The United States spends more on its military than any other nation on the planet by a large margin. Indeed, we spend nearly as much as the combined military budgets of all the world powers. Given the nation's fiscal challenges, combined with the fact that we've already ended one major war and are winding down another, it's not surprising that sensible voices believe it's time to scale back the Pentagon budget.
That includes, by the way, officials at the Pentagon. U.S. military leaders have proposed cuts of nearly a half-trillion dollars over the next decade, which defense officials and national security experts believe can be made without increasing the nation's vulnerabilities or undermining our ability to fight if necessary. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, for example, has already heartily endorsed the budget cuts.
Associated Press
With this in mind, it was rather striking to see Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the right-wing chairman of the House Budget Committee, suggest yesterday that U.S. military leaders are not to be trusted.
"We don't think the generals are giving us their true advice," Ryan said during a forum on the budget sponsored by the National Journal. "We don't think the generals believe their budget is really the right budget." [...]
He went on to say that while there were certainly inefficiencies that could be reduced in the Pentagon's budget, fighting wars in the Middle East and a "dangerous world" necessitated keeping defense spending level.
Ryan was specifically asked yesterday, "You don't believe the generals?" The congressman replied, "What I believe is this budget does hollow out defense. I believe this budget goes beyond where we should go to keep people safe."
Ryan added that his budget plan, unlike the plan endorsed by U.S. military leaders, counts an "honest Pentagon budget."
Even for Ryan, this takes an enormous amount of chutzpah.
Let's unpack this a bit, because it's important to understand how ridiculous it is.
First, Ryan is ostensibly someone who's eager to slash every possible public investment. Indeed, he believes spending has to be brutally cut to the bone to prevent some kind of looming "debt crisis," And yet, given the chance to cut nearly a half-trillion in spending over the next decade, the right-wing Wisconsinite has suddenly discovered he disapproves of budget cuts after all. (Ryan wants to increase defense spending, even while cutting everything else.) If the cuts don't hurt working families, he's apparently not interested.
Second, let's not forget that the Pentagon wants these budget cuts. It's not as if there's a dispute between the White House and the brass, and Ryan is siding with the latter. Instead, Ryan is looking for budget cuts; the Pentagon is recommending some; and the Budget Committee chairman prefers to ignore the recommendations.
Third, notice that Ryan is effectively accusing U.S. military leaders of lying to Congress about the resources necessary to keep the nation safe. I wonder what the reaction would be if a House Democrat did that.
And finally, there's the biggest, most jaw-dropping angle of them all: Paul Ryan, who has never served in the military a day in his life, believes he knows better than the U.S. military leadership what funding levels are needed to "keep people safe."
Amazing. Just amazing.
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When your campaign contributions depend on the military/industrial complex, of course you want to increase defense spending. Follow the money, Steve. 99% of what this crew does is because they are getting paid to do it. Ideology has nothing to do with it, which is why it makes no sense in terms of what they claim they are trying to do. It's just greed.
What Ryan knows that the brass doesn't, is that our next President (assuming they beat Obama in November) will start a new war in Iran, to keep the money flowing to the long list of corporations who benefit greatly from wars.
Ryan (and that would-be President) must be stopped. They are the enemies within.
Remember that we can all help to vote Ryan (and others of his ilk) out. Give a few bucks to the challengers of Ryan and the most despicable of the Repubs. Ryan's election in Wisconsin's 1st district should be seen as a national election by any voters who really care about this country.
Keeping faith with Ryan's example, I have done no research on budgetary consequences, Thus, I feel uniquely qualified to propose an amendment to Ryan's budget. This budget should be mandatory for all Republican voters, along with any Democratic voter who volunteers. The Dems. must volunteer since mandating them to give up their benefits would be unconstitutional.
Is this really any surprise? Ryan is completely transparent in his neoliberal views. If government spending isn't going to put money into the hands of private businesses he is NOT INTERESTED.
Remember this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyJBZYz858M
Dana
I think you mean neocon not neoliberal. Neocons are for large military spending and private business profit.
Maria I love you honey but neoliberal actually isn't the incorrect term. Neoliberal means libertarian.
For the record my friend this is not to say that you are incorrect on your interpretation of "neoconservative" as a term. It's just to explain that there's been so much conflating of the two that this is how it's become.
Liberal used to mean libertarian (hundreds of years ago)
Neo-liberal meant that you were both liberal (socially) and economically (libertarian)
Libertarian then was created as a term thereby making neo-liberal no long effective. But this didn't mean that the term stopped being appropriate in the English language. From the way Dana used it above- and forgive me if I'm being arrogant in my assumption here- it sounds like she knows this difference.
I still love you though Maria ;-)
Thank you Mouzer for the clarification. My wrong assumption. I love you too. :-)
The perfect running mate for Mittens. Handsome, unprincipled, corporate. They'd have a good chance of winning.
I'm not sure that he would help Mittens, as his budget is so disliked. But the American people don't have a good reputation lately for making intelligent electoral decisions. 8 years of Bush? Republicans back in
Congress?
Handsome? He looks like Eddie Munster! If he becomes Romney's running mate he will be exposed to the nation as the corporate whore he is.
but but but...
he's so ' serious', I've been told.
When you 'know everything' then the ones that do not support your 'vision' are LYING. Also, his 'military leaders' seem to be John McCain, Graham and Leiberman. ALL of whom know much more than any number cruncher in the PENTAGON for god's sake....
pro-Israeli war hawks...
Any facts that do not fit the conservative message requires them to create an alternate reality where their truth is never wrong.
There is that angle of making money off investments in the military-industrial complex. But perhaps this is an attempt to regain their perceived birth right to lay claim to that strong-on-defense meme. Pity they must stomp all over the generals to get there. Do these clowns EVER take policy and governing seriously? In my life I have never known a time when it was this easy to vote intelligently by simply avoiding any candidate without an (R) after their name. Sad.
I agree. Through my 40 years of voting, I had almost always split my ticket and carefully weighed the pluses and minuses of the Republican and Democratic candidates for most offices. No more. I don't think I will ever vote for a Republican again in my life. I don't understand why the vast majority of people in this country don't feel as I do.
Because thinking is hard.
Hopefully in November, we will see that the majority DO agree with you!!
Hate to nitpick but I believe you mean"...vote intelligently by simply avoiding any candidate *with* an (R) after their name."
Craig0409, that's not a nit, it's a good catch. You are correct, of course. Thank you. I've been around since dust and a life-long registered Republican. This past February I changed my registration to Unaffiliated. I just can not take the stupid any more.
lennybruce48
As a life long dem here , I honestly feel for what you posted there , I have chosen to just not vote at all in the past , because I felt the dems were not representing what I believed in , and were just way to corrupted by big money , gop voters seem to be voting for people because they have an (R) next to their name , and could really care less what the person does once in office , the ones I have tried to debate on line , are really out there , and they despise anyone who does not go along with the GOP agenda ...IMLO , if republican voters , who refuse to vote dem at all , would just stop voting for 2 election cycles , the BAD politicians would fall to the way side , because they would realize people are not buying their 2 face back stabbing lies any more , then you all could reboot with some honest hard working reps
Remember the good old days when war profiteering would earn you the best view of the raging crowd. At least until they put the hood over your head and tightened the noose.
I look at Paul Ryan and the word "dink" just springs to mind. Not "dick" mind you. Just "dink." Like he's not even worth the effort to give him a complete insult.
You just know he got wedgies in high school and was stuffed into a trash can .
But we cannot disregard the guy. He's powerful and scary. Send his challenger a few bucks. Think of Wisconsin 1st as a national election.
OK, two things to note here...
One, isn't the Republican party the party of "We will listen to the Generals"? Ehhhh, I guess they only listen when they like the answer.
Two, isn't there a good possibility that having less spending and perhaps a bit smaller military make the best military in the workd more flexible and responsive?
Maybe, maybe not!
The only definitive is that if there are major defense spending cuts, it makes it harder to continue buying unnecessary airplanes that don't fly and other programs the military do not need or want.
Do not forget that, in the repuknican minds, the only jobs creating part of the federal government is dumping billions into the militarization industries who kick back a portion of it to the pols.
-And that is why so much money goes for the "toys" and so little for the troops that wield them.
It is highly profitable to "fire and forget", then cut a purchase order for its replacement.
Sadly, that does not work with humans, even the "expendable" ones.
I don't understand his reasoning. He must be afraid of something. Or there is an underlying reason for more military spending in his bill. Is it Fear or is it Greed? One must ask oneself who stands to benefit from more military spending? What Companies profits increase during war time? If it is fear, should his fear be projected onto Americans who are not afraid?
We need to get money out of politics. That's the biggest issue behind most of these things. That, and an unintelligent voting population who believe the ads and the rhetoric that the big money buys.
Hey Paul you know where to stick those thumbs? RT
Ruck Fyan
"zombie-eyed granny starver..." –charlie pierce
When this guy was standing in line for brains, he thought they said this was the line for birth control so he left the line and didn't get any. Another thought: Maybe he is heavily invested in the corporations that build the machines of war and is afraid he will lose money on his investments if the military budget is cut. Only reasons I can come up with for him to believe he knows more than the Pentagon when it comes to "military spending."
He's creepier than a pedophile priest with bible breath..
Can't Touch:
Big Oil Relief Checks
Massive Pentagon budget
Bush's platinum series tax cuts
A genuine, free national healthcare program for Congresscritters and their families
Unnecessary trillion dollar wars
Must... Kill...
The Imaginary government healthcare program for everybody else
Planned Parenthood, PBS, NPR (Sorry, we don't have the money)
Contraception
Dirty magazines
Gay marriage
Civil unions
Unions
The payroll tax cut for greedy working class parasites who are "just looking for a handout."
You left a few biggies off the kill list...
Thinking of George Carlin ... He knew what was going on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbD8fASqORw
Text
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1127794
So did Ozzie, Rage Against the Machine , Bob Dylan, Jonie Mitchell , Sting, Marvin Gaye etc, etc. etc. And so many more.
Mr. Benen,
You must have been living on a different planet for a while now!
It is not new for repuknican politicians to believe that:
- Generals always tell the truth when they say what repukes want to hear
- Generals are always lying when they say something repukes do not want to hear
Ryan is following a time honored repuknican policy of advocating God Status to military leaders until they say something other than what the repukes want to believe.
Little Georgie Bush-lite had the same philosophy. Generals are gods until they disagreed with him or Rumsfeld and then they were fired and were no longer gods and then Little George appointed new generals who were gods because they agreed with him.
The extreme right relishes using fear as a tool to push their anti-humanitarian, pro-large corporation ruling class agenda.
Well, it's worked. They've managed to get a significant portion of the population to vote against their best interests through fear... Fear of taxes, fear of "big government".
Ryan is an idiot.
Obama got Osama...
How do you fight that?
Obama is hollowing out our military!!!!
and it's a twofer--money to your friends in the military-industrial complex who reward you with large donations and all the wining and dining and telling you how great you are while portraying Obama as weak on defense
That's right we must protect the people in this country, but to hell with offering them any kind of affordable health care.
When Ryan says "keep people safe," he doesn't mean you and me. He means "keep (the financial interests of corporate) 'people' safe."
So just to get it straight. Republican is so concern about the deficit and speak for the "American people", so:
I'd say somebody either has God complex or their parents put their cribs too close to the wall.
not that hard to understand.
1. ryan is a con artist.
2. there is a considerable segment of the voting population that is ridiculously susceptible to b.s.
3. there is a considerable part of the msm willing to swallow b.s. and lend support to #2.
4. this country may be headed off the cliff.
Someone once said "follow the money", that's especially true right now. The Military-Industrial-Complex (Defense Contractors) provides good money to the GOP chicken-hawks, whereas the "public treasury" must be pilfered to engorge them even more! First off, there are enough "weapons" in the arsenal to annihilate the planet, second how long have WE as a nation been at "war" - and exactly how has that been going with our "superior technology", and third the GOP "fear of other" and dissonance in the actions that "our government" has perpetrated around the world is part of what keeps them fearful!