The fastest way to begin to fix our Financial Problems

[Straw Man]

Massive cuts in Defense Spending

It has to be done and we all know it

[Dan-O]

Massive cuts in Defense Spending

It has to be done and we all know it

OR, why don't you move to Canada.  Their dollar is stronger right now, your financial problems are fixed!  And we have one less namby-pamby in the US who wants to gut the military.  It's a win/win!

[Buffgeek]

Massive cuts in Defense Spending

It has to be done and we all know it

Okay Barney Frank.

[Straw Man]

OR, why don't you move to Canada.  Their dollar is stronger right now, your financial problems are fixed!  And we have one less namby-pamby in the US who wants to gut the military.  It's a win/win!

I personally don't have any financial problems

The fact is that we have to either raise revenue or cut expenditures

[Hedgehog]

OR, why don't you move to Canada.  Their dollar is stronger right now, your financial problems are fixed!  And we have one less namby-pamby in the US who wants to gut the military.  It's a win/win!

That won't fix any financial problems.

But with either McCain or Obama in office, USA will vastly improve its foreign relations.

And thus the need for defence spending can be drastically lowered.

McCain has a reputation for his experience, and he woul probably be able to play the cards much better than Bush.

Obama has already hinted that he will put an end to the war in Iraq, and will focus on finding Bin Ladin - a little more cost effective than the Bush administration.

So whoever wins the election - has the tools to slim the obscene Military spending.

McCain is even known for challengening bad military contracts.

I think slimming down the military and doing it big time is one of the quick fixes for the economy.

[Dan-O]

That won't fix any financial problems.

But with either McCain or Obama in office, USA will vastly improve its foreign relations.

And thus the need for defence spending can be drastically lowered.

McCain has a reputation for his experience, and he woul probably be able to play the cards much better than Bush.

Obama has already hinted that he will put an end to the war in Iraq, and will focus on finding Bin Ladin - a little more cost effective than the Bush administration.

So whoever wins the election - has the tools to slim the obscene Military spending.

McCain is even known for challengening bad military contracts.

I think slimming down the military and doing it big time is one of the quick fixes for the economy.

One of the first Obama TV spots that I saw, it must have been either last year or early this year, just made me have to sigh and roll my eyes...  it was when he said "we can end this war."  It's not OUR war, we didn't start it.  We can pull out, that is certainly an option...  But we did not START the war and ergo we cannot END it.  At least not short of a Hiroshima-type solution.   j/k, hahaha.  But this "war" has been ongoing and slowly building...  the USS Cole...  the first WTC bombing...  9/11...  Of course we all could argue about who did what and when.  But just because we pull out doesn't mean the war is just going to magically be over and our enemies will be appeased and stop hating us and plotting their next grand assault.  It's naive to think we can just gut our military and voila, our fiscal problems are solved.

I think, as we've discussed before, there are so many other more wasteful and truly unnecessary government agencies and programs that could be eliminated without weakening our military.

The reality is, the US does occupy a unique place in the world.  I know most of the rest of the world would like it if we would just join the EU or whatever and fall in step.  But I do believe this is still the greatest country in the world and I don't apologize for that.  I didn't make it that way...  I'm just blessed and grateful to live here and be one of "we the people."  We are who we are and the price of freedom, TRUE freedom, is of course eternal vigilance.

[Straw Man]

One of the first Obama TV spots that I saw, it must have been either last year or early this year, just made me have to sigh and roll my eyes...  it was when he said "we can end this war."  It's not OUR war, we didn't start it.  We can pull out, that is certainly an option...  But we did not START the war and ergo we cannot END it.  At least not short of a Hiroshima-type solution.   j/k, hahaha.  But just because we pull out doesn't mean the war is just going to magically be over and our enemies will be appeased and stop hating us and plotting their next grand assault.  It's naive to think we can just gut our military and voila, our fiscal problems are solved.

I think, as we've discussed before, there are so many other more wasteful and truly unnecessary government agencies and programs that could be eliminated without weakening our military.

The reality is, the US does occupy a unique place in the world.  I know most of the rest of the world would like it if we would just join the EU or whatever and fall in step.  But I do believe this is still the greatest country in the world and I don't apologize for that.  I didn't make it that way...  I'm just blessed and grateful to live here and be one of "we the people."

which war are you talking about?

[Dan-O]

which war are you talking about?

Go back and re-read...  I added a little more supporting info in my post to make it more clear what I was talking about.

[Straw Man]

Go back and re-read...  I added a little more supporting info in my post to make it more clear what I was talking about.

I read it and it's not clear at all.   Based on your examples I have to assume you're talking about the war in Afghanistan but shouldn't we have also opened up fronts in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan?

Certainly you don't think Iraq started the war with us?

[Dan-O]

I read it and it's not clear at all.   Based on your examples I have to assume you're talking about the war in Afghanistan but shouldn't we have also opened up fronts in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan?

Certainly you don't think Iraq started the war with us?

Ugghh...  a discussion of the war would require a whole other thread...  but this 21st-century war against terror isn't just on any one front or confined to any one country, of course...  surely you realize that as well...  these anti-western extremists (we both know who they are) are insidious and widespread...  Add to that list the various despotic megalomaniacal leaders that invariably pop up from time to time who are just itching to take the US down a notch or two...  I mean surely I'm not telling you anything you don't already know... 

To defend ourselves against these types of threats (which, let's face it, are never going to completely go away), it's not war like it was in our parents' and grandparents' generations...  it's going to require a long, protracted, sustained effort and a strong, well-equipped, well-trained military is simply not optional.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is either naive, stupid, or intentionally wants to weaken our military so we are more vulnerable to outside threats.

[240 is Back]

Mccain admits he's going to cut defense spending,, silly.  he admitted it himself, and his chief economic adviser detailed it to Forbes Magazine.

Has anyone realized we have 800 bases?  And China, the next largest, only has 80?
Has anyone realized we have more military spending than the next 23 nations on earth COMBINED?

Has anyone realized we might just be spending too MUCH on defense spending?  Perhaps we can "only" have 700 bases, and solve the economic crisis... what do you think?

Forbes: McCain Will Cut Defense Spending To Cover Corporate Tax Cuts
The problem with campaigns is they can only voice oversimplified soundbites. Today's challenges are serious and require long-term solutions. Both candidates need to tap thoughtful private-sector sources like CEOs. What's required is new thinking and brave policies....

McCain's top economic adviser, Doug Holtz-Eakin, blithely supposes that cuts in defense spending could make up for reducing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25% and the subsequent shrinkage in federal revenues. Get that? The national security candidate wants to cut spending on our national security. Wait until the generals and the admirals hear that.

[Dan-O]

Mccain admits he's going to cut defense spending,, silly.  he admitted it himself, and his chief economic adviser detailed it to Forbes Magazine.

Has anyone realized we have 800 bases?  And China, the next largest, only has 80?
Has anyone realized we have more military spending than the next 23 nations on earth COMBINED?

Has anyone realized we might just be spending too MUCH on defense spending?  Perhaps we can "only" have 700 bases, and solve the economic crisis... what do you think?

Forbes: McCain Will Cut Defense Spending To Cover Corporate Tax Cuts
The problem with campaigns is they can only voice oversimplified soundbites. Today's challenges are serious and require long-term solutions. Both candidates need to tap thoughtful private-sector sources like CEOs. What's required is new thinking and brave policies....

McCain's top economic adviser, Doug Holtz-Eakin, blithely supposes that cuts in defense spending could make up for reducing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25% and the subsequent shrinkage in federal revenues. Get that? The national security candidate wants to cut spending on our national security. Wait until the generals and the admirals hear that.

What??  Where did I ever say that McCain was or wasn't cutting defense spending?  I'm not even talking about McCain here.  I'm not nuts about a lot of things I've heard come out of McCain's mouth...  I'm just saying it's my opinion that there are other places we should be looking to cut government costs, besides drastically reducing our military...  but everyone's knee-jerk reaction just seems to automatically consider cutting military spending as a first resort.  But be that as it may (since you brought it up), McCain is still far and away a much better choice from a national security standpoint than Obama.

[Pete Dimano]

McCain Vows to Slash Pentagon, Federal Spending
By Zachary A. Goldfarb

Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) pledged Sunday to cut billions of dollars in defense spending, vowing to be special interests' "worst nightmare," and aimed to dismiss suggestions that he has an explosive temper.

McCain said on ABC's "This Week" that he would seek to eliminate the federal budget deficit by cutting spending throughout government. The Pentagon drew special emphasis.

"I am cutting billions and billions out of defense spending which are not earmarks," he said.


http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/20/mccain_vows_to_slash_pentagon.html