Kristof: The Big (Military) Taboo

[steve2470]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/opinion/26kristof.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

We face wrenching budget cutting in the years ahead, but there’s one huge area of government spending that Democrats and Republicans alike have so far treated as sacrosanct.

It’s the military/security world, and it’s time to bust that taboo. A few facts:

• The United States spends nearly as much on military power as every other country in the world combined, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It says that we spend more than six times as much as the country with the next highest budget, China.

• The United States maintains troops at more than 560 bases and other sites abroad, many of them a legacy of a world war that ended 65 years ago. Do we fear that if we pull our bases from Germany, Russia might invade?

• The intelligence community is so vast that more people have “top secret” clearance than live in Washington, D.C.

[RandomThoughts]

1. They want to set up a Roman civilization.

Where there are citizens with privileges and then everyone else. Then they can use what the status quo thinks is important for 'entry as a citizen'.

Seen alot of situations that explain that, from illegal immigration not enforced intentionally to create two class citizens, to fusion centers, and 'cards' for some people to have 'access' to more information, and concepts of censorship and blacklisting used in media control.

It is a warrior cult.

[DCKit]

2. "It is a warrior cult." Series? It's run by chickenhawks and draft dodgers.

They may like to dress up and play army on the weekends (think "Brokeback Mountain" and all those "fishing" trips) but I'm sure you meant "worrier cult", as in "Terra! Terra! Terra!"

[RandomThoughts]

5. You make an interesting point there.

sad observation there.

I should have said they want a warrior cult to protect current distribution systems and some comfort levels.

There are many good people in many places, I just don't think dumbing down, and controlling is best choice, unless you think you are better then some other person.

[whathehell]

3. Agreed....Wait til they try and cut retirment benefits and medicare

before cutting the military...I hate these greedy, warring mofos.

[goforit]

4. And How much financial corruption fixes in this Military Budget, Obama?