Budget crunched: The facts of Romney’s proposed $2 trillion Defense Increas

Flintlocker · 10-08-2012, 19:42

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts...fense_increase

The Machinist · 10-08-2012, 19:48

Are you at all capable of defending anything in Obama's record? Just curious.

Flintlocker · 10-08-2012, 19:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Machinist

Are you at all capable of defending anything in Obama's record? Just curious.

I'm wondering if any of you are going to bother to respond to anything Romney does or says. All you do is try to change the subject and toss out schoolyard taunts like the children you appear to be.

The Machinist · 10-08-2012, 20:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flintlocker

I'm wondering if any of you are going to bother to respond to anything Romney does or says. All you do is try to change the subject and toss out schoolyard taunts like the children you appear to be.

You like to make driveby posts, and rarely read anything by anyone else. You ought to already know I'm not voting for Romney. I can defend my vote and my beliefs all day long. I'm asking you if you can defend Obama and his record.

GAFinch · 10-08-2012, 20:02

From the article:

Quote:

DOD's 2013 base budget excluding war funds is $525 billion, which equals 3.3 percent of GDP. Under Obama's plan, it will continue to grow modestly in future years. Romney has said that he wants to reverse the Obama-era cuts, return to the 2010 plan crafted by Robert Gates, and set the goal of spending 4 percent of GDP on defense. Those three objectives are different, so he'll have some wiggle room should he become president.

Let's compare Romney's third objective to Obama's plan. We'll run two scenarios for Romney. Under "Ramp Up," he increases defense spending by 0.1 percent of GDP per year until it reaches 4 percent and keeps it there. Under "Immediate," he increases defense spending to 4 percent of GDP immediately and keeps it there.

Quote:

Why is there such a big difference between Obama and Romney? Because GDP tends to get bigger over the long run, so indexing defense spending to GDP will cause the defense budget to grow -- sometimes rapidly -- in perpetuity.

Quote:

Readers should note a few things. First, cost estimates are not an exact science. Second, defense spending today is relatively low in historical terms when measured as a percentage of GDP. Third, inflation continually saps DOD's buying power, so defense spending increases are not as mighty as they appear. Fourth, the "4 percent for defense" plan has percolated among policymakers like Robert Gates and within think tanks for years.

DOC44 · 10-08-2012, 20:02

both of y'all are a waste.

Doc44

Flintlocker · 10-08-2012, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Machinist

You like to make driveby posts, and rarely read anything by anyone else. You ought to already know I'm not voting for Romney. I can defend my vote and my beliefs all day long. I'm asking you if you can defend Obama and his record.

Ok, fair enough. I think Obama's defense spending, as depicted on the graph above, is reasonable considering we've left Iraq. I think Romney's plan for a $2 Trillion increase, that the Pentagon hasn't asked for, is absolutely bat**** crazy. Couple that with his massive tax cut plans and it's a recipe for financial disaster.

**QNman** · 10-08-2012, 20:08

An awful lot of assumptions and extrapolation there. Like the selection of 2022 as the end point - 10 years? Why? Romney couldn't possibly be POTUS for that long.

If the dollars spent are wasted for four years, certainly the Dems can mount a better defense against him?

That said, if Rick of Ricks Foreign Policy, a writer with arguably good foreign policy credentials, is correct is his assumptions, then Romney and I may have some slight differences. Not enough to make me support Obama - who apparently is entirely unable to run on one shred of a four year record.

**QNman** · 10-08-2012, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flintlocker

I'm wondering if any of you are going to bother to respond to anything Romney does or says. All you do is try to change the subject and toss out schoolyard taunts like the children you appear to be.

Is that a "no"?

**QNman** · 10-08-2012, 20:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flintlocker

Ok, fair enough. I think Obama's defense spending, as depicted on the graph above, is reasonable considering we've left Iraq. I think Romney's plan for a $2 Trillion increase, that the Pentagon hasn't asked for, is absolutely bat**** crazy. Couple that with his massive tax cut plans and it's a recipe for financial disaster.

Wow... you got one whole sentence about Obama's plan out before resorting, once again, to Romney bashing.

Anything in the last four years you're particularly proud of? Anything you hope to see four more years of?

stormspotter · 10-08-2012, 20:19

Looks like we'll be in for some much needed rain thursday thru sunday. Might even have to do some spotting if conditions are right.

Thursday Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday Night Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

cowboy1964 · 10-08-2012, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flintlocker

I'm wondering if any of you are going to bother to respond to anything Romney does or says. All you do is try to change the subject

Pot calling kettle.

**QNman** · 10-08-2012, 21:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowboy1964

Pot calling kettle.

I keep wondering if he's capable of an entire paragraph on the last four years and how prosperous they were, giving clear reasons for why we should vote FOR Obama, instead of simply bashing Romney and repeating the leftist talking points on a right-leaning forum...

I guess not.

cowboy1964 · 10-08-2012, 21:22

FY 2010 defense spending was 4.7%. Romney wants it to be about 4%. 4% is the level that the people-in-the-know think is reasonable. Too bad there are so many UNreasonable, intellectually bereft, people out there that continue to be the pawns and lackeys of the left.

Wanna talk trillions? Let's talk about the $5 trillion O has added to the debt in four years. That's $50,000 for every taxpayer in this country. Pony up.

engineer151515 · 10-08-2012, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flintlocker

.... I think Romney's plan for a $2 Trillion increase, that the Pentagon hasn't asked for, is absolutely bat**** crazy. .............

Can you substantiate this statement. The Romney "plan" for a $2 Trillion increase Pentagon hasn't asked for?

So Obama's policy sounds so much more . . "sane"?

Plus these additional "bat**** crazy opinions from a source your original article references:

Quote:

Several Obama Administration officials—including Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, and former National Security Adviser General James Jones—have argued that the American people should, as a goal, seek to devote 4 percent of our GDP to national defense.

http://www.mittromney.com/issues/national-defense

Plus these little quotes from your article

Quote:

Second, defense spending today is relatively low in historical terms when measured as a percentage of GDP. Third, inflation continually saps DOD's buying power, so defense spending increases are not as mighty as they appear..

and

Quote:

In the broadest sense, Romney's plan is affordable if the necessary political decisions are made.

all make me wonder how you Liberals how you make this stuff up.

Brucev · 10-09-2012, 04:34

Looks like sequestering is the best option for reigning in the dod and its enmeshed symbiotic industries. Much better than increased spending that yields no return to the middle class.

Bren · 10-09-2012, 04:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flintlocker

I'm wondering if any of you are going to bother to respond to anything Romney does or says. All you do is try to change the subject and toss out schoolyard taunts like the children you appear to be.

That's all your posts merit. What did you say? Not a single word. Just somebody else's graph and story. You get what your posts are worth.

As for the defense budget, we've been getting annual raises the DOD/Army specifically asked congress NOT to give during the Obama administration, so it would be hard to point at Romney for the same, even if true.

Bruce H · 10-09-2012, 05:07

So get a sharp stick and defend the nation from the maurading hords idiot.

pugman · 10-09-2012, 05:14

Ah..I can see the American politican continues to succeed pitting Democrat/Liberal vs Republican/Conservative vs Third party - let them argue each other to death throwing barbs - while all along politicans continue to treat this country like a $20 trick and laugh all the way to the bank.

Any way you spend it - they are spending money we don't have.

Notice how the entire article quotes spending as a portion of GDP. When did we get away from the idea of a budget? Why quote GDP - because the numbers then don't seem as bad.

So now instead of the federal government tell us how much they will spend (aka a budget) now they just say we will take a percentage of what you make kind of like...the mob?

Just a thought: maybe if they cut/maintained military spending the military would spend it more efficiently? Remember, these are the same idiots who spent $5 billion dollars to develop a camo pattern they aren't going to use.