If the TEA Party cares about taxes, why not fight for Military cuts? (Congress, salaries)
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DISCLAIMER: I'm a veteran of the US Navy (was an O-3 when I left) so I'm definitely pro-military...but I'm only pro-military when it's not just a welfare program for uneducated 18 year olds without any real career path. I believe in a highly technologically advanced military made up of R&D and special forces, which has a significanly higher value than 500,000 enlisted kids who do PT 6 times a week and sit around the barracks watching porn and playing football (that's what we did at Camp Pendleton...and I was an officer).
We have tons of troops stationed in non-combat zones. Men and women earning salaries and costing the government a ton in keeping them abroad while they contribute next to nothing to our economy (and contribute to the economies of those places instead) is clearly a major reason why our economy is struggling.
We have more than 9,000 troops in each of the following places:
Japan - 36,000
South Korea - 28,500
England - 9,300
Italy - 10,800
Germany - 53,500
So let's assume a (lowball) annual cost of $50,000 for those ~138,000 men and women. That's a cost of $6,900,000,000 (6.9 Billion) every year for soldiers stationed in places where they are absolutely not needed at all. That's about $23 from every single American each year to support those people, which to me is the exact definition of Socialism.
So if you're for a lower budget, you HAVE to be for the shrinking of our overseas military. Otherwise you're just a hypocrite.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a veteran of the US Navy (was an O-3 when I left) so I'm definitely pro-military...but I'm only pro-military when it's not just a welfare program for uneducated 18 year olds without any real career path. I believe in a highly technologically advanced military made up of R&D and special forces, which has a significanly higher value than 500,000 enlisted kids who do PT 6 times a week and sit around the barracks watching porn and playing football (that's what we did at Camp Pendleton...and I was an officer).
We have tons of troops stationed in non-combat zones. Men and women earning salaries and costing the government a ton in keeping them abroad while they contribute next to nothing to our economy (and contribute to the economies of those places instead) is clearly a major reason why our economy is struggling.
We have more than 9,000 troops in each of the following places:
Japan - 36,000
South Korea - 28,500
England - 9,300
Italy - 10,800
Germany - 53,500
So let's assume a (lowball) annual cost of $50,000 for those ~138,000 men and women. That's a cost of $6,900,000,000 (6.9 Billion) every year for soldiers stationed in places where they are absolutely not needed at all. That's about $23 from every single American each year to support those people, which to me is the exact definition of Socialism.
So if you're for a lower budget, you HAVE to be for the shrinking of our overseas military. Otherwise you're just a hypocrite.
we already know the response, those socialist democrats just want to weaken the strongest military in the world. its only entitlement spending that benefits minorities and the poor that ruin this country.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a veteran of the US Navy (was an O-3 when I left) so I'm definitely pro-military...but I'm only pro-military when it's not just a welfare program for uneducated 18 year olds without any real career path. I believe in a highly technologically advanced military made up of R&D and special forces, which has a significanly higher value than 500,000 enlisted kids who do PT 6 times a week and sit around the barracks watching porn and playing football (that's what we did at Camp Pendleton...and I was an officer).
We have tons of troops stationed in non-combat zones. Men and women earning salaries and costing the government a ton in keeping them abroad while they contribute next to nothing to our economy (and contribute to the economies of those places instead) is clearly a major reason why our economy is struggling.
We have more than 9,000 troops in each of the following places:
Japan - 36,000
South Korea - 28,500
England - 9,300
Italy - 10,800
Germany - 53,500
So let's assume a (lowball) annual cost of $50,000 for those ~138,000 men and women. That's a cost of $6,900,000,000 (6.9 Billion) every year for soldiers stationed in places where they are absolutely not needed at all. That's about $23 from every single American each year to support those people, which to me is the exact definition of Socialism.
So if you're for a lower budget, you HAVE to be for the shrinking of our overseas military. Otherwise you're just a hypocrite.
I certainly can't speak for the Tea Party, but I can speak for me. All I have to do is look at the craziness that happened this 9/11 and realize that there are a lot of people who want to see America fall. I am for a lower budget. A balanced budget. But, I do not HAVE to be for shrinking overseas military. There needs to be priorities. I would not cut military defense in order to give poor people cell phones.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a veteran of the US Navy (was an O-3 when I left) so I'm definitely pro-military...but I'm only pro-military when it's not just a welfare program for uneducated 18 year olds without any real career path. I believe in a highly technologically advanced military made up of R&D and special forces, which has a significanly higher value than 500,000 enlisted kids who do PT 6 times a week and sit around the barracks watching porn and playing football (that's what we did at Camp Pendleton...and I was an officer).
We have tons of troops stationed in non-combat zones. Men and women earning salaries and costing the government a ton in keeping them abroad while they contribute next to nothing to our economy (and contribute to the economies of those places instead) is clearly a major reason why our economy is struggling.
We have more than 9,000 troops in each of the following places:
Japan - 36,000
South Korea - 28,500
England - 9,300
Italy - 10,800
Germany - 53,500
So let's assume a (lowball) annual cost of $50,000 for those ~138,000 men and women. That's a cost of $6,900,000,000 (6.9 Billion) every year for soldiers stationed in places where they are absolutely not needed at all. That's about $23 from every single American each year to support those people, which to me is the exact definition of Socialism.
So if you're for a lower budget, you HAVE to be for the shrinking of our overseas military. Otherwise you're just a hypocrite.
Maybe you could tell me something about the sequestration that is coming up. I hear that $60 billion is to be taken from the military because the Super Committee couldn't think of a way to decrease government spending. Is that true?
I'm for bringing the soldiers home and cutting the defense budget, but the reality is the military is the only way out for so many people. Would you rather have them at least do something for their time, rather than sit at home, sell drugs, and collecting a welfare check for nothing at home? At least our military men and women are doing something. I think that funding needs to be cut for all the advanced toys the military has, and put that money towards more personnel and practical weapons and navy ships.
The tea party is not now nor have they ever been about anything but the black man in office. Thats why they could care less about defense spending. Thats all they talk about are things that they feel will hurt Blacks and Hispanics. They are wrong on all fronts.
It took all of 4 posts for the race card to be used.
It might be that some view the Military as something tangible. Over priced to be sure but at the end of the day we have something to show for the money spent.
16 dollar muffins?
A Congressman riding around in a Caddy at our expense?
Pelosi trying to scam a fleet of private jets for politicians to cruise around?
The idea that those elected reps act like they are owed the life of royalty, thier loyalty sold to the highest bidder. Maybe some people are sick of the absolute disregard for those working and paying taxes only to have said tax dollars wasted.
I'm all for cutting military spending. We don't need to be the police of the world. We only need to protect our borders. How anybody can not be for cutting back on our largest expense is beyond me.
Better yet, I'd like to hear an explanation on exactly why we need our troops in all of those countries. Anyone?
I certainly can't speak for the Tea Party, but I can speak for me. All I have to do is look at the craziness that happened this 9/11 and realize that there are a lot of people who want to see America fall. I am for a lower budget. A balanced budget. But, I do not HAVE to be for shrinking overseas military. There needs to be priorities. I would not cut military defense in order to give poor people cell phones.
Um, yes you do. When the military budget IS the deficit, it's obviously something that needs to shrink
The military budget is the majority of our government spending. I'm not talking about making cuts to fund a welfare program...the military IS a welfare program. It's a freaking jobs program. Every 100,000 cuts in military personnel would save the country $5,000,000,000. That's significant.
What would you cut? Other than social programs here in the US, which actually provide the economy with a benefit (food stamps cause people to spend them in American chains, which then provide jobs, which provide economic activity, etc.) instead of sending 50k to a boy stationed in Germany where he's going to spend the money at German bars on German prostitutes and German restaurants. And what for? Is Germany a military threat to us? How does having 50,000 troops in Germany protect us here in America?
You wonder why all intellectual people laugh at the TEA Party? It's responses like this one from Seahawkgirl...they want to lower taxes and cut the budget...but are unwilling to actually cut the biggest and least necessary part of the budget.
How do 250,000 enlisted men stationed outside of war zones help protect us? Couldn't we spend that same money to employ 25,000 scientists to research superior weaponry that will do a heck of a lot more to keep us safe? If it's a numbers game, we'll lose...China has a Billion people, so does India. Even Pakistan has 175,000,000 people, so our advantage has to come in our technology. It's cheaper to keep a standing military if we're not wasting billions on enlisted kids who have absolutely no value to our military.
I'm for bringing the soldiers home and cutting the defense budget, but the reality is the military is the only way out for so many people. Would you rather have them at least do something for their time, rather than sit at home, sell drugs, and collecting a welfare check for nothing at home? At least our military men and women are doing something. I think that funding needs to be cut for all the advanced toys the military has, and put that money towards more personnel and practical weapons and navy ships.
Doing what exactly? Have you ever served? The majority of people in the military never do a single thing for the country other than make money and spend it abroad. Only about 15% of our military is actually in a combat zone, the rest is here in the US living in bases like Ft Hood or Andrews or Pendleton, or partying it up in Japan, Germany, Guam, etc. They aren't keeping us safe, but they're certainly keeping us poor.
Is it a welfare case to you then? It's the same thing the way you state it. Personally, I'd rather we spend the money training those kids in Computers, Science, Medicine, ECONOMICS...you know, things that actually matter...instead of teaching a bunch of 18 year olds how to use a gun and how to live off the government. I have nothing against the military, what I have a problem with is the massively bloated military that seems more like welfare than our welfare program...we're even giving them fake jobs.
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