@Nabuquduriuzhur: But surely if he gets a medal for deflecting scrutiny, that means there is a problem. Even 1% of your federal budget would buy and sell most of us.
Defense spending is traditionally 30 percent of the Federal Budget. Entitlements, (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, pensions) come in around 55 percent, leaving 15 percent discretionary spending…roughly….unless you count defense spending as discretionary…
Joe-Allen “Joe” Doty said, about 6 hours ago: “What’s a military man doing at a news media event?”
I suspect he’s one of the many “retired” generals who hits the pundit circuit–CNN, FNC, PBS, and of course all those Sunday morning networks political talk shows. I put the word “retired” in quotes because it’s turned out that a fair number of these guys were still on the payroll as part of a Pentagon sponsored propaganda campaign.
dsom8: well, given that most of the “threats” against our country ultimately have to do with the way we’re sucking the planet’s resources dry to support our fetish for oversized vehicles and other self-indulgences, yeah… an economic downturn just might reduce the threat level. On the other hand, one of the best ways to keep the people in line when they’re dissatisfied about the economy is to invent a threat…
“WW11 pulled Germany and the USA out of the Depression…”
I’m sure you meant, WWII!
That was a case of massive government deficit spending: the only difference with the stimulus is that the latter is designed to build things that won’t be blown up or left to rust when obsolete.
Wiley; this would be hilarious if it wasn’t so true……
Just a little light reading;
http://www.lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis179.html
Just a piece of reporting that might be of interest to some;
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02192010/watch.html
We are at war with ourselves; the corporate structure / military industrial complex in step with the media has divided us and we are about to be conquered:
Ike understood the following;
II. WAGING WAR
Sun Tzu said:
In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped.
If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy.
Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.
Wiley again is spot on. The “secret” black box budget is never shown, and THAT is real “medal performance” by the Pentagon pinheads. Liberally spending huge sums on “defense” spending that buys junk, and waste, IS “conservative budgeting”.
Actually decreasing the military budget during a recession IS recessionary. FDR made this same mistake during the Great Depression and extended its duration until 1940, when defense spending was increased due to WWII.
In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped.
If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen bleeepociated with long delays.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy.
Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.”
Vini, vidi, vici. (sp?)
Go in, kick bleeep and take names. ;o)
Funny… but sadly too true. I wait for the day that the U.S. actually wants peace and democracy and stops running around the world distributing “peace” at the point of a gun and “democracy” from a rabid fundamentalist Christian agenda - all to prop up their economy with more military spending.
Yeah, Petraeus, McCrystal and the rest of those preening military types distracting us from the exploding Pentagon budget that’s gone up - what, a big 4% - as opposed to Obama’s domestic spending that’s gone through the roof, is what we should be worried about, eh? … Hmm, maybe not.
landshark67 over 14 years ago
Joe-Allen “Joe” Doty said, 22 minutes ago What’s a military man doing at a news media event?
Well I would think that the fact we are waging two wars is worthy of being a news event.
madKanga over 14 years ago
@Nabuquduriuzhur: But surely if he gets a medal for deflecting scrutiny, that means there is a problem. Even 1% of your federal budget would buy and sell most of us.
Ronshua over 14 years ago
Recession ? Where I’m at it’s more depression . Not great yet , but headed that direction , tube-city .
Varnes over 14 years ago
Defense spending is traditionally 30 percent of the Federal Budget. Entitlements, (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, pensions) come in around 55 percent, leaving 15 percent discretionary spending…roughly….unless you count defense spending as discretionary…
Varnes over 14 years ago
.OK, I was off. 2009, Defense 23 percent, (That’s really quite low), discretionary spending 12 percent Wiki US budget…
wittyvegan over 14 years ago
Sounds logically: To reduce the deficit you have to increase the military budget and lower taxes.
wndrwrthg over 14 years ago
Ronshua, what’s so great about depression.
Whatroughbeast over 14 years ago
“Sounds logically: To reduce the deficit you have to increase the military budget and lower taxes.”
Almost as logically (sic) as legalizing 30 million illegals and giving them all free health care, not to mention the vote. Oops!
Potrzebie over 14 years ago
Who here besides of me thinks that the Pentagon has too many military bureaucrats?
dsom8 over 14 years ago
Funny, I thought recession was an economic term, not military. Do threats against the country drop because the economy tanks?
puddleglum1066 over 14 years ago
Joe-Allen “Joe” Doty said, about 6 hours ago: “What’s a military man doing at a news media event?”
I suspect he’s one of the many “retired” generals who hits the pundit circuit–CNN, FNC, PBS, and of course all those Sunday morning networks political talk shows. I put the word “retired” in quotes because it’s turned out that a fair number of these guys were still on the payroll as part of a Pentagon sponsored propaganda campaign.
dsom8: well, given that most of the “threats” against our country ultimately have to do with the way we’re sucking the planet’s resources dry to support our fetish for oversized vehicles and other self-indulgences, yeah… an economic downturn just might reduce the threat level. On the other hand, one of the best ways to keep the people in line when they’re dissatisfied about the economy is to invent a threat…
lewisbower over 14 years ago
WW11 pulled Germany and the USA out of the Depression.
There’s plenty of money to be made Supplying the army with the tools of their trade.
steverinoCT over 14 years ago
“WW11 pulled Germany and the USA out of the Depression…”
I’m sure you meant, WWII!
That was a case of massive government deficit spending: the only difference with the stimulus is that the latter is designed to build things that won’t be blown up or left to rust when obsolete.
Ooops! Premium Member over 14 years ago
And this one is for knot tying, and this one is for fire safety, and this one is for sewing, and this…………….
jsprat over 14 years ago
..is for the sanitization of alleged friendly fire scenes, and this is my Order of Double Speak, and my Inconclusive Determination Audit award
Justice22 over 14 years ago
Funny, but sadly close to reality. Anyone can be invited to these news events. Keep it up Mr. Miller.
kfaatz925 over 14 years ago
Good one, Wiley.
cfimeiatpap over 14 years ago
Wiley; this would be hilarious if it wasn’t so true……
Just a little light reading; http://www.lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis179.html
Just a piece of reporting that might be of interest to some; http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02192010/watch.html
We are at war with ourselves; the corporate structure / military industrial complex in step with the media has divided us and we are about to be conquered:
Ike understood the following;
II. WAGING WAR
Sun Tzu said:
In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped.
If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.
wicky over 14 years ago
Only a bloody liberial would speak ill of the dead.
Yakety Sax over 14 years ago
what is a bloody “liberial”? oh, you mean “LIBERAL”. and who are you referring to?
Dtroutma over 14 years ago
Wiley again is spot on. The “secret” black box budget is never shown, and THAT is real “medal performance” by the Pentagon pinheads. Liberally spending huge sums on “defense” spending that buys junk, and waste, IS “conservative budgeting”.
Varnes over 14 years ago
I wanna got to the Moon!
XLCH over 14 years ago
Actually decreasing the military budget during a recession IS recessionary. FDR made this same mistake during the Great Depression and extended its duration until 1940, when defense spending was increased due to WWII.
artybee over 14 years ago
Oh, we’ll get around to WW11 eventually.
Siberman over 14 years ago
Madkanga said :
” Even 1% of your federal budget would buy and sell most of us.”
I’m available for .25%. ;o)
Siberman over 14 years ago
“Ike understood the following;
II. WAGING WAR
Sun Tzu said:
In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped.
If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen bleeepociated with long delays.
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.”
Vini, vidi, vici. (sp?) Go in, kick bleeep and take names. ;o)
weasel_monkey over 14 years ago
Funny… but sadly too true. I wait for the day that the U.S. actually wants peace and democracy and stops running around the world distributing “peace” at the point of a gun and “democracy” from a rabid fundamentalist Christian agenda - all to prop up their economy with more military spending.
sablebrush5 over 14 years ago
Yeah, Petraeus, McCrystal and the rest of those preening military types distracting us from the exploding Pentagon budget that’s gone up - what, a big 4% - as opposed to Obama’s domestic spending that’s gone through the roof, is what we should be worried about, eh? … Hmm, maybe not.
Lester_77515 over 14 years ago
landshark67 said, about 19 hours ago
Joe-Allen “Joe” Doty said, 22 minutes ago What’s a military man doing at a news media event?
Well I would think that the fact we are waging two wars is worthy of being a news event.He’s the military spin Doctor.
lindz.coop Premium Member over 14 years ago
Right on Steverino –or left to blow off some kid’s foot, or to be used against us.
Ronshua over 14 years ago
That’s a Great question wndrwrthg . My guess would be it’s not great yet ?
Can't Sleep over 14 years ago
Gee, and I thought I was just reading a comic strip!
Thanks, Wiley - love today’s strip!
dublinmike over 14 years ago
Oh, geez, people, it’s a comic strip. Perhaps, irrelevant… just poking humor.