1 Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen (USN, Ret) called our debt, "the most significant threat to our national security" because of how it will impact military budgets. Srsly? WWII wouldn't have happened because we were broke?

2 Drudge says DHS just bought 2700 MRAP's for police. 

What purpose do mine resistant armoured vehicles serve for police?  Are they making runs through Taliban infested towns and hamlets in Illinois?

What money is being used to make this purchase?

3

Well, I figure it's a fairly safe default postion that if David Frum was against it, it's probably best to be for it.

 

Mainly because he's a fat fucking retard.

4 What purpose do mine resistant armoured vehicles serve for police? Are they making runs through Taliban infested towns and hamlets in Illinois? Michigan. Detroit, Dearborn, etc.

5 I'm pro sequester and pro soldier....

bring 'em home and send 'em back to the workforce in their homestates or new ones...

get ready for the next fight.

6 Don't go outside. It's raining airplanes.

7 Michigan. Detroit, Dearborn, etc.

Posted by: rickb223 at March 04, 2013 10:10 AM (GFM2b)

 

I hit a pothole on I-94 last week that looked like an IED crater.

8
2 Drudge says DHS just bought 2700 MRAP's for police.

What purpose do mine resistant armoured vehicles serve for police? Are they making runs through Taliban infested towns and hamlets in Illinois?

What money is being used to make this purchase?

Posted by: EC at March 04, 2013 10:08 AM (GQ8sn)

The money saved through sequestration cuts, duh.

What do you want to be that's going to be an argument at some point? "See, we were planning on spending that money, but didn't because of sequestration. So it's 'money saved.' And that's what we're spending on XYZ."

9 We have to cut defense spending because ...debt....and budget deficit

Department of Homeland Security needs those up armored vehicles because ..
....Branch Dividian ... or something. Priorities people! If those dangerous assault weapons are finally outlawed somebody will have to go collect them, and there will have to be a show of force to prevent resistance. You see?

10 For a long time while I was in the Navy we had budget cuts.  Not only did they not cut missions, they actually increased them.


The problem is that Congress gets involved and will not allow the military to cut what they would prefer to cut.  So some worthless reserve fighter squadron in Upstate NY gets to stay while and aircraft carrier sits in dock.

11 The DoD will not get more efficient because of budget cuts. It will get less effective.

12 I wonder how much money DHS could have saved by not purchasing thousands of light tanks and billions of rounds of ammunition?

13 2 EC,

I'd have to see procurement.  Best case is they are getting them for a song from DoD which, while still wrong is not too onerous fiscally.  DHS doesn't want *us* buying the MRAPs via DRMO b/c the local PD would view 'em as tanks....

a MRAP with a MK-19 could make a big statements...

hell a MRAP with a gatling 12GA could make a hell of a statement....

the worst case is this is virgin procurement and we're about 10 years from "dominion tank police"

14 Hey,  I'm  relevant!  I'll  be  broadcasting  today  on   CB  radio!  Tune  in  good  buddy!

15 And all these so called military cutbacks are BS lies that Obama is doing to make it look worse than it actually is.

16 What purpose do mine resistant armoured vehicles serve for police? Are they making runs through Taliban infested towns and hamlets in Illinois?

Michigan. Detroit, Dearborn, etc.

Posted by: rickb223 at March 04, 2013 10:10 AM (GFM2b)

I stand corrected.

17 11 Eman,

if DoD is going to be used as cadre for Radical Islam uncommented on as seems to be the case I am not against a defanged DoD anymore.

18 Wasn't part of the problem with the defense cuts that the DoD wasn't allowed to determine what would be cut?

19 15 Vic,

correct Vic the cat is out of the bag on the hysteria vis a vis Boehner's "super cave" he is saying he will restore 7 billion or roughly 1/7th the hit DoD took...

and yeah DoD is doing not well "but ok" even w/the sequester...

20 9 Skandia Recluse,

The MRAPs while tough are not insurmountable...wife had to clean out a blasted one as a detail in Iraq...

21 Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a malignant traitor.

22

If only there were another way to solve the problems   of reduced revenues. Something that   could involve  work in some form.  Maybe   even   (gasp!)  the actual creation of wealth through adding value to raw  materials. Possibly, now bear with me here, politicians could even maybe not spend more than they take in.

 

Hmm, I wonder what we could call it?

23 22 backwards Boy,

Now that's just silly talk comrade...

next you'll tell me that we should be harvesting energy potential for export to get foreign capital into the nation for seed money and to stabilize our currency's decline?

*pshaw* that is that old MATH! way of thinking

24 At this point, our laws should be written with dummy copy/filler text: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, ut has iusto patrioque, id nonumes accusata scriptorem usu. Ea legimus mentitum vituperata cum, epicurei interpretaris in his, ei tibique consectetuer vix. Iudico tibique voluptua ex nam, meis noster blandit eum id, iisque definitionem vix ad. Ea pri tritani expetenda repudiandae. Duo viris nostrud ut, inani doctus no pro, sea te partem verterem. Et mea rebum verear, sale vocent interesset ex est. Ne qui essent eruditi ponderum, nihil veniam duo cu. Ornatus honestatis repudiandae quo ei, ut praesent salutandi sed. Tota erat choro id usu, ne usu atqui accusam. Numquam vocibus imperdiet duo at, purto admodum democritum sit ei, adipisci indoctum repudiare at nec. Ex vis erant tempor explicari, vis mutat aeterno ex. In duo nisl blandit suscipiantur, ius in dicunt nominavi iudicabit, dolores appetere adolescens et mea. Yeah, I would vote for that.

25 Possibly, now bear with me here, politicians could even maybe not spend more than they take in. Hmm, I wonder what we could call it? Racism, straight up.

26 The sequester is a political gimmick. The can gets kicked down the road. Politicians pretend otherwise. Twits fall for it.

27 "At this point, our laws should be written with dummy copy/filler text:" Nah, it needs to be with whatever "Pretentious Bullshit Generator" Erg was using yesterday on the movie review.

28 I can't say if DOD needed to cut missions.  I can't say if they chose to hurt our actual readiness and defense capabilities rather than looking for waste and bureaucratic red-tape to cut.

What I can say is that I don't doubt for a second that they would choose to hurt readiness if they thought it served their political goals.

That said: we really can't be the world's policemen.  That's an insane mission anyway.  These constant "threats" (such as two carrier groups in the gulf) are stupid, because everyone knows we won't follow through.  If you want World Quiet (forget World Peace), then the way to achieve that is to be the biggest, nastiest, meanest bastard on the block and absolutely knock down anyone making too much noise.

But we won't do that, either.

29 26 Low information voter,

I agree...

Free Shit for All!

Now all good men and women of character who want simply to work and have kids and a healthy stable community to grow them in meet me in Texas...

30 How many actual crime-fighting cops could avoid furloughs if we didn't spend money on military-style playtoys for them to keep in storage?

31 Drudge says DHS just bought 2700 MRAP's for police. What purpose do mine resistant armoured vehicles serve for police? Redistribution! Soon, they'll be handing them out to illegal aliens for self-defense.

32 This is what differentiates conservatives from    regressives.      Conservatives understand that sacrifices that need to be made for survival NEED TO BE MADE.    Regressives prefer to dwell in the realm of fantasy,   where all anyone needs to do is put words on a piece of paper and then take a vote and everything    will be just peachy.

33 26 Defense spending should be diverted towards free condoms, abortions and phones. Let's address what really matters in this country. Technically, condom spending IS defense spending.

34

If only there were another way to solve the problems of reduced revenues. Something that could involve work in some form. Maybe even (gasp!) the actual creation of wealth through adding value to raw materials. Possibly, now bear with me here, politicians could even maybe not spend more than they take in.

 

Idiot.  Budgets are balanced by borrowing money.

35 Now all good men and women of character who want simply to work and have kids and a healthy stable community to grow them in meet me in Texas... Posted by: sven10077-ArkLaTex travelogue and Researcher at March 04, 2013 10:21 AM (LRFds) *raises hand. Can I come!? Pretty please!?

36

This is what differentiates conservatives from regressives. Conservatives understand that sacrifices that need to be made for survival NEED TO BE MADE. Regressives prefer to dwell in the realm of fantasy, where all anyone needs to do is put words on a piece of paper and then take a vote and everything will be just peachy.

 

What? Me worry?    Just the other day, I was told the US has an unlimited supply of money.

 

Unlimited!

37 Video: And now, presenting the CIAÂ’s greatest resource on the Kim regime

That frightening thought comes from ABCÂ’s intelligence analyst at the beginning of this interview by George Stephanopoulos of Dennis Rodman, but itÂ’s not as bizarre as the interview itself.

38 Soon, the invasion fleet of my people will arrive from the planet Zoonflix, then you will see, oh, yes, see you will.

39 Nah, it needs to be with whatever "Pretentious Bullshit Generator" Erg was using yesterday on the movie review. Posted by: Burn the Witch at March 04, 2013 10:21 AM (yCvxi) The only problem I could possibly see with that is human error. Erg might just quote a conservative viewpoint by mistake.

40

Technically, condom spending IS defense spending.

 

The best offence is a good blowjob.

41 Sven
re: clean up detail. That had to suck.

re: insurmountable

There was an old, old Readers Digest joke way way back when I was a kid.
Guy who designs anti-armor rounds, after much hard work, finally perfects new ordnance that defeats current armor. . He goes into the Pentagon to get big new contract for new ordnance. Walks in sees another guy very distraught, looks terrible. Guy says, "Are you ok, you look like something terrible happened."

Second guy says , "Somebody just developed new ordnance that defeats my armor design. "

42 How many actual crime-fighting cops could avoid furloughs if we didn't spend money on military-style playtoys for them to keep in storage?

Lots.

Of course, we could also stop subsidizing local cops with Federal funds.  The crime rate in Walla-Walla is not my business.  It is the business of people who live in Walla-Walla and its environs.

Tell you what, Walla-Walla.  I promise to do my best to keep my own crime rate down without taking your money, if you'll do the same.  Then, if we ever have to visit each other, we can do so knowing we'll be relatively safe, and we won't have enriched some Washington Bureaucrat along the way.  How's that for a deal?

43 7 Michigan. Detroit, Dearborn, etc.
Posted by: rickb223 at March 04, 2013 10:10 AM (GFM2b)

I hit a pothole on I-94 last week that looked like an IED crater.

Posted by: jwest at March 04, 2013 10:13 AM (u2a4R)

On my way to parents house on the west side...it appeared as if a Tornado with the JP-233 dispenser made a run down the main drag

44 The same 1994 law that temporarily banned the sale of assault weapons also required the federal government to compile data on police shootings nationwide. However, neither the Justice Department nor most local police departments have bothered to tally such occurrences.

45 The best offence defence is a good blowjob.

Posted by: Lurking Canuck

 

FTFM

 

Way to ruin a mediocre joke dumbass.

46 It's merely a return to the Reagan Principle of "Don't Negotiate With Terrorists."

Look, the Dems took the military hostage with these tactics; "Oh, you wouldn't dare cut the military--so fund our Cowboy Poetry!"

Once you say, "Fuck it, kill the hostage for all I care" they have no power left.

And then you throw some flash-bang grenades in and kill the shit out of them.

At least, that's how it ought to end . . . .

47 Tell you what, Walla-Walla. I promise to do my best to keep my own crime rate down without taking your money, if you'll do the same. Then, if we ever have to visit each other, we can do so knowing we'll be relatively safe, and we won't have enriched some Washington Bureaucrat along the way. How's that for a deal?

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 04, 2013 10:26 AM (xN73L)

Raycist.

48 I hit a pothole on I-94 last week that looked like an IED crater.

I'm sorry, Michigan does not have "potholes."  Texas has the occasional pothole.  Michigan has crevasse.  Michigan has pit-traps.  But those aren't potholes.

49

I still don't understand how there could be 800,000 DoD employees, none of whom are carrying rifles. 

 

I'm all for a strong defense, but I hate government waste wherever it appears. 

50 I still don't understand how there could be 800,000 DoD employees

Contractors.

51 37 Mainah,

Texas will be a free country....

no sincerely I encourage all people of character in Blue Insane asylums to run to rec and purple areas and try to make a go....

leave the insane asylums to the insane.

52 David Frum supports guns and butter, but mostly, the butter.

53 On today's Morning Joe, [Mika] Brzezinski confessed to being "angry" with George Stephanopoulos for having the extraterrestrial otherwise known as Dennis Rodman on This Week to discuss his recent trip to North Korea, which included meeting with its new leader, Kim Jong Un. Mika didn't spare her fellow MJ panelists, calling them "idiots" when they persisted in discussing Rodman's trip and TW appearance.

54 A building can look strong and worthy just before it crumbles to the ground. We live in such a building.

55 Of course, we could also stop subsidizing local cops with Federal funds. True. The elephant in the room on all this sequester shit is that no one's questioning the fact that we've built so much of life on federal largesse, which is really just stolen from the states and dripped back to them after they cream off (pay attention, Yglesias) overhead. It's not like there can be a net gain here-- the Feds don't produce wealth, they steal it or borrow it. So they're not giving us more than we take, and they're costing us long-term with the massive interest we pay. So why not cut out the shylock and just let the states fund themselves?

56 I still don't understand how there could be 800,000 DoD employees, none of whom are carrying rifles.

This looks like a good place for a Star Ship Troopers quote.  I wish I remembered the whole discourse, but I'll settle for this: "In the MI, everybody works, everybody fights."

57

But the sooper-awesome, just-ab-so-fucking-lutely-fantastic growth of 0.1% last  quarter will save us.

 

We're saved!  All hail Bronco Bama!

58 43 Technically, condom spending IS defense spending. The best offence is a good blowjob. You still might wanna wear a condom. Have you seen some of the gum disease out there?

59 There must be a place in the party for those who advocate fire and complacent indifference.

60 OT: Just read the Master review thread with the ergie-baiting. Epic. Simply epic. It was like watching a child molester get castrated.

61 44 Skandia Recluse,

Heh I've seen that joke...air force had a version for EW/Wild Weasel work...

Yeah the humvees were worst from what she says...

the Sgt Mjr started the taking off as a senior NCO job to "show the privates we do the hard work too" somehow it never devolved down to the lower ranks after literal buckets of blood was the norm....

the clean up detail hurt her worse than the rocket attacks i think

62 This looks like a good place for a Star Ship Troopers quote. I wish I remembered the whole discourse, but I'll settle for this: "In the MI, everybody works, everybody fights."

Everyone drops, everyone fights.  No one quits.

63 Posted by: zsasz at March 04, 2013 10:31 AM (MMC8r)

I've made exactly that point a few times on that blog I don't have.

But, yes, that's the whole point.

I remember during the Governor's race last time, KBH proudly proclaiming that she had seen to it that Texas received by 97 cents for every tax dollar we paid.  I about exploded at my TV, "And you think that's a win?  How about seeing to it that I don't send that dollar in the first place?"

64 55 toby 928th....

David Frum supports guns and butter, but mostly, the eats butter.

FIFY

65 ItÂ’s one thing for President Obama to attack Wall Street as the place fat cats roam free as proof, a class warrior justifying all the mainly useless banking regulations heÂ’s imposed since the 2008 financial crisis. ItÂ’s quite another thing for New YorkÂ’s elected officials to let him get away with the big lie thatÂ’s costing New Yorkers jobs and squeezing our finances.

In other words, whereÂ’s Chuck Schumer when you need him?

MIA, it turns out. Ditto for our other senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

As new banking regs continue to take effect, Wall Street keeps shrinking, wreaking havoc on local employment and the state and city budgets. And itÂ’s likely to get worse.

Last week, JP Morgan announced that it will shed 17,000 jobs over the next two years. That follows similar cuts announced by Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America, Barclays and even the hyper-profitable Goldman Sachs.

66

You still might wanna wear a condom. Have you seen some of the gum disease out there?

 

Don't worry baby,  gums are in tip top condition.  Now just let me remove my teeth....

 

 

67 The best offence is a good blowjob. I've always prided myself on my offensiveness.

68 I'm sorry, Michigan does not have "potholes." Texas has the occasional pothole. Michigan has crevasse. Michigan has pit-traps. But those aren't potholes. Those are not potholes. They are dead union members buried face down in very shallow graves. I have in-laws in MI; I should know.

69 OT: Just read the Master review thread with the ergie-baiting. Epic. Simply epic. It was like watching a child molester get castrated. Posted by: joncelli, dodging the Zombies of Sequester at March 04, 2013 10:32 AM (RD7QR) Erg is a masochist, if there ever was one. God, he needs help.

70 Pro Sequestrion?????

You mean... people actually get PAID to ride horses????

71

53 -

 

So the 800,000 contractors, what do they do... stand around sipping coffee, whilst supervising the import of  weapons  parts from China? 

72

"Drudge says DHS just bought 2700 MRAP's for police. "

 

This  police militarization trajectory is very, very unhealthy.  It ought to be an issue where the left and right find common ground, but it's not.  This shit  has the potential to be as bad as it gets. 

73 I've always prided myself on my offensiveness.

Posted by: Andrew Sullivan

 

Now that's one dude I never figured would try to assume the  mantle  of Master of the Cooter.

74 What? Me worry? Just the other day, I was told the US has an unlimited supply of money.

Unlimited!

Posted by: BackwardsBoy, who did not vote for this shit. at March 04, 2013 10:25 AM (+z4pE)

 

And    since we're so in debt it would be silly to think that other countries WON'T LEND US MORE!   Or... something!

75

I remember during the Governor's race last time, KBH proudly proclaiming that she had seen to it that Texas received by 97 cents for every tax dollar we paid.

 

That's rather  dubious. I've read too many figures that show that  by the time a dollar of federal tax money finally gets back   from Washington, it's only worth about .60   cents thanks to   the cost of administration.

76 This police militarization trajectory is very, very unhealthy. It ought to be an issue where the left and right find common ground, but it's not. This shit has the potential to be as bad as it gets. Posted by: Jaws at March 04, 2013 10:36 AM (4I3Uo) It all simply needs to fall into the "wrong" hands. Then, we're f**ked.

77 So the 800,000 contractors, what do they do... stand around sipping coffee, whilst supervising the import of weapons parts from China?

Posted by: BurtTC at March 04, 2013 10:36 AM (TOk1P)

Everything from janitors and cooks, all the way up to building and servicing the big toys like carriers and stealth satellites (yes we have them, shhh!!!)

78

What I hate about the sequester is that both sides seem not to address that these faux cuts which are really just not an increase in the budget,  could be handled simply by cutting out the obvious waste in these departments.

 

Duplications, overpaying, purchasing waste, unneeded programs, etc. 

 

Also I guess I have to agree with the Paulians in some aspect as It seems more than ridiculous that we are subsidizing a f-16 give away program as well as many other foreign 'aid' packages of which a good chunk probably go straight into the pockets of government officials. 

79

I still don't understand how there could be 800,000 DoD employees, none of whom are carrying rifles.

 

Even     DoD needs receptionists, janitors, accountants...   I'm sure all of this could be done by military personnel, too, but    is that cost effective?   And remember, the DoD isn't just in DC.   It's all over the world.  

80 Staying on track to go bankrupt will destroy our military.

81 77 Jaws,

we need to focus our efforts on trying to have control of thse urban tanks and failing that have assets to defeat them if need be...

I am studying old manuals on field expedient HEAT construction...

82 This police militarization trajectory is very, very unhealthy. It ought to be an issue where the left and right find common ground, but it's not. This shit has the potential to be as bad as it gets.

Posted by: Jaws at March 04, 2013 10:36 AM (4I3Uo)

----

Well.... Im sure that Obama would be more than happy to just use the regular Army.....  pesky Posse Comitatus.

83 o the 800,000 contractors, what do they do. Watch levies break.

84 Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 04, 2013 10:34 AM (xN73L)

It's too bad you don't have a blog, because I was going to suggest that you put an e-mail address on the blog you don't have so that people who aren't reading your blog can send you links to interesting things that you won't write about because you don't have a blog.

85 WHERRES THE THREAD CONGRADULATING KIM JON UN FOR HIS BABY?  SUCH AN INTREPID COUNTRY DEMANDS CELEBRADING THEIR BLESSINGS!

86 Maybe the boyz n the hood and their cohorts need to hear the LAPD is getting military-style assault weapons and vehicles. Let the Dem constituencies fight the spending for a change. It'd be nice to see Maxine Waters get grilled by her homies about arming the Po-Po like Rambo.

87

"The MRAPs while tough are not insurmountable...wife had to clean out a blasted one as a detail in Iraq..."

 

Compliments of Saddam's acres of "abandoned" arty shells and imported EFPs from Iran.

88 This police militarization trajectory is very, very unhealthy. Seems like a nice bait and trap scheme. Someone will snap reading this.

89 Posted by: MWR, Proud Tea(rrorist) Party Assault Hobbit at March 04, 2013 10:40 AM (4df7R)

If organized and administered correctly it could be extremely cost-efficient.

Every typist is a rifleman, every janitor can drive a tank, etc.

90 If no one plans to do anything about Iran then keeping an aircraft carrier on station there serves no purpose other than putting it in harm's way.  And this may be a good time to re-evaluate our deployments - where do we need to be as opposed to where do we want to be "just in case".

91 This police militarization trajectory is very, very unhealthy. It ought to be an issue where the left and right find common ground, but it's not. This shit has the potential to be as bad as it gets. The local media here in MN started saying that paramedics in ambulances need to wear body armor beacuse an ambulance once took a stray bullet. They even got the local fire department union head to go on air stating that the cost of million of dollars of body armor and the training to use it (huh?) was worth cheaper than one disability claim by the union against the city. Seriously. WTF

92 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-102/Ch6.htm

FM 5-102 anti armor field obstacles

TM 31-210 with the 90mm Recoiless Rifle

93

"I'm sorry, Michigan does not have "potholes." Texas has the occasional pothole. Michigan has crevasse. Michigan has pit-traps. But those aren't potholes."

 

I would be real happy stopping all research on Higgs bosen particles, nano-technology, super conducting colliders and everything else until our scientists figure out how to pave a fucking road.

94

82 -

 

Army is currently carrying... what, about 500K soldiers?  Navy is about 300K?

 

Does it makes sense that DoD has as many civilian employees as our two largest military branches? 

 

Now if they were each serving as personal valets for each soldier/sailor, that would be fine by me, but the 800K has GOT to be way too many, and I'm guessing the direction of Army/Navy hires vs. DoD hires is moving in the direction of more for the latter, less for the former. 

95 This is question to any here who paid more attention to the political debate about the 'cuts' the past few weeks than I cared to...
---
Obama made several comments that he was prepared to cut programs that were not efficient or not working. Did anyone (such as a Republican office-holder) publicly ask Obama to name one that he had in mind?

96

WHERRES THE THREAD CONGRADULATING KIM JON UN FOR HIS BABY?

 

Does removing Dennis Rodman's  head from your ass count as  birth?

97 This police militarization trajectory is very, very unhealthy. It ought to be an issue where the left and right find common ground, but it's not. This shit has the potential to be as bad as it gets.

The Libs love the militarization of the police force.  Remember, they're much more interested in controlling you than in seeing to your liberty.

A police force which is totally reactive and can only investigate after a crime has been committed (generally) is not one which can be used to control the populace.

98 92 Jaws,

correct....

easiest thing in the world to pop in an armored vehicle's undercarriage with a nice chemical plasma jet...

the MRAP is actually more vulnerable to HEAT from mortar rounds...

99 The local media here in MN started saying that paramedics in ambulances need to wear body armor beacuse an ambulance once took a stray bullet. They even got the local fire department union head to go on air stating that the cost of million of dollars of body armor and the training to use it (huh?) was worth cheaper than one disability claim by the union against the city. Seriously. WTF Watch Southland.

100 no sincerely I encourage all people of character in Blue Insane asylums to run to rec and purple areas and try to make a go.... leave the insane asylums to the insane. Posted by: sven10077-ArkLaTex travelogue and Researcher at March 04, 2013 10:30 AM (LRFds) I would in a second. The bad part is my best chance at a job (as far as I can tell) is landing a gov't position where I could be sent to Texas.

101 Technically, condom spending IS defense spending. The best offence is a good blowjob. Thread winner! A hummer beats an MRAP any day!

102

"Seems like a nice bait and trap scheme.

Someone will snap reading this. "

 

One of many.  Ain't no way the sum of all this crap isn't designed to get someone to do something stupid and futile so the powers that be can have a popular reason to squeeze the ratchet tighter.

103 and another lunch is scrubbed b/c wife has to do spare work...

Hooah!

104 The owner of Hummer, a very public-spirited individual, tried to offer the govt an organically mine-resistant version about 20 years ago They did not bite; could not see the application. When unpleasantness ensued, the DoD went all WWII apeshit on acquisitions, and several makers rose to the challenge pretty admirably, cost-plus. Ungainly contraptions, aren't they?

Before the orders were even filled, DoD recoiled in horror at the cost of maintaining those things in garrison after the current conflict, and started looking for ways to lay off the expense. This DHS maneuver is part of that bookkeeping adventure.

Apparently, it is not part of DoD's grand strategy that IED's and large land mines will be part of significant combat in the foreseeable future. That's problematic. Despite Princess Di, we are living in a Golden Age of land mines.

105 108 Jaws,

maybe...frankly I am waiting as long as it takes...and when the obvious prevailing sentiment is a shrug I'll start teaching people how to pop eggshells.

106 Sven, Allen, Diogenes, et al.:

We should figure out this Texas thing. Allen and I are already here.

I point to Argentina as to why there is no future in the blue states--even when it collapses, once the people have been trained to blame the rich/look to government, even a collapse won't "un-train" them.

Also, there will be no civil war, not for 5-10 years at least.

So?

I know a few of us are in the Yahoo group.

107 Dominion Tank Police!  "Nowadays tanks are about as effective as toothpicks."

http://youtu.be/mRzqjOyeSNc

Ozaki Leona and her toy tank always ruining my day!  Ggrrr!!!

108 Dr. Strangebudget or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sequester

109 Obama Oct 22, 2012: "First of all, the sequester is not something that I've proposed. It is something that Congress has proposed. It will not happen."

110 "Even DoD needs receptionists, janitors, accountants... I'm sure all of this could be done by military personnel, too, but is that cost effective? And remember, the DoD isn't just in DC. It's all over the world. I'm just a cook.

111

"The Libs love the militarization of the police force. Remember, they're much more interested in controlling you than in seeing to your liberty."

 

Right up until  someone like GWB has his mitts on the reigns of power.  *Then* it's a big problem.  Notsomuch right now though.

112 I was going to suggest that you put an e-mail address on the blog you don't have so that people who aren't reading your blog can send you links to interesting things that you won't write about because you don't have a blog.

Blame blogger.  It would, of course, be far too easy to have an "Email Me" gadget to add (and I'm too lazy to code my own) that I could just add to the blog.

I've put my email address in my "About Me" bit. 

Maybe one day I'll move to grown-up blogging software.

113 112 Royal Oil,

I am very serious about it, I am also for better or worse not going to be able to go back to the ArkLaTex for at least 2.5 yrs and most likely ~5...

Doesn't mean I am not game on subsidizing what i can of a collective workshop and trying to get a "Moron Relief Agency" going....

I am very serious the ultimate survival tool is the clan structure...

not tight, not koo koo for koko puffs zealotry just interlocking mutual self-interest.

I left my e-mail addy at Allen G's I'll be around.

114

Meh.  With an electorate begging for insolvency, soft slavery, and consumed by greed, envy, and racism (this captures all demographics from the lumpen-proles to the "educated" prosperous professionals), "national security" is an abstraction.  And with no political leadership, and what seems to be a fairly pathetic bunch in most military leadership positions, what were they gonna do with all that military power anyway? (kind of the post's main point about carrier deployments)

 

Actually the "sequester" - if this were needed - marks in dramatic fashion the absolute collapse of the GOP as a serious political actor.   Years of the most incompetent and disastrous budgeting behavior by a WH and Dem Senate - and this sort of idiotic, "nobody moves or the ni**er gets it" self-hostage-taking is their tactic?  Remember, they had to get to the 2012 elections (where states like MO and IN decided that they'd join NY and CA and MA in supporting vile idiot Dems for Senate, leaving a handful of states as holdouts in the sane and serious camp), and being political geniuses they wanted to avoid any real choices or decisions that might get them a "tough" question from a 87-IQ moronic "journalist" that would require any skill or knowledge to answer.

 

Inertia is the greatest force in nature, but one wonders how long those who keep the country afloat, and especially those who man the watch in uniform, will carry the rest of the degraded populace.  I've prevented at least two friends' kids from enlisting - for the moment - by explaining how unwise it was to put themselves on the line for this country, and know several long-serving guys (incl. one SEAL) who hastened their retirement because they or their spouses could no longer justify/tolerate hardship or risk for the country this has become. 

 

National security was my only interest since my teens and my only area of work.  Now it is less to me than stupid pro sports (I play, but don't watch, sports) or daytime TV.

 

 

 

 

115 113 Ms Puma,

Bet you never knew that DTP and Gunsmith Cats were documentaries eh?

116 If organized and administered correctly it could be extremely cost-efficient.

Every typist is a rifleman, every janitor can drive a tank, etc.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 04, 2013 10:43 AM (GsoHv)

 

I know what you're saying, but you're also going to the expense of training, arming, feeding, clothing,    housing,     etc, hundreds of thousands of employees who are going to spend the majority of their time doing  non-combat related work.  You can cycle them    around, sure,   so that they spend X amount of time doing civilian-type work, Y amount of time doing military-type work.    But what     if all forces are suddenly called up for some conflagration somewhere?    Who's going to remain behind at the office to answer the phones and keep the computers working and make sure the HQ doesn't get overrun by rats,   bugs, squatters and other vermin?

117 We should figure out this Texas thing. Allen and I are already here.

I think we should have a Moron Meetup of the TX/OK Morons.  Anyone who wants to show up, really, but that's a bit of a drive even for some of the TX Morons (I wouldn't be able to attend one down in Houston, for example, I would expect the reverse is true for our So. Texas Morons).

118 So, the DHS had a bunch of money to buy tanks launder into Democrat campaign coffers. Taxpayer laundering.

119

*sigh*

 

I can already tell this is going to be a bad day.

120 106 Mainah,

it's not there yet but I am going to try to get a talent to job to geography index research service going for the horde by next year....

not a joke, and not a pie in the sky fream and there's more "safety" than JUST Texas the key is the ArkLaTex and Oklahoma....

I have a plan if I ever get my mini conglomerate going well enough to try to have my manufacturing point on an Indian reservation...

We're all in this together.

121 Okay, working at work.  I'll be in and out all day.

Shoot me an email (I should be easy to find now) if you need me.

122 Gunsmith Cats?  Pish, go watch Riding Bean.  Sonoda-san has always been a gun otaku of major caliber.

And the anime for Dominion Tank Police to quote Shirow, was invention of the animators themselves.  One of the few times he was pleased with an adaptation of his work.

123

The best offence is a good blowjob.

---

Are there bad blowjobs?

124 It is a constant source of amazement why a military reservation needs civilian cops. Why does the mess hall have civilian employees ( having done my share of mess duty)? A fire department aboard base is a good idea, as is some contracting out for certain structural maintenance where a military MOS doesn't exist. I would sooner "furlough" a civilian employee with a skill or craft trade who can look for work than the kid in the MP company, the kid with the food service MOS, the SEABEE who knows how to fix everything, and so on. I have two hitches in the Corps, and having done it, can manage traffic at a gate as good as a GS5 step 10. When it comes down to it, you have military personnel totally managing an installation. If the balloon goes up, you can deploy them, unlike the 800, 000 civilian employees.

125 *sigh* I can already tell this is going to be a bad day. Posted by: MWR, Proud Tea(rrorist) Party Assault Hobbit at March 04, 2013 10:53 AM (4df7R) Nah. Do something for yourself, today. Listen to some good music. Go outside. I'm headed down to my gym. Just do it. You'll feel so much better. *cheers

126 123 Allen G,

I was pondering that...one could make an argument for Austin/Midland or Houston...

maybe DFW but "Moronapalooza" needs to happen before 2014's season...

I'd be game to help out with some of the expense even if we were because of wife and boy's schedules unable to attend...

I think having a picnic at San Jacinto and touring the USS Texas would be a neat experience....

and I'd throw whiskey in the jar to fly Ace in.

127 MWR, we would not even be having this discussion except for Bill Clinton.  It was during his eight years that outsourcing support jobs went to civilians or in the case of combat support functions like fuel was moved to the National Guard.  Along with the raping of the E-5s via RIF.  Peace Dividend?  Ha!

128 I think we should have a Moron Meetup of the TX/OK Morons.
=======
Yeah, Texas is damned big. I mean, it's a five hour drive for me to get to DFW.

Online chat, Google hangout?

129

Just tour the Texas?  Hell, I'd like to float her up the Potomac and  test fire those big guns.

 

The Lex (in Corpus) can provide air cover.

130 The morning after the sequestration, I wasn't speaking Chinese or Arabic.  Amazing.

If China wanted to destroy us, they'd simply stop buying our Treasury bills.  A war with Iran would last 24 hours, unless we were stupid enough to go in there and make it the 51st state.  It's laughable to think either one could actually conquer the US homeland.

The military wastes a lot of money.  Period.  The F-35 program was found to cost a trillion dollars, and the sequestration is only cutting $500 billion.  So half a fighter jet program.  Big deal.

I believe in a strong military, we had a real threat of global domination during the Cold War and it was why we won it, but our nation wasn't set up on the idea that we would be a global police force.

131 134 RoyalOil,

Maybe a specialized Twitter and Yahoo group...

there should be a biannual meetup though, most especially if we really do get a collective workshop started on physical plant generation and eventually try to get a machinist horde member relocated to the area the workshop winds up in....

I am willing to subsidize a reloading press, and some simple machine shop tools out of the gate.  We can try to get a steel building priced out as well.  Time to do something proactive.

132

It was not many years ago when we kept NO Carriers near the Persian Gulf...

 

Heck... it was a HUGE deal when we transited two into the Gulf in 1989... because its really restricted waters in there, with little time to react to an attack.

133 128 Ms Puma,

I cannot find riding bean on DVD to save my life...

in a perverse way they predicted the rise of Chicago in GSC...

134 it's not there yet but I am going to try to get a talent to job to geography index research service going for the horde by next year.... Posted by: sven10077-ArkLaTex travelogue and Researcher at March 04, 2013 10:54 AM (LRFds) Roger that!

135
So, the DHS had a bunch of money to buy tanks launder into Democrat campaign coffers.

And according to Uncle Janet, sequester cuts are already causing delays at airports.

136 What I don't accept are Obama's acolytes in Defense hyping the cuts as Armageddon.

Those of us who can discern facts and read a budget call that disingenuous.

It does more damage then good.

As for Kristol- F-him. Is he some prophet who requires undying allegiance without intellectual scrutiny? Well-no. And his record on these types of affairs proves it.

Do conservatives really want the cuts in Defense? Duh- no. WE would rather have cuts from somewhere else. But, as a clue for Kristol and his cronies, the President would not allow for the cuts to come from somewhere else (see the House Bill, dumbass) and we had to cut. Period. Full stop.

137 140 mainah,

The first thing for you to ponder is "who am I professionally, who do I hope to be, what am I looking for in geography and culture....

once you know that we ArkLaTexOk morons can probably start steering you towards sub regions and then where to look at want-ads and real estate...

138

130 -

 

Amen.  I've been out of uniform for quite a while, but what I recall was that civilian employees on  a military post were specialists of some sort.  Not the kinds of guys who were cooking meals, manning gates, etc. 

 

We did that... well, I never cooked a meal, unless you count heating up MRE's.  But yeah, those jobs were military personnel.  I cannot understand the 800K civilian employees.  Maybe someone smarter than me can explain it, but I'm not hearing anybody smarter than me stepping up, so.....

139 Yes. And we just gave $60 million to the Syrian Rebels (whoever the hell they are) and $250 million to Egypt.

But the spigots run dry at DoD. Right.

140 144 Burt TC,

the idea initially was that the military retirement system was "too expensive" so we started devolving combat and noncombat support services to the Guard and Reserves and hiring Contractors at "reduced cost"...well GOP and Donk teamed up to make it as expensive if not moreso to use these contractors than soldiers and politically the Guard and Reserve have been used to make the actual use of military force politically prohibitive although in the modern era with the media so in the bag you can say that is "just an issue for the GOP."

Of course Obama and Clinton have finally made the point to me that the DoD is too big, and that active force spending should likely be on Sea Power and Air Power for strategic sea and air lane defense.

Devolve the ground forces to a 25/75% mix IMHO....

141 Nude post.

142 If the crazy islamists in Iran ever succeed in putting together a nuke device, the last thing we need is an aircraft carrier sitting a relatively short jet boat ride away. Abdul could still be a mile off when he pulls the trigger and very bad things would happen.

143 "But what if all forces are suddenly called up for some conflagration somewhere?Who's going to remain behind at the office to answer the phones and keep the computers working and make sure the HQ doesn't get overrun by rats, bugs, squatters and other vermin?" Are all the temp agencies off fighting at the front, too?

144 What is really bad about the Clinton era with the military is the F-18E and the Bombcat.  With the F-18E BuAir actively broke the procurement system by peddling a 'low risk' Hornet improvement program to Congress that resulted in McDonnell-Douglas building a completely new airplane.  The Bombcat emerged because a group in the Fleet decided to add LANTIRN to the F-14D even though there was no money.

145 The first thing for you to ponder is "who am I professionally, who do I hope to be, what am I looking for in geography and culture.... once you know that we ArkLaTexOk morons can probably start steering you towards sub regions and then where to look at want-ads and real estate... Posted by: sven10077-ArkLaTex travelogue and Researcher at March 04, 2013 11:05 AM (LRFds) Thanks, Sven. Without writing a book here, I work in law enforcement for the Feds, but as a contractor-analyst, not a badge carrier, but I've been trying for a while to become one. I grew up in a really rural area of Maine and liked it, but I was close enough to civilization too, so ideally I'd like to live somewhere that has space, but close enough to grocery stores and all that. Culturally, any place that would provide a good upbringing for my daughter and future kids. And that my wife would enjoy living in. Important point there. Heh.

146 Riding Bean on DVD
http://www.dvdplanet.com/buy/dvd/riding-bean_25229

147 Technically, condom spending IS defense spending.
The best offence is a good blowjob.
If you can't beat them in an alley, you can't beat them on a battlefield.

148 145 Yes. And we just gave $60 million to the Syrian Rebels (whoever the hell they are) and $250 million to Egypt.

But the spigots run dry at DoD. Right.
Posted by: Marcus

The problem with that mentality is then nothing ever gets cut.  You're always going to be able to point at something even stupider to justify waste. 

I heard the same arguments from liberals during the auto bailouts.  Things like "saving GM and Chrysler cost the same as 4 weeks in Iraq"

There's definitely a long list of things I'd rather see cut than the military, but I don't think the Pentagon is some sacred cow.

149 Another point to remember: very soon, the Chinese military will be able to be funded completely by interest payments on our debt that the Chinese government holds.

150

Uhm, you guys, how about we just compare real-dollar increases in spending by budget function since FY2008?

 

050 (Defense) would surely have what looks like nearly a flat line compared to the other areas, which have skyrocketed. 

 

This is always a sad (and superfluous) reminder to me of how degraded the "debate" is - even on the "conservative" side - there has been a near vertical unprecedented explosion in non-DOD discretionary and "entitlement" (there's no difference in terms of how things are created and cut, you just legislate things in and out of existence, so a false distinction) spending.  DOD?  Flat-ish, I believe.

 

So no, it's not common sense to "also find waste in DOD" and it's not a question of sacred cows.  Re-set to FY2008 for all budget functions (FY2007, even better, FY 2001, best of all) and start from there.  In fact, what would the deficit look like with FY2001 spending and today's (even semi-depression depressed) revenues?

 

 

151 IÂ’ve always been of the opinion that conservatives should fight as hard as possible to avoid defense cuts, to the point that liberals offer serious cuts elsewhere in exchange for them, thinking we wonÂ’t accept the defense cuts as a tradeoff. And then accept them so fast they donÂ’t know what hit them.

152 151 Mainah,

You're probably gonna want to look in the Ozarks if you want hills/old mtns or the Texas PanHandle near Lubbock.  There's a Corridor in North Texas going towards New Mexico that has high mountain desert with some nice coniferous based foliage at altitude.  If career concerns are still the primary motivator there are pretty big federal islands of employment around Ft Hood, San Antonio, and the other TX cities.

If you get your drone certs you'd probably be able to get on with some form of LE or "monitoring."

Best of luck.

153 152 Ms Puma,

Bless you, sincerely Ms 10077 misses that show immensely....

154 157 IÂ’ve always been of the opinion that conservatives should fight as hard as possible to avoid defense cuts, to the point that liberals offer serious cuts elsewhere in exchange for them, thinking we wonÂ’t accept the defense cuts as a tradeoff.

And then accept them so fast they donÂ’t know what hit them. Posted by: Stephen Price Blair

I agree completely.  I certainly don't want cuts in defense spending being made up for with increased domestic spending, but I'd take a 50% cut in the military for 50% cut in domestic spending all day long.

It's a bargaining chip and it needs to be USED.  And it's the first real "cut" we've been able to broker.  A trillion dollars plus total in cuts is nothing to sneeze at, although we're still going off the cliff.

155 156
Uhm, you guys, how about we just compare real-dollar increases in spending by budget function since FY2008?

050 (Defense) would surely have what looks like nearly a flat line compared to the other areas, which have skyrocketed.

This is always a sad (and superfluous) reminder to me of how degraded the "debate" is - even on the "conservative" side - there has been a near vertical unprecedented explosion in non-DOD discretionary and "entitlement" (there's no difference in terms of how things are created and cut, you just legislate things in and out of existence, so a false distinction) spending. DOD? Flat-ish, I believe.

So no, it's not common sense to "also find waste in DOD" and it's not a question of sacred cows. Re-set to FY2008 for all budget functions (FY2007, even better, FY 2001, best of all) and start from there. In fact, what would the deficit look like with FY2001 spending and today's (even semi-depression depressed) revenues?

Posted by: non-purist at March 04, 2013 11:39 AM (afQnV)

Yep, which is why this whole convo pisses me off. GB pointed out what was coming quite clearly, if one cared to listen!

156 Thanks for the info, Sven!

157 162 mainah,

one of the likely causes of the rest of my life...

I sincerely hope you find what you're hunting.

158 Sven- Thanks. I'll keep you updated on any major developments.

159

160 157 Yes exactly Conservatived are PISSED at defense cuts because IT IS ALWAYS defense that gets cut. The program that IS EXPLICITLY a function of the federal government

 

THAT IS WHAT PISSES ME OFF!!!!

160 It's like Obama/Panetta's prior $450B cut never happened. Sure another $45B over the rest of FY13 is undesireable, but the real "pain" is due to the big cut everyone forgot.

161

Huh...The guy posted this at Information Dissemination.  That says a lot.

There may be good arguments where you can be pro-defense and pro-sequestration, but this opinion piece by McGrath isn't.  His argument is logical based on his premise, but the premise is faulty.

Screwing with federal spending can lose you elections.  Screwing with national security can get you killed.  McGrath also overlooks how the US economy can be weakened BECAUSE we have a weak military - for example, if US can't militarily reply to the PRC threaten Japan and the Pacific Rim, you will see economic instability spread from there to the US.  It's not the only one, but a strong military helps the US maintain a strong economy because of how dangerous the world is.

More importantly - why is defense the first thing that gets cut?  The defense budget has been the only part of the budget that has increased less than inflation in federal spending since Obama was elected.  Yes we got limited resources, but most of it ain't going to the military (Whose maintanence is required by the Constitution.) but to other things (Not required by the Constitution.).  Yet the military is getting the most cuts - even to the basic military pay and veteran's health care.

McGrath is right - we got a priority problem.  The problem is that we are sending too much of the budget the federal government has right now to things other than the military.

162 fwiw- we need a sequester type approach to entitlements- w/out agreement some random% gets cut across the board-not a big % but a real, honest to god actual reduction in spending today.  this may avoid the desire to mess things up by cutting, reducing eliminating benefits for those deemed to be "rich" this year or whenever the democrats decide they can marginalize some portion of  the electorate and still get elected (and the republicans decide togo along!).