"If you feel comfortable with cutting the government this way, then you've lost your way as much as the president," Graham says. "What happened to the party of Ronald Reagan who said the number one goal of the federal government is to fund the Department of Defense? What happened to that party? I intend to get that party back."
Indeed.
I agree with the sentiment, but sequestration need not cripple us if we would stop subsidizing the defense of first world nations like South Korea, Japan, and Germany. When will we bring the troops home? End the occupation!
The war was lost when the Stupid Party signed up for the Fiscal Cliff in the first place.
The point of sequestration was that it would be so painful that the congress-critters would choose to actually do their job rather than face the “devastating cuts”.
To now disregard the very issue that was putting them in a corner would be just another example of how inept, feckless, and ball-less Congress has become — including (especially including) the Republicans.
Let the cuts happen.
The Feds won’t do their primary job, either way.
No reason to throw keep throwing good borrowed money after bad.
And as old as I am, I remember when Reagan was voted into office.I voted for him. He was a RINO, but he loved this country. He was also pragmatic.
Reagan would have wanted us to let the Sequestration happen.
All this is BS. Strongest conventional force that the US may face is China. Chinese navy is starting to build their first Arleigh Burke type destroyer that has networking command and control capability. Without this the PLAN cannot closely coordinate and share info with PLA and PLAAF in theater. Their aircraft carrier is a medium size carrier with conventional power and will need refueling and bases to project. To match this does the US need a super destroyer vs an improved Arleigh Burke DDG follow on or an improved Agesis cruisier based on the current Ticonderoga class CG. Less costly product improved current ships with ability to upgrade without tearing the ship apart should be the naval program. Example is the Spruance destroyers built under Pres Carter catch up program. They enter service with ASROC, helicopter, gun and Sparrow Octuple SAM launchers. Large hull, bloc shape structure lightly armed. but they were produced rapidly to replace the FRAM destroyers. The large Spruance went on to incorporate Cruise missiles, advance electronic upgrades, twin SAM launchers, Harpoon SSM, and later blocs had Vertical Launched Systems (VLS). The USN still thinks they are facing the Soviet Union and keep proposal super expensive surface combat ships when a Spruance strategy is needed to face China at best and fits US budget contrainst. We need to build lower cost ships that can be upgraded over time. The US has two critical military areas they need to dominate that China does not, Stealth fighters and attack submarines. The Chinese ASW gap is huge compared to US and China is starting to experiment with first stealth aircraft. The US needs low cost stealth fighters that they can produce in huge numbers and not a few super planes. When China finally achieves a stealth fighter immune to radar, air to air warfare will be like WW2. Radar is limited and lady luck of who spots who first visually will be the game. Numbers will count when two sides have radar nullifying ability. Graham is correct if the US has money to spend, the US is like Western Roman Empire, it is about to collapse and broke, and may end up like the Eastern Roman Empire fighting a delaying action against more numerous enemies. This is why growing number of Americans do not like either party on fiscal matters. One wants to tax and spend, and the other wants to cling on to Empire America even if the war costs more then the value of the province we want to own.
Is the GOP still a party?
Grahamnesty and his fellow amnesty neo-cons had ~ 18 months since passage of this bill to come up with more rational defense cuts than this bill does to replace them, but they are obviously not capable of it.
This is the best they will do. And forget dealing with Obama over this. That is a disaster.