GOP on verge of allowing Military cuts instead of tax hikes.

[Bandit]

They understand they just can not allow the US to default on it's obligations but have backed themselves into a corner with their NO TAXES of any sort pledge.. They will allow some substantial cuts in the Military budget instead...I think this is the deal that is going to be cut...

[spanone]

1. well, the military can't put money directly into their bank accounts

[Andy823]

12. Good point! nt

[Donnachaidh]

2. I don't believe it -- many southern red states depend on MIC

They'd sooner see everyone's granny ground up for dog food than give up their military welfare. This is a ploy, AFAIC..

[Bandit]

6. The article in the Seattle Times says GOP leaders say "significant cuts"

Whatever that means in GOP speak...:shrug:

[Motown_Johnny]

7. closing foreign military bases and moving that personnel back to the states

would actually help those economies

[dkf]

9. Only if you keep them on the Federal payroll.

If not they will just be added to the unemployed.

[The Big Vetolski]

21. When you're right, you're right. nt

[Motown_Johnny]

25. all military personnel would still be in the service

I am not suggesting they be discharged

[Donnachaidh]

16. And if those state economies depend on supplying those bases?

Moving the troops home to no jobs is a good thing?

Look, I'm not arguing against your point - but many of these states have NO backup plan other than to keep feeding the MIC beast. Georgia's unemployment is ticking upwards - and significant cuts would mean many more jobs lost in the State.

:shrug:

[Motown_Johnny]

26. the troops will still be in the military

they would not be discharged just because they are stationed back in the US


They will still need to be supplied and if the bases need to be expanded to accommodate more troops stationed there then it may create some construction jobs

[MadHound]

3. My bet is token military cuts,

Enough to say "hey, we cut the military also", but not enough to mean anything. A couple of billion at best.

Meanwhile, the rest of it will be taken out of our hides.

[liberal N proud]

4. The military industrial complex is a segment of the bigger rich constituents.

The GOP has to choose to cater the smaller group or all the wealthy donors.

[LiberalAndProud]

5. The speculation is killing me.

[Ozymanithrax]

8. Will the cuts hurt...

Pay and allowances?
Military medical centers?
Maintenace of structures on military bases?

or

Government contracts on weapons systems?
Contracts for civilian security teams (mercenaries)?
Government develoment of new systems?

I doubt they will cut the lifeline from large corporations. I suspect they will be token cuts that will hurt individual members and communities.

[The Big Vetolski]

22. You make WAY too much sense, and so are probably right. nt

[TheWraith]

10. I would take that deal.

Doubly so if it means the Pentagon finally puts a bullet in the head of the Joint Strike Fighter.

[bluestateguy]

11. Expect some Democrats to piss and moan about this too

Not every politician who is for gluttonous military spending is a Republican.

[The Big Vetolski]

23. Dude! Touche'!

[Matariki]

13. Although those cuts will probably be to stuff like body armor

And NOT to big ticket weapons systems that help line their and their bases's pockets.

I mean, troops are mostly made up of poor and middle class kids hoping to pay for college, so fuck 'em, right?

[sufrommich]

14. There should be cuts to the military AND Bush's tax cuts for the

wealthy should be allowed to lapse. I hope that is not off the table.

[xiamiam]

15. who is pushing for the military budget cuts?

[Bandit]

18. Democrats

Senior GOP lawmakers and Leadership aides said it would be far easier to build support for a debt-reduction package that cuts the Pentagon budget - a key Democratic demand - than one that raises revenue by tinkering with the tax code..

[Pirate Smile]

17. Take the military cuts since we will automatically revert to Clinton tax rates in 2013.

[RC]

19. Ahh, like we did last year?

[Pirate Smile]

20. Incentives are different in 2013. It is after the election. The 2010 deal was to get what they could

as stimulus with unemployment insurance extension, payroll tax cut, keep taxes from going up on middle class & get to DADT repeal, Start Treaty, 9/11 Responders, etc.

I think in 2013 you just let them all go up. It happens automatically.

[The Big Vetolski]

24. Zing! Touche'! nt

[TheKentuckian]

27. Probably soldier's pay and benefits. They aren't going to close bases or end wars.

Nor will they do anything to reduce the huge footprint that gives us Pax Americana.

[jmowreader]

28. If I was a Marine I'd be worried now

They won't cut the Navy or Air Force because those are the glamour services--they get the most and best equipment, bases etc.

They also won't cut the Army because with two ground wars going on right now, and Army bases spread all over the Deep South, it'd be political suicide to defund the Army

The Marines, the Defense Department's favorite whipping boy, will take the brunt of any cuts.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a wedding and all my family was there, including my freeper brother who spends 100 percent of his home time working on Marine Corps League and Devil Dogs stuff. He likes to go into a room and go on and on about shit no one else in the family cares about, and you can't talk around him because he's loud. First it was the New York Yankees...he loves the Yankees, while everyone else in the family either likes the Mariners (most of them), the Houston Astros (one of my sisters lives in the Houston area) or you're me and don't give a fuck about baseball. There were a couple other topics I don't remember, and then he got into this big long spiel about how everyone at the Marine Corps League knows Obama is bad because he's going to disband the Marine Corps. He mentions this every time he comes home (he's a long-haul trucker) and normally we're all "Bob, Bob, the president isn't going to get rid of the Marines." This time I got pissed off, y'know? He tells the same bullshit story every time and we try to calm him down every time...this time I channeled Sam Kinison and yelled at the top of my lungs, "if you'd quit fucking voting for Republicans he wouldn't have to!" (My mother only got a mild heart attack over that one.)