If the USA political class was more concerned about defending our nation and borders literally and figuratively, instead of nation building and leaving footprints in every corner of the world, our military planners could create a coherent policy that would be effective and save us hundreds of billions a year.
The military - congressional- industrial - surveillance complex has grown dependent upon perpetual mission creep, just as the crony capitalists have grown dependent on government bailouts and handouts, and just as has a large segment of society.
We need a major change in our political leadership philosophy most of whom have grown highly dependent on handouts from interests that are mostly not in America’s interest.
“If the USA political class was more concerned about defending our nation and borders literally and figuratively, instead of nation building and leaving footprints in every corner of the world, our military planners could create a coherent policy that would be effective and save us hundreds of billions a year.”
“Nation building”, when used appropriately is a proper means of avoiding or drastically reducing the cost in lives and treasure necessary to suppress enemy threats. The Obama Administration is an example of how to do that and most everything else wrongly.
As for “leaving footprints in every corner of the world”, doing so is just as inevitable and necessary as the enemy threats who choose to attack us and our allies “ in every corner of the world”, the abuses of the Obama Administration notwithstanding.
“The military - congressional- industrial - surveillance complex has grown dependent upon perpetual mission creep, just as the crony capitalists have grown dependent on government bailouts and handouts, and just as has a large segment of society.”
The very real need to curb corruption in the military-industrial complex does nothing to relieve us as a nation from the responsibility to maintain and utilize an adequate military-industrial complex to sustain the defenses of the nation and our allies.
“We need a major change in our political leadership philosophy most of whom have grown highly dependent on handouts from interests that are mostly not in America’s interest.”
Such a need has existed ever since the George Washington Administration. President Thomas Jefferson tried isolationism and only succeeded in strongly encouraging a substantial increase in attacks upon the United States and its citizens. Domestic political reform respectful of the Constitution and its original purpose and a responsible participation in foreign affairs are both essential for the restoration and preservation of the Republicanism established by the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.
In regard to the funding or retirement of the A-10, the numbers and types of air squadrons funded for the Air Force, Navy, and Army have already been reduced well below proper mission requirements since 1972. The A-10 is only one of the most recent casualties of these DoD budget cuts, with another third of the air forces facing even more reductions in the next ten years. Citizen taxpayers have the ultimate responsibility for holding their elected representatives in Congress responsible for either continuing or discontinuing these further reductions in the number and types of air squadrons in these air forces.