Kristol Uses Pirate Crisis To Argue For More Defense Spending

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Kristol Uses Pirate Crisis To Argue For More Defense Spending

Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a plan to reorient defense spending away from lucrative boondoggles for contractors and toward systems that are proven to work and are needed in present-day military situations. Conservatives immediately cried foul; Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) went so far as to claim that the Obama administration “is willing to sacrifice the lives of American military men and women for the sake of domestic programs.”

Right-wing pundit Bill Kristol was among the conservatives fearmongering about the supposed “cuts.” Following North Korea’s test launch of a missile, Kristol declared that “it is scary to have a president” talk about cutting the defense budget. “It is a very dangerous moment,” he said. Today on Bill Bennett’s radio show, Kristol said he hoped that the pirate crisis would make President Obama think twice before following through on the proposed budget reforms:

KRISTOL: Unfortunately, given the world we live in, this is not something we can skimp. And that’s another thing I hope the president realizes —

BENNETT: Budget cuts. The defense budget cuts, right?

KRISTOL: Well I hope he thinks about that. I mean, a lot of things that don’t look necessary — who needs the a big destroyer, the U.S.S. Bainbridge? Who needs Seals getting hours, weeks, months of training being snipers, isn’t that something that went out of fashion 70 years go? You can imagine people making these arguments. And it turns out, a lot of these things turn out to be important. … And I do hope it makes him sort of understand that there’s no substitute for having a strong and large military, honestly.

Listen here: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/13/kristol-pirates-spending/


Kristol cites the pirate crisis — and the use of the U.S.S. Bainbridge — as some sort of proof that the plan to shift resources away from costly Naval destroyers is misguided. However, there was no need for a massive naval destroyer; in fact, it took “several hours” for the 8,000-ton ship to arrive at the scene. Indeed, as Matthew Yglesias noted, Gates himself mocked the idea that such ships could defend against pirates:

Gates is holding on to the Littoral Combat System project for the Navy even though the program has had a lot of cost overruns and so forth. Gates said that despite the problems, “I think it has a capability we just have to have.” Specifically, the promise of a ship that’s not only agile, but relative cheap on a per-ship basis is large. “You don’t need a $5 billion ship to go after pirates,” Gates said.

A greater number of less expensive ships would be arguably more effective than fewer, expensive naval destroyers like the Bainbridge and its even more expensive successors, the DDG-1000, which Gates is seeking to cut. Indeed, the defense budget reforms reflect the type of “reshaping,” Gates said, “that the combatant commanders are asking for.”

Kristol is not alone is seeking to use the pirate crisis to shill for increased defense spending. Last week, Fox military analyst Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney said on air that he would deploy the massively expensive and unproved F-22 to combat pirates. Conveniently, McInerney is a consultant for one of the F-22’s major contractors.


http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/13/kristol-pirates-spending/

[Captain Hilts]

1. Few folks know how severely GWB cut the Navy to pay for the Iraq War. nt

[C_U_L8R]

2. Kristol better be prepared to pay for it

These jerks want bazillions in spending yet still don't want to pay taxes to fund it.
I think we've found the true definition of a teabagger.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Cheaper route, drop phony treasure maps in the ocean. Point to

where some excavations are slated, save diesel fuel and wages. Let the pirates dig it up... bury a few dollar store trinkets here and there, it will keep their interest... or not.

[bushmeister0]

4. Proof positive we need less defense spending.

Kristal is always wrong about everything.

How does he keep getting these talking head gigs?

[creeksneakers2]

5. Why are pirates our problem?

They are an international problem. I'm fine with us playing a role but the rest of the countries who have ships in the area should do something too. We don't need to build any more ships. Let the others handle it.

Unfortunately, we are the world policeman because the MIC tricks us into taking responsibility for every problem that comes up.

[bridgit]

6. Well, the 'pirate crisis' is why I'm lobbying for much more braided nylon tow line...

:patriot:

[Seldona]

7. It never ceases to amaze me this man gets paid for garbage like this.

In any decently run media he would be ridiculed and laughed off the national stage. I guess he is good for a laugh at times, even if it is a dark humor.