Comments on: Defense Spending vs. Economy

By: factoryidiot

factoryidiot — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:29:08 +0000

Ok I get the fact that you need to sustain current resources deployed in the current crisis zones and you need the budget to do so, but what I don’t get is the billions being poured into R&D for fancy new toys that never see the glory of battle.
Regardless of who wins the presidency the greed of those sales men worried about their bonus’s and the congressmen getting kick backs for promoting these new toys, will have to take a back seat and just be happy with what they have now. (A military force shouldn’t be making money off the blood of its people and others anyway.)
Its not like the US is having any trouble in the current crisis’s, fully dominating in Iraq for instance. With the toys they have.
At the rate things are going those Vets returning from combat will be coming home to no jobs, poor medical, and very little support.
Surely there is a bigger picture? You can fund the military forces at their current strength with out the need to pour billions into boats that never said, weapons systems that never fire, and aircraft that never fly. The R&D cost is billions alone.

By: McKellar

McKellar — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:03:38 +0000

What will happen to the defense industry if the big ticket programs are cut? It seems like the industry has already consolidated itself into two big corporations, and since we can’t let either one die from lack of contracts, we just keep doling out the cash, cost over-runs and all, just to keep them in business. If we cut the LCS, do we have a naval ship building capacity left? Do we even have one now, now that all the competition has gone out of the system?

By: stephen russell

stephen russell — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:15:10 +0000

Fund Blackswift & USS Gerald Ford carrier.
Fund those.
More jobs & more careers.
Blackswift esp.
Long term for both projects.
Mustr have Spaceplane or US crews to ISS– obsolete.
Fund Ideas
See Military Channel Backyard to Battlefield.

By: stephen russell

stephen russell — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:14:46 +0000

By: Tony Conner

Tony Conner — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:08:00 +0000

No matter who wins in the election, there will be cuts in the defense budget. The only issue is what programs and how much. Obama wants to cut Missile Defense and McCain wants to cut the Littoral Combat Ships. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will make cutting large expensive weapons programs easier to get through congress.
When the social security solvency issue is factored into the mix, then the defense budget is in serious trouble. Best for defense contractors to look outside the US for contracts in the coming decade.

By: bobbymike

bobbymike — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:50:50 +0000

The government has money for Wall Street bailouts and handouts for everyone but I will bet money they will run out of money, for the Defense Dept., with the inauguration of Obama.
The Dems always find ways to cut defense but not a penny from any other program.

By: Byron Skinner

Byron Skinner — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:08:39 +0000

Good Morning Folks,
With a likely Obama win in November it is unlikely that defense budgets will decrease or that any major weapon or development programs will be wither trimed or cut.
The reason is two fold. First there is still a war(s) going on and the Democrats will be very sensative to being weak on defense. Second is the economy. Defense spending means jobs, nothing more needs to be said.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

By: TB

TB — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:51:28 +0000

As you can tell, Geren was all about Congress and declined to talk about the larger economic issues.
Why should he be? Congress doesn’t talk about the larger economic issues. Congress just ordered up $1 trillion be put into circulation. What’s another billion here or there in the defense budget?