Can you cut your budget by 25% by the end of the quarter?

[margotb822]

How about 50% by the end of the fiscal year?

I see all these calls for some magical cutting of the military budget, as if it's without consequences. Now, for full disclosure, I'm in the Navy and my current job requires me to work with ship schedules and training.

I can tell you right now that we are making massive cuts...and it's having all the wrong effects. We're still deploying, that hasn't changed. But, our training time is being cut. Our expertise and knowledge and proficiency are all being negatively impacted. I'll tell you what though, cutting training is one thing, I'm glad I'm not on the "ammunition cut" end of the budget cuts.

So, no, outright cutting of the military budget is not the way to go. It's stupid, irresponsible and self-defeating.

The only way to cut the budget is to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Until then, these cuts are only going to hurt the people that are sent in harm's way.

[leftstreet]

1. What does "bullet cut" mean?

[margotb822]

2. As in, cutting the number of bullets people have

We're cutting all the wrong things in this effort.

The wars are driving our budget, but until we end them, all other cuts are hurting the people that are going to fight the wars.

[leftstreet]

4. ah

Literally then.

Well, I don't have an answer.

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

3. How do you justify our massively huge defense?

Do you understand the real reason we don't have national health care is our obscene defense budget and military? It's larger than the next 5 largest militaries combined. The majority of your duty is defending shipping routes for oil tankers. We could have invested half the Navy budget into US energy production and we would be significantly safer and the Navy wouldn't have suffered in the least.

[margotb822]

5. Actually, that's not what most of the Navy does

I do understand that our defense budget is out of control, and I've written about it before. I think Reagan screwed us by building up our military to an unsustainable and unreasonable level. But, currently, these wars are driving our budget. We're not cutting those or deployments related to those. Until we end them, cutting the budget only impacts the training and equipping of the people we send over.

[sandnsea]

6. The military budget has been horrific for decades

And it would still be horrific without Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to cut the number of bases and ships, once and for all.

And yes, most of what the Navy does is protect shipping lanes, whether you realize that's what you're doing or not. That's what most of the military outside of the US is doing, protecting the globe for commerce in one way or another. Look at where everybody is stationed and see the common thread. Commerce.

[leftstreet]

7. If corporations had to pay for their own protection,

ShamWow cloths would be $100 a piece!

:D

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. .

:spray:

[margotb822]

8. Commerce is one thing

Protecting shipping lanes is a small part of that. The Navy is more than ships and a significant portion of the ships that deploy don't conduct maritime patrol as their primary mission. I don't know if you have Naval experience, but there's a lot more to our mission than simply keeping shipping flowing (and with the increasing rate of piracy, if that's our primary mission, we're obviously not very good at it).

As far as cutting ships, I agree, but it's not in the plans. Not at least until we get better ships. I think it will be more expensive in the short term, but what we've got now isn't going to work for much longer.

[Odin2005]

18. To some extent it was forced upon us following WW2 because of the Cold War.

The problem is that it has become a self-sustaining monster, the M-I complex Ike warned about, backed by the war profiteers and (dons flame gear) civilians working in industries related to defense. The military spending has even become an important part of the economy, I think it was Chomsky who called it "Military Keynesianism".

[alittlelark]

9. Cutting out the WAR PROFITEERS is a good start.

My guess is that the current Admin. is not going to cut out 'Regular army' types. Instead they are looking to erradicate the profiteers - such as KBR, Blackwater (Xe)....etc.

If I am not mistaken Obama stated that salary would go up very soon for all enlisted personel.

[margotb822]

10. I hope so

Those war companies are the worst thing to happen to the MIC since its inception.

As far as pay, as an officer, I know I would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant that other areas could be funded better. I make good money now and paying me more is basically inconsequential to how I do my job. However, enlisted personnel could definitely use a pay increase.

[neebob]

11. No - I just spent an evening cutting 10% and it wasn't easy!

I can't do much more (too many bills). It would be a feat to get another 5%, much less 15%. I have a very detailed budget/check register that goes out 5 years.

I'm sure, though, that my personal budget is a lot less bloated than the defense budget.

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. The entire military should be reduced by half or more over the next ten years

The whole shebang is a useless budget item, all due respect.

[Vinca]

14. I think the military and the rest of the government can save a lot

by combing the files for price gouging. Take that NASA tool bag (now circling the earth) for $100,000 for example. And we all remember the exposes about foolishly expensive toilet seats and hammers. Awarding government contracts isn't a license to make your friends and relatives rich.

[NNN0LHI]

15. 3 words

Military Industrial Complex

Google it.

Don

[MadHound]

16. Well that's the point, we need to bring those two wars to a halt, ASAP

We also need to cut things out of the military like funding for systems that have failed (Osprey anyone). There's also waste throughout the system that can go, and we can shrink the size of the military.

But mainly we need to stop these two wars. We're wasting soldiers and resources for no good reason, while infuriating the very people we're trying to win over.

[Odin2005]

17. There is large amounts of millitary spending that is wasteful defense contractor pork.

The "Cold War technology" Obama was talking about last night. Cutting that will be painful to the folks working for Lockheed Martin and what not, but it is ultimately necessary for those people to find jobs in fields not related to finding new ways to blowing things up.