Traitor in The Secretary of Defense?

[downtownv]

Chuck Hagel Shrinks Army to Smallest Size Since WWII
Mon, February 24, 2014

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to announce cuts that would shrink active-duty members to as few as 440,000. The Army has not been that small since the 1940s.:86::86::86:

http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/vi...l&VID=25652078

[Longitude Zero]

I am not an advocate of cuts that large however keeping the military at its current size is advocated only by dumbasses.

[TheTman]

Not sure how I feel about that. I'm wondering if as the Army shrinks, is the DHS and TSA growing in size? That would concern me very much. While the members of the Armed forces take a pledge to defend the Constitution, I have no idea what pledges if any are taken by members of the DHS and TSA. Perhaps someone could enlighten me on what if any pledges they take? I can imagine it's something to the effect that they will carry out any commands given by the President, lawful or not, Constitutional or not. But I don't know for sure.

[JohnR]

Will other agencies follow suit?

Didn't think so.

I still want to know why they don't just print the money for all this deficit spending. What does it matter at this point, as Hillary would say.

[Ikeo74]

Will other agencies follow suit?

Didn't think so.

I still want to know why they don't just print the money for all this deficit spending. What does it matter at this point, as Hillary would say.

What we don't know won't inflate the economy. I have a suspicion that for every $100 we borrow from China, we print another $500 that has no backing in value so it would be worthless if the truth ever came out. Just my opinion.

[b4uqzme]

^^^^ you might have something there...

[JohnR]

I'm reading Harry Dent right now. He makes a good case for inflation being caused primarily by borrowing, not money printing. When we borrow, we create money out of thin air. Then we work to sell our skills for money to pay it back with interest.

He also makes a compelling case for deflation in our immediate future, not inflation. And that QE is useless as a long term stimulus.

[wyntrout]

I think the government is printing money as fast as they can. Too many of them would tax us at 100% if they could. Some actually think that they could get more money that way... as if ANYbody would work for nothing. It's like cutting the hen open to get all of those golden eggs NOW!

China is trying to modernize its military and wants to surpass our navy. They won't go around trying to be the world's policeman or fireman... as we do. They want to be the biggest, baddest bully.

Everyone keeps trying to say that we've fought our last war with boots on the ground... for at least a hundred years now... and that's stupid. You stay safe by being stronger than possible enemies... by being PREPARED to fight.

Wynn

[muggsy]

Obama is shrinking the military in order to fee up more funds for redistribution to the leeches of this country who think that they deserve something for nothing. He's also trying to level the playing field for the enemies of the United States.

[JohnR]

Does anyone think the next budget will be lower than today's budget?

Do we actually have a budget today? I can't keep up with their shenanigans.

[JohnR]

My favorite pundit Mark Steyn wrote:

In [my book After America] I write:

As Britain and other great powers quickly learned, the price of Big Government at home is an ever smaller presence abroad.

And later:

Having succeeded Britain as the dominant power, in what other ways might the mighty eagle emulate the tattered old lion? First comes reorientation, and the shrinking of the horizon. After empire, Britain turned inward: Between 1951 and 1997 the proportion of government expenditure on defense fell from 24 percent to seven, while the proportion on health and welfare rose from 22 percent to 53. And that's before New Labour came along to widen the gap further.

Those British numbers are a bald statement of reality: You can have Euro-sized entitlements or a global military, but not both. What's easier to do if you're a democratic government that's made promises it can't afford — cut back on nanny-state lollipops, or shrug off thankless military commitments for which the electorate has minimal appetite?

The Obama Administration planned it this way, and they did it in the right order: First, massively expand domestic spending, inflate the deficit ballooned, blow through the debt ceiling. So now you have to cut ...something. And in a democracy food stamps and Medicare beat overseas bases and aircraft carriers.

How welcoming the Europeans et al will be to the news that the Great Satan's taking his ball and going home remains to be seen. As I've said for many years, the only reason Sweden can be Sweden and Belgium can be Belgium is because America's America. For two-thirds of a century, it has absolved Continental social democracies of the need to pay for their own defense. Now America wants to be Sweden. We'll see how that works out.

http://www.steynonline.com/6126/the-horizons-shrink

[muggsy]

Mark Steyn is the only Brit that I can stomach. I enjoy it when he fills in for Rush or is a guest on Fox. He's a great American by every definition.

[JohnR]

His accent is Brit, but he's a Canadian citizen living in Vermont or New Hampshire FWIW.

[downtownv]

Mark Steyn is the only Brit that I can stomach. I enjoy it when he fills in for Rush or is a guest on Fox. He's a great American by every definition.

I liked the Beatles

[Bawanna]

Yeah that Yellow Battleship was a catchy tune, or was it a PT Boat, ocean racer, well it was yella whatever it was.