You ever notice at Thanksgiving, that it's always those people taking the biggest slices of pie, and the biggest piles of stuffing -- that are the first to tell you, THAT YOU should go on a Diet?
A Budget Diet. No more extra helping of "earned retirement benefits" -- for you!
That includes you too, Grandma. Hands off the dessert tray!
The 1.5 Trillion Dollar Question
by Maisha Lopa -- April 1, 2011
Joint Committee Meeting of Religious and Disarmament NGO’s on Military Spending
[...]
Ray Acheson, Director of Reaching Critical Will stressed the staggering statistics attributed to global military spending. She pointed out that military spending went up 50% since 2009 and the global recession, instead of decreasing military spending, spurred 2/3 of countries to increase their spending. She said, “the industry that builds the means to slaughter each other is also one of the biggest contributors to the world economy.” Ms. Acheson spoke about how the global arms industry is becoming more concentrated, growing bigger and richer as instances of conflict, war and terrorism become more prevalent. [...] She concluded her speech by bringing attention to the fact that one-year of current military spending -- $1.5 trillion -- is enough money to fund 700 years of the current UN annual budget.
Where we spend our Dollars, says a LOT about our National Priorities ...
If we want other countries to "love us" -- we've got to scare the living daylights out of them first. Doncha know? ... Duh.
And once is never enough in this racket.
"Bomb, bomb, bomb ... bomb, bomb ... Something Dammit!"
The one silver-lining in the pending "Fiscal Curb" Pie-slicing crisis, is that those Thanksgivings Blow-hards -- will finally be served up a MUCH smaller slice of their caramelized Pecan Pie. Automatically. It's already written into the Sequester Law.
And if you check their Buffet Cart, if sure could use a little trimming ... and a few more veggies.
Principle Contractor: Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Date Reported: 12/14/2012
Branch of Service: Navy
Contract Details:
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $127,740,214 fixed-price-incentive-fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Program Air System Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 5 contract (N00019-10-C-0002). This effort is required to complete the definitization for the previously announced Undefinitized Contractual Action (UCA) for a total of 32 F-35 Air Systems. This modification procures LRIP 5 production requirements including: manufacturing support equipment; two program array assemblies; ancillary mission equipment, including pilot flight equipment; preparation for ferry of aircraft; and diminishing manufacturing sources redesign. This effort includes requirements for the international partner governments as well as for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $127,740,214 will be obligated at time of award, $112,863,361 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contracting activity is Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md.
Total Contract Value: $127,740,214
Hmmm? How much was that
Chained CPI supposed to save, in four years -- something in
the neighborhood of a few hundred billion?
Interesting.
Principle Contractor: Raytheon Missile Systems
Date Reported: 12/14/2012
Branch of Service: Navy
Contract Details:
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $12,267,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-5400) to exercise options for Standard Missile engineering and technical services. The services are to perform evaluations of advanced missile configurations and advanced technology efforts with potential for current and future standard missile development programs. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by March 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $12,267,000 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $2,645,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contracting activity is Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C.
Total Contract Value: $12,267,000
Principle Contractor: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Integrated Systems Sector
Date of Issuance: 4/4/2011
Branch of Service: Air Force
Contract Details:
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Sector, of San Diego, Calif. is being awarded a $247,000,000 firm fixed price contract to provide logistics support activities required to support Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle fielded systems and subsystems used in peacetime operations, which includes fielded air vehicles, engines, payloads, ground segments, and support segments. The contractor shall provide materials and support services to include planning, operations supports and maintenance in support of Global Hawk fielded systems used in peacetime CONUS and OCONUS deployments. The location of performance is Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems, San Diego, Calif. The contracting activity is WR-ALC/GRCKA, Robins AFB, Ga., (FA8528-11-C-0003).
Total Contract Value: $247,000,000
View More Contracts by Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Integrated Systems Sector
And we fret over 11-Dimensional Chess, to save the bonuses for
these Guys!?
Incredible.
If only the rest of the world actually respected us, instead of perpetually feared us,
then we wouldn't have to invest Trillions in these high-tech Tools -- that we pray-to-God we never have to use:
This chart shows the absurdity of our spending.
Chart courtesy of Global Issues - World Military Spending.
I guess the rest of the world has other priorities.
Like living their lives productively as possible.
Nice thought, hey grandma? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to live your golden years without having to resort to double-the-discount Coupon Days, just to get by?
The one silver-lining in the pending "Fiscal Pie-eating crisis contest,"
is that it that it forces cuts in Military Spending NOW.
Maybe it would lead to Bringing our Troops Home NOW too? Could be.
Congress, and the President, should leave our Seniors alone. They did their bit, already.
When is Congress going to go after the real "welfare queens"
Northrop, Lockheed, and Raytheon. et. al.
And all THEY create, are the tools of destruction. And the "good guys" American Legacy, around the world ... that's plain to all who bother to count all our toys.
When are the American People? ... Going to reallocate OUR Thanksgiving's Pie; according to OUR "compassionate" Priorities ... "good will towards all" ... remember?