Now, I don't know why the military seems so upset about all this when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs can't be specific about the outcome of the budget cuts to the military. I believe working on 'theory' is unbecoming the USA military. I am quite confident this can occur without severe disruption of our readiness.
Perhaps the military leaders need to remind themselves about how the USA participated in WW II. They might begin to appreciate readiness can happen FIRST within the infrastructure of our country and not just at our military bases.
In actuality, the USA military budget is greater than the sum of all other military spending on a global basis. I would think that was shameful, especially given the fact the country is still rebounding from the 2008 depression which was encouraged by the huge spending of military prowess in the eight years before.
When the USA says in diplomatic circles we advocate peace and democracy and doesn't reflect that in our overwhelming readiness then it doesn't carry much validity. I would hope standing down from overwhelming force enough to PROVE the USA is serious about peace and nuclear non-proliferation is far overdue!
And to the US Army that believes full page ads are necessary to thank the people of the USA, "You are welcome." But, in all honesty, the thanks is from the nation to those that pay the highest price to their country when and only when the time comes to defend this country's borders. Perhaps some of the Public Relations budgets need to be cut first, after all other departments of the government can't really afford NASCAR participation.
I appreciate the fact the USA military is a global enterprise that fights wars on foreign soil for whatever reasons politicians find handy, but, in all honesty we need to curtail that mess. And when it comes to drones patrolling within the USA borders that has to stop. If pictures of landscapes are necessary for the departments of the government it can be done from planes like it always has before. I don't consider domestic use of drones a prudent expense and quite frankly it is as hostile toward citizens as the size of the military budget is to the rest of the world.
..."We can't yet (click here) say precisely how bad the damage would be, but it is clear that sequestration would risk hollowing out our force and reducing its military options available to the nation," Dempsey told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee. "We would go from being unquestionably powerful everywhere to being less visibly globally and presenting less of an overmatch to our adversaries, and that would translate into a different deterrent calculus and potentially, therefore, increase the likelihood of conflict."...
