Hypocrisy Watch -- Neocons Talk Tough On Deficit But Won't Budge On Defense Cuts
The military-industrial complex does not deserve future tax dollars stolen from your grandchildren. Listen to a sensible voice:
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Conservatives want to keep the defense budget intact even as they say they worry about the deficit. But there is no need for the U.S. to be spending $700 billion on defense.
Establishment conservatives love to talk about the need to cut government spending, but they always seem to find an excuse whenever there is a serious effort to actually do it. Last year, for example, they opposed cutting Medicare as part of health care reform. Now they are banding together to stop cuts in defense spending, which is a fifth of the federal budget, even as they also insist that the deficit is our most critical problem.
This hypocrisy was on full display on Oct. 4, as American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks, Heritage Foundation president Ed Feulner, and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol penned a joint op-ed for the right-wing Wall Street Journal editorial page on why the defense budget should be totally off limits to budget cutters.
First, they claim the military is not the “true source of our fiscal woes.” No one is saying the defense budget is the sole source of the deficit, but the fact is that it has risen from 3 percent of the gross domestic product in fiscal year 2001 to 4.7 percent this year. That additional 1.7 percent of GDP amounts to $250 billion in spending — almost 20 percent of this year’s budget deficit. And according to a recent Congressional Research Service report, the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone accounted for 23 percent of the combined budget deficits between fiscal years 2003 and 2010.
Brooks, Feulner and Kristol then claim that “terrorism and piracy in sea lanes around the world,” potential future threats from a “nuclear Iran” or a China “that can deny access to U.S. ships or aircraft in the Asian-Pacific region” justify a defense budget only slightly smaller as a share of GDP than at the height of the Cold War, when the Soviet Union had thousands of nuclear missiles targeted directly at the United States.
Tufts University foreign policy expert Daniel Drezner was underwhelmed by the argument. “Terrorism and piracy are certainly security concerns — but they don’t compare to the Cold War,” he said. “A nuclear Iran is a major regional headache, but it’s not the Cold War. A generation from now, maybe China poses as serious threat as the Cold War Soviet Union. Maybe. That’s a generation away, however.”
American University defense expert Gordon Adams was equally unimpressed by the trio’s rationalization:
It is little more than a façade to justify growing defense budgets as far as the eye can see, affordable or not. First, we are leaving Iraq as we speak and will be drawing down in Afghanistan starting next year… [which] frees up a considerable amount of military personnel. Second, anyone who thinks terrorists and pirates justify a $700 billion defense budget and a 2-million-person force (actives and reserves) has clearly drunk way too much Kool-Aid. These missions are important, but they do not drive anywhere near that number of forces. Third, …The U.S. has ample sea and air power to cope for decades with a rising China, whose economic pursuits pose a much more significant problem for the U.S. than their military pursuits.
The fact of the matter is that China spends half the share of its GDP on defense as the U.S. — less than $100 billion last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the primary source for internationally comparable data on military expenditures. That’s less than 15 percent of what we spent. According to SIPRI, the military budgets of every nation on earth other than the U.S added together would only come to 46 percent of the total. In other words, the U.S. defense budget is 54 percent of world military spending.
The idea that we need a defense budget almost 60 percent larger as a share of GDP than a decade ago is ludicrous. While it is true that the wars initiated by George W. Bush and a Republican Congress will impose a financial burden on American taxpayers for many years to come, that isn’t enough to justify spending more than half of the world’s military expenditures. Almost all our NATO allies get by spending well less than half what we spend as a share of GDP.
To their credit, many of the tea party candidates likely to be elected to Congress next month have made clear that Pentagon spending will be on the chopping block. Politico’s John Bresnahan recently quoted Tea Party Patriots leader Mark Meckler saying, “Everything is on the table. I have yet to hear anyone say, ‘We can’t touch defense spending,’ or any other issue ... Any tea partier who says something else lacks integrity.”
Palin & Paul go head to head (Videos):
Oct 11, 2010 at 3:18 AM
Reader Comments (29)
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Issues/The-Economy/2010/10/05/Robots-New-Jobs-for-Knowledge-Workers.aspx
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Issues/Life-and-Money/2010/10/10/Success-with-Saving-from-Americas-Cheapest-Family.aspx
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110961/the-great-mortgage-mystery
Good read...
Why you should walk away...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100706616.html
Why the Libertarian Party Is Worthless
by Bruce Bartlett
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18555
In a recent column, I discussed the disaffection of libertarians within the conservative coalition, suggesting that many might be more at home on the political left.
The Libertarian Party is worse than a waste of time. I believe it has done far more to hamper the advancement of libertarian ideas and policies than it has done to advance them. In my view, it is essential for the Libertarian Party to completely disappear before libertarian ideas will again have political currency.
Over the years, I have known a great many people who have flirted with the Libertarian Party, but were ultimately turned off by its political impotence and immaturity.
The problem is not any independent party, the problem is two morally bankrupt political parties with an almost "religious" appeal to a nation of bobble heads hell bent on jumping off a cliff, and a system set to discourage any other train of thought the opportunity to grow. If both parties were not so incredibly f@cked up, maybe there would be no need for people to grasp for other parties out of their frustration. Nah, that can't be it...
More campaign contributions, that will fix it.
Thats what Printed Money is for. Spend it now, and make your seed 185 years from now, pay for our next 3 years of living "High of the Hog"..............what the F***k do we care what they will face then. Thats their probulem, right.......................
screw them, thats what our goverment says. They must know whats right, right...........? Who the "FUCK" are we to judge our goverment if "Z" says sooooooooooooooooo.............
Fu*k them little kids. They will get 2-3 part time jobs to save us old Fuckers in 2011, right. They owe us, for craps sake..........make them little Bastareds pay for our pleasuer, right.....................we have it comming. BHO said so, and his C-Zars.
Hey, if the "Boggy-Boma" says its OK, its OK..............................OK.............! Z I think yr on to sometin, fuc* the Little People, they owe us. Right Buddy........????????? GS told Barry to tell us we have a right to screw the little people come 2020.
Slave-Camps & Sweat-Shops, thats what they have comming, little bastards. They owe us, right Gobis.........we were here first. Our goverment told us we have a RIGHT, to make them pay for our life style. We have it comming, right...............?
Well Fuck the Goverment.................................all of them Bastardes. We owe it to our kids to give them a life we knew back 25 years ago. I will give my life, so they dont have to, OK......................? We owe them that much.
Realy, we do. We Stood by and let this Fuckin-Shit, happen. We now have woak-up. Its our duty to save their lifes, from our goverment. Im in a real fuckking bad mood losing my Sole-Mate 2 weeks ago, and ready to join her.
This country is being flushed down our own toilet, right befor our faces's. "Z" Your right, Fuck America.......................they have it comming, right....????????
They should of knowen better, right. After they Drank the Poisan Drink. They took the Flu Shot. They got all the Vasccines the DR. told them to. They drank the city water, right..................they drink the Netra-Sweet-Soda. They ate the CMO Foods...........
Sorry, im Realy Piss'ed tonight people...........the empty hole in my hart is DEEP, the pain in my sloe is on fire, and im holding nothing back tonight. DB, You may want to take my RANT away becouse im speaking from my hart tonight.
Im tired of Hurt. Im tired of being takken advantage of by our goverment. Im tired of the pain just to keet out cabin. WE DiD Nothing Wrong here folks,and Miss Brittany" is in a much better place, than we are, and that hurts..............Were Fuck'ed, & she is safe.
Safe from what we are going to face in the next 2 years. Sorry guys, Pain & Vodca is at the keyboard tonight. We use 3 of them. The bent, and curved keyboard. If you use one for 3 mo. you will neaver go back to the 2x4 keyboard, trust me. Im all 4 thumbs on Ann lap top.
Crap Gomps, you realy hit a nearve in Dar, tonight. "The Britt" is the lucky one tonight, Ha........................! I gotta get off of here.................
Z...you have little reason to talk supporting giulliani...that's embarrassing...
SPIEGEL: Many describe Obama as analytical and cool. But you point out that every chapter of his autobiography ends with him in tears. Can we assume that the current difficulties of his presidency are an emotional burden on him?
Remnick: To find out about his tears was surprising to me as well. But I am sure he has emotions, too. And for me to say he's faking anything, I would have to have evidence that he's faking. I don't. So we can assume he is emotional now as well.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,721922,00.html
Why Obama Is Losing the Political War
By Mark Halperin
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2024718,00.html
With the exception of core Obama Administration loyalists, most politically engaged elites have reached the same conclusions: the White House is in over its head, isolated, insular, arrogant and clueless about how to get along with or persuade members of Congress, the media, the business community or working-class voters.
Ding ding ding!!!!!!!!!
That part was called sarcasm.
" It just goes to show you that if you want to believe in something, just read the stuff that strokes your theory and ignore the rest. "
Yes, that is the problem with herdists, good to see you can acknowledge that.
It is a shame neither party believes in living within ones means.
As usual I didn't mention Obama or Shrub, so as usual you are a clueless individual who has a unhealthy fixation with men of self perceived power.
In November I will be at the polls as usual, you might, if there is someone liberal enough to get you out of your mommies basement. Just do us all a favor and take your tin foil hat of before you enter sunlight to not risk blinding anyone.
You are living proof of the herd theory Gobie, MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! And Steve brought up a good point about your closet tendencies.
Rudy, Judy, Judy!!
You do that more than anyone here Gobie, funny you can say that about someone else, but cannot see it in yourself.
Oh Yeaaaaaaaaaaa, thats the cow feed with the Molasas in it. Its Gooder than Hell "Gooper", I would take a bit everytime I feed the cows. "Yumm-Yumm"...........better than "Pink-Meat" if ya get my drift ?
Smaller Goobermint would be a plus as well. Remember, the only jobs the Goobermint can create are Goobermint jobs. But they sure can destroy jobs in the private sector.
Many people shead real Blood for our right to speak the truth, untill BHO & the "SG" came on the seen, Ha......? Please let me show ya's from a differant point of view...............
yes, indeed. I have a bit of a reprieve from my bank battle and there's just so much happening that I felt the need to keep it rolling!
Why Do So Many Fall For These People?
It absolutely confounds me why so many people fall for the STARS that the powers-that-be prop-up in front of us. How can otherwise bright, intelligent people become stupefyingly lame-headed and suckered by people that are clearly just saying exactly what everyone wants to hear? It happens over and over again. Once they are elected, they do nothing for us! Duh!!
Why do you think that is? Could it be that they never gave a damn about us to begin with? Could it be that when those in power offered to "make them rich and famous" and that they may have been seduced? No, that couldn't be it. Not our precious fill in the name of your favorite savior here.
The sad fact is many of us have been socially conditioned to idealize celebrity! It astounds me how easily people will glom onto someone and idealize them beyond any reasonable proportions. How many of our so-called leaders turn out to be worthy of our adoration and idealizations? How many discredited, corrupt political stars can look right into a camera, right into your eyes, smile and LIE without a second thought? That's why they pick these people. They can do this without any trouble whatsoever. Oh, but not Obama. He would never do anything like that. Sarah would never do anything like that. They are real. They are genuine, right? You just "know" they are by what you've seen on TV, or heard at a rally you saw her at. Or my God, she actually spoke to you personally at a rally. She seemed so real, so nice.
I think I may have to projectile vomit. Please excuse me for a moment . . .
Can you detect a bit of ire in my tone? I'm just so tired of seeing good people act out the same stupid behavior. There I said it. I said the "S" word.
Another strange thing that happens to many of us is when we see someone often enough on television we start to feel that we know them, as if they are a friend. Familiarity is not the same thing as friendship everyone. Friendship requires an actual relationship. Can any of you really say you know a darn thing about Palin or any of these people propped up before us? You only know what you've seen and heard through the media. Their sound bites are carefully orchestrated and controlled.
Some people were offended because I put the photo of Obama and Palin dancing in the campaign video. Nobody seems to have a problem with Obama being there, but "How dare I" put Saint Palin in with him! She's the real deal. She's "one of us."
Did any of you notice that Sarah Palin came out of nowhere just like Obama came out of nowhere? Suddenly she was thrust into the limelight with the full might and power of the establishment celebrity machine. She was everywhere and still is. They made her a star overnight and dazzled everyone inclined to be dazzled by her. She's gone from total obscurity to a multimillionaire folks. Do you really think they would have picked her if she wasn't going to serve their purposes?
There is no difference between what they did with Obama and what they are doing with Palin my friends. Look at that photo to the left. Look really hard and next time you watch Sarah, see if you can't see that this is exactly what she is doing. She's a performer. She's being paid a lot of money to do what she's doing. She's telling you exactly what she has been told you want to hear, what will sucker you in and make her more famous and powerful. Yes, she may believe some of what she says but make no mistake. She is not going to help us! Everyone who is gaga for Palin will see she won't deliver any better than Obama if she actually gets elected to anything. She is surrounded and controlled by the same "old guard" that's been in the primary "appointed" positions of power and advisory positions since Kennedy was assassinated.
Some people were also offended by the morphed photo of Obama and Bush I put in the campaign video. Don't you remember that Bush LIED to us about practically everything? Bush and his trusty sidekick Cheney, or was it the other way around, LIED us into Middle East wars that are still raging. If you're short on memory, watch this little video I put together. Bush's reign roughly doubled the size and power of the government, all accomplished through lies. He exploited 9-11 to put into place a domestic police state apparatus that would be right at home in Stalin's Russia, or Mao's China, or China today for that matter. He ended his reign by rubber stamping the first banker bailout. Remember the $700 BILLION which now has become over 24 TRILLION? Oh yea. Bush is a great sacred cow. He's a hero. He's the real deal.
The morphed photo of Obambush is the cold hard truth. There has been a total continuity of agenda passing from one administration to the next, from one Congress to the next and it's been like that for a very long time. Want more proof? Listen to this amazing speech given by Charles A. Lindberg given back in 1941 in which he talks about the exact same lunatics doing the exact same things.
This insanity is not going to stop until we stop being so gullible. To ignore this truth is pure folly. Go ahead and do what the Obama devotees have done, fawn over celebrity and soon you will all be hanging your heads, just like all the Obama zombies are doing right now.
It's Called Controlled Opposition Folks
It is a fact that those in power know how to manipulate and control us. It's a fine art to them. The best way to control the opposition is to become the opposition. They have been doing it for a long, long time. The second they feel a group can pose a threat they will infiltrate it and make sure their people will rise to the top leadership positions.
Another sacred cow to many people is Glen Beck. Folks, we can't afford any sacred cows. We have to see clearly without any wishful thinking sugar-coating our perceptions. Again, do you really think the establishment machine would give Beck a multimillion-dollar studio and an enormous salary if he wasn't going to serve their purposes? Come on!
Yes, he speaks the truth about many things. Great, however, haven't you noticed on every single major issue he has betrayed us? He was for the banker bailout. He's for a VAT tax (value-added tax) to pay down the fraudulent debt owed to the Federal Reserve. He trashed Ron Paul at every turn. He was going to expose the truth of FEMA camps. Oops, no, there aren't any FEMA camps. It's just another conspiracy theory.
Beck is being used to corral and control the Tea Party/Patriot movement. It's so obvious. Just because someone tells you things you want to hear, just because much of it is actually true, doesn't mean you can trust them, especially someone like Beck. He has a history of betraying our trust. We cannot afford to HOPE he is a different man now that he is speaking more truthfully. I would be willing to wager fake Federal Reserve money that he's only doing it because he's being told to do it by those that have made him rich and famous.
Remember the big march in Washington? Millions showed up and there was no media coverage. It's as if it didn't' happen. Remember all the rallies that have been held. Did any of those get the kind of coverage the recent Glen Beck extravaganza got? Hell no! Do you really think Beck's rally got the kind of coverage it got because it stood any chance of producing any real change? Come on! That event was simply a way to make everyone feel as if something is actually happening, that some actual momentum is beginning. It's not. Beck will not lead you anywhere except deeper down the rat hole. You will never hear him promoting anything that will create real change.
We're in deep trouble. We cannot afford to be seduced by the same old tactics we've been seduced by in the past. If we don't snap out of it, we are not going to prevail in this battle. We have to stop "hoping these people will save us." They won't. They are paid to make sure we are contained, that our anger and energy is siphoned off into things that will not lead us anywhere. They are paid to make sure we do not organize into any action that will actually change anything. If I were in real deep danger, I would not want someone like Beck or Palin watching my back!
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We Cannot Effect Change In Congress By Changing Which Party Has A Majority.
The quote by Carol Quigley at the top of this newsletter says it all. The most important part of the quote:
"the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can 'throw the rascals out' at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy."
The only way to effect "real change" in Congress is to THROW THEM ALL OUT! It must be a total house cleaning. Members of both parties must be purged. The system must learn that we are onto them. We have to show them we know the two party system is a sham and that it's just one big party, the big government/globalization party, by stopping support for either party. It's simple to do. Throwing them all out shows the entire system we are not falling for the false left/right paradigm anymore. We want people that will honor their oath of office and "protect and defend our unalienable rights" first and foremost! We don't care what party they suck up to.
Every single election we play out the same stupid behavior. We play their game and only about 15% of the Congress turns over . . . if we're lucky. The vast majority of players remain the same and nothing changes for the better. When we play the "flip the Congress" game, nothing changes because the bureaucracy that really runs the show is set up to ensure the underlying continuity of agenda continues no matter which party is in control.
We have to stop playing their game and hold them ALL accountable. We have to demonstrate that we know the truth of things and stop acting like total idiots.
this is from my good friend at .................http://www.kickthemallout.com/ Bruce is a very good friend of mine and way ahead of whAre im at fighiting the goverment take-over on the American People.
People, what Bruce says, is the truth. Were up agunist a brick wall. We need all to re-load, keep our power dry, and willing to go down for our great country. This is now REAL, Folks. Its not the movies anymore.
The Video..........................
http://www.kickthemallout.com/article.php/Story-What_The_Heck_Is_Wrong_With_Us
Also here.....Watch this short video that revisits the events of 9-11 and tell me if you don't feel they have lied to us
http://mirroronamerica.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-independent-majority.html