Tag: military spending

The Pentagon’s Spending Spree

China just launched a refitted Ukrainian aircraft carrier from the 1990s on its first test run — and that’s what the only projected “great power” enemy of the U.S. has to offer for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, the U.S. Navy has 11 aircraft carrier task forces to cruise the seven seas and plans … Continue reading “The Pentagon’s Spending Spree”

Canada’s Foreign Policy at Odds With Popular Priorities

TORONTO — Canada has flexed its military muscles, first in Afghanistan for nine years alongside NATO forces and now in Libya in its supply of ships and combat planes for the rebel forces, but little debate has happened on the ground among Canadians themselves on this direction. A recent summer opinion poll by Environics discovered … Continue reading “Canada’s Foreign Policy at Odds With Popular Priorities”

Doomsday Defense Cuts?

The debt deal struck by Congress and the president to raise the debt ceiling calls for immediately enacting “10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction; balanced between defense and non-defense spending.” Furthermore, a bipartisan “super committee” is created and “tasked with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, including from … Continue reading “Doomsday Defense Cuts?”

Hawks Upset With Debt Deal

As both houses of Congress began debating the 11th-hour debt-limit deal hashed out Sunday night by senior lawmakers and the White House, neoconservatives and other national security hawks complained bitterly Monday that the final package may force major cuts in defense spending in the coming years. “If this deal governs policy for the next decade, … Continue reading “Hawks Upset With Debt Deal”

Let’s Hope for Continued Fiscal Gridlock

Although President Barack Obama may have won over some key independent voters for the 2012 election by successfully painting the tea party Republicans as extremists responsible for the protracted debt-ceiling gridlock, the outcome for the nation of that policy and media circus may not be so bad. The good news is that the tea party … Continue reading “Let’s Hope for Continued Fiscal Gridlock”

Lowering America’s War Ceiling?

By now, it seems as if everybody and his brother has joined the debt-ceiling imbroglio in Washington, perhaps the strangest homespun drama of our time. It’s as if Washington’s leading political players, aided and abetted by the media’s love of the horse race, had eaten LSD-laced brownies, then gone on stage before an audience of … Continue reading “Lowering America’s War Ceiling?”

Enormous Cuts in Military Spending? Read the Fine Print

In this age of austerity, all the politicians are talking about the need for spending cuts. But when it comes to shared burdens and slashed budgets, don’t expect the Pentagon to start holding bake sales, despite what you may have heard about reductions to its obscenely bloated funding. Citing the U.S. government’s $14.3 trillion debt, … Continue reading “Enormous Cuts in Military Spending? Read the Fine Print”

Where Have All the Missiles Gone?

Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time ago Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards every one When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? – Pete Seeger Most Americans think the federal government better reduce its $14 trillion debt or … Continue reading “Where Have All the Missiles Gone?”

What Must We Defend?

“We need to be honest with the president, with the Congress, with the American people” about the consequences of cutting the defense budget, said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in his valedictory policy address to the American Enterprise Institute. “[A] smaller military, no matter how superb, will be able to go fewer places and do … Continue reading “What Must We Defend?”

A New Age of ‘Enlightened’ War

In case you hadn’t noticed, they are—no kidding around—absolutely the niftiest non-humans on Earth. I’m speaking about the special-operations force of Navy SEALs that took out Osama bin Laden. They and their special ops colleagues are “supermen” (ABC News), “X-men” (Jon Stewart), “America’s Jedi Knights” (the New York Times), and that’s just to pick the … Continue reading “A New Age of ‘Enlightened’ War”