Endless War! 5 Disturbing Things in America's Military Budget

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/world/endless-war-5-disturbing-things-americas-military-budget


U.S. army soldiers on patrol in Sadr City, Iraq.
Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Russell Klika/U.S. Army

1. More Special Forces

President Obama has wound down the Iraq War and plans to reduce troops levels in Afghanistan, though he’s also attempting to negotiate a prolonged troops presence in the latter country. At the same time, he has presided over an expansion of elite military units known as special operations forces, which operate secretly around the globe and have become crucial to the endless “war on terror.” Special Operations Forces, like the Navy SEALs, are used to train foreign militaries in counter-terrorism and execute raids like the operation that killed bin Laden.

***SNIP

2. The Drone War Continues

In addition to deploying Special Operations Forces, the other key aspect of the Obama administration’s approach to war has been drones. The U.S. has waged a relentless war via drone in Pakistan and Yemen, as well as other countries, though drone strikes have decreased in recent months. Still, the impact of drones on civilians has not lessened, as a December strike in Yemen that killed at least a dozen people, many of them civilians, showed.

***SNIP

3. Endless War

In 2001, the U.S. enshrined into law the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). The measure has come to justify many aspects of the “war on terror,” from Guantanamo to Afghanistan to drone strikes. And the House wants to keep it that way.

4. Indefinite Detention

One of the most controversial elements of the NDAA was signed into law by President Obama at the end of 2011: the ability to indefinitely hold American citizens suspected of terrorism.

[marmar]

1. k/r

[baldguy]

2. How many of America's problems would evaporate if the Pentagon's budget was cut in half?

[jwirr]

9. If it is good they are trying to do.

[unhappycamper]

4. USMC Maj. Gen. Smedley Buiter said it best:

http://www.fas.org/man/smedley.htm

And he was correct - where do the military bucks come from?

[jwirr]

13. This budget is a disgrace. If they are worried about national security then they should stop

worrying about fighting wars overseas to secure corporations that are using slave like labor and stealing resources and think more about what we need here.

Education of our people so that we can be competitive, housing so that our cities no longer look like human waste dumps, health so that all Americans have the care they need and affordable food so that no American goes hungry. That is the bottom line regarding NATIONAL security. It is also a matter of security to deal with the environment and jobs.

These are the things that will make America safe and secure. IMO we get nothing out of the modern wars except death and pain. That budget is ass backwards and does nothing to make us secure.

[L0oniX]

16. The biggest monkey on our backs no doubt. It's immoral and obscene.

[AAO]

19. Looks like they are only spending the money leftover after paying for everything else.

So, no biggie, right?

[Overseas]

5. K&R. Very sad. So different from what most of us would want.

We might support 1/3 of the national budget on defense and military, but not 57%.

[AAO]

20. Let's spend 25% on the Military - still more than any other country.

Then use the 32% free money to fix healthcare, infrastructure, social security, and clean energy. Within 5 years we'd be back to where we were before Raygun took over.

[Overseas]

23. That would be great and quite ample for the military really. If we de-privatize it, we can save more

Our military spending used to do double-duty, it gave vets job training and service didn't have to be combat. You could be the electricians on the base. You could cook the meals and learn to cook for hundreds.

We didn't have to pay more to the private sector to get less for our troops.

And greening our country should be part of the defense budget. Lessen fighting for dwindling resources.

[Thespian2]

6. If the American government

plans to continue endless war, why not save some money while killing people, many of whom are innocent? Consolidate the military. Have one Air Force. Does every branch need its own planes? Have one Army. Why have Marines at all? They are foot soldiers. Call all of them American Forces. Get rid of most of the officers in all branches of the Forces. Most of them are only useful to meet tee times at military golf courses and laze about in military resorts around the globe, bathed in their own importance. Build only necessary battle equipment to be employed to secure the safety of the American population. Close some of the 600 bases now manned by the military. Stop hiring private militias, normally used to by-pass the Geneva Conventions.

Perhaps with these and other sensible changes, the people can begin to take back the economy from the chicken-hawk war mongers and the builders of useless military equipment.

[Enthusiast]

10. +1 an entire shit load.

Those are sensible suggestions if they were actually interested in saving money. But since the media is entirely under the control of those that want the gravy train to continue, we have to listen to a constant entitlements are causing the deficit narrative.

[L0oniX]

15. Hire the Chinese to do it ...it will be cheaper.

[Puzzledtraveller]

7. I mentioned similar things in a reply in another post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5014354

You can see that I was swiftly chastised for suggesting that war as we knew it was over and the declarations of ended conflicts is nothing more than a ruse.

[DirkGently]

8. Because these wars have been so helpful!

Just look at what they've achieved. There's the jack! And the shit!

[L0oniX]

12. You only say that because you are not of the 1% rich.

[AAO]

21. Just think of the achievements of Gold Star Mothers. U-RAH!

[L0oniX]

11. Only 5???

[NorthCarolina]

14. War drives the American economy, much of the remaining US based manufacturing is

dedicated to supplying this war machine. We gave up manufacturing every day items so that America could concentrate on making bullets, tanks, war/spy planes/drones, aircraft carriers. In turn, those military manufacturing giants grease the palms of Congress critters FAR FAR better than the likes of a Canon Mills ever did.

[brewens]

17. They left out private contractors which might be the most wasteful part of the

budget. That one drives me crazy. Recently I was watching some program where they were praising the contractors for picking up the slack where the military was just stretched too thin. Beam me up!

It's unbelievable people buy into that scam. Blackwater or whatever it's called now are doing what the military used to be perfectly capable of doing on it's own and could still be capable of doing. Dick Cheney and his pals made it the way it is. It's nothing more than a looting scam.

We train guys, Blackwater recruits them, they leave the army or marines, Blackwater hires them and pays them big bucks charging us enough to cover all that plus a nice profit. Guess what? Those same guys could still be in the army doing what they are doing working for us a lot cheaper.

[raouldukelives]

18. Drone pilot is one of the hottest growing fields!

Join your friends on the cubicle battlefield and high five your way to happiness! Every Friday is Hawaiian shirt day!

[RobertEarl]

22. Hippies were right

These peaceogynist or peaceandary's are gonna mess up everything that they haven't already messed up. And send you the bill!! The country is being financially raped by the warmen and most of us just keep bending over any time they come near.

Ah well, there was a brief shining moment in those few days before Nov. 22, 1963. That day the music died.