Just Like The GOP, Democrats Are Addicted to Defense Pork
Some things never change, and Congress members bringing home the pork for military projects (one of the least effective forms of economic stimulus, by the way), regardless of their merits, remains a bi-partisan tradition. But considering the current economic climate, Obama really needs to stop this kind of spending - and we need to support him:
When President Obama promised Wednesday to attack defense spending that he considers wasteful and inefficient, he opened a fight with key lawmakers from his own party.
It was Democrats who stuffed an estimated $524 million in defense earmarks that the Pentagon did not request into the 2008 appropriations bill, about $220 million more than Republicans did, according to an independent estimate. Of the 44 senators who implored Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in January to build more F-22 Raptors -- a fighter conceived during the Cold War that senior Pentagon officials say is not suited to probable 21st-century conflicts -- most were Democrats.
And last July, when the Navy's top brass decided to end production of their newest class of destroyers -- in response to 15 classified intelligence reports highlighting their vulnerability to a range of foreign missiles -- seven Democratic senators quickly joined four Republicans to demand a reversal. They threatened to cut all funding for surface combat ships in 2009.
Within a month, Gates and the Navy reversed course and endorsed production of a third DDG-1000 destroyer, at a cost of $2.7 billion.
"Too many contractors have been allowed to get away with delay after delay in developing unproven weapon systems," Obama said, attributing $295 billion in cost overruns to "influence peddling" and "a lack of oversight" that produces weapons meant "to make a defense contractor rich" instead of securing the nation.
He did not mention that since 2006, Democratic lawmakers have presided over a 10 percent increase in the Pentagon's budget -- it now amounts to 46 percent of the government's total discretionary spending -- and have also voted repeatedly to keep funding weapons systems that have had hundreds of billions of dollars in cost overruns.
Although Obama complimented one Democratic and one Republican senator who last month proposed revisions, senior Pentagon officials predict that gaining support on Capitol Hill for ending procurement abuses will be an uphill battle.
"There is equal blame to go around," a senior defense official said Friday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities. "It's bipartisan. It's all about political expediency."
Can't . . take . . much . . more . .
The genious of the military industrial complex is that it long ago spread its programs and projects over all 50 states, so that every motherfucker in Congress is beholden to it for jobs.
We have systems just now coming off the assembly line that were designed to fight the Soviet Union. We pay for missile defense shields that couldn't find the moon if it decided to fall to earth.
We spend MORE MONEY THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD COMBINED ON DEFENSE.
It must stop NOW. Pay for defense, no offense!
Work on the F-22 has been parceled out to contractors in 44 states. It's an incredibly expensive fighter we don't need. We certainly don't need any more of them.
-AF
the F-22 is needed.
For 2 reasons:
One- we have no other good alternative in the pipeline.
Two- our best current air superiority fighter is now hopelessly out of date and can be bested by the fighters being purchased from Russia.
I am no 'hawk' or fan of wasting money on high-tech military toys; but air superiority is the key to winning any modern conflict with the lowest possible casualties.
If the 'worst case' scenario happens in the next decade and we find ourselves fighting a war against a nation equipped with current-gen fighters, do we want to be putting our pilots in the sky in a jet that is a product of the 1970's?
We don't have to buy a lot of F-22's, but we should buy enough to prepare for a potential conflict.
If we're going to kill a Fighter, it should be the crappy 'Short Take-off and Vertical Landing' Joint Strike Fighter. That POS has been a lemon from the start. The Military industry just doesn't want it to die because it holds the best chance of large export sales.
Ick. the whole discussion makes me sick.
The need to fight and kill at this point in human evolution just disgusts me.
Spend more more more money that we don't have have have!
That's the way to get us out of the recession!
Is have have like the can can?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
So how do we find out exactly who the democrats are? We could maybe write or call them and explain that we are tired of making things that kill people and we are tired of people who encourage this behavior.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
!
its all about big, bloated businesses and bureaucrats administered by stubborn baby boomers who are scared of change and have a vested interest in preventing change.
F-22's?? are you frickin kidding me?? refusals to upgrade missiles??
my god... its no different from GM blocking the electric car, at the expense of their own business and the currency used to buy their crappy cars.
its no different than Bob Schieffer chuckling that superior journalists like Jon Amato are "basement dwellers with cheetos stains on his fingertips"
when are you old farts, you played out disco fever moronic heads of state and industry who have ruined my and my son's environment, our currency, our international reputation and our ability to compete in the global marketplace.... when are you going to step the hell aside and let us take over and fix your damn messes??!
ugh. sorry. but seriously. this is so damn... TYPICAL! >:(
but as a late boomer who talks frequently with people of all ages and from all walks of life, I really can't agree that this is generational. That just lays down yet another divide between those who see a need to curb the MIC and those who think that the US is weak and not spending enough. Yes, most of the decision makers who are making the wrong decisions are boomers, but that does not mean that all or most boomers agree with the decisions. They just happen to be the generation in power. The trick is to change the thinking as others come into power, no matter what their age. That may possibly be one of the few positive results of the current crisis.
Those in power = Farmers
Those not in power = Cattle
The military is the fence that keeps the cattle under control.
There are thousands of years of proof that the farmers will kill or try to kill the cattle that don't want to be controlled. The military/fence will be in place until enough cattle are brave enough to expose and walk away from the farmers.
If you scare them enough or abuse them while out in the open, they've been known to stampede. Then it is just the luck of the draw on whether they trample you or run toward some innocent bastid, eh?
But as I look at the demographics, I have to say that the 'angry white male' portion of the Boomers have a LOT to do with getting us into this mess. They have a lot more than just the (considerable) votes that they hold, they also hold (held?) a lot of wealth which they used to buy favor for themselves from 'our' government. The 55+ age group are the strength and pocketbook of the GOP.
And no, I'm not indicting all Boomers, but there seems to be an all-too-predictable trend lately of letting the Boomers off the hook for the actions of their generation as a whole.
They need to 'own up' and suffer like everyone else, maybe even more so. They aren't called the 'me' generation for nothing...
John Amato is a late boomer-same age as me.
Tragically just another example of how the Democrats can be just as militant as the Republicans. As Cund Gulag correctly observed at 15:10, the United States continues to spend more on the defense [sic] budget than all other countries combined while languishing at 38th in the WHO survey regarding quality health care among countries around the world. It is certainly gratifying that Obama and the Democrats have their priorities straight.
To recall the words of George Carlin, show us a third world country and we will bomb the hell out of it. The United States apparently takes pride in building military weapons and being better at destroying lives overseas than it does at providing basic let alone quality health care [such as single payer] for its citizens.
let's stop effin' around and call it what it is: our imperial war budget
if social security is the third rail, then the MIC is the train, the station, the passengers, and the engineer.
I think that WE are the passengers and I can clearly see a break in that trestle just ahead..
Just like republicans, democrats are also addicted to Empire-building bloodletting, airstrikes, civilian deaths, wars, and the phony 9-11 narrative.
Suckers!!!!
Democrats are certainly the lesser of two evils but...
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Milquetoast
To continue your cogent train of thought, when the Democrats continue to maintain and engage in needless and unnecessary wars of aggression, then one ends up, to recall the words of Congressman Kucinich, with an evil.
is about Dem vs. Repub.
Which is fine.
Except both parties are poised to screw you.
reason #476 why i am a fierce independent
and, btw, nice post by cund_gulag
this was also addressed in the must-see 'why we fight'
not to mention our military-base empire.
Samson
Excellent reference to Eugene Jarecki's film Why We Fight. Jarecki also covers the same ground in his well written book The American Way of War: Guided Missiles, Misguided Men, and a Republic in Peril. Not to be overlooked is Chalmers Johnson's trilogy: Blowback, The Sorrows of Empire and Nemesis.
good call Erroll, the chalmers johnson books should be required reading for every american
quote by c. johnson in 'why we fight': "When war becomes that profitable, you're going to see a lot more of it."
so true. and we have.
These are ridiculous expenditures. We would be better off considering making more things that work, and less that we know in advance, won't. The earlier, working version won't cost a billion in research, testing, bribery, trials, bribery, spam, spam spam spam spam spam spam.
But can't I have my pork without Spam?
I thought all the democratic pork was for schooling, protective armor, you know pork to actually helps protect the best interest of the troops in a bad situation and when they return back to the states. They have to set up good mental hospitals and cool lsd partys to defuse the ticking hater murder machine bombs we created. Unless of coarse there is wide spread civil unrest then they will come back full force to put the bad American downs, get out the yellow ribbons, don't piss off the murder crazed troops when they return.
Obama was elected to put a stop to the war, now, I don't give 2 shits what Obama reads from the teleprompters. The killing needs to end now, should have ended a long time ago.
Kucinich go give the Prez a purple nurple, an indian burn, and a good old dutch rub till he submits to his rulers at the pentagon, Kucinich can show you how to have some real balls, Obama take a listen in that direction, will ya.
Whatever, man. You suck. And I am still being harassed by the military, their gay ass mental games suck too.
You hear the same reasons for why we can't do anything about global warming or why we can't regulate certain industries: We'll lose jobs.
I call bullshit. Despite the "global economic crisis" or whatever you want to call it, the U.S. has the biggest economy in the world.
Tax dollars that aren't spent on the military WILL be spent somewhere else. Costa Rica completely disbanded its military around 1950 and put all the money into education. They may not be a monetarily rich country, but they have a 97% literacy rate and a peaceful country.
What would happen if the U.S. put even a quarter of its $400 billion budget toward education? How would that affect our competitiveness in creating and attracting talent from the world?
with penalties for lying
For this post. It needs to be said more and more until it dings into people's heads.
I've had Air Force bacon.
Believe me no one could get addicted to that crap.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Just like the financial services sector (http://www.wallstreetwatch.org/), the defense industry buys people from both parties....It's time we call out those congressmen, regardless of party, and put them on notice.
obama is doing as much as he can with this
and will make some inroads....but this kind
of abusive misuse of the American taxpayers
taxes is what the REAL 'ENEMY COMBATANTS' are.
this should not be tolerated from either party.
fuck these greedy political assholes for lining
their pockets and not supporting making this
country economically stronger.
Really. Gosh, if we didn't spend our tax dollars on weaponry, what _would_ we spend it on? More cake?
.
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