Open Letter to Conservatives

[Lake View Too]

I think that we could certainly save money in the defense budget. Our military should be strong enough to prevent any foe from attacking our homeland. The rest of the world should pay to protect themselves instead of America footing the bill. Where we can cut is by bringing the troops home from Europe, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. and let these people pay for their own defense. Some of these troops could be better utilized securing our borders.

I wish some liberal would grow a set and admit that we could cut entitlements to save money.

Here's a novel idea: cut both. In fact just take an axe and cut 10% of everything.(Of course, no one would get re-elected, but that might be a good thing.)

 

[idlewind]

Here's a novel idea: cut both. In fact just take an axe and cut 10% of everything.(Of course, no one would get re-elected, but that might be a good thing.)

It would be a great start. And we surely could use some politicians who are more concerned about the good of the country instead of getting reelected.:roll:

 

[futurebeachbum]

we surely could use some politicians who are more concerned about the good of the country instead of getting reelected.:roll:

That's exactly what its going to take but I can't think of any holding Federal office right now that fit that model. Its all about reelection and money.

 

[ugabuga]

I'd like to see one conservative grow a set and admit that one of the quickest and simplest way to eliminate the deficit and reign in spending would be to cut military spending.

Quick question for the conservatives; which country has the largest Air Force after the US Air Force?

Careful it's a trick question.

Since no conservative has jumped to answer your question, I'll have a go:

The US Navy has the second largest air force in the world after the US Air Force.

On this thread there seems to be a consensus forming--among both liberals & conservatives--that the US needs to cut its defense budget. I want to join that consensus.

I spent 27 yrs in the US Defense Dept., a lot of that working in NATO w/ our European allied countries. While the US poured a large share of its budget into "defense", our allies were content to let us provide most of the ?defense umbrella,? while they put most of their budgets into health care & education for their citizens.

Clearly, the US got the worst of this deal. All our allies now have better health care* & education & we're stuck w/ a bloated dinosaur of a Defense Dept. (*I don't mean better technologically, just that they provide universal health care coverage for their citizens).

The US spends more on "defense" than the next 20 or so nations combined.

Our principal enemies are not nations at all--just guys who live in caves! We don't need more tanks, planes, ships, missiles, bombs. We need military intelligence & common sense.

Bring the troops home from Iraq & Afghanistan.

Bring the troops home from Europe & Japan.

Cut the defense budget.

 

[idlewind]

Since no conservative has jumped to answer your question, I'll have a go:

The US Navy has the second largest air force in the world after the US Air Force.

On this thread there seems to be a consensus forming--among both liberals & conservatives--that the US needs to cut its defense budget. I want to join that consensus.

I spent 27 yrs in the US Defense Dept., a lot of that working in NATO w/ our European allied countries. While the US poured a large share of its budget into "defense", our allies were content to let us provide most of the ?defense umbrella,? while they put most of their budgets into health care & education for their citizens.

Clearly, the US got the worst of this deal. All our allies now have better health care* & education & we're stuck w/ a bloated dinosaur of a Defense Dept. (*I don't mean better technologically, just that they provide universal health care coverage for their citizens).

The US spends more on "defense" than the next 20 or so nations combined.

Our principal enemies are not nations at all--just guys who live in caves! We don't need more tanks, planes, ships, missiles, bombs. We need military intelligence & common sense.

Bring the troops home from Iraq & Afghanistan.

Bring the troops home from Europe & Japan.

Cut the defense budget.

I agree with two cavats:

1. Instead of funding more entitlement programs use the savings to balance the budget and begin paying down the debt.
2. Put the troops on the borders and secure them once and for all.

 

[Lynnie]

As a conservative I hope liberals continue to talk about racism, we just need to keep quiet and let them hang themselves.

What ordinary working Americans care about is whether they and their children can get a good job and whether the debt we are taking on will cripple the country for their children.

The huge amount of national debt and a plan to deal with it should be issue #1 for conservatives.

Most people like regulating insurance companies regarding pre-existing conditions. But most want tort reform and do not want the government making their health decisions. And the new bureacracy and taxes that the health care bill adds make most people cringe.
The two stimulus bills ( one Bush's and one Obama's) hurt rather than helped. They only succeeded in piling on huge amounts of debt with little or no private sector job growth. This should be issue # 2 for conservatives.

We should get out of Iraq and Afghanistan ASAP. We should have bombed the taliban into hades and came home. Same for Saddam.

I have serious doubts about whether the finance reform act will do anything positive for average Americans.

Cap and Trade will further cripple the economy and would be a huge burden on working Americans. This should be issue #3 for conservatives. People understand higher energy costs and how it they would hurt them.

These are just thumbnail political sketches and I hope we can talk further about all of them.

I agree with most of this. I also believe that America has wisened up to the those who scream racism and I do believe we will begin to see those factions crumble.

I think many Americans didn't think the stimulus bills did enough, but were glad for the extra money and extra weeks of unemployment.

I wrote Mel Martinez a letter asking for my Congressional Hearings for my personal bailout. The response was pisspoor at best.

I'm a hard working ordinary American and I care very much about health care and it being affordable.

I do as well and I believe tort reform is the quickest, most efficient manner to creating affordable health care and healthy competition among a buffet of carriers.

I think that we could certainly save money in the defense budget. Our military should be strong enough to prevent any foe from attacking our homeland. The rest of the world should pay to protect themselves instead of America footing the bill. Where we can cut is by bringing the troops home from Europe, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. and let these people pay for their own defense. Some of these troops could be better utilized securing our borders.

I wish some liberal would grow a set and admit that we could cut entitlements to save money.

When someone wants to cut the defense budget, I need a little more information because it's a loaded question. Pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq, I agree with, but it should be handled very methodically by experienced military personnel. Closing military bases in the United States like Clinton did I absolutely oppose. This makes us appear weak. I think a country is as strong as her military.....then currency and GDP.


We can't cut out entitlements. I do not agree with this.....there are too many dependents and we are already taking care of them. However, we can enforce the laws surrounding the entitlements.

 

[idlewind]

I agree with most of this. I also believe that America has wisened up to the those who scream racism and I do believe we will begin to see those factions crumble.



I wrote Mel Martinez a letter asking for my Congressional Hearings for my personal bailout. The response was pisspoor at best.



I do as well and I believe tort reform is the quickest, most efficient manner to creating affordable health care and healthy competition among a buffet of carriers.



When someone wants to cut the defense budget, I need a little more information because it's a loaded question. Pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq, I agree with, but it should be handled very methodically by experienced military personnel. Closing military bases in the United States like Clinton did I absolutely oppose. This makes us appear weak. I think a country is as strong as her military.....then currency and GDP.


We can't cut out entitlements. I do not agree with this.....there are too many dependents and we are already taking care of them. However, we can enforce the laws surrounding the entitlements.

No responsible person wants to cut out entitlements. We owe it to the seniors already there to provide what they were promised. But we CAN raise the retirement age for those years away from retirement and we can allow limited privatization for younger individuals. We can also tie others to reeducation and work placement efforts to wean them off of the public teat. If we do not act to contain costs and place these programs on a strong financial footing there will come a time when the whole scheme colapses.

 

[Lynnie]

No responsible person wants to cut out entitlements. We owe it to the seniors already there to provide what they were promised. But we CAN raise the retirement age for those years away from retirement and we can allow limited privatization for younger individuals. We can also tie others to reeducation and work placement efforts to wean them off of the public teat. If we do not act to contain costs and place these programs on a strong financial footing there will come a time when the whole scheme colapses.

I agree with you regarding education and weaning some off temporary assistance more quickly promoting self-responsibility. Outside of Social Security and Medicare, our entitlement programs were designed for temporary relief. We definitely need to get back to that.

 

[30ashopper]

I'd like to see one conservative grow a set and admit that one of the quickest and simplest way to eliminate the deficit and reign in spending would be to cut military spending.

Quick question for the conservatives; which country has the largest Air Force after the US Air Force?

Careful it's a trick question.

I'm game, how much would you like to cut from the defense budget?

 

[Here4Good]

Really interesting article(s) in the Washington Post about spending since 9/11 via contractors:
National Security Inc. | washingtonpost.com