Has space exploration determined that the United States has mortal enemies in another galaxy?
Such a finding would provide the only justification for the $248 billion defense bill just passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton.
Certainly there are no enemies on earth that justify the seemingly endless, and endlessly expensive, diversion of tax money to the military.
Are we in danger of the Bosnians and Libyans launching a joint attack on San Diego? Or perhaps the crumpled and pathetic remnants of the Soviet Empire are going to regroup and join their Cuban allies in a landing at Ft. Lauderdale?
Despite very limited military cutbacks the United States still has a military force that is gigantic in comparison to the real threats that face our country.
But perhaps what is really at stake is not so much the security of the country but the security of certain politicians and their political positions. Let’s take a look at how, and where, money for U.S. “defense” is being spent:
$720 million is slated to build a fourth Aegis destroyer. It so happens that it will be built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, which just so happens to be the home of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.
Eight new C-130J transport planes are funded. They’ll be built in Marietta, Georgia, which happens to be home base for House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
But our favorite item critical to the national defense is $250,000 added by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who happens to be a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. This money is to be used to encourage a cruise ship firm to build two luxury cruise ships. The ships would then be given an exclusive franchise to operate among the Hawaiian Islands. The cruise ship firm is owned by billionaire Sam Zell, who likes to be known as the “grave dancer.”
We imagine that the luxury cruise ships will serve as a vital and heroic defense against invading hordes from Somoa and Tahiti.
(Source: Washington Post.)
will be built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, which just so happens to be the home of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott you thought that was big? I’ve just been informed that, in fact, everything made everywhere within the United States is *somebody’s* home state! In fact, it seems that everywhere you look, every district and precinct has a government representative somewhere!
This is a bigger conspiracy than I had ever imagined
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One thing to say. The best way to lose a fight is to be unprepared for one.
As an added bonus, I get paid very well for carrying on the fascist regime bent on world domination!!!!
Willy is right. It sounds like hes in the “Air Farce” like me. It pays well to be a Bast@!$. I hope I can still go to heaven after stealing all you hardworking taxpaying sheep’s money$$$$$!
The reason defense spending is so high lately is that the current regeme here in the U.S. has decided that high-tech equipment can replace the training and implementation of soldiers. They have done this for two reasons:
a) The current world military situation is slated most definitely towards low intensitiy conflicts – i.e. “brown water” naval situations and urban/guerilla land conflicts. The belief is that by using highly trained and well equipped “special forces,” we can avoid a prolonged conflict that uses up strategic resources and sponsers anti-American sentiment from domestic and foreign citizens.
b) The current U.S. military is a completely volunteer force – because of current economic conditions (most specifically the booming technical industry in the private sector) most of the “quality” individuals are heading to well-paying private sector jobs. That leaves less-than-spectacular individuals to join the armed forces (not all are like this, but intelligent/motivated individuals are exceptions in the enlisted ranks these days). Enlistment levels are at an all time low, the attrition rate of those who enlist is high, retention rates of qualified NCO’s and officers is at an all time low (due to politically motivated policies that are being shoved down their throats), and the overall morale of the military is at an all time low due to the overextension of a severly undermanned military.
On another note, this business about “$500 toilet seats” is nothing. For those of you who don’t know, the US govenment operates in a fashion that requires that every agency spend its entire budget before the end of the fiscal year. If they do not, their budget for the next year is curtailed. This wasteful practice is called “budget justification.” Regular defense spending is nothing like this – we still pay as little as possible to the lowest bidder. “The exception is not the rule.”
Maybe some of that money spent on the military should be diverted to better border
policing because our STUPID leaders have let sooooooooo many terrorists in our country that it’s beyond ridiculous!
Why should they care though,
they have their ivory towers to stay in for protection!