed, operated and maintained, well you're gonna have a shit ton of civilians in the mix instead of the Soldiers the American tax payer shells out millions per trained soldier. There was a great article from the AP last week on this very topic: https://www.yahoo.com/news/study-critic … 07607.html This is the shit Eisenhower warned us about. Not the US being the premiere military force in the world. He was very happy with being the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe.
There's a lot of fat and cuts that need to be made to the defense budget. But attacking the pensions of people who spent years in combat in favor of handing out free shit to humans so lazy and stupid they can't figure out how to make $15 is just so off the reservation and removed from how any society should function, you have to ask if the suggestion is serious or just more bait.
Re: Current Events Thread
Now that you mention it, I remember when the idea was floated a few years ago to downsize the Marines and morph it into a small amphibious force almost verging on a type of special forces.
I think the world had a conniption fit over it since it was suggested on Trump's watch.... just like how they hate the Space Force.
It's not a bad idea I suppose, but where does it stop? That's gonna be one of the problems when we finally decide to do real cuts.
Here's another example...
Number one air force in the world?
United States
Number two air force in the world?
Russia? China? France? UK? Iran?
Nope....
It's the United States Navy.
Will there be politicians who find that redundant and want one of them downsized?
One thing that should be cut is when the military says they have no desire for a certain program. Instead of building it and funneling the money into certain congressional districts, it's instantly cut.
Having said this, such strategic cuts don't necessarily cut the overall budget.
Example...
We cut some new tank program... saving 20 billion dollars. We then give an increase in salary to our troops.
It's not going to be easy.
Good point on the private contractors mixing in with the military... creating a huge mess. Won't be easy to change that neither.
Re: Current Events Thread
I mean…that’s it….co-vid kills hundreds of thousands and those on the right shrug….selected and the right shrugs….and then selectively the right feigns outrage (i.e., Benghazi).
We’re talking about a few dozen deaths vs hundreds of thousands.
Proportionality should be a guideline to war….especially when the war is politically motivated.
The right created these problems at large….now they’re trying to blame the solutions on the left.
Re: Current Events Thread
mitchejw wrote:When are we going to address the obscene money the government throws at our military to do nothing except occupy foreign countries. What other industry do you get to retire after 20 years with a full pension and benefits? The military industrial complex is the single most bloated piece of the budget in our country. We've gotten almost zero return on that investment as a country.
Are you on crack?!?
In the 21st century in the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States became a hyper-power. There's everyone fighting for scraps at the bottom, Russia and China slightly above them, and the US miles above all of them.
While I agree the defense budget is getting a tad too high, gutting it is not the answer. There should be some cuts here and there but under no circumstances can we allow Russia, China, the EU, or any potential adversaries to move up as the US military goes in decline.
I would be for budget increases as long as it keeps US supremacy as the status quo.
You want to see a nightmare world? Place any country that's not the US in the number one spot.
We're about to remind the world who's boss with the unveiling of one of our classified space weapons. We can only have such weapons in our arsenal thanks to the bloated defense budget.
Zero return on our investment? You're crazy...
If our foreign policy requires that we occupy the foreign world indefinitely then that’s not a solution.
Trump set all this shit in motion…he would have celebrated all this as a victory.
Re: Current Events Thread
Back to the comment on ZERO return on our investment ....
A few years ago Syria used chemical weapons. Trump tweeted he was going to teach them a lesson. Russia said they weren't going to allow it...Trump tweeted that not only was Russia not gonna tell us what to do, this time the missiles would be smart!
The US strike the next day used stealth tomahawk missiles and Russia...who likes to claim they have the most advanced anti-aircraft/anri-missile system in the world.... literally turned the damn thing off hours before the strike.
Why? Because they weren't willing to risk the US showing that its impotent in a conflict.
One american missile is capable of getting the second most powerful military in the world to turn its lights off.
I call that a hefty return on that investment...
Two years prior to that strike, a handful of American troops were patrolling some shit hole in Syria. In the same town were about 500 Russian mercenaries. They got the bright idea to kill the Americans or make them pull out so they could take their position.
They start firing on our troops.
Minutes later, thanks to a well placed drone strike...
Most of those mercenaries were dead.
No US casualties.
Another nice return on our investment.
Just to make you feel better, I think this incident happened at the tail end of Obama's presidency.
Another great investment is the B1 and B2 bombers... which Carter killed but Reagan brought back from the dead.
30+ years later, the B-2 is still the most advanced bomber in the world that no one has been able to replicate.
Russia's best bomber is virtually a B1 clone but not as good.
Look at our aircraft carrier fleets and then look at the rest of the world's in comparison.
Russia needs a barge to tow theirs and one of China's two is a recycled Russian carrier that was initially going to be a casino.
Re: Current Events Thread
James wrote:mitchejw wrote:When are we going to address the obscene money the government throws at our military to do nothing except occupy foreign countries. What other industry do you get to retire after 20 years with a full pension and benefits? The military industrial complex is the single most bloated piece of the budget in our country. We've gotten almost zero return on that investment as a country.
Are you on crack?!?
In the 21st century in the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States became a hyper-power. There's everyone fighting for scraps at the bottom, Russia and China slightly above them, and the US miles above all of them.
While I agree the defense budget is getting a tad too high, gutting it is not the answer. There should be some cuts here and there but under no circumstances can we allow Russia, China, the EU, or any potential adversaries to move up as the US military goes in decline.
I would be for budget increases as long as it keeps US supremacy as the status quo.
You want to see a nightmare world? Place any country that's not the US in the number one spot.
We're about to remind the world who's boss with the unveiling of one of our classified space weapons. We can only have such weapons in our arsenal thanks to the bloated defense budget.
Zero return on our investment? You're crazy...
If our foreign policy requires that we occupy the foreign world indefinitely then that’s not a solution.
Trump set all this shit in motion…he would have celebrated all this as a victory.
What are you talking about? Trump set 20 year old conflicts into motion and gets credited with turning the US into a hyper-power?
You give him more credit than his supporters do and it's like you think he's some kind of God.
If only one single president gets credited with setting the country on the path it took heading into the 21st century, it's Reagan.
Re: Current Events Thread
If our foreign policy requires that we occupy the foreign world indefinitely then that’s not a solution.
What's your solution... abandoning all our bases across the globe and letting other powers move in?
That would create an assortment of regional conflicts that could quickly morph into WWIII.
The world is as peaceful as it is thanks to US forces strategically placed across the globe and the fact we patrol vital regions.
What do you want our country to do?!?
- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
