Discussion: Military, The Defense Budget, The Pentagon, War

[Warhammer]

I have heard this too often in the past six months. Why?

 

[Rain in Gotham]

Because that's what there base wants.... It gets them votes

 

[Lily Adler]

They're planning for another war in the middle east.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Because Obama has destroyed our military. Duh.

 

[Chance Jackson]

it's tough sounding saber rattling that their base loves

 

[Hobgoblin]

Because many people are terrified of the world outside of the US and want to be ready to fight it.

 

[SV Fan]

1. Republicans like to act tough.

2. They also love to put down Obama in anyway possible

3. It seems like since Nixon the Republicans have been playing the you must fear the world and we are the only ones to protect you card.

4. Military Industrial Complex. Basically this is a way to say to military contractors, give us money, you're investment will be repaid tenfold.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Because their base is scared, and ill informed.

 

[SV Fan]

One thing I find hugely hypocritical is that the Republicans love telling us how they hate "Big Government", well it doesn't get any bigger then the defense budget. As you say it seems like most the candidates are telling us how they want to make the military bigger, but not one peep how they plan to pay for it. I just wish journalists or a debate moderators would call them out on it

 

[summerteeth]

I have heard this too often in the past six months. Why?

Our military needs to be modernized to meet different types of threats and new technologies which means we are going to have to rebuild the military.


http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/03/politics/aircraft-carriers-report-future/

 

[SV Fan]

Our military needs to be modernized to meet different types of threats and new technologies which means we are going to have to rebuild the military.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/03/politics/aircraft-carriers-report-future/

You do realize we have like 19 air craft carriers, and the next closest country I believe has 2

 

[summerteeth]

One thing I find hugely hypocritical is that the Republicans love telling us how they hate "Big Government", well it doesn't get any bigger then the defense budget. As you say it seems like most the candidates are telling us how they want to make the military bigger, but not one peep how they plan to pay for it. I just wish journalists or a debate moderators would call them out on it

I hate this argument and it is a fundamental misunderstanding of conservatism. "Big Government" is recognized by conservatives as necessary in certain areas. The idea is that the government has a role but it should be minimized as much as possible and is not the answer to everything because it can be ineffective and wasteful. National defense is certainly a main function of government and has been since the inception of government. It's not hypocritical at all to be in favor of spending tax payer money in something you believe the federal government should be playing a role in.

 

[summerteeth]

You do realize we have like 19 air craft carriers, and the next closest country I believe has 2

I'm assuming you didn't read the article......

The article is about how our air force is far too reliant on air craft carriers. That we have focused on aircraft that is short range to deliver quick strikes which can be carried out through the use of air craft carriers. The problem is that technology is enabling other countries weapons to take out aircraft carriers which would make our air force rather toothless. It's saying we need to build different types of planes and aircraft, that of course is going to cost money.

 

[SV Fan]

I hate this argument and it is a fundamental misunderstanding of conservatism. "Big Government" is recognized by conservatives as necessary in certain areas. The idea is that the government has a role but it should be minimized as much as possible and is not the answer to everything because it can be ineffective and wasteful. National defense is certainly a main function of government and has been since the inception of government. It's not hypocritical at all to be in favor of spending tax payer money in something you believe the federal government should be playing a role in.

Defense spending is riddled with tons of wasteful spending. How many stories do you hear about parking lots full of tanks we never used, or 40M dollar gas stations, $600 toilet seats, $100 laundry bills, etc. Where is the we need to stop all the wasteful "Big Government" spending when it comes to defense people out there? There is options out there to be pro big military and cutting the budget you know

 

[summerteeth]

Defense spending is riddled with tons of wasteful spending. How many stories do you hear about parking lots full of tanks we never used, or 40M dollar gas stations, $600 toilet seats, $100 laundry bills, etc. Where is the we need to stop all the wasteful "Big Government" spending when it comes to defense people out there? There is options out there to be pro big military and cutting the budget you know

Except many Republican candidates have said just this. I know Kasich led on this in Congress. I'm pretty sure even Trump's answer to how he will pay for everything is finding "Waste, Fraud and Abuse" in government programs.

Marco Rubio on this subject

Any dollar we waste on defense is a dollar that isn’t defending us. But that’s not incompatible with rebuilding our military. We don’t have a trillion dollars to waste and that’s what cuts we are going to face over the next 10 years. And if someone is caught wasting the money or spending it the wrong way, the people in charge of that procurement will be fired. Alright, thank you.”

 

[SV Fan]

Except many Republican candidates have said just this. I know Kasich led on this in Congress. I'm pretty sure even Trump's answer to how he will pay for everything is finding "Waste, Fraud and Abuse" in government programs.

Kasich won't win and Trump is Trump

Marco Rubio on this subject

Yet Rubio wants to increase the defense budget before figuring out all the wasteful spending

 

[summerteeth]

Kasich won't win and Trump is Trump



Yet Rubio wants to increase the defense budget before figuring out all the wasteful spending

That's not what he said but okay.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

Except many Republican candidates have said just this. I know Kasich led on this in Congress. I'm pretty sure even Trump's answer to how he will pay for everything is finding "Waste, Fraud and Abuse" in government programs.

I was watching 60 Minutes tonight and one of their stories was about the government's inability to track and/or stop benefits to people that may or may not be dead. For example, from 1996 to 2001 (or maybe it was from 2006 to 2011), the Department of Agriculture believes they paid about $1.1 billion dollars in farm subsidies to dead people because the IRS and other agencies weren't able to determine people's living status. The IRS also said they have over 6 million people in their database over 110 years old (when the more likely total number is under 10) who are still receiving benefits but they can't verify if most are actually dead because their data is in a broken system that makes it hard to stop payments once they start.

 

[SV Fan]

That's not what he said but okay.

https://marcorubio.com/sidebar-featured/marco-rubio-military-defense-spending-policy/

Specifically, he led the effort with Senator Tom Cotton to increase defense spending in FY16 to the level recommended by former Secretary of Defense Gates and the bipartisan National Defense Panel.

https://marcorubio.com/issues/national-security/

This Is Why Defense Spending Must Grow

I guess his own website is full of lies

ETA: I should probably add the quote you gave me was at a town hall where somebody confronted him about wasteful spending so he gave a fluff answer that I normally don't see him campaign on. I would take his website more as an example of his true beliefs on military spending then an answer given at a town hall. As I said save maybe Kasich anytime I see republicans talk about defense spending it's always more more more, not we need to find ways to cut costs and use our defense budget more efficiently. Hell even Rand Paul felt like we needed to increase defense spending like 6 months ago(I assume he feared the we love to spend foolishly on defense crowd and wanted to pander to them, which in hindsight was a huge mistake)

 

[SV Fan]

I was watching 60 Minutes tonight and one of their stories was about the government's inability to track and/or stop benefits to people that may or may not be dead. For example, from 1996 to 2001, the Department of Agriculture believes they paid about $1.1 billion dollars in farm subsidies to dead people because the IRS and other agencies weren't able to determine people's living status. The IRS also said they have over 6 million people in their database over 110 years old who are still receiving benefits but they can't verify if most are actually dead because their data is in a broken system that makes it hard to stop payments once they start.

But we must take away cash from the IRS because they are evil(even though it would actually help us to save cash in the long run). It sort of reminds me about the story I read about all the money Planned parenthood gets for some of it's programs, generally saves 2.75 times that amount the next year but let's defund that

http://www.slate.com/articles/doubl...atives_should_embrace_planned_parenthood.html

 

[Taarna]

I have heard this too often in the past six months. Why?

Are you pulling our legs?

ISIS is on the rise, and taking over many areas and nations. They already had too many resources.

Putin, an X leader of the KBG who is on record saying the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest tragedy in his life is on the move in the Ukraine.

And China is building up their army and Navy, perhaps even passing the USA in space.

The USA has some outdated planes and equipment that need to be updated and replaced.

 

[Donner]

ISIS is on the rise, and taking over many areas and nations. They already had too many resources.

.

They're really not.

 

[Lilbaz]

I hate this argument and it is a fundamental misunderstanding of conservatism. "Big Government" is recognized by conservatives as necessary in certain areas. The idea is that the government has a role but it should be minimized as much as possible and is not the answer to everything because it can be ineffective and wasteful. National defense is certainly a main function of government and has been since the inception of government. It's not hypocritical at all to be in favor of spending tax payer money in something you believe the federal government should be playing a role in.

Why do they believe they should spend the money on defence over health care?

 

[Unbreakable Lex]

America has the yuuuge military because of the GOP. If the democrats had their way, the US would only have a military bigger than the top 5 combined, not the top 19.


But a lot of the past GOP candidates take this line following a Democrat Commander in Chief. It's expected regardless if the sitting President actually cut the military (he has) or not.

 

[SV Fan]

But a lot of the past GOP candidates take this line following a Democrat Commander in Chief. It's expected regardless if the sitting President actually cut the military (he has) or not.

Technically I think we cut defense spending because we spending less in Iraq and Afghanistan. So instead of paying a trillion+ a year we probably in the high 100 billions. But hey Big Government spending bad right Republicans