Quote:
Originally posted by CharlieG
Part of the reason for cycles in the defense budget is a factor that few think about, and is actually hard to break.
THINGS WEAR OUT!
How long does a ship or an airplane last? A ship goes about 7-10 years before a massive overhaul is needed - an airframe goes XXXX hours.
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We went for a decade without replacing anything? How naive. We are constantly wearing out thing, refurbishing things, and building new things for the military.
A more valid speculation would be that the military spent big bucks on irrelevant nonsense such as air craft carriers, B-1 and B-2 bombers, and Apache helicopeters. Then spent the next decade (or over a gneration in the case of the B-1 bomber and Apache helicopter) to make them work. Other things such as planes for the aircraft carriers, troop support aircraft, radios so that navy ships could talk to army troops and get air tasking orders, etc all were forgotten. Yes we have the Apache helicopter delivered to the army well over a decade ago and it still cannot fly in Kosovo. We have aircraft carriers full of planes that cannot get out to the battleground without multiple mid-air refuelings - tankers must be in country for carrier planes to function.
However the military is not all that bad. That above reasoning still does not justify all the big run up in defense spending. To appreciate the problem, well, did you read Collin Powell's warning as reported by the AP in that NY Times article? If not, then why not. It explains the military buildup. I suspect you don't appreciate the Ronald Reagan attitude - the extremist right wing - 'make war with anyone who disagrees with America' atttitude in this adminstration lead by a low intelligence president.
We don't have enemies everywhere. Most enemies are of our own creation. Pax America will only create more enemies. Pax American is a fundamental concept of intolerant, right wing, extremist Republicans. That is why we have this outrageous military buildup.
We now have dangerous politician in government. What good is an aircraft carrier or nuclear submarine or a missile defense system against terrorism. Nothing. No help. Not valid. Rediculous. But terrorism is a good excuse to arm the US to the teeth - since extremists are so paranoid.
Names? I should not have to mention anyone as example. This one is so obvious. Anyone with any political / military knowledge knows this name right out - top of the list. We are going to war with an evil empire - as demonstrated by a budget. It is why we are suddenly building 9 major military bases around the Middle East. We want to be the world's policeman. We want to act unilaterally. Our low intelligent president who also hid from VietNam service is also being manipulated into building unnecessary weapons so that we can do another VietNam in the Middle East. The name - why don't you know this man after so much above description. I even reported his name when he tried to get us to attack China - Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense.
We don't need these exotic weapons such as anti-ballistic missiles. We need leaders who will not make Middle East extremists popular. Our current leaders will make Middle East war necessary because he advocates the destruction of Palestinian victims AND we openly support a dichead who almost got the US and USSR into a nuclear war (BTW did I also mention he also had 5,000 women and children massacred).
Learn history now before it is too late. We are setting ourselves up to be the world's policeman. We are encouraging extremists in the Middle East. We are getting ready to attack Iraq unilaterally. We are setting ourselves up to invade parts of the Middle East that we don't like. That is why we are rearming for more than just defense.
'Things wear out' is simply to be a stooge of people with a dangerous agenda. Be aware that we are intending to attack other nations unitaterally - in vilolation of EVERYTHING American stands for.