Bang for its buck? Like JSF, v22, litoral waters corvette/nextgen destroyer? Not only has military spending been way ramped up over the last 10 years for two wars, but there is huge waste and lack of accountability within defense spending. Defense contractors and manufacturers know they can screw the government when the government "needs" them...

 

That's true, but that occurs at the highest levels of corruption (congress and their industry patrons). Senior military leaders may be asleep at the switch, but that's a natural consequence of rotating the boss every three years on a 30-year procurement project.

As far as rank-and-file military...the taxpayers already get way more than their money's worth. Anybody with significant active duty experience or desert-time can tell you that.

The high-level waste fraud and abuse is a natural consequence of our political system, has nothing to do with the folks at the pointy end...don't confuse the two. That would would unjust.

 

Fixed it for you .
There was talk about this some time back and I'm just curious as to how much more the military is paying for syn.fuel versus regular fuel?

Ally

 

like those military machine effectiveness things like the Army band, or Tops in Blue... ever been mandatorily attending? And, do we really need aerial demo teams? Seems like we don't have a problem recruiting right now, seeing as how we're offering VSPs. Why not curb all demo/airshows for four years, and kill any of the bands for the same time. Got to be somewhere in the millions, at least...

 

I support this 100%. If there is one thing that really makes me mad, it's how the gov't treats the military, and it's members (for the record, I am not military nor ex-military....and it's biggest regret of my life, so far).

The waste and abuse of taxpayer's $$ is f'n CRIMINAL in my humble opinion. So very sad that it's the "low-information voters" (read: morons) that keep returning pure filth to office election cycle after election cycle.

I think there should be a 10 question, multiple choice quiz to go along with every ballot with simple questions like "The number of branches that make up the US Gov't is....". Must make at least a 70 to pass (FAA minimum ). Fail the quiz and your vote doesn't count. This would get rid of a lot of the filth and vermin currently infesting our gov't, and would go a LOOOOONG way towards re-establishing quality leadership in DC.

Have you heard the informal experiments Howard Stern has done in the past two election cycles? He sent his people out onto the streets to ask folks if they supported candidate A because of "x" or "y" and intentionally made "x" and "y" the positions of candidate B. The stupidity and gross ignorance revealed was and is mind-blowing. Youtube it if you haven't heard it.

 

Yes.

Here's a hint: it's not just about "recruitment".

Speaking of, I remember some folks of a certain political bent saying that the "wars" would hurt recruiting. They were just as wrong then as they were about "the Surge" of the summer of 2007. But they won't ever admit when they're wrong. EVER.

You need to read up on your history to understand why not. Google the name "John Philip Sousa".

Funny how you would "kill any of the bands" in the military. I bet you wouldn't dare touch some of the commercial filth that passes as "bands" in popular culture.

 

You might want to read up on some history yourself. Start with Eisenhowers speech warning of the burgeoning "military-industrial complex" and follow it with his daughters revealing that he excised the word "congressional" to avoid offending friends on the Hill.

The process has gone on long enough. Contractors spread programs out over hundreds of districts to be able to pressure congressmen and senators into systems to save jobs in their districts. And the taxpayers get hosed.

The military budget could be seriously trimmed of crap and a good portion of the savings could go to members and families and long term veteran care.

 

Wut?!?

You mean sleazeball business executives game corrupt pols in DC????

Say it isn't so!

(rolleyes)



Actually, learning of and knowing American history is a passion of mine...to say nothing of a citizen's core duty to the country.

And btw, the "crap" that could be "trimmed" from the military budget (yes, it is there) doesn't add up to a hill of beans compared to the crap piled up and into other budgets (which, as you say, could go to members of the military, their benefits, and their families). <---this (ie. "other budgets") is something SOME folks refuse to acknowledge. They know who they are, too.

 

I get real tired of hearing this. Not because it's from you, or about the military, but because EVERY SINGLE SEGMENT of the government says this. Every segment has someone that says the exact same thing. This is EXACTLY the attitude that screws us in terms of spending and revenue. This is why pork exists. This is why earmarks exist. This is why we can not make any progress.

 

Exactly. It's a battle you will never win, but must never concede either.

Corruption and waste have always been there and probably always be, it's an almost inevitable part of the political process. Too much waste, or too much pork for the wrong people triggers the wrath of too many other folks so it will always achieve a balance point. The key is to keep the balance point as far towards the lean side as possible. This is why we need ethical people voting (and serving in government, heaven forbid), and where enlightened self-interest is so important...what's best for you in the short-term may actually be detrimental to you (and everyone else) in the long run.

Government is inherently evil. In the US the vast majority of folks IN the government are actually well-intentioned (unlike some totalitarian regimes), but put them all together as an entity and it is the nature of the beast that it will seek to serve it's own self-interest before the interests of the governed. Of course government is a necessary evil...you can't do without it in a modern industrial society. It's kind of like chemotherapy...you need enough to get the job done, but even that much is toxic so you sure as hell don't want any more than absolutely required.