US skimps on troops, spends on tech

[dArKeR]

Amid one of the greatest military spending increases in history, the Pentagon is starved for cash.

The US will spend more than US$500 billion on national security in the fiscal year that began yesterday. That represents a high-water mark, and it is creating boom times in the armaments industry.

Yet the military says it has run US$1 billion a month short over the last year paying for the basics of war in Iraq: troops, equipment, spare parts and training.

The disparity between spending on the arsenals of the future and the armies of today is great, and growing.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/10/02/2003205262

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Oh com'on, we have fun out of BULLETS

How do you FIGHT a war without BULLETS?

[Red Fox]

2. Ehm 1 whole billion?

These guys are known for "disappearing" around a trillion dollars every year through misaccounting.

I think this "war" is the least of THEIR problems. Maybe they should fix the corruption/incompetence/theft/fraud/whichever comes first, first.

[AP]

3. Ie, private profits come before people and national security.

[aquart]

4. Tech money goes to corporations.

Why has nobody mentioned that our high-tech weapons depend upon foreign parts? If our so-called allies decide they've had enough of our pretensions, they can stop us cold.

[Mika]

6. Allies had enough of our pretensions - Good

At least someone will be able to shut us down, because us Americans, by and large, seem unable to.




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[Nlighten1]

5. "Pentagon is starved for cash"?

What a load of crap.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Can't skim money off of troops. Plenty to skim in tech n/t

[jmcgowanjm]

8. Defense has always been the closet welfare for States

When did the Depression end?
How about December 7, 1941

Current Suits-in-Manhatten/DC's motto:
Skip the Depression, go straight to war.

31k in USarmed forces Iraq not UScitizens.

http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=issues&htmlId=988

And don't even ask what the Mercs cost us.

Truck drivers make $130k/year in Iraq.

[teryang]

9. Outsourcing the Pentagon budget

The budget is for defense contractors not personnel.