Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Casual Observation

by BooMan
Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 11:22:11 AM EST

Our national security priorities were so screwed up when Obama became president that anything short of radical change would be insufficient. But I think we need to be thankful for small victories, and his success in trimming the defense budget by over $100 billion during wartime is definitely a small victory. John McCain was actually helpful in this task, and Secretary Gates showed a lot of leadership. I am also impressed that Obama has the courage to take his time and make up his own mind about the strategy for Afghanistan. There may be solutions but the implementation of those solutions are very difficult. I know I would feel overwhelmed by a problem with that many variables and ramifications to navigate. Even a decision to pull all our troops out would require a mind-numbing number of tasks and consultations.

Casual Observation | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Casual Observation (none / 0)

Ah, so Obama had to fight for something to be seen as serious about it? I see.

________
The Raptor of Spain: A Webserial
From Muslim Prince to Christian King: An Alternate History

by MNPundit on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 12:44:33 PM EST

Re: Casual Observation (none / 1)

Here's a contrary point of view, noting that in the biggest economic setback since the Great Depression we still plan to grow the military (surely it will grow as a percentage of GDP):

So you thought the Pentagon was already big enough? Well, what do you know, especially with the price of the American military slated to grow by at least 25% over the next decade?
Forget about the butter. It's bad for you anyway. And sheer military power, as well as the money behind it, assures the country of a thick waistline without the cholesterol. So, let's sing the praises of perpetual war. We better, since right now every forecast in sight tells us that it's our future.

Like most things Obama does, this is yet another elaborate ploy to make it seem like he fought to limit spending. A PR stunt. The military leaders probably intended this level of funding anyway (still, as always, increasing) and trotted out the age-old play of asking for more way more than they wanted so Obama could look reasonable.

It's not reasonable. It's insane. We will spend more than the entire rest of the world combined. Why?

by SFHawkguy on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 01:37:55 PM EST

Re: Casual Observation (none / 0)

Is that really a contrary point of view? Maybe it is factually, in the sense that it has some percentage number (from where, I don't know) that suggests that the military spending will increase despite the fact that next year's budget is over $100 billion smaller than this year's.

But the overall point that we're still spending way too much on defense is not contrary to anything I said.

by BooMan on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 01:49:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casual Observation (none / 0)

When are people going to stop calling defense when it is nothing of the sort?

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 03:54:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

"trimming the defense budget " Hah Hah (none / 0)

" . . .The act authorizes $550 billion for the Pentagon's base budget in fiscal 2010 and $130 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That compares to a total of $654 billion for both accounts in fiscal 2009."

by Don Bacon on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 03:23:40 PM EST

Re: Hah Hah (none / 0)

They call that a shell game.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 03:56:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casual Observation (none / 0)

What's interesting, besides the actual number, is that he cut the latest fighter. Especially the high-tech vector-thrust supercruise Raptor. If there is any element of the military that is lionized more than the jet fighter, I've yet to see it. Most people know what an "F-16" is, how many could identify an AH-64?

This isn't simply like cutting a missile program, or halting production on a new type of casing. It's a sea change in the way we wage war, and in some ways, the way we look at war. With the passing of the F-22, war just became that much less glorified.

by Darkmoth on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 04:43:17 PM EST

baloney (none / 1)

There is no "passing of the F-22". The Pentagon will still have 187 of these ultra-expensive airplanes that are unsuitable for use, and so haven't been used, in the Long War.

by Don Bacon on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 04:56:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: baloney (none / 0)

You're so right!

In the NY Times report which is linked, entitled, "Victory for Obama over military lobby", the report asserts that

"the White House chief of staff, said Wednesday that the plan was to threaten a veto over a prominent program -- in this case, the F-22 fighter jet -- "to show we were willing to expend political capital and could win on something that people thought we could not."
"Once the Senate voted in July to stop buying F-22s, Mr. Emanuel said in an interview, that success "reverberated down" to help sustain billions of dollars of cuts in Army modernization, missile defense and other programs."

reading that, I'd forgive one for supposing that this means the F-22 program has been eliminated---even if only from the budget now under consideration.

In fact, as the House Appropriations Committee's own webpage indicates,

here:

"SUMMARY: 2010 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL"
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/DoD_FY10_FC_Summary_07.22.09.pdf

and here:

Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Act
Terminations, Reductions & Rescissions
[In thousands of dollars]
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/DoD_Terminations_List-07.21.2009.pdf

while some fighters have been canceled, the current appropriation still contains money for the purchase of 12 F-22 fighters. The recissions listed are, in certain cases, merely the result of "Reduction due to completion of procurement program".

Yeah, this Obama guy is slick---at least when it comes to gaming his own political base! Sheesh!!!

by proximity1 (timesreader@free.fr) on Fri Oct 30th, 2009 at 10:36:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: baloney (none / 0)

Would you suggest they scrap 93 billion dollars of already-built planes?

Seriously, that one word was the source of your disagreement? What would you prefer instead of "passing", "downgraded operational status"? "reevaluated program priority"?

That fighter is an evolutionary dead end, without having being superseded by a more advanced US fighter. meanwhile, the eight nations of the Joint Strike Fighter program will be rolling out a similarly 5th-gen plane, the f-35 Lighting.

Americans are no longer the world's fighter jocks. That's pretty significant, over and beyond how you'd classify the particular way the F-22 died/stopped/was canceled.

by Darkmoth on Fri Oct 30th, 2009 at 11:29:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

USAF manned planes are nearly obsolete. (none / 1)

Robotic aircraft are now used for close air support and strike missions. Admiral Mullen has stated that robotic bombers will soon be active -- it's only a matter of scale. Cargo planes can be leased. Air Force generals won't let the techno-geeks air-test robotic fighter aircraft which would have many advantages over manned fighter aircraft, because fighter-jocks are their last hurrah.

There's a similar situation in the Navy with large manned ships, but in both services the porky procurements are promulgated for political purposes.

by Don Bacon on Thu Oct 29th, 2009 at 08:08:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Casual Observation | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Go to: [ Booman Tribune Homepage : Top of page : Top of comments ]

. Home
. About
. Contact
. Advertise
. FAQ
. Search

Username:
Password:

. Make a new account
. Reset password

Gift Cards * New Arrivals

NOTE: Overstock bests Amazon's prices and is "blue."

THE BOOKS WITH "BUZZ":
______________

Senator Edward M. Kennedy tells his extraordinary personal story:

True Compass: A Memoir
by Edward M. Kennedy.

Read Barack Obama's vision for America:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama

Boran2 and maryb2004 recommend:

The Big Over Easy: A Nursery Crime
by Jasper Fforde

Must-have information for all presidents-and citizens-of the twenty-first century?

Physics for Future Presidents: The Science behind the Headlines
Richard A. Muller

rae recommends:

Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire
by Morris Berman.

On BooMan’s shelf:

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin

This looks interesting:

Adventure Divas
by Holly Morris

Here’s a good one from
Elizabeth Gilbert:

Eat Pray Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert

"Crash" * Best Motion Picture, Academy Awards * Only $11.79 at Overstock * 2006 SAG Winner, Best Ensemble

Check out
Powell's new section:
NEW FAVORITES
Selected new arrivals at 30% off

Recommended by Indianadem and ejmw:
The Conscience of a Liberal
by Paul Wellstone

From northcountry’s bookshelf:

The New Golden Age:
The Coming Revolution Against
Political Corruption and Economic Chaos by Ravi Batra

A novel about contractors in Iraq from the woman that runs The Spy That Billed Me:

Outsourced: A Novel
from RJ Hillhouse.

Great Deals
----- * ^ * -----

Find mystery novels by Nancy Pickard ("Kansas")

Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power by Phyllis Bennis (interviewed on DN!)

Featured by Keith Olbermann, New (Powell's Sale): Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower by William Blum (whose other books merit serious consideration)

"Explosive" State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration
by James Risen

The book the CIA doesn't want you to read: Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander
Larry Johnson's review

BT's all-time best seller:

PERMACULTURE:
A Designers' Manual
$79.95 * Sale: $59.95

Unequal Sisters: A Multicultural Reader in U.S. Women's History (Third Edition)

The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor And Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
by Timothy Egan

Green Press Initiative
----- * ^ * -----

Journalistas: 100 Years of the Best Writing and Reporting by Women Journalists by Eleanor Mills * NYT review

Bury Me Standing: the Gypsies & Their Journey

1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus

Brokeback Mountain
by Annie Proulx
----- * ^ * -----
Check out Powell's
"At The Movies"

Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World by Noam Chomsky (Power & Terror: Post 9-11 Talks)

The Price of Privilege:

How Parental Pressure and
Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of
Disconnected and Unhappy Kids
by Madeline Levine

Save 35-70% on
name brand clothing,
footwear, and outdoor gear
at SierraTradingPost.com
:

We listened to PEN American Center's "State of Emergency" and found 1940s books by Curzio Malaparte only at Alibris. (Selection (MP3) excerpted from "The Skin.")

Banned Books * Are you a fan of Film Noir, Art House, Documentaries or Hong Kong Action? * Searching for a long-lost children's book or a first printing of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue on vinyl? Find it at Alibris!

:
:

Booman Tribune Homepage
admin@boomantribune.com
powered by Scoop

More blogs about Blogs at Technorati.

Technorati Profile