Is America an empire now? Look at all this pentagon pork!

[IronLionZion]

Check out Charley Reese's latest column: http://reese.king-online.com/Reese_20040126/index.php

Some excerpts:
"the Defense Department maintains a fleet of 71 Lear jets, 13 Gulfstream IIIs and 17 Cessna Citation luxury jets. That's in case any of the brass wish to visit the military's ski resort in the Bavarian Alps or any of the 234 military golf courses around the world. The secretary of defense, of course, has his own private Boeing 757."

"Or maybe the brass might wish to visit some of the 702 overseas bases the United States has in 130 countries, or perhaps the 6,000 it has in the United States. The commander in chief, of course, has Air Force One and an entourage traveling with him that would rival any of the triumphal marches of Roman emperors."

"From whence comes the American itch to control the world? That's an interesting question. One wonders why, when Washington, D.C., is the AIDS capital of America, the president is so keen on spending American tax dollars to fight AIDS in Africa. Alas, perhaps the answer is as simple as the fact that the district has neither oil nor uranium, not to mention its habit of voting heavily Democratic."

I thought the ski resort and golf courses are unbelievable. How is all that necessary for national defense?

I believe the good General Clark is an exception to this bullshit because he definitely risked his life and was right in the middle of the shit in Kosovo instead of commanding from a thousand miles away like some generals these days.

your thoughts please:

[reprehensor]

1. Here is a fantastic reference site on that very topic.

http://www.d-n-i.net/

"Welcome to Defense and the National Interest. Our aim is to foster debate on the roles of the U.S. armed forces in the post-Cold War era and on the resources devoted to them. The ultimate purpose is to help create a more effective national defense against the types of threats we will likely face during the first decades of the new millennium.

Contributors to this site are, with a few exceptions, active/reserve, former, or retired military. They often combine a knowledge of military theory with the practical experience that comes from trying their ideas in the field. As you browse our site, please pay particular attention to the e-mails from our deployed forces in such places as Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and other Middle Eastern Countries.

The original inspiration for this site was the collection of commentary by Franklin C. (Chuck) Spinney, who was at the Office of the Secretary of Defense from the mid-1970s (retired in 2003) and was active duty Air Force before that. We will be adding other material as it becomes available."

---------------------------------

Defense and the National Interest is the brain-child of Chuck Spinney, a retired career Defence Spending analyst who used to work at the Pentagon.

If the Pentagon's budget was reduced by half, which could be done without endangering America any worse than it already is, Americans could have universal health care, and probably free University tuition as well.

The pork is literally unbelievable. TRILLIONS of dollars annually go into a black hole that is untraceable.

Seek out Chuck Spinney's appearance on Bill Moyer's NOW, well worth the hunt.

[DevilsAdvocate2]

2. I can't speak for the rest of it, but...

I don't have a problem with the golf courses. There's nothing wrong with having a course available for the soldiers to use. It's no different than having a movie cinema or bowling alley on base. And trust me, these golf courses are not lavish country clubs. I play on one regularly (though I'm not military) and it is okay, but definitely not world-class.

[IronLionZion]

4. stuff for ordinary soldiers' entertainment is fine but

the luxuries for the officers seem a little too much. I think a lot of that funding would be better spent on education or health care.

[northzax]

3. "habit of voting democratic?"

Screw you, Charley Reese, we don't GET TO VOTE in the District. Residents of Boston in 1770 had more say in government that residents of the District of Columbia in 2004. We can't even spend our own local tax dollars without approval from congress, where we DON'T GET A VOTE.

I wonder if the residents of Baghdad will get the same representation as the residents of Mosul?

[IronLionZion]

5. easy there northzax, Charley's a Democrat

He's been very vocal about issues like the war and Patriot act as well as DC voting rights, Enron, Media bullshit, etc. Same side!

[htuttle]

6. Right on his positions, wrong on his party

If my memory serves me correctly, and a quick google seems to confirm it, Charlie Reese is an old-line Republican conservative, not a Democrat.

He has taken all the positions you describe, however -- much like most old-line conservatives nowdays (as opposed to 'neo-cons' and 'bush-bots').

[IronLionZion]

8. He supports Howard Dean

and is registered Democrat but yes he is an old-fashioned libertarian conservative. They hate Bush as much as we do and many will vote Democratic this Fall.

[Mari333]

7. Its not a coincidence IMO

that Impotent Old Men demand that taxpayers monies are spent on Huge Missiles shaped like erect Phallic symbols.