God bless Gates. He knows what's going on and he is ckearly placing country above his Generals and all the fat cats that live the life of Reilly while the future tax payers fund the gluttons.

Gates brigs up Republican president and 5 star general DD Eisenhower in citing that there should not be an open check book for the military industrial complex. He says the US Naval forces alone are 13 times bigger than the next 12 navies combined.

.....Overjoyed that the present day Def. Secretary calls it the way it is...and it also is a slug to the face to Obama...who has never stood up to the generals and the war mongers for fear of being labeled limp wristed.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/defense-secretary-robert-gates-blasts-military-spending/19469040

Yeah, good luck to him on following through with this.

I agree with him, to a point. I trust his judgments on downsizing though, so more power to him! I do though think we need a navy that dwarfs all others, so I wouldn't be so quick to cut there. Our naval strength on two bordering oceans provides a wall against any opposing country--we literally cannot be invaded. Our navy will also be called upon to keep China in check. Their man power will be contained by Russia and India (well demographics say China will overtake eastern Russia simply by the migration of the populace), and their naval power cannot top ours on the open ocean--although they will be able to put up a fight in their bordering seas and possibly take control of the "unsinkable carrier" known as Taiwan.

I digress. Cut the budget and cut it immensely. We have the most powerful military in the history of mankind, but we do not have the most efficient. I was just talking literally four hours ago to a buddy that just got out of the service and he said people would believe how wasteful the military is. I like to believe the military is more efficient than other government sectors, but probably not.

If Gates can trim the military into a lean mean fighting machine, instead of the spoiled fighting machine, he'd be one of the country's greatest contemporary leaders. I really like this guy, any chance he'd quit and run in 2012?

I think there should be cuts made also. Just as many military cuts as social spending cuts. (although, not to soldier's pay)

If Barack's cabinet wants to cut spending then cust spending. Social programs, entitlement programs as well as the military. I'm all for spending cuts to reign in our debt, and this one line item will do nothing to fix the issue.

Nothing new for Gates. This has been his MO since he arrived at the end of 06. He has just met stiff resistance from the military brass, contractors, and Congress.

I wish him the best of luck, and he has had some victories, F22, F35 (sort of), Virginia class sub, cutting other unessential programs. But, he has a long way to go on contractor reform, still cutting other programs, and reforming unneeded red tape and requirements for systems.

Democrats are historically considered weak on defense, does anyone really think that they would give Republicans a wedge issue like this to beat them over the head with until kingdom come no matter how warranted it may be.

Can't you just see the 527 ads now by the like of Liz Cheney's and others groups about how Democrat spending cuts have left us vulnerable to terrorist attacks (with some masked Al Qaeda guys running around in the background at a fake training camp).

If we can see it, odds are so can they, which is why it won't happen as it would be devastating politically.

IggyPride00 wrote: Democrats are historically considered weak on defense, does anyone really think that they would give Republicans a wedge issue like this to beat them over the head with until kingdom come no matter how warranted it may be.

Can't you just see the 527 ads now by the like of Liz Cheney's and others groups about how Democrat spending cuts have left us vulnerable to terrorist attacks (with some masked Al Qaeda guys running around in the background at a fake training camp).

If we can see it, odds are so can they, which is why it won't happen as it would be devastating politically.

Devastating politically or devastating economically? I'd rather them cut the budget than run the deficit higher and higher. I don't even think a military cutback would be politically devastating. LOTS of people are more worried about our spending and deficit than they are the so-called war on terrorism.

Footwedge wrote: God bless Gates. He knows what's going on and he is ckearly placing country above his Generals and all the fat cats that live the life of Reilly while the future tax payers fund the gluttons.

Gates brigs up Republican president and 5 star general DD Eisenhower in citing that there should not be an open check book for the military industrial complex. He says the US Naval forces alone are 13 times bigger than the next 12 navies combined.

.....Overjoyed that the present day Def. Secretary calls it the way it is...and it also is a slug to the face to Obama...who has never stood up to the generals and the war mongers for fear of being labeled limp wristed.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/defense-secretary-robert-gates-blasts-military-spending/19469040

ballin

bigmanbt wrote:

Devastating politically or devastating economically? I'd rather them cut the budget than run the deficit higher and higher. I don't even think a military cutback would be politically devastating. LOTS of people are more worried about our spending and deficit than they are the so-called war on terrorism.
[/quote]

A Plus...

And let me add. If Robert Gates says it....then the neocons from both parties can shove it.