Posted on 01/31/2011 9:15:23 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
AWACS and JSTARS are both now sitting ducks for the S-400 (as in 400km missile) Triumf system. It denies them a standoff place at the battlefield.
Everything is being cut? Only liberals consider a freeze on budgets, or a reduced INCREASE in budget, to be a cut.
Until social programs/”entitlements” are put on the chopping block, nothing National Defense-related should be touched (except to leave any homosexual indoctrination training unfunded).
Of all the Constitutionally sound spending, the National Defense stands out as one, if not THE most important.
$1 Trillion in “Health care” spending via law would buy a lot of F35 or F22’s... or pay for a lot of Veteran benefits.
The $Trillion in bailouts and porkulous would have bought a lot of National Defense as well - and would have employed more people than both programs have... AT least we would have something to show for the $ printed and spent.
But no - welfare for corporations and slugs is more important than having a country to defend...
You aren’t familiar with politics. Here’s a condensed primer.
Compromise.
The Left cuts their programs (e.g. social welfare) and the Right cuts their sacred cow (e.g. Defense).
Otherwise, if you aren’t willing to cut your sacred cow, then the other side won’t cut theirs.
Don’t look now, but the other side controls the Senate and White House.
So, if you want budget cuts that allow the U.S. to avoid a total societal collapse into insolvency...then you must be willing to compromise.
And that means cutting our sacred cow. Well, if we are going to cut, lets start with the redundant programs first, right?!
That means no F-35 for the Air Force. It means no new LCS for the Navy.
If you aren’t willing to compromise, then the spending will continue until we are broke.
That’s failure.
Game Over.
According to the US Constitution, all funding/budgets originate in the House of Representatives. If the Republicans there grew a backbone, and cut the budget, beginning with the unconstitutional programs (the largest portion of spending today), without cutting the defense - what could happen?
The Senate won’t pass it - so we get a government shut down?
Senate breaks down, but Obama won’t sign it, but it becomes law because he doesn’t actually veto it.
Senate passes it, but an Obama veto shuts down the government.
If played correctly (and this ploy has been used successfully in the past with spending measures), including a full-assault by conservative Republicans (Repubs have not been good at utilizing all means of getting their message out), then something has to break.
Just how much would break before a constitutional budget were in place (likely has been 150+ years since that has been the case in the US), is anyone’s guess. I suppose there might even be some default on some US debt. What’s China gonna do, repo?
Enjoy your Internet-World, but do join us in Realityville someday...
I don’t know if getting rid of JSTARS would be a good idea, until you can find an aircraft that can cover such a large area such as JSTARS, there will always be a need for intelligence on ground movement, even with China. Furthermore, taking any part of the iron triad (AWACS, JSTARS, RJ) would be detrimental to U.S. ISR capabilities (a very potent capability that not many countries can duplicate, even China and Russia).
On the other hand many countries are very capable of producing/training fighters (aircraft/fighter pilots). Throwing money into something that we do not have an obvious advantage over is not wise. Investing in just fighter aircraft that can be equipped with ISR pods is very short sighted strategic planning (it would be like looking through a soda straw on those aircraft) ISR ops is the unique capability that the U.S. does and does better than any country at this point in time, cutting these would equate to shooting ourselves in the foot.
I agree, but we need to find a way to cut off welfare and food stamps. I also object to this technology (stealth) going to other nations like Turkey who now sides with Iran. That’s a deal buster.
I think that's related to the union-busting actions currently in play.
Let the current welfare recipients become the labor class for governments in exchange for their benefits. (minus the union of course)
Thank God idiots like you aren’t running the show.
You amuse me.
You don’t amuse me. Your ignorance about aircraft and the military is as astounding as your ignorance of what drives our deficits. It is embarrassing that someone could be on FreeRepublic so long and still be so ignorant.
I’m merely pointing out facts, such as that our government is spending itself into a position where we won’t be able to pay for *any* defense.
You are charging headfirst into that trap, and are so arrogant as to call anyone ignorant if they dare point out the end-game to the above.
A fat man won’t lose weight by cutting a half teaspoon of sugar out of his coffee while adding 6 donuts. Military acquisition is a drop in the bucket, but that drop protects us and is authorized by the Constitution - unlike our incredible welfare programs.
It doesn’t matter. The point is that the U.S. can’t afford every good idea that comes along.
We’ve spent ourselves poor.
Now we have to...drum roll...choose what to keep and what to cut.
You want to keep all guns. Liberals want to keep all butter.
Neither of you are going to get what you want unless the U.S. continues overspending...an unsustainable process that will result in no guns and no butter shortly.
Everybody loses if you can’t choose, but choosing means prioritizing, and only a precious few adults are left in the world who can prioritize.
...the rest of humanity wants everything right now.
Here’s the difference:
If the libs don’t get all their butter, their constituents won’t vote for them
If the conservatives don’t get enough guns, we die.
We didn’t spend ourselves poor by building things or on defense. We’ve done it with entitlement programs whose sole purpose is to buy votes. Making do with F-15s isn’t an option. They are nearing the end of their life, and cannot be extended. And no, <200 F-22s will not suffice for the USAF fighter force.
Doesn’t matter. The money is gone. Now you have to choose.
Very few adults can choose to do without something that they want.
If we don’t choose, then we go broke and get nothing.
Does matter. We have plenty of money, but we’re spending it on things that are not critical. Defense is critical. Obamacare, which greatly exceeds the costs of the F-35, is not.
You’re like someone who wants to cut their household budget by cutting equally movies and food...
“You want to cut our men and women’s ability to fight. “
So, you are a Statist, someone that believes there is no limit to military spending as you wrap yourself in the flag and salute the military for anything and everything it does. Sorry, but spending the money from future generations is not patriotic and is downright immoral and Communist in its nature. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse is not patriotic. It is enslavement as people like you demand the military take our labors and spend them without need. We don’t need such large budgets to defend this nation from attack. I am a veteran, so get off your flag waving highhorse.
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