Defense spending coming down...

[huevonkiller]

RP is also a conservative who wants to restrict who private property owners give jobs to. He's not to be put on a pedestal and there are reporters on Fox News who are more Libertarian, to put him in perspective.

I'll quote Ron Paul directly:

http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/a...efense-cut-military-spending-to-strengthen-us

My Plan to Restore America does not cut one penny of defense. But it helps make America more secure, and it brings our troops home to defend this country. Under my plan, America will retain the strongest national defense in the world, but we will end expensive foreign wars, overseas nation building, and foreign welfare.

Under my presidency, the United States will still spend more money on defense than President Bush did in FY 2005. America will still spend four times more on defense than China and more than all the countries of Western Europe combined. We will continue to maintain our status as the most dominant military force on the planet, but we will do so with a much more sensible and sustainable foreign policy.

Yes there's a difference between "realistic budget" and "ideal budget", you don't seem to comprehend that subtlety. I can say things he can't because he's a populist.

 

[Denny Crane]

You don't seem to comprehend the subtlety. No person can be elected president and get defense spending cut by a massive amount all at once.

 

[huevonkiller]

You don't seem to comprehend the subtlety. No person can be elected president and get defense spending cut by a massive amount all at once.

Um no, I do understand I just said so....

I don't need to waste time making compromises, whereas politicians that want to remain in power have to acquiesce to the masses.

 

[Run BJM]

I'll quote Ron Paul directly:

http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/a...efense-cut-military-spending-to-strengthen-us

My Plan to Restore America does not cut one penny of defense. But it helps make America more secure, and it brings our troops home to defend this country. Under my plan, America will retain the strongest national defense in the world, but we will end expensive foreign wars, overseas nation building, and foreign welfare.

Under my presidency, the United States will still spend more money on defense than President Bush did in FY 2005. America will still spend four times more on defense than China and more than all the countries of Western Europe combined. We will continue to maintain our status as the most dominant military force on the planet, but we will do so with a much more sensible and sustainable foreign policy.

You could cut defense spending exponentially and still be lightyears ahead of anyone else in the world. We're going way, way, way above and beyond a reasonable figure to be comfortably confident that we're the most powerful military in the world. Seems absurd for a libertarian to promote spending on something that is an extreme luxury.

 

[Denny Crane]

You could cut defense spending exponentially and still be lightyears ahead of anyone else in the world. We're going way, way, way above and beyond a reasonable figure to be comfortably confident that we're the most powerful military in the world. Seems absurd for a libertarian to promote spending on something that is an extreme luxury.

Defense is actually called for in the constitution.

He's talking about cutting spending to below 2006 levels, FWIW.

 

[MARIS61]

Department of Education breaks their budget down to cost per student.

Can we see DOD's cost per enemy combatent killed and cost per innocent bystander killed?

 

[Run BJM]

Defense is actually called for in the constitution.

I can only assume that the founding fathers meant defense as in having the means to defend the nation. Not like today's "defense" which pays for the country to be in a constant state of war and occupation abroad.

 

[Denny Crane]

I can only assume that the founding fathers meant defense as in having the means to defend the nation. Not like today's "defense" which pays for the country to be in a constant state of war and occupation abroad.

Which is 100% consistent with Paul's position.

 

[MARIS61]

Defense is actually called for in the constitution.

He's talking about cutting spending to below 2006 levels, FWIW.

So no real reduction in wasted taxpayer's money. Just a token shuffling of the deck.

 

[Denny Crane]

Department of Education breaks their budget down to cost per student.

Can we see DOD's cost per enemy combatent killed and cost per innocent bystander killed?

Lets use Obamalogic. Think of all the US citizens whose lives were saved. Until the marathon IED, no attacks on US soil.

 

[Denny Crane]

So no real reduction in wasted taxpayer's money. Just a token shuffling of the deck.

If you call a cut from ~$750B to ~$400B "token," then sure.

 

[MARIS61]

$300b worked fine for nearly 2 decades, and most was still wasted on things other than the actual defense of our country. Most is spent creating new enemies.

 

[Denny Crane]

FDR got us into a really big war against superpower enemies.

Truman got us into a really big war in Korea, and almost used nukes there. He then got us into a Cold War that cost 10% of GDP. It took Reagan to win that one almost 50 years later.

Wilson got us into the business of intervening in other countries' business.

The military industrial complex was a natural continuation of the Manhattan Project.

All of that before Ike was president.

 

[huevonkiller]

FDR got us into a really big war against superpower enemies.

Truman got us into a really big war in Korea, and almost used nukes there. He then got us into a Cold War that cost 10% of GDP. It took Reagan to win that one almost 50 years later.

Wilson got us into the business of intervening in other countries' business.

The military industrial complex was a natural continuation of the Manhattan Project.

All of that before Ike was president.

Wilson is one of the biggest creeps.

He made McCarthyism look minor in comparison.

Which is 100% consistent with Paul's position.

His position, not his budgets or proposals. He has to pander.

If you call a cut from ~$750B to ~$400B "token," then sure.

Long-term deficits are much more important, and larger.