Full Version: Beans and Bullets
An issue that always gets briefly mentioned and skirted around in the various threads concerning the war on terror and current events is military/defense spending. Since I've been a member of 
, a general consensus here seems to be that we spend too much on defense, and that we don't trust our elected representatives to make the tough choices on how to allocate out tax dollars.
I've been perusing the 2006 Quadrennial Defence Review, which for those who are not familiar with it is:
The Secretary of Defense shall every four years... conduct a comprehensive examination (to be known as a "quadrennial defense review") of the national defense strategy, force structure, force modernization plans, infrastructure, budget plan, and other elements of the defense program and policies of the United States with a view toward determining and expressing the defense strategy of the United States and establishing a defense program for the next 20 years.
The QDR can be found Here
This report, coupled with a quote from RedCedar in another thread:
But there is plenty of pork and worthless spending in our defense budget. I can't believe we're increasing spending on defense now, when our biggest threat is a guy coming into our harbor with a nuke in a cargo bin.
leads me to ask the following questions:
Assuming you are the SecDef, what materiel programs in the military would warrant being cut or scaled back? Which should be further funded or revived?
What 'quality of life' programs should be beefed up or axed? (quality of life refers to a myriad of issues such as pay, benefits, housing, education and opportunities for spouses, etc....)
What current doctrines (or mindsets) are outdated given today's threats, and what direction and focus would you give to the various branches of the military?
, a general consensus here seems to be that we spend too much on defense, and that we don't trust our elected representatives to make the tough choices on how to allocate out tax dollars. I've been perusing the 2006 Quadrennial Defence Review, which for those who are not familiar with it is:
The Secretary of Defense shall every four years... conduct a comprehensive examination (to be known as a "quadrennial defense review") of the national defense strategy, force structure, force modernization plans, infrastructure, budget plan, and other elements of the defense program and policies of the United States with a view toward determining and expressing the defense strategy of the United States and establishing a defense program for the next 20 years.
The QDR can be found Here
This report, coupled with a quote from RedCedar in another thread:
QUOTE(RedCedar @ Feb 25 2006, 10:39 PM)
But there is plenty of pork and worthless spending in our defense budget. I can't believe we're increasing spending on defense now, when our biggest threat is a guy coming into our harbor with a nuke in a cargo bin.
Assuming you are the SecDef, what materiel programs in the military would warrant being cut or scaled back? Which should be further funded or revived?
What 'quality of life' programs should be beefed up or axed? (quality of life refers to a myriad of issues such as pay, benefits, housing, education and opportunities for spouses, etc....)
What current doctrines (or mindsets) are outdated given today's threats, and what direction and focus would you give to the various branches of the military?
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