Now the debt ceiling “crisis” is over and the dust is settling. What about defense spending and the wars?
"This is a good deal for defense when you probe under the numbers," said Lawrence Korb, a defense expert at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning research center. "It's better than what the Defense Department was expecting."
Three things: the Pentagon is not unhappy; defense contractors are not unhappy; now the lobbyists take over and will remind the administration and the “Super Congress” who is boss.
And, the overall budget for defense, security and intelligence programs could actually approach an astounding 70% of the discretionary United States budget. That is from a low of nearly 40% after the Cold War. President Obama seems proud that domestic spending is at the lowest it's been since Eisenhower. I haven't heard him say how proud he is to continue to greatest military spending in human history.
We have to stop this. It's either Empire or Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, as well as unemployment insurance, food stamps, help to the elderly and disabled, and any number of programs from the non-discretionary budget.
The cuts (and/or additional revenues) include two phases: the initial $900 billion which includes $350 billion for the Pentagon and $70 billion additional security cuts. The second phase seeks an additional $1.5 trillion that will be determined by a new 12 member bipartisan legislative committee, or the “Super Congress”.
Those cuts are yet to be determined but the proposal includes a “trigger option” that would enact equal parts (out of $1.2 trillion) defense and security and equal parts non-defense budget reductions (Medicaid, Income Security programs, etc.) if an agreement can’t be reached in December. In other words, another possible $600 billion from defense over ten years.
The initial cuts include $350 billion to the defense budget over ten years, or $35 billion per year. The debt deal begins with the 2014 budget and caps the 2012 and 2013 defense budgets, basically amounting to a 5% cut in 2012 and a 7.5% cut in 2013. All of the projected “cuts” thus far are dependent on the promises to withdraw troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq, or the operations part of the budget.
That's why defense contractors and investors aren't worried. The procurement side of the house won't be touched. We need those 2075 weapons.
“With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, experts said, the overall change in defense spending practices could be minimal: Instead of cuts, the Pentagon merely could face slower growth.” Adjusted for inflation, it amounts to almost nothing in the big picture.
http://www.miamiherald.com/...
Ya, the wars are winding down. That's another story. Ain't gonna happen and there are plenty more on the horizon.
Topping it off, the proposal for defense is not mandatory.
"Appropriators will determine each year how money is allocated under the cap," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), in reference to a $684 billion limit for spending by all security agencies, including the Department of Defense, the compromise bill would put in place. A House Appropriations source confirmed "there is no specific DOD-only number in the bill for any year, and not for the 10-year span."
http://thehill.com/...
That means if the administration decides to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, or ramp up operations in Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and/or Pakistan, the defense budget can and will grow accordingly. Future war supplementals for more wars or reprioritizing current wars are possible as done during the Bush years for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The bottom line: the Military Industrial Complex, the Pentagon, and the Empire will continue on their merry way.
The military leaders of this great nation are rightfully telling Congress, the President and the nation that it can’t keep up with the Empire building without more money, and they certainly can’t do it with substantial defense budget cuts.
“Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, Obama's choice for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate panel this week that cuts of $800 billion or more "would be extraordinarily difficult and very high-risk." Leaders in the Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and Navy told a House panel that cuts of that magnitude would force them to restructure their respective services and cause problems meeting the demands of commanders in the field.”
http://www.goldcoastchronicle.com/...
The other four leaders of the major military branches – Navy, Army, Marines and Air Force, all took turns explaining how difficult it is becoming trying to conquer every nation on earth.
This comes after outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates went on his worldwide tour telling anyone and everyone that we need more money for defense, not less.
I usually don’t believe much that comes out of the Pentagon but in this case they’re right. Maintaining over 1000 military bases worldwide, fighting six wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia), trying to establish Full Spectrum Dominance over the earth, and continually planning for more wars and more weapons and destructive capability is hard to do on the cheap. Eventually something is going to give and they’re telling us that can soon become the case.
Now the lobbyists will do their thing.
"But what is really happening is something else: Both Democratic and Republican leaders have realized that they don’t have enough political heft on their own to cut a deal. So they are pointing a gun to the knee caps of corporate lobbyists for the defense contracting and medical provider communities and saying, “Help us, or else.”
http://swampland.time.com/...
December isn't very far away so the wheels must be absolutely churning in the beltway. Imagine having a view of all those greedy rats from outer space. If I was a betting man, I'd put my money on the Pentagon and the MIC. The Empire will continue unless we stop it.
Coincidently, a major open ended protest is being held in Washington D.C. starting October 6th, the ten year anniversary of the Afghanistan war. How the organizers knew the wars would still be going on and the budget cuts would not affect the Empire is beyond me. Very prescient.
I propose a West Side Story dual between the lobbyists and the protesters.
http://october2011.org/...