We can just agree that our military spending is over inflated and needs to be drastically reduced. Same with several other government programs...
Sequester and USNA
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We can just agree that our military spending is over inflated and needs to be drastically reduced. Same with several other government programs...
Losttime, by your definition I don't believe we have been at war since World War II. That said I do agree that pretty much all areas of government needs to be cut.
That $111b that China spends on their military, is that reported by China? Is it accurate? And more importantly what do they get for every dollar they spend? A dollar in China goes a bit farther than one in the US. I don't think they spend anywhere near what we spend but they are advancing their capabilities.
I believe our military spending is far more than it needs to be but we need to be careful not to cut too far. A powerful military means we are less likely to have to use it and I am all for avoiding seeing more young men and women coming home in body bags.
That $111b that China spends on their military, is that reported by China? Is it accurate? And more importantly what do they get for every dollar they spend? A dollar in China goes a bit farther than one in the US. I don't think they spend anywhere near what we spend but they are advancing their capabilities.
I believe our military spending is far more than it needs to be but we need to be careful not to cut too far. A powerful military means we are less likely to have to use it and I am all for avoiding seeing more young men and women coming home in body bags.
Memphis9489
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What kind of deterrent military spending provides to those who would do us harm depends on who the enemy is. Terrorists, for example, do not care how many F-35's we have or whether we are deploying ten or eleven aircraft carriers. Neither do irrational leaders of nations.
However, I think countries like China do pay attention to the make-up, capabilities and resolve of our military. Back in the days of the Cold War, I think our military build-up had a role in the Soviets deciding to stop playing the game.
I don't think al Qaeda really cares how many intercontinental ballistic missiles we have ... or where they're located.
Like I said, whether money is well spent on the military - it depends.
Who is the next enemy? Probably not the one we think. The terrorists are likely to be an enemy for the forseeable future but they don't require us to have ICBM's, F35's, etc.
What we don't want is a conflict with China, Russia, etc, countrys that would be much more formidable than al Qaeda and have the ability to reach our shores. How much do we have to spend to deter major threats while at the same time continue dealing with terrorists?
Memphis9489
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There has been no world power who has been more successful than al Qaeda at reaching our shores ... other than the British during the Revolutionary War. Fortunately, most of the countries with the most military might are also the most rational. China and Russia are rational countries. This is why North Korea and Iran are such unsettling threats because they are irrational and have designs on the capability of extending weapons of mass destruction over long distances.
Graduates of the Naval Academy (and the other service academies) are going to have to get used to the idea that they are about to enter a shrinking military. Budget constraints are going to be felt and it will certainly manifest itself at the academies in some way or another.
Everybody understands the need for spending discipline. The military is a huge expense in our economy - especially when we are at war. Nobody wants it to affect them, personally, however. It's OK to cut programs as long as it's not their program. Everybody recognizes the need for prisons - just nowhere near their neighborhood. Everybody understands the efficiency of nuclear power - they just don't want a plant anywhere near their home. Many are against abortion until their 14yr daughter is raped and becomes pregnant. Many are members of the NRA and believe the government is being intrusive on 2nd amendment rights until some of their family members are gun downed in a theater. That's just the way it works. People see the world from their experiences and, as their experiences change, their worldview tends to change.